Too Smooth to Tremble — Hrůša’s Bruckner 4 at the Concertgebouw

The evening began with a thoughtfully curated Mahler pairing — Blumine and Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen — offering glimpses of Gustav before the First Symphony. Blumine shone with that raw, tender Mahler 1 glow, while the Lieder wove together premonitions of both the Mahler 1 and Das Lied von der Erde. It was moving to hear Mahler still searching, composing from scratch, still becoming — a reminder that even Gustav was once just a human Gustav.

Jakub Hrůša’s conducting here was precise, lyrical, and deeply felt. His breath and pacing in the Mahler were masterful, never overstated yet full of detail. You could tell: this was a conductor with a complete understanding of balance — between drama and restraint, gesture and humility.

But then came Bruckner 4 — and the spell shifted. If anything, too perfect.

From the opening shimmer — rapid, almost impatient — it became clear this would not be a brooding, craggy Bruckner. Instead, Hrůša’s reading seemed to filter the Austrian mystic through a Beethovenian lens, with Strauss’ polished brightness layered on top. Gone was the sacred hesitation, the holy weight, the creaky architecture of faith and breath. Instead, we were offered something closer to Beethoven wrapped in Strauss’ silk — brilliant, luminous, expertly navigated… but too smooth to tremble. Transitions flowed too well. Climaxes arrived not through tectonic grind but through well-oiled machinery. The brass blazed, yes — but without that sacred absurdity that makes you question time itself.

For a first-time listener, this was a magnificent introduction. For the returning pilgrim, it missed the scent of stone and incense. Hrůša passed the Mahler test with grace. But with Bruckner, we wanted something less perfect — and more devout.

Hrůša remains a conductor of rare finesse. But Bruckner doesn’t need finesse.

He needs faith.

Concert: Concertgebouw, Amsterdam, 04/04/2025

Bamberger Symphoniker

Jakub Hrůša dirigent

Konstantin Krimmel bariton

Programme:

Mahler: Blumine

Mahler:Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen

Bruckner: Symfonie nr. 4 in Es ‘Romantische’