This first recording of a Bruckner symphony by the relatively unknown American conductor Lance Friedel is notable for not only having a world-class orchestra on board but also for enjoying a multi-channel SACD release. One wonders about the economics of such a venture in these difficult times, the Fifth Symphony in particular being hardly the sort of work that engenders sales in large numbers.

Nevertheless, this is a notable and in many ways desirable addition to the Bruckner discography. Friedel’s direction is direct and straightforward, with well-chosen tempi that keep allegros moving while allowing for contrast and repose. He also has the ability to sustain tension over long spans and to invest Bruckner’s often extended climaxes with power and grandeur. If there are moments in the Adagio where a slightly greater degree of rapture and wonderment might be welcome, the finale is a major achievement and enjoys a rendition of the coda that is as thrilling as any on disc.

Little associated with Bruckner in previous decades, the London Symphony Orchestra has in recent years garnered considerable experience in the composer’s music under conductors such as Bernard Haitink and Daniel Harding. Here they perform superbly for Friedel, delivering playing that is both sonorous and passionate, with violins placed antiphonally and inner voices eloquently articulated. What a pleasure it is to hear them in the spacious acoustic of All Hallows Church in Gospel Oak rather than in their constricted home acoustic of the Barbican Hall. The recording is quite superlative, combining exceptional transparency with a warm cushion of reverberation, neither muddy in climaxes nor opaque in quieter passages.

For those that are interested in such things, Friedel uses the 1951 Nowak edition of the score rather than the 2005 Cohrs update with its minor changes at the close of the Adagio. On the evidence of this recording, Friedel has real authority in the music of Bruckner and I look forward to hearing more of his performances.