Dear Ralph - thank you for posting your well-considered thoughts on your personal recommendations for Bruckner recordings. I have only one criticism, and that is referring to the Karajan Bruckner Symphony box as "complete" - it is not. It contains nine of Bruckner's eleven symphonies and by definition is not complete. There are a number of integral recordings of all eleven symphonies, first and foremost in my opinion, that of Skrowaczewski on Oehms. Or Simone Young, also on Oehms. Or Gerd Schaller on Profil. Or Markus Bosch on Coviello. All of those contain all eleven symphonies and therefore justify the description "complete." As will be the emerging cycles by Thielemann and Poschner.

A better descriptor of Karajan is "The Nine Numbered Symphonies". Same with Jochum, for that matter.

I don't want to seem a nit-picker, but I think it is important to reinforce the emerging awareness, especially with more recent conductors, that Bruckner wrote 11, not 9 symphonies!