Track Listing

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

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #43182 in Music
• Released on: 2005-08-16
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Original recording remastered
• Dimensions: .22 pounds

Customer Reviews

Unforced Eloquence
This is the earliest of Karajan's three recordings of Bruckner's Seventh (the first two with BPO, the last--the conductor's final recording--with the VPO), and it is clearly superior to his later versions. The sound is warmer than the DG/BPO recording, and so is the interpretation. The DG/VPO version, on the other hand, strikes me as too soft-centered, closer to Bruno Walter's way with the composer than we might have expected from Karajan.

The EMI/BPO version, therefore, is the one to get; indeed, it is the most eloquent rendition of this work I have heard. It's difficult to ruin the opening of the symphony, with its seamless melodic arches, but in Karajan's hands it is simply magical: hushed, intense, never pushing ahead too aggressively or interrupting the flow with gratuitious rubato or agogic distortions. And the spell continues unbroken from that point to the end of the movement. The great Adagio is less a funeral observance for Richard Wagner (which is presumably what Bruckner intended) than a threnody for a world in need of redemption, a heavenly Mass for All Souls. The scherzo interrupts these rites with an impertinent cockcrow, conveying a sense of tingling anticipation; dawn is at hand. The finale, which can seem the weakest of the four movements in lesser performances, blossoms as its should without overbalancing the rapt first movement and weighty Adagio; it neither seems perfunctory nor outstays its welcome.

In sum, this is something like a complete realization of Bruckner's most accessible symphony. Karajan's DG version is also a strong performance, but some of the magic had gone out of his conception by the time he had come to revisit the score. The expressive nuances Karajan discovers in the EMI version seem utterly natural; whereas the eloquence in the DG version seems a bit forced. The EMI has another great advantage: it costs a tiny fraction of what you would have to pay to obtain the 10-CD set from DG--now available only as an expensive import-- in which the later version of the Seventh is immured.

Don't hesitate then, if you are new to Bruckner; and if you are a veteran collector, there is every reason to add this one to your collection.

Exceptionally Beautiful
I am very thankful that Karajan got a chance to record with EMI during the seventies, continuing their relationship which dates back to the 1940's. During the seventies, EMI generally gave Karajan much better sound than his main recording company Deutsche Grammophon. EMI gave Karajan that gorgeous, lush, wide-ranging aura that I find utterly intoxicating and which can be proven just by listening to this outstanding Bruckner record.

There is no doubt that Karajan is in a class by himself in this symphony with few competitors. Obviously Furtwangler comes to mind, can Karajan compete with that master in terms of raw emotion and spiritual power? I'm here to tell you that Karajan succeeds marvelously. Karajan's Bruckner 7th is not superficial and not merely concerned with surface beauty and gloss like in later performances. No, everything sounds gorgeous but is also deeply moving. The famous adagio is magnificent, a true testament to Karajan's art and of course Bruckner's.

Although the earlier reviewer praises Karajan's digital Bruckner 7th with the Vienna Philharmonic, I must strongly disagree. Not only was the Berlin Philharmonic of the seventies a better orchestra than the Vienna Philharmonic of the eighties but EMI gives them outstanding sound quality while the DG record has some of the typical digital glare that DG was famous for in the 80's. The DG recording is also more expensive.

This EMI recording sounds perfect and is played to perfection, don't miss out on this opportunity to own possibly the finest version of this symphony. If you have the earlier Karajan Edition version, guess what, this is the exact same recording and the exact same remastering, there is nothing new, trust me. But since it always sounded great, there is nothing to complain about except EMI's nagging hobby of repackaging the exact same product.

Magical performance
I will admit that I'm not that fond of Karajan as a conductor, in general. His R. Strauss is very good as is most of his Sibelius and some of his Tchaikovsky. However, his Beethoven and Brahms make me feel as though I'm breaking out in hives. So, I wasn't that optomistic about listening to his Bruckner. I do think his 8th is a bit overrated, but this is one of the finest 7ths I've ever heard, along with Bohm's live 1977 (Bavarian Radio SO), Furtwangler's Berlin (beter sound than Cairo or Rome, all with the BPO from circa 1949-50) and Knappertsbusch's 1949 VPO. Those are the only performances of this symphony I've heard that gave me goose-bumps and sent a chill up my spine. It (Karajan's) is certainly good enough to make me want to look back and check which version of the 8th of his it was that I listened to, and give the other one a try to see if I missed something