Bruckner 7

[Barbirollians]

Walter was one those conductors who just makes everything sound better, imo, even when he was working with pick-up orchestras, as was mostly the case in his later years.

Sadly, he didn't record that much, in the scheme of things: no complete operas (live bootlegs apart) and, apart from Brahms and Beethoven, no complete symphony cycles. So what we have is treasurable. His Bruckner 9 is famous and highly praised but the 7th seems to be (wrongly) in its shade. I've not heard his recording of the 4th, but I think I'm bored with that symphony, anyway.

His recording of the Fourth is fab .

[Richard Tarleton]

His recording of the Fourth is fab .

I still have the LP from nearly 50 years ago, only recently upgraded to CD! (I bought it at the same time as his Schubert 9, which becomes an honorary Bruckner symphony in his hands )

[Flay]

That was a fantastic performance tonight from the Philharmonia Orchestra under Salonen. The climax of the 2nd movement induced a phenomenal tingle

https://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/play/m0000khd

[Conchis]

Am I alone in thinking the final movement of this symphony is a bit weak?

[Dave2002]

Those Walter Columbia Symphony Bruckner recordings were my first exposure to Bruckner. I haven’t heard them for about 40 years. I remember the Orchestral playing was kind of rough compared to the super Orchestras, but they would be fun to revisit

Have you revisited these after posting that comment? They are among my favourite recordings, and I don't recall anything terribly rough in them, though I haven't heard any for maybe a year or so. The only really rough patch of playing I can recall from Walter's recorded output is in the scherzo of Brahms 4th symphony, but that must be incredibly difficult as very few orchestras which play it at speed can get through it without scrappiness.

I'd generally rather have roughness with passion than indifferent "perfection".

I'll try to listen to Bruckner 7 again in the not too distant future.

[richardfinegold]

Have you revisited these after posting that comment? They are among my favourite recordings, and I don't recall anything terribly rough in them, though I haven't heard any for maybe a year or so. The only really rough patch of playing I can recall from Walter's recorded output is in the scherzo of Brahms 4th symphony, but that must be incredibly difficult as very few orchestras which play it at speed can get through it without scrappiness.

I'd generally rather have roughness with passion than indifferent "perfection".

I'll try to listen to Bruckner 7 again in the not too distant future.

No, I didn’t. I’m on Holiday in Italy now and probably won’t get to it for a bit but your endorsement is noted

[muzzer]

There’s a Walter Edition box, now only for silly money, wish I’d shelled out a few years ago. Duplicates aside of course. I have the Gunter Wand from the same series and that’s superb.

[richardfinegold]

The Walter Bruckner 7 stereo version with the Columbia SO is downloadable from Presto for 10 Euros in MP3 and 13 in CD quality FLAC

[Alison]

Am I alone in thinking the final movement of this symphony is a bit weak?

Not in the best performances imho.

[HighlandDougie]

Not in the best performances imho.

[JasonPalmer]

I have several recordings of bruckners 7th, this thread has been interesting reading. Not sure what influenced Bruckner in the creation of this work and doubt we will ever know.