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Title: Bruckner for Modernists
Review: Skrowaczewski is a prince among underrated conductors, and hearing him conduct this Matterhorn of a symphony was one of my best concert-going experiences. No recording can replicate the excitement of live music, but you can get pretty close with this disc. This Bruckner 9th isn't plush and nostalgic, but tense, lean and somewhat neurotic. The first two movements are energetic and driven; the haunting final Adagio culminates in an earthquake-like climax that will tear your ears to shreds. A whole world of modern music seems to be struggling, with great anguish, to be born. If you prefer a more orthodox interpretation, Bruno Walter is a perennial favorite; but you won't go wrong with Skrowaczewski, especially if you like a modernistic approach.
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