Why do anything else when I can listen to Bruckner

It’s time to recognize the birthday of my favorite composer. I never expected to play the My Favorite Composer game. But when I saw that September 4 was the birthday of Anton Bruckner, I realized that I have spent more hours of existential excellence with Anton than I have with most of my living, breathing, friends.

Why would I spend my time talking about politics, Game of Thrones, or how the Golden State Warriors are ruining the NBA when I can listen to Bruckner? I participate in all those other activities but they don’t have that existential excellence mentioned above.

While Bruckner’s symphonies are well documented masterpieces, his choral music is less so. I’d like us to briefly consider one of his motets: “Os justi meditabitur”. The text is from Psalm 36 and was used in Gregorian Chant since the middle ages.

It translates:

The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks what is just. The law of his God is in his heart: and his feet do not falter. Alleluia.

Is there any arguing with the text? We might take exception to the idea of “The law of his God.” However, it is clear to the subtle minded that the law of God is the idea of the just.

How many of us have a law of our own composed in our hearts which allows us to utter wisdom, speak what is just, and keep our feet from faltering? I’d say it is a rare individual who has developed such a law. For those of us who do not have such a law, it might be something to consider developing.

Be that as it may, considering the music Bruckner wrote for this text we can safely say he considered such a law to be important. The music itself utters wisdom and speaks what is just. The law of God is in the heart of the music and it does not falter.

Bruckner was ok with “The law of his God.” He was a devout man who kept a daily reckoning of his prayers. His convictions are present in this motet. After listening to this short piece several times I found myself wondering if there is any music written in the past 70 years with this much conviction? Is there any music which has been written which says, “This is true and I will not be swayed”?

The answer is yes but barely. Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 10 has conviction as does Gorecki’s Symphony No. 3.

Bruckner is my favorite because he has convinced me with his conviction. I don’t share many of his convictions, but the one about uttering wisdom and speaking justice based on the law of God in the heart, that’s one I can get behind.