THE history of Bruckner's life in its final period is embodied in the
history of his symphonies. His personal life settled down, after the
passing excitements of the transfer from the provinces to the capital,
to a rather rigid routine of academic and scholastic duties. Their
scope, variety and emoluments form a telling contrast to the modest
appointments at Linz. Yet, Bruckner was never satisfied and tried
more than once to obtain a post abroad. He continued to complain
bitterly of his financial position, which was affected by the expense
incurred by the copying and performing of his manuscript sym-
phonies. Bruckner never received any fees for his compositions, and
was able to publish them only by degrees in the last decade of his life,
supported by the Emperor of Austria, the Austrian Government and
the King of Bavaria, and with the help of donations collected by his
friends and disciples. It may have been partly due to this comparative
financial insecurity that he was driven to struggle for public recog-
nition on a larger scale. His tenacious striving for a lecturership at
the University of Vienna, as well as his constant endeavours to
obtain an honorary doctor's degree from any academic body may
have been prompted largely by financial considerations. ¹ However,
these efforts may also have been a naïve expression of his lifelong
desire for intellectual distinction.

When Bruckner took up his appointment on 1st October 1868
his professional and financial position seemed secure enough. As
Sechter's official successor he became professor of thorough-bass,
counterpoint and organ at the conservatory (under Hellmesberger's

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