Symphony No. 4 in E flat ('Romantic'), WAB 104: 1. Bewegt, nicht zu schnell
Symphony No. 4 in E flat ('Romantic'), WAB 104: 2. Andante quasi allegretto
Symphony No. 4 in E flat ('Romantic'), WAB 104: 3. Scherzo. Bewegt - Trio. Nicht zu schnell. Keinesfalls schleppend
Symphony No. 4 in E flat ('Romantic'), WAB 104: 4. Finale. Bewegt, doch nicht zu schnell
Esa-Pekka Salonen is an amazing conductor. He has won a sterling reputation as an interpreter of contemporary music, but here he turns in a totally idiomatic, magnificently poised Bruckner performance. The Los Angeles br... more »ass play with a burnished glow recalling the great Central European orchestras, only with more security, while the strings have all the weight that Bruckner demands. The interpretation is magisterially slow--rather like the old Karl Bohm/Vienna Philharmonic version--but never dragging. The quiet string tremolos, solemn brass chorales, and romantic horn calls have all the atmosphere and poetry that one could ask for. On evidence here, Salonen is rapidly becoming one of today's podium giants. --David Hurwitz« less
Esa-Pekka Salonen is an amazing conductor. He has won a sterling reputation as an interpreter of contemporary music, but here he turns in a totally idiomatic, magnificently poised Bruckner performance. The Los Angeles brass play with a burnished glow recalling the great Central European orchestras, only with more security, while the strings have all the weight that Bruckner demands. The interpretation is magisterially slow--rather like the old Karl Bohm/Vienna Philharmonic version--but never dragging. The quiet string tremolos, solemn brass chorales, and romantic horn calls have all the atmosphere and poetry that one could ask for. On evidence here, Salonen is rapidly becoming one of today's podium giants. --David Hurwitz
CD Reviews
Wonderful Playing, Solid Interpretation, but Under-recorded
03/16/1999
(4 out of 5 stars)
"The LA Philharmoic and Salonen have become one of my favorite choices when looking for CD's. The playing on this disc is absolutely superb, thanks to the LAPO's world-class musicians. Salonen's interpretation is both natural and captivating. However, there are many moments which lack the power they should have and I believe this is due to the recording quality. Salonen's recording of Mahler 3 with the LAPO was far more resonant and had more presence than on this disc. Here the whole orchestra seems distant for some reason. Nevertheless, this disc is certainly worth buying simply for the quality of playing."
A superbly balanced and transparent Bruckner, with passion!
Haas1317@msn.com | Detroit, Michigan USA | 09/23/1998
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Salonen here gives us an etherial, tempered, yet majestic Bruckner that is refreshing and revealing. He does this magnificent and often misunderstood and underappreciated composer justice, by offering a reading that has the mystic vision, blazing revelations, and sinister roarings WITHOUT the often overdone and self-indulgent excesses that entrap many fine conductors. Although it may not topple Boehm, Karajan, or Chailly's top-ranking performances, it certainly can stand beside them as a totally committed and individual effort. This Fourth may well appeal to non-Brucknerians in that the magnificent structure and intricate lines come to the forefront, amazingly without sacrificing grandeur or power. Although not in the league of Berlin, Vienna, or the Concertgebouw, the LA Symphony plays convincingly and consistently fine to merit a whole-hearted recommendation. As a devoted Brucknerian with 5 recordings of this work in my library, I still have no regrets getting this one."
Good performance, disappointing recorded sound
Haas1317@msn.com | 01/09/1999
(3 out of 5 stars)
"I heard Salonen and the LA Phil perfrom this at Avery Fisher Hall in New York over a year ago, and it was a revelation-- they played the music like they owned it. Salonen's easy going way with the tempi and his way of getting the orchestra to sneak up on climaxes just did it for me. So, this recording was one I looked forward to. Most regretably, Sony seems to have sabotaged the project. The sound is tight, closed in, way under recorded--yes, this can happen with digital recording-- and lacks the sense of space Bruckner demands. There are great moments,. but you have to experience them through a subtle haze. The horn opening disappoints as well, although in general the brass are great in ensemble. I have noticed this stinginess in recorded ambience in other LA Phil recordings on SONY; what's the deal?"
It's the Pavillion, nothing else...!
Haas1317@msn.com | 08/06/2002
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Five stars were it for Salonen and the LA Phil alone, but still some "problems" remain.Bruckner DEMANDS space, a crisp, even bland approach, room to breathe, and I don't feel this recording can deliver that. As a benchmark here, compare to, say, a typical Bruckner-Karajan recording with the Berlin- or especially the Vienna Philharmonic!Having said that, the playing here is energetic, almost ferrocious sometimes, and the orchestra really catches fire in movements 3&4. But they are fighting against the awkward opaque acoustics of the Dorothy Chandler Pavillion. Most notably the strings suffer in this environment, and what still worked well for Mahler's horn-oriented 3rd, becomes a drag for the string-heavy Bruckner 4. Record it again, Esa-Pekka, at the new Walt Disney Hall.Overall, by no means a bad cd, but the acoustics of the Pavillion are less than helpful here."
Track Listings (4) - Disc #1