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A Quick Guide to Identifying the Different Bruckner Versions and Editions
by John F. Berky
The purpose of this page is to help listeners to self-identify the different Bruckner versions and editions of his eleven symphonies. This will be done using some audio examples that can be accessed using the embedded hyperlinks. This is, by no means, an extensive list of differences. For that, one should refer to William Carragan's book, Anton Bruckner: Eleven Symphonies published by the Bruckner Society of America.
https://www.brucknersocietyamerica.org/publications/red-book.html
A caveat: Many conductors are known to mark up their scores and occasionally they will substitute elements of one edition into another.
Symphony in F Minor: There is only one version
Symphony No 1 in C Minor
1866 Linz version – Distinct drum roll at the conclusion of the symphony
1877 Linz Version (Nowak) – A more flowing finale with drum roll accompanying the orchestra
1877 Linz version – Straightforward build up to the coda
1890 Vienna version – Distinctively slower build up to the coda
Symphony in D Minor “Die Nullte”: No large difference between Wöss and Nowak editions.
Symphony No. 2 in C Minor
1872 version – Scherzo is played as the second movement
1877 version – Adagio is played as the second movement
Haas edition – First movement finale
Nowak edition – First movement finale
Carragan edition – First movement finale
Symphony No 3 in D Minor
1873 version – Scherzo: opening measures
1877 version – Scherzo: opening measures
1873 version – Passage in the first movement
1877 version – Passage in the first movement
1889 version – Passage in the first movement
Nowak (1873) edition, Oeser (1876) edition; Nowak (1889) edition – No Scherzo coda
Nowak (1877) edition – Scherzo coda added
Symphony No 4 in E Flat Major “Romantic”
1874 version – Original Scherzo
1876 version – Removes the silences that precede and follow the horn signal each time
1880 versions “Hunting Scherzo”
1888 version – A new transition from Scherzo into the Trio
1878 version – Includes “Volksfest” Finale
Haas edition – No recall of the opening horn call at the end of the Finale coda
Nowak edition – The opening horn call is recalled at the end of the Finale coda
Symphony No. 5 in Blat Major: no discernable difference between Haas and Nowak editions
Schalk edition Finale, which includes cymbals
Haas/Nowak Finale
Symphony No. 6 in A Major
Haas edition – Oboe in Adagio coda
Nowak edition – Clarinet in Adagio coda
Symphony No. 7 in E Minor
Gutmann edition – Horn pre-echo at repeat of opening theme (not found in other editions)
Haas edition – Trombones play at five seconds into this passage
Nowak edition –Trombones enter later
Haas edition – No cymbal, triangle or timpani in the Adagio at the climax
Nowak edition – Cymbals, triangle or timpani enter in the Adagio at the climax
Symphony No. 8 in C Minor
1887 version – First movement ends fortissimo
1890 version – First movement ends pianissimo
1887 version – Different trio section in Scherzo
1890 Version – Revised trio section in Scherzo
Haas version – Passage added in Finale
Nowak edition – Passage cut from Finale
Symphony No. 9 in D Minor: No significant differences between Orel and Nowak editions
Loewe version – Catastrophe chord is slightly “tamed”
Orel version
Cohrs edition – Drum beats added at measure 299