Psalm 114 (Bruckner): Difference between revisions

# Kehre zurück, meine Seele, in deine Ruh: denn der Herr hat dir wohlgethan;

# Denn er errettete meine Seele vom Tode, meine Augen von den Thränen, meinen Füße vom Falle.

 

"The music is at first of an impressive archaic austerity, bare in harmony, and strikingly simple in texture. E minor is the opening key, but G major ultimately dominates."<ref>Leaflet by [[Robert Simpson (composer)|Robert Simpson]], Hyperion CDA66245</ref> The structure of the psalm, which is quite simple in concept, is grounded on liturgical practice.<ref name="harten">U. Harten, p. 344</ref> The composition begins with a four-phrase, [[Bridge (music)|homophonically]] constructed ''Alleluja'', which serves as an [[antiphon]] to the psalm setting. The individual verses, with the exception of verses seven and eight, are clearly separated by strong [[Cadence (music)|cadences]] or a few beats of [[Rest (music)|silence]].<ref name="kinder">K.W. Kinder, pp. 10-16</ref> "[Bruckner] relied to the trombones to reinforce contrasts delineated by the silences that would become so poignant in his later music."<ref>J. Williamson, pp. 46&ndash;47</ref> The trombones are so reinforcing the contrasts between "''Es umgaben mich die Schmerzen des Todes''" (shift to minor) and "''Kehre zurück meine Seele''" (return to major). The truly inspired work, which projects a profound understanding of the text, captivates the ear with interesting harmonies and varied timbres and textures. The final words of verse eight ("''meinen Füße vom Falle.''"), which are set in a two-voice [[Canon (music)|canon]] over a dominant [[Pedal point|pedal]], provide an effective [[Bridge (music)|bridge]] to the large-scale, five-voice double [[fugue]],<ref name="kinder"/> which ends with a powerful [[unison]] on "''im Lande der lebendigen.''"<ref name="harten"/>