NEW YORK---With the exception of a slightly flubbed entrance from the horns in the opening bars, Staatskapelle Dresden and its Principal Conductor Christian Thielemann gave a near letter-perfect reading of Anton Bruckner's final masterpiece, his Symphony No. 8 in C Minor.
With his meticulous use of the baton and carefully measured cues, Thielemann was able to elicit a highly emotional and dramatic interpretation of Bruckner's lofty tome, with all of its electrifying grandeur. His lengthy and lush themes ere realized with an ever-intensifying sense of drama, making Bruckner's expansive melodies, shrouded in times with dark, dissonnent moods, seem to glisten in the shimmering light.
Bruckner idolized Wagner, as is evident in his freuently shifting melodic and harmonic landscape, often following lovely, tuneful passages with sudden discordant and troubling ideas. Perhaps this is why, for much of the last century, Bruckner was ignored. It is only in recent decades that the brilliance of his genius is appreciated. Bruckner was not only ahead of his times, but light years above the mental and emotional capacity of many, both within the music profession and among the leity.
Christian Thielemann and the Staatskapelle Dresden proved to be more than up to the task of resurrecting the preeminence of this unrecognized genius. There's was truly a landmark performance that should firmly affix Bruckner's star in the firmament, amidst the pantheon of musical greats.
The orchestra's New York concerts were dedicated to the memory of Sir Colin Davis, who passed away Sunday, April 14, 2013 at the age of 85. Sir Colin maintained a long and happy association with the Staatskapelle, having been named in 1990 as its first and so far only conductor laureate.
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