|
Audio Asylum Thread Printer Get a view of an entire thread on one page |
For Sale Ads |
24.28.137.236
I'm looking for recommendations for Bruckner symphonies. I have a very worn LP of Bohm's Fourth which is too noisy. I'll go CD or LP. I looked thru the treads and found only old posts. Anyone have any ideas. I thought I'd start with the 4th, 8th and 9th. Thanks
S
Follow Ups:
Depends on how tolerant you are of mono. Historic recording selection would be folks like Furtwangler and Knappertsbusch.
Stereo I'd go Asahina/Osaka on Pony Canyon CD's. Similar in style to Furtwangler. Little known in the U.S. unless you follow Henry Fogel in Fanfare or read Record Geijutsu.
Mainstream older stereo sets...Karajan/DG or Eugen Jochum/DG or EMI.
Recent sets....Blomstedt/Leipzig Gewandhaus on Querstand.(SACD)
Individual symphonies by Walter, Kempe, and Schuricht esp. on LP worth getting.
Pretty much the above are common Nowak or Haas/ or Schalk editions. Haven't been real up to date on the latest Korstvedt or Caragan editions.
John Berky's Bruckner discography is a good starting point for catalog numbers.
Forgot 1 classic....Bohm/Vienna Decca LP or SACD Symphony no. 4.
Tintner!
Edits: 08/28/14
These are my go to thus far and with good reason! The 7th and 9th on these have incredible brass.
otherwise.
Wonderful SQ too! Like you, I have the 7th and the 9th. Haven't heard his 5th. And is his recording of the 4th available only in Japan?
For complete sets, I fall back on my Blomstedt/LGO (also recommended by ivan303) and Skrowaczewski sets I've previously recommended.
On LP (if you can find them) or CD reissue, try Volkmar Andreae. Overall the most convincing and enthralling performances I know. Also high on the list are Mario Venzago (an extraordinary ongoing series - try his 2nd), Kurt Eichhorn, Suitner and Paita (a controversial but exciting performance of the 8th.) IMO conductors like Wand, Karajan, Bohm, Jochum etal barely scratch the surface in readings that often sound bland and homogenized. Sorry if this upsets anyone!
and QOBUZ.
The bad news is that I'm not falling in love with it and I'm already on No. 2 and about to skip to No. 3.
Is there a really good one here somewhere?
No, I'm not the least bit upset, but I choose to ignore your assumptions. I love my Bruckner with a passion. For live recordings I love the Orfeo label recordings of Hans Knappertsbusch. I believe he conducts the 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 7th......very exciting.
Most of my other favorites are from conductors born BEFORE 1900. Bruno Walter for the 4th in a Columbia 6 eye stereo box set. The 5th goes to Barbirolli on a EMI ASD. The 6th is OWNED by Otto Klemperer on a beautiful UK Columbia SAX. The 7th is the early 50s DGG Jochum mono recording. I have that beauty on an original 1954 DGG pressing in a "Blue Tape" double album. The 9th I keep going back yet again to Bruno Walter.
For my guilty pleasure.....it's all of Bruckner's symphonies recorded live by Celidibache ......perversely slow and glorious!
Tom B.
I have copy of the Walter Six-Eye of the Fourth. Great!
S
.....my bad. I messed up in a weird way. I had the LPs out literally on my floor. What I was supposed to mention was Carl Schuricht's Bruckner 3rd!! Why did I even bring up Sir John. He never recorded a studio version of the 5th.....the brain cells are vanishing quickly.
Tom B.
My very favorite Bruckner 8 is Schuricht (famed for the uber expensive ASD, but also a fabulous balanced performance).Also like Tom B., I am quite the Bruckner fanatic and for some interesting other choices
Klemperer Bruckner 8 (but not the last movement alas; Klemp decided he could compose better than Bruckner and makes disfiguring cuts, a big shame because the first three movements are so good)
Also Mravinsky has a great Bruckner 8 (but avoid his Bruckner 9th like the plague)
and of course Furtwangler who has a not to be believed Bruckner 6 recorded in about 1943-44 on (experimental) magnetic tape but unfortunately a torso, the first movement was not on available tapes;plus several outstanding Bruckner 8s
I give a strong endorsement to the Guilini and Barbirolli 8s as well.
Edits: 08/28/14
I'm referring to a certain flexibility in rhythm, tempo and phrasing that reveals the "character" of every musical gesture. It seems that only conductors born before 1900 - and raised in the opera house - can exercise such interpretive freedom without losing structural coherence. Probably helped out by having more rehearsal time than afforded these days!
I love how Andreae brings a real swagger to the dotted rhythms at the opening of the 1st for example. Another revelation is how Venzago (not born before 1900!) illuminates the unique string textures in the 2nd created in part by the independent double-bass part. A whole new world of color and texture that reinforces the link with Schubert - not apparent when played by a huge modern orchestra with its homogeneous tonal blend.
I'd stick indeed to 4th, 8th and 9th, but add the 7th, which is also a must (it's the most recorded one...).
For the 4th, there are plenty good performances. I just have to say the first versions of the 4th aren't as good as (far from it!) the 1881 & 1886 (aka 1878/80) ones. Try Blomstedt (Leipzig or Dresden) or Wand (Cologne or NDR), for example.
(http://www.abruckner.com/discography/symphonyno4ineflat/)
For the 7th, I second Blomstedt (Leipzig or Dresden) recommendation.
For the 8th and 9th, Wand having been mentioned, I do not recommend the Berlin Philharmonic recordings at all, but those with the SWR Symphony Orchestra or the NDR Symphony Orchestra (try those performed at the Schleswig Holstein Music Festival).
Anyway, one cannot ignore Carlo Maria Giulini's 8th and 9th (and also 7th) with the Vienna Philharmonic. They're priceless.
Regards,
Jorge
Regards,
Jorge
Thanks for the input; I'll check those out.
S
Everyone who could hold a baton seems to have had the ambition to record the whole set.
I'm kinda partial to the newer releases including Blomstedt/Gewandhaus pictured above but again, the choices are endless.
Thanks for all the suggestions. Any on old LP to look for?
S
Because I buy just about every old LP I find. ;-)
I agree that Wand is great for Bruckner. Another one not to neglect, however, is Giulini. His Bruckner 7th with Vienna is amazing.
IMO, he was to Bruckner what Wilhelm Furtwangler was to Beethoven.... The standard to judge all others.
I also like Gunter Wand and Herbert Blomstedt for Bruckner. But not much else.
For me, Anton Bruckner's music had the longest learning curve of all the well-known composers..... Letting the "fruity" harmonic character and melodic lines surface will provide the realization that Bruckner's compositions are a lot deeper than given credit for.
.
"Life without music is a mistake" (Nietzsche)
FWIW & YMMV.
jm
All 9 symphonies, $26.51 on Amazon and $27.49 on Arkivmusic.com, so it depends upon shipping. Or you might find it used on eBay.
ATB,
JM
Post a Followup:
FAQ |
Post a Message! |
Forgot Password? |
|
||||||||||||||
|
This post is made possible by the generous support of people like you and our sponsors: