Bruckner: Symphonies Nos. 4, 7 & 9

Album review

Unquestionably the most popular and accessible of Anton Bruckner's works are his Symphony No. 4 in E flat major, "Romantic," and the Symphony No. 7 in E major, and both symphonies make this four-CD package from Profil an attractive item for the beginning Brucknerian. But the recording of William Carragan's completion of the Symphony No. 9 in D minor makes this essential listening for anyone who has wondered how Bruckner might have concluded his final masterpiece. Left unfinished at his death, the Ninth's first three movements have been performed for over a century as the only authentic version, and many have accepted the Adagio as a fitting ending, despite the composer's indications to the contrary. Bruckner's sketches for the Finale have been scrutinized by several scholars, and various attempts have been made to provide a fourth movement. Carragan revised his original 1983 completion three times, and this 2010 version is a convincing ending, unifying the extant material into a stirring movement that is impressively consistent in style and substance with the rest of the symphony. The live performances of all three symphonies by Gerd Schaller and the Philharmonie Festiva are first-rate, with great attention to detail and controlled pacing that give the music propulsive movement and coherence. Because of the completion, the recording of the Ninth is split between two discs, while the Fourth and the Seventh occupy separate CDs. Taken altogether, this is a fine set that many collectors will want to snap up.

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