Bruckner: Symphony No. 7 (Karajan Edition)
Herbert von Karajan always did a superb job with this symphony, and this recording is no exception. The Berlin strings seem to positively glow with inner light, and the brass provide warmth and power without a hint of harshness. This is all the more remarkable when you consider that as first issued on LP, in tandem with the Fourth Symphony, these performances were so clouded by reverberation as to be almost unlistenable. That's all been cleaned up on this superb CD transfer, and only one problem mars an otherwise outstanding issue: someone has snipped four bars of transitional material from the finale. The new join is so natural that it's almost impossible to notice if you don't know the music well, but it's equally unmistakable if you do. Still, the performance is a great one and the blemish comparatively small; listeners must decide for themselves whether or not it matters.--David Hurwitz