Josef Anton Bruckner (1824 – 1896) was an Austrian
composer and organist best known for his symphonies and
sacred music, which includes Masses, Te Deum and
motets. The symphonies are considered emblematic of the
final stage of Austro-German Romanticism because of
their rich harmonic language, strongly polyphonic
character, and considerable length. His compositions
helped to define contemporary musical radicalism, owing
to their dissonances, unprepared modulations, and
roving harmonies.
(+)
Josef Anton Bruckner (1824 – 1896) was an Austrian
composer and organist best known for his symphonies and
sacred music, which includes Masses, Te Deum and
motets. The symphonies are considered emblematic of the
final stage of Austro-German Romanticism because of
their rich harmonic language, strongly polyphonic
character, and considerable length. His compositions
helped to define contemporary musical radicalism, owing
to their dissonances, unprepared modulations, and
roving harmonies.
Unlike other musical radicals such as Richard Wagner
and Hugo Wolf, Bruckner showed respect, even humility,
before other famous musicians, Wagner in particular.
This apparent dichotomy between Bruckner the man and
Bruckner the composer hampers efforts to describe his
life in a way that gives a straightforward context for
his music. Hans von Bülow described him as "half
genius, half simpleton". Bruckner was critical of his
own work and often reworked his compositions. There are
several versions of many of his works.
His works, the symphonies in particular, had
detractors, most notably the influential Austrian
critic Eduard Hanslick and other supporters of Johannes
Brahms, who pointed to their large size and use of
repetition, as well as to Bruckner's propensity for
revising many of his works, often with the assistance
of colleagues, and his apparent indecision about which
versions he preferred. On the other hand, Bruckner was
greatly admired by subsequent composers, including his
friend Gustav Mahler.
Libera me (Deliver me), WAB 21, is the first of two
settings of the absoute Libera me, composed by Anton
Bruckner in c. 1843. Bruckner composed the motet
during his stay in Kronstorf. The work was presumably
performed at that time. The original manuscript is
lost, but there are two good copies, one made by Max
Auer (Kronstorf, 1903). The motet was first published
in band I, pp. 243–248 of the Göllerich/Auer
biography. It is put in Band XXI/3 of the
Gesamtausgabe. The work is scored in F major for mixed
choir and organ. In this youth work, two parts of the
responsory are not included: the second "Quando caeli
movendi sunt et terra" and the second "Dum veneris
iudicare saeculum per ignem"
Source: Wikipedia
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Libera_me,_WAB_21).
Although originally created for Mixed Chorus (SATB) &
Organ, I created this Interpretation of "Libera me I"
("Deliver me" WAB 21) in F Major for Winds (Flute,
Oboe, French Horn & Bassoon) & Strings (2 Violins,
Viola & Cello).
