Customer Reviews

Bruckner: Symphony No. 4

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This recording of Karajan is really amazing. Recorded in 1970 with Berliner Philharmoniker and played gourgeous. They are sensitive in lyric, romantic moments and ecstatic, full of energy, powerful at the fortissimo, majestic moments.

This symphony is may be the most famous work of Bruckner. It was revised about 6 times! As you know, Bruckner was always revised his symphonies a lot of time, because he was in doubt, inquiet always. This recording is the version V, edited by Robert Haas, an it is really good and marvellously orchestrated. The first movement opens with a noble horn theme, which accompaniyng by tremolos of strings. This is a sunrise scene in a typical Middle Age and there is a gourgeous castle and forest landscapes. It is a typical German-Romanticism. The second movement is contrasted to the first movement's sunny mood, it is a elegy in C minor. The third movement is may be the most fantastic. There is a hunt scene. The Hunt-Horns announce that, in distance. The finale has the most enigmatic moments. Opens mysteriously and then climbs up immediatly to a three-note climax, which the main theme of the movement. And then, a lyric new theme played by strings. There are too majestic passages for brass, which sounds like soundtrack! (Even so, in the duration 13:00 ca., I found it very similar to the soundtrack of "The Lord of the Rings" composed by Howard Shore!) The symphony ends in major tone, but in a tragic, not too sunny mood.

This is really a must have for any Brucknerians or music admirers. And a last thing: play the 3rd and 4th movements loudly!
Highly recommended.

Now this is Bruckner at his best. Beautiful juxtaposition of strings and brass, hear the opening of the scherzo - magnificent! - and brilliantly orchestrated by the Master - von Karajan. For anybody who has not ventured into Bruckner before, this is the place to start. And the recording - the very best.

Boy, how wrong could your previous reviewers Ford and Heddon be? They must be listening to a completely different version than me. This is Karajan at his very best. I am always in complete awe when I hear the masterly first movement on this particular version. I started off by aquiring the cassette tape of this, which unbelievably, sounds a tad bit better than this cd issue does, but still, this version is very good sonically. I don't understand at all why Mr.Heddon and Ford could even downgrade this a little bit. The Penguin Guide says that his DG version of a few years later is best (which I have in my possession also), but don't believe it, this is the one to have. The other Bruckner 4th that is as good or better than this one is the Klemperer version with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra. It is debatable which is really better but I think that if you take it as a whole the Klemperer might just come out on top slightly. This is a must have performance by Karajan, which, you can get a little bit cheaper if you buy the EMI Encore version which sells for about $6.99 at Borders and used here on Amazon for just over $4.00. Enjoy!!!

Is it fanciful to think that Bruckner could not have written such numinous symphonies if he had lived in Holland with its pancake-flat terrain, to say nothing of . . . . . . . I think so. Bruckner was a subconscious beast and the Alps took root into his soul. Exhibit number one: the Fourth Symphony. If I were to make a documentary on George Mallory - the conqueror of Everest - I would draw heavily upon the last movement. Forget Richard Strauss: this is the genuine Alpine Symphony. Astride the summit, it culminates incandescently in a vision of the One.

This is the best Fourth in existence and by a wide margin. All of Karjan's credentials as a Brucknerian par excellence are on display here, not least his patience and architectural grip on the score. The Berlin Philharmonic responds in kind - have they ever put in a better day's work? In many performances (such as the recent Rattle) the slow movement can sag but not here: it is a true nocturnal march towards fire.

To the recording: the remastering has transformed this performance no end: the extreme bass in the coda of the last momvement is startling - it was barely audible in the old EMI 'Studio' remastering.

What else needs to be said? What are you waiting for? Karajan is at his sure-footed best as he leads the ascent to the summit. Grab your rope and pick-axe and follow. A pantocractor awaits.

There's not much to add to the praise this performance and recording has received. The beautiful Karajan/Berlin sound, which with the wrong composer could sound superficial and vain, is here put to the humble service of what Brahms called a symphonic "boa constrictor". There is certainly no "one" performance of this most popular of Bruckner's symphonies, but if there were, this would definitely be a contender.

Karajan's interpretation is grand and monumental, and emotional without going overboard (though I'd like to know what purists think of the portamentos he added to the first movement!). The recording is clear with a natural, unobtrusive soundstage. There is a very low-level background hiss, easily overlooked. The orchestra sounds big and warm, and fairly transparent. In terms of pure sound, it's a pleasure to listen to.

There are however a few digital noise-reduction artifacts in third movement and one each in the first and fourth movements (that I've noticed; & admittedly they could be errors in the source tapes, but seems unlikely). For this reason I've taken off a star, and I recommend you to seek the previous restoration version (with pink cover), if you can find it.

[Sound artifacts: Track 1 - 8.57 (left) (the worst artifact; sounds like a phasing error), Track 3 - 1.25 (right), 7.37 (r), 8.03 (l), Track 4 - 11.10 (l)]

(This exact same performance and same digital restoration is available under the EMI Classics 'Encore' label - ASIN B000239B8M)

There must surely be more exalted examples of Karajan's Bruckner.This peformance practically grinds to a halt and will confirm most peoples worst prejudices about this great composer.A good example is the 2nd subject of the ist movement which is lethargic and soupy when set alongside Celibidache (incase you were wondering, i'm NOT a Celibidache fanatic!) and the Swedish radio symphony Orchestra.This music needs to drive forward and it rarely does in Karajan's hands.