A new cornerstone of the discography (especially for the 6th)

The Amsterdam Concertgbouw is the orchestra that seems very early to have established a lasting tradition in Bruckner's highest peak. By the end of the war have succeeded Eduard van Beinum, Bernard Haitink, Riccardo Chailly and Marris Jansons took over. Bernard Haitink in the 60s was the only competitor to have engraved Eugen Jochum full of good quality.

Marris Jansons offers here an unusual coupling: the seventh and sixth whose mind contrasts sharply with the 5th and 7th marking both the transition to spirituality that will be the essence of Bruckner second way after the 4th symphony called "romantic.

If the exception of the seventh records are many, the sixth is shunned both the concert and also to the disc. It is quite inexplicable in the sense that its duration does not exceed one and where the composer seems to have abandoned his metaphysical anguish for a more serene design even pastoral. So a more accessible design as the third in its final version or the 8th. In my ray versions are quite rare: Klemperer (because I like the style of the Chief Executive), Haitink in Amsterdam (I love the final), Jochum (though a bit too perfect German) and the inevitable Celibidache who for once does not slow to its extreme tempos, but allows by his obsessive attention to detail a comprehensive discovery of the partition

What's new with Jansons: no bombast, an orchestra that sounds like never particularly with miking strings that perfectly balances and harmony and especially a quicksilver design that removes grease from any Teutonic about the color. Upon introduction, a form of rustic joy seizes the orchestra, the adagio found refinement and not languid, the scherzo is adorned with a thousand colors and finally the end finds this almost youthful rhythm that we never meet in more serious works of maturity. In short, a success and a stone probably essential in the discography of this unloved work

In contrast, the 7th knows a bloated discography in which the best (Jochum, Wand, Böhm, etc.) and the worst (no name, it would be too subjective). Jansons adopts rather Going tempos which detracts from the romantic spirit of this work which, it must be remembered, is noted in the major mode in its title. We find the same qualities of establishment in the 6th: present and clear harmony, tempos pugnacious, silky and warm strings (what beauty in the initial allegro). In short, not a version more to add on the stack, but an engraving to be enjoyed in alternation with the other great historical interpretations.