Jan Carlstr M

Letters in response to a Bruckner review

The following are letters I’ve received (e-mails, actually) in response to my review of a performance of Bruckner’s Ninth Symphony by Carl St.Clair and the Pacific Symphony on Thursday. Names and cities are withheld to protect the innocent. One wishes this kind of lively conversation could go on in the comments section of my newspaper’s website, but most of these respondents are print readers, so it doesn’t. (The last letter comes from a reader who was listening to Saturday night’s radio broadcast). Here they are:

(UPDATED with more letters.)

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I hope this finds you well and happy.  I just finished reading your review of the PSO’s performance of Bruckner’s Ninth.  I have 5 of his symphonies, 3rd-5th, 7th and 9th, with the 9th being my favorite (I can’t describe to you why I like this one the most, at least not as you might describe it in one of you reviews, but I’m always disappointed that he Bruckner wasn’t able to finish it).  It’s disappointing that Carl and the PSO didn’t do this composition justice (yes, I know they’re officially the Pacific Symphony and not the PSO, but that’s how I remember them).  If you’re ever in my neighborhood (near Columbus, Ohio), you can stop by my house where we can have a glass of wine while we listen to this piece; Reference Recordings RR-81CD (in HDCD) by Stanislaw Skrowaczewski and the Minnesota Orchestra.

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Hello:  Liked you article re the Pacific Symphony.  Well written.

Loved your closing line.  A little wine and some incense always does the job,  I am so old that I forget everything.  This one I will remember.

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Thanks for a great review if the PSO Bruckner concert –or rather event. OCR Feb 26, 2011.

You are right-on!  It many have been a spiritual experience for Carl St Clair but for the rest of us, the evening was more of a show-circus event. We had choral seats (behind the orchestra) and could clearly watch the emotions on the conductor’s face.  By chance, the event designer Joseph Horowitz sat next to us during the performance.  It is evident that neither understand the OC/WC audiences.  The PSO is attempting anything to build (and retain) audience and St. Clair is still attempting to “educate” us.  Neither appears to be working but they are alienating us more traditional (old-fart) concert-goers.

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