Symphony No. 7 (Bruckner) - Instrumentation

Instrumentation

The symphony requires the following orchestra:

• woodwinds: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets in A, 2 bassoons

• brass: 4 horns in F, 3 trumpets in F, 3 trombones, 4 Wagner tubas (2 tenors in B-flat, 2 basses in F)1, tuba

• percussion2: timpani, cymbals, triangle

• strings: violins 1, 2, violas, violoncellos, double basses

1Used in the 2nd and 4th movements only. If Wagner tubas are not available, they are sometimes substituted with euphoniums.

2Except the third movement where the use of timpani figures prominently, usage of percussion in the symphony is extremely limited. A timpani roll enters at the coda of the first movement. In some performance editions, the timpani re-enters along with cymbals and triangle together in the climax of the second movement (the only movement employing cymbals and triangle). (Many conductors have taken to performing the second movement without percussion, however, and the decision is generally settled by the performers' preferences.) In the last movement, the timpani rolls in brief climaxes before crescendoing with orchestral tutti in the final bars.