Thanksgiving with Bruckner

Thanksgiving was rescheduled to Friday in my household -- in part because you can do that, if you live abroad... and also because it allowed me to attend the Mariss Jansons conducted Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra's performance of Bruckner's Fourth Symphony. Unfortunately, I sat in what must be one of those dreaded awful-acoustic spots of the Philharmonic Hall at the Gasteig, and all I heard in the opening Mozart Symphony (No.36, "Linz") was muddled garbage. It was only marginally better for the Bruckner, and until the excellent fourth movement, it was impossible to discern whether it was just the acoustic or also the performance that made Bruckner sound like a mess.

"Boring and senselessly loud" stands scribbled in my notebook; at least that's what I heard in Block "E" (the right of the lobster 'chelipeds', if you will), along with horn solos unworthy of the "Sixth Best Orchestra in the World". The Finale, however, came together much better, was suddenly compelling and dramatic, with poignant climaxes, not empty gestures. I'm not sure how much of this might have been me getting used to the acoustic and how much of this was a genuinely modest performance improving greatly... which leaves me unwilling to review the concert altogether.

P.S. I've put together a little list of my favorite Hickox (and Handley) recordings... which makes me curious what your choices would be, if you were to assemble such a list. Any strong (dis)agreements?