ConcertPulse
Jakub Hrůša conducts Bruckner, Mahler and Rott
Konzerthalle Bamberg, Joseph-Keilberth-Saal (Bamberg)
The concert introduction takes place at 7 pm in the Joseph-Keilberth-Saal.
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The concert introduction takes place at 7 pm in the Joseph-Keilberth-Saal.
»Music is love‘s soul, for it is the touching of the divine with the human.« These were the thoughts of Bettina von Arnim – and in our concert conducted by Andrew Manze we indulge in such deep soundscapes as Respighi‘s »Concerto Gregoriano« from 1921: it conjures up a religiously solemn world of the middle ages – inspired by his preoccupation with the honorable church modes and meditative melodies of Gregorian chant, which had seized him »like an addiction« at the time. The violin concerto is therefore largely a lyrical-contemplative composition and quotes the Easter sequence »victimae paschali laudes« in the middle movement – but in the end it soars hymn-like with echoes of the famous »Salve Regina« chant like a fervent profession of faith. One critic characterised the violin part as that of »a cantor in an ancient religious ceremony, with the orchestra personifying the choir of the believers«. With us, Frank Peter Zimmermann will assume the role of solo choir leader with his Stradivarius. What follows is a journey into the Bruckner cosmos: his creative work was inseparably intertwined with religious sentiments, which earned him the nickname »Musician of God«. Before he had dared to approach symphonies, he had already made a name for himself as an eminent organist and church composer. After several dissatisfactory attempts, he composed his first definitive symphony in Linz in 1865/66 – which, however, he reworked in Vienna in 1891 on the basis of the experience he had gathered thereafter: it captivates the listener with its natural originality, grandiose themes and climax after climax – and in addition offers deep insights into Bruckner‘s state of mind in the heartfelt Adagio.
It was an ongoing issue for Bruckner to overcome the torment of his soul: the introverted loner suffered because no woman ever wanted to have anything »serious« to do with him – and he was also humiliated by the constant critique of his works. Therefore, his symphonies seem for large parts like epiphanies of a man struggling with himself. Herbert Blomstedt says that they represent »the longing for the eternal« and that Bruckner »takes listeners into a world« that »they otherwise might never reach«: »It is the world of his very own imagination. This is where you meet his soul. And he discovered this world through music, not through religion. He believed in the fugue, in the hymn, in the symphonic way of expressing himself. He overcame his life crises with this confession.« Our honorary conductor guides us through Bruckner‘s deep eighth symphony, which he began right after the tremendous success of his seventh contribution to the genre. The painstakingly gained self-confidence, however, once again collapsed like a house of cards. In 1885, the now sixty-something bachelor hoped to have finally found happiness in love – but his luck ran out again: His young beloved, whom he did not kiss but with whom he exchanged photographs, pulled away – and did not accept the dedication of the symphony. Then the conductor Hermann Levi declined to perform it and recommended a revision, which deeply offended Bruckner. The symphony was ultimately dedicated to Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria and performed for the first time in Vienna in 1892 – fortunately a triumph for Bruckner. This symphony, described by himself as a »mystery«, captivates with unbridled climaxes and dynamic contrasts – but also with intimate soul paintings such as the Adagio.
It was an ongoing issue for Bruckner to overcome the torment of his soul: the introverted loner suffered because no woman ever wanted to have anything »serious« to do with him – and he was also humiliated by the constant critique of his works. Therefore, his symphonies seem for large parts like epiphanies of a man struggling with himself. Herbert Blomstedt says that they represent »the longing for the eternal« and that Bruckner »takes listeners into a world« that »they otherwise might never reach«: »It is the world of his very own imagination. This is where you meet his soul. And he discovered this world through music, not through religion. He believed in the fugue, in the hymn, in the symphonic way of expressing himself. He overcame his life crises with this confession.« Our honorary conductor guides us through Bruckner‘s deep eighth symphony, which he began right after the tremendous success of his seventh contribution to the genre. The painstakingly gained self-confidence, however, once again collapsed like a house of cards. In 1885, the now sixty-something bachelor hoped to have finally found happiness in love – but his luck ran out again: His young beloved, whom he did not kiss but with whom he exchanged photographs, pulled away – and did not accept the dedication of the symphony. Then the conductor Hermann Levi declined to perform it and recommended a revision, which deeply offended Bruckner. The symphony was ultimately dedicated to Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria and performed for the first time in Vienna in 1892 – fortunately a triumph for Bruckner. This symphony, described by himself as a »mystery«, captivates with unbridled climaxes and dynamic contrasts – but also with intimate soul paintings such as the Adagio.
It was an ongoing issue for Bruckner to overcome the torment of his soul: the introverted loner suffered because no woman ever wanted to have anything »serious« to do with him – and he was also humiliated by the constant critique of his works. Therefore, his symphonies seem for large parts like epiphanies of a man struggling with himself. Herbert Blomstedt says that they represent »the longing for the eternal« and that Bruckner »takes listeners into a world« that »they otherwise might never reach«: »It is the world of his very own imagination. This is where you meet his soul. And he discovered this world through music, not through religion. He believed in the fugue, in the hymn, in the symphonic way of expressing himself. He overcame his life crises with this confession.« Our honorary conductor guides us through Bruckner‘s deep eighth symphony, which he began right after the tremendous success of his seventh contribution to the genre. The painstakingly gained self-confidence, however, once again collapsed like a house of cards. In 1885, the now sixty-something bachelor hoped to have finally found happiness in love – but his luck ran out again: His young beloved, whom he did not kiss but with whom he exchanged photographs, pulled away – and did not accept the dedication of the symphony. Then the conductor Hermann Levi declined to perform it and recommended a revision, which deeply offended Bruckner. The symphony was ultimately dedicated to Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria and performed for the first time in Vienna in 1892 – fortunately a triumph for Bruckner. This symphony, described by himself as a »mystery«, captivates with unbridled climaxes and dynamic contrasts – but also with intimate soul paintings such as the Adagio.
»And the soul, unguarded, wants to soar in free flights, to live within the magic circle of the night deeply and a thousandfold.« These dream-lorn lines by Hermann Hesse inspired Richard Strauss to write one of his moving »Four Last Songs«. These depict a life cycle and bear witness to his confrontation with his own death. At 83, the aged composer looked back on his triumphant life »weary of wandering«. When a journalist asked him about his next projects, Strauss answered with a wink: »Well, just die!« But his son persuaded him to compose another »major work«, saying, »Dad, stop brooding, write some beautiful songs instead.« And Strauss succeeded in a beguiling way, for the highly romantic settings hover in an inimitable atmosphere of weightlessness. With us, the voice of Hanna-Elisabeth Müller soars to these soulful songs. Christoph Eschenbach then leads us through a work by Bruckner that was first performed in 1873 and was composed as a direct expression of a deep life crisis due to the so-called »St. Anna affair«: as he was hardly noticed as a composer in Vienna at that time, he gave piano lessons at the St. Anna educational institution – and once confidentially called one of his pupils »my darling«. Even though Bruckner felt wrongly suspected, the newspapers made a scandal out of this event. He was soon rehabilitated, but wrote his second symphony in this humiliated state of mind – which therefore has a restless, pessimistic underlying mood: it fluctuates between heartfelt prayers, desperate outbursts, clueless silences and wild dance scenes.
»The flute so gracefully captures the ears that it brings calm and peace to all emotions, right into the soul«. This quote from Plutarch builds a wonderful bridge to the opening of our concert – the spiritual flute concerto by the prominent Japanese composer Toshio Hosokawa. Premiered in 2022, the piece is about a fascinating ceremony. According to Hosokawa, the solo part represents »a shamanic person« who invokes the orchestra as »the world, the universe, nature« using breathing sounds to summon supernatural forces: »The breathing sounds echo through the flute just like the wind in nature and become the song that awakens the spirit.« Our solo flutist Daniela Koch assumes the role of the shaman in this ritualistic piece, about which Hosokawa noted that it was »also prayer music for the end of the pandemic, as it was composed during the Corona catastrophe.« This fits with something Bruckner said in 1874 shortly after completing the first version of his third symphony: »Because the present state of the world, spiritually speaking, is weakness, I resort to strength and compose powerful music.« Many of Bruckner's movements are symphonic canticles in a sublime style, moving through the struggles and trials of a soul seeking its way to salvation through pain and suffering. Since the premiere of his third symphony was a dreadful disaster for him, he revised it multiple times, feeling deeply depressed – and finally scored a success with the 1889 version. Bruckner said about the fluctuating moods of this symphonic cosmos: »That‘s just the way it is in life. The polka stands for the humour and cheerfulness of the world – the chorale for the sadness and pain in it.«
»The flute so gracefully captures the ears that it brings calm and peace to all emotions, right into the soul«. This quote from Plutarch builds a wonderful bridge to the opening of our concert – the spiritual flute concerto by the prominent Japanese composer Toshio Hosokawa. Premiered in 2022, the piece is about a fascinating ceremony. According to Hosokawa, the solo part represents »a shamanic person« who invokes the orchestra as »the world, the universe, nature« using breathing sounds to summon supernatural forces: »The breathing sounds echo through the flute just like the wind in nature and become the song that awakens the spirit.« Our solo flutist Daniela Koch assumes the role of the shaman in this ritualistic piece, about which Hosokawa noted that it was »also prayer music for the end of the pandemic, as it was composed during the Corona catastrophe.« This fits with something Bruckner said in 1874 shortly after completing the first version of his third symphony: »Because the present state of the world, spiritually speaking, is weakness, I resort to strength and compose powerful music.« Many of Bruckner's movements are symphonic canticles in a sublime style, moving through the struggles and trials of a soul seeking its way to salvation through pain and suffering. Since the premiere of his third symphony was a dreadful disaster for him, he revised it multiple times, feeling deeply depressed – and finally scored a success with the 1889 version. Bruckner said about the fluctuating moods of this symphonic cosmos: »That‘s just the way it is in life. The polka stands for the humour and cheerfulness of the world – the chorale for the sadness and pain in it.«
Recording & Broadcast BR-KLASSIKIt‘s a great mystery what and where the soul is exactly: whether it is immaterial or somehow palpable or a measurable energy – yet researchers have said to have found out that its weight is 21 grams. Opinions differ widely across humanity. However, many agree that this precious essence plays an important role. This season, we want to tie in Anton Bruckner‘s symphonies with other compositions which, in their own way, have a soul-related, and sometimes spiritual, content. In this concert, Lahav Shani, winner of our MAHLER COMPETITION in 2013 and the new principal conductor of the Munich Philharmonic, will conduct the world premiere of a work written by the Baku-born composer Frangis Ali-Sade, who once said: »Every time, music helps me to chase away the problems of life.« Paul Ben-Haim‘s violin concerto is also worth discovering: his scintillating works combine European, Israeli and Arab traditions – because the artist, born as Paul Frankenberger in Munich, fled to Palestine in 1933. The violin concerto from 1960, which at times sounds like film music, turns out to be very stirring, but also exudes a wonderfully soulful tranquillity at times. At the end, Bruckner‘s Seventh Symphony, with which he finally achieved the longed-for breakthrough as a recognised composer in 1884. It captivates with masterly intensifications and heartfelt moments such as in the stirring Adagio – and is one of those confessional works about which it was said that in them there appeared »a changing radiance of a spiritual kind«.
The Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks (BRSO) as a guest in the subscription
Bruckner would not write the Fifth Symphony again “even for one thousand guilders”. He had struggled with the work for two and a half years, improving it in small details and revising large sections, such as in the Finale, multiple times. Compared to some of his other symphonies, there is only one version of the Fifth authorized by Bruckner himself. And although he desperately wanted to hear this work in the grand setting of a concert hall, his wish was never fulfilled. Christian Thielemann, an internationally recognized specialist for the German Romantic repertoire, will emphasize the work’s monumental character.
CHANGE OF CAST AND PROGRAMME
Change of cast and programme on 4th and 5th of March