Bruckner's Abbey

[Keemun]

I can't stand that one.  At least I couldn't when I last listened to it.  If I had to describe it in one word, "plodding" is the adjective that comes to mind.

Here are two of my favorite 7ths:

Karajan/VPO




Blomstedt/Staatskapelle Dresden

[Sergeant Rock]

Blomstedt/Staatskapelle Dresden

The Blomstedt is one I've been hearing about all my life....never acquired a copy though. Love that cover.

Sarge

[Drasko]

The Blomstedt is one I've been hearing about all my life....never acquired a copy though. Love that cover.

Sarge

Now you have the chance, it's been recently re-released on Dal Segno, mid-budget priced.
It's extremely beautiful performance which puts me to sleep halfway through adagio everytime.

[Renfield]

The Blomstedt is one I've been hearing about all my life....never acquired a copy though. Love that cover.

Sarge

That's the one I was forgetting!

Yes, definitely an A for me, probably better than the rest of the competition to Karajan and Walter, but not as good as either, for my taste. Meaning: it's a beautiful performance, but I found both Karajan and Walter far more probing in their readings.

It's less essential than it is polished and beautiful, yet by virtue of that, it's highly recommended. In other words, it won't make you listen to the symphony with new ears, but it will please your existing ears greatly.

Now you have the chance, it's been recently re-released on Dal Segno, mid-budget priced.
It's extremely beautiful performance which puts me to sleep halfway through adagio everytime.

Hahaha, bingo!

[DavidW]

Thanks everyone, it seems that it's highly competitive field but several have said that Karajan's recording is a must so I've ordered it.

[kishnevi]

I tried searching through this thread, but it's VERY loooong and it's tricky to pin point what I want with a simple word search.  So I apologize in advance for the irritation, but I wanted to get opinions on favorite Bruckner 7th

(a) in modern sound
(b) outside the box set (as in individual, twofers are also fine)

For truly outside the box, there is Herreweghe leading the Orchestre de Champs Elysee on Harmonia Mundi. 

Yes, little boys and girls, it is a HIP performance.  I'm perfectly satisfied with it, but please note I'm far from a dedicated Brucknerian--my only other recording of the 7th is Jochum leading the Staatskapelle Dresden.

[jlaurson]

For truly outside the box, there is Herreweghe leading the Orchestre de Champs Elysee on Harmonia Mundi. 

Yes, little boys and girls, it is a HIP performance.  I'm perfectly satisfied with it...

That 7th with Herreweghe is actually quite lovely: http://ionarts.blogspot.com/2004/11/dip-your-ears-no-17.html

You've got a good one, by now (HvK), but for further reading about the 7th (slamming Solti's Vienna recording, mostly): http://ionarts.blogspot.com/2008/05/b7-solti-haitink-bhm-co.html

but please note I'm far from a dedicated Brucknerian--my only other recording of the 7th is Jochum leading the Staatskapelle Dresden.

No need to apologize. It's not like we are so silly as to measure your love for music by the number of recordings you own of a particular piece.

Oh, wait. That's exactly what we do here.     

[DavidW]

my only other recording of the 7th is Jochum leading the Staatskapelle Dresden.

Well that is one of my favs, I like the Berlin even more even though the sound is not as good.  I haven't heard Herreweghe's Bruckner, but I have and like his Faure Requiem, and most people would turn their nose up at that recording!   I think that Herreweghe creates for himself an interestingly unique sound world in the romantics.

[DarkAngel]

Thanks everyone, it seems that it's highly competitive field but several have said that Karajan's recording is a must so I've ordered it.  

I will also give my highest recommendation to the Karajan WP 7th.........his final recording

Not only is it best 7th I have heard, but will also say it is probably finest Bruckner performance of any symphony by anyone I have heard......can't think of any that would rise above it

[Renfield]

For truly outside the box, there is Herreweghe leading the Orchestre de Champs Elysee on Harmonia Mundi. 

Yes, little boys and girls, it is a HIP performance.  I'm perfectly satisfied with it, but please note I'm far from a dedicated Brucknerian--my only other recording of the 7th is Jochum leading the Staatskapelle Dresden.

This is indeed an interesting performance, one I'm glad to have around. But it's like the remix, vs. the single. If that makes sense.

(For me, obviously.)

Well that is one of my favs, I like the [Jochum] Berlin even more even though the sound is not as good.

That one, the Berlin Jochum, is my fourth choice after Walter and Karajan (WP/DG and BPO/EMI), if we also count box-set versions.

Furtwängler would be a close fifth, then Celibidache (EMI), and then Karajan again (BPO/DG); then Blomstedt.


I'm surprised how clear my preferences in the 7th seem to be! I'd be hard-pressed to give an equally straight-up list for the 8th.

[DarkAngel]

I'm surprised how clear my preferences in the 7th seem to be! I'd be hard-pressed to give an equally straight-up list for the 8th.

I have had the same reference Bruckner 8th for some time now.........
Also includes great Schubert 9th that is much better than Bohm boxset 9th

[DarkAngel]

 

For the great  Bruckner crown jewels reference 7,8,9 symphonies

[DarkAngel]

Also...have been enjoying this set, and the stunning transfers:



The 1951 VPO #4 is out of this world.

The newest Music & Arts Furtwangler boxset above has been delivered, will begin listening sessions soon.......
I must say up front I am not huge fan of Furtwangler's Bruckner and find later stereo works by Karajan, Bohm, Jochum etc more rewarding, but there is much to learn here

http://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/album.jsp?album_id=200209


It will join these these Furtwangler Bruckner 8th peformances currently in my posession:

   

[Renfield]

DarkAngel, apart from the 8th, I also (like Leo K) find the remasterings in that recording quite superb.

For the 8th, I prefer its DG incarnation. The M&A sounds a bit recessed in comparison. Though it my otherwise much-loved headphones of choice when I last heard it, the Sennheiser 280 Pro, might have been complicit to that result.

Performance-wise, I like the malleability of Furtwängler's Bruckner, and the genuine darkness (vs. just sounding big and mean). Especially the 7th and 9th are among my favourite performances of the works, in general, sound notwithstanding*.


*Not that the sound is bad per se, as I'm sure you've found out already.

[abidoful]

just a question not related to the main topic. out of pure curiosity, why is that only males seem to enjoy the music of Bruckner?

my ex-girlfriend loved Bruckner

[DarkAngel]

   

Renfield
I thought the 10/17/1944 WP 8th contained in this newest Music & Arts boxset is the same as the the 1944 WP 8th used for the budget CDO label shown (there is no exact date given in booklet)

But the timings are very different so maybe not:

M & A: 79:11
CDO:   76:40

[Renfield]

   

Renfield
I thought the 10/17/1944 WP 8th contained in this newest Music & Arts boxset is the same as the the 1944 WP 8th used for the budget CDO label shown (there is no exact date given in booklet)

But the timings are very different so maybe not:

M & A: 79:11
CDO:   76:40

I've always been suspicious of budget issues, when remastering can be a factor, so I haven't heard the CDO.

However, having a look at his discography, it seems there's only two versions of him conducting the VPO on the 8th on record. One is the M&A one from 1944, also issued on DG - the version I referred to. And the other is from 1954, issued (at least) on Andante.

In fact, I think it's in that set you have, which I sadly didn't pick up before it disappeared.

[jlaurson]

http://ionarts.blogspot.com/2010/02/ionarts-at-large-haitink-in-bruckner.html

Ionarts-at-Large: Haitink in Bruckner, Ozawa not in Bruckner

With all due respect to Maestro Mariss Jansons who I much admire, it is a very good idea for the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra to have guest conductors take on the Anton Bruckner duties...

[Sergeant Rock]

In fact, I think it's in that set you have, which I sadly didn't pick up before it disappeared.

It's still in stock at amazon.fr  The copy I ordered last week has arrived.

Sarge

[Renfield]

It's still in stock at amazon.fr  The copy I ordered last week has arrived.

Sarge

Aha! Thanks Sarge.

Edit: Hold on, it was Amazon.fr I'd checked before. This is unavailable. Maybe an alternative listing?