Quick Facts
Biography
William Carragan, American musicologist, is particularly known for his research into the music of Anton Bruckner. His primary concerns are analytical aspects of the music, and history of Bruckner performance. He is a contributing editor of the Bruckner Collected Edition in Vienna, sponsored by the International Bruckner Society.
Career
He was Professor of Physics at Hudson Valley Community College in Troy, New York, U.S.A., from 1965 to 2001, and is the author of a comprehensive four-volume textbook of introductory university physics.
Bruckner Editions
For the Collected Edition, at the request of Leopold Nowak, Carragan prepared a new edition of Bruckner's Second in two versions (1872 and 1877). He also for the first time reconstructed the premiere version of Bruckner's First (1866) and a previously unheard version of the Third from 1874. He has also devoted himself to completing Bruckner's Ninth symphony. That completion has been widely performed and recorded, the most recently in a revised version from 2010. Carragan has served as consultant in many performances of Bruckner symphonies. In 1991 he was accorded the Gold-Plakette of the Brucknerbund Oberösterreich, and in 2010 he was awarded the Kilenyi Medal of Honor of the Bruckner Society of America.
Schubert Editions
For the Franz Schubert anniversary of 1978, Carragan completed and performed several of Schubert's unfinished piano sonatas, and ten years later he prepared a four-movement version of the Schubert's Eighth symphony which has been recently recorded in Germanyand Japan.
Other Works
With respect to the baroque era, Carragan made arrangements of a concerto for four violins by Antonio Vivaldi, Op. 3, no. 1, for four harpsichord, as well as a concerto for two violins, Op. 3, no. 8, arranged after J.S. Bach for two harpsichords.