Bruckner: Symphony No.8

For this ABC Classics recording of Anton Bruckner's Symphony No. 8 in C minor, Simon Rattle and the Australian World Orchestra perform the 1890 revision, edited by Robert Haas. Unlike many contemporary conductors who favor the 1887 original, on the theory that Bruckner's earliest versions reflect his truest intentions and show more of his originality, Rattle has chosen one of the more familiar revisions that Bruckner undertook after the first version was rejected. It has been performed and recorded widely for more than a century, and there are few surprises in Rattle's straightforward reading. Here and there, some unusual features are drawn out, such as the woodwind passages in the expansive Scherzo, and the string writing is transparent in the funereal Adagio. Bruckner's gravitas and poignant lyricism are fully communicated, and the orchestra plays with commitment and seriousness, delivering a rather traditional but compelling performance that conveys the symphony's massiveness and monumentality. ABC's sound is quite good for a live recording, and the focused sound captures many nuances that are sometimes lost in other recordings.