Disastrous premiere of Bruckner's Third Symphony in Vienna

Background. The Symphony No. 3 in D minor, WAB 103, was written in 1873 and revised in 1877. It is dedicated to Richard Wagner and known as the "Wagner Symphony." The work is characterized as difficult and regarded by some as Bruckner's artistic breakthrough. Rudolf Kloiber notes it opens the sequence of Bruckner's masterpieces, though it has never received general critical acceptance.

Reception. The symphony is notorious as the most-revised of Bruckner's symphonies, with no fewer than six versions existing, three of which are widely performed today. Bruckner's symphonic works were much maligned in Vienna during his lifetime, though they now hold an important place in the Vienna Philharmonic's repertoire. The supplied passages do not describe the reception of the December 1877 premiere itself; only this general lifetime malignment and the work's lack of general critical acceptance are documented.

Vienna Philharmonic. The Vienna Philharmonic, founded in 1842, has been considered one of the finest orchestras in the world. It is based at the Musikverein in Vienna, Austria. The orchestra performed the premiere of Bruckner's Symphony No. 3 in its 1877 version.