The Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra returns to Zellerbach Hall with longtime collaborator Christian Thielemann at the podium. Over the course of three concerts, the orchestra traverses a century of canonic repertoire. The first concert features two orchestral tone poems, matching the chromaticism of Schoenberg’s Transfigured Night with Strauss’ An Alpine Symphony, a symphonic work depicting a day-long trek through the mountains. The second concert features Brahms’ serene and supremely lyrical Second Symphony, introduced by two effusive works inspired by the sea: Debussy’s technicolor triptych La mer and Mendelssohn’s overture The Hebrides, which was inspired by Scotland’s rugged coastal landscapes. The orchestra’s final Berkeley concert tackles Bruckner’s Eighth Symphony, a work both orchestra and conductor recently recorded as part of an ongoing cycle of the composer’s music.