BRUCKNER- the man who saw God

BRUCKNER, Anton 1824-1896
 Three pieces by this composer the 2nd Movement of his 7th Symphony, 2nd movement of his 9th and his Requiem in D Minor.

Not an easy composer. A short gnome of a man, socially inept, personally awkward, and obsessively and compulsively religious. Dismissed for most of his career by almost everyone and despised by the most prominent music critic of his time. Reviews of him and his work are as awkward contradictory and confusing as the man.  Reviewers often accuse all other reviewers of not understanding him, or praise the one performance under review but criticize all others. Had no predecessors or successors. His symphonies are so long that almost no one really has the time to listen to any of them let alone the 9 or 10 of them that he wrote. His music takes time as it tends to slow you down so give it at least ten or fifteen minutes before you give up.

I can imagine his Requiem being played at a memorial to comfort the survivors of a star ship disaster a hundred years from now, and some in the audience finding parts of it too "modern" for their ears. When I put his Adagio from the 7th Symphony, or his Requiem on the turntable it stays there. His Requiem is playing for the 5th time in a row right now. In a thread on Amazon about what classical music made people weep the adagio from Bruckner’s 7th was mentioned several times. 

Best think of the movements of his symphonies as whole pieces by themselves. Bruckner stretched musical time out to create a new way of experiencing it. Handel said that when he wrote The Messiah he saw God, when you listen to Bruckner you see God. Bruckner provides strong shoulders to stand on to see far. If he is for you, you'll know it.

Two different reactions to Bruckner's work are always possible.
 1. "This music is familiar, comfortable, and accessible."
 2. "This is the music of the future."

The difference between Bruckner and other composers is these two different views would have been as likely to be heard in 1881, or,  (if he had been around) in 1781 and will probably be valid in 2081.

Don't be in a hurry to listen to Bruckner I had all his symphonies and religious music in my collection for over thirty years before I ever got around to listening to him.  When you are ready for him he will be there for you.

If God exists, and ever actually blessed any human, it was probably Bruckner.

Also if you think you have problems, or lack social graces reading about his life will give you a better perspective on just how awkward and socially inept a person can be, and still be a genious.

7th Symphony on MOG    

Alas there are very few (3?) recordings of BRUCKNER'S Requiem in D Minor. The best one was was a Nonesuch vinyl recording H-71327 that was  converted to an obscure CD Klassic Haus KHCD 2011-092 that you have to buy to listen to.  A wiki discussing this piece. 11/11/18 there is now a new great recording of the Requiem on Spotify coupled with the  Cherubini Requiem   spotify:album:0Cvml3AqQIwjG066Y59tuC