Ave Maria, WAB 7

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Ave Maria
Motet by Anton Bruckner
Clugny Annunciation.jpg
Key F major
Catalogue WAB 7
Form Marian hymn
Text Ave Maria
Language Latin
Composed5 February 1882 (1882-02-05): Vienna
DedicationLuise Hochleitner
Performed5 February 1903 (1903-02-05): Vienna
Published1902 (1902): Stuttgart
VocalAlto soloist
InstrumentalOrgan, piano or harmonium

Ave Maria (Hail Mary), WAB 7, is a setting of the Latin prayer Ave Maria by Anton Bruckner.

Contents

History

When staying in Wels during the summer of 1881 Bruckner met Luise Hochleitner, a singer with a beautiful alto voice. [1] Bruckner promised to dedicate to her an Ave Maria. The work, which was composed on 5 February 1882, —almost 20 years after his more famous motet— is for alto (or baritone) solo voice and keyboard (organ, piano or harmonium). [2]

The original manuscript is lost, but there are fair copies of it at the Österreichische Nationalbibliothek and the Abbey of Kremsmünster. [3] The work was published in 1902 as an appendix to No. 13 of the Neue Musikzeitung, Stuttgart. [4] The first public performance occurred during a concert of the Wiener Akademischer Wagner-Verein on 5 February 1903 by Gisella Seehofer, who then also premiered Bruckner's Wie bist du, Frühling, gut und treu and Im April. [5] The motet is put in Band XXI/29 of the Gesamtausgabe. [6]

Setting

The 81-bar demanding work, scored in F major, requires a singer with a two-octave broad tessitura.

Like the two earlier settings of Ave Maria, the name Jesus is sung thrice (bars 23–31). [4] It is followed by an instrumental interlude (bars 32–38) and goes then on with the second part (Sancta Maria), which quotes the 20-year earlier setting. [4] Thereafter (bars 53–58) Nunc et in hora mortis nostrae is sung pianissimo in unison. After a repeat of Sancta Maria, it is ending by a two-octave descending arpeggio on Amen (from F5 to F3) and a short instrumental postlude (bars 76–81).

Selected discography

The first recording was:

In the majority of the about 20 recordings the singer is skipping the lower octave of the Amen. A selection among the few recordings, in which the singer is doing it faithfully:

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References

  1. C. van Zwol, p. 269
  2. "Anton Bruckner / Ave Maria". Carus-Verlag . Retrieved 6 October 2014.
  3. U. Harten, p. 76
  4. 1 2 3 C. van Zwol, p. 707
  5. C. van Zwol, p. 718
  6. Gesamtausgabe - Kleine Kirchenmusikwerke

Sources