Symphony No. 4 in E flat major, WAB 104 "Romantic"

I. Bewegt, nicht zu schnell: A tremolo in the strings opens like mist clearing, and a horn call rises out of it, the piece's signature sound. The movement builds in long waves, each one bigger than the last, toward full-orchestra climaxes.

II. Andante quasi allegretto: A slower, walking melody in the cellos, answered by violas, with a funeral-march tread underneath. It has a hushed, processional quality, like a quiet parade passing by.

III. Scherzo, bewegt: Bruckner called this the "hunt," and you can hear it, galloping horns and trumpets over a driving rhythm. The middle section slows into a plain, folk-like dance before the hunt returns.

IV. Finale, bewegt, doch nicht zu schnell: The longest movement, gathering up the horn calls and themes from earlier movements and pushing them through several huge climaxes before a broad final return of the opening horn call, now stated by the whole orchestra.

Bruckner composed his Fourth Symphony in 1874 and then substantially revised it in 1878 to 1880, replacing the original scherzo with the hunting-horn movement now usually performed. He gave it the nickname "Romantic" himself, though he left only scattered, informal remarks about what that meant, describing images of medieval town life, knights riding out, and forest murmurs rather than a strict program. The revised version had its premiere in Vienna in 1881, conducted by Hans Richter, and was the first Bruckner symphony to bring him real public success. Because Bruckner kept reworking his symphonies, several editions of the Fourth exist; the 1878/80 version is the one most orchestras play today.