*-* Dem Komponist und Organist Anton Bruckner in Wien wurde vom Kaiser von Oesterreich das Ritterkreuz des Franz=Josef=Ordens verliehen. - » (*)

 

Die Chicago Tribune bespricht auf S. 5 das gestrige Konzert (7. Symphonie am 29.7.1886): "                           AMUSEMENTS.
                         The Thomas Concert.
     It was cool and pleasant at the Exposition Building last night, and as the programm announced was a notable one the attendance was gratifyingly large. [... Händel und Arnold Krug kurz erwähnt ...].
     The most notable event of the evening's concert was the performance for the first time in this country of the symphony in E, No. 7, by Anton Bruckner, the Court Organist and Professor of the Organ, Harmony and Counterpoint at Vienna. The new symphony has made a decided sensation in Continental Europe, and will soon have its first hearing in London under the direction of Herr Hans Richter. It was first heard at a concert given in Leipsic in aid of the Wagner Memorial Fund, Dec. 30, 1884, and successive performances at Carlsruhe, Cologne, Hamburg, Graz and Vienna. Though the composer has written six other symphonies, a Te Deum, and a string quartet [sic], this is the first of his works which has met with anything like general recognition.

     A recent article in the London Musical Times gives some interesting particulars of the career of the composer and of this, his most recent work. He was born in Upper Austria in 1824, and received a thorough and very systematic musical education. For many years he devoted himself to purely technical study and the solving of contrapuntal problems, and at last displayed such astonishing proficiency that he was not only made court organist at Vienna, but received from Prof. Herbeck (1867) the appointmeut[sic] in the Conservatory of that city which he still holds. It is since the above date that he has written all his important compositions. Two years before that time a performance of "Tristan and Isolde"" brought him under the influence of the Wagner school, and its results are visible in his music, particularly in the seventh of his symphonies.
     Of this work the Musical Times gives a very thorough analysis directly from the score, the main point of which will be of interest not only to those who heard last night's performance but to musical readers who were not present. The work is in the usual four movement style, its unity being secured by a modification in the last movement of the principal theme of the first. While the Scherzo will be the most popular, the Adagio is laid out upon the broadest scale, and was written in elegiac form as a tribute to Wagner, this peculiar form being given to it by interpolation of a motive from the composer's Te Deum as well as by the use of themes or suggestions of themes from "Siegfried."  A very important part is assigned to the wind instruments, as may be inferred from the fact that the orchestration is laid out for three trumpets, threee trombones, and bass tuba, in addition to the usual instrumental array, and that in the Adagio and Finale these are still further augmented by three tubas and a contrabass tuba. The Times sums up its analysis in the statement that "the themes are of a strikingly bold and impressive character and that both contrapuntally and orchestrally they are treated with consummate skill and effect." Though to produce such a work requires an orchestra esspecially fitted out, as the demands of the instrumentation are somewhat unusual, Mr. Thomas' band devoted themselves to the preparation of the work with the utmost enthusiasm and with devoted industry, and they, as well as their leader, are entitled to the credit of giving their summer night audience the first opportunity of hearing a work which seems destined to make a sensation in the world.
     The Weber-Berlioz "Invitation to Dance" and some bits from Wagner and Rubinstein concluded an enjoyable entertainment.
     [... Programm des heutigen Konzerts (10 Nummern) ...]." [keine Signatur] (**).

 

Auch die ebenfalls in Chicago erscheinende Zeitung The Inter Ocean bespricht auf S. 5 dieses Konzert:
"                        AMUSEMENTS.
                  THOMAS' CONCERTS.
     The classic strain of symphony night considered, the Thomas orchestra had an unusually large audience last evening at the Exposition. [... Beethoven, Händel, Schumann, Krug ...]. The feature of the evening was the initial presentation in America of Anton Bruckner's Seventh Symphony. It was first presented a year and a half ago at Leipzig under the direction of its composer [sic], and is said to have excited much enthusiastic comment in German musical circles. Its composer was then 60 year old, and was comparatively unknown outside of Vienna, where he has for years held the positions of court organist and professor of the organ, harmony and counterpoint at the Vienna conservatory. The symphony opens pleasingly with a series of brief phrases given out by the flute, elaborated by the strings and made emphatic by the brasses. The full force of the orchestra frequently gathers for an apparent climax, then the troubled sea of melody subsides and a restful calm follows, in which the theme passes from the lighter strings to flute and flagelette, and then gathers in richness and fullness as it calls the cellos into play. The latter position of the andante presents a strong reminder of "the magic fire scene." and the entire work thrills with the influence of Wagner. There is no doubt, however, of the composer's originality, his technical ability and knowledge of intricate contrapoint. The second movement, particularly in its first portions, confided to the care of the strings, is singularly harmonious, rich, restful, and beautiful. The complications of its thematic advance, and its employment of the Schonig horn tends to grow monotonous as it weaves out a length of melody that repeats until it wearies. It must be confessed, however, that the number appeals with strange strength to the mind of the musician, and reflects most aptly the influence of the Wizzard of Bayreuth without inbringing on his ideas. It is orchestrated for strings most admirably, and therein appears to lie the composer's charm of strength. This second movement has a wonderful variety of interest und lurid effects of harmony and color; at times it appears to have the deep, swelling syren strains of Gluck's Orpheus as he lulls to rest the troubled hosts of hell; again it rises like some Titan in its strength, arousing all the enginery of modern melody, the music of the future, to full play in its splendid and expansive sweep. The scherzo movement has a certain beauty of brevity, und its phrases have a measure more easily comprehended than its predecessors and probably come nearer the popular comprehension than its predecessor. The finale presents a strong similarity to the first movement, its first subject furnishing the basic theme that with ornate treatment serves to give the work a strength of melodic unity. There is no doubt as to the princely proportion of this work, and the splendid style of its working out. The composer is a master in complicated technicality, and handles the difficult factor of wind instrumentation with skill and effect. The controlling Wagnerian force to a certain marked extent saps the strength of originality, but aside from this the work has much to admire, both in the freedom and strength of its movement and the genuine beauty it brings to life. Its length will militate against its popularity if placed in a programme akin to that of last evening. To-night a request programme will be presented as follows:
[... 10 Nummern ...]" [keine Signatur] (***).