I understand that this one was dedicated to Wagner, and that earlier versions contained quotes from his music.
Yes, the first version, the version Wagner saw when Bruckner asked permission to dedicate the symphony to him, has blatant quotes. If you're familiar with Wagner, they're easy to spot. Lots of fun. As originally written, the Third is actually Bruckner's longest symphony too.
The Third was my first Bruckner, recommended by a friend. It's still my sentimental favorite despite its flaws. Hearing it live even inspired me to wrote a poem:
THE D MINOR, THIRD VERSION, NOWAK
for David "Pete" PetersenConducting the Cleveland, Aldo Ceccato, baton
like a sword, was charging his way through the finale
of Bruckner's symphonic cathedral to Wagner
like it was the gallop from Rossini's Tell
(Latin temperament irrepressible, allowing
no monumental peasant piety nor Ländler lope)
when I noticed the afro among the three thousand
palefaces in attendance at Severance:
as the coda approached, that majestic moment
when trumpet theme returns for a major recycling,
the white woman beside him tapped his shoulder,
alerting. He tensed forward, straining to hear,
fanfares rallentando and. . .
wholly Hallelujah!!!Cleveland explodes!
braying horns, tuba and trombones erupting,
trumpets machine-gunning triplets.
I was showered in brass shrapnel, fifths,
goose bumps; a silly grin spreading. And
black and white
beamed enormously at each other
as he shook his head yes! O yes! up and down,
up and down, yes! and yes! And yes,
I thought amazed, this ain't Miles or Marvin,
stereotypes burning away in Brucknerian blaze.
Yes. . .make color and culture irrelevant,
build your Gothic structure of sound,
hurl your themes toward heaven like spires
and stride, augmented, through the macrocosm, Anton: sainted!
And let your majors and minors linger in my mind…
Sarge