Under Otto Kitzler's Guidance Anton Bruckner's music is deeply imbued with his Roman Catholic upbringing and a mystical religiosity. Besides seven completed masses, including those in D minor, E minor, and F minor, his work was significantly influenced by composers such as Haydn, Mozart, Schubert, and Bach. Bruckner only reached artistic maturity after the age of forty, with his encounter with Wagner in particular inspiring him to develop a distinctive and bold style.
Under Otto Kitzler's tutelage, Bruckner acquired extensive knowledge of counterpoint and became acquainted with the works of Liszt and Wagner for the first time. After a happy period in his life, he suffered a severe blow in 1867, which necessitated a stay in a sanatorium. Out of gratitude for his recovery, he devoted himself to composing his important Mass in F minor.
This mass requires not only a large orchestra but also soloists for soprano, alto, tenor, and bass, as well as a mixed choir. The work opens with a simple four-note figure that serves as a leitmotif throughout the entire Mass, giving rise to both dramatic and lyrical passages. The Gloria and Credo, in their triumphant key of C major, are particularly radiant, incorporating Gregorian chant.
Although Bruckner completed the Mass in 1868, he subjected it to several revisions in the following years, most recently with the assistance of Joseph Schalk between 1890 and 1893. In 1892, four years before his death, he completed his last work, Psalm 150. This piece reveals the full expressive power of his sacred choral music.