After the release of the Bruckner Symphonies Nos. 5, 8, and 9 with Christian Thielemann and the Staatskapelle Dresden, the Bruckner cycle is continued here with Symphony No. 4, “Romantic,” one of Bruckner’s most popular works. Bruckner’s Fourth Symphony was dedicated to Prince Konstantin of Hohenloe-Schillingsfurst. It premiered in 1881 to much acclaim. Given the name “Romantic” by the composer himself, Bruckner emulates with this composition the same emotions as fellow Romantic composers Wagner, Berlioz, and Mendelssohn. It is performed here in the presumed original version recovered by Robert Haas, which differs considerably from the first published score, accepted by Bruckner as a stopgap only so that the work could easily be performed. The press cheered the performance: “Tone paintings of the finest quality.”
