At a few of the symphonies I find it worthy to point out favvos:

First of all, Knappertsbuschs 5 of 1956 is a splendid perfromance, there is
no doubt.  So brucknerian, so powerful, and without loosing the tremendous
energy anywhere in the race.  Additionally the finale has cymbalclashes....

Karajan 7 is a favourite of mine.  It has come to my attention that Karajan
isn't popular on this list, but this performance is very carefully worked
out, and "the Karajan approach" works very well in Bruckner (though I agree
with some listers statement that "Karajan should not have been allowed to
come withing 100 miles of a Mahler symphony"), and this is the best
excample on that.  So viel zu Herbert von KaraHan.

Now I am gonna spit in two balls in the ballgame which some people use as
spitballs (i.e.=balls you spit on, not balls that spit).  Hold your hands
now:

Bruckner 2:  That Philarmonia Slavonica/Alberto Lizzio on PILZ.  Probably
a stolen recording, but it is excellent.  It remains a mystery which it is.

Bruckner 4:  Another El Cheapo; Philarmonia Slavonica/Henry Adolph.
This conductor I have reasons to believe exist for real, and I think
his recordings are in general well made, and this fascinating -
fascinating - recording is the evidence that also a pond full of mud (i.e.
Mushroomlabel, NoLabel, etc) can inhold pearls.  (I don't know if those
scales live in muddy ponds, but that was the best allegory I could come
up with right now, sorry.

Mats Norrman
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