Asperges me, WAB 4

Asperges me
by Anton Bruckner

Apă sfinţită by Constantin Dimitrie Stahi
Key F major
Catalogue WAB 4
Form Antiphon
Text Asperges me
Language Latin
Composed 1883/1884  Kronstorf
Dedication Celebration of Asperges
Published 1932  Regensburg
Vocal SATB choir
For the two other settings of the same text by the composer, see Two Asperges me, WAB 3.

Asperges me ("Thou wilt sprinkle me"), WAB 4, is a sacred motet composed by Anton Bruckner. It is a setting of the Latin Asperges me, the antiphon used for the celebration of Asperges.

History

In 1843/1844, Bruckner composed this first setting of Aperges me during his stay in Kronstorf.[1] It is not known when it was performed at that time. The work, the original manuscript of which is lost, exists as a transcription by Arthur Bauer.[1]

The motet was first published in band III/II, pp. 140-141 of the Göllerich/Auer biography.[1] It is put in Band XXI/4 of the Gesamtausgabe.[2]

Music

The work is a setting of 32 bars in F major of the Asperges me for mixed choir a cappella.

According to the Catholic practice, the incipit ("Asperges me") is not composed and has to be intoned by the priest in Gregorian mode before the choir is going on. The score is in two parts. Part 1 (7 bars) begins with "Domine, hysopo" and ends with "dealbabor". Part 2 (18 bars) begins with the remaining of the text, and follows by the doxology ("Gloria Patri") and the repeat in unison of the incipit.Thereafter part 1 has is repeated da capo. Alike the contemporaneous Kronstorfer Messe, the second part of the score contains modulations without use of pivot chord.[3]

Discography

There is a single commercial recording of Bruckner's first Asperges me:

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 C. van Zwol, p. 700
  2. Gesamtausgabe - Kleine Kirchenmusikwerke
  3. H. Schäfer, p. 189

Sources

External links