The two late surviving Keilberth recordings on Telefunken, B6 and B9, are genuine stereo.
Kurt Masur's 1 - 9 cycle with the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orch, originally recorded by a Eurodisc and VEB Deutsche Schallplatten co-production in the 1970s, is quite fine IMO - very middle of the road interpretations excellently performed by the Orchestra. It was also the first such cycle recorded and released in 4.0 channel quadraphonic sound, on SQ-encoded discs. The current incarnation in a Sony boxed set is stereo only, but does show just how good Masur's compendium is - certainly not to be dismissed.
The Keilberth recording (an old mono Telefunken) was one of the first Bruckner symphonies I got to know. Bruckner aficionado I'm not but over the years I have acquired several recorded cycles of the symphonies and the orchestral scores. What strikes me whenever the subject of Bruckner interpretations comes up is that nobody seems to mention the Kurt Masur cycle, even to hold it up as a bad example. Is it really so negligible or are there any performances in it that "Score" with any of our Bruckner-devoted listeners ?
Hi Lee
I tried to make it sound as though I was going gentle on Sir Simon by quoting the dreadful Davis recording - along with his 9th, about the only Davis recordings I don't admire.
Yes indeed, Sir Simon ought to stick to what he's good at and I hate to say this but many composers ain't one of them, if that makes Gerald Manly Hopkins sense.
Thank you for your responses.
As I was saying only the other day to a wise old friend, Rattle would have been better off taking one of the Big Five US ensembles rather than the BPO some twenty years ago. I personally feel that he is very good at unravelling the knottiest of late twentieth and early twenty-first century scores, rather than nineteenth century romanticism and so would undoubtedly be worth hearing in the symphonies of William Schuman, rather than those of Robert Schumann. That said, I do not think we can criticise the LSO here - they clearly do all that Rattle asks of them - but it is the interpretation that is the disappointment. I agree with both of Chris's points about Keilberth/BPO - a fine and overlooked recording, but I prefer a steadier tread in my own journey through the Adagio.
Best regards,
lee
Horenstein's Bruckner 6 is with the LSO and is right at the top, or would be if a better sound source for it could be found. So the LSO can play it.
Don't forget Keilberth/BPO, though the briskish second movement might be a problem for some
Hi Lee
Read your review of Sir Simon's LSO bruckner 6. As you are probably aware, I believe Rattle is a hoax perpetrated on music by British Music Critics.
However, it brought to mind the dreadful LSO 6th under Sir Colin Davis, a conductor I respect enormously. Maybe Bruckner 6 and the LSO are not meant to cohabitate.
Also, while I am on my high horse, there is something so glib and false about Karajan's version of this mighty work: I recall bursting out laughing when I first heard it. Give me Blomstedt - San Fran - Jochum, yes, and the mighty Celi for the 6th.
As I get off my horse, I admit I admire Rattle's Bruckner 9.
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