[Jansons] clearly understands the dynamics of this strongly unified work and nearly everywhere his tempos are well judged. He is also very well served by superb choral singing and orchestral playing that clearly relishes the work's many challenges...the first two movements [of the Symphony] are a near ideal blend of volatility and poetry.

...it's a real performance [of the Symphony] and a worthy makeweight for a magnificent reading of the Requiem, which is a real feather in Jansons's cap

...what impresses most about this recording is the deeply sincere approach the performers adopt, confidently allowing the work to speak for itself...The four soloists are impressive... but the real heroes here are the members of the Wiener Singverein, whose fervent singing throughout such a lengthy work is a marvellous feat.

The flow of the music [in the Requiem] is entirely natural in Jansons’s hands, the chorus, soloists and instrumental detail both gelling with and standing out from the texture as the occasion demands...[The Eighth's] exuberance and radiant instrumental colour [are] vivified through a performance of poise and rejuvenating verve.