Four Orchestral Pieces (Bruckner)
Encyclopedia
When studying by Otto Kitzler, Anton Bruckner
composed his first instrumental work, the String Quartet in C minor
in 1862.
Somewhat later in the same year, he tried his hand at purely orchestral composition. These "first arms" resulted in four small orchestral pieces: the so-called Three Orchestral Pieces and the March in D minor.
in addition to the orchestral setting of Mozart’s late symphonies.
Their main interest lies in the fact that with these pieces Bruckner for the first time touched upon that field which he was to make his life's work: pure and absolute orchestral music.
It is interesting to note that it already contains a passage which will recur much later in the Eighth Symphony
. The orchestral setting of the March used two additional trombones.
The scores of the Four Orchestral Pieces were given by Bruckner to his friend Cyrill Hynais, together with that of the Overture
and the Symphony in F minor
.
Some of these recordings can be downloaded from John Berky’s site.
Score of the March in D minor at IMSLP
Anton Bruckner
Anton Bruckner was an Austrian composer known for his symphonies, masses, and motets. The first are considered emblematic of the final stage of Austro-German Romanticism because of their rich harmonic language, complex polyphony, and considerable length...
composed his first instrumental work, the String Quartet in C minor
String Quartet (Bruckner)
Anton Bruckner's String Quartet in C minor WAB 111 was written in 1862 as a student exercise for Otto Kitzler, a preliminary to exercises in orchestration...
in 1862.
Somewhat later in the same year, he tried his hand at purely orchestral composition. These "first arms" resulted in four small orchestral pieces: the so-called Three Orchestral Pieces and the March in D minor.
Three Orchestral Pieces
The Three Orchestral Pieces (E-flat major, E minor and F major, WAB 97) are charming, melodious little movements, scored for an orchestra employing one tromboneTrombone
The trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. Like all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player’s vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate...
in addition to the orchestral setting of Mozart’s late symphonies.
Their main interest lies in the fact that with these pieces Bruckner for the first time touched upon that field which he was to make his life's work: pure and absolute orchestral music.
March in D minor
The March in D minor (WAB 96) is the only one of the four pieces which has some slight indication of the Bruckner to come.It is interesting to note that it already contains a passage which will recur much later in the Eighth Symphony
Symphony No. 8 (Bruckner)
Anton Bruckner's Symphony No. 8 in C minor is the last Symphony the composer completed. It exists in two major versions of 1887 and 1890. It was premiered under conductor Hans Richter in 1892 in Vienna...
. The orchestral setting of the March used two additional trombones.
The scores of the Four Orchestral Pieces were given by Bruckner to his friend Cyrill Hynais, together with that of the Overture
Overture (Bruckner)
In 1862-1863 Anton Bruckner composed the Overture in G minor .By contrast to the earlier Four Orchestral Pieces and the next Symphony in F minor, the Overture appears a much more mature work – really the overture to the mature Bruckner....
and the Symphony in F minor
Study Symphony
Anton Bruckner's Study Symphony in F minor, , or simply Symphony in F minor, WAB 99, was written in 1863 as an exercise under Otto Kitzler's instruction in form and orchestration. Scholars at first believed that the next symphony Bruckner wrote was Symphony No. 0 in D minor, thus this symphony is...
.
Discography
The Four Orchestral Pieces have been recorded about ten times, mainly as addendum to that of a symphony.Some of these recordings can be downloaded from John Berky’s site.
External links
Hans-Hubert Schönzeler: Four Pieces and Requiem, 1970Score of the March in D minor at IMSLP