Skrowaczewski: Bruckner – 11 Symphonies (12 CD box set, FLAC)

Orchestra: Saarbrucken Radio Symphony
Conductor: Stanislaw Skrowaczewski
Composer: Anton Bruckner
Audio CD
Number of Discs: 12 CD box set
Format: FLAC (image+cue)
Label: Arte Nova
Size: 2.71 GB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: yes

# Symphony No. 00, in F minor (“Study Symphony”), WAB 99
Composed by Anton Bruckner
Performed by Saarbrucken Radio Symphony Orchestra
Conducted by Stanislaw Skrowaczewski

# Overture, for orchestra in G minor, WAB 98
Composed by Anton Bruckner
Performed by Saarbrucken Radio Symphony Orchestra
Conducted by Stanislaw Skrowaczewski

# Symphony No. 0, in D minor (“Die Nullte”), WAB 100
Composed by Anton Bruckner
Performed by Saarbrucken Radio Symphony Orchestra
Conducted by Stanislaw Skrowaczewski

# Quintet for strings in F major, WAB 112 Adagio
Composed by Anton Bruckner
Performed by Saarbrucken Radio Symphony Orchestra
Conducted by Stanislaw Skrowaczewski

# Symphony No. 1 in C minor (“The Saucy Maid”), WAB 101 (various versions)
Composed by Anton Bruckner
Performed by Saarbrucken Radio Symphony Orchestra
Conducted by Stanislaw Skrowaczewski

# Symphony No. 2 in C minor (“Symphony of Pauses”), WAB 102 (various versions)
Composed by Anton Bruckner
Performed by Saarbrucken Radio Symphony Orchestra
Conducted by Stanislaw Skrowaczewski

# Symphony No. 3 in D minor (“Wagner”), WAB 103 (various versions)
Composed by Anton Bruckner
Performed by Saarbrucken Radio Symphony Orchestra
Conducted by Stanislaw Skrowaczewski

# Symphony No. 4 in E flat (“Romantic”), WAB 104 (various versions)
Composed by Anton Bruckner
Performed by Saarbrucken Radio Symphony Orchestra
Conducted by Stanislaw Skrowaczewski

# Symphony No. 5 in B flat (“Tragic”; “Church of Faith”; “Pizzicato”), WAB 105 (various versions)
Composed by Anton Bruckner
Performed by Saarbrucken Radio Symphony Orchestra
Conducted by Stanislaw Skrowaczewski

# Symphony No. 6 in A major (“Philosophic”), WAB 106 (various versions)
Composed by Anton Bruckner
Performed by Saarbrucken Radio Symphony Orchestra
Conducted by Stanislaw Skrowaczewski

# Symphony No. 7 in E major (“Lyric”), WAB 107
Composed by Anton Bruckner
Performed by Saarbrucken Radio Symphony Orchestra
Conducted by Stanislaw Skrowaczewski

# Symphony No. 8 in C minor (“Apocalyptic”; “The German Michel”), WAB 108 (various versions)
Composed by Anton Bruckner
Performed by Saarbrucken Radio Symphony Orchestra
Conducted by Stanislaw Skrowaczewski

# Symphony No. 9 in D minor (“Unfinished”), WAB 109 (various versions)
Composed by Anton Bruckner
Performed by Saarbrucken Radio Symphony Orchestra
Conducted by Stanislaw Skrowaczewski

Awesome set!

The performances of the 5th, 6th, 7th and especially the 8th are justification enough to get this set. I have written reviews on monst of those performances on Amazon, so I won’t elaborate much here.

The other performances are excellent, with the exception of the 4th, which is very good, but just not my favorite. What is especially notable is how well Skrow and his forces bring off the earlier works, even the overly-repetitious 3rd.

The engineering is fine, the string playing outstanding, the brass full and weighty, and the reverance for Bruckner’s genius (coupled with the emotional involvement of the listener) comes through consistently. In comparison to Jochum’s sets, they are a step ahead (although Jochum’s EMI/Dresden set is something to also cherish!).