The Immense Fugal Finale of Bruckner's Fifth Symphony

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Richard Atkinson analyzes the bewilderingly labyrinthine counterpoint in the immense fugal finale of Bruckner’s 5th Symphony in B flat major (WAB 105). This is a fair use educational commentary that uses excerpts from a recording/performance by the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra conducted by Bernard Haitink.

00:00 - Slow intro quoting prior movements
05:54 - Exposition, first theme (fugue, green subject)
08:17 - Exposition, second theme ("gesangsperiode" orange theme)
13:53 - Exposition, closing (3rd) theme (green augmented variant)
16:07 - Brass chorale theme (blue)
18:30 - Development (fugue, blue subject)
22:47 - Development (double fugue, blue/green subjects)
27:52 - Recapitulation (blue/green themes)
30:24 - Recapitulation ("gesangsperiode" orange theme)
33:13 - Recapitulation, closing theme, return of purple theme from first movement, counterpoint involving purple/green themes
37:01 - "Coda of all codas" with return of green/blue/purple themes in augmentation