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Posted by Ford on January 22, 2007, 8:10 am First of all, I bought the symphonies available on Point Classics (sadly now defunct as a record co.), and particularly was impressed by B4 conducted by Milan Horvat, and B9 by Mravinsky (1980). Eventually, after much internet research, I invested in the EMI Dresden/Jochum set - which turned out to be a mistake. Apart from the persistently feeble trumpets, these performances seem to me to lack the "magic" that Bruckner requires in sound, and the rhetorical approach needed to make the structures convincing. Since then, I have been buying individual discs where they are cheaply available, being afraid to commit money and faith to another box set. One great bargain I found was B5 and 9 by NDR/Wand for $5 (Australian - that's about 2 pounds). The 9 doesn't equal the Mravinsky but is definitely estimable. B2 and 6 conducted by Horst Stein, reissued by Australian Eloquence, are also welcome additions to my shelves. Less positive were my reactions to Bohm in B8 (in the Great Conductors series), which I found too dry and unemotive, and too crude in phrasing. Welser-Most's performance of B5, which in one review the dreaded Hurwitz cited as a reference recording, seemed ham-fisted and unidiomatic. Tintner's B4 was good, I suppose, and I can see how it might appeal, but I'm afraid I found it dull. Karajan's Bruckner 4 on EMI (brown cover) was a great discovery. I'm sure that portamento in the 1st movement has copped some flack, but I can't help loving it! It has beautiful sound and lots of energy, as well as poetic appeal - it almost makes me forgive Karajan for murdering Vysehrad and the Moldau. Unfortunately there are several noise reduction artifacts: I found 1 in the 1st movement and 3 in the 3rd (mostly in the left channel). I am now hoping that the previous release (pink cover) is still on the market somewhere. Karajan's DG set now looks very attractive to me - if only it was cheaper! Any words of advice from the wise old denizens of the MusicWeb forums?
152.76.0.130
I feel sure you will all be fascinated to read about the results thus far of my limited exploration of Bruckner!
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