Richard Wagner: Siefried Idyll, WWV 103
Anton Bruckner: Symphony No. 6 in A major, WAB 106
Richard Wagner: Parsifal - Prelude Act 1, WWV 111
Anton Bruckner: Symphony No. 9 in D minor, WAB 109

Anyone who's visited my blog and read "The Bruckner Conundrum: The Problem with Anton" will know my opinions on and perception of the music of Anton Bruckner (1824-1896). And more specifically my estimation that his Symphony No. 9 in D minor is nothing more than the cumulative end result of all of his previous Symphonies. With that said, like I mention in my blog, I believe it to be "a monumental symphonic achievement of colossal proportions, standing tall above the rest of his output like a Gothic cathedral, complete with massive granite blocks, brightly lit stained-glass windows and mysterious dark corners". But unlike, for example, the symphonies of Gustav Mahler who journey down different temporal and/or spiritual roads to achieve widely varied results, all of Bruckner's symphonies stick to the main highway with one destination in sight: symmetrical perfection.

Which brings me to this quandary. I've been following with interest conductor Andris Nelsons' recent accounts of the Shostakovich symphonies because of the myriad of unique and highly personal touches and insights he's brought to the music's varied undertones and emotive outbursts. But with Bruckner's music being in a sense "absolute" and devoid of implied reactions to external stimuli and personal emotions, it's difficult for any conductor to shine a revelatory light on any aspect of his music. Unless of course you are Leonard Bernstein and can lead the Vienna Philharmonic into a quasi "religious experience" during a live take of the 9th Symphony (my go to version by the way).

With all of that said, an impressive reading of a Bruckner symphony and especially the 9th, is all about good sonics. And the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig can produce this in spades. A prime example of this is when Bruckner takes the beautiful and powerful heaven-storming chords from the beginning of the final movement and at the end inverts them and reveals their dark side, the orchestra generates enough power for you to recoil. And I love Nelsons' choice of specific Wagner pieces as they clearly demonstrate the extent to which Bruckner's reverance for Wagner highly influenced his own music. So don't let my highly personal postulations on the music of Anton Bruckner detract you from acquiring a copy of this 2-disc set which brings together two of his best symphonies along with music from the master who engendered their genesis.