BRUCKNER, ANTON

Distinguished symphonist and organist of the late 19th century; b. Ansfelden, Upper Austria, Sept. 4, 1824;d. Vienna, Oct. 11, 1896. His father, a schoolmaster, died when Anton was 13, and the boy was sent to the Augustinian monastery of St. Florian to continue his education. St. Florian became his spiritual home and, as he wished, his body rests under the great organ there. After a succession of lesser positions, he became organist at Linz cathedral in 1856. There the conductor Otto Kitzler introduced him to Richard wagner's music—a revelation that stimulated his development as a symphonist. In 1868 he moved to Vienna, where he was successful as teacher and organist but had difficulties as a composer, for he was violently opposed by Eduard Hanslick, Vienna's most influential critic, because of his Wagnerian partisanship. By the time of his death, however, he enjoyed recognition even in his own country, and through the line of descent Bruckner-Mahler-Schoenberg his influence was transmitted to composers of the later 20th century.

Bruckner's religion was the center of his life. With sincere piety he dedicated his Ninth Symphony to his Lieber Gott. Of his specifically sacred music, the D-major Mass, generally considered his first extended masterwork, utilizes a full symphony orchestra. In contrast, the E-minor Mass uses only wind and brass accompaniment (nonobligatory in the Kyrie ). The F-minor Mass (1867–68, revised in 1890) represents his most triumphant essay in the symphonic Mass style. The Te Deum, which begins and ends in an unrestrained blaze of glorious C major, Bruckner considered a testimony to his faith. Memorable also is Psalm 150, with its moving violin solos and impressive fugue theme. Although fascinated by plainsong and Palestrinian tradition, he could not completely accept the viewpoint of the Caecilians, whose goal was to return church music to Palestrinian purity and eliminate the vivid orchestra of the Viennese classical Mass (see caecilian movement).

Bibliography: h. f. redlich, Bruckner and Mahler (rev. ed. London 1970). d. newlin, Bruckner, Mahler, Schoenberg (rev. ed. New York 1978); "Bruckner's Three Great Masses," Chord and Discord, 2.8 3–16; "Bruckner's Te Deum, " ibid., 71–75. f. blume, Die Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart, ed. f. blume (Kassel-Basel 1949–) 2:342–382. p. h. lÁng, Music in Western Civilization (New York 1941). k. g. fellerer, The History of Catholic Church Music, tr. f. a. brunner (Baltimore 1961). m. auer, "Anton Bruckner als Kirchenmusiker" Grove's Dictionary of Music and Musicians, ed. e. blom, 9 v. (5th ed. London 1954) 1:969–976. w. grandjean, "Anton Bruckners Helgoland und das Symphonische," Die Musikforschung, 48 (1995) 349–368. b. von haken, "Brahms und Bruckner: Zur Verbindung von Theorie und Geschichte in Hugo Riemanns Musik-Lexikon, " Musiktheorie, 10 (1995) 149–157. a. harrandt, "Ausgezeichneter Hofkapellmeister:" Anton Bruckner an Felix Mottl," Studien zur Musikwissenschaft, 42 (1993) 335–350. c. howie, "Bruckner Scholarship in the Last Ten Years (1987–96)," Music and Letters, 77 (1996) 542–554. t. rÖder, Anton Bruckner: III Symphonie D-moll. Revisionbericht (Vienna 1997). r. simpson, "The Seventh Symphony of Bruckner," Chord and Discord, 2/10 (1963) 57–67. k. j. swinden, "Bruckner's Perger Prelude: A Dramatic revue of Wagner?," Music Analysis, 18 (1999) 101–124. m. wagner, "Bruckner und das Problem der Zeit," Musik und Kirche, 66 (1996) 221–225.

[d. newlin]