Bruckner: Symphony No. 7 in E Major, WAB 107 (1885 Version, Gutmann Edition)

Herbert Kegel and the Radio Symphony Orchestra Leipzig offer an intense and solemn reading of Anton Bruckner's Symphony No. 7, in Gutmann's 1885 version. The opening Allegro moderato unfolds with noble breadth, blending melodic warmth and imposing architecture. The Adagio, the spiritual heart of the work, advances with majestic slowness, radiating a profound and contemplative pathos. The Scherzo delivers dazzling energy, punctuated by pressing rhythms and sharp contrasts, while the Finale, lively but not rushed, concludes with a balance between tension and luminosity. Kegel conducts with control and sensitivity, bringing out Bruckner's monumentality without sacrificing his intimate humanity.