Album

Those who find stately performances of Bruckner beyond the pale, and who would prefer not to hear the Symphony No. 3 in D minor in a mono recording of a live radio broadcast, will immediately dismiss this disc. Others, though, may consider this CD more dispassionately, for Sir John Barbirolli's special sympathy for Bruckner is legendary, and the deficiencies of this 1964 recording are easy to tolerate for the sake of the majestic performance given here. Following the Nowak Edition of Bruckner's 1877 version, Barbirolli and the Hallé Orchestra comfortably inhabit the Symphony and give it a spacious reading, content to take it at a leisurely pace and let the work's resonance build properly. A faster clip would have made the Symphony choppy and stunted, but Barbirolli's measured tempi and gradually swelling dynamics pay off in some monumental climaxes, achieving the massive organ effects Bruckner desired. Unfortunately, there are extraneous noises that distract—not least, Barbirolli's humming—which are, alas, part of the historical record along with the performance's finer aspects. Additionally, the microphone seems inadequate for the enormous tutti, and there is a perceptible flattening of the full sonority when the orchestra plays fortissimo or louder. Wagner's Tannhäuser Overture and Venusberg Music, recorded live in 1969, are enjoyable filler, but less awe-inspiring than the Bruckner.

© Blair Sanderson, Rovi

CD 1
Anton Bruckner Composer Symphony No.3 in D-, WAB103 ('Wagner') Work Recorded 1964 52:46 Hallé Orchestra Orchestra, Sir John Barbirolli Conductor
1	1.Gemässigt, misterioso	18:54			$2.99
2	2.Adagio. Bewegt, quasi andante	13:41			$2.49
3	3.Scherzo: Ziemlich schnell	6:59			$0.99
4	4.Finale: Allegro	13:12			$2.49
Richard Wagner Composer Tannhäuser (opera), WWV 70...Scene 1 Work Recorded 1969 Hallé Orchestra Orchestra, Sir John Barbirolli Conductor
5	2.Bacchanale; Venusberg Music	25:30			$3.99