Symphony No.2 in C minor (1877 Version) - Anton Bruckner

Chicago Symphony Orchestra conucted by Sir Georg Solti.

I - Moderato - Langsamer - Tempo I - Langsamer - Tempo I: 0:00
II - Andante. Feierlich, etwas bewegt: 18:11
III - Scherzo. Mässig schnell - Trio. Gleiches Tempo - Scherzo da capo - Koda: 35:03
IV - Finale. Mehr schnell - Etwas langsamer - Tempo I - Langsamer - Tempo I - Tempo des ersten satzes - Langsamer - Tempo I - Sehr schnell: 41:11

Bruckner's Symphony No.2 was composed between October 11 of 1871 and September 11 of 1872. Otto Dessoff, conductor of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, rehearsed the piece and rejected it saying "What nonsense", as him and a number of players considered it impossible to perform. The composer then modified the work switching the order of the inner movements, eliminating the repeats of the scherzo and other small changes. Bruckner himself successfully conducted the premiere of the work in Vienna on October 26 of 1873, performed by said orchestra after contracting it with the money of patron Johann Merbeck (another source claims it was Prince Johann Liechtenstein).

It was well-received, and even harsh critic Eduard Hanslick praised it. Small tweaks also followed in 1876 after a new performance. Then in 1877, Bruckner more thoroughly revised the work, making cuts and reworking some sections of the piece. The score wasn't published until 1892, and a great mess was unleashed when musicologists tried to discern, separate and categorize each version according to Bruckner's own revisions. The differences between these versions (beyond the ones previously mentioned) encompass different tempi, slight reorchestrations, as well as cuts as additions of musical material, but no complete rewrites nor structural changes. In the end, Bruckner selected the 1877 version as his final one.

With this symphony, Bruckner's mature style start to form, were before they were occasional flashes of brilliance. The traditional forms begin to be twisted to fit Bruckner's own conceptions and needs. Hallmark elements, such as the dramatic recall of previous themes, great dynamic contrast, abundant use of tremolos, as well as Bruckner's rhythm (which juxtaposes duple and triple divisions of the beat and is featured so prominently in later scores) appear here for the first time. The romantic influences of Beethoven, Schumann and specially Wagner are by then already absorbed and exploited by Bruckner. It has received the nickname of "Symphony of Pauses" for the use of rests to separate major sections of the music.

The first movement is structured in a large-scale, modified sonata form. It begins with expecting tremolos from strings, followed by the introduction of an expressive and passionate main theme on cellos, with interventions of the trumpet. After a brief pause, a deeply lyrical second theme is presented by cellos, soon taken by the woods. It is followed by a more rhythmic and expansive third theme, which soon reaches a powerful climax. A new pause leads us to the development section opened by ominous low string tremolos, the material being transformed with the main theme as reference. A grand climax is reached, followed by a diminuendo and a pause. The recapitulation is very similar to the exposition, the music rising in a grand crescendo but suddenly coming to a complete halt several times, with the main theme reappearing before launching a dramatic and forceful coda.

The second movement is written as an expanded ternary form. It opens with a lyrical and noble main theme on strings, expressively unfolding and leading to a religious chorale as the second theme, introduced by horns over strings pizzicati. The main theme is then recapitulated with more passion and harmonic variety, leading to a swelling climax. The second is also recapitulated in a varied way, concluding with a brief pause. A new recapitulation of the main theme again rises to an expansive climax. This part ends with a quote of Benedictus from Bruckner's Mass in F minor. The main theme then leads us to a peaceful coda with the horn referencing the second theme for the last time.

The third movement is a scherzo in ternary form. It begins with a rhythmic and agitated main theme, unfolding with great abrasiveness. The scherzo is composed of two parts that may be repeated, which rarely happens. After a pause, the trio opens with a lighter, dance-like second theme reminiscent of a Ländler, an Austrian rustic dance. The scherzo is then continued with great energy, the trio makes its way to a forceful coda with strings reaching the heights with runs of the C minor scale, as the rest of the orchestra pounds out the opening rhythm.

[Musical analysis continued in the comments section].

Picture: "The Aegean Sea" (1877) by the American painter Frederic Edwin Church.

Musical analysis partially written by myself. Sources: https://tinyurl.com/26znmegy and https://tinyurl.com/26xwjdhd

To check the score: https://tinyurl.com/2a7hp432