Helgoland (Bruckner)

Secular cantata by Anton Bruckner

Helgoland

by Anton Bruckner

The composer, c. 1890/1895

Key| G minor
Catalogue| WAB 71
Form| Patriotic cantata
Dedication| Men's Choir of Vienna
Performed| 8 October 1893 (1893-10-08):  Hofburg Palace, Vienna
Published| 1893 (1893) (vocal and piano score)
Recorded| 1977 (1977) – Wyn Morris, Ambrosian Male Voice Chorus and Symphonica of London
Movements| 7
Vocal| TTBB choir
Instrumental| Orchestra

Helgoland, WAB 71, is a secular, patriotic cantata for male choir and orchestra, composed by Anton Bruckner in 1893. Since Bruckner did not complete the 9th symphony, Helgoland is his last complete work.

## History[edit]

One year earlier, Bruckner had already composed another, shorter patriotic work, Der deutsche Gesang (WAB 63), that was premiered at the First German Academic Song Festival in Salzburg in June 1892.

Helgoland was composed in April 1893 for the Men's Choir of Vienna[1] to celebrate its 50th birthday.[2][3] The text was written by August Silberstein, who had already provided poems set to music by Bruckner (Germanenzug in 1864 and Vaterlandslied in 1866).

The setting was a case of interest, as the Frisian island of Heligoland had just been given to Germany in 1890 by Great Britain (in exchange for Zanzibar). Helgoland was conducted on 8 October 1893 by the Men's Choir of Vienna and the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra under Eduard Kremser's baton in the Winterreitschule of the Hofburg Palace.[2][3]

Bruckner legated the manuscript to the Österreichische Nationalbibliothek. The work was first published as vocal and piano reduction score by Cyrill Hynais in 1893. The vocal and orchestral score was posthumously issued by Doblinger, Vienna in 1899.[2][3] It is put in Band XXII/2 No. 8 of the Gesamtausgabe.[4]

## Text[edit]

A bird's-eye view of the island of Heligoland A map of Heligoland from 1910, 14 years after Bruckner's death

The text from August Silberstein's Mein Herz in Liedern focuses on the Saxon people of the island who are threatened by the invasion of the Romans, but divine intervention saves them:

Hoch auf der Nordsee, am fernesten Rand
Erscheinen die Schiffe, gleich Wolken gesenkt;
In wogenden Wellen, die Segel gespannt,
Zum Eiland der Sachsen der Römer sich lenkt!

O weh um die Stätten, so heilig gewahrt,
Die friedlichen Hütten, von Bäumen umlaubt!
Es wissen die Siedler von feindlicher Fahrt!
Was Lebens noch wert, auch Leben sie raubt!

So eilen die Zagen zum Ufer herbei,
Was nützet durch Tränen zur Ferne geblickt;
Da ringet den Besten vom Busen sich frei
Die brünstige Bitte zum Himmel geschickt:

Der du in den Wolken thronest,
Den Donner in deiner Hand,
Und über Stürmen wohnest,
Sei du uns zugewandt!

Lass toben grause Wetter,
Des Blitzes Feuerrot,
Die Feinde dort zerschmetter!
Allvater! Ein Erretter aus Tod und bitt'rer Not!
Vater!

Und siehe, die Welle, die wogend sich warf,
Sie steiget empor mit gischtenden Schaum,
Es heben die Winde sich sausend und scharf,
Die lichtesten Segel verdunkeln im Raum!

Die Schrecken des Meeres, sie ringen sich los,
Zerbrechen die Maste, zerbersten den Bug;
Der flammenden Pfeile erblitzend' Geschoss,
Das trifft sie in Donners hinhallendem Flug.

Nun, Gegner, Erbeuter, als Beute ihr bleibt,
Gesunken zu Tiefen, geschleudert zum Sand,
Das Wrackgut der Schiffe zur Insel nun treibt!
O Herrgott, dich preiset frei Helgoland![5]

On the North Sea's most distant horizon
Ships appear that resemble clouds;
In billowy waves with tension on the sail
The Romans approach the Saxons' isle.

Alack! The holy lieus, hitherto preserved,
The peaceful homes surrounded by trees!
The settlers are aware of the adverse armada!
Everyone being worth living, as they also steal life!

Even those who hesitated now rush to the shore
For looking with tears in the eyes is of no use;
Thus, from the most valuables' bosoms
A prayer is sent to the sky:

Thou who art enthroned in the clouds,
Who hast thunder in thy hand
And who demandest tempests,
Be benevolent upon us!

Let dreadful storms bluster,
Lightning's fire,
And smash yonder foes!
Lord! Our saviour from death and bitter hardships!
Father!

And look, the wave, that was billowing
Turns into froth-like foam,
The winds arise and they bolt fiercely,
Even the brightest sails are darkened!

The horrors of the ocean are relinquished,
They burst the masts and the bows;
The all-igniting arrows of lightning
Strike them while thunder accompanies their flight.

Now, enemy, looter, you stay as a loot,
Sunk to the ocean's depth, dashed to the sand,
Your ships' wreckage floats towards the island!
O Lord, the free Heligoland praises thee!

|

## Setting[edit]

The 317-bar long composition in G minor, scored for TTBB male choir and orchestra (2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, contrabass tuba, timpani, cymbal and strings), is set as a three-part sonata form with coda.

The piece is full of strength and enthusiasm, and carries the mark of Wagner's influence.[6] The orchestral introduction depicts already the atmosphere of storm and fate, which hangs over the text. The first part (first three strophes) depicts the approach of the enemies and the announcement of the prayer, the mid-part (next two strophes) depicts the invocation of the deity, and the third part (reprise with development) depicts the storm and the sinking of the enemies. The coda on the last verse "O Herrgott, dich preiset frei Helgoland!, with a cymbal crash near the end (bar 309),[2] is a hymn to the deity.[3]

Duration: about 13 minutes.[4]

## Discography[edit]

Helgoland is seldom played presumably because of the text, a poem with German patriotic content, but also the high requirements, i.e., a symphonic orchestra and a professional men's choir.[7]
Fritz Oeser made an adaptation of the work for mixed choir and orchestra, and put on it a new text „Dröhne, du Donner“ (Roar, you Thunder!), so that the work would be performed more often.[8][9] However, no recording of this adaptation is available as yet.

Many noted Brucknerian conductors have neglected to record the work, although Daniel Barenboim has done it twice, at the time of his playing the symphonies of Bruckner with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra.

There are four commercial recordings of the work:

* Wyn Morris, Symphonica of London and Ambrosian Chorus – LP: Symphonica SYM 11 (with Wagner's "Das Liebesmahl der Apostel"), 1977; transferred to CD: IMP PCD 1042, 1993; CD: Klassic Haus KHCD-2012-043, 2012 (with Symphony No. 6 by Heinz Bongartz)
* Daniel Barenboim, Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Chicago Symphony Chorus – LP: DG 2707 116, 1979 (with Symphony "No. 0" and Psalm 150); transferred to DGG CDs: 6 October 1992 and 1 May 1995.
* Daniel Barenboim, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Berlin Radio Choir and Ernst Senff Choir – CD: Teldec 0630 16646-2, 1992 (with Symphony No. 1); reissued on CD: Elektra/Wea/Teldec, June 16, 1998; in a CD-box of Barenboim's Berlin cycle by Warner Classics, 10 January 2006.
* Alberto Hold-Garrido, Choruses for Male Voices and Orchestra, Lund University Student Singers and Malmö Opera Orchestra – CD: Naxos 8572871, 2012

Note
A not-issued recording by Takashi Asahina can be heard on John Berky's website: Helgoland by T. Asahina with the Osaka Philharmonic Orchestra (1987) [Download of the Month for September, 2013]. The December, 2022 Download of the Month on the site was the 1993 out-of-print recording of the work by Wyn Morris. Other not-issued recordings by among others, Gennadi Rozhdestvensky and Neeme Järvi are stored in the Bruckner Archive.[10]
Helgoland  has also been performed at the Brucknerfest 2022 (Brucknerfest 2022 - Krieg und Frieden (29-09-2022)). A recording is available in the Bruckner Archive.

## References[edit]

1. ^ Called the Vienna Male Singing Society (Wiener Männergesangvereins) in Volume XXII/2 No. 8 of the Bruckner Complete Edition
2. ^ a b c d C. van Zwol, pp. 714-715
3. ^ a b c d U. Harten, p. 193
4. ^ a b Gesamtausgabe – Kantaten und Chorwerke mit Orchester
5. ^ Helgoland text
6. ^ Patrick C Waller review for Barenboim's BPO Bruckner cycle
7. ^ Discography of Helgoland by Hans Roelofs
8. ^ Fritz Oeser, Symphonischer Psalm „Dröhne, du Donner“. Bearbeitung des symphonischen Chores „Helgoland“ für gemischten Chor und Orchester mit neuem Text. Bruckner-Verlag, Wiesbaden, 1954.
9. ^ Manuscript of „Dröhne, du Donner“
10. ^ The Bruckner archive

## Sources[edit]

* Anton Bruckner – Sämtliche Werke, Band XXII/2: Kantaten und Chorwerke II (1862–1893), Musikwissenschaftlicher Verlag der Internationalen Bruckner-Gesellschaft, Franz Burkhart, Rudolf H. Führer and Leopold Nowak (Editor), Vienna, 1987 (Available on IMSLP: Neue Gesamtausgabe, XXII/2. Kantaten und Chorwerke Teil 2: Nr. 6-8)
* Uwe Harten, Anton Bruckner. Ein Handbuch. Residenz Verlag [de], Salzburg, 1996. ISBN 3-7017-1030-9.
* Cornelis van Zwol, Anton Bruckner - Leven en Werken, Thot, Bussum (Netherlands), 2012. ISBN 90-686-8590-2

## External links[edit]

* Helgoland, WAB 71: Scores at the International Music Score Library Project
* Helgoland g-Moll, WAB 71 Critical discography by Hans Roelofs (in German)

* v
* t
* e

German patriotic songs

Holy Roman Empire|

* Ir sult sprechen willekomen
* Arminio (Handel)
* Arminio (Biber)
* Günther von Schwarzburg
* Hermann und Thusnelda
* Kapitänsmusik
* Landesvater
* Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott
* Der Tod fürs Vaterland
* Vaterlandslied

Wars of Liberation|

* Germania (Beethoven)
* Lützows wilde verwegene Jagd
* Schwertlied
* Wenn alle untreu werden
* Symphony No. 7 (Beethoven)
* Vaterlandslied (Arndt)

German Confederation
and
Revolution of 1848|

* Agnes von Hohenstaufen
* Gott mit dir, du Land der Bayern
* Heil euch, wack're Männer
* Des Deutschen Vaterland
* Deutschlandlied
* Ein Feldlager in Schlesien
* Festgesang
* Fierrabras
* Ich hab mich ergeben
* In Kümmernis und Dunkelheit
* Lohengrin
* O Deutschland hoch in Ehren
* Regina
* Die Rheinnixen
* Symphony No. 1 (Raff)
* Die Wacht am Rhein
* Rheinlied
* Oben am deutschen Rhein
* Wanke nicht, mein Vaterland

North German Confederation
and
German Empire|

* Akademische Festouvertüre
* Arminius (Bruch)
* Germania (opera)
* Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg
* Mathis der Maler
* Der Roland von Berlin
* Heil dir im Siegerkranz
* Mein Waldeck
* Kaisermarsch
* Theodor Körner (opera)
* Triumphlied
* Für Danzig
* Heimat, deine Sterne
* Preußens Gloria

Austria-Hungary and
First Republic of Austria|

* Das Lied vom deutschen Vaterland
* Der deutsche Gesang
* Deutschösterreich, du herrliches Land
* Germanenzug
* Helgoland
* Karl V.
* Sängerbund
* Sei gesegnet ohne Ende
* Vaterlandslied
* Volkslied
* Dem Vaterland

Nazi Germany|

* Nazi songs
* Horst-Wessel-Lied
* Panzerlied
* Sturmlied
* Es war ein Edelweiss
* Volk ans Gewehr
* Erika (song)
* Wir sind des Geyers schwarzer Haufen
* Westerwaldlied

Germany since 1945|

* East Germany
* Auferstanden aus Ruinen (1949)
* Kinderhymne (1950)
* Lied von der blauen Fahne (1950)
* West Germany
* Hymne an Deutschland (1950)
* Reunited
* Was es ist (2003)

Category

* v
* t
* e

Anton Bruckner

List of compositions

Symphonies|

* Symphonies (1863–1896)
* Symphony in F minor (1863)
* No. 1 in C minor (1866/1891)
* Symphony in D minor (1869)
* No. 2 in C minor (1872/1877)
* No. 3 in D minor (1873/1877/1889)
* No. 4 in E♭ major (Romantic; 1874/1878–1880/1888)
* No. 5 in B♭ major (1876)
* No. 6 in A major (1881)
* No. 7 in E major (1883)
* No. 8 in C minor (1887/1890)
* No. 9 in D minor (1896) (unfinished)

Other orchestral|

* Four Orchestral Pieces (1862)
* Overture in G minor (1862–1863)
* March in E-flat major (1865)
* Symphonisches Präludium (1876)

Sacred works|

| Masses|

* Masses (1842–1868)
* Windhaager Messe (1842)
* Kronstorfer Messe (1843)
* Messe für den Gründonnerstag (1844–1845)
* Requiem in D minor (1849)
* Missa solemnis (1854)
* Mass No. 1 in D minor (1864)
* Mass No. 2 in E minor (1866/1882)
* Mass No. 3 in F minor (1868/1883/1893)

|

Cantatas|

* Psalm settings (1852–1892)
* Psalm 114 (1852)
* Magnificat (1852)
* Psalm 22 (c. 1852)
* Psalm 146 (c. 1856)
* Festive Cantata: Preiset den Herrn (1862)
* Psalm 112 (1863)
* Te Deum (1881–1884)
* Psalm 150 (1892)

Motets|

* Motets (c. 1835–1892)
* Pange lingua (c. 1835/1891)
* Libera me (c. 1843)
* Asperges me (1843–1844)
* Two Asperges me (1844–1845)
* Tantum ergo (1845)
* Tantum ergo (1845–1846)
* Dir, Herr, dir will ich mich ergeben (c. 1845)
* O Du liebes Jesu-Kind (1845–1846)
* Herz Jesu-Lied (1845–1846)
* Four Tantum ergo (1846/1888)
* Tantum ergo (1846/1888)
* In jener letzten der Nächte (c. 1848)
* Two Totenlieder (1852)
* Libera me (1854)
* Tantum ergo (c. 1854)
* Ave Maria (1856)
* Ave Maria (1861)
* Afferentur regi (1861)
* Pange lingua (1868)
* Inveni David (1868)
* Iam lucis orto sidere (1868/1886)
* Locus iste (1869)
* Christus factus est (1873)
* Tota pulchra es (1878)
* Os justi (1879)
* Ave Maria (1882)
* Christus factus est (1884)
* Salvum fac populum tuum (1884)
* Veni Creator Spiritus (c. 1884)
* Ecce sacerdos magnus (1885)
* Virga Jesse (1885)
* Ave Regina caelorum (c. 1886)
* Vexilla regis (1892)

Other works|

* Organ works (1835–1890)
* Two Aequali (1847)

Secular vocal|

| Cantatas|

* Cantatas (1845–1893)
* Vergißmeinnicht (1845)
* Entsagen (c. 1851)
* Arneth Cantata: Heil Vater! Dir zum hohen Feste (1852)
* Mayer Cantata: Auf Brüder! auf (1855)
* Festgesang: Sankt Jodok sproß (1855)
* Germanenzug (1865)
* Helgoland (1893)

|

Lieder|

* Lieder (1850–1882)
* Der Mondabend (c. 1850)
* Frühlingslied (1851)
* Wie bist du, Frühling, gut und treu (1856)
* Herbstkummer (1864)
* Im April (c. 1865)
* Mein Herz und deine Stimme (1868)
* Volkslied (1882)

Choral works|

* Weltliche Chorwerke (1843–1893)
* An dem Feste (1843)
* Das Lied vom deutschen Vaterland (c. 1845)
* Ständchen (c. 1846)
* Der Lehrerstand (c. 1847)
* Sternschnuppen (c. 1848)
* Das edle Herz (c. 1851)
* Die Geburt (1852)
* Vor Arneths Grab (1854)
* Laßt Jubeltöne laut erklingen (1854)
* Des Dankes Wort sei mir vergönnt (at the latest 1855)
* Das edle Herz (1857)
* Am Grabe (1861)
* Du bist wie eine Blume (1861)
* Der Abendhimmel (1862)
* Herbstlied (1864)
* Um Mitternacht (1864)
* Trauungschor (1865)
* Der Abendhimmel (1866)
* Vaterlandslied (1866)
* Vaterländisch Weinlied (1866)
* Mitternacht (1869)
* Nachruf (1877)
* Das hohe Lied (1876–1879)
* Abendzauber (1878)
* Zur Vermählungsfeier (1878)
* Sängerbund (1882)
* Volkslied (1882)
* Trösterin Musik (1886)
* Um Mitternacht (1886)
* Träumen und Wachen (1890)
* Der deutsche Gesang (1892)
* Tafellied (1893)

Chamber|

* Piano works (1850–1868)
* Chamber music (1862–1879)
* String Quartet (1862)
* Rondo in C minor (1862)
* Abendklänge (1866)
* String Quintet (1879)
* Intermezzo in D minor (1879)

Related articles|

* International Bruckner Society
* Bruckner Gesamtausgabe
* Kitzler Study Book
* Versions and editions of Bruckner's symphonies
* Bruckner rhythm
* Anton Bruckner Private University
* Bruckner Orchestra Linz
* Brucknerhaus
* Anton-Bruckner-Gymnasium Straubing
* Anton Bruckner Museum

Category

Authority control databases

International|

* VIAF

National|

* France
* BnF data
* Germany
* United States

*[c.]: circa
*[TTBB]: tenor, tenor, bass and bass
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