(You are like a flower), WAB 64, is a song, which Anton Bruckner composed in 1861.
History
Bruckner composed the song on a text of Heinrich Heine on 5 December 1861. On request of his friend Alois Weinwurm, Bruckner composed the song for the opening concert of the Liedertafel Sängerbund.C. Howie, Chapter III, pp. 89-90
The piece was performed 10 days later under Bruckner's baton in the of Linz by four soloists: Hermine and Wilhelmine Ritter, Heinrich Knoll and Ferdinand Hummel. The piece became a favourite of Sängerbund.U. Harten, p. 136C. van Zwol, p. 723
Bruckner's manuscript of 5 December 1861 (A-LIsakaWAB64) is stored in the archive of the city of Linz.Another undated work manuscript (Mus.Hs.3166) is stored in the archive of the Österreichische Nationalbibliothek. A copy of this work manuscript was first published in Band III/2, pp. 193–196 of the Göllerich/Auer biography.A score based on manuscript A-LIsakaWAB64 is issued in Band XXIII/2, No. 14 of the .Gesamtausgabe – Weltliche Chöre
Text
The song uses a text of Heinrich Heine's (Book of Songs). You are like a flower, So lovely, fair and pure; I gaze at you and wistful Melancholy slips into my heart.
It's as though I ought to place My hands upon your head And pray God to ever keep you So pure, fair, and lovely.Text on LiederNet
Music The 32-bar long work in F major is scored for quartet.
Discography There are three recordings of the song: Johannes Hiemetsberger, Chorus sine nomine, Romantik rediscovered - European choral gems of the 19th century – CD: Helbling C8352CD, 2017 Reiner E. Moritz, Anton Bruckner - The making of a giant – BR: Arthaus Musik NTSSC, 2021A recording of seven motets,Ave Maria, Locus iste, Pange lingua, Os justi, Christus factus est, Virga Jesse, and Vexilla regis and two Weltliche Chorwerke: Du bist wie eine BlumeA rehearsal of the song (18–09–2018) can be heard on Youtube: Anton Bruckner - Du bist wie eine Blume and the premiere of Vaterlandslied by Alexander Koller with Hard-Chor-Linz and the Linzer Sängerakademie, is together with the documentary. NB: A live performance of the song can be heard on Youtube.Du bist wie eine Blume - Anton Bruckner - Linzer Singakademie Calmus Ensemble, Bruckner Vocal - Du bist wie eine Blume, WAB 64 – Carus, 2023 – Original performance for voice quartet
Note A fragment, sung by the Chor der Singakademie Linz, can be heard from the 30th minute of the videofilm of Hans Conrad Fischer (1975). A performance by Stephen Cleobury with the BBC Choir (2011) is put in the Bruckner Archive: Charter Oak COR-2178 (box of 2 CDs).The Bruckner Archive
References
Sources August Göllerich, Anton Bruckner. Ein Lebens- und Schaffens-Bild, – posthumous edited by Max Auer by G. Bosse, Regensburg, 1932 Anton Bruckner – Sämtliche Werke, Band XXIII/2: Weltliche Chorwerke (1843–1893), Musikwissenschaftlicher Verlag der Internationalen Bruckner-Gesellschaft, Angela Pachovsky and Anton Reinthaler (Editor), Vienna, 1989 Cornelis van Zwol, Anton Bruckner 1824–1896 – Leven en werken, uitg. Thoth, Bussum, Netherlands, 2012. Uwe Harten, Anton Bruckner. Ein Handbuch. , Salzburg, 1996. . Crawford Howie, Anton Bruckner - A documentary biography, online revised edition
External links
Du bist wie eine Blume F-Dur, WAB 64 – Critical discography by Hans Roelofs Du bist wie eine Blume – Kentucky All-State Choir at the EKU Choral Day 2023 - EKU Center for the Arts (22 September 2023) Du bist wie eine Blume, WAB 64 – Leon Chu conducting the Choir of the Chinese University of Hong Kong - Live, Chung Chi Chapel, 18 April 2024 Du bist wie eine Blume in an arrangement for String Orchestra and Choir – Andrés Uribe-Jimenéz conducting the Musikverein St. Pölten 1837 (2023) Clifford So conducts Bruckner – live performance of Du bist wie eine Blume by the students of the Chinese University of Hong Kong Chorus (2024)