The approach of the
Bruckner
bicentennial in 2024 has brought a variety of performances and even cycles of his symphonies. There have been monumental readings from the big Austrian and German orchestras, but also a surprising number from smaller and lesser-known groups that offer fresh ideas. From conductor
Markus Poschner
comes one interesting cycle; working variously with the
Bruckner Orchester Linz
(as on the present release) and the
ORF Radio-Symphonieorchester Wien
.
Poschner
's cycle is distinguished by the fact that he is recording the variants of each symphony for a total of 19 albums in all. This is useful to have in itself, but his reading of the
Symphony No. 8 in C minor
in its relatively splashy 1887 version is worthwhile on its own merits.
takes off from the fact that the
, at 110 members, is leaner than, say, the
Vienna Philharmonic
at 145 to 150, and he crafts an interpretation that, while no
performance can really be called lithe, has great transparency and an attractive flowing quality. The orchestra's strings play beautifully.
's Scherzo has a good deal of intensity, and the entire symphony seems to have a logic and a compactness, although the reading is not notably quicker than average. It will be quite interesting to hear how
treats
's revisions in the 1890 version, but for the present, this 2023 release can compete with any
Eighth
on the market. ~ James Manheim