Template:Infobox Bruckner Symphony Anton Bruckner's Symphony No. 1 in C minor was the first symphony the composer thought worthy of performing, and bequeathing to the Vienna national library. Chronologically, it comes after the Study Symphony in F minor and before Symphony No. 0 in D minor. The first version of the Symphony No. 2 in C minor was completed after No. 0.
The Symphony No. 1 was premiered under Bruckner in 1868. It was dedicated to the University of Vienna, after Bruckner was granted an honorary doctorate in 1891.
Bruckner gave it the nickname "das kecke Beserl", roughly translated as "saucy maid".
Description
The symphony has four movements.
- Allegro (C minor)
- Adagio (A-flat major)
- Scherzo: Lebhaft (G minor) – Trio: Langsam (G major)
- Finale: Bewegt und feurig (C minor)
The choice of keys for the first two movements mirrors Beethoven's choice for his Fifth Symphony, but Bruckner has the timpani retune to A flat and E flat.
Versions
1866 Version
The first version of the symphony, written by Bruckner in Linz and first performed under his baton in 1868. Sometimes known as the unrevised Linz version, this is available in an edition by William Carragan. It has been recorded by Georg Tintner. The scherzo of this first version exhibits many irregular phrase rhythms which Bruckner evened out in later versions.[1]
1877 Version
Although often called the "Linz" version, this was in fact made in Vienna. It is available in editions by Robert Haas (published 1935) and Leopold Nowak (published 1953). The vast majority of recordings, including the famous one featuring Eugen Jochum conducting the Dresden Staatskapelle, are of one of these two editions.
1891 Version
Known as the "Vienna" version, this is considerably different from the 1877 and 1866 versions. It is available in an edition by Günther Brosche, published in 1980. It has been recorded by Riccardo Chailly, Gennadi Rozhdestvensky and Günter Wand.
1893 first published edition
Edited by Cyrill Hynais, this has very few differences from the 1891 version. It has been recorded by F. Charles Adler, Volkmar Andreae and Fritz Zaun (scherzo only).
Instrumentation
The score calls for a pair each of flutes, oboes, clarinets, bassoons, four horns, two trumpets, three trombones, timpani, and strings.
Discography
The first commercial recording was by Fritz Zaun with the Berlin State Opera Orchestra in 1934. It included only the scherzo, in the 1893 first published version.
The first commercial recording of the entire symphony was by Volkmar Andreae with the Austria State Symphony Orchestra in 1950, also using the first published version.
Notable Recordings
- Georg-Ludwig Jochum conducting the RIAS Symphony Orchestra, live performance, Tahra, 1956 (Haas/1877)
- Eugen Jochum conducting the Berliner Philharmoniker, studio recording, Deutsche Grammophon, 1966 (Nowak/1866)
- Eugen Jochum conducting the Dresden Staatskapelle, studio recording, EMI, 1978 (Nowak/1877)
- Herbert von Karajan conducting the Berliner Philharmoniker, studio recording, Deutsche Grammophon, 1981 (Linz Version/1866)
- Wolfgang Sawallisch conducting the Bayerisches Staatsorchester München, studio recording, Orfeo, 1984 (Haas/1877)
- Takashi Asahina conducting the Osaka Philharmonic, Canyon, 1994 (Haas/1877)
- Stanisław Skrowaczewski conducting the Saarbrücken Radio Symphony Orchestra, studio recording, Arte Nova/Oehms Classics, 1995 (Haas/1877)
- Georg Tintner conducting the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, studio recording, Naxos, 1998 (Carragan/1866)
References
- ^ p. 279 (1997) Kraus
- Kraus (1997) Joseph C. "Phrase rhythm in Bruckner's early orchestral scherzi" Cambridge. Bruckner Studies edited by Timothy L. Jackson and Paul Hawkshaw. Cambridge University Press
External links
- Free scores by Symphony No. 1 at the International Music Score Library Project (IMSLP)
- Full score (Haas/1877) from the Indiana University school of music
- Program Notes, dealing with Bruckners Symphony Nº.1 & Mass Nº.3
- Bruckner Symphony Versions
- Complete discography