Rattle records Bruckner 9 completion...

[Alan Howe]

It may not be exactly unsung music, but it's still pretty unusual for a major conductor to take on the completion of Bruckner 9. So here's advance notice that Rattle has done so with the Berlin Phil...
http://www.jpc.de/jpcng/classic/detail/-/art/Anton-Bruckner-1824-1896-Symphonie-Nr-9-4-s%E4tzige-Version/hnum/2571066?SESSIONID=14b4acb310a945e850299f20f7bd5e58

[petershott@btinternet.com]

Whatever its merits might be, it is rather a naughty and slick marketing exercise by EMI to refer to this as the 'four movement version'. Doubtless some innocents will be taken in by it.

[alberto]

Rattle has also, quite recently, conducted the Ninth completed in the ordinary BPO season and in New York with the BPO (there are several completions; I understand that Rattle has chosen the Samale, Mazzuca, Phillips, Cohrs- which is -I deem- a by product ot the Samale-Mazzuca recorded by Inbal and others).
If I am not wrong , between major conductors, Harnoncourt has faced the problem of the unfinished Finale in a completely different way, conducting and recording Bruckner fragments as they are , with spoken introductions (so-I would say- not willing to credit any completion).

[eschiss1]

Rattle also is performing the completion in New York City this year, I think.  I very much like the few performances I've heard of the latest iteration of this completion myself fwiw.

[Alan Howe]

Whatever its merits might be, it is rather a naughty and slick marketing exercise by EMI to refer to this as the 'four movement version'. Doubtless some innocents will be taken in by it.

Possibly, but they'll still get the three movements that Bruckner left complete. They'll just get the completed movement as well. However, I agree: the CD should make it clear exactly what is on offer here...

[Alan Howe]

Here are some reactions to Rattle's performance:
http://theclassicalreview.com/2012/02/rattle-berlin-philharmonic-deliver-bruckners-ninth-in-all-its-restored-majestic-glory/

And try these stupendous-sounding excerpts here:
http://www.digitalconcerthall.com/en/concert/2516/rattle-bruckner

[Dundonnell]

I shall admit that, having lived now for fifty years (of musical listening time) with the three movements of Bruckner's 9th, I viewed with some scepticism this thread and the whole notion of a 'completion'.

I am so used to that glorious, heavenly Adagio concluding the piece that anything cobbled together by others held no interest or attraction for me.

I read the reactions in the link you provided and then I listened to the linked excerpt. Thirty seconds or so into the excerpt from the fourth movement the full Berlin Philharmonic brass intone the chorale. My eyes instantly filled with tears   No one, but no one, in music can conjure such sublime majesty and power from his brass than Bruckner and no one-in my own humble opinion, of course-ever wrote such glorious music.

Sold

[karelm]

I shall admit that, having lived now for fifty years (of musical listening time) with the three movements of Bruckner's 9th, I viewed with some scepticism this thread and the whole notion of a 'completion'.

I am so used to that glorious, heavenly Adagio concluding the piece that anything cobbled together by others held no interest or attraction for me.

I read the reactions in the link you provided and then I listened to the linked excerpt. Thirty seconds or so into the excerpt from the fourth movement the full Berlin Philharmonic brass intone the chorale. My eyes instantly filled with tears   No one, but no one, in music can conjure such sublime majesty and power from his brass than Bruckner and no one-in my own humble opinion, of course-ever wrote such glorious music.

Sold

How beautifully put.

[Alan Howe]

Quite so. It's on my list!

[mbhaub]

It's about time! Rattle was one of the first major conductors to take up the completed Mahler 10th when the likes of Bernstein and Solti wouldn't touch it. And Rattle turned in what is still the recording to beat. I can't wait to hear this new recording! I'm glad he went with this version, and not the Carragan, who I think made some wrong decisions in his editing. Bravo EMI! There's still life in you.

[Rainolf]

It's a good sign, that Rattle made a record of Bruckner's 9th with the Samale&Co. Version of the Finale (the only one, that sounds totaly convincing to my ears)! If a world famous condutor like him performs this 4-movement 9th, it surely will be only a question of time, that the work of Samale, Mazzuca, Phillips and Cohrs would be accepted in the musical world like Deryck Cooke's Version of Mahler's 10th.

It's a bit confusing that jpc writes: "der nur aus Skizzen bestehende Finalsatz" (the final movement only consists of sketches). In fact it's the fragment of a full score with a nearly complete worked out exposition. Here is the preface to the performing version, that clears the facts:

http://www.musikmph.de/musical_scores/vorworte/444.html

[eschiss1]

erm. feel free to delete this response if inappropriate- apologies- but one can for some reason (with some permission, I think, and with a link to Classicsonline...)

hear the entire Naxos recording of the Bruckner 9th with completed finale (same editors, 1996 version I think??), streaming, at
this link. I am absolutely positive Rattle will make an even finer case for it, but as it is I like the Naxos recording, as presented at that link (with some expected transmission difficulties, et cetera!) - very much!

[Alan Howe]

I think Rattle is conducting the latest version of the SMPC finale, so there may well be some differences/improvements. In any case, my point here is the high profile of the Rattle/BPO partnership...

[Mark Thomas]

It's very much the sort of development which may trigger acceptance of  the completion into the canon as the de facto Ninth.

[Alan Howe]

Here's Rattle introducing the story of the 4th movement of B9:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Z9Jlgh_gpSs