Mitternacht, WAB 80

 (Midnight), WAB 80, is a song composed by Anton Bruckner in 1869.
History.
Bruckner composed the song on a text of Joseph Mendelssohn in November 1869, for the 25th anniversary of Linz Liedertafel "Frohsinn". The piece was performed on 15 May 1870 by "Frohsinn" in the "" in Linz.
The work, of which the original manuscript is stored in the archive of Liedertafel "Frohsinn", was first issued by Doblinger in 1903. It was reissued in 1911 by Viktor Keldorfer (Universal Edition), together with the two other Bruckner's "midnight-songs" ("Um Mitternacht", WAB 89 and WAB 90). The song is issued in Band XXIII/2, No. 25 of the "".
Text.
Mitternacht uses a text by Joseph Mendelssohn.
Music.
The 84-bar long work in A-flat major is scored for choir, tenor soloist and piano. Strophe 1 is sung by the choir with an ostinato of the piano. In strophe 2, bars 49-58 (""), the soloist is singing with accompaniment of the choir and unison lines of sixteenth notes of the piano. The piece is ending pianissimo. 
Discography.
"Mitternacht", WAB 80, is one of the most popular Bruckner's "Weltliche Chorwerke". The first recording of "Mitternacht" was by Willi Schell with the Cronenberger Männerchor in 1956 – 45 rpm: Tonstudio Wolfgang Jakob (Dortmund)
A selection of the other recordings: