Eivind Aadland
Joyce DiDonato Hector Berlioz
Anton Bruckner

Berlioz: Les nuits d'été

Hector Berlioz (1803–1869) often wrote about his own music in diaries and letters. About the song cycle Les nuits d'été, however, there is little to be found. It was composed around 1840, and the original version for high voice and piano was performed in the summer of 1841. This was a turbulent period in Berlioz's life: his first marriage was nearing its end, and at the same time he met the woman who would later become his second wife.

He was also criticised for writing only grand works for symphony orchestra. The six songs in Les nuits d'été reveal another side of him. They are more intimate and contemplate love from various perspectives. The loss of love is a recurring theme throughout the cycle. Perhaps Berlioz felt that the work's message was clear enough in itself, without need for further explanation.

Bruckner: Symphony No. 4

In Symphony No. 4, the listener gets a close encounter with Anton Bruckner's (1824–1896) own soul. He gave the symphony the nickname "Romantic," underscoring the music's glow and romance. The work opens with a horn solo that invites us into an atmosphere free of worry, full of beautiful timbres and delight.

The symphony's joyful mood did not come easily to Bruckner. The first version was presented in 1874, but it was not until 1881, after significant revisions, that the symphony received its premiere. The premiere was an immediate success and marked Bruckner's major career breakthrough. Symphony No. 4 remains one of his most frequently performed works.