We continue our astonishing Bruckner cycle with the rarely performed 2nd Symphony. As in the case in the 1st, Venzago has chosen a top orchestra of relatively small instrumental dimensions. ‘After the many new recordings of the Bruckner symphonies, finally an interpretation that genuinely exhibits character and in a very musical way offers the listener the opportunity to complement his picture of Bruckner’(Pizzicato 3/12).
"... when all things are considered, Venzago’s more impassioned way with the Northern Sinfonia is now my top choice for an 1877 revised version in first-rate stereo sound."
Jeffery J Lipscomb - Fanfare - January/February 2013
"...This performance by the Northern Sinfonia breaks new ground in as much as it is a chamber orchestra and plays the work with the size of orchestral forces much nearer to the original performance whilst also employing no vibrato in the strings as was the style in 19th century orchestral playing. The result is a performance which brings out the detail in the score far more cleanly than many modern performances ... In this recording, Venzago plays the 1877 version which is the normal edition used. It is well worth getting this performance if you are a committed Brucknerian. The orchestra play with real passion for the work and many will be surprised how much like chamber music the symphony sounds when played with smaller forces." James Norris - Audiophilia.com - 25 June 2012
