Bowled over by Bruckner

The two Proms concerts given on consecutive evenings by the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra were well planned: a short opening work, and after the interval a long and demanding symphony. Moreover, the big symphonies were by Bruckner and Mahler, to the latter of whom this orchestra has been devoted almost since its foundation. Willem Mengelberg, the orchestra’s chief for 50 years, was the only conductor, Mahler said, that he could trust with his works, and the orchestra has been headed by a succession of distinguished Mahlerians ever since.Bruckner, meanwhile, entered the orchestra’s repertoire in a major way in the 1950s, and has been there ever since. Daniele Gatti, who became the orchestra’s seventh chief conductor last year, was making his first Proms appearance in that role.

Wolfgang Rihm’s In-Schrift (1995), with which the first concert began, is a striking piece, with much for the percussion and low brass to do, and for the prominent harps, but no upper strings.