Happy Birthday, Anton Bruckner

The great composer and renowned organist Anton Bruckner was born today in 1824.  Bruckner's retiring personality has led to relative obscurity (at least by comparison with his showier contemporaries Brahms and Wagner).  But Bruckner's religious music -- especially his Masses -- is a delight.  Here is his Ave Maria.  And here's a recording of my favorite of his great big sprawling magnificent symphonies -- #4 in E flat, the "Romantic" (you've got to jack up the volume full blast to get the full effect of the highs and lows in Bruckner...Günter Wand conducting in his later years does a really nice job). 

At right, the "Bruckner organ" at the Augustinian priory, St. Florian's, in Austria.