J. Vanhal
Double Bass Concerto in E Major

A. Bruckner
Symphony n.º 3 in D Minor WAB 103 (1873)

Only a few composers have written works for the double bass as a solo instrument. One of the very first was the Bohemian Johann Baptist Vanhal, who, like Mozart, lived in Vienna from the early 1780s. Anton Bruckner would later establish himself as a composer in Vienna. However, the public and the influential critic Eduard Hanslick did not make it easy for him. The premiere of his Third Symphony, dedicated to Richard Wagner, was a disaster in December 1877, partly due to Bruckner's conducting; the composer had little experience leading a large orchestra. The symphony only received a positive reception in 1890, when the third (!) version of the symphony was performed under the direction of Hans Richter. Meanwhile, the original version of the work, composed in 1872/73, is also gaining increasing attention.

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Photo @Matthias Horn