(In this last of nights), WAB 17, is a motet composed by Anton Bruckner.
History
Bruckner composed the motet in at St. Florian Monastery for the celebration of Maundy Thursday. However, it is not known whether it was performed at that time.C. van Zwol, p. 703 It was edited first by Anton Böhm & Sohn, Augsburg & Vienna, 1931.
There are two settings: one for soloist and organ, and another for mixed choir a cappella. The manuscript of the setting for soloist and organ is stored in the archive of the city museum of Wels. A transcription of the other setting is found in the Österreichische Nationalbibliothek.
The two settings of the motet are put in Band XXI/15 of the .Gesamtausgabe - Kleine Kirchenmusikwerke
Text The text is the first strophe of a 13-strophe text coming from the devoutness book Die heilige Passion, gefeiert in Liedern, Betrachtungen und Gebeten.Die heilige Passion, gefeiert in Liedern, Betrachtungen und Gebeten, Christlicher Verein, im nordlichen Deutschland (Ed.), Band 1, Halle, 1840, pp. 63-65
|style="padding-left:2em;"|In this last of nights When I prayed at the Mount of Olives, I was reddened from blood sweat, Poured it streaming for Thee. Woe! And who knows if ever Thou even thinkest of me!
In addition, a transcription using the Latin text In monte oliveti has been published by Theodor Bernhard Rehmann, Edition Peters, Leipzig, 1947.
|style="padding-left:2em;"|On the Mount of Olives He prayed to the Father: "Father, if it be possible, Let this cup pass from me. Let Thy will be done."In monte Oliveti on ChoralWiki
Music The motet, a 22-bar Passion chorale in F minor. There are two settings: one for soloist and organ, and another for choir a cappella.
As Crawford Howie writes "Both In jener letzten der Nächte WAB 17 (c. 1848) and Dir, Herr, dir will ich mich ergeben WAB 12 (c. 1845) for a cappella mixed-voice choir are chorale harmonizations, probably the result of [Bruckner's] studies with Zenetti."C. Howie, Chapter II, p. 26
Selected discography The first recording of Bruckner's In jener letzten der Nächte was by Edith Möller, Obernkrichner Kinderchor, LP: Telefunken SLE 14391, 1965
A selection of the about 10 recordings:
First setting Wilfried Jochens (tenor), Werner Kaufmann (organ), Music of the St. Florian Period (Jürgen Jürgens) - LP: Jerusalem Records ATD 8503, 1984; transferred to CD BSVD-0109, 2011 Sigrid Hagmüller (alto), Rupert Gottfried Frieberger (organ), Anton Bruckner – Oberösterreichische Kirchenmusik CD: Fabian Records CD 5112, 1995 Ludmila Kuznetzova (mezzosoprano), Ludmila Golub (organ), Bruckner: Masses and Songs (Valeri Poliansky) - CD: Chandos CHAN 9863, 1998 Günther Groissböck (bass), Matthias Giesen (organ), In Te Domine Speravi – Gramola CD 99327, 2024
Second setting Michael Stenov, Cantores Carmeli, Benefizkonzert Karmelitenkirche Linz - CD/DVD issued by the choir, 2006, and on YouTube. Rupert Gottfried Frieberger, Cantoria Plagensis, Anton Bruckner – Kirchenmusikalische Werke – Fabian Records CD 5115, 2007 Thomas Kerbl, Chorvereinigung Bruckner 2011, Anton Bruckner|Lieder Magnificat - CD: Brucknerhaus LIVA 046, 2011 Philipp von Steinäcker, Vocalensemble Musica Saeculorum, Bruckner: Pange lingua - Motetten - CD: Fra Bernardo FB 1501271, 2015
Note Frieberger's and Stenov's recordings contain both three strophes. The score used by Frieberger is coming from Reinthaler's Chorheft Bruckner,Anton Reinthaler, Chorheft Bruckner, 1996 in which strophes 2 and 3 are originating from Brentano's Ausgewählte Gedichte.Clemens Brentano - Ausgewählte Gedichte The score used by Stenov is coming from the religious songbook Unser Kirchenchorbuch für gemischte Stimmen.Hermann Kronsteiner, Unser Kirchenchorbuch für gemischte Stimmen, Veritas Verlag, Wien-Linz-Passau, 1966
References
Sources 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. Crawford Howie, Anton Bruckner - A documentary biography, online revised edition
External links In jener letzten der Nächte WAB 17 (1848) Critical discography by Hans Roelofs - Both settings – Latin transcription as In monte Oliveti Live performances: First setting: In jener letzten der Nächte, Robert Holzer, 2011 Second setting: Maundy Thurstday from Salzburg Cathedral, 2024: The motet was performed after the transfer of the Blessed Sacrament to the cathedral crypt, at 01:41:10 on Gründonnerstag - Feier vom Letzten Abendmahl aus dem Salzburger Dom, 28. März 2024 Maundy Thurstday from Vienna Cathedral, 2024: The motet was performed after the transfer of the Blessed Sacrament to the cathedral crypt, at 01:35:09 on Wo die Güte und die Liebe wohnt. Die Feier des Letzten Abendmahls aus dem Stephansdom - three strophes from the songbook Unser Kirchenchorbuch für gemischte Stimmen. Latine transcription: In monte Oliveti, Chor von St. Peter, Mannheim, 2011