Festgesang, WAB 15

History#

This cantata, also called Jodok Cantata, is the last of three larger-scale occasional compositions. Bruckner composed it on 6 December 1855 for the name-day of Jodok Stülz, the dean of the St. Florian Abbey, as a “Farewell to St. Florian”, three weeks before he moved to Linz. The piece was intended to be performed on 13 December 1855 (Stülz’s name day) or the evening before. The manuscript is stored in the archive of the St. Florian Abbey. A facsimile was first published in volume II/2, pp. 241–244 of the Göllerich/Auer biography.

Text#

The text used for the cantata is by an unknown author: :

Setting#

The in total 143-bar long work in C major is scored for SATB choir and SATB soloists, and piano. The cantata is in six parts: # Recitative “Sankt Jodok sproß”: bass soloist (bars 1–7) # Aria “In Einsamkeit zurückgezogen”: bass soloist (bars 8–23) # Choir “Du bist der Vater”: mixed choir (bars 27–79) Ziemlich langsam, gemütlich # Aria “Du pflegst das Herz”: soprano soloist (bars 80–102) Langsam, mit Gefühl # Recitative “Nicht minder ziert”: tenor soloist (bars 103–109) # Finale “Heil unserm Vater”: mixed choir (bars 100–143) Mäßig langsam Despite it contains already own ideas of the composer, the 6-part cantata looks somewhat archaic with its two recitatives, arias and choir parts. The arias look back to baroque examples, in which a basso continuo instrument accompany the solo-singer. The choir parts – a little in the follow of Michael Haydn – refer with imitation phrases to florid counterpoint.

Discography#

There is a single recording of the Festgesang: * Thomas Kerbl, Chorvereinigung Bruckner 2011, Anton Bruckner Lieder/Magnificat – CD: LIVA 046, 2011

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 XXII/1: Kantaten und Chorwerke I (1845–1855), Musikwissenschaftlicher Verlag der Internationalen Bruckner-Gesellschaft, Franz Burkhart, Rudolf H. Führer and Leopold Nowak (Editor), Vienna, 1987 (Available on IMSLP: Neue Gesamtausgabe, XXII/1. Kantaten und Chorwerke Teil 1: Nr. 1-5)
• 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#

• Festgesang C-Dur, WAB 15 Critical discography by Hans Roelofs
• Thomas Kerbl’s performance can be heard on YouTube: Kantate für Dechant Jodok Stulz, WAB 15