Bruckner, (Josef) Anton (1824–1896)

Austrian composer Anton Bruckner. Success came late in his life, but since his death he has been increasingly admired for his intricate counterpoint and expressive orchestration.

Austrian Romantic composer. He was cathedral organist at Linz 1856–68, and professor at the Vienna Conservatory from 1868. His works include many choral pieces and 11 symphonies, the last unfinished. His compositions were influenced by Richard Wagner and Ludwig van Beethoven.

Bruckner was the son of a country schoolmaster, and was intended to follow the same profession. On the early death of his father in 1837 he became a choirboy in the monastery of St Florian. There he learnt the organ and was appointed organist in 1845. By this time he had begun to compose, notably the Requiem in D minor (1849), but was dissatisfied with his poor technique and went to study counterpoint with Simon Sechter in Vienna in 1855. He was cathedral organist at Linz from 1856 to 1868, and wrote much in his spare time, including the first recognized symphony, Linz. On visiting Munich for the production of Richard Wagner's Tristan und Isolde in 1865, he became a supporter of Wagner. The early progress of his work was hindered by his association with the music of Wagner; Beethoven is probably a better comparison, particularly the Ninth Symphony. Bruckner's music typically contains a similar kind of spirituality; this is seen by the large amount of early religious works, and the late Te Deum (1881–84). In addition, Bruckner's orchestra tended not to be as massive as Wagner's.

He was appointed professor at the Vienna Conservatory in 1868, when his first symphony received its first performance at Linz, and remained in the capital for the rest of his life, but visited Nancy, Paris, and London as an organ virtuoso in 1869 and 1871. His third symphony, strongly influenced by Wagner, had its first performance at Vienna in 1873 but was a failure. Wide success came after the first performance of the seventh symphony in 1884. He was pensioned in 1891 and received an honorary doctorate from the University of Vienna. He was also Gustav Mahler's teacher.

Bruckner's symphonies went through several editions and revisions, first through well-meaning cuts and alterations made by Franz Schalk and the composer himself. The later editions by Robert Haas, followed by Leopold Novak, attempt to return to Bruckner's original thoughts.

Works Symphonies F minor (1863), D minor (‘no. 0’, about 1863–64, revised 1869), no. 1 in C minor (1865, revised 1868–84), no. 2 in C minor (1871, revised 1873–77), no. 3 in D minor (1873, revised 1874–77), no. 4 in E♭ (‘Romantic’; 1874, new scherzo 1878, new finale 1880), no. 5 in B♭ (1875–76), no. 6 in A (1879–81), no. 7 in E (1881–83), no. 8 in C minor (1884–87 and 1889–90), no. 9 in D minor (1891–94).

Choral Mass no. 1 in D minor (1864, revised 1876–82), no. 2 in E minor with woodwind accompaniment (1866, revised 1869–82), no. 3 in F minor (1867, revised 1876–93); also Te Deum in C for soloists, chorus, and orchestra (1881–84), five Psalm settings (1852–92), many motets.

Instrumental string quintet in F (1879).