An Eschenbach & Bruckner Birthday Celebration

ABOUT THIS CONCERT

Tap into your inner hero and envision yourself on an epic quest as the orchestra performs Bruckner’s sweeping and expansive Symphony No. 4. Drawing inspiration from the romance and adventure of medieval times, Bruckner 4 captivates from the opening horn call to the heart-pounding, brass-filled finale. A momentous weekend is in store as we celebrate two special milestones: the 200th anniversary of Bruckner’s birthday; and the upcoming 85th birthday of our beloved former Music Director, Christoph Eschenbach.

What to Expect:

  • An epic experience
  • An immersive musical world capturing the romance and adventure of medieval times
  • Celebrate a Houston legend! Our beloved former Music Director Christoph Eschenbach returns to lead these concerts, right before his 85th birthday.


Be A Part of History!

This performance is part of Christoph Eschenbach’s season-long Bruckner Cycle, in which he will conduct all nine Bruckner symphonies with nine esteemed orchestras around the world. The Houston Symphony is honored to have been selected by Maestro Eschenbach as the only participating U.S. orchestra. As part of this special project, the performances will be filmed for future broadcast and commemorative release.


Program Notes

Program Notes

Discover the stories behind the music with program notes and gain deeper insight into our concert, An Eschenbach & Bruckner Birthday Celebration.

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PROGRAM

BRUCKNER  Symphony No. 4, Romantic

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This weekend, the Houston Symphony welcomes former Music Director Christoph Eschenbach back to Jones Hall for a special, double birthday celebration. Christoph served as the Houston Symphony’s Music Director from 1988 to 1999, a dynamic tenure that included tours to Europe and Japan as well as numerous recordings, several of which are now regarded as classics. Since then, he has held prestigious posts in Philadelphia, Washington, D.C, Paris, and Berlin and has remained a welcome and frequent guest in Houston. This year marks both Eschenbach’s 85th birthday and the 200thanniversary of the birth of Austrian composer Anton Bruckner, making this combination of conductor and repertoire especially timely. In recent years, Bruckner’s deep, mystical music has featured frequently in Christoph’s Houston programs, including a breathtaking interpretation of Bruckner’s Symphony No. 8 last season. This year, he also conducts the music of Bruckner in Bamberg, Berlin, and Seville with performances of his First, Third, and Fifth Symphonies respectively. For our concerts, he has chosen Bruckner’s Fourth. Premiered in Vienna in 1881, this popular work draws inspiration from the legendary realm of medieval knights and their adventures. Influenced by the operas of Wagner, Bruckner’s expansive symphonic architecture and innovative chromatic harmonies imbue his works with an epic, mythic quality that continues to entrance listeners, especially when interpreted by such a sympathetic and insightful conductor as Christoph Eschenbach. ©2024 Calvin Dotsey

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