| Afferentur regi | |
|---|---|
| Motet by Anton Bruckner | |
 Draft of Afferentur regi, page 1 | |
| Key | F major |
| Catalogue | WAB 1 |
| Form | Offertory |
| Language | Latin |
| Dedication | Johann Baptist Burgstaller (1885) |
| Performed | 31 December 1861: St. Florian Abbey |
| Published | 1922: Vienna |
| Vocal | SATB choir |
| Instrumental | 3 trombones ad lib. |
Afferentur regi (Led to the king), WAB 1, is a motet, which Anton Bruckner composed on 7 November 1861 on the text of the Offertorium of the Missa pro Virgine et Martyre. [1]
Afferentur regi is the second of the two "great motets" during a "fruitful though brief" period of Bruckner's compositional career following Sechter's tuition, the other motet being the Ave Maria WAB 6. [2] Afferentur regi was premiered in St. Florian Abbey on the feast day of Saint Lucy, 13 December 1861. [3]
An early draft for choir alone was found in a monastic archive at Kremsmünster Abbey. The original manuscript is not extant, but several transcriptions were found in the archive of St. Florian Abbey. [1] Many years later, in 1885, Bruckner dedicated the work as an Offertorium als Graduale (offertory as gradual) to Johann Baptist Burgstaller, choir director of the New Cathedral in Linz. [1]
The work was edited in 1922 as an addendum to band 11–12 of Musica Divina, Vienna. [1] It is put in Band XXI/21 of the Gesamtausgabe. [4]
The text is derived from Psalms45:15-16, which is Psalm 44 in the Vulgata.
Adducentur regi virgines post eam; | She is led to the king, |
The 38-bars piece scored in F major for mixed choir and three trombones ad libitum is a polyphonic offertory. The piece is in ternary form, with an opening motive drawn from a pre-existing Latin plainchant. [3] In the first part (bars 1–7), "Afferentur regi" is sung in canon by the alto and tenor voices, and with inverted motif by the bass and soprano voices. A similar pattern is repeated in bars 8–15 on "proximae ejus". The middle section (bars 15–24), which begins with "et exultatione" by the bass, similarly as "usque in aeternum" in bars 299-309 of Bruckner's later Te Deum , [6] is stylistically similar to faux bourdon, a technique employed primarily in medieval and Renaissance music. [3] It is followed by a general pause. The third part (bars 25–38) on "adducentur in templum" begins as the first part and ends on a pedal point on the tonic. [6]
Keith W. Kinder suggests that its use of counterpoint may be a reflection of Bruckner's sense of liberation from the "prohibition on free composition" imposed by his former composition teacher, Simon Sechter. [3] Dermot Gault notes that in this work Bruckner "wears his learning lightly" in the contrapuntal writing. [7]
Bruckner quoted from the Afferentur regi in the movement Qui cum Patre et Filio, part of the Credo of the Mass in D minor.
Bruckner's Afferentur regi was recorded at first in 1965 by Giulio Bertola with the Coro Polifonico Italiano a cappella (LP: Angelicum LPA 5989)
A selection of the about 30 recordings:
The Messe für den Gründonnerstag, WAB 9, is a missa brevis composed by Anton Bruckner in 1844.
Ecce sacerdos magnus, WAB 13, is an 1885 sacred motet by the Austrian composer Anton Bruckner. It is a musical setting of the antiphon of the same title.
Virga Jesse, WAB 52, is a motet by the Austrian composer Anton Bruckner. It sets the gradual Virga Jesse floruit for unaccompanied mixed choir.
Tota pulchra es, WAB 46, is a sacred motet by the Austrian composer Anton Bruckner.
Ave Maria, WAB 6, is a sacred motet by Anton Bruckner, a setting of the Latin prayer Ave Maria. He composed it in Linz in 1861 and scored the short work in F major for seven unaccompanied voices. The piece, sometimes named an Offertorium, was published in Vienna in 1867. Before, Bruckner composed the same prayer in 1856 for soprano, alto, a four-part mixed choir, organ and cello, WAB 5. Later, he set the text in 1882 for a solo voice (alto) and keyboard, WAB 7.
Christus factus est, WAB 11, is a sacred motet by Anton Bruckner, his third setting of the Latin gradual Christus factus est, composed in 1884. Before, Bruckner composed in 1844 a first piece on the same text as gradual of the Messe für den Gründonnerstag, and in 1873 a motet for eight-part mixed choir, three trombones, and string instruments ad libitum. The motet is an expressive setting of the gradual, influenced by Wagner's music.
In jener letzten der Nächte, WAB 17, is a motet composed by Anton Bruckner.
Pange lingua, WAB 31, is a sacred motet composed by Anton Bruckner in c. 1835. It is a setting of the first strophe of the Latin hymn Pange lingua for the celebration of Corpus Christi.
Dir, Herr, dir will ich mich ergeben, WAB 12, is a sacred motet composed by Anton Bruckner in c. 1845.
Libera me, WAB 22, is the second of two settings of the absoute Libera me, composed by Anton Bruckner in 1854.
Tantum ergo, WAB 32, is the first of eight settings of the hymn Tantum ergo composed by Anton Bruckner in 1845.
Tantum ergo, WAB 43, is the second of eight settings of the hymn Tantum ergo composed by Anton Bruckner in c. 1845.
The four Tantum ergo, WAB 41, are settings of the hymn Tantum ergo composed by Anton Bruckner in 1846.
Tantum ergo, WAB 42, is a setting of the hymn Tantum ergo composed by Anton Bruckner in 1846.
Tantum ergo, WAB 44, is the last of eight settings of the hymn Tantum ergo composed by Anton Bruckner in c. 1854.
Herz Jesu-Lied, WAB 144, is the second of two motets of Anton Bruckner's St. Florian period, which is of uncertain authorship. If Bruckner was the composer, it was composed presumably in 1845-1846.
The two Totenlieder, WAB 47/1 & 47/2, are elegies composed by Anton Bruckner in 1852.
Salvum fac populum tuum, WAB 40, is a motet composed by Anton Bruckner in 1884.
Veni Creator Spiritus, WAB 50, is a motet composed by Anton Bruckner in c. 1884.
Inveni David, WAB 19, is a sacred motet composed by Anton Bruckner in 1868.
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