Bruckner began work on his Ninth Symphony in August 1887. He was still working on it on the day he died, nine years later. Why did it take him so long? For one thing, his physical health was failing; worse still, there was a marked increase in the nervous, obsessive behaviour that had worried his friends in the past. He had also loaded himself with professional distractions: extensive revisions of the First, Second, Third and Eighth symphonies and the Masses in E minor and F minor, and the composition of two substantial choral works: the 150th Psalm and the cantata Helgoland.
Then there was the sheer magnitude of the task in hand. Bruckner meant the Ninth Symphony to be a summingup of his life’s achievements (including quotations from some of his most successful works). There was also an implied tribute to one of his musical gods. In one of his lectures at the Vienna University, Bruckner told the class: ‘I’ll write my last symphony in D minor, just like Beethoven’s Ninth. Beethoven won’t object.’ Friends and colleagues remembered similar remarks. So, where most composers would have shied away from inviting comparison with Beethoven’s mighty Ninth (the ‘Choral’ Symphony), Bruckner actively encouraged it! But there was more to this than arrogance. The dedication of the symphony ‘dem lieben Gott’ (‘to dear God’) shows that Bruckner saw the Ninth as a special expression of his life-long Roman Catholic faith – perhaps not as unquestioning as some have claimed, but certainly a potent guiding force. Richard Heller, Bruckner’s doctor during his last 18 months, felt sure that Bruckner ‘had drawn up a contract with his “dear God”. If He willed that the symphony, which was indeed to be a hymn of praise to God, should be finished, He should give Bruckner the time he needed for his task; if he died too soon and his musical offering was left incomplete, God had only himself to blame.’
Catalog Number: LSO0746
ID: 616
Awards
Bruckner- Symphony No. 9 (2014)
Bruckner
London Symphony Orchestra
Bernard Haitink
London Symphony Orchestra
The LSO was formed in 1904 as London’s first self-governing orchestra and has been resident orchestra at the Barbican since 1982. Valery Gergiev became Principal Conductor in 2007 following in the footsteps of Hans Richter, Sir Edward Elgar, Sir Thomas Beecham, André Previn, Claudio Abbado and Michael Tilson Thomas, among others. Sir Colin Davis had previously held the position since 1995 and from 2007 became the LSO’s first President since Leonard Bernstein. The Orchestra gives numerous concerts around the world each year, plus more performances in London than any other orchestra. It is the world’s most recorded symphony orchestra and has appeared on some of the greatest classical recordings and film soundtracks. The LSO also runs LSO Discovery, its ground-breaking education programme that is dedicated to introducing the finest music to young and old alike and lets everyone learn more from the Orchestra’s players. For more information visit lso.co.uk
Bernard Haitink
With an international conducting career that has spanned more than five decades, Amsterdam-born Bernard Haitink is one of today’s most celebrated conductors. Principal Conductor of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra from 2006 to 2010, Bernard Haitink has also held posts as music director of the Royal Concertgebouw, Dresden Staatskapelle, the Royal Opera, Covent Garden, Glyndebourne Festival Opera, and the London Philharmonic Orchestra. He is Conductor Laureate of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra and Conductor Emeritus of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and performs regularly with the world’s leading orchestras.
Bernard Haitink has recorded widely with the Concertgebouw, the Berlin and Vienna Philharmonic orchestras and the Boston Symphony Orchestra, as well as recording highly acclaimed cycles of Brahms and Beethoven symphonies with the LSO for LSO Live. He was awarded a Grammy for Best Opera Recording in 2004 for Janá?ek’s Jenufa with the Royal Opera, and for Best Orchestral Performance of 2008 for Shostakovich’s Symphony No 4 with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.
Bruckner- Symphony No. 9 (2014)
Bruckner
London Symphony Orchestra
Classical-CD-Reviews.com
Classical Ear -
The Observer -
Classical Source
Voix des Arts
Audiophilia.com
SA-CD.net
BBC Music Magazine -
International Record Review
Audiophile Audition
Gramophone
The Sunday Times
Bruckner- Symphony No. 9 (2014)
Bruckner
London Symphony Orchestra
Bruckner- Symphony No. 9 (2014)
Bruckner
London Symphony Orchestra
| Mastering Engineer: | Classic Sound Ltd. Jonathan Stokes, Neil Hutchinson |
| Producer: | James Mallinson |
| Recording Engineer: | Classic Sound Ltd. Andrew Halifax, Jonathan Stokes |
| Recording location: | Barbican London |
| Recording Type & Bit Rate: | DSD64 |
Quality
- DXD
- 64fs
- 128fs
- 256fs
For albums, lower DSD bit rates (128 and/or 64) are available at no surcharge. This does not apply for DXD selection.
| Album Download | duration | price | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LSO0746: Bruckner- Symphony No. 9 | 01:07:10 | Select quality & channels above | ||
| Tracks | ||||
|
1.
|
Symphony No. 9- i. Feierlich, misterioso Bruckner |
00:27:31 | Select quality & channels above | |
|
2.
|
Symphony No. 9- ii. Scherzo- Bewegt, lebhaft - Trio- Schnell - Scherzo Bruckner |
00:11:53 | Select quality & channels above | |
|
3.
|
Symphony No. 9- iii. Adagio- Langsam, feierlich Bruckner |
00:27:46 | Select quality & channels above | |
