| Intermezzo in D minor | |
|---|---|
| Viola quintet by Anton Bruckner | |
 The composer, c. 1860 | |
| Catalogue | WAB 113 |
| Composed | 21 December 1879: Vienna |
| Performed | 23 January 1904: Vienna |
The Intermezzo in D minor (WAB 113) is an 1879 composition by the Austrian composer Anton Bruckner. Although it was intended to replace the scherzo of the String Quintet, that piece was instead performed in its original form; the Intermezzo was not publicly premiered until after the composer's death.
Bruckner completed his String Quintet in 1879 for a group headed by Joseph Hellmesberger Sr. [1] However, Hellmesberger found the work's "curious, elfin scherzo" to be too challenging for the group to perform. [2] In response, Bruckner wrote an eight-minute Intermezzo, which was completed in Vienna on 21 December 1879. [3] [4] [5] The Intermezzo (WAB 113) was in the same key (D minor) as the original scherzo and used the same trio section, but its tempo was slower and it was less technically challenging. [2] [3] [6] [7]
The Intermezzo was originally intended as a less difficult alternative to the scherzo of the Quintet. [5] Nevertheless, in 1885, Hellmesberger decided to proceed with the original Quintet after it had been premiered in full by the Winkler Quartet. [8] [9]
The manuscript of the Intermezzo was retrieved in 1900—after Bruckner's death—from the collection of his pupil Josef Schalk. [10] The Intermezzo, which became an independent work scored for string quintet, [6] [9] was premiered on 23 January 1904 in Vienna by the Fitzner Quartet during a concert of the Wiener Akademischer Wagner-Verein. [10] [11] There is no record of an earlier public performance. [12]
The manuscript of the Intermezzo is stored in the archive of the Österreichische Nationalbibliothek . [5] The Intermezzo was first published by Universal Edition in Vienna in 1913 (without its trio). [5] [13] [14] It appeared in a complete critical edition in 1963, as appendix to the String Quintet, in Band XIII of the Gesamtausgabe edited by Leopold Nowak. [11]
Intermezzo, Moderato in 3/4:
Trio, Langsamer in E-flat major:
Intermezzo da capo al fine
(Translation) The Intermezzo exhibits globally a stronger tendency to impressionism with variegated harmonic tinges and displays in melody and rhythm ever and anon ländler-like traits. Some figures are taken from the Scherzo and there are also parallels with the Trio of the Third Symphony.
Der 'Intermezzo' zeigt insgesamt eine stärkere Tendenz zum „Stimmungsbild“ mit harmonisch vielfältigen Schattierungen und weist in Melodik und Rhythmus immer wieder ländlerartige Züge auf. Einige Figuren sind dem Scherzo entnommen, es finden sich auch Parallelen zum Trio der 'Dritten Symphonie'. [15]
Although, as reviewer Wayne Reisig remarks, Bruckner "never wrote anything which could be termed 'pops' beyond the Austrian-German border", the Intermezzo might be considered in that genre: it is a "sunny little work saturated with the feel of the Tyrol". The piece was inspired by folk dances, particularly the ländler. [2] Critic James Reel for the Arizona Daily Star described it as a "sometimes swaggering, sometimes hesitating minuet" that is reminiscent of Bruckner's orchestral writing. [16]
The Intermezzo is sometimes put as additional piece to recordings of the String Quintet. At the end of manuscript of the Intermezzo Bruckner wrote "Trio", by which he meant the Trio from the original Scherzo. Since the first edition of the Intermezzo was issued without the Trio, people thought that the Intermezzo had no Trio, and so some recordings are without Trio and reprise. [17]
The first recording occurred in 1956:
A selection among the about 15 other recordings:
Anton Bruckner's String Quintet in F major, WAB 112 was composed in 1878/79 in Vienna.
The String Quartet in C minor WAB 111, was composed by Anton Bruckner's in 1862 during his tuition by Otto Kitzler.
The Four Orchestral Pieces are four short orchestral pieces, which Anton Bruckner composed in the fall of 1862 during his tuition with Otto Kitzler.
The Symphony in D minor, WAB 100, was composed by Anton Bruckner in 1869 between Symphony No. 1 (1866) and Symphony No. 2 (1872). In 1895 Bruckner declared that this symphony "gilt nicht" and he did not assign a number to it. The work was published and premiered in 1924.
The Rondo in C minor is a composition for string quartet by the Austrian composer Anton Bruckner. It was written in 1862 but was not performed publicly until 1984, after the composer's death. A critical edition was first published in 1985 and the piece was first recorded in 1992 by the Raphael Quartet.
Virga Jesse, WAB 52, is a motet by the Austrian composer Anton Bruckner. It sets the gradual Virga Jesse floruit for unaccompanied mixed choir.
Ave Maria, WAB 7, is a setting of the Latin prayer Ave Maria by Anton Bruckner.
Christus factus est, WAB 11, is a sacred motet by Anton Bruckner, his third setting of the Latin gradual Christus factus est, composed in 1884. Before, Bruckner composed in 1844 a first piece on the same text as gradual of the Messe für den Gründonnerstag, and in 1873 a motet for eight-part mixed choir, three trombones, and string instruments ad libitum. The motet is an expressive setting of the gradual, influenced by Wagner's music.
Christus factus est, WAB 10, is a sacred motet by Anton Bruckner, his second setting of the Latin gradual Christus factus est, written in 1873. Several decades earlier, in 1844, he had composed another piece on the same text as gradual for the Messe für den Gründonnerstag. In 1884, Bruckner composed a third, better known setting for choir a cappella.
Um Mitternacht, WAB 90, is a song composed by Anton Bruckner in 1886 on a text of Robert Prutz. About twenty years earlier Bruckner had already composed a song on the same text.
"Ständchen" ("Serenade"), WAB 84.2, is a Lied composed by Anton Bruckner in c. 1846.
Der Abendhimmel, WAB 56, is a song composed by Anton Bruckner in 1866. It is the second setting of the work. In 1862, Bruckner had already composed a first setting of the song for men's voice quartet.
Sternschnuppen, WAB 73, is a song, which Anton Bruckner composed for his own men's voice quartet in c. 1848 during his stay in the Sankt Florian.
Der Lehrerstand, WAB 77, is a song composed by Anton Bruckner in c. 1847 during his stay in Sankt Florian.
The Kitzler Study Book is an autograph workbook of Anton Bruckner which he wrote taking tuition with the conductor and cellist Otto Kitzler in Linz. Bruckner tried to complete his knowledge in musical form and instrumentation with Kitzler after the end of his studies with Simon Sechter.
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