Deryk Barker <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

>Peter Schenkman ([log in to unmask]) wrote:
>
>>Anyone looking for Bruckner Symphonies (sixth or most of the others) would
>>be well advised to have a listen to Celibidache whose recordings of most of
>>the them can be found (in different performances) on DG and more recently
>>on EMI.  In a word, mesmerizing.
>
>Or, depending on your frame of mind, stultifyingly boring.  I don't think
>that Celibidache's Bruckner is for everyone and even while I admire it at
>certain teims, there are others when I just want to shake him by the neck
>and say "for God's sake, GET ON WITH IT!!!!"

But have you given Celi's 6th a good listen Deryk? There is nothing extreme
about it (unlike his EMI 8th, which is absolutely glacial).  It really is
as close to perfect as I expect an interpretation to be.  Tempi are well
judged (none of Klemperer's foot dragging in the 1st movement) and the
Adagio is simply sublime.  The playing of the Munich band is also
superlative.

Bruckner's 6th is my favorite symphony of his and, like the original
poster, I tend to be very picky with it.  If you like your 6th propulsive
and lively, I would recommend Kubelik's CSO recording (on an OOP CSO
Kubelik Tribute 2-CD set that was once available from the orchestra), or
his Bavarian RSO live recording on Italian (pirate) Originals.  The latter
is relatively faster than the CSO one, but there is a sense of excitement
in it that one rarely hears in this symphony, particularly in the outer
movements.

Blomstedt's recording is near the top for me.  He conducts a gorgeous
Adagio and, like Celibidache, his handling of the tricky tempi variations
is masterful.  It seems absurd that this recording is so hard to find in
the U.S.  (or anywhere).  There is another recording (this time live) with
the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orch.  that has been released on a Japanese pirate
(En Larme), which is also very good.

I am with Deryk in preferring Tintner's earlier recording with the Bohuslav
Martinu Philharmonie to the Naxos one, despite the Czech orchestra's less
than stellar playing.  It was (is?) available from the Berkshire Record
Outlet.  Incidentally, in his notes to the Naxos recording, Tintner
confesses to be puzzled by the symphony's last movement, which, oddly
enough, appears (to me anyway) the best-realized of the four movements in
the New Zealand recording.

Chailly's didn't light my fire.  Even though the sound is very good,
I found his performance too middle-of-the-road, with no real sense of
excitement.  Eschenbach's Houston recording is a real dud.  His 1st
movement is way too slow, and his Adagio is even worse (it comes to
a standstill at some point).

Sawallisch's recording on Orfeo is good, but beware of the sound which
is very bright.  His is also a 'propulsive' performance.

A dark horse is the VPO recording with Horst Stein (once available on a
Decca LP and on a Japanese Decca CD), which features wonderful playing
and relatively fast tempi, without sounding rushed.

When all is said and done, however, I think Celibidache's is a dream 6th,
easily his best effort in the EMI box.

Ramon Khalona