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Symphony No. 0 (Bruckner)
Encyclopedia
This Symphony in D minor composed by Anton Bruckner
was not assigned a number by its composer, and has subsequently become known by the German designation Die Nullte (translated to The Zeroth or Number Nought in English).
and the earlier Study Symphony in F minor. Bruckner decided this Symphony was not worthy of a number, and declared it "gilt nicht" ("doesn't count") and on one copy of the score put in an empty set symbol (∅), which was later interpreted as a numeral zero
. According to the conductor
Georg Tintner
, this lack of confidence in the work arose from a question by the puzzled conductor of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra
, Felix Otto Dessoff
, who asked Bruckner, "Where is the main theme?".
The work was not premiered until 1924. It is sometimes referred to as "Symphony in D minor, opus posthumous."
s, oboe
s, clarinet
s, bassoon
s, four horn
s, two trumpet
s, three trombone
s, timpani
, and strings
.
It has four movements
.
in the strings that is in D minor
.
Leopold Nowak suggested that the answer to Desoff's question is that the principal theme is in the first movement of Symphony No. 3 in D minor
, which also begins with an ostinato.
.
The Trio's theme in G major
has hints of G minor
.
Unlike later scherzos, this one has a separate coda for the reprise of the Scherzo.
is accompanied by semiquavers (i.e. sixteenth notes) in the woodwinds (music that shows up again in the development). This gives way to the main theme of the following allegro-movement,
which does double duty as a third theme. The second theme
reminds some listeners of Rossini.
(published 1968).
The first commercial recording of the complete symphony was by Henk Spruit with the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra
in 1951.
Performances and recordings of the "complete" Bruckner Symphonies often exclude No. 0, most notably excepting the boxed sets of Riccardo Chailly
, Eliahu Inbal
, Bernard Haitink
, Georg Tintner
, Gennady Rozhdestvensky
, Stanislaw Skrowaczewski
and former Chicago Symphony Orchestra
conductors Daniel Barenboim
and Sir Georg Solti.
Anton Bruckner
Anton Bruckner 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, complex polyphony, and considerable length...
was not assigned a number by its composer, and has subsequently become known by the German designation Die Nullte (translated to The Zeroth or Number Nought in English).
Composition
This work is the third symphony composed by Bruckner; experts agree that it was written in 1869, after the Symphony that Bruckner himself regarded as his No. 1Symphony No. 1 (Bruckner)
Anton Bruckner's Symphony No. 1 in C minor was the first symphony the composer thought worthy of performing, and bequeathing to the Vienna national library. Chronologically, it comes after the Study Symphony in F minor and before Symphony No. 0 in D minor. The first version of the Symphony No. 2...
and the earlier Study Symphony in F minor. Bruckner decided this Symphony was not worthy of a number, and declared it "gilt nicht" ("doesn't count") and on one copy of the score put in an empty set symbol (∅), which was later interpreted as a numeral zero
0 (number)
0 is both a numberand the numerical digit used to represent that number in numerals.It fulfills a central role in mathematics as the additive identity of the integers, real numbers, and many other algebraic structures. As a digit, 0 is used as a placeholder in place value systems...
. According to the conductor
Conducting
Conducting is the art of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. The primary duties of the conductor are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble...
Georg Tintner
Georg Tintner
Georg Tintner CM was an Austrian-born conductor whose career was principally in New Zealand, Australia, and Canada....
, this lack of confidence in the work arose from a question by the puzzled conductor of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra
Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra
The Vienna Philharmonic is an orchestra in Austria, regularly considered one of the finest in the world....
, Felix Otto Dessoff
Felix Otto Dessoff
Felix Otto Dessoff was a German conductor and composer.-Biography:Dessoff was born in Leipzig and entered the conservatory there where he studied composition, piano and conducting with some of the foremost teachers of the day, including Ignaz Moscheles for piano and Moritz Hauptmann and Julius...
, who asked Bruckner, "Where is the main theme?".
The work was not premiered until 1924. It is sometimes referred to as "Symphony in D minor, opus posthumous."
Analysis
The score calls for a pair each of fluteFlute
The flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
s, oboe
Oboe
The oboe is a double reed musical instrument of the woodwind family. In English, prior to 1770, the instrument was called "hautbois" , "hoboy", or "French hoboy". The spelling "oboe" was adopted into English ca...
s, clarinet
Clarinet
The clarinet is a musical instrument of woodwind type. The name derives from adding the suffix -et to the Italian word clarino , as the first clarinets had a strident tone similar to that of a trumpet. The instrument has an approximately cylindrical bore, and uses a single reed...
s, bassoon
Bassoon
The bassoon is a woodwind instrument in the double reed family that typically plays music written in the bass and tenor registers, and occasionally higher. Appearing in its modern form in the 19th century, the bassoon figures prominently in orchestral, concert band and chamber music literature...
s, four horn
Horn (instrument)
The horn is a brass instrument consisting of about of tubing wrapped into a coil with a flared bell. A musician who plays the horn is called a horn player ....
s, two trumpet
Trumpet
The trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
s, three trombone
Trombone
The trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. Like all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player’s vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate...
s, timpani
Timpani
Timpani, or kettledrums, are musical instruments in the percussion family. A type of drum, they consist of a skin called a head stretched over a large bowl traditionally made of copper. They are played by striking the head with a specialized drum stick called a timpani stick or timpani mallet...
, and strings
String instrument
A string instrument is a musical instrument that produces sound by means of vibrating strings. In the Hornbostel-Sachs scheme of musical instrument classification, used in organology, they are called chordophones...
.
It has four movements
Movement (music)
A movement is a self-contained part of a musical composition or musical form. While individual or selected movements from a composition are sometimes performed separately, a performance of the complete work requires all the movements to be performed in succession...
.
First movement, Allegro
The work begins with an ostinatoOstinato
In music, an ostinato is a motif or phrase, which is persistently repeated in the same musical voice. An ostinato is always a succession of equal sounds, wherein each note always has the same weight or stress. The repeating idea may be a rhythmic pattern, part of a tune, or a complete melody in...
in the strings that is in D minor
D minor
D minor is a minor scale based on D, consisting of the pitches D, E, F, G, A, B, and C. In the harmonic minor, the C is raised to C. Its key signature has one flat ....
.
Leopold Nowak suggested that the answer to Desoff's question is that the principal theme is in the first movement of Symphony No. 3 in D minor
Symphony No. 3 (Bruckner)
Anton Bruckner's Symphony No. 3 in D minor was dedicated to Richard Wagner and is sometimes known as his "Wagner Symphony". It was written in 1873, revised in 1877 and again in 1891....
, which also begins with an ostinato.
Second movement, Andante
Nowak places all markings of Andante for this B-flat major movement in parentheses.Third movement, Scherzo: Presto — Trio: Langsamer und ruhiger
This is the last of Bruckner's symphonic scherzos in which the orchestra begins fortissimo. The theme has something of the qualities of the Mannheim rocket, but its chromaticism suggests the future music of ShostakovichDmitri Shostakovich
Dmitri Dmitriyevich Shostakovich was a Soviet Russian composer and one of the most celebrated composers of the 20th century....
.
The Trio's theme in G major
G major
G major is a major scale based on G, with the pitches G, A, B, C, D, E, and F. Its key signature has one sharp, F; in treble-clef key signatures, the sharp-symbol for F is usually placed on the first line from the top, though in some Baroque music it is placed on the first space from the bottom...
has hints of G minor
G minor
G minor is a minor scale based on G, consisting of the pitches G, A, B, C, D, E, and F. For the harmonic minor scale, the F is raised to F. Its relative major is B-flat major, and its parallel major is G major....
.
Unlike later scherzos, this one has a separate coda for the reprise of the Scherzo.
Fourth movement, Finale: Moderato — Allegro vivace
The movement begins with a slow introduction. The theme in the violins,is accompanied by semiquavers (i.e. sixteenth notes) in the woodwinds (music that shows up again in the development). This gives way to the main theme of the following allegro-movement,
which does double duty as a third theme. The second theme
reminds some listeners of Rossini.
Editions
The symphony is available in two editions: by Wöss (published 1924) and Leopold NowakLeopold Nowak
Leopold Nowak was a musicologist chiefly known for editing the works by Anton Bruckner for the International Bruckner Society. He reconstructed the original form of some of those works, most of which had been revised and edited many times.Nowak was born in Vienna, Austria. He studied piano and...
(published 1968).
Discography
The first commercial recording of the symphony was by Fritz Zaun with the Berlin State Opera Orchestra in 1933. It included only the scherzo, in the Wöss edition.The first commercial recording of the complete symphony was by Henk Spruit with the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra
Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra
The Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra is a symphony orchestra based primarily in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. The NedPhO was formed in 1985 from the merger of three orchestras, the Amsterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, the Utrecht Symphony Orchestra Utrecht and the Netherlands Chamber Orchestra...
in 1951.
Performances and recordings of the "complete" Bruckner Symphonies often exclude No. 0, most notably excepting the boxed sets of Riccardo Chailly
Riccardo Chailly
Riccardo Chailly, Cavaliere di Gran Croce OMRI is an Italian conductor. He started his career as an opera conductor and gradually extended his repertoire to encompass symphonic music.-Biography:...
, Eliahu Inbal
Eliahu Inbal
Eliahu Inbal is an Israeli conductor.Inbal studied violin at the Israeli Academy of Music and took composition lessons with Paul Ben-Haim...
, Bernard Haitink
Bernard Haitink
Bernard Johan Herman Haitink, CH, KBE is a Dutch conductor and violinist.- Early life :Haitink was born in Amsterdam, the son of Willem Haitink and Anna Haitink. He studied music at the conservatoire in Amsterdam...
, Georg Tintner
Georg Tintner
Georg Tintner CM was an Austrian-born conductor whose career was principally in New Zealand, Australia, and Canada....
, Gennady Rozhdestvensky
Gennady Rozhdestvensky
Gennady Nikolayevich Rozhdestvensky is a Russian conductor.-Biography:Rozhdestvensky was born in Moscow. His parents were the noted conductor and pedagogue Nikolai Anosov and soprano Natalya Rozhdestvenskaya...
, Stanislaw Skrowaczewski
Stanislaw Skrowaczewski
Stanisław Skrowaczewski is an internationally known classical conductor and composer. He was born in Lvov and became best known for his work with the Minnesota Orchestra....
and former Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Chicago Symphony Orchestra
The Chicago Symphony Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Chicago, Illinois. It is one of the five American orchestras commonly referred to as the "Big Five". Founded in 1891, the Symphony makes its home at Orchestra Hall in Chicago and plays a summer season at the Ravinia Festival...
conductors Daniel Barenboim
Daniel Barenboim
Daniel Barenboim, KBE is an Argentinian-Israeli pianist and conductor. He has served as music director of several major symphonic and operatic orchestras and made numerous recordings....
and Sir Georg Solti.
Notable Recordings
- Ferdinand Leitner conducting the Bavarian Radio Symphony OrchestraBavarian Radio Symphony OrchestraThe Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, in German Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks is the internationally renowned orchestra of the Bayerischer Rundfunk , based in Munich, Germany. It is one of the three principal orchestras in the city of Munich, along with the Munich Philharmonic...
, live performance, 1960, Orfeo (Wöss edition) - Bernard HaitinkBernard HaitinkBernard Johan Herman Haitink, CH, KBE is a Dutch conductor and violinist.- Early life :Haitink was born in Amsterdam, the son of Willem Haitink and Anna Haitink. He studied music at the conservatoire in Amsterdam...
conducting the Concertgebouw Orchestra, studio recording, 1966, Philips (Wöss edition) - Daniel BarenboimDaniel BarenboimDaniel Barenboim, KBE is an Argentinian-Israeli pianist and conductor. He has served as music director of several major symphonic and operatic orchestras and made numerous recordings....
conducting the Chicago Symphony OrchestraChicago Symphony OrchestraThe Chicago Symphony Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Chicago, Illinois. It is one of the five American orchestras commonly referred to as the "Big Five". Founded in 1891, the Symphony makes its home at Orchestra Hall in Chicago and plays a summer season at the Ravinia Festival...
, studio recording, 1979, Deutsche Grammophon (Nowak edition) - Georg TintnerGeorg TintnerGeorg Tintner CM was an Austrian-born conductor whose career was principally in New Zealand, Australia, and Canada....
conducting the RTÉ National Symphony OrchestraRTÉ National Symphony OrchestraThe RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra is the concert music orchestra of Raidió Teilifís Éireann...
, studio recording, 1996, Naxos (Nowak edition) - Stanisław Skrowaczewski conducting the Saarbrücken Radio Symphony Orchestra, studio recording, 1999, Arte Nova/Oehms Classics (Nowak edition)
- Tatsuya Shimono conducting the Osaka Philharmonic OrchestraOsaka Philharmonic OrchestraThe is a classical orchestra based in Osaka, Japan. Founded in 1947 as the Kansai Symphony Orchestra, it took its current name in 1960. Founder Takashi Asahina conducted the orchestra for 55 years from its creation until 2001....
, Live recording, November 17 & 18, 2005, Symphony Hall, Osaka, Avex Entertainment (Nowak edition)