SWR Symphonieorchester & Vokalensemble / François-Xavier Roth

• Concerts

Programmes by international greats gather under the theme of »Zukunft« (Future) for the Hamburg International Music Festival 2025 with a brilliant end to the season at the Elbphilharmonie and Laeiszhalle. The SWR Symphonieorchester and its Vokalensemble have long been known as a home for musical futures. Under the direction of François-Xavier Roth, they combine two composers whose music does seem worlds apart, but is nevertheless very willing to cross borders: Pierre Boulez and Anton Bruckner.

Pierre Boulez is undoubtedly one of the greatest innovators amongst the composers of the 20th century. In »Figures – Doubles – Prismes«, the experimental character of the music is already apparent in the line-up of musicians: the traditional orchestra is split into three separate groups, between which Boulez lets sparks fly using every trick in the book.

Compared with such experiments, after the interval everything seems pleasantly familiar at first when the orchestra comes together in its familiar formation for Anton Bruckner’s Symphony No. 9. But even the lavish orchestral sound cannot hide what Bruckner inscribed to the future with the three movements of his unfinished final symphony. The captivating journey of this piece goes across many a cliff and through moments of great pain, but finally ends with a celestial vision of salvation.

PERFORMERS

SWR Symphonieorchester orchestra

SWR Vokalensemble choir ensemble

François-Xavier Roth conductor

PROGRAM

Pierre Boulez
Cummings ist der Dichter

Pierre Boulez
Figures – Doubles – Prismes

- Interval -

Anton Bruckner
Symphony No. 9 in D minor