Help
Skip to main content
Anton Bruckner

Anton Bruckner

Born: 4th September 1824, Ansfelden, Austria

Died: 11th October 1896, Vienna, Austria

Nationality: Austrian

Josef Anton Bruckner 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.

Unlike other musical radicals such as Richard Wagner and Hugo Wolf, Bruckner showed extreme humility before other musicians, Wagner in particular. This apparent dichotomy between Bruckner the man and Bruckner the composer hampers efforts to describe his life in a way that gives a straightforward context for his music.

Further Reading: Bruckner

Presto Music Classical Podcast, Episode 54: Manfred Honeck on Bruckner

Our guest contributor Rob Cowan speaks to the Austrian conductor about his recent recording of Symphony No. 7 with the Pittsburgh Symphony, his long-standing relationship with Bruckner’s music, and the influence of the countryside & religion on the composer's musical imagination.

Recording of the Week, Bruckner's Symphony No. 4 from Anima Eterna and Pablo Heras-Casado

Bruckner’s ‘cathedrals in sound’ have often been described as overblown, but this recording of his most popular symphony, played here in its second version of 1878-1880, offers a convincing counterargument.

Popular Works: Bruckner

All Works: Bruckner

Recent Best Sellers: Bruckner

New Releases: Bruckner