# Bruckner 9: your favorite version



## Omicron9 (Oct 13, 2016)

Greetings, Brucknophiles.

Of late, I've been listening to two versions of Bruckner 9:


Solti/CSO
Bernstein/VPO

What's your favorite version, and why?

TIA,
-09


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## wkasimer (Jun 5, 2017)

Omicron9 said:


> Greetings, Brucknophiles.
> 
> Of late, I've been listening to two versions of Bruckner 9:
> 
> ...


I went through this exercise a couple of months ago, in preparation for a performance by Zander and the Boston Philharmonic. I never really settled on a favorite, but was most impressed by Furtwangler (of course), Haitink (the early digital one), Giulini, Wand, Karajan, and van Beinum. But if I had to choose one recording for the mythical desert island, it would probably be Skrowaczewski's Minnesota version on the Reference label. The performance is terrific, as are the others, but I value sonics more in Bruckner (and Mahler) than I do for almost any other composer, and this is a great-sounding CD.


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## Klassik (Mar 14, 2017)

Omicron9 said:


> Greetings, Brucknophiles.
> 
> Of late, I've been listening to two versions of Bruckner 9:
> 
> ...


Solti out of those two, but my main preference is for Wand. The NDR and Berlin Phil. versions are both very good. The audio quality is pretty good on both as well. It may not be up to the standards of the Skrowaczewski Reference Recordings CD above, but it's still very good.


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## QueLaMusicaMeLibere (Jun 13, 2017)

Herbert von Karajan, hands down. He truly did Bruckner justice.


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## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

Solti/CSO takes it for me....great recording. I also like Walter/ColSO...Barenboim/CSO is a fine version, too.


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## mathisdermaler (Mar 29, 2017)

mvt 1 - Celibidache
mvt 2 - Jochum
mvt 3 - Celibidache

I think Celibidache's slow and thoughtful style is perfect for the first and last movements, but the middle movement needs energy and vigor. Jochum brings that and performs it very elegantly.


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## Phil loves classical (Feb 8, 2017)

Walter's for me.


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## bz3 (Oct 15, 2015)

Giulini and Celibidache are what I listen to most.


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## Tchaikov6 (Mar 30, 2016)

Klassik said:


> Solti out of those two, but my main preference is for Wand. The NDR and Berlin Phil. versions are both very good. The audio quality is pretty good on both as well. It may not be up to the standards of the Skrowaczewski Reference Recordings CD above, but it's still very good.


Yep, Wand's my favorite as well. I don't have a huge love of the piece, but Wand makes it amazing! To narrow it down even more, NDR Symphony is my preference.


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## Vaneyes (May 11, 2010)

*1. Jochum (1978) 2. HvK (1966) 3. Walter (1959).*


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## Becca (Feb 5, 2015)

If I want what Bruckner was trying to avoid, i.e. a bleeding chunk, then definitely the live Giulini/VPO
But if I want something much closer to what Bruckner wanted, then the SMPC completion with Rattle/BPO


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Solti for me too, also The Karajan mentioned above and Haintink with the Royal Concert Gebouw.


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## Star (May 27, 2017)

Karajan / BPO or Jochum / Dresden


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## Brahmsianhorn (Feb 17, 2017)

Furtwangler
Giulini
Walter


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## Azol (Jan 25, 2015)

*Giulini *on DGG is undisputed benchmark performance. Love each and every moment of it. You can't afford not hearing it.

*Celibidache *is fine, but Scherzo puts me off really. It matches the outer movements in tempo proportions and weight, but it does not match the spirit as I feel it. Really, this is my only complaint for the whole Celi B3-B9 EMI boxset.

For completed Ninth with Finale go for *Rattle* with Berliners. It's a glorious performance (curiously, it still fits a single CD even though it's 82+ minutes long) which will make you a believer.


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

Azol said:


> [
> For completed Ninth with Finale go for *Rattle* with Berliners. It's a glorious performance (curiously, it still fits a single CD even though it's 82+ minutes long) *which will make you a believer*.


Let's agree to disagree on that.


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## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

Azol said:


> *Giulini *on DGG is undisputed benchmark performance.


There are very few, if any, recordings of anything, that are "undisputed, benchmark performances" :devil:


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## Azol (Jan 25, 2015)

Heck148 said:


> There are *very few*, if any, recordings of anything, that are "undisputed, benchmark performances" :devil:


Very few indeed, no doubt about that :angel:


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## chill782002 (Jan 12, 2017)

Hmmm. Tough one.

Either Furtwangler / Berliner Philharmoniker (1944) or Wand / Radio-Sinfonieorchester Stuttgart des SWR (1979).


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## AClockworkOrange (May 24, 2012)

Some of my favourites, in no particular order except for the first names listed:

Wilhelm Furtwangler
Sergiu Celibidache (Munich)
Gunter Wand (Both)
Stanislaw Skrowaczewski
Eugen Jochum (EMI)
Claudio Abbado (Lucerne)

I would add the caveat that I haven't heard Solti's recording and I still need to listen to Simone Young's recording. Her cycle has proven extremely enjoyable so I don't doubt I will include once I have listened to it.

I haven't heard the Karajan or Rattle for some time so I cannot comment here either.


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## Becca (Feb 5, 2015)

Azol said:


> For completed Ninth with Finale go for *Rattle* with Berliners. It's a glorious performance (curiously, it still fits a single CD even though it's 82+ minutes long) which will make you a believer.


Apart from the questions surrounding the completion and how much of it was Bruckner's (almost all), one of the things that seems to upset many is that the performance structure is very different from the 3 movement torso. In the latter case, the slow movement carries the weight of the symphony but in the 4 movement form it does not, nor should it as it is a lead in to the finale/coda. Some people forget that and castigate Rattle for not playing it the same way that the 3 movement version is done.


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## Becca (Feb 5, 2015)

Heck148 said:


> There are very few, if any, recordings of anything, that are "undisputed, benchmark performances" :devil:


Unless they are by Solti and the Chicago Symphony


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

My three favourites from the seven I have (in no particular order...)


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## jimsumner (Jul 7, 2013)

AClockworkOrange said:


> Some of my favourites, in no particular order except for the first names listed:
> 
> Wilhelm Furtwangler
> Sergiu Celibidache (Munich)
> ...


Just curious but which Skrowaczewski do you favor? He recorded it as part of his Bruckner cycle with the Saarbrucken Radio orchestra and a stand-alone with the Minnesota Orchestra.


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## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

Becca said:


> Unless they are by Solti and the Chicago Symphony


They certainly made some fine ones, but virtually everything is disputed by someone..


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## Manxfeeder (Oct 19, 2010)

Heck148 said:


> They certainly made some fine ones, but virtually everything is disputed by someone..


Yep. Solti was my first exposure to Bruckner with his recording of the 5th, and it so turned me off that it took another year before I dipped my toe into Bruckner again. But that's just me.


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## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

Manxfeeder said:


> Yep. Solti was my first exposure to Bruckner with his recording of the 5th, and it so turned me off that it took another year before I dipped my toe into Bruckner again. But that's just me.


Buckner 5 is the one mature work that just doesn't click with me...seems too disconnected, episodic....Solti is the best I've heard, he gets it to hang together, but it just isn't a favorite of mine...and I love Bruckner


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## Nevum (Nov 28, 2013)

Simone Young
Eugen Jochum
Gunter Wand

and honorable mention, Gerd Schaller for Carragan's completion of part 4


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## Azol (Jan 25, 2015)

Nevum said:


> and honorable mention, Gerd Schaller for Carragan's completion of part 4


Probably my least favorite of all completions. My advice: compare it to 2012 Samale/Cohrs one (https://www.abruckner.com/articles/articlesEnglish/cohrsB9finale/). The essay attached is likely the most informed and deep analysis available today - many thanks to Mr. Benjamin-Gunnar Cohrs!

By the way, have you heard Schaller's own completion of the Finale? I cannot comment on it myself, but curious to hear it someday.


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## Omicron9 (Oct 13, 2016)

Becca said:


> Apart from the questions surrounding the completion and how much of it was Bruckner's (almost all), one of the things that seems to upset many is that the performance structure is very different from the 3 movement torso. In the latter case, the slow movement carries the weight of the symphony but in the 4 movement form it does not, nor should it as it is a lead in to the finale/coda. Some people forget that and castigate Rattle for not playing it the same way that the 3 movement version is done.


Yes. In my original post, I neglected to mention inclusion/exclusion of the 4th movement. But I'm totally interested in preferences of 3 vs. 4 movements and the underlying reasons.

-09


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## AClockworkOrange (May 24, 2012)

jimsumner said:


> Just curious but which Skrowaczewski do you favor? He recorded it as part of his Bruckner cycle with the Saarbrucken Radio orchestra and a stand-alone with the Minnesota Orchestra.


I didn't know Skrowaczewski had recorded the Ninth twice. I had the Saarbrucken recording in mind.


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## jimsumner (Jul 7, 2013)

AClockworkOrange said:


> I didn't know Skrowaczewski had recorded the Ninth twice. I had the Saarbrucken recording in mind.


https://www.amazon.com/Bruckner-Sym...579537&sr=1-2&keywords=skrowaczewski+bruckner


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## Nevum (Nov 28, 2013)

Azol said:


> *Giulini *
> 
> For completed Ninth with Finale go for *Rattle* with Berliners. It's a glorious performance (curiously, it still fits a single CD even though it's 82+ minutes long) which will make you a believer.


yes, it is an amazing finale


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## Nevum (Nov 28, 2013)

Another great completion


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

I'm admittedly no Bruckner fanatic, but I have never heard a finer version of No. 9 than the performance by Carlo Maria Giulini conducting the Vienna Philharmonic. Wonderfully recorded too!


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## classfolkphile (Jun 25, 2017)

Giulini/VPO

Mehta/VPO

Something in common?


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

classfolkphile said:


> Giulini/VPO
> 
> Mehta/VPO
> 
> Something in common?


The wonderful sound from the Vienna Philharmonic.


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