Before Anton Bruckner’s 7th Symphony was played – exactly 50 years ago to the day – public and business figures came to congratulate him. Above all, Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen, who joined in via video message.
The greetings particularly emphasized the importance of music for human coexistence and expressed thanks to the employees in the current situation. After the involuntary temporary departure of artistic director Dietmar Kerschbaum due to various compliance allegations, the celebratory mood in the house in the run-up to the anniversary suffered.
Picture gallery: 50 years of Brucknerhaus
(Photo: Reinhard Winkler) Bild 1/42
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The Brucknerhaus fulfill an important social task, said Federal President Van der Bellen in his video message. Music is important for all people and is therefore a reflection of every kind of human society. National Council President Wolfgang Sobotka (ÖVP) also emphasized that music is the “language” that all people understand. The Brucknerhaus According to Sobotka, it is still an architectural jewel even after 50 years, it has set accents and impulses by developing offers for children.
In her statement, the Second President of the National Council Doris Bures (SPÖ) referred to the message of peace in music – especially with Anton Bruckner. War is currently determining our lives, said Bures, and expressed the hope that music will show society the way to peace. State Governor Thomas Stelzer (ÖVP) also pointed out in his congratulations that “art in this house accompanies our lives”. “We celebrate the impact of Brucknerhauses to the whole country”. Stelzer’s wish: “May it always be a house for a better life.” Economics Minister Martin Kocher (ÖVP) also referred to the economic importance of culture in Austria and its importance for tourism.
The performance of Anton Bruckner’s 7th Symphony by Maestro Zubin Mehta and the Vienna Philharmonic was the acclaimed conclusion to the 50th anniversary celebrations Brucknerhauses. As soon as they appeared, the audience greeted the conductor and orchestra with almost frenetic cheers. After the final chord it finally increased to a standing and seemingly endless ovation. The rendition was captivated by the audience and remains an unforgettable experience for everyone, which continues the event of the opening concert 50 years ago – back then under Herbert von Karajan – into the future Brucknerhauses.
Anton Bruckner’s Symphony No. 7 in E major is probably the composer’s most popular and, along with the “Fourth”, is one of his most frequently performed works. In the Brucknerhaus Linz and in the collegiate basilica of St. Florian it has sounded over 40 times over the past five decades. Zubin Mehta, who will celebrate his 88th birthday in a month, and the Vienna Philharmonic played the symphony five times in Vienna last week.
In the Bruckner memorial year 2024 there will be 28 concerts with a symphony by the jubilee in Upper Austria alone. 17 can be found in Linz Brucknerhaus instead, eleven of them in the cycle of symphonies in the original sound.
