What edition/version of a Bruckner symphony you are buying on CD is not
terribly important for symphonies 0, 5, 6, 7 and 9, plus the early f-minor.
The various versions of each of these symphonies have few variations, most
of which go by completely unnoticed to all but the most assiduous
score-reader.
The corrupt first published editions of the 5th and 9th are, IMO,
historical curiosities.
In the stereo era there have been two recordings, still available, of
the corrupt arrangement of the 5th: Knappertsbusch on Decca/London and
Botstein on Telarc. Recording of the corrupt 9th are all "historical"
mono airchecks, such as the Knappertsbusch on Music & Arts.
There are more substantial differences among the various versions, from
Bruckner's own hand, of symphonies 1, 2, 3, 4 and 8.
The early Linz version of 1 was later completely reworked by Bruckner
during the last years of his life. Usually recordings clearly identify it
as either the "Linz" or "Vienna" version. To further confuse things, what
we know today as the "Linz" version is, in reality, a later (but not final)
revision of the work. Tintner should be the first to record the genuine
Linz version of 1.
The various versions of 2 involve mainly a shortening of the work,
reordering of the inner movements, and some reorchestration. Tintner
and Eichhorn have recorded the recently published Carragan edition of the
first versions of 2. Most other recordings are of variants of the second
version, again from Bruckner's own hand. Except for the reversed order of
the middle movements, found in the First Concept version ed. Carragan,
most listeners won't notice the differences.
The various versions of 3 involve three substantially different
symphonies. Identification is important, because they really do sound
different, even to the casual listener. The first version is the original
"Wagner Sinfonie", dedicated to Bruckner's idol and including some actual
quotations of Wagnerian themes. This is also the longest version of the
work. Version two cut out the Wagner quotations and did some further
cutting of the work's overall length, esp. the finale. Also, one variant
of version 2 has a rather substantial coda added to the scherzo. Version
three, from late in Bruckner's life, cut the work even further and involved
more substantial reorchestrations. Recordings exist of all three versions,
and each recording should be appropriately identified.
Symphony 4 has a first version and a revised version. Most recordings
are of the revised version; Inbal and Lopez-Cobos have recorded the first
version, which has a substantially different Scherzo and Finale from the
revision.
Symphony 8 has a first version and a substantially revised second version.
The most often recorded is the second version, in either the Robert Haas
or Leopold Nowak edition. Much hot debate has ensued over the virtues (or
lack thereof) of Haas vs. Nowak, but in reality the average listener will
not notice the minor differences. The first version has two available
recordings, both excellent: Inbal and Tintner. Like 2 and 3, the
differences are substantial.
Although the existing recordings of Symphony 9 are based on the same
edition, ed. Alfred Orel/Leopold Nowak, there is forthcoming a new,
critical edition of the Ninth, edited by Benjamin Gunnar Cohrs. The
original work of Orel, which was essentially copied over by Nowak, contains
some errors and misreadings of the manuscript, which the new critical
edition will fix. This will be fascinating to hear when someone performs
and records it.
Appropos of the Ninth. There are two performing editions of the surviving
finale fragment. The 1985 reconstruction by William Carragan has been
recorded by Yoav Talmi on Chandos. The 1992 reconstruction by Nicola
Samale, Giuseppe Mazzuca, John Phillips and Gunnar Cohrs has been recorded
by Kurt Eichhorn on Camerata and Johannes Wildner on SonArte. The extant
finale fragment has been published by the Bruckner Society, edited by John
Phillips.
John M. Proffitt
General Manager & C.E.O.
Radio Station KUHF-FM
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