Bruckner's subject matter
There are not only works by Bruckner and his students to be heard at the International Bruckner Festival 2021, but also some which were the subject of Bruckner's teaching. One of these is Schubert's „Unfinished“ symphony, the advanced harmony of which Bruckner presented to his pupils as a „precursor“ of Richard Wagner's, even calling Schubert Wagner's „John the Baptist“. Another interesting fact, given the widespread view of an irreconcilable antagonism between the two composers, is that Bruckner used the example of Brahms' 1st Piano Concerto to illustrate musical structures as the basis for exercises. Bruckner recognized with infallible intuition the theme for a symphony in the first subject of the opening movement of the concerto, and the work was indeed intially conceived as a symphony. The star pianist Paul Lewis will cetainly not neglect the symphonic dimension of the concerto in his Brucknerhaus début.
A Symphonic Prelude in C minor transcribed in 1876 also clearly has its origins in a teaching environment. It was only discovered in 1948 as part of the estate of the Bruckner student Rudolf Krzyzanowski, and represents the copy of a composition of Bruckner's, or rather the beginning of a work which the teacher handed over to his pupil to complete as an exercise in instrumentation.
Anton Bruckner (1824–1896) / Rudolf Krzyzanowski (1859–1911)
„Symphonic Prelude“ in C-minor, WAB add 332 (1876)
Franz Schubert (1797–1828)
Symphony Nr. 7 („The Unfinished“) in B minor, D 759 (1822)
– Pause –
Johannes Brahms (1833–1897)
Concerto for Piano and Orchestra Nr. 1 in D minor, op. 15 (1854–57)
Paul Lewis | Piano
Bruckner Orchester Linz
Markus Poschner | Conductor
