Composer: Anton Bruckner
Orchestra: Bamberger Symphoniker
Conductor: Jakub Hruša
Number of Discs: 4
Format: FLAC (tracks)
Label: Accentus
Catalogue: ACC30533
Release: 2021
Size: 4.26 GB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: yes
CD 01
Symphony No. 4 in E-Flat Major, WAB 104 “Romantic” (1874 Version)
First Version composed 1874, revised 1875-76 (ed. Korstvedt 2021)
01. I. Allegro
02. II. II. Andante
03. III. Sehr schnell
04. IV. Allegro
CD 02
Symphony No. 4 in E-Flat Major, WAB 104 “Romantic” (1878 Version)
Second Version composed 1878-80, performed and revised 1881 (ed. Korstvedt 2018)
01. I. Bewegt, nicht zu schnell
02. II. Andante, quasi allegretto
03. III. Scherzo. Bewegt
04. IV. Finale. Bewegt, doch nicht zu schnell
CD 03
Symphony No. 4 in E-Flat Major, WAB 104 “Romantic” (1888 Version)
Third Verision prepared 1887, performed and revised 1888 (ed. Korstvedt 2004)
01. I. Ruhig bewegt
02. II. Andante
03. III. Scherzo. Bewegt
04. IV. Finale. Mäßig bewegt
CD 04
Symphony No. 4 in E-Flat Major, WAB 104 “Romantic”
01. I. Measures 63-83 (1878 Unpublished Version)
02. I. Measures 63-83 (1880 Version)
03. I. Measures 289-341 (1878 Unpublished Version)
04. I. Measures 289-341 (1880 Version)
05. I. Measures 289-341 (1888 Version)
06. I. Measures 423-453 (1878 Unpublished Version)
07. I. Measures 423-453 (1880 Version)
08. II. Measure 171 (1878 Unpublished Version)
09. II. Measures 171-195 (1880 Version)
10. III. Trio (1878 Unpublished Version)
11. III. Trio (1880 Version)
12. IV. Measures 339-437 (1881 Version)
13. IV. Measure 339 (1881 Version)
14. IV. Measure 339 (1888 Version)
15. IV. Finale. Bewegt, doch nicht zu schnell “Volksfest” (1878 Version)
16. IV. Finale. Mäßig bewegt (1881 Version)
The Fourth Symphony occupies a special position in Anton Bruckner’s symphonic cycle. It heralds the cycle of his ‘mature’ symphonies and with it the composer addressed his audience directly and wanted to be understood by them. He succeeded in this – today the ‘Romantic’ is one of Bruckner’s most popular symphonies. Still, he revised it time and again and today there are three versions of it. With the Bamberg Symphony, which can draw on many years of Bruckner interpretation, Jakub Hrusa has now recorded all versions of the Fourth Symphony. For a conductor, it is a unique opportunity to be able to record all versions of a symphony.
In addition, as Hrusa says, the project enables the interested audience to form their own opinion of the quality and tailoring of the respective version. In this way, listeners can decide for themselves whether the composer was right in his doubts, and whether it makes any sense at all to ‘pit’ one version against the other.´ This release also includes a fourth CD with the alternate finale (‘Volksfest’) to the second version as well as more excerpts from early drafts.