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.
Tota pulchr...(+)
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.
Tota pulchra es (You are completely beautiful), WAB 46,
is a sacred motet which was composed on 30 March 1878
between symphonies 5 and 6, is scoring the Latin
antiphon Tota pulchra es. It was performed on 4 June
1878 in the Votive Chapel of the new cathedral of the
Immaculate Conception to commemorate the 25th
anniversary of Franz-Josef Rudigier as bishop of
Linz.
The manuscript is archived at the Österreichische
Nationalbibliothek. The Widmungsexemplar (dedicated
copy) is stored in the archive of the new cathedral.
The motet was edited, together with the Ave Maria WAB
6, by Emil Wetzler, Vienna in 1887. It is put in Band
XXI/27 of the Gesamtausgabe.
The 80-bars piece, scored for solo tenor, choir and
organ, is primarily in the Phrygian mode, with some
remote enharmonic modulation. In the first part (bars
1-16) the soloist and the choir are dialoguing a
cappella. In the second part (bars 17-36), which begins
fortissimo by the soloist with the organ on "Tu gloria
Jerusalem", the choir becomes divided till 9 voices. In
the third part (bars 37-52), which begins on "O,
Maria", the soloist and the choir are dialoguing a
cappella as in the first part. In the last part, which
begins as in the second part by the soloist with the
organ on "Ora pro nobis", the choir goes on diminuendo
till the end in pianissimo.
Source: Wikipedia
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tota_pulchra_es_(Bruckne
r))
Although originally composed for Solo Tenor, Choir and
Organ, I created this arrangement of the Tota pulchra
es (WAB 46) for Winds (Flute, Oboe, French Horn &
Bassoon) and Strings (2 Violins, Viola & Cello).
SHEET MUSIC