Language and Ideology in the German Reception of Bruckner's Symphonies in the 1930s

Abstract

In the 1930s, the symphonies of the Austrian composer Anton Bruckner (1824–1896) became the subject of intense discussion, often in ways that engaged with the most loaded issues in cultural politics of the time. Much of this discussion debated the effort to publish his symphonies in new, “unverfälscht” editions that removed the supposed taint of textual contamination from these works. While seemingly concerned with objective issues of musical scholarship, the rhetoric that supported this project was imbued to a remarkable extent with nationalist, anti‐Semitic, “völkisch,” and fascistic subtexts. This article explores the roles played by ideological language, notably what Victor Klemperer dubbed “the language of the Third Reich,” and ideological modes of thought, notably the system of values Claudia Koonz identified as “the Nazi conscience,” in shaping and deciding this debate. It will conclude by considering the lingering influence of this legacy on postwar Bruckner reception.