Bruckner: Symphony No. 4

Chronique

It might be easy to skip over yet another recording of Anton Bruckner's evergreen Symphony No. 4 in E flat major, "Romantic," recordings of which pop up every month or so on new release lists in any of the nine or more possible versions. This multichannel recording of the third version of the symphony probably won't surprise anyone with its orthodox movements, and the increasing number of hybrid SACDs on the market may make this audiophile package seem less than unique. However, Enoch zu Guttenberg and the Orchester der KlangVerwaltung present a wonderfully supple and warm live performance on period instruments, with an enormous dynamic range that invites attentive listening on a high-end sound system, and with an exceedingly rich palette that makes the most of Bruckner's colorful scene painting and nostalgic evocation of the early Romantic era. However, Guttenberg treats tempos a little too elastically, and his pacing seems to suffer from his excessive use of rubato, which sometimes makes the music seem a bit sluggish and ponderous, especially in the extremely slow Andante. All the same, if a leisurely approach is necessary to bring across all the splendid sounds Guttenberg and his orchestra produce in the resonant Vienna Musikverein, then arguing against it seems pointless. This is one gorgeous recording by any measure, and well worth hearing, though some may wish to compare it with Philippe Herreweghe's historically informed performance on Harmonia Mundi, which is slightly preferable for its tighter pacing.
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