Bruckner’s Sixth is one of his most genial symphonies and might be considered to inhabit a world not too distant from the symphonies of Schubert, Dvorák and even Beethoven’s Pastoral. Not only are its many melodies immediately appealing, but it is also, in the words of the composer, his ‘cheekiest’ (‘die Keckste’). If one thinks of Bruckner as the composer of massive, monumental works with awe-inspiring spiritual aspirations, the idea that he composed a ‘cheeky’ symphony will come as quite a surprise.
This fine performance completes the Philharmonie Festiva’s Bruckner cycle, performed in the context of the Ebrach Summer of Music (Ebracher Musiksommer). It has been an extraordinary and very valuable achievement, often exploring unusual and in some cases unperformed variants of the symphonies, many in editions by Professor William Carragan, and played them all to the highest standards (the core of the orchestra is formed by musicians from the major ensembles of Munich). Behind it all stands the figure of conductor Gerd Schaller, who founded the Philharmonie Festiva in 2008, and is the driving force of this unique festival in the village of Ebrach in Upper Franconia. - Ken Ward, the Bruckner Journal, UK
