Bruckner 5 by Hartmut Haenchen

Hartmut Haenchen

Hartmut Haenchen has a special bond with Bruckner, all of whose symphonies he is performing lately. Those concerts consistently yield jubilant reviews: ‘Haenchen's Bruckner sounds intoxicatingly beautiful with honorary conductor Hartmut Haenchen’, Trouw found following the Ninth. And NRC's earlier five-star review was equally jubilant: ‘Haenchen's Bruckner is full of breath, full of (love) songs. Copper chorales sounded fluently legato, woodwinds welled up like crocus from the buzzing strings.' Haenchen, who celebrated his 80th birthday in 2023 and conducted his 800th concert, is still a tireless inspiration for the orchestra.

Bruckner's Fifth

Anton Bruckner's Fifth symphony is a marvel of counterpoint. Bruckner's symphonies have been called ‘resounding cathedrals,’ and this is especially true of the Fifth: an imposing monument full of overwhelming brass chorales, illuminated by marvellous strings and provided with colour by beautiful woodwind parts. Bruckner himself was delighted with the work, which he called his ‘contrapuntal masterpiece’. A performance of this resounding cathedral is a unique experience.