Das edle Herz, WAB 65

Das edle Herz ("The noble heart"), WAB 65, is a song composed by Anton Bruckner in c. 1851 during his stay in St. Florian.

History
Bruckner composed this work on a text of Ernst Marinelli in c. 1851 during his stay in St. Florian. He composed it for the name day of Johann Nepomuk Paulitsch, a member of the St. Florian choir. It is not known whether the work was performed during Bruckner's life.

The original manuscript, which became in-between lost, was found in the legacy of Bruckner's friend Rudolf Weinwurm. A sketch of it is archived at the Abbey of St. Florian. It was performed in 1988 by the Wagner Society Male Choir, Keio University, Tokyo, and, thereafter, in 1994 in the Connecticut College.

The work, which was first issued in Band II/2, pp. 111–113, of the Göllerich/Auer biography, is issued in Band XXIII/2, No. 7 of the Gesamtausgabe.

Bruckner composed a second setting on the same text for mixed choir (WAB 66) in 1857.

Text
Das edle Herz uses a text by Ernst Marinelli.

Music
The 46-bar long work in 9/8 is scored in A major for TTBB choir. From bar 34, the score goes over in 4/4 time in chorale form on "dankerfüllter Seelenpreis" until the end of the song.

Discography
There is as yet no commercial recording of this first setting of Das edle Herz.