The ASO rebounds with a terrific disc.
BRUCKNER: Symphony No. 4, “Romantic” – Atlanta Sym. Orch./ Nathalie Stutzmann – Warner Classic 5026854324210, 71:45 *****:
After having chastised the Atlanta Symphony—and their music director—for opening their new Warner contract (for some reason released on Erato)—with such an overplayed warhorse like the “New World” symphony (which was good but not great), they completely ignored my advice to concentrate on some lesser-known repertory. This time they jumped from warhorse to warhorse and dove headfirst into Bruckner.
Of course, they also chose his most popular symphony. When I first saw this release, I must admit to some flabbergastment. Yes, I know that is not a word, but it only emphasizes how shocked I was! The Atlanta Symphony has never been known as a Bruckner orchestra, and you can probably count their Bruckner performances in the last 20 years on one hand. But there is a new sheriff in town, and her name is Nathalie.
What I did not know, according to the notes on this CD, is that she is a Bruckner fan, and has a deep love for his music. I must admit, however grudgingly, that she and they turn in a really superb reading of the intrepid fourth. Truth be told, this is as good as almost any. I say “almost” because it does not quite knock off the very best—and by that, I mean Bohm in Vienna and Barenboim in Chicago—but holds its own even though the total length is longer than either of those.
I thought that Bohm was fairly extended, but his way with the linear lines and chordal undergirding that Bruckner loves is managed in a magnificent way that he had a gift for. And Barenboim, then so young in 1972, full of an innate understanding of the composer and slathering energy all over the place, made as exciting a recording as has ever been laid down. Astonishingly, Stutzmann, though not as lyrical as Bohm or lively as Barenboim, encourages the orchestra to outdo themselves and infuses every bar with pulsating richness and sustainability.
It starts with the low brass of course. One cannot hope to play Bruckner without a firm undergirding, or all is lost, and the ASO deep voices provide that. The multilayered chords are beautifully balanced, and the strings gorgeously uphold the often-unforgiving tremolos and long-winded passages where there is not much more to do than hang on for dear life.
This symphony did not avoid the classic Brucknerian rewrites. When he completed the work in 1874, the Vienna Phil did not like it and said forget it. So, he redid the scherzo and finale in 1878, completely revised the finale again in 1880, and Hans Richter led the same Viennese in the premiere in 1881—it was an overwhelming success. Fortunately, Stutzmann has chosen the latest and greatest version for this performance (the original is a distinct letdown—the Vienna Philharmonic was right about that), and the results are stellar. The late Benjamin-Gunnar Cohrs’ 2021 critical edition of the 1878–81 version, which has been recorded by Simon Rattle with the LSO (LSO Live—avoid!), claims to clean up some things and also delete a supposed composer-approved passage, which adds some to the length of this disc. Curiously, Stutzmann, though using the “new” edition, chooses to keep this passage.
Honestly, I could care less. There are multitudinous editions of the symphony now, and as long as the last changes Bruckner made are used, it really doesn’t matter, despite the protestations of many in the Bruckner cult who ravenously convulse over such things. The rest of us will just glory in the music.
I mentioned timings—Barenboim is eight minutes faster, and Bohm clocks in at four minutes faster, mainly in the Andante and Finale. The sound is great on both of those releases, but it is here as well, with excellent clarity. I really like the way Stutzmann approaches this work and would never have guessed that the total timing was so different from these other discs. This is a testament to her knowledge and conceptualization of this piece, and of the ASO’s ability to realize those ideas. Besides these comparisons there are other excellent renditions, but if you are new to Bruckner or have a hundred other versions of this masterpiece, you will not be disappointed with this release.
—Steven Ritter
