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Myrios Classics5
Bruckner: Symphony No. 4 in E-flat major (original 1874 version, ed. L. Nowak)
Gürzenich Orchestra, Cologne (conducted by François-Xavier Roth)
Myrios Classics, 2023, MYR032D
Total Time: 69:34
In 2024, the musical world will honour the birthday of Anton Bruckner, one of Germany’s greatest symphonists. We will undoubtedly see a veritable deluge of new Bruckner recordings in the next few months. François-Xavier Roth and his Gürzenich Orchestra, for example, have announced a complete cycle of his symphonies. This first CD suggests we are in for something special.
Roth interprets the original 1874 version of the Fourth Symphony. It is very different from the more popular 1886 version, and the performance is both thoughtful and exciting. This version differs most notably in the Scherzo movement. Listeners familiar with the symphony will recognize many of the same themes in the original version, such as the soft horn call at the very beginning. Throughout the piece, though, expectations will be continuously knocked off kilter by surprising transitions and orchestration. Unfortunately, in the 1874 version, the last movement is stop-start Bruckner at his worst.
While I personally prefer the 1886 version, the original is compelling in its own right, and Roth and his players nearly blow the roof off the hall at some of the piece’s climaxes. I look forward to the rest of the cycle.
This page is also available in / Cette page est également disponible en:
Francais (French)
