Brian Wigman of Classical.net has been “anticipating this release since the beginning of Pittsburgh’s partnership with Reference Recordings” because “the prospect of Bruckner was simply tantalizing.” His review:
“The opening instantly establishes this as Honeck’s own performance. … It’s quite magical.… About 10 minutes in, the strings and brass work so thrillingly together that it effectively captures everything right about this disc. … At about the same speed on EMI, Herbert von Karajan finds markedly less dynamic contrast in Berlin, while Jochum (also in Berlin, but on Deutsche Grammophon) comes much closer to the mark. Neither disc is nearly as well-recorded as this Reference Recordings album, especially in the aforementioned bass. The superior recording quality allows us to hear the exceptionally fine blend of the low strings in Pittsburgh. There is also such an appreciable flexibility of pulse here; you really can admire Honeck’s dedication to bringing out the Bohemian elements of this massive score. … This is truly a Bruckner performance for any collection, one which wipes away the notion that the composer’s music has to be big and boring. … Captured in absolutely stunning sound (did I mention that?), this is a completely convincing reading from first note to last.” —Brian Wigman, Classical Net