Josef Anton Bruckner (1824 – 1896) was an Austrian
composer, organist, and music theorist best known for
his symphonies, masses, Te Deum and motets. The first
are considered emblematic of the final stage of
Austro-German Romanticism because of their rich
harmonic language, strongly polyphonic character, and
considerable length. Bruckner's compositions helped to
define contemporary musical radicalism, owing to their
dissonances, unprepared modulations, and roving
harmonies.
Ave Maria (...(+)
Josef Anton Bruckner (1824 – 1896) was an Austrian
composer, organist, and music theorist best known for
his symphonies, masses, Te Deum and motets. The first
are considered emblematic of the final stage of
Austro-German Romanticism because of their rich
harmonic language, strongly polyphonic character, and
considerable length. Bruckner's compositions helped to
define contemporary musical radicalism, owing to their
dissonances, unprepared modulations, and roving
harmonies.
Ave Maria (Hail Mary), WAB 6, is a sacred motet by
Anton Bruckner, a setting of the Latin prayer Ave
Maria. He composed it in Linz in 1861 and scored the
short work in F major for seven unaccompanied voices.
The piece, sometimes named an Offertorium, was
published in Vienna in 1867. Before, Bruckner composed
the same prayer in 1856 for soprano, alto, a four-part
mixed choir, organ and cello, WAB 5. Later, he set the
text in 1882 for a solo voice (alto) and keyboard
(organ, piano or harmonium), WAB 7.
Bruckner composed the motet, also known as Ave Maria
II, in 1861. He did this after completing five years of
studies with Simon Sechter. The motet was first
performed on 12 May 1861 as Offertorium of a mass in
the Linz Cathedral (now the Old Cathedral). Bruckner
was their organist and was also from 1860 director of
the Liedertafel (choral society) "Frohsinn" who
performed the motet to celebrate the anniversary of its
founding. Bruckner wrote in a letter about the
reception in a letter dated 3 October 1861: "I was, in
the end, splendidly applauded by my choir—twice."
The manuscript is lost, but copies are found in the
archive of the Österreichische Nationalbibliothek and
the Abbey of Sankt Florian. The piece, sometimes named
an Offertorium, was published together with Tota
pulchra es by Emil Wetzler in Vienna in 1867. It is put
in Band XXI/20 of the Gesamtausgabe.
Bruckner set the prayer in F major and scored it for
seven unaccompanied voices SAATTBB. It takes about 4
minutes to perform. The first section of the 51-bar
long Ave Maria is based on the Annunciation, the
greeting of Gabriel the Archangel to Mary (Luke 1:28)
and on the Visitation, when Elisabeth paraphrased the
greeting (Luke 1:42). The upper voices begin, while
(bar 10) the lower voices respond with "et benedictus
...". All voices united proclaim the name "Jesus" three
times in growing intensity (bars 15-20). The second
part is for all voices. It begins in canon on "Sancta
Maria", and evolves diminuendo with a point d'orgue on
bar 30 ("ora pro nobis"), when Mary is asked to "pray
for us sinners". Bruckner applies his understanding of
older styles to express his personal faith with
simplicity but "Romantic sensibility of
expression".
Source: Wikipedia
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ave_Maria_(Bruckner))
Although originally composed for Voice (SATB), I
created this arrangement of "Ave Maria" (WAB 6 No. 2)
for Winds (Flute, Oboe, English Horn & Bassoon) and
Strings (2 Violins, Viola & Cello).
SHEET MUSIC