I had the opportunity today to begin yet another exploration of the music of Anton Bruckner. I began with the careful study of Bruckner’s Symphony number 4. I loved the music!
Anton Bruckner was an Austrian composer, organist, and music theorist best known for his symphonies and his religious music. The symphonies are considered typical of the final stage of Austro-German Romanticism because of their rich harmonic language, strongly polyphonic character, and considerable length. Bruckner died in 1896.
In my previous attempts to listen to this music, I always noticed Bruckner’s frustrating tendency to seemingly prepare to end a composition, yet suddenly he would keep the piece going on further. While I noticed this characteristic in the #4, I was able to stay with it, because I got “hooked” on the beautiful horn theme in the first movement, which the composer weaved continuously through the movement.
I decided to listen to this music under the direction of conductor Sergiu Celibidache, because I have always admired his ability to adhere to strict instructions for dynamics by the composer.
Here is the Symphony #4 by Anton Bruckner:
