Fokus Bruckner I

Anton Bruckner: Symphony No. 8 in C Minor

The music of Anton Bruckner (1824–1896) requires both time and the right attitude. His works are often likened to a walk in the mountains, sometimes hard-going but well worth the effort for the splendid scenery. He completed the first version of his Symphony No. 8 in 1887 and sent it to Hermann Levi the conductor. To his dismay, Levi replied that though he found many of the themes magnificent and direct, he could not possibly perform the symphony in its current form. Bruckner therefore revised it, and it was not premiered until 1892. Eduard Hanslick the renowned critic walked out after the third movement, but Hugo Wolf thought the symphony was wonderful. Various editions exist of the work, but tonight’s performance is of the one made by Robert Haas.

Beginning in deepest darkness, the symphony ends in blinding light. Though the music is abstract, Bruckner did hint at a ‘programme’. The first movement suggests a clock that goes on ticking after someone has just died in the room. The second is packed with energy but the lyrical section tells, said Bruckner, of his insomnia. The slow third is a battle between faith and doubt, and the finale pictures a meeting between the Austrian Emperor and the Russian Tsar. The fanfares represent the cavalry. The final bars draw the main themes from all the movements together.