Wand Beethoven

Anton Bruckner - Symphony No. 6 in A major Original Version 1879/81
Kölner Rundfunk-Sinfonie-Orchester / Günter Wand
EAC+LOG+CUE | FLAC: 256 MB | Full Artwork: 46 MB | 5% Recovery Info
Label/Cat#: RCA Victor "Gold Seal" # GD 60081 | Country/Year: Germany 1989, 1977
Genre: Classical | Style: Romantic

…In his late years, Wand restricted his repertoire almost exclusively to the symphonies of Anton Bruckner (which he had never conducted until he was over 60), Schubert, Brahms, Beethoven and Mozart. Wand regarded Bruckner as the "most important symphonist after Beethoven". Wand's biographer Wolfgang Seifert believes that "it is no exaggeration to say that Günter Wand has made an indispensable contribution toward the understanding of Bruckner in our time."

If you're looking for a set of all nine Beethoven symphonies, this one is pretty hard to beat. It's the most consistently fine interpretively, as well as supremely well played and gorgeously recorded.

David Hurwitz

Ludwig van Beethoven: Symphony No. 2 / Johannes Brahms: Symphony No. 2
Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra - Mariss Jansons
SACD ISO (2.0/MCH): 3,98 GB | 24B/88,2kHz Stereo FLAC: 1,16 GB | Full Artwork | 5% Recovery Info
Label/Cat#: RCO Live # RCO 05002 | Country/Year: Europe 2005
Genre: Classical | Style: Classical Period, Romantic

…got this for the Brahms, which is at best a thoroughly decent performance, nothing more - but the highlight is the excellent Beethoven. The ratings reflect the dichotomy of the two performances and their sonics, an average of 4 for sound seems fair - but the Beethoven warrants a 5 for performance.

Günter Wand (1912-2002) left us dozens of gramophone records: complete symphonic cycles and impressive live recordings of his concerts with the NDR Symphony Orchestra and the Berlin Philharmonic. The archetypical anti-star all his life and for that very reason under-appreciated, this conductor only attained international recognition in his old age as an unequalled interpreter of classical music. Accordingly, most of these multiple-award-winning benchmark recordings date from his later years. Wand's music-making moved those who heard it with its impeccable balance of perfection coupled with faithfulness to the original, emotional fulfilment, intellectual control, utmost sensitivity and spiritual penetration. He described his mission as "serving music", a cause to which this totally unpretentious man remained committed for seventy years. He rose to be one of the true "greats" of the twentieth century, a figure standing head and shoulders above our restless times, his name synonymous with the highest musical quality.

Recorded 1987 - 1988

Recorded 1985