This week we are looking at Locus Iste by Bruckner. It was written for the dedication of the votive chapel of Linz Cathedral in 1869. When he wrote this Bruckner was a professor of harmony in Vienna. As a piece it is often compared to Mozart Ave verum. The notes of Locus Iste are not difficult but it is not so easy to sing.

I have selected a performance by Tenebrae for you to watch. This performance is a bit slower than I would like, it is marked Allegro moderato which implies to me a little more movement. The virtue of this video is that the way that it is shot affords excellent opportunity to examine the technique and mouth shapes of the singers. In my video I refer explicity to the bass in bars 8-9 and the section at 2’ 38.

Here is the text: