Symphonies (Bruckner)

Anton Bruckner composed eleven symphonies, the first, his F minor study symphony in 1863, the last, his unfinished ninth symphony from 1893–1896.

Otto Kitzler, Bruckner's last composition teacher, set him three final tasks as the climax of his studies: a choral work (Psalm 112), an overture (the Overture in G minor), and a symphony. The Study Symphony in F minor was completed in 1863. Bruckner later rejected this work, but he did not destroy it. While it certainly reminds one of earlier composers such as Robert Schumann, it undeniably also bears the hallmarks of the later Bruckner style. Kitzler simply commented that the work was "not very inspired". It was first performed in 1924 and not published in its entirety until 1973 and is occasionally listed as "Symphony No. 00".

Bruckner's Symphony No. 1 in C minor, (sometimes called by Bruckner "das kecke Beserl" (roughly translated as "the saucy maid"),) was completed in 1866, but the original manuscript of this symphony was not reconstructed until 1998. Instead, it is commonly known in two versions, the so-called Linz Version, which is based mainly on rhythmical revisions made in 1877, and the completely revised Vienna Version of 1891.

Bruckner's next symphony was the Symphony in D minor of 1869, the so-called "Symphony No. 0" ("Die Nullte"), a work, which was so harshly criticized, that Bruckner retracted it completely. It was not performed at all during his lifetime.

Bruckner's next attempt was a sketch of the first movement to a Symphony in B-flat major, but he did no further work on it afterwards. There is a single, recent commercially available recording of this sketch: Ricardo Luna, Bruckner unknown, CD Preiser Records PR 91250, 2013.

The Symphony No. 2 in C minor of 1872 was revised in 1873, 1876, 1877 and 1892. It is sometimes called the Symphony of Pauses for its dramatic use of whole-orchestra rests, which accentuate the form of the piece. In the Carragan edition of the 1872 version, the Scherzo is placed second and the Adagio third. It is in the same key as No. 1.

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