Bruckner 3 (Original 1873 Version)

Album review

Following the trend observed by his colleagues Simone Young, Markus Bösch, and Jonathan Nott, among several other conductors, Yannick Nézet-Séguin has chosen to record the 1873 version of Anton Bruckner's Symphony No. 3 in D minor, the original state of the piece that includes quotations from Wagner that were absent in later versions. There is an argument that Bruckner really intended his first versions of the symphonies to be his legacy, despite the numerous revisions he made in subsequent decades. Yet the Third went through six versions, casting doubt on which one he preferred, and the quotations were the source of his gravest misgivings, so they were excised early on. However, this version has found favor among conductors and members of the authenticist movement because it shows Bruckner's most original thinking and preserves the first signs of the influence of Wagner, which was essential to his stylistic development. On the down side, this version has a much looser form than the later versions, and it usually runs in excess of one hour. At almost 70 minutes, Nézet-Séguin's timing is one of the longest on recordings, and he does luxuriate in the sonorities, perhaps to the detriment of some of his listeners' attention spans. To be sure, he and the Orchestre Métropolitaine present a sumptuous reading of the symphony, and the ensemble's characteristic vividness is enhanced by the acoustics, which is especially noticeable in the lower brass, so audiophiles will find much to relish in this recording.
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