ClassicsToday critic David Hurwitz says Manfred Honeck and the Pittsburgh Symphony have “Done Right By Bruckner’s Fourth” giving them a 10/10 rating for Artistic Quality:
“The most immediately remarkable aspect of the performance is its huge dynamic range, especially from the brass section. Pittsburgh has possibly the best horn section in the world today, not just in its ringing fortissimos, but in its ability to play softly. The strings, too, manage triple-pianos without any loss of body, an ability due in part to a healthy, idiomatic, and authentic application of vibrato to the passages that demand it. Honeck’s conducting treats tempo and dynamics flexibly, naturally, and seamlessly. … Honeck also isn’t afraid to modify the text now and then: some extra bits for the timpani, a few adjustments in the brass, and some additional terracing of Bruckner’s already “terraced” dynamics, but as the above suggests, he is just as sensitive to the letter of the score. In other words, his ideas operate within the idiom. There are no mustaches painted on this particular Mona Lisa. It’s just a stylish, splendidly played interpretation of a kind all too rare today.… In the cluttered mess that is the world of classical recordings today, Honeck and Pittsburgh stand virtually alone as a partnership truly worthy of your time and attention.” —David Hurwitz, ClassicsToday
Read the full review on www.classicstoday.com