Topic: Bruckner's cycles

[SonicMan46]

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:

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

Hi André - thanks for your comments above - I read several reviews on the Rögner Brilliant Box, a compilation - also, several commenters on Amazon mentioned 'audience coughs' - are some of these performances 'live' and is there a lot of audience noise, especially applause after each symphony?  Just me, but have never enjoyed a lot of audience input on my CDs - thanks for any comments.  Dave

[André]

Hi Dave! Except for no 2, all of these recordings are from a recording studio. No applause, no coughs, no extraneous noises. No 1 is conducted by Neumann, no 2 by Konwitschny (live), no 3 by Sanderling and the rest by Rögner in excellent digital sound.

[SonicMan46]

Hi Dave! Except for no 2, all of these recordings are from a recording studio. No applause, no coughs, no extraneous noises. No 1 is conducted by Neumann, no 2 by Konwitschny (live), no 3 by Sanderling and the rest by Rögner in excellent digital sound.

1+ - thanks again!  Dave