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.
Vexilla reg...(+)
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.
Vexilla regis (The royal banner), WAB 51, is the final
motet written by the Austrian composer Anton Bruckner.
Bruckner composed it on 9 February 1892. The work, the
manuscrit of which is archived at the Österreichische
Nationalbibliothek, is based on the Latin hymn Vexilla
Regis by Venantius Fortunatus. It was first performed
on Good Friday, 15 April 1892, and was published in the
same year by Josef Weinberger, Vienna. In the
Nowak-Bauernfeind new edition (Band XXI/29 of the
Gesamtausgabe) the motet was re-issued with the revised
text of the hymn and an additional 4-bar Amen.
Bruckner put strophes 1, 6 and 7 of the text in a motet
of 108 bars in Phrygian mode for mixed choir a
cappella. Alike he did in Christus factus est WAB 11
and Virga Jesse WAB 52, Bruckner used the Dresdner Amen
on the words prodeunt (bars 5–8), unica (bars
41–44), and Trinitas (bars 77–80). Although it is
in Phrygian mode the motet is characterized by
Bruckner's typical modulations, often to rather distant
keys and the integration of diverse musical styles:
Bruckner biographer Howie remarks that "the remarkable
mixture of the old and the new in this strophic piece
could perhaps be interpreted as an attempt to sum up
Bruckner's life's work". Its "bleaker and
uncompromising" close is suited to the Good Friday
story.
Source: Wikipedia
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vexilla_regis_(Bruckner)
)
Although originally composed for Chorus (SATB), I
created this arrangement of the Vexilla regis (WAB 51)
for Winds (Flute, Oboe, French Horn & Bassoon) and
Strings (2 Violins, Viola & Cello).
