Anton Bruckner Daniel Barenboim Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra - Bruckner The Nine Symphonies Helgoland (36 tracks) +Album Reviews

Absolutely Magnificent Recordings!!

Scriabinmahler | UK | 12/27/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"
Other symphonies in this set are outstanding in every way, but the highlight must be absolutely magnificent account of 7,8 & 9th. Barenboim's strength is the way he generates maximum degree of depth and intensity without resorting to distortion and exaggeration. He lets music flow as naturally as possible and speak for itself. Every movement thoughtfully paced, sensitively crafted, every climax as overwhelming as possible. These are no doubt the finest Bruckner recordings in decades."

Best Bruckner since Jochum's!

Ryan Kouroukis | Toronto, Ontario Canada | 02/14/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"These recordings are awesome! I'm deeply impressed not only for the sound but for the playing and interpretation as well!

They are all live except #4 & #7 which are studio.

I know Barenboim in often hit and miss in conducting and piano playing but I would have to say Barenboim hit this one really on the money!

He has a great sense of structure and beauty in these recordings. They breathe and have wonderful breadth. They even include the spiritual dimension, which is very important in Bruckner.

It's the best Bruckner I've heard since Jochum's EMI and Karajan's DG!"

Not A First Choice Bruckner Set

J. Rich | 10/11/2009

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Daniel Barenboim has made several recordings of Bruckner before these recordings. This cycle, originally released on Teldec, are live and studio recordings performed with the Berlin Philharmonic. I'm not entirely convinced by these performances. They are good, but they seem to lack dramatic flair. Barenboim is certainly not one of my favorite conductors and the Berliners are obviously a world-renown orchestra, but even they, under a wrong conductor, can sound misguided.

That said, there are some good performances here. Particular highlights for me were symphonies 1, 8, and 9. The general problem I have with Barenboim is he's too often over-cautious and very seldom does he just let the orchestra rip into the music. He demonstrates great control, but at the same time, there's not much energy or intensity being displayed. There certainly aren't many chances being taken and he doesn't offer any new insights. The Berliners play great, but don't sound particularly inspired in this cycle. The sound quality is pretty good. It's not the best I've heard. Barenboim also makes a lot of grunting noises (as usual).

All of this is truly up to the listener, but I own all the major Bruckner releases and have heard plenty of performances that better Barenboim's cycle. Gunter Wand and Riccardo Chailly are still my favorite Bruckner conductors. 3 1/2 stars

Special note: Symphonies 1, 2, 3, 6, 8, 9, and Helgoland are live recordings"

Excellent,, but from Barenboim's point of view

RaleighObserver | Eastern USA | 02/10/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Barenboim can be either an inspired conductor (the 4th, 6th, 7th, 8th and 9th here) or an overly cautious one (the first three symphonies in particular). This set was recorded mostly live between 1991 and 1996 in the Berlin Philharmonic's home concert hall and in the Hamburg Sachspielhaus auditorium, except for the 4th and 7th, which were recorded in the same halls without an audience. One would think Barenboim would be considerably more inspired with an audience than without, and while he is truly inspired in all of the 8th and 9th and much of the 5th (especially the scherzo), his generally excellent performance of the 7th in particular gives lie to that premise.

I would describe Barenboim's performances as both moving and safe. "Moving" in that Bruckner's spiritual dimension is given its due, everything is held in balance, and the playing of the Berlin Philharmonic is either very good or (particularly in the 9th) truly inspired. The 9th in particular seems to me one of the great performances on disc, with a brilliant and light-footed second movement and a third movement where both the gates of heaven and the jaws of human despair open wide, the first celestial and the second truly frightening. "Safe" in that Barenboim gets all the notes and phrasings in the right place, and generally his harmonic approach to symphonic structure stands him well here. This is not the either "adventurous" or "willfully wrong-headed" (depending on your point of view) Barenboim of the Chicago Symphony Bruckner series. Barenboim neither gets extremely original nor does he "mail it in" on any of the symphonies. He trods the middle of the road, staying within the German romantic interpretive tradition epitomized by his beloved Furtwangler (and by Jochum as well), but he does it well

Where Barenboim can be frustrating is in his seeming unwillingness to let the major climaxes in these symphonies really explode -- generally true throughout but again with the exception of the 9th. The climaxes are there, they are powerful for sure, and if you hadn't heard the one or two truly great performances of those symphonies you would not feel at all dissatisfied. Contrary to a prior reviewer, I found both conductor and orchestra involved, especially in symphonies 4 through 9.

The sound is generally good and the Berlin Philharmonic plays well. I'd call this a good first choice for someone who is new to Bruckner. You will get all the notes in the right places and get a feel for what this composer wants to tell you. Once you get hooked, then you can buy those individual discs of the best of the best of your favorite symphonies.

One final note: Barenboim can inspire both admiration and animosity -- admiration for his obvious gifts and musicianship, and animosity for his oversized ego and mercurial temper. Those who dislike Barenboim will find their reasons for dissing this set; those who love him will love it. The rest of us will take what he offers here, which is considerable and quite good, and enjoy it."

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