Mass in E minor WAB 27 (2nd Version, 1882) (Vocal Score) Cover Image

Mass in E minor WAB 27 (2nd Version, 1882) (Vocal Score): Choral Works (inc. Oratorios)

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Mass in E minor WAB 27 (2nd Version, 1882) (Vocal Score) Cover Image
Mass in E minor WAB 27 (2nd Version, 1882) (Vocal Score): Choral Works (inc. Oratorios)

Mass in E minor WAB 27 (2nd Version, 1882) (Vocal Score): Choral Works (inc. Oratorios)

By Anton Bruckner / ed. Rüdiger Bornhöft

Item: 98-EP10915
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Description

When the E minor Mass was premiered in Linz it was heard in its first version. Bruckner made several changes to this version in 1876 and 1882: he reviewed its architecture and phrase structure and improved the melodic writing and the instrumentation in several passages.

The second version, completed in July 1882, is generally preferred today and forms the basis of the present edition. It received its first public hearing in the composer's presence on October 4, 1885, when it was given in the Old Cathedral at the conclusion of the centennial celebrations for the Linz bishopric.

Of the three Mass settings that Bruckner produced in Linz, the Mass No. 2 in E minor occupies a special position. If the orchestral Masses in D minor and F minor are dominated by the ethos of the classical symphony, the uniqueness of the E minor Mass resides in its blend of the ancient Palestrina style and a modern nineteenth century treatment of the wind instruments.

All in all, Bruckner's three great settings of the Mass from 1864 to 1868 form an impressive route to the monumental symphonies which were to follow and which form the actual basis of his fame.

Urtext Vocal Score.

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Additional Details
Series: Edition Peters
Publisher: Edition Peters
ISBN10: 0-01-410680-9
ISBN13: 979-0-01-410680-5
SKU: 98-EP10915

More about this title

About the Composer: Anton Bruckner

Anton Bruckner (1824-1896) was an Austrian composer and organist whose symphonies secured his place among the great orchestral writers of the nineteenth century. Before his symphonic breakthroughs, however, Bruckner composed three substantial Mass settings while teaching in Linz, works that reveal his deep grounding in liturgical music and his fascination with blending Renaissance polyphonic principles with Romantic-era orchestration. His willingness to revise these compositions years after their completion reflects his exacting compositional standards and his evolving artistic vision.

Bruckner's approach to the Mass genre was fundamentally different from many of his contemporaries. Rather than treating the liturgical text as a vehicle for operatic display, he honored the spiritual architecture of the form while bringing forward a modern harmonic language and innovative instrumental writing. His three Linz Masses (1864-1868) showcase his maturation as a craftsman and foreshadow the monumental structures he would build in his later symphonic works.

Why we love this

The E minor Mass occupies a rare compositional space: it is thoroughly liturgical yet profoundly personal, structured yet visionary. Bruckner's 1882 revision strengthens the melodic architecture and refines the wind writing to brilliant effect, making this score singularly rewarding for choirs prepared to navigate its harmonic depth and stylistic sophistication.

What to expect

The E minor Mass unfolds with architectural grandeur, moving between moments of crystalline Renaissance clarity and sweeping Romantic expression. There is a contemplative stillness at its core, interrupted by passages of dignified power, all rendered in Bruckner's distinctively luminous harmonic language where even dissonance feels inevitable and resolved.

Who it's for

This vocal score serves advanced community and professional choirs, university ensembles, and cathedral choirs with experience in large-scale liturgical repertoire. Singers need facility with chromatic harmony, steady ensemble intonation across extended passages, and comfort with both modal and tonal harmonic language.

How to get the most out of it

  • Balance the choral sonorities against wind lines that often carry thematic material; the interplay between voices and orchestra is essential to Bruckner's design, so rehearse sections with piano reduction before adding fuller orchestration or accompaniment recordings.
  • Shape phrases according to harmonic rhythm rather than text stress; Bruckner's harmonic language sometimes moves in ways that contradict natural speech patterns, and careful attention to tonal motion will clarify the form for singers and listeners alike.
  • Approach the Palestrina-influenced passages with clarity and spaciousness; these moments require a lighter texture and cleaner articulation than the full Romantic sections, creating effective contrast within movements.
  • Pay close attention to the revised passages Bruckner reworked in 1882; these represent his mature judgment about phrasing and orchestration, and understanding why he changed them deepens singers' interpretive choices.

How to use it

Program this as the centerpiece of a concert exploring nineteenth-century sacred music, pairing it with shorter liturgical works from the same era to create a cohesive evening. It also serves as a powerful conclusion to a choral season finale, particularly in institutional or cathedral settings where the music's spiritual and musical gravity will resonate most fully with both performers and audience.

Skills your students will build

  • Reading chromatically advanced harmonic language and recognizing tonal function across extended passages
  • Balancing blend in dense choral textures while maintaining individual voice line clarity
  • Sustaining ensemble intonation through unresolved suspensions and modal harmonic areas
  • Interpreting the relationship between Renaissance polyphonic style and nineteenth-century orchestral textures
  • Coordinate phrasing with instrumental accompaniment in complex contrapuntal sections

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