Anton Bruckner instead of karaoke – that could be the unofficial motto with a wink. On Sunday, the Bruckner Orchestra Linz, conducted by chief conductor Markus Poschner, sets off on its first tour of South Korea: two concerts in the capital Seoul are on the program on Tuesday and Wednesday. For guest performances at the Seoul Arts Center SAC and the Lotte Concert Hall, the orchestra will be bringing Anton Bruckner’s “Fifth”, which is (still) almost unknown in Korea, as well as Ludwig van Beethoven’s 7th symphony.
The Koreans wanted to hear “Bruckner firsthand,” said Norbert Trawöger, the orchestra’s artistic director. And the Linz ensemble is predestined for this, after all, in recent years a musical interpretation has been found for the master from Ansfelden that “wipes away all pathos and all fumes of incense” and reveals the essence of the works anew. The Fifth is “a fantastic, complex masterpiece”, but it requires a lot of patience and attention, according to the 51-year-old. The fact that this rarely played symphony was explicitly requested by the Korean side is “remarkable” and shows how much musical expertise there is. The same applies to the second evening, which is dedicated to Beethoven. In addition to the “Seventh”, the “Overture to Coriolanus” and the Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 1 in C major will be performed. The orchestra is supported by South Korean star pianist Jae-Hyuck Cho (28).
Doesn’t cost a penny of tax money
By the way: There are no state funds for the concerts, the Asia guest performance of the 73 musicians does not cost the taxpayer a cent. “That works, among other things, because we rent large instruments such as the six double basses and four timpani on site and don’t have to transport them at great expense,” says orchestra manager Oliver Deak. On earlier tours, the overseas transport of the instruments cost up to 150,000 euros. The schedule at the Landestheater is also perfectly planned this time. Since only one “Countess Mariza” performance and a few rehearsals for the baroque opera “Rinaldo”, played with a very small cast, are on the program during the tour, no substitutes have to be hired. Deak: “Theatre operations will not be paralysed. We will defray all commitments with our regular musicians.”
- On October 26, the Bruckner Orchestra will perform Bruckner’s Fifth at the Seoul Arts Center. A guest performance in the Lotte Concert Hall (from 8 p.m.) is on the program the following day.
Source: Nachrichten
