Bruckner: Symphony No. 4
1878/1880 Version
Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Thomas Dausgaard
There's much to be said for Thomas Dausgaard's unmannered approach to Bruckner's Fourth Symphony…Furthermore, the playing of the Bergen Philharmonic, captured here in superbly vivid sound, is...
Bruckner: Symphony No. 4
1878/1880 Version
Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Thomas Dausgaard
Purchase product
There's much to be said for Thomas Dausgaard's unmannered approach to Bruckner's Fourth Symphony…Furthermore, the playing of the Bergen Philharmonic, captured here in superbly vivid sound, is...
About
After acclaimed recordings of the Third ('Dausgaard... makes the music sound vital and even revolutionary', Fanfare) and Sixth ('This persuasively played work could be no better served', MusicWeb International), Thomas Dausgaard and the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra now present Anton Bruckner's Fourth Symphony, 'Romantic' in it's second version (1878-1880), the one with which this work has become widely known. "Nothing like this has been written since Beethoven" conductor Hans Richter is said to have declared after the successful premiere of Bruckner's Fourth Symphony in Vienna in 1881. This success finally gave the 56-year-old composer the attention and recognition he sorely needed and one can affirm that it was from this day onwards that Bruckner was actually cultivated in Vienna after years of public humiliation. Despite it's nickname given by the composer himself, this symphony in no way expresses existential pain. Rather, the romanticism refers to the experience of nature - from sublime forest magic to hunting scenes - emphasized by the horn, the quintessential romantic instrument, which is given a prominent role.
Contents and tracklist
- 1878/1880 Version
- Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra
- Thomas Dausgaard
Awards and reviews
August 2023
There's much to be said for Thomas Dausgaard's unmannered approach to Bruckner's Fourth Symphony…Furthermore, the playing of the Bergen Philharmonic, captured here in superbly vivid sound, is absolutely top-notch. On the debit side, there are some passages that sound a little under-characterised.
August 2023
Some listeners may find the overall approach unremittingly forceful but the result is a valuable alternative to the grander and more lyrical interpretations available by conductors such as Böhm, Wand and Thielemann, and the recording has remarkable clarity and heft.