Anton Bruckner (1824-1896). Par BRUCKNER ANTON. Anton Bruckner (b. 4.9.1824, Ansfelden, d. 11.10.1896, Vienna) didn’t have it easy. Throughout his life, the Austrian composer was plagued by self-doubt. Anton Bruckner came from a simple, rural background. After the death of his father, he was accepted as a choirboy at the monastery of Sankt Florian in 1837. After several years as a school assistant and his own organ and piano studies, he first worked as organist in St. Florian, then from 1855 as cathedral organist in Linz. Introduced to music theory and instrumentation by Simon Sechter and Otto Kitzler, he discovered Richard Wagner as an artistic role model, whom he admired throughout his life and also visited several times in Bayreuth. In 1868 Anton Bruckner became professor of basso continuo, counterpoint and organ at the Vienna Conservatory; ten years later court organist; and in 1891 finally honorary doctor of the University of Vienna. He was considered an important organ virtuoso of his era, but had to wait a long time for recognition as a composer. It was not until Symphony No.7 in E major, composed between 1881 and 1883, with the famous Adagio written under the effects of Wagner's death, that he achieved the recognition he had hoped for, even if he was reluctant to accept it given his inclination towards scepticism and self-criticism. Anton Bruckner was a loner who did not want to follow a particular school or doctrine. He composed numerous sacred vocal works, such as his three masses, the Missa Solemnis in B flat minor (1854), the Te Deum (1881-84) and numerous motets. As a symphonic composer, he wrote a total of nine symphonies and many symphonic studies from 1863 onwards, tending to revise completed versions several times over. Bruckner's orchestral works were long considered unplayable, but in fact were merely exceptionally bold for the tonal language of their time, uniting traditions from Beethoven through Wagner to folk music, on the threshold between late Romanticism and Modernism. Anton Bruckner composed about 40 motets during his lifetime, the earliest a setting of Pange lingua around 1835, and the last, Vexilla regis, in 1892. Thomas Doss has compiled some of these motets in this volume for symphonic wind orchestra. These motets show many characteristics of personal expression, especially Bruckner's colourful harmony in the earlier works, which is in places aligned with Franz Schubert (changes between major and minor; and movements in thirds). Later works are characterised by many components which, in addition to the expanded stature of the movements, include above all a sense of the instrumentation as an outward phenomenon and the harmony as a compositional feature that works more internally. Some aspects of Bruckner's work are the result of his long period of study, which familiarised him not only with the tradition of his craft, but also gave him insights into the 'modernity' of his time in such composers as Wagner, Liszt and Berlioz. From this developed his personal standpoint, which always pursues the connection between the old and the new. / Date parution : 2023-07-31/ Répertoire / Concert Band/Harmonie

From 'Enigma Variations'. Par ELGAR EDWARD. Nimrod est le nom donné à la neuvième variation et la plus connue des Enigma Variations d'Edward Elgar, une œuvre orchestrale de 14 variations sur un thème original composé entre 1898 et 1899. Chaque variation est aussi un portrait de l'un des 14 membres de la famille d'Elgar et cercle d'amis. Œuvre célèbre à part entière, Nimrod est un portrait d'Augustus Johannes, son meilleur ami et également l'éditeur d'Elgar. br> En raison de leur portrait, chaque variation est intitulée avec un nom ou des initiales qui identifient la personne. Bibliquement, Nimrod est un grand chasseur de l'Ancien Testament, représentant ainsi sa muse à travers un jeu de mots : Jäger en allemand signifie 'chasseur'. La mélodie semble représenter une promenade nocturne au cours de laquelle les deux discutent des mouvements lents de Ludwig van Beethoven ; les huit premières mesures rappellent en fait le début du deuxième mouvement de la Sonate pour piano Pathétique. Un arrangement de musique classique signé Franco Cesarini qui se distingue par son instrumentation habile et soignée. / Date parution : 2023-08-12/ Répertoire / Concert Band/Harmonie