Music TheoryPrint

Anton Bruckner

Dir, Herr, dir will ich mich ergeben

(To Thee, Lord, to Thee will I surrender myself), WAB 12, is a sacred motet composed by Anton Bruckner in

History#

Bruckner composed the motet in either during his stay in Kronstorf or at the beginning of his stay in St. Florian Abbey. The original manuscript, on which the Tantum ergo, WAB 43 is also found, is in the archive of the St. Florian Abbey. The motet was first published in volume II/3, pp. 114–115 of the Göllerich/Auer biography.

Text#

: This text, which was also used by Felix Mendelssohn in his oratorio Paulus, is based on the ninth verse of the hymn Herr Gott, du kennest meine Tage by Ludwig Rudolph von Senftt zu Pilsach over the Stoning of Stephen.

Music#

The 32-bar work in A major is a chorale for mixed choir a cappella. As Crawford Howie writes, “both In jener letzten der Nächte WAB 17 () and Dir, Herr, dir will ich mich ergeben WAB 12 () for a cappella mixed-voice choir are chorale harmonizations, probably the result of his studies with Zenetti.”

Selected discography#

There are only a few recordings of Dir, Herr, dir will ich mich ergeben: * Balduin Sulzer, Chor des Linzer Musikgymnasiums, Stiftskirche Wilhering - Geistliche Musik – CD: Preiserrecords 90052CD, * Thomas Kerbl, Chorvereinigung Bruckner 2011, Anton Bruckner: Lieder/Magnificat – CD: LIVA 046, 2011 * Philipp von Steinäcker, Vocalensemble Musica Saeculorum, Bruckner: Pange lingua - Motetten - CD: Fra Bernardo FB 1501271, 2015

Sources#

  • August Göllerich, Anton Bruckner. Ein Lebens- und Schaffens-Bild, – posthumous edited by Max Auer by G. Bosse, Regensburg, 1932
  • Max Auer, Anton Bruckner als Kirchenmusiker, G. Bosse, Regensburg, 1927
  • Anton Bruckner – Sämtliche Werke, Band XXI: Kleine Kirchenmusikwerke, Musikwissenschaftlicher Verlag der Internationalen Bruckner-Gesellschaft, Hans Bauernfeind and Leopold Nowak (Editor), Vienna, 1984/2001
  • 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
  • Dir, Herr, dir will ich mich ergeben, Choral A-Dur, WAB 12 Critical discography by Hans Roelofs
  • Dir, Herr, dir will ich mich ergeben, WAB 12, Leon Chu conducting the Choir of the Chinese University of Hong Kong - Live, Chung Chi Chapel, 18 April 2024 There is also a transcription of the motet as Ave verum corpus:
  • Ave Verum Corpus - Anton Bruckner
Composer
Anton Bruckner