Customer Reviews

Symphony 6

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From the opening bars with their sense of anticipation and their grand sounding, full throated horns, Otto Klemperer leads a beautifully balanced, consistently expansive reading of one of Bruckner's most placid and joyous symphonies. Though Klemperer maintains admirable control over proceedings, Bruckner's melodies, not infrequently like changing cloud patterns, are permitted to seek freely their own levels of expression. Once, in an interview, Klemperer denied he was a romantic. Well, in spite of himself he offers here a warm, flowing and sensitive performance. Sometimes, in other recordings he has made, he evinces a staid quality. You won't find any of that here. The marvelous overall impression is enhanced by full textured instrumental sounds. Brasses are powerful and assertive, and when called upon to do so they thunder. Strings often project a radiant quality. Woodwinds impress with their ripe and varied shades. All is capped off with a glorious conclusion in this sometimes underrated symphony.

Upon first listening to the crisp string opening of the first movement until the first fortissimo statement of the theme by the brass, I knew that this was some of the greatest bruckner I've ever heard. I quickly snatched up Klemperer's other Bruckner recordings, which are just as fabulous, but out of symphonies 4-9 that he recorded in london, i think this is the best of the lot.
In addition to the stupendous opening, the seondary theme is wonderfully felt, and the brass playing is noteworthy: powerful and hair-raising without being overwhelming. The other sections of the orchestra show similar traits as well.
The second movement, more flowingly done that usual, is very beautiful indeed and is handled so well that it hardly seems to rush at all. the scherzo is very steady in its rhytmic pulse and the horns are magnificent in the trio. The last movement had always puzzled me...not anymore.
this is essential for any klemperer fan (one of his finest recordings), bruckner fan to have in their collection.

While going through a period of trying out a number of Bruckner Sixth's, and not being satisfied, I tuned the car radio to the classical station one night and caught the final movement of this recording. It was so gripping I had to stay sitting in the parked car until it was over to find out who the conductor was.

I went out and bought it and have never looked back, even though, strictly speaking the recording job, (or at any rate the remastering), could be a little better. It starts off more slowly than most performances of this work, but somehow, that allows the momentum to build inexorably. Certain passages are more beautiful and expansive than I have ever heard them without ever getting sentimental or mushy sounding. By the end I am always amazed. A real keeper!

Bruckner: Symphonie No. 6 Here is a Bruckner 6th to stand the test of time; and indeed this performance has. Where other conductors fail to grasp Bruckner's huge symphonic paragraph, Old Klemp brings a certainty of symphonic ensemble and structure to the reading. Often annoying in recent digital recordings is a dry, harsh, overloaded brass glare and hashy Bruckner string sound. Lacking only the digital dynamic range of a modern digital sound take, this analog sound capture reveals detail, accurate tone, real orchestral playing not often heard by orchestras less schooled in Bruckner. There is a place for this, and other Bruckner recordings in any Bruckner collection. This is a performance to cherish.