Salvum fac populum tuum, WAB 40

Salvum fac populum tuum ("O Lord, save thy people"), WAB 40, is a motet composed by Anton Bruckner in 1884.

Salvum fac populum tuum
Motet by Anton Bruckner
Te Deum stained glass window - St Mary's church, Ware
Key	F major
Catalogue	WAB 40
Text	Verses of the Te Deum
Language	Latin
Composed	November 14, 1884: Vienna
Published	1932: Regensburg
Vocal	SSATB choir

History

The motet, based on a few verses of the Te Deum, was composed on 14 November 1884, presumably on request of Franz Xaver Witt for the Cecilian society. The manuscript is archived at the Österreichische Nationalbibliothek.[1] The motet was first published in band IV/2, pp. 496-497 of the Göllerich/Auer biography.[2] It is put in Band XXI/31 of the Gesamtausgabe.[3]

Music

The 57-bar motet in F major for choir a cappella, is based on the verses "Salvum fac populum tuum" till "Quem ad modum speravimus in te." of the Te Deum.

Salvum fac populum tuum et benedic hereditati tuae, Domine Et rege eos, et extolle illos usque in aeternum Per singulos dies benedicimus, et laudamus nomen tuum in saeculum et in saeculorum saeculi. Dignare, Domine, die isto, sine peccato nos custodire. Miserere nostri, Domine, miserere nostri Fiat misericordia tua, Domine, super nos Quem ad modum speravimus in te.

This, for Bruckner a quite unique composition, which uses the same verses as part 4 of his Te Deum, alternates passages in unison, in Falsobordone and in polyphony.[2]

Discography

There are a few recordings of Bruckner's Salvum fac populum tuum:

• Robert Jones, Choir of St. Bride's Church, Bruckner: Motets – CD: Naxos 8.550956, 1994
• Alois Koch, choir of the St. Hedwig's Cathedral, Anton Bruckner: Messe in e-Moll – CD: Ars Musici 1186-2, 1996 (with accompaniment of trombones)
• Balduin Sulzer, Mozart Chor Linz, Bruckner – CD: AtemMusik Records ATMU 97001, 1997
• Hans-Christoph Rademann, NDR Chor Hamburg, Anton Bruckner: Ave Maria – CD: Carus 83.151, 2000
• Philipp von Steinäcker, Vocalensemble Musica Saeculorum, Bruckner: Pange lingua - Motetten - CD: Fra Bernardo FB 1501271, 2015
• Sigvards Klava, Latvian Radio Choir, Bruckner: Latin Motets, 2019 – CD Ondine OD 1362

References

1. U. Harten, p. 374
2. C. van Zwol, pp. 707-708
3. Gesamtausgabe - Kleine Kirchenmusikwerke

Sources

• August Göllerich, Anton Bruckner. Ein Lebens- und Schaffens-Bild, c. 1922 – posthumous edited by Max Auer by G. Bosse, Regensburg, 1932
• Anton Bruckner – Sämtliche Werke, Band XXI: Kleine Kirchenmusikwerke, Musikwissenschaftlicher Verlag der Internationalen Bruckner-Gesellschaft, Hans Bauernfeind and Leopold Nowak (Editor), Vienna, 1984/2001
• Cornelis van Zwol, Anton Bruckner 1824–1896 – Leven en werken, uitg. Thoth, Bussum, Netherlands, 2012. ISBN 978-90-6868-590-9
• Uwe Harten, Anton Bruckner. Ein Handbuch. Residenz Verlag, Salzburg, 1996. ISBN 3-7017-1030-9

External links

• Salvum fac populum, WAB 40: Scores at the International Music Score Library Project
• Free scores for Salvum fac populum tuum, WAB 40 in the Choral Public Domain Library (ChoralWiki)
• Salvum fac populum tuum F-dur, WAB 40 Critical discography by Hans Roelofs (in German)
• Live performances can be heard on YouTube:
  • by Les Choristes (2008): Salvum fac populum tuum - Les Choristes
  • by the Landesjugendchor Vorarlberg (2016): Salvum fac populum tuum - Landesjugendchor Vorarlberg