My listening post this morning is Red Hot Inn, a legendary restaurant around these parts. They’re a fantastic place for breakfast. But they’re primarily known for their chili dogs, which are extraordinary. Been eating them for some 40 years. Granted, now I can’t eat them past 5pm or they give me reflux around 1am. So I do my ‘dog eating before noon just to be on the safe side.
To my right is a skillet (eggs, bacon, sausage, sausage gravy, American potatoes) and coffee.
To my left is a window with darkness outside.
In front of me is this laptop.
In my ears is English conductor Sir Simon Rattle (1955- ), Wiener Philharmoniker, and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 8 in F major.
I’ve had the dubious honor of encountering Maestro Rattle seven times previously to this morning, on…
Day 15. Rating: “Meh!”
Day 33. Rating: “Meh!”
Day 51. Rating: “Meh!”
Day 69. Rating: “Meh!”
Day 87. Rating: “Meh!”
Day 105. Rating: “Meh!”
Day 123. Rating: “Meh!”
Seven “Meh!” ratings in a row.
I wonder what today will bring?
(Actually, I already know. I’ve been listening to this performance for 90 minutes already.)
I discovered something this morning: Maestro Rattle’s texts for these performances are the Urtext Editions, edited by Jonathan Del Mar. I’m not sure I realized that before. (And I’m too lazy to check right now if I’ve ever noted it in previous encounters with Sir Simon.)
For the record, this is what a UrText edition is, according to its entry on Wikipedia:
An urtext edition of a work of classical music is a printed version intended to reproduce the original intention of the composer as exactly as possible, without any added or changed material. Other kinds of editions distinct from urtext are facsimile and interpretive editions, discussed below.
I haven’t been a fan of Urtext Editions, and maybe that’s partly why I’ve disliked Maestro Rattle’s performances so much.
Although today’s performance is…
More about that in a moment.
Beethoven wrote his symphonies in four parts (except for the Sixth, which is in five). The time breakdown of this particular one (Symphony No. 8 in F major), from this particular conductor (Rattle, at 47) and this particular orchestra (Weiner Philharmonker), at this particular time in history (April 29-May 17, 2002) on this particular record label (Warner Classics) is as follows:
I. Allegro vivace e con brio…………………………………9:29
II. Allegretto scherzando…………………………………….3:59
III. Tempo di menuetto……………………………………….4:45
IV. Allegro vivace………………………………………………….8:55
Total running time: 25:15
My Rating:
Recording quality: 5 (I detected no flaw. It had lots of top end, plenty of punch, and hardly any tape hiss)
Overall musicianship: 5 (ALIVE! punchy, passionate, energetic, grand, playful, remarkable)
CD liner notes: 3 (one essay about Beethoven in English, German, and French; nothing about Rattle)
How does this make me feel: 5 (“Huzzah!”)
One of the biggest-selling albums of all time is Frampton Comes Alive!, the 1976 double-live album by English musician Peter Frampton (1950- ). The album is estimated to have sold over 11 million copies worldwide. (Say, now that I look, Simon Rattle does look a bit like Peter Frampton.)
I mention Frampton Comes Alive! because this performance of Beethoven’s Eighth could be titled Rattle Comes Alive!
For the first time in eight symphonies someone seems to have lit a fire under Maestro Rattles ass.
The orchestra is energetic and passionate!
My head was bobbing. My toes were tapping. My face wore a smile from ear to ear.
This is a punchy, powerful, playful, perfectly performed (how’s that for alliteration, eh?) recording that surprised the living shit out of me.
If Maestro Rattle ever wants to show a future employer (An Orchestra Manager? VP of Personnel? Who operates an orchestra and hires the conductor?) symphony what he can do, he ought to give this recording of Beethoven’s Eighth to him/her.
This is a remarkable performance, as magical and moving as any I’ve heard to date.
If Maestro Rattle had performed with this kind of fire in his belly I wouldn’t have had to endure seven previous “Meh!” performances.
I was hooked from Movement I all the way to the world-rocking coda to Movement IV.
Of the four movements, Movement IV is the one that gives me the most pleasure. It is nothing shore of explosive, with so many opportunities for my head to bob and my foot to tap.
My God, Maestro Rattle, where was this passion in your previous performances?!?!?!
Highly recommended.
“Huzzah!”