ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
PHILIPPE HERREWEGHE
Anton BRUCKNER (1824-1896):
Te Deum
Symphony No.9
Christiane Karg _soprano_
Okka von der Damerau _alto_
Maximilian Schmitt _tenor_
Tareq Nazmi _bass_
Collegium Vocale Gent
Orchestre des Champs-Élysées
Philippe Herreweghe
More than any other composer, Anton Bruckner (1824-1986) was plagued by uncertainty and doubt about his abilities. He made an exception, however, for his festive Te Deum in C major, a composition he treasured as his favourite work, and which was especially well received at its premiere in 1886. Written for a quartet of vocal soloists, four-voice choir, organ and orchestra, this hymn of praise bears witness – like his unfinished Ninth Symphony from 1884 – to Bruckner’s mystical religious sentiment. His awe of the Almighty, to whom he dedicated both works, is monumental. He once remarked that if God were to ask him to justify what he had accomplished with his talents, his response would be to “show him the score of my Te Deum, and hope his judgement will be merciful.”