This morning, I am listening to Anton Bruckner’s Symphony No. 5 in B Flat Major (WAB 105), nicknamed “Pizzicato Symphony” or “Tragic,” interpreted by the Romanian conductor Sergiu Celibidache (1912-1996).
According to one web site, his name is pronounced: SER-zhoo Chay-lee-bee-DAH-ke.
I’ll have to take their word for it.
If you want to read the background info on Maestro Celibidache (and I really think you should), or read my opinion of his interpretation of Bruckner’s Third, visit Day 13.
If you want to read my opinion of Celibidache’s interpretation of Bruckner’s Fourth, visit Day 19.
If going backward isn’t your gig, then move forward. Read on…
First, the objective stuff.
Then, my opinion of the performance and box set and liner notes, etc.
The objective stuff:
Bruckner’s Symphony No. 5 in B Flat Major (WAB 105), composed 1875–1876
Sergiu Celibidacheconducts
Celibidache used the “1878, ed. Haas” version, according to the liner notes.
Munchner Philharmoniker (Munich Philharmonic) plays
The symphony clocks in at 88:17 – Yikes! (over two CDs – with applause at both ends)
This was recorded in Munich, Germany, on February 14 and 16, 1993
Celibidache was 81 when he conducted it
Bruckner was 52 when he finished composing it (the first time)
This recording was released on the Warner Classics label
Bruckner wrote his symphonies in four movements. The time breakdown of this one (Symphony No. 5 in B Flat Major), from this particular conductor (Celibidache) and this particular orchestra (Munchner Philharmoniker) is as follows:
I. Adagio — Allegro……………………………………………………………………..22:43
II. Adagio – Sehr langsam. (Very slowly)……………………………………..24:14
III. Scherzo – Molto vivace…………………………………………………………..14:32
IV. Finale (Adagio) — Allegro moderato……………………………………..26:10
Total Time: 88.17 – Yikes!
According to its entry on Wikipedia,
1878 version
This is the version normally performed. It exists in editions by Robert Haas (published 1935) and Leopold Nowak (published 1951) which are almost identical.
Okay. Now, here are the subjective aspects:
My Rating:
Recording quality: 3
Overall musicianship: 4
CD liner notes: 4 (thin booklet mostly about Celibidache, with a wee bit about Bruckner, translated into English, German, and French – fascinating for me, but unfulfilling as a primer on Bruckner’s symphonies)
How does this make me feel: 3
First of all, at nearly 90 minutes (an hour and a half!!!!) in length, Celidibache’s interpretation of Bruckner’s Fifth has crossed the line into Ass Hurt territory. Even taking into account the Maestro’s infamous disregard for tempo (as I mentioned on Day 13), is there any reason why this symphony should push past the boundaries of what’s possible to hold on a standard CD onto two CDs, flanked by applause?
Second, I really dislike it when a music label prints scant information on the CD sleeves.
Take a look at what can be discerned from reading the back of CD 4 from the Celidibache box set:
The number of the CD
The name of the conductor
The name of the composer
The name of the symphony
The total running time of disc
And “See booklet for details” in italic.
Since Warner Classics had to (and did) print something on the back of the CD sleeve, would it really have killed them to include:
The track names and running times for each?
The version Celibidache used?
The name of the orchestra?
The name of the record label?
Third, This seemed overly long and diffuse. For that reason, it felt unfocused to me. Lacking powerful punches in the right places…and meandering in the slower parts.
My appreciation for Zen could not favorably color my opinion of this performance.
I spent three hours (twice through!) listening to this. And at no point was I moved.
Not even the thunderous applause at the end of the Finale, nor – for that matter – the anticipatory applause at the start of the first movement (something I hadn’t heard in all my previous 170 days of listening to Bruckner performances) could inject excitement into this performance for me.
I get that Celibidache was a legend. A master. A quirky Zen guy who eschewed time signatures and saw each performance for the unique experience it was. I get that.
But I still didn’t dig it.