Festgesang, WAB 15


The Festgesang, WAB 15, is a cantata composed by Anton Bruckner in 1855.

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 or the evening before. The manuscript is stored in the archive of the St. Florian Abbey.
The manuscript was retrieved in 1921 by Franz Xaver Müller 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. It is published in volume XXII/1 no. 5 of the Gesamtausgabe.

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:
  1. Recitative "Sankt Jodok sproß": bass soloist
  2. Aria "In Einsamkeit zurückgezogen": bass soloist
  3. Choir "Du bist der Vater": mixed choir Ziemlich langsam, gemütlich
  4. Aria "Du pflegst das Herz": soprano soloist Langsam, mit Gefühl
  5. Recitative "Nicht minder ziert": tenor soloist
  6. Finale "Heil unserm Vater": mixed choir 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