Bruckner's Symphony No. 3 in Dm (WAB 103), written in 1873 and revised twice after, was dedicated to Wagner. The premiere, held in 1877, was a total disaster: the original conductor had died a month before, so Bruckner had to step in. Though a competent choral conductor, he was barely able to conduct the orchestra and this, plus the fact that the Viennese audience was not sympathetic to his work, made most of the attendance leave the hall as the music played. Even the orchestra fled at the end, leaving only a handful of supporters (Mahler between them). The piece became one of Bruckner's most revised works, with no less than six versions. The work has been characterised as "difficult", and is regarded by some as Bruckner's artistic breakthrough.
