Plenty of classical composers have a reputation these days. Some are good – think of the celebrated jollity of “Papa Haydn” or Beethoven’s tantalisingly struggle-fuelled inspirations. Others are less positive, from Rossini’s image as a workshy tunesmith to Wagner’s as a megalomaniac antisemite. Yet surely no mainstream classical composer is more often dismissed as simply “boring” than Austrian symphonist Anton Bruckner.
His symphonies are certainly massive, no matter what you make of the venerable quip that Bruckner recomposed the same one nine times. Of course, one listener’s longueurs are another’s immersive epic – and this devoutly Catholic, counterpoint-obsessed musician also has his superfans. They were out in force for the Big Bruckner Weekend marking the composer’s 200th anniversary at Gateshead’s Glasshouse International Centre for Music – one coachload was rumoured to have come all the way from Dorset. But the five concerts were clearly aimed at agnostics and newcomers as well: broadcaster John Suchet did double-duty throughout as MC and hype-man.
