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Os justi (Bruckner)

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Os Justi
Motet by Anton Bruckner
Stift Sankt Florian 0145.JPG
Interior of St. Florian Abbey, where the dedicatee was choir master
Key Lydian mode
Catalogue WAB 30
Form Gradual
Language Latin
Composed 18 July 1879: Vienna
Dedication Ignaz Traumihler
Published 1886: Vienna
Vocal SSAATTBB choir
Instrumental Organ (verse Inveni David)
Os Justi ("The mouth of the righteous"), WAB 30, is a sacred motet composed by
Anton Bruckner in 1879. Os Justi is a Gregorian chant used as gradual of the
Commune Doctorum,[1] and as introit I[2] and gradual II[3] of the Commune
Confessoris non Pontificis.

Contents
1 History
2 Text and music
3 Selected discography
4 References
5 Sources
6 External links
History
Bruckner composed this gradual on 18 July 1879. Bruckner dedicated it to Ignaz
Traumihler, choirmaster of St. Florian Abbey.[4]

When Traumihler saw the manuscript, he asked: "Ist's der ganze Text?" (Is this the
whole text?) Therefore, Bruckner added on 28 July 1879 a verse Inveni David in
Gregorian mode followed by a repeat of the Alleluja.[4][5]

The first performance occurred not as foreseen on Traumihler's name-day (31 July
1879), but four weeks later, on 28 August 1879 on the feast of Saint Augustinus
under Traumihler's baton, with Bruckner at the organ.[4][5]

The work was first edited by Theodor R�ttig, Vienna in 1886, together with three
other graduals: Locus iste, Christus factus est and Virga Jesse. In this first
edition, something went wrong: the motet and the first Alleluja were issued, but
not the extra verse (Inveni David) and the repeat of the Alleluja. The extra verse
and the repeat of the Alleluja were � wrongly � classified by Grasberger as a
separate work (Inveni David, WAB 20).[4]

The full original setting, the manuscripts of which are archived at the
�sterreichische Nationalbibliothek,[6] is put in Band XXI/28 of the Gesamtausgabe.
[7]

Text and music


The text of the motet is two verses of Psalm 37, which is Psalm 36 in the Vulgata
(Psalms 37:30�31). The text of the added verse is taken from Psalm 89 (Psalms
89:20).

Os justi meditabitur sapientiam:


et lingua ejus loquetur judicium.
Lex Dei ejus in corde ipsius:
et non supplantabuntur gressus ejus.
Alleluia.
Inveni David servum meum,
oleo sancto meo unxi eum.
Alleluia.

The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom,


and his tongue speaks what is just.
The law of his God is in his heart:
and his feet do not falter.
Alleluia.[8]
I have found David, my servant;
I have anointed him with my holy oil.
Alleluia.[9]

The original work of 18 July 1879, a 69-bar gradual, is scored in Lydian mode for
choir a cappella. On two occasions (bars 9-13 and 51-56) the choir is divided into
eight voices. The second part on "Et lingua ejus" (bars 16-42) is a fugato without
any alteration.[10] The last sentence, on "et non supplantabuntur" (bars 65-69), is
sung pianissimo by the soprano, on a sustained tonic chord by the five other voices
(ATTBB).[10] It is followed by a 2-bar, unison Alleluja in Gregorian mode.

On 28 July 1879, Bruckner added an extra verse Inveni David scored for unison male
voices with organ accompaniment, and a repeat of the 2-bar Alleluja.[4] According
to Elisabeth Maier the melody of the Alleluja is a quote of the Alleluja of the
introit In medio ecclesiae of the Missa de Doctoribus.[11] The extra verse is
apparently Bruckner's own composition.[4]

Traumihler was a fervent supporter of the Cecilian Movement; the reason why
Bruckner composed this motet in Lydian mode, without any alteration in the key and
in the whole score, and with large use of unaltered chords.[5]

Selected discography
The first recording of Os justi occurred in 1931:

Ludwig Berberich, M�nchner Domchor � 78 rpm: Christschall 141


The large majority of the recordings follows the first edition, sometimes without
Alleluja. A selection among the about 120 recordings:

George Guest, St. John's College Choir Cambridge, The World of St. John's 1958�1977
� LP: Argo ZRG 760, 1973
Matthew Best, Corydon Singers, Bruckner: Motets � CD: Hyperion CDA66062, 1982
Elmar Hausmann, Capella Vocale St. Aposteln K�ln, Anton Bruckner, Missa solemnis in
B, Motetten � LP: Aulos AUL 53 569, 1983
Wolfgang Sch�fer, Freiburg Vocal Ensemble, Anton Bruckner: Motetten � CD:
Christophorus 74 501, 1984
Philippe Herreweghe, la Chapelle Royale/Collegium Vocale, Ensemble Musique Oblique,
Bruckner: Messe en mi mineur; Motets � CD: Harmonia Mundi France HMC 901322, 1989
Joseph Pancik, Prager Kammerchor, Anton Bruckner: Motetten / Choral-Messe � CD:
Orfeo C 327 951 A, 1993
John Eliot Gardiner, Monteverdi Choir, Bruckner: Mass No. 1; Motets � CD: DG 459
674-2, 1998
Hans-Christoph Rademann, NDR Chor Hamburg, Anton Bruckner: Ave Maria � Carus
83.151, 2000
Petr Fiala, Czech Philharmonic Choir, Anton Bruckner: Motets � CD: MDG 322 1422-2,
2006
Marcus Creed, SWR Symphony Orchestra and Stuttgart-Radio Vocal Ensemble, Mass in E
minor and Motets � CD: H�nssler Classic SACD 93.199, 2007
Stephen Layton, Polyphony Choir, Bruckner: Mass in E minor & Motets � CD: Hyperion
CDA 67629, 2007
Erwin Ortner, Arnold Schoenberg Chor, Anton Bruckner: Tantum ergo � CD: ASC Edition
3, issue of the choir, 2008
There are only a few recordings with the full motet, i.e., with the verse Inveni
David:

Robert Jones, Choir of St. Bride's Church, Bruckner: Motets � CD: Naxos 8.550956,
1994
Rupert Huber, S�dfunkchor Stuttgart, Romantische Chormusik � CD: H�nssler 91 106,
1996; also on YouTube - verse harmonised and sung a cappella
Duncan Ferguson, Choir of St. Mary's Cathedral of Edinburgh, Bruckner: Motets � CD:
Delphian Records DCD34071, 2010

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