Taga Jones Elle ne Voulait Pas (version 2024)

Following their recordings of Bruckner's Symphonies Nos. 7 (ALPHA932, Diapason d'Or) and 8 (ALPHA987, awarded 'best symphonic recording of the year' at the International Classical Music Awards), Paavo Jarvi and the Tonhalle-Orchester Zurich here conclude their tribute to the Austrian composer in this bicentenary year with a recording of his 9th symphony. The orchestra's history has been closely linked to Bruckner since it gave the first Swiss performance of one of his symphonies under Richard Strauss in 1903. "The great classical and romantic tradition of the Tonhalle-Orchester Zurich make it ideally suited to Bruckner, the central composer for modern symphony orchestras," says Paavo Jarvi. Bruckner composed this musical farewell (he wrote the words "a farewell to life" in the score) in his final years; legend has it that he was still working on the symphony on the day he died.

"In its second version of 1877, the Second is very compact; it is well balanced, and you can easily appreciate the large-scale arcs of tension and empathise with them. At the same time the huge contrasts are thrilling. It contains wonderful melodies. The Adagio is almost like a description of a wonderful landscape, by which I mean an inner and an external landscape. This is not programme music, but this movement in particular does exude a great sense of intimacy, closeness to nature and humanity - indeed, it radiates such an overwhelming sense of love that one simply cannot tear oneself away from it. The Scherzo on the other hand is at times coarse and abrasive. The Finale comes across as a whirling dance. So, in a nut-shell, it is a mystery to me why this symphony is not played more often. It is a masterpiece!" (Gerd Schaller)

Following their recordings of Bruckner's Symphonies Nos. 7 (ALPHA932, Diapason d'Or) and 8 (ALPHA987, awarded 'best symphonic recording of the year' at the International Classical Music Awards), Paavo Jarvi and the Tonhalle-Orchester Zurich here conclude their tribute to the Austrian composer in this bicentenary year with a recording of his 9th symphony. The orchestra's history has been closely linked to Bruckner since it gave the first Swiss performance of one of his symphonies under Richard Strauss in 1903. "The great classical and romantic tradition of the Tonhalle-Orchester Zurich make it ideally suited to Bruckner, the central composer for modern symphony orchestras," says Paavo Jarvi. Bruckner composed this musical farewell (he wrote the words "a farewell to life" in the score) in his final years; legend has it that he was still working on the symphony on the day he died.

Recording solo pieces was a departure from my usual ensemble or orchestral work, requiring a different mindset and approach (…) the solitude allowed for introspection and deep connection with the music, resulting in a profoundly personal recording experience. – Ásdís Valdimarsdóttir