Bruckner's Symphony no.0 is a better work than its designation
suggests. The composer was in a typically self-critical frame
of mind when he decided to withdraw it before it had ever been
performed. Listening to this recording it seems he was being
very harsh on himself. It is pure Bruckner, and everything that
you'll find in the later symphonies - the opulent string writing,
the floating woodwind obbligatos, the brass chorales – they’re
all here in one form or another. It is less sophisticated than
any of Bruckner's mature works. The harmonic language is predictable
and unimaginative, and the themes are short and often uninspired,
in fact most of them are just scales.
Bruckner devotees shouldn't be put off by any of that, because
the sheer symphonic atmosphere of this piece is its salvation.
That is clearly the way Stefan Blunier reads it anyway. He gives
us a reading which shows off all the finest qualities of the
score, without dwelling on its deficiencies. I always like recordings
of Bruckner's early symphonies that treat them as equals to
the composer's later works. Blunier does that, but this symphony
requires a few provisos. The fact that it is so much shorter
than Bruckner's later symphonies, and that it doesn't have the
same interest of detail, means that you can't make too much
out of it. So Blunier gives us a relatively opulent reading,
but never overindulges in rubato or extreme dynamics. The shorter
spans of the individual movements allow the structure of each
to come through clearly without any special efforts on the part
of the conductor. The whole work benefits from Blunier's careful
pacing and precise balancing of each tutti against the last.
The Beethoven Orchester Bonn are, at least on the strength of
this disc, ideal Bruckner interpreters. They are able to produce
big, warm sounds that rarely seem unfocused, and their sense
of symphonic drama is always convincing, even when Bruckner
uses fewer notes than you might expect to create his broad textures.
The SACD sound also emphasises the overall picture over the
details, which also plays to the strengths of this score. Balance
is good between the sections and the ambience of the hall is
warm without being over-resonant.
While I'd recommend this disc to Bruckner fans, I don't think
it is the best way into his music if you haven't heard his mature
works. This is especially true of the very early March
and Three Pieces that conclude the programme. Again they
show the distinctive Bruckner sound in the process of emerging,
and include some important pointers to the style of his later
works, especially his use of various musical genres within the
symphonies. That said, on their own merits they don't have a
lot to commend them. They are proficiently composed and orchestrated,
but uninspired. Many Bruckner enthusiasts out there probably
think they own recordings of the every work the composer wrote,
but will have overlooked these. To them, this disc will be of
special interest. The symphony should have broader appeal, and
is certainly a satisfying listen. Just don't judge the composer
on it if it is the only piece of his you've ever heard.
Gavin Dixon
Beethoven Orchester Bonn/Stefan Blunier 
