Symphony No. 3 D minor, WAB 103

The Munich concert year of 2005 began at the end of January with two highlights: the two performances of
Bruckner's Third Symphony with Mariss Jansons conducting the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen
Rundfunks in the Philharmonie im Gasteig. The live recording makes it possible to experience one of the
landmarks of the Late Romantic symphonic repertoire, conducted by an outstanding Bruckner connoisseur.
Bruckner completed the score of the opening movement, the Adagio and the Scherzo of his nascent Third
Symphony between February and July 1873, and sketched out its finale on August 31, 1873 in Marienbad,
Bohemia. The composer then travelled to Bayreuth, and presented Richard Wagner with his Second
Symphony and the already completed manuscripts for the Third. Bruckner asked Wagner to select the
symphony he preferred, intending to dedicate it to him - but since both men drank quite a bit of beer
during their thorough perusal of the manuscripts, Bruckner was later unable to remember which work
Wagner had ultimately chosen, and this had to be clarified in writing. The Third Symphony was completed
on December 31, 1873.

ANTON BRUCKNER
Symphony No. 3 D minor, WAB 103
(Live recording, Munich,, Philharmonie im Gasteig, 20./21.01.2005)
Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks
Mariss Jansons, conductor
• Booklet: in German / in Egnlish
• 1 CD highprice with O-Card
• Product Number: 900189
• Total Time: 56'19 min.

This first version of Bruckner's Third Symphony became famous because it contained quotations from
Wagner's opera "Tristan und Isolde" and his tetralogy "Der Ring des Nibelungen". These quotations were,
however, incorporated into blocks that were separated by general rests, so could be later removed without
interfering with the substance of the symphony. In 1877, Bruckner fundamentally revised the work,
shortened it and eliminated the Wagner quotations. Then, in 1888, he worked out a third and final version,
which forms the basis of the present interpretation.
The premiere of the first version took place in Vienna on December 16, 1877, with Bruckner conducting -
and turned into a complete disaster. Gustav Mahler was the only person to show any enthusiasm, and
created a four-hand piano reduction of the work; in return, Bruckner presented him with the manuscripts
of the first three movements. It was not until the premiere of the third version on December 21, 1890,
under Hans Richter, that the Third Symphony achieved its international success.