Youtube: "Blicket auf" - this is how it's sung!

[barryguerrero]

I don't know who Ric Furhman is, but he nails "blicket auf". I'm pretty sure that that's Alexandre Bloch conducting. If so, I'm guessing this is in Lille.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4025vOJkUY

[Last_Evolution]

But he doesn't have German accent.

Full concert temporarily on my google drive:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1MWbQ-RgYjXnUm56vPaax8yJMH5d2JQJV/view?usp=sharing

[erikwilson7]

Thank you so much for sharing a video of this complete M8. I very much liked many aspects of this. It's quick (74 mins if you don't count the pre-applause and post-applause), but I think it works. This is essentially a modern Kubelík-ian approach but captured much better (and a hell of an ending, though the offstage brass wasn't particularly present, and I assume they will be better balanced in the official release). His tempo choices for the ends of both part 1 and 2 remind me of what Rattle does: technically correct but sounding rushed... overall not necessarily a bad thing since fließend is what's in the score. He's conducting these moments in cut time.

[barryguerrero]

Yeah, I think A. Bloch is pretty good. I enjoy the M7 CD I have with him and Lille on Atma. It has plenty of French 'joi de vivre'.

[barryguerrero]

Yes, this is quite good. There are some really fast tempi in there, that's for sure. But A. Bloch is real easy to follow - you can tell just exactly what he wants, and just where the beat is. I like that Bloch sent his 8 soloists to the back of the orchestra for the "Chorus Mysticus" - back to where they sang in Part I.  I also like it that he's dug up a real heldentenor. That sort of makes up for the Anthony Deane Griffeys and Barry Banks of the world. It's a shame Johan Botha passed away so early, but at least we have three M8 recordings with him (Boulez, Bertrand de Billy and Welser-Most/Vienna Phil. [no longer viewable]). On the negative side, Yitian Luan doesn't do such a great job on her big solo towards the end of Part II. I've certainly heard better. On the plus side, it was good to get the Philharmonia Chorus involved. Also, 10 double basses, which partly explains why the bass end is so strong on their Atma recording of M7.

[erikwilson7]

M8 is in a weird camp for me in general because I want it to be the biggest and longest symphony besides M3 (woo, epic!), but frankly this work just sounds better when it’s kept moving along. Maybe not necessarily this fast, but you surely know what I mean. Bertini nails it at 78 mins.

[barryguerrero]

For me, yes and no. I don't like the 'childrens games and rounds' section in the middle of Part II not to be pushed too much. A bit, yes. I also think the choral part of "Blicket auf" sounds really good when it's stretched out some, but everyone also must follow their dynamic markings (big swells and dimenuendos). Two places where I DO like the tempo to be quicker than normal, is the long passage immediately following the opening of Part I, and the long and soft choral passage that precedes the baritone solo in Part II. Those two parts need to keep moving in my book. They're the two big 'dead spots' in the entire piece.