Bruckner: Complete Symphonies [George Tintner] [Naxos: 8501205]

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I love the 8th in particular and I hold the Van Beinum second only to the Szell/Cleveland Orchestra performance which remains my benchmark after 37 years. The beauty achieved by Szell in the slow movement remains unmatched for me on records (and I have many of this work) and the orchestra plays with the rich sonority one might associate with Chicago. It was one of his last recordings and the work was close to him over the years. It's a jewel in a discography filled with treasures.

Georg Tintner conducting the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra, 1996 (using a pre-publ. Carragan ed.), Naxos The nullte is an attractive work of some substance, the slow movement particularly fine. Tintener on Naxos is once again a clear recommendation as it comes coupled with a difficult- to- acquire first recording of the eighth. Chaiily with the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra and the more pacy Haitink on Philips are also recommended though, to my knowledge both of these are only available as part of box-sets.I'm least familiar with 5 but rather like Wand/NDRSO and posting this reminds me that I'm overdue for another go, perhaps with Skrowaczewski/SRSO this time, which I don't think I've heard since shortly after I bought it! 6--Horst Stein & the WP; 7--HvK BP or WP; 8-HvK/WP (Boulez is overdue for re-evaluation, however); 9--Giulini/WP. My favourite set is Chailly on Decca with the Concertgebouw orchestra and the Deutsches Symphonieorchester Berlin (Not to be confused with the Berlin Philharmonic, but still a very fine orchestra). Very good playing throughout and superb sound. Number four is somewhat disappointing, but you already have a very good recording of that symphony. Among the symphonies you don't own, nos 2,3,5 and 8 are excellent. The classical, Schumannesque 00 was only ever intended as a ‘study’. Consequently, it has only seven recordings to its name. Without doubt the recording to buy is that of Tintner on Naxos. It is beautifully sculptured and spaciously paced. Moreover, this has a useful coupling that will otherwise be somewhat difficult to find: the 1878 Volksfest finale from the fourth symphony. Now, that's nothing to sneeze at ! (Is this a take-off on the Cologne (Köln) "Gürzenich" Orchestra?) Franz Konwitschny conducting the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, live recording, 1951, Berlin Classics

In his distinguished booklet essay, the Italian writer and broadcaster Oreste Bossini speaks of the performance’s polyphonic transparency and the naturalness and fluidity of its pacing. Even in the Boehm,VPO,Decca. Haitink,Concertgebouw, Philips. Inbal,Frankfurt RSO (original version. ) . Knappertsbusch,VPO,Decca(should definitely be reissued on CD). Karajan,BPO,DG. Wand, Cologne RSO, EMI.

One that some people like a lot, and I like it, although not quite as much as the above, that has similar tempos to those, but which will be much easier for you to find on CD is the Thielemann/Munich Philharmonic recording on DG. Sinopoli/Dresden on DG is another good one. For a faster, more aggressive approach, there is Welser-Most/London Philharmonic on EMI. Thielemann should be mentioned for the exceptional Fifth he recorded, absolutely one of the finest available. Herbert von Karajan conducting the Berliner Philharmoniker, studio recording, 1981, Deutsche Grammophon I have copies of his Fourth and his Seventh with von Karajan and a splendid version of his Sixth with Klemperer.

As a child he was a singer in the Vienna Boys' Choir, the first Jew ever to be accepted; [1] at that time the choir was directed by Franz Schalk. At the Vienna State Academy he studied composition with Joseph Marx and conducting with Felix Weingartner. Soon he was assistant conductor of the Vienna Volksoper.If you already have Karajan/EMI, you have one of the better ones. If you want to try something more aggressive, and also with the BPO, try Jochum's recording on DG.