February, 2016: Symphony No. 4 / Georg Tintner / National Music Camp Orchestra / 1960

Georg Tintner (ca. 1960) This month, I am presenting the first of several rare recordings by the late Georg Tintner - certainly one of the champions of Bruckner's music in the 20th century. Any serious Bruckner collector is familiar with Tintner's remarkable cycle for Naxos Records. It was a project that would have given us several more versions of Bruckner's symphonies and the choral music with orchestra, if not for Tintner's illness and untimely death in 1999. As remarkable as Tintner's Naxos cycle is, it also points out how late recognition came to him. After fleeing Austria in 1938, Tintner resided in New Zealand, Australia and finally Canada. In January of 1960 Tintner accepted an invitation to conduct at the National Music Camp near Melbourne and it was here that he presented what was the first performance of the Haas (1878/80) version of the Bruckner Symphony No. 4 in Australia. The students were captivated by Tintner's artistry and the music that unfolded before them. Yet throughout his career Tintner ran into resistance wherever and whenever he chose to present Bruckner. Much of this is clearly and lovingly chronicled in Tanya Buchdahl Tintner's biography of Georg Tintner entitled, "Out of Time." The recording has its blemishes. The technical facilities at the Music Camp were not the best and we are dealing with the performance by a student orchestra, but the interpretation shines through and it marks the beginning of Tintner's long career working with student orchestras and celebrating their willingness to venture into repertoire which often changed their lives. Of further note, there was no special cover prepared for this LP. The discs were made exclusively for participants at the music camp. The LP came in a simple paper cover which many players used for autographs. My thanks to Tanya Tintner for her help in offering this recording. ANTON BRUCKNER: Symphony No. 4 (Haas Edition) -Georg Tintner -National Music Camp Orchestra -Geelong Grammar School, Corio, Victoria, Australia -January, 1960