Posts tagged as "anton-bruckner"

Wilhelm Furtwängler – The Decca Recordings

August 18, 2021

Two legendary studio recordings and a 1951 concert from Munich: the small but precious Decca legacy of the 20th century’s greatest recreative conductor, Wilhelm Furtwängler. While the performances of Wilhelm Furtwängler issued by Decca have been made available in small and large compilations, they have never been issued in this convenient format. They include a […]

Hans Knappertsbusch – The Decca & Westminster Bruckner Recordings

February 7, 2020

Newly remastered and gathered under one roof for the first time, the Decca recordings of Hans Knappertsbusch conducting Bruckner: a legendary combination. For record collectors in the 1950s and 60s, the names of Bruckner and Knappertsbusch (‘Kna’) were practically synonymous. At a time when the composer’s symphonies were routinely compared to Gothic cathedrals, the rough […]

Bruckner: The Nine Symphonies

August 20, 2019

The Vienna Philharmonic’s distinguished Bruckner tradition, documented through a series of superb Decca recordings from the 1960s and 70s on a Limited Edition 9-CD box set, with Original Jackets.   Founded in 1842, the Vienna Philharmonic gave a notoriously dusty reception to Bruckner’s Third when they played through it in rehearsal in 1874 and refused […]

Bruckner: Symphonies Nos. 5, 7, 8 & 9

June 28, 2016

Eduard van Beinum’s performances of Bruckner were extraordinary in a most inconspicuous way. He never took liberties with the score, did not like to exaggerate, was spontaneous and always strove to achieve the crucial transitions in Bruckner’s work as seamlessly as possible. Bassoonist,Brian Pollard who worked with Van Beinum as a member of the Concertgebouw […]

Bruckner: Symphony No. 4 ‘Romantic’

June 15, 2016

Part of a mini-series within ‘Zubin Mehta: The Decca Years’ celebrating the vintage recordings he made for Decca. Here is the popular ‘Romantic’ Symphony coupled with a wondrous performance of the Prelude to the first act of ‘Meistersinger’.

Bruckner: Symphony No. 7

May 25, 2016

Now considered one of the most important of 19th-century symphonists, during his lifetime, Bruckner was the subject of incomprehension and ridicule. Georg Solti made two recordings of this symphonic edifice. While his Chicago recording has been in regular circulation, this much-requested reissue of the Seventh with the Vienna Philharmonic has lain dormant for far too […]

Ave Maria – Sacred Songs

April 29, 2016

A delectable – and ever popular – collection of sacred songs sung by four of the most famous female singers of our time. Includes the Bach/Gounod ‘Ave Maria’ and the Schubert ‘Ave Maria’, favourite soprano arias from Bach’s sacred works and inspiring movements from the sacred works of Bruckner, Stradella and Dvorak.

Bruckner: Symphony No. 5

April 29, 2016

For many years, the ground was thick with misconceptions about Anton Bruckner – that he was a sort of idiot savant, that he composed nothing of merit until he reached middle age and that he was to be spoken of in the same breath as Gustav Mahler. None of these fables, and others, could be […]

Bruckner: String Quintet; Schmidt: Piano Quintet

April 29, 2016

One of Bruckner’s most sublime Adagios is to be found in this String Quintet and a comparative rarity is his contemporary Franz Schmidt’s G minor Piano Quintet. Long unavailable on Decca, this is something of a connoisseur’s item, now restored to circulation and at super-budget price.

Bruckner: Symphony No. 6

April 29, 2016

A thrilling performance of Bruckner’s Sixth in a recording that has long languished in the archives. It is coupled with Stein’s legendary Weber performances.

Beethoven: Symphony No. 8; Bruckner: Symphony No. 1

April 28, 2016

The young Abbado made a handful of recordings with the Vienna Philharmonic of which this taught, sprightly reading of Beethoven’s Eighth (just listen to the orchestra’s reflexes in the finale) and the grand yet detailed vision of Bruckner’s First made just one short-lived appearance on CD. Now they return, remastered and at super-budget price.

Bruckner: Symphony No. 2. Weber: Euryanthe Overture; Invitation to the Dance

April 28, 2016

Following the warmly-embraced reissue on Decca Eloquence of Horst Stein’s reading of Bruckner’s sixth symphony, we now follow with the Second. As with the sixth, the couplings are music by Weber. Another much-requested reissue, this will be warmly welcomed by collectors and represent some of the best Bruckner performances of all time.