Overture (Bruckner)

In 1862-1863 Anton Bruckner composed the Overture in G minor (WAB 98).
By contrast to the earlier Four Orchestral Pieces and the next Symphony in F minor, the Overture appears a much more mature work – really the overture to the mature Bruckner.

Bruckner's characteristics are already present: the opening subject with his octave interval in unison – as that of the main theme of the Ninth Symphony, the full orchestral chords followed by semiquaver runs, and the second slower subject with its large interval leaps, which is prefiguring the descending motive of the Adagio of the Fifth Symphony.

The orchestral setting is similar to that of the March in D minor, except that the second flute is replaced by a piccolo.

The original (1862) version of the Overture had a different coda at bars 233-288. This was replaced - and approved by Kitzler - with a new coda (bars 233-288) in the final version of 1863. The "coda of the coda" (bars 289-301) is the same in both versions.

The score of the Overture was given by Bruckner to his friend Cyrill Hynais, together with that of Four Orchestral Pieces and the Symphony in F minor.

Discography

The Overture have been recorded about twenty times, mainly as addendum to that of a symphony.^[1]
Some of these recordings, including the single recording of the 1862 version of the Overture by Shunsaku Tsutsumi, can be downloaded from John Berky’s site.^[2][3]

Notes

1. ^ Discography of the the Overture by John Berky
2. ^ Downloadable samples of the Overture on John Berky’s site
3. ^ Downloadable sample of the 1862 version the Overture on John Berky’s site

External links

Hans-Hubert Schönzeler: Overture in G Minor and Study Symphony, 1972
Score of the Overture in G minor (final version) at IMSLP