Anton BRUCKNER (1824–1896)
Symphony No. 6 in A major, WAB 106 (1879-1881) [55:15]
Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks/Bernard Haitink
rec. live, 4 & 5 May 2017, Philharmonie im Gasteig, Munich
Reviewed as a press download (16-bit lossless)
BR KLASSIK 900147
[55:15]
In recent years I’ve heard Bernard Haitink give career-crowning
performances of two Ninths, one by
Mahler, the other by
Bruckner. Lofty and profound, that’s precisely what one expects from
a lifetime devoted to great music; but, unlike other conductors of advancing
years, this quiet, self-effacing Dutchman hasn’t run out of ideas or
stamina. Admittedly, I characterised his BRSO Mahler 3 as ‘old school [and]
as comfortable as a favourite armchair’, but then I was comparing it with
Iván Fischer’s paradigm-shifting performance with the Budapest Festival
Orchestra (Channel Classics).
Haitink is no stranger to Bruckner, having recorded all the symphonies for
Philips in the analogue era, not to mention a scorching Te Deum with
the Wiener Philharmoniker in the digital one. The latter really storms the
citadels of heaven, the final shouts hurled into the empyrean with
overwhelming strength and certainty. That confidence is also present in the
Sixth Symphony, which, inexplicably, is still one of the least played of
Bruckner’s later works. Mahler, inveterate interventionist that he was,
made extensive changes to the score at the premiere in 1889, but the
composer himself wasn’t tempted to tinker.
Of the versions of the Sixth that I’ve heard over the years, Otto
Klemperer’s classic
EMI-Warner
one with the New Philharmonia remains very special. As it was my first
recording of the piece, I suppose I’ve ‘imprinted’ on it; and yet, the
performance sill delights and moves me every time. True, the sound
overloads in the tuttis, but then Klemperer brings an aristocratic mien to
the music that I’ve not encountered elsewhere, even from the likes of Eugen
Jochum and Günter Wand. The horn playing in the Maestoso is out of
this world, too.
In the 21st century, we’ve had recordings from, among others,
Haitink
in Dresden,
Simone Young
in Hamburg,
Mariss Jansons
in Amsterdam,
Yannick Nézet-Séguin
in Montreal,
Mario Venzago
in Berne,
Rémy Ballot
in St Florian, and
Gerd Schaller
with the Philharmonie Festiva. Also,
Christian Thielemann;
his Dresden video from 2015 was much praised by John Quinn. As a quick
perusal of our
Review Index
will confirm, there’s no shortage of fine Sixths out there. My comparatives
– both live – are from Young and
Wand; the latter, a live Munich Phil recording from 1999, strikes me as the
most satisfying of his several Sixths.
So, on to Haitink, whose Maestoso is characterised by startling
clarity and a powerful sense of purpose. The lower strings have exceptional
body, and the testosterone-fuelled timps are simply splendid. Even more
important, Bruckner’s paragraphs are nicely segued and not, as so often
happens, needlessly parenthesised. Most striking, though, is the very strong pulse, notably in those timp-laced tuttis; this is the
heartbeat of a strapping young yeoman, alive to life and all its
possibilities. That youthful vigour is underlined by the bright-eyed
playing and sound. And those horn figures? Well, they’re no less magical
than Klemperer’s, the movement’s final peroration as emphatic as I’ve ever
heard it.
The Adagio is certainly feierlich, yet it’s also mobile and
wonderfully transparent; indeed, Haitink drives, details, shapes and
terraces this music with a sure and steady kill born of decades on the
podium. There’s not a flat spot anywhere, and the unfolding narrative – so
full of gentle incident – is quietly compelling from start to finish. If
the quality of the BRSO’s playing here is an index of their respect for
this conductor – have the closing bars of this movement ever sounded so
rapt? – then they must venerate him like no other. Really, this is
music-making of the highest order, caught on the wing and completely free
of pulled perspectives or audience interruptions.
Surely this performance can’t get any better, I thought. Oh, but it can,
and it does. The Scherzo is as ebullient – and as skittish – as any,
and the interplay of instruments is superbly rendered in Peter Urban’s
deep, wide and realistically balanced recording. There’s wit and wonder
too, Bruckner’s bucolic tunes bouncing around like echoes in a sun-dappled
valley. As expected, the Finale: Bewegt, doch nicht zu schnell is
sensibly paced and proportioned. And while our yeoman strides on – where did he get those seven-league boots? – he still has time to rejoice
in the beauty that surrounds him. The applause has been edited out, but I
bet it was thunderous.
After such an engaging and uplifting performance, comparisons seem almost
superfluous. But, I did promise. The Munich Phil play well for Wand, whose
architectural skills – so vital in this vaulted and vaulting repertoire –
are never in doubt. Wand, 87 when this recording was made, now sounds a
little measured next to Haitink; then again, he’s resolutely ‘old school’
in his emphasis on refinement and nobility, qualities that make his
accounts of Nos. 7, 8 and 9 so memorable. Trouble is, after Haitink’s
hot-blooded Sixth he’s apt to sound a little cool. Still, momentum never
flags, and the Profil recording – although not as immediate as the BR one –
is warm. detailed and suitably spacious.
No, I wouldn’t want to be without the slow-burning Wand; his Bruckner is
always so impeccable, so seamless, and so eloquent and innig when it
matters. In those respects, Haitink may seem a tad impetuous – dishevelled,
even – but both are strong and very convincing performances that deserve
space on your shelf or hard drive. As for Young, she’s closer in spirit to
Haitink than she is to Wand. The Oehms recording is clear and forthright
too. Alas, in this company her Sixth now seems rather rushed, episodic and,
at times, lightweight. Ultimately, though, these recordings underline just
how good the Dutchman’s is, and why it should be at the very top of your to
buy list.
Haitink may be in the late autumn of his life and career, but his new
Bruckner Sixth basks in the heat of high summer. A remarkable achievement
all round.
Dan Morgan
