Not even Bruckner's Eighth Symphony underwent such radical changes as No. 4. Written in 1874, the composer revised it substantially in 1877-78. While the thematic substance of the first two movements remained identical there are great differences in their details. Bruckner totally discarded the Scherzo and Trio and replaced the third movement with the celebrated "Hunting" Scherzo and its adorable Trio; the Finale, now called the Volksfest, was substantially rewritten. In 1880 he composed yet another Finale, and this is the version that is usually played. It is considered by some to be too sombre for the rest of the work, but others think that it is the crowning glory of this wonderful symphony. There is definitely a place, however, for the much lighter Volksfest. At the same time there is also the first printed score (the Loewe edition) of 1889. This contains savage cuts, destroying the formal balance, and a complete re-orchestration of nearly every bar.

These distortions were perpetrated by some of Bruckner's well-meaning but misguided pupils in order to make this enormous work more acceptable to contemporary audiences. It must be recorded that the insecure composer, in his desire to be performed, not only sanctioned these 'improvements' but, alas, became an accomplice, taking part in these cruel distortions. A gentle string tremolo at the beginning of the work awakens in the sympathetic listener a 'cosmic feeling' even before the magical horn calls.

These are taken up by the woodwind and soon the orchestra intones Bruckner's favourite rhythmical pattern: two duplets followed by three triplets. The full orchestra resumes this rhythm in great strength, then stops after repeating one remote major chord several times. Another remote key introduces the charming dance-like second theme. The first two quavers (eighth-notes) have staccato dots over them, while the second pair has not, although most conductors play the second pair also staccato.Therefore we use the following unusual bowing:

The exposition ends mysteriously, very softly. Now the horn tune is magnificently embroidered by the wind instruments. A proud chorale in the brass is followed by a soft section which leads to the recapitulation, decorated by the flute and cellos. The ensuing coda, like the coda in the last movement, is among Bruckner's greatest. The second movement is a gentle funeral march. The cellos introduce a noble melody, developed by the rest of the orchestra. The second theme is an enormous song for the violas; it is accompanied by the plucked notes of the other strings. This viola melody, which, later in the movement, is repeated a tone higher, is of great dynamic and rhythmical complexity. After a great crescendo in the whole orchestra the music comes to rest in the very remote key of C flat major. Without much ado Bruckner moves up a semitone to the main key of the movement, this time in the major. A sad, rather austere Trio for clarinet, horn and violas concludes this movement, with a long note in the violas. Bruckner wrote over this note a trill sign in parentheses. Did he mean the trill was optional?

The "Hunting" Scherzo is a virtuosic study of Bruckner's favourite rhythmical pattern, starting a softly as possible. It is interesting that the composer begins the crescendo earlier when the beginning is repeated later in the movement. Also noteworthy in this harmonically brilliant movement is a cello passage accompanied by three trombones. Bruckner is supposed to have said that the quite wonderful Trio represents the hunters unpacking and eating their cheese.

The lovely tune at the beginning of the Trio was originally played by oboe and clarinet in unison but was later changed (by others?) to the far less characterful unison of flute and clarinet. After a throbbing crotchet (quarter-note) rhythm in the lower strings, horn and clarinet play in long notes a big step (an octave) down, followed by a smaller one (a third), again downwards. This leads to the slow main tune in the full orchestra. Its development finishes in the main key of the symphony with a quotation of the horn call of the first movement. The tempo slows down for a most beautiful passage in the strings in the relative minor key. A charming 'innocent' melody in the major follows, answered by yet another happy melody. After these lyrical passages we are confronted by most powerful sections developing the various themes. At the end of the coda Bruckner in the earlier versions let the horns play their first-movement call again, but later discarded the idea; however it was put back (by others?), as in the Nowak edition. Some think the composer rightly thought that the tune had already been heard often enough.