Anton Bruckner, Symphony No. 6
Philharmonie Festiva
Conducted by Gerd Schaller
Profil Hänssler CD PH14021
This is the final recording in Schaller’s complete cycle of
Bruckner’s major symphonies. All have been recorded at the Ebrach Abbey with
the Philharmonie Festiva, a festival orchestra drawn from the Munich Bach
soloists and the major Munich orchestras.
I reviewed the Fourth here and
the Fifth here.
Schaller’s performance can seem a little understated,
particularly at the first hearing of the opening movement. The program notes provide
a clue, describing the Sixth as lighter than the other symphonies – in fact, as
Bruckner’s equivalent to Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony. Many enthusiasts of the
Sixth (me amongst them) will find this baffling. Bruckner, after all, termed
this his “boldest” symphony. Think of the modal changes in the first movement;
the rhythmic complexity; and the abrupt changes of mood and musical direction. These
aspects are somewhat below the surface in Schaller’s recording of the opening
movement– although they do come out on a second hearing.
The Adagio is more engaged but still not fully plumbing the
depths of the movement. The Scherzo is dynamic and the contrast with the Trio
well done. The intensity quotient picks up in the Finale, but Schaller works
hard to highlight the complexity of the orchestration and so there is some
trade-off. The closing peroration is not as magnificent as in some recordings,
but the plus side is Schaller’s characteristic technical proficiency and command
of the overall structure.
The live sound is good quality and the recording suffers
less from the acoustics of Erbrach Abbey than, say, the Fifth. This disc is
recommended
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