# Granate's Bruckner Challenge - Symphony No.2



## Granate (Jun 25, 2016)

*No.2 Results:*

Decent
19th- Dausgaard SChO
18th- Skrowaczewski RSOS
17th- Stein WPO
16th- Venzago NS
15th- Blomstedt GHO
14th- Wand KRSO
13th- Tintner RNSO
12th- Chailly RCO (1p)
11th- Haitink RCO (2p)
10th- Karajan BPO (3p)

Good
9th- Barenboim CSO (4p)
8th- Jochum SOdBR 
7th- Solti CSO (5p)
6th- Gielen RSOS (6p)

_5th_









*Bruckner*
Symphony No.2 in C minor (1877 Version, Ed. Nowak)
*Cond. Carlo Maria Giulini, WSO, Testament (1974/2001 Issue Edition)*

_With a masterful balance, Giulini is able to take the symphony to a good height but it is not enough._
*C+*

_4th_ (7p)









*Bruckner*
Symphony No.2 in C minor (1877 Version, Ed. Haas)
*Cond. Takashi Asahina, OPO, Jean Jean (1976/2000 Issue Edition)*

_For the second time, suprise for the sheer sound. It takes all the elements on foreground, but the brass is a bit Berliner for my taste. One of the best to hear._
*C+*

_TOP3_ (8p)









*Bruckner*
Symphony No.2 in C minor (1877 Version, Ed. Nowak) (Live recording)
*Cond. Lorin Maazel, SOdBR, BR Classics (1999/2011 Issue Edition)*

_It is a pity this does not achieve any master level, because from the start Maazel was conducting the symphony on a very different level to many rivals._
*C+*

Excellent
_TOP2_ (9p)









*Bruckner*
Symphony No.2 in C minor (1872 Original Version, Ed. Carragan)
*Cond. Simone Young, HPO, Oehms (2006)*

_Balance is again the highest score that Young and the Hamburg get here, with the same conducting level as Maazel though._
*B-*

_*TOP1*_ (10p)









*Bruckner*
Symphony No.2 in C minor (1877 Version, Ed. Nowak)
*Cond. Eugen Jochum, SKD, WC (1980/1990 Reissue Edition)*

_Now we are talking of excellence. The strings of the Dresden get the legatos perfectly on the first two movements, while keeping a good level on the latter two._
*B+*


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## merlinus (Apr 12, 2014)

Jochum/DG and Giulini/VSO for me!


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## merlinus (Apr 12, 2014)

Listened to van Zweden/NRPO last night. The balance seemed off, to me, unlike Jochum and Giulini. Even the sound was not as good as most of the other symphonies in the box, including no. 1.


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## Granate (Jun 25, 2016)

merlinus said:


> Listened to van Zweden/NRPO last night. The balance seemed off, to me, unlike Jochum and Giulini. Even the sound was not as good as most of the other symphonies in the box, including no. 1.


I'm happy that you are already enjoying that set. Also sad because the No.2 didn't match your expectations. This one is tough to get.


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## merlinus (Apr 12, 2014)

Giulini/VSO is the best no. 2 I have yet heard, in both sound and performance. But 1, 3, 4, and especially 5 are excellent in all regards, and the SACD SQ is marvelous.


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## Vaneyes (May 11, 2010)

Recorded 1974.


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## merlinus (Apr 12, 2014)

Vaneyes said:


> Recorded 1974.


One of the very best interpretations of this symphony!


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## Granate (Jun 25, 2016)

*After the Round-Up - No.2*

*No.2 Results:*
Trash

Decent
30th- Dausgaard SChO
*29th-* Lim KSO
28th- Skrowaczewski RSOS
*27th-* Janowski OSR
26th- Stein WPO
25th- Venzago NS
*24th-* Konwitschny BRSO
23rd- Blomstedt LGO
*22nd-* Barenboim SKB
21st- Wand KRSO
20th- Tintner RNSO
*19th-* Masur LGO
18th- Chailly RCO
17th- Haitink RCO
*16th-* Inbal RSOF
15th- Karajan BPO

Good
*14th-* Paternostro WPR *(1p)*
13th- Barenboim CSO
12th- Jochum SOdBR
*11th-* Asahina TMSO JVC
10th- Solti CSO (2p)
*9th-* Barenboim BPO *(3p)*
8th- Gielen RSOS (4p)
*7th-* Eichhorn BOL *(5p)*
6th- Giulini WSO
5th- Asahina OPO (6p)
*4th-* Rozhdestvensky URSS *(7p)*
3rd- Maazel SOdBR (8p)

Very good
2nd- Young HPO (9p)
1st- Jochum SKD (10p)

Highlights of the round-up:









Bruckner
_*Symphony No.2 in C minor*_ Live recording
1877 Version, Ed. Nowak
Württembergische Philharmonie Reutlingen
*Roberto Paternostro
Membran (1997/2009 Issue Edition)*

_I cannot deny this was a pleasing concert. It manages to play the four movements and at the same time convey the ambience of the hall. The adagio holds the best moments._
*C+*









Bruckner
_*Symphony No.2 in C minor*_ Live recording
1877 Version, Ed. Haas
Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra
*Takashi Asahina
JVC (1986/2002 Issue Edition)*

_Clean effort with the soundscape required for the right experience. It's a well-deserved pass._
*C+*









Bruckner
_*Symphony No.2 in C minor*_ Live recording
1872 Original Version, Ed. Carragan 
Berliner Philharmoniker
*Daniel Barenboim
Warner Classics (1997/2006 Reissue Edition)*

_Not a great rate but the cleanness of the recording improves the experience. It's warmer._
*C+*









Bruckner
_*Symphony No.2 in C minor*_
1872 Original Version, Ed. Carragan
Bruckner Orchester Linz
*Kurt Eichhorn
Camerata (1991/2005 Reissue Edition)*

_In all the *round-up*, this is the first actually powerful performance of a Bruckner symphony. Fantastic timpani for this original version._
*C+*









Bruckner
_*Symphony No.2 in C minor*_
1877 Version, Ed. Nowak
USSR Ministry of Culture Symphony Orchestra
*Gennadi Rozhdestvensky
Venezia (1986/2009 Reissue Edition)*

_Clean Brass and also powerful strings in a fresh performance. Very good package and another point for the conductor, passing everything in a row for now before the "successful" symhonies (3-9)._
*C+*


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