Wand

Günter Wand at the BBC Proms: Anton Bruckner - Symphony No. 5
BBC Symphony Orchestra - Günter Wand
NTSC, MPEG-2 720 x 480, 4:3 | PCM Stereo, 48.0 KHz | 4.43 Gb (DVD5)
Label/Cat#: ica CLASSICS # ICAD 5049 | Country/Year: Germany 2011 | Full Artwork | 5% Recovery Info
Genre: Classical | Style: Romantic, Concert Video

Günter Wand's Indian summer is surprisingly well documented on DVD. This Bruckner 5 from the Proms follows similar video releases of the 6 th, 8 th and 9 th Symphonies from the same period with the NDR Sinfonieorchester. Wand's conducting technique, and the aura that he projects from the podium, make each of these well worth watching. Even from audio-only recordings, it is clear that Wand was a living embodiment of Bruckner's art. That impression is all the stronger for actually seeing him at work…

With the exception of the Fourth Symphony, Gunter Wand's Berlin Bruckner remakes have not surpassed their NDR predecessors. The reason isn't hard to fathom: NDR is the better of the two orchestras in this music at present, and the evidence is right there on the discs themselves. During his tenure as music director, Claudio Abbado has replaced approximately two-thirds of the Philharmonic's personnel, and however fine these newcomers may be individually, as an ensemble the Berlin Philharmonic is a young group that has not yet found its corporate voice. Contrast this to Wand's years of work at NDR almost exclusively in the Brahms/Bruckner/Beethoven core German repertoire, and it should come as no surprise that his earlier efforts supercede a one-off guest gig in Berlin, however much rehearsal time he might have had. Still, this being Wand and Bruckner, the results are bound to be at least good, so when reading the following comments please insert the adverb "comparatively" before every descriptive adjective.

Hi fellows. Günther Wand, a famous conductor for his great performances on Bruckner symphonies, was recognized late in life, when the most important orchestras ask him to conduct them. But in his past, he was one of the top leading conductors on 20th century and contemporary music, as we can see in the Günther Wand Edition on Profil. Enjoy!

Wand insisted on something like eight rehearsals for every performance, so nothing sounds slapdash or hurriedly considered. The amount of detail impresses as well as the amount of forethought with each score. The music sounds as if it has become part of these players, a spontaneous expression that paradoxically comes only after a great amount of work.

Anton Bruckner - Symphony No. 1 in C minor Vienna Version 1890/91
Kölner Rundfunk-Sinfonie-Orchester / Günter Wand
EAC+LOG+CUE | FLAC: 200 MB | Full Artwork: 93 MB | 5% Recovery Info
Label/Cat#: RCA Victor "Gold Seal" # GD 60076 | Country/Year: Germany 1989, 1982
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."

Anton Bruckner - Symphony No. 3 in D minor (1889)
Kölner Rundfunk-Sinfonie-Orchester / Günter Wand
EAC+LOG+CUE | FLAC: 229 MB | Full Artwork: 76 MB | 5% Recovery Info
Label/Cat#: RCA Victor "Gold Seal" # GD 60078 | Country/Year: Germany 1989, 1981
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."

Anton Bruckner - Symphony No. 5 in B flat major Original Version 1875-1878
Kölner Rundfunk-Sinfonie-Orchester / Günter Wand
EAC+LOG+CUE | FLAC: 355 MB | Full Artwork: 47 MB | 5% Recovery Info
Label/Cat#: RCA Victor "Gold Seal" # GD 60080 | 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."

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."

Anton Bruckner - Symphony No. 7 in E major Original Version 1881-1883
Kölner Rundfunk-Sinfonie-Orchester / Günter Wand
EAC+LOG+CUE | FLAC: 264 MB | Full Artwork: 74 MB | 5% Recovery Info
Label/Cat#: RCA Victor "Gold Seal" # GD 60082 | Country/Year: Germany 1989, 1980
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."

Anton Bruckner - Symphony No. 9 in D minor Original Version
Kölner Rundfunk-Sinfonie-Orchester / Günter Wand
EAC+LOG+CUE | FLAC: 259 MB | Full Artwork: 75 MB | 5% Recovery Info
Label/Cat#: RCA Victor "Gold Seal" # GD 60084 | Country/Year: Germany 1989, 1979
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."