Bruckner, like Mahler, is a composer with whom Ottawa Symphony players and audiences are familiar. In fact, the musical excerpt our curators have selected for you for this episode is the 4th performance by the Ottawa Symphony of Bruckner’s 7th symphony.

The first performance was in 1984. However, this excerpt is from the Ottawa Symphony’s first performance in Carleton Dominion-Chalmers Centre, in Ottawa Centretown.

It felt and sounded great to be at home!

Read All About It!

Read the original programme notes written by Dr. David Gardner for the first performance of Bruckner 7 by the Ottawa Symphony in 1984.

Curators | Nos conservateurs

Dr. David Gardner
Ottawa Symphony Historian | Historien de l’ Orchestre symphonique d’ Ottawa

Alain Trudel
Ottawa Symphony Music Director | directeur musicale

A little about Anton Bruckner

Josef Anton Bruckner (4 September 1824 – 11 October 1896) was an Austrian composer, organist, and music theorist best known for his symphonies, masses, Te Deum 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.

(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anton_Bruckner)

Did you know?

So you can sound particularly clever at your next virtual cocktail party, we’ve pulled a few choice items out of today’s episode. These may also help you to better understand this episode, and the composer, Bruckner, better.

Wagner Tuba

The Wagner tuba is an infrequently-used brass instrument that combines tonal elements of both the French horn and the trombone. Wagner tubas (or Wagnertuben) are also referred to as Wagner horns or Bayreuth tubas in English and as Bayreuth-Tuben or simply Tuben in German. The term Wagner tuba has been used in English since the 19th century and is standard today. Wagner's published scores usually refer to these instruments in the plural, Tuben, but sometimes in the singular, Tuba.

Harmonic Progression

In a musical composition, a chord progression or harmonic progression is a succession of chords. Chord progressions are the foundation of harmony in Western musical tradition from the common practice era of Classical music to the 21st century. Chord progressions are the foundation of Western popular music styles (e.g., pop music, rock music) and traditional music (e.g., blues and jazz). In these genres, chord progressions are the defining feature on which melody and rhythm are built.

(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chord_progression)

The Emergency Relief Fund of the Musicians’ Association of Local 180 (Ottawa-Gatineau) supports local musicians affected by the Covid-19 Pandemic.

To help, go to: ma180.org