The seventh symphony is, along with the fourth, the most popular of Bruckner's eleven symphonies. Although Bruckner set up the essentials of his personal symphonic...

The seventh symphony is, along with the fourth, the most popular of Bruckner's eleven symphonies. Although Bruckner set up the essentials of his personal symphonic form with his first symphony, he varies the movement forms and order in significant ways as he moves through the cycle. With the seventh he reverses the relative weight and scale of the slow movement, which is greatly expanded, with the finale which is correspondingly lighter. The slow movements of the last three symphonies are among the most profound utterances in the literature, the seventh's andante being only eclipsed by the adagios of the eighth and ninth. The seventh is a wonderful entry into the profoundly spiritual world of late Bruckner.
Georg Tintner's cycle on Naxos has indulged in a number of interesting choices regarding which version he has chosen to record. The seventh is somewhat unique, in having been a success at its first performances; it escaped the revisions the composer felt necessary for many of his other works. Tintner offers a particularly lean view of the composer, which is an interesting alternative to the more upholstered sound usually heard. The conductor's notes are an especial bonus to this fine budget release.