Bruckner
was born in Ansfelden, in the rural heartland of Austria. Despite showing great
musical promise as a child, he chose to follow in his father's footsteps and
train as a schoolmaster. He entered upon a musical career by adding organ
playing to his teaching duties during ten years' employment at the monastery of
St Florian near Linz, where he had been a pupil.
He
used his spare time to study with almost fanatical determination in various
musical disciplines; yet when the post of cathedral organist at Linz became free
in 1855, it was only with the greatest difficulty that he was persuaded to
apply. Though very busy at Linz, Bruckner found time to take a correspondence
course in harmony and counterpoint with Simon Sechter at the Vienna
Conservatoire. He received his diploma with distinction in 1861 - one of the
panel remarked, 'He should have examined us.' In 1868, he once again needed
considerable inducement to leave the security of his Linz position and take up a
professorship at the Conservatoire, complete with salary increase.
Until
1863 Bruckner had written mainly meticulously crafted, anonymous church music,
but his encounter with the works of Wagner provided the impulse to break free
from all the rules and theory and to develop his own startlingly original voice.
His first full symphony soon followed (1865-6) and then four more during the
period 1871 to 1876.
He
then met with various difficulties, starting with the reluctance of the Vienna
Philharmonic Orchestra to perform what they regarded as wild and unplayable
works. In response, Bruckner was persuaded, against his better judgment, to
allow revisions and cuts to these gigantic symphonies, only to be attacked by
the famous music critic Eduard Hanslick for formal inconsistencies. They are now
increasingly played in their original form. Wagner, however, supported Bruckner,
praising him as the 'only composer who measures up to Beethoven'. Bruckner
reciprocated by dedicating the sublime, funereal Adagio of his Seventh Symphony
(1884) to Wagner's memory. With this work he finally achieved widespread
recognition, and his symphonies were performed as far afield as the United
States. His Eighth Symphony, however,
was at first rejected and the consequent revisions took so much time that
Bruckner died before finishing his Ninth
Symphony. The three movements he completed are in many ways his crowning
achievement.
Symphonies Nos. 3,4,5,7,8 & 9
