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Best Sounding Bruckner Recordings

There is a Mahler for Audiophiles thread here, but I am not sure if there is one for Bruckner.  IMO these are the two Composers that benefit the most from high quality sound.  Both Composers relied extensively upon spatial effects.  Bruckner, with his Organist background, was conscious of reverberation effects, and tended to treat the entire Orchestra as one vast Organ.  Mahler had many spatial effects built into his Symphonies.
  I listen to many historical recordings, but I find that these two composers suffer the most when sonically compromised.  I have no problem enjoying a Toscanini Beethoven Symphony, as the majesty of the music and the playing overcome sonic limitations.  However, listening to the Horenstein Bruckner Seventh from 1927 is a real trial.  Even the best restorations make it sound like it was recorded in a phone booth, and the towering beauty of the piece is missing.
  Now, with Bruckner, we have the problem of all of those multiple editions.  I am going to confess straight out that I have no expertise here .  And given that this is an audiophile site, I will concede readily that the best sounding Bruckner recordings may not necessarily be the ultimate in recorded performance.  However, I am looking for comments about great sounding Bruckner recordings that are also good performances 
mahler123
mahler123 OP
3,062 posts
 
I have the Barenboim Bruckner 7 from Chicago. That was made when DB was a young guest Conductor here.  It was still Solti’s Orchestra, and you realize when the brass cuts loose.  DB spent most of his tenure here trying to tame them, with intermittent success.
  My favorite Bruckner 7 for both performance and sound remains Karajan/Vienna 
Phil on DG, one of Von K last recordings.  His Berlin Phil recording is my second choice 
roberjerman
4,319 posts
 
I owned many of the Haitink/Concertgebouw LPs on Philips. Very good overall cycle! Alas, lost them when I moved down South! 
roberjerman
4,319 posts
 
How's the Barenboim/Berlin 7? I'm curious and will probably order the Teldec CD. He does a good job with massive forces!
twoleftears's avatar
twoleftears
5,313 posts
 
I recently ran through the nine symphonies on the main classical music thread (aficionado).  Have a look there.  Chailly has very good sound on the 7th; Giuliani generally is very recommendable.
mahler123 OP
3,062 posts
 
Thanks, 2Lefty, I hadn’t gotten around to looking at that thread.  The Giulini (note the spelling, we wouldn’t want to mix up the Conductor with hand grenade that is Trump’s Personal Attorney) Eighth and Ninth on DG are stunning, try them as Japanese imports.

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