The Festgesang (Festive song), WAB 15, is a cantata composed by Anton Bruckner in 1855.
History
This cantata, also called Jodok Cantata, is the last of three larger-scale occasional compositions.[1]
Bruckner composed it on 6 December 1855 for the name-day of Jodok Stülz, the dean of the St. Florian Abbey,[2] as a "Farewell to St. Florian", three weeks before he moved to Linz.[3] The piece was intended to be performed on 13 December 1855 (Stülz's name day) or the evening before. The manuscript is stored in the archive of the St. Florian Abbey.[2]
The manuscript was retrieved in 1921 by Franz Xaver Müller in the archive of the St. Florian Abbey.[4] A facsimile was first published in volume II/2, pp. 241–244 of the Göllerich/Auer biography.[2] It is published in volume XXII/1 no. 5 of the Gesamtausgabe.[5]
Text
The text used for the cantata is by an unknown author:
Setting
The in total 143-bar long work in C major is scored for SATB choir and STB soloists, and piano.
The cantata is in six parts:[2][4]
- Recitative "Sankt Jodok sproß": bass soloist (bars 1–7)
- Aria "In Einsamkeit zurückgezogen": bass soloist (bars 8–23)
- Choir "Du bist der Vater": mixed choir (bars 27–79) Ziemlich langsam, gemütlich
- Aria "Du pflegst das Herz": soprano soloist (bars 80–102) Langsam, mit Gefühl
- Recitative "Nicht minder ziert": tenor soloist (bars 103–109)
- Finale "Heil unserm Vater": mixed choir (bars 100–143) Mäßig langsam
Despite it contains already own ideas of the composer, the 6-part cantata looks somewhat archaic with its two recitatives, arias and choir parts. The arias look back to baroque examples, in which a basso continuo instrument accompany the solo-singer. The choir parts – a little in the follow of Michael Haydn – refer with imitation phrases to florid counterpoint.[4]
Discography
There is a single recording of the Festgesang:
- Thomas Kerbl, Chorvereinigung Bruckner 2011, Anton Bruckner Lieder/Magnificat – CD: LIVA 046, 2011
References
- ^ C. Howie,Chapter II, pp. 22-23
- ^ a b c d C. van Zwol, p. 713
- ^ C. van Zwol, p. 64
- ^ a b c U. Harten, pp.151-152
- ^ Gesamtausgabe – Kantaten und Chorwerke mit Orchester
Sources
- August Göllerich, Anton Bruckner. Ein Lebens- und Schaffens-Bild, c. 1922 – posthumous edited by Max Auer by G. Bosse, Regensburg, 1932
- 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 (Available on IMSLP: Neue Gesamtausgabe, XXII/1. Kantaten und Chorwerke Teil 1: Nr. 1-5)
- Uwe Harten, Anton Bruckner. Ein Handbuch. Residenz Verlag [de], Salzburg, 1996. ISBN 3-7017-1030-9
- 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
- Festgesang, WAB 15: Scores at the International Music Score Library Project
- Festgesang C-Dur, WAB 15 Critical discography by Hans Roelofs (in German)
- Thomas Kerbl's performance can be heard on YouTube: Kantate für Dechant Jodok Stulz, WAB 15
