Thielemann's Bruckner Fifth -- Apple of discord

One of the readers of this blog, Sky, has made the following comment:

"DG released Thielemann/MPO's Bruckner Symphony No. 5 some years ago, some people raved about it, but I also found some people(i.e. David Hurwitz) critized it. Could you share your opinion on that recording?"

I'm more than happy to share mine with you.

Before any discussion of Thielemann's B5, it has to be understood that extremes of tempo will invariably invite skepticism. Classical examples include Celibidache in his Munich years at the slow end, and Norrington at the fast end of the tempo spectrum.

Thielemann's Bruckner recordings

Another fact one has to consider is Thielemann's explicit identification as the torch-bearer of the old German school of conducting, and in this context he has long attracted controversy, especially when one thinks of the authentic movement marching into the Romantic period these days. I have followed Thielemann's progress ever since his debut recording, as he offered us something that was unusual at that, and even the present, time. If one further considers the history that one of his earliest recordings for DG was Beethoven's Fifth and Seventh Symphonies with Philharmonia Orchestra, a disc I liked very much, one can realise that he is someone who prides himself on the core traditional Austro-German repertoire. So there is no surprise that he chose Bruckner's 5th for his inaugural concert as General Music Director of the Munich Philharmonic, and also to record it live. His confidence in himself is further supported by this choice, as Celibidache also performed this symphony for the opening of the new concert hall in Munich. Although Thielemann wrote in the CD booklet asking others not to compare him to the old masters, his choice of performing this symphony at that important moment in face of the rich Bruckner tradition in Munich, however, casts an obviously paradoxical shadow on his request.

Apart from his choice of tempo, another special attribute in this recording is the sound colour. Building up from the low bass, his orchestral sound picture portraits a dark solemn mood and at the same time resembles plangent organ music. His crescendos and decrescendos are gradual and smooth, making the ride through a Bruckner's symphony an undulating wave-like experience rather than a rough jumpy one.

In this symphony he uses the first three movements to gather momentum for a fine release in the Finale. His long legato is mesmerizing. This is no ordinary, routine Bruckner performance practice. I'm glad to have this listening experience.

By the way, David Hurwitz had a change of heart in his review of Thielemann's recent B8 live recording which, in terms of dynamics, tempo, orchestral palette and tension, did not differ significantly from his B5's in question.