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There are quite a few at bargain prices. Which would be a good pick. Performance first but still with good sound, no old mono recordings.
Follow Ups:
I love the Blomstedt recordings I've heard, but the set is very expensive. The Wand previously mentioned is a good budget choice, but I think that I'd go with one of the two Jochum sets, either EMI (Dresden Staatskapelle) or DG (Berlin Philharmonic/SOdBR). Both are available alone, but are also available in big Jochum sets that include terrific Brahms and Beethoven cycles as well.
But whatever you buy, be sure to seek out Furtwangler's Bruckner. No one has ever conducted Bruckner like Furtwangler:
That's how Leonard Bernstein described Bruckner's symphonies in a 1959 letter to his close friend Aaron Copland after listening to them on record. Oddly, at that point Bernstein was already principal conductor of the NY Philharmonic, had already been conducting major orchestras all over the world for 16 years and conducted the premieres of Messiaen's Turangalila Symphony and many other important works. Yet, until listening to those records in 1959, he had never even heard Bruckner's 6th, 8th or 9th.
Life is too short for listening to Bruckner, I imagine.
"Life is too short for listening to Bruckner, I imagine."
Absolutely correct. Everyone should take that attitude. Time's much better spent listening to EDM, or rap. At least there's a beat, hammered out non stop. There's always time for that, and it's life well spent.
When asked why he didn't conduct more Bruckner, Bernstein supposedly said it was because Bruckner was so goy! (Perhaps the quote is an urban legend?)
However (and this is true), Andre Previn was asked a similar question as to why he didn't conduct Bruckner, and he gave a much more witty answer: "It's because Bruckner will never get up off his knees!" ;-)
Toscanini's reply to a similar question: "He never had a woman!" Apparently Bruckner was obsessed with young girls.
A Rare and True Glimpse Into The Life of Bruckner
Bruckner really was attracted to young women. He wasn't interested in women past a certain age. In that respect, he's like some guys I know today. [And, actually, I don't find women beyond a certain age attractive, either].
There are tons of urban legends and fables that've told about Bruckner, most of them untrue, or based on distorted, garbled facts, or are simply hostile and defamatory. Here's one that's true.
One day, Bruckner went to a museum, apparently knowing that a young lady [if I recall, she was 19 or so] would be there. A friend accompanied Bruckner, and wrote down the events.
Bruckner began a conversation with the young lady, who seemed not be very interested in speaking to him. This is a cool part: his opening line was apparently something such as "Have I seen you at the Philharmonic concerts?", or something to that effect. The young lady answered "no". And so it went; not very smoothly.
Just then, a well-known and highly respected Viennese actress and singer happened upon Bruckner. She immediately greeted him warmly and cheerfully, and a normal conversation ensued. But, Bruckner seemed distracted and irritated. The actress asked, "So, maestro - when will we be hearing something new of yours?"
Let's pause right here. Bruckner was always desperate to have his music heard and performed, and more than overjoyed whenever anyone might ask him about it. That's cause he was neglected and the object of public scorn from critics, and hence, the listening public [at least until the 7th symphony, his breakthrough piece]. But, in this case, things were completely different.
Let's pause right here. Bruckner was always desperate to have his music heard and performed, and more than overjoyed whenever anyone might ask him about it. That's cause he was neglected and the object of public scorn ansd ridicule from critics, and hence, the listening public [at least until the 7th symphony, his breakthrough piece]. But, in this case, things were completely different.
Bruckner responded with an angry rebuff, saying something such as "How would I know?". His sharp anger actually stopped the conversation in its tracks. The actress was visibly taken aback.
Let's pause right here. Bruckner was always desperate to have his music heard and performed, and more than overjoyed whenever anyone might ask him about it. That's cause he was neglected and the object of public scorn and ridicule from critics, and hence, the listening public [at least until the 7th symphony, his breakthrough piece]. But, in this case, things were completely different.
Bruckner responded with an angry rebuff, saying something such as "How would I know?". His sharp anger actually stopped the conversation in its tracks. The actress was visibly taken aback.
What was happening was that Bruckner was in pursuit of a young woman, and the actress had interfered. Any guy out there who's been in a similar situation knows how pissed and irritated you'd feel.
So, we can see that far from being a humble, floundering, clumsy fuddy-duddy, Bruckner was a real man, with real feelings, and quite capable of reacting like a normal guy. While he may have had psychological issues that made him obsequious before those whom he considered to be his social betters, he wasn't like that all the time with everyone.
A member of the inner circle of New York Mahlerians convinced LB to listen to an LP that might have been an acetate cut from tape, and IIRC it was of the BBC's unauthorized broadcast of IIRC the Deryck Cooke Mahler 10th completion. So this was late 1960s early 1970s.
So the Mahlerian arrives at LB's pad and LB is in a hurry to get it over with, and the Mahlerian approaches the sideboard or cabinet housing the hi-fi, and LB STRONGLY cautions him not to touch ANYTHING, don't change anything don't touch any knobs or switches, just play the record, because everything is set up for approval of NYPO test pressings.
So my friend looks the system over and notices that the MONO button in engaged. He mentions that fact to LB.
LB says, "Really?!"
My friend asks LB if he wants the MONO button disengaged, and LB answers, "No, if that's the way I have been listening, I had better keep on listening that way."
JM
That's funny. Although I think Columbia's first stereo classical release was Ormandy's Pines and Fountains of Rome, Bernstein's Messiah wasn't far behind. So he had been recording in stereo for many years before that incident. But it took many people a looong time to believe in stereo.
I don't find it at all hard to believe that guys like Bernstein and Copeland had strong views about composers of past eras.
Bernstein and Copland had strong and not always positive views on composers of their own time, too. But they were far more committed to contemporary music than the management of today's NY Philharmonic, for example.
You mean that serialist/radicalist horse**&^?
Do you live in today's world?
Do you hear what people listen to?
A hint: it starts with electic guitars and drums, and ends with thumpus and rap. That's contemporary music.
That crap you're refering too? Yeah. There're about three people in the world who like that sh*#. Even the idiots who "compose" it don't actually probabaly don't sit around and listen to it.
RCA vrs. Sony.
Which also has much more natural sound. Also, one of the better 6ths.
WNTL?
That's $3 per CD...
JM
Delivered.
Done.
I think that (a) that's an unsustainable price point and (b) it makes it VERY hard to sell a new SACD with only one Bruckner Symphony on it for a price similar to a box of 9 CDS with all the symphonies, in sound that is at least decent.
So, what is the way forward for new artists and conductors, etc.?
It seems that there is almost a presumption that most classical CDs cannot and will not make money, so they need to be funded at a loss.
The Simone Dinnerstein/Lightning Strikes cases being few and far between.
jm
I have several sets as well as many individual recordings. Wand is highly regarded, but as far as sets go, the best in my opinion is Skrowaczewski.
"Life without music is a mistake" (Nietzsche)
The two that I have are Skrowaczewski/Saarbrücken RSO on Oehms (plain old CD) and Blomsted/LGO on Querstand (SACD). I'm enthusiastic about them both.
In general, Skrowaczewski tends to move things along, while Blomstedt seeks greater monumentality. Both are recorded well, with the hi-rez Blomstedt set deriving from actual concerts, which sometimes gives them an extra edge. Although you can get the Skrowaczewski set for a pretty good price, it looks as if the price of the Blomstedt set is still holding up pretty high ($150-$160 at Amazon).
It goes without saying that whatever set you pick (one of these, or another), you should supplement it with individual performances of individual symphonies. BTW, your original question is a perfect vehicle for use of an online service such as Spotiy, where you could sample the various sets and decide for yourself which you like.
ALtho, I have not heard the rest, I love his 9th. This is an extremely visual rendition and rendered with great details and impeccable timing.
others that I like:
But Bruckner is one of those that I don't get a hankering for very often. But on the rare occasion it would be nice to have a good recording. So I'd rather invest $40 than $100.
Wand , Barenboim (Berlin), Karajan , Skrowaczewski, Blomstedt (Leipzig) all are complete and in modern sound. Any of them would be satisfying.
Don't know why my computer won't let go of integrated amp header!
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