Anton Bruckner Symphony No. 4 "Romantic"

Featuring

Bernard Haitink
Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks
Anton Bruckner

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Performer Biography

Bernard Haitink, the conductor on this recording, was a highly acclaimed Dutch conductor who held principal positions with many prestigious orchestras, including the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra of Amsterdam for 27 years.

Performer Biography

Bernard Haitink received numerous honors throughout his career, including 'Knight of the British Empire', 'Companion of Honour', the 'Erasmus' award (the highest cultural award of the Netherlands), and the Gramophone Lifetime Achievement Award.

Composition History

Bruckner's Fourth Symphony had a complicated compositional history, with the first version from 1874 being discarded due to professional setbacks and extensive revisions made until 1880, including a completely new third movement.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Anton Bruckner himself titled his Fourth Symphony 'Romantic' and provided programmatic explanations for its movements, depicting scenes like a horn call from a town hall, a great tit's song, and a barrel-organ playing in the forest.

Critical Reception

The 'Romantic' Fourth Symphony was Bruckner's breakthrough work, achieving success after his previous symphonic compositions had largely been rejected, and it remains one of his most frequently performed works alongside the Seventh Symphony.

Performer Biography

The Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, featured on this recording, is an internationally renowned orchestra known for its long tradition of performing new music and its close association with notable chief conductors like Eugen Jochum and Mariss Jansons.

Notable Performances

The premiere of Bruckner's Fourth Symphony in its revised version on February 20, 1881, in Vienna, conducted by Wagner disciple Hans Richter, was a triumph and marked a decisive turning point in the reception of Bruckner's music.