Anton Bruckner, Symphonies 4, 7, 8
Bavarian State Orchestra
Kent Nagano
Farao Classics CD 108074
It is not easy to see the logic behind this set containing
three Bruckner symphonies played by Kent Nagano and the Bavarian State
Orchestra. All three performances have previously been released by Sony
Classical. Two of the performances (the 4th and the 8th)
are studio recordings of the rarely heard original versions, while the set also
includes a live recording of the 7th made in Ghent cathedral in
September 2010.
The booklet contains an essay by Olaf A. Schmidt entitled
“Bruckner the Progressive” (doubtless a reference to Schoenberg’s famous essay
“Brahms the Progressive”). The essay discusses the different versions of the
Bruckner symphonies, proposing that Bruckner’s first thoughts were often his
most daring and forward-looking, subsequently tempered by the criticisms he
received from his contemporaries and misguided well-wishers.
There is some plausibility in this analysis. The Hunt Scherzo that Bruckner added to the 4th
Symphony is an altogether jollier and less challenging affair than the scherzo
included on this recording of the original 1874 version. But on the other hand, Bruckner’s original
versions are sometimes ham-fisted at best – the fortissimo at the end of the
first movement of the 8th is a good example. And the original
versions can drag somewhat. The 4th comes in at 75 minutes and the 8th
at a taxing 100 minutes.
Of the performances here the 7th is the least
convincing. There is nothing dramatically wrong with it. Nagano conducts
sensitively and with a good sense of architecture. The orchestra has a fine
Bruckner sound. But the performance certainly fails to stand out in a crowded
market-place. It is a little ironic also that in a set ostensibly focused on
Bruckner’s progressive initial thoughts, the performance of the 7th
includes the controversial cymbals crash at the climax of the Adagio.
The 1874 version of the 4th and the 1887 version
of the 8th are well worth listening to, however. It’s a fool’s
errand, in my opinion, to try to identify the definitive version of either of
these great works. Really there is a family of different versions, each of
which needs to be listened to on its own terms. Nagano and the Bavarian State
Orchestra have broadened our horizons by giving us a clearer understanding of
what Bruckner originally intended. Listeners can make up their own minds as to
whether the subsequent revisions were improvements or detractions.