In the autumn of 1862, during his studies with Otto Kitzler, Bruckner composed a march and three orchestral pieces, the first time he had ventured to write for a large orchestra – presumably as an excercise in orchestration. The pieces, in the course of which he „developed from purely homophonic to symphonic writing“, form in this concert a fictitious symphony, of which the four movements trace the development during Bruckner's studies which led to his later symphonic style.
As a contrast there are orchestral versions of selected Schubert songs by Franz Liszt, Jacques Offenbach, Johannes Brahms and Anton von Webern, in which these four masters of orchestration combine the intimate character of the art song with symphonic opulence. Antonín Dvořáks 4th Symphony – in common with the contemporary D minor symphony of Bruckner's, the 3rd – could well be called his „Wagner symphony“. In this work the 33-year-old composer gave expression to his enthusiasm for the master he so admired – above all in the second movement, where the influence of Tannhäuser can be heard in his harmony and orchestration – while at the same time displaying his personal symphonic style in its full maturity.
Anton Bruckner (1824–1896)
March in D minor, WAB 96 (1862)
Three Orchestral Pieces in Eb major, E minor and F major, WAB 97,1–3 (1862)
Franz Schubert (1797–1828)
„Du bist die Ruh“, D 776 (1823) [orchestrated by Anton von Webern]
An Schwager Kronos, D 369 (1816) [orchestrated by Johannes Brahms]
Geheimes, D 719 (1821) [orchestrated by Johannes Brahms]
Memnon, D 541 (1817) [orchestrated by Johannes Brahms]
Ihr Bild, Nr. 9 from: Schwanengesang, D 957 (1828) [orchestrated by Anton von Webern]
Ständchen, Nr. 4 from: Schwanengesang, D 957 (1828) [orchestrated by Jacques Offenbach]
Der Doppelgänger, Nr. 13 from: Schwanengesang, D 957 (1828) [orchestrated by Franz Liszt]
Erlkönig, D 328 (1815) [orchestrated by Franz Liszt]
– Pause –
Antonín Dvořák (1841–1904)
Symphony No. 4 in D minor op. 13 (1874)
Thomas Hampson | Baritone
Orchester Wiener Akademie
Martin Haselböck | Conductor