Fischer: The Life of Anton Bruckner

Anton Bruckner (4 September 1824 – 11 October 1896) was an Austrian composer known for his symphonies, masses, and motets. The first are considered emblematic of the final stage of Austro-German Romanticism because of their rich harmonic language, strongly polyphonic character, and considerable length. Bruckner's compositions helped to define contemporary musical radicalism, owing to their dissonances, unprepared modulations, and roving harmonies.

Unlike other musical radicals, such as Richard Wagner or Hugo Wolf who fit the enfant terrible mould, Bruckner showed extreme humility before other musicians, Wagner in particular. This apparent dichotomy between Bruckner the man and Bruckner the composer hampers efforts to describe his life in a way that gives a straightforward context for his music.

His works, the symphonies in particular, had detractors, most notably the influential Austrian critic Eduard Hanslick, and other supporters of Johannes Brahms (and detractors of Wagner), who pointed to their large size, use of repetition, and Bruckner's propensity to revise many of his works, often with the assistance of colleagues, and his apparent indecision about which versions he preferred. On the other hand, Bruckner was greatly admired by subsequent composers, including his friend Gustav Mahler, who described him as "half simpleton, half God."

【古风按】听过无数的交响乐后，古风打心底最珍爱安东·布鲁克纳（1824-1896）的几首不朽的作品：《第八交响曲》、《第四交响曲》、《第七交响曲》、《第六交响曲》、《第九交响曲》和《第五交响曲》。其中，布鲁克纳的《第八交响曲》是后浪漫主义经典音乐的巅峰之作，从它问世后直到现在，再也没有任何交响曲能与之比肩了。

初听布鲁克纳，很多人会觉得他的11部交响曲（00和0-9）好像是同一首交响曲重复了11次！哈哈……这其实是因为听者的赏鉴力不足导致的一个误读，也是由于现代社会浮躁的人文环境引发的心理偏差的一种具体表现。若听者能够不为初次听闻的负面感观所动，只要继续坚持听下去，过不了多久，布鲁克纳音乐的美就会开始自动浮现出来。布鲁克纳的音乐到底美在何处呢？古风自己的心灵觉受显示出：布鲁克纳的音乐勾画出了整个宇宙的绝美结构，其坚如磐石般的音流似乎把天堂里的琼楼玉宇拉到了人间。布鲁克纳的音乐造诣犹如约翰·塞巴斯蒂安·巴赫（Johann Sebastian Bach，1685-1750）百年后重新转世。说来有些惆怅：西方古典音乐在巴赫的笔下登峰造极，西方的经典音乐到布鲁克纳基本完成后浪漫主义的最好辉煌。后浪漫主义的最后掌门人就是伟大的古斯塔夫·马勒（Gustav Mahler，1860-1911）。马勒之后，西方经典音乐就开始进入最后的回光返照，从此衰落下去了。

若想领略布鲁克纳的音乐之美，下面的第一套卡拉扬指挥的交响曲合集是必备的，最后也同时附上了布鲁克纳的合唱和声乐作品供大家欣赏：

Karajan: Bruckner's Symphonies 1-9
http://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/r/DG/4777580
http://www.amazon.com/Bruckner-9-Symphonies-Box-Set/dp/B001DCQI8W

Maazel: Bruckner's Symphonies 0-9
http://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/r/BR%2BKlassik/900711
http://www.amazon.com/Bruckner-10-Symphonies-Anton/dp/B00475E136

Barenboim: Bruckner's Symphonies 1-9
http://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/r/Warner%2BClassics/2564618912
http://www.amazon.com/Bruckner-Nine-Symphonies-Helgoland-Box/dp/B00076YOQ8

Jochum: Bruckner's Three Masses
http://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/r/DG/4474092
http://www.amazon.com/Bruckner-Messen-Masses-Nos-Messes/dp/B000001GQ6

Ferguson: Bruckner's Motets
http://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/r/Delphian/DCD34071
http://www.amazon.com/Motets-Choir-St-Marys-Cathedral/dp/B004OSYQFO