Jaap van Zweden conducts the Concertgebouw Orchestra in Bruckner's Fourth

Jaap van Zweden and Steve Reich

Jaap van Zweden conducts Anton Bruckner's much-loved Fourth Symphony, the 'Romantic'. With seductive, enchanting themes and ever-repeating motifs, we are lured into a new world of sound. In this way, Bruckner anticipated the hypnotic work of Steve Reich by more than a century. This American minimal music pioneer wrote increasingly exuberant works over the years. According to Reich, the level of playing in modern orchestras is now so high that he no longer has to limit himself to small ensembles for the necessary rhythmic precision. Music for Ensemble and Orchestra is an enchanting fabric of tight rhythmic patterns and kaleidoscopic harmonies, with a timeless effect.

Bruckner's Symphony No. 4

In the symphonies of Anton Bruckner, too, time seems to stand still, as if you are looking at a slowly rotating celestial body from a great distance. The Fourth Symphony, however, is exceptionally mobile and anecdotal. Bruckner himself described the work as a 'romantic spectacle' with medieval castles, magical forests and knights on fiery horses.