Symphony No. 5 in B-Flat Major, WAB 105 Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra & Lahav Shani

• Anton Bruckner (1824 - 1896): Symphony No. 5 in B-Flat Major, WAB 105:
• 1Bruckner: Symphony No. 5 in B-Flat Major, WAB 105: I. Adagio - Allegro moderato19:59
• 2Bruckner: Symphony No. 5 in B-Flat Major, WAB 105: II. Adagio. Sehr langsam16:10
• 3Bruckner: Symphony No. 5 in B-Flat Major, WAB 105: III. Scherzo. Molto vivace12:31
• 4Bruckner: Symphony No. 5 in B-Flat ajor, WAB 105: IV. Finale. Adagio - Allegro moderato22:50
• Total Runtime01:11:30

Info for Symphony No. 5 in B-Flat Major, WAB 105

Lahav Shani and the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra bring a superb recording of Bruckner's 5th Symphony.

Shani as a conductor has been devoted to Bruckner's music as he stated in an interview with Gramophone; “His music has a sense not only of looking back and encompassing the history of music, but also very much looking forward and seeing the future...There is no sentimentality in this music. It has passion, but this is not the main quality. One can talk about Bruckner’s relationship with religion, with God, and with spirituality – and perhaps this has the most influence on the atmosphere of the music – but there are also beautiful melodic lines and a sense of cantabile and continuation."

After a wonderfully recieved recording of Bruckner's 7th Symphony in 2023, Shani the Dutch orchestra have returned with their recording of Bruckner’s Symphony No. 5, offering listeners a further opportunity to savour “the superb Bruckner ensemble Shani has fashioned", and the rich, “Rembrandt-like” sound palette it brings to the works of the Austrian composer.

This is as fine a recorded account... as I've heard for some time, both in terms of Lahav Shani's conception of the music and it's realisation on the orchestra. It's a performance that grows movement by movement, stable of pulse, yet flexible and free-flowing within the boundaries of the larger whole." Gramophone was full of praise for the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra's recording, released in 2023, of Bruckner's epic Symphony No 7. Now the Dutch orchestra and it's chief conductor have recorded Bruckner's Symphony No 5. As Lahav Shani told Gramophone in an interview devoted to Bruckner: "His music has a sense not only of looking back and encompassing the history of music, but also very much looking forward and seeing the future... One can talk about Bruckner's relationship with religion, with God, and with spirituality - and perhaps this has the most influence on the atmosphere of the music - but there are also beautiful melodic lines and a sense of cantabile and continuation... I never try to impose a specific interpretation... I much prefer to let the music flow and develop and change... There is no right or wrong. Bruckner is not here for us to ask if he meant this or if he meant something else. He wrote music that is so much beyond these things, music that conveys such deep human emotion.

Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra
Lahav Shani, conductor

Lahav Shani
has established himself as one of the most talked about young conducting talents making a huge impression with his astonishing maturity and natural, instinctive musicality. In September 2018 he takes over as Chief Conductor of the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, succeeding Yannick Nézet-Séguin and becoming the youngest Chief Conductor in the orchestra’s history. In the 2020/21 season, Shani will succeed Zubin Mehta as Music Director of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, and will be the orchestra’s Music Director Designate from 2019/20.

n the 2017/18 season, Shani became Principal Guest Conductor of the Vienna Symphony Orchestra, following a number of appearances with the orchestra since his debut in May 2015, including a major European tour in January 2016. Shani also works regularly with the Berlin Staatskapelle, both at the Berlin Staatsoper and also for symphonic concerts. In spring 2019 he will return to conduct “Don Giovanni” at the Berlin Staatsoper.

Recent and upcoming highlights as a guest conductor include engagements with the Vienna Philharmonic, Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, London Symphony Orchestra, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Dresden Staatskapelle, Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich, Budapest Festival Orchestra, Boston Symphony, Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin, Philharmonia Orchestra, Orchestre de Paris, Philadelphia Orchestra, Royal Stockholm Philharmonic, Bamberger Symphoniker and Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France.

Shani’s close relationship with the Israel Philharmonic started in 2007 when he performed Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto under the baton of Zubin Mehta and continued in the following years as both a pianist and also as a double-bass player. Shani was born in Tel Aviv in 1989 and started his piano studies aged six with Hannah Shalgi, continuing with Prof. Arie Vardi at the Buchmann-Mehta School of Music in Tel Aviv. He went on to complete his studies in conducting with Prof. Christian Ehwald and piano with Prof. Fabio Bidini, both at the Academy of Music Hanns Eisler Berlin. Whilst a student he was mentored by Daniel Barenboim. In 2013 he won First Prize in the Gustav Mahler International Conducting Competition in Bamberg.

As a pianist Shani made his solo recital debut at the Boulez Saal in Berlin in July 2018. He has play-directed piano concerti with many orchestras including the Philharmonia Orchestra, Staatskapelle Berlin, and Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France. Recent concerto engagements include appearances with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra and the Beethoven Triple Concerto with Renaud and Gautier Capuçon with the Israel Philharmonic. Shani also has considerable experience performing chamber music appearing recently at the Festival d'Aix-en-Provence, the Cologne Philharmonie and the Verbier Festival.

Booklet for Symphony No. 5 in B-Flat Major, WAB 105