Cristian Mandeal's Bruckner cycle is coming back on CDs

This is a Bruckner cycle recorded between 1984 and July 1989 with the Clug-Napoca Philharmonic Orchestra, finishing a few months before the collapse of the Ceausescu regime in Romania. All are analogue studio recordings. The fact that such a cycle could materialise in those turbulent and difficult times in Romania is a little miracle in itself.

Cristian Mandeal studied piano, composition and conducting at the Music High School in Brasov and the Music Academy in Bucharest, Romania. Later he also studied with Herbert von Karajan in the 1980s and with Sergei Celibidache in the 1990s.  In the UK, he was Principal Guest Conductor with the Hallé Orchestra in Manchester until the end of the 2008/2009 season. He is currently Principal Guest Conductor of the Copenhagen Philharmonic.

This cycle was originally released in several LPs by Electrecord, but understandably difficult to obtain in the West at those times. With the advent of CDs, only Symphony No. 7 was re-issued. For a while the only way to obtain this cycle is through John Berky's website via digital download. Now this cycle will be re-issued in Japan by the end of March.

It is great news to lovers of Bruckner's music indeed.