3rd symphony (Bruckner)

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Anton Bruckner's Symphony No. 3 in D minor ( WAB 103) was dedicated to Richard Wagner and is sometimes referred to as Bruckner's “Wagner Symphony”. Bruckner wrote it in 1873, revised it in 1877 and a second time in 1888/89.

occupation

Performance duration:

  • Original version approx. 75 min.
  • Second and third version approx. 55–60 min.

Emergence

The first movement was finished in the sketch on February 21, 1873 and in the score on July 16, the Adagio on May 24. The Scherzo is marked “Vienna, March 11th 1873” and the final in the sketch ended on August 31st in Marienbad, Bohemia. On the same day he traveled to Bayreuth and presented Wagner with both his 2nd symphony and his latest work in D minor (3rd), with the request to choose the one he liked better, since he wanted to dedicate it to him. When Bruckner visited Wagner again later that day at his invitation to find out his choice, Wagner wanted to take some time to look through the notes, but the two of them enjoyed too much beer, so that Bruckner could not remember which one after his return Wagner had chosen. The two had to clarify in writing which one was chosen. The relationship between the two composers was very friendly after that evening.

On the last page of the score of the 3rd symphony, Bruckner had entered “completely finished December 31, 1873 at night”. The autograph of the 3rd symphony has not survived in this form, however, because Bruckner made the changes to the 2nd version from 1877 in the manuscript and completely replaced individual sheets of the manuscript during the fundamental revision of the symphony. Fortunately, the arcs of the first version have been preserved, so that the first version (with uncertainties) could be recovered from them and the changed arcs of the autograph. In 1888 Bruckner turned to this symphony again and again fundamentally revised it. For this reason there are now a total of three versions of this symphony.

The first version became famous for its Wagner quotes from Tristan and Ring , which were inserted in blocks and therefore could be removed without interfering with the substance. This also illustrates the basic compositional style of the first version, in which periodic sections, which are identified as such, are separated from one another by pauses and fermatas.

To the music

1st movement: More slowly, Misterioso

The symphony begins with the establishment of a rhythmically structured D minor field into which a trumpet motif sounds, with an octave falling over the fifth (this motif particle is later referred to as the Te Deum and can then be found somewhere in every work by Bruckner) and over one Triplet ascending again. This distinctive but discreet trumpet theme, which sounds as if from afar, will later close the symphony apotheotically in a radiant major.

The first movement actually exposes four themes instead of the usual three: the previously mentioned homophonic trumpet theme, then a heterophonic triplet theme (despite their different character, these two are often presented as the first set of themes summarized by the D minor sphere), then the polyphonic one , three-part singing period, and the last thematic complex is a heterophonic chorale. Common to all topics is a triplet, which can be understood as the nucleus of the thematic material.

Clear turning points separate the individual parts of the sentence.

The implementation of the A part culminates in a fortissimo, which is a mock review, after which the other topics are processed and especially combined in the first version. A part is added to the execution of the original version in which the head motif of Bruckner's 2nd Symphony is repeated several times. This phase was later completely canceled.

The recapitulation initially brings the trumpet theme almost unchanged and then within the versions very different combinations of themes. In the version from 1888/1889, the theme sections are each significantly shortened in favor of exaggerating the trumpet theme in the recapitulation.

In the original version, the quote from the 2nd symphony is taken up again before the coda.

In all versions, the movement ends powerfully and monumentally in D minor with the trumpet theme.

2nd movement: Adagio, moved, quasi andante

This sentence in particular is very different in terms of subject matter and structure in the various versions. Bruckner carried out a first complete revision in 1876.

The Adagio begins with a diatonic A theme in a warm string sound, beginning with two rising thirds. Upper and lower voices move in the measured chorale rhythm, and the interval of thirds is decisive. The bass imitates the third step G - Bb of the upper part, which controls the fifth of the dominant with the F. The tonic is reached again via lead formations in bar 2. With the upbeat two eighth notes at the end of bar 2, the bass releases from the tonic in a downward quarter accompaniment. The harmonic moves into the area of ​​the subdominant A flat major. The solo violin rises above it in an ascending and then descending figure. A sigh-like drop in lead defines bars 4–8. A chromatically descending bass figure over c-ces-b-a flat fills the pauses in the sigh motif. The dynamics ebb away in a diminuendo up to ppp. The dominant is not controlled, but distant keys like Ces and Fes major. This is followed by an eight-bar section (bars 9-17) in crescendo over semitone descending bass. In the first 4 bars, the violins also play a chromatically interspersed and ascending question-and-answer game. And from bar 13 onwards a sequence that continues to spiral. Alternating woodwinds and the horns, reminiscent of the sigh motif from bars 4 ff., Enrich the sound. This is followed by a fully orchestrated climax in ff (bars 17-20). But this is immediately interrupted by a three-bar string section in pp. This was characterized by Haas with reference to Bruckner's Ave Maria motet from 1856 as the "Marien-Cadenza". The second interruption turns this cadenza to a minor and leads to a dominant seventh chord with a chromatic fifth, which can be heard once in the strings and the woodwinds (bars 33 & 35); he refers to the context of the so-called Tristan chord .

The B-themed complex in all versions comprises a diverse, initially cadenza-like spectrum of harmony, but is otherwise fundamentally different in the versions: in the original version it begins with a period of small seconds, in the version from 1888/89 with a second and subsequent scales. This second variation is much more original and also more emotional, especially in its minor cadence parts it expresses deep pain.

The third theme complex C is a singing period that is related to that of the first movement. The following Misterioso is the heart of the sentence and expresses a remote, mystical mood. Bruckner had already composed it on October 15, 1872, in memory and on the name day ( Teresa of Ávila ) of his mother . At first it is reminiscent of a sarabande or the Christmas carol A rose has sprung .

After processing the three thematic complexes, Bruckner added a quote from Wagner's Tannhäuser in the original version until he concluded the sentence with the first two thematic complexes.

The structure of the later versions after the Misterioso is significantly different.

In all versions, the Adagio ends with the diatonic first thematic complex.

3rd movement: Pretty quickly

The movement has the usual three-part symmetrical structure of Scherzo-Trio-Scherzo. As is usually the case with Bruckner, the scherzo and trio are divided into three parts, albeit asymmetrically. The actual Scherzo thematic complex is with powerful, affirming minor phrases on a pounding rhythm, contrasted by a rural-diatonic Ländler trio, prototype of a Bruckner Scherzo. The main theme develops from a turning motif that was initially treated like an introductory motif. The string-based Scherzo-Intermediate Part already looks like a trio in its vocal expression. The trio itself is designed in the form of a Styrian lander.

The Scherzo theme experienced substantial metrical changes in and of itself in the later versions, which, due to the fast pace alone, should hardly be noticed by the listener who did not read the score.

4th movement: Allegro

The finale, which only lasts around 20 minutes in its original form, is based on three contrasting complexes. A lively, hectic violin motif determines the first bars, which occurs again and again in the finale, at least as a background. The actual final theme is designed monumentally through dynamic interval jumps and the use of brass. The following topic is, typically for Bruckner, designed as a double topic. A chorale-like, solemn theme in the winds is combined with a dance-like polka theme in the strings. This is followed by a strongly syncopated unison, in which the basses look up the high registers in an irritating way. The double theme is embedded in two serious, powerful, cyclopean theme complexes and thus contrasts particularly well. The keys vary from the D minor base to the F sharp major of the polka and the D flat major of the unison.

The later versions are considerably shortened, so the final theme in the version from 1888/1889 only appears in the exposition. In all versions, the finale ends grandly with the trumpet theme of the first movement in the victorious D major. Characteristic is the gesture of orchestral silence before the beginning of the final climax, which is often interpreted as a reverent bow before the main theme returns; the effect emphasizes its apotheosis and underlines its character as the main theme of the entire symphony, even if the final movement also dealt with three other themes.

effect

The first performance of the symphony took place on December 16, 1877 in Vienna and was conducted by Bruckner himself. The concert was a disaster, however. Bruckner was able to conduct a choir, but had little experience in directing a symphony orchestra. The Viennese audience, used to good concerts, who were not very open to Bruckner's work at the time, left the concert hall for the most part during the performance. Even orchestra members left the stage. One of the few supporters was Gustav Mahler , who prepared a four-hand piano reduction of the symphony (published January 1, 1880 by A. Bösendorfer in Vienna) and, thanks to Bruckner, received the handwritten manuscript of the first three movements. Gustav Mahler's widow Alma Mahler-Werfel tried in vain to sell this autograph to the National Socialists at the end of the 1930s , who, because of Adolf Hitler's interest in Bruckner's music, tried across Europe to collect the remaining manuscripts. Alma Mahler smuggled the manuscript to America in 1940 and auctioned it off after the Second World War .

It was not until the first performance of the third version on December 21, 1890 in Vienna under the direction of Hans Richter , that it became a great success.

Revisions

In the revisions after the debacle of the premiere, Bruckner made cuts in his work, especially in the last movement. According to an advertisement in the "Neue Presse" in Vienna on May 23, 1880 (p. 13), the 1877 version of the score was published by Th. Rättig in Vienna around this time. The original manuscript was not published until 1977. The cut version from 1891 is still the most frequently performed version, followed by the version from 1877. A few more recent conductors such as Georg Tintner or Johannes Wildner favor the original version from 1873, even if it differs significantly from the later versions and is filled with Wagner quotes that Bruckner himself later removed. Eliahu Inbal , Jonathan Nott , Kent Nagano , Marcus Bosch , Gerd Schaller , Yannick Nézet-Séguin and Simone Young recorded the original version on CD.

Discography (selection)

Individual evidence

  1. ^ R. Haas: Anton Bruckner , Potsdam, 1934; quoted from: Thomas Röder: On the way to the Bruckner Symphony: Investigations into the first two versions of Anton Bruckner's 3rd Symphony , Stuttgart, 1987, page 132.
  2. ↑ August Göllerich : "Vienna: 1886–1881". (Anton Bruckner - A picture of life and creativity, posthumously edited by Max Auer , Volume 4, 1st part). Gustav Bosse Verlag, Regensburg 1922–1936, p. 260.
  3. ^ Rolf-A. Dimpfel on recording EMI 1981 ( online , PDF, 16 kB).

literature

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