Der Abendhimmel, WAB 55

History#

Bruckner composed this first setting of “evening song” Der Abendhimmel in January 1862. He used for the composition a text of Joseph Christian von Zedlitz, which he would also use for a second setting of the song in 1866. Bruckner dedicated the song to the men’s quartet Anton Munsch Anton Munsch (1st tenor), Anton Stiefler (2nd tenor), Eduard Benoni (1st bass) and Mathias Weissmann (2nd bass) . The piece was performed first in a transcription for men’s choir by the Liedertafel Frohsinn on 4 July 1900. The commentator of the (7 July 1900) wrote over a (a wonderful composition of our national master Dr. Anton Bruckner). It was first issued in Band III/2, pp. 18–20 of the Göllerich/Auer biography.

Text#

Der Abendhimmel is using a text of Joseph Christian von Zedlitz.

Music#

The 38-bar long work in 6/8 is in A-flat major. It is scored for SATB quartet a cappella.

Discography#

There are two recordings of Der Abendhimmel, WAB 55: * Guido Mancusi, Chorus Viennensis, Musik, du himmlisches Gebilde! – CD: ORF CD 73, 1995 * Thomas Kerbl, Quartet of the Männerchorvereinigung Bruckner 08, Anton Bruckner – Männerchöre – CD: LIVA 027, 2008

Sources#

• August Göllerich, Anton Bruckner. Ein Lebens- und Schaffens-Bild, – posthumous edited by Max Auer by G. Bosse, Regensburg, 1932
• Anton Bruckner – Sämtliche Werke, Band XXIII/2: Weltliche Chorwerke (1843–1893), Musikwissenschaftlicher Verlag der Internationalen Bruckner-Gesellschaft, Angela Pachovsky and Anton Reinthaler (Editor), Vienna, 1989
• Uwe Harten, Anton Bruckner. Ein Handbuch. , Salzburg, 1996. .
• Cornelis van Zwol, Anton Bruckner 1824–1896 – Leven en werken, uitg. Thoth, Bussum, Netherlands, 2012.
• Crawford Howie, Anton Bruckner - A documentary biography, online revised edition

External links#

• Der Abendhimmel As-Dur, WAB 55 – Critical discography by Hans Roelofs
• A live performance (20 February 2022) by Y Kawaguchi by overdubbing his voice: Der Abendhimmel