Page 327 - Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Coverage Book 2023-24

02 April 2024

Norman Stinchcombe reviews the latest classical CD
releases

Bruckner: Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra / Hindoyan (Onyx CD) ★★

This is the bicentenary of Bruckner’s birth so expect to see some new recordings.
This one, of Bruckner’s fourth symphony, is a predominantly lyrical and flowing one
by the RLPO’s Venezuelan chief conductor Domingo Hindoyan. Anyone wanting the
weight, power and grandeur provided by the great German and Austrian orchestras
and conductors should look elsewhere. There is some piquant woodwind playing and
the Andante second movement is gracefully shaped. With scores of recordings
available a new one needs to carve out a niche either for musical insight or audio
quality but this new one does neither. It was recorded live in concert and completed
with a patch-up session six months later and the recording sounds constricted and
airless. Karl’s Böhm’s magisterial 1973 recording, with the Decca engineers at the
Sofiensaal, has wonderful bloom. Listen to the rustic dancing lilt of the Trio Böhm
gets from the Vienna Philharmonic – players and conductor had this music in their
blood.