Psalm 146 (Bruckner)
Encyclopedia
Psalm 146 in A major by Anton Bruckner
is a large religious work for eight-part double mixed choir, four soloists (soprano, alto, tenor and bass) and full orchestra. It is a setting of verses 1 to 11 of Psalm 147
in the modern liturgy.
The composition was initiated during the St. Florian
period and completed presumably in circa 1856, when Bruckner was studying with Sechter. "When it was written, for whom, and why it was allowed to languish unperformed are all unanswered questions. Its cantata
-like structure … and stylistic affinity with the Missa solemnis place it in the late St. Florian years, though its enormous dimensions … are difficult to reconcile with the resources of the monastery."
As in the Missa solemnis
there are clear influences of Mozart and Schubert, particularly in the Arias.
There are in the Finale two passages with brass instrument
chords, which are quite similar to the Masonic appeals of Mozart's Zauberflöte.
For the first time Bruckner is using a full orchestra, with yet some archaism
such as the use of the trombones in homophony
with the choir in parts 5 and 7. "[The] closing Alleluja … is Bruckner's most extended fugue prior to the Fifth Symphony
." The five-minute long fugue is more mature than the quite formal fugues of Bruckner's previous works - a consequence of Sechter's tuition. For the first time Bruckner uses, e.g., an inversion
of the theme in its development
.
"Psalm 146 is also remarkable as the first piece in which Bruckner experimented with organic thematic integration on a large scale … [It] also deserves to be heard more often for the lovely string pianissimo in its opening bars that foreshadows the beginning of both the D minor
and F minor
Masses."
Beside Psalm 146 Bruckner set also Psalms 22
, 112
, 114
and 150
to music. Psalm 146 is the largest of these compositions.
Anton Bruckner
Anton Bruckner was an Austrian composer known for his symphonies, masses, and motets. The first are considered emblematic of the final stage of Austro-German Romanticism because of their rich harmonic language, complex polyphony, and considerable length...
is a large religious work for eight-part double mixed choir, four soloists (soprano, alto, tenor and bass) and full orchestra. It is a setting of verses 1 to 11 of Psalm 147
Psalm 147
Psalm 147 is the 147th psalm of the Book of Psalms. The theme of the psalm is a focus on the rebuilding of Jerusalem.-Judaism:*Psalm 147 is recited in its entirety in Pesukei Dezimra.*Is recited on Simchat Torah in some traditions.-External links:*....
in the modern liturgy.
The composition was initiated during the St. Florian
Sankt Florian
Sankt Florian is a town in Upper Austria, Austria. It is 10 miles from Linz, with a population of 5,500 and an elevation of 296 meters above sea level.-St. Florian's Priory and basilica:...
period and completed presumably in circa 1856, when Bruckner was studying with Sechter. "When it was written, for whom, and why it was allowed to languish unperformed are all unanswered questions. Its cantata
Cantata
A cantata is a vocal composition with an instrumental accompaniment, typically in several movements, often involving a choir....
-like structure … and stylistic affinity with the Missa solemnis place it in the late St. Florian years, though its enormous dimensions … are difficult to reconcile with the resources of the monastery."
Setting
The work (total duration: 33’18’’ in the single recording) is divided into seven parts:- Introduction: "Alleluja! Lobet den Herrn". Langsam, A majorA majorA major is a major scale based on A, with the pitches A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. Its key signature has three sharps.Its relative minor is F-sharp minor and its parallel minor is A minor...
- Choir with soprano soloist (05’50’’) - RecitativeRecitativeRecitative , also known by its Italian name "recitativo" , is a style of delivery in which a singer is allowed to adopt the rhythms of ordinary speech...
: F sharp minorF sharp minorF-sharp minor is a minor scale based on F-sharp, consisting of the pitches F, G, A, B, C, D, and E. For the harmonic minor, the E is raised to E...
veering to D majorD majorD major is a major scale based on D, consisting of the pitches D, E, F, G, A, B, and C. Its key signature consists of two sharps. Its relative minor is B minor and its parallel minor is D minor....
(01’04’’)- "Der Herr bauet Jerusalem". Kräftig - Bass soloist
- "Er heilet die geschlagenen Herzens sind". Weich - Soprano soloist
- "Er zählet die Menge der Sterne". Frish - Tenor soloist
- Choir: "Groß ist unser Herr", D minorD minorD minor is a minor scale based on D, consisting of the pitches D, E, F, G, A, B, and C. In the harmonic minor, the C is raised to C. Its key signature has one flat ....
veering to D majorD majorD major is a major scale based on D, consisting of the pitches D, E, F, G, A, B, and C. Its key signature consists of two sharps. Its relative minor is B minor and its parallel minor is D minor....
. Schnell - Double choir in canonCanon (music)In music, a canon is a contrapuntal composition that employs a melody with one or more imitations of the melody played after a given duration . The initial melody is called the leader , while the imitative melody, which is played in a different voice, is called the follower...
(05’02’’) - AriaAriaAn aria in music was originally any expressive melody, usually, but not always, performed by a singer. The term is now used almost exclusively to describe a self-contained piece for one voice usually with orchestral accompaniment...
: "Der Herr nimmt auf die Sanften". Nicht zu langsam, B flat majorB flat majorB major or B-flat major is a major scale based on B-flat, consisting of the pitches B, C, D, E, F, G, and A. Its key signature has two flats, B/E .Its relative minor is G minor, and its parallel minor is B minor....
- Soprano, tenor and alto soloists (05’22’’) - Choir and AriosoAriosoIn classical music, arioso is a style of solo opera singing between recitative and aria. Literally, arioso means airy. The term arose in the 16th century along with the aforementioned styles and monody. It is commonly confused with recitativo accompagnato....
: Etwas bewegter, E flat majorE flat majorE major or E-flat major is a major scale based on E-flat, consisting of the pitches E, F, G, A, B, C, and D. Its key signature has three flats: B, E, A.Its relative minor is C minor, and its parallel minor is E minor....
veering to E minorE minorE minor is a minor scale based on the note E. The E natural minor scale consists of the pitches E, F, G, A, B, C, and D. The E harmonic minor scale contains the natural 7, D, rather than the flatted 7, D – to align with the major dominant chord, B7 .Its key signature has one sharp, F .Its...
(03’15’’)- Choir: "Singet den Herrn mit Danksagung"
- Arioso:
- "Er läßt Gras wachsen auf den Bergen" - Soprano soloist
- "Er gibt dem Vieh seine Speise" - Tenor soloist
- "Er hat nicht Lust an der Stärke des Rosses" - Bass soloist
- Aria: "Der Herr hat Wohlgefallen an denen, die ihn fürchten". Nicht schnell, E majorE majorE major is a major scale based on E, with the pitches E, F, G, A, B, C, and D. Its key signature has four sharps .Its relative minor is C-sharp minor, and its parallel minor is E minor....
- Soprano soloist (02’54’’) - Finale and FugueFugueIn music, a fugue is a compositional technique in two or more voices, built on a subject that is introduced at the beginning in imitation and recurs frequently in the course of the composition....
: "Alleluja! Lobet den Herrn", A majorA majorA major is a major scale based on A, with the pitches A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. Its key signature has three sharps.Its relative minor is F-sharp minor and its parallel minor is A minor...
(09’14’’)- Final choir: Etwas schnell
- Fugue: Nicht schnell - Choir with soloists at the end
As in the Missa solemnis
Missa Solemnis (Bruckner)
The Missa Solemnis WAB 29 by Anton Bruckner is a setting of the mass ordinary for vocal soloists, chorus, orchestra and organ.Following the death of Michael Arneth, Friedrich Mayr was appointed abbot of St. Florian. The Missa Solemnis was premiered on September 14, 1854, the day of Mayr's...
there are clear influences of Mozart and Schubert, particularly in the Arias.
There are in the Finale two passages with brass instrument
Brass instrument
A brass instrument is a musical instrument whose sound is produced by sympathetic vibration of air in a tubular resonator in sympathy with the vibration of the player's lips...
chords, which are quite similar to the Masonic appeals of Mozart's Zauberflöte.
For the first time Bruckner is using a full orchestra, with yet some archaism
Archaism
In language, an archaism is the use of a form of speech or writing that is no longer current. This can either be done deliberately or as part of a specific jargon or formula...
such as the use of the trombones in homophony
Homophony
In music, homophony is a texture in which two or more parts move together in harmony, the relationship between them creating chords. This is distinct from polyphony, in which parts move with rhythmic independence, and monophony, in which all parts move in parallel rhythm and pitch. A homophonic...
with the choir in parts 5 and 7. "[The] closing Alleluja … is Bruckner's most extended fugue prior to the Fifth Symphony
Symphony No. 5 (Bruckner)
The Symphony No. 5 in B flat major of Anton Bruckner was written in 1875–1876, with a few minor changes over the next few years. It was first performed in public on two pianos by Joseph Schalk and Franz Zottmann on 20 April 1887 at the Bösendorfersaal in Vienna...
." The five-minute long fugue is more mature than the quite formal fugues of Bruckner's previous works - a consequence of Sechter's tuition. For the first time Bruckner uses, e.g., an inversion
Inversion (music)
In music theory, the word inversion has several meanings. There are inverted chords, inverted melodies, inverted intervals, and inverted voices...
of the theme in its development
Musical development
In European classical music, musical development is a process by which a musical idea is communicated in the course of a composition. It refers to the transformation and restatement of initial material, and is often contrasted with musical variation, which is a slightly different means to the same...
.
"Psalm 146 is also remarkable as the first piece in which Bruckner experimented with organic thematic integration on a large scale … [It] also deserves to be heard more often for the lovely string pianissimo in its opening bars that foreshadows the beginning of both the D minor
Mass No. 1 (Bruckner)
Mass No. 1 in D minor, WAB 26 by Anton Bruckner, is a setting of the Mass ordinary for soloists, mixed choir, orchestra and organ.Bruckner composed it in 1864, and revised it in 1876 and 1881/82...
and F minor
Mass No. 3 (Bruckner)
The Mass No. 3 in F minor WAB 28 by Anton Bruckner is a setting of the mass ordinary for vocal soloists, chorus, orchestra and organ. After the 1867 success of Bruckner's Mass No...
Masses."
Text
- Alleluja! Lobet den Herrn; denn lobsingen ist gut: liebliches und zierliches Lob sey unserm Gott!
- Der Herr bauet Jerusalem, und versammelt die Zerstreuten von Israel.
- Er heilet, die geschlagenen Herzens sind, und verbindet ihre Wunden.
- Er zählet die Menge der Sterne, und benennet sie Alle mit Namen.
- Groß ist unser Herr, und groß seine Macht; und seiner Weisheit ist kein Maaß.
- Der Herr nimmt auf die Sanften, und demüthigt die Sünder bis zur Erde.
- Singet den Herrn mit Danksagung; lobsinget unserm Gott mit der Harfe.
- Er decket den Himmel mit Wolken, und bereitet Regen der Erde. Er läßt Gras wachsen auf den Bergen, und Kräuter zum Dienste der Menschen.
- Er gibt dem Vieh seine Speise, und den jungen Raben, die zu ihm rufen.
- Er hat nicht Lust an der Stärke des Rosses, noch Wohlgefallen an den Beinen des Mannes.
- Der Herr hat Wohlgefallen an denen, die ihn fürchten, und an denen, die auf seine Barmherzigkeit hoffen.
Beside Psalm 146 Bruckner set also Psalms 22
Psalm 22 (Bruckner)
Bruckner's Psalm 22 is a composition for mixed choir, soloists , and piano in E flat major, opus WAB 34. It is a setting of the Psalm 23 in the modern liturgy....
, 112
Psalm 112 (Bruckner)
Bruckner's Psalm 112 in E flat major is a composition for eight-part double mixed choir and full orchestra, opus WAB 35. It is a setting of the Psalm 113 in the modern liturgy....
, 114
Psalm 114 (Bruckner)
Bruckner's Psalm 114 in G major is a composition for five-part mixed choir and three trombones, opus WAB 36. It is a setting of the Psalm 116 in the modern liturgy.The work was composed in 1852 in St. Florian...
and 150
Psalm 150 (Bruckner)
Anton Bruckner's Psalm 150, WAB 38, is a setting of Psalm 150 for mixed chorus, soprano soloist and orchestra written in 1892.Richard Heuberger asked Bruckner for a festive hymn to celebrate an opening, but Bruckner did not deliver the piece in time for Heuberger's purpose. The setting was...
to music. Psalm 146 is the largest of these compositions.
Discography
There is currently one single recording of this work:- Wolfgang Riedelbauch, Anton Bruckner - Psalm 146 and Windhaager Messe, Hans Sachs-Chor, Lehrergesangverein Nürnberg und Nürnberger Symphoniker, LP-Colosseum SM 548, 1973.
This long out-of-print recording of Psalm 146 has recently be transferred to CD, together with the historical recording of the RequiemRequiem (Bruckner)The Requiem in D minor WAB 39 by Anton Bruckner is a setting of the Missa pro defunctis for vocal soloists, trombones, one horn, strings and organ with figured bass, written to memorialize Franz Sailer, the notary of the St. Florian monastery, who bequeathed Bruckner a Bösendorfer piano...
by Hans Michael Beuerle: Klassic Haus KHCD-2011-092.