ConcertPulse
Andris Nelsons with Bruckner’s Eighth
Philharmonie Berlin, Main Auditorium (Berlin)
For Andris Nelsons, chief conductor of the Gewandhausorchester and the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Bruckner’s Eighth Symphony is a work with a unique aura: “Bruckner penetrated regions that remained out of reach for other composers,” he says. Performing the symphony is “an existential experience” for him. Nelson’s close connection with this work is reflected in his interpretation. The blossoming and fading of the themes, the swelling and breaking of musical arcs of tension, exert a powerful pull on the listener.