Bernard Haitink

1
There is a famous silhouette by Otto Bohl er s howing the chance to become organist of Linz Cathedral. From there an element of truth in this , too, but once again it is by no Bruckn er being greeted by Wagner at Bayreuth, Bruckner is he journ eyed regularly to Vienna to study counterpoint under mean, the whole stor\,. There is more to Bruckner than meets standing in frock coat, top hat in hand, his expression ('0 Simon Scchter, Austria's leading musical theorist of the period. the car, and, as his steadily incre a ses (a popularity far as one can see) rather coy, his trousers bagg y , his bod y His first sym p hony dated from 1863 and his career as a encoura"cd more bv the Concert"ebou w Orchestra than bv any tilting forward comically in a way that recalls Groucho ;-' farx, composer , som ew hat tar-di l ), perhaps, was at last solidly other llruckne;s native Austria), all th'e old Wagner is obviously master of the situation, He is standing la unched. rnisccnceptions ilbout his music arc being examined and refuted very grandly with his chin jutting out. His clothes arc WOrn 13)' now, \\'a gn er w as exertlng his spcll. Bruckner was in the light of mod e rn scholarship. Much has yet to be learnt with a swagger and he is resting one hand magnanimously on swept off hiS feet by a performance of "The Fl ying Dutch- about this simple, sturdy composer, , ,,hose symphonies pose Bruckner's shoulder. As a character study the drawing is not man" in Linz, tra ve ll e d to Munich to hear thc world premi ere 50 many problems (not lco. st of which is the number of without interest. We all know what Wagner was like. For of "Tristan," and was rewarded for h i. effons by a con v er- different editions that exist of each symphony). Jlut the chase what Bruckner was like (and there are many misconceptions) sation w ith Wa g ner. Their friendship deve loped through the is on and his mU 3ic is no w arousing more world-wide interest let us turn briefly to Tovey: "Of the childhood rustic person ye a rs, by way of intermittent meetings at Ba y reuth, and than ever befor e - more, certainly, than the Viennese that An ton Bruckner was apart from his music there are Wagner was so impressed by Bruckner's Third Sy mphon y that premi ere of the first of his rev is ed versions of his Third anecdotes without number and without form. They should he asked for it to be dedicated to him. This was duly done, Sy mphony in 1877, ",·hen a section of the audience fled from be told where his mus ic is understood." and the work has ever since been known as the "\'Vag ne r" the concert-ball at the end of each mo v ement , leaving the TO\'ey's second sentence was particularly meaningful. Some symphony. orche s tra to pla y the fin ale to a com pl et ely deserted hall. of the anecdotes about Bruckner suggest that he was something "If you Want ';';:a g n e rian concen - music oth er than the few A full analy sis of so Vast and e labor ate a symphony IS of a yillage idiot, a characteristic in no way compatible with complete Overtures and the Siegfried Idyll, why not tr y imp ossible here, an d those w antin g to le arn more about his music. But as his music has always aroused controversy, Bruckner?" So wrOte Tovey in the days when people we re Bruckn er and the sy mphon y arc referred to Hans Redlich and frequently been misunderstood, it is better to approach it more cautious about trying Bruckner than th ey arc now. and oth er e xp e rtS. As a b r ief g uide to the general layout, for the first time with a mind uninfluenced by toO close a Tovey's was, or seemed at the time, a bri g ht way to sell however, it should be ob se rv e d th at the larg e and sp\c ndidly- knowledge of thc composer's eccentricities, such as they were. Bruckner to a suspicious public, but a new g eneration of wrought first mo vement follows th e Bruck n crian equivalent Bruckner was a simple, blunt, quiet-living man, an Austrian Brucknerians has grown up that accuses even Tov ey of s pr e ading of sonata-form, much usc b eing ma de of a do wn ward arpq;gio villager whose heroes were God and \Vagner, in that order. misconceptions about this moSt misconcei v ed of compo se rs. in D minor, remini sce nt of th e openin g of Bec thoHn's Ni ;Hh. He was, admittedly, gauche enough to tip Richter a thaler In reality, claims Dr. Robert Simpson in a pamphlet writt en Thi s is v cr y much a Bruckn er fing e rpr i nt, as is the intro- for conducting his Fourth Symphony and to believe a prac- in guidance to the 1963 broadcast of the complete sy mphoni es duction of a third subj ect-gro up in the exp osi rion of the tical joker who informed him that the people of Bulgaria by the B.B.C., Bruckner's w ork is deeply un - Wa g nerian, and movement. Another characteristic fea tu re is th e abrupt alter- wanted to crown him their king. But he was also musically touching evidences of \Vagner's influence sen'e only to nation of fortissimo and piano, a trait in w hich Bruckner inspired enough to compose a series of works that glorified illuminate the alien world in which they are discovered. the organist is clearly audibl e, imitat ing. as it \V ere, the tonal exultantly and with the utmOSt majesty his God and that were "Bruckner's vast time-scale is often said ,0 be Wa g nerian," contrasts between t\\·o m a nual s. Thc slow mov ement, in E flat widely hailed as the abstract equ.ivalent of Wagner's music Dr. Simpson continues, "but it is more like an ext,ens ion of major, is based on three import a nt themes and fa lls into dramas. Schubert'S, with Beethoven's Ninth Symphony in the back- three well-defined secfions. Aftcr an im pr ess ive climax th" Anton Bruckner was born at Ansfelden, in Upper Austria, ground." Maybe so, but Bruckner nevcrtheless o w ed to movement ends in a mysterious pi a.n issimo. 1tl 1824. He came of a family of schoolteachers that could Wagner the realisation that a symphony cou ld be conc e i\'ed The scherzo, as usual w ith Bruckner, is buil t on classical be traced back to the sixteenth century. His father taught on a scale even more massive than Beethoven's Ninth and lincs, and her e a hint of Schube rt ma y be d is cerned. The in the local school, and he himself would have followed the that Wagnerian chromaticism could be used symphonical ly, grandiose finale conlbi nes mu sic of ch o ral e- like solemnity with same career had not music in tervened. The switch, happily for although in an entirely different and quite unerotic wa y. the chcerfulness of a i'ig ht-foot cd da nce. Bruckn er referr' cd to posterity, happened as follows. In preparation for his duties What, then, are the component parts of Bruckner' s sy m- this himself as an example of L ife', sha rp contrasts: ·'thc polka as schoolmaster, which entailed a cenain amount of music phonies, if we allow that they contain less Wagner than "'as depicts [he humour and gaiet y in the \,; orld; the chorale , al! teachin,;, Bruckner was sent to the VoLksschuLe in another once I t is sometimes said, as of Cesar Franck's that is sad and mebncho l r. " At the cnd of the movement, village. There he became a chorister in a foundation of Symphony in D minor, that they are nothing but inflated thc main theme of the fir st mO \,' cment is brought back, no\\' Augustine monks, and learnt the organ, piano, and violin. organ works in w hich a massi ve orchestra is emplo y ed to tran ; formed into a triumphant D major. ' Inspired by the atmosphere of the place, he composed a series imitate at length the sound of a cathedral organ. There is Conrad \Vi/son of organ preludes at the age of thirteen and devoted more and more time to the performance and study of music. A few years later he dutifully enrolled at a teachers' training college in Linz and subsequently worked for a spell as a teacher, but music was by now tugging at him still more strongly. The break finally came in 1856, when he was given 1m 1k:l'Ildld Haitill)" rii .,.. I, I fI'

Transcript of Bernard Haitink

.. .. ..... ... _. _ __ -, _. _. -_ 2nd moY.: Adagio, Bewegt, quasi Andantc 3rd moy.: Scherzo (Ziemlich schnell)

Conductor: Bernard Haitink 4th mo\'.: Finale (Allegro)

There is a famous silhouette by Otto Bohler showing the chance to become organist of Linz Cathedral. From there an element of truth in this , too, but once again it is by no Bruckner being greeted by Wagner at Bayreuth, Bruckner is he journeyed regularly to Vienna to study counterpoint under mean, the whole stor\,. There is more to Bruckner than meets standing in frock coat, top hat in hand, his expression ('0 Simon Scchter, Austria's leading musical theorist of the period. the car, and, as his p~pularity steadily increa ses (a popularity far as one can see) rather coy, his trousers bagg y , his body His first symp hony dated from 1863 and his career as a encoura"cd more bv the Concert"ebou w Orchestra than bv any tilting forward comically in a way that recalls Groucho ;-'farx, composer, somew hat tar-di l ), perhaps, was at last solidly other ol~hestra ou~side llruckne;s native Austria), all th'e old Wagner is obviously master of the situation, He is standing launched. rnisccnceptions ilbout his music arc being examined and refuted very grandly with his chin jutting out. His clothes arc WOrn 13)' now, \\'agn er w as exertlng his spcll. Bruckner was in the light o f modern scholarship. Much has yet to be learnt with a swagger and he is resting one hand magnanimously on swept off hiS feet by a performance of "The F lying Dutch­ about this simple, sturdy composer, ,,,hose symphonies pose Bruckner's shoulder. As a character study the drawing is not man" in Linz, trave lled to Munich to hear thc world premi ere 50 many problems (not lco.st of which is the number of without interest. We all know what Wagner was like. For of "Tristan," and w as rewarded for h i. effons by a con ver­ different editions that ex ist of each symphony). Jlut the chase what Bruckner was like (and there are many misconceptions) sation w ith Wagner. Their friendship d eve loped through the is on and his mU 3ic is no w arousing more world-wide interest let us turn briefly to Tovey: "Of the childhood rustic person yea rs, by way of intermittent meetings at Bay reuth, and than eve r before - more, certainly, than the Viennese that An ton Bruckner was apart from his music there are W agner was so impressed by Bruckner's Third Sy mphon y that premi ere of the first of h is rev is ed ve rsions of his Third anecdotes without number and without form. They should he asked for it to be dedicated to him. This was d u ly done, Symphony in 1877, ",·hen a section of the audience fled from be told where his mus ic is understood." and the work has ever since been known as the " \'Vag ner" the concert-ball at the end of each mo vement, leaving the TO\'ey's second sen tence was particularly meaningful. Some symphony. orchestra to play the fin ale to a com plete ly deserted hall. of the anecdotes about Bruckner suggest that he was something "If you Want ';';:agnerian concen -music oth er than the few A full analy sis of so Vast and elabora te a symphony IS

of a yillage idiot, a characteristic in no way compatible with complete Overtures and the Siegfried Idyll, why not tr y imposs ible here, an d those w antin g to learn more about his music. But as his music has always aroused controversy, Bruckner?" So wrOte Tovey in the days when people were Bruckn er and the symphon y arc referred to Hans Redlich and frequently been misunderstood, it is better to approach it more cautious about trying Bruckner than th ey arc now. and oth er expe rtS. As a b r ief guide to the general layout, for the first time with a mind uninfluenced by toO close a Tovey's was, or seemed at the time, a bri ght way to sell ho w ev er, it should be obse rv ed th at t he large and sp \cndidly­knowledge of thc composer's eccentricities, such as they were. Bruckner to a suspicious public, but a ne w generation of wrought first mo vement follows the Bruck ncrian equivalent Bruckner was a simple, blunt, quiet-living man, an Austrian Brucknerians has grown up that accuses even Tov ey of spreading of sonata-form, much usc being ma de of a down ward arpq;gio villager whose heroes were God and \Vagner, in that order. misconceptions about this moSt misconcei ved of compose rs. in D minor, remini scent of the openin g of Bec thoHn's Ni ;Hh. He was, admittedly, gauche enough to tip Richter a thaler In reality, claims Dr. Robert Simpson in a pamphlet written Thi s is vcry much a Bruckn er fing erpr int, as is the intro­for conducting his Fourth Symphony and to believe a prac­ in guidance to the 1963 broadcast of the complete symphonies duction of a third subj ect -g roup in the exposi rion of the tical joker who informed him that the people of Bulgaria by the B.B.C., Bruckner's w ork is deeply un -Wagnerian, and movement. Another characteristic fea tu re is the abrupt alter­wanted to crown him their king. But he was also musically touching evidences of \Vagner's influence sen'e only to nation of fortissimo and piano, a trait in w h ich Bruckner inspired enough to compose a series of works that glorified illuminate the alien world in which they are di scovered. the organist is clearly audible , imitat ing. as it \V ere, the tonal exultantly and with the utmOSt majesty his God and that were "Bruckner's vast time-scale is often said ,0 be Wagnerian," contrasts between t\\·o m a nual s. Thc slow mov ement, in E flat widely hailed as the abstract equ.ivalent of Wagner's music Dr. Simpson continues, "but it is more like an ext,ens ion of major, is based on three importa nt themes and fa lls into dramas. Schubert'S, with Beethoven's Ninth Symphony in the back­ three well-defined secf ions. Aftcr an im press iv e climax th" Anton Bruckner was born at Ansfelden, in Upper Austria, ground." Maybe so, but Bruckner nevcrtheless o wed to movement ends in a mysterious pia.n issimo. 1tl 1824. He came of a family of schoolteachers that could Wagner the realisation that a symphony cou lld be concei\'ed The scherzo, as usual w ith Bruckner, is buil t on classical be traced back to the sixteenth century. His father taught on a scale even more massive than Beethoven's Ninth and lincs, and here a hint of Schubert may be d is cerned. The in the local school, and he himself would have followed the that Wagnerian chromaticism could be used symphonical ly, grandiose finale conlbi nes music of ch o ral e- like solemnity with same career had not music in tervened. The switch, happily for although in an entirely different and quite unerotic way . the chcerfulness of a i'ig ht-foot cd da nce. Bruckn er referr'cd to posterity, happened as follows. In preparation for his duties What, then, are the component parts of Bruckner's sy m­ this himself as an example of Life', sh a rp contrasts: ·'thc polka as schoolmaster, which entailed a cenain amount of music phonies, if we allow that they contain less Wagner than "'as depicts [he humour and gaiet y in the \,;orld; the chorale , al! teachin,;, Bruckner was sent to the VoLksschuLe in another once be~ieved? I t is sometimes said, as of Cesar Franck's that is sad and mebncho lr." At the cnd of the movement, village. There he became a chorister in a foundation of Symphony in D minor, that they are nothing but inflated thc main theme of the fir st mO \, 'cment is brought back, no\\' Augustine monks, and learnt the organ, piano, and violin. organ works in w hich a massi ve orchestra is emplo yed to tran; formed into a triumphant D major. ' Inspired by the atmosphere of the place, he composed a series imitate at length the sound of a cathedral organ. There is Conrad \Vi/son of organ preludes at the age of thirteen and devoted more and more time to the performance and study of music. A few years later he dutifully enrolled at a teachers' training college in Linz and subsequently worked for a spell as a teacher, but music was by now tugging at him still more strongly. The break finally came in 1856, when he was given 1m 1k:l'Ildld Haitill)" rii.,..• ~{1tr;l":·"'''''''' •

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