Locus Iste (Bruckner)

• Motet - a work with Latin text, sung unaccompanied, intended for a specific occasion
  

- Intended to commemorate the dedication of a church - Linz Cathedral

• Composed 1869 - ROMANTIC ERA. Although, Bruckner has adopted a relatively austere approach associated with the 19th century Cecilian movement

- warmly, expressive melodies, dramatic contrasts of dynamics, some unusual melodic intervals (major 7th in soprano between bars 9 and 10), several chromatic passages, rich harmonies, unprepared dis-chords (alto, bar 22), lingering dissonances (soprano and alto, bars 46).

• 4/4 time. Allegro moderato

• Limited selection of note lengths, including dotted rhythms

• Use of silence at bar 43

• Syllabic except for melisma at bars 40-41

• Stepwise descent at the opening

• Leaps of up to a 7th in the soprano and  octave in bass

• Range of soprano and bass each spans 11th

• The inner parts have a narrower range

• Phrases are often balanced (often 2 bar)

• Some use of sequence, chromaticism, and appoggiaturas

• Functional harmony - Perfect, Imperfect and Phygian Cadences

• 7ths in various inversions

• Diminished 7th

• Suspensions

• Key of C major with modulation to:

-  Dominant (bar 6)

- D minor (bar 16)

- E minor (bar 20)

• The passage from bar 21 to 29 is tonally ambiguous because of the chromaticism

• Ternary (ABA) form with Coda

- A: bars1-12, ending with an imperfect cadence

- B (central section): bars 12-29, ending with an imperfect cadence in C amjor

- A1: first 10 bars are repeated, ends with a sustained perfect cadence

• Passage from bars 12-20 is omitted on the reprise

• Four-part acappella (unaccompanied voices)

• Starts with homophony

• Soprano imitates bass at bars 12-13

• Only the uppermost voices are used in the central passage (bars 21-29)

- In this passage, there is imitation by inversion (compare tenor to soprano)