| Site review by Polly Nomial March 4, 2008
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Performance: Sonics (MC): |
This is arguably the best Bruckner 9 currently available on SACD. The other key competing issue is Bruckner: Symphony No. 9 - Wand - this is just as satisfying but with a different overall concept and it has a couple of advantages over the Wand:
1) it's cheaper and more readily available for those not living in Japan!
2) the accompanying fragments of the finale and talk are fascinating.
The first disc of the set is devoted to a talk about and performance of the extant fragments of the symphony's finale (there are two expositions, one in German the other in English) which total about 35 minutes worth of discussion/performance in each language. Sadly, this is presented as a RBCD but it is still fascinating to hear what has been discovered - some 526 bars of music in total. Will it ever be completed - well, if finds of the autograph keep coming forwards who knows...
Like a superb document of Karajan's art (documented on 25/7/1976, RBCD only) this account of the symphony comes from the Salzburg Festival with the Wiener Philharmoniker, although this was taped from several concerts. Another difference is the choice of the production team to excise the applause that must have followed - Karajan's audience were clearly deeply moved and do not respond with a knee-jerk, ovation and I'm sure a similar reaction would have happened for Harnoncourt. Their overall timings are similar (about 2 minutes faster than Wand in the first movement and 1 minute faster in the Adagio), as is the conception. Climaxes are titanic in sound and there is no doubting the sheer size and commitment of the orchestral response to the music and the direction of Harnoncourt.
Broadly speaking, Harnoncourt and Karajan, without completely sacrificing the emotional element, concentrate on the drama revealing itself through the structure of the work rather than the structure cloaked in mystery (which is my way of thinking about the Wand). Rubato are subtle and never disturb the overall pulse of the music; this pays huge dividends over the whole work where the momentum becomes simply irresistible. Respect comes to mind with Harnoncourt and he attempts no revisionist outlook for Bruckner here, much to the credit of both himself and Bruckner. Details are seamlessly moulded into a white-hot frame that surrounds moments of (still intense) relaxation. Even though Harnoncourt clearly is very interested and excited by the discovery of so much of the finale, this has not altered his conception of the symphony as a 3 movement work. The sense of becalmed passion is still foremost in the listeners experience as the work draws to a close and the atmosphere is one where some minutes silence is needed to gather ones thoughts - perhaps it *was* a good idea of the production to excise the applause after all...
The one problematic area is the sound - the Großes Festspielhaus is notoriously dry and is largely unchanged in character since its opening. However, once one is accustomed to the sound, the detail obtained and the sound of the WP is really very good. Fortunately the audience is pretty much silent throughout but as the notes to the first and second movements evaporate, they do stir quite clearly!
Not a demonstration disc but a highly recommended, fascinating and compelling account of one of the C19 last great symphonies.
(Purchased)
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Copyright © 2008 John Broggio and SA-CD.net
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| Review by Dinko October 15, 2003 (2 of 2 found this review helpful)
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Performance: Sonics: |
Harnoncourt's mannerisms have often annoyed me. I'm no great Bruckner fan either. It seems his music is often very heavy, and requires the right state of mind.
That said, I think this recording, produced by the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, and released by BMG Classics, makes a good case for the music. There is ample passion in the playing. The famed golden-toned Vienna strings are here, the woodwinds are exquisite, the brass has incredible bite and strength.
The sound in stereo is impressive. In multichannel, it is even better. There is a huge sound stage. Enormous dynamic range, most impressive in the brass and percussion. Instrumental detail is very good. A demonstration class disc for classical music.
Disc #1 is a regular CD on which Harnoncourt provides intersting background in English and German on the symphony's unfinished final movement. There are excerpts from the symphony.
Disc #2 is a CD/SACD hybrid featuring the finished fragments of the symphony
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| Review by beardawgs October 29, 2003 (4 of 4 found this review helpful)
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Performance: Sonics: |
I didn’t expect this recording to be as good as it is, but I have to agree with Dinko. I won’t be rushing now to buy more Harnoncourt CDs thou, but this performance ranks among the best available of Bruckner’s 9th. After all what has been said in the forum, I was eager to check it out for myself, and I am not disappointed. Let’s hope that BMG/RCA will continue good work and give us more.
Tempi are bit on the fast side, but as I’m biased there by Celibidache’s Bruckner conducting, don’t take my word for it. But the structure is all there, magnificent as it should be. Build ups are powerful with lot of tension and H. gives just enough space for his players do develop every phrase unrushed. I was particularly fascinated with the second movement: precise rhythmic pulse is a spot on and the overall sound is an orgy of biting brass. I do have a slight reservation about treating the middle section (trio) as a piece composed by Debussy on crack, but the impressionistic approach probably can be justified as looking forward of what’s to come in European music later on. H. also speeds up some section of the final movement with certain ‘fin-du-siecle’ grace, not usually associated with late Bruckner. It is thou in a strong contrast with sombre and grave episodes that follows, and it really keeps concentration on a high level of alertnes.
I still didn’t have time to check out what’s on the 1st disk about the reconstruction of the final movement, and to be honest I’m not much bothered with it. There is too little of the original Bruckner’s music left to finish it in a manner of Mahler’s 10th or Elgar’s 3rd, and H. finishes the last movement of the completed part as there is something else to follow. I personally prefer more conclusive ending of the 3rd movement, it is after all Mahler who inspired by this finishes his 9th symphony in the same way with a complete quiet desperation.
The recording ranks among the best I’ve heard.
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| Review by peteyspambucket December 31, 2003 (3 of 3 found this review helpful)
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Performance: Sonics: |
I love this symphony and there exist several excellent recordings - 3 from Karajan, 2 from Jochum, Bohm, Haitink, Solti, older historic performances, etc. Based on the performance alone, this ranks very well with those.
I like the more aggressive approach Harnoncourt takes with certain passages, and the playing is excellent. The brass are very exciting and the strings have a lot of character, as you would expect with this orchestra.
Sonically, the sound is lifelike in its balance, and you feel like you're sitting about the middle of the Orchestra section. The lower frequencies are consistent and have a very nice natural bloom. The sound is very big, and yet uncongested.
I recommend this SACD and I'm hoping for more Bruckner on SACD. I'll still want to keep my Karajan (final VPO), Walter (Columbia), and Jochum handy, but that's pretty good company. :-)
(PS - I may add further detail to this review later.)
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| Review by thepilot October 20, 2004 (0 of 2 found this review helpful)
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Performance: Sonics: |
| This is certainly a devinely good performance and an extremely well thought out reading of the symphony, and needless to say Harnoncourt understands Bruckner better than most conductors. The orchestra plays superbly and the recording is really very, very good missing only the last ounce of realistic perspective and warmth that we normally hear in minimally miked DSD recordings.
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| Review by Dan Popp January 19, 2005
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Performance: Sonics: |
I was perplexed as to why the sonics of this disc make such a different impression on me than on previous reviewers. The brass seems harsh and blatty on the "fff" sections - the high strings brittle. Then I switched from listening to the stereo program to listening to just the L/R channels of the MC program. Everything has much more body this way! But of course there is no more ambience at all.
The included CD with the "workshop" of the unfinished 4th movement is an interesting and enjoyable addition to the package. Of course if you don't like it, just don't put it in the player.
I have sometimes wondered whether, with some companies emphasizing the MC aspect of their recordings, the stereo mix didn't get short shrift. In think that may be the case here. I'm not selling my CDA of the performance by Haitink and the Concertgebouw.
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