1.026 million watched Bruckner
OrchestrasAustrian state television ORF has released figures for domestic viewing of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra’s New Year’s Day concert.
To general surprise, more than a million Austrians stayed on their sofas to watch a 25-minute documentary about the bicentenarian composer, ‘Anton Bruckner – A Journey of Discovery’ with boys from the St Florian’s choir and noise from Bruckner’s organ. The director is Felix Breisach.
Slippedisc readers can watch it below.
I am not surprised. The programm during the break of the orchestra is a jewel and I like it more than the concert. Very well made !!
Agree. It doesn’t make in into the U.S. broadcast but I watched it online.
I agree with that, and the production without voiceover was a stroke of genius which must have added to its international appeal.
How do they know all of them stayed to watch? I, for one, left the TV running just to hear when the second half would be starting but was doing stuff in the kitchen…
It was stunning! It was a fantasy and there were excerpts from many Bruckner works, not just the symphonies! I have written a book about him called, Anton Bruckner – a genius emerges. It is a novel based on his extraordinary life. To be published we’ll before his 200th Anniversary which is on 4 September, this year.
Gordon, http://www.gordonlthomas.com
I would like this book!
Dear Dr Cyril, please send me your email address and I’ll tell you when it’s published. Or message me from my website! As a Bruckner appreciator you will enjoy the book. Thank you for your interest! Gordon
– http://www.gordonlthomas.com
I hope someone has proofed your grammar in the book (well see, good old autocorrect)
I’m delighted to learn about this novel and looking dorward to its publication.
Hi Francis, it will soon be published on Amazon. My email is gordonl.thomas@gmail.com. If you would like to message me, I’ll tell you when it’s there! Best, Gordon
It’s a short science fiction film about young Bruckner and his buddy who travel in time into the future, through some sort of time portal created by opening a magic red box, as they participate in playing the music he would compose as an adult, and young Anton is quite happy with what he sees installed for him later in life, including his magnificent crypt for when he dies, although not foreseeing any wife or girlfriend doesn’t seem to bother young Bruckner one bit.
Why is the organist making noise?
“general surprise”? It was a charming well-produced “travel documentary” about the places important in Bruckner’s life, a perfect filler for the concert interval. I suspect that the only viewers who left their seats were those answering nature’s call or getting a drink!
If the same proportion of the uk population had watched a programme there would have been around 7.5 million viewers!
I noticed that a Quadrille by Bruckner was played at the VPO’s New Year’s Day concert
I hadn’t realised he had written any short pieces. Do slippedisc.com readers know of any more?
That is wonderful! Bruckner’s music is more relevant and necessary than ever!
Like many people, I guess, I’ve watched the New Year’s Day concert from Vienna for many years, remembering it from childhood when Willy Boskovsky used to direct from the violin; and have, obviously, seen many conductors since. Christian Thielemann may not have been the most exciting conductor to watch, but the
Interval feature on Bruckner was well done. It was both entertaining and educational, beautifully filmed, and would have surely aroused interest in those viewers not familiar with Bruckner’s music to maybe explore his output further. Credit must go to the creators and performers in this rather magical Bruckner feature.
I disagree…I thought Mr. Thielemann was great.
I watched it from Ireland and thought that it was absolutely brilliant. Loved the bit in the middle with the lads, and the stunning beauty of Austria in particular: Linz, Vienna and Saltzburg, the places associated with Mahler and Bruckner , the incredible historical buildings, orchestral pieces from the Strauss family etc. The conductor was a bit of a character too, loves to move and boogie to Strauss!
Bruckner is greatly admired by musicians but he is not well known among the public. For many years, I have heard comparisons between Bruckner in Mahler. They were both giants of symphonic repertoire of the late Romantic period. Both composed 9 great symphonies that were the longest ever written. But the similarities end there. They were completely different in form, harmony, texture and orchestration. Monumental creations of Western music!
Beautiful capturing transcendent in quotidian reality. Bruckner as new creative rocket fuel.
Felix Breisach is a brilliant and inventive director. And the intermission features of the New Years day concerts are always fantastic,showcasing the wonderful music making of various VPO chamber ensembles.The brass arrangement and playing of the finale of Bruckner 8 is truly out of this world!!!!
Nice film, but not very gender balanced… I suppose this is inkeeping with the still very male VPO and the boy choir tradition and Austria in general.
St Paul’s in London has just allowed the first girls to join the cathedral choir. All boy choirs should open their auditions to girls.