Anton Bruckner Bernard Haitink Chicago Symphony Orchestra - Bruckner Symphony No 7 (4 tracks) +Album Reviews

Nicely played, but....

Kostas A. Lavdas | Boston, MA USA | 02/03/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This is a worthwhile CD for a number of reasons. On a market-related level, it is indicative of the recent tendency by major orchestras to produce own-label CDs (the London Symphony and Amsterdam's Concertgebouw are examples). CSO Resound, the Chicago Symphony's crack at the strategy, seems as noteworthy as any of the aforementioned. Turning to the music, Bruckner has of course been a Chicago favourite for many years. But for those who cherished the Chicago sound and the Chicago interpretations of the major Germanic repertory under such different conductors as Solti, Giulini, Abbado, and Barenboim, this disc will probably come as a disappointment.

The point is not simply that Haitink's Bruckner was and remains a somewhat particular approach, aimed at lighter textures and restrained expression. The main issue is that in this particular Bruckner Seventh, the anti-epic reading results in a succession of well-balanced episodes which border on the uneventful. Not surprisingly, it is perhaps the Scherzo which comes out as most convincing. Of course, the Chicago Symphony is a great orchestra. And, of course, Haitink is a master technician, delivering a product characterized by the highest professional standards.

But it is not a Germanic approach that is missing here; rather what is missing is an interpretative viewpoint, an attempt to mobilize the score in a particular manner. A splendid example of an interpretatively significant yet non-teutonic approach to Bruckner would be Riccardo Chailly's wonderfully humane account of the Seventh (Decca). Another example, offering a rare combination of interpretative authority and disregard for technical prowess, is - paradoxically - Karajan's valedictory Seventh with the Vienna Philharmonic (DG). It is a reading set apart by virtue of its introspection and, although no match for Karajan's perfectionism of the 1970s, the 1989 Vienna recording has set new interpretative standards.

"

Haitink abandons the cathedral for an alert, lean, bright S

Santa Fe Listener | Santa Fe, NM USA | 10/09/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The CSO is America's greatest Bruckner orchestra, in part becasue Bruckner's scoring depends upon a superb string and brass section, in part because of two conductors appointed in Chicago, Giulini and Barenboim, who were personally devoted to the composer. Here on the orchestra's new house label we encounter another life-long Brucknerian, Bernard Haitink. Experience coutns when it comes to Bruckner, but Haitink doesn't give us a European, seasoned-in-the-wood perfromance. In latter years he has tended to speed the tempo up, lighten the textures, and emphasize brightness rather than shadow.

So it goes with this Sym. #7, an elegant reading that trips lightly more often than it thunders. Barenboim wants Bruckner to overwhelm the listener with power. Haitink veers toward nuance and sensitive phrasing instead -- you will be surprised at how lean the CSO actually sounds here. Haitink doesn't caress the melodic line, however -- his way with Bruckner has always been straightforward, like an ornate Catholic cathedral stripped bare for Protestants. His early Bruckner cycle with the Concertgebouw from the Seventies earned considerable praise except from those who found it too plain and lacking in spirituality.

If you equate spirituality with chruchiness, this new Seventh may not appeal to you, but for sheer musicalaity it's quite satisfying. According to objective timings, Haitink doesn't vary much from Karajan's valedictory recording with the Vienna Phil. (on DG), one of the great modern interpretations. Yet subjectively Haitink seems less grand and reverential. The CSO's clean "American" style also contributes to this feeling. I haven't heard the SACD format, but the two-channel stereo is clear and wide-ranging. Some may find the orchestra placed a bit far from the microphone for maximum impact.

In all, this is a lovely, quiet-voiced performance, its only flaw being that it feels a bit cautious, as is often the case with the unassuming Haitink."

Haitink's Grand, Glorious Interpretation of the Bruckner 7th

John Kwok | New York, NY USA | 07/31/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"What a grand, glorious feast for the ears is Haitink's latest Bruckner recording with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra for the symphony's CSO-RESOUND label. Recorded during live concerts last year, producer James Mallinson and his staff have wrought yet another splendid recording of Haitink conducting the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, demonstrating that the orchestra is once more an ensemble that is second to none with respect to its sterling musicianship, under the command of our greatest living interpreter of Bruckner. I honestly don't know whether this superb account is better than Haitink's earlier, critically acclaimed recordings with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra and Wiener Philharmoniker, except in this respect: it is quite simply the best recorded performance of a Bruckner symphony I have heard so far. Mallinson and his team has brought the listener into the orchestra itself, allowing us to hear it as though we were standing alongside Haitink at the conductor's podium.

Haitink's interpretation is one that is replete with great clarity, precise intonation and empathy for Bruckner and his score. From the opening notes in the first movement (Allegro moderato) we are treated to exceptionally warm playing from the strings, winds and brass, culminating in a "call and response" motif between the brass and strings which Bruckner uses again, in varying degrees, throughout the symphony. The second movement (Adagio: Sehr feierlich und sehr langsam) features prominently this same motif, albeit in a slower tempo, and, of course, subtle variations. The third movement reminds me a little of a fast-paced polka in its rhythm (Scherzo: Sehr schnell), or rather, perhaps more accurately, a traditional country folk Landler dance which Bruckner may have been familiar with. The symphony concludes with yet another swift movement (Finale: Begewt, doch nicht schnell) going out in a blaze of glory in a restrained, but still exquisite, brass fanfare. For anyone seeking a recent, well-produced recording of the Bruckner 7th Symphony No. 7 in E major, then the potential listener needs to look no further; without question, I must regard this as a definitive recording of this work.

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Morning

M. Muckler | Pennsylvania | 09/26/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"It was once noted to me that Bruckner is wonderful to listen to first thing in the morning. He writes as the sun rises, subtly- yet powerfully. This CD gets all of it. Is it leaner, possibly. Is it lighter, most certainly. However that doesn't mean it is bad.

I am actually a fan of Celibedache's Bruckner cycle. However this one, especially the slow movement, has a beauty to it that cannot be ignored. I have found that all of the CSO.RESOUND Cd's are of highest quality, in their own little ways. This one explores the brighter side of Bruckner- and does the job well. I find it a breathe of fresh air and give it five stars."

Well-balanced, beautifully played, warm, and appropriately r

Prescott Cunningham Moore | 09/09/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I guess I will take this release as an opportunity to stop (at least for now) my "stop the madness" tirades. If record companies want to waste their time and resources duplicating releases, let them. For, when it comes to it, the labels, like any business, are economic animals, driven by consumer spending patterns. And if people are buying these releases, why would the labels stop? For the most part, I think the orchestral label movement is a dangerous trend, because all these orchestras are just going to be releasing recordings of the same works. For example, the Boston Symphony, the New York Philharmonic, the Chicago Symphony, the Philadelphia Orchestra, and the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra have all released recordings of the Mahler Sixth. Both Chicago and Philadelphia have released Shostakovich Fifths. New York, Boston, Cincinnati, and Chicago have all released recordings of Daphnis and Chloe. It is a shame, really, because what will motivate these small orchestras to produce more thought-provoking releases of new music or masterpieces that are not often recorded? Additionally, with so many releases being poured into an already glutted market, it makes the prospect of record buying all the more daunting. At the same time, however, the general quality of the releases and interpretations is high, and if these records help orchestras bring in additional revenue while introducing this music to a new generation of listeners, I fail to see any problem. Furthermore, Haintink, who has traditionally produced great Bruckner, should have the opportunity to reach new audiences, especially when Phillips continues to make it difficult to find his older recordings. And finally, when both the performance and interpretation is as fantastic as presented here, there really seems no reason to complain.

One reason I like this release is that it is nice to hear the Chicago Symphony in this music. Barenboim's Bruckner cycle was with the Berlin Philharmonic and we all remember Solti's cycle with these forces, performances that for all intents and purposes were useless. So, this Seventh with theses forces is special. Special because Bruckner is seemingly tailor-made for this orchestra, which its fantastic brass section. I've never been the biggest fan of this band because I never responded to the steely string sound. However, I've never heard the strings sound as warm as they do here, in the haunting adagio. And when you couple this with just fabulous brass playing, it is a winning combination.

But any Bruckner starts and ends with the conductor, and here Haitink shines, eschewing the stodginess that typifies his Mahler with this same orchestra. Right from the beginning, the warm, sunrise-esque theme sets the beautiful tone for the first movement. Haintink shapes the often disjointed-sounding development quite well while the coda is simply stunning. The large swell is memorizing, supported by a wonderfully prominent huge timpani roll, while the choral conclusion sounds appropriately religious. True, the trumpets don't quite ring out as thrillingly as Gunter Wand's brass in his various recordings for RCA, but conceptually Haintink's perfectly balanced choral sounds like an organ, a quality that made the adagio to his Concertgebouw Mahler Third so special. The scherzo is equally fine because Haintink achieves the near impossible of having total top-to-bottom textural clarity while still having the brass play the living daylights out of their fanfares, although Haintink fails to bring clarity to the mushy lower-string, lower-brass scale passage in the middle of the scherzo proper, but, then again, few do better. Haitink also walks the tightrope in the finale between balletic charm while still providing the necessary weight, bringing an organ-like sheen to the finale chords, bringing this performance to a stunning close.

However, any performance of the Seventh is made by the adagio, and here Haitink shines. Simply put, he shapes the great requiem perfectly, and the Chicago Symphony follows in suit with expert precision with stunning playing from the horns and wagner tubas. The "Percussion Debate" (much like the Scherzo/Adagio debate in the Mahler Sixth) will likely rage on so long as this symphony is played, and while I think Bruckner's first thoughts were correct, so few performances can produce the necessary pedal tones to make the climax sound convincingly heavy. Thus, opting for the percussion, as Haintink does here, really makes the climax sound appropriately cataclysmic.

This is a wonderful Seventh, even for those that have multiple Sevenths or Haintink's earlier performances. It's just wonderful, big, appropriately-religious, but never ponderous. A winner."

Search - Anton Bruckner, Bernard Haitink, Chicago Symphony Orchestra :: Bruckner: Symphony No. 7

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CD Reviews

	Anton Bruckner, Bernard Haitink, Chicago Symphony Orchestra Bruckner: Symphony No. 7 Genre: Classical Track Listings (4) - Disc #1 I. Allegro Moderato 2. Adagio: Sehr Feierlich Und Sehr Langsam 3. Scherzo: Sehr Schnell 4. Finale: Bewegt, Doch Nicht Schnell
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