Tantum ergo, WAB 42

Tantum ergo
Motet by Anton Bruckner
Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament
Key	D major
Catalogue	WAB 42
Form	Hymn
Text	Tantum ergo
Language	Latin
Composed	9 June 1846 (1846-06-09): St. Florian Abbey
Published	1893 (1893): Innsbruck
Vocal	SSATB choir
Instrumental	Organ

Tantum ergo ("Let us raise"), WAB 42, is a setting of the hymn Tantum ergo composed by Anton Bruckner in 1846.

Bruckner composed this motet on 9 June 1846 during his stay in St. Florian Abbey. The autograph voice score, without the organ score, is present in the archive of the St. Florian Abbey.^[1]

In 1888, Bruckner revised this setting, together with the revision of previous four Tantum ergo. The revised version of the five Tantum ergo was published first by Johann Groß, Innsbruck in 1893.^[2]

The 1846 and 1888 versions are put in Band XXI/13 and 38 of the Gesamtausgabe respectively.^[3]

The works is scored in D major for SSATB choir and organ. The first setting is 36-bar long. The bars 21-32 are optional.^[1] In the 31-bar long revised version these optional bars are removed and a 3-bar Amen is added.^[2]

This fifth Tantum ergo is characterised by its marked solemness. After a climax on novo cedat rituit it goes on, diminuendo, to an intimate quasi-Mozartian coda.^[4]

The first recording occurred in c. 1931:

• Ludwig Berberich, Münchner Domchor – 78 rpm: Christschall 118A (2nd version, a cappella)

There are only two recordings of this first version:

• Thomas Kerbl, Chorvereinigung Bruckner 09, Anton Bruckner Chöre/Klaviermusik – CD: LIVA 034 (first strophe only)
• Christian Erny, The Zurich Chamber Singers, Bruckner Spectrum - CD: Berlin Classics LC06203, 2022 (with a few deviations from the score)

Note: A live performance – without organ accompaniment – by Philipp von Steinäcker is available in the Bruckner Archive.^[5]

A selection among the about 20 recordings:

• Martin Flämig, Dresdner Kreuzchor, Ave Maria – Anton Bruckner: Geistliche Chöre - Motets – CD: Capriccio 10 081, 1985
• Magnar Mangersnes, Domchor Bergen, Bruckner: Motets – CD: Simax PSC 9037, 1996
• Hans-Christoph Rademann, NDR Chor Hamburg, Anton Bruckner: Ave Maria – CD: Carus 83.151, 2000
• Petr Fiala, Tschechischer Philharmonischer Chor Brno, Anton Bruckner: Motets - CD: MDG 322 1422-2, 2006
• Michael Stenov, Cantores Carmeli, Benefizkonzert Karmelitenkirche Linz - CD/DVD issued by the choir, 2006, and on YouTube.^[6]
• Erwin Ortner, Arnold Schoenberg Chor, Anton Bruckner: Tantum ergo - CD: ASC Edition 3, issue of the choir, 2008

• Max Auer, Anton Bruckner als Kirchenmusiker, G. Bosse, Regensburg, 1927
• 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

• Tantum ergo, WAB 42: Scores at the International Music Score Library Project – 1888 version
• Free scores for Tantum ergo, WAB 42 in the Choral Public Domain Library (ChoralWiki) – 1888 version
• Tantum ergo D-Dur, WAB 42 Critical discography by Hans Roelofs (in German)
• A live performance of the Tantum ergo, WAB 42 (1888 version) by the Catholic Choir of South-Korea (2015) can be heard on YouTube: Tantum ergo, WAB 42.