Entsagen, WAB 14
| Entsagen | |
|---|---|
| by Anton Bruckner | |
|
Virgin Mary by Jurij Tavčar | |
| Key | B-flat major |
| Catalogue | WAB 14 |
| Form | Cantata |
| Text | Oskar van Retwitz |
| Language | German |
| Composed | c. 1851 – St. Florian Abbey |
| Dedication | Michael Arneth |
| Vocal | SATB choir or quartet – ST soloist |
| Instrumental | Organ or piano |
The cantata Entsagen (Renunciation), WAB 14, is a cantata composed by Anton Bruckner in c. 1851.
History
Bruckner composed the cantata for the name-day of prior Michael Arneth, the prior of the St. Florian Abbey. The piece was intended to be performed on Arneth's name-day. It is not known when it was performed.[1]
Why Bruckner has chosen this unsound text for the name-day of his Maecenas remains unexplained. Perhaps he has put so into music his resignation following his father's death or Aloisia Bogner's refusal of his proposal of marriage.[2][3]
The manuscript is stored in the archive of the St. Florian Abbey. A facsimile of the cantata was first issued in band II/2, pp. 47-58 of the Göllerich/Auer biography. The cantata was thereafter issued by Ludwig Daxsperger in 1956.[1] It is put in Band XXII/1 No. 2 of the Gesamtausgabe.[4]
The cantata is in three movements:
- Choir: O Maria! Du Jungfrau mild und hehr!, bittend und mit Andacht
- Aria: O Maria! Du Quell der heil'gen Lieb'!, langsam, betend - soprano or tenor soloist
- Choir: O Maria! Du starker Himmelsschild!, bittend und mit Andacht
Text and music
The work is based on the poem Amaranth by Oskar von Redwitz.
O Maria!
|
O Mary! |
The 126-bar long work in B-flat major is scored for SATB choir or quartet, soprano or tenor soloist, and organ (or piano).[1]
The cantata is a ‘spiritual song’ in three sections,[5] in ABA' form.[3] The outer sections are in the form of Protestant chorale,[5] with in bars 16-19 and 110-113 a direct quotation from "O Haupt voll Blut und Wunden".[3] The expressive middle section, a solo for soprano or tenor, is with large intervals and strong modulation. The contrapuntal accompaniment by the organ (or piano) has some reminiscences of the baroque opera.[3]
Discography
There is no recording of Entsagen as yet.
References
- 1 2 3 C. van Zwol, pp. 711-712
- ↑ The 16-year old Aloisia Bogner, alias Louise or Luise Bogner, was the older daughter of Michaël Bogner, by whom Bruckner had a living accommodation. Bruckner composed for her the lieder Der Mondabend and Frühlingslied, and the piano works Four Lancier-Quadrille, WAB 120, and Steiermärker, WAB 122.
- 1 2 3 4 U. Harten, p. 145
- ↑ Gesamtausgabe – Kantaten und Chorwerke mit Orchester
- 1 2 C. Howie, Chapter II, pp. 22
Sources
- August Göllerich, Anton Bruckner. Ein Lebens- und Schaffens-Bild, c. 1922 – posthumous edited by Max Auer by G. Bosse, Regensburg, 1932
- Uwe Harten, Anton Bruckner. Ein Handbuch. Residenz Verlag, Salzburg, 1996. ISBN 3-7017-1030-9
- Anton Bruckner – Sämtliche Werke, Band XXII/1: Kantaten und Chorwerke I (1845–1855), Musikwissenschaftlicher Verlag der Internationalen Bruckner-Gesellschaft, Franz Burkhart, Rudolf H. Führer and Leopold Nowak (Editor), Vienna, 1987
- Cornelis van Zwol, Anton Bruckner 1824–1896 – Leven en werken, uitg. Thoth, Bussum, Netherlands, 2012. ISBN 978-90-6868-590-9
- Crawford Howie, Anton Bruckner - A documentary biography, online revised edition
External links
- Entsagen B-Dur, WAB 14 Critical discography by Hans Roelofs (German)
