Bruckner: Symphony No. 7

Immediately from the shimmering opening that gently but surely unfolds into a blaze of glory, it’s clear that this Bruckner Symphony No. 7 is going to be special. Lahav Shani has a fine grasp of Bruckner’s cathedral-esque musical architecture, piecing every section together with a fine sense of pacing. Bruckner’s climaxes ebb and flow beautifully, while the heavenly “Adagio,” composed in anticipation of Wagner’s death, is never allowed to drift into sentimentality. The sound is captured vividly in De Doelen, the Rotterdam Philharmonic’s orchestra’s home.