Bruckner, (Joseph) Anton

- Paul Hawkshaw
- and Timothy L. Jackson
Extract
(b Ansfelden, nr Linz, 4 Sept 1824; dVienna, 11 Oct 1896). Austrian composer. One of the most innovatory figures of the second half of the 19th century, Bruckner is remembered primarily for his symphonies and sacred compositions. His music is rooted in the formal traditions of Beethoven and Schubert and inflected with Wagnerian harmony and orchestration. Until late in his career his reputation rested mainly on his improvisatory skills at the organ. As a teacher he communicated the contrapuntal system of Simon Sechter to a generation of Viennese students that included Felix Mottl, Heinrich Schenker, Franz and Josef Schalk and Ferdinand Löwe....