Paavo Järvi and the Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich in Bruckner's Ninth
Resmusica
January 4, 2025
by Patrice Imbaud
For this final milestone in his Brucknerian cycle at the head of the Zurich Tonhalle Orchestra, Paavo Jarvi gives us a beautiful account of Anton Bruckner's Symphony No. 9, in the absence of a real reference.Already recorded in 2008 with the Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra, Paavo Järvi once again brings Anton Bruckner's last unfinished symphony, dedicated to God, to the stage, this time with the Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich. After a remarkable Seventh and a very convincing Eighth, this Ninth, with its irreproachable orchestral artistry, fails to escape the criticisms levelled at previous recordings, pointing to a certain lack of fervour and elevation in the subject matter.The first movement aptly combines grandeur and fragility, lyricism and anxiety, solemnity and mystery, but is confined to a very Apollonian immanence of fine workmanship which lacks a little tension and verticality, except perhaps in the incandescent coda; the Scherzo, massive and terrifying, combines the grimacing figures of the woodwinds with the fierce attacks of the strings on an oppressive hammering which contrasts with the almost impulsive lyricism of the Trio; the final Adagio, that of "Farewell to the World", is conducted at a fairly fast tempo, more lyrical than painful, surrounded by a luminous clarity, hesitating between intimate fervor and conquering proselytism to finally adopt the tone of a serene and contemplative prayer that will find its culmination in an immense crescendo recruiting all the sections before the gates of Heaven open on a serene and peaceful coda signing the wedding with God. Magnificent!Anton Bruckner (1824-1896): Symphony No. 9 in D minor. Tonnhalle Orchester Zürich, direction: Paavo Järvi. 1 CD Alpha Classics. Recorded in September 2023 at the Tonnhalle in Zurich. Presentation note in German, English and French. Duration: 60:45
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