Anton Bruckner's Symphony No. 9 can be regarded as the composer's musical
testament. Bruckner (1824-1896) told a friend: "I dedicate my last work to
the Lord of lords, to my dear God. I hope that He will grant me enough time
to complete it." His wish was not fulfilled; the composer was still working
on the finale the day he died and the symphony remained a torso. Bruckner
nevertheless considered the work as the crowning point of his oeuvre, and
he is said to have woven his musical farewell to life in the symphony's
Adagio. One of Bruckner's most congenial interpreters was Herbert von
Karajan (1908-1989). Karajan embodied classical music in the general
consciousness as an epoch-making conductor, media star, opera producer,
festival director and festival founder. But in spite of his Promethean and
widely varied activities, he remained a superb conductor, with a grasp of
the standard orchestral and operatic repertory from Mozart to Schoenberg
that was unsurpassed among his peers.
