Musical Romanticism, explored by Pieter de Oude.
Bruckner’s sixth symphony
This episode of Radio Romantica is filled with the immense sixth symphony by Anton Bruckner. He wrote the piece in 1881, but he has never heard it played live by a great orchestra like the Wiener Philharmoniker. They only played it after his death. By then it was 1899, and it happened mainly because of the tenacity of conductor Gustav Mahler, who held his modest and insecure colleague in high regard. As a young man, Mahler, just like Hugo Wolf, was fascinated by the symphonic scores by the little organ player from Linz. The audience and even Johannes Brahms, to name someone, didn’t see the point of them. They even made fun of the wonderful music. The Royal Concertgebouworkest and its conductors have always made out a case of Bruckner’s symphonies. The sixth symphony was conducted by Riccardo Chailly. It was recorded in 1997.
Playlist
Anton Bruckner, Symphony no. 6 in A major (ed. Leopold Novak)
Royal Concertgebouworkest conducted by Riccardo Chailly
