Kitzler Study Book

The Kitzler Study Book (Kitzler-Studienbuch) 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.

Description
Beethoven and Bruckner
Stained glass window, Linz Cathedral

The workbook is composed of 163 pages of different sizes in landscape format (326 numbered pages) in chronological order, some of them dated, from H[eilige] Nacht anno [1]861 (Holy Night, 1861) on p. 30, to 10 July 1863 on p. 325.[1][2] The workbook contains autograph sketches, comments, complete and partial compositions, which are displaying a rigorous tuition in musical formatting and instrumentation.[1]

The first entries (pp. 1-18) are exercises in musical form: cadences and periods. They are followed (pp. 18-57) by lieder in two and three parts, and (pp. 58-218) by pieces for piano and string quartet: waltz, polka, mazurka, études, theme and variations, rondos, sonata form, etc., and the String Quartet in C minor and its additional Rondo.

The exercises in form are followed (pp. 218-250) by exercises of instrumentation, among others the orchestration of the first movement of Beethoven's Sonate pathétique (introduction and exposition, repetition and coda). These exercises are followed (pp; 251-326) by Bruckner's first orchestral compositions: the Four Orchestral Pieces (March in D minor and Three Orchestral Pieces). The volume ends with sketches for the Overture in G minor and for the Symphony in F minor.[1][2]

(Translation) The Kitzler Study Book is fascinating because of its insight on the history of the musical apprenticeship in the nineteenth century, as well as the historical and theoretical significance of the terminology and the extent of the conserved exercises. Last but not least, this manuscript is essential for the research on Bruckner's mode of operation.

Das Kitzler-Studienbuch fasziniert wegen seiner historischen Einblicke in die Geschichte der musikalischen Ausbildung im 19. Jahrhundert sowie wegen der historischen und theoretischen Bedeutung von Terminologie und Umfang der darin erhaltenen Übungen. Nicht zuletzt ist dieses Manuskript unverzichtbar für die Untersuchungen über Bruckner Arbeitsweise.[3]

Complete and partial compositions

A not exhaustive list:

  • O habt die Thräne gern (1st setting), WAB 205: pp. 18–19
  • Nachglück (1st setting), WAB 204: p. 19
  • Herzeleid, WAB 232: p. 20
  • Nachglück (2nd setting), WAB 235: p. 21
  • Von der schlummernden Mutter, WAB 206: p. 22
  • Des Baches Frühlingsfeier, WAB 202: p. 23
  • Wie neid ich Dich, du stolzer Wald, WAB 207: p. 24
  • Waltz for piano in E-flat major, WAB 224/1: p. 25
  • Waltz for piano in C major, WAB 224/2: p. 26
  • Four Polkas in C major, WAB 221: pp. 27-28
  • Galop in C major, WAB 239: pp. 29
  • Mazurka for piano in A minor, WAB 218: p. 29
  • Minuet for piano in C major, WAB 219: p. 30
  • Unnamed exercise in C major: p. 30
  • Two musical periods in C major: p. 31
  • Minuet and Trio for piano in G major, WAB 220: p. 35
  • March for piano in C major, WAB 217/1: p. 36
  • March for piano in D minor, WAB 217/2: p. 37
  • Duo for piano in A minor, WAB 213: p. 39
  • March in F major, WAB 217/3: p. 41
  • O habt die Thräne gern (2nd setting), WAB 236: p. 42
  • Last des Herzens, WAB 234: p. 43
  • Es regnet (sketch), WAB 231: pp. 46–47
  • Wunsch (sketch), WAB 238: pp. 47–48
  • Andante for piano in E-flat major, WAB 211/1: p. 49
  • Andante for piano in D minor, WAB 211/2: pp. 50–51
  • Six scherzi for string quartet, WAB 209
    • Four sketches for scherzo (C major, D minor, A minor & C major): pp. 58-66
    • Scherzo in F major: pp. 66-70
    • Scherzo in G minor: pp. 70–74
  • Étude for piano in G major, WAB 214: pp. 77–78
  • Chromatic étude for piano in F major, WAB 212: pp. 79–80
  • Five Themes and variations for piano, WAB 223: pp. 81–90
  • Theme in F major: p. 90
  • Theme and variations in E-flat major for string quartet, WAB 210:pp. 92–104
  • Seven rondos for piano, WAB 222:
    • Rondo in G major: pp. 105-108
    • Rondo in C minor: pp. 109-111
    • Rondo in D minor: pp. 112-115
    • Rondo in F major: pp. 116-121
    • Rondo in G major: pp. 122-125
    • Rondo in E minor: pp. 126-129
    • Rondo in E-flat major: pp. 130-134
  • Five Sonatenentwürfe (Sketches of sonatas), WAB 242: pp. 140–156
  • Sonatensatz (Movement of sonata) for piano in G minor, WAB 243: pp. 157–164
  • String Quartet in C minor, WAB 111: pp. 165–196
  • Rondo in C minor for string quartet, WAB 208: pp. 197–206
  • Der Trompeter an der Katzbach, WAB 201: pp. 207–213
  • Four Fantasies for piano, WAB 215: pp. 213–218
  • Five pieces for piano, WAB 216: pp. 225–227
  • Orchestration of the first movement of Beethoven's Sonate pathétique, WAB 266 : pp. 234–250
  • March in D minor, WAB 96: pp. 251–265
  • Three Orchestral Pieces, WAB 97: pp. 266–286
  • Overture in G minor, WAB 98 (sketch): pp. 287–301
  • Symphony in F minor, WAB 99 (sketch): pp. 303–326

Edition and performances

Until 2015, only few of the compositions of the study book were published: the String Quartet and the additional Rondo in C minor (transcription allowed to Leopold Nowak),[4][5] the Sonatensatz in G minor (transcription allowed to Walburga Litschauer),[6] and the Four Orchestral Pieces (issued from a clean transcription given by Bruckner to Cyrill Hynais).[7]

The Kitzler Study Book, which was first in possession of Bruckner's pupil Ferdinand Löwe,[2] went later in private possession of Margarethe Mugrauer – the daughter of Josef Schalk –[5] in Bamberg, who legated it to her daughter Traudl Kress in Munich.[4] In 2013, the Austrian National Library was able to acquire the valuable original manuscript. In 2015, the MWV (Musikwissenschaftlicher Verlag der Internationalen Bruckner-Gesellschaft) has issued a colour facsimile of the manuscript and could so provide interested people with this important source for study and scholarship.[8]

On 30 April 2016, the Orchestergemeinschaft Nürnberg e.V has premiered Bruckner's orchestration of the opening of the first movement of Beethoven's "Sonate pathétique"[9] Other performances occurred on 6 and 7 October 2017 in Austin, TX by Colin Mawby with the Austin Symphonic Orchestra.

The Scherzo in G minor for string quartet was performed first in a transcription for string orchestra on 28 May 2016 by Benjamin-Gunnar Cohrs with the Göttinger Barockorchester.[10] The original version of the two Scherzos in F Major and G Minor for string quartet was premiered by the Bruckners Kammermusik ensemble in Tokyo on 8 March 2019.[11]

In 2018, a première of thirteen piano works from the Kitzler Study Book has been recorded by Ana-Marija Markovina. In 2019, Francesco Pasqualotto has recorded 21 piano works from the Kitzler Study Book, of which are 10 premiere recordings.

Discography

Orchestration of the first movement of Beethoven's Sonate pathétique:

CD with piano works from the Kitzler Study Book:

  • Ana-Marija Markovina and Rudolf Meister, Anton Bruckner (1824 - 1896), Piano Works – Hänssler Classic, HC17054, 2018 (with 13 piano works from the Kitzler Study Book)
  • Francesco Pasqualotto, Bruckner Complete Piano Music – CD Brilliant Classics 95619, 2019 (with 21 piano works from the Kitzler Study Book)

References
  1. U. Harten, pp. 233-234
  2. C. van Zwol, p. 90
  3. U. Harten, p. 234
  4. C. van Zwol, p. 682
  5. C. van Zwol, p. 676
  6. C. van Zwol, p. 677
  7. U. Harten, p. 318
  8. Kitzler Study Book - Facsimile ISBN 978-3-900270-99-5
  9. Orchestration of Beethoven's Piano Sonata, Opus 13 "Pathetique".
  10. Benjamin-Gunnar Cohrs conducts more premieres from the Bruckner Studybook
  11. Two Bruckner Premieres in Japan
  12. Discography of the orchestration of Beethoven's Sonate pathétique

Sources
  • Uwe Harten, Anton Bruckner. Ein Handbuch. Residenz Verlag, Salzburg, 1996. ISBN 3-7017-1030-9.
  • Cornelis van Zwol, Anton Bruckner 1824–1896 – Leven en werken, uitg. Thoth, Bussum, Netherlands, 2012. ISBN 978-90-6868-590-9
  • Anton Bruckner - Sämtliche Werke, Band XXV: Das Kitzler Studienbuch (1861-1863), facsimile, Musikwissenschaftlicher Verlag der Internationalen Bruckner-Gesellschaft, Paul Hawkshaw and Erich Wolfgang Partsch (Editors), Vienna, 2015
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