BRUCKNER Symphony No. 3.1 BUSONI Tanzwalzer2 • Jascha Horenstein, cond; BBC Northern SO;1 Royal PO2 • BBC LEGENDS 4219, mono (69:44) Live: Cheltenham 7/3/1963;1 London 5/9/19662

Horenstein directs an excellent account of the Bruckner Third, in Fritz Oeser’s 1950 edition. It was based on the 1877 revision, but included some 1880 changes. So this is a mid-length manifestation of the Third, minus the 1873 Wagner quotations but also without the coda to the Scherzo, which Novak’s 1981 edition of 1877 restores. Horenstein’s Bruckner manner is maybe closest to Jochum’s in tone. The movements steal in from silence, suggesting the great mysteries, but the tempos are straight, and the architecture is clear. There is also a compelling sense of orchestral fantasy, which no other conductor captures as well as Horenstein. He was the ideal Bruckner conductor. There’s as much quiet intensity as you could wish for, but the climaxes come naturally too.

The BBC Northern (now the Philharmonic) play beyond themselves, but the 1963 recording is a drawback. It sounds much older, and the level is quite low, and restricted in range. Don’t let that put you off: you can hear all the notes. Just don’t expect much, sonically. Lesser men than Horenstein left extensive, well-recorded legacies, courtesy of the major labels, but with Horenstein we often need to make allowances, and cherish what we have. This is a really, really good Bruckner performance, and it feels joined to the roots of Bruckner’s original inspiration.

Joel Lazar’s excellent notes make it clear that his ex-boss had an even more direct connection to Busoni. Horenstein was personally associated with the composer in Busoni’s last years. Unlike almost every other conductor, he performed Busoni all his life, at least from 1928 on. For the Busoni centenary in 1966, Horenstein was asked to mount a mouth-watering series of concerts, including many neglected pieces, together with the Piano Concerto and Indian Fantasy, both with John Ogdon as soloist. The Tanzwalzer, heard during that festival, were written in 1920, the year Horenstein met the composer, and they ended up in Doktor Faust. They make for a charming, ironic, if slight 10-minute waltz-fantasy, which Horenstein directs with perfect style. The Royal Philharmonic must have been struggling to take on board so many unfamiliar Busoni scores in such a short time. This no virtuoso performance, not even a flawless one, but it’s moving to hear. Again, the sound is dim, but in this instance, that only adds to the period charm.

My big question is: are the remaining Horenstein/Busoni tapes in a releasable state? I believe all the works have survived, including the Ogdon performances. More Horenstein/Busoni, please. More Horenstein/Bruckner, too: tapes exist of each symphony. More Horenstein is always welcome. Warmly recommended, with the provisos regarding the sound.

FANFARE: Paul Ingram