Bruckner: Complete Symphonies [George Tintner] [Naxos: 8501205]

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Erich Schmid conducting the Southwest German Radio Symphony Orchestra, studio recording, 1965, Ampex [12] I agree that the BPO does a wonderful job in the fourth, but I would go with the Jocum/DG and Karajan/EMI recordings that they made. I prefer the former for a more aggressive approach, and the latter is IMO better than the Bohm/VPO recording for something a bit slower and more reverential in approach. Walter's Fourth is truly in a class by itself, also according to my wife, me and musical friends. There's heart and soul there---and wonderful sound! Horst Stein,VPO,Decca. William Steinberg,BSO, R.C.A. One of his few recordings with this orchestra . Should be reissued on CD. If you already have Karajan/EMI, you have one of the better ones. If you want to try something more aggressive, and also with the BPO, try Jochum's recording on DG.

This, the first published edition of the symphony, was prepared by Cyrill Hynais and was until recently thought to be inauthentic, but Carragan has shown that it corresponds closely to the 1877 version. This first edition was performed on 25 November 1894 by the Vienna Philharmonic under Hans Richter. Carragan edition (2007): this edition is a critical edition of the 1877 version of the symphony. [11] Carragan explained its origin: "After a bit of discussion, Hofrat Nowak asked me to prepare a new edition of the symphony for the Collected Edition, knowing, as many others did as well, that he had not dealt fully with the problems of the Haas edition in 1965." [7] To match the performances, the sound has excellence without the "wow" factor. The booklet notes, unfortunately uncredited, are by Tintner himself, taken from the original releases. Nowak edition (1965): this edition still contains residues of the Haas' "mixed version" - among others an error in the trumpet parts at the end of the first movement: [10]

Symphony No 4

But Tintner can also go spectacularly wrong, as with the choice of the original, 1887 version of the Eighth, which ends with a fortissimo climax as opposed to the wonderful and devastating pianissimo ending of the 1890 version. I'm not sure that Tintner really believes that the 1887 version is musically superior (I hope not!). In the liner notes he makes the guarded comment that the original version "shows an almost primitive spontaneity". Inbal,Frankfurt .Teldec. Excellent performance of the radically different original, with a completely different scherzo instead of the familiar hunting one. For five, again, I turn to Jochum, but I think his best available performance is one of his final ones, a live performance with the Concertgebouw Orchestra from 1986 that's on Tahra.

The eighth is another magnificent work. Of the Haas edition, Karajan’s third and last 1988 recording with the VPO, shortly before his death, is a fine one to own. Wand’s recording in 2001 is equally as thrilling a swansong, full of humility and humanity. As far as the Nowak version is concerned, Horenstein’s 1955 recording for Vox takes some beating. Of a more specialist interest is a 1972 recording made by William Steinberg with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. It’s a good, well paced and powerful reading, well played by the Bostonians, and as this under-rated conductor didn’t record the Eighth commercially it’s good to have this available. Unfortunately, however, it’s only very expensively available at present in the BSO’s Symphony Hall Centennial Celebration boxed set, available direct from the BSO. Alexander Rahbari, Brussels Radio orchestra, (obscure Belgian label whose name I can't recall offhand). Also excellent and cheap. Yoav Talmi ,Oslo Philharmonic,Chandos LP. Includes the Caragan version of the finale. I'm a true believer in this controversial completion.I think Jochum is fine for at least the first three; I enjoy the old Walter/Columbia Sym. for the Fourth most, the Fifth is excellent (as Lance stated) with Knappertsbusch VPO (and the cymbals at the end!), Klemperer hands down for the Sixth, and the Seventh with Tintner or Böhm is wonderful. The Eighth again with Jochum, but I haven't heard Tintner's. I also still love Bruno Walter for the Ninth. I believe I mentioned once that I experienced LIVE (front-row center) in the Cathedral in Speyer the Ninth conducted (in 1972) by Celebidache with the Stadtsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz. He had to take it pretty slowly because of the echo! The Scherzo was mind-blowing---a wonderful experience! For the performance of 1876, the inner movements were not altered, the violin solo in the Adagio was kept, and the internal Scherzo repeats remained cancelled. In the first movement, a cut was made in the coda. In the Finale, the fantasy on the second theme following the “Neuer Satz” was made more concise, a cut was also made in the coda, the peroration was recomposed and the additional trombone was removed. [9] Second Version, 1877 [ edit ]