Anton Bruckner’s symphonies are like the pillars of a monumental cathedral and mark the end of the Romantic era. The wilful and, at times, eccentric composer was unfortunately unable to complete his Symphony No. 9. “I do not want to start the Ninth. I do not have the courage, for Beethoven too ended his life with the Ninth,” he wrote. Fortunately, he did begin and wrote two solemn, peaceful movements that frame a scherzo which resembles a “danse macabre”.

Patrick Hahn precedes Bruckner’s Ninth with a short work by Bernd Alois Zimmermann. Although he belongs to the Modern era of the 20th century, Bruckner’s musical language in a certain way resembles his in its style. The chief musical director explains that it is “the basic idea of a recurring sound”. The repetition of a tone in the work of Zimmermann corresponds to the repetition of distinctive motifs in Bruckner’s oeuvre, who repeats them almost excessively, constantly changing the sound and dynamics, which is what gives Bruckner’s music its distinctive and powerful pull.