Herbert von Karajan - Bruckner: Symphony No. 7

Cut to lacquer by Maarten de Boer at Emil Berliner Studios

Conductor Herbert von Karajan recorded this performance of Bruckner 7 with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra in April 1989. It was to be his final recording — underlined by the valedictory photograph on the cover — and for that reason it has historic significance to collectors and to those who have admired Karajan's interpretations of Bruckner over the years.

"I'm convinced that Karajan's Bruckner cycle for DG remains one of his finest achievements. While I can understand and appreciate a host of different interpretative approaches to Bruckner, Karajan's way with the music couldn't be clearer: For him, sumptuous, majestic sound is an absolutely essential element to a great Bruckner performance. And throughout Karajan's cycle, Bruckner's writing for strings and brass is revealed in all its ravishing splendor." — Albert Imperato, Gramophone, March 2010