The Staatskapelle Dresden certainly hasn’t lost its touch in Bruckner, and happily Christian Thielemann also does his best work in this live performance. He paces all four movements just about perfectly, with enough freedom of pulse (especially in the finale) to keep the rhythms from turning monotonous. The first movement has wonderfully powerful climaxes and the scherzo plenty of joyous energy (save for a couple of unnecessary diminuendo/crescendos at the end of sections).
The adagio is very beautiful, with superb work from the strings, horns, and Wagner tubas. However, both here and in the finale (the coda especially) the trumpets could penetrate a bit more powerfully when they need to ride over the entire orchestra. This may be a function of the recording, which is very natural but perhaps just a touch distant. Still, as a live production it really does convey the thrill of having been there in person. There are many fine versions of this symphony currently available, but you won’t be sorry if you add this one to your collection as well.
