Christus factus est, WAB 10

Bruckner composed the motet in 1873, and it was first performed on 8 December 1873 in the Wiener Hofmusikkapelle for the celebration of Mariä Empfängnis (feast of the Immaculate Conception).[1]

The manuscript, a copy of which is archived at the Austrian National Library, was destroyed in 1945.[2] On his manuscript Bruckner wrote Besser ohne Violinen (better without violins).[1][3] According to R. Luna, this "would mean that he conceived the work ideally for eight-part choir with brief interventions of the trombones and that he had written the strings colla parte[4] to prevent any intonation problems.[5]

The work was published first by Ludwig Berberich in Vienna in 1934 without string instruments (the violins being replaced by the alto voice during bars 1-14). The new edition (Nowak-Bauernfeind) is in accordance with the original manuscript.[6]

The 61-bar work in D minor is scored for eight-part mixed choir, three trombones, two violins,[3] and viola, cello and double bass.[7][1][6]

The first section (bars 1–12), a Dorian mode melody sung by the soprano and alto voices in unison, which is accompanied by a counterpoint of the first and second violins, ends on "autem crucis".
The second section (bars 13–21), a fugato, modulates to B-flat major and ends on bars 20–21 in forte on "exaltavit illum".
The third section (bars 22–31), sustained by the strings and the trombones, ends in a climax in A♭ major on "dedit illi nomen".[2]
The fourth section (bars 31 61) begins in pianissimo and in successive entries of the eight voices – from the lowest till the highest vocal parts – establishing a "pyramid" of sound based on an A♭ pedal tone, which leads the a further climax in C major. It is followed on bar 38 by a second "pyramid", which follows the same procedure and ends in D major.
The coda on "quod est super" begins on bar 45 with a third "pyramid", which is charged with a greater dramatic effect, and ends on bars 51-53 with an a cappella climax in D minor. The second part of the coda (bars 53–61), sung a cappella, which is a clear quotation of the coda of the Kyrie of the Mass in E minor, ends in pianissimo in D major.[5]

"One has to value this composition as one of the most expressive and monumental works of Bruckner's sacred music…", was a comment by the musicologist Leopold Nowak on his impression of the work.[6]

There are only two recordings of this setting of Christus factus est:

• Jonathan Brown, Ealing Abbey Choir, Anton Bruckner: Sacred Motets – CD: Herald HAVPCD 213, 1997 (fully a cappella)
• Ricardo Luna, Hard-Chor Linz, Ensemble Wien-Linz, Bruckner unknown – CD: Preiser Records PR 91250, 2013 (following the original score) – can also be heard on YouTube: Christus factus est, Original Version, WAB10

• 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.

• Christus factus est, WAB 10: Scores at the International Music Score Library Project
• Free scores for Christus factus est, WAB 10 in the Choral Public Domain Library (ChoralWiki)
• Christus factus est d-Moll, WAB 10 (1873) Critical discography by Hans Roelofs (in German)
• A live performance by Andrew Lewis with the Elgin Master Chorale (26 February 2018) can be heard on YouTube: Bruckner - Christus factus est, WAB 10 - violins replaced by organ (bars 1-14)
• Michael Stenov performed it during the Palm Sunday celebration of 2019: Musik zum Palmsonntag/Palm Sunday (Karwoche/Holy Week) 14. 4. 2019 Karmelitenkirche Linz - with organ colla parte