CD6/2009:
Bruckner: Symphony no 7
Berliner Staatskapelle Orchestra
Kurt Masur
The Royal Festival Hall, London
Recording: 17th November 1967
Bruckner Discography
“The performance is excellent and the sound for its day is superb.”
—John F. Berky, Editor, Anton Bruckner Symphony Versions Discography, October 2009
Fanfare
“This 1967 Seventh differs from Masur’s other accounts in its greater spontaneity and the exceptionally vivid quality of its recorded sound … if you are seeking to have a memento of Masur’s Bruckner at its most appealing, this CD is the way to go.”
—Jeffrey J. Lipscomb, Fanfare 33:5, May/June 2010
MusicWeb International
“[W]e must give serious consideration to the frisson of this live London performance … There are […] strong reasons interpretatively to prefer this 1967 reading and, with highly sympathetic sound into the bargain, Masur admirers have now found another reason to acquaint themselves with this performance.”
“Once again [Orchestral Concert CDs] shows that a simple yet optimum recorded set-up can deal very nicely indeed with even a problem venue such as this.”
—Jonathan Woolf, MusicWeb International, June 2010
International Record Review
“This is a cogent, unmannered reading that makes its considerable impact through unflashy musicianship, a fine sense of Brucknerian symphonic trajectory and a refined ear for inner detail and the colours of the composer’s orchestration. The sound of this live recording is clean and clear – like a very good broadcast from the period. Masur’s conducting of this symphony has remained remarkably consistent and is extremely satisfying … This is a most rewarding disc.”
—Nigel Simeone, International Record Review, June 2012
| Track listing | Time | |
|---|---|---|
| Anton Bruckner: Symphony no 7 in E major | 63' 30" | |
| 1 | I Allegro moderato | 19' 15" |
| 2 | II Adagio: Sehr feierlich und sehr langsam | 22' 12" |
| 3 | III Scherzo: Sehr schnell – Trio: Etwas langsamer† | 9' 28" |
| 4 | IV Finale: Bewegt, doch nicht schnell* | 12' 34" |
| Total time: | 63' 30" | |
*Sample extract (control with the Sound Sample tab at the top of the page)
†This track may be heard on the Sampler CD