Simone Young conducts Bruckner and Rihm

Simone Young conducts Bruckner and Rihm

When Simone Young conducts Bruckner, she prefers to perform the original versions of his symphonies: “Perhaps they are not as perfect as the later versions,” she explains. “But they have a modernity that the later ones lack.” In this concert, she presents the original version of the Second Symphony from 1872, and combines it with Wolfgang Rihm’s one-act opera Das Gehege. This dark and enigmatic piece depicts a woman who, on the eve of German reunification, frees an eagle from captivity, tries to seduce it, and ultimately kills it.

Simone Young conducts Bruckner and Rihm

When Simone Young conducts Bruckner, she prefers to perform the original versions of his symphonies: “Perhaps they are not as perfect as the later versions,” she explains. “But they have a modernity that the later ones lack.” In this concert, she presents the original version of the Second Symphony from 1872, and combines it with Wolfgang Rihm’s one-act opera Das Gehege. This dark and enigmatic piece depicts a woman who, on the eve of German reunification, frees an eagle from captivity, tries to seduce it, and ultimately kills it.

Kirill Petrenko conducts Bruckner and Rihm

Anton Bruckner’s symphonies have often been described as cathedrals of sound. And they really do combine a powerful architecture of sound with soaring climaxes and visions of the transcendent. This also applies to the Fifth Symphony, which Bruckner called his “contrapuntal masterpiece” because of its ingenious compositional technique. Kirill Petrenko combines it with a work that also has a connection to sacred architecture: Wolfgang Rihm’s IN-SCHRIFT, whose dark, powerfully-sculpted sounds are inspired by St Mark’s Basilica in Venice.

Kirill Petrenko conducts Bruckner and Rihm

Anton Bruckner’s symphonies have often been described as cathedrals of sound. And they really do combine a powerful architecture of sound with soaring climaxes and visions of the transcendent. This also applies to the Fifth Symphony, which Bruckner called his “contrapuntal masterpiece” because of its ingenious compositional technique. Kirill Petrenko combines it with a work that also has a connection to sacred architecture: Wolfgang Rihm’s IN-SCHRIFT, whose dark, powerfully-sculpted sounds are inspired by St Mark’s Basilica in Venice.

Kirill Petrenko conducts Bruckner and Rihm

Anton Bruckner’s symphonies have often been described as cathedrals of sound. And they really do combine a powerful architecture of sound with soaring climaxes and visions of the transcendent. This also applies to the Fifth Symphony, which Bruckner called his “contrapuntal masterpiece” because of its ingenious compositional technique. Kirill Petrenko combines it with a work that also has a connection to sacred architecture: Wolfgang Rihm’s IN-SCHRIFT, whose dark, powerfully-sculpted sounds are inspired by St Mark’s Basilica in Venice.

Simone Young

Simone Young

Simon Rattle conducts Bruckner and Widmann

Bruckner’s Sixth Symphony has long been one of the composer’s underrated works. According to Sir Simon Rattle, this is because it doesn’t offer what people usually expect of a Bruckner symphony. It is shorter, more transparent and less solemn than usual, “a piece full of humour and daring”. Bruckner himself seems to have seen it that way, for he whimsically declared the Sixth to be his “boldest”. To open the programme, Simon Rattle conducts the world premiere of a horn concerto written by Jörg Widmann, this season’s Composer-in-Residence, for our principal horn-player Stefan Dohr.

Simon Rattle conducts Bruckner and Widmann

Bruckner’s Sixth Symphony has long been one of the composer’s underrated works. According to Sir Simon Rattle, this is because it doesn’t offer what people usually expect of a Bruckner symphony. It is shorter, more transparent and less solemn than usual, “a piece full of humour and daring”. Bruckner himself seems to have seen it that way, for he whimsically declared the Sixth to be his “boldest”. To open the programme, Simon Rattle conducts the world premiere of a horn concerto written by Jörg Widmann, this season’s Composer-in-Residence, for our principal horn-player Stefan Dohr.

Simon Rattle conducts Bruckner and Widmann

Bruckner’s Sixth Symphony has long been one of the composer’s underrated works. According to Sir Simon Rattle, this is because it doesn’t offer what people usually expect of a Bruckner symphony. It is shorter, more transparent and less solemn than usual, “a piece full of humour and daring”. Bruckner himself seems to have seen it that way, for he whimsically declared the Sixth to be his “boldest”. To open the programme, Simon Rattle conducts the world premiere of a horn concerto written by Jörg Widmann, this season’s Composer-in-Residence, for our principal horn-player Stefan Dohr.