Bruckner: Complete Symphonies / Schaller, Philharmonie Festiva
Sound and space are mutually dependent. Which works sound best in which environment? Where can the spirit and character of the music most clearly be expressed? These questions are what inspired the conductor Gerd Schaller to embark on an ambitious major project in 2007: in the impressive environment of the abbey church that once formed part of Ebrach's Cistercian monastery in Franconia, he directed his festival orchestra, the Philharmonie Festiva, in recordings of all of Anton Bruckner’s symphonies. Nearly all the recordings were made during concerts in the cathedral acoustics of Ebrach’s abbey church. The location Schaller chose for the recordings of the F minor Symphony, the early D minor Symphony and the Fourth Symphony with its “Volksfest” (fair) finale is the Regentenbau building in Bad Kissingen, which likewise has outstanding acoustics. To crown the previous Bruckner cycle, the unfinished Ninth has been recorded with Gerd Schaller’s own recreation of the final movement.
What is special about this Bruckner cycle is that Schaller in some cases selected less well-known, “interim” versions or variants that had previously never been performed but give revealing insights into Bruckner’s compositional approach. Featured for the first time ever in this CD edition are Bruckner's Third in its first revised form of 1874 and his Eighth in the interim version of 1888. The cycle of symphonies is supplemented by the F minor Mass, the rarely performed Psalm 146 and his organ works as well as Gerd Schaller's organ transcription of the 9th symphony, which he recorded on the Eisenbarth organ of the former Ebrach abbey church.
REVIEW
All eleven symphonies are presented in excellent performances and three of those - the First, Third and Fourth - are each played in two very different versions...the virtuosity and artistry of the dedicated performers concerned are invariably impressive.
The aim of the project is to present the dedicated Brucknerian with the most recent and musicologically sound editions of Bruckner’s symphonies, such that the development of his genius can be explored and appreciated through the constant changes and refinements he introduced into his works. Although Gerd Schaller is meticulous in his research and the production of critical editions, he is certainly no dry academician; he is also an outstanding organist and conductor whose love of Bruckner’s music constantly informs these incandescent performances.
--MusicWeb International
Product Description:
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Release Date: February 04, 2022
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UPC: 881488220070
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Catalog Number: PH22007
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Label: Profil
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Number of Discs: 20
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Period: Romantic
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Composer: Anton Bruckner
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Conductor: Gerd Schaller
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Orchestra/Ensemble: Philharmonie Festiva
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Performer: Gerd Schaller
Works:
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Symphony in F Minor, WAB 99, "Study Symphony"
Composer: Anton Bruckner
Ensemble: Philharmonie Festiva
Conductor: Gerd Schaller
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Symphony No. 1 in C Minor, WAB 101 (orig. 1866 unrevised Linz version, prep. W. Carragan)
Composer: Anton Bruckner
Ensemble: Philharmonie Festiva
Conductor: Gerd Schaller
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Symphony No. 1 in C Minor, WAB 101 (1891 Vienna revision, ed. G. Brosche)
Composer: Anton Bruckner
Ensemble: Philharmonie Festiva
Conductor: Gerd Schaller
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Symphony No. 0 in D Minor, WAB 100, "Nullte" (ed. L. Nowak)
Composer: Anton Bruckner
Ensemble: Philharmonie Festiva
Conductor: Gerd Schaller
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Symphony No. 2 in C Minor, WAB 102 (1872 first version, ed. W. Carragan)
Composer: Anton Bruckner
Ensemble: Philharmonie Festiva
Conductor: Gerd Schaller
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Symphony No. 3 in D Minor, WAB 103 (1874 version, ed. W. Carragan)
Composer: Anton Bruckner
Ensemble: Philharmonie Festiva
Conductor: Gerd Schaller
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Symphony No. 3 in D Minor, WAB 103 (1890 version, ed. T. Raettig)
Composer: Anton Bruckner
Ensemble: Philharmonie Festiva
Conductor: Gerd Schaller
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Symphony No. 4 in E-Flat Major, WAB 104, "Romantic" (1886 version, ed. L. Nowak)
Composer: Anton Bruckner
Ensemble: Philharmonie Festiva
Conductor: Gerd Schaller
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Symphony No. 4 in E-Flat Major, WAB 104, "Romantic" (1878 version, ed. W. Carragan)
Composer: Anton Bruckner
Ensemble: Philharmonie Festiva
Conductor: Gerd Schaller
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Symphony No. 5 in B-Flat Major, WAB 105 (1878 version, ed. L. Nowak)
Composer: Anton Bruckner
Ensemble: Philharmonie Festiva
Conductor: Gerd Schaller
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Symphony No. 6 in A Major, WAB 106 (ed. L. Nowak)
Composer: Anton Bruckner
Ensemble: Philharmonie Festiva
Conductor: Gerd Schaller
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Symphony No. 7 in E Major, WAB 107 (1885 version, ed. L. Nowak)
Composer: Anton Bruckner
Ensemble: Philharmonie Festiva
Conductor: Gerd Schaller
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Symphony No. 8 in C Minor, WAB 108 (1888 variant, ed. W. Carragan)
Composer: Anton Bruckner
Ensemble: Philharmonie Festiva
Conductor: Gerd Schaller
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Trauermusik dem Andenken Anton Bruckners (arr. G. Schaller for orchestra)
Composer: Otto Kitzler Sr., Otto Kitzler Jr.
Ensemble: Philharmonie Festiva
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Symphony No. 9 in D Minor, WAB 109 (with Finale completed by G. Schaller, revised version)
Composer: Anton Bruckner
Ensemble: Philharmonie Festiva
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Mass No. 3 in F Minor, WAB 28 (excerpts)
Composer: Anton Bruckner
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Psalm 146, WAB 37
Composer: Anton Bruckner
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Improvisationskizze Ischl 1890 (completed by E. Horn)
Composer: Anton Bruckner
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Prelude in D Minor, WAB 130
Composer: Anton Bruckner
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Postlude in D Minor, WAB 126
Composer: Anton Bruckner
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Prelude and Fugue in C Minor, WAB 131
Composer: Anton Bruckner
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Fugue in D Minor, WAB 125
Composer: Anton Bruckner
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Prelude in C Major, WAB 129, "Perger Praludium"
Composer: Anton Bruckner
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Symphony No. 9 in D Minor, WAB 109 (arr. G. Schaller for organ)
Composer: Anton Bruckner