Choral music by Anton Bruckner

Great art in small forms – Bruckner's smaller sacred works reveal a more personal side to the master symphonist and creator of large-scale orchestral masses.

In addition to the well-known motets, the choral collection includes smaller sacred works such as short mass settings (a cappella or with organ) and simple liturgical songs and hymns, some with organ or occasionally with trombones.

All works are also available in separate editions, printed and digital.

For curious choirs: At times Romantic, at other times with a jazzy touch, the Choral collection Bruckner. Secular choral music is full of exciting discoveries and new arrangements at various levels of difficulty.

Anton Bruckner’s secular choral music is often overshadowed by his great symphonies and sacred choral works – unfairly, as choral experts Simon Halsey and Jan Schumacher prove with their small but fine selection of choral music inspired by secular texts.

All works are also available in separate editions, printed and digital.

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In the video, editors Simon Halsey and Jan Schumacher talk about what makes this edition so special, how it came to be and what their personal highlights from the choral collection are.

Anton Bruckner's Te Deum – a high point in the composer's output and one of the most important works of the sacred choral repertoire in the 19th century – is available in a modern, scholarly edition.

And so a music text has been prepared which reflects the composer's intentions as closely as possible. Great emphasis has been placed on a clear-to-read layout of the full score pages, as well as excellent legibility for the parts, which are available on sale.

With the practice app carus music, choir singers can practise the works of Bruckner. For example, the Te Deum. Simply select the right pitch, buy the work and you can practise at home or on the go.

Composition with a career: While it was considered unsingable by contemporaries, the Mass in F minor is today Bruckner's most frequently performed mass. Carus founder Günter Graulich says: "It's my favorite sacred work by Bruckner!"

The mass is one of the first works by Bruckner to be written in his characteristic symphonic style. It was revised several times and first published in 1892. This edition is based on a critical evaluation of all the relevant sources, and offers an improved musical text. Here you can find suggestions for intonations to Gloria and Credo: PDF

Anton Bruckner's great Mass in E minor for eight-part choir and winds impresses with its expressive combination of archaic monophony, strict polyphony and romantic-harmonic wind accompaniment - a great challenge for high-performance choirs.

In addition to the original version, a charming arrangement for choir and organ (arr. Klaus Rothaupt) is also available.

At Carus you can also find all of Bruckner’s smaller liturgical vocal works in practical separate editions, including Christus factus est WAB 9 (Carus 3.053/20), the Kronstorfer Messe WAB 146 (Carus 40.141/60), Locus iste WAB 23 (Carus 40.114/20), Os iusti WAB 30 (Carus 3.388/30) or Virga Jesse WAB 52 (Carus 40.114/40) – in print and digitally.

New arrangements of the Te Deum and the Mass in D minor by Sebastian Bartmann for the Bruckner anniversary in 2024: Both were premiered under the baton of Arndt Martin Henzelmann. In our blog article, Henzelmann answers five questions about the new versions from the conductor’s perspective.