Kronstorfer Messe

The Kronstorfer Messe, WAB 146, is a missa brevis composed by Anton Bruckner in 1843-1844.

History
Bruckner composed the Kronstorfer Messe, WAB 146, in 1843–1844, while he was a schoolteacher's assistant in Kronstorf. This Choral-Messe in D minor for mixed choir a cappella was presumably intended for the Lenten season.

The work, the manuscript of which was archived in the St. Florian Monastery, was premiered by Augustinus Franz Kropfreiter on 1 December 1974 in the church of the monastery. The work is put in Band XXI/41 of the Gesamtausgabe.

Setting
The work is divided into four parts: Total duration: about 5 minutes.
 * 1) Kyrie - Adagio, D minor
 * 2) Sanctus - Adagio, B-flat major
 * 3) Benedictus - Andante, F major
 * 4) Agnus Dei - Adagio, F major

This Missa brevis, also called Messe ohne Gloria [und Credo], exhibits relationships to Palestrina's style. The mass survives only in a fragmentary state, without Credo. The manuscript, with, on the front page, an autograph indication "Sine Gloria", contains two blank pages with an autograph indication that they were to contain a Credo in F major.

Alike the contemporaneous Asperges me in F major (WAB 4), the Agnus Dei in F major contains audacious modulations.

Note
The Sanctus is re-used in a slightly modified setting for that of the next Messe für den Gründonnerstag.

Discography
There are two recordings of the Mass:
 * Jussi Kauranen, Pirkanpojat boys' choir, Tampere (Finland), Tuhansin Kielin – CD PPCD 02, edited by the choir, 1998
 * Sigvards Klava, Latvian Radio Choir, Bruckner: Latin Motets – CD Ondine OD 1362, 2019