# The struggle with Bruckner was worth it - now I need your help!



## gellio

After years of trying, I finally get (and love) Bruckner. I am sitting here working with tears welling up in my eyes listening to the 2nd movement of the 7th Symphony. I listed to the 5th and 9th earlier. Holy Cow - the 5th is a killer - the Scherzo.That Scherzo! What a Scherzo! Sorry, excited, but I repeated that amazing Scherzo several times. 

I'm going to chalk this long overdue victory to Harnoncourt, because his 5th is so magnificent, and since the only wrong he can do is with Mozart, I had to get it (his Schubert and Haydn are revelatory). I was totally blown away. I have the Jochum set, which I'm listening to as well, but I gotta get Harnoncourt's 9th and the other Bruckner he's recorded.

Now, I like every sub-genre of classical music - opera, chamber, choral, all of it. So if you all have other Bruckner recordings and works you would recommend, I would appreciate it.

My guys are Beethoven, Mozart and Schubert, and I have a feeling Bruckner might take his place amongst them.


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## starthrower

The Skrowaczewski cycle on Oehms made me a fan. It's a beautifully played and recorded set.


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## Enthusiast

At some point you need to hear what Celibidache did with Bruckner in his live recordings with the Munich Philharmonic. The 7th is perhaps the weakest of the bunch but most of them are revelatory. He is slow and draws the music out to heavenly lengths (some think perversely so) but for me his method works wonderfully. And, for the 5th, an amazing intense recording by Jochum with the Concertgebouw. And, really, you have to hear Furtwangler!

























I also usually enjoy Wand's Bruckner.


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## gellio

Thanks Enthusiast. Love Jochum and the Concertgebouw is my favorite orchestra. Going to get that one.


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## mbhaub

I know it's not a popular opinion these days, but I still think Karajan was one of the great Bruckner conductors we've ever had. Add to that a great orchestra and this set is a winner. And now that you can get it all on one Blu Ray disk for under $40 it's a great bargain.


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## gellio

Thanks guys. What about non-symphonies? I ordered Jochum’s Masses and the Harnoncourt box with 3, 4, 7 and 8, because his 5th and 9th are absolutely incredible.


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## Becca

If you haven't already, the completed 9th. I suggest the 2nd (or is it 3rd) Gerd Schaller recording of his own completion. As to Celibidache, his view is an unusual one and not one that I would recommend to someone just getting into Bruckner.


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## Malx

I would second the recommendation of Skrowaczewski's Symphony set.

Away from the symphonies this disc of a couple of his chamber works is well worth investigating:

View attachment 123865


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## elgar's ghost

gellio said:


> Thanks guys. What about non-symphonies? I ordered Jochum's Masses and the Harnoncourt box with 3, 4, 7 and 8, because his 5th and 9th are absolutely incredible.


If you like the masses then don't overlook Jochum's recording of the _Te Deum_, coupled with a setting of _Psalm CL_ and ten motets for unaccompanied choir.


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## Heck148

for High-octane Bruckner - Solti/CSO....huge dynamic contrasts, incredible sonorities that [I think] Bruckner would have loved..the climaxes are amazing....Solti keeps it moving....too often Bruckner gets too slow, logy, episodic...it becomes disconnected and bogs down....Barenboim's earlier set with Chicago is excellent, and superbly recorded...
Walter is the standby - his 4,7,9 are classics...
if you can find them - von Matacic/CzechPO produced some excellent Bruckner as well...lively, connected - excellent 7, 9.


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## samm

In terms of 'other works' it's really only the symphonies. Maybe some like the choral and other vocal works and the quartet/sextet and the other bits and pieces, but it's really only the symphonies. I like the three orchestral pieces + march in D minor as little Beethovenian 'sketches' for what was to come.

I had old Karajan recordings of Bruckner which kinda bored me when I was getting into Bruckner. There have been better recordings made since then. Or at least ones with less gloss. I don't know how to describe it. I like Klemperer and Haitink and Chailly's version of the 6th.


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## Enthusiast

Becca said:


> ... As to Celibidache, his view is an unusual one and not one that I would recommend to someone just getting into Bruckner.


Quite a few people say that but I have never understood it. Why wait? I am not sure I liked Bruckner so much until I had heard Celibidache. It's different but it communicates and is heavenly - great music making. I don't think you need to be an experienced Brucknerian to relate to it. Not at all.


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## cyberstudio

I have the Sinopoli/Dredsen incomplete set which is available only in Japan, and it has the distinction of having the best IMO (5th) and the worst IMO (9th) recording in the same box set, a feat I do not expect anyone else to repeat.

I only have Harnoncourt's 9th (Wiener) but from that I can see he is an exceptional Bruckner interpreter. I have always wanted to listen to (or watch) his 5th on DVD.

The great thing about Bruckner is that his music is open-ended enough to allow for diverse interpretations. Celibidache brought out his spirituality being the most obvious. Jochum showed us he is a genius, Karajan painted a landscape of the Austrian Alps, and Wand, a human/mortal/hero in life's struggles in the Beethovenian tradition.


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## elgar's ghost

cyberstudio said:


> I have the Sinopoli/Dredsen incomplete set which is available only in Japan, and it has the distinction of having the best IMO (5th) _and the worst IMO (9th) recording _in the same box set, a feat I do not expect anyone else to repeat.


Does anyone else feel the same way about Sinopoli's 9th?


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## Manxfeeder

elgars ghost said:


> If you like the masses then don't overlook Jochum's recording of the _Te Deum_, coupled with a setting of _Psalm CL_ and ten motets for unaccompanied choir.


This one is incredible for the Te Deum and the Psalm. Personally, I don't think the motets communicate as well with wide vibrato, so I like Halsey and even the Naxos recording for those.


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## elgar's ghost

I've never heard any other recordings of the motets so I may well look into your suggestions. Do these other recordings use a smaller choir?


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## NLAdriaan

gellio said:


> ...Now, I like every sub-genre of classical music - opera, chamber, choral, all of it. So if you all have other Bruckner recordings and works you would recommend, I would appreciate it....










Great to hear you got into Bruckner. After many other recordings, including Celibidache, Karajan, Jochum, Haitink and Harnoncourt (who is indeed great in Bruckner), I got to prefer the recordings that Gunter Wand made of a few symphonies with the Berlin Philharmonic for RCA, now in a box. Absolutely great to hear. All the great ones are there: 4,5,7,9.
From separate recordings you might also give a try to Abbado's 9th with the Lucerne Orchestra on DG. Also Karajan's 7 and 8th with the Wiener Philharmoniker are somewhat special. All three conductors happen to have recorded their best Bruckners at the end of their life.... A recent ongoing Bruckner cycle that is worth exploring is Andris Nelsons on DG with the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig.

If you mean to ask for further advice on other composers, a logical follow up after Bruckner would be Mahler. Did you try his music already? A good way to get to know Mahler would be a full set of his symphonies and Lieder cycles, where I would recommend Boulez on DG or Chailly on Decca (no Lieder with Chailly however). Also, if you like chamber music and perhaps songs with piano, I would advise to try Hugo Wolf, both for his song cycles and for his string quartet and Italian serenade. As to his songs, you could try Peter Schreier. A nice find post Bruckner would be the Gurrelieder by Schoenberg, a massive oratorio, which ends in a generous hymn to the sun. Chailly, Abbado and Robert Craft (cheap release on Naxos) each delivered very good recordings.

Happy exploring!


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## DavidA

mbhaub said:


> I know it's not a popular opinion these days, but I still think Karajan was one of the great Bruckner conductors we've ever had. Add to that a great orchestra and this set is a winner. And now that you can get it all on one Blu Ray disk for under $40 it's a great bargain.
> View attachment 123856


Not a popular option with certain sections of PC critics who like to Poo Poo success but I'd say HvK's performances still hold up to most competition. I'd also add these:


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## DavidA

Another set I find outstanding









And this one


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## DarkAngel

mbhaub said:


> I know it's not a popular opinion these days, but I still think Karajan was one of the great Bruckner conductors we've ever had. Add to that a great orchestra and this set is a winner. And now that you can get it all on one Blu Ray disk for under $40 it's a great bargain.
> View attachment 123856










HD FLAC downloads from Presto UK

Available as 24/96 Master series on Tidal streaming, I have listened to this at least 10 times in last month (symphonies 4-9), 100 times would not be too much, amazing sound............

Gellio
As you know Bruckner worshiped Wagner above all others, I cannot imagine a fan of Wagner to not be sympathetic to these massive towering cathedrals of sound, the power glory reverence transcend this mortal coil


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## Guest

DarkAngel said:


> Available as 24/96 Master series on Tidal streaming, I have listened to this at least 10 times in last month (symphonies 4-9), 100 times would not be too much, amazing sound............
> 
> Gellio
> As you know Bruckner worshiped Wagner above all others, I cannot imagine a fan of Wagner to not be sympathetic to these massive towering cathedrals of sound, the power glory reverence transcend this mortal coil


Be warned the CDs that come with the BlueRay not derived from the new master. Only the Blue Ray disc itself is a new master. I got the analog portion of the set as 96 kHz hirez FLAC downloads (from Prestoclassical).


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## Judith

Love Bruckner but to get used to his compositions, I listen to same one a few times until it sticks, then end up loving them. Symphony no 4 is my favourite and I wonder how anyone cannot love it like I do?


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## Granate

I just want to congratulate you Gellio. It is a commitment to dwell into every CM subgenre and a symphonist such as Bruckner can be a love or hate at first listen. 

I will just suggest you that if you want to travel through this composer fairly well, I would not listen to any people's advice in this thread. Not even myself. I've have a love-hate relationship with some cycles and conductors massively reccomended for this composer; plus a couple of regrettable purchases. The same old reccomendations have been made here. Yet again many seem to come from a ranking point of view where some conceptions of Bruckner are more or less accurate than others, and I'm specially meaning those who put musicology over interpretation and performance. 

It's been years since I listened to Harnoncourt's Bruckner. It didn't stand out then but my methods for comparison were fairly inoperative and biased by the Berliner sound over anything. It's nice that you have a first experience you can relate with Bruckner. Mine was Karajan, but I could escape from it. This composer can leave a huge mark on people. Make of your quest something personal, if you ever dare to go through it.


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## mbhaub

Baron Scarpia said:


> Be warned the CDs that come with the BlueRay not derived from the new master. Only the Blue Ray disc itself is a new master. Another purchase option is to get the analog portion of the set as hirez FLAC downloads (from Prestoclassical).


That's true - the Blu Ray sounds fantastic and I've never listened to the CDs - I wish DG would sell the Blu Ray alone without the other disks - who needs them?


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## Manxfeeder

DavidA said:


> And this one
> 
> View attachment 123883


That was my gateway into Bruckner. Somehow Tintner's conducting made the composer make sense, at least to me.


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## Manxfeeder

elgars ghost said:


> I've never heard any other recordings of the motets so I may well look into your suggestions. Do these other recordings use a smaller choir?


I'm not sure of the choir size. But to me, the lack of vibrato makes a world of difference. The same is true with the second mass; that one needs all the lines to be clear, and vibrato doesn't work as well there. It may just be a personal preference.


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## cyberstudio

I bought the Karajan Symphony Edition for only C$56, which includes all of the Bruckner Symphonies, in addition to Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Tchaikovsky... A total of 38 CDs. I did not know the mastering status of the Bruckner portion, but at that price I certainly got more than my money's worth.


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## Guest

cyberstudio said:


> I bought the Karajan Symphony Edition for only C$56, which includes all of the Bruckner Symphonies, in addition to Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Tchaikovsky... A total of 38 CDs. I did not know the mastering status of the Bruckner portion, but at that price I certainly got more than my money's worth.


From my comparison of some parts of the original CDs with the new hirez version, the improvement is subtle, not a game changer.


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## Manxfeeder

Baron Scarpia said:


> From my comparison of some parts of the original CDs with the new hirez version, the improvement is subtle, not a game changer.


That's good to know.


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## DavidA

cyberstudio said:


> I bought the Karajan Symphony Edition for only C$56, which includes all of the Bruckner Symphonies, in addition to Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Tchaikovsky... A total of 38 CDs. I did not know the mastering status of the Bruckner portion, but at that price I certainly got more than my money's worth.


Really excellent set.


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## david johnson

Bongartz/Leipzing Gewandhaus Orchestra for # 6, Giulini/Chicago for # 9


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## Kiki

elgars ghost said:


> Does anyone else feel the same way about Sinopoli's 9th?


I suppose it depends on whether one likes/dislikes Sinopoli's idiosyncratic touches. Tbh I find his touches reasonably effective in keeping things emotionally interesting, only occasionally do I find his "touches" dragging the music, but in general I think the music moves along fluently enough. I also like the strong beats in the Scherzo and the singing quality in the Adagio. Therefore it is not quite the worst in my book; but then we all like/dislike different things.


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## gellio

Thanks all. I got the Jochum box with the Masses, Motets, Psalm 150, Te Deum. The Harnoncourt with 3, 4, 7 and 8 comes tomorrow. YAY.

I love Harnoncourt. His Schubert is other-worldly and he's the only conductor I've ever heard conduct the 4th that makes you think, "ok, now I get why Schubert called it his _Tragic Symphony_.

Harnoncourt's Brucker No. 9 and No. 5 are amazing. I like them better than Jochum's, but not by much. My three favorite composers are Beethoven, Mozart, and Schubert. While Harnoncourt blows me away in Schubert, he fails me in Beethoven and Mozart. I can't wait to hear the rest of his Bruckner.


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## Enthusiast

I'm also quite a Harnoncourt fan. I wonder which of his Schubert sets you have - the first one with the Concertgebouw or the later one with the Berlin Philharmonic? If you haven't heard the Berlin one you are in for a treat one day. I do quite like his Bruckner - he seems to humanise it, where others go for building huge monoliths.


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## Merl

I agree about Harnomcourt's Schubert, Enthusiast.

Good








Even better......


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## gellio

Merl said:


> I agree about Harnomcourt's Schubert, Enthusiast.
> 
> Good
> View attachment 123951
> 
> 
> Even better......
> View attachment 123952


Really? I have both but the Concertgebouw is so great and any reviews I've read said it was by far the better, so I haven't given the symphonies on the Berlin set a fair go. Would love your thoughts.


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## gellio

Enthusiast said:


> I'm also quite a Harnoncourt fan. I wonder which of his Schubert sets you have - the first one with the Concertgebouw or the later one with the Berlin Philharmonic? If you haven't heard the Berlin one you are in for a treat one day. I do quite like his Bruckner - he seems to humanise it, where others go for building huge monoliths.


Both. I got the Berlin one because of _Alfonso und Estrella_ and the Masses. Admittedly, I haven't given the symphonies much of a listen, because the Concertgebouw recording is so amazing, but now I will.


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## philoctetes

I was unimpressed by Bruckner - except for Walter's 9th - until Furtwangler's 8th got my attention, and I have both DG and EMI sets by Celibidache, but ultimately it is the recordings of Knappertsbusch that win me over. Critics will say his versions are wrong, and the sound is terrible, but I don't care... 

I think the 5th might be my second favorite, behind the 8th... so I gotta hear that Harnoncourt... who may not be unlike Kna is some respects...


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## gellio

philoctetes said:


> I was unimpressed by Bruckner - except for Walter's 9th - until Furtwangler's 8th got my attention, and I have both DG and EMI sets by Celibidache, but ultimately it is the recordings of Knappertsbusch that win me over. Critics will say his versions are wrong, and the sound is terrible, but I don't care...
> 
> I think the 5th might be my second favorite, behind the 8th... so I gotta hear that Harnoncourt... who may not be unlike Kna is some respects...


Harnoncourt's 5th is amazing. His whole Bruckner is.


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## joen_cph

When you've explored Bruckner, *Rautavaara's 3rd Symphony* in the Naxos recording might be of interest too; it is partly Bruckner-inspired (Anton's 4th symphony in particular) and along similar lines.


















https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/7952165--rautavaara-cantus-arcticus


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## DeepR

Here's an amazing 5th with Günter Wand and the NDR Sinfonieorchester.
I've listened to it dozens of times in the last couple of months.


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## gellio

Ok, I listened to the Harnoncourt Berlin recordings today, well 4, 5, 8 and 9. Concertgebouw recordings are way better IMO. The 8th on the Berlin set is way too slow. I agree with any reviews I’ve read on the Berlin set, which basically said “if you have the earlier set don’t bother.”


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## cyberstudio

Boulez/VPO's 8th was IMO at least in the top 3 if not the best outright. Boulez was not renowned for Bruckner and did not do Bruckner much, but he had the most electrifying finale on record.

I was really fond of Tennstedt's 4th with BPO and I literally played it so much that I broke the disc. Again Tennstedt's Bruckner was very incomplete, but when he did it he always did it well.


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## Granate

DeepR said:


> Here's an amazing 5th with Günter Wand and the NDR Sinfonieorchester.
> I've listened to it dozens of times in the last couple of months.


Don't know how will do the Thielemann videos, but *watching* a Bruckner concert by Günter Wand is always a pleasure. Frail image but a very clear leader. I really prefer the 8th in SH Festival, but it's so great the NDR made all the old DVDs available on Youtube


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## Enthusiast

gellio said:


> Ok, I listened to the Harnoncourt Berlin recordings today, well 4, 5, 8 and 9. Concertgebouw recordings are way better IMO. The 8th on the Berlin set is way too slow. I agree with any reviews I've read on the Berlin set, which basically said "if you have the earlier set don't bother."


I couldn't agree less! To my ears the Concertgebouw set is good but a little dour (which doesn't suit the early symphonies so well). The Berlin set is a delight - more radical and sparkles as well. I am not sure what reviews you have read as I think most professional critics who I have read see the Berlin set as something special and the Concertgebouw as one of many good ones.


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## gellio

Enthusiast said:


> I couldn't agree less! To my ears the Concertgebouw set is good but a little dour (which doesn't suit the early symphonies so well). The Berlin set is a delight - more radical and sparkles as well. I am not sure what reviews you have read as I think most professional critics who I have read see the Berlin set as something special and the Concertgebouw as one of many good ones.


Interesting, I found the Berlin set quite boring - like when I listen to Böhm conducting Mozart. The Concertgebouw set to me is so much more power, dramatic, and interesting. Harnoncourt's 4th with the Concertgebouw is the only recording, IMO, that makes one understand why Schubert called _Tragic._ To each his own.


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## Enthusiast

^ The 4th is a Harnoncourt speciality. It is the best of the Concertgebouw cycle (IMO) and there are two BPO accounts (one a standalone, one in the Berlin cycle). WRT to Berlin cycle, you seem to be describing a very different set to the one I hear!


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## Dimace

I don't have any preferences with the Austrian. Give me his symphonies and take my soul. (OK... Better the sound of the recording, better my feelings).


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## CnC Bartok

Gellio - I envy your experience, makes me nostalgic for my epiphany with Bruckner!

I still think the Jochum set on EMI with the Dresden orchestra is tops, but recently I discovered this set below, and it's really special (and not that expensive!) Check out the contents, there are two completed Ninths, if you're interested!

In the meantime keep enjoying. PS I don't get the Celibidache craze, hope you have more luck!


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## Merl

CnC Bartok said:


> Gellio - I envy your experience, makes me nostalgic for my epiphany with Bruckner!
> 
> I still think the Jochum set on EMI with the Dresden orchestra is tops, but recently I discovered this set below, and it's really special (and not that expensive!) Check out the contents, there are two completed Ninths, if you're interested!
> 
> In the meantime keep enjoying. PS I don't get the Celibidache craze, hope you have more luck!
> 
> View attachment 124279


Touché on all counts, CnC.


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## Enthusiast

CnC Bartok said:


> PS I don't get the Celibidache craze, hope you have more luck!


You know the feeling you get when others don't feel the same way about something that you find wonderful? What can you say? Everyone has different tastes. But when Celibidache's Munich work gets knocked - especially in Bruckner - it does make me wonder! I know the shock that his slow speeds can invoke in one but have learned that if you go with it (not hard as he had a gift for keeping the music lithe and moving even at slow speeds) you arrive at such miraculous moments of power and insight, enabled by his slow approach, that you suddenly understand. It is often not a good idea to listen to one of these performances straight after a more normal one but even then he usually wins me over.

I'm not saying you haven't tried properly but I do get particularly mystified when someone who I share a lot of tastes with just doesn't enjoy something that I find so amazing!


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## Granate

CnC Bartok said:


> Gellio - I envy your experience, makes me nostalgic for my epiphany with Bruckner!
> 
> I still think the Jochum set on EMI with the Dresden orchestra is tops, but recently I discovered this set below, and it's really special (and not that expensive!) Check out the contents, there are two completed Ninths, if you're interested!
> 
> In the meantime keep enjoying. PS I don't get the Celibidache craze, hope you have more luck!
> 
> View attachment 124279


I still suggest that you all wait until 2024. Then we'll have the complete Schaller Edition of Bruckner works and EMI will surely release the new Japanese remasters of the Jochum Dresden cycle to compete with Thielemann's recordings (supposedly to be released by Sony and Unitel).


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## Alfacharger

Norbeck Peters and Ford just announced this recording by Jochum.


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## CnC Bartok

Enthusiast said:


> You know the feeling you get when others don't feel the same way about something that you find wonderful? What can you say? Everyone has different tastes. But when Celibidache's Munich work gets knocked - especially in Bruckner - it does make me wonder! I know the shock that his slow speeds can invoke in one but have learned that if you go with it (not hard as he had a gift for keeping the music lithe and moving even at slow speeds) you arrive at such miraculous moments of power and insight, enabled by his slow approach, that you suddenly understand. It is often not a good idea to listen to one of these performances straight after a more normal one but even then he usually wins me over.
> 
> I'm not saying you haven't tried properly but I do get particularly mystified when someone who I share a lot of tastes with just doesn't enjoy something that I find so amazing!


I will admit I found his Bruckner Masses more appealing than the Symphonies. When I have time, I'll give him the benefit of the doubt and have another go. We don't have to have identical tastes, but it is indeed often a decent guide. :tiphat:


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## cyberstudio

W.r.t. Zen Munich Celibidache - I find it hard to not see its greatness, but at the same time I find it hard to recommend to other people as the 'definitive' or 'orthodox' (except maybe the 5th and the 6th) or as their only set. It is paradoxical, but I guess many share the same sentiments.


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## Enthusiast

^ But then is there really such a thing as a definitive performance/recording of a great piece?


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## gellio

Enthusiast said:


> ^ The 4th is a Harnoncourt speciality. It is the best of the Concertgebouw cycle (IMO) and there are two BPO accounts (one a standalone, one in the Berlin cycle). WRT to Berlin cycle, you seem to be describing a very different set to the one I hear!


The 4th on the Concertgebouw set is unreal. THAT is the only performance of the 4th where it's like "ok, now I get why Schubert called it his Tragic Symphony."

I'm going to have to revisit the Berlin set however, because I found Harnoncourt's Beethoven Box (with 13 CDs) for cheap and got it and I couldn't have been more wrong about Harnoncourt and Beethoven (see above). Thrilling performances.

I think I probably prefer the Concertgebouw because I heard it first. However, that cycle is one of my single favorite recordings of anything.

Harnoncourt is just amazing.


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## gellio

CnC Bartok said:


> Gellio - I envy your experience, makes me nostalgic for my epiphany with Bruckner!]


Well, I envy my mom's experience. She's always loved classical music, but not nearly as much as me. Strauss has always been her guy, but she's getting into Schubert, Mozart and Beethoven. I remember those days of discovery and being completely bewildered and how it was so exciting to hear something new at every turn. These three are the three greatest gifts I've ever received in my life - Beethoven is my religion, and Mozart and Schubert are my best friends. Bruckner just got his invite to join us for dinner.


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## Kiki

I'm not a Celibidache fan. Only got his 1990 live #8 on Altus. To say the nearly-32-min-long Adagio is slow is an understatement. However, it does sound out of this world. To be honest, I've heard worse that's slow but doesn't work. However, at the end of the day, it's not my cup of tea and I'd still prefer something more agile.

Jochum's two sets are both mixed bags IMO. He can be fast and furious, which is brilliant, but his fast and furious is sometimes a bit wayward for my liking. At other times he seems to be possessed by Celi's ghost, for example his live Concertgebouw #5, played from start to finish in slow motion. I'm afraid I still am not sure what to make of it.


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## Heck148

Enthusiast said:


> ^ But then is there really such a thing as a definitive performance/recording of a great piece?


generally - no....."definitive" usually = "I like it the best".


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## Azol

CnC Bartok said:


> Gellio - I envy your experience, makes me nostalgic for my epiphany with Bruckner!
> 
> I still think the Jochum set on EMI with the Dresden orchestra is tops, but recently I discovered this set below, and it's really special (and not that expensive!) Check out the contents, there are two completed Ninths, if you're interested!
> 
> In the meantime keep enjoying. PS I don't get the Celibidache craze, hope you have more luck!
> 
> View attachment 124279


Many thanks for alerting me to this new boxset, I ordered it from JPC.de in a wink!

To the OP: not to repeat the whole discussion from some other thread, but Jochum's boxset is not the most recommended way into Bruckner in my humble opinion. There is no ideal boxset, you might want to approach different symphonies from different recordings/conductors, but no matter what you do, you MUST listen to Carlo Maria Guilini's recording of Bruckner's Ninth. This is a desert island material.


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