Anton Bruckner, the composer, began work on his Symphony No. 7 at the age of 57 and completed the score one day after his 59th birthday.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Bruckner compared his music to a volcanic eruption, describing it as an elemental musical event that is uncalculated and knows no compromises.
Compositional Technique
Bruckner's compositional approach, described as 'layering' block after block and associatively combining building blocks, differed significantly from Brahms's method of 'spinning' infinite webs.
Critical Reception
The premiere of Bruckner's Symphony No. 7 in Leipzig in 1884 was a great success, but a performance in Vienna in 1886 led to catastrophic reviews from some critics.
Performer Biography
Vladimir Jurowski, the conductor on this album, has been the chief conductor and artistic director of the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin since autumn 2017 and also holds the position of General Music Director of Munich's Bayerische Staatsoper.
Instruments
Bruckner used the Wagner tuba, an instrument specially built for Richard Wagner's opera 'Götterdämmerung', for the first time in the Adagio of his Symphony No. 7.
Historical Context
Bruckner's symphonies were caught in a musical dispute between 'Wagnerians' and 'Brahmsians' in the 19th century, with each side promoting their preferred composer.
You might also enjoy...
Bruckner: Symphony No. 8
Bruckner : Symphony No.5
Bruckner: Symphony No. 7 in E Major
Bruckner: Symphony No. 7 in E Major
Bruckner: Symphonies No. 5 & 8 (Live at Philharmonie am Gasteig, Munich, 1993)
Anton Bruckner: Symphonie 8
Bruckner: Symphony No. 9 in D Minor, WAB 109
Bruckner: Symphony No. 4
Tandem Bruckner/Wand
Bruckner: Symphony No. 1 in C Minor, WAB 101 (1877 Linz Version, ed. R. Haas)
Bruckner: Symphony No.1 in C Minor, WAB 101 (Linz Version)
Bruckner: Symphony No. 1 in C Minor
Bruckner: Symphony No. 3 in D Minor, WAB 103 "Wagner" (1889 Version) [Live]
