Dir, Herr, dir will ich mich ergeben

Dir, Herr, dir will ich mich ergeben (To Thee, Lord, to Thee will I surrender myself), WAB 12, is a sacred motet composed by Anton Bruckner in c. 1845.

Dir, Herr, dir will ich mich ergeben
Motet by Anton Bruckner
Steinigung des heiligen Stephanus by Adam Elsheimer
Key	A major
Catalogue	WAB 12
Form	Chorale
Language	German
Composed	c. 1845:
Published	1932 (1932): Regensburg
Vocal	SATB choir

History

Bruckner composed the motet in c. 1845 either during his stay in Kronstorf or at the beginning of his stay in St. Florian Abbey. The original manuscript, on which the Tantum ergo, WAB 43 is also found, is in the archive of the St. Florian Abbey.^[1] The motet was first published in volume II/3, pp. 114–115 of the Göllerich/Auer biography.^[1] It is put in volume XXI/9 of the Gesamtausgabe.^[2]

Text

Dir, Herr, dir will ich mich ergeben, dir, dessen Eigentum ich bin. Du nur allein, du bist mein Leben, und Sterben wird mir dann Gewinn. Ich lebe dir, ich sterbe dir, sei du nur mein, so g'nügt es mir.

To Thee, Lord, to Thee will I surrender myself, Thee, whose property I am. Thou alone, Thou art my life, and so death then becomes to me a gain. I live for Thee, I die for Thee, that Thou alone be mine, so am I fulfilled.[3]

This text, which was also used by Felix Mendelssohn in his oratorio Paulus, is based on the ninth verse of the hymn Herr Gott, du kennest meine Tage by Ludwig Rudolph von Senftt zu Pilsach over the Stoning of Stephen.^[4]

Music

The 32-bar work in A major is a chorale for mixed choir a cappella.

As Crawford Howie writes, "both In jener letzten der Nächte WAB 17 (c. 1848) and Dir, Herr, dir will ich mich ergeben WAB 12 (c. 1845) for a cappella mixed-voice choir are chorale harmonizations, probably the result of his studies with Zenetti."^[5]

Selected discography

There are only a few recordings of Dir, Herr, dir will ich mich ergeben:

• Balduin Sulzer, Chor des Linzer Musikgymnasiums, Stiftskirche Wilhering - Geistliche Musik – CD: Preiserrecords 90052CD, c. 1985
• Thomas Kerbl, Chorvereinigung Bruckner 2011, Anton Bruckner: Lieder/Magnificat – CD: LIVA 046, 2011
• Philipp von Steinäcker, Vocalensemble Musica Saeculorum, Bruckner: Pange lingua - Motetten - CD: Fra Bernardo FB 1501271, 2015