Bruckner: Symphony No. 3 in D minor ‘Wagner Symphony'

The fourth instalment of Mario Venzago’s survey of Bruckner’s Symphonies. There are many recordings on the market which make it difficult for strikingly different interpretations, but this series has received great acclaim for its originality and the way it challenges previous conceptions.

On the series previous release, Gramophone said ‘The principle virtue of the performance is in its agility, leanness and considerable subtlety of expression, the way it challenges the Bruckner cliché (weight, breadth, monumentality) with something utterly new’.

Amongst the many recordings made by the internationally renowned conductor Jaap van Zweden have been highly successful cycles of the complete symphonies of Beethoven and Brahms. He is currently working on a series of Hybrid SACDs with the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic for Octavia and Challenge Classics featuring the symphonies of Anton Bruckner, and recordings of Nos. 2, 4, 5, 7 8 and 9 have already been released to great critical acclaim.

This disc features the Third Symphony in D minor, which was dedicated to Richard Wagner. Amsterdam-born Jaap van Zweden has risen rapidly in little more than a decade to become one of today’s most sought-after conductors. He has been Music Director of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra since 2008, and is also Honorary Chief Conductor of the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra and Radio Chamber Philharmonic (having been Chief Conductor from 2005-2011). Appointed at 19 as the youngest concertmaster ever of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, he began his conducting career in 1995 and held the positions of Chief Conductor of the Netherlands Symphony Orchestra between 1996 and 2000, Chief Conductor of The Hague Philharmonic from 2000 to 2005, and Chief Conductor of the Royal Flemish Philharmonic Orchestra (2008-2011). His recent releases for Challenge Classics have included a live recording with the Netherlands RPO of Britten’s War Requiem (CC72388), and a concert performance of Wagner’s Parsifal (CC72519) which has just won the Edison Award.

Anton Bruckner wrote his Symphony No. 3 in D minor in 1873 but revised it twice, first in 1877 and again in 1891. In fact there exist no less than six different versions, with three of them (1873, 1880 and 1889) widely performed today. The version used in this performance is the Novak edition from 1891.

A conducting student of Mahler, F. Charles Adler conducts the Vienna Symphony Orchestra in works by Anton Bruckner: Symphony No. 3 in D minor (WAB 103) [1890 version first published by Theodor Rättig]. Live recording, 8 April 1953 from the Wiener Konzerthausgesellschaft, Gustav Mahler: Symphony No. 2 in C-minor, “Resurrection,” with Anny Felbermayer, sop.; Sonja Dreksler, alto; Austrian Radio Choir. Original production by ORF [Austrian Radio], studio recording, 29 March 1956. Both recordings are previously unissued.

Anton Bruckner’s Third Symphony - the first fully valid example of his extraordinary symphonic idea: a combination of resplendent sounds and church service, as well as demonic romanticism and the comforting belief in heaven.

“I was just going from the theatre building to Wahnfried at 5 o’clock when the master of all masters hurried towards me with open arms, embraced me and said: ‘Dear friend, the dedication is justified, you are giving me great pleasure with the work’.” (Anton Bruckner)

Anton Bruckner’s Third Symphony pays tribute to the deeply revered Richard Wagner, to whom it is also dedicated.

The live recording of the concert on 30th January 1970 in the Herkules-Saal of the Munich Residence with Rafael Kubelik and the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra is available again, now in CD format.

Kurt Sanderling was born in Berlin in 1912 where he still lives (hopefully to celebrate his 100th birthday in 2012!). He retired from conducting in 2002 and only made his debut with the BBC Northern Symphony in 1975. Sanderling has had a most distinguished career as Co-Conductor of the Leningrad Philharmonic with Mrvavinsky (1942-1960), as Music Director of the Berliner Sinfonie-Orchester (1960-1977), as Chief Conductor of the Dresden Staatskapelle (1964-1967) and as Conductor Emeritus of the Philharmonia (1992). He made many appearances at Europe’s leading music festivals – Vienna, Salzburg, Prague and Edinburgh. He also worked with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and Cleveland Orchestras.

This stereo recording has never been issued before.

As Sanderling states in his interview, he enjoyed live performances far more than the studio. This live concert performance in Newcastle proves the point.

Sanderling’s German tradition brings great insights to Bruckner’s 3rd Symphony though he conducted the composer rarely (Symphony No.7 being the exception).

Brilliant remastering by Paul Baily.

The fill-up is a 10 minute interview in which Sanderling talks about his career and his great admiration for Otto Klemperer.