Herbstlied, WAB 73

Herbstlied (Autumn song), WAB 73, is a romantic song composed by Anton Bruckner in 1864. The song, scored for men's choir and two soprano soloists with piano accompaniment, depicts an autumn walking with nightingale song.

History
Bruckner composed the song on a text of Friedrich von Sallet on 19 March 1864.

Bruckner dedicated the song to his friend Josef Hafferl, chairman of the Liedertafel Frohsinn. The piece was performed on 24 November 1864 in the Redoutensaal of Linz by Frohsinn under Bruckner's baton, with Marie Schimatschek and Anna Bergmann as soloists.

A copy of the work, of which the original manuscript is lost, is stored in the archive of the Liedertafel Frohsinn. The piece, which was first issued by Viktor Keldorfer (Universal Edition) in 1911, is issued in Band XXIII/2, No. 16 of the Gesamtausgabe.

Text
Herbstlied is using a text by Friedrich von Sallet.

Music
The 69-bar long work in F-sharp minor is scored for TTBB choir, two soprano soloists and piano. Strophe 1 is sung by the men's choir. Strophe 2 (from bar 17) is sung by the two soprano soloists, who are figuring the song of the nightingales, with accompaniment of the men's choir. Strophe 3 is sung again by the men's choir. Strophe 4, which is sung again by the two soprano soloists with accompaniment of the men's choir, is ending pianissimo.

In the Göllerich/Auer biography, the song is described as ein treffliches Stimmungsbild herbstlicher Naturromantik (a felicitous evocation of autumnal nature-romanticism).

Discography
The first recording of Herbstlied was by Theodor Rehmann with the Aachener Domchor in 1938 – 78 rpm: Electrola EG 6530 (transcription for choir)

There are two other recordings:
 * Thomas Kerbl, Quartet of the Männerchorvereinigung Bruckner 08, Regina Riel & Katharina Lyashenko (soprano soloists), Mariko Onishi (piano), Anton Bruckner – Männerchöre – CD: LIVA027, 2008 (men's choir replaced by a men's vocal quartet)
 * Markus Stumpner, Erinnerung - Bruckner in St. Florian, Sankt Florianer Sängerknaben – CD : Solo Musica SM 450, 2024