Wand's second recording of Bruckner's Fourth Symphony and Dohnanyi's first bring no particular surprises from the interpretative point of view though, interestingly, both conductors reserve their finest insights for the finale. Always problematic in performance, it emerges here, if not with flying colours, then at least with colours well hoisted. On the other hand, both conductors take a more markedly stop-go approach to the first movement than some collectors will want. Wand's performance is marginally more expansive than in his older Cologne version, with fuller-bodied sound from both the orchestra and the engineers. The North German RSO also acquits itself well technically. There are moments in the scherzo when a studio performance might have been 100 per cent, as opposed to 99 per cent, tidy; but rehearsals are to Gunter Wand what net practice was to Sir Geoffrey Boycott, and the benefits are palpable not only in the detailing of the performance, but also in its line and rhythmic projection.
Alongside Wand's German players and the impressive RCA recordings, the Cleveland Orchestra sounds leaner and less robust in the big tuttis; they are also treated to leaner, closer, and drier sound by the Decca engineers. At the same time, Dohnanyi's reading seems more studied, less spontaneous, than Wand's with rather obviously applied tempo changes in the first movement and a certain amount of quiet musing in the second. All of which tends to confirm how difficult it is to get great as opposed to good Bruckner performances out of American orchestras. Bruno Walter achieved miracles with his West Coast pick-up band, the Columbia SO, and the Chicago orchestra occasionally delivers, but despite the evident proficiency of the Cleveland (witness a sterling account of Symphony No. 3 under Szell, CBS, 10/90, and Dohnanyi's own startlingly dramatic Decca account of No. 9, 6/89) it is usually overawed by European competition.
In fact, neither of the newcomers displaces the existing front runners, two of which feature the Vienna Philharmonic in superb form and marvellous sound (Bohm on Decca and Abbado on DG). There is also that first movement, where I prefer both Klemperer's dramatic incisiveness and consistently taut lines (EMI) and Bohm's added expansiveness and glow to the middling compromises attempted by both Dohnanyi and Wand.'