Constanze Geiger (1835-1890): Ave Maria
On 8 December 2024, the Ave Maria op. 4 by Constanze Geiger will be performed by the Vienna Court Music Ensemble as part of the Holy Mass. This work was already performed 7 times in the Vienna Imperial Court Chapel between 1846 and 1851. In the current performance, the accompaniment is played in a version for string orchestra based on the two violin parts available in Anton Bruckner's manuscript (WAB add 324). Constanze Geiger composed this work in 1845 at the age of 10. In 1846, after the first performance in the Imperial Court Chapel, a newspaper report wrote about the Ave Maria that it ‘certainly captivates the listener's ear more easily with its simple and childishly tender attitude than many a new church tone work written in a bombastic style.’
Raimund Lissy
Translation: Godwin Gundacker