The orchestra’s history has been closely linked to Bruckner since it gave the first Swiss performance of one of his symphonies under Richard Strauss in 1903. “The great classical and romantic tradition of the Tonhalle-Orchester Zurich make it ideally suited to Bruckner, the central composer for modern symphony orchestras,” says Paavo Jarvi. Bruckner composed this musical farewell (he wrote the words “a farewell to life” in the score) in his final years; legend has it that he was still working on the symphony on the day he died.

Tonhalle-Orchester Zurich
Paavo Jarvi, Conductor

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In the latest release in the Fresh! series from Reference Recordings, conductor Manfred Honeck and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra present Bruckner: Symphony No. 7 & Bates: Resurrexit. Exclusively available at NativeDSD in Stereo and 5 Channel Surround Sound DSD 256, DSD 128 and DXD plus Stereo DSD 512 from the 32 Bit DXD Edit Master Files! 

On September 23, 1881, Bruckner began work on his Seventh Symphony, just twenty days after finishing his Sixth Symphony. The first and third movements were written first, followed by the second and finally the fourth, with the full symphony completed on September 3, 1883 in St. Florian. The Seventh Symphony was premiered on December 30, 1884 in Leipzig, Germany under the direction of Arthur Nikisch, conductor of the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra and later chief conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic.

The question has often been raised whether Bruckner’s symphonies are best viewed through a spiritual or intellectual lens. For me, it is impossible to separate one from the other, as I see the symphonies as a total work of art. To experience Bruckner only from an intellectual perspective would somehow diminish the rich spiritual power and deep meaning within the music. Similarly, to reduce Bruckner’s music to the spiritual alone, devoid of skill and mastery, would be superficial.

Just as a human being consists of spirit, soul and body, I see Bruckner’s symphonic music in a similar light:

• Spirit — The art of designing compositional relationships
• Soul — The grasping of a boundless depth of spirituality
• Body — The love of Austrian folk and dance music

Manfred Honeck, Music Director
Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra

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Altera – vocal ensemble

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This edition of the Symphony by Benjamin-Gunnar Cohrs was first performed by the London Symphony Orchestra and Sir Simon Rattle in September 2022. The recording completes a set of three albums which also features Cohrs’ editions of Bruckner’s Fourth and Sixth symphonies – also available at NativeDSD.Com

Making use of Bruckner’s discarded fragments and lesser-known material through his many revisions, this set of albums is a must-listen for lovers of Bruckner’s music, and gives us a glimpse into the composer’s untold musical thoughts.

Conducting Bruckner, says Rattle, “Is a lifelong quest for some “extraordinary vista, some wonderful moment which leads you out of this world”. This certainly rings true for Bruckner’s Seventh Symphony, the opening theme for which is said to have come to him in a dream, played by an angel. This huge, glowing mountain-range of sound is all at once majestic, reverent and terrifying.

London Symphony Orchestra
Sir Simon Rattle, Conductor

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These tracks give an impression of the label’s wide stylistic reach. They are presented in Stereo and 5 Channel Surround Sound DSD, DXD and FLAC – exclusively at NativeDSD!

For all Stereo and 5 Channel Surround Sound DSD, DXD, and FLAC music downloads from Pentatone, please visit NativeDSD Music at www.nativedsd.com/label/pentatone 

Featuring
Carlos Kalmar, Oregon Symphony (Track 1)
Lisette Oropesa (Tracks 2,7,8)
Rene Barbera (Track 2)
Lester Lynch (Track 2)
Daniel Oren (Track 2)
Dresdner Philharmonie (Tracks 2,7)
Sachsischer Staatsopernchor Dresden (Track 2)
Francesco Piemontesi – Pianist (Track 3)
Jonathan Nott, Orchestre de la Suisse Romande (Tracks 3,5,6)
Holland Baroque (Track 4)
Bastarda Trio (Track 4)
Corrado Rovaris (Track 7)
Antonello Manacorda, Il Pomo D’Oro (Track 8)
Arabella Steinbacher – Violinist (Track 9)
Munchener Kammerorchester (Track 9)
Philipp Ahmann, MDR Leipzing Radio Choir (Track 10)

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Following his critically acclaimed interpretation of Bruckner’s 7th Symphony, Iván Fischer leads the Budapest Festival Orchestra to the summit of 19th century symphonic music, with this new recording of the monumental, enigmatic, unfinished and deeply religious 9th Symphony of Anton Bruckner. The album is exclusively available in Stereo and 5 Channel DSD 128, DSD 256 and DXD plus Stereo DSD 512 at NativeDSD. 

The three completed movements are pervaded with angst and awareness of death. As in Mozart’s unfinished Requiem, the first movement is dominated by a dark D minor. The pounding rhythms of the scherzo seem to anticipate Stravinsky and Bartók, while the large leaps and piercing dissonances point towards the Second Viennese School of Arnold Schoenberg, Alban Berg and Anton Webern. The Adagio is Bruckner’s heartrending farewell to the world and to life. Although Bruckner died before he could write the huge fourth movement he had in mind, there is something satisfying and comforting in concluding with the Adagio.

Budapest Festival Orchestra
Ivan Fischer, Conductor

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Sir Simon Rattle loves Bruckner’s Fourth, and on this new recording from LSO Live, he conducts the work in all its splendor: music that never gets any less stirring, and has never sounded so fresh. He is aware, too, that Bruckner’s inspiration burned so brightly that he ended up with more ideas than he could actually use. “There is much wonderful music which remains almost entirely unplayed” he says. On this album he steps inside Bruckner’s workshop, bringing to light some of the music that didn’t make the final cut.

This edition of the symphony and its discarded Scherzo and Finale by Benjamin-Gunnar Cohrs was published in 2021. The world premiere performance with Sir Simon Rattle and the LSO is a must-listen for lovers of Bruckner’s music, and gives us a glimpse into the composer’s untold musical thoughts.

London Symphony Orchestra
Sir Simon Rattle – Conductor

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While Bruckner’s Locus iste, Christus factus est and Ave Maria enjoy great popularity and can be heard frequently in concerts, Michael Haydn’s contributions to the same genre are far less known. The younger brother of Joseph and successor of Mozart as Salzburg organist has, however, had a huge impact on religious composition in the German-speaking world, and particularly in Austria. As such, Bruckner’s motets, composed about a century later, are still firmly grounded in the tradition of Michael Haydn.

By combining their motets, this album allows the listener to discover this uniquely Austrian church-musical style, while simultaneously showing how both composers gave a highly personal substance to it.

The MDR Leipzig Radio Choir is the largest German radio choir with the richest tradition. Since 2020, Philipp Ahmann has served as its chief conductor. They have been featured on several earlier Pentatone recordings, including Il Tabarro, Cavalleria Rusticana (both 2020), Der Freischütz (2019) and Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis (2017) – also available from NativeDSD Music in Stereo and Multichannel DSD.

MDR Leipzig Radio Choir (MDR-Rundfunkchor)
Sebastian Krause – Trombone
Eckart Wiegräbe – Trombone
Uwe Gebel – Trombone (Track 2 only)
Fernando Günther – Trombone
Philipp Ahmann – Conductor

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On this album ‘Lento Religioso’ we bring together several romantic works, each with a very specific expressive power of its own. Some are genuine pieces for string ensemble, others are adaptations created for us. Some arrangements are simple: you play the four parts of a string quartet with all the strings of a string orchestra and have a nice bass part written, and a ‘new work’ is born. But it can also be a complicated process. In ‘translating’ a work written for piano or symphony orchestra, the arranger must make complex artistic and technical decisions. In any adaptation lies a danger, but also a potential; will the listener be disappointed in comparing it to his previous knowledge of the piece, or pleasantly surprised by new aspects presented by the arrangement? This tender, melancholy, and languishing album is intended for the inquisitive listener.

– Candida Thompson
Artistic director, lead violinist

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Gaudeamus features a hand-selected group of superb singers under the direction of Paul Halley, a veteran choir director/composer/organist. Sacred Feast was originally developed to demonstrate Multichannel DSD recording technology from Sony and Phillips. This album became a hit at the high-fidelity end of the music industry. The realism and immediacy of the performance is documented in a way that truly brings these classic choral pieces to life. As Tom Jung says, “the listener is placed in the chapel where the music was performed”.

NativeDSD is excited to bring this famed DSD Stereo & DSD Surround Sound recording to our listeners.  We’re also adding Sacred Feast to our HRP program, taking the album to another level in Stereo DSD 128, DSD 256, DSD 512 as well as Multichannel DSD 128 and DSD 256 using Signalyst’s excellent HQ Player Pro 4 mastering tools by Tom Caulfield at the NativeDSD Mastering Labs.

Singer, songwriter, and high-resolution audio pioneer David Elias tells us “My favorite track on this album is #13, “O Sacrum Convivium”. The singing here seems to stretch all that is sacred about sonic reproduction edging in from what I heard then imagined as a most quiet restful lapping surf to a cataclysm of light sabers duking it out in some netherworld. The recording and DSD reproduction here, particularly DSD 256 in my comparison are nothing other than otherworldly.”

Bob Attiyeh from Yarlung Records says “It is a treat for everyone involved with NativeDSD that engineer Tom Jung and his Digital Music Products (DMP) record label have joined the family.  Welcome! It is refreshing to listen to music from a label with pristine recording quality in support of an eclectic, wide ranging and exciting repertoire.  What a pleasure to listen to the quality of the musical performances, not just the quality of the sound capture.”

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