Bruckner: Symphony No. 1 in C Minor, WAB 101 (Live)

Featuring

Christian Thielemann
Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden
Anton Bruckner

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Performer Biography

Christian Thielemann, the principal conductor of the Staatskapelle Dresden, has been the Artistic Director of the Salzburg Easter Festival since 2013, where the Staatskapelle is the resident orchestra.

Historical Context

The Staatskapelle Dresden first played the Linz version of Bruckner's First Symphony on November 4, 1945, a few months after the end of World War II, marking a new beginning in German history.

Composition History

Moritz von Mayfeld, a friend of Bruckner's with artistic ambitions, published a review prophesying Bruckner's success in the symphonic field, which Bruckner credited with driving him to compose his First Symphony.

Critical Reception

The premiere of Bruckner's First Symphony on May 9, 1868, was a great success despite the orchestra struggling with the score and most of the audience not understanding the work.

Notable Performances

The original Linz version of Bruckner's First Symphony was revived on September 2, 1934, in Aachen, after the Vienna version had been performed for years.

Composition History

Bruckner began composing his First Symphony in January 1865 by first writing the finale, then the first movement, turning the usual compositional process on its head.

Composer Biography

Bruckner's symphonic development was significantly influenced by Otto Kitzler, a Linz conductor who taught Bruckner form, orchestration, and composition between 1861 and 1863.