Wagner and Bruckner: an introduction by Susanne Stähr (14 min.)

In April 2016, Andris Nelsons appeared with the Berliner Philharmoniker to conduct Bruckner’s Third Symphony. The concert opened with the Prelude to the first act and the famous Karfreitagszauber from Richard Wagner’s final music drama Parsifal. Bruckner famously admired Wagner above all others, and he ultimately dedicated his Third Symphony to his 11-year older colleague. In this introduction, the musicologist and dramaturg Susanne Stähr talks about the relationship between the two very different composers, their meeting when Bruckner wished to dedicate a work to him, and the parallels between the works of the musical dramatist and the symphonist, both of whom have gone down in history as musical innovators.