Anton Bruckner, Eleven Symphonies (The Bruckner Red Book) is a systematic account of the different versions of Bruckner’s symphonic and symphony-style works. It includes comprehensive discussions of the versions and variants of the nine numbered symphonies from 1866 to 1896 including the sketches for the finale of the Ninth, as well as the string quartet [...]
In my resumed work on the critical report on the Second Symphony, I am establishing computerized collations of all the sources. Thus in reconstructing the original state of the early copy scores Mus.Hs. 6035 and 6034, written in 1872 and revised in 1877, I have revisited some of the core insights which determined the character [...]
Thoughts on Julian Horton’s paper on the form of the finale of the Seventh, Bruckner Journal, December 2018. 1. Horton presents the accepted structure [ABC | CBA], and attributes its justification to Timothy Jackson. 2. Horton says that that analysis makes sense thematically, but not in terms of harmonic structure. How would he explain that [...]
This is my reaction to an article in Gramophone where somebody has an article about the finale of the Ninth Symphony, devoted entirely to the group completion in its manifestations. My completion is mentioned but the writer did not listen to it. The following is from a Facebook discussion that ensued. In my completion the [...]
Liebenswürdigste, edelste Freundinn Fräulein Marie! Herzlichsten Dank für Ihr herrliches Bild! die treu- herzigen schönen Augen! Wie trösten sie mich oft! Bis zum Ende meines Lebens wird mir die Reliqui theuer und kostbar sein . Und welche Freu- de bei so oftmaligem Anblicke. Auch ich bitte um Ihre theure Freundschaft, liebstes Fräulein! <page> Möge mir [...]
Today, February 17, 2018, is the birthday of my wife, Julia Weston Faunce Carragan. She was a mediaevalist and a career teacher and a profound enthusiast for music of early times. She made an exception in the case of the first of the Sonata-Triad by Nicolas Medtner, who was a close friend of my [...]
The concert also included music by Franz Schubert, Sebastian Bach, Johannes Brahms, Esta Blood, and Cole Porter. The audience overflowed the hall. They repeat it in just an hour from now!
The Second Viennese School was well-established before the war, but may be said to have taken definitive nature after the war and was clearly affected by it (Wozzeck, e.g.). What I mean by choosing 1914 as the beginning of the twentieth century is that the wars interrupted what otherwise might have been a regular development [...]
This is the letter of thanks that Anton Bruckner wrote in 1892 to the Vienna Philharmonic in thanks for their highly-successful and well-received premiere performance of his Eighth Symphony under Hans Richter. Note the beautiful and controlled script in a combination of Kurrentschrift and Latein. This was at the time of composition of [...]
From the Classical Vault Dept.: Bill Carragan made his name as a Bruckner scholar – he completed that composer’s unfinished ninth symphony, as well as producing performing editions of others of those symphonies – while working as a physics professor. And he has turned his formidable powers to other musical challenges as [...]
