Anyone who thought that the 24-hour birthday party on September 4 marked the peak of the Bruckner year was very much mistaken. There has been so much to hear, see and experience in the last few weeks. The Brucknerfest allowed all eleven symphonies to be experienced in their original sound. An expedition that pricked up the ears in many respects and gave some familiar things a new, transparent eloquence. At the final concert on the anniversary of Bruckner's death, the Bruckner Orchestra under Markus Poschner played the "Eighth" in St. Florian like a world premiere by Klaus Lang. Michael Wruss summed it up in his unerring reply: "Bruckner with the Bruckner Orchestra - you can't get more original sound than that." This year, we know more than ever where Bruckner comes from, even if his music takes us into a world dimension that has little geography attached to it.
The fantastic series of exhibitions spanning St. Florian, Steyr, Kronstorf, Enns and Windhaag has been given a new facet with the fresh look of "It's me, Toni." at the Nordico in Linz has added another facet. Curator Klaudia Kreslehner and her team have succeeded in creating a contemporary search for Anton Bruckner's identity, which brings a delightfully reflective female perspective into play in graphic novels. Seven invited female artists tell very individual facets of his personality. And the exhibition "Komm sing mit!" at the Lentos Kunstmuseum Linz also explores the raising of the voice in a variety of ways in conjunction with the Upper Austrian KulturEXPO. Take a look!
The Upper Austrian Composers' Association has initiated and realized a unique resonance project with "Alle haben ein Motiv! 12 composers from our province have found motifs in Bruckner's 11 symphonies and used them to inspire their own pieces. It is fabulous to see the diversity, quality and density of sound creators that our country can boast in the present day. Even more so when the composers can count on an exquisite and passionate sound collective such as the SBO Ried, under the direction of Karl Geroldinger. This project is a contemporary event that can still be heard in Steyr on November 9th.
Slowly but surely, the Bruckner Year is approaching its finale, which is not seen as the end, but as the start of a new era And it is obvious that the European Capital of Culture Bad Ischl Salzkammergut 2024 and the Upper Austrian KulturEXPO Anton Bruckner 2024 are once again making common cause.
On November 30 from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., the ALFA in Laakirchen will celebrate together with a brilliant cultural program. It will show what was particularly important to the two major projects this year. Be there!
