Bruckner: Symphony No 4 1888 Version (1944) Knappertsbusch

Anton Bruckner Symphony No. 4 in E-flat Major, WAB 104 "Romantic" 1888 Version (Löwe) 1. Ruhig bewegt (nur nicht schnell) (0:08) 2. Andante (18:48) 3. Bewegt (33:25) 4. Mäßig bewegt (42:59) Hans Knappersbusch, conductor The Berlin Philharminic Recorded for Broadcast on September 8, 1944 The 4th symphony is one of Bruckner&best known, and most popular works, but most of us know it from the Haas Edition, which was supposedly taken from the composer&own version of 1881, based on the composer&autograph. Later it was found that the 1888 edition, which Haas denounced as not authentic, proved to be otherwise. In 1940 the "Stichvorlage" was rediscovered, and Haas had intended to restore the changes to a later edition, from Bruckner&own hand. The War prevented that. Confused? That is just the nature of Bruckner&published music; we really have to work at it to know what it is we are listening to. There are differences in the score, and listeners will notice them at once. The saga of the symphony and its origins and authenticity went on well into our own century, and some declare this present version is the composer&final word on this. Even if it is, the Haas edition, based on the 1881 score, is the best known. The title "Romantic" was given to the symphony by Bruckner himself, in response to the Romantic Movement that was popular at the time. One will note that orchestration in the movements, and their tempi, are also different from what we normally hear. When we think of...