Back Issues

A few back copies remain available of some issues; those no longer available in hard copy can be supplied in PDF. Please inquire about copies of issues still available as hard-copy or obtaining PDFs.

Subscription Info

Upcoming Issue

The Bruckner Journal is published three times a year, in March, July and November - since 1997 - and is available by subscription only.

Volume Twenty-Eight, Number Two will be published in July 2024. Should you wish to contribute an article, short essay, letter or comment to the Journal, on any Bruckner-related subject, please contact us.

Enquiries

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