Study Symphony
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Anton Bruckner's Study Symphony in F minor, (Studiensimphonie), or simply Symphony in F minor, WAB 99, was written in 1863 as an exercise under Otto Kitzler's instruction in form and orchestration. Scholars at first believed that the next symphony Bruckner wrote was Symphony No. 0 in D minor, thus this symphony is sometimes called Symphony No. 00 in F minor. Mathematically, No. −1 would make more sense since Bruckner's other symphonies have numbers that are 100 less than their WAB numbers. In any case, musicologists are surer now that the next symphony Bruckner wrote was Symphony No. 1 in C minor. The Study Symphony is available in an edition by Leopold Nowak published in 1973.
[edit] Criticism
Otto Kitzler did not consider this symphony to be particularly inspired, leading Georg Tintner to "wonder whether he [Kitzler] had a good look at the Scherzo." Tintner considers the Finale of the work to be the weakest of the four movements.
Bruckner himself labelled it "Schularbeit." Biographer Derek Watson says that compared to the Overture in G minor, the F minor Symphony "is certainly thematically uninspired and less characterful," but that it does have "some moments of warm melodiousness and consistently fine if unoriginal scoring."
[edit] Discography
The first commercial recording was made by Elyakum Shapirra with the London Symphony Orchestra for EMI in 1972. The first recording available on compact disc was by Eliahu Inbal and the Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra on the Teldec label in 1991. Lasting 47 minutes, his recording appears slow compared to Georg Tintner's 37-minute recording with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra on Naxos (which is padded with the "Volkfest" Finale of Symphony No. 4 in E-flat major). Tintner skips the exposition repeats in the first and fourth movements, and occasionally dials down brass dynamics. Stanisław Skrowaczewski's 2001 recording with the Saarbrücken Radio Symphony Orchestra on Arte Nova/Oehms Classics last 36 minutes.
The scherzo has been transcribed for organ and is available on a Novalis CD.
