Bruckner: Symphony No. 7 in E Major, WAB 107 (1885 Version, Ed. L. Nowak) (Live)

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As the Bruckner bicentennial begins, recordings of his symphonies by today's top conductors have been coming on the market thick and fast. However, it was this one, recorded live in 1981 in Munich, that made classical best-seller lists in early 2024. It is a standout in the catalogs of both the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, beginning its run as one of the world's top orchestras, and conductor Bernard Haitink, a marvelous Brucknerian over his entire career. He had already recorded the Bruckner Symphony No. 7 in E major three times and would go on to make several more recordings. Yet this one impresses in distinct ways. The 1981 sound from the Herkulessaal is remarkable for its era, with a burnished analog texture that may bring a bit of nostalgia for old-time audio buffs. The performance just has a feeling of total control. Haitink is four minutes faster here than on his 2007 recording with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and this may be to the performance's advantage. In no way does the work feel rushed; instead, there is a logical grasp of the work's architecture that is hard to find among other Bruckner conductors. This was Bruckner's big hit as a symphonist, with its extremely Wagnerian mood bringing the adulation of that composer's fans. Haitink doesn't downplay that aspect, but he lets it speak for itself, folding the big brass fanfares into the texture rather than having them blare. It is a Bruckner symphony performance that holds together beautifully more than 40 years after it was given, and Bavarian Radio is to be commended for bringing it to light.

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