The Vienna Philharmonic will have its first concert in La Sagrada Família

The Vienna Philharmonic will perform Anthon Bruckner’s Symphony No 4 in E flat major

On 18 September, the Vienna Philharmonic will perform Anthon Bruckner’s Symphony No.4 in E flat major in La Sagrada Família in Barcelona. This will be the first concert of the Philharmonic in the basilica and the musicians will perform under the direction of Christian Thielemann.

The concert will be broadcasted on many TV channels across the world as the European Broadcasting Union has a long-term contract with the Vienna Philharmonic. The dates for the TV broadcast in Austria are Saturday, 18 September, 20:15 on 3SAT, and Sunday 19 September, 21:05 on ORF2.

You should follow your local TV station for information on the broadcast in your region.

The world premiere of ‘Elysium’

The program includes a world premiere of the composition ‘Elysium’ by Samy Moussa, the winner of the Ernst von Siemens Prize for composers. The Vienna Philharmonic commissioned the piece, inspired by Bruckner’s 4^th Symphony.

The Ernst von Siemens Prize is sometimes known as the Nobel Prize for Music, as it is among the most prestigious awards for musical accomplishment in the world. Samy Moussa won the prize back in 2013.

Meeting of works of art from two parts of Europe

The first time Bruckner’s 4^th symphony was played was on 20 February 1881 in Vienna. It was done by the Philharmonic under Hans Richter. La Sagrada Família, on the other hand, was conceptualised by Antoni Gaudí in the early 1880s - around the same time as the symphony.

The director of the Vienna Philharmonic, Professor Daniel Froschauer, was quoted in a press release, saying: “To perform a great masterpiece of late Austrian Romanticism that is significant for the history of our orchestra in the extraordinary setting of the Sagrada Família is very moving for us musicians. It is an incredible experience to play this music in the unique architecture and acoustics of the basilica”.