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It seems like Celibidache’s fans and critics agree broadly on what he is doing but they disagree wildly about whether the results are special or simply too much. As I have shared, I am fairly new to Bruckner, and this was my first time listening closely to Celibidache through an “entire” symphony. Yes, he’s slow, all right, but this performance is live, and the slow tempo works for me here, in terms of the way it loads the venue, also in terms of the interplay and the development of the many threads in this fascinating and awe-inspiring symphony. C actually uses the slow pace to effectively “create space”, which for me only reinforces a sense I have had about Bruckner’s symphonies since I first really heard them, that they are “Celestial”, also that Bruckner is reverent. David Hurwitz has said that Germans like “secular worship”, and he says that they find this in Bruckner’s Music, and that Celibidache feeds into and off this phenomenon.  Speaking for myself, more power to Celibidache on this score; for me, it’s a plus, as he really puts me “in the mood” with this B9. I am glad I added this performance to my B9 collection; however, I offer a caveat: The CD here is labeled “Exclusive EX92T23/24”, which includes Celibidache’s B4 with Stuttgart Rundfunk, and this 9^th. As near as I can tell, this CD is a bootleg, with scant information provided with the discs, and there is no noted provenance. The level 1 sound is not good, but I get most of the Music that matters. I wish I had spent more time filtering the many choices for Celibidache’s B9 performances and recordings, as there are many similar but not the same; but I’m glad I got to hear it via my Big Rig.

Paul S

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