Mein Herz und deine Stimme, WAB 79 explained

Key:	A major
Catalogue:	WAB 79
Type:	Lied
Text:	August von Platen
Language:	German
Dedication:	Pauline Hofmann
Vocal:	Solo voice
Instrumental:	Piano

(My heart and your voice), WAB 79 is a lied composed by Anton Bruckner in 1868.

History

Bruckner composed the lied on a text of August von Platen, in 1868 during his stay in Linz. He dedicated it to Pauline Hofmann, sister of his pupil Helene Hofmann.^{[1] [2] [3]}

The original manuscript is lost, but a copy of it is stored in the archive of the German: Österreichische Nationalbibliothek|italic=no.^[1] In 1930, the work was published in Band III/2, pp. 144–150 of the Göllerich/Auer biography.^{[1] [2]} The song is issued in Band XXIII/1, No. 4 of the German: Gesamtausgabe.^[4]

Text

The song is based on a text by August von Platen, to which Bruckner made three small changes:^[1]

Let me read deep in you,Do not hide it from me,What a magical beingSpeaks in your voice? So many words penetrateOur ears without plan,And while they fade away,Everything is done. However if even from afar Your tone addresses me,I so like to listen,I forget it so hard. I tremble then, I inflameWith all to quick ardour.My heart and your voiceUnderstand each other all too well.

Music

The 60-bar long work in A major is scored for solo voice and piano.^[1] The continuous triplet figures on the piano ensure a uniform background for the song.^[2]

Discography

There are five recordings of Mein Herz und deine Stimme:

• Marie Luise Bart-Larsson (soprano), Gernot Martzy (piano), Kammermusikalische Kostbarkeiten von Anton Bruckner – CD: Weinberg Records SW 01 036-2, 1996
• Robert Holzer (bass), Thomas Kerbl (piano), Anton Bruckner Lieder/Magnificat – CD: LIVA 046, 2011. NB: Transposed in F major.^[5]
• Elisabeth Wimmer (soprano), Daniel Linton-France (piano) in "Bruckner, Anton – Böck liest Bruckner I" – CD – Gramola 99195, 3 October 2018
• Calmus Ensemble Mein Herz und deine Stimme, WAB 79 - Bruckner Vocal – Carus, 2023 (arr. Høybye for vocal quartet)
• Erinnerung - Bruckner in St. Florian, Alois Mühlbacher (countertenor), Franz Farnberger (grand piano) – CD: Solo Musica SM 450, 2024
• Günther Groissböck (bass), Malcolm Martineau (piano) - Männerliebe und Leben – CD Gramola 99294, 2024

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/1: Lieder für Gesang und Klavier (1851–1882), Musikwissenschaftlicher Verlag der Internationalen Bruckner-Gesellschaft, Angela Pachovsky (Editor), Vienna, 1997
• 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

• • Mein Herz und deine Stimme A-Dur, WAB 79 – Critical discography by Hans Roelofs
• Von Platen's original text with English translation is available on The LiederNet Archive: "Her voice"
• Äneas Humm, Doriana Tchakarova (piano) at 04:50 of Anton Bruckner - Songs, Humm – Tchakarova

Notes and References

1. C. Van Zwol, p. 717
2. U. Harten, p. 277
3. C. Howie, Chapter III, p. 117
4. http://www.mwv.at/TextBruckner/Katalog/liederWelt.htm Gesamtausgabe – Lieder für Gesang und Klavier
5. Can also be heard on YouTube: A. Bruckner - Mein Herz und deine Stimme