Vom Beginnen. Bruckner und die Wechselfälle des Ursprungs im 19. Jahrhundert
Abstract
‚Origin‘ must be counted among the 19th century’s obsessions. Following the lead of 18th century Enlightenment, subverting origins rather than venerating them became a theoretical preoccupation. Yet art – specifically the art of music – dealt with origins in a different way. That way eludes the obvious alternative of either awe or unmasking. It is specifically modern: The work of art attends to its own genesis. The different versions of the beginning of Bruckner’s Fourth Symphony disclose a subtle craft of constructing the unconstructed, origin: artificial nature.