Budapest Festival Orchestra - Bruckner: IVAN FISCHER/Symphony No.7 [SACD]

Iván Fischer and the Budapest Festival Orchestra have recorded a series of exceptional audiophile recordings for Channel Classics, focusing on orchestral works of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. This is their first foray into the symphonies of Anton Bruckner, and the choice of the "Symphony No. 7 in E major" is sure to be popular, since this is a perennial favorite with audiences. Fischer's approach is straightforward and uncontroversial, and he observes tempos that are only a shade slower than usual, while applying a healthy amount of rubato to give the pacing some welcome flexibility. The DSD recording and the hybrid SACD format contribute greatly to the recording's success, giving the orchestra's sonorities clear separation in the multichannel reproduction and creating dimensions that are breathtaking in their spaciousness.