BRUCKNER, A.: Symphony No. 4, "Romantic" (Aachen Symphony, Bosch)

Album review

Marcus Bosch and the Aachen Symphony Orchestra have recorded the first versions of Anton Bruckner's symphonies, following a contemporary trend among conductors to eschew all later revisions and to perform the Urfassung or original manuscripts, in keeping with the composer's final wishes. The original 1874 version of Bruckner's Symphony No. 4 in E flat major, "Romantic," is a substantially different piece from the later, more familiar versions, and listeners who have grown accustomed to the established editions by Robert Haas and Leopold Nowak will be surprised at the unusual harmonic progressions, digressive developments, asymmetrical phrases, and rough transitions that stand in stark contrast to the regularized phrases and balanced proportions of the revisions. There is no doubt that Bosch and his orchestra do justice to this work, and the sound of the recording in St. Nikolaus Church is undeniably resonant and evocative. But the chief concern in choosing this recording over more standard versions lies with personal preferences. While advocates for the originals insist that playing them is what Bruckner ultimately wanted, despite all his painstaking revisions and wholesale changes over many years, others may feel that the original "Romantic" is unpolished, eccentric, and full of the gaucheries that are rife in his earlier pieces. Fundamentally, it depends on whether one believes Bruckner to be either a daring composer who knew precisely what he wanted and achieved it here, or a naïf who clumsily found his way to maturity. In any case, this is essential listening for anyone who wants to understand Bruckner, and Bosch is an excellent guide through this first stage of the "Romantic."

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