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Bruckner:Sym#4-Complete Evolution of Versions

199.179.185.213

Posted by SPL on June 6, 2000 at 20:31:27

CHRONOLOGY OF VERSIONS AND EDITIONS

End of 1873
- Bruckner tells Kitzler he is ready to begin work on a 4th symphony

Jan 2, 1874
- Sym #4 begun – first movement - while still working on Sym #3

Nov 22, 1874
- 1st version completed, 8:30pm Vienna

1875-76
- 1st draft of Sym #5

Sept – Dec 1876
- Bruckner contacts Tappert to obtain first performance from Bilse in Berlin
- The score and parts are sent to Bilse
- Bruckner now uses the term "Romantic" when refering to the symphony - Bruckner considers changing the scoring of the 2nd mvmt

Oct 12, 1877
- Letter to Tappert attempting to recover his original score from Bilse
- Manuscript and parts returned to Bruckner’s estate only after his death (but now lost?)
- Bruckner reveals in the letter his intention to revise the score (Herbeck’s influence?): "I have become convinced that my Fourth Romantic Symphony urgently needs a thorough revision"

Jan 18 – Sept 30, 1878
- 2nd version completed – it includes:
**Thorough revision of 1st mvmt
**Thorough revision of 2nd mvmt
**New finale "Volksfest"

Oct 9, 1878
- Letter to Tappert - Bruckner describes the revisions and indicate the he intends to compose a new Hunt scherzo with Repast trio

Dec 1878
- Hunt Scherzo composed

1879
- String Quintet composed

Nov 1879 – Jun 5, 1880
- New finale composed
- First sketches of Sym #6

Feb 20, 1881
- First performance of the symphony in the 1880 version under Richter/Vienna Phil – success – Bruckner present at concert
- First Bruckner symphony premier not given by him
- Score intended to be original copy for publication but never published in Bruckner’s lifetime
- Autograph manuscript HS-19.476, Austrian National Library, Vienna
Haas = Enfassung – this is the Haas edition
This score composed of:
**1878 mvmts 1 & 2
**Hunt scherzo
**1879-80 Finale

Dec 1881
- Felix Mottl/Karlsruhe performance – failure – Bruckner not present

1885
- Gutmann publishes first edition of Sym #7

1885-86
- Bruckner sends copies of the score to 2 different publishers - rejected

June 4, 1886
- Performance of mvmts 1 & 3 at Sondershausen
- Bruckner prepares a final revision of HS-19.476 for performance by Anton Seidl in the wake of Sondershausen performance
- Auer & Graflinger state that Bruckner hoped to have this score published in America
- This is the Nowak edition
- Chief modifications are:
**Minor wind & brass adjustments (difficult to hear) in 140 bars
**Finale changed from 2/4 to 4/4
**Return of the opening theme in the 3rd & 4th horns in the finale coda
**Cuts suggested by Bruckner for the initial performance

1887 – 88
- Lowe/Schalk arrangement first prepared and completed late 1887
- This manuscript discovered in 1939
- Manuscript is in Lowe’s hand, not Bruckner’s, but contains Bruckner’s additions & revisions in his hand

Jan 22, 1888
- Richter/VPO concert of Lowe’s arrangement – success

Feb 1888
- Bruckner’s final revisions to Lowe’s agmt

Feb 27, 1888
- Bruckner assures Levi that he possesses only one autograph,
that of 1880

April 4, 1888
- Anton Siedl New York concert using his unique score
- This manuscript (found in 1952) is in the Columbia Univ Library
- Nowak’s edition uses these modifications as he believes them to be of greater authority than 19.476

May 15, 1888
- Bruckner signs final contract to print Lowe’s agmt with Gutmann

June 1888
- Lowe’s agmt sent to printer

Sept 1889
- Gutmann publishes Lowe agmt

Jan 18, 1890
- Bruckner prepares a fair copy of the 1881 score, Vienna
- Redlich’s ‘silent protest’ against the 1889 score
- Note: this is Bruckner’s final work on this score and he chose this version and not any other – not even the Siedl score, though that manuscript was in New York and not available to him

Dec 10, 1890
- Franz Fisher (substituting for Levi)/Munich concert, Lowe agmt– popularity of the symphony is now assured

Performances of Lowe agmt under Mahler, Weingartner, Richter, & Schalk contunue in the 1890s - 13 performances given of the Lowe agmt

References
Cooke, Deryck, Vindications – Essays on Romantic Music, 1982, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press.
Cooke, Deryck, "Anton Bruckner", The New Grove Late Romantic Masters
Korstvedt, Benjamin Marcus, "The First Published Edition of Anton Bruckner’s Fourth Symphony: Collaboration and Authenticity", 19th Century Music, Vol XX, No. 1, Summer 1996.
Redlich, Hans F., Preface to Bruckner: Symphony No. 4 in E flat Major (The Romantic), ed. Hans F. Redlich, July 1954, London, Eulenberg Edition.

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