Bruckner, Anton.

the full score of the motet for eight voices, violins and three trombones, written in dark brown ink on up to fourteen staves per page, with the autograph title "Graduale", a working manuscript in places, with deletions, erasures and alterations, and with the composer's note in black ink on the first page, advising that the motet should be performed without violins ("besser ohne Violinen"), and his pencil annotations regarding the number of singers required, 7 pages, large oblong 4to (c.26 x 33cms), 14-stave paper, with the attribution "v. Anton Bruckner" in ink and a pencil note of provenance by Rudolf Weinwurm (1905) on the first page, [Vienna, late 1873], browning on the first page and some staining and wear to the corners



This is the most important Bruckner manuscript to have been offered for sale at auction.  It is a Bruckner discovery: this manuscript has been inaccessible to Bruckner scholars for over a century, and presumed lost by the editors of the 1984 Complete Edition. Bruckner manuscripts are rare.

Bruckner's estate; Theodor Reisch, Bruckner's lawyer; Rudolf Weinwurm (his pencil note of provenance on the first page, dated April 1905) 

Condition is described in the main body of the cataloguing, where appropriate
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

In the Complete Edition, this motet is furnished with parts for a full string band, including cellos and double bass. The string parts are used in the edition to double the voice parts from "et dedit illi nomen", through to the end of the work; however, they are entirely absent from Bruckner's autograph manuscript.  In the first edition of 1934, the violin part at the beginning was assigned to the alto voices and even provided with a text, whereas, in this manuscript, Bruckner makes it clear that he would prefer the singers to do without  this line altogether.

Bruckner's motets are amongst his most personal and individual works, and the most important corpus of unaccompanied sacred works from the nineteenth century.  This is a mature example from his Vienna period, and composed for the Hofkapelle, where Bruckner was "reserve organist".  It was performed there on 8 December 1873 and is contemporary with the first version of the Third Symphony.   The unusual scoring anticipates another famous work for eight-part choir and three trombones, Bruckner's "Ecce sacerdos magnus" of 1885. Crawford Howie remarks on the remarkable build-up of chords over held pedals in the final 'quod est super omne nomen' section, and the thematic relationship with the 'in aeternum' passage in the Te Deum of 1884.

The present manuscript was unknown to the editors of the Complete Edition, who  presumed Bruckner's autograph lost and relied on contemporary performing materials found at St Florian as their manuscript source.  Although instrumental support was obviously helpful for a provincial church choir, Bruckner's original Viennese conception of the motet is more striking and sparer, increasing the tremendous effect of the entry of the three trombones.  Indeed "Christus factus est" is essentially an unaccompanied motet, apart from this brief but sonorous brass reinforcement.   

This manuscript has remained within the same family since 1905, since its presentation by the composer's great friend Rudolf Weinwurm (1835-1911).  A long-time friend of Bruckner, Weinwurm was the composer's principal contact in Vienna, during Bruckner's time in Linz. He advised Bruckner on his compositions and gave him advice, support and lodging in Vienna: see D. Watson, Bruckner (1975), p.165; Andrea Harrandt in The Cambridge Companion to Bruckner, pp.20-21; Paul Hawkshaw in Nineteenth-Century Music, vol 6 (1983), p.253. See also: Anton Bruckner, Sämtliche Werke, edited by L. Nowak, H. Bauernfeind and others, volume 21 (1984), pp.100 & 185;  A. Crawford Howie, 'Bruckner and the Motet' in The Cambridge Companion to Bruckner, edited by J. Williamson, (2004), p.59; R. Grasberger, Werkverzeichnis Anton Bruckner [WAB] (1977), no.10 (no manuscript sources are described).