COMPOSERS: Various
LABELS: Warner: Ultima
The latest crop of Warner Ultima discs fully restores Eliahu Inbal’s Frankfurt Radio SO BRUCKNER cycle to circulation at an unbelievably low unit price.
Its main rival, Georg Tintner’s uneven Naxos series, can now be confidently overlooked, and Inbal’s eloquent unfoldings also benefit from fine orchestral playing and impressive sonics.
Symphonies Nos 3 and 4 are already available (8573-87801-2), but this final batch includes forceful readings of Nos 1 and 2 (0927-41399-2), and Inbal’s heaven-storming Fifth (in the original 1875-8 version) joins No. 6 (0927-41400-2).
Ultima’s cycle doesn’t overlook the F minor ‘Study’ Symphony (paired with No. ‘0’ on 0927-41398-2), and as welcome bonus, Symphony No. 9 (coupled with Bruckner’s majestic Eighth on 0927-41401-2) features the Samale-Mazzuca conjectural finale.