Mass No. 2 in E minor, WAB 27 (1882 version): Mass, Orchestra Accompaniment, Conductor Score

Anton Bruckner (1824-1896) initially composed the MASS NO. 2 IN E MINOR, WAB 27 in 1866, revising it several times prior to the performance of the 1882 version in Linz. Written for the dedication of the Votive Chapel of the Linz Cathedral, it is scored for eight-part mixed choir and a small wind ensemble. Following construction delays, the mass finally premiered on October 4, 1869 in the newly completed chapel. Eschewing grand orchestral forces, Bruckner drew instead on Renaissance polyphony and plainchant influences, blending them with his own Romantic harmonic language to create a deeply spiritual and architecturally majestic work. The choral score is available as A258291. Instrumentation: 0.2.2.2: 4.2.3.0: Double Chorus. Reprint edition.