Austrian composer Anton Bruckner (1824-96) was devout in his religion, and he dedicated his ninth and final symphony "To God the Beloved." Bruckner called the work's third movement his "Farewell to Life," and indeed, the composer did not survive to complete the symphony. He had conceived the entire final movement and orchestrated large portions of it, which were posthumously finished and performed. This edition represents the first authoritative attempt at reproducing what the composer wrote, rather than concluding the work.
The symphony was first published in 1902 in the Löwe edition, the only performed version for three decades. A 1932 concert by the Munich Philharmonic featured both the complete Löwe version—with its many alterations to orchestrations, phrasing, and dynamics—and this edition by Alfred Orel, which includes only the first three complete movements in the composer's original form. The landmark performance provided the impetus for the support and funding of the Bruckner Society to prepare authentic versions of all of the symphonies. This inexpensive and authoritative edition of Bruckner's haunting and spiritual work will appeal to performers, conductors, and other music lovers.