Fabio Luisi argues that opera orchestras are ideal for performing Bruckner's Eighth Symphony because they have extensive experience with Richard Wagner's music, which strongly influenced Bruckner's sound.
Recording & Production
This recording was made at Kultur Casino Bern in October 2015 and released on Philharmonia Records, a label founded by the Philharmonia Zürich in 2015.
Performer Biography
Fabio Luisi, the conductor on this album, is the General Music Director of the Opera House Zürich and Principal Conductor of the Metropolitan Opera in New York, and has won a Grammy for his Wagner recordings.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Fabio Luisi, the conductor, believes Bruckner is a "master builder who uses musical materials," creating "massive buildings" that grow with each symphony, culminating in the Eighth Symphony as a "vast cathedral."
Composition History
Bruckner's Eighth Symphony was initially rejected by Hermann Levi, a trusted conductor who had successfully premiered Bruckner's Seventh Symphony, who found its orchestration "impossible" and its form "stereotypical."
Interpretation
Conductor Fabio Luisi prefers Bruckner's original 1887 version of the Eighth Symphony, believing it to be "perfect" and that the Adagio in this version is one of the greatest pieces of music ever composed.
