Schoenberg and Bruckner
Saturday 17 June 2023, 7:30pm
Oxford Town Hall
Schoenberg - Five Pieces for Orchestra
Bruckner - Symphony no.8
Robert Max conductor
Schoenberg's Five Pieces for Orchestra is not based on melodic line but on sounds, colours and textures: each movement has a theme. The first, on the theme of Premonitions, is at times ominous, but also colourful and bombastic. The second movement, Yesteryears, is delicate, maybe evoking a sleepless night in the woods, and illustrates Schoenberg's talent for texture and sensitivity. The third, Summer Morning by a Lake, breaks up a melodic line amongst different instruments. Peripetia then takes the listener on a energy-filled ride ending in a climax. The final movement, The Obligatory Recitative is lyrical and bucolic, with a single melodic line running through the whole orchestra and a happy ending.
First performed by the Vienna Philharmonic in 1892, Bruckner's 8th was his last completed symphony,
and it is truly magnificent in its size and splendour. Bruckner's symphonies are sometimes compared
to orchestral cathedrals, and this work certainly demonstrates the complexity and richness of its
grand Wagnerian construction. However, among the contemplation, and the rich soundscape of low brass, also
lurks unsettling drama. The impressive finale manages to combine the opening themes from all the movements at once.
You can download the image of the poster for this concert.
