Messe für den Gründonnerstag

The Messe für den Gründonnerstag (Mass for Maundy Thursday), WAB 9, is a missa brevis composed by Anton Bruckner in 1844.

History
Bruckner composed the Messe für den Gründonnerstag, a Choral-Messe in F major (WAB 9) for mixed choir a cappella, in 1844 while he was a schoolteacher's assistant in Kronstorf. Bruckner dedicated the work to A.M.D.G.

The work, the manuscript of which is stored in the archive of Wels, was first published in band I, pp. 258–274 of the Göllerich/Auer biography. Thereafter, only the Gradual Christus factus est was issued by Anton Böhm & Sohn in 1931, so that the work was listed by Grasberger as Christus factus est, WAB 9.

The full setting of the mass is published in volume XXI/5 of the Gesamtausgabe.

Setting
The work is divided into six parts: Total duration: about 10 minutes.
 * 1) Gradual Christus factus est, F major
 * 2) Credo, C major
 * 3) Offertory Dextera Domini, F major
 * 4) Sanctus, E♭ major
 * 5) Benedictus, G major
 * 6) Agnus Dei, F major

On the front page of Bruckner's manuscript is written:
 * Vierstimmige Choral-Messe ohne Kyrie und Gloria für den Gründonnerstag
 * auch mit fug[iertem] Kyr[ie] und Glor[ia] [1]845 comp[oniert]
 * A.M.D.G. comp[oniert] [1]844, Anton Bruckner

In front of page 3 of the manuscript is written In coena Domini (At the Last Supper)

This Missa brevis exhibits as the previous Kronstorfer Messe relationships to Palestrina's style. It contained originally no Kyrie or Gloria, but included the Gradual Christus factus est and the Offertory Dextera Domini proper for the feast. Only the first part of the Credo is composed, until "descendit de caelis". The Sanctus is a slightly modified version of the Sanctus of the Kronstorfer Messe.

As also in the following Missa solemnis, Mass No. 1 and Mass No. 2 the first verse of the Credo is not composed and has to be intoned by the priest in Gregorian mode before the choir is going on.

The extra fugated Kyrie and Gloria, which were composed in 1845, have been lost.

Text
The text of Dextera Domini is derived from Psalm 117 in the Vulgata.

Dextera Domini exaltavit me. Non moriar, sed vivam, et narrabo opera Domini. The right hand of the Lord has exalted me. I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord.
 * Dextera Domini fecit virtutem,
 * style="padding-left:2em;"| The right hand of the Lord hath wrought strength;
 * }

Use in the modern liturgy
To make the Messe für den Gründonnerstag usable for Eucharist celebration
 * Joseph Messner created in 1941 a Kyrie and a Gloria and completed the Credo, by using elements of the other parts of the Mass, and added an organ accompaniment ad libitum.
 * Michael Stenov composed in 2018 a Kyrie and a Gloria, and completed the Credo fragment in Bruckner style. This completion was premiered in the Carmelite church of Linz during the Palm Sunday and Maundy Thursday celebrations.

Original setting
There is a single recording of the entire original setting of the Mass:
 * Rupert Gottfried Frieberger, Vokalensemble der Stiftsmusik Schlägl, Anton Bruckner – Kirchenmusikalische Werke – Fabian Records CD 5115, c. 2005

Messner's arrangement

 * Joseph Pančik, Prager Kammerchor, Josef Kšica (organ), Anton Bruckner – Motetten / Choral-Messe – CD Orfeo C 327 951 A, 1993
 * Ludo Claesen, Sint Maartenkoor Hasselt, Paul Steegmans (organ) – CD: Aurophon 31 4 81, end of 1990s (without Credo)