2009) JANSONS Mariss Jansons leads the RCO in the 3rd and 4th. (RCOC)

2009) HAITINK live recording of the great Staatskapelle Dresden from 2002 after the great flood

2009) JANOWSKI Marek Janowski leads the Orchestre de las Suisse Romande in the 6th. (Pentatone)

2009) HERREWEGHE The Orchestre des Champs-Elysees tackles the 5th. (Harmonia Mundi)

2009) NOTT Talk about 21st century Bruckner -- Jonathan Nott has worked closely with Pierre Boulez, so it will be interesting to see whether he brings a cool, modern touch a la Boulez or Gielen. The Bamberger Symphoniker is one of those great regional German orchestras. (Tudor)

2007) YOUNG

2009 REISSUE) BLOMSTEDT Herbert Blomstedt leads the Staatskapelle Dresden in the 7th

2008 REISSUE) FURTWANGLER This is the most extensive available set of highly treasured live Furtwangler recordings of Bruckner, from 1942-1951. The 4th & 8th are with the VPO; the others with the BPO.

CHAILLY Riccardo Chailly's acclaimed cycle (Decca)

HARNONCOURT Harnoncourt & the Vienna Philharmonic with an acclaimed 9th, plus a performance of the fragments of the 4th movement Bruckner left unfinished at his death.

CELIBIDACHE Celibidache's 8th is the highlight of his amazing set of live Bruckner with the Munich Philharmonic.

BOULEZ Boulez surprised everyone with this outstanding 8th with the Vienna Philharmonic.

GIELEN Michael Gielen and his Southwest Radio Symphony Orchestra with a clean, lean 8th and a wild pairing with Feldman's "Coptic Light" -- two sounds, one spirituality.

ESCHENBACH Christoph Eschenbach leads the Houston Symphony in the 6th

HARNONCOURT (5 STARS -- SEE MY REVIEW) Harnoncourt and the Vienna Philharmonic

WAND Wand's 5th with the Berliners is another towering achievement, one of the finest.

CELIBIDACHE Celibidache's 4th is the next recommendation after his 8th for those who are not yet true believers willing to surrender to his idiosyncratic, oceanic Brucknerian experience.

ESCHENBACH Christoph Eschenbach leads the Orchestre de Paris on the Finnish Ondine label with the 4th -- he looks Zenlike, seemingly sharing Celibidache's spirituality as opposed to Bruckner's.

For those who'd like to know more about the oft-caricatured composer.

Robert Simpson, the great but under-recognized 20th century British composer, was much influenced by Bruckner. This is his best & most Brucknerian symphony, vastly architectonic.