Bruckner has never sounded quite so upbeat. Conductor Jaap van Zweden began his career as a violinist – at 19 he was the youngest-ever concertmaster of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, just down the road from where he is now honorary chief conductor of the excellent Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra. Given that he knows orchestras from the inside out, it’s not surprising that he gives plenty of agency to individual sections and players: this performance of Bruckner 1 (the rustic Linz version) brims with conversation and unfolds without force. It’s less urgent than a lot of interpretations and Van Zweden almost always prioritises warm sound over brusque energy. The first movement is all optimism, an adventure of good, clean fun; the Adagio is more Mendelssohn than Mahler in its sweetness and buoyancy; the Scherzo and Finale bounce along with neat, clipped rhythms. Textures are luminous throughout: those who like their Bruckner laid on thick will want darker colours, but for me the classical lightness and clarity is a breath of fresh air.
