It used to be said that Bruckner composed the same symphony nine times, whereas, thanks to the comparative frequency of performances now, we know that his nine numbered symphonies are as different from one another as Beethoven’s nine. Nothing could make that clearer than the performances of the Fifth and the Ninth given by the Philharmonia Orchestra under Andris Nelsons, three days apart, at the Royal Festival Hall.
Michael Tanner
Bruckner by numbers
Their account of Bruckner Nine was stupendous but their Bruckner Five showed that Andris Nelsons is still at an early stage in his Brucknerian pilgrimage
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