Bruckner : Symphonie n°7 (Anton Bruckner)

Album review

Klaus Tennstedt's live Bruckner recordings are among the most impressive in his catalog, and because there are so few of them, they are quite desirable to collectors. This BBC recording of Tennstedt's 1984 performance of the Symphony No. 7 in E major at the Royal Festival Hall is certainly worth acquiring for its soaring lyricism, brooding weight, and majestic sweep, all features this dedicated conductor emphasized in playing Bruckner. This is the work Tennstedt conducted to great acclaim in Toronto in 1974, thereby launching his international career. (For those who closely follow the editions used in Bruckner recordings, the Haas edition is used here, which includes the notorious cymbal and triangle crash at the climax of the Adagio.) This BBC recording, which Tennstedt made 10 years after his Toronto success, reveals an interpretation that is probably quite close in substance and style to his earlier one, if the confidence of the playing and the enormous ovation at the end are any indications. Yet because this is a concert performance, there are some noises from the audience that intrude in quiet moments, and the overall sound is a bit shallow, perhaps due to the microphone placement in the live setting. Furthermore, the London Philharmonic Orchestra is not always precisely in tune, and occasional lagging in the strings can be distracting. But the listener can get past these problems with a little concentration and enjoy what is plainly one of the most compelling readings of this popular work, thanks to Tennstedt's deep understanding of the music and cogent direction of an orchestra that really warms to its task.
© TiVo

Details of the original recording : 63:05 - ADD - Enregistré en "live" par la BBC au Royal Festival Hall à Londres le 10 mai 1984 - Notes en anglais