Search - Anton Bruckner, Richard [Classical] Wagner, Carl Schuricht :: Bruckner: Symphony No. 7 / Wagner: Prelude and Liebestod from Tristan and Isolde

Schuricht, A Great Brucknerian

Michael B. Richman | Portland, Maine USA | 10/10/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"My first exposure to this conductor was on his title in the now out-of-print "Great Conductors of the 20th Century" series, Carl Schuricht, and with his magnificent account of the Bruckner 8th Symphony with the Vienna Philharmonic presented in that collection. I didn't have a lot of Bruckner 8ths at that time (Jochum & Szell only -- I've since added another Jochum, Solti, Karajan, Van Beinum, Furtwangler and Knappertsbusch), but I knew I was listening to a very special performance. Over the next few years I picked up Schuricht's remaining Bruckner Symphony studio recordings with the VPO -- the 3rd reissued on Preiser and the 9th only available as an expensive Japanese EMI import -- and began to cherish them. In 2004, I saw that 3 more Schuricht Bruckner live Symphony performances (4, 5 & 7) were being issued as part of Hanssler's "Carl Schuricht Collection." Despite Jeffrey Lee's glowing reviews of the 4th and 5th posted here on Amazon, I held off on purchasing any of the Hanssler titles because of their full-price price tag, and because I have tried to draw a line in the sand and not collect live broadcast recordings, as there are simply too many. This all changed a couple of months ago when I discovered that many of the Hanssler Schurichts, and in particular all three of the Bruckners, were available at drastically discounted prices via Berkshire Record Outlet. I have to say at the reduced price this 1953 performance of the 7th is well worth it, largely because it sounds good and it is one of the few accounts I have of the 7th as a single title, as most are just part of a box set Cycle. The inclusion of Wagner excerpts to round out the disc is just an added bonus. If Berkshire still has this CD, Bruckner fans would be well served to place an order."