1. Bruckner: Symphony No. 4
The Best Bruckner Fourth
Günter Wands Bruckner recordings have established him as perhaps
todays premier Brucknerian, and this live concert performance of the
Romantic with the Berlin Philharmonic can only cement that reputation.
The octogenarian German conductor favors broad tempos, deep orchestral
tone, and attention to detail that lends transparency to Bruckners thick
textures. To these admirable attributes add the spontaneity of a concert
performance, which here means touches of rubato and little accents and
stresses not always associated with the studio recordings of this
conductor, whose interpretations usually eschew individualistic
mannerisms. For those who care about such things, Wand plays the Haas
edition. The orchestra is superb and the recording effective, putting this
among the finest available traversals of this popular Bruckner work. --Dan
Davis
Personal Review: Bruckner: Symphony No. 4
Although I do agree with some of the reviewers in their belief that Wand's
approach here does not work as well as it does in, oh, lets say the Eighth
Symphony, I still believe that Wand's interpretation is rock-solid, spacious,
transparent, and strikingly powerful. As always, Wand breaths life into the
score, making Bruckner sound so alive. This living quality also allows the
listener to appreciate Bruckner's incredible musical architecture. While so
many composers favor the "bigger is better" approach to Bruckner, I would
go as far as to say that, at least in this recording, Wand's tight ,
transparent, and solid approach brings an almost chamber-like quality to
the symphony. The playing is so focused and so direct that the result is
breathtaking. Although this reading is not as incisive and powerful as
Wand's amazing recording of the Eighth Symphony, Wand's forth is
certainly one of the best performances out there.

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