If one were to characterize Kurt Sanderling's 1965 recording of Bruckner's Third Symphony with the Leipzig Gewandhausorchester in two words, those words would be relentless intensity. These are good words to apply to any performance of Bruckner's Third, also known as the "Symphony of Pauses," because of the composer's frequent application of luftpausen between sections to articulate structure. By holding these pauses too long, the wrong conductor can disturb or even destroy the Third's structure. The right conductor, ...
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If one were to characterize Kurt Sanderling's 1965 recording of Bruckner's Third Symphony with the Leipzig Gewandhausorchester in two words, those words would be relentless intensity. These are good words to apply to any performance of Bruckner's Third, also known as the "Symphony of Pauses," because of the composer's frequent application of luftpausen between sections to articulate structure. By holding these pauses too long, the wrong conductor can disturb or even destroy the Third's structure. The right conductor, however, can use these pauses to enhance the structure by making sure that even when paused, the music never stops progressing.In Sanderling's concentrated interpretation, the intensity of Bruckner's harmonies and the relentless drive of his rhythms make the pauses function as the composer hoped they would: as moments for listeners to catch their breath before the music moves majestically forward. With the deep-toned and rich-textured Leipzig orchestra giving him and the music...
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