Track Listing

Disc 1:

1. Symphony No. 0, in D minor ('Die Nullte'), WAB 100: Allegro - Poco meno mosso
2. Symphony No. 0, in D minor ('Die Nullte'), WAB 100: Andante sostenuto
3. Symphony No. 0, in D minor ('Die Nullte'), WAB 100: Scherzo. Presto - Trio. Langsamer und ruhiger
4. Symphony No. 0, in D minor ('Die Nullte'), WAB 100: Finale. Moderato - Allegro vivace
5. Symphony No. 1 in C minor, WAB 101: Allegro molto moderato
6. Symphony No. 1 in C minor, WAB 101: Adagio
7. Symphony No. 1 in C minor, WAB 101: Scherzo. Lebhaft

Disc 2:

1. Symphony No. 1 in C minor, WAB 101: Finale. Bewegt, feurig
2. Symphony No. 2 in C minor, WAB 102: Ziemlich schnell
3. Symphony No. 2 in C minor, WAB 102: Adagio. Feierlich, etwas bewegt
4. Symphony No. 2 in C minor, WAB 102: Scherzo. Schnell
5. Symphony No. 2 in C minor, WAB 102: Finale. Mehr schnell - Sehr schnell

Disc 3:

1. Symphony No. 3 in D minor, WAB 103: Gemäßigt, mehr bewegt, misterioso
2. Symphony No. 3 in D minor, WAB 103: Adagio, bewegt, quasi andante
3. Symphony No. 3 in D minor, WAB 103: Scherzo. Ziemlich schnell
4. Symphony No. 3 in D minor, WAB 103: Finale. Allegro

Disc 4:

1. Symphony No. 4 in E flat ('Romantic'), WAB 104: Bewegt, nicht zu schnell
2. Symphony No. 4 in E flat ('Romantic'), WAB 104: Andante, quasi allegretto
3. Symphony No. 4 in E flat ('Romantic'), WAB 104: Scherzo. Bewegt - Trio. Nicht zu schnell. Keinesfalls schleppend - Scherzo
4. Symphony No. 4 in E flat ('Romantic'), WAB 104: Finale. Bewegt, doch nicht zu schnell

Disc 5:

1. Symphony No. 5 in B flat, WAB 105: Introduction. Adagio - Allegro. Mäßig
2. Symphony No. 5 in B flat, WAB 105: Adagio. Sehr langsam
3. Symphony No. 5 in B flat, WAB 105: Scherzo. Molto vivace (schnell) - Trio. Im gleichen Tempo
4. Symphony No. 5 in B flat, WAB 105: Finale. Adagio - Allegro moderato

Disc 6:

1. Symphony No. 6 in A major, WAB 106: Maestoso
2. Symphony No. 6 in A major, WAB 106: Adagio. Sehr feierlich
3. Symphony No. 6 in A major, WAB 106: Scherzo. Nicht schnell - Trio. Langsam
4. Symphony No. 6 in A major, WAB 106: Finale. Bewegt, doch nicht zu schnell

Disc 7:

1. Symphony No. 7 in E major, WAB 107: Allegro moderato
2. Symphony No. 7 in E major, WAB 107: Adagio. Sehr feierlich und sehr langsam
3. Symphony No. 7 in E major, WAB 107: Scherzo. Sehr schnell
4. Symphony No. 7 in E major, WAB 107: Finale. Bewegt, doch nicht zu schnell

Disc 8:

1. Symphony No. 8 in C minor, WAB 108: Allegro moderato
2. Symphony No. 8 in C minor, WAB 108: Scherzo. Allegro moderato
3. Symphony No. 8 in C minor, WAB 108: Adagio. Feierlich langsam, aber nicht schleppend
4. Symphony No. 8 in C minor, WAB 108: Finale. Feierlich, nicht schnell

Disc 9:

1. Symphony No. 9 in D minor, WAB 109: Feierlich. Misterioso
2. Symphony No. 9 in D minor, WAB 109: Scherzo. Bewegt, lebhaft - Trio. Schnell - Scherzo
3. Symphony No. 9 in D minor, WAB 109: Adagio. Langsam, feierlich

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #162745 in Music
• Brand: Philips
• Released on: 2005-10-11
• Number of discs: 9
• Format: Box set
• Dimensions: .53 pounds

Customer Reviews

unbelieveable recordings of the complete Bruckner Symphonies
Upon buying this set, I was struck by the recording engineering of this cycle. I thought I was listening to digital recordings, and was FLOORED when i discovered that these symphonies were recorded from 1960-1972. The sound is so crystal clear and so evenly recorded across all sections of the orcherstra that I contend over and over it was as if you was listening to a modern Chailly, Harnoncourt, or Barenboim recording. Just on sound alone - i would put this above and beyond Jochums EMI cycle with the Dresden Staatskapelle.

The second item that struck me with this set was Haitink himself. I had no idea or dreamt that he could tackle a complete cycle of symphonies and produce holistically, a quality product. So many "boxed sets" or "cycles" are marred by good ones and bad ones. But these recordings are even over the 12 year span they were done. This is a true testament to a maestro and beautiful and disciplined Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra.

The third thing I think about is in interpretation. Tempos that vary as the music builds - you'll never hear a more uptempo closing to the 8th in your life. I was shocked by an almost attempt by Haitink interpretively to throw back to the days of older conductors - styles of Furtwangler, Van Beinum, Knapperstbusch, ect. It sounded like he was paying homage to conductors of old but with updated sound.

Lastly - the orchestral playing is very detailed, disciplined. Strings playing sweet, woodwinds sounding light, brass very strong (though a few wrong notes and muddy in recordings 7-9 in big climaxes - but nothing too severe), and the ability to actually hear timpani in every symphony - something quite important to move the music along during up tempo passages or to accent the power of the brass sections - often not brought out in older recordings.

Something interesting that I would implore everyone to take note of... I now have 2 recordings of the 9th with Haitink - this early 1960 which is in the set and a 1981 digital recording with the same orchestra. Of the 14 other recordings I have of the 9th by Barenboim, Bernstien (1969 and 1990), Celibidache, Chailly, Giulini, Jochum, Karajan (1966 and 1975), Lopez-Cobos, Skrowaczewski, Tinter, Walter, and Wand - only the 2 Haitink recordings do not have the timpani player playing a role at the climax/finale of the 9th Symphony 1st movement, while instead playing a syncopated quarter/eight note rhythem (assuming thats the notation since I dont have access to a score). I find this fascinating and wondered why this was.

At any rate - happy listening!!!! This is a wonderful set - highly recommended above Jochum and dare I say an import Karajan which I have.

Great Bruckner Set
Haitink has long been a renowned interpreter of Bruckner, and the Concertgebouw with which he has long been associated, and who can also lay claim to a rich Bruckner tradition dating back to Mengelberg, are in possession of arguably the ideal 'Bruckner sound'. This cycle was one of Haitink's first major projects with the Concertgebouw, and in many ways it shares a common approach with the Bruckner of Van Beinum.
In any case, the principal virtues of these recordings, apart from the fabulous orchestral playing, are Haitink's own virtues: patience, structural sense, and honest musicianship. Apart from Tintner very few could lay claim to such virtues, in addition to Haitink's command of the orchestra in all its facets. And of course, this approach is perfect for Bruckner.

All in all -- I would have to recommend this as probably the best overall cycle, and one which will reward a lifetime's listening.

Shipshape, predictable and reliable
This box of Bruckner symphonies, recorded from 1960-72 in Holland, was rereleased in 2005 with many outlets offering it at vastly reduced cost from the $72 list price. These were recorded during Haitink's halcyon days as director of the Concertgebouw Orchestra, when, in my opinion, he did his best and most reliable work in the recording studio. These performances include Bruckner's "Nulte" symphony, the so-called Symphony No. 0, and the traditional nine symphonies in varying arrangements. Haitink plays the original versions of Symphonies 0-4 and the first version of the titanic Symphony No. 8.

What I like about these performances is Haitink's unaffected way with the music and how it allows you to hear Bruckner's progression as a symphonist when you listen to them in their numeric order. As he showed in his set of Shostakovich symphonies recorded a decade after these, Haitink can be a reliable guide through any composer's music. He shows himself a very reliable guide here. What he also shows himself to be in this set is somewhat unimaginative and hidebound by his literalism.

For this reason, these performances, good as they are, will probably never be any Bruckner fans' No. 1 rated performance in any of the symphonies. Conductors that made names for themselves in this music usually did so because of the unique way they communicated the music -- Furtwangler was very idiosyncratic, unique and exciting; Karajan was highly charged and Germanic; Wand was very spiritual; Jochum dabbled with tempo and mysticism; Tintner used new performing scores; Solti was too virtuosic and forced the music to become something it wasn't.

How does Hatink fits into this universe of expert Bruckner interpreters? I don't think he does. I think he plays the music straight all the time. For that reason it always sounds honest and forthright and the wonderful ADD recordings allow you to hear every mellifluous sound from the august Concertgebouw. But there is a decided lack of individuality in these recordings. This was a trademark of Haitink's recordings with this orchestra during this period, when he made his name worldwide.

The 1960s were indeed a time for orchetral literalists to shine. Coming off the era of orchestral dabblers like Stokowski and Furtwangler, world opinion in the 1960s was divided into two camps of classical music performance -- literalism, headed by the likes of Reiner, Szell, Karajan and Haitink; and humanism, whose principal spokesperson was Bruno Walter who died in early 1962 and left behind a spate of wonderful-sounding records that have since been converted to CD in the digital era.

While there was still a lot of nostalgia for old times, it was clear literalism was leading the world stage in the 1960s and setting the standard for performance of classical music -- very much like period performance practice has swept into style today.

This is the ethos Haitink represents and that representation is never more evenly displayed than in this set of Bruckner symphonies. While they are uniformly well-played, sound uniformly wonderful, and are uniformly well-directed by the conductor, you can also say they are uniformly risk free and uniformly without the stamp of personality. Is that a bad thing? No, it simply puts this set at a disadvantage against the bigger names whose Bruckner sets are still in print.

I think of this set as being the ultimate backup to my favorite Bruckner recordings (see my Listmania list). In a baseball metaphor, I think of the Haitink recordings as the perfect backup to my starters, the perfect relief pitcher when my starter tires, and the perfect pinch hitter when I tire of hearing my favorite versions. I know Haitink will come in during this backup situation and deliver the goods for me. But I also know that, even given the wonderful truthful recocrdings and uniform approach, he'll never be good enough to be the starter, either.

One note: in my box, the disk labeled Symphony 4 actually contained someone's rap music. I know this wasn't Bruckner since he died almost a century before the invention of rap!