This week, I would like to share a very personal recommendation, and one of the first CDs I remember listening to: Bruckner’s Symphony No. 7, conducted by Carlo Maria Giulini, leading the Vienna Philharmonic.

I came across this recording just at that age when I was discovering music in general, and classical music in particular. A friend of my parents was an astute and devoted CD collector, and he would let me borrow from his library. I was very lucky to be introduced to classical music then, not to mention to have access to a catalogue of recordings like that to feed my curiosity; today, with virtually any music a mere a click away, it is easy to underappreciate the thrill of finding a specific recording.

First encounters always have a special magic, but this recording of Bruckner’s most famous symphony has endured as one of my favourites – the Vienna Philharmonic is golden and incredibly polished, with Giulini at the podium providing a steady and introspective exploration of this lyrical masterwork.