KNAPPERTSBUSCH CONDUCTS BRUCKNER
CD-4028(6)
Special Price: 6 CD Set for $59.80
John P. McKelvey writes (American Record Guide,
March/April 1999)
"...[Knappertsbusch] was perhaps the greatest conductor of Wagner and Bruckner
the 20th Century has seen, for his capacity for expression, for eloquence
of phrase, for the molding of awesome climaxes, for exposing the raw interior
life of the music of these composers (and others) was unique. His only rivals
at this game are Furtwängler, Walter, and Böhm. The performances of 3, 4,
7, 8 and 9 are among the best ever recorded artistically if not sonically.
Their sound, from German magnetic tape masters from 1944 to 1962, is quite
acceptable by historical standards, with good frequency response and dynamic
range...Knappertsbusch wanted to present these scores in a way that exposed
all their awesome grandeur and nobility, a way that exhibited their architecture
in all its splendor. He did not march through them; he ambled, illuminating
episodes at every turn of the road...This historic collection should be
of interest to every serious Brucknerite.
Knappertsbusch has always aroused controversy over his performance of the
works of Anton Bruckner, both for his often-broad tempi and his allegiance
to the first published editions. Certainly in terms of tempi, Karajan, Giulini,
and Celibidache have long since surpassed any perceived excesses in Kna's
Bruckner performances. Those named, along with Günter Wand, exemplify what
musicologist Benjamin Korstvedt describes as the "dominant modern approach
to Bruckner interpretation (which) emphasizes monumental sonorities, sets
steady, generally slow tempi, and presents Bruckner's forms with architectural
severity rather than dynamic sweep."
Listeners only superficially familiar with Knappertsbusch's conducting might be tempted to include him in the same category. However, Kna truly represents the earlier generation of Bruckner interpreters, who according to Korstvedt, "exemplify a quite different approach to the music, one much more concerned with shaping Bruckner's music gesturally and dynamically, and with conveying not the massive coherence of Bruckner's music but its mercurial drama."
San Francisco Sunday Examiner & Chronicle, Dec. 13, 1998. Octavio Roca : "What makes these performances unusual is the attention to dynamic detail and the careful contrast in textures that Knappertsbusch lavished on this music. ...there is an exciting dramatic edge to the way these newly released recordings are shaped, especially noticeable in a 1949 Salzburg performance of the Seventh with the Vienna Philharmonic, that makes them a must for lovers of German music."
Fanfare: March/April, 1999:
Robert McColley: "In their way these are performances that have never been
matched, the powerful emotional content being expressed through the classical
discipline, order enhancing rather than diminishing the extraordinary content
of the scores. These discs also have fine sound: Music & Arts has somehow
found original sources or high-quality copies thereof. Any collector who
has few or none of these sound documents of public performances, and who
wishes to know why Knappertsbusch was once regarded by many as the supreme
interpreter of Bruckner, should acquire the Music & Arts set."
This collection brings together Knappertsbusch's finest Bruckner recordings
in the best possible sound.
CD-1028(6) KNAPPERTSBUSCH CONDUCTS BRUCKNER. Anton Bruckner
Symphony No. 3 in d, with NDR Symphony Orchestra (Hamburg) 15 Jan. 1962;
Symphony No. 4 in Eb, B.P.O., 8 Sept. 1944; Symphony No. 5 in Bb, Munich
Philharmonic Orchestra, 19 Mar. 1959; Symphony No. 7 in E, V.P.O. (Salzburg
Festival), 30 Aug. 1949; Symphony No. 8 in c, B.P.O., 7/8 Jan. 1951; Symphony
No. 9 in d (unfinished), B.P.O. 29/30 Jan. 1950. Technical reconstruction
(1998) by Maggi Payne; with a lengthy essay on the works and performances
by Mark Kluge.
(ADD) Total time: 6 hours, 21 min. 37 sec. UPC # 017685-10282-0
