In the first few minutes you have to be overwhelmed by the sheer sound of the Vienna Philharmonic, from the first hushed strings to the full brass enunciation of the main theme of the movement. But as the work continues, and perhaps above all in the sublime third movement, I found I was more impressed by the splendour of the sound than by the profundity of the music.

Overall, there’s an aliveness to the music, inspired by the concert setting, which adds another reason this Bruckner Eighth is so satisfying. If you want to hear Thielemann at his best, conducting a stupendous orchestra, that’s precisely what we have here.

The Eighth Symphony is of course familiar territory for the orchestra, as it is for Thielemann, who has two previous recordings to his name...The newcomer, however, has a sweep and depth that’s a definite advance on the two earlier interpretations. As usual with Thielemann’s Bruckner, there’s a careful attention to dynamics coupled with a flexible approach to tempo.

The playing is magisterial with weighty sonorities, yet Thielemann encourages a transparency in the filigree string writing of the Scherzo of almost chamber-music delicacy. However, the Adagio and “Solemn” Finale are spaciously conceived rather than slow...Any new Thielemann recording of an Austrian masterwork with this orchestra is an event.

Sound is resonant and glowing, the buildup of tension and release perceptively handled, each solo impeccably played by some of the world’s best musicians. The Eighth is a huge work, and this performance will take many listenings to reveal its full shape and detail, but so far, so good.