St. Florianer Brucknertage: Symphony concert

Bruckner: Symphony No. 9 in D minor with the Final Fragments. Altomonte Orchestra
Rémy Ballot, conductor. Moderation: Prof. Dr Felix Diergarten, Freiburg/D

Anton Bruckner: IXth Symphony & Excerpts from the surviving final fragments
The master began his IXth Symphony as early as 1887. Symphony. Although weakened by his heart disease from 1890 onwards, he worked tirelessly on his final composition. The first three movements are complete. The work has mostly been performed in this three-movement form since its premiere in 1903 and is therefore familiar to the music world as "unfinished". Bruckner spent the last three years of his life - repeatedly interrupted by bouts of illness - working on the finale of IX. Although the piece was already very advanced in terms of sketches and elaboration, he was unable to complete it. The composition has only survived in fragments and is therefore only known to a few listeners. Although it has occasionally been played by a third hand in attempts to complete it, notes and passages in Bruckner's own hand have never been performed without later additions by others. In the first part of the symphony concert, moderated by Prof. Felix Diergarten (CH), some of the most important authentic fragments that originate exclusively from Bruckner's hand will be heard for the first time - naturally in fragmentary blocks. Bruckner finds a completely new and visionary tonal language, which even goes beyond the modernity of the 3rd movement. Following the compositional outlook of the last final fragments, the entire IX. Symphony will be performed in its three surviving movements.