Bruckner: Symphony No. 7 in E Major, WAB 107 (Modified 1885 Version, Ed. A. Gutmann) [Live]

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Remembered as one of the supreme interpreters of Anton Bruckner's symphonies, Hans Knappertsbusch is reasonably well represented on CD, with several recordings to demonstrate his extraordinary gifts. Thankfully most of these recordings have decent sound quality, and this Orfeo reissue of Knappertsbusch's 1949 Salzburg Festival performance with the Vienna Philharmonic of Bruckner's Symphony No. 7 in E major is clear enough to make out the score in all its essentials; even better, it is virtually free of surface flaws. However, don't expect sonic marvels here: there are more than a few places where the mono reproduction seems a little airless, peaks flatten out due to compression, and the volume varies enough to require adjustments. Furthermore, there are numerous audience noises that can be distracting in the softest spots. That said, a listener who can tolerate such defects is in for a treat because Knappertsbusch's understanding of Bruckner is profound, and his grasp of this symphony is firm; the music comes across with coherent form and consistent expression, with few liberties of tempo or phrasing taken. Indeed, Knappertsbusch's steady pacing and refined sense of proportions are almost Classical in spirit, considering how little rubato is used, how evenly dynamics are gauged, and how climaxes are not exaggerated. But for all this control and balance, this is a powerfully affecting performance, with true passion communicated in the Vienna Philharmonic's playing and moving eloquence in the conductor's shaping of the music. This is a first-rate rendition by standards of the time, and collectors who haven't found this recording in previous releases should snap it up posthaste.

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