鈥淚t's not often you hear cries of 鈥榚ncore鈥� after a Bruckner symphony, but I would gladly have heard this one repeated in full鈥� wrote 鈥楾he Guardian鈥� back in 2012 when Donald Runnicles and the 麻豆社 SSO performed Bruckner鈥檚 colossal Eighth Symphony at the 麻豆社 Proms. And nearly a decade on, no Scottish conductor 鈥� arguably no living conductor 鈥� understands the beauty and truth of Bruckner鈥檚 symphonies better than our Conductor Emeritus. If you already know and love the Eighth, this is self-recommending. If you don鈥檛, all you really need to know is that as well as containing some of 19th-century music鈥檚 most glorious peaks, this immense symphony also contains some of its most intimate poetry: unsurprisingly, for a work that embodies one man鈥檚 lifelong search for redemption. Here, in a truly inspired touch, Runnicles and soprano Carolyn Sampson have paired it with 鈥楥orrespondances鈥�, by the late Henri Dutilleux: a ravishing meditation on the transient sweetness of life, expressed in music to pierce both heart and soul.
Prelude: 6.45pm in the Recital Room (free to ticket-holders, subject to seating availability): Author Dr Caroline Potter introduces Dutilleux鈥檚 鈥楥orrespondances鈥� - with a portrait of the composer.
The concert will be broadcast live on 麻豆社 Radio 3. The presenter is Kate Molleson.