Festive Cantata (Bruckner)

Festive cantata Preiset den Herrn
by Anton Bruckner

The composer, c. 1860
Key D major
Catalogue WAB 16
Form Festive cantata
Dedication Laying of the foundation stone of the new Mariä-Empfängnis-Dom
Performed 1 May 1862 – site of the Mariä-Empfängnis-Dom
Published 1955
Recorded 1994
Movements 8
Vocal TTBB choir and soloists
Instrumental Wind band

To celebrate the laying of the foundation stone of the new Mariä-Empfängnis-Dom (Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception) of Linz bishop Franz-Josef Rudigier asked Bruckner for a cantata. Bruckner responded enthusiastly with the composition of the Festive Cantata Preiset den Herrn (Praise the Lord) on a text of the theologian Maximilian Pammesberger.

History

On 1 May 1862 the foundation stone was laid. To celebrate the event the cantata was performed by the choir Frohsinn, invited guest singers and members of a local regimental band.[1]

The Festive Cantata, WAB 16, is the first notable religious work, which Bruckner composes after his strenuous study period by Sechter. It will be followed one year later by Psalm 112 (1863), and again one year later by the secular cantata Germanenzug and the first great mass, Mass No. 1 in D minor (1864).

Text

German English

Preiset den Herrn,
Lobsinget seinem heiligen Namen !
Grund und Eckstein bist du, Herr
Deiner Kirche groß und hehr.

Praise the Lord,
Sing the praises of his holy name!
My Lord, Thou art the fundament and cornerstone
of thy great and noble church.

Thaue deine Kraft und Stärke
Ueber Fundament und Stein,
Die wir zu dem heil’gen Werke
Weihend senken ein.

Thaw thy power and force
on foundation and stone,
which we sink devoutly
into the holy work.

Preiset den Herrn, Maria preiset,
Ohne Mackel empfangen !

Praise the Lord, praise Mary,
conceived immaculate!

Aus der Erde Schooß
Wächst der Bau
Riesengroß
In des Himmels Blau.

From the bowels of the earth
the building is growing
whacking great
into the blue of the sky.

Das ist der Unbefleckten Haus,
Drin öffnet sich die Gnadenquelle,
Und strömet reich und helle
Ins Land hinaus.

This is the house of the Immaculate,
in which the source of grace
arises and streams rich and pure
into the country.

Des Landes Stämme wallen fromm
Aus allen Gauen zu dem Dom
Von unsrer lieben Frauen ;
Sie grüßen sie viel tausendmal
Und schöpfen Heil im Gnadensaal
Durch Glauben und Vertrauen.

The tribes from all the districts of the country
go on a devout pilgrimage to the cathedral
of our blessed Lady;
they greet her times without number
and find salvation in the room of grace
by faith and trust.

Preiset den Herrn,
Lobsingt seinem heiligen Namen,
Maria preiset,
Die mächtige Helferin. Amen.

Praise the Lord,
Sing the praises of his holy name,
praise Mary,
the mighty helper. Amen.

Setting

The work is composed for men's chorus, male solo quartet, bass soloist, wind band (2 flutes, 2 oboes, 4 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, 1 bass tuba) and timpani.[2]
It is composed of eight short parts:

  1. Opening choir: "Preiset den Herrn", D major veering to F-sharp minor – Bewegt, doch nicht zu schnell
  2. Aria: "Taue deine Kraft und Stärke", A major veering to F-sharp major – Solo quartet a cappella, choir repeat with woodwinds (flute, clarinet and bassoon) – Langsam, bittend
  3. Bridging choir: "Preiset den Herrn", D major – Bewegt, nicht zu schnell
  4. Arioso: "Aus der Erde Schoß", G major – Bass soloist – Langsam, nicht schleppend
  5. Aria: "Das ist der Unbefleckten Haus", E-flat major – Solo quartet a cappella with internal repetition - Langsam bewegt
  6. Prelude by reed instruments (clarinets and bassoons), E-flat major veering to G major
  7. Chorale: "Des Landes Stämme wallen fromm", a cappella, G major
  8. Final choir "Preiset den Herrn", D major – Bewegt, nicht zu schnell

Total duration: 10 to 13 minutes.

The opening choir with its starting octave-leap in unison, as in the Overture in G minor, and its reminiscence to the Hallelujah-chorus from Händel’s Messiah – on which Bruckner often made improvisations – is majestic and solemn.[3] It thereafter evolves in a fugato on "Grund und Eckstein bist du, o Herr". To bind the work together the solemn opening choir is repeated twice, in the third and eight parts.

Selected discography

A commercial recording in full accordance with the original score edited by the critical Gesamtausgabe is still awaited.

Out of the seven commercial recordings, Fiala's live performance – with extra trombone accompaniment during the choir repeat of part 2 (m. 70–82) – is the most in accordance with the original score. Kerbl's live recording – with extra organ accompaniment for a cappella parts 2, 5 and 7 – is, according to Hans Roelofs, also a convincing performance.[4]

The Festive Cantata has undergone several adaptations: for choir, only with organ accompaniment, for mixed choir with a different text ...
The two recordings by Track follow his own adaptations, one for male-voice choir (1990), the other as Festkantate zur Weihnacht for mixed choir with Herbert Vogg’s text "Ehre sei Gott in der Höhe" (1996).

In the version for male-voice choir the Arioso (part 4) is skipped. Parts 2 and 5 are accompanied by organ, part 7 is sung a cappella.
In the version for mixed choir (Festkantate zur Weihnacht) part 4 is sung by the male voices with the original instruments, parts 2, 5 and 7 – the last converted to C major – are sung by the whole choir with organ. Because of the female voices and the organ accompaniment this version sounds smoother than the original version.[4]

References

  1. ↑ Williamson, p.73
  2. ↑ Anton Bruckner Critical Complete Edition – Cantatas and choral works with orchestra
  3. ↑ van Zwol, p. 713
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Roelofs' commented discography of Bruckner's Festkantate

Sources

External links