Der Los Angeles Evening Express Nr. 277 bringt auf S. 10 einen Artikel über Bruckner und die 3. Symphonie [Aufführung am 16./17.2.1917]

"       Bruckner Work New to Los Angeles

GREAT music has had both its aristocrats and its peasants. Among the former were Mendelssohn and Liszt, men of wide learning and broad culture, men with all the graces and polish of high society.

     But music has had even more of the peasantry of Europe in its ranks. Modern instances are Dvorak and Bruckner; in earlier times, one is almost inclined to include Beethoven and Schubert.

     Not to linger on this point, interesting though it might be, if elaborated, it is called up by the fact that one of Anton Bruckner's symphonies–the third–is to be played at the concerts of the Los Angeles Symphony orchestra, next Friday and Saturday.

     Bruckner was a diamond in the rough–and he stayed in the rough during his whole career, just as Dvorak did. He was a peasant schoolmaster, as Schubert was, beginning his career as a pedagogue on a salary of less than $1 a month–which later grew to $2 a month and to this was to be added his salary as organist of $3.33–tatling less a month than the average modern teacher gets a day. But the H. C. of L. didn't bother him.

     This concert is particularly interesting to me, for I never have had the opportunity–hearing symphonies since 1889–of listening to a Bruckner symphony. Moreover, I recently examined between 400 and 500 symphony programs, and in them all found Bruckner played only five times.

     This does not argue that Bruckner was a composer of negligible powers–simply that his works are too large and possibly too complex for the popular ear. Prior to hearing his symphony it may be enjoyable to learn something of the man.

     He first became known as an organist of unusual powers. Born in 1824 in a village of Upper Austria, he gradually moved into larger and larger communities until, in 1867 we find     him in Vienna, professor in the conservatory, teaching organ and composition, and court organist.

     Marvelous stories are told of his powers of improvisation. In the copetition for the latter post, each competitor was allowed 25 minutes to develop extempore, a theme, given by the judges. Bruckner played on it a full hour–when the judges, possibly out of self-defense, gave him the desired post.

     In 1869 he played in several cities of France and in 1871, in London–where he played so long, at crystal palace, that the organ blowers gave out, providing an end to that improvisation.

     Bruckner was wonderfully learned in methods of thematic development–of making much out of little–to put it in plain English. And it was this which gave him his first vogue in Austria and Germany.

     So here we have this underpaid organist–most of them are–composing symphony after symphony, of immense difficulty and unheard-of lengths, refused and laughed at by conductors–but returning home to write another still longer and harder. He never abated his peasant brusquerie or modified his ideas of art a jot or tittle to suit the popular taste or to meet the preferences of conductors.

     Then, about 1870, Bruckner gives his whole allegiance to Richard Wagner and so his later works are found to a large extent to be Wagner reflected into the symphonic form, which will make the hearing of this third symphony all the more interesting, for it, with the first two, he took to Wagner, at Beyreuth [sic], and Wagner accepted its dedication to him.

     In hearing this Third symphony, one may expect most scholarly treatment of themes, brilliant contrapunctal exposition, vivid, yet not sensational, combinations of the instruments in tone coloring, and lengthy development.

     Brahms was just then achieving his greatest reputation; and as he had no great love for Wagner, the Wagnerites set up Bruckner at the head of their ranks and proclaimed him the counterpart of Wagner in the symphonic world.

     In those days there was a critic in Vienna who wielded great power by his erudite and caustic writings, Eduard Hanslick. He was a violent opponent of the music and personality of Wagner and Liszt and a equally ardent supporter of Brahms and Schumann.

     Although speaking well of Bruckner's earlier works, when this composer showed his Wagnerian leanings, Hanslick trained all his guns on the retiring and modest little organist; so that when, after playing for the Emperor Franz Josef the latter asked Bruckner if he had any favor to ask, and received the reply, "Only, your majesty, that you tell Hanslick to write no more about my compositions!"

     Bruckner was much liked in Vienna, personally, being simple in his tastes, naive in his manner and as unconscious about his personal appearance as was Beethoven. His adherents grew to goodly proportions, though his church music was more admired in Vienna than were his symphonies.

     Both he and Brahms were confirmed bachelors and led simple, unostentatious lives; and at Bruckner's funeral, in 1896, there was no more sincere mourner than Brahms." (*).

Bei einer Vormittagsveranstaltung der Musik-Abteilung des Hollywood-Clubs [oder genauer: Woman's club of Hollywood?] werden die Hauptwerke des Konzertes vorgestellt, "The Hunter" durch den Komponisten Edwards persönlich und die 3. Symphonie durch Mrs. A. R. Gates. Mrs. Edwin Browne [sic] and Miss Brittain spielen Auszüge aus dem Werk (**).