The original composition, titled „Nachruf“ (WAB 81), penned in 1877 by Anton Bruckner, was inspired by a text by Heinrich von der Mattig. It was crafted for a four-part male choir and organ accompaniment as a tribute to his late friend, Joseph Seiberl, who passed away on June 10, 1877. In 1886, Rudolf Weinwurm approached August Seuffert, the editor of the „Wiener Zeitung,“ to commission a new text for Bruckner’s „Obituary.“ This initiative led to a revised rendition of the piece.

On April 11...