("The noble heart"), WAB 65, is a song composed by Anton Bruckner in during his stay in St. Florian.
History Bruckner composed this work on a text of Ernst Marinelli in during his stay in St. Florian. He composed it for the name day of Johann Nepomuk Paulitsch, a member of the St. Florian choir. It is not known whether the work was performed during Bruckner's life.C. van Zwol, p. 721U. Harten, p. 141
The original manuscript, which became in-between lost, was found in the legacy of Bruckner's friend Rudolf Weinwurm. A sketch of it is archived at the Abbey of St. Florian. It was performed in 1988 by the Wagner Society Male Choir, Keio University, Tokyo, and, thereafter, in 1994 in the Connecticut College.
The work, which was first issued in Band II/2, pp. 111–113, of the Göllerich/Auer biography, is issued in Band XXIII/2, No. 7 of the .Gesamtausgabe – Weltliche Chöre
Bruckner composed a second setting on the same text for mixed choir (WAB 66) in 1857.
Text Das edle Herz uses a text by Ernst Marinelli. Whoever feeds in his chest not only the flame Of his own altar, Whoever turns his glance of noble love Happily to his brother,
Whoever does not believe to be born by himself, But believes in his Creator, Who never lost this creed, Who never robbed others of it,
Whoever lays the value of his own belongings Willingly in needy hands, Who passes the noble gift of his knowledge Also in the heart of others,
Whoever is aware that blessing and giving mean the joy of his life, To him sounds with bliss Thankful praise from the soul.
Music The 46-bar long work in is scored in A major for choir. From bar 34, the score goes over in in chorale form on "dankerfüllter Seelenpreis" until the end of the song.
Discography There is as yet no commercial recording of this first setting of Das edle Herz.
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. .
External links
Das edle Herz A-Dur, WAB 65 – Critical discography by Hans Roelofs The performance of Das edle Herz, WAB 65 by the Wagner Society Male Choir of Japan, 11 December 1988, can be heard on YouTube: Das edle Herz, WAB 65