Günter Wand - Beethoven: Leonore III & Bruckner: Symphony No. 4 "Romantic" - DVD

Product Information

• UPC: 824121001148
• Product Type: Classical Concert DVD
• Genre: Classical
• Languages: No dialogue (instrumental performance)
• Format: DVD5
• Running Time: 87 minutes
• Aspect Ratio: 4:3
• Video Format: NTSC
• Audio: LPCM Stereo
• Region Code: 0 (worldwide)
• Distributor: TDK Marketing Europe GmbH
• Recording Date: June 24, 1990
• Recording Location: Dom (Cathedral), Lübeck
• Festival: Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival

Overview

This DVD captures a historic live concert from the 1990 Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival featuring the legendary German conductor Günter Wand leading the NDR Sinfonieorchester (North German Radio Symphony Orchestra) in two masterworks of the Germanic orchestral tradition. The program begins with Beethoven's dramatic Overture "Leonore III," Op. 72a, followed by Anton Bruckner's expansive Symphony No. 4 in E-flat major "Romantic" (original version 1878/80, Robert Haas edition). Recorded in the magnificent acoustic environment of Lübeck Cathedral on June 24, 1990, this performance showcases Wand's renowned interpretative authority in the core Austro-German repertoire. The conductor's deep understanding of Bruckner's architectural structures and his meticulous attention to orchestral balance are fully evident in this memorable concert, which represents a significant document of one of the 20th century's most respected Bruckner interpreters.

Product Features

• Format: DVD5 with worldwide region coding
• Video: 4:3 aspect ratio, NTSC format
• Audio: LPCM Stereo
• Running Time: 87 minutes
• Program Notes: Included in English, German, and French
• Recording Type: Live concert recording
• Director: Hugo Käch
• Producer: Klaus Reinke

Interesting Facts

Günter Wand's Late-Blooming Career

Günter Wand (1912-2002) was a relatively late developer on the international scene, achieving his greatest recognition and acclaim only in his seventies and eighties. While he had been a respected conductor in Germany throughout his career, it was his association with the NDR Sinfonieorchester from 1982 (when he was already 70 years old) that brought him international attention. This recording, made when he was 78, represents the mature artistry that led critics to consider him among the greatest interpreters of Bruckner in the late 20th century. His meticulous, score-based approach eschewed personal indulgence in favor of structural clarity and architectural integrity.

The Acoustic Environment

This performance takes place in the magnificent Gothic Lübeck Cathedral (Lübecker Dom), whose construction began in 1173. The cathedral's remarkable acoustics, with approximately seven seconds of reverberation, create both challenges and opportunities for orchestral performance. Wand, known for his meticulous attention to balance and clarity, here adapts his approach to fully exploit the reverberant space, allowing Bruckner's massive brass chorales and string passages to bloom while carefully controlling dynamics and articulation to maintain clarity. This performance demonstrates why cathedral acoustics are particularly well-suited to Bruckner's organ-inspired orchestral writing.

Interpretative Legacy

This recording represents Wand's distinctive approach to Bruckner—straightforward, unmannered, and focused on the score rather than interpretive idiosyncrasies. Unlike conductors who impose dramatic tempo fluctuations or extreme dynamic contrasts onto Bruckner's music, Wand trusted the composer's structural design, believing that the power of the music emerged naturally when performed with absolute fidelity to the score. His choice of the Robert Haas edition of the Fourth Symphony reflects his preference for versions that most closely reflect Bruckner's original intentions, stripped of later editorial interventions. This performance thus represents a key document in understanding the "purist" approach to Bruckner interpretation.

Program Content

1. Ludwig van Beethoven: Overture "Leonore III", Op. 72a (15:12)

   • Adagio - Allegro

2. Anton Bruckner: Symphony No. 4 in E-flat major "Romantic" (68:42)

   • Original version 1878/80
   • Edition: Robert Haas
   • I. Bewegt, nicht zu schnell (18:27)
   • II. Andante quasi Allegretto (16:14)
   • III. Scherzo. Bewegt - Trio. Nicht zu schnell. Keinesfalls schleppend (11:33)
   • IV. Finale. Bewegt, doch nicht zu schnell (22:28)

Publishers

A co-production between ZDF (Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen) and NDR (Norddeutscher Rundfunk). Licensed worldwide by ZDF Enterprises. © 1990 ZDF. DVD release © 2006 TDK Marketing Europe GmbH.

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