Odd that, even now, Bruckner's Second Symphony is often left out of the reckoning. It's a transitional work in many respects, although the clear, powerful outlines of the mature symphonist are already in evidence, while the content is of a high quality. The wistful opening theme in the strings, the "Adagio"'s pastoral mysticism--such music could only be by Bruckner, although the expression is less monumental than it later became. Like several other of his symphonies, there's more than one edition: Georg Tintner gives you the original version, which means not just all the music, but the orchestration as Bruckner conceived it in 1872. The work emerges with a rhythmic incisiveness worthy of Schubert--and not even undertones of Wagner. Although the Ireland NSO may not be world-class, they certainly have the measure of Bruckner's style, but then they also have one of the finest living Bruckner interpreters to guide then through this eventful and life-enhancing work. Even were it three times the price, this disc would be self-recommending. --Richard Whitehouse