Bruckner: Symphony No. 5 [Import]

Anton Bruckner (Composer), Günter Wand (Conductor), Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra (Orchestra) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Orchestra: Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
• Conductor: Günter Wand
• Composer: Anton Bruckner
• Audio CD (January 6, 1997)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Label: RCA Victor Europe
• ASIN: B000003G38
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #58,923 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Sinf No. 5 in B Flat: Introduktion (Adagio)-Allegro

2. Sinf No. 5 in B Flat: Adagio (Sehr Langasm)

3. Sinf No. 5 in B Flat: Scherzo. Molto Vivace (Schnell)

4. Sinf No. 5 in B Flat: Finale. Adagio-Allegro Moderato

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Magnificent, June 23, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Bruckner: Symphony No. 5 (Audio CD)

This Bruckner recording is absolutely wonderful. It is a taut,dramatic reading that held my attention from start to finish. The orchestra sounds excellent,however it is not the smooth homogenous sound Karajan drew from this orchestra. The sections are more distinct, but still coordinated, and their playing could not be better. The brass are especially prominent in this recording, which makes for a thrilling finale. It is one of my favorite discs, and I think the best Bruckner 5 around!

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutley Stunning, October 26, 2004

By 

Prescott Cunningham Moore (San Francisco, California) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Bruckner: Symphony No. 5 (Audio CD)

It seems that Gunter Wand can do no wrong when it comes to Anton Bruckner; his amazing talent and brilliant vision drive this somewhat enigmatic work to the breaking point. Never has this difficult symphony sounded so clear, so logical, so convincing. Gunter Wand's skillful hand leads the Berlin Philharmonic in this definitive version of Bruckner's 5th Symphony.

What makes this recording so wonderful is Wand's masterful rendition of the finale. The finale of Bruckner's 5th is difficult for conductors and listeners alike. The complex (but throughly logical) fugue that rests in the middle of the piece is daunting. Bruckner masterfully weaves the opening motif of the finale with a choral theme introduced before the onslaught of the fugue. Its difficult to not only coordinate this thematic struggle between the two motifs but also to bring meaning to the music. So many conductors barely make it out of the fugue alive - the recording I have with Solti and the CSO being a prime example. However, only a true musical genius can bring meaning to this complex movement. Wand's interpretation is amazing. He highlights what needs to be highlighted, allows the fugue to unfold naturally, and brings a level of logic and understanding to the music. I never really understood the finale of Bruckner's 5th until I heard Wand's interpretation. Absolutely stunning.

The other three movements are just as wonderful. The powerful introduction unfolds mystically in Wand's hands. The beautiful string playing from the Philharmonic in the adagio is enchanting. The demonic scherzo also develops quite wonderfully. Typical of all of Gunter Wand's recordings, the level of musicianship and scope of vision is unparalleled. This is a highly recommended recording.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This CD is converting me from a Karajan-Bruckner enthusiast to Wand-Bruckner enthusiast, November 19, 2011

By 

Vikram Ramanathan "Live to Learn" (Denver) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Bruckner: Symphony No. 5 (Audio CD)

I came late to Wand. I have been having this CD in my collection but never gave it attentive hearing. My favourite conductor when it comes to Bruckner always was Karajan. Just recently I chanced listening to this CD and I was blown away. I will be listening to Wand's other symphonies with Berlin Philharmonic for sure. If Wand's interpretations of Bruckner's other symphonies also are as good as his reading of the 5th here, I might have to replace Wand as my first Brucknerian of choice. Once I listened to this, I reached out to my Karajan complete symphonies with Berlin Philharmonic and picked out Karajan's version of the 5th with BPO. I compared them movement by movement. I played the Karajan 5th - movement 1 and then I played Wand's 5th - movement 1. I did the same for all the other three movements. I found a distinct superiority in Wand. I was amazed that there was someone better than whom I considered to be Bruckner's premiere interpreter. When I compared Wand and Karajan, I found Karajan gets a muffled sound from the orchestra, his violins appear in the distance, the sonority he extracts from the brass is not just as powerful as Wand's. Also the bass seems artificially jacked in the sound recording department. Wand on the hand is satisfactory in all these department. The acoustic recording quality exceeds that of Karajan's. May be it has to do witht he fact that Wand's 5th is a live recording. Not sure if Karajan's 5th I have (from the complete Bruckner symphonies set with Berlin) is live or not. Also Wand conducts the music literally (as on the score) without personal embellishments while Karajan's music sounds a little glossed up or adjusted. I am not a fan of Karajan's Beethoven cycle due to this but I was a big fan of his Bruckner because I felt his approach helped Bruckner become more accessible, interesting, and invigorating to new listeners. I have to alter my opinion after listening to Wand. When I listen to Wand, I can hear all those quiet transitions most importantly the whispering pizzicato on the strings that punctuate Bruckner's movements. With karajan, I felt a disjoin between the huge passages because the bridging transitions were muted, and almost inaudible. With Wand, I can listen to the quiet pizzicato easily, I don't need to strain for it. When these transitions are not dumbed down or glossed up, the transition becomes as beautiful sounding as the large passages. The symphony 5 as a whole started making so much more sense to me. I did not have to strain myself to concentrate for the long time scale of the 5th, it became effortless,infact seemed too short this time. What power Wand extracts from the Brass sections...Wow. I then researched more and recordings for Bruckner and saw glowing reviews from amazon reviewers. There seems to be a bit of a split between which is the better wand cycle - the symphony cycle with Berlin or the cycle with Cologne Symphony orchestra - most folks leaning towards the Berlin. I am so blown away with Wand's straightforward reading, his clean lines, his unadulterated reading, and his ability to extract the full sound from the orchestra not only in the big passages but also in the transitions that I am going to get both sets for sure at some point. You cannot go wrong with this CD. Please try wand, you may just convert to Wand's Bruckner just like me.