Bruckners 6th

[Martin Lind]

What recordings of Bruckners 6th would you recommend? I have the Inbal and Jochum ( Dresden). I have read in Robert Simpsons book about Bruckner that Bruckners 6th is not well served on recordings. The 6th is played too quickly. How about the Tintner? He is slow isn't he. I have the symphonies 1 - 4 and these are fine.

[(poco) Sforzando]

What recordings of Bruckners 6th would you recommend? I have the Inbal and Jochum ( Dresden). I have read in Robert Simpsons book about Bruckner that Bruckners 6th is not well served on recordings. The 6th is played too quickly. How about the Tintner? He is slow isn't he. I have the symphonies 1 - 4 and these are fine.

Klemperer is a standard recommendation. But another, which you can get only in one of the 10-CD New York Philharmonic box sets, is by Bernstein - who didn't much like Bruckner evidently, but there's a wonderful swagger in the way he handles the piece that I find highly appealing.

[david johnson]

my pick is bongartz/leipzig...i haven't heard it, but the Cincinnati recording should also be good.
your jochum is fne, too.
i rely upon the bongartz, jochum, and wand recordings, but don't forget the bruckner orkest from linz, austria.

dj

[dirkronk]

Here's a piece that I can safely declare I know virtually nothing about. I do have Klemperer on LP and Wand/NDR on CD, but have listened to each one maybe once or twice (OK, possibly more for the Klemperer). And the last time I heard the piece? Can't even recall. So this is one time I'll sit back and let others recommend to their hearts' content, whilst I simply soak in the knowledge.


Dirk

[Sergeant Rock]

What recordings of Bruckners 6th would you recommend? I have the Inbal and Jochum ( Dresden). I have read in Robert Simpsons book about Bruckner that Bruckners 6th is not well served on recordings. The 6th is played too quickly. How about the Tintner? He is slow isn't he. I have the symphonies 1 - 4 and these are fine.

I don't know Tintner's Sixth but if you're looking for "slow" you should consider Celibidache on EMI. He's as slow as Klemperer in the first movement and much slower in the second and fourth.

Celibidache  17:02   22:01     8:18    15:08
Klemperer    16:56   14:42     9:23    13:48


Sarge

[Martin Lind]

Other Tempi are:

Inbal:
17.51 - 17.03 - 8.32 - 15.02
Jochum
16.11 - 18.35 - 7.58 - 13.35

Solti / Chicago SO
17:41 - 19:22 - 08:52 - 15:14
Karajan / Berliner PH
15:16 - 18:58 - 07:52 - 15:13

What me astonishes most, are the relatively slow Tempi for the Solti. I would have expected it otherwise but may be I am prejudiced against Solti. I simply can't imagine Solti as a good Bruckner conductor but I know a person who is a great fan of Soltis Bruckner. Inbal is the slowest in the first set which should be good. I must again listen to the Inbal.

[Hector]

Klemperer remains supreme in this symphony and it is difficult to know why so many recordings just do not seem to get it right or near to right.

Clearly, it has little to do with timing, perhaps, more to do with phrasing, articulation, orchestral placing, etc.

The symphony is always cited as a clear example of why Bruckner's symphonies are not all the same, or follow the same pattern.

Also, whereas the 5th, 7th, 8th and 9th receive frequent concert performances the 6th does not. Do conductors and orchestras find it that difficult or is it, merely, perceived as the least popular of Bruckner's works?

[Sergeant Rock]

Klemperer remains supreme in this symphony and it is difficult to know why so many recordings just do not seem to get it right or near to right.

I agree. Of all my versions, it's Klemperer I listen to most often.

Also, whereas the 5th, 7th, 8th and 9th receive frequent concert performances the 6th does not. Do conductors and orchestras find it that difficult or is it, merely, perceived as the least popular of Bruckner's works?

I can't speculate on the reason it's seldom performed. I am finally going to hear it live, though, next month in Mannheim.

Sarge

[O Delvig]

The sixth is great, I love that rhythm the timpani plays in the first movement. According to Wikipedia this is somewhat difficult for orchestras, and that combined with the relative overshadowing of his other symphonies could be a reason for the lack of concert performances.

I recommend Celibidache's on EMI, especially if you like slow (although only the slow movement is taken at his famous glacial speed). I don't like all of Celi's Bruckner - his seventh in this set doesn't really go anywhere, and the scherzo of the ninth is an absolute abomination! - but this one he gets right.

[bhodges]

My favorite recording (haven't heard the Klemperer) is with Sawallisch and the Bavarian State Orchestra (below).  I also have Muti/Berlin and Karajan/Berlin, and they're fine, but Sawallisch has better pacing and much better sound.



--Bruce

[PerfectWagnerite]

Some of my preferred recordings of this work:



and of course this one:



plus these two:





The Stein features some spectacular brass playing and mindblowingly sweet strings from the WP. The Wand is a bit more sharply contrasted dynamically and timbre-wise. The Sawallisch is more mellow and focused. And the Skrowaczewski emphasizes more on some of the dissonances making it pretty modern sounding. So there is something for everybody.

[Gustav]

my pick is bongartz/leipzig...i haven't heard it, but the Cincinnati recording should also be good.
your jochum is fne, too.

how do you know it's good then?

[Sergeant Rock]

The Stein features some spectacular brass playing and mindblowingly sweet strings from the WP....

Which reminds me, I must find that CD.

Sarge

[(poco) Sforzando]

how do you know it's good then?

Need you ask?

[david johnson]

how do you know it's good then?

i trust my premonition regardng cincy/lopez-cobos producing a good bruckner sound and flow.
they are great on the other recordings i have.
i do not doubt myself.

dj

[BorisG]

What recordings of Bruckners 6th would you recommend? I have the Inbal and Jochum ( Dresden). I have read in Robert Simpsons book about Bruckner that Bruckners 6th is not well served on recordings. The 6th is played too quickly. How about the Tintner? He is slow isn't he. I have the symphonies 1 - 4 and these are fine.

Barenboim (BPO), Haitink (Dresden, Concertgebouw).

[Gustav]

I also recomend Sawallisch's 6th, added to which i'll also plug Keilberth's 6th, even though it has been long out of print.

P.S

Speaking of sixths, Berky just uploaded Swoboda's Bruckner 6th with Wiener Symphoniker on his website, you guys should check it out.

[rubio]

my pick is bongartz/leipzig...

dj

Seconded! This is the Bruckner symphony I had some minor problems getting into, but Bongartz simply nailed this piece for me. It is the only Bruckner symphony where I have a clear favourite. I simply love the thrust and drive of Bongartz' recording.

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

Although I generally prefer Jochum's Bruckner with the Staatskapelle Dresden, his Sixth with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra (on DGG) is more persuasive, imo. Especially the slow movement is unforgettable.

[Gustav]

Seconded! This is the Bruckner symphony I had some minor problems getting into, but Bongartz simply nailed this piece for me. It is the only Bruckner symphony where I have a clear favourite. I simply love the thrust and drive of Bongartz' recording.

I want that, you should sell it to me.