Speaking of "one-two punches" (well, we will be in a moment), what do you think -- is Schubert D. 956 lurking in the background?

WELCOME, VISITORS FROM "'Found' free music! (Or at least free music samples. Not to worry, though -- we can fill them out!)," Jan. 23, 2026 [Of course, welcome too to visitors who traveled any other path]

This is a pickup from the post of May 19, 1924: "The question we're exploring: What good is a "symphonic adagio" anyways? Like, what can one of 'em do for us? -- Part 1"

[NOTE: I don't think there ever was a "Part 2" except in my head. There is an unpublished listing on the blog dashboard with the "The question we're exploring" title. That may have been the contemplated-but-missing Part 2. I haven't yet found the heart to open it and see what if anything is there. -- Ed.]

UPDATED later Friday -- with quick notes on the performances.

A composer known for rafter-shaking orchestral climaxes sure can scale it down: Over pp violin tremolos, a theme is sounded mf by solo horn with cellos rising two octaves to that high B (directed to use long bow strokes, as if the players wouldn't figure that out!) -- until the violas displace the horn.

And then: A solo tenor tuba, backed by a choir of a second tenor tuba, two bass tubas, and a contrabass tuba, sings with the violas, supported by cellos and basses, setting us up for the tinglingly vibrant string chorale.


FYI: The 5/19/2024 post had three sections before the byline!

[1] WE KNOW THE ARCHETYPAL SYMPHONIC ADAGIO,
BUT HERE ARE SOME DIFFERENT WAYS OF HEARING IT

[2] IN FACT, THERE HAVE BEEN SYMPHONIC ADAGIOS
ALMOST AS LONG AS THERE HAVE BEEN SYMPHONIES

And then --

[3] SO WHAT CAN YOU DO WITH A SYMPHONIC ADAGIO?
Hmm, is there anything else in music like this one-two punch?

[For as long as I've been listening to this symphony, these two movements, outwardly so different, have seemed to be telling essentially the same story, if from very different viewing points. I think of them as fraternal twins. -- Ed.]

Then came the score-page reproductions and captions as above

AND THEN CAME THESE PERFORMANCES:

BRUCKNER: Symphony No. 7 in E:
i. Allegro moderato
ii. Adagio


[ii. at 20:51] Columbia Symphony Orchestra, Bruno Walter, cond. Columbia-CBS-Sony, recorded in the American Legion Hall, Hollywood, March 1961

[ii. at 21:21] BBC Symphony Orchestra, Reginald Goodall, cond. BBC Legends, recorded live in the Royal Festival Hall, Nov. 3, 1971 (released 2004)

[ii. at 21:01] Cleveland Orchestra, Christoph von Dohnányi, cond. Decca, recorded in Severance Hall, August 1990

[ii. at 21:10] Staatskapelle Dresden, Herbert Blomstedt, cond. Denon-Deutsche Schallplatten, recorded in Studio Lukaskirche, June 30-July 3, 1980

UPDATE: Some new (Jan. 2026) notes on the performances

The Walter must have been my first Bruckner 7, and though Bruno W.'s Columbia Symphony Bruckner recordings (of Nos. 4, 7, and 9) don't hold much sway with the Bruckner Faithful, I still love them. The L.A. pickup orchestra was on the mingy side for Beethoven and Brahms, and certainly isn't the dream orchestra we want to hear in Bruckner, but how honestly and feelingly they play, and how honestly and feelingly Bruno W. communicates the music.

If you want "deeper," try Goodall -- as with his Wagner, this performance digs deep. I quite love it too. And the Dohnányi as well, but then, I have vivid memories of hearing Dohnányi do Bruckner 7 with the Cleveland Orchestra in Carnegie Hall and thinking it was the loudest orchestral sound I'd ever heard -- and not just loud but beautiful. We may not think of this as that kind of orchestra, but under Dohnányi it could be. Not surprisingly, it's a more objective-style performance, but certainly not unfeeling.

Then there's Blomstedt, getting the Dresden Staatskapelle, in the Bruckner 4 and 7 he recorded for the Denon-Deutsche Schallplatten combine, to sound like the rich and glowing instrument it could be. He was 53 at the time, and in his full maturity, and the performance comes off sounding it. Forgive me for pointing ou that he's still conducting 25 years later, when he can, and still making beautiful music.

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