Upon being assigned to "stretch out" by his form teacher Otto Kitzler, Anton Bruckner produced, among other things, a string quartet. That particular item met with Kitzler's approval with the caveat that the closing rondo could have been elaborated upon a bit more. The ever-fervent student complied, producing a rondo completely different and forty measures longer than that in the quartet. Although in the same key, meter (2/4), and overall mood as the quartet's rondo, the current one was not intended to supplant the original finale. Thus, the Rondo in C minor stands on its own.

As with most of the Kitzler era works, little of the quintessential Bruckner can be divined in this 1862 piece. The overall fleet mood here will bring to mind Mendelssohn. Yet within the rondo form, one can discern some interesting inclinations. Despite the lack of dynamics and mood indications in the score (for Bruckner, this was purely a study piece), there is the unmistakable feel of his later "song-period" in the episodes which alternate with the mercurial main theme. Also, the central statement reveals a working out of the material, seemingly akin to the process of a development section. It is not certain if this is a precursor of the composer's later process of telescoping development and recapitulation; yet this is an intriguing thought. This, however, should not preoccupy the listener. The Rondo is a brief and pleasant piece of light Romanticism and should be enjoyed as such.

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