Paavo Järvi and the Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich in Bruckner’s Ninth

For this final milestone in his Brucknerian cycle at the head of the Zurich Tonhalle orchestra, Paavo Jarvi gives us a beautiful testimony of the Symphony No. 9 by Anton Bruckner, in the absence of a real reference.

Already recorded in 2008 with the Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra, Paavo Järvi once again puts this final unfinished symphony by Anton Bruckner, dedicated to God, back to work with, this time, his Zurich Tonhalle Orchestra. After a Seventh remarkable, a Eighth very convincing, this Ninthof impeccable orchestral plasticity, does not manage to escape the criticisms formulated during previous recordings, noting a certain lack of fervor and elevation in the subject matter.

The first movement aptly combines grandeur and fragility, lyricism and anxiety, solemnity and mystery, but is confined to a very Apollonian immanence of fine craftsmanship which lacks a bit of tension and verticality, except perhaps in the incandescent coda; THE Scherzomassive and terrifying, combines the grimacing figures of the woodwinds with the fierce attacks of the strings on an oppressive hammering which contrasts with the almost primal lyricism of the Trio; L’Adagio finale, that of “Farewell to the World”, is conducted at a fairly rapid tempo, more lyrical than painful, shrouded in luminous clarity, hesitating between intimate fervor and conquering proselytism to finally adopt the tone of a serene and collected which will find its culmination in an immense crescendo recruiting all the desks before the doors of Heaven open on a serene and peaceful coda signing the marriage with God. Gorgeous !

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