Always a master of the great Germanic symphonic repertoire, the now 87-year-old conductor brought a special, quiet command to two of the great works of the canon: Franz Schubert’s Symphony No. 8, from 1822, and Anton Bruckner’s Symphony No. Both symphonies are rich examples of the interplay between light and dark, day and night, joy and despair. Bruckner’s creation came as the flower of Romanticism was decaying, about to give life to something new, and perhaps more cynical. Herbig, long past the point of needing to make some sort of statement, simply let each score unfold.

Source: thestar March 28, 2019 14:26 UTC