Anton Bruckner - Symphony No. 2 (Carlo Maria Giulini)

Information

Composer: Anton Bruckner

• Symphony No. 2 in C Minor, WAB 102 (Nowak 1877 Version)

Wiener Symphoniker

Carlo Maria Giulini, conductor

Date: 1975 / 2026

Label: Warner Classics

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Recorded with the Vienna Symphony, Anton Bruckner’s Second Symphony forms a cornerstone of Carlo Maria Giulini’s distinguished legacy with the composer. Giulini approaches this often-overlooked early score with profound spiritual reverence, favoring expansive phrasing and unhurried pacing that allow the music to unfold naturally. Under his baton, warm and luminous string passages accentuate the distinct poetic and rustic warmth characteristic of the "Symphony of Pauses." By balancing structural clarity with expressive, glowing textures, Giulini elevates the work’s quiet lyricism, delivering a landmark interpretation that fully reveals the subtle majesty and spiritual depth of Bruckner’s early orchestral vision.

Carlo Maria Giulini (1914–2005) was an Italian conductor celebrated for his refined interpretations of both opera and symphonic repertoire. A student of Bernardino Molinari at Rome’s Accademia di Santa Cecilia, he began his career as a violist before debuting as a conductor in 1944. Giulini later led the Milan Radio Orchestra and succeeded Victor de Sabata at La Scala, collaborating with artists such as Maria Callas and Franco Zeffirelli. Renowned for his deep musicality and integrity, he conducted major orchestras including the London Philharmonia, Chicago Symphony, Vienna Symphony, and Los Angeles Philharmonic. His legacy rests on eloquent interpretations of Verdi, Mozart, Mahler, and Bruckner.

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