Bruckner's cycles

[mc ukrneal]

Finished this, a few minutes ago. (Days of work, if it is to be believed!)


A Survey of Bruckner Cycles
http://ionarts.blogspot.com/2013/01/a-survey-of-bruckner-cycles.html

(Help with broken links or wrong information or mix-ups always much appreciated.)

Very useful. Thanks.

Though clicking on Sinopoli gets you to Sibelius (Gibson)!

[jlaurson]

Very useful. Thanks.

Though clicking on Sinopoli gets you to Sibelius (Gibson)!

Thanks! Precisely the kind of catch I need.

[Octave]

Yes, thanks for that, Jens.  These kinds of critical/comparative synopses are extremely helpful to me as a beginner with both ears and feet wet. 

[aukhawk]

I recently bought the Simone Young 3rd (I've also got Haitink/Concertgebouw) and I really like it - broad tempi and sumptuous sound quality. 
I find coarse sound is a problem with many of the important Bruckner cycles such as Wand, making the lengthy loud passages hard to listen to.  A silky-smooth modern recording really helps.

[Fafner]

Just adding my thanks for the survey. A complete Bruckner cycle is on my list of planned purchases for this year.

[Brahmsian]

Just adding my thanks for the survey. A complete Bruckner cycle is on my list of planned purchases for this year.

Thumbs up!    Still my favourite symphony composer! 

[jlaurson]

Nice survey Jens.

Of course it's inevitable that some smartass will come along and mention things that aren't in it.   Two that I wouldn't want to be without, and seem to drift in and out of print, are:

The Rozhdestvensky is, I believe, only available currently as a super-cheap set of MP3 downloads missing 1 & 2.  Which is a shame, because the 2nd is one of the best things in the full set, which also includes both Linz and Vienna 1sts, and three different versions of both the 3rd and the 4th.

Inevitable, indeed. 

Which is where this comes in:

There are several incomplete, out of print, hard to get, and just plain obscure (at least in the West) Bruckner Symphony cycles that are not listed below. This includes all but the third of six (!) complete and partial cycles of the Japanese conductor, founder of the Osaka Philharmonic Orchestra, and Furtwängler-inspired Bruckner-nut Takashi Asahina. (His Sixth and last, from within months of his death, can be found here.) That also includes the once ultra-inclusive Gennadi Rozhdestvensky cycle on Melodiya, which has been cobbled together from various, dubious sources as a sketchy MP3 offering on Amazon. While some incomplete and unboxed cycles have been included (Norrington, because I think his traversals are worthwhile), others (Roegner, on Edel) have not. There is no particular logic to that decision.

I originally wanted only to include extant cycles... but then included a few OOP ones, anyway. Even where I knew they were not likely coming back (like Jochum Bros.). That leaves the end-result rather a hodge-podge. Eichhorn/Sieghart/Guschlbaur (which also exists [except it doesn't] as an anniversary BOLinz cycle with several from Davies added) is very much on my radar but not possible to get, it seems. Ditto the Eichhorn-only cycle. With the next overhaul (i.e. finished Young and Bolton), I might include the pictures, though. Thanks for the watchful eye. Appreciated!

[MishaK]

I recently bought the Simone Young 3rd (I've also got Haitink/Concertgebouw) and I really like it - broad tempi and sumptuous sound quality. 
I find coarse sound is a problem with many of the important Bruckner cycles such as Wand, making the lengthy loud passages hard to listen to.  A silky-smooth modern recording really helps.

I used to like Young... before I knew anything about the original versions of 2, 3, 4 and 8. Then I heard Inbal and Schaller and never listened to Young again. Simply not on the same level. You can perform a piece in a way that makes it sound like an abortive first attempt at composition, or you can believe in the concept as a whole and present it convincingly as a masterpiece. Young is simply not in the latter camp.

[jlaurson]

A Survey of Bruckner Cycles

http://ionarts.blogspot.com/2013/01/a-survey-of-bruckner-cycles.html

Updated to include the Profil catch-all box & new Tintner box.

[Leo K.]

I recently bought the Simone Young 3rd (I've also got Haitink/Concertgebouw) and I really like it - broad tempi and sumptuous sound quality. 
I find coarse sound is a problem with many of the important Bruckner cycles such as Wand, making the lengthy loud passages hard to listen to.  A silky-smooth modern recording really helps.

I'm a big fan of Simone Young's Bruckner. A well mastered recording can make the appreciation of a work go up a few notches that's for sure! I also love her tempo choices and thoughtful showing of details in the score. 

[Moonfish]

Finished this, a few minutes ago. (Days of work, if it is to be believed!)


A Survey of Bruckner Cycles
http://ionarts.blogspot.com/2013/01/a-survey-of-bruckner-cycles.html

(Help with broken links or wrong information or mix-ups always much appreciated.)

Great resource and survey of cycles. Thank you!   

[jlaurson]

Great resource and survey of cycles. Thank you!   

Thanks kindly for the appreciation!

These things are a bit of work to do and so it's always gratifying when someone finds them useful.

I'm planning a DSCH-Symphony Cycle Survey next.

Up already are:

Dvořák Symphony Cycle Survey


Sibelius Symphony Cycle Survey


Bach Organ Cycle Survey


And the first one, a little different (more complex) in format:
Beethoven Piano Sonata Cycle Survey

(which needs monthly updating, really...)

[bigshot]

Dvorak says continued below the jump and no jump

[Moonfish]

It is just a spacer in the web page.

[jlaurson]

It is just a spacer in the web page.

hmmm..
How does one phrase that properly, so as to avoid confusion...?

"Continued below the jump - unless you have navigated directly to this page" ??

[Moonfish]

hmmm..
How does one phrase that properly, so as to avoid confusion...?

"Continued below the jump - unless you have navigated directly to this page" ??

Does it appear as a half-page if one approaches it differently?
Wouldn't "Continued below" be sufficient?

[jlaurson]

Does it appear as a half-page if one approaches it differently?
Wouldn't "Continued below" be sufficient?

It would appear only up to that sentence if one went to the ionarts-page instead via direct link. But in truth, that's unlikely -- because it would take clicking-through pages upon pages and all traffic by now will necessarily be direct. I think I'll add a very small "continued below"... thanks for the input.

[SonicMan46]

BOY - has been nearly 6 years since a contribution to this thread! 

Being more of a 'chamber music' fan, listening to symphonic music is down on my list - just me, I guess; BUT, over the years of buying and culling, I've acquired the 3 'cycles' (as used in the tread's title) of Bruckner's Symphonies, i.e. the ones shown below.  For my infrequent need to hear Anton's orchestral works, one or two sets would do - SO, just wondering what the thoughts may be on these performances, and of course others, especially newer releases in the last half dozen or more years - Bruckner (along w/ Mahler) have kind of gathered 'cobwebs' on my shelves -    Dave
.
   

[Roasted Swan]

BOY - has been nearly 6 years since a contribution to this thread! 

Being more of a 'chamber music' fan, listening to symphonic music is down on my list - just me, I guess; BUT, over the years of buying and culling, I've acquired the 3 'cycles' (as used in the tread's title) of Bruckner's Symphonies, i.e. the ones shown below.  For my infrequent need to hear Anton's orchestral works, one or two sets would do - SO, just wondering what the thoughts may be on these performances, and of course others, especially newer releases in the last half dozen or more years - Bruckner (along w/ Mahler) have kind of gathered 'cobwebs' on my shelves -    Dave
.
   

Still 3 of the best and the available at such low prices.  Personally I've always liked Barenboim's 1st cycle with Chicago which connoisseurs will tell you is much too brash (perhaps I like brash!).  I must admit the recent remastering of Karajan onto hi-res blu-ray is tempting and also Gerd Schaller's survey of just about every possible variant is very good without being quite the "last word" some acolytes might suggest.  But if you are not that fussed anyway your 3 sets are as good as most - so enjoy!

[André]

I think the Jochum set has become dated both in conception and sound. Jochum's best Bruckner performances come from the very last years of his life. Nos 5, 7 and especially 8 and 9 from Amsterdam, Bamberg, Munich are among the greatest ever made.

The Wand is a good spic&span cycle, but his later recordings with the NDR (Hamburg) on RCA probe much deeper. I'm not too keen on his last recordings from Berlin, where his view is impressive but the results appear close to fossilization.

I enthusiastically recommend the Haitink set. Nos 4 and 9 are not his best takes on the work, but the rest is prime Bruckner.

This very inexpensive set is one of the best for most of the symphonies (except an old, mono 2nd), superbly played and recorded:

.

Buy another no 2 and a no 0 (not included here) to supplement.