Bruckner: Symphony No. 4 "Romantic." Esa-Pekka Salonen, Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra. Sony SK 63301.

Bruckner: Symphony No. 4 "Romantic." Esa-Pekka Salonen, Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra. Sony SK 63301.

Bruckner tried to write a literary program to go with his Fourth Symphony. For the First Movement he wrote: "A citadel of the Middle Ages. Daybreak. Reveille is sounded from the tower. The gates open. Knights on proud chargers leap forth. The magic of nature surrounds them." But by the last movement he admitted, "... I've forgotten completely what picture I had in mind." It doesn't matter. Even without the composer's program, the "Romantic" Symphony conjures up visions of beauty, grandeur, and majesty aplenty for all but the least imaginative listeners. Salonen's version is perhaps too dependent upon trying to convey the grandness of the music to lay claim to top honors, but one cannot fault him for trying hard in so admittedly grand a work.

Jochum (DG or EMI) does a better job conjuring up the mysticism of the nature motif; Klemperer (EMI) holds the structure together better; and Bohm (London) is probably best at maintaining the work's forward momentum. Salonen takes the slowest route; at almost 70 minutes long one wants to give him a little nudge in the behind from time to time. He tries heroically to sustain every note, mark every contrast, and coax the last ounce of splendor from the score. He tries too hard. In the end I was moved more by what the interpretation could have been than by what it was. Still, Salonen's is a noble effort, and it's really hard not to like Bruckner's lovely music in anyone's hands.

Sony's sound is big and full, with an enormous dynamic range. In the old analogue days, Salonen's softest passages would have sunk beneath a surface of tape hiss. Here the contrasts are splendidly dramatic. Overall, though, the sound is a little dark and murky compared to Klemperer or Blomstedt (Denon), both of whom open up the stage more and allow us to hear further into the orchestra. For the Bruckner fan and collector, I can recommend Salonen with little hesitation. For the first-time Bruckner buyer, however, maybe Klemperer, Bohm, or even the old Walter recording (Sony) would be safer places to start.