Bruckner: The Nine Symphonies

The Vienna Philharmonic’s distinguished Bruckner tradition, documented through a series of superb Decca recordings from the 1960s and 70s on a Limited Edition 9-CD box set, with Original Jackets. This Decca ‘Vienna Philharmonic Bruckner cycle’ was a huge commercial success when released as a CD set in Japan. It has only otherwise been available within a 65-CD box, and this Eloquence issue marks its first international release. Founded in 1842, the Vienna Philharmonic gave a notoriously dusty reception to Bruckner’s Third when they played through it in rehearsal in 1874 and refused to perform it in concert. Three years later the composer conducted them in the premiere of the symphony’s revised version; though the occasion was a fiasco, it earned Bruckner the lifelong admiration of Gustav Mahler, who was present as a student. The orchestra is now proud to present Bruckner’s symphonies all over the world, but No.1 was little known, at least outside Austria and Germany, when the young Claudio Abbado made this incandescent recording in 1969. The set contains other notable firsts. The earliest recording here is of the Ninth, led in May 1965 by Zubin Mehta. Amazingly this was the conductor’s debut recording, yet it soon won critical praise for the patient build-up of tension, broadly sustained lines and sumptuous playing which are all quintessential attributes of a successful Bruckner performance. Led by Karl Böhm, the Third and Fourth symphonies have long been recognised as classic

Tracks

1~1~Symphony No. 1 In C Minor - Claudio Abbado
2~1~Symphony No. 2 In C Minor - Horst Stein
3~1~Symphony No. 3 In D Minor - Karl Böhm
4~1~Symphony No. 4 In E Flat Major Romantic - Karl Böhm
5~1~Symphony No. 5 In B Flat Major - Lorin Maazel
6~1~Symphony No. 6 In A Major - Horst Stein
7~1~Symphony No. 7 In E Major - Sir Georg Solti
8~1~Symphony No. 8 In C Minor - Sir Georg Solti
9~1~Symphony No. 9 In D Minor - Zubin Mehta

Details

Format: CD
Artist: Wiener Philharmoniker
Release Date: 16 August 2019
Genre: Classical Music
Label: ELOQUENCE / DECCA
Distributor: Universal Music