Bruckner: Symphony No. 3 (Live)

Album review

Recorded live in 2014, this exquisite performance of Anton Bruckner's Symphony No. 3 in D minor by Stanislaw Skrowaczewski and the London Philharmonic Orchestra wins high marks for its stunning clarity and vivid presence. Virtually every detail in the score can be picked out on first hearing because Skrowaczewski elicits the cleanest playing and maintains transparent separation of all the parts, so there are no muddy textures, thickened tone colors, or passages of indistinct counterpoint. A great help is the close microphone placement, which gives such a credible representation of the orchestra that one can almost imagine the seating. Beyond the exceptionally crisp sound, the interpretation is clear-eyed and unsentimental, based only on what is on the page and not on the accretions of tradition or past performances. Skrowaczewski conducts the 1889 version, edited by Leopold Nowak, which he has recorded several times previously, and his intimate knowledge of this edition no doubt has helped him fine tune every passage to his satisfaction. Yet as careful and meticulous as he is, Skrowaczewski inspires the LPO to play with absolute commitment and draws out truly impassioned playing, which is the point of any great Bruckner performance. Highly recommended.
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