Bruckner monument in Stadtpark, Vienna / photo by Benoit Prieur via Picryl

We think of Anton Bruckner as a symphonist and devout Wagnerian. In fact, he had long experience as a composer of church music before he ever heard Wagner’s music or attempted to compose a symphony. He had apparently experimented with chromatic harmonies, too.

His best-known large-scale sacred music includes three masses and the Te Deum. He also composed motets throughout his career. Many of them are performed much more frequently than the larger works. Several include trombones, continuing a long-standing Austrian tradition. Continue reading →