> > I have been listeningto the Bruckner Symphony No. 9 [which is currently (and
> > probably will remain) my favorite].  I recently acquired the
> > Haitink/Concertgebouw, and am amazed that there are such a variety of
> > pleasing (valid?) interpretations. I say this after having enjoyed the the
> > Giulini/VPO (DG), Schuricht VPO (EMI) , Von Hausegger/Munich Philharmonic
> > and Furtwangler/BPO (among others).  What am I missing (i.e., are there
> > other recordings to which I should expose myself)?

> I'm not a dedicated Wand fan, but his Köln recording is concentrated
> and has real power. The coda of the first movement is about as
> powerful as it gets.

> Giulini, Haitink and Furtwangler would fill out my top five.

> > Some others that somehow haven't been mentioned yet:
> > Barenboim/Berlin/Teldec (I think I'm the only in this ng who likes it)
> > Blomstedt/Leipzig GHO/Decca (the remake in his Querstand cycle would
> >    have to go a long way to top it)
> > The Harnoncourt set is essential for the lecture on the actual
> > finale materials as we currently have them.

> Completely agree on these three. The Barenboim is just about the best
> Bruckner he has recorded, no?

> A live 9th next week with which to compare the extant recordings. From
> BBC Radio 3 :

> " Live from The Bridgewater Hall, Manchester
> The BBC Philharmonic, conducted by Juanjo Mena, performs Bach's
> Cantata No 147, and Bruckner's Symphony No 9.
> Julia Doyle (soprano)
Robin Blaze (counter tenor)
Nicholas Mulroy
> (tenor)
Roderick Williams (bass)
Manchester Chamber Choir (chorus
> master Justin Doyle)"

> http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01nt2yr

> Indeed it is, and Wand also emphasizes the clashes between D and Eflat
> at the end of the first movement more than I have heard in any other
> performances, including his own later ones, this and many similar
> details making this one of the starkest, most "modern sounding"
> Bruckner 9s. The horn calls and timpani/trumpet responses at the
> beginning of the first movement also sound the most "misterioso" to me
> of all the recordings I know, although I find it hard to put my finger
> on justwhy that is.

> > > On Nov 8, 6:51?pm, whiskynsplash <whiskynspl...@yahoo.com> wrote:

> > > > What I'd really like to see discussed are good recordings of the
> > > > choral work "Helgoland" which don't require buying an entire box set
> > > > of the symphonies (as is the case with the Barenboim recording).

> > > Barenboim has recorded Helgoland twice (in the Berlin cycle on Teldec,
> > > and in the Chicago cycle on DG). Both of these Helgoland recordings
> > > were issued on single CD's (coupled with Symphony No. 1 on Teldec,
> > > Symphony No. 0 on DG). Both of those discs are easily available at
> > > reasonable prices from Amazon's affiliated sellers.

> > That's what I did, bought the two separate CDs for both of
> > Barenboim's Helgoland.  Helgoland has only been recorded
> > three times and Barenboim did two of them.  Wyn Morris also
> > conducted it and recorded it to a CD with Wagner's Apostel.

> There is also this recording:

> http://www.amazon.com/Choruses-Male-Voices-Orhestra-Sibelius/dp/B0083...

> > Indeed it is, and Wand also emphasizes the clashes between D and Eflat
> > at the end of the first movement more than I have heard in any other
> > performances, including his own later ones, this and many similar
> > details making this one of the starkest, most "modern sounding"
> > Bruckner 9s. The horn calls and timpani/trumpet responses at the
> > beginning of the first movement also sound the most "misterioso" to me
> > of all the recordings I know, although I find it hard to put my finger
> > on justwhy that is.

> (snip)

> have you heard this one:

> http://www.amazon.com/Bruckner-Symphony-No-9-Anton/dp/B0009SQCBY/ref=...

> or

> http://tinyurl.com/ap57lmj?

> It strikes me as having many of the same virtues as the Cologne recording.

> Bob Harper

>>> Indeed it is, and Wand also emphasizes the clashes between D and Eflat
>>> at the end of the first movement more than I have heard in any other
>>> performances, including his own later ones, this and many similar
>>> details making this one of the starkest, most "modern sounding"
>>> Bruckner 9s. The horn calls and timpani/trumpet responses at the
>>> beginning of the first movement also sound the most "misterioso" to me
>>> of all the recordings I know, although I find it hard to put my finger
>>> on justwhy that is.

>> (snip)

>> have you heard this one:

>> http://www.amazon.com/Bruckner-Symphony-No-9-Anton/dp/B0009SQCBY/ref=...

>> or

>> http://tinyurl.com/ap57lmj?

>> It strikes me as having many of the same virtues as the Cologne recording.

>> Bob Harper

> No, I haven't heard this one, but I just ordered it. It was recorded
> in the huge Basilika Ottobeuren so I fear the sound might be as
> reverberant and washed out as in the recordings of 8 and 9 made in the
> Lübecker Dom.

>>> Some others that somehow haven't been mentioned yet:
>>> Barenboim/Berlin/Teldec (I think I'm the only in this ng who
>>> likes it) Blomstedt/Leipzig GHO/Decca (the remake in his
>>> Querstand cycle would have to go a long way to top it) The
>>> Harnoncourt set is essential for the lecture on the actual
>>> finale materials as we currently have them.

>> Completely agree on these three. The Barenboim is just about the
>> best Bruckner he has recorded, no?

> I am not a big fan of this performance. I was in the live concert
> when this was recorded, and even though the orchestra produced
> massive waves of sound which Barenboim directed quite effectively, I
> felt that Barenboim wasn't really able to shape the inner detail of
> the music, it just lowed past him. When I listened to the recording
> when it came out, it confirmed that impression for me, and again
> every time I revisited it later. I don't know which of his Bruckner
> is "the best" since I have only listened to about half of each of
> his CSO and BP cycles, but the ones that left the best impression on
> me were the BP 5th and 6th. They are both very tricky and Barenboim
> showed that he was able to control and shape both the inner detail
> and the outer structure, they show him as a very solid craftsman,
> but in the 9th, he just went into grand gesture mode but I think he
> overreached a little with that.

>>>> Some others that somehow haven't been mentioned yet:
>>>> Barenboim/Berlin/Teldec (I think I'm the only in this ng who
>>>> likes it) Blomstedt/Leipzig GHO/Decca (the remake in his
>>>> Querstand cycle would have to go a long way to top it) The
>>>> Harnoncourt set is essential for the lecture on the actual
>>>> finale materials as we currently have them.

>>> Completely agree on these three. The Barenboim is just about the
>>> best Bruckner he has recorded, no?

>> I am not a big fan of this performance. I was in the live concert
>> when this was recorded, and even though the orchestra produced
>> massive waves of sound which Barenboim directed quite effectively, I
>> felt that Barenboim wasn't really able to shape the inner detail of
>> the music, it just lowed past him. When I listened to the recording
>> when it came out, it confirmed that impression for me, and again
>> every time I revisited it later. I don't know which of his Bruckner
>> is "the best" since I have only listened to about half of each of
>> his CSO and BP cycles, but the ones that left the best impression on
>> me were the BP 5th and 6th. They are both very tricky and Barenboim
>> showed that he was able to control and shape both the inner detail
>> and the outer structure, they show him as a very solid craftsman,
>> but in the 9th, he just went into grand gesture mode but I think he
>> overreached a little with that.

> He gave a superb concert with the 8th Symphony in Paris in 1984, still
> my most vivid and overwhelming live music memory with Liszt's B minor
> sonata by M.A. Estrella, his first series of concerts after his release
> from the South American fascist jail.

> A live 9th next week with which to compare the extant recordings. From

> > On Nov 10, 10:09 pm, 3Bs <threebs...@aol.com> wrote:

> >> On Nov 7, 9:59 pm, "Sol L. Siegel" <vod...@aol.com> wrote:

> >>> Some others that somehow haven't been mentioned yet:

> >>> Barenboim/Berlin/Teldec (I think I'm the only in this ng who

> >>> likes it) Blomstedt/Leipzig GHO/Decca (the remake in his

> >>> Querstand cycle would have to go a long way to top it) The

> >>> Harnoncourt set is essential for the lecture on the actual

> >>> finale materials as we currently have them.

> >> Completely agree on these three. The Barenboim is just about the

> >> best Bruckner he has recorded, no?

> > I am not a big fan of this performance. I was in the live concert

> > when this was recorded, and even though the orchestra produced

> > massive waves of sound which Barenboim directed quite effectively, I

> > felt that Barenboim wasn't really able to shape the inner detail of

> > the music, it just lowed past him. When I listened to the recording

> > when it came out, it confirmed that impression for me, and again

> > every time I revisited it later. I don't know which of his Bruckner

> > is "the best" since I have only listened to about half of each of

> > his CSO and BP cycles, but the ones that left the best impression on

> > me were the BP 5th and 6th. They are both very tricky and Barenboim

> > showed that he was able to control and shape both the inner detail

> > and the outer structure, they show him as a very solid craftsman,

> > but in the 9th, he just went into grand gesture mode but I think he

> > overreached a little with that.

> He gave a superb concert with the 8th Symphony in Paris in 1984,

> my most vivid and overwhelming live music memory with Liszt's B minor

> sonata by M.A. Estrella, his first series of concerts after his release

> from the South American fascist jail.

> --

> «Les mots qui vont surgir savent de nous des choses que nous ignorons

> d'eux.»

> René Char

> http://www.jamendo.com/fr/artist/336871/regis-v.-gronoff

> http://soundcloud.com/rvgronoff

> http://bluedusk.blogspot.com/

> > I have been listening to the Bruckner Symphony No. 9 [...]
> > and am amazed that there are such a variety of pleasing
> > (valid?) interpretations.

> > are there other recordings to which I should expose myself)?

> Well, you've already listed what many would regard as the cream
> of the crop of recordings. However, if it is *variety* in particular that
> you're after you might want to consider adding, as a priority:

> - a Karajan recording (a lofty and mystical studio recording from 1966, or
> a tougher more overtly powerful studio recording from 1975 -- both on DG;
> there are some recorded live performances also available).

> - a Celibidache recording (uniquely slow, especially in his later years;
> the widely-available EMI recording for instance has a 1st movement lasting
> 32'53" as against Haitink's digital timing of 23'17" !)

> It might pay to seek out Walter's 1959 Bruckner 9. Still sounds pretty
> good for its age.

> Ray Hall, Taree

>>>>> Some others that somehow haven't been mentioned yet:
>>>>> Barenboim/Berlin/Teldec (I think I'm the only in this ng who
>>>>> likes it) Blomstedt/Leipzig GHO/Decca (the remake in his
>>>>> Querstand cycle would have to go a long way to top it) The
>>>>> Harnoncourt set is essential for the lecture on the actual
>>>>> finale materials as we currently have them.

>>>> Completely agree on these three. The Barenboim is just about
>>>> the best Bruckner he has recorded, no?

>>> I am not a big fan of this performance. I was in the live
>>> concert when this was recorded, and even though the orchestra
>>> produced massive waves of sound which Barenboim directed quite
>>> effectively, I felt that Barenboim wasn't really able to shape
>>> the inner detail of the music, it just lowed past him. When I
>>> listened to the recording when it came out, it confirmed that
>>> impression for me, and again every time I revisited it later. I
>>> don't know which of his Bruckner is "the best" since I have only
>>> listened to about half of each of his CSO and BP cycles, but the
>>> ones that left the best impression on me were the BP 5th and 6th.
>>> They are both very tricky and Barenboim showed that he was able
>>> to control and shape both the inner detail and the outer
>>> structure, they show him as a very solid craftsman, but in the
>>> 9th, he just went into grand gesture mode but I think he
>>> overreached a little with that.

>> He gave a superb concert with the 8th Symphony in Paris in 1984,
>> still my most vivid and overwhelming live music memory with Liszt's
>> B minor sonata by M.A. Estrella, his first series of concerts after
>> his release from the South American fascist jail.

> http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xrxhs2_pianist-returns-to-the-prison...

> Just so we know which fascist jail... there have been so many. Still
> are quite a few, we run some ourselves tx to smirking simian and
> pusillanimous Barry