Altomonte Orchester St. Florian - Bruckner: Symphony No. 7 in E Major, WAB 107 (2019)

The most spacious main theme of symphonic history in sunny E major: Summer landscape, home, billowing wheat fields, shining baroque architecture. Wagner's death-throes, «breakthrough chord», funeral music, loneliness, confidence, stairway to heaven. Once the 7th has conquered the world, the world returns to its source as a guest. Bruckner's place of power, monastery St. Florian has its own space / time dimensions. «For Anton Bruckner, the world will not be ready until it has to flee to him.» (Ernst Kurth 1907). Come to the 7th, the thematic arc of the week. For an adventure trip. Just now. Find confidence in Bruckner's 7th.

If the 7th reflects a zenith in Bruckner's life, then in the concert of 2018 it is also an axis monument for the Bruckner Days and the history of interpretation: the world's first major Bruckner cycle from his home of St. Florian, with the Altomonte Orchestra and OÖJSO under Rémy Ballot - since 2013 award-winning: III, VIII, IX, VI, V - has now reached the middle of our long-term timetable with this year's VII: The «Gramola Bruckner Days CD Box» is already half full!

The Altomonte Orchestra St. Florian was founded in 1996, the 100th anniversary of Anton Bruckner's death, by Augustinus Franz Kropfreiter (1936-2003, composer, organist and regens chori of St Florian) and Thomas Wall (solo cellist) on the basis of an initiative and with the support of the mayor Mag. Eva Reisinger. Since 2003 Matthias Giesen (Music University Vienna, organist and, from 2003 to 2017, regens chori of St. Florian) has been the conductor of the Altomonte Orchestra, while Rémy Ballot has been the «Principal Guest Conductor» since 2013. The orchestra's name refers to the Baroque painters Martino and Bartolomeo Altomonte, who with their frescoes gave the formal state rooms of the monastery of St. Florian their unique and incomparable atmosphere. The Altomonte Orchestra regards the cultivation of the music tradition and church music in St Florian as a special responsibility.

On account of the sensational reception given to his recordings of selected symphonies by Anton Brucker, conductor Rémy Ballot is regarded as something of an insider's tip among the emerging generation of young conductors. For instance, his first CD, which appeared under the Gramola label, was awarded a Diapason d'Or découverte and the last three Bruckner recordings he conducted all received the much-coveted Pizzicato Supersonic Prize. In the USA the highly respected magazine Stereophile chose his recording of the Eighth Symphony as its Record of the Month.

Rémy Ballot was born in Paris. During his training in violin, music theory and music education at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris, which he completed with honours, at the age of 16 he met his mentor Sergiù Celibidache, under whose two-year tuition and inspiration Ballot ultimately developed his own style. While still a student he set up his own orchestra of talented young musicians in Paris, which gave him his first opportunity to present his great talent to the public.

Altomonte Orchester St. Florian
Remy Ballot, conductor