I just conducted Bruckner\u2019s Second Symphony for the first time a few days ago- even many of the most pro-Bruckner opinion makers seem to think that only his symphonies from the Fourth onward are worth doing, and the often over-zealous defences of the early symphonies by well-intentioned\u00a0 fans of the composer sometimes do more harm than good. Fond as I am of it, I still struggle to accept the Third Symphony as being on anything like the same level of inspiration and accomplishment as the Fourth, and perhaps, in my case, that slightly discouraged me from spending more time with the other earlier works. Until now! Learning the Second has been a real revelation- it\u2019s a totally echt-Brucknerian masterpiece, that works structurally, melodically and sonically. Does more early Bruckner await?<\/p>\n
Anyway, the experience of learning to love this underrated work by one of the greatest symphonists of all time got me thinking about what other examples there are of major works by major, mainstream symphonists that get unfairly overlooked or dismissed. No off-the-beaten-track composers qualify- you\u2019ll have to look elsewhere on this blog for defences of the symphonies of G\u00e1l, Magnard or Piston. Also, for a piece to qualify, it has to be genuinely unfairly overlooked or maligned- Brahms 3 is the least often played of his four symphonies, but its quality is not in dispute, and it is hardly a rarity. What do you think are the works of the major composers we don\u2019t hear often enough, or don\u2019t understand well enough? Has your orchestra made any big discoveries in recent years? Please share your thoughts!<\/p>\n
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10- Bruckner- Symphony no. 2<\/strong><\/p>\n What astounds one the most about this work is how completely it embodies the unique musical personality of Bruckner. It has everything we value in the later works- the sense of awe and isolation, the moments of existential terror and unbearable desolation. It\u2019s also full of astounding rhythmic innovations the likes of which had not been seen in the music of any previous symphonist. A must hear.<\/p>\n Recommended recording-<\/strong> Eugen Jochum, Bavarian Radio Symphony. The piece has become something of a plaything for smaller orchestras of late, and it works fine when played by the likes of the Swedish Chamber Orchestra, Northern Sinfonia, or, dare I say, the SMP, but Jochum\u2019s recording has a maturity and a breadth of vision that no modern version can match.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n 9- Beethoven- Symphony no. 8<\/strong><\/p>\n We all know that Beethoven\u2019s even-numbered symphonies are all a little overlooked in favour of 3, 5, 7 and 9. No\u2019s 2 and 4 both deserve to be heard more, and the 6th<\/sup> seems to inspire, by far, the most wrong-headed assessments these days- it\u2019s proto- modernism and minimialism, not muzak. I fear it is music that is too modern, original and visionary for most 21st<\/sup>\u00a0 ears. However, I\u2019ve chosen the Eighth because so few people seem to full appreciate just how astoundingly brilliant it is. Yes, it is funny, and yes, it is short, and yes, it is less outwardly dramatic than the odd-numbered symphonies, but if there is cleverer Finale out there to any symphony, I don\u2019t know what it is. Get a good musician to talk you through how it is put together and you\u2019ll never hear it the same way again<\/p>\n Recommended Recording- <\/strong>Not an easy choice- it\u2019s one of those symphonies that really suffers from plodding tempi and muddy textures, but all too many period and HIP performances lack muscle and temperament. John Elliott Gardiner\u2019s performance with the ORR is probably my favourite performance of his classic cycle for Arkiv, and the last movement in particular is refreshingly Dionysian, even if it could use a bit more raw power and depth in the sound.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n 8- Shostakovich- Symphony no. 7<\/strong><\/p>\n Always popular with listeners and players, an alarming number of critics and conductors seem unable to keep up with Shostakovich\u2019s wartime masterpiece. One of Britain\u2019s best composers told me last year he considers it the greatest symphony written by a composer born in the 20th<\/sup> c. Keep that in mind as you listen for layers of irony, tragedy, violence, consolation and struggle.<\/p>\n Recommended recording-<\/strong> More so than most of his symphonies, quite a number of Shostakovich\u2019s usually-most-reliable Russian interpreters (Mravinsky, Kondrashin) seem a little scared of the dark core of this symphony and tend to gloss over the top of the music. The best recording by far is Bernstein\u2019s with Chicago, although the recorded sound is not my favourite.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n 7- Mozart- Symphony no. 39<\/strong><\/p>\n Mozart\u2019s last three symphonies seem to have been conceived and composed as a trilogy and can be heard as a summing up of his whole outlook on life and music. No. 39, the first of the three, is hardly a rarity, but it\u2019s nowhere near as celebrated as the 40th<\/sup> and the Jupiter, whose emotional narratives are more direct and easier to follow. It\u2019s also more feared than loved by orchestral violinists everywhere, most of whom earned a few grey hairs practicing the excerpts in the last movement for auditions.<\/p>\n Recommended recording- I appreciate the series of recordings Charles Mackerras made with the Prague Chamber Orchestra, in spite of the fact that I find the use of harpsichord throughout his cycle of the complete symphonies unfathomably irritating. Fortunately, I\u2019ve trained myself to ignore it, and at least it\u2019s recorded with very little presence by the Telarc team who must have realized how insanely out of place it sounded. Other than that, the playing has finesse and muscle and the tempi are suitably alive and balances are good. I don\u2019t know his later recording for Linn. I\u2019d love to hear a version with modern tempi from the VPO or Dresden, but without keyboard, please.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n 6- Schumann- Symphony no. 2<\/strong><\/p>\n I suppose all of Schumann\u2019s symphonies are in some way undervalued. The fiction about the superiority of the original version of the D minor has done a great deal to worsen people\u2019s understanding of Schumann\u2019s entire output and development as a composer. The Spring seems to have slightly dropped out of the repertoire altogether, and the reduction of the E flat major work with which he ended his career into a trite series of never-intended picture postcards of buildings and waterways has also led to a near pervasive misunderstanding of the staggering originality of the piece. However, of all the Schumann symphonies, the Second is the greatest, the most perfect and the most original- almost certainly the greatest symphony written since the death of Beethoven, and so many folks don\u2019t get it.<\/p>\n Recommended recording- <\/b>Well, what do you expect me to say? Please buy mine, if only for the program notes.<\/a> Of the big-band recordings, my easy favourites are Sawalisch and Dresden, followed (at some distance, it must be said) by Cleveland and Dohnanyi.<\/p>\n