Who Wrote Bruckner's 8Th Symphony…?
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ISSN 1759-1201 www.brucknerjournal.co.uk Issued three times a year and sold by subscription FOUNDING EDITOR: Peter Palmer (1997-2004) Editor: Ken Ward brucknerjournal@gmail.com 23 Mornington Grove, London E3 4NS Subscriptions and Mailing: Raymond Cox rymd.cox@gmail.com 4 Lulworth Close, Halesowen, B63 2UJ 01384 566383 VOLUME EIGHTEEN, NUMBER THREE, NOVEMBER 2014 Associate Editors Dr Crawford Howie & Dr Dermot Gault In this issue: The Ninth Bruckner Journal Who wrote Bruckner’s 8th symphony…? Readers Biennial Conference A RECENT comment on a concert review web-site was anxious to announcement page 2 assert that the cymbal clash in the 7th symphony “probably” did not Bad Kreuzen - Speculation originate with Bruckner and was not approved of by him. On the basis and no end - by Dr. Eva Marx Page 3 of the inconclusive evidence we have, there is no probability: we just Anton Bruckner’s early stays in do not know. Steyr - by Dr Erich W Partsch Page 10 In the case of the 8th symphony, we are sure that Bruckner alone Book Reviews: wrote the first version of 1887. If one is after ‘pure’ Bruckner in this Paul Hawkshaw: Critical Report symphony, this is the only place to find it. Come the 1890 version, we for Symphony VIII review by Dr. Dermot Gault Page 13 know its very existence was due to Hermann Levi’s rejection of the first version, that to some extent Bruckner involved Josef and Franz David Chapman Bruckner and The Generalbass Tradition Schalk in its extensive revision and re-composition, and that the review by Dr. Crawford Howie Page 16 published edition that gave it its overwhelming success in 1892 had been subject to further interventions without Bruckner’s consent. Bruckner, the Miniaturist David Singerman Page 19 In stating their preference for one edition or another, many commentators seek to suggest, as with the example above of the 7th The Anton-Bruckner-Museum, Ansfelden re-opens Page 20 symphony cymbal clash, that they have the composer’s advocacy on their side, either through special intuition or some evaluation of 2014 USA Bruckner Marathons documentary or circumstantial evidence. Both Haas and Nowak report by Neil Schore Page 20 sought, in very different ways, to present as far as possible what the CD, DVD & Blu-Ray reviews Page 25 composer really intended, and it would be gratifying indeed to feel sure News from The Bruckner that the text of this symphony, one of the greatest ever written, was Society of America Page35 truly Bruckner’s own symphony, and his alone; but assembling an edition from the manuscript sources is by no means straightforward, so Concert Reviews Page 36 that the editors, Haas, Nowak and now Hawkshaw, must also, St Florian Bruckner Tage 2014 alongside Levi and the young Schalk brothers, become party to the report by Ken Ward Page 38 creation of a performable version of this work. Herbeck’s Great Mass in E minor The listener might hope through the music to know Bruckner, a rare performance reviewed Page 40 Bruckner himself, Bruckner the great composer in this perhaps his Concert Listings Page 41 greatest completed work, but we have to accept that his presence in the The views expressed in the Journal are not 1890 version over the period of its composition and its subsequent necessarily those of the editors. Copyright history, although massively predominant, is in the company of others, remains with the contributors. Silhouette by each of whom had some input into the genesis of the symphony that is, Otto Böhler. Bruckner-profile page dividers by Michael Felmingham nevertheless, Bruckner’s 8th. kw 2 All readers are warmly invited to attend The Ninth Bruckner Journal Readers Biennial Conference This is a wonderful opportunity for Brucknerians to meet together in pleasant surroundings, hear papers from leading scholars in the field and from other Bruckner enthusiasts. As with the Journal itself, non-academic music lovers need not be intimidated and can be sure they will find a friendly welcome and much to enjoy, to think about and discuss. Conference papers will cover a variety of topics related to Bruckner’s life and music. Speakers will include Benjamin Korstvedt, Andrea Harrandt, Paul Hawkshaw, Eric Lai, Ken Ward, William Carragan and others to be announced. The Conference will include a performance of the Bruckner String Quartet played by the St Clement’s Quartet on Friday evening, introduced by their cellist, Dr Paul Coones; and the 7th Symphony transcribed by Prof. William Carragan for two pianos, four hands, and performed by William Carragan and Crawford Howie. The Conference will take place at Hertford College, Oxford, at the generous invitation of Dr Paul Coones, on the evening of Friday 17th, 7 pm registration for 7.30 start, and all day Saturday 18th April, 9.45 registration for 10 am start, closing with the two piano performance starting at 7.30pm in the chapel. The Conference fee will again be £40 For accommodation those attending will find www.oxfordrooms.co.uk a useful site where rooms can be booked at reasonable rates at some Oxford University Colleges, or if you wish to stay at Hertford College itself please contact Mr Fatjon Alliaj, Conference Manager at Hertford College, fatjon.alliaj@hertford.ox.ac.uk. Accommodation can also be found using the Oxford Tourist Information Centre on +44(0)1865 252200, e- mail: tic@oxford.gov.uk, web-site: www.visitoxfordandoxfordshire.com Bruckner at the 2014 BBC Proms… …there was none. Nor, indeed, was there any Haydn, nor Mendelssohn. Seven years after Bruckner died, Sir Henry Wood premièred the Seventh Symphony at the Promenade Concert at the Queen’s Hall, 15th October 1903. “This was its first and last performance at the Promenades. The public would not have it then; neither will they now,” comments Sir Henry in his autobiography.* He conducted the Adagio from the Seventh again in 1934, but thereafter there was indeed no Bruckner symphony in the Proms for the next 24 years, though Wood did conduct the Overture in 1937 and 1939. It was Barbirolli and the Hallé Orchestra who brought Bruckner back to the Proms, in 1958. And in 1961 Basil Cameron conducted the Seventh and inaugurated an unbroken run of 47 years of Bruckner performance at the Proms. Then, in 2008, there was suddenly a season sans Bruckner, and now, a mere six years later those who design the programme felt that, although there would be yet another complete Brahms symphony cycle, and seven of Mahler’s now frequently performed symphonies, there was no need to play any Bruckner. Not even to sing a motet. No longer is it the case of a public who will not have it; it’s the BBC Proms organisers who will not supply it. * Page 174: “On October 15 I produced Bruckner's seventh symphony. This was its first and last performance at the Promenades. The public would not have it then; neither will they now. Perhaps Bruckner is only appreciated in Austria? The length of his symphonies alone is prejudicial to their success, but I often play his delightful overture in G. minor and am always sure of a ready response.” Sir Henry Wood, My Life of Music (Gollanz, 1938). Thanks to Anton Hodgson for locating and supplying details of this quotation. A note from the editor This issue will complete my 10th year as editor of The Bruckner Journal. It is an honour and a privilege to do the work, but it also seems like rather a long time to have kept at it and it would be nice to have the opportunity to step back from it. This note is just to give notice that the opportunity is there: should any reader be interested in taking on the editorship, or some aspect of it - e.g. assembling concert listings, soliciting and editing concert and cd reviews, revitalising and maintaining the website, promoting the Journal with a view to increasing the subscription list, desktop publishing work - they are more than welcome to propose themselves. Ken Ward 3 This paper, brought to our attention through the kind assistance of Dr. Andrea Harrandt, was delivered to the Bruckner Symposium under the auspices of the Anton Bruckner Institute Linz in September 1992, published in the Symposium Report, Anton Bruckner - Persönlichkeit and Work. Ed. Othmar Wessely in cooperation with Andea Harrandt, Elisabeth Maier and Uwe Harten, MWV Vienna 1995 MV 313 ISBN 978-3-900270-30-8 Bad Kreuzen - Speculation and no end Dr. Eva Marx, Vienna (trans. Ken Ward) ACCORDING to the oft-quoted entry in the institution’s records, after a three month stay in Bad Kreuzen Bruckner was discharged on 8 August 1867, ‘cured and healthy’. It is correct that the symptoms manifested in Bruckner’s illness - over periods of varying lengths - receded or changed; the observation is incorrect however in the sense of ‘cure’ as ‘correction’ or ‘removal’ of the ‘origin’ of an illness, whereby its recurrence is rendered unlikely. This is Bruckner’s own view, as two of his statements incontrovertibly testify. In looking back at the genesis of the Benedictus of the F minor Mass, in conversation with Theodor Helm, Bruckner also remembered his inner condition at that time: with the idea of the melody - Bruckner says - he “who had been near to madness, had found himself again.”1 This ‘inner turnaround’ showed itself from Christmas Eve 1867, that is to say four months after he was deemed ‘cured and healthy’ and had left Bad Kreuzen. In a lecture at the Vienna University, Bruckner remembered - again in thematisation of his F minor Mass - how his state of health was renewed during the creation of this work.