Composer: Anton Bruckner
Orchestra: Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra
Conductor: Herbert Blomstedt, Bernard Haitink, Mariss Jansons, Lorin Maazel
Audio CD
Number of Discs: 9
Format: FLAC (tracks)
Label: BR-Klassik
Release: 2019
Size: 5.5 GB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: yes
CD 01
Symphony No. 1 in C Minor, WAB 101 (1877 Linz version, ed. L. Nowak)
01. I. Allegro
02. II. Adagio
03. III. Scherzo: Schnell
04. IV. Finale: Bewegt, feurig
CD 02
Symphony No. 2 in C Minor, WAB 102 (1877 version, ed. L. Nowak)
01. I. Ziemlich schnell
02. II. Andante: Feierlich, etwas bewegt
03. III. Scherzo: Mäßig schnell
04. IV. Finale: Mehr schnell
CD 03
Symphony No. 3 in D Minor, WAB 103 (1889 version, ed. L. Nowak)
01. I. Mehr langsam, misterioso
02. II. Adagio: Bewegt, quasi andante
03. III. Scherzo: Ziemlich schnell
04. IV. Finale: Allegro
CD 04
Symphony No. 4 in E-Flat Major, WAB 104, “Romantic” (1886 version, ed. L. Nowak)
01. I. Bewegt, nicht zu schnell
02. II. Andante quasi allegretto
03. III. Scherzo: Bewegt
04. IV. Finale: Bewegt, doch nicht zu schnell
CD 05
Symphony No. 5 in B-Flat Major, WAB 105 (1878 version, ed. L. Nowak)
01. I. Adagio – Allegro
02. II. Adagio
03. III. Scherzo: Molto vivace
04. IV. Finale: Adagio – Allegro moderato
CD 06
Symphony No. 6 in A Major, WAB 106 (1881 version, ed. R. Haas)
01. I. Maestoso
02. II. Adagio. Sehr feierlich
03. III. Scherzo: Nicht schnell – Trio: Langsam
04. IV. Finale: Bewegt, doch nicht zu schnell
CD 07
Symphony No. 7 in E Major, WAB 107 (1885 version, ed. L. Nowak)
01. I. Allegro moderato
02. II. Adagio: sehr feierlich und sehr langsam
03. III. Scherzo: sehr schnell
04. IV. Finale: Bewegt, doch nicht schnell
CD 08
Symphony No. 8 in C Minor, WAB 108 (1890 version, ed. L. Nowak)
01. I. Allegro moderato
02. II. Scherzo: Allegro moderato
03. III. Adagio
04. IV. Finale: Feierlich, nicht schnell
CD 09
Symphony No. 9 in D Minor, WAB 109 (original 1894 version, ed. L. Nowak)
01. I. Feierlich, misterioso
02. II. Scherzo: Bewegt, lebhaft
03. III. Adagio: Langsam feierlich
Here we have a marvellous collection of Anton Bruckner’s symphonies Nos. 1-9 played by the Bavarian Radio Symphony under the baton of four outstanding conductors. Lorin Maazel recorded the first two symphonies in 1999. He does not provide any new insights, but the performances are thrilling nevertheless. The fifth and sixth symphonies with Haitink are also wonderful interpretations, but Blomstedt’s Ninth and the recordings with Jansons are more fluent and warmer than the other performances. Blomstedt offers an interpretation aimed at salvation, without any fear of death. This positive view is good for the music, but also enables profound moments of contemplation. For Jansons one could summarize and say that Jansons inspires his orchestra to a breathtakingly intense playing. From the very beginning one feels the strong lyrical and luminous power providing an eloquent, rhetoric performance.