Nobody Knows The Trouble I See by Zimmermann, B. A., Bruckner, Beethoven, No (2023/2023), Diriģents Ryan Bancroft, Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff, United Kingdom

Occasionally a composer writes an overture too dramatic and epic in scale for its intended purpose, and this is the case with Beethoven’s overture, Leonora No. 3. Telling the story of Fidelio, this overture stands as a heroic, noble and passionate, yet controlled and very human, standalone piece, unrecognisably Beethoven throughout. Similarly Nobody Knows the Trouble I See screams Zimmerman from the outset, from its use of musical quotes, the incorporation of African-American spiritual tunes and its sweeping political gestures. Dense chromatic harmony exists alongside big band brass, a battery of percussion alongside a gospel-esque organ, all set under an eloquent and compelling solo trumpet line. Bruckner’s declared his enduringly enigmatic and complex Symphony No. 0 ‘gilt nicht’, suggesting that he was unconvinced by its merit, and although it was composed in 1869 it didn’t receive its premiere until 55 years later! In later life he can’t have thought it all that terrible though as whilst not making the cut of his works to be preserved in the Imperial Library, he equally didn’t destroy it…