Bruckner Symphony no. 7 mvt 1

Bruckner Symphony no. 7 mvt 1
Herby von carryon and the Berliner Philharmoniker

The movement starts off with the strings tremeloing with a slow harmonic rhythm. Quickly the cellos come in and state the tonality by a 2 and a half octave arpeggio of tonic. The cellos then continue on with the melody. As the melody progresses, so , too does the intensity of the accompaniment and volume. The woodwinds then state the tonality in the same way as the cellos and they begin to play the main theme of the first movement, as well, with the violins. Brass interjections accompany the intensifying of the theme. After short development the second theme begins with the oboe and oscillating accompaniment by the lower woodwinds. The melody is then transferred to the double basses. Then the upper strings but the harmony is now different. The melody keeps getting passed to different sections. Much sequencing is happening in between the statements of the melody that I find very beautiful moving. A crescendo happens with the trumpet making statements answered by high violins in a scaluar pattern, quickly the mode is changed. Then, the second theme is restated, but this time is continually repeated within the strings as a massive crescendo awakens. Brass get louder and louder dotted 8th-sixteenth passages are the main focus. It is very heroic here. It pushes as much as it can push then it stops and immediately goes into the B section which resembles a march. The woodwinds state this 8th-two 16th note pattern. Anotehr mode change makes itself present. The music is more furious now with very loud interjections with the low brass. There is almost a shout chorus. A 2 and a half octave diminished triad is played by all the low brass very loudly. The music is somewhat skitzo right now which is what I feel when I listen to it. It is so angry then so calm and placid. A horn chorale ends the intensity of this section and development appears as woodwind instruments make solo statements with trombone chords in the background. The activity moves into the strings. There are short moments of intensive expressive moments by the cellos. A very tchaik-like sequence happens, modulating from key to key, growing in intensity. This is a very moving moment. The B theme is then restated as a new section appears. The tenacity once again is present with the low strings arcoing away, hearing their rumble. Another brass shout chrous appears in the minor tonality then to diminished. 2 final chords lead the piece into the recap where the main theme is played in the cellos with a brilliant counterpoint in the violins accompanying. There is a different sadness in the piece now. It seems reluctant to want to return to from where it came from. Various modulations go through the theme as they are passed from section to section. The mood gets happier. The counterpoint is more involved than when the theme is first stated. A short development period again states itself as the main theme is modulated many times in a row, growing in harmonic intensity but not crescendoing. The secondary theme is now stated in the woodwinds for the first time since its first statement in the exposition. The them is passed from section to section as the counterpoint continually is more involved. A crescendo ensues and the B section theme is played again, interrupting the flow of the main theme played by the basses this time and accompanied by the woodwinds, which is opposite of when it was first stated. More modal changes occur and the furiosity and placidness once again is present. A static tone is played in the horns as the violins slowly crawl down to it from "fa" chromatically creating a crunch. The mood of the piece changes to a very sudden and passionate form of the main theme. I would say the coda is in progress. Finally a vision of closure comes as the first few notes of the main theme are continually repeated in the strings and answered by the horns and trumpets. The repetition is almost unbearable, the listener begs for a change, as the volume gets incredibly loud. The low brass lay out an arpegio as the trumpets give their final calls. This is a 20 minute piece, hence the 20 minute response.