Posted by Warren Malach on September 04, 19102 at 20:39:52:

In Reply to: Re: The three BIG B's - list is dated! posted by Ara A. on September 04, 19102 at 12:03:53:

Ara, I find it interesting that in the Robert Layton-edited book on the Symphony, Brahms is included in a chapter devoted to Romantic era German composers, but Bruckner was given his own individual chapter! The criterion for such a decision was, I believe, because Bruckner was considered to have had more individual influence on the development of the Symphony than Brahms. This is NOT an essment of the relative quality of the music of Brahms and Bruckner, but of which of the two composers placed more of an individual stamp upon the Symphony as a musical form. On that basis, IMHO, Bruckner wins hands down, even though Brahms continues to be the better-known and more "popular" composer. I believe the same to be true, for example, of Carl Nielsen over Jean Sibelius, except for the latter's 7th Symphony. When you compare, for example, Brahms' 1st with Bruckner's 1st, or Sibelius' 1st with Nielsen's 1st, IMHO there is no question but that Bruckner and Nielsen were more radical and innovative from the beginning of their composition of Symphonies than either Brahms or Sibelius, totally apart from the quality of the music (I love Brahms' and Nielsen's 1st!) It was wrong of Hanslick and the other critics to accuse Bruckner of being a Wagnerian symphonist, but perhaps they WERE noticing that Bruckner's Symphonies were something new and different! --Warren

Follow Ups:

• Re: The three BIG B's - list is dated! Ara A. 02:06:56 9/05/102 (4)
  • Carl Nielsen's Symphonies John Rasmussen 15:56:06 9/10/102 (3)
    • Re: Carl Nielsen's Symphonies Warren Malach 20:13:43 9/10/102 (2)
      • Re: Carl Nielsen's Symphonies John Rasmussen 21:06:54 9/28/102 (1)
        • Re: Carl Nielsen's Symphonies Warren Malach 23:31:55 9/28/102 (0)

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