Im April, WAB 75

History#

Bruckner composed the lied on a text by Emanuel Geibel during his stay in Linz. He dedicated the lied to his pupil Helene Hofmann, Pauline Hofmann’s younger sister. The date of composition is uncertain. It was originally supposed that the lied was composed in 1868. during which Seehofer also sang Bruckner’s Ave Maria, WAB 7 and Wie bist du, Frühling, gut und treu.

Text#

The song uses a text by Emanuel Geibel.

Music#

The 60-bar long work in A major is scored for solo voice and piano.

Discography#

There are four recordings of Im April: * Robert Holzer (bass), Thomas Kerbl (piano), Anton Bruckner Lieder/Magnificat – CD: LIVA 046, 2011. NB: Transposed in G major. * Ulf Bästlein (baritone), Sascha El Mouissi (piano), Ich blick’ in mein Herz und ich blick’ in die Welt - CD Gramola 99136, 2017 * Elisabeth Wimmer (soprano), Daniel Linton-France (piano) in: Bruckner, Anton – Böck liest Bruckner II – CD Gramola 99237, 2020 * Erinnerung - Bruckner in St. Florian, Alois Mühlbacher (countertenor), Franz Farnberger (grand piano) – CD: Solo Musica SM 450, 2024 * Günther Groissböck (bass), Malcolm Martineau (piano) - Männerliebe und Leben – CD Gramola 99294, 2024

Sources#

• Anton Bruckner – Sämtliche Werke, Band XXIII/1: Songs for voice and piano (1851–1882), Musikwissenschaftlicher Verlag der Internationalen Bruckner-Gesellschaft, Angela Pachovsky (Editor), Vienna, 1997
• Cornelis van Zwol, Anton Bruckner 1824–1896 – Leven en werken, uitg. Thoth, Bussum, Netherlands, 2012.
• Uwe Harten, Anton Bruckner. Ein Handbuch. , Salzburg, 1996. .
• Crawford Howie, Anton Bruckner - A documentary biography, online revised edition

External links#

• Im April As-Dur, WAB 75 – Critical discography by Hans Roelofs
• A translation of Geibel’s text is also available on The LiederNet Archive: “You damp spring evening”.
• Äneas Humm, Doriana Tchakarova (piano): Anton Bruckner - Songs, Humm – Tchakarova
• Vanda Mencaglia, Stephen Kramer (piano): A. Bruckner - Im April, WAB 75
• Rüdiger Büll, Ulrike Zeitler (piano): Frühlingslied, WAB 68, and Im April, WAB 75