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Bruckner's mighty Eighth Symphony is not a work usually associated with Pierre Boulez, yet in this wonderfully mastered live recording (from the cathedral in which Bruckner is buried) his incisive approach provides a masterful account. The performance is well paced and the faster speeds he chooses (unusually fitting the work onto a single disc) give momentum to the large four-movement structure. Alongside Boulez's hallmark clarity of texture, this makes for a less exhausting experience than performances by the previous generation of conductors, though many will still prefer the heightened gravitas of
Wand and
Karajan. The slow movement contains some of Bruckner's most perfect music and the unprecedented accuracy and buoyancy Boulez brings to the underlying rhythmic pulse of the opening is matched at other times by uncharacteristically indulgent rubato, with Boulez revelling in what he describes as "wonderful, labyrinthine harmonic language". The Vienna Philharmonic, whose sound is unrivalled in this music, responds magnificently to Boulez's demands and there is an obvious mutual respect between conductor and orchestra in this meeting of two very different traditions. This disc comes most highly recommended both as a good introduction to this symphonic masterpiece, or as a refreshing tonic for seasoned Brucknerians. --
Leigh Aspin