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Anton Bruckner   (1824 - 1896)

 

Notes on his Six Motets

 

Einstein called Bruckner «the greatest church musician of the Romantic era». He was a simple, pious man, lacking self-confidence in his personal life and yet succeeding in becoming the organist of Linz cathedral and eventually of the court in Vienna. He had a long conventional training, heavily influenced by hearing the music of Bach, Haydn and Mozart in the Baroque surroundings of the St Florian monastery which was his spiritual home. Later, a passion for Wagner combined with this influence, resulting in his richly colourful harmonic language.

 

The motets were written at different times and for different occasions, but when performed together show clearly the different elements of his style, from Renaissance polyphony to Wagnerian chromaticism. The «Locus Iste» remembers Mozart; and «Tota pulchra es» suggests an earlier style. The final motet, «Ecce Sacerdos» was written for the 1000th anniversary of the Linz diocese, and is an exultant tour de force combining plainsong and chromaticism.

 

Notes © Joan Harborne 1997.