Key B-flat major Form Cantata Language German | Catalogue WAB 14 Text Oskar van Retwitz | |
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Composed c. 1851 (c. 1851): St. Florian Abbey | ||
The cantata Entsagen (Renunciation), WAB 14, is a cantata composed by Anton Bruckner in c. 1851.
Contents
History
Bruckner composed the cantata for the name-day of prior Michael Arneth, the prior of the St. Florian Abbey. The piece was intended to be performed on Arneth's name-day. It is not known when it was performed.
Why Bruckner has chosen this unsound text for the name-day of his Maecenas remains unexplained. Perhaps he has put so into music his resignation following his father's death or Aloisia Bogner's refusal of his proposal of marriage.
The manuscript is stored in the archive of the St. Florian Abbey. A facsimile of the cantata was first issued in band II/2, pp. 47-58 of the Göllerich/Auer biography. The cantata was thereafter issued by Ludwig Daxsperger in 1956. It is put in Band XXII/1 No. 2 of the Gesamtausgabe.
The cantata is in three movements:
- Choir: O Maria! Du Jungfrau mild und hehr!, bittend und mit Andacht
- Aria: O Maria! Du Quell der heil'gen Lieb'!, langsam, betend - soprano or tenor soloist
- Choir: O Maria! Du starker Himmelsschild!, bittend und mit Andacht
Text and music
The work is based on the poem Amaranth by Oskar von Redwitz.
The 126-bar long work in B-flat major is scored for SATB choir or quartet, soprano or tenor soloist, and organ (or piano).
The cantata is a ‘spiritual song’ in three sections, in ABA' form. The outer sections are in the form of Protestant chorale, with in bars 16-19 (Die treu'ste Mutter groß!) and 110-113 (In heimlicher Gefahr!) a direct quotation from "O Haupt voll Blut und Wunden". The expressive middle section, a solo for soprano or tenor, is with large intervals and strong modulation. The contrapuntal accompaniment by the organ (or piano) has some reminiscences of the baroque opera.
Discography
There is no recording of Entsagen as yet.