Gewandhausorchester / Andris Nelsons BRUCKNER Symphony No. 4

Spring 2018 sees the release of two new albums by the Leipzig Gewandhausorchester and Andris Nelsons on the Deutsche Grammophon label, coinciding with the orchestra’s 275^th anniversary and the conductor’s inauguration as the new Gewandhauskapellmeister. These live recordings, each coupled with pieces from Wagner operas, form part of a complete Bruckner cycle on the yellow label. Bruckner’s Symphony No.4 will be released on 16 February, Symphony No.7 on 6 April 2018.

In Leipzig, past and present have always gone hand in hand, a successful fusion that will soon be encapsulated in a very special four-week-long music festival. Taking place in the city between 18 February and 24 March, the festival will mark both the 275^th anniversary of the Leipzig Gewandhausorchester, and the official inauguration as the 21^st Gewandhauskapellmeister of the exceptional Latvian conductor Andris Nelsons, one of the most exciting musicians on the world stage today. Deutsche Grammophon is joining in the celebrations by releasing two new albums that not only showcase Nelsons and his new orchestra, but also continue the long-established links between Leipzig and Bruckner.

The first of these albums, scheduled for release on 16 February 2018, features Bruckner’s Fourth Symphony alongside the Prelude to Wagner’s Lohengrin. The pairing reveals the remarkable affinities between the two composers’ idioms. Rich in contrast and musical imagery, both works have the power to captivate their listeners, a quality enhanced by Nelsons’ highly focused and sensitive interpretations.

The second Bruckner/Wagner album to appear this spring will feature the Austrian composer’s Seventh Symphony, a work more closely connected with Leipzig and the Gewandhausorchester than virtually any other ever written. Under the baton of the then Gewandhauskapellmeister Arthur Nikisch, the orchestra gave the symphony’s world premiere in the city’s municipal theatre in 1884, and the Seventh has been performed in Leipzig countless times since. It was therefore an obvious choice to include this legendary work in the orchestra’s 275^th anniversary gala concert which Andris Nelsons will conduct on 11 March 2018. Captured live, this unique performance will be released on 6 April in Germany and 20 April worldwide, in a pairing with Siegfried’s Funeral Music from Wagner’s Götterdämmerung.

Both albums are part of Deutsche Grammophon’s upcoming complete Bruckner cycle with Nelsons and the Gewandhausorchester. In each case, the Bruckner symphony in question will be complemented by an excerpt from one of Wagner’s operas, an innovative programming decision which, along with the high-calibre performers involved, gives the new cycle a distinctive edge. Coupling the symphonies with music by Wagner enables listeners to discover two composers of contrasting character whose works nevertheless display some fascinating similarities of conception. (Deutsche Grammophon)