As Jean Paul once wonderfully put it: »It is not our brain but our heart that thinks the greatest thoughts. But our heart, or our soul, or our core personality, is a spark from the God‘s sea of living light.« Under the baton of our honorary conductor, we are musically immersing ourselves in this twinkling sea – and catching up on the tour that was cancelled in 2020 due to the pandemic, which takes us to Christoph Eschenbach‘s home country. We begin the concerts with an emotional piece by Krzysztof Penderecki, who was one of the most significant protagonists of Polish culture. As well as Christian themes, he also included political confessions in his compositions – and his grandiose sound visions came from deep within his soul. As soloist for Penderecki‘s exciting flute concerto, we welcome the acclaimed artist Stathis Karapanos. Written in 1992, the piece turns out to be a downright race between the flute and its accompanists: it appears as if the soloist is struggling to escape an ominous influence. Then it‘s off into the soul landscapes of Bruckner, who as an ardent Catholic was firmly convinced of where his creative power came from: »Among thousands, God has gifted me and bestowed this talent upon me, precisely upon me.« Bruckner always worked meticulously on his works – including his second symphony, completed in 1872. As often in his music, his much-loved sacred music left its mark here – with quotations from his own F minor mass and echoes of Haydn‘s »The Seven Last Words of Our Saviour on the Cross«. After the premiere, a critic enthusiastically judged that for him Bruckner was »no ordinary mortal« anymore – and certified him »lightning flashes of thought«.
