Os Justi | |
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Motet by Anton Bruckner | |
Interior of St. Florian Abbey, where the dedicatee was choir master | |
Key | F Lydian mode |
Catalogue | WAB 30 |
Form | Gradual |
Language | Latin |
Composed | 18 July 1879 : Vienna |
Dedication | Ignaz Traumihler |
Published | 1886 Vienna : |
Vocal | SATB choir |
Instrumental | Organ (verse Inveni David) |
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, [1] and as introit I [2] and gradual II [3] 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. [4]
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. [4] [5] [6]
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. [4] [5]
In addition to the manuscript of 18 July 1879 (WAB 30,1), there is a revised manuscript of August 1879 (WAB 30,2). [7]
The work was first edited by Theodor Rättig, Vienna in 1886, together with three other graduals: Locus iste , Christus factus est and Virga Jesse . This first edition did not include the extra verse (Inveni David) and the repeat of the Alleluja. The verse and the repeat of the Alleluja were classified by Grasberger as a separate work (Inveni David, WAB 20). [4] Both the first edition and the MWV edition are based on the revised manuscript of August 1879.
The only edition of the first version is a facsimile of the manuscript of 18 July 1879 by A. Göllerich. [8] [7]
The completed setting with the extra verse (Inveni David) and the repeat of the Alleluja – the manuscripts of which are archived at the Österreichische Nationalbibliothek [9] – is put in Band XXI/28 of the Gesamtausgabe. [10]
The text of the motet is two verses of Psalm 37, which is Psalm 36 in the Vulgata (Psalms37:30–31). The text of the added verse is taken from Psalm 89 (Psalms89:20).
Os justi meditabitur sapientiam: |
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. [13] 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). [13] 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. [4] 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. [14] The extra verse is apparently Bruckner's own composition. [4]
Traumihler was a fervent supporter of the Cecilian Movement; the reason why Bruckner composed this motet in Lydian mode, without any alteration in the key and in the whole score, and with large use of unaltered chords. [5]
There is a single recording of the first version of Os justi:
The first recording of Os justi occurred in 1931:
The large majority of the recordings, sometimes without Alleluja, do not include the verse Inveni David. A selection among the about 120 recordings:
There are only a few recordings, which include the verse Inveni David: