At its 1892 premiere, the Eighth Symphony was hailed by Hugo Wolf as "an absolute victory of light over darkness" and a triumph "as complete as any Roman emperor could have wished for."
Interpretation
This recording uses the 1939 edition by Robert Haas, a mixed version of Bruckner's Eighth Symphony that many important conductors, including Bernard Haitink, prefer.
Composer Biography
Anton Bruckner was awarded the Order of Franz-Joseph by the Austrian Emperor in 1886, which filled him with special pride.
Performer Biography
Bernard Haitink, the conductor on this album, was the Music Director and Principal Conductor of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra of Amsterdam from 1961 to 1988.
Recording & Production
This recording is a live performance from December 15-17, 1993, at the Herkulessaal der Residenz in Munich.
Compositional Technique
Bruckner's Eighth Symphony was conceived to be the "largest purely instrumental symphony of all time," with its finale being twice as long as his Seventh Symphony's and considered by Bruckner to be "the most important movement of my life."
Composition History
Bruckner's Eighth Symphony was initially rejected by conductor Hermann Levi, who found its instrumentation "impossible" and the last movement a "closed book."
You might also enjoy...
Bruckner: Symphony No. 7 in E Major, WAB 107 (1885 Version, Ed. A. Gutmann)
Bruckner: Symphony No. 5 (1878 Version)
Bruckner: Symphony No. 5
Bruckner: Symphony No. 5
Bruckner: Symphony No. 4 "Romantic" (1881 Version) [Live at Philharmonie am Gasteig, Munich, 1988]
