Sony Classical and the Vienna Philharmonic Announce the Release of a New Bruckner Edition
Featuring the Eleven Symphonies
Christian Thielemann, Conductor
Release Date: October 13, 2023
The Vienna Philharmonic and Sony Classical have announced the release of the complete Bruckner Symphony Cycle under Christian Thielemann on CD and digitally. The edition, containing the eleven symphonies, was presented in Salzburg during the orchestra’s and Christian Thielemann’s presence at the Salzburg Festival.
This release is the first complete recording of the Austrian composer’s symphonies from the Vienna Philharmonic under a single conductor. Christian Thielemann has been enjoying a strong rapport with the orchestra for many years and has established himself as one of his generation’s most esteemed interpreters of the Romantic Austro-German repertoire.
The box set, featuring the composer’s nine numbered symphonies, his Study Symphony and his “withdrawn” symphony, includes eleven CDs and a 172-page booklet with extensive liner notes on each of the works.
The release of Bruckner’s complete symphonies on Sony Classical comes in advance of the 200th anniversary of the composer’s birth in 2024. The orchestra shares a special connection and proximity to Bruckner – it premiered four of his symphonies and has enjoyed a unique relationship with his music since 1873, when it gave the first performance of his Symphony No 2. In 1892, its premiere of the Symphony No 8 under Hans Richter handed the composer one of his rare triumphs.
German conductor Christian Thielemann’s sought after interpretations of Bruckner’s music have been acclaimed for their unique handling of structure, sonority, tension and tranquillity. Furthermore, critics have been praising the distinctiveness and solemnity of the recordings as well as the unparalleled beauty of playing by the orchestra.
Christian Thielemann stated: “I have found my work with the Vienna Philharmonic to be extraordinarily enriching and harmonious not only from an artistic point of view but also on a human level. I feel especially at home with this orchestra and can only thank them for the incredible experience of working together. The fact that we were able to perform all of Bruckner’s symphonies together is a source of particular joy to me, as is the fact that quite unexpectedly I have had the honour of being the first conductor to record all of Bruckner’s symphonies with this orchestra.”
Professor Daniel Froschauer, Chairman Vienna Philharmonic, said: “With this recording the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra is honouring Anton Bruckner’s extensive symphonic legacy. Few other orchestras can claim to have been so closely associated with Bruckner over such an extended period of time, a shared history sustained by the high esteem in which the composer held the orchestra and one, moreover, that has left a significant mark on Austria’s musical culture. The bicentenary offers us a welcome opportunity to revive our Bruckner tradition and for the first time in our orchestra’s history to present this music in a complete recording of all nine symphonies, together with two of the composer’s rarely performed but inspired early works, all of them under the direction of the same conductor. We have long been associated with Christian Thielemann in an extremely close artistic partnership and friendship.”
Per Hauber, President Sony Classical, added: “We are very proud to be the partner of this remarkable full cycle and are now looking forward to jointly ushering in the Bruckner Year 2024 together with the Vienna Philharmonic and Christian Thielemann”.