The New Bruckner: Compositional Development and the Dynamics of Revision

295 Pages·2011·3.202 MB·English

by  Dermot Gault

The New Bruckner
Compositional Development and the
Dynamics of Revision
Dermot Gault
The New BruckNer
To my parents
The New Bruckner
compositional Development and the
Dynamics of revision
DermoT GaulT
© Dermot Gault 2011
all rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval
system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying,
recording or otherwise without the prior permission of the publisher.
Dermot Gault has asserted his right under the copyright, Designs and Patents act, 1988, to
be identified as the author of this work.
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British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
Gault, Dermot.
The new Bruckner: compositional development and the dynamics of revision.
1. Bruckner, anton, 1824–1896 – criticism and interpretation.
I. Title
780.9'2-dc22
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Gault, Dermot.
The new Bruckner : compositional development and the dynamics of revision / Dermot
Gault.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-1-4094-0091-2 (hardcover : alk. paper) – ISBN 978-1-4094-2088-0
(ebook) 1. Bruckner, anton, 1824–1896–criticism and interpretation. 2. Bruckner, anton,
1824–1896 Symphonies. 3. Symphonies–analysis, appreciation. I. Title.
ml410.B88G38 2010
780.92–dc22
2010031153
ISBN 9781409400912 (hbk)
ISBN 9781409420880 (ebk)
Bach musicological font developed by © Yo Tomita
V
contents
List of Tables and Music Examples vii
Preface xi
Acknowledgements xvii
1 Introduction 1
2 Tradition and Innovation 15
3 masses and early Symphonies 31
4 The emergence of the ‘Bruckner Symphony’ 45
5 consolidation and revision 65
6 Four masterpieces 105
7 Bruckner and his Disciples 113
8 The eighth Symphony 155
9 The Final Decade 185
10 anomalies of history 211
appendix The Versions of the Symphonies 253
Select Bibliography 259
Index 269
This page has been left blank intentionally
list of Tables and music examples
Tables
2.1 metronome markings in the Stichvorlage of the String Quintet 26
5.1 Symphony No 3 first movement, 1873 and 1877 versions
compared 76
5.2 Symphony No 3, first movement exposition, 1873 and 1877 versions
compared 76
Music Examples
3.1 Symphony in F minor, first movement, bars 359ff 31
3.2 Sketch for Symphony in B, commencement. 41
reproduced with permission from the austrian National library,
Vienna
3.3 Sketch for Symphony in B, conclusion. 43
reproduced with permission from the austrian National library,
Vienna
4.1 Symphony No 4, opening of 1874 Finale 57
4.2 Symphony No 4 Finale, Hauptthema, showing differences between
1874 and later versions 58
4.3 Symphony No 5 Finale, bars 31ff (principal melodic lines shown). 62
reproduced with permission from the austrian National library,
Vienna
4.4 mus. hs. 6017, sketch for the Finale of Symphony No 5, showing
the combination of Hauptthema and ‘chorale’ theme 63
5.1 Symphony No 1, first movement, opening, showing the metrical
redistribution brought about by the addition of 1877 bar 1 66
5.2 Symphony No 3 adagio, letter a, 1873 and 1876 versions compared 74
5.3 Symphony No 3 adagio, bars 9–15, original and interim revised
versions compared (period numbers refer to the version in
mus. hs. 6013) 74
5.4 Symphony No 3 adagio, 1873 and 1876 versions compared 75
5.5 Symphony No 3 adagio, coda, 1873 and 1876 versions compared 75
viii The New Bruckner
5.6 Symphony No 3, first movement Hauptthema, 1873 and 1877
versions compared 77
5.7 Symphony No 3 Scherzo, main theme, 1873 version 79
5.8 Symphony No 3 Scherzo, main theme, interim version from
mus. hs. 6013. reproduced with permission from the austrian
National library, Vienna 80
5.9 Symphony No 3 Scherzo, main theme, 1877 version 80
5.10 Symphony No 3 Finale, 1873 and 1877 versions of
Hauptthema compared 81
5.11 Symphony No 3 Finale, third group, 1873 and 1877 versions
compared 82
5.12 Symphony No 3 Finale, third group continuation, 1873 and 1877
versions compared 82
5.13 Symphony No 3 Finale, from mus. hs. 19.475, bf 10, p. 1. 83
reproduced with permission from the austrian National library,
Vienna
5.14 Symphony No 3 Finale, passage beginning at 1873 bar 336 (1877
version bar 271). reproduced with permission from the austrian
National library, Vienna 84
5.15 Symphony No 5 Finale – early version of Gesangsthema (bars 67– 70) 88
5.16 Symphony No 5, revised ending of slow movement (from mus. hs.
36.693) 89
5.17 Symphony No 5 Finale, original and later versions of bars 525ff 91
5.18 Symphony No 5 Finale, bars 577ff, showing the redistribution of
stresses following revision. reproduced with permission from the
austrian National library, Vienna 92
5.19 Symphony No 4 first movement, showing revisions to the
Hauptthema. reproduced with permission from the austrian
National library, Vienna 95
5.20 Symphony No 4 first movement, final version of Hauptthema. 96
reproduced with permission from the austrian National library,
Vienna
5.21 Symphony No 4, Finale of 1880, earlier versions of passage at
letter S from mus. hs. 19.476. reproduced with permission from
the austrian National library, Vienna 103
5.22 Symphony No 4 Finale, proposed bridge passage from
mus. hs.19.476. reproduced with permission from the austrian
National library, Vienna 103
8.1 Symphony No 8 adagio, preparation for second group in
1887 version, Intermediate version and 1890 version 163
8.2 Symphony No 8 adagio – bars 117ff, 1887, Intermediate and
1890 versions compared 164
8.3 Bars 129ff – 1887, Intermediate and 1890 versions compared 164
List of Tables and Music Examples ix
8.4 Symphony No 8, Intermediate adagio, passage preceding letter Q 166
8.5 Symphony No 8, Intermediate adagio, passage commencing at
letter r 167
8.6 Symphony No 8, Intermediate adagio, passage preceding
main climax 169
8.7 Symphony No 8 Finale, early version of 1890 bars 119–123,
from mus. hs. 19.480/4 170
8.8 Symphony No 8, coda of Finale from sketch mus. hs. 6070
(three lines reduced to two) 173
8.9 Symphony No 8, opening of Finale from sketch mus. hs. 6070 174
10.1 Symphony No 2 Finale, bars 561ff from mus. hs. 19.474
compared with the equivalent passage in the haas edition 220