“Rejoice, you happy souls”! Can heavenly praise sound more wonderful than in “Exsultate, jubilate,” the magnificent piece by 17-year-old Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart? It was written as a virtuoso showpiece for a famous castrato. Full of joie de vivre, it celebrates the wonders of God. The deeply religious Anton Bruckner was also well versed in matters of faith. He was a late bloomer as a symphonist: after completing his studies, he did not begin his First Symphony until he was more than forty years old. It shows the exciting beginnings of this headstrong maverick, who had previously composed almost exclusively liturgical music. Rasmus Baumann, General Music Director of the Neue Philharmonie Westfalen, continues his collaboration with the orchestra and his engagement with Bruckner’s ouevre. Following the performance of the Fifth Symphony at Ruhrfestspiele 2025, the “Linz version” of Bruckner’s First Symphony will be performed this year. Twenty-three years after its premiere, Bruckner revised his first work. But the uncompromising original version shows his desire for experimentation and his vitality like no other.