|
|
|
| Review by Dinko October 15, 2003 (2 of 2 found this review helpful)
|
Performance:  Sonics:  |
Harnoncourt's mannerisms have often annoyed me. I'm no great Bruckner fan either. It seems his music is often very heavy, and requires the right state of mind.
That said, I think this recording, produced by the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, and released by BMG Classics, makes a good case for the music. There is ample passion in the playing. The famed golden-toned Vienna strings are here, the woodwinds are exquisite, the brass has incredible bite and strength.
The sound in stereo is impressive. In multichannel, it is even better. There is a huge sound stage. Enormous dynamic range, most impressive in the brass and percussion. Instrumental detail is very good. A demonstration class disc for classical music.
Disc #1 is a regular CD on which Harnoncourt provides intersting background in English and German on the symphony's unfinished final movement. There are excerpts from the symphony.
Disc #2 is a CD/SACD hybrid featuring the finished fragments of the symphony
|
Was this review helpful to you?
yes |
no
|
|
|
| Review by beardawgs October 29, 2003 (5 of 5 found this review helpful)
|
Performance: Sonics: |
I didn’t expect this recording to be as good as it is, but I have to agree with Dinko. I won’t be rushing now to buy more Harnoncourt CDs thou, but this performance ranks among the best available of Bruckner’s 9th. After all what has been said in the forum, I was eager to check it out for myself, and I am not disappointed. Let’s hope that BMG/RCA will continue good work and give us more.
Tempi are bit on the fast side, but as I’m biased there by Celibidache’s Bruckner conducting, don’t take my word for it. But the structure is all there, magnificent as it should be. Build ups are powerful with lot of tension and H. gives just enough space for his players do develop every phrase unrushed. I was particularly fascinated with the second movement: precise rhythmic pulse is a spot on and the overall sound is an orgy of biting brass. I do have a slight reservation about treating the middle section (trio) as a piece composed by Debussy on crack, but the impressionistic approach probably can be justified as looking forward of what’s to come in European music later on. H. also speeds up some section of the final movement with certain ‘fin-du-siecle’ grace, not usually associated with late Bruckner. It is thou in a strong contrast with sombre and grave episodes that follows, and it really keeps concentration on a high level of alertnes.
I still didn’t have time to check out what’s on the 1st disk about the reconstruction of the final movement, and to be honest I’m not much bothered with it. There is too little of the original Bruckner’s music left to finish it in a manner of Mahler’s 10th or Elgar’s 3rd, and H. finishes the last movement of the completed part as there is something else to follow. I personally prefer more conclusive ending of the 3rd movement, it is after all Mahler who inspired by this finishes his 9th symphony in the same way with a complete quiet desperation.
The recording ranks among the best I’ve heard.
|
Was this review helpful to you?
yes |
no
|
|
|
| Review by peteyspambucket December 31, 2003 (3 of 3 found this review helpful)
|
Performance: Sonics: |
I love this symphony and there exist several excellent recordings - 3 from Karajan, 2 from Jochum, Bohm, Haitink, Solti, older historic performances, etc. Based on the performance alone, this ranks very well with those.
I like the more aggressive approach Harnoncourt takes with certain passages, and the playing is excellent. The brass are very exciting and the strings have a lot of character, as you would expect with this orchestra.
Sonically, the sound is lifelike in its balance, and you feel like you're sitting about the middle of the Orchestra section. The lower frequencies are consistent and have a very nice natural bloom. The sound is very big, and yet uncongested.
I recommend this SACD and I'm hoping for more Bruckner on SACD. I'll still want to keep my Karajan (final VPO), Walter (Columbia), and Jochum handy, but that's pretty good company. :-)
(PS - I may add further detail to this review later.)
|
Was this review helpful to you?
yes |
no
|
|
|
| Review by thepilot October 20, 2004 (0 of 1 found this review helpful)
|
Performance: Sonics: |
| This is certainly a devinely good performance and an extremely well thought out reading of the symphony, and needless to say Harnoncourt understands Bruckner better than most conductors. The orchestra plays superbly and the recording is really very, very good missing only the last ounce of realistic perspective and warmth that we normally hear in minimally miked DSD recordings.
|
Was this review helpful to you?
yes |
no
|
|
|
| Review by Dan Popp January 19, 2005 (1 of 1 found this review helpful)
|
Performance:  Sonics:  |
I was perplexed as to why the sonics of this disc make such a different impression on me than on previous reviewers. The brass seems harsh and blatty on the "fff" sections - the high strings brittle. Then I switched from listening to the stereo program to listening to just the L/R channels of the MC program. Everything has much more body this way! But of course there is no more ambience at all.
The included CD with the "workshop" of the unfinished 4th movement is an interesting and enjoyable addition to the package. Of course if you don't like it, just don't put it in the player.
I have sometimes wondered whether, with some companies emphasizing the MC aspect of their recordings, the stereo mix didn't get short shrift. In think that may be the case here. I'm not selling my CDA of the performance by Haitink and the Concertgebouw.
|
Was this review helpful to you?
yes |
no
|
|
|
