With the approaching 200th anniversary year of
Anton Bruckner
's birth in 2024, recordings of the master Romantic symphonist's works have become even more prolific. Conductor
Paavo Jaervi
and the
Tonalle-Orchester Zuerich
continue their symphony cycle with
Bruckner
's mighty
Eighth
, following the release of the
Seventh
earlier in 2023.
Jaervi
is no stranger to recording these works, as he has already issued a complete cycle relatively recently with the
Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra
. This reading of the
is more deliberate overall than his earlier venture, coming in five minutes slower yet just slightly longer than an average duration. This is not a detriment, as
Zuerich orchestra
are able to maintain forward motion throughout.
enthusiasts will likely be happy that
chose the Novak critical edition of the 1890 revised version. As expected, the conductor has this orchestra well-drilled and gets some strong performances from the musicians, especially from the large French horn group. While some will miss (and many prefer) the extra weight of the
Berlin
or
Vienna Philharmonic
, this interpretation is worthy of hearing and continues the promise of this ongoing survey. The sound from the orchestra's home hall is ideal, and
Alpha
does well to capture the full orchestral landscape. ~ Keith Finke