Bruckner: Symphony No. 4 / Karl Böhm

Anton Bruckner (Artist), Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra (Artist), Karl Böhm (Artist)

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 10, 1999)
• SPARS Code: ADD
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Decca
• ASIN: B00000JXZA
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #167,930 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Definitely one of the best, May 14, 2001

By	Howard G Brown "brownswan" (Port St. Lucie, FL USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The recordings by Boehm, Jochum (Berlin or Dresden), von Karajan (Berlin on EMI), Sawallisch/Philedelphia, Tintner, and Wand are probably the elite recordings of this music. One could not go wrong with any one of them as the sole representative of this symphony. Considering the different versions available, that says a lot, though the differences between the Haas and Nowak editions are slight. Boehm (and Walter/CBS, also worth noting)gives a wonderfully wrought account of the Nowak edition, played with strength and obvious affection by the Vienna Philharmonic, which has a noble tradition of making up for its bad treatment of Bruckner until late in his life. The sound is rich and richly detailed. Criticism to the contrary is not born out by the sound of this disc.

The cymbol crash in the 4th movt. (Jochum recordings)is a holdover from the Loewe edition of the score, one of many revisions of several symphonies Bruckner's pupils urged on him after Levi rejected the 8th of 1887. That revised version is available in recordings by Furtwangler, Knappertsbusch, von Matacic and Steinberg. There are other touches of the cymbol, pp, in the coda of the 4th movt., which is heavily cut, as is the scherzo. The dynamics are also sandpapered, trombone parts in the 1st movt. are slurred in place of the original marcato chords, etc. The version sheds light on the sound world of his friends and admirers who hoped to make Bruckner more accessable.

Tintner has the advantgage of a low price, excellent digital sound, and a dedicated orchestra; Boehm has excellent analog sound and the Vienna Philharmonic. Tinter uses Haas's edition that replaced clarinet with oboe in the scherzo's trio section among other, minor details of orchestration.

In Boehm's case -- in all cases here -- the problem of editions dissappears in the quality and dedication of the performance.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars no doubt,a great majestic performance., September 23, 1999

By	David A. Hollingsworth (Washington, DC USA) - See all my reviews

I must agree with the previous reviewer that Karl Bohm, a great Austrian conductor, was (and still is) the underrated interpreter of Bruckner's music. It is good that London Decca is re-issuing Bohm's recordings of the Bruckner symphonies, although it must be said that the re-issue of Bruckner's Third Symphony under Bohm is not available other than in Great Britain and this same distribution problem with the further releases of the same artists may persist.

Bohm's performance with the Vienna Philharmonic is generally majestic & glowing, with virtually every instruments having their voices of their own. Bohm's approach and reading of the score is somewhat more leisure than Eugen Jochum with the Berlin Philharmonic. With Jochum, we have a performance with more emotional thrust and urgency, and excitement. It is also worth noting that a cymbal clash was employed by Jochum by the beginning bars of the Fourth movement, something that Bruckner (although debated) originally intended before Schalk removed it his ill-advised revision of the score. Only Daniel Baremboim became the second conductor to employ the cymbal @ the finale.

Despite my preference towards Jochum, the greatest interpreter of Bruckner's works, Bohm's recording with the Vienna Philharmonic was, simply, magnificent. It would a wonderful idea, however, to purchase this disc with one featuring Jochum & the Berlin Philharmonic (under Deutsche Grammophon). The difference in Bohm's & Jochum's style & approach is rather marvellously dis-quieting.

Recommendable!!!

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Masterpiece, April 23, 2004

By	Larry VanDeSande (Mason, Michigan United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

I won't repeat the other reviewers that have correctly graded this as one of the best Bruckner 4ths in history. This recording has been considered de rigeur for Bruckner 4 for 30 years and nothing out there today changes that opinion. In its most recent Bruckner overview, American Record Guide graded Bohm No. 1 in both Symphonies 3 & 4, noting his "unforced naturalness". Gramophone has recommended this recording above all other Bruckner 4's since its release. This recording continues to be the most Viennese sounding Bruckner "Romantic" symphony available. Its sense of inevitability is all-encompassing. While this version is outstanding, if you shop in England you can buy it in a two-CD set mated with Bohm's even more outstanding version of Bruckner's Symphony 3, which is sometimes called his "Wagner" symphony because of its use of repeated themes in the brass. I wouldn't want to be without this two-CD set at my house. If you love Bruckner, you shouldn't either.