At the end of his study period in form and orchestration by Otto Kitzler, Anton Bruckner made on 7 January 1863 sketches for a Symphony in D minor, WAB add 244.

[5] The work is scored for two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets in B♭, two bassoons, four horns (two in F, two in B♭), two trumpets in F, alto, tenor and bass trombones, timpani and strings.

[7] As Leopold Nowak also writes: Much about the work betrays the style of the times, but Bruckner’s own mode of expression can already be recognized in a number of other traits.

In the words of David Griegel, "Like many other composers, I believe Bruckner was merely being too self-critical, and the unnumbered symphonies are also works worthy of our enjoyment".

[11] The first commercial recording, and apparently the first modern performance, was made by Elyakum Shapirra with the London Symphony Orchestra for EMI in 1972.

Stanisław Skrowaczewski's 2001 recording with the Saarbrücken Radio Symphony Orchestra on Arte Nova/Oehms Classics, which also skips the exposition repeats in the first and fourth movements, lasts 36 minutes.

More recently, Gerd Schaller's live recording with the Philharmonie Festiva (Ebrach Summer Music Festival, 7 June 2015) uses the original setting, i.e. with the repeats in the first, second and fourth movements (Profil CD PH 15004, lasting 43 minutes).