Search - Bruckner, Wagner, Bohm :: Symphony 4 in E Flat Major Romantic

Extraordinary

David Saemann | 08/11/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I have not heard Bohm's stereo recording of this work with the Vienna Philharmonic. If it is anything like this 1936 version, it must be fantastic. The sound here is not bad for 1936, with just a little bit of compression in the loudest tuttis. Otherwise, everything can be heard clearly, and the tone quality of the orchestra is given quite a good representation. And what a sound it is! The strings in Dresden positively glow throughout the work. The whole orchestra sounds drilled to the utmost degree. Bohm's tempos are very steady. He makes his mark on the piece less as an individual interpreter than as an orchestral craftsman. The tension level is tremendous, and every bar crackles with excitement. I do think there is a place for a lusher, more relaxed treatment, such as Bruno Walter and Herbert von Karajan. But of its type, it is hard to imagine a better version than Bohm's. The Lohengrin excerpt goes quite well, too."