Composer of the Week

Donald Macleod examines Bruckner’s lifelong struggle to become the great composer we know today

From our modern perspective, it can be difficult to appreciate why it took so long for Anton Bruckner to be recognised as one of the leading musical voices of the 19th century. His spectacular symphonies regularly pack out concert halls today but his own era took many decades to warm up to his music. Only in his sixties did Bruckner begin to achieve the popularity he deserved and, even then, he retained a reputation as a bit of an oddball. Colleagues were disturbed by his unsophisticated manners, unquestioning religious devotion and peculiar personal habits. His tendency to see enemies all around regularly tested his relationships. His romantic choices were routinely disastrous.

Music Featured:

Mass No 2 in Em (Kyrie)
Symphony No 2 in C minor (1872 first Version, ed. W. Carragan) (2nd mvt, Scherzo. Schnell)
Requiem in D Minor, (No 2, Sequentia; Dies irae)
Symphony No 9 in D Minor, (1st mvt Feierlich, misterioso)
Symphony No 8 in C minor (1890 Version, ed. Novak): (2nd mvt, Scherzo, Allegro moderato - Trio, Langsam)
Ave Maria WAB 6
Symphony No 1 in C Minor (1877 Rev. Linz Version, Ed. Nowak), (1st mvt, Allegro)
Mass in F Minor, (3rd mvt, Credo)
Symphony No 6 in A major (ed. Novak) (3rd mvt, Scherzo, Nicht schnell - Trio, Langsam)
Symphony No 2 in C minor (1877 version) (2nd mvt, Andante)
Symphony No 3 in D minor ‘Wagner Symphony' (1873 version) (4th mvt, Finale, Allegro – Etwas langsamer – Erstes Zeitmaß)
String Quintet in F major, (4th mvt, Finale, Lebhaft bewegt)
Prelude in D Minor
Te Deum in C major (opening)
Symphony No 7 in E Major (arr. Hermann Behn), (3rd mvt, Scherzo, Sehr schnell)
Ave Maria, WAB 7 (Arr. for Horn Ensemble)
Symphony No 7 in E Major (Ed. Haas), (2nd mvt, Adagio, Sehr feierlich und sehr langsam)
Te Deum in C major (No 5, In te domini speravi)
Virga Jesse, WAB 52
Symphony No 8 in C minor (ed. Novak) (1st mvt, Allegro moderato)
Symphony No 8 in C minor (ed. Haas): (4th mvt, Finale, Feierlich, nicht schnell)

Presented by Donald Macleod
Produced by Chris Taylor for BBC Audio Wales & West

For full track listings, including artist and recording details, and to listen to the pieces featured in full (for 30 days after broadcast) head to the series page for Anton Bruckner (1824-1896) https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0022c5f

And you can delve into the A-Z of all the composers we’ve featured on Composer of the Week here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3cjHdZlXwL7W41XGB77X3S0/composers-a-to-z