“…Sir Simon Rattle’s shaping of Bruckner’s arching phrases, the exactness of his control of the London Symphony Orchestra and the sumptuousness of the orchestral tone majestically reinforce the idea of Bruckner as a master builder.”

“… this performance sustains Rattle’s level of admirable, mature musicianship, and it’s heartening that repetition hasn’t dulled the freshness of his approach…”

Performance ****½      Sonics ****

Classical CD Choice Best Discs of 2023

“…Rattle is still one of the great modern conductors – and this new reading of Bruckner’s imposing Seventh Symphony is among the most striking readings of late romantic masterpiece yet committed to disc, with LSO on bravura form.”

International Classical Music Award 2024 Nomination in the Symphonic category

“… this new reading of Bruckner’s imposing Seventh Symphony is among the most striking readings of late romantic masterpiece yet committed to disc, with LSO on bravura form.”

“… This Urtext performance feels like a cleaned up Old Master. There is no sense of drag, instead a floating freshness and the sense that Schubert, rather than Wagner, is the inspiration… “ *****

Sound 10      Booklet 9      Repertoire 10     Interpretation 10

“… We highly recommend this recording which followed the new edition of Bruckner's works revised by Benjamin-Gunnar Cohrs since 2012. It is the world's first recording of this revised edition of Symphony No. 7 . A successful first….”

“… Tempo changes and dynamic contrasts are carefully observed but adroitly applied, bringing an engrossing build-up to the cymbal class in the second movement and a compelling journey through the contrasting episode of levity and solemnity in the finale. The recording is notably better than many sourced in the difficult acoustic of the Barbican, helping convey a sense of mystery during the symphony’s more luminously scored passages…”

Performance *****      Recording ***

“This is an exceptional performance which, despite the unyielding acoustics of the Barbican, held me spellbound from the mysterious violin tremolo of the first bar to the glorious affirmation of life in the big orchestral peroration at the end of the Finale…”

“… A fine performance of the last movement, colorful and dynamic, concludes this very good Bruckner Seventh, which after the Fourth confirms Simon Rattle’s good impression as a Bruckner conductor.” *****

Performance ****½        Sonics (Multichannel) ****

“…Throughout the performance, the London Symphony Orchestra exhibits exceptional form, showcasing their mastery in all four movements while seamlessly following Rattle's precise guidance… the engineers have admirably overcome the venue's acoustical challenges. The resulting sound on this multi-channel SACD is both expansive and finely detailed, ensuring that even in this less-than-ideal setting, the beauty and complexity of the performance are fully preserved. Devotees of Rattle's artistry will undoubtedly want to incorporate this vibrant rendition of Bruckner's 7th Symphony into their collections.”