Bruckner: Symphony No. 7 ~ Harnoncourt

Anton Bruckner (Composer), Nikolaus Harnoncourt (Conductor), Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra (Orchestra) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Orchestra: Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra
• Conductor: Nikolaus Harnoncourt
• Composer: Anton Bruckner
• Audio CD (March 7, 2000)
• SPARS Code: DDD
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Teldec
• ASIN: B00002R2WY
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #291,175 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Symphony No. 7 in E major, WAB 107: Allegro moderato

2. Symphony No. 7 in E major, WAB 107: Adagio: Sehr feierlich und sehr langsam

3. Symphony No. 7 in E major, WAB 107: Scherzo: Nicht schnell, Trio: Langsam

4. Symphony No. 7 in E major, WAB 107: Finale: Bewegt, doch nicht zu schnell

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Unexpected Warmth, November 9, 2000

By 

Mark Jordan "sebastian-jordan" (Gambier, Ohio, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Bruckner: Symphony No. 7 ~ Harnoncourt (Audio CD)

Sometimes interesting things happen when "intense" conductors are paired up with the mellow Vienna Philharmonic. The chemistry of this recorded meeting of the often extreme Nikolaus Harnoncourt with the VPO is amazing. To be sure, this is not your average broadly-paced wade through late Bruckner. Instead, Harnoncourt leads the orchestra through the 7th at lyrically flowing tempos which lets the music sing like in no other performance. That did not surprise me. What did surprise me was how emotional, how warm this performance gets. By restraining the usual luxurious string textures and bloated brass chorales, Harnoncourt has focused his (and the orchestra's) attention on the inner visions of this great score. Textures and gestures simply aren't that important when a performance speaks with such sincerity. This approach may not be for everyone, but for those prepared to see another point of view, it is treasurable. One of Harnoncourt's greatest recordings.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Seventh for Keeps, June 19, 2003

By 

Iyer (Bethesda, MD) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bruckner: Symphony No. 7 ~ Harnoncourt (Audio CD)

Harnoncourt is achieving some outstanding results with the VPO! Interpretively, Harnoncourt is somewhere between playing the Seventh in the central Bruckner tradition that is part of the VPO's collective consciousness and playing it with a "light" hand (Nicht schleppend!) The lyrical elements are strongly underlined, and the denseness of the musical architecture is never allowed to overwhelm. It is somewhat facetious to call this a brisk reading. Yes, it is quicker than Karajan's version with the VPO, for instance. But nothing is hurried or glossed over, like 'brisk" suggests. Each of the movements flows beautifully, and the slow movement is rivetting. The scherzo breathes more freely than any other version that I have heard. It reminds me of Harnoncourt's remark that one of the keys to conducting Bruckner lies in being able to hear the folk tunes of rural Austria. A pithy, but revealing, observation from a master conductor.
More than anything, this CD is a testament to the supremely fine playing of the VPO. What remains to be said when one hears the Viennese on this form? Outstanding Teldec (live) recording.
Very strongly recommended.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Brisk Bruckner 7th Symphony From Harnoncourt, December 27, 2001

By 

John Kwok (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Bruckner: Symphony No. 7 ~ Harnoncourt (Audio CD)

Without a doubt, this is one of the most intriguing interpretations I have heard of Bruckner's 7th Symphony. While some may not regard it as definitive, it is clearly one of the best recorded, best performed versions available. Harnoncourt leads the Vienna Philharmonic in a very passionate, vibrant performance of Bruckner's score. He does an admirable job highlighting the score's dense orchestral textures, obtaining very lush, warm playing from the string sections. Not surprisingly, Harnoncourt opts for fast tempi, yet the performance doesn't sound rushed at all. Instead, he creates a very lyrical interpretation that is a far cry from other, more traditional, interpretations by the likes of Chailly, Masur, and Solti, among others. Clearly Harnoncourt is demonstrating that he is an elegant interpreter of late 19th Century Central European classical music; this performance is just as fine as his late Dvorak symphony recordings with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra or his Brahms symphony cycle with the Berlin Philharmonic. And like those recordings, this one is also blessed with excellent sound quality from Teldec.