Bruckner 9th -- complete

[Amphissa]

This is a bit off topic, but I watched a video a few nights ago of Maazel conducting his suite of music from Wagner's Ring, A full 1:15 of Wagner's wonderful music woven into a single large work. Featured a choir of real anvils/hammers, 6 harps, and a variety of instruments I had never seen before. Captivating and totally immersive.

And, without the vocals dominating one's attention, it was even more obvious just how much Bruckner's music drew upon that of Wagner.

[mbhaub]

mbhaub, since you've heard other versions, do you happen to have any sense of whether the new Carragan completion finds its own way to the effective finish you describe or whether it also incorporates philological clarifications seen in Phillips or other recent editions?

Carragan is quite elusive about exactly what's his and what's Bruckner. I don't think the newest version differs structurally very much from the 1985 Chandos recording. What he has done is radically improved the orchestration. It sounds more Brucknerian. I don't know how much he was influenced by Phillips and I don't know if the manuscript discoveries since 1985 have been included. But it just works. Does it have the gravitas that Bruckner probably would have had - no. But it sure incorporates a lot, if not all, of the Bruckner sketches. The last page is full of grandeur and is quite impressive and makes a satisfactory close. The Mazzuca/Cohrs et al version is also quite impressive, but at least the recording I have (Camerata) the ending leaves me kind of empty: I want more. Of course, these are far, far better than the wretched travesty that Peter Jan Marthe created -- just awful!

[chill319]

Thanks!

Update: This may be old news for most members of this forum, but just in case...

The following page, new to me, has an interesting discography of Bruckner 9 finale completions -- including Carragan's 2006 version.

http://www.abruckner.com/discography/symphonyno9indmino/