Bruckner: Symphony No. 4

In the Bruckner Cycle, Jaap van Zweden conducts the ‘Romantic’ Symphony

Artwork: André Sanchez

In the Concertgebouw Orchestra’s Bruckner cycle, Jaap van Zweden conducts the Fourth Symphony.

Concert programme

  • Anton Bruckner

    Symphony No. 4

Performers

About this concert

The Concertgebouw Orchestra is performing the Fourth Symphony, one of Bruckner’s most popular works, under the direction of Jaap van Zweden. Bruckner himself called his Fourth the ‘Romantic’ – and by that, he mainly meant ‘romantic’ in the sense of medieval knights and castles. The composer sketched the following outline, for instance, for the first movement: ‘Medieval city – Daybreak – Morning calls sound from the city towers – the gates open – On proud horses the knights burst out into the open… – forest murmurs’. Of the third movement, he wrote, ‘hunt’ and ‘a barrel organ plays during the midday meal in the forest’. What about the stark Finale? ‘I don’t recall what I was thinking about there,’ the composer admitted. In any event, this is highly evocative music that lets each listener imagine their own story.

Dates and tickets

About this concert

The Concertgebouw Orchestra is performing the Fourth Symphony, one of Bruckner’s most popular works, under the direction of Jaap van Zweden. Bruckner himself called his Fourth the ‘Romantic’ – and by that, he mainly meant ‘romantic’ in the sense of medieval knights and castles. The composer sketched the following outline, for instance, for the first movement: ‘Medieval city – Daybreak – Morning calls sound from the city towers – the gates open – On proud horses the knights burst out into the open… – forest murmurs’. Of the third movement, he wrote, ‘hunt’ and ‘a barrel organ plays during the midday meal in the forest’. What about the stark Finale? ‘I don’t recall what I was thinking about there,’ the composer admitted. In any event, this is highly evocative music that lets each listener imagine their own story.

A preview