# Analysis of Bruckner 5 finale



## eugeneonagain (May 14, 2017)

The creator of this video, Richard Atkinson, has other similar videos deconstructing the structure of classical works (notably Mozart's Jupiter).

This video about the contrapuntal structure of the the finale of Bruckner's 5th symphony is well worth watching. It analyses the bringing together of different themes from the previous movements - in all their variations - to create a huge fugal/contrapuntal tour de force of invertible counterpoint.


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## Littlephrase (Nov 28, 2018)

Richard Atkinson has a phenomenal channel. He presents the labyrinth that is complex counterpoint in a clear and accessible fashion. If I remember correctly, he made a video on the contrapuntally dense Rondo-Burleske from Mahler’s 9th, which is also quite impressive. Not quite as gargantuan as this Bruckner, though.


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## SONNET CLV (May 31, 2014)

And to think, that all I ever heard in the Bruckner Fifth was … music!


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## DeepR (Apr 13, 2012)

I just watched this video. Absolutely fantastic. While I don't understand all the technical details, it was wonderful to see the music broken down and explained like this. It really gave me a better sense of the complexity of the music. I had only listened to the fifth once, but I will surely listen again soon. Bruckner was so great.


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## NLAdriaan (Feb 6, 2019)

Enlightening video! It makes the structure of the music clear and logical.

I also read some background stories on Bruckner himself, which were quite interesting too...All of these huge structures of music came from an obscure, troubled mind: https://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/apr/01/sex-death-dissonance-anton-bruckner-concertgebouw-orchestra

I guess it gives one more reason to divide the personal life of the composer from his music.


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## DeepR (Apr 13, 2012)

I'm really getting into this symphony at the moment. Wand and the NDR orchestra do it for me again, as with the 8th and 9th.


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## DeepR (Apr 13, 2012)

An utter triumph of music. The guy was on a level of his own.
How can anyone who is serious about classical music not like Bruckner after hearing that finale? 
Or the 7th, 8th or 9th symphonies for that matter.


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## flamencosketches (Jan 4, 2019)

I keep trying with Bruckner but I lose interest somewhat quickly (I'm the same way with Brahms most of the time) in the density of textures and motives. One of these days when I have an hour to kill I'll pull up a score on IMSLP and read along. 

I watched part of this video earlier. It's certainly fascinating.


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## Manxfeeder (Oct 19, 2010)

flamencosketches said:


> I keep trying with Bruckner but I lose interest somewhat quickly (I'm the same way with Brahms most of the time) in the density of textures and motives. One of these days when I have an hour to kill I'll pull up a score on IMSLP and read along.


I had that problem with Bruckner until one day it all made sense. But scores do help.


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## flamencosketches (Jan 4, 2019)

Manxfeeder said:


> I had that problem with Bruckner until one day it all made sense. But scores do help.


I never cared much for Mahler either, but he's growing on me lately. As I mentioned in another thread earlier his music just "clicked" for me, much as you describe.


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## Aries (Nov 29, 2012)

Bruckners Finale of the 5th is still great, but it is important that polyphonic structure is audible and understandable when you hear the music. There is maybe some nerdy exaggeration in this movement.


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