("For the wedding ceremony"), WAB 54, is a wedding song composed by Anton Bruckner on 27 November 1878.
History Bruckner composed the setting for the wedding ceremony of his landlord Anton Ölzelt Ritter von Newin with Amalie Edler von Wieser. The piece was intended to be performed during the ceremony in the church of the Klosterneuburg Abbey. However, the ceremony did not occur, because the groom was a Protestant.C. van Zwol, p. 728U. Harten, p. 503
The original manuscript is stored in the archive of the in Vienna. It was first published in the yearbook of the Klosterneuburg Abbey (Vienna & Leipzig) in 1910. It has been re-edited by Wöss in 1921 together with the Ave Regina caelorum, WAB 8. It is put in Band XXIII/2, No. 30 of the .Gesamtausgabe – Weltliche Chöre
It is not known when the piece was performed first. A performance by the Hilliard Ensemble occurred on 15 September 1993 during the 20th Brucknerfest.
Text The work sets a text by Heinrich von der Mattig. Two hearts have found each other And bound together in marriage. The hand of the Priest has blessed The couple, establishing their band of love.
If the spirit of truth has united you And you understood the duty of clarity, Then the sanctuary of marriage is A heavenly Elysium.
So may for your whole life Heaven give you holiness and blessing, Also my prayer calls today loudly: God bless groom and bride!
Music The 64-bar long work in D major is scored for a men's choir a cappella.
Discography
There is a single recording of : Thomas Kerbl, Chorvereinigung Bruckner 12, Weltliche Männerchöre – CD: LIVA 054, 2012 (sung by a men's vocal quartet)
References
Sources 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 Uwe Harten, Anton Bruckner. Ein Handbuch. , Salzburg, 1996. . Cornelis van Zwol, Anton Bruckner 1824–1896 – Leven en werken, uitg. Thoth, Bussum, Netherlands, 2012.
External links
Zur Vermählungsfeier D-Dur, WAB 54 Critical discography by Hans Roelofs The performance of Zur Vermählungsfeier, WAB 54, by the Männerchorvereinigung Bruckner 12 can be heard on YouTube: Zur Vermählungsfeier