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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?
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Posted by John Quinn on January 23, 2007, 7:54 pm, in reply to "My little Bruckner collection" Patrick has pointed you towards our joint survey of Bruckner recordings. As we make clear, that's only our view of the Bruckner recordings that we've heard between us - there are a lot more out there! You probably wouldn't want two complete cycles by the same conductor but DG have now made available Jochum's first cycle, recorded with the BPO and the Bavarian RSO between, I think, 1958 and 1967. It's on 9 discs. I bought it a little while ago and I haven't so far had time to listen to it all. What I have sampled suggests to me that it might have the magic and rhetoric that you find his Dresden set lacks - and I don't think you're alone there. The playing and sound in those performances I've heard is very good and if you sample, say, the last 3 or 4 minutes of the Fourth you'll recognise a fine Bruckner conductor at work. I notice that the set's on Amazon.com for US$72 + shipping but Universal seem to be forever doing promotions these days so if you shop around you might well be able to pick it up more cheaply. Before leaving Jochum, his DG recordings of the Masses (in one 2CD set) and the motets etc (single disc) are very fine indeed. They're currently on offer at reduced prices from www.europadisc.co.uk at a very good price, again as part of a Universal promotion so I guess other retailers may have similar deals right now. The same retailer has the DG Karajan cycle currently at a reduced price (£50). They also have all the Philips twofers by Haitink on special offer and as you'll see from our survey I think Haitink's a pretty reliable guide to Bruckner. In terms of single disc recommendations then I'd particularly advocate Bohm in Number 4 (with the VPO on Decca). I think that's currently in a 2 disc set coupled with his Third, which I've not heard. For the Sixth - a sadly underrated work, I feel- then Klemperer on EMI is still my benchmark. Wand's BPO recordings for BMG/RCA, made 'live' in his last years are very good, albeit at full price. Nos. 4 & 7 are excellent and No. 8 is just about the finest recording of that work I've heard. Do also try to hear some BBC Legends issues. Giulini in either No 7 or 8 is very worthwhile. Even more important is Horenstein in No 5 or a 2 disc set that couples No.s 8 & 9. Happy listening.
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Posted by tony reinhardt-rutland on April 19, 2007, 10:37 am, in reply to "Re: My little Bruckner collection" My interest in Brucker started in the early 70s, with the likes of the Bruno Walter in the revised version of 4 . In the late 80s, I purchased the Inbal 4 - the first commercial recording of the first version. It was a revelation comparing the two versions - and not just with regard to the performing standards of the two conductors! I now believe that the first version is the one to have; it has an elementalism and sense of spontaneity that seems to have been enfeebled in the revision. The revison really does sound "romantic" - but in a way that to me detracts from the essential Bruckner. Too much influence of the well-meaning Schalk brothers and others? Subsequently, I have found much the same for 3 and 8. I will admit that both usual editions of the revised version of 8 are more superficially appealing - for example, the end of the first movement - but in 8 as a whole the influence of the Schalks does seem to have been at its most intrusive. That brings me briefly to the completion of 9: to me, Wildner makes a very strong case for including the final movement - and it does have a sense of that elementalism and spontaneity that I find attractive in those first versions of 3, 4 and 8. So, do give some thought to versions; I really do believe that the issue is important to how Bruckner is to be understood.
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Posted by John Hill on January 23, 2007, 4:44 am, in reply to "My little Bruckner collection" PS: Giulini's famous DG Bruckner 8th is now back in the catalog, sort of... if you're willing to shell out for an "archivCD" "made from high-quality CD-R media that will play in most modern CD players." I'm not willing because those are CDs with those little pits burned into them, i.e CD-Rs, (vs. CDs MANUFACTURED with the digital information stamped in--different processes, the latter should hold up much better.
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Posted by Len Mullenger on January 23, 2007, 4:55 am, in reply to "Re: My little Bruckner collection" Len
Link: ArkivCD |
Posted by John Hill on January 23, 2007, 5:40 am, in reply to "Re: My little Bruckner collection" That's a hard one. So far I haven't seen anything from ArchivCD that I just have to have. However, if they'd reissue del Pueyo's Gardens of Spain on Philips I'd get that in a heartbeat. HINT, HINT!!
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Posted by Patrick Waller on January 22, 2007, 5:55 pm, in reply to "My little Bruckner collection" I completely agree with you about Jochum’s EMI set but know little of his DG traversal which has a better reputation. Meanwhile, I wonder if you have heard Barenboim’s Berlin set for Warner which is probably the best value set and costs just £22 from Amazon UK at the moment (see my review of March 2005). It can be sampled cheaply by downloading from the Warner website. Mind out for the dud 2nd (try the 5th say) but the rest is all worth having. What are best individual Bruckner bargains around? Well Sinopoli’s single disc 5th and Karajan’s final 8th (two discs) are both pretty much at the top of the pile and at mid-price. Bruno Walter’s 4th and 9th are excellent at bargain price. Haitink’s VPO Philips Duos of the 3rd/8th and 4th/5th are very fine. Klemperer’s 6th is a mid-price GROC and Tintner on Naxos is as good as almost anyone in the first two symphonies (the main exception is Giulini’s 2nd which is at full-price but worth every penny). For the 7th – Karajan on EMI at mid-price or Tintner at bargain price. I will alert John Quinn to your posting - he is both a Bruckner specialist and a denizen of the bulletin board, and hopefully he will add some thoughts. If you haven’t seen it, John and I wrote an article on the subject in February 2005 and there is an update six months later. Of course life moves on and sometime we ought to update it again. I don't seem to be able to add more than one link to the message (see below) but hopefully the other items mentioned can be easily located using Google on the Current Reviews page.
Link: Bruckner article |
Posted by Ford on January 23, 2007, 12:29 am, in reply to "Re: My little Bruckner collection" Hmm, yes, Karajan's set should eventually be reissued - although it took DG a long time to release a remaster of his 1963 Beethoven. I guess I'll try Barenboim in the meantime. I have also made a note of your kind recommendations and added them to my extremely long list of CDs-to-buy. I have read the Bruckner article, which has become more useful as my listening experience has grown. I imagine a truly comprehensive review of Bruckner recordings would be something like War & Peace in size. But isn't it strange how popular the Jochum/Dresden is? It's one of those things that makes me doubt my own judgement, though I suppose price and availability have a lot to do with it. |
Posted by Randolph Magri-Overend on January 22, 2007, 10:27 pm, in reply to "Re: My little Bruckner collection" |
Posted by Ford on January 23, 2007, 12:39 am, in reply to "Re: My little Bruckner collection" |
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