Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra, Paavo Järvi – Anton Bruckner: 7th Symphony (2009) [SACD / RCA Red Seal – 88697389972]
Title: Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra, Paavo Järvi – Anton Bruckner: 7th Symphony (2009)
Genre: Classical
Format: MCH SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC
Paavo Järvi’s 2006 recording of Bruckner’s Seventh Symphony in E Major with the Frankfurt Radio Symphony, using the Leopold Nowak edition, channels the legacy of Hans Rosbaud, treating the work as a dynamic, evolving masterpiece with a streamlined yet radiant approach. The first movement emphasizes lyrical themes in hymnal syntax and Wagnerian harmony, blending bright clarity akin to Günter Wand with a propulsive rhythm and organ-like monumentality, captured vividly by Ruediger Orth’s engineering. Järvi’s etched orchestral colors, reminiscent of Rembrandt’s shading, and a fluid, Furtwängler-like transition to the recapitulation create an Elysian grandeur, while the Adagio, a glowing tribute to Wagner, balances taut pulsation with expansive architecture, culminating in an ethereal pianissimo. The Scherzo’s march-waltz evokes Valkyries with chirping fourths and fifths, relenting into a Schubertian trio, and the Finale recycles earlier themes with energetic concision, culminating in a seamless, Wagnerian peroration. This vast, rewarding interpretation echoes a Rhine Journey, blending monumental and bucolic elements with masterful orchestral interplay.