Search - Maazel, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra :: Bruckner: Symphony No. 7 [Germany]

A rare chance to hear Bruckner from Berlin, without Karajan

Santa Fe Listener | Santa Fe, NM USA | 11/25/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"
At least two renowned conductors, James Levine and Leonard Bernstein, were so awed by Karajan's Brucckner recordings that they shied away from making any themselves (true, Bernstein has one or two). Karajan's style dominated post-war German interpretations of Bruckner, but here we get his orchestra in a totally different style. Maazel's approach is cool, a bit recessed, all but anti-Romantic. Some may find it undernourished, but Maazel is such a technician and the Berlin Phil. so remarkable that I was interested all the way through.



As for this conductor's well-known eccentriticies, this Bruckner Seventh is totally free of them. The Adagio is quqite slow, and sometimes the phrasing is a bit stiff. Otherwise, this is an impressive performance. Just don't expect Karajan's fervent, in-depth approach."