A swift scherzo, an exciting finale, and a warmly intense slow movement make this a generally very good Bruckner Sixth. Marek Janowski really lets the brass section rip at the climaxes, and in the first movement that means a blazing recapitulation and coda. However, the rest of the movement is dull. Janowski adopts a measured basic tempo (nothing wrong there), but then pursues it with such relentless and mechanical doggedness that it seems much longer than it really is. That’s the only real drawback to this recording–that, and the fact that the brass playing isn’t quite as sensational as it’s clearly trying to be (check out the first-movement coda). The sonics are excellent in all formats, but for a great Bruckner Sixth, stick to the reference recordings listed above. [9/29/2009]
