 | Bruckner Symphony No. 9 Venezuela Symphony Orchestra $9 | ||
"Chibás delivers a reading that is solemnly dramatic, sincerely committed, and effectively paced. While his orchestra is not a top-flight ensemble, it plays with great determination, despite some suspect intonation here and there. The first movement is well shaped and avoids the episodic quality heard from Harnoncourt; the Coda is suitably majestic. Chibás takes the Scherzo at a fairly swift 9:55 that's full of menace. Although his players show some signs of tiring in the Adagio, Chibás manages to convey most of the music's angst and loneliness."
I would like to add that keeping the first movement together is very challenging, with over 20 changes of tempo. As with so many of my interpretations, I owe a debt of gratitude to Furtwängler in showing me how it is done, although no one will ever do it like him.
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