Bruckner - The People's Choice

[amateur51]

Thanks for the advocacy on behalf of Marcus Bosch, Karafan.

Just one technical point from an utter technobozo (me!) - can SACDs be played on ordinary CD players or my computer?

Many thanks!

[Karafan]

Yes, Amateur51, hybrid SACDs can be played on ordinary CD players as they have a redbook CD layer and the surround options all in the one disc. As I say, two of the symphonies (7 and 8) are just CD but with a surround sound disc which can be played in 5.1DTS on a DVD player (though I haven't tried this yet).

On the SACD front do beware though, Sony did produce an SACD series at one time which included a lot of Szell recordings, Walter etc - but these were SACD only (ie. not a hybrid - here's an example: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Strauss-Don-...2267558&sr=8-7) and they would not play on any ordinary CD player (though the SACD remasterings of these old favourites were tremendous). I now see their price tags second hand are stratospheric! Glad I bought a lot of them years ago!

Bws

Karafan

[Karafan]

With that ringing endorsement - and the URL handily included - duly ordered from Amazon. Based on Karafan's assessment of the performance, I'm much looking forward to hearing it.

I don't think you'll be disappointed HighlandDougie - do please let us know your thoughts on it. I have now bought they whole damned lot - I was very impressed (especially as they're live recordings - but they have made me listen to old warhorses as if with new ears).

His 9th has the finale reconstructed by Samale/Mazzuca/Phillips/Cohrs - which seems to have found favour in some quarters but I can't say I am convinced entirely as I feel the extant 3 movements quite 'complete' to me as they already stand. It is interesting though, nonetheless. Anyone wanting to try it - do be careful if using Amazon as they list it at about £35, but in one of their peculiar anomalies it is listed twice - the other listing being at a far more reasonable price and it can be found here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B...ef=oss_product

Bws

Karafan

[akiralx]

1: Chicago SO/Solti
2: Saarbrucken RSO/Wakasugi
3: VPO/Haitink
4: Munich PO/Celibidache
5: Munich PO/Thielemann
6: MunichPO/Celibidache
7: VPO/Karajan
8: SKD/Sinopoli
9: BPO/Barenboim

[Karafan]

I'm surprised you went for Thielemann in #5 Akiralx - though I haven't heard it I think the reviews were rather poor...?

Sinopoli in Dresden, Wand, Karajan or Furtwaengler (1942 vintage) take the palm for me....

Karafan

[ostuni]

For 5, I very much enjoy Welser-Möst's with the LPO: a thrilling performance from what I gather was a mostly lacklustre period in their relationship. And yes, the live 42 Furtwängler is very special. As was last week's Abbado: I haven't listened properly yet, but I've freecorded it from the iplayer, and watched some chunks on Youtube.

[jayne lee wilson]

1 - Osaka Phil/Asahina (HDCD)
2 - Tintner (1872) / Rozhdestvensky/USSRSO (1877)
3 - Inbal/FRSO (1873 original text)
4 - Rozhdestvensky - or maybe Klemps
5 - Welser-Most/LPO
6 - Rozhdestvensky
7 - Sanderling/Stuttgart
8 - Sinopoli/Staatskapelle (1890) Inbal (1887)
9 - Karajan (later Berlin one, 1976)

Oh god it's hard to just choose one! And what'll I think tomorrow?

Anyone have the live VPO Karajan 9th? Often wonder about it, heard them do it a lot on R3 back in the day...

I remember going on a hot date, summer evening, I let a student friend hear a Salzburg relay alone on my system; after a memorably dreadful date, I walked sullenly back (far too early!) and heard the very performance, the great first theme of the adagio, booming out of a large tudor mansion, the Bishop's residence I think, half-hidden in trees...

Oh, the heartache of a wrong choice!

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Anyone have the live VPO Karajan 9th? Often wonder about it, heard them do it a lot on R3 back in the day...

I have two Live Karajan/VPO performances: the Video (coupled with the Te Deum) and the CD issued by DG as part of the Orchestra's anniversary celebrations about 15 years ago. Cataclysmic performances, both, I haven't played either in about five years. I won't be able to resist now: shall have to hunt through my "I'll put these in order as soon as the decorating's finished" mounds!

I can't make a "dream list", but, if I had to have only one Bruckner recording (cruel and unnatural punishment!) it would be any of HvK's Ninths. For the sake of sentimentality, it would be the 1960s BPO (the one from which I "learnt" the work); for intensity of experience, the Video performance; for better sound, the VPO CD.

Only one recording of each Symphony? Torture! Sorry if anyone else has made this comment, but this isn't a "dream" scenario; it's a nightmare!

[John Skelton]

My list

(don't know about 00 & 0 & some of the listed might be edition problematic)
1: VPO / Abbado (Decca recording now on Eloquence)
2: VPO / Horst Stein (ditto)
3: VPO / Haitink - alternative version London Classical Players / Norrington
4: VPO / Abbado - alternative version with first scherzo Stuttgart RSO / Norrington - alternative version Orchestre des Champs-Elysées / Herreweghe
5: Bavarian RSO / Haitink - alternative version Orchestre des Champs-Elysées / Herreweghe
6: Stuttgart RSO / Norrington
7: Concertgebouw Orcherstra / Haitink (in the Radio Recordings box) - alternative version Orchestre des Champs-Elysées / Herreweghe
8: Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra / Boulez - alternative version NDR Orchestra / Wand from Lübeck Cathedral
9: Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra / Wand - alternative version Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra / Harnoncourt with 4th movement sketches (historic: Concertgebouw / van Beinum)

I think I've just cheated.

[Chris Newman]

I am biding my time before deciding my first choices as I await the new EMI Celibidache set from the river people, issue of which keeps being put back: yet another email apology today. The various recordings of Celi I have, mostly Italian Radio broadcasts sounding as if played down drainpipes, mean that decent recordings would push him in contention with my liking for Barbirolli, Haitink, Horenstein and Jochum.

[Chris Newman]

shall have to hunt through my "I'll put these in order as soon as the decorating's finished" mounds!

Known as "Haemorrhoids" in my house.

Only one recording of each Symphony? Torture! Sorry if anyone else has made this comment, but this isn't a "dream" scenario; it's a nightmare!

So true.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Known as "Haemorrhoids" in my house.

Cheeky! I even edited out the word "piles" from the original just to avoid such ribaldry! (And in a discussion about Bruckner, too!)

[Dave2002]

No mention of Walter yet then?

I'm rather partial to his number 7. I had the impression that his number 4 and 9 are also good.
Tintner is particularly good in number 3 I recall.

I'll come back with a fuller list later.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Tintner is particularly good in number 3 I recall.

He is indeed, Dave, (as are Szell and Böhm) but he's even better IMO in the Second.

(I was going to say "in number two", but we have some very childish contributers to these Boards! )

[Dave2002]

Fhg

Still not got a full list up, but didn't Eliahu Inbal do some of the different versions, e.g number 4. - not just different editions but earlier and significantly different music? I have some of the recordings, bought to sample the differences.

Of course there is also a question of whether one would wish to have an imagined construction of number 9. There are a few attempts.