Anton Bruckner's Symphony No. 6 in A major, WAB 106, was composed between 24 September 1879, and 3 September 1881 and dedicated to his landlord, Anton van Ölzelt-Newin. Only two movements from it were performed in public in the composer's lifetime. Though it possesses many characteristic features of a Bruckner symphony, it differs the most from the rest of his symphonic repertory. Redlich went so far as to cite the lack of hallmarks of Bruckner's symphonic compositional style in the Sixth Symphony for the somewhat bewildered reaction of supporters and critics alike.
According to Robert Simpson, though not commonly performed and often thought of as the ugly duckling of Bruckner's symphonic body of work, the symphony nonetheless makes an immediate impression of rich and individual expressiveness: "Its themes are exceptionally beautiful, its harmony has moments of both boldness and subtlety, its instrumentation is the most imaginative he had yet achieved, and it possesses a mastery of classical form that might even have impressed Brahms."
Historical context
By the time Bruckner began composing his Symphony No. 6, only three of his symphonies had been performed. The recent premiere of his Third Symphony had been nothing short of disastrous, receiving an extremely negative, though not surprising review from Eduard Hanslick, given Hanslick's predilection for the works of Brahms.
<blockquote>
...his artistic intentions are honest, however oddly he employs them. Instead of a critique, therefore, we would rather simply confess that we have not understood his gigantic symphony. Neither were his poetic intentions clear to us...nor could we grasp the purely musical coherence. The composer...was greeted with cheering and was consoled with lively applause at the close by a fraction of the audience that stayed to the end...the Finale, which exceeded all its predecessors in oddities, was only experienced to the last extreme by a little host of hardy adventurers.
Compositional hallmarks
Bruckner's symphonies encompass many techniques but the one unwavering hallmark of his symphonic compositions is a singular formal pattern that underwent very little variation over the course of his symphonic repertory. In fact, their four extended movements are indebted to the structure and thematic treatment in the late works of Beethoven. The only large-scale diversion from this formal scheme in the Sixth Symphony is Bruckner's use of sonata form in the second movement instead of his usual large-scale ternary form.
Thematically speaking, there are two distinct varieties of themes in Bruckner's symphonies. First, there are themes that are clearly defined in shape and then there are the themes that operate more as motives with a shorter length and a more open-ended shape, as is typical of the Sixth Symphony. Another characteristic thematic feature of Bruckner's symphonies is the intimate relationship between the outer two movements, though there is typically more of an emphasis on thematic contrast within the first movement.
Orchestration
The orchestration of the Sixth Symphony complies with Bruckner's customary, albeit peculiar, techniques. Just as in his other symphonic works, there are no marks of extreme virtuosity apparent in the score and the lines are straightforward. The Sixth Symphony is scored for two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, three trumpets, three trombones, one bass tuba, timpani, and strings. Bruckner commonly alternates between solo and tutti sections, as well as layering instruments to provide texture and show different subject groups.
Forms, themes, and analysis
The symphony has four movements:
I. Majestoso
Bruckner labels this movement "Majestoso", not the conventional "Maestoso", probably from his Latin (from "Maiestas" – sovereign power). The movement, in obvious sonata form, opens with the characteristic 'Bruckner rhythm' played in the violins, though Bruckner is careful to maintain the enigmatic atmosphere by indicating a bowing that keeps the bow on the string and therefore prohibits the rhythmic figure from becoming too lively. One then hears the quietly intense main theme, a paraphrase of the main theme of Bruckner's own Symphony No. 4, stated in the low strings and juxtaposed against the pulsating rhythm in the violins:
:<score sound="1">
{ \new PianoStaff <<
\new Staff \relative cis { \set Staff.midiInstrument = #"piano" \key a \major \clef treble \time 2/2 \set Score.tempoHideNote = ##t \tempo "Majestoso" 2 = 54
<cis cis'>8 \pp ( \downbow r16 <cis
cis'>16\noBeam ) \downbow \once \override TupletBracket #'stencil = ##f
\times 2/3 {
<cis cis'>8 \upbow <cis cis'>8 <cis cis'>8 \upbow
}
<cis cis'>8 -! r16 <cis cis'>16\noBeam \once \override TupletBracket
- 'stencil = ##f
\times 2/3 {
<cis cis'>8 <cis cis'>8 <cis cis'>8
}
| % 2
<cis cis'>8 ( -! r16 <cis cis'>16\noBeam ) \once \override TupletBracket
- 'stencil = ##f
\times 2/3 {
<cis cis'>8 <cis cis'>8 <cis cis'>8
}
<cis cis'>8 -! r16 <cis cis'>16\noBeam \once \override TupletBracket
- 'stencil = ##f
\times 2/3 {
<cis cis'>8 <cis cis'>8 <cis cis'>8
}
| % 3
<cis cis'>8 ( -! r16 <cis cis'>16\noBeam ) \once \override TupletBracket
- 'stencil = ##f
\times 2/3 {
<cis cis'>8 <cis cis'>8 <cis cis'>8
}
<cis cis'>8 -! r16 <cis cis'>16\noBeam \once \override TupletBracket
- 'stencil = ##f
\times 2/3 {
<cis cis'>8 <cis cis'>8 <cis cis'>8
}
| % 4
<cis cis'>8 ( -! r16 <cis cis'>16\noBeam ) \once \override TupletBracket
- 'stencil = ##f
\times 2/3 {
<cis cis'>8 <cis cis'>8 <cis cis'>8
}
<cis cis'>8 -! r16 <cis cis'>16\noBeam \once \override TupletBracket
- 'stencil = ##f
\times 2/3 {
<cis cis'>8 <cis cis'>8 <cis cis'>8
}
| % 5
<cis cis'>8 ( -! r16 <cis cis'>16\noBeam ) \once \override TupletBracket
- 'stencil = ##f
\times 2/3 {
<cis cis'>8 <cis cis'>8 <cis cis'>8
}
<cis cis'>8 -! r16 <cis cis'>16\noBeam \once \override TupletBracket
- 'stencil = ##f
\times 2/3 {
<cis cis'>8 <cis cis'>8 <cis cis'>8
}
| % 6
<cis cis'>8 ( -! r16 <cis cis'>16\noBeam ) \once \override TupletBracket
- 'stencil = ##f
\times 2/3 {
<cis cis'>8 <cis cis'>8 <cis cis'>8
}
<cis cis'>8 -! r16 <cis cis'>16\noBeam \once \override TupletBracket
- 'stencil = ##f
\times 2/3 {
<cis cis'>8 <cis cis'>8 <cis cis'>8
}
}
\new Staff \relative e, { \set Staff.midiInstrument = #"piano" \key a \major \clef bass \time 2/2
R1 | % 2
r2 r4 r8 r16 <e e'>16 \p ^\markup{ {breit gezogen} } | % 3
<e e'>2 <a, a'>2 | % 4
\times 2/3 {
r4 <g g'>4 \< \upbow <a a'>4
}
\times 2/3 {
<bes bes'>4 <a a'>4 <g g'>4
}
| % 5
<a a'>2. \! \> <f' f'>4 | % 6
<e e'>2 \! r2 }
>> }
</score>
The key is A major when the first theme enters; however, the mystery is heightened by notes outside the realm of A major tonality that appear in the melodic line, namely the pitches G, B and F, Neapolitan inflections that will have large-scale tonal effects that come to fruition later in the symphony. The counterstatement of the theme appears (bar 25) in fortissimo, a long-established classical technique that Bruckner had yet to use at the beginning of a symphony. Harmonically, the development encompasses a myriad of modulations, abruptly traversing between E and A major, seemingly signaling the beginning of the recapitulation.
The beginning of the recapitulation is, in fact, a climax, serving as both the end of the development and the beginning of the recapitulation, marking the first time in symphonic literature that this has occurred. In the Coda (beginning bar 309), Bruckner passes through the entire spectrum of tonality, leaving no key unsuggested; however, he establishes no tonal center except for A major. The movement opens with a theme in the strings, a yearning love song that is joined (bar 5) by a mournful lament on the oboe:
:<score sound="1">
{ \new PianoStaff <<
\new Staff \relative ges { \set Staff.midiInstrument = #"piano" \key f \major \clef treble \time 4/4 \set Score.tempoHideNote = ##t \tempo "Sehr feierlich" 4 = 45
R1*4 | % 5
r4 r8 ges8 ( ~ -> ges8 f8 ) r16.
ges32 ( f16. es32 | % 6
es8 des8 ) r16. es32 ^\markup{ \italic {cresc.} } ( des16. c32 c8 a8
<f des'>8 <es c'>8 | % 7
<d b'>4 ) r4 r2 }
\new Staff <<
\set Staff.midiInstrument = #"piano" \new Voice \relative f' {
\clef "bass" \key f \major \time 4/4 \stemUp r4 \p ^"lang gezogen" \< f2 a,4
| % 2
bes4. c8 \! des4 _\markup{ \italic {cresc.} } des4 | % 3
c2. bes'4 | % 4
a4. f8 d4 _\markup{ \italic {dim.} } c4 | % 5
r4 f2 a,4 \< | % 6
bes4. c8 des4 \! r4 | % 7
R1 }
\new Voice \relative f {
\stemDown \clef "bass" \key f \major \time 4/4 f2. f4
\! | % 2
f2 bes2 | % 3
bes2. bes4 | % 4
a2. bes4 | % 5
f2. f4 | % 6
f2 bes4 \! s4 | % 7
g2. r4 } >>
\new Staff <<
\set Staff.midiInstrument = #"piano" \new Voice \relative f {
\clef "bass" \key f \major \time 4/4 \stemUp f2. ^"lang gezogen" es4 | % 2
des2 des2 | % 3
c1 | % 4
c2 f4 g4 | % 5
f4 es4 des4 c4 | % 6
bes4 as4 ges4 r4 | % 7
g'4 r4 r2 }
\new Voice \relative f {
\clef "bass" \key f \major \time 4/4 \stemDown f4 es4 des4 c4
| % 2
bes4 as4 ges4 f4 | % 3
e4 f4 fis4 g4 | % 4
f4 a4 d4 e4 | % 5
r2. c4 | % 6
des2. s4 s1 } >>
>> }
</score>
Simpson points out that the frequent Neapolitan inflections of the first movement are expanded here, beginning with the B and F in the primary melodic line that make it natural that the movement should be in F major, though the opening initially ambiguously suggests B minor.
There is a brief developmental section (bar 69) that includes modulation on the primary theme as well as inversions of the oboe lament. There is a recapitulation of all three themes (bar 93) though the orchestration is different, with the former violin theme (primary theme) now appearing in the horn and subsequently in the woodwinds. The second theme is recapitulated in its entirety in the tonic followed by a very short reappearance of the third theme. At bar 157 one hears the last statement of the primary theme with the movement ending in its tonic, F major, in a state of "perfect serenity."
III. Scherzo: Nicht schnell (Not fast) — Trio: Langsam (Slowly)
The A minor third movement is unlike any other composed by Bruckner; it is slower than usual and the tense character often associated with his Scherzi is often shadowed and muted, although there are movements of brilliance. The first twenty bars of the movement once again rest on a dominant pedal and when the bass finally moves to the tonic pitch (A), it is not a root position tonic chord; instead, it acts as the bottom of a first inversion chord of F major (bar 21).
Hanslick, as usual, was without a doubt the harshest critic of them all. He was once quoted as saying, "whom I wish to destroy shall be destroyed," and Bruckner seems to have been a prime target.
Regardless of the criticisms, both musical and personal, there were some who attempted to find the beauty in Bruckner's Sixth Symphony. Donald Tovey wrote, "...if one clears their mind, not only of prejudice but of wrong points of view, and treats Bruckner's Sixth Symphony as a kind of music we have never heard before, there is no doubt that its high quality will strike us at every moment". Still others marvel over the rarity of performances of the Sixth Symphony, citing its bright character and key and its plethora of tender, memorable themes as grounds for more widespread acceptance.