CELIBIDACHE / Münchner Philharmoniker - Bruckner: Mass No. 3 in F minor [Import]

Anton Bruckner (Composer), Sergiu Celibidache (Conductor), Münchner Philharmoniker (Orchestra), Margaret Price (Performer), Doris Soffel (Performer), Peter Straka (Performer), Matthias Hölle (Performer), Philharmonischer Chor München (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Margaret Price, Doris Soffel, Peter Straka, Matthias Hölle, Philharmonischer Chor München
• Orchestra: Münchner Philharmoniker
• Conductor: Sergiu Celibidache
• Composer: Anton Bruckner
• Audio CD (July 12, 2005)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Label: EMI Classics
• ASIN: B00000IG36
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #132,433 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A stunning performance, March 13, 2000

By 

Richard A. Cavalla "Rick.C" (NJ, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: CELIBIDACHE / Münchner Philharmoniker - Bruckner: Mass No. 3 in F minor (Audio CD)

Bruckner's Mass in f, like nearly all of his music, goes beyond being spiritual in the broadest sense, to literally reaching for infinity. This performance by Sergiu Celibidache and the Munich Philharmonic comes as close to scaling the heights of the infinite as any performance I have ever heard. From the very beginning, Celi's broad phrases and resplendent sonorities bring an almost unimaginable purity and beauty to the work. At 77 minutes, it seems Celi should have stretched this piece to the breaking point, but instead time seems to stand still and we are left with a performance that I wish would never end.
Highest recommendations.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Celibidache At His Most Inspired, June 12, 2005

By 

Jeffrey Lipscomb (Sacramento, CA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: CELIBIDACHE / Münchner Philharmoniker - Bruckner: Mass No. 3 in F minor (Audio CD)

I have owned nearly a dozen recordings of Bruckner's 3rd Mass over the years, but Celibidache's interpretation really stands out from the rest. Unlike Celibidache's mostly very slow Bruckner symphony recordings, the tempos here are fairly conventional. This reading has some of the most beautifully spiritual playing I have ever heard in ANY choral work on disc. The audience is reasonably quiet, and EMI's sonics are warm and immediate.

But, to complicate matters, there is more than one Celibidache "live" recording of the Mass #3. This EMI CD captures a performance of 6 March 1990. There was also a reading from 13 September 1990 on Exclusive CD EX92T37/38, which has a different bass (EMI's Matthias Holle was replaced by Hans Sotin). The performances are very similar (there is a bit more audience coughing on Exclusive, which is likely why EMI chose the quieter March reading; the orchestral sound is pretty much identical in both). That 2-CD set also contains amazing accounts of Hindemith's "Mathis der Maler" Symphony (Munich Phil. 1981) and the Overture to Weber's "Oberon" (Stuttgart 1982).

I warmly recommend this EMI version of Celibidache's uniquely reverent Bruckner Mass. It clearly surpasses every version I have heard from other forces (e.g., Jochum on DG, though Maria Stader's soprano is very beautiful, Karl Forster's on LP, etc.). I still keep the work's first recording on a Vox LP conducted by Ferdinand Grossman, but it is Celibidache that I reach for more often. If you can find the Exclusive CD set, it offers an equally spiritual reading, plus some astonishing examples of Celibidache's way with Hindemith & Weber. And a perfect complement to this Mass is the fine film by Jan-Schmidt Garre called "Sergiu Celibidache and Bruckner's Mass in F Minor: In Rehearsal." That is available on an ArtHaus DVD, and it provides a fascinating glimpse at how the Romanian maestro built the foundation for this magnificent interpretation.

Highest recommendation.

Jeff Lipscomb

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A MOST EXPRESSIVE AND WONDEROUS WORK!!, May 6, 2006

By 

Brucknerian2006 "josh" (florida, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: CELIBIDACHE / Münchner Philharmoniker - Bruckner: Mass No. 3 in F minor (Audio CD)

Having never listened to any sacred works before, I was unsure of what to expect with this Mass. However as I have become more and more amazed and moved by Bruckner's symphonies I decided to try a work, a work that dealt most directly with Bruckner's faith. Regarding Celibidache this was the first recording I had heard of this amazing conductor. I had watched the Celibidache dvd and became intrigued with this intelligent conductor. It is known that he loved Bruckner's music perhaps above that of any other composer, so I decided to try the FMinor Mass. After the second listen I started to understand and love this work. For the third listen I went to the library and grabed the score. All I can say is if you like or love Bruckner's symphonies you will thoroughly enjoy this powerful work. The harmonies are simply pure Brucknerian beauty. The only quibble I have is with the occasional cough(most of Celibidache's recordings are live). However, once you immerse yourself in this work everything but the music disappears. As with all Bruckner's orchestral works words cannot describe, so run and get this recording of Bruckner's Fminor Mass, conducted by an amazing maestro. By the way the acoustics and orchestral sound are exquisite.