Bruckner: Symphony No. 8 / Thielemann · Berliner Philharmoniker

[windstorm1000]

why does berlin phil. have lights on--i find it very distractive looking at fellow listeneners...want to be in my own musical cocoon so to speak. is this their policy of lights on???

[gera1262]

@windstorm1000 the lights are off, it's just that the stage lights are powerful enough to get into the audience's area.

[windstorm1000]

brass must love Bruckner---

[SephenZepher]

The expert composition that is Bruckner's Symphony No. 8 has not wavered from my favorite of all pieces for a very long time. "Bruckner's scope of expression is unlimited, though it has but few main subdivisions. Bruckner's musical message stems from the sphere of the saints; in Mahler speaks the impassioned prophet. He is ever renewing the battle, ending in mild resignation, while Bruckner's tone-world radiates unshakable, consoling affirmation."

[TheVaccumtube]

@SephenZepher A very sophisticated comment on Bruckner's music... I'm a new explorer in Bruckner's musical realm, but I think I can agree.

[bruckner4444]

@kamiyayuga Yes, this is Bruckner, the greatest symphonist in the whole history of music!!!

[bigtina68]

Thank you! You made my day!!

[noirvalentin]

amazing army of horns leading the charge!!!!

[playingforhim511]

Tone at 0:08 with the trombone is sooooo COOL!!!!!!! WOW!! Never had heard this symphony till today and I'm LOVE with it!!!!!! Oh MY WORD!! I want to play it so bad!!!!

[Gorboduc]

2:35 - to think they can make such sounds with nothing on the page! Truly a talented group.

[astrophilip]

@Gorboduc lol

[noirvalentin]

@Gorboduc lool

[GourouxPete]

In my travels around Bruckner since 1965 I can say with hand on heart that Christian Thielemann's rendition here with the fabulous BPO is almost without equal - and the 1st movement in particular is a revelation for all time. 

[grattoas193]

i have decided...stefan dohr is king. no questions.

[tubadude07]

Leyendecker is doing work

[Obstructions]

wth is with the oboist at 1:00?

[ZOMGItsRobot]

haha, 0:37, basoonist sneaks a glance.

[JC5268]

@MrFrasercat haha sure

[MrsLaipold]

Gänsehaut pur sag ich euch ;)

[TheKuraota]

Thielemann is super!!!!

[JC5268]

Stefan Dohr as fifth?

[MrFrasercat]

@JC5268 and 1st Bb Wagner Tuba! His choice I am sure!

[MrFrasercat]

@JC5268 .......and 1st Bb Wagner Tuba! His choice I am sure!

[MrFrasercat]

@JC5268 

[tubaconrad]

thats alot of horns

[TheGerman6th]

Dear Berlin Phil adopt me I want to live with you

[klavierspieler72]

Brilliant playing of a masterpiece. Amazing how many dumb people can't get the intensity and the building of a big edifice in the music. Bravo!

[lbrinin1701]

Just once in my lifetime I want to travel to see this magnificent orchestra live

[tlchop]

I love how BerlinPhil is so responsive to youtube comments. Interesting information about the Kruspe trombone

[32henrychinese]

oh dear 1:49 back desk of violins...

[windstorm1000]

@Playingtrombone Its the truth---trombones don't play as much in other symphonies.  players like to play--to get the spotlight.

[Corruptor133]

is principal trombone using a straight tenor!?

[BerlinPhil]

@Corruptor133 It is a pre-war instrument without valvet manufactured by Kruspe in Erfurt.

[Corruptor133]

@BerlinPhil that's very cool! you don't see that much anymore.

[Corruptor133]

@BerlinPhil That's very cool! you don't see that here in the states, its all about the new stuff here.

[SuperDerbiSenda]

@BerlinPhil ich dachte die wären durchgängig mit kromat besetzt ?

[MD051]

@SuperDerbiSenda

Nein, das war noch nie der Fall. Vor ein paar Jahren mit Arndt, Cieslik, Bäumer etc. wurde sehr viel Lätzsch (Bremen) gespielt. Inziwischen mit Ott, Schulz etc. sehr viel Throja (Berlin). Manchmal sieht man die ein oder andere Kromat, Thein oder gar amerikanische...

[Matt123ttam]

@Corruptor133 And a lot of Orchestra and Jazz trombone players use trombones without laquer to make the sound resonate more. Plus, playing high notes on a straight tenor is much smoother and easier (in my opinion at least).

[quagdude]

@Corruptor133 i think it looks lik a alto trombone,im not sure though.

[trombonejosh]

@quagdude It is a Kruspe, I think he told me it was about 70 years old. Definitely a tenor, but built with a very different concept in mind to American trombones. Smaller bore but a huge bell. Vibrant in the soft dynamics and not dull and bright and singing in the loud...i want one...

[SuperDerbiSenda]

der pure orgasmus für die ohren

[noirvalentin]

@SuperDerbiSenda absolut !!

[windstorm1000]

Don't like the Berlin Phil. Hall. Cold, too angular, looks like a Star Wars set. Also, why don't they turn down the lights when the music starts? You can concentrate on the music instead of the lady's hairdo up front. Lastly, I imagine the musicians don't care for having a wedge of audience behind them--bad orchestra fung shui!!!!

[windstorm1000]

Brass players must love Bruckner--he really spotlights them and lets them shine (no pun intended).

[ibizaking]

Probably Haas-version, like Karajan used to do.

Celibidache chose 1890-version

[scienceguy8m]

Is this recording available on CD? I have the Karajan version, which is excellent, but I love what Thielemann did with the brass instruments in this version. Thanks!

[tubadude07]

Who's the Bass Trombonist in the video?

[mortalfrog0815]

@tubadude07 thomas leyendecker

[vfbfan08]

@tubadude07 Thomas Leyendecker 

[soccerbabey]

Bruckner, you were such a wonderful composer.

He was a quirky guy (in a good way)

When he was watching an opera, at the end a girl jumps in a fire. First thing bruckner does is turn to the guy next to him "Why did she have to die??" :'(

because he was so absorbed in the music...

[aguador67]

@soccerbabey Maybe the opera was "Der fliegende Holländer" or "Tannhäuser" LOL

[cchamp27]

Bassonist at 0:37 - "What time is it?"

[JamesHowardYoung]

@cchamp27 0:13, 2nd trombone. What time is it? There are a few ppl looking at something off to the right. I wonder if it's a camera floating towards them? 

[tmleese]

@JamesHowardYoung

Hi - I think they are using the bass bow movement as a reference point for rhythm. As the moment the bow's hit the strings can be a more precise cue than a conductors baton. No offence intended to maestro Thieleman.

[LottoTottoKind]

ich hörs mir immmmer und immmmmer wieder an!!! und es wird immmmmmer berauschender!!!!

[Haeronthegreat]

More like Babe-orak, amirite?

[mortalfrog0815]

edicson ruiz is the only one in the contrabass section using vibrato...

[SirGlennGould]

German Orchestras !!! Impossible to defeat them

[charleshoskinson]

@SirGlennGould they will crush your french orchestra



[DeclanVB84]

@SirGlennGould - I am Canadian, and I agree with this statement 100%.

[jwjhtc]

amazing

[LLJtbone]

Ok this is what I am talking about ;-) Low brass <3

[bidujador]

lovely

[homofuerst1234]

genial...

gibt es eigentlich ein konzert das nicht perfekt ist und wen ja hab ich es noch nicht gefunden xD

[soccerbabey]

Bruckner was such a musical genius! I don't know if it was he or some other composer that would have an OCD to count leaves on trees and count the steeples.

Bruckner was an eccentric but brilliant man alright. This is such a powerful piece of music and it takes a great mind to put all the instruments together without making it sound messy. its just a shame that people my age (16) don't appreciate great music such as this.

[hwallacem]

@soccerbabey I'm so happy to know a person of your age can get Bruckner!!

Thank you for your comments. My nephew played some of the 8th symphony's

chords to a rock band, and they flipped out. This is great, they all screamed.

Yes it it! Indeed.

Thanks soccerbabey, keep the faith.

[aweitzer1]

@soccerbabey im 15 and i love this....its my passion...its a shame that people our age dont appreciate this...its such great art :)

[gera1262]

I've always questioned the use of triple winds (3,3,3,3) against the large brass section (8,3,3,1). it seems like the winds arent even heard. Then again, who am i to judge Bruckner, for i am a novice composer.

[sfrenchhorn07]

@gera1262 If you look at the works of early Richard Strauss, Gustav Mahler, and Max Reger very large brass sections seem to be a tred in most of their compositions. I think that it was a post wagnerian period idiosyncracy.

[Gargantupimp]

@sfrenchhorn07 Wannabe Wagners lacking the creative ability to think of a original equally suitable way to convey brute power

[sfrenchhorn07]

@Gargantupimp So what exactly is your comment directed towards? The size of the Orchestra? Or what it sounds like?

[SpottyDorsord]

There's something weird about the Berliner Philharmoniker in which the brass never attempts to challenge the strings, where in all other orchestras it's naturally the place of the strings to challenge the brass. I'm sure all those brass players are superb but they drone a bit, instead of shine, which in this piece especially here at the recapitulation makes for an underwhelming effect, I think.

Anyone wanna fight aboudit?

[LordVader9109]

@SpottyDorsord The brass really do SHINE here, just my opinion. It is brilliant. They do better to keep balance across the entire orchestra than say the in your face brass of Chicago and New York (not saying that's bad, just their style). They do not challenge one another in volume, but in their brilliance of sound and tone. When you get members of an orchestra like this together you are daring them to make music. This excerpt is an example of that fact. I love it.

[SpottyDorsord]

@LordVader9109

How. Dare. You. Challenge. My. Opinion.

Nah, sure. Of course these things are relative. I wasn't so much thinking of the Admiralty of Chicago, but more the Thielemann Dresden recording and HvK's 1988 Wiener Phil effort. And the VPO brass are a long way from the Chicago cavalry. That's two military metaphors - 3 points!

My first reaction to this excerpt was admiration for the balance, but now I've seen things from the other side.....you're....

Only a master of evil, Darth!

[LordVader9109]

@SpottyDorsord I do love the VPO when they play Bruckner. One of my favorite recordings is his 4th Symphony under the direction of Claudio Abbado.

[hkams]

INEFFABLE

[Userdoe1560]

This excerpt takes place right at the recapitulation

[DisabledJay]

I don't know why... but I always laugh when that trombone looks at the camera at 0:14

[chadvvvickable]

OMG I love the oboe at 1:00!!!

[ferdinandsouz]

oh, i love it

[x3x3yz]

anyway baborak is the best

[what15myname]

I have heard nothing of this conductor up to now, but what an introduction!!! Arguments will always go on about who is the best, but we are lucky to have recorded work by most of the Greats of the 20th and 21st centuries, so we can decide for ourselves.

But there was only one Anton Bruckner!

[MrDorfmann]

Die Blechbläser sollten nach deutscher/österreichischer Tradition andersherum sitzen, die Tuba (vom Orchester aus gesehen) rechts, da sie dann mit der Stürze nach links zu den Posaunen und ins Orchester abstrahlt. Die jetzige Anordnung ist von dem Amis übernommen, die ja Tuben mit Périnet-Ventilen spielen, bei denen die Stürze nach rechts zeigt.

Klingt trotzdem fantastisch !

[ChrissysVideokids]

Fantastisch!!!!!,,,Monumental!­!!!

[tubamarius]

epic

[GregHales]

While I like this Bruckner alot, I do not understand how people see Thielemann as the "heir" to Karajan. For example his Schumann, Alpine, Heldenleben, remind me nothing of Karajan and have none of the great hallmarks or intensity Karajan brought to his music making (like him or not). Thielemann to me is good with Bruckner and some other areas, but his Struass tone poems with Vienna are not that great, and by the same age Karajan already made classic accounts. Thielemann not the 2nd coming.

[SpottyDorsord]

I think people say he is the "heir" for many divergent reasons, negative and positive. I think it is said as an aspersion with connotations of authority (Fascist/NAZI), excessive, misguided polish, and ambition. Whether these are fairly associated with either man. And I think it is said as a compliment with connotations of brilliance of sound, Teutonic integrity, tradition, sense of structure, and fluid, muted, tasteful musical expression. Whether these are fairly associated with either man.

[hbomb2579]

@GregHales He always looks like he's struggling. Music just doesn't look natural to him.

[gregapage]

Which movement is this please?

[manolly]

It's the fourth... somewhere in the Middle...

[ricolee830104]

@gregapage Nears the end of 4th movement.

[music4dude]

The Best orchestra in the world

[mdchiesi]

can anyone else the the influence of bruckner on hollywood? like, as in the recent Batman movies?? great horns btw,

[michael91301]

i think hans zimmer has more influence on hollywood,...

[mdchiesi]

ok ok, I just meant that people like Hans Zimmer who write hollywood music have spent a lot of time listening to Bruckner (and Mahler and so on). A lot of this post-romantic large orchestra work often sounds like stuff written in Hollywood (esp John Williams lol).

[Sylderon]

I remember that The Onion made a joke about Williams having been ripping off Gustav Holst for the last thirty years.

[ddsoco]

Williams has pilfered Gustav Holst, Rimsky-Korsakov, Shostakovich, Debussy, Prokofiev, etc, etc.... Basically the entire post-Romantic era. He makes me very angry.

[Sylderon]

Yeah, that's kinda true. Although composers do take ideas from each-other all the time. This is perhaps where Mahler got the the idea of 8 horns=awesomeness.

[alextromb]

Uhhhhhhh!!!! Buenisimooo!!! que grande esos tromboness!! Muy buena fila!!

[ugin38]

hope DG can put this in a CD

[tubamarius]

sehr transparent...sehr gut!

[etiterum]

Er sollte sich in Christian von Thielemann umbennen.

[mikabrains]

Someone recently posted Celibidache's only Bruckner with the BPO (the 7th)

[moman1208]

what version of the symphony is this

[BerlinPhil]

It is the revised version from 1890.

[moman1208]

ohh is this the beginning of the movement? coz i heard the karajan, and wand recordings and they sound totally different

[Bochoff1]

No, it's not the beginning of the movement, it's a section out of the middle of the movement, repeating the theme of the beginning, but a little bit different.

[StefanGraz]

Thats the beginning of the Reprise of the Finale!

[mobile507]

@BerlinPhil

is this the same version that karajan did in 1979? the version on youtube?

[BerlinPhil]

@mobile507 Unfortunately, we have no information about the version Karajan performed in 1979 as this was a concert with Vienna Philharmonic.

[fgtuh]

@BerlinPhil old rivalty ! lol. 

[Axolo1991]

@mobile507 it is in the middle of the 4th movement.. the theme at the beginning is repeated there..

[GustafNeilsonViolin]

@mobile507 I have that recording and it is this same 1890 version by Robert Haas

[osumb17]

Berlin Phil is prob the best in the world as of the last 3 years and will stay that way for a few more. They have the greatest horn section known to man. By the way Bruckner is no ment to sound like a french orchestra took over the stage. His symphony works are ment for ORGAN, a rather loud instrument I must say. One can not play bruckner to loud but yes an orchestra can play out of tune. Bruckner can never be to loud. American orchestra no soul you say. I THINK NOT.

[armyofsalvation]

I do agree that Berlin is the best in the world.

However, bragging rights for brass belongs to Chicago. No contest. CSO brass is absolutely unbelievable.

[Sylderon]

I have to agree. I saw Mahler #2 there last November conducted by Haitink, got seats on short notice to sit in the second row. It was absolutely awesome, and I'm not ashamed to say that I nearly cried during the final movement.

It doesn't matter what the current popular trend in music is; when you've won 60 Grammys, your place in history is secure.

[Bochoff1]

@commanderful:

Meiner Meinung nach: Berliner Philharmoniker wie immer grandios, Thielemann wie immer ebenso!

Was genau findest Du an Thielemann "scheiße"?

Würde mich ganz ehrlich interessieren...

[musicus91]

At ThaSchwab,

In my opinion the Sound of the american orchestras has no soul!

[LuisFredTrombon]

Good to see Jesper in the section!! Greetings from San Juan Puerto Rico

[norathorr]

I must admitt to being fond of Chicago school of thought, but the overblown style that say New York are famous for certainly causes finite detail in music to get lost.

[norathorr]

The ONLY orchestra....

[norathorr]

Thielemann = Great.

[GregHales]

His Bruckner is not bad. I have some of his Strauss with Vienna, and have heard his Schumann and those are not great, not even that good, and the Schumann is horrible.

[JoshuaMazur]

How Ironic that this should be played the day after my father died.

[norathorr]

The ultimate piece performed by the ultimate orchestra! May your father rest in piece.

[ChalieChaplin]

On 13 december 2008 I played an organ concert! And in the same time the berliner were playng a symphony of my favourite composer! Wow!

[Finners1551]

also can i ask why some of the players keep looking in random places (not at the conductor) for example, 2nd trombone at 0:12 and 1st bassoon at 0:37??

[edvonschleck2]

I guess it's the blonde cellist. They're checking her out...

[rmfotj]

I'm pretty sure that the players were glancing at the conductor

[Finners1551]

hmm i don't think they are looking at the conductor... cos look at the bass trombone where he is looking at 0:13 when the 2nd trombone does his little glance. And i'm pretty sure the bassoon is not looking at the conductor cos you usually have the music in the same direction as the conductor so i doubt he is looking at the conductor at 0:35 onwards...

[Finners1551]

why is dohr not on 1st but on wagner tuba?? craaaaaaazy

[MrFrasercat]

@Finners1551 cause he loves playing tuba! plus Radek Barbarek is a damned good player as well!

[MaestroStark]

Nicht schlecht dirigiert von Thielemann. Es gibt viele Interpretationsähnlichkeiten zu der "Karajan-Version". Insgesamt ein gutes Scherzo!

[SharpHarp99]

that's not the scherzo, mr wiseguy.

[MaestroStark]

Oh, hab mir danach die 9te angehört und die beiden verwechselt... :D

[edvonschleck2]

I quite like the blondie cellist at 1:34. Anyone knowing her name?

[vfral]

wow way to completely miss the point. and be a creep.

[hundingwelser]

so muss das klingen...genau so.

[HermerTV]

bei youtube mpeg 4 das heisst schlechte audio qualität. du musst in die philharmonie gehen da gehts richtig ab.

[gengunfire]

Die Qualität hier is denn sehr gut. Jedoch, es wird mir gefallen, ob ich könnte in die Konzert gehen.

[kristidog]

this is a wonderful performance to me by both a as close to perfect as you can get conductor and orchestra. ive listened to it many times already and will continue to do co.

[karajanhk]

Thielemann is truly a master of Bruckner of this generation; his interpretion is Germanic and spiritual!

Hope he can succeed Simon Rattle as Berlin Phil. 's artistic direction!

[Majik47]

Hey Karen! I could see you playing your Waldhorn!

[goorioles747]

This leaves me speechless every single time I watch it. Phenomenal piece, phenomenal orchestra, phenomenal recording equipment... stunning

[divine604]

awesome!

[WAKeele]

The brass was a little weak for my tastes, but I fully can't judge unless I was there in person since this is an engineered world now.

[orcawhale4472]

weak?