Anton Bruckner (4 September 1824 – 11 October 1896) was an Austrian composer known for his symphonies, masses, and motets. The first are considered emblematic of the final stage of Austro-German Romanticism because of their rich harmonic language, strongly polyphonic character, and considerable length. Bruckner's compositions helped to define contemporary musical radicalism, owing to their dissonances, unprepared modulations, and roving harmonies.
Unlike other musical radicals, such as Richard Wagner or Hugo Wolf who fit the enfant terrible mould, Bruckner showed extreme humility before other musicians, Wagner in particular. This apparent dichotomy between Bruckner the man and Bruckner the composer hampers efforts to describe his life in a way that gives a straightforward context for his music.
His works, the symphonies in particular, had detractors, most notably the influential Austrian critic Eduard Hanslick, and other supporters of Johannes Brahms (and detractors of Wagner), who pointed to their large size, use of repetition, and Bruckner's propensity to revise many of his works, often with the assistance of colleagues, and his apparent indecision about which versions he preferred. On the other hand, Bruckner was greatly admired by subsequent composers, including his friend Gustav Mahler, who described him as "half simpleton, half God."
初听布鲁克纳，很多人会觉得他的11部交响曲（00和0-9）好像是同一首交响曲重复了11次！哈哈……这其实是因为听者的赏鉴力不足导致的一个误读，也是由于现代社会浮躁的人文环境引发的心理偏差的一种具体表现。若听者能够不为初次听闻的负面感观所动，只要继续坚持听下去，过不了多久，布鲁克纳音乐的美就会开始自动浮现出来。布鲁克纳的音乐到底美在何处呢？古风自己的心灵觉受显示出：布鲁克纳的音乐勾画出了整个宇宙的绝美结构，其坚如磐石般的音流似乎把天堂里的琼楼玉宇拉到了人间。布鲁克纳的音乐造诣犹如约翰·塞巴斯蒂安·巴赫（Johann Sebastian Bach，1685-1750）百年后重新转世。说来有些惆怅：西方古典音乐在巴赫的笔下登峰造极，西方的经典音乐到布鲁克纳基本完成后浪漫主义的最好辉煌。后浪漫主义的最后掌门人就是伟大的古斯塔夫·马勒（Gustav Mahler，1860-1911）。马勒之后，西方经典音乐就开始进入最后的回光返照，从此衰落下去了。
在油管上，有一位很诚实、中肯、且相当专业的经典音乐评论家赫维茨（David Hurwitz）。他创建了互联网上著名的经典音乐评论网站ClassicsToday.com，并一直担任该网站的执行主编和评论员。赫维茨拥有约翰·霍普金斯大学和斯坦福大学的人文艺术硕士学位，已从事专业音乐评论工作近四十余年。他不仅出版了十几本关于莫扎特、马勒、西贝柳斯、海顿、德沃夏克、勃拉姆斯、贝多芬、肖斯塔科维奇、理查·施特劳斯、伯恩斯坦、亨德尔、C·P·E·巴赫和门德尔松等作曲家的著作，而且在众多知名学术期刊上发表过不少音乐学方面的文章。下面是赫维茨推荐的布鲁克纳交响曲合集: The Best and Worst Bruckner Symphony Cycles
