# Simone Young: Bruckner



## Sonata (Aug 7, 2010)

Have you listened to any of Simone Young's Bruckner recordings? What are the strengths and drawbacks? What's your favorite of the symphonies?


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## CnC Bartok (Jun 5, 2017)

Well, I like them very much. Her style is not quite as exciting as some, and not quite as heilige as some, but she knows her Bruckner well enough (!) and the readings are pretty strong in the overall architecture.
Advantages: Young uses mainly original versions. Good sound quality
Disadvantages: Young uses mainly original versions. While sound quality is great, some questions about the dynamic range?

Not my top set (sorry, but Jochum still wins hands down!) But not far off...


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## amfortas (Jun 15, 2011)

I've got her complete set on my wish list, but not that close to the top. It would be nice to supplement the later versions of Bruckner's symphonies with the originals, but there are still plenty of works for which I have no recording at all. 

Stop writing so much damn music!


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## Triplets (Sep 4, 2014)

I have many of the discs, and have found them somewhat uneven. The 7th is excellent. The 9th is pretty forgettable. The others that I have heard are somewhere in between


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## Merl (Jul 28, 2016)

I have all of them and rate them highly. Particularly enjoy the 7th but it's a consistently impressive cycle.


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## Granate (Jun 25, 2016)

In my challenges, this set has passed with honours many symphonies, but not because of the versions, but the performance quality. What I most thanked about this set was the general orchestral balance that *equals the level of the Hamburger Philharmoniker to those of the Wiener and Berliner Philharmoniker. Take those words seriously. The style, conducting and sound quality resembles the sets of Karajan and Jochum DG.* I get goosebumps when I play the first movement of No.3. Before that challenge I never imagined that the HPO would be able to play like a top-tier orchestra, and that Oehms would be able to capture it in such a mesmerizing sound.

The negative point was that I failed to be impressed with those symphony recordings which version was more generally recorded (No.1 Linz, No.5, No.6, No.7 and No.9) which were usually restrained. On spare listen, you wouldn't notice the drawbacks, but you would if you compare them with +20 recordings.
If you want to collect Bruckner, do buy this set because in my opinion you won't find a better set with all the first versions. This one was the first I purchased and it's worth it.


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## Sonata (Aug 7, 2010)

I added her Bruckner 3 to my collection to start with. I look forward to listening to it next week. Thanks for your thoughts. I'll let you know what I think after I've heard it


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## Sonata (Aug 7, 2010)

Robert Pickett said:


> Well, I like them very much. Her style is not quite as exciting as some, and not quite as heilige as some, but she knows her Bruckner well enough (!) and the readings are pretty strong in the overall architecture.
> Advantages: Young uses mainly original versions. Good sound quality
> Disadvantages: Young uses mainly original versions. While sound quality is great, some questions about the dynamic range?
> 
> Not my top set (sorry, but Jochum still wins hands down!) But not far off...


Sounds good! I did get Jochum's whole cycle with Staatskapelle Dresden today as well. For under six dollars for the digital set!


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## Manxfeeder (Oct 19, 2010)

Sonata said:


> Sounds good! I did get Jochum's whole cycle with Staatskapelle Dresden today as well. For under six dollars for the digital set!


That's an insane price. But as they say, all things come to those who wait.


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## DavidA (Dec 14, 2012)

Sonata said:


> Sounds good! I did get Jochum's whole cycle with Staatskapelle Dresden today as well. For under six dollars for the digital set!


Jochum's set is absolutely wonderful. I got it at a very reasonable price too.


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## Granate (Jun 25, 2016)

Sonata said:


> I added her Bruckner 3 to my collection to start with. I look forward to listening to it next week. Thanks for your thoughts. I'll let you know what I think after I've heard it


Is it SACD? A SACD collection would be worth it too. It would have the same price as the Janowski set, and a bit more pricey than JVZ.


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## wkasimer (Jun 5, 2017)

Granate said:


> Is it SACD? A SACD collection would be worth it too. It would have the same price as the Janowski set, and a bit more pricey than JVZ.


I don't own and haven't heard any of Young's Bruckner. IIRC, though, the original issues were on SACD, but the box contains RBCD's. That's pretty typical of most such reissues from most companies, other than BIS.


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## Sonata (Aug 7, 2010)

Granate said:


> Is it SACD? A SACD collection would be worth it too. It would have the same price as the Janowski set, and a bit more pricey than JVZ.


In my case it was a digital download.


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## Sonata (Aug 7, 2010)

I did not have symphonies 0 or 00 in my collection yet. I wasn't going to get them, but I'm now loving Bruckner so much I wanted those too, so I got Simone Young's recordings of those too. So my collection of hers consists of 0,00, and 3 for now. I can't wait to listen next week!


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## mbhaub (Dec 2, 2016)

amfortas said:


> I've got her complete set on my wish list, but not that close to the top. It would be nice to supplement the later versions of Bruckner's symphonies with the originals, but there are still plenty of works for which I have no recording at all.
> 
> Stop writing so much damn music!


I know the feeling. Given all the symphonies (9, 10, or 11 depending), many of those in different versions, and many of those versions in different editions (Haas, Nowak, Carragan, et al) keeping track of all the Bruckner is mind boggling. For my money, the Young recordings made it cheap and easy to keep all of the First versions in one convenient place. My other sets consist of Nowak/Haas combinations - the "standard versions" whatever that means with Bruckner. Jochum/EMI is my gold-standard. Young's orchestra is extremely good, the recorded sound excellent. If this Oehms set was my only Bruckner, that wouldn't be so bad.


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## Guest (Dec 26, 2017)

I like Simone Young. Quite powerful playing and superb sound. My other favorites are by Karajan and Celibidache, despite his slow tempos.


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## Sonata (Aug 7, 2010)

Kontrapunctus said:


> I like Simone Young. Quite powerful playing and superb sound. My other favorites are by Karajan and Celibidache, despite his slow tempos.


:lol:
I haven't heard Celibidache yet, but that's funny


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## CnC Bartok (Jun 5, 2017)

Love it! Haven't laughed so much since I saw King Lear!!!


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## Granate (Jun 25, 2016)

Sonata said:


> :lol:
> I haven't heard Celibidache yet, but that's funny


Try his interpretations, mostly EMI/WC, but with a spin:
No.3 & No.5 (DG)
No.4-9 (EMI)
No.8 (Sony, slightly better than EMI)

Always compare him with your favourites (in standard tempi).


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## Rach Man (Aug 2, 2016)

Granate said:


> Is it SACD? A SACD collection would be worth it too. It would have the same price as the Janowski set, and a bit more pricey than JVZ.


I believe if you buy the symphonies individually, you can get them in SACD. But the set is in regular CD format.


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## Granate (Jun 25, 2016)

^^

It is true. I own the CD box set (beautiful BTW with original covers in cardboard sleeve). SACDs will be sold individually until they become OOP.


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## padraic (Feb 26, 2015)

My favorites of her set is the earlier stuff, 00-3. Agree very good 7th. Not much of a fan of the original version of 4 or 8, to be honest (not really a comment on her performance of them, to be fair). The Ninth wasn't great, there are many Ninths which are far superior.


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## Heliogabo (Dec 29, 2014)

I'm interested about this set since she and her orchestra performs the first editions of some symphonies. But my question is: are they significant diferences with the usual performed editions that are worth hearing?
Thankss in advance for some orientation here.


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## padraic (Feb 26, 2015)

Heliogabo said:


> I'm interested about this set since she and her orchestra performs the first editions of some symphonies. But my question is: are they significant diferences with the usual performed editions that are worth hearing?
> Thankss in advance for some orientation here.


For some (e.g. 6th, 7th, 9th) there was only ever one version, so you just get her performance of something you (perhaps) know well from other recordings.

Others (as I mentioned above, especially the 4th and 8th) are substantially different. I can't speak to whether or not they are necessarily "worth hearing", that's up to the individual listener, but in some cases they are very different, and as those versions are rarely performed, they would bring something unique to one's collection.


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## padraic (Feb 26, 2015)

Helpful, required reading from Dr. Carragan:

https://carragan.com/composer-anton-bruckner/the-bruckner-versions-once-more/


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## Heliogabo (Dec 29, 2014)

Thanks a lot, padraic, “worth hearing” was not the best answer. But you replied just what I looked for. Very appreciated.


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## DavidA (Dec 14, 2012)

Saw the set today second hand. Must confess that with Karajan and Bochum already in the locker I don't feel the need for another Bruckner cycle


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## padraic (Feb 26, 2015)

Heliogabo said:


> Thanks a lot, padraic, "worth hearing" was not the best answer. But you replied just what I looked for. Very appreciated.


My pleasure.


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