The nice legacy left by Anton Bruckner is his symphony cycle, even when there’s an inclination for folks both to like or hate his music. The Austrian composer wrote eleven symphonies in all, however solely 9 had been formally numbered. So for this listing, the early Examine Symphony in F minor and the Symphony No. 0, a piece which Bruckner himself mentioned ‘doesn’t depend’ have been disregarded.
Right here Rebecca Frank charges and ranks her favourites
Which is the very best Bruckner symphony?
Symphony No. 2 in C minor
This symphony’s nickname hints at why that is in final place: that is the so-called symphony of pauses, because of its quite a few rests used for dramatic impact. There’s a particular sense extra may occur on this piece. It’s tempting to consider this early work, begun in 1871 and premiered in 1873, as a gown rehearsal for the later symphonies, although others might nicely discover issues to get pleasure from in its 4 actions. Composer Robert Simpson later famous that ‘the impact of its breadth and grandeur’ remained with him, for example.
Symphony No. 1 in C minor
In eighth place is his first symphony. Bruckner was a late starter when it got here to symphonies, spending years learning earlier than he felt able to launch himself formally into the style. In his forties, with the ‘Examine’ Symphony behind him, he determined that this C minor Symphony (1866) deserved the accolade of being numbered his first. The affect of Beethoven is evident, but already the Bruckner hallmarks are there, together with one in all his insistent scherzos. He later revised the rating when he was in Vienna, however the Linz model is extra usually heard – and extra strikingly authentic.
Symphony No. 3 in D minor
In seventh place is Symphony No. 3. It’s a composer’s worst nightmare: the brand new piece they’ve been engaged on for years is lastly premiered, by one of many world’s nice orchestras, and it’s a catastrophe. The musicians make enjoyable of the music, the viewers hisses, then leaves in droves till solely 25 are left. The orchestra races offstage. That’s what occurred on the 1877 premiere, by the Vienna Philharmonic, of Bruckner’s Third. Devoted to his idol Wagner, ‘the unreachable world-famous elegant grasp of poetry and music’, the symphony is usually seen as Bruckner’s breakthrough piece – however that was laborious gained. He started work on it in 1873, earlier than revising it repeatedly till it reached its remaining kind in 1889.
Symphony No. 4 in E flat main
His ‘Romantic’ symphony is in sixth place. It begins that almost all typical of Romantic period devices: the French horn. It symbolises the hunt, so beloved of German Romanticism, whereas tremolo strings and woodwind solos open a window on the pure world. Bruckner himself later wrote that the primary motion was full of woodland magic, forest murmurs and chook songs, whereas the Schubertian scherzo is a ‘rustic love scene and the finale is a ‘folks pageant’.
Symphony No. 6 in A serious
In fifth place is Symphony No. 6. A vote of confidence for this concise Cinderella symphony, which can by no means have totally loved the general public’s love, however which helped Bruckner get better from the crushing failure of his Third Symphony’s premiere. A nervous string determine units the 4 actions on their journey, which takes us by way of an adagio directly funereal and radiant, right into a stressed scherzo, ending with a finale that leaves unanswered questions.
Symphony No. 5 in B flat main
Symphony No. 5 is in fourth place. An incorrigible tinkerer, Bruckner revised lots of his symphonies. Not so with the Fifth. He left this 1876 rating fairly nicely alone. Critic Michael Tanner as soon as mentioned that ‘one you lastly “get” the Fifth … it’s so overwhelming that any sufficient account of it has you reaching for superlatives.’ And it’s a splendidly authentic work, during which Bruckner builds one in all his famed ‘cathedrals of sound’ within the first motion, finds austere magnificence within the Adagio, whirls up a storm within the scherzo, earlier than ending in finale with a blazing conclusion.
Symphony No. 7 in E flat main
In third place is Symphony No. 3. The music for this symphony got here to Bruckner in a dream. Or at the least its opening theme did, revealed by an previous mentor who advised him the melody would make his fortune. ‘I instantly wakened, lit a candle, and wrote it down,’ the composer mentioned. It’s heard within the mysterious and wonderful opening to the piece, during which the cellos carry the theme that unfolds over tremolo strings – and the symphony did change, positively, how Bruckner’s music was considered. The Seventh can also be a homage to Wagner, whom Bruckner lastly met in 1882, a yr after he started work on the piece. Bruckner claimed the theme for the Adagio (which was later performed at his personal funeral) got here to him together with a premonition of Wagner’s demise – he was proved proper a month later.
We named Bruckner’s Symphony No. 7 one of many greatest symphonies ever
Symphony No. 8 in C minor
Virtually prime is Symphony No. 8. One critic on the premiere of the Eighth thought it was written in ‘nightmarish hangover type’, nevertheless it’s since gained a fame as one in all Bruckner’s most interesting symphonies – for a lot of, actually, his best. The composer himself was pleased with it – ‘Hallelujah! … The finale is probably the most important motion of my life,’ he exclaimed. But that success was laborious gained. Bruckner started work on his Eighth in 1884 and carried on revising it till its publication in 1892 (so there’s an array of variations on disc). Its mix of terror and comfort, darkish and lightweight makes it an intense – and intensely rewarding listening expertise.
And Bruckner’s greatest symphony is – (in my view!) – Symphony No. 9 in D minor
How can an incomplete symphony be a composer’s greatest? A good query, however this final work, left with out its finale when Bruckner died in 1896, arguably says all it must say in three actions. The piece is devoted ‘to pricey God’; Bruckner was a religious Roman Catholic. Two prolonged actions, every round 25 minutes’ lengthy, body an unsettlingly insistent scherzo. The fundamental opening motion is answered by an adagio on a grand scale, encompassing music that probes the depths of troubled angst but can also be visionary. This symphony was, the composer mentioned, his farewell to life. Posthumous completions of the finale, primarily based on surviving sketches, exist, however even with out it, this symphony is a towering and satisfying achievement.
We named Bruckner one of many best Austrian composers
