Bruckner and the Liedertafel Tradition: His Secular Music for Male Voices

by Andrea Harrandt

Anton Bruckner

Editor's note: This article is based on a paper presented in February men's choirs during his Linz period (1855 to 1868). After his 1994 at the first Bruckner conference held in the U. S. ("Perspectives appointment as town and cathedral organist in Linz, he be­ on Anton Bruckner"), Connecticut College, New London. came a member of the Liedertafel Frohsinn in March 1856. This society was the most important singing club in Linz. The beginning of the nineteenth century saw a gradual shift Bruckner sang second tenor, though in the archives of the from aristocratic to middle-class dominated social structure. Liedertafel he is listed as a first bass. l At the society's meeting of One outgrowth of that shift was the establishment of male October 31, 1856, he was elected assistant librarian for the choral societies-Liedertafel-Gedanke-that permitted social season. 2 In that position he was able to acquire first-hand contact and companionship regardless of class strictures. The knowledge of the standard Liedertafel repertory. development began in Germany where Carl Friedrich Zelter founded the Berliner Liedertafel in 1809. The Berlin model Repertory was followed in Leipzig (1815), Breslau and Magdeburg (1819), The most popular pieces performed by mid-nineteenth­ and Stuttgart (1824). In 1827 the first German festival of songs century Liedertafels are contained in a collection published took place in Plochingen (Wiirttemberg); the next big event by the Regensburger Liederkranz, a male choral society was a festival in Wiirzburg (1845). founded in 1837 in the Bavarian city of Regensburg.3 The Male choral societies were initially banned in Austria by songbook, first published in 1863, could be found in most Prince von Metternich, Chancellor of State from 1809 to choral society libraries, including that of the Liedertafel 1848, because of his political fear of such popular move­ Frohsinn. The types of pieces contained in this collection are ments. Nevertheless the Vienna male choral society (Wiener listed in Figure 1 along with representative examples in each Mannergesang-Verein) was founded in 1843. Other societies category.4 According to Bruckner biographers August followed in Waidhofen an der Ybbs (1843), Linz (1845), G6llerich and Max Auer, the composer knew this book. After Graz (1846) and Salzburg (1847). the First Upper Austrian and Salzburg song festival, Bruckner Anton Bruckner came into contact with music for men's and his friend Engelbert Lanz spent a few days in June 1865 voices in Kronstorf, where he founded a men's quartet in 1841. at the castle of Tax berg near Linz, where they sang songs of Later he founded a similar ensemble in St. Florian, where he the Regensburger Liederkranz.5 was encouraged by Hans Schlager, a teacher and composer of Bruckner also was interested in expanding his knowledge men's choral music. Bruckner had much closer contacts with of the Liedertafel repertory. On March 23, 1861, he wrote to the Wiener Mannergesang-Verein requesting copies of the Andrea Harrandt is a collaborator at the Anton Bruckner Institute following scores: Lim, Vienna, Austria. She is preparing a new edition of Bruckner's letters for the International Bruckner Society in Vienna. • Champagnerlied, August Schaffer • Warnung vor dem Rheine, Niels Wilhelm Gade

DECEMBER 1996 PAGE 15 • Steuermannslied (tenor solo with • Heimweh, Conradin Kreutzer Bruckner received the works he re­ chorus from the Flying Dutch­ • Reiterlied, Ott6 quested but never performed them with man), Richard Wagner • Wanderers-Nachtlied, Karl Gottlieb the Liedertafel Frohsinn. He probably • Jagdlied, Franz Abt ReUSiger I used these scores for study purposes. • Landpartie, Hans Schlager • Morgenwandenmg, Heinrich Essei • Minnesiingel; Robert Schumann • In einem kith/en Grunde, folk song Bruckner as • Am See, Franz Mair • Schwiibisches Tanzlied, folk song Liedertafel Conductor • Gesang del· Geister iiber dem Wassel; • Stiindchen, Wiirts7 Gn September 2, 1858, Bruckner re­ Franz Schubert signed from the Liedertafel as a singing member reportedly because he had prob­ .1 lems with his voice.8 Only a few months Nature i . Marching Songs I Franz Abt, Aufden Bergen i . Karl Ludwig Fischer, wanderlied after leaving the Liedertafel Frohsinn, Conradin Kreutzer, Friiblings,nahen Felne Mendelssohn, Der fiohe wandersmann however, Bruclmer and his friend Lanz FriedrichWllhelm Kucken, 1m walde Julhis Otto, Siingermarsch petitioned the government of Linz to Felix Mendelssohn; Sommer/fed '.' Kari Friedrich Zollner, wanderschaft found a new singing club called "Gesangs­ Akademie." A month later they aban­ Night Soldier's Songs doned their plan.9 Franz Abt, Maiennacht Julius .Stern, Soldatenabschied Franz XaverChwatal, Nachtgesang In April 1860, Anton M. Storch resigned .Felix Mendelssohn, Abendstiindchen Patriotic Songs as director of the Liedertafel Frohsinn; in Franz Schubert, Die Nacht ' Karl Gottlieb Bellmann, wanke nicht mein August he moved to Vienna to become a Vaterland conductor at the theater in the Josefstadt. lo Love Joseph Hanisch, Thtterlandslied In October 1860, Bruclmer conducted one J. Rupprecht Durrner, .Time Liebe; Heimliche Johann Wenzel Kalliwoda, Das deutsche Lied piece on a Liedertafel concert, II and one Liebe ' Co~adin Kreutzer, An das Thtterland I Karl Friedrich Girschner, Ti·eue Liebe Julius Otto, Das treue deutsche Herz I month later, he was officially elected as con­ Johann F. Reichardt, Des deutschen Thtterland ductor. 12 According to reports of members, i Drinking Songs Bru€kner carried out his duties energetically FranzAbt, Trinklehre FolkSongs and ~et a high value on distinct articulation, Felix Mendelssohn, Liebe und Wein;Ti·inklied LOI·eley breathing, and correct pitch.13 He chose Heinrich Marschner, Ti·inklied music of good quality even for informal Albert Schroter, Zechers Wunsch Farewells performances.14 ,. Krrl Friedri~h Zollner, RheinuJeinlied; Trinklied Fe~ Mendelssohn, Abschiedstafel He led the choir in successful festival performances in Krems (Lower Austria) Figure 1. Regensbm-gel· Liedel·krallz, song types and representative works and'Nurnberg (Germany) in the sum­ mer: of 1861. In September of that year, he left the Liedertafel for some mysteri­ Doblinger ous, unnamed "offences" mentioned in a letter to his friend RudolfWeinwurm.15 He nevertheless maintained cordial rela­ ANTON BRUCKNER (1824 - 1896) I tions with the Liedertafel, often playing Editions for Male Chorus from the Complete Critical Edition: the piano in concerts as he had done in pre~ious years. In January 1868, FESTNE CANTATA (1862) Bruckner was again appointed conduc­ & for Bar Solo, TTBB, organ or wind orchestra organ, edited by Karl Etti 16 55 001 Large Score $21.00/Vocal Score $8.40/ Organ $4.90/ Parts $ 67.0(j) tor of the Liedertafel. In a review of his first! performance one month later, the HELGOLAND (1890)*) I press noticed the hallmarks of his choral TTBB with Soli and large orchestra, edited by Cyrill Hynais, revised by Rudolf N. interpretation, "extraordinary precision Fuhrer (MWV - Musikwissenschaftlicher Verlag, Vielma/Austria) and singular tender shade." 17 BR 94 Vocal Score $12.50/BR 94A Choral Score $7.25 Orchestral material rental only ') R'Cclusive distributors/or U.S.A. and Canada: C. F. Peters C01P., 373 Pad, Avenue Soutb, New York, ! Bruckner's Music for NY 10016, FAX: (212) 689-9412. I New complete Ml1117 Bruckner catalog available./i·om tbem all demand/ree 0/ cbarge. Male Voices Bruckner's output for men's voices is lAM LUCIS ORTO SIDERE (1886) varied and extensive (Figure 2). Most TTBB a cappella, edited by Hans Bauernfeind and Leopold Nowak pieces are for four unaccompanied voices; 54 101 Choral Score $1.40 eight add soloists; six are accompanied by All prices (according to conversion rate inAugust '96) arc approximate and subject to change without notk:c. wind instruments; four use piano accom­ For further information and/or orders, please contact your local music store Or the publisher ("diSlribIfIOl~'1 paniment; and two employ organ. I DOBLINGER MUSIC PUBLISHERS, Vienna -Austria Fax: (43) (1) 515 013-51 Bruckner composed many of them in the

PAGE 16 CHORAL JOURNAL Year Work Number Voicing/Instrumentation

Kronstoif 1843 AndemFeste WAB59 Four-part men's chorus 1843 Festlied WAB67 Four-part men's chorus 1843 Taftllied WAB86 Four-part men's chorus

St. Florian 1845 Das Lied yom deutschen Vaterland WAB78 Four-part men's chorus 1846 5tiindchen WAB84 Men's quartet, men's chorus (humming), tenor soli 1847 Der Lehl'erstand WAB77 Four-part men's chorus 1848 Stemschnuppen WAB85 Men's quartet 1851 Das edle Herz WAB65 Four-part men's chorus 1851 Die Gebul't WAB61 Four-part men's chorus 1851 Zwei Siingersprnche WAB83 Four-part men's chorus 1854 LaftJubeltone laut el'klingen WAB76 Four-part men's chorus, wind instruments 1855 Des Dankes W'0rt sei mil' vergonnt WAB62 Five-part men's chorus, tenor and bass soli

Linz 1861162 Del'Abendhimmel ·WAB55 Men's quartet 1863 Germanenzug, WAB70 Four-part men's chorus, French horns 1866 Del' Abendhimmel WAB56 Four-part men's chorus 1866 Vatediindisches Weinlied WAB91 . Four-part men's chorus . 1866 Vatedandslied WAB94 Four-part men's chorus, tenor and bass soli

Vienna 1870 Mittemacht WAB80 Four-part men's chortls, tenor~olo, piano 1876 Das hohe Lied WAB74 Four-to eight-part men's~horus (humming), tenor and baritone soli 1877 Nachruf WAB81 '. Four-part mell'schorus, organ 1877 • Trostenn Musik, WAB88 Four:-part men's chorus,organ , 1882 5iingel'bund WAB82 Four-part men's chorus '1882 Volkslied· . WAf? 94 , Four-partmen's chorus' ,1886 UmMittemacht WAB90 FOUr-part'men's chor,us; tenor solo 1890 Ti"iiumen und W'achen WAB87 Four':'partmen'sc;horus, tenor. solo' 1892 Dai deutsche Lied (Del' deutsche Gesan'g) WAB63 Four-partJIlen's chorus, brass ,.', 1893 ','. Helgoland WAB71 FOllf-part men's c;horus, wind instruments, bass drum; qmbal,strings

Figure 2. Bruckner's works for men's voices

Liedertafel style of his time-strophic, homophonic, top-voice dominated. Throughout his male-chorus output, the text themes are otten representative of those in the Regensbul'ger Liederkmnz. The following fall in the categoty of festive songs: An dem Feste, Festlied, LaftJubeltone laut erklingen, and Taftllied. Bruckner wrote them for occasions such as birthdays (An dem Feste) or name days or for special oc­ casions such as the welcome of the emperor's bride (later empress Elisabeth of Austria) to Linz in 1854 (Laft Jubeltone laut el'klingen). One of Bruckner's earliest choruses, An dem Feste, is written in four-

DECEMBER 1996 PAGE 17 f measure, homophonic phrases in a simple I. An dem Fe - ste, das uns heu - te zu dem fro hen homophonic style (Figure 3). Tenori 2. Er, an des - sen Hand nicht BUr - de, sanf - tes joch die Bruckner wrote six male chorus works 3. Gu ter De - chantt nieht in To - nen, nein, im Her zen on nature topics: Abendhimmel Dos hohe Lied, Mitternacht, Stiindchen, Sternschnuppen, and Um Mitternacht. These pieces express 4. Brin - gen sie all den gu - ten 5. Freund und Va - AI - ler uns Dir their texts through a variety of imagina­ tive flleans: use of soloists, piano accompa­ niment, distant or hidden choirs, humming, Bassi and wind instruments. Only three of them are unaccompanied. In some choruses describing night, na­ ture, and imitations of natural phenom­ ena Bruckner used "Brummstimmen," 11ff humming voices, which was very com­ morl in the nineteenth century. In Um Kreis ver - eint, Wallt em-par das Herz in Mitternacht the tenor soloist sings above a Tu - gend ist, Er hat heut, def Mann der humming chorus that creates the dreamy brin - gen wir, am Er - inner - ungs lag atmosphere of midnight. The text tells of consolation (Figure 4). In the traditional category of father­ Lie - ben Dein, Se - gen Dein - ner er an - ver - traut, ist in ew' - gen Frie land songs for men's voices, Bruckner cornposed the following: Das deutsche Lied, Germanenzug, Helgoland, Dos Lied vom deutschen Vaterland, Vaterlandisches Weinlied, Vaterlandslied, and Volkslied. Songs ofthis type were popular in the middle ofthe nineteenth century. Germanenzugwas performed at the Sangerbundes-Fest in ~" f Linz in 1865. The principal interest of

@) this and other festivals was the "deutsches das es lie -b::t e - del meint. Lied," a celebration of nationalism ex­ die - ses Sein zu - erst be - grUBt. pressing the desire for unification of the al - Ie uns - re WUn - sche Dir. " German people. Germanenzug was BruGkner's fust work as a professional com­ @) , durch der Jah - re 'Ian - ge Reih'n! poser after he had finished his studies. The ~Dir die Ruh - statt' schon ge - baut. piece is cast in the form of a cantata in : three parts: opening chorus with an in­ stnJ'memal introduction ("Germanen - durchschreiten des Urwaldes Nacht"), a : lyric solo quartet accompanied by French ., .. ~ . homs ("In Odins Hallen ist es licht") "" (Figure 5), and a closing chorus ("Da Figure 3. An deni Feste schlagen die Krieger mit wilder Gewalt") .18 Gennanenzug was apparently not well re­ Take a step up this ceived by the festival judges who awarded TUXEDO DISCOUNT ...... first prize to Bruckner's friend Rudolf AMERICA'S LARGEST NEW AND USED Kapellmeister Choir ~»Js Weinwurm for his piece Germania. In spite FORMAL WEAR DEALER Custom Designed & of this irIitial failure, Germanenzug became SPECIALIZING IN LARGE GROUPS oneiofBruckner's most performed works. Complete Seven-piece Tuxedos In November 1866 after the War be­ From $25.00 Please call for brochure and price list. tween Prussia and Austria and after the disintegration of the German federa­ TELEPHONE (619) 299-9065 tion) Bruckner composed both Vaterhndslied FAX (619) 299-3252 and,Vaterlandisches Weinlied. It was a time 3770 HANCOCK ST, STE F I of new Austrian patriotism. On Febru­ I SAN DIEGO, CA 92110 ary13, 1868, Bruckner first performed

PAGE 18 CHORAL JOURNAL Tenor Solo selzr zar! " >

If) y ~. Vaterliindisches "Weinlied, a twelve-measure In sil - Ben, un - be-Iausch- ten Tra------nen patriotic ballad with a text by August '" pp Silberstein, author of Germanenzug and If) Vaterlandslied It is a work with unex­ Brummstimme. pected harmonic changes and chromatic " pp parallel octaves (Figure 6). If) Brummstimme. The Choirmaster pp : Moves to Vienna On July 6, 1868, Bruckner was ap­ Brummstimme. pp pointed to a teaching position at the con­ : servatory of music in Vienna. The ..... Brummstimme.- ______Liedertafel did not want to accept the loss: cresco sempre ....----.. ~. dim. _ 1."---:;;" 1,,,,,---- Our own desciny was hanging in the " air: the quescion of the chorusmaster! e! l6st er des Her - zens, des Her - zens ban - ge Pein, __ Hardly had Mr. Bruckner become VA cresco sempre mJ dim. chorusmaster, hardly had he conducted the Liedertafel in some glorious e! I (Brst.) performances, a misfortune befell us cresco sempre mJ dim. as we would again lose this man " because he received an honorable call e! (Brst.) - to Vienna. The Liedertafel owes cresco sempre • II!J r~· dim . .,.. ::-.;.. great thanks to him, the exquisite : ~---- shade and the great effect we got to (Brst.) know with him and the precision in mj', dim. r--. the performances he conducted. He : was elected unanimously an honorary (Brst.) ______I _ member of the society.19 '" Figure 4. Urn Mitternacht On September 29, 1868, the Liedertafel Frohsinn held a farewell celebration for their beloved chorusmaster. In a letter the members apologized for the problems he had experienced as their conductor, thanked him for his untiring efforts on their behalf, and wished him well in his new prestigious position.2o An important chapter in Bruckner's compositional de­ Simply . .. the best! velopment carne to a close.

NOTES I Membership journal of"Frohsinn" 1855-56, Linzer Singakademie, Frohsinn-Archiv. MASTER MUSIC MANAGER 2 Linzer Singalmdemie, Frohsinn-Archiv, and Linzer Zeitung, November 18,1856. Easy-to-use computer resources for school and church musicians- 3 Regensburger Liederkranz (Regensburg: Ludwig Liebe, 1863). Madntosh® and Microsoft® WindowsTM versions include: 4 Alfred Coppenrath, ed., Regensburger Lieder­ MUSic Library Recordings library Membership Files kranz lOth ed. (Regensburg: Ludwig Liebe, Personal Directory Inventory Manager DataDesigner 1885). 5 August G611erich and Max Auer, Anton Easily customize any module, or design your own! Bruckner. Bin Lebens und Scha.lfensbild (Regensburg: Gustav Bosse, 1922-1937); Call MANAGER SOFTWARE for a FREE demo disk. reprint (Regensburg: Bosse, 1974), 3:32l. (800) 282-9220 0 Monday-Friday • 9-5 Eastern Time 6 Maybe Julius Otto. Also available for church musicians ... Hymnlndex™ Worship Planner 7 Maybe Richard Wiierst. Letter from Anton

DECEMBER 1996 PAGE 19 ATTENTION CHORAL DIRECTORS AND CHORAL MEMBERS: ARE YOU SINGING THE MESSIAH TIDS YEAR? Bruckner to the Wiener Mannergesang­ Introducing: SING YOUR PART, High-Quality AU!dio I Verein, March 21, 1861, Archive of the Cassettes of the Choral Works of The Messiah, sun~ by : Wiener Mannergesang-Verein 86. professionals, with the individual singing secti6ns 8 ~etter to the Liedettafel Frohsinn September 2, highlighted. j : 1858, Linz, Linzer Singakademie, Ftohsinn­ Please tell us the singingpartyou would like (soprano/alto/tl0"; Archiv, quoted in Anton Bruckner, bass) and send $12.50 per cassette to: Gesammelte Brieft. Neue Folge, ed. Max Auer Choral Friend· P.O. Box 240· Rindge, N.H. 034 1 (Regensburg: Gustav Bosse, 1924),29. 9 Elisabeth Maier, "Anton Bruckner's 'Gesangs­ Akademie.' Zum biographischen Umfeld Questions? 1 I eines bisher unbekannten Dokumentes," Call: (603) 899-5200 I Brllckner-Jahrbllch 1982/83 (Linz: Gutenberg 1984), 89-94. 10 G::hronik der Liedertafel "Frohsinn" in Linz tiber den 50jahrigen Bestand vom 17. Marz 1845 bis anfangs Marz 1895, 3l. IEl Langsamer, wiirdevoll 11 Welser Anzeiger, October 27, 1860. mF 12 G::hronik der Liedertafel "Frohsinn" in Linz, urnfassend den Zeitraum vom 17. Marz J2.Horner l 1845 bis Ende Marz 1870 (Linz 1870), 58. 13 Theodore Albrecht, "Anton Bruckner and 3.4.inD the Liedertafel Movement," American Choral Review Oanuary 1980): 12. =- pp 14 Linzer Abendbote, February 2, 1861, quoted Tenor I in Chronik der Liedertafel "Frohsinn" In O-din's Hal - len ist es Hcht und fern der Er den - 1845-1870,59. p = =- : pp 15 Letter from Anton Bruckner to Rudolf Tenor II Weinwurm, October 3, 1861, quoted in Auer, Gesammelte Briefe, 39. In O-din's Hal - len ist es licht und fern der Er den - 16 Gollerich and Auer, 3:429. p = =- pp 17 LinzerAbendbote, February 15, 1868. Ba6I 18 lior further information see Paul Hawkshaw, In O-din's Hal - len ist es Hcht fern der Er den - "From Zigeunerwald to Valhalla in Common pp p = =- , Time. The Genesis of Anton Bruclmer's Ba6 II Germanenzug," in Brnckner-Jahrbuch 1987/ In O-din's HaJ - len ist es Hcht und fern der Er den - 88 (Linz: Gutenberg, 1990),21-30. 19 Chronik "Frohsinn" 1845-1870, 128. 20 Letter from the Liedertafel F rohsinn to Anton Bruckner, September 29, 1868, Linzer Singalmdemie, Frohsinn-Archiv. -C]- nf = p -=== - aus Frey-as' _ Won - ne - strah len bricht die Se lig-keitl her - M'(JSICA~ nf : p -=== I -- 1\'()WI.L~I(::.L.\..® .~

pein, aus Frey-as' _ Won - ne - strah len bricht die Se her - :'four exc:.lusive sourc:.e for ~omanlan : ~eitl c:.horal music:. and beyond ... nf. ...-----. p - i CATALOG and - ~ pein, aus Frey-as' _ Won - ne - strah len bricht die Se ~eitl her - SAMPLER TAPE! nf. = p -- I P. O. Box 27830 Seattle, W A 98125-2830 pein, aus Frey-as' _ Won-ne - strah len bricht die Se - Hg-keit her - Phone • (206) 364-4225 Fax· (206) 364-4569 E-mail. [email protected] Figure 5. "In Odins Hallen ist es licht," from Germanenzllg

PAGE 20 CHORAL JOURNAL Frisch und heiter !Il Tenore

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