Inspired by Bruckner 2 + 5

What is left of Bruckner when Camerata RCO plays Christiaan Richter’s work inspired by Bruckner’s Fifth Symphony? The musicians, practically infused with the Concertgebouw spirit, have tackled numerous arrangements of Bruckner’s symphonies for smaller ensembles. Will Bruckner remain recognisable? Frieda Gustavs asks herself the same question. The composer, who says she grew up on the train between Amsterdam and Stralsund, Germany, uses a whopping fifteen trombones to evoke Bruckner. 

Dutch composer Christiaan Richer believes he can take the architectural apotheosis of Bruckner’s Fifth Symphony to the next level. The symphony will be subjected to ‘various rinses, pressings, and siftings’, according to the composer. Bruckner’s Second Symphony serves as a vehicle for Frieda Gustavs to travel back in time. Together with Pitou and Jasmine Karimova, she sings letters to her great-great-grandmother, accompanied by the trombones of Lonelinoise and the Royal Conservatoire of The Hague.