5th Symphony Concert

For the composer himself, it was a mystery; for Richard Strauss, it was the “crowning achievement of symphonic composition”; in later critical reception, it came to be known as “the Apocalyptic.” Whatever one may call Anton Bruckner’s Eighth Symphony, its monumental character, its suspenseful internal structure, and its spiritual and dramatic power lend the work a tremendous impact. After conductor Hermann Levi had expressed skepticism about the first version from 1887, Bruckner fundamentally revised the symphony and created an even more coherent dramatic structure, in which the final movement, with its monumental double fugue, appears as a heightened, organic apotheosis of the entire work. While the first movement in the original version still ended with a grand, crowning climax in fortissimo, Bruckner omitted this powerful conclusion for the second version and replaced it with the quiet fading away of the so-called “death clock.” This steady, inexorable pulsation serves as a symbol of the passage of time and lends the work an existential dimension. The premiere of the second version in Vienna in 1892 became Bruckner’s greatest triumph: after each movement, he was celebrated on stage to thunderous applause.

Conducting the TSOI is the Dutch conductor and Bruckner specialist Antony Hermus, who is known for his profound yet finely balanced interpretations.