Anton Bruckner’s ‘Imperial Symphony’ In Berlin: An Evening With The RSB And Jurowski – OpEd

Berlin's vibrant classical music community gathered on Sunday, 8 February 2026, for an immersive encounter with Anton Bruckner's monumental Symphony No. 8 in C minor (WAB 108). The Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin (RSB), under its Chief Conductor Vladimir Jurowski, presented the work in the Großer Saal of the Philharmonie Berlin, offering listeners a rare opportunity to experience one of the summits of the symphonic repertoire in a single, concentrated span.

The Performance

The program was devoted entirely to the symphony's 1887 version, in the edition prepared by Robert Haas in 1935. Guided by Jurowski, with support from Assistant Conductor Ralf Sochaczewsky, the orchestra traversed the four vast movements:

• Allegro moderato
• Scherzo. Allegro moderato
• Adagio. Feierlich langsam, doch nicht schleppend
• Finale. Feierlich, nicht schnell

Performed without intermission, the approximately 90-minute reading unfolded as an uninterrupted musical arc, heightening the sense of architectural unity. The concert followed an earlier performance on Friday, 6 February, which had been recorded for broadcast.

Weather and the Journey to the Hall

Berlin offered typical February conditions: temperatures near freezing, grey skies, and lingering icy patches from earlier in the week. Yet none of this deterred the audience. The Philharmonie was impressively filled, a testament to the city's enduring cultural energy and to the special attraction of a major Bruckner night.

A Cathedral of Sound

Programming the Eighth Symphony on its own is always a statement. It invites the audience to step inside Bruckner's vast sonic cathedral without interruption. Jurowski's interpretation emphasized structural clarity while allowing the music's spiritual breadth—especially in the Adagio and the monumental Finale—to expand with patience and dignity.

When the final C-major peroration subsided, the atmosphere in the Großer Saal was charged. Conductor and orchestra shared visible relief and triumph after mastering what many musicians regard as one of the most demanding works ever written.

Audience Reactions

Concertgoers quickly took to social media, praising both the endurance and refinement of the performance. Many highlighted the extraordinary stamina of the brass section, whose power remained undiminished through the symphony's closing pages.

From the Program Booklet

• Pre-concert introduction: Musicologist Steffen Georgi spoke in the Südfoyer at 19:10, offering helpful orientation on the Haas edition and its place within Bruckner performance history.

• Media: The Friday concert served as the basis for radio transmission by radio3 rbb.

• House rules: As always at the Philharmonie, audio and video recording during the performance was prohibited, preserving the hall's much-valued concentration and silence.