I especially commend Ramon in his including the B5 and B8, both recorded
live, in St. Florian, with the incomparable Bruckner Orchester Linz.

The Fifth, in particular, is I think the finest of the many fine modern
recordings of this complex work, and the recording in the sui generis
acoustic of the St. Florian basilica could not be bettered. Sieghart is
absolutely magnificent, and the orchestra play like angels.

Dennis Russell Davies, the new MD of the BOL, doesn't spring to mind as a
natural Brucknerian, but he certainly has the measure of the lesser-known
First Version of B8. This recorded peformance eclipses the earlier efforts
of Inbal and Tintner. Again, the St. Florian acoustic is a marvel to hear.

Regards,

John Proffitt
KUHF-FM Houston