Symphonies Nos. 1-9: Sony Classical Masters

Describing Anton Bruckner (1824-1896) is not that simple. His nine symphonies are very complex works. There is so much dissonance and so much harmonic diversity in all nine of them. They are as meticulously intricate as R. Strauss’s tone poems, if not more. Prior to buying this CD set, I had no knowledge of Bruckner’s symphonies. I know that the composer was widely inspired by Beethoven and Wagner. I expected a blend of Late Beethoven and Early Brahms with an epic Ring Cycle vibe. After listening to all nine of them for the first time, I felt impressed. Not mesmerized, but very impressed. Then, after repeated listening, these symphonies grew on me. As of now, Bruckner’s Second and Fourth Symphonies have become two of my all-time favorites on my classical list. Having already become a fan of Wagner’s Ring Cycle and R. Strauss’s Alpine Symphony, I didn’t have much trouble listening to these. True, the later symphonies grow more complex and more dissonant, which results in a few rather maddening passages that fail to inspire. But overall, if classical music lovers admire Beethoven and Wagner and R. Strauss, then Bruckner can certainly become a worthy addition.The late Gunter Wand became my favorite conductor for Beethoven’s Ninth. He (along with his orchestra and choir) made all the right moves on that one. So it didn’t surprise me that much that he would also conduct Bruckner’s symphonies without setbacks. I could tell that he was really passionate about the music. It almost sounds as though he remained faithful to the original score, which makes this an excellent 9-CD set for those willing to introduce themselves to Bruckner’s music. There are very few unneeded amplifications with sound and quality: the music is great as it is. Granted, some of the lyrical beauty can be quite non-existent, since textural clarity is the main key here. But that doesn’t keep Wand’s recordings from joining the high ranks. His conducting is direct, and it makes the music rise without histrionic tendencies.Some have noted the slightly flawed performance of the Cologne Radio Orchestra (now the WDR Sinfonie-Orchester Koln). It is true that the orchestra isn’t as potent or polished as, say, the Berlin Philharmonic or Bavarian Radio Symphony. Sometimes the brass has a little trouble with fast tempos, and the strings aren’t exactly pristine. Fortunately, the orchestra keeps up with the conductor very well and the overall performances of each symphony really pay off. The players sure know how to pack a punch during the most intense moments.These symphonies were recorded in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s. Sound quality is very good for its time. The acoustics are more compact, which leads to relatively smaller echoes in the recording venue. RCA re-mastering is a big plus: orchestral detail is very clear.Official Grade: 9.1 out of 10

It took a long time for Bruckner's music to sink in for me. Years of occasionally attending a live performance, popping in a disc at home or while driving to work, but never really feeling like I "got it." Finally, a few years ago, it started to click - the film of Celibidache contacting the 7th in Berlin and especially Abbado's last performance, the 9th with Lucerne, attending a performance of the 8th with Nezet-Seguin and Philadelphia - The music made more sense to me and I enjoyed it more and more. And for anyone who loves classical music, a subscription to the Berlin Philharmonic streaming service is a great way to explore composers - dozens of performances over the last few decades). So, I finally purchased this set to replace the piece-meal collection that included both the 6th and 9th from this. My ear is not developed enough to deliver authoritative comparisons of performances - but I can tell what I enjoy, and I am really enjoying this set. First, there is something different between this and older issues of the same (6 and 9) on CD - I'm not sure what it is or why, but this is a softer or warmer sound. I think all of my other CDs were from the late 1980s and early 1990s and I've been told by audiophiles that the manufacturing of CD's generally improved after 2000 or so. Whatever the reason, and it could be in my head, it sounds better. The sound on each recording is full, dynamic, real clarity in the intricate parts and fantastic blasts from horns and percussion. I've just listened to the 4th again, and the pulsating power in some of the loudest parts is simply amazing. Perhaps Wand is more direct and powerful than Abbado and some others - Abbado's reading of the 9th is exceptionally subtle and reflective and beautifully so to my ears - but there is no lack of sensitivity either with Wand. The soft passages have great warmth and the phrasing throughout connecting climactic moments that can seem jarring in other performances. While I doubt this is the only interpretation of Bruckner worth listening to, this set does just fine for me. If I was told I could have one set of Bruckner, this would certainly be it.follow up, August 21: after several weeks with this set, I am even more enthusiastic.

I've only recently come to Bruckner via the first Jochum go-through on DG which I really enjoyed. And I'm a big fan of early stereo so I loved that aspect, as they sounded great. At the same time I bought his EMI set and also this set by Gunter Wand. After going through the first three symphonies on the EMI set I knew it wasn't for me - neither the sound nor the performances were the equal of his first set. But now I'm onto the Wand and he does indeed have quite the magic wand with Bruckner - they're different performances of different weight in equally nice sound and I'm enjoying them thoroughly. I may even give this set the slight edge as there's a little more emotion here, at least to my ears.

As essentially a newcomer to Bruckner, I chose this set on the basis of numerous recommendations. It's a tough field, as with any classical works, as different listeners will like different approaches. These are solid performances, which perhaps stay on the safe side, with regard to expressiveness and dynamics, while respecting the music. Personally, I like this music because it doesn't shout and attempt to draw attention to itself, and it requires a careful touch to reveal the textures of the soundscapes, establish suitable tempos, and foreswear drama and over-emphasis. The one reservation I have regarding this set is that the sound can seem compressed(and that the final disc contains both the 9th symphony and one movement of the 8th). Other reviewers have praised the sound on these recordings, so the flattening may be a function of my audio equipment. As another reviewer has pointed out, one set of performances is not enough, and the sets by Jochum and Celibidache both come highly recommended as well.

Be aware that these recordings are ADD, and it's pretty clear in the cd number one with a profusion of clicks and noises that basically ruin the record. But this only happens in the first cd, all the other ones sound flawlessly, weird.

One of the finest Bruckner cycles in the catalogue.

Apart from Bach, Bruckner is the one composer I couldn't imagine living without. One of my greatest musical memories is seeing Gunter Wand in his late eighties conducting the Fifth Symphony at the BBC Proms. He was frail and conducted sitting down but some intangible magic happened and by the final chords nobody in the hall could have doubted that they had been privy to truly great music-making. In person Wand appears to have been cantankerous, sometimes downright unpleasant and prone to sudden cancellation for no good reason but as John Drummond said in his Guardian obituary "... few conductors of our time have come closer to a deep understanding of either Schubert or Bruckner. Putting up with the insults was almost always worth it in the end."There are certain individual Bruckner recordings which I will always treasure - Bohm's awe-inspiring Fourth and Giuilini's incandescent Seventh both with the Vienna Philharmonic are good examples - but Wand's cycle is much more than the sum of its parts. There is a unity to the performances which is difficult to define but which makes it a journey through Bruckner's soundscape under the expert guidance of one of his greatest and most faithful interpreters. With Wand on the podium you can almost feel Bruckner's development from gauche, monkish organist to symphonic giant. The absence of the Nullte is a pity but otherwise it's impossible to find anything negative to say about these wonderful, heartfelt performances.As Romulus has already pointed out, the sound engineering is excellent. There is never any need to dive for the volume control to boost the soft passages or rein in the tuttis. Just put on your chosen disc, sit back, close your eyes and be transported to Bruckner heaven.There are no notes but references are hardly difficult to find.Recommended without reservation

Me parece que darle una calificación inferior cae de lleno en la cicatería. Es cierto que aisladamente hay versiones superiores (del mismo Wand, como ya se ha dicho), pero estas son impecables de sonido, y en cuanto a las interpretaciones son igualmente de las mejores. Habría que hacer una valoración obra por obra, que ahora no me es posible, pero sin entrar en detalles, haciendo una apresurada ponderación global, la recomendaría sin la menor duda. Es una de las colecciones más satisfactorias de Bruckner (otra quizá similar en calidad-precio seria la de Skrowaczewski, pero no sé si está descatalogada). Si nos ponemos en las colecciones de Jochum, Karajan, Solti, Barenboim, las incompletas de Celibidache, las más modernas de Gielen, Nézet-Séguin, etc., posiblemente el precio sería superior, y no estoy seguro de que a todo el mundo llegara a satisfacer de la misma manera. Yo desde luego aconsejaría ésta sin dudarlo, sobre todo, a quien quiera tener un Bruckner sinfónico casi completo (faltarían la 0 y quizá la 00). He comparado varias veces la quinta del propio Wand con los berlineses (que es una auténtica joya), pero esta sin alcanzarla ni de lejos es igualmente buena. La tercera es excelente y ninguna otra versión le hace mucha sombra. Y lo mismo puede decirse de cada una de las demás (8ª, 9ª, sobre todo), y las dos primeras, grabadas las últimas, no envidiarían a nadie (aunque de la nº 1 existe una antigua del hermano de Eugen Jocum, que es una joya, y otra reciente de Paavo Järvi, el hijo de Neeme, que es una de las mejores para mi gusto. La 4ª es excelente, pero no se puede comparar con la de Karl Böhm, ni aisladamente con ninguna de los citados antes. No obstante, como he dicho antes, mi recomendación es total por idioma, perfección y adecuación estilística. La fama de Wand en sus últimos años viene atestiguada por estas versiones brucknerianas (que realizó del año 1974 al 1982) y las que hizo posteriormente a estas con otras orquestas superiores, pero empezó a despegar seguramente aquí.