Overview
Introduction
Anton Bruckner's Symphony No. 1 in C minor (WAB 101) was the first symphony the composer thought worthy of performing, and bequeathing to the Vienna national library. Chronologically, it comes after the Study Symphony in F minor and before Symphony in D minor ("No. 0"). The first version of the Symphony No. 2 in C minor was completed after the Symphony in D minor.
The Symphony No. 1 was premiered under Bruckner in 1868. It was dedicated to the University of Vienna, after Bruckner was granted an honorary doctorate in 1891.
Bruckner gave it the nickname "das kecke Beserl", roughly translated as "saucy maid".
Description
The symphony has four movements.
- Allegro (C minor)
- Adagio (A-flat major)
- Scherzo: Lebhaft (lively)—G minor – Trio: Langsam (slowly)—G major
- Finale: Bewegt und feurig (with motion and pep)—C minor
The choice of keys for the first two movements mirrors Beethoven's choice for his Fifth Symphony, but Bruckner has the timpani retune to A flat and E flat.
Versions
Early drafts, 1865/1866
Prior to the completion of the 1866 version, Bruckner composed earlier forms of the Adagio and the Scherzo. These earlier Adagio and Scherzo were edited in 1995 by Wolfgang Grandjean. The Adagio was first conceived in classical sonata form with development, but Bruckner finally decided in favour of a three-part structure with an elaborately composed middle section. This early Adagio is partially orchestrated (no trumpets or trombones). The recapitulation of the second subject is only sketched by the woodwinds, and five bars are missing before the—on the contrary—fully orchestrated close of the movement. For performance purposes, Grandjean has filled–in the missing bars using the corresponding musical material from the Linz version.
In the leaflet of his recording of the 1866 Version Tintner mentions: "[T]he earlier very short Scherzo, which Bruckner discarded before 1866 (because of its brevity?) with chromatic syncopation, is perhaps more interesting [than the final one]". The early Scherzo is also not fully orchestrated (no trumpets or trombones). For the Linz version Bruckner wrote a completely new Scherzo, but kept the Trio unchanged.
True “Linz” version, 1866
The first version of the symphony was written by Bruckner in Linz. It has been published by William Carragan and was first recorded in 1998 by Georg Tintner.
- Premiere version, 1868
Bruckner adjusted the first version, slightly, for the score’s 1868 premiere. The premiere version has been issued by Thomas Röder in the new edition of the Bruckner Gesamtausgabe.
Widely known “Linz” version, 1877/1884
Although routinely referred to as the “Linz” version and as having been made in 1866, this, the most frequently performed version of the work, was prepared neither in Linz nor in that year. It was made in 1877 in Vienna and revised there in 1884. It is available in editions by Robert Haas (published 1935) and Leopold Nowak (1953).
“Vienna” version, 1891
This is quite different from the 1866 and 1877 versions. It is available in an edition by Günter Brosche, published in 1980 as part of the Gesamtausgabe, and has been recorded by Riccardo Chailly, Gennadi Rozhdestvensky and Günter Wand.
Editions
First published edition, 1893
Edited by Doblinger under the supervision of Cyrill Hynais, this has very few differences from the 1891 version. It has been recorded by F. Charles Adler, Volkmar Andreae and Fritz Zaun (scherzo only).
Haas, 1935
Combines the (1877) “Linz” and (1891) “Vienna” versions in a publication of the Gesamtausgabe.
Nowak, 1953
Of the (1877) “Linz” version, again under Gesamtausgabe auspices.
Brosche, 1980
Of the (1891) “Vienna” version, published as part of the Gesamtausgabe.
Instrumentation
The score calls for a pair each of flutes, oboes, clarinets, bassoons, four horns, two trumpets, three trombones, timpani, and strings, with an extra flute in the Adagio.
