Follow

Happy 200th Birthday to “God’s Minstrel,” Anton Bruckner

Tradition and Sanity

Today I pay tribute, on his 200th birthday, to one of the finest Catholic composers of all time, Anton Bruckner. Much has been written about the Austrian romantic’s unshakable faith and profound love of God, to which many letters, episodes, and anecdotes bear witness. How can one talk about Bruckner’s music without speaking continually of the divine, of glory and terror, bliss and despair, longing and surcease of longing, consolation dawning on the dark night, half-recalled dreams of heaven, the heart losing and finding, straying and returning—of invisible (and inaudible) realities, and of visible realities seen with the eyes of faith? This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.traditionsanity.com/subscribe