Books on Bruckner?

[Karafan]

I would like recommendations for books on Bruckner please. Whether centring on music appreciation, critical reception or biography.

I have Bob Simpson's "The Essence of Bruckner", Stephen Johnson's "Bruckner Remembered" and one or two others. Which couldn't you live without?

Am interested particularly in hearing from members familiar with Julian Horton's "Bruckner's Symphonies: Analysis, Reception and Cultural Politics" or the Cambridge Companion. Also tempted by Benjamin M. Korstvedt's treatise on Bruckner's 8th symphony.

Thanks.

[Petrushka]

The Bruckner bibliography is pretty scant, I'm afraid. However, JLW will be along shortly to sing the praises of the Cambridge Companion (which I've not yet got) and that, along with Simpson seem to be the best out there.

One I do have is 'Anton Bruckner: The Man and his Work' by Constantin Floros but I found it's a slender volume that didn't really live up to the title. We really need a major Bruckner biography that does the composer and his work full justice.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

But wouldn’t every chapter be the same, with a few variations and several revisions?

[Ein Heldenleben]

I would like recommendations for books on Bruckner please. Whether centring on music appreciation, critical reception or biography.

I have Bob Simpson's "The Essence of Bruckner", Stephen Johnson's "Bruckner Remembered" and one or two others. Which couldn't you live without?

Am interested particularly in hearing from members familiar with Julian Horton's "Bruckner's Symphonies: Analysis, Reception and Cultural Politics" or the Cambridge Companion. Also tempted by Benjamin M. Korstvedt's treatise on Bruckner's 8th symphony.

Thanks.

I bought the Cambridge Companion last week - a mere £10 for the Kindle Edition with the music examples very clearly ‘printed’.Only flicked through it and it looks excellent . The chapter on Bruckner’s harmony assumes a pretty good knowledge of music theory. Julian Horton has a chapter on AB and the symphony orchestra .I’ve also spent quite a bit of time reading articles on Bruckner on JSTOR- a great deal of the most important work seems to be in German - an impression confirmed by the extensive ‘select’ bibliography in the Cambridge Book.

[Richard Barrett]

I bought the Cambridge Companion last week

That's the best book on AB that I've read, to be sure. As with such books in general it isn't all interesting, and some parts might be too technical for some readers, but enough of it is really insightful (and enough of it is, I think accessible to non-specialist readers) that it's worth having if you like the music and want to know more, or if you're wondering what all the fuss is about. A lot of writing I've read on Bruckner (which includes some things on this forum!) tends towards the apologetic, which rather plays into the hands of those who say it's all the same, too repetitive etc. etc. etc. but there's hardly any of that in this book. The chapter on Bruckner's orchestration was quite an eye-opener for me.

[Petrushka]

That's the best book on AB that I've read, to be sure. As with such books in general it isn't all interesting, and some parts might be too technical for some readers, but enough of it is really insightful (and enough of it is, I think accessible to non-specialist readers) that it's worth having if you like the music and want to know more, or if you're wondering what all the fuss is about. A lot of writing I've read on Bruckner (which includes some things on this forum!) tends towards the apologetic, which rather plays into the hands of those who say it's all the same, too repetitive etc. etc. etc. but there's hardly any of that in this book. The chapter on Bruckner's orchestration was quite an eye-opener for me.

Just ordered the Cambridge Companion. Will be here on Sunday!

[Bryn]

Not a book but:

[Karafan]

I bought the Cambridge Companion last week - a mere £10 for the Kindle Edition with the music examples very clearly ‘printed’.Only flicked through it and it looks excellent . The chapter on Bruckner’s harmony assumes a pretty good knowledge of music theory. Julian Horton has a chapter on AB and the symphony orchestra .I’ve also spent quite a bit of time reading articles on Bruckner on JSTOR- a great deal of the most important work seems to be in German - an impression confirmed by the extensive ‘select’ bibliography in the Cambridge Book.

That's the best book on AB that I've read, to be sure. As with such books in general it isn't all interesting, and some parts might be too technical for some readers, but enough of it is really insightful (and enough of it is, I think accessible to non-specialist readers) that it's worth having if you like the music and want to know more, or if you're wondering what all the fuss is about. A lot of writing I've read on Bruckner (which includes some things on this forum!) tends towards the apologetic, which rather plays into the hands of those who say it's all the same, too repetitive etc. etc. etc. but there's hardly any of that in this book. The chapter on Bruckner's orchestration was quite an eye-opener for me.

thanks for the recommendation, I will look into it more deeply.

[Karafan]

Thanks Bryn.

[Karafan]

Thanks, everyone. Some good food for thought there.

K.

[verismissimo]

Two not mentioned thus far:

Bruckner by Derek Watson, Master Musicians series, 1975
Bruckner Symphonies by Philip Barford, BBC Music Guides, 1978

[gurnemanz]

One I do have is 'Anton Bruckner: The Man and his Work' by Constantin Floros but I found it's a slender volume that didn't really live up to the title. We really need a major Bruckner biography that does the composer and his work full justice.

I have read that book in German and not having much detailed knowledge before I started I found it very useful. Not that slender at 292 pages. German title is AB Persönlichkeit und Werk and the first 70 or so pages are devoted to detailed analysis of his personality which gave me a lot of insights, with subheadings which include Libido, Neurose, Verfolgungswahn (persecution mania), Sympathie mit dem Tode.

I resisted Hans-Joachim Hinrichsen's Bruckner Handbuch at £50 but did buy his guide to the symphonies for 8.95 Euros - slender at 128 pages but worth having.

[jayne lee wilson]

I would like recommendations for books on Bruckner please. Whether centring on music appreciation, critical reception or biography.

I have Bob Simpson's "The Essence of Bruckner", Stephen Johnson's "Bruckner Remembered" and one or two others. Which couldn't you live without?

Am interested particularly in hearing from members familiar with Julian Horton's "Bruckner's Symphonies: Analysis, Reception and Cultural Politics" or the Cambridge Companion. Also tempted by Benjamin M. Korstvedt's treatise on Bruckner's 8th symphony.

Thanks.

Using the Look Inside facility on Amazon to check out TOC and excerpts, Julian Horton and Dermot Gault (The New Bruckner) look worth perusing (or pursuing); I felt the Gault to be more engaging, concentrating on the musical processes and revisions very readably; Horton takes a broader cultural and contextual view. Just a shame most of these are so costly.
Bruckner Studies (CUP again) looks good too, including an intriguing, terminologically provocative piece on "Bruckner's Sonata Deformations" but here, cost really is prohibitive.
Some of these (especially Gault) allow some access to the text; so have a good browse....

Cambridge Companion a must of course, but the Korstvedt monograph on the 8th is excellent too. A lot of detailed technical analysis, a challenge for me, but I still found much enlightenment in the various overviewing sections. The chapter on "The Adagio and The Sublime" is fascinating.

Two quotes from Bruckner in the Korstvedt Study of the 8th are very important to know about:

To Nikisch, during preparations for the premiere of the 7th:
"In the score many important, frequent tempo changes are not marked"

To Weingartner during rehearsal for the 8th:
"Please freely modify the tempi (as necessary for clarity)"

So If you ever feel cross about a given conductor's dangerous driving along the Brucknerian lanes and freeways, don't play the Traffic Cop but try to take Bruckner's own words to heart....
(Or pin them up by the bed, or in the kitchen somewhere, with a decorative frame......)

[Karafan]

I bought the Cambridge Companion last week - a mere £10 for the Kindle Edition with the music examples very clearly ‘printed’.Only flicked through it and it looks excellent . The chapter on Bruckner’s harmony assumes a pretty good knowledge of music theory. Julian Horton has a chapter on AB and the symphony orchestra .I’ve also spent quite a bit of time reading articles on Bruckner on JSTOR- a great deal of the most important work seems to be in German - an impression confirmed by the extensive ‘select’ bibliography in the Cambridge Book.

Using the Look Inside facility on Amazon to check out TOC and excerpts, Julian Horton and Dermot Gault (The New Bruckner) look worth perusing (or pursuing); I felt the Gault to be more engaging, concentrating on the musical processes and revisions very readably; Horton takes a broader cultural and contextual view. Just a shame most of these are so costly.
Bruckner Studies (CUP again) looks good too, including an intriguing, terminologically provocative piece on "Bruckner's Sonata Deformations" but here, cost really is prohibitive.
Some of these (especially Gault) allow some access to the text; so have a good browse....

Cambridge Companion a must of course, but the Korstvedt monograph on the 8th is excellent too. A lot of detailed technical analysis, a challenge for me, but I still found much enlightenment in the various overviewing sections. The chapter on "The Adagio and The Sublime" is fascinating.

Two quotes from Bruckner in the Korstvedt are very important to know about:

To Nikisch, during preparations for the premiere of the 7th:
"In the score many important, frequent tempo changes are not marked"

To Weingartner during rehearsal for the 8th:
"Please freely modify the tempi (as necessary for clarity)"

So If you ever feel cross about a given conductor's dangerous driving along the Brucknerian lanes and freeways, don't play the Traffic Cop but try to take Bruckner's own words to heart....
(Or pin them up by the bed, or in the kitchen somewhere, with a decorative frame......)

Thank you very much Jayne! Off now to peruse and ponder.

[Boilk]

If the title of the book below left makes Brucknerphiles and Mahlerphiles alike see red...then try the one below right, much better cover