This coda is exactly what Aristotle meant by giving the definition of ancient greek tragedy: the end of the play (the symphony, here) provides the audience with the feeling of what he called "catharsis", the feeling of justification, because what happened at the end was the right thing to happen.
@@paulbrower4265 thanks for your comment. I would like to clarify that with the term "tragedy" I neither refer to the somewhat modern meaning (failure, catastrophe) nor to an event filled with dire circumstances. I rather stick to the original definition of "tragedy", from which we can draw the conclusion that the heroes have their ups and downs, not always "slapped" by their destiny. E.g Antigone (Sophocles) ends with three suicides, if I am not mistaken, but on the other hand Helen (Euripides) ends with the couple reuniting against all odds, leading to transcendence. Just draw the same analogy to this symphony. "Tragedy" can be a broad term. I am Greek, we were taught those at school
Bruckner isn't only music, he creates an absolutely different experience something like a superior state of mind coming close to a religious stasis not human, but spiritual.
Every musician on that stage knew it was a privilege to perform Bruckner under Gunter Wand, as did every other orchestra he performed Bruckner with. My first Trombone teacher played under Wand at the BBC Symphony regularly and he was effusive about Wand, he was rarely effusive about anyone.
A good way to describe his music. Oddly, when I travelled to Vienna by train via Munich - Salzburg - Linz I had a strong feeling that you needed to have been in that area to understand where Bruckner's music comes from.
As much as I love Mahler, I love Bruckner too. I grew up listening to his 4th and 7th but as I got older I gravitated more to the 5th and 8th. I just love this ending, the way the violins have this sneaky motivic thing going under the long notes of the brass and then the eruption of sound. I can see this on the organ and pulling out all the stops. I listen to this over and over. I love the slow movement with its 2 note theme, just amazing. What can I say, I love them both in different ways.
Why do people call Mahler the father of epic music, when this finale is the most epic thing to probably ever come out of the classical symphonic repertoire?
Played with various soloists from the Munich Phil (trumpet, FHorn) under Celibidache. For them, rehearsals of Bruckner were really hard work. But for me, Celi was and is the reference.
Mi experiencia con Bruckner comenzó con la 4a y después la 7a. Ya con los años la 5a y la 8a. Escuché a Celi interpretando la 8a en París, en la Salle Pleyel (el concierto que más me ha impactado) y en Madrid. Inmensas sinfonías.
Listening to Bruckner's symphonies Wand conducts , our souls are polished , and we can step into the way arriving at the spiritual enlightenment . From Tokyo of the Land of the Rising Sun 🇯🇵
There’s certainly a spiritual dimension to his music, He was of course a church organist, wrote some beautiful sacred music (eg his three masses, the glorious Te Deum, and his motets) and was a devout Christian. Bruno Walter said that Mahler was searching for God, but Bruckner knew God!
@@mikeanndavis Thank-you so much to your inspirational and fabulous comments You are right I'm a Japanese Brucknerian Bruckner invigorates the human spirit , and immeasurable , unfathomable and beyond description , and is full of admiration , acclaim , tribute and deep emotion . By the way In Tokyo people are hustle and business of the increasing infected people and heat stroke and humidity and Olympics and vaccination Someday please come to Japan of spring of cherry blossom in full bloom Take care of yourself Good luck ！
Bruckner is a great Alchemist of the human soul The comfort of Bruckner’s symphonies is off the charts Bruckner’s symphony is the acme of the symphony, and unfathomable, and comfortable to the ear and the mind From Tokyo of the Land of the Rising Sun 🇯🇵
I've always admired the final three notes of this coda. Bruckner took a creative risk by not ending on a semibreve or long note. Wand draws it out a bit here but it's simply a crotchet. Reminds me of Sibelius' even bolder move (but informed by earlier works such as this) at the end of his 5th.
@magicwheel1 Great perception - thanks. This coda recalls a little the ‘through the star-gate’ coda of the 4th. To my mind’s eye that fourth movement has three centres: the King, his generous-hearted and care-taking queen, and a sorcerer - who finally leads them to the beyond…….
Of all of the Bruckner Symphonies , I believe That This Is The one That Mahler wished He Had Composed !! I Can hear Gustav saying , " Okay Anton , I've Got to give you your props . You Beat Me To That One !!!..."
Heard NDR & and so often in the 90s. Best EVER concert was the 8th actually in 2000 in the old Hamburg Concert Hall. Went with my dad and we both left after the end speechless. Couldn't talk to each other for 5 to 10 minutes, the music reverberating still in us. Priceless. I got a recording of the very concert from The NDR, back then you could request a CD of concert and they'd send it to you. Good times.
Holy shit! How did the audience not burst into immediate applause after that!?? Although I *hate* the guy at concerts who always shouts "bravo" immediately before the piece is even finished, I was fully expecting an immediate eruption of applause after such a monumental version of this finale..
I played on the stage in this performance 2nd wagner tuba. After the last chord was everything quiet for 16 seconds long! And not only here, always, if we played any Bruckner with him, it was the same situation! Here is the original version: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE--pzTLk-thrQ.html
Nope, it's almost customary at the end of works like this to pause some time before applauding. I mean, hopefully it's a moment of genuine silent awe, but there's an element of custom and not wanting to be that doofus that you mention.
Awesome is one of the words which could be used to describe this. The fact this has had only 180,000 views in the 5 years it has been on RU-vid says a lot about the sad state of our world.
esta música sublime y poderosa nos conduce a lo más profundo del Alma, del universo y a Dios, sólo los más grandes compositores sinfónicos han alcanzado esta proeza...Bruckner, Mahler, Scriabin.... Sobre Bruckner me gustaría decir que yo personalmente hubiera acabado su novena sinfonía añadiendo una Coda poderosa , larga y sublime apoyándome en una gran sección de viento metal , así la sinfonía quedaría completa y elevaría más la emoción del público en los conciertos .Es mi modesta opinión.
In the 8th I saw in Hamburg with him (I'm aditionto many other occasions such as actually this very one here) at the end I remember a moment where GW wiggled a finger at the trombones- and their sound rose up, insane. Unforgetable.
Recipe for clarity: Set aside 90 minutes undisturbed, add 7 oz of Brandy, a 90 minute cigar, and Wand conducting the entirety of Bruckner 8. At the end, all will be clear.
0:50-1:25 sounds like Parsifal Finale, but then again the Wagnerian influence is a commonality. Great piece a music, though a bit flat. I’m really enjoying just discovering Bruckner now. :)
Perfect tempo. Some versions are way too slow. I say Amen to the Wagner Tuben. They were well-miked and in great four-part harmony, better than trombones could do.
@@JeanPaul-Hol65 I agree. My favorite version is Celibidache's, who takes the coda at about the same pace. My comment related to "some versions are way too slow". I don't know a slower version than Wand/Celi. Most conductors - even the greatest Bruckner conductors such as Giulini or Jochum - tend to rush a bit through this most glorious ending.
You are close than you think: He broke his arm in 2002 and couldn't conduct an ymor,e being 90 years old - and died shortly after. I am convinced to this day that the conducting kept him going. At later concerts he had a chair behind him and sat down occasionally yet conducted frequently without score. Thee was a stand but that only had another baton in case he lost his.
0:00 - 1:25 it kinda sounds like what you would hear in a world war 1/ world war 2 movie when something bad is gonna happen EDIT: not trying to be rude or controversial!!!
I listen to it, over and over again! I think I know why Günter Wand was the best Bruckner interpretor in my opinion. It is because both of them have been humble and modest persons. Bruckner is nothing for flamboyant cocks, that is for sure.
