# Bruckner, Symphony No. 9 - Best Recordings



## Brahmsianhorn (Feb 17, 2017)

I have now surveyed Symphonies Nos. 3-9 over the past several months, and the last one was the toughest. So many good ones! I ended up with 12 on my "Essentials" list, which was more than any of the others (3rd - 4, 4th - 8, 5th - 7, 6th - 6, 7th - 7, 8th - 10). One of the things I noticed is there are many different valid ways to interpret this great work.

Here is my Essentials list:

*Symphony No. 9 in D minor*

*Carlo Maria Giulini/Vienna PO (1988) (DG)*

Monumental and deeply moving, Giulini's expansive interpretation fits this symphony like a glove. The tempos are slower than normal, but the momentum never sags so that the effect is hyptonic and at times awe-inspiring. The VPO is glorious and committed, and the impressive sound quality only serves to enhance one of the great Bruckner interpretations on record.

*Günter Wand/Berlin PO (1998) (RCA)*

Wand's late live recording may seem understated, but it proves to be a beautifully patient reading with immaculate phrasing and magnetic concentration. Indeed, he arguably does a better job than anyone at making a cohesive whole out of this magnificent work, with the BPO offering gorgeous playing in sumptuous, detailed sound quality.

*Wilhelm Furtwängler/Berlin PO (1944) (Praga, DG, Archipel, Music & Arts, Andromeda)*

This intense, apocalyptic performance is from the last months of World War II, and one cannot help but imagine the emotions conjured up within that context. This is the only surviving document of a work Furtwängler revered, and the preserved insights are invaluable with phrases that are deeply and poignantly communicated despite the obvious limitations in fullness and detail from the sound quality.

*Günter Wand/NDR SO (1988) (RCA, EMI)*

This live concert from a decade earlier than Wand's Berlin outing is perhaps a shade less reflective and yet more biting, hushed, and intense while displaying his magical way with the score. Not only is the playing superlative, but the unique acoustic of the Lübeck Cathedral lends an ethereal quality befitting the work.

*Herbert von Karajan/Berlin PO (1975) (DG)*

Karajan and the BPO produced a groundbreaking, intense recording of the 9th in 1966, still revered by many. Their 1975 remake features the same unsurpassed, massive sense of power but with even stronger definition and helped by excellent sound. Karajan is as ever magnetic in his pacing and understanding of Brucknerian architecture.

*Hans Knappertsbusch/Berlin PO (1/30/1950) (Tahra, Audite, Music & Arts, Memories)*

Knappertsbusch is unique in his flexible, propulsive energy, with passionate playing from the BPO captured in rich, present mono sound. Two versions were recorded days apart, the first one for radio broadcast and the second live. Both are excellent, and although the first is certainly recommendable for the absence of audience noise, this live outing is even more thrilling provided one is not too distracted by the presence of intermittent coughs.

*Daniel Barenboim/Berlin PO (1990) (Warner/Teldec)*

Barenboim offers an inspired interpretation devoid of pretense, simply presenting the 9th in all its glory within a perfectly apt, opulent Brucknerian sound world. The Berliners produce fabulous tone and seem to relish in the freedom to play away.

*Eugen Jochum/Staatskapelle Dresden (1978) (EMI)*

Jochum and the Dresdeners take a no holds barred approach, blazing with intensity as well as featuring the conductor's consummate skill and affection in pacing and phrasing.

*Bernard Haitink/Concertgebouw Orch. (1981) (Philips)*

It may seem like a back-handed compliment to say that Haitink's interpretation is straight-forward, but his unforced approach is pure gain. The Concertgebouw plays with all the power and beauty for which they are known, enhanced by clear and opulent digital sound.

*
Bruno Walter/Columbia SO (1959) (Sony)*

Walter in his "Indian summer" eschews extremes of emotion in an interpretation that is noble and direct, yet not lacking for power, highlighting Walter's immaculate gift for phrasing. The orchestral contribution is excellent, with present, detailed recording quality.

*Eduard van Beinum/Concertgebouw Orch. (1956) (Decca, Philips, Beulah)*

Van Beinum is vital and passionate within a fairly contained, efficient interpretation. With luscious playing from the Concertgebouw and full, present mono sound, this is vintage Bruckner performance of the highest caliber.

*
Manfred Honeck/Pittsburgh SO (2018) (Reference Recordings)*

Honeck's version has the advantage of superlative sound quality, with excellent dynamic range and clarity. The interpretation is thoroughly engaging, with powerful attacks, beautifully turned phrases, and an impressively hushed, sustained _Adagio_.

Further Listening:

Hans Knappertsbusch/Berlin PO (1/28/1950) (Tahra, Audite, Urania, Music & Arts, Profil, Andromeda, Memories, Foyer)

Herbert von Karajan/Berlin PO (1966) (DG)

Oswald Kabasta/Munich PO (1943) (Music & Arts, Dante Lys)

Sir John Barbirolli/Hallé Orch. (1966) (BBC)

F. Charles Adler/Vienna SO (1952) (Music & Arts)

Sigmund von Hausegger/Munich PO (1938) (EMI, Preiser)

Eugen Jochum/Berlin PO (1964) (DG)

Evgeny Mravinsky/Leningrad PO (1980) (BMG/Melodiya, Altus)

Rafael Kubelik/Bavarian RSO (1985) (Orfeo)

Jascha Horenstein/BBC SO (1970) (BBC, Music & Arts)

Marek Janowski/Orch. de la Suisse Romande (2009) (Pentatone)

Claudio Abbado/Lucerne FO (2013) (DG)

Wolfgang Sawallisch/Bavarian St. Orch. (1984) (Orfeo)

Carl Schuricht/Stuttgart RSO (1951) (Hänssler, Music & Arts)

Nikolaus Harnoncourt/Vienna PO (2002) (RCA)

Daniel Barenboim/Chicago SO (1975) (DG)

Günter Wand/NDR SO (1993) (RCA)

Bernard Haitink/Concertgebouw Orch. (1965) (Philips)

Fabio Luisi/Staatskapelle Dresden (2007) (Sony)

Sergiu Celibidache/Stuttgart RSO (1974) (DG)

Stanislaw Skrowaczewski/Saarbrücken RSO (2001) (Arte Nova, Oehms)

Bruno Walter/New York PO (1957) (Music & Arts)

Johannes Wildner/Neue PO (with completed _Finale_) (1998) (Naxos)

Lovro von Matačić/Czech PO (1980) (Supraphon)

Georg Tintner/Royal Scottish Natl. Orch. (1997) (Naxos)

Carl Schuricht/Vienna PO (1961) (EMI)

Leonard Bernstein/Vienna PO (1990) (DG)

Carlo Maria Giulini/Chicago SO (1976) (EMI)

Georg Solti/Chicago SO (1985) (Decca)

Daniel Barenboim/Staatskapelle Berlin (2010) (DG)

Stanislaw Skrowaczewski/Minnesota Orch. (1996) (Reference)

Bernard Haitink/London SO (2013) (LSO Live)

Sergiu Celibidache/Munich Phil. (1995) (Warner/EMI)

Simon Rattle/Berlin PO (with completed _Finale_) (2012) (EMI)

Zubin Mehta/Vienna PO (1965) (Decca)


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

Haitink 1981 was the first version I listened to. Although I have collected about a dozen others, it is still my go-to CD for this masterpiece. I really don't like the completed versions.


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## Merl (Jul 28, 2016)

OMG, BHS, you chose a recording from this century! I'm going for a lie-down. I may be hallucinating. :lol::devil: Nice list, btw.


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## Brahmsianhorn (Feb 17, 2017)

Merl said:


> OMG, BHS, you chose a recording from this century! I'm going for a lie-down. I may be hallucinating. :lol::devil: Nice list, btw.


Hey, my top choice for the 5th is Haitink/BRSO 2010!

Admittedly, even I was surprised I liked the Honeck. So far I haven't liked any of his Beethoven.


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## Knorf (Jan 16, 2020)

Great list!

A recording I wish had a wide release was a Bruckner 9 with the Berliner Philharmoniker and Pierre Boulez, which was briefly available on their Digital Concert Hall service but hasn't been for years. It's absolutely brilliant. It rocked my Bruckner world.

Have you given the Blomstedt/Gewandhausorchester a listen? That's another Ninth I rate highly. 

One last comment: I remember feeling unimpressed with that Barenboim/Berlin recording, but it sounds like I should revisit it.


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## Malx (Jun 18, 2017)

Agree with comments above. 
Super list, and whats more I have 5 of your top selections so I don't feel the need to dip into my decidedly slim wallet to add more - well at least not for now..


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## D Smith (Sep 13, 2014)

Great list. I put on the Nelsons/Gewandhaus recording this morning which I really enjoy to re-listen. Most often listened to here are Abbado/Lucerne, Barenboim/Berlin and Karajan 70's.


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## vincula (Jun 23, 2020)

A really nice list. Thanks a lot. I hold Giulini's at the very top and got a few of those you name on my shelves (Wand, Furtwängler, Van Beinum...) I enjoy Kegel's '75 live broadcast recording too, with imperfections and all -radio tapes do not cheat. I listen quite often to it. A deeply felt and inspired performance with a that Kegel vocal-like articulation I'm especially fond of.









Regards,

Vincula


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## John Lenin (Feb 4, 2021)

I like a little 'depression' or at least a little roughness 'dirt beneath the fingernails' in Bruckner's 9th. I also detest the usual 'otherwordlyness ... last testament.... not of this world' middle class liberal nonsense.... Celibidache and Karajan really grind my gears.... give me Tintner or Skrowaczewski any day..... or Wand, but I prefer Wand in Beethoven.


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## vincula (Jun 23, 2020)

Brahmsianhorn said:


> *Wilhelm Furtwängler/Berlin PO (1944) (Praga, DG, Archipel, Music & Arts, Andromeda)*
> 
> This intense, apocalyptic performance is from the last months of World War II, and one cannot help but imagine the emotions conjured up within that context. This is the only surviving document of a work Furtwängler revered, and the preserved insights are invaluable with phrases that are deeply and poignantly communicated despite the obvious limitations in fullness and detail from the sound quality.


Must admit that this YouTube version sounds better than any of my cd's:






Regards,

Vincula


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## SearsPoncho (Sep 23, 2020)

My favorite recording of Bruckner's 9th is Christoph von Dohnanyi and the Cleveland Orchestra. I don't believe I saw it on your list. It's a dark, thrilling account. I also like Wand with the NDR SO.


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## joen_cph (Jan 17, 2010)

Some other conductor eccentrics include Abendroth, and possibly Delman. Delman did some good, very lively live Tchaikovsky, but his Bruckner's 9th is said to be rather slow and solemn. 

For more alternatives, I also have Rögner and Rozhdestvensky, but don't remember the details.

Regarding Jochum, I prefer his DG to his EMI, finding it slightly more passionate. His DG 9th was an introduction to the work, and is still among the favourites. 

I don't get Mravinsky in this work (his 8th is somewhat more interesting, IMO).


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## mbhaub (Dec 2, 2016)

I'm going to go out on a limb here, but having heard, and played, various completions, I cannot listen to the three movement version anymore. Having grown up with Walter, Karajan, and having acquired too many others, whenever I put the 9th on, it's always one of the four-movement versions. This one is my favorite:


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## Knorf (Jan 16, 2020)

I totally agree. I mean, if people are going to perform or listen to stuff like Mozart's Requiem, there is zero excuse to ignore the validity of a four-movement version of Bruckner 9. It's fantastic music, and far more of it was left reasonably intact than people seem willing to admit, especially compared to the Mozart Requiem.

ETA: I like the Schaller performance, although it's not quite among my top favorites for the first three movements. But I like his completed version of mvt. 4 the best so far.


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## Brahmsianhorn (Feb 17, 2017)

Whenever I hear the 4th movement, it sounds like a weaker overture following the conclusion of a symphony.

The 3-movement Bruckner 9th to me ends like the Mahler 9th, with a great Adagio culminating in a cataclysmically powerful climax and then a peaceful repose of a coda.


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## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

I've not tried the 4 mvt Bruckner 9....I tend to agree with BH about the completeness of the 3 mvt one which we all know..
I guess I'll have to give the 4 mvt one a shot, tho it may conflict with my existing concept of the work...
For the 3 mvt version -
Solti
Walter
I also like vonMatacic and Giulini/CSO


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## BachIsBest (Feb 17, 2018)

Great list! I also really like this one, especially the first movement.






To think you chose an essential one from 2018 (that, to make matters worse, Hurwitz likes) and missed a solid 50's performance... I think you're losing your edge here.


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## Brahmsianhorn (Feb 17, 2017)

Heck148 said:


> I've not tried the 4 mvt Bruckner 9....I tend to agree with BH about the completeness of the 3 mvt one which we all know..
> I guess I'll have to give the 4 mvt one a shot, tho it may conflict with my existing concept of the work...
> For the 3 mvt version -
> Solti
> ...


Solti's first movement is excellent, some of the best of his Bruckner IMO. He just let the music happen and showed wonderful phrasing and hushed moments. I did feel a bit let down however by a somewhat metronomic Scherzo, and then the Adagio did not do much for me.

My favorite CSO recording was Barenboim's, the best I've heard from that cycle. I just thought his later BPO showed his interpretation in more mature form.


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## vincula (Jun 23, 2020)

BachIsBest said:


> Great list! I also really like this one, especially the first movement.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Interesting one. Must listen to it. I've got Rosbaud's box on Andromeda with the 2, 5, 7 and 8, but I haven't listening to his no.9. Thanks for the hint.

Back to Bruckner then... I was having a minor break. The missus seemed very pleased. Didn't last long :lol:

Regards,

Vincula


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## Merl (Jul 28, 2016)

Rattle's 4 movement realisation is very good listening, indeed. He (justifiably) had some stick for some of his Berlin recordings but I thought that B9 was one of his best recordings with the BPO. The 3 movements are very similar in vision to Karajan and the extra movement fits really well.


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## DeepR (Apr 13, 2012)

Brahmsianhorn said:


> *Günter Wand/NDR SO (1988) (RCA, EMI)*
> 
> This live concert from a decade earlier than Wand's Berlin outing is perhaps a shade less reflective and yet more biting, hushed, and intense while displaying his magical way with the score. Not only is the playing superlative, but the unique acoustic of the Lübeck Cathedral lends an ethereal quality befitting the work.


This is my favorite recording. It's a magnificent performance. And I would say that this piece needs those kind of accoustics, with more than a little natural reverb. Without that, I can barely even listen to the piece. In many recordings, the overwhelming brass parts sound dry, harsh and tinny. But here it sounds rich, deep, warm, wide open, indeed ethereal.


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## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

Brahmsianhorn said:


> Solti's first movement is excellent, some of the best of his Bruckner IMO. ....
> My favorite CSO recording was Barenboim's, the best I've heard from that cycle. I just thought his later BPO showed his interpretation in more mature form.


Yes, the Barenboom/CSO is excellent, in splendid sound...DG did a great job with the recorded sound on this cycle...


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## Becca (Feb 5, 2015)

Knorf said:


> I totally agree. I mean, if people are going to perform or listen to stuff like Mozart's Requiem, there is zero excuse to ignore the validity of a four-movement version of Bruckner 9. It's fantastic music, and far more of it was left reasonably intact than people seem willing to admit, especially compared to the Mozart Requiem.
> 
> ETA: I like the Schaller performance, although it's not quite among my top favorites for the first three movements. But I like his completed version of mvt. 4 the best so far.


I concur about the 4 movement form and that the revised Schaller version makes the most sense of those I've heard. Also I think that it's a mistake to compare the 3rd movement between performances of a completed version to an incomplete performance.


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## DaveM (Jun 29, 2015)

BachIsBest said:


> Great list! I also really like this one, especially the first movement.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I can't appreciate the possible superiority of a given Bruckner performance of the 9th when it is in mono. The sound is constricted and doesn't represent the broad soundstage present with virtually all Bruckner symphonies.


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## BachIsBest (Feb 17, 2018)

DaveM said:


> I can't appreciate the possible superiority of a given Bruckner performance of the 9th when it is in mono. The sound is constricted and doesn't represent the broad soundstage present with virtually all Bruckner symphonies.


I definitely find old recordings of Bruckner can be tough to get into and I certainly would not recommend them as an introduction to any Bruckner symphony. However, once you know how the symphony sounds I do think it is worthwhile to hear older renditions for the interpretation.


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## consuono (Mar 27, 2020)

The Haitink/Concertgebouw for me.


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## Brahmsianhorn (Feb 17, 2017)

BachIsBest said:


> Great list! I also really like this one, especially the first movement.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Not a fan of the Rosbaud, sorry. In the face of all the great competition I found his interpretation to be uninspired.

And actually, Hurwitz has recommended a Rosbaud. I think it was the Bruckner 7.

I go by what I hear. I could care less if it was recorded in 1933 or 2013.


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## Knorf (Jan 16, 2020)

Becca said:


> I concur about the 4 movement form and that the revised Schaller version makes the most sense of those I've heard. Also I think that it's a mistake to compare the 3rd movement between performances of a completed version to an incomplete performance.


By the way, credit where credit is due: Becca it was who convinced me to give Schaller's completion a listen, and I'm glad I did.

I've never bought that the end of the 3rd movement sounds complete. Bruckner was above all a tonal composer, and that means E major cannot be a satisfying resolution to a D minor symphony. "Progessive tonality" a la Mahler or Nielsen was not a thing, yet, and Bruckner never showed the least hint of it in his symphonic output. Never. Considering the 4th movement was essentially complete in short score (folios were stolen from his study as mementos, which is why we don't have quite all of them), it is 100% clear his ultimate tonal intention was to end in D, minor transforming to major.

Progressive tonality requires a different harmonic architecture, anyway.

ETA: saying the E major tonality at the end of 3rd mvt. is satisfying as a conclusion is tantamount to saying Bruckner didn't know shirt about tonality or his own music. It's also a _post facto_ abetting of the original crime of stealing parts of his completed short score. Without that theft, we'd have had a 4-movement Ninth decades ago, and it yet it seems like some of you are saying it's better that we do not. I cannot accept that.


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## BachIsBest (Feb 17, 2018)

Brahmsianhorn said:


> Not a fan of the Rosbaud, sorry. In the face of all the great competition I found his interpretation to be uninspired.
> 
> And actually, Hurwitz has recommended a Rosbaud. I think it was the Bruckner 7.
> 
> I go by what I hear. I could care less if it was recorded in 1933 or 2013.


Hurwitz actually recommends the Honeck Bruckner 9 though (I am aware Hurwitz likes Rosbaud in general). The Rosbaud isn't my favourite recording either, but I do think it's worth mentioning in the thread.

I often wonder what Rosbaud could have done with Chicago had he not passed away; I sometimes think the issues in his recordings stem partly from the skill of the orchestra. The few recordings we have of him conducting leading orchestras are rather exceptional.


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## ORigel (May 7, 2020)

My favorite recording so far is Celibidache's for EMI. I have also listened to Barenboim's, Jochum's, Furtwangler's, and Bernstein's.


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## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

Brahmsianhorn said:


> I go by what I hear. I could care less if it was recorded in 1933 or 2013.


Yup....recorded sound quality can be an issue, of course...but I'll take a great performance in mediocre sound over a dull, boring one in great state of the art sound. The dull one just won't be played...


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## Brahmsianhorn (Feb 17, 2017)

Heck148 said:


> Yup....recorded sound quality can be an issue, of course...but I'll take a great performance in mediocre sound over a dull, boring one in great state of the art sound. The dull one just won't be played...


Do you have any opinions on Koussevitzky's Boston recordings? I've always been a big fan of his 20th century stuff, like Prokofiev 5 and the premiere of Concerto for Orchestra. Thrilling virtuosity with an improvisatory feel.


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## mparta (Sep 29, 2020)

Brahmsianhorn said:


> Do you have any opinions on Koussevitzky's Boston recordings? I've always been a big fan of his 20th century stuff, like Prokofiev 5 and the premiere of Concerto for Orchestra. Thrilling virtuosity with an improvisatory feel.


I'm not sure what this is doing on a Bruckner 9 thread, but I'll bite anyway. I have some Koussevitzky Beethoven that I haven't listened to in ages, but the recording that stands out to me (and of course is thus difficult to find) goes to the 40s when the BSO didn't have a commercial contract (I think this is true). There's a Tchaikovsky 5th that just blows everything and everybody else, Mvravinsky, HtheK, etc. out of the water. Magnificent orchestra then, tragic that we have so little record of it.

This is the version I have:


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## mparta (Sep 29, 2020)

and now to return to our regularly scheduled program:

Bruno Walter's NYPO.









I heard Muti/CSO do the 9th with the Te Deum appended in Chicago a few years ago (the HvK DVD does this also), very impressive but I think Walter does more for me. I did not buy the Muti CSO, i wonder whether it is worth a listen.
This is not my most frequently visited Bruckner, something about the perceived truncation puts me off a bit. Get to the end and think, ok, let's finish this.....
Still, Walter has the forward momentum that I cherish, and the NYPO was a great orchestra then. Haitink also good with the CBO. I wish he had done this more recently with an orchestra other than the LSO.


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## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

I was not aware that Bruckner had completed so much of a finale for #9...I figured he just ran out of days, was unable to finish it, and left the well-known 3 mvt version as an unfinished last statement....ending in the wrong key, perhaps, but that was as far as he got....he ran out of time. all of the great Bruckner conductors played this 3 mvt version, which is a concert staple...now it turns out there is substantial finale material....
I guess I should check out the completed finale versions, tho none of my favorite Bruckner conductors recorded it...there must be a YouTube version or two available.


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## Becca (Feb 5, 2015)

The other movements of this performance are also on YouTube


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## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

Becca said:


> The other movements of this performance are also on YouTube


Thanx, I'll check out the finale.


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## david johnson (Jun 25, 2007)

The ones I come back to: Hvk/BPO (60's), Giulini/CSO - but I've heard and owned a gillion


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## Brahmsianhorn (Feb 17, 2017)

DeepR said:


> This is my favorite recording. It's a magnificent performance. And I would say that this piece needs those kind of accoustics, with more than a little natural reverb. Without that, I can barely even listen to the piece. In many recordings, the overwhelming brass parts sound dry, harsh and tinny. But here it sounds rich, deep, warm, wide open, indeed ethereal.


There is a video as well. It sure would be great if someone could match a quality transfer of the audio to it:


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## Becca (Feb 5, 2015)

Brahmsianhorn said:


> There is a video as well. It sure would be great if someone could match a quality transfer of the audio to it:


The best audio is a 141kb/s Opus file which is probably about equivalent to a 192-220kb/s MP3
Note that the sampling rate is 48,000 HZ so if you want to burn it to a CD then it would have to be resampled to 44,100 HZ but otherwise it can be played as is.


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## HenryPenfold (Apr 29, 2018)

Brahmsianhorn said:


> Not a fan of the Rosbaud, sorry. In the face of all the great competition I found his interpretation to be uninspired.


I'm not getting the Rosbaud either. But so many people I know rave about his Bruckner. I must be missing something.

In the ninth I tend to go for Karajan (1966, especially lately), Celibidache, Wand (take your pick) and Jochum.


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## ORigel (May 7, 2020)

I just discovered the 1950 live Knappertbusch recording on Youtube and I think it is now my favorite recording.


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## joen_cph (Jan 17, 2010)

HenryPenfold said:


> I'm not getting the Rosbaud either. But so many people I know rave about his Bruckner. I must be missing something.
> (...)


I don't get any Rosbaud ... I don't tend to get Knappertsbusch either.


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## Ned Low (Jul 29, 2020)

joen_cph said:


> I don't get any Rosbaud ... I don't tend to get Knappertsbusch either.


 I've only listened to Rosbaud's 7th. Given the poor sound quality and the edition he uses, i don't like it. I wonder if his other Bruckners are as bad as the 7th.


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## Becca (Feb 5, 2015)

And now for something different...









This is the 4 movement revised Schaller version and it works quite well. It is performed on the organ of the Erbach Abbey Church, the same venue as for his more conventional Bruckner symphony series.


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## Coach G (Apr 22, 2020)

The _Symphony #8_ and _9 _are the only two Bruckner symphonies I listen to these days; and the only two I ever really liked. Though I had a proclivity for the really shaggy and bombastic _Symphony #3_ at one time. For the _Ninth_, I think that Herbert Von Karajan is Cadillac, the Lincoln Continental, or the Rolls Royce: it rides really smooth all waxed and polished to perfection and precision. If you want a more Zen-like and meditative, atmospheric, experience then Celibidace is your guy. Bruno Walter, meanwhile, is solid and well-measured, the all-around reliable and straight-forward choice. Even though Leonard Bernstein (with the Vienna Philharmonic) and Bruckner seem like trying to wedge a square peg into a round hole, it remains an interesting rendition, and very intense and earth-shattering in the _Scherzo_. I like to think of Bernstein's Bruckner as the intersection between Bruckner and Mahler, so while Bruckner is supposed to represent stoic religious fanaticism, fear and trembling, Kierkegaard's "infinite resignation"; for Bernstein one can't escape the "Age of Anxiety", the psychoanalyst's couch, the primal screams, and Mahler's (and Bernstein's?) eternal sense of skepticism and longing and to find life's answer. Perhaps Bernstein is not so faithful to Bruckner but still interesting as a point of comparison.

I've yet to hear such luminaries as Furtwangler, Barenboim, Bohm, Asahina, Haitink and others take on Bruckner _9_, so they were left out as a matter of my own ignorance not merit.


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## Bruckner Anton (Mar 10, 2016)

I own a score of recordings of Bruckner's ninth. For me, I dont find any recording better than Giulini VPO 1988 on DG in general. Some have better recorded sound, some use a more flowing tempo, some have more favorable interpretation in certain sections. But in terms of overall quality of the interpretation and sound, none is better than Giulini VPO DG to my ears.
Also, Wand BPO, Haitink 1981, Barenboim BPO (not the one with CSO), Beinum RCO (Mono) are all top-ranked performance. Bernstein's VPO recording is surprisingly good to my ears, even though the second movement is a little lack in momentum. Concerning the widely-acclaimed Wand NDR at Lubeck: I am not quite satisfied with the sound, too reverberant and too much amplification on the bass, which make the performance sounds a bit murky and unreal. It is good performance-wise.


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## Granate (Jun 25, 2016)

Shoutout to this outstanding performance by Günter Wand with the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin in 1993. I think the extra edgyness of the orchestra enhances the structure and details the conductor brings. The DSOB No.5, No.6 and No.8 from other years can sound like this too, but maybe they are a bit over the top. Just purchased it.


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## savae (Oct 31, 2021)

My favorites in order are:

01.Giulini Viena 1988 Live (iso Esoteric) 
02.Schuricht Viena 1963 studio (iso EMI)
03.Knappertsbusch Berlin 1950 Studio & Live (Audite)
04.Karajan Berlin 1966 studio (DG)
05.Kubelik Berlin 1984 Live (Bells of St.Florian)
06.keilberth 1956 Studio (Warner)
07.Jochum 1982 Dresden studio (EMI) & Munich 1983 Live (Weitblick)
08.Furtwängler Berlin 1944 Live (iso Praga)
09.Celibidache Munich 1995 Live (Warner)


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

Becca said:


> The other movements of this performance are also on YouTube


This is great to hear! I love the music and the orchestra sounds beautiful. I'd like to pick up the new 20 disc set which is reasonably priced.


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## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

I've been listening to B9 a lot recently...and Ive changed my preferences a little...in no specisl order:
Solti/CSO
Mravinsky/LenPO
Giulini/CSO

All 3 are good thru each mvt (3)....Perhaps Giulini gets the edge in mvt I...EMI provides stunning sound....the big brass sonorities are earth-ahaking, roof-rattling. Beautifully phrased and paced throughout....
All 3 are good in the great scherzo - maybe Solti gets top billing, really diabolical and violent, but all 3 are very strong.
The great Adagio i think goes to Mravinsky, whose powerful forces really pour it out, tho Giulini and Solti are great, too....LeningradPO, like CSO, had tremendously powerful brass...combined with amazingly aggressive woodwinds and rich, sonorous strings, Mravinsky's Adagio is a powerful statement....

I've also listened to Matacic/CzechPO and Walter/ColSO...both very fine accounts...the Czechs have a lighter sound, but it's very clear and buoyant, a welcome attribute in Bruckner.
Walter is solid, steady...a little too laid back in the scherzo...too much subito diminuendo in the oft repeated main motif...Solti, Giulini, Mravinsky keep it loud and ultra-aggressive.

Both Solti and Mravinsky do an interesting thing in the Finale - the First big climax - the trumpet/horn fanfare repeated is marked fortissimo (ff -Eulenberg score)...both conductors indeed bring gorth s rousing climax of sound - roof-raising to say the least...now, this same fanfare/climax repeats again furyhrrbinto the movement - again -marked fortissimo (ff)...but here, both Solti and Mravinsky up the dyndmic level by a motch, at least!! Fortississimo (FFF) at least....incredible wall of sound coming out in both cases....again, Chicsgo and Leningrad really had the personnel...both or hestras generate amazing levels of sound...
This works well enough musically, but is not indicated in my score...I'm wondering, is there an alternate version of B9 that shows an increase of volume on the repeated figure?? Or were these eminent Brucknerian conductors adding their own spice to the recipe!??


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