Anton Bruckner was a deeply modest Austrian organist who spent much of his life struggling with self-doubt, constantly revising his symphonies whenever critics pushed back. But with his fourth symphony, he hit something monumental. Subtitled “Romantic,” this work isn't about romantic love; it’s a glowing tribute to medieval legends, nature, and majestic mountain landscapes.

The entire symphony grows from the quietest possible beginning. A soft, shimmering haze in the strings gives way to a single horn calling out from the distance, a famous opening that feels like watching dawn break over a forest. Bruckner builds his music like a cathedral, piling massive blocks of brass sound on top of each other. In the famous third movement “Scherzo,” you will hear lively hunting horn calls echoing across the orchestra, capturing the energy of a medieval day out in the woods before settling into a peaceful, rural dance.

By the final movement, Bruckner brings back themes from the very beginning, weaving them into a wall of sound that slowly climbs toward an enormous, glowing finish. It takes patience to listen to Bruckner, but if you let the music wash over you like a landscape, the payoff is huge.