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.
Os justi ('...(+)
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.
Os justi ('The mouth of the righteous'), WAB 30, is a
sacred motet composed by Anton Bruckner in 1879. Os
Justi is a Gregorian chant used as gradual of the
Commune Doctorum, and as introit I and gradual II of
the Commune Confessoris non Pontificis. Bruckner
composed this gradual on 18 July 1879 and dedicated it
to Ignaz Traumihler, choirmaster of St. Florian Abbey.
When Traumihler saw the manuscript, he asked: "Ist's
der ganze Text?" (Is this the whole text?) Therefore,
Bruckner added on 28 July 1879 a verse Inveni David in
a Gregorian mode followed by a repeat of the
Alleluja.
While the first performance was expected on
Traumihler's name-day (31 July 1879), it finally
occurred four weeks later on 28 August 1879 on the
feast of Saint Augustinus. Traumihler conducted while
Bruckner played the organ. The work was first edited by
Theodor Rättig, Vienna in 1886, together with three
other graduals: Locus iste, Christus factus est and
Virga Jesse. In this first edition, something went
wrong: the motet and the first Alleluja were issued,
but not the extra verse (Inveni David) and the repeat
of the Alleluja. The extra verse and the repeat of the
Alleluja were — wrongly — classified by Grasberger
as a separate work (Inveni David, WAB 20).
The text of the motet is two verses of Psalm 37, which
is Psalm 36 in the Vulgata (Psalms 37:30–31). The
text of the added verse is taken from Psalm 89 (Psalms
89:20). The original work of 18 July 1879, a 69-bar
gradual, is scored in Lydian mode for choir a cappella.
On two occasions (bars 9–13 and 51–56) the choir is
divided into eight voices. The second part on "Et
lingua ejus" (bars 16–42) is a fugato without any
alteration. The last sentence, on "et non
supplantabuntur" (bars 65-69), is sung pianissimo by
the soprano, on a sustained tonic chord by the five
other voices (ATTBB). It is followed by a two-bar
unison Alleluja in Ionian mode.
On 28 July 1879, Bruckner added an extra verse Inveni
David scored for unison male voices with organ
accompaniment, and a repeat of the 2-bar Alleluja.
According to Elisabeth Maier the melody of the Alleluja
is a quote of the Alleluja of the introit In medio
ecclesiae of the Missa de Doctoribus. The extra verse
is apparently Bruckner's own composition.
Source: Wikipedia
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Os_justi_(Bruckner))
Although originally composed for Mixed Chorus
(SSAATTBB), I created this arrangement of the Graduale:
Os justi (WAB 30) for Winds (Flute, Oboe, French Horn &
Bassoon) and Strings (2 Violins, Viola & Cello).
