Bruckner's career as a composer began with writingmusic for the church. Coming from humble ruralorigins, Bruckner would receive most of his musicaleducation in monasteries, where he often worked as ateacher and organist. It wasn't until the composition ofthe Mass in D Minor (1864), written when thecomposer was 40, that we begin to glimpse whatwould become his mature style.This CD brings together works from Bruckner's lateperiod - the Mass in E minor, originally composed in1866 is heard here in the revised version for choir andbrass of 1882 - perhaps his most symphonic Mass ofall. Also on the program is his setting of the 150thPsalm (1892). Written on commission for to provide afestive hymn to celebrate the opening of the expositionInternationale Ausstellung für Musik undTheatherwesen, it is one of his most important works,and as with the Te Deum (1884/85), an expansive andsonorous score.Helmuth Rilling leads his Bach-Collegium Stuttgart, theGächinger choir and four outstanding soloists: PamelaCoburn, Ingeborg Danz, Christian Elsner and Hans-Josef Selig in moving performances of Bruckner'ssacred works, bridging the gap between symphonicand sacred music, connecting these works both to theglorious traditions they sprang from to the bold newdirections they would lead.