Album

Are you tough enough to get through an entire hour of the most spiritual motets ever composed by an over-educated peasant from nineteenth century Austria? Are you tough enough to listen and listen hard to every sublime note of every blessed piece? Will your attention start to wander during the plainchant interludes of the Tota Pulchra Es Maria? Will you decide to skip the Ave Maria from 1856 and the Tantum Ergo from 1846 because they're derivative early works? Will you finally decide that while Bruckner was man enough to hymn the glory of God on his knees for a whole hour, you're just not tough enough to kneel there with him? But if you're going to kneel there with Bruckner, then Martin Flamig and every man and boy in the Dresden Kreuzchor will kneel there with you, parsing God with great praise. Of all the recordings ever made of Bruckner's motets by German or Austrian choirs over the years, Flamig and the Kreuzchor's from 1985 is among the most devotional and the most fervent. It doesn't hurt that the Kreuzchor's tone is so ardent and pure and that Flamig's direction is so austere and exalted, and it only helps that Capriccio's early sound is warm and clear. And if there have been more compelling performances of Bruckner's motets, there have been few more zealous.

© James Leonard, Rovi

CD 1
Anton Bruckner Composer Ave Maria (offertory; a7), WAB6 Work Martin Flämig Conductor, Dresden Kreuzchor Chorus/Choir
1	Ave Maria (offertory; a7), WAB6	3:26			$0.99
Anton Bruckner Composer Tota pulchra es (antiphon), for tenor, chorus, and organ, WAB46 Work Martin Flämig Conductor, Dresden Kreuzchor Chorus/Choir
2	Tota pulchra es (antiphon), for tenor, chorus, and organ, WAB46	4:25			$0.99
Anton Bruckner Composer Christus factus est Work Martin Flämig Conductor, Dresden Kreuzchor Chorus/Choir
3	Christus factus est	4:53			$0.99
Anton Bruckner Composer Os justi (gradual), for chorus in Lydian mode, WAB30 Work Martin Flämig Conductor, Dresden Kreuzchor Chorus/Choir
4	Os justi (gradual), for chorus in Lydian mode, WAB30	4:00			$0.99
Anton Bruckner Composer Afferentur regi (offertory), for chorus and 3 trombones, WAB1 Work Martin Flämig Conductor, Dresden Kreuzchor Chorus/Choir
5	Afferentur regi (offertory), for chorus and 3 trombones, WAB1	1:42			$0.99
Anton Bruckner Composer Pange lingua, for a capella chorus, WAB32 Work Martin Flämig Conductor, Dresden Kreuzchor Chorus/Choir
6	Pange lingua, for a capella chorus, WAB32	6:01			$0.99
Anton Bruckner Composer Ecce sacerdos (antiphon) for chorus, 3 trombones, and organ, WAB13 Work Martin Flämig Conductor, Dresden Kreuzchor Chorus/Choir
7	Ecce sacerdos (antiphon) for chorus, 3 trombones, and organ, WAB13	5:54			$0.99
Anton Bruckner Composer Locus iste, for a cappella chorus, WAB23 Work Martin Flämig Conductor, Dresden Kreuzchor Chorus/Choir
8	Locus iste, for a cappella chorus, WAB23	2:21			$0.99
Anton Bruckner Composer Tantum ergo, for chorus and organ, WAB43 Work Martin Flämig Conductor, Dresden Kreuzchor Chorus/Choir
9	Tantum ergo, for chorus and organ, WAB43	3:38			$0.99
Anton Bruckner Composer Vexilla regis prodeunt, for a cappella chorus, WAB51 Work Martin Flämig Conductor, Dresden Kreuzchor Chorus/Choir
10	Vexilla regis prodeunt, for a cappella chorus, WAB51	4:41			$0.99
Anton Bruckner Composer Inveni David (I; offertory), for male chorus and 4 trombones in F-, WAB19 Work Martin Flämig Conductor, Dresden Kreuzchor Chorus/Choir
11	Inveni David (I; offertory), for male chorus and 4 trombones in F-, WAB19	2:55			$0.99
Anton Bruckner Composer Ave Maria, WAB5 Work Ute Walther Contralto, Martin Flämig Conductor, Dresden Kreuzchor Chorus/Choir, Barbara Hoene Soprano
12	Ave Maria, WAB5	4:49			$0.99
Anton Bruckner Composer Libera me, Domine, for chorus and organ, WAB21 Work Martin Flämig Conductor, Dresden Kreuzchor Chorus/Choir
13	Libera me, Domine, for chorus and organ, WAB21	5:27			$0.99
Anton Bruckner Composer Virga Jesse (gradual), for chorus in E-, WAB52 Work Martin Flämig Conductor, Dresden Kreuzchor Chorus/Choir
14	Virga Jesse (gradual), for chorus in E-, WAB52	4:47			$0.99