Customer Reviews

Bruckner: Symphony No. 4 in E Flat Major - Romantic ~ Karajan

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4 star:		(1)
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This is one of the best, most glorious-sounding recordings of Bruckner's popular "Romantic" Symphony (his Fourth) that I've heard yet. My previous prime recommendation for a sole recording of this piece was the 1973 Decca recording with Karl Bohm leading the Vienna Philharmonic. It is not a performance heavy with attention-grabbing individual features: it is simply a clearly-projected, magnificently played, and above all human performance in which Bohm's steady directorial hand seems hardly in evidence (which is a definite virtue in this case). It's a reading that eventually grows on you, like it did with me.

Recently, though, I decided on a whim to purchase this superbudget remastering of Herbert von Karajan's 1970 EMI recording of Bruckner's Fourth. Knowing at least a little bit about Karajan's style, I expected this performance to at least sound good and have a considerable measure of structural shrewdness. What I didn't expect, though, was to be so blown away by this recording as to now consider it my favorite among all other performances of this piece that I've heard---and that includes Bohm's.

I won't spend too much space going into detailed comparisons of the two performances. I will simply say that at certain passages where Bohm's reading seems relatively objective (yet no less grand), Karajan's sounds loftier, even transcendant. The very broad first movement of this disc is something to behold: I've never heard the whole thing performed so beautifully as it is here by the Berlin Philharmonic. (The modulating brass chorale at the development's climax is even grander-sounding than in Bohm's recording.) I definitely like the tempo for the second movement, closer than I've personally heard it to Bruckner's intended "Andante, quasi allegretto"---fairly quick without it feeling rushed at all. The third movement is also wonderfully energetic. As for the fourth movement...well, I've never found it one of Bruckner's more successful symphonic consummations---it's certainly no match for, say, the mighty finales of his Fifth and Eighth Symphonies---but Karajan manages to make a good deal out of it.

But that is hardly enough to undermine what is now my personal favorite performance of Bruckner's "Romantic" Symphony. The Berlin Philharmonic play gloriously throughout (gotta love that timpani!), and the recorded sound is so good you'd think it was a digital recording instead of merely a digital remastering from analogue. Anyone who chances upon this very cheap disc will hardly be disappointed. Highly recommended.

I own both the EMI and DG recordings of Karajan's Bruckner 4 with the Berlin Phil and to me they are both superb. Karajan's interpretation is flawless and he manages to conjure up such a rich variety of textures and colours that they can surely not be surpassed. The Berlin Phil of the 70's and early 80's was at its height under Karajan and the quality of its sound (especially evident in the richness of the strings) as well as the virtually perfect beginnings and endings of each passage in these two recordings can surely not be surpassed. Karajan really gives meaning to the 'romatic' in this symphony's name. I would say these are the definitive recordings of this work.

I listen to plenty of Bruckner performed by plenty of conductors and orchestras. I always try to maintain an open mind when encountering new (to me) performances. Frankly, this is one of the most radiant and magnificently played Bruckner Fourths I've ever encountered--one of those interpretations that almost leaves one convinced this is exactly the way the composer intended the music to sound.

Karajan seems to be one of those high-profile conductors about whom aficionados enjoy having strong opinions. Nothing attracts derision like success and during his lifetime he was an amazingly successful conductor.

For the classical newcomer my somewhat impartial assessment may be helpful: Herbert von Karajan was a genius and certainly a perfectionist. He tended to get spectacular sound and performances from his orchestras. Now some find his stuff just a bit too "perfect" and consequently emotionally distant--hence "bandmaster." Sometimes I think this assessment by some folks is influenced by personal feelings about the conductor's wartime associations with the Nazi party. Sometimes people just act oddly when confronted by perfection. Personally, I've liked most of the von Karajan recordings I've heard, a number are favorites or first choices, but I also love the work of many other conductors and for different reasons. When you start sampling different interpretations you realize there're many acceptable and enjoyable ways to play the same music.

Case in point. Karajan's Mahler is gorgeous and majestic while simultaneously not exactly rustic and folksy. His approach brings out an astonishing aspect to the music, how well-written it is. It may not be the best Mahler for some but it's still a great listening experience for others--myself included. There's nothing out there quite like it. I have other interpretations when I want the folksy side played up better.

Karajan made two classic recordings of the Bruckner Fourth, one in 1970 for EMI--he had briefly jumped ship from DG over a cntract dispute--then again in 1975 when he returned to his home company. Both recordings are with the Berlin Phil., and both aspire to be the greatest Fourths in the catalog. Which one should you choose?

EMI 1970: Karajan is noticeably slower here, adding two min. to each movement compared with his later reading, except for the thrillingly fast Scherzo, which is the same on both. The broader pace allows for more expressive shaping, and the orchestra responds magnificently--just the opening string tremolos and hushed horn solo will have you holding your breath. Karajan was a sophisticate, the mirror opposite of the naive Bruckner, yet somehow he could clothe himself in simplicity and directness in this music. The Berlin strings are very sweet and tender when need be. The brass is enormous without being bombastic. As for sonics, the EMI version was recorded in the BPO's best location, the Jesus Christe Kirche, and the sound is clear and wide-ranging. At times the horns are a bit too recessed for maximum impact, but the climaxes come across without mircophone distortion.

DG 1975: This recording is out of print except in Karajan's complete Bruckner set. As a performance it is faster than the earlier one, which Karajan uses to achieve more immediate excitement. In all other respects the two readings are identical--Karajan tended to make up his mind once an interpretation was set. The deciding factor will probably be the sound. Recorded in the problematic Berlin Philharmonie, the orchestra sounds pinched and restricted compared to the EMI account, and there is a muffled haze in climaxes. In the loudest passages there is also a "crunch" that is not pleasant. These flaws aren't crippling, but they can't be overlooked, either.

Sometimes I feel it's worthwhile to own all of Karajan's various Bruckner interpretations--that's certainly true for Sym. 7, 8, and 9--but his EMI Fourth is so artistically complete that one should own it first and foremost. I can hardly imagine a more satisfying account.

(As to the digital transfers, I would bet that all three versions listed here at Amazon represent the same remastering done for the Karajan Edition, which is the one I own.)

Bruckner's popular Fourth Symphony is one of those works for which I'm compelled to collect multiple recordings -- and yes, of its multiple editions -- since I was immediately taken with it many years ago. For whatever reason, I hear something new or different with each listen, but I don't bother trying to pinpoint such things as the effort tends to usurp my enjoyment. Besides, unless one is performing, Bruckner's sound world is probably best appreciated by allowing its massive building blocks to cohere in its own time (or perhaps more appropriately, the conductor's own time) while the listener lets the entire sonic edifice self-construct in his consciousness. This now-budget recording from 1971 is probably a mainstay in the catalog and has most likely been heard by most self-respecting Brucknerians...except me, that is, till this morning.

Without going into great detail, I'll say that the things that impress me the most here are the incredibly tight and focused accelerandos, crescendos, and tutti fortissimos coming out of some very contrasting pianissimos. The big fat Berlin sound is somewhat diffuse in the spacious and semi-distant soundstage, recorded by EMI at the vaunted Jesus-Christus-Kirche. This can be either a good or bad thing; in my opinion, it lends an appropriate Brucknerian air and makes for a fine alternative to the typically up-close perspective usually effected by Deutsche Grammophon with this orchestra and conductor. The interpretation is insightful and varied; Karajan tends to accentuate dynamic contrasts with mostly expansive tempos except in the scherzo third movement. It's not as overtly varied as Jochum's, as solemnly expansive as Celibidache's, nor as rhythmically alert and detailed as Klemperer's; but it still packs a fine Brucknerian punch and the orchestra performs marvelously. Plus, the price is right.

Bruckner: Symphony no 4 / Jochum, Berliner Philharmoniker
CELIBIDACHE / Münchner Philharmoniker - Bruckner: Symphony No. 4
Bruckner: Symphony No. 4 "Romantic"

This was the earlier of Karajan's two analogue recordings of Bruckner's 4th. On LP, I preferred the later Deutsche Gramophon version, for its more straightforward reading and clearer sonics. I have not heard the remastering of that version on CD, but it would be very hard to better what EMI has done with the earlier rendition. The sound on this CD, which was first released in 1997 on EMI's now defunct Karajan Edition, is absolutely sumptuous. The strings seem to undulate at you as Karajan massages all kinds of sonorities and dynamics out of them. The brass are a dream. I remember a film of Karajan rehearsing Wagner and saying that the brass sounded as he heard them in his dreams. That is exactly the effect here. All this sonic grandeur would be a waste if the interpretation were not great, also. This is not a chaste, Bruno Walter Bruckner 4. It is a reminder that Bruckner's spirituality had a strong, sensual component that is slighted sometimes in other performances. I have not heard a Bruckner 4th I have enjoyed more than this one.

This account of Bruckner's 4th from 1970/1971 (can't remember, I downloaded mine due to the baffling prices of the 3rd parties) by Karajan is simply more dramatic, grand, explosive and virtuosic than any Bruckner performance outside of his others on EMI and DG; no one compares with Karajan in Bruckner, not even Furtwaengler, Giulini, Tennstedt and/or Bohm IMHO.

In the initial climax in the first movement, at around 2:10, Karajan and his BPO achieve a very original thrust in the music, the power of which is simply not present in any other 4th I've listened to. Its moments like these that set him completely apart and yet this is also true of his ability to trace and interpret the arch of each movement with absolute authority and control.

I don't know what else to say other than to profess my appreciation that this performance has been preserved on record. I also don't know how many still exist for this type of music-making. If you are new to "classical music" then its probably best to heed the chronological development of European music instead of diving into late-Romanticism which may seem overwhelming, or not.

I had purchased some years ago the original vinyl disc of this recording (which also included the 7th). This is one of the best recordings of the 4th ever done: the blazing Berlin sound, rhythmic precision--all charactersitics of the best of von Karajan.

This same 4th by Karajan and the BPO is posted at Rhapsody under the Karajan Collection and sells for over 40% (5 Dollars!) more here at Amazon. Ah, the whiz kids in EMI marketing. Each has the exact same elapsed track times, so beware and be aware before you buy. If you are a collector, your guess is better than mine as to which jewel case packaging will be the more collectable. I would guess having all the "Karajan Collection" CDs or a great number of them and offering them all at once will fetch a pretty penny at Ebay in 5 to 15 years.

If you like your Bruckner 4th performed as a somewhat meandering, sentimental journey that drags just a bit, look no further. This is true especially in the first and fourth movements. They are two to three minutes longer than my favorite fourths. I prefer that these two movements be a somewhat exciting romp instead of a slow moving, dirge like, sentimental journey. My other problem with this 4th are the many low volume parts where the sound seems to disappear. I find myself fiddling with the volume knob and getting the back and forth tennis match treatment--too loud, too soft, too loud, too soft, etc. etc. etc.

The playing, especially the strings, is very polished, almost creamy feeling--much different than Inbal's. The playing is good, but does not top many of my favorite fourths and the sound recording is OK (see above about the low volume parts). If you have a program like Audio Cleaning Labs you could load this wave file into it and use the leveler feature set at classical soft. This feature will bump up the lows just a bit and not mess with the high volume sections.

I enjoyed listening to this fourth, but my favorite Karajan Bruckner Symphony is the 8th. I love the late 1980s version.

This CD contains the favorite Anton Bruckner 4th Symphony, aka the "Romantic" symphony, performed by the talented Berlin Philharmonic with the all time great conductor Herbert von Karajan at the helm! And while this CD is no Deutsche Grammophon, it is a worthwhile and recent (2004) recording of a classical music collection staple. Amazon currently has many such all time favorite classical music pieces on sale for under $10, so add a few more greats to your cart and receive free shipping in the deal as well.