Search - Anton Bruckner, Karl Böhm, Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra :: Bruckner: Symphony No. 4

Still the top of the mountain

Larry VanDeSande | Mason, Michigan United States | 08/27/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"A recent well-known British music magazine sought to expose 50 "unknown" recordings. Its discoveries included the Eugene Ormandy-Philadelphia Orchestra rendition of the Bruckner Symphony No. 4, subtitled "Romantic", among its hidden gems. It is available on a low-priced Sony disk. In his note, the critic included a not too veiled criticism of this recording, saying the Ormandy showed off all the instruments while this one homogenized the affair.



While it was nice to learn someone in England appreciates Ormandy, I can't agree with that assessment, principally because most people that love and understand Bruckner -- including me -- have graded the Bohm-Vienna Philharmonic recording as one of the best Bruckner 4ths in history. This recording has been considered de rigeur for more than 30 years and its new packaging, low price and upgraded sound all enhance that reputation.



The accoldaes bestowed on this rendition have traversed both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. In its most recent Bruckner overview, American Record Guide graded Bohm No. 1 in both Symphonies 3 & 4, noting his "unforced naturalness". Gramophone magazine has recommended this recording above all other Bruckner 4s since its 1973 release. This recording continues to be the most Viennese sounding Bruckner "Romantic" symphony available allied with an unerring sense of inevitability that makes it an all-encompassing Bruckner experience.



In England you can buy this as part a two-CD set mated with Bohm's even more outstanding version of Bruckner's Symphony 3, which is sometimes called his "Wagner" symphony because of its use of repeated themes in the brass. I wouldn't want to be without this two-CD set at my house. If you love Bruckner, you shouldn't either. Even if you don't love Bruckner, you shouldn't be without this recording.

"

A Note On "Improved" Sound Quality

David Conklin | Albuquerque, NM USA | 11/04/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is without question a great performance (and recording) of what may be Bruckner's most accessible and popular symphony: most critics still rate the the 1973 Bohm/Vienna Philharmonic at or near the top of the list. And yes, the sound quality is excellent. However, it may be helpful to mention that this disc sounds just like the 1999 Decca Legends release (also still available on Amazon). I guess this is not too surprising, given that this previous release is also described as "96kHz 24-bit,", and the same person is listed as having done the re-mastering! Another déjà vu are the photos and liner notes (although the new packaging is designed to look more like the original LP). So there's certainly no need to "upgrade" to this 2007 version if you already own the 1999 disc. At least Universal Music Company isn't ripping us off with a new, higher price."

Excellent Sound, Highly Recommended, But Is This The Best Br

John Kwok | New York, NY USA | 08/03/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I've been a long-time admirer of the great Austrian conductor Karl Bohm, whose performances, especially with the Wiener Philharmoniker, were truly inspiring. His 1973 recording of Bruckner's 4th "Romantic" Symphony has long been acclaimed as among the very best. However, I think this favorable assessment is due more to the reputation of both the conductor and his orchestra than on the actual quality of the performance and the recording. The sound quality on this Decca "The Originals" CD is vastly improved over the original analogue CD recording which I own, along with his fine interpretation of the Bruckner 3rd Symphony, also with the Wiener Philharmoniker. But, I must ask, is this the very best recording of the Bruckner 4th currently available?



My own tastes have run towards swifter tempi versions of this symphony, of which the most notable recordings that I am aware of are those of Jochum's (with the Staatskapelle Dresden), Haitink's (also with the Wiener Philharmoniker) and Harnoncourt's (with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra). In stark contrast to these three truly revelatory recordings of this work, Bohm seems a bit too mundane in his approach, especially in emphasizing rather slow - what someone else here at Amazon.com referred to as "glacial" - tempi in the first and second movements. Musically it may still be a good choice, but it seems as if Bohm is leading the Wiener Philharmoniker in a rather risk-free account, replete with two plodding renditions of the first two movements. If you're a fan of Bruckner's, then you may appreciate the fact that Bohm is a respectful interpreter relying upon the Nowak Edition of this score. Otherwise, I would recommend that you consider the three more recent recordings as those which are musically more exciting, and more likely to be definitive recordings of this work."