As someone who's heard a few works by Wellesz (8 of the 9 symphonies, the
violin concerto, the solo cello sonata, the string trio, and the octet,
among other things) I feel a need to put in my 2 cents.

There's a slight difference between the Mahlerian and the Brucknerian, as
was pointed out on a newsgroup a long while back.  I would place Wellesz'
first two symphonies- the third is the one I haven't heard- and his fourth-
in the Brucknerian category though with hints of "Mahlerian" elements, but
still I don't mean to imply that he sounds like a clone of either composer.
These are wonderful works that .should.  appeal to fans of music written
around the turn of the century, though, with drive that comes from within,
Romantic and compelling.  The first symphony is in three movements, the
first preceding a fast sonata with slow introduction, then a second
movement scherzo, then finally a slow and .quite.  touching slow lament
of a c minor finale...

The second symphony is, to my ears and so far, Wellesz' masterpiece.  Four
movements.  First movement in (I think) e-flat minor and on a large scale,
growing over a threatening ostinato, harmonically tense.  The second group
is major-mode and somehow more pleading than quite happy or lyric (it seems
to me.) The third group is- again- threatening it seems to me- in a low
bass sort of way: quite impressive.  Excellent development, fairly
standard recap, eventually "triumphant" coda (sort of).

Second movement scherzo after a brief introductory chaser of a motif
brings in a rhythmic theme, whose peregrinations form the main part of
the standard-form scherzo movement- standard in form, most enjoyable in
content.  Very nice trio.

Third, slow, movement has an opening that reminds me of Shostakovich for
some reason, which is not to speak ill of it; something of the mood perhaps
of the second theme of the first movement here, though less sad.  If you
know Wetz' first symphony, there is I think .some.  kinship of feeling
between the slow movements, though I won't take the analogy far.  Neither
is terribly Brucknerian, I think, though his spirit isn't all that far away
either.

The finale- a brief sonata-form whose main theme has some of the scherzo's
energy, and whose subsidiary themes alternate something like the sound of
ringing bells (I don't know how else to describe it) and another theme with
much slower material- is a fine conclusion to this (to my ears stunning,
others may have other reactions) piece.

I'm glad to know this symphony, but can't seem to find the score at any
library...

Sym. 3 in A? a? and sym. 4 in g minor are tonal; sym. 5 is the first of
the symphonies to belong to his "nontonal" period but is fairly tonal in
implication for all that, with a strongly d minor-ish close (I've always
felt it should be called Tragica, such is the import of its finale)...
with the 2nd (and the 3rd?- I don't know it) the 5th is the only Wellesz
symphony not to be in the 3 movement moderate-scherzo-slow format of
Bruckner 9 (Bruckner's .accidental. format, Wellesz' intentional...) -
the 5th, like the 2nd, has 4 movements.  The 6th-9th are much less tonal
in gesture as well as in fact; they are excellent music (though I still
believe the 2nd is the best of the 8 I have heard.  I hope someone - cpo?
- does a cycle. If someone can find a score, or manuscript, of the 2nd
symphony.)

Another excellent Wellesz work- on LP only at the moment (and so
unavailable) but hopefully it will be remastered- is the cello solo
sonata (once on CD with solo sonatas by Crumb, Ysaye and others iirc.) One
movement, wide range of styles (but tonal), and powerful.  op. 30 iirc.

-Eric Schissel