„Alongside the „Fifth“, the 8th Symphony is one of the most amazing creations not only of Bruckner, but of the entire symphonic world literature; it has been justifiably called the crowning achievement of 19th century music.“ This verdict applies to the second version of the work, premiered in 1892, whereas it would be another 81 years before the original version was performed for the first time, in 1973. Bruckner had sent this original to the conductor Hermann Levi, who was quite at a loss when faced with the gigantic score and advised the composer ro rework it. Bruckner was deeply hurt but eventually agreed to the suggestion.
No other symphony of Bruckner was subject to such radical alterations; whereas the „1890 version“ presents the long path from the C minor of the opening to the C major of the end as a „hard-won symphonic triumph“, the repeatedly attained radiance of C major in the „1887 version“ is not „the subject of an arduous battle, but rather the festive celebration of a certainty“. Eliahu Inbal, one of the great Bruckner conductors, returns to the Brucknerhaus after a period of 20 years. At the beginning of the 1980s he made now legendary first-time recordings of the original versions of the 3rd, 4th and 8th symphonies in the course of a Bruckner cycle with the Radio Symphony Orchestra Frankfurt.
Anton Bruckner (1824–1896)
Symphony No.8 in C minor, WAB 108 (1884–87) „1887 Version“
Konzerthausorchester Berlin
Eliahu Inbal | Conductor
