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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire
Music Finders Series Editor: Jo Nardolillo Designed with working musicians, conductors, program directors, and librarians in mind, these practical reference books put the music you need at your fingertips: title, publisher, duration, instrumentation, and appendixes for crossreferencing are all provided in these carefully researched volumes. Using the orchestral repertoire as a starting point, this series also encompasses chamber music, ballet, opera, thematic music, and repertoire of individual instruments. The Music Finders series is based on Orchestral Music: A Handbook by David Daniels (2005) and Orchestral “Pops” Music: A Handbook by Lucy Manning (2008).
Titles in the series Chamber Orchestra and Ensemble Repertoire: A Catalog of Modern Music by Dirk Meyer, 2011. The Canon of Violin Literature: A Performer’s Resource by Jo Nardolillo, 2011. Arias, Ensembles, and Choruses: An Excerpt Finder for Orchestras by John Yaffé and David Daniels, 2012. Orchestral “Pops” Music: A Handbook, second edition by Lucy Manning, 2013. The Opera Manual by Nicholas Ivor Martin, 2014. Ballet Music: A Handbook by Matthew Naughtin, 2014. Daniels’ Orchestral Music, fifth edition by David Daniels, 2015. The Band Music Handbook: A Comprehensive Catalog of Band Repertoire by Christopher M. Cicconi, 2017. The American Piano Concerto Compendium, second edition by William Phemister, 2018. Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide, omnibus edition by Jonathan D. Green and David W. Oertel, 2019.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire A Conductor’s Guide Omnibus Edition
Jonathan D. Green David W. Oertel
ROWMAN & LITTLEFIELD Lanham • Boulder • New York • London
Published by Rowman & Littlefield An imprint of The Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, Inc. 4501 Forbes Boulevard, Suite 200, Lanham, Maryland 20706 www.rowman.com 6 Tinworth Street, London, SE11 5AL, United Kingdom Copyright © 2020 by The Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote passages in a review. British Library Cataloguing in Publication Information Available Library of Congress Control Number: 2019950575 The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American National Standard for Information Sciences— Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992.
Contents
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This book is dedicated to our mentor, colleague, and friend: David Daniels
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Contents
Contents
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CONTENTS PREFACE
XXVII
THE WORKS
1
ADLER, Samuel The Binding A Whole Bunch of Fun
2 2 3
AMRAM, David Werner A Year in Our Land
3 3
BACH, Johann Sebastian Cantata No. 1: Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern Cantata No. 2: Ach Gott, vom Himmel sieh darein, BWV 2 Cantata No. 3: Ach Gott, wie manches Herzeleid I Cantata No. 4: Christ Lag in Todesbanden Cantata No. 5: Wo soll ich fliehen hin Cantata No. 6: Bleib bei uns, denn es will Abend werden Cantata No. 7: Christ unser Herr zum Jordan kam Cantata No. 8: Liebster Gott, wann werd ich sterben? Cantata No. 9: Es ist das Heil uns kommen her Cantata No. 10: Meine Seele erhebt den Herren Cantata No. 11: Lobet Gott in seinen Reichen Cantata No. 12: Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Zagen Cantata No. 13: Meine Seufzer, meine Tränen Cantata No. 14: Wär Gott nicht mit uns diese Zeit, BWV 14 Cantata No. 15: Denn du wirst meine Seele nicht in der Hölle lassen, BWV 15 Cantata No. 16: Herr Gott, dich loben wir, BWV 16 Cantata No. 17: Wer Dank opfert, der preiset mich, BWV 17 Cantata No. 18: Gleichwie der Regen und Schnee vom Himmel fällt, BWV 18 Cantata No. 19: Es erhub sich ein Streit, BWV 19 Cantata No. 20: O Ewigkeit, du Donnerwort I, BWV 20 Cantata No. 21: Ich hatte viel Bekümmernis, BWV 21 Cantata No. 22: Jesus nahm zu sich die Zwölfe, BWV 22 Cantata No. 23: Du wahrer Gott und Davids Sohn, BWV 23 Cantata No. 24: Ein ungefärbt Gemüte, BWV 24 Cantata No. 25: Es ist nicht Gesundes an meinem Leibe, BWV 25 Cantata No. 26: Ach wie flüchtig, ach wie nichtig, BWV 26 Cantata No. 27: Wer weiß, wie nahe mir mein Ende?, BWV 27 Cantata No. 28: Gottlob! nun geht das Jahr zu Ende, BWV 28 Cantata No. 29: Wir danken dir, Gott, wir danken dir, BWV 29 Cantata No. 30: Freue dich, erlöste Schar, BWV 30 Cantata No. 30a: Angenehmes Wiederau, freue dich, BWV 30a Cantata No. 31: Der Himmel lacht! die Erde jubiliert, BWV 31 Cantata No. 32: Liebster Jesu, mein Verlangen, BWV 32 Cantata No. 33: Allein zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ, BWV 33 Cantata No. 34: O ewiges Feuer, O Ursprung der Liebe, BWV 34 and 34a Cantata No. 35: Geist und Seele wird verwirret, BWV 35 Cantata No. 36: Schwingt freudig euch empor, BWV 36, 36a, 36b, 36c Cantata No. 37: Wer da gläubet und getauft wird, BWV 37
4 5 6 7 7 9 9 10 11 12 12 13 14 15 16 17 17 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 25 26 27 28 29 30 30 31 32 32 33 34 35
viii Cantata No. 38: Aus tiefer Not schrei ich zu dir, BWV 38 Cantata No. 39: Brich dem Hungrigen dein Brot, BWV 39 Cantata No. 40: Dazu ist erscheinen der Sohn Gottes, BWV 40 Cantata No. 41: Jesu, nun sei gepreiset, BWV 41 Cantata No. 42: Am Abend aber desselbigen Sabbats, BWV 42 Cantata No. 43: Gott fähret auf mit Jauchzen, BWV 43 Cantata No. 44: Sie werden euch in den Bann tun I, BWV 44 Cantata No. 45: Es ist dir gesagt Mensch, wer wird mich erlösen, BWV 45 Cantata No. 46: Schauet doch und sehet, BWV 46 Cantata No. 47: Wer sich selbst erhöhet, BWV 47 Cantata No. 48: Ich elender Mensch, wer wird mich erlösen, BWV 48 Cantata No. 49: Ich geh und suche mit Verlangen, BWV 49 Cantata No. 50: Nun ist das Heil und die Kraft, BWV 50 Cantata No. 51: Jauchzet Gott in allen Landen!, BWV 51 Cantata No. 52: Falsche Welt, dir trau ich nicht, BWV 52 Cantata No. 53: Schlage doch, gewünschte Stunde, BWV 53 Cantata No. 54: Widerstehe doch der Sünde, BWV 54 Cantata No. 55: Ich armer Mensch, ich Sündenknecht, BWV 55 Cantata No. 56: Ich will den Kreuzstab gerne tragen, BWV 56 Cantata No. 57: Selig ist der Mann, Dialogus, BWV 57 Cantata No. 58: Ach Gott, wie manches Herzeleid II, BWV 58 Cantata No. 59: Wer mich liebet, der wird mein Wort halten, BWV 59 Cantata No. 60: O Ewigkeit, du Donnerwort II, BWV 60 Cantata No. 61: Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland I, BWV 61 Cantata No. 62: Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland II, BWV 62 Cantata No. 63: Christen, ätzet diesen Tag, BWV 63 Cantata No. 64: Sehet, welch eine Liebe hat uns der Vater erzeiget, BWV 64 Cantata No. 65: Sie Werden aus Saba alle kommen, BWV 65 Cantata No. 66: Erfreut euch, ihr Herzen, BWV 66 Cantata No. 67: Halt im Gedächtnis Jesum Christ, BWV 67 Cantata No. 68: Also hat Gott die Welt geliebt, BWV 68 Cantata No. 69: Lobe den Herrn, meine Seele, BWV 69 Cantata No. 69a: Lobe den Herrn, meine Seele, BWV 69a Cantata No. 70: Wachet! betet! betet! wachet!, BWV 70 Cantata No. 71: Gott ist mein König, BWV 71 Cantata No. 72: Alles nur nach Gottes Willen, BWV 72 Cantata No. 73: Herr, wie du willt, so schicks mit mir, BWV 73 Cantata No. 74: Wer mich liebet, der wird mein Wort halten II, BWV 74 Cantata No. 75: Die Elenden sollen essen, BWV 75 Cantata No. 76: Die Himmel erzählen die Ehre Gottes, BWV 76 Cantata No. 77: Du sollt Gott, deinen Herren lieben, BWV 77 Cantata No. 78: Jesu, der du mein Seele, BWV 78 Cantata No. 79: Gott der Herr ist Sonn und Schild, BWV 79 Cantata No. 80: Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott, BWV 80 Cantata No. 81: Jesus schläft, was soll ich hoffen?, BWV 81 Cantata No. 82: Ich habe genug, BWV 82 Cantata No. 83: Erfreute Zeit im neuen Bunde, BWV 83 Cantata No. 84: Ich bin vergnügt mit meinem Glücke, BWV 84 Cantata No. 85: Ich bin ein guter Hirt, BWV 85 Cantata No. 86: Wahrlich, wahrlich, ich sage euch, BWV 86 Cantata No. 87: Bisher habt ihr nichts gebeten, BWV 87 Cantata No. 88: Siehe, ich will viel Fischer aussenden, BWV 88 Cantata No. 89: Was soll ich aus dir machen, Ephraim?, BWV 89 Cantata No. 90: Es reisset euch ein Schrecklich Ende, BWV 90 Cantata No. 91: Gelobet seist du, Jesu Christ, BWV 91
Contents 36 37 38 38 39 40 41 42 42 43 44 44 45 46 47 47 47 48 49 50 50 51 52 52 53 54 55 56 56 57 58 59 60 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 73 74 75 75 76 77 77
Contents Cantata No. 92: Ich hab in Gottes Herz und Sinn, BWV 92 Cantata No. 93: Wer nur den lieben Gott lässt walten, BWV 93 Cantata No. 94: Was frag ich nach der Welt, BWV 94 Cantata No. 95: Christus, der ist mein Leben, BWV 95 Cantata No. 96: Herr Christ, der einge Gottessohn, BWV 96 Cantata No. 97: In allen meinen Taten, BWV 97 Cantata No. 98: Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan I, BWV 98 Cantata No. 99: Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan II, BWV 99 Cantata No. 100: Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan III, BWV 100 Cantata No. 101: Nimm von uns, Herr, du treuer Gott, BWV 101 Cantata No. 102: Herr, deine Augen sehen nach dem Glauben, BWV 102 Cantata No. 103: Ihr werdet weinen und heulen, BWV 103 Cantata No. 104: Du Hirte, Israel, höre, BWV 104 Cantata No. 105: Herr, gehe nicht ins Gericht mit deinem Knecht, BWV 105 Cantata No. 106: Gottes Zeit ist die allerbeste Zeit (Actus tragicus), BWV 106 Cantata No. 107: Was willst du dich betrüben, BWV 107 Cantata No. 108: Es ist euch gut, daß ich hingehe, BWV 108 Cantata No. 109: Ich glaube, lieber Herr, hilf meine Unglauben!, BWV 109 Cantata No. 110: Unser Mund sei voll Lachens, BWV 110 Cantata No. 111: Was mein Gott will, das g’scheh allzeit, BWV 111 Cantata No. 112: Der Herr ist mein getreuer Hirt, BWV 112 Cantata No. 113: Herr Jesu Christ, du höchstes Gut, BWV 113 Cantata No. 114: Ach, lieben Christen, seid getrost, BWV 114 Cantata No. 115: Mache dich, mein Geist, bereit, BWV 115 Cantata No. 116: Du Friedefürst, Herr Jesu Christ, BWV 116 Cantata No. 117: Sei Lob und Ehr dem höchsten Gut, BWV 117 Cantata No. 118: O Jesu Christ, mein Lebens Licht, BWV 118 Cantata No. 119: Preise, Jerusalem, den Herrn, BWV 119 Cantata No. 120: Gott, man lobet dich in der Stille, BWV 120 Cantata No. 120a: Herr Gott, Beherrscher aller Dinge, BWV 120a Cantata No. 121: Christum wir sollen loben schon, BWV 121 Cantata No. 122: Das neugeborne Kindelein, BWV 122 Cantata No. 123: Liebster Immanuel, Herzog der Frommen, BWV 123 Cantata No. 124: Meinem Jesum lass ich nicht, BWV 124 Cantata No. 125: Mit Fried und Freud ich fahr dahin, BWV 125 Cantata No. 126: Erhalt uns, Herr, bei deinem Wort, BWV 126 Cantata No. 127: Herr Jesu Christ, wahr’ Mensch und Gott, BWV 127 Cantata No. 128: Auf Christi Himmelfahrt allein, BWV 128 Cantata No. 129: Gelobet sei der Herr, mein Gott, BWV 129 Cantata No. 130: Herr Gott, dich loben alle wir, BWV 130 Cantata No. 131: Aus Tiefen rufe ich, Herr, zu dir, BWV 131 Cantata No. 132: Bereitet die Wege, bereitet die Bahn!, BWV 132 Cantata No. 133: Ich freue mich in dir, BWV 133 Cantata No. 134: Ein Herz, das seinen Jesum lebend weiss, BWV 134 Cantata No. 134a: Die Zeit, die Tag und Jahre macht, BWV 134a Cantata No. 135: Ach Herr, mich armen Sünder, BWV 135 Cantata No. 136: Erforsche mich, Gott, und erfahre mein Herz, BWV 136 Cantata No. 137: Lobe den Herren, den mächtigen König der Ehren, BWV 137 Cantata No. 138: Warum betruubst du dich, mein Herz?, BWV 138 Cantata No. 139: Wohl dem, der sich auf seinen Gott, BWV 139 Cantata No. 140: Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme, BWV 140 Cantata No. 141: Das ist je gewisslich wahr, BWV 141 Cantata No. 142: Uns ist ein Kind geboren, BWV 142 Cantata No. 143: Lobe den Herrn, meine Seele (II), BWV 143 Cantata No. 144: Nimm, was dein ist, und gehe hin, BWV 144
ix 78 79 80 80 81 82 83 83 84 85 86 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 94 95 96 96 97 98 99 100 100 101 102 102 103 104 105 105 106 107 108 108 109 110 111 112 112 113 113 114 115 115 116 117 117 117 118
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Contents Cantata No. 145: Ich lebe, mein Herze, zu deinem Ergötzen, BWV 145 Cantata No. 146: Wir müssen durch viel Trübsal in das Reich Gottes eingehen, BWV 146 Cantata No. 147: Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben, BWV 147 Cantata No. 148: Bringet dem Herrn Ehre seines Namens, BWV 148 Cantata No. 149: Man singet mit Freuden vom Sieg, BWV 149 Cantata No. 150: Nach dir, Herr, verlanget mich, BWV 150 Cantata No. 151: Süsser Trost, mein Jesus kömmt, BWV 151 Cantata No. 152: Tritt auf die Glaubensbahn, BWV 152 Cantata No. 153: Schau, lieber Gott, wie meine Feind, BWV 153 Cantata No. 154: Mein liebster Jesus ist verloren, BWV 154 Cantata No. 155: Mein Gott, wie lang, ach lange? BWV 155 Cantata No. 156: Ich steh mit einem Fuß im Grabe, BWV 156 Cantata No. 157: Ich lasse dich nicht, du segnest mich denn, BWV 157 Cantata No. 158: Der Friede sei mit dir, BWV 158 Cantata No. 159: Sehet, wir gehn hinauf gen Jerusalem, BWV 159 Cantata No. 160: Ich weiss, dass mein Erlöser lebt, BWV 160 Cantata No. 161: Komm du süße Todesstunde, BWV 161 Cantata No. 162: Ach! ich sehe, jetzt, da ich zur Hochzeit gehe, BWV 162 Cantata No. 163: Nur jedem das Seine, BWV 163 Cantata No. 164: Ihr, die ihr euch von Christo nennet, BWV 164 Cantata No. 165: O heil’ges Geist- und Wasserbad, BWV 165 Cantata No. 166: Wo gehest du hin?, BWV 166 Cantata No. 167: Ihr Menschen, rühmet Gottes Liebe, BWV 167 Cantata No. 168: Tue Rechnung! Donnerwort, BWV 168 Cantata No. 169: Gott soll allein mein Herz haben, BWV 169 Cantata No. 170: Vergnügte Ruh’, beliebte Seelenlust, BWV 170 Cantata No. 171: Gott, wie dein Name, so ist auch dein Ruhm, BWV 171 Cantata No. 172: Erschallet, ihr Lieder, BWV 172 Cantata No. 173: Erhörtes Fleisch und Blut, BWV 173 Cantata No. 174: Ich liebe den Höchsten von ganzem Gemüte, BWV 174 Cantata No. 175: Er rufet seinen Schafen mit Namen, BWV 175 Cantata No. 176: Es ist ein trotzig, und verzagt Ding, BWV 176 Cantata No. 177: Ich ruf zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ, BWV 177 Cantata No. 178: Wo Gott der Herr nicht bei uns hält, BWV 178 Cantata No. 179: Siehe zu, dass deine Gottesfurcht, BWV 179 Cantata No. 180: Schmücke dich, o liebe Seele, BWV 180 Cantata No. 181: Leichtgesinnte Flattergeister, BWV 181 Cantata No. 182: Himmelskönig, sei willkommen, BWV 182 Cantata No. 183: Sie werden euch in den Bann tun II, BWV 183 Cantata No. 184: Erwünschtes Freuden-licht, BWV 184 Cantata No. 185: Barmherziges Herze der ewigen Liebe, BWV 185 Cantata No. 186: Ärgre dich, o Seele, nicht, BWV 186 Cantata No. 186a: Ärgre dich, o Seele, nicht, BWV 186a Cantata No. 187: Es wartet alles auf dich, BWV 187 Cantata No. 188: Ich habe meine Zuversicht, BWV 188 Cantata No. 189: Meine Seele rühmt und preist, BWV 189 Cantata No. 190: Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied!, BWV 190 Cantata No. 191: Gloria in excelsis Deo, BWV 191 Cantata No. 192: Nun danket alle Gott, BWV 192 Cantata No. 193: Ihr Tore zu Zion, BWV 193 Cantata No. 194: Höchsterwünschtes Freudenfest, BWV 194 Cantata No. 194a: Höchsterwünschtes Freudenfest, BWV 194a Cantata No. 195: Dem Gerechten muss das Licht, BWV 195 Cantata No. 196: Der Herr denket an uns, BWV 196 Cantata No. 197: Gott ist unsre Zuversicht, BWV 197
119 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 125 126 126 127 128 128 129 130 130 130 131 131 132 133 133 134 135 135 136 137 138 138 139 140 141 141 142 143 143 144 145 145 146 147 148 148 149 150 150 150 151 152 152 153 153 154 155
Contents Cantata No. 197a: Ehre sei Gott in der Höhe, BWV 197a Cantata No. 198: Trauer Ode: Lass, Fürstin, lass noch einen Strahl, BWV 198 Cantata No. 199: Mein Herze schwimmt im Blut, BWV 199 Cantata No. 200: Bekennen will ich seinen Namen, BWV 200 Cantata No. 201: Der Streit zwischen Phoebus und Pan: Geschwinde, ihr wirbeln den Winde, BWV 201 Cantata No. 202: Weichet nur, betrübte Schatten, BWV 202 Cantata No. 204: Ich bin in mir vergnügt, BWV 204 Cantata No. 205: Der zufriedengestelle Äolus: Zerreisset, zerspringet, zertrümmert die Gruft, BWV 205 Cantata No. 206: Schleicht, spielende Wellen, BWV 206 Cantata No. 207: Vereinigte Zweitracht der Wechselnden Saiten, BWV 207 Cantata No. 207a: Auf, schmetternde Töne der muntern Trompeten, BWV 207a Cantata No. 208: Was mir behagt, ist nur die muntre Jagd!, BWV 208 Cantata No. 209: Non sa che sia dolore, BWV 209 Cantata No. 210: O holder Tag, erwünschte Zeit, BWV 210 Cantata No. 211: Schweigt stille, plaudert nicht, BWV 211 Cantata No. 212: Mer hahn en neue Oberkeet, BWV 212 Cantata No. 213: Hercules auf dem Scheidewege: Laßt uns sorgen, lasst uns wachen, BWV 213 Cantata No. 214: Tönet, ihr Pauken! Erschallet, Trompeten!, BWV 214 Cantata No. 215: Preise dein Glücke, gesegnetes Sachsen, BWV 215 Cantata No. 216: Vergnügte Pleissenstadt, BWV 216 Cantata No. 217: Gedenke, Herr, wie es uns gehet, BWV 217 Cantata No. 218: Gott der Hoffnung erfülle euch, BWV 218 Cantata No. 219: Siehe, es hat überwunden der Löwe, BWV 219 Cantata No. 220: Lobt ihn mit Herz und Munde, BWV 220 Cantata No. 221: Wer sucht die Pracht, wer wünscht den Glanz, BWV 221 Cantata No. 222: Mein Odem ist schwach, BWV 222 Cantata No. 223: Meine Seele soll Gott loben, BWV 223 Cantata No. 224a: Klagt, Kinder, klagt es aller Welt, BWV 224a Motet No. 2: Der Geist hilft unser Schwachheit auf, BWV 226 Mass in B Minor, BWV 232 Mass in F, BWV 233 Kyrie in F, BWV 233a Mass in A, BWV 234 Mass in G Minor, BWV 235 Mass in G, BWV 236 Sanctus in C, BWV 237 Sanctus in D, BWV 238 Sanctus in D Minor, BWV 239 Sanctus in G, BWV 240 Sanctus in D, BWV 241 Christe Eleison, BWV 242 Magnificat in D major, BWV 243 and 243a Passion According to St. Matthew, BWV 244 and 244b Passion According to St. John, BWV 245 Passion According to St. Mark, BWV 247 Christmas Oratorio, BWV 248 Easter Oratorio, BWV 249, 249a, and 249b
xi 156 156 157 158 158 159 160 160 161 162 162 163 164 164 165 166 166 167 168 169 169 169 169 169 170 170 170 170 170 171 173 174 174 175 176 176 177 177 178 178 178 179 181 184 186 186 189
BARBER, Samuel The Lovers, op. 43
190 191
BARTÓK Béla Cantata Profana, op. 94
192 193
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BEACH, H. H. A. Grand Mass in E The Sea-fairies, op. 59 The Minstrel and the King: Rudolph von Hapsburg, op. 16 Festival Jubilate, op. 17 The Rose of Avon-town, op. 30 The Chambered Nautilus, op. 66 The Canticle of the Sun, op. 123
194 194 195 196 196 196 196 196
BEETHOVEN, Ludwig van Christus am Oelberge, op. 85 Mass in C, op. 86 Fantasia in C minor for Piano, Chorus, and Orchestra, op. 80 Die Ruinen von Athen [The Ruins of Athens], op. 113 König Stephan [King Stephen], op. 117 Der glorreiche Augenblick [“The Gloriaus Moment”], op. 136 Meerestille und glückliche Fahrt [“Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage”], op. 112 Missa Solemnis, op. 123 Symphony No. 9, op. 125
197 198 199 199 200 201 202 202 203 204
BERLIOZ, Hector Messe solennelle, H. 20A Requiem: Grande Messe des Morts [“Grand Mass of the Dead”], op. 5 Romeo et Juliette, op. 17 La Damnation de Faust, légende dramatique Te Deum, op. 22 L’Enfance du Christ [“The Childhood of Christ”], op. 25 La révolution grecque, scène héroïque Huit scènes du Faust, op. 1 Lélio ou le Retour à la vie [Lélio, or The Return to Life], op. 14 Le Cinq Mai: Chant sur la mort de l’empereur Napoléon, op. 6 Tristia, op. 18 Vox populi, op. 20 L’Impériale, op. 26
207 208 208 210 211 213 214 216 217 217 218 219 220 221
BERNSTEIN, Leonard Chichester Psalms Kaddish, Symphony No. 3 Mass
221 222 223 224
BLISS, Arthur Pastoral: Lie Strewn the White Flocks Morning Heroes Golden Cantata (“Music in the Golden Form”)
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BLOCH, Ernest Avodath Hakodesh [Sacred Service]
228 228
BÖHM, Georg Passion nach dem Evangelisten Johannes
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BRAHMS, Johannes Ave Maria, op. 12 Begräbnisgesang [“Burial Song”], op. 13 Psalm 13, op. 27
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Contents Ein deutsches Requiem [“A German Requiem”], op. 45 Rinaldo, op. 50 Alto Rhapsodie, op. 53 Schicksalslied [“Song of Destiny”], op. 54 Triumphlied [“Song of Triumph”], op. 55 Nänie, op. 82 Gesang der Parzen [“Song of the Fates”], op. 89
xiii 233 235 236 237 237 238 239
BRITTEN, (Edward) Benjamin Cantata Academica, carmen basiliense, op. 62 Cantata Misericordium Saint Nicolas, op. 42 Spring Symphony, op. 44 War Requiem, op. 66
239 240 241 242 243 244
BRUBECK, David Light in the Wilderness
245 245
BRUCH, Max Frithjof, op. 23 Schön Ellen, op. 24 Salamis, op. 25 Odysseus, op. 41 Arminius, op. 43 Das Lied von der Glocke, op. 45 Achilleus, op. 50 Das Feuerkreuz [The Cross of Fire], op. 52 Moses, op. 67 Gustav Adolf, op. 73
246 247 247 247 248 248 249 250 250 250 251
BRUCKNER, Anton Requiem in D minor, WAB 39 Missa Solemnis in B♭ minor, WAB 29 Psalm 146, WAB 37 Psalm 112, WAB 35 Mass No. 1 in D minor, WAB 26 Mass No. 2 in E minor, WAB 27 Mass No. 3 in F minor “The Great,” WAB 28 Te Deum, WAB 45 Psalm 150, WAB 38 Helgoland, WAB 71
251 252
BUXTEHUDE, Dietrich Accedite gentes, accurite populi, BuxWV 1 All solch dein Güt’ wir preisen, BuxWV 3 Alles was ihr tut mit Worten oder mit Worden, BuxWV 4 An filius non est Dei, BuxWV 6 Aperite mihi portas justitiae, BuxWV 7 Bedenke, Mensch, das Ende, BuxWV 9 Befiel dem Engel, dass er komm, BuxWV 10 Canite Jesu nostro citharae, cymbala, organa, BuxWV 11 Das neugeborne Kindelein, BuxWV 13 Dein edles Herz, der Liebe Thron, BuxWV 14 Der Herr ist mit mir, BuxWV 15
259 260 260 261 262 262 263 263 264 264 265 266
252 253 253 254 255 256 257 258 258
xiv Domine Salvum Fac Regem, BuxWV 18 Du Frieden-Fürst, Herr Jesu Christ, BuxWV 21 Du Lebensfurst Herr Jesu Christ, BuxWV 22 Ecce nunc Benedicite Domino, BuxWV 23 Eins bitte ich vom Herrn, BuxWV 24 Erhalt uns, Herr, bei deinem Wort, BuxWV 27 Fürwahr, er trug unserer Krankheit, BuxWV 31 Gott fähret auf mit Jauchzen, BuxWV 33 Gott hilf mir, BuxWV 34 Herren vår Gud / Der Herr erhöre dich Herzlich lieb, hab ich dich o Herr, BuxWV 41 Ich habe Lust, abzuscheiden, BuxWV 46 and 47 Ihr lieben Christen freut euch nun, BuxWV 51 In dulci jubilo, BuxWV 52 Ist es recht, das man dem Kaiser Zinse gebe oder nicht? BuxWV 54 Je höher du bist, BuxWV 55 Jesu dulcis memoria, BuxWV 57 Jesu, komm, mein Trost und Lachen, BuxWV 58 Jesu, meine Freude, BuxWV 60 Jesu, meiner Freuden Meister, BuxWV 61 Jesu, meines Lebens Leben, BuxWV 62 Jesulein, du Tausendschön, BuxWV 63 Klinget mit Freuden, ihr klaren Klarinen, BuxWV 65 and BuxWV 119 Kommst du, Licht der Heiden, BuxWV 66 Lauda Sion Salvatorem, BuxWV 68 Mein Gemüt erfreuet sich, BuxWV 72 Meine Seele, willtu ruhn, BuxWV 74 Membra Jesu Nostri, BuxWV 75 Nichts soll uns scheiden von der Liebe Gottes, BuxWV 77 Nimm von uns, Herr, BuxWV 78 Nun laßt uns Gott dem Herren, BuxWV 81 O fröhliche Stunden, o herrliche Zeit, BuxWV 85 O Gott, wir danken deiner Güt’, BuxWV 86 Pange Lingua, BuxWV 91 Salve, desiderium, BuxWV 93 Schwinget euch himmelan, BuxWV 96 Surrexit Christus hodie, BuxWV 99 Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme, BuxWV 100 Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme, BuxWV 101 Wär Gott nicht mit uns diese Zeit, BuxWV 102 Walts Gott, mein Werk ich lasse, BuxWV 103 Was frag’ ich nach der Welt, BuxWV 104 Welt, packe dich, ich sehne mich nur dem Himmel, BuxWV 106 Wie schmeckt es so lieblich und wohl, BuxWV 108 Wie soll lich dich empfangen, BuxWV 109 Wo soll ich fliehen hin, BuxWV 112 Benedicam Dominum in omni tempore, BuxWV 113 Auf! Stimmet die Saiten, BuxWV 116 Klinget für Freuden, BuxWV 119 CARISSIMI, Giacomo Jephte Jonas
Contents 266 267 267 268 268 269 270 270 271 272 272 273 274 274 275 276 276 277 277 278 278 279 280 280 281 281 282 282 283 284 285 285 286 287 287 288 288 289 289 290 290 291 291 292 292 293 294 295 295 295 295 296
Contents
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CHARPENTIER, Marc-Antoine Messe de Minuit à 4 voix flutes et violon pour Noël, H. 9 Messe des Morts a quatre voix et orchestre, H. 10 Te Deum, H. 145 Te Deum, H. 146 Judicium Salomonis, H. 422
296 297 297 298 298 299
CHERUBINI, Luigi Requiem Mass in D minor
300 300
COLERIDGE-TAYLOR, Samuel The Song of Hiawatha I. Hiawatha’s Wedding Feast II. The Death of Minnehaha III. The Departure of Hiawatha
301 301 301 301 301
COPLAND, Aaron Canticle of Freedom
302 303
COWELL, Henry Dixon …If he please The Creator, op. 919
303 304 305
CRESTON, Paul Isaiah’s Prophecy (a Christmas Oratorio), op. 80
305 306
DEBUSSY, Claude Nocturnes
306 307
DELIBES, Léo Messe Brève
309 309
DELIUS, Frederick Appalachia Sea Drift Requiem
309 310 311 312
DELLO JOIO, Norman Song of Affirmation Songs of Walt Whitman
313 313 314
DEL TREDICI, David Pop-Pourri
315 315
DETT, R(obert) Nathaniel The Ordering of Moses
316 317
DIAMOND, David Leo This Sacred Ground To Music
317 318 318
DURUFLÉ, Maurice Requiem, op. 9
319 320
xvi
Contents
DVORÁK, Antonin Stabat Mater Psalm 149, op. 79, B. 91 Svatební kosile [“The Spectre’s Bride”], op. 69, B. 135 Svata Ludmila [St. Ludmila], op. 71, B. 144 Requiem Mass, op. 89 Te Deum, op. 103
321 321 322 323 323 324 325
ELGAR, Edward The Light of Life (Lux Christi), op. 29 Caractacus, op. 35 The Dream of Gerontius, op. 38 The Apostles, op. 49 The Kingdom, op. 50 The Music Makers, op. 69 The Spirit of England, op. 80
326 327 327 328 330 331 332 333
FAURÉ, Gabriel Pavane, op. 50 Messe de Requiem Messe des pêcheurs de Villerville
334 335 335 336
FINNEY, Ross Lee Pilgrim Psalms Still Are New Worlds The Martyr’s Elegy
337 337 338 339
FINZI, Gerald For St. Cecilia, op. 30 Intimations of Immortality, op. 29
339 340 341
FLAGELLO, Nicolas The Passion of Martin Luther King
341 342
FOSS, Lukas The Prairie
343 343
FOULDS, John A World Requiem
344 345
FRANCK, Cesar Psyché, M. 47
345 346
GOUNOD, Charles François Requiem
346 347
HANDEL, George Frideric Il trionfo del Tempo e del Disinganno, HWV 46a Passion nach Barthold Heinrich Brockes, “Brockes Passion” HWV 48 Acis and Galatea, HWV 49a/b Esther, HWV 50a/b Deborah, HWV 51 Athalia, HWV 52 Saul, HWV 53 Israel in Egypt, HWV 54
347 348 349 351 352 353 354 355 356
Contents L’Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato, HWV 55 Messiah, HWV 56 Samson, HWV 57 Semele, HWV 58 Joseph [Joseph and His Brethren], HWV 59 Hercules, HWV 60 Belshazzar, HWV 61 Occasional Oratorio, HWV 62 Judas Maccabeus, HWV 63 Joshua, HWV 64 Alexander Balus, HWV 65 Susanna, HWV 66 Solomon, HWV 67 Theodora, HWV 68 The Choice of Hercules, HWV 69 Jephtha, HWV 70 The Triumph of Time and Truth, HWV 71 Parnasso in festa, HWV 73 Alexander’s Feast, HWV 75 Ode for St. Cecilia’s Day, HWV 76 Chandos Anthems 1 — O Be Joyful, HWV 246 2— In the Lord Put I My Trust, HWV 247 3 — Have Mercy upon Me, O God, HWV 248 4 — O Sing unto the Lord, HWV 249a 4 — O Sing unto the Lord, HWV 249b 5 — I Will Magnify Thee, O God, HWV 250a 5 — I Will Magnify Thee, O God, HWV 250b 6 — As Pants the Hart, HWV 251b 7 — My Song Shall Be Alway, HWV 252 8 — O Come Let Us Sing unto the Lord, HWV 253 9 — O Praise the Lord with One Consent, HWV 254 10 — The Lord Is My Light, HWV 255 11 — Let God Arise, HWV 256a 11 — Let God Arise, HWV 256b Coronation Anthems 1 — Zadok the Priest, HWV 258 2 — Let Thy Hand Be Strengthened, HWV 259 3 — The King Shall Rejoice, HWV 260 4 — My Heart Is Inditing, HWV 261 The Ways of Zion Do Mourn, “Funeral Anthem,” HWV 264 The King Shall Rejoice, “Dettingen Anthem,” HWV 265 Te Deum in D, “Utrecht,” HWV 278 Jubilate in D, “Utrecht,” HWV 279 Te Deum in D, “Caroline,” HWV 280 Te Deum in B♭, "Chandos," HWV 281 Te Deum in A, HWV 282 Te Deum in D, “Dettingen,” HWV 283 HANSON, Howard The Lament for Beowulf, op. 25 Three Songs from “Drum Taps,” op. 32
xvii 357 358 360 361 362 363 364 365 366 367 368 369 370 371 372 372 374 374 375 376 377 377 378 378 379 379 379 380 380 381 382 382 383 383 384 384 385 385 386 386 387 388 388 389 389 390 391 391 392 393 393
xviii
Contents
HARRIS, Roy Symphony No. 4, Folk Song
394 395
HAYDN, Franz Joseph Haydn Oratorios Stabat Mater, Hob. XXbis Die Sieben letzten Worte unseres Erlösers am Kreuze Il ritorno di Tobia Die Schöpfung Die Jahreszeiten Haydn Masses No. 1, Mass in F Major No. 2, Mass in D minor No. 3, Mass in G major No. 4, Mass in E♭ major No. 5, Mass in C major No. 6, Mass in G major No. 7, Mass in B♭ major No. 8, Mass in C major No. 9, Mass in C major No. 10, Mass in B♭ major No. 11, Mass in D minor No. 12, Mass in B♭ major
396 396 396 397 399 400 403 405 405 406 407
No. 13, Missa Solemnis in B♭ major No. 14, Mass in B♭ major Haydn Te Deums Te Deum for Prince Nicolaus Esterházy Te Deum for Empress Maria Therese
407 408 410 411 412 412 414 415 416 417 418 420 420 420
HENZE, Hans Werner Novæ de Infinito Laudes Die Muzen Siziliens Das Floss der Medusa
421 422 423 423
HINDEMITH, Paul Der Lindberghflug Das Unaufhörliche Ite, angeli veloces Part I — Chant De Triomphe Du Roi David —Triumphgesang Davids [David’s Victory Song] Part II—Custos quid de nocte [Watchman, what of the night?] Part III—Cantique de l’espérance [Canticle of Hope] When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom’d
424 425 425 426 426 427 427 428
HOLST, Gustav Hymn of Jesus, op. 37 First Choral Symphony, op. 41 The Planets, op. 32
429 430 431 432
HONEGGER, Arthur Le Roi David Jeanne d’Arc au bûcher
434 434 435
Contents
xix
HOVHANESS, Alan Easter Cantata, no. 3 from Choral Triptych, op. 100 Magnificat, op. 157 Cantata: Praise the Lord with Psaltery, op. 222
436 437 437 438
HOWELLS, Herbert Hymnus Paradisi
439 439
JANÁCEK, Leos Msa Glagskaja Ridalka
440 441 442
KAY, Ulysses Simpson Inscriptions from Whitman
443 443
KODÁLY, Zoltán Psalmus Hungaricus, op. 13 Budavári Te Deum Missa brevis
444 444 445 446
LAMBERT, Constant The Rio Grande Summer’s Last Will and Testament
447 447 448
LEES, Benjamin Visions of Poets
449 450
LIGETI, György Requiem Uhren und Wolken
450 451 452
LISZT, Franz Die Legende von der heiligen Elisabeth, S. 2 Christus, S. 3
452 453 454
LOCKWOOD, Normand The Prairie
455 456
MAHLER, Gustav Das klagende Lied Symphony No. 2 Symphony No. 3 Symphony No. 8
457 457 458 460 462
MARTIN, Frank Le Vin Herbé In terra pax Golgotha
463 464 465 465
MENDELSSOHN-BARTHOLDY, Felix Christus, op. 97 Elijah Die erste Walpurgisnacht Hymn, op. 96
466 467 468 469 470
xx Lauda Sion, op. 73 Lobgesang St. Paul, op. 36 Psalm 42, Wie der Hirsch schreit, op. 42 Psalm 95, Kommt, laßt uns anbeten, op. 46 Psalm 98, Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied, op. 91 Psalm 114, Da Israel aus Aegypten zog, op. 51 Psalm 115, Non nobis Domine [Nicht unserm namen, Herr], op. 31 Symphony No. 2, Lobgesang Tu es Petrus, op. 111
Contents 471 472 472 473 474 474 475 475 476 477
MENNIN, Peter Symphony No. 4, The Cycle Christmas Story Cantata de virtute: Pied Piper of Hamelin
478 478 479 479
MENOTTI, Gian Carlo The Death of the Bishop of Brindisi
480 480
MESSAGER, André Messe des pêcheurs de Villerville
481 482
MONTEVERDI, Claudio Vespro della beata vergine, SV 206
482 482
MOZART, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Oratorios and Cantatas Betulia liberata, K. 118 / 74c Davidde Penitente, K. 469 Mozart Masonic Works Grabmusik, “Wo bin ich, bittrer Schmerz,” K. 42 / 35a Die Maurerfreude, K. 471 Laut verkünde unsre Freude, “Kleinen Freimaurer-Kantate,” K. 623 Mozart Masses and Requiem Missa Brevis in G major, K. 49 / 47d Missa Brevis in D minor, K. 65 / 61a Mass in C major (Dominicus Mass), K. 66 Missa Brevis in C major, K. 115 Missa Brevis in F major, K. 116 Mass in C minor Missa Brevis in G major, K. 140 Mass in C major Missa Brevis in F major Missa Brevis in D major Missa Brevis in C major Mass in C major Mass in C major Mass in C major Mass in C major Mass in B♭ major Mass in C major Mass in C major Mass in C minor Requiem
484 485 485 486 487 487 488 489 490 490 490 491 492 492 492 493 494 495 496 497 498 499 500 501 502 503 504 505 507
Contents
xxi
Mozart Litanies
510
Litaniae laurentanae in B♭ major
510
Litaniae de venerabili altaris sacramento in B ♭ major Litaniae laurentanae in D major Litaniae de venerabili altaris sacramento in E ♭ major Mozart Vespers Vesperae de dominica Vesperae solennes de confessore Mozart Smaller Liturgical Works Alma dei creatoris Ave Verum Corpus Benedictus sit deus Dixit et Magnificat Inter natos mulierum Kyrie in D minor Misericordias domini Regina coeli in C major Regina coeli in B Regina coeli in C major Sancta Maria, mater Dei Scande coeli limina Tantum ergo in B Tantum ergo in D major Te Deum laudamus Veni sancte spiritus Venite populi
511 512 512 513 513 514 515 515 516 517 518 518 519 520 520 521 522 523 523 524 524 525 525 526
NIELSEN, Carl Hymnus Amoris Søvnen Fynsk Foraar
527 527 528 528
ORFF, Carl Carmina Burana Catulli Carmina Trionfo di Afrodite Die Sänger der Vorwelt Nänie und Dithyrambe
529 530 531 532 533 533
PAINE, John Knowles The Nativity
534 534
PARKER, Horatio Hora Novissima
535 535
PENDERECKI, Krsysztof Wymiary czasu i ciszy Cantata in honorem Almae Matris Universitatis Iagellonicae Passio Et Mors Domini Nostri Iesu Christi Secundum Lucam Dies Irae Utrenja Part I—Grablegung Christi [The Entombment of Christ] Part II — Auferstehung Christi [The Resurrection of Christ]
536 537 538 539 540 541 541 542
xxii Kosmogonia Canticum Canticorum Salomonis
Contents 543 544
PERGOLESI, Giovanni Battista Stabat Mater
544 545
PERSICHETTI, Vincent Stabat Mater The Creation
546 546 547
POULENC, Francis Sécheresses Stabat Mater Gloria
548 548 549 550
PROKOFIEV, Sergei Cantata on the 20th Anniversary of October Revolution Songs of Our Days Alexander Nevsky Zdravitsa Ballad of a Boy Who Remained Unknown Ivan the Terrible Flourish, Our Mighty Land On Guard for Peace
551 551 552 552 553 554 554 555 555
PUCCINI, Giacomo Messa a 4 Voci
556 557
RACHMANINOV, Sergei Vesna Kolokola
557 558 559
RAVEL, Maurice Daphnis et Chloe
560 561
RIEGGER, Wallingford Cantata, In Certainty of Song
562 563
RIMSKY-KORSAKOV, Nikolai Alexey, the Man of God Slava
564 564 565
ROGERS, Bernard The Passion Letter from Pete The Prophet Isaiah
565 566 567 568
ROREM, Ned The Poet’s Requiem Letters from Paris
568 569 569
ROSSINI, Gioachino Petite Messe Solennelle Stabat Mater
570 571 571
Contents
xxiii
RUBBRA, Edmund Inscape Advent Cantata
572 573 573
RUTTER, John Gloria Requiem Te Deum Magnificat
574 574 575 575 575
SAINT-SAËNS, Camille Oratorio de Noël
576 576
SCHOENBERG, Arnold Gurrelieder Die Jakobsleiter Kol Nidre Survivor from Warsaw Moderne Psalm
577 578 579 581 581 582
SCHUBERT, Franz Deutsche Messe Graduale: Benedictus es, Domino Kyrie in D, D. 31 Kyrie in D, D. 49 Kyrie in F Magnificat Mass No. 1 in F Mass No. 2 in G Mass No. 3 in B♭ Mass No. 4 in C Mass No. 5 in A♭
583 583 584 584 585 585 586 586 587
Mass No. 6 in E♭ Offertorium: Intende voci Offertorium: Tres sunt Stabat Mater in G minor Stabat Mater in F Tantum Ergo in C, D. 460 Tantum Ergo in C, D. 739 Tantum Ergo in D Tantum Ergo in E♭
587 588 589 590 591 591 591 592 592 593 593 593
SCHULLER, Gunther The Power within Us
594 595
SCHUMAN, William This Is Our Time A Free Song
595 596 597
SCHUMANN, Robert Das Paradies und die Peri, op. 50 Szenen aus Goethes Faust Requiem für Mignon
597 598 599 600
xxiv Nachtlied Mass, op. 147 Requiem
Contents 601 601 602
SCRIABIN, Alexander Symphony No. 1 Symphony No. 5
602 603 603
SESSIONS, Roger When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom’d
604 605
SHOSTAKOVICH, Dmitri Symphony No. 2 Symphony No. 3 The Song of the Forests The Sun Shines o’er Our Country Symphony No. 13 The Execution of Stepan Razin
606 607 608 608 609 610 611
SIEGMEISTER, Elie I Have a Dream
612 613
STARER, Robert Ariel
613 614
STEVENS, Halsey A Testament of Life
614 615
STRAUSS, Richard Wanderers Sturmlied Taillefer
615 616 617
STRAVINSKY, Igor Svadebka—Les Noces Œdipus Rex Symphony of Psalms Persephone Mass Cantata Canticum Sacrum ad honorem Sancti Marci Nominis Threni A Sermon, a Narrative, and a Prayer Introitus: T. S. Eliot in Memoriam Requiem Canticles
617 619 620 621 623 623 624 625 626 627 628 629
TCHAIKOVSKY, Piotr Ilyich K radosti Cantata for the Opening of the Polytechnic Exhibition Cantata in Celebration of the Golden Jubilee of Osip Petrov Moskva
630 630 631 632 632
THOMPSON, Randall Americana The Passion According to St. Luke The Testament of Freedom
633 634 634 635
Contents
xxv
TIPPETT, Michael Kemp A Child of Our Time Vision of St. Augustine Shires Suite
636 637 638 638
VAUGHAN WILLIAMS, Ralph A Sea Symphony Sancta Civitas Five Tudor Portraits Dona Nobis Pacem Serenade to Music An Oxford Elegy The Sons of Light Hodie Epithalamion
639 640 642 642 643 644 645 646 646 647
VERDI, Giuseppe Messa da Requiem Stabat Mater Te Deum
648 648 650 650
VIVALDI, Antonio Beatus vir, RV 597 Beatus vir, RV 598 Beatus vir, RV 795 Credidi propter quod locutus sum, RV 605 Credo Dixit Dominus, RV 594 Dixit Dominus, RV 595 Dixit Dominus, RV 807 Domine ad adjuvandum me festina, RV 593 Gloria, RV 588 Gloria, RV 589 In exitu Israel Jubilate, o amoeni chori Juditha triumphans devicta Holofernis barbarie Kyrie Laetatus sum Lauda Jerusalem Laudate Dominum omnes gentes Laudate pueri Dominum Magnificat
651 651 652 652 653 653 654 654 655 655 656 656 657 658 658 659 659 659 660 660 661
WALTON, William Belshazzar’s Feast
662 663
WARD, Robert Earth Shall Be Fair Sweet Freedom’s Song: A New England Chronicle
664 664 665
WEBERN, Anton Das Augenlicht Erste Kantate Zweite Kantate
666 667 667 668
xxvi
Contents
WEILL, Kurt Das Berliner Requiem Der Lindberghflug
669 669 670
WILLAN, Healey Coronation Suite
671 672
TEXT SOURCES
675
TITLE INDEX
701
Contents
xxvii
PREFACE This volume represents a twenty-five-year-long project. It is the conflation of six books. The first volume, A Conductor’s Guide to Choral-Orchestral Works, began as my D.M.A. dissertation at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, which was completed in 1992. It was adapted for publication from Scarecrow Press (now absorbed by the present publisher, Rowman and Littlefield) in 1994 under the editorial vice president, Norman Horrocks. That volume addressed ninety compositions composed between 1914 and 1972 that included some English text. I had undertaken the original research project with the combined goal of better learning an important portion of the symphonic choral repertoire and its compositional trends while also preparing myself to compose new works in this tradition. When that first volume was completed, Mr. Horrocks encouraged me to consider applying the same approach to additional components of this repertoire. We originally agreed to an additional volume of twentieth-century works, and another volume for each musical period: baroque, classical, and romantic. As I began to undertake this project, I soon realized that Bach would require a separate volume. In fact, that volume was considerably longer than any of the period anthologies. The result has been: A Conductor’s Guide to ChoralOrchestral Works, Twentieth Century, Part II: The Music of Rachmaninov through Penderecki (1998), A Conductor’s Guide to the Choral-Orchestral Works of J.S. Bach (2000), A Conductor’s Guide to Choral-Orchestral Works, Volume I: Haydn and Mozart (2002), A Conductor’s Guide to Nineteenth-Century Choral-Orchestral Works (2008), and A Conductor’s Guide to Selected Baroque Choral-Orchestral Works (2014). When we first planned this series, Mr. Horrocks and I agreed that ideally, when the final volume was completed, a comprehensive omnibus volume should be produced. I now find it extraordinary that he had such faith in a twenty-eight-year-old conductor to complete this work. I will remain forever grateful for his expression of confidence and for the immeasurably rewarding musical journey it has provoked. My friend and fellow repertoire lexicographer, David Daniels has sustained that cheerleading over the years. As a result, I have had the immense privilege of studying 785 compositions for choir and orchestra, which have included many of the greatest masterworks of the Western canon. The purpose of this book is to provide conductors with the information they need to make good programming decisions. I don’t attempt to compare the merits of these works. They are all of high quality, although there are a few works that force the use of superlative descriptions. For each composition, I have provided general information, available editions, instrumentation, descriptions
of solo roles including tessitura and range; there is a description of the performance issues for each score and my evaluation of the general difficulty of the work for the choir and the orchestra. For each score, I have also provided a brief bibliography and information about commercial recordings, if available using the following template: LAST NAME, First Name (place of birth, date of birth - date of death, place of death) Brief composer bio. Teachers: listed here Writing: prose work published by the composer Principal Works: listed here Selected Composer Bibliography: listed here Title of first work Duration: time here Text: comments on the text Performing Forces: prose form First Performance: Date and other info Autograph: Location, when known, of original manuscript materials Editions: publishers and other info here Notes: interesting and pertinent info here Performance Issues: useful information and sage advice here Selected Discography: cherry-picked recordings here Selected Bibliography: further reading suggestions here The “Performance Issues” are derived from my own personal score study. For each work there is a description of all solo roles including tessituras and ranges. There is also an overall evaluation of the difficulty of the choral and instrumental contingencies of the work. These fall into a six-level, Likert-type scale of very easy, easy, medium easy, medium difficult, difficult, and very difficult. While subjective, these are informed estimates of types of ensembles needed to successfully perform each work from rank amateur (very easy) to elite professional ensembles (very difficult). For range identification the following system has been utilized:
xxviii
The initial volume in this series included an evaluation of trends and practices among the works reviewed. Identifying trends in this omnibus edition, comprising works from a span of four centuries, is more challenging, but there are some persistent characteristics. The great composers, contrary to the comments of some critics, remain attentive to the texts they set. Through their own communion with these verses, they find and reveal new understandings and interpretations. There is remarkable originality in each of the dozens of settings of the Mass texts, and there is much to be learned from the ways that composers edit and anthologize a variety of texts in their works. The collaboration between composer and poet is often through the sole volition of the former, but it is still a creative partnership. At the end of this book is a section of text sources with biographical sketches of the authors and a concordance to the works in which the texts are used. In the introduction to the Bach volume, I noted that my greatest realization in that project was that the least performed of those pieces were still extraordinary, but sadly neglected due to the overwhelming number of works he had composed. Additional materials about J.S. Bach and his music from that volume appear in an appendix. I hope that this field guide helps conductors explore and perform a broader selection of the great works from all these composers.
Preface
Following Mr. Horrocks, I have been fortunate to work with a wonderful succession of editors: Shirley Lambert, Bennett Graff, and now, Natalie Mandziuk. I have enjoyed the able assistance of many copy editors, and this volume has been significantly improved through the guidance of Jo Nardolillo. The mistakes that persist are all my own. I have likewise benefitted from the assistance of numerous librarians and musicians. These include: M.K. Amos, Eddie Bass, William P. Carroll, Eric Childress, Richard Cox, David Daniels, Robert Delvin, Sarah Dorsey, Kay and Stuart Fitzpatrick, Kelley Griffith, Robert Gutter, Tony Heaton, Ted Hunter, Allen Huszti, John Jaffe, Lisa Johnston, P. Alston Jones, L. Joseph Malloy, Shirley Reid, Karen Schmidt, and Richard Wursten. I have benefitted from access to the libraries of Elon University, Illinois State University, Illinois Wesleyan University, Sweet Briar College, the University of North Carolina—Chapel Hill, the University of North Carolina—Greensboro, and the University of Virginia. I am delighted to be able to collaborate with my longtime friend David Oertel on this volume. Special thanks go to Megan Oertel for her support of her husband David during this project. As always, I am most indebted to my wonderful wife, Lynn Buck, for her sustained patience and support. — Jonathan D. Green
1
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
THE WORKS
2
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
ADLER, Samuel (b. Mannheim, Germany, 4 March 1928) Adler is the son of trained musicians; his father was a cantor and composer of Jewish liturgical music. His family emigrated to the United States in 1939, where he attended Boston University (BMus 1948) and Harvard (MA 1950). His composition teachers include Aaron Copland, Paul Fromm, Paul Hindemith, Hugo Norden, Walter Piston, and Randall Thompson. He also studied conducting with Serge Koussevitsky at Tanglewood. Joining the Army in 1950, he organized the Seventh Army Symphony Orchestra. Adler taught composition at North Texas State University (now the University of North Texas) 1957-1966, the Eastman School 1966-1995, and at Juilliard since 1995. He is recipient of the Army Medal of Honor for musical service; Ford Foundation, Rockefeller, and NEA Awards; a Koussevitsky Foundation commission; and a Guggenheim Fellowship. Adler’s works utilize varied techniques including dance rhythms, diatonicism, free atonality, serialism, ostinati, folk themes, improvisation, and aleatoric devices.1 Teachers: Aaron Copland, Herbert Fromm, Paul Hindemith, Walter Piston, Randall Thompson Writings: Anthology for the Teaching of Choral Conducting (New York: Holt, Rhinehart, and Winston, 1971), Sightsinging, Pitch, Interval, Rhythm (New York: W.W. Norton,1979), and A Study of Orchestration (New York: W.W. Norton, 1982, revised 1991). Principal Works: opera - The Outcast of Poker Flat (1959), The Wrestler (1971), The Disappointment (1974); ballet - The Waking (1978); orchestral - 6 Symphonies (1953, 1957, 1960, 1967, 1975, and 1985); many chamber works, songs, and liturgical works. Selected Composer Bibliography: Rothmüller, Aron Marko. The Music of Jews: An Historical Appreciation, 2nd edition. South Brunswick, NJ: Yoseloff, 1967. Wolf, Marie. “Adler, Samuel.” In The New Grove Dictionary of American Music, edited by H. Wiley Hitchcock, i: 8-9. 4 volumes. London: Macmillan, 1986.
The Binding (1967) Duration: ca. 50 minutes Text: The Book of Genesis, chapter 22; teachings of Midrash and Aggadah, as compiled by Hugo Chaim Adler (the composer’s father) and adapted to English by Albert Friedlander. 1 Marie Wolf, “Adler, Samuel,” in The New Grove Dictionary of American Music, edited by H. Wiley Hitchcock, i: 8-9, 4 volumes (London: Macmillan, 1986).
Performing Forces: voices: 2 sopranos, mezzo-soprano, tenor, and baritone soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: piccolo, 2 flutes, 2 oboes (oboe II double English horn), 2 clarinets, bass clarinet, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 3 trumpets in C, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani (5 drums), percussion (3 players - snare drum, tenor drum, bass drum, crash cymbals, suspended cymbal, tam-tam, triangle, temple blocks, wood block, xylophone, glockenspiel), harp, and strings. First Performance: 4 May 1967; Temple Emanu-El, Dallas, TX; Temple Emanu-El Choir, Dallas Chamber Music Society; conducted by the composer Edition: The Binding is published and distributed by Oxford University Press. The piano-vocal score is available for purchase; orchestral materials may be rented. Autograph: The full score is a facsimile of the composer’s manuscript. Notes: This work was commissioned by Temple EmanuEl, North Texas State University, and the Dallas Chamber Music Society. The Binding bears this inscription: “This work is dedicated to the ‘thousands of sons’ who have fallen, and will continue to fall as long as man misunderstands the cry of the ‘Living God’ as taught and clarified by this legend, and by the sayings of the Prophets of Israel.” The internal quotes are from the text of the work. The score begins with a brief Hebrew phrase, which has been phonetically transcribed. It is a dramatically conceived work, which is throughcomposed. Performance Issues: The choral writing is mostly homophonic, and there are divisi passages in all parts. Adler’s work has some tonal orientation, but is generally freely chromatic. The choral parts are the most harmonically stable, while the soloists and orchestra have much polymodal/polytonal material. There is an unmeasured section beginning in the fourth bar after [52]. In this same section of the score, the soloists are asked to approximate pitches within a specific rhythm. At [57], the choir is to divide into even groups, which speak five metrically independent lines. The score calls for two percussionists, but three are needed. There is rapid unison passagework in the strings and winds. Soloists: soprano, range: c'-b'', tessitura: g'-e'', lyric and sustained; Isaac (a boy or young girl) - soprano, range: e'-a'', tessitura: a'-f'', clear and lyric; narrator - alto, range: g-g'', tessitura: d'-d'', strong and speech-like; tenor (also Satan), range: c-a', tessitura: g-f', bright with broad leaps; baritone (also Abraham), range: A♭-f', tessitura: B-b, declamatory and powerful. This is an imaginative and well crafted work, which is also a moving and sincere presentation of the biblical
3
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
legend of Isaac and Abraham. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Discography: No commercial recording Selected Bibliography: Douglass, Robert: [review], American Choral Review, x/4 (1968), 194-196.
most challenging vocal music with many elements of extended tonality. Soloist: mezzo-soprano (or baritone an octave lower), range: b'-e'', tessitura: e≤'-c''. This role sings only the second movement, and is well within the ability of a good high school singer. The singer must have a clear voice, which is articulate and flexible. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium.
A Whole Bunch of Fun (1969)
Discography: No commercial recording
Duration: ca. 20 minutes
AMRAM, David Werner (b. Philadel-
Text: Lewis Carroll, Marianne Moore, Theodore Roethke, Eleanor Farjeon, P. D. Eastman, Ogden Nash, and George F. Whicher Performing Forces: voices: mezzo-soprano or baritone soloists; SATB, SSA, and SA Choirs; orchestra: 3 flutes, 2 oboes, 3 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion (3 players - snare drum, tenor drum, bass drum, tambourine, crash cymbals, suspended cymbal, triangle, wood block, temple blocks, ratchet, xylophone), and strings. First Performance: November 1971; Rochester, NY; Penfield Central School District Choirs, Rochester Philharmonic, conducted by the composer2 Edition: A Whole Bunch of Fun is published and distributed by Oxford University Press. The piano-vocal score is available for purchase; orchestral materials are available on rental. Autograph: The full score is a facsimile of the composer’s manuscript. Notes: A Whole Bunch of Fun was commissioned by the Music Department of Penfield (a suburb of Rochester, NY) Central School District, James E. Dumm, supervisor of music. The texts are tongue-in-cheek comments relating to students’ feelings about school. Performance Issues: This work was written for performance by a good public-school music program. Adler has very intelligently crafted a work of attractive and sophisticated music, which is within the means of such students. The humor of the texts carries over into the music with some isolated vocal hisses and choral stuttering, but such devices are used with wit. The texts of this piece make it appropriate only for student ensembles. It is not simplistic, and while the choral parts could be mastered by school choirs of medium skill, the orchestra parts require a first-rate school orchestra. The choral writing incorporates unisons and paired doublings within each choir, but there are intricate exchanges between these groups. The fourth and fifth movements have extended passages for speaking choirs. The choirs are combined in only the first, fifth, and last movements leaving each ensemble responsible for only three or four movements. The mixed choir has divisi in all parts and contains the 2 Telephone interview with Samuel Adler, August 1992.
phia, PA, 17 November 1930) Amram was educated at Oberlin Conservatory (1 year, 1948) and then George Washington University where he graduated with a BA in history in 1952. He played horn in the National Symphony Orchestra and then the Seventh Army Orchestra with which he toured Europe for three years, returning to the U.S. in 1955. He then enrolled in the Manhattan School of Music, studying conducting with Dmitri Mitropoulos, composition with Vittorio Giannini, and horn with Gunther Schuller. While in New York City, he also studied compostion with Charles Mills. In association with Joseph Papp, he composed incidental music for 25 Shakespeare plays for use in the New York Shakespeare Festival. In 1959, he received the Pulitzer Prize for his incidental music to MacLeish’s J. B. He was the first composer-in-residence with the New York Philharmonic (1966-1967). He has made many tours as an emissary for the State Department and the World Council of Churches. Teachers: Vittorio Giannini, Charles Mills Principal Works: orchestral: Autobiography (1959), Shakespearean Concerto (1959), Horn Concerto (1965), Brazilian Memories (1973), Travels (1984); vocal: Friday Evening Service (1960), Let Us Remember (1965), and The Trail of Beauty (1976). Selected Composer Bibliography: Amram, David. Vibrations: The Adventures and Musical Times of David Amram. New York: Knopf, 1968. “Amram, David (Werner).” Current Biography Yearbook, xxx (November 1969). New York: H. W. Wilson Company. Petersen, Barbara. “Amram, David.” In The New Grove Dictionary of American Music, edited by H. Wiley Hitchock, i: 44-45. 4 volumes. London: Macmillan, 1986.
A Year in Our Land (1964) Duration: ca. 25 minutes Text: The texts of this work reflect both the idealism and frustration of the American experience. Amram has
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
selected his texts from the following sources: James Baldwin’s Another Country is about the troubles of love within a biracial and bisexual context; John Dos Passos’s Manhattan Transfer is a portrayal of the dissatisfaction with the American dream as experienced by city dwellers; in Lonesome Traveler, Jack Kerouac presents an analysis of the transience of human experience and of America as paradise lost; John Steinbeck’s Travels with Charley is an autobiographical tale of a cross-country trip with his dog, Charley; The Web and the Rock of Thomas Wolfe is an autobiographical novel of a young author recently moved to New York — its central theme is the conflicts between Christian and Jew, and rural and city folk; and lastly, Walt Whitman’s Leaves of Grass is a lifetime collection of particularly American poems reflecting the author’s views and experiences.3 Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 oboes (oboe II doubling English horn), 2 clarinets (clarinet II doubling bass clarinet), 2 bassoons (bassoon II doubling contrabassoon), 2 horns, 2 trumpets, 2 trombones, timpani, percussion (3 players - snare drum, bass drum, bongos, tom-toms, crash cymbals, suspended cymbal, Chinese gong, triangle, xylophone, Parsifal chime), piano, and strings. First Performance: 13 May 1964; New York; Interracial Choir; conducted by Harold Aks Edition: A Year in Our Land is published and distributed by C. F. Peters. Piano-vocal score is available for purchase; orchestral materials are available for rental. Autograph: The full score is a facsimile of the composer’s manuscript. Notes: Amram’s choice of diverse texts describes the four seasons in America. He has organized it into six sections as follows:
1. 2. 3. 4.
Prologue choir Spring in the East soprano solo and choir Summer in the West tenor solo and choir Autumn in the North alto solo and choir Winter in the South bass solo and choir Epilogue SATB solos and choir
(Baldwin) (Dos Passos) (Kerouac) (Steinbeck) (Wolfe) (Whitman)
Performance Issues: The choral writing is diatonic with logogenic rhythms. The choir has some rhythmic 3 George and Barbara Perkins and Phillip Leininger, Benét’s Reader’s Encyclopedia of American Literature (New York: Harper Collins, 1991).
speaking including some prolonged and exaggerated vocal sounds. There is a high, sustained prelude for solo trumpet. There are a number of dramatically subtle solos for the concertmaster. The Parsifal chime can be achieved by striking the low strings of the piano with a large bass drum or tam-tam beater. There is no tempo indicated for the third movement. Soloists: soprano, range: d'-a'', tessitura: f'-f'', lyric and flexible with long phrases; alto, range: f#-g'', tessitura: e'-d'', rhythmic and lyrical; tenor, range: d-b∫', tessitura: f-e∫' (there is one falsetto f''), it is a declamatory and rapidly articulated role; bass, range: F#-d', tessitura: B-b, forceful and articulate. The orchestration is transparent and varied and well within the ability of a moderate college orchestra. The rhythmic intricacy of the vocal writing and orchestrational style suggest a mediumsized choir. The choral parts are sophisticated and very sensitive to the text, demanding a reasonably experienced ensemble. This is an excellent piece for teaching textual nuances. The text is also unusual in its currency of social issues. Choir: medium; Orchestra: medium easy. Discography: Interracial Chorale and Orchestra; conducted by Harold Aks. Recorded in 1965. AY-200 [LP mono]. Selected Bibliography: Cranna, Clifford, [review], Notes, xxxviii/2 (March 1980).
BACH, Johann Sebastian
(21 March
1685-28 July 1750) . Bach was the eighth child of Johann Ambrosius Bach, a municipal musician, and Elisabeth Lämmerhirt. He probably received early musical instruction from his father. He was orphaned at age nine and went to live with his eldest brother, Johann Christoph, who gave him formal music instruction. As a teen, Bach sang in the Michaeliskirche choir, which provided his tuition for the Michaelisschule where he was able to enrich his knowledge of 17th-century music. It is believed that Bach may have studied composition with Georg Böhm, organist at the Johanniskirche in Lüneburg. Bach served as organist of the Neue Kirche in Arnstadt (1703-1707) and organist of the Blasiuskirche in Mühlhausen (1707-1708) where he began to compose choral church music. On 17 October 1707, he married his second cousin, Maria Barbara. He then became organist and an orchestra member in the Weimar court (1708-1717) where he composed his first secular cantatas. Prince Leopold of Anhalt-Köthen appointed
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Bach Kapellmeister in Köthen (1717-1723). Following the death of his first wife, Bach married Anna Magdalena Wilcken, a capable musician with a fine singing voice. In 1723, Bach was named cantor in Leipzig supervising the music of the four churches of the city: St. Thomaskirche, St. Nikolaikirche, Peterkirche, and Neue Kirche. Bach was also organist of the St. Thomaskirche. During the first five to seven years that Bach served in Leipzig, he composed the bulk of his church music, which may have included five complete Jahrgängen, or yearly liturgical cycles of fifty-nine cantatas each. Due to conflicts with church authorities, Bach became more and more disenchanted with his religious duties. In 1729, Bach began to direct the Collegium Musicum, the ancestor of today’s Gewandhaus Orchestra, for which he composed many of his concertos. Bach received the additional appointment of Kapellmeister and composer to Friedrich August II, the elector of Saxony and king of Poland in 1736. His late works exhibit a preoccupation with contrapuntal invention and variation forms, including the Goldberg Variations, The Well-Tempered Clavier, part II, and A Musical Offering. His last work, The Art of the Fugue, was left unfinished, but published the year after his death. Bach was prolific as a father as well as a composer, although only half of his twenty children survived to adulthood. Among his children were some of their generation’s most influential musicians. They, and many of Germany’s most prominent composers and theorists, benefitted from their father’s instruction. Teachers: Johann Christoph Bach, Georg Böhm Students: Johann Friedrich Agricola, Johann Christoph Altnikol, Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, Johann Christian Bach, Johann Christoph Friederich Bach, Wilhelm Friedemann Bach, Heinrich Nicolaus Gerber, Johann Gottlieb Goldberg, Gottfried August Homilius, Johann Philipp Kirnberger, Johann Christian Kittel, Johann Ludwig Krebs, Johann Tobias Krebs Principal Works: Bach’s surviving works have been catalogued by Wolfgang Schmieder and assigned Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis [BWV] numbers, which have become the standard method for addressing his numerous compositions. These are generally broken down as: Cantatas (BWV 1-224), Motets (BWV 225230), Masses and Mass Movements (BWV 232-242), Magnificat (BWV 243), Passions and Oratorios (BWV 244-249), Chorales, Sacred Songs, and Arias (BWV 250-524), Organ Solos (BWV 525-771), Other Keyboard Solos (BWV 772-990), Lute Solos (BWV 995-1000), Chamber Music (BWV 1001-1040), Orchestral Works and Concertos (BWV 1041-1071), and Counterpoint Studies (BWV 1072-1087).
Critical Editions: NBA = Johann Sebastian Bach:
Neue Ausgabe sämtlicher Werke, edited by the Johann-Sebastian-Bach-Institut, Göttingen and the Bach-Archiv, Leipzig. Kassel and Basel: Bärenreiter Verlag, 1954-2007. BG = Johann Sebastian Bach:Werke, edited by the Bach-Gesellschaft. Leipzig: Breitkopf und Härtel, 1851-1899. Selected Composer Bibliography: Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach. 2 volumes. Kassel: Bärenreiter-Verlag, 1971. Herz, Gerhard. “The New Chronology of Bach’s Vocal Music.” In Johann Sebastian Bach: Cantata No. 140: Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme: The Score of the New Bach Edition, Backgrounds, Analysis, Views, and Comments, 3-50, edited by Gerhard Herz; a Norton Critical Score, 10. New York: W. W. Norton, 1972. Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach. 2 volumes. London: Oxford University Press, 1959. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide. Jefferson, NC: McFarland and Company, 1989.
Cantata No. 1: Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern (1725) Duration: ca. 24 minutes Occasion: Palm Sunday and Annunciation Text: The text of the first and last movements, which are chorale harmonizations, is by Philip Nicolai (1599). The text for the remaining movements consists of paraphrases of Nicolai, which are likely by Bach. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB chorus; orchestra: 2 oboes da caccia, 2 horns, 2 violin soloists, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 25 March 1725, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig. It is possible that this was originally an audition piece for his appointment as organist at Mühlhausen in 1707, but the above-listed date is the first documentable performance. Editions: Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 28/2, page 3, edited by Matthias Wendt. Performance materials are available from BärenreiterVerlag. It is also published in BG, volume 1, page 1, edited by Moritz Hauptmann. Other available editions include those from Dover (Seven Great Sacred Cantatas, 0-486-24950-6, BG edition reprint, full score only with a literal English translation by Stanley Appelbaum), Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts), and Breitkopf und Härtel.
6
Manuscript Sources: The original performing parts, in the hands of Johann Andreas Kuhnau, Christian Gottlob Meissner, Wilhelm Friedemann Bach, and Johann Heinrich Bach, are in the Bach-Archiv in Leipzig. Notes: This is the last chorale cantata of Jahrgang II; it is based upon Philipp Nicolai’s hymn tune (1599) of the same title. Performance Issues: In the opening movement Bach treats the chorus as a section of the orchestra, giving the cantus firmus to the sopranos in very long sustained notes while the lower three vocal parts are interspersed with the overall harmonic fabric. These vocal parts are pervasively imitative of each other, but are often in canon with, or contrary motion against, the accompanying instrumental parts. In movements 1 and 5 Bach treats the orchestra as a concerto grosso with two concertante violin parts. These are technically involved and may provide some difficulties with balance in the tutti passages. The ripieno violin parts are quite accessible to intermediate-level players. The oboes da caccia have some intricate passages, and the first player has a prolonged and difficult solo part in movement 3. The horn parts are both quite high and filled with rapidly articulated passages. Soloists: soprano range: c'-a♭'', tessitura: a♭'-f'', this is a lyrical and highly ornamented solo requiring a clear and flexible voice; tenor - range: e♭-b♭', tessitura: b♭-g, this is a demanding role with sustained singing and considerable coloratura passagework; bass - range: B♭- e♭', tessitura: d-d', this is a brief declamatory solo, which suggests a powerful voice that could be a chorister. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Inga Nielsen, Adalbert Kraus, Philippe Huttenlocher; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded February and April 1980. Hänssler Classic: 98.867. Arleen Augér, Peter Schreier, S. Lawrence; Leipzig St. Thomas Church Choir, Leipzig New Bach Collegium Musicum; conducted by Hans Joachim Rotzsch. Berlin: BC2150-2. Kurt Equiluz, Max van Egmond; Vienna Boys’ Choir, Chorus Viennensis, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 229242497-2. Re-released as 4509-91755-2. Edith Mathis, Ernst Haefliger, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau; Munich Bach Choir, Munich Bach Orchestra; conducted by Karl Richter. Archiv: 439 374-2AX5. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 131, 235, 580; volume 2: 104-110, 304, 345, 626.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 546. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 192. Meredith, Sarah. “Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern in the Chorale Cantatas of J. S. Bach.” Choral Journal 38/5 (December 1997), 9-14.
Cantata No. 2: Ach Gott, vom Himmel sieh darein, BWV 2 (1724) Duration: ca. 18 minutes Occasion: Trinity II Text: The chorale text of the outer movements is by Martin Luther (1524), translating Psalm 12. The remaining texts are paraphrases probably by Bach. Performing Forces: voices: alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes, 4 trombones, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 18 June 1724, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Ach Gott, vom Himmel sieh darein is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 16, page 83, edited by George S. Bozarth. Performance materials are available from BärenreiterVerlag. It is also published in BG, volume 1, page 55, edited by Moritz Hauptmann. Other available editions include those from Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: The manuscript of the full score is in a private collection in New York. The original parts, in the hand of Johann Andreas Kuhnau, are in the Bach-Archiv in Leipzig. Notes: This is a chorale cantata based upon an anonymous hymn tune adapted by Martin Luther (from Enchiridion, 1524) of the same title. Performance Issues: The opening chorus is entirely contrapuntal with the hymn tune sung as a cantus firmus by the altos. All of the vocal parts are directly doubled by the orchestra, with only the continuo part added. There is a prominent and fairly difficult violin solo in movement 2. The orchestral writing overall is quite accessible to intermediate players. This work is well-suited for the use of solo string players. If a strong first violinist and tenor solo are available, this is a good cantata for an amateur ensemble. Soloists: alto - range: c'-e♭'', tessitura: f'-d'', this role requires a singer with great flexibility in the top of the range, there are main ornamented melismas and nearly all of the solo is in the top fifth of the range; tenor - range: d-a♭', tessitura: g-g', this role demands a singer capable of florid passage work with clarity throughout the range; bass - range: c-e♭', tessitura: d-d', this is a short solo with some awkward melodic leaps, it is most
7
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
appropriate for a baritone voice. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Helen Watts, Aldo Baldin, Walter Heldwein; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded February 1979. Hänssler Classic: 98.801. Paul Esswood, Kurt Equiluz, Max van Egmond; Vienna Boys’ Choir, Chorus Viennensis, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 2292-42497-2. Re-released as 4509-91755-2. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. Fugitive Notes on Certain Cantatas and Motets of J. S. Bach, 32-41. London: Oxford University Press, 1942. ———. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 235; volume 2: 276, 294, 340-345. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 340. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 196.
Cantata No. 3: Ach Gott, wie manches Herzeleid I, BWV 3 (1724 or 1725) Duration: ca. 25 minutes Occasion: Epiphany II Text: The chorale text of movements 1, 2, and 6 are by Martin Moller (1587). The remaining texts are attributed to Bach. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes d’amore, horn, trombone, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 14 January 1725, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Ach Gott, wie manches Herzeleid is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 5, page 191, edited by Marianne Helms. Performance materials are available from BärenreiterVerlag. It is also published in BG, volume 1, page 75, edited by Moritz Hauptmann. Other available editions include those from Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: The autograph of the full score is in a private collection in Switzerland. The original set of parts, in the hands of Johann Andreas Kuhnau, Wilhelm Friedemann Bach, and Johann Heinrich Bach, are in the Bach-Archiv in Leipzig. Notes: Bach composed another cantata with the same title, BWV 58. This is a chorale cantata, based upon verses 1, 2, and 18 of Martin Moller’s hymn of the same title, which uses an anonymous tune. Performance Issues: The choral writing of movement 1 is contrapuntally and rhythmically complex with the
hymn tune as a cantus firmus in the bass part. The vocal parts of this movement are thoroughly doubled by the instruments, although additional contrapuntal melodies obscure some of this melodic reinforcement. Movement 2 presents the hymn as a four-part chorale with an additional continuo part. Following each of the four lines of the hymn, there is a recitative interjection from the soloists in turn. These recitatives are very brief and quite simple. They could be given to choristers, as could the movement 4 tenor recitative. The chorale parts of movement 2 are not instrumentally doubled, but those of movement 6 are. The orchestral writing is quite accessible with the exception of the oboes d’amore, which have some challenging and independent passages in movement 1. Soloists: soprano - range: e'-g#'', tessitura: g#'-f#'', this is a sustained and lyrical role, which is not vocally demanding, most of which is in the movement 5 duet; alto - range: ad#'', tessitura: c#'-c#'', this is a sustained and lyrical role, the bulk of which is in the movement 5 duet; tenor - range: c#-a', tessitura: g-g', this is a brief solo with some broad melodic leaps, but it is well within the abilities of an intermediate-level singer; bass range: A-e', tessitura: d-d', this solo has considerable coloratura passagework demanding a flexible voice, the lowest notes of the range are short within figuration making this a good baritone role. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Arleen Augér, Gabriele Schreckenbach, Lutz-Michael Harder, Philippe Huttenlocher; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Hänssler Classic: 98.873. Paul Esswood, Kurt Equiluz, Max van Egmond; Vienna Boys’ Choir, Chorus Viennensis, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 2292-42497-2. Re-released as 4509-91755-2. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 241, 300; volume 2: 280, 300, 304, 345-350. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 181. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 185.
Cantata No. 4: Christ Lag in Todesbanden, BWV 4 (1707, rev. 1724) Duration: ca. 20 minutes Occasion: Easter Text: The chorale text is by Martin Luther (1524).
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Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: cornetto, 3 trombones, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: It is believed that this cantata was premiered on 24 April 1707 in Mühlhausen as a test piece. The work was revised and repremiered on 9 April 1724 at St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig. Editions: Christ Lag in Todesbanden is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 9, page 3, edited by Alfred Dürr. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 1, page 97, edited by Moritz Hauptmann. Other available editions include those from Norton Critical Score (full score copied from the NBA with critical essays and analyses in English, edited by Gerhard Herz), Dover (Eleven Great Cantatas, 0-486-23268-9, BG edition reprint, full score only with a literal English translation by Stanley Appelbaum), Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts), and Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: The original performing materials, in the hands of Christian Gottlob Meissner and Johann Heinrich Bach, are in the Bach-Archiv, Leipzig. Notes: This is the only cantata by Bach that follows the models of Pachelbel, Buxtehude, and Kuhnau, using the hymn tune in all movements and including no recitatives. The hymn text by Martin Luther was set to music by Johann Walther in 1524 with the tune name Christ ist erstanden, based upon a Latin melody (c. 1100). Performance Issues: In the opening chorus, Bach uses the hymn tune as a cantus firmus in the soprano part. All of the vocal parts of this movement are doubled by the cornetto and trombones, while the remaining instruments occasionally create as many as five additional independent melodic parts. Since movement 4 has no colla parte instrumental doubling, unlike movements 2 and 8, some sources believe this suggests the use of solo voices; however, the text and context are better served by full choir. This chorus is accompanied by a basso continuo part, which is independent of the choral bass part. In it, Bach has given the cantus firmus to the alto, which he has surrounded with very florid contrapuntal writing in the remaining voices. The orchestral writing is very accessible throughout with two independent viola parts. The trombones and cornetto only double vocal parts, and although they provide pitch support and enhanced timbral depth, a successful performance can be given without them. Soloists: soprano - range: e'-a'', tessitura: g'-e'', this role requires both sustained singing and ornamented passagework; alto - range: b-c#'', tessitura: c'-g', this is a simple and sustained solo; tenor - range: d#-g', tessitura: e-e', this is a lyrical solo with some melismatic passagework; bass - range: E-e', tessitura: B-b, this is a lilting and
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
lyrical solo role that requires the singer to sustain pitches at the both extremes of the indicated range. Choir: difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Edith Wiens, Carolyn Watkinson, Peter Schreier, Wolfgang Schöne; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, BachCollegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded December 1980. Hänssler Classic: 98.864. Paul Esswood, Kurt Equiluz, Max van Egmond; Vienna Boys’ Choir, Chorus Viennensis, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 2292-42497-2. Re-released as 4509-92627-2 and 4509-91755-2. Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau; Munich Bach Choir, Munich Bach Orchestra; conducted by Karl Richter. Archiv: 427 128-2AGA. Re-released as 439 374-2AX5. William Kendall, Stephen Varcoe; Monteverdi Choir, English Baroque Soloists; conducted by John Eliot Gardiner. Erato: 2292-45988-2. Laurence Dutoit, Kurt Equiluz, Hans Braun; Vienna Chamber Choir, Vienna Stadtsoper Orchestra; conducted by Felix Prohaska. Vanguard: 08.2001.71. Emily Van Evera, Caroline Trevor, Charles Daniels, David Thomas; Taverner Consort, Taverner Players; conducted by Andrew Parrott. Recorded in 1993. Virgin: VC5 45011-2. Barbara Schlick, Kai Wessel, Guy de Mey, Klaus Mertens; Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra and Choir; conducted by Ton Koopman. Recorded live in 1995. Erato: 4509-98536-2. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. Fugitive Notes on Certain Cantatas and Motets of J. S. Bach, 129-146. London: Oxford University Press, 1942. ———. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 131, 207-213, 235, 436, 439, 451, 543; volume 2: 38, 134, 269, 270, 272, 296, 297, 345. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 230. Bach, Johann Sebastian. Cantata No. 4: Christ Lag in Todesbanden: The Score of the New Bach Edition, Backgrounds, Analysis, Views, and Comments, edited by Gerhard Herz; a Norton Critical Score. New York: W. W. Norton, 1967. “Johann Sebastian Bach.” Walter Emery, Christoph Wolff, and Nicholas Temperley. In The New Grove Bach Family, edited by Stanley Sadie, 57, 124, 130131. New York: W.W. Norton, 1983. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 52. Berger, Melvin. Guide to Choral Masterpieces: A Listener’s Guide, 3-6. New York: Anchor Books, 1993.
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Cantata No. 5: Wo soll ich fliehen hin, BWV 5 (1724) Duration: ca. 20 minutes Occasion: Trinity 19 Text: The chorale text of the outer movements is by Johann Heermann. The remaining texts are paraphrases attributed to Picander. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes, trumpet, trumpet da tirarsi, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 15 October 1724, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Wo soll ich fliehen hin is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 24, page 135, edited by Matthias Wendt. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 1, page 127, edited by Moritz Hauptmann. Other available editions include that from Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: The manuscript of the full score is in a private collection in London. The original performing parts, in the hands of Johann Andreas Kuhnau and Christian Gottlob Meissner, are in the BachArchiv, Leipzig. Notes: This is a chorale cantata based upon an anonymous hymn tune of the same title. Performance Issues: The choral writing is very practical. The opening chorus uses the sopranos as a cantus firmus on the hymn tune in half notes, while the lower three voices are primarily in pervasive imitation of each other in eighths. The vocal parts are well supported by the orchestra. Movement 3 includes an obbligato solo for viola (the only such occurrence in Bach’s cantatas), which is exposed and technically demanding with nearly perpetual motion throughout the movement, requiring a very secure player. The orchestra parts are very idiomatically written for the instruments, and the orchestration allows for the use of solo strings if the choir is not too large. Soloists: soprano range: d'-g'', tessitura: g'-e'', this is a minor solo requiring a clear, light voice, and it is appropriate for a chorister; alto - range: a'-d'', tessitura: d'-c'', this is a brief and simple solo; tenor - range: d-a', tessitura: c'-g', this solo is declamatory and melismatic with frequent rapid passagework; bass - range: G-e', tessitura: d-d', this soloist must be capable of rapid runs, the aria exercises the middle of the voice, but the recitative demands a resonant low register. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium difficult.
4 Alfred Dürr lists 26 minutes in his Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, but the Rilling recording is 19 minutes long.
Selected Discography: Arleen Augér, Carolyn Watkinson, Aldo Baldin, Wolfgang Schöne; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, BachCollegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded February and October 1979. Hänssler Classic: 98.816. Paul Esswood, Kurt Equiluz, Max van Egmond; Vienna Boys’ Choir, Chorus Viennensis, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 2292-42497-2. Re-released as 4509-91755-2. Edith Mathis, Kurt Equiluz, Peter Schreier, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau; Munich Bach Choir, Munich Bach Orchestra; conducted by Karl Richter. Recorded in 1977 and 1978. Archiv: 439 394-2AX5. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 2: 274, 283, 316-322. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 475. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 166.
Cantata No. 6: Bleib bei uns, denn es will Abend werden, BWV 6 (1725) Duration: ca. 19 minutes4 Occasion: Easter Monday Text: The text of movement 1 is from the New Testament (Luke 24:29); movement 3 is paraphrased from Melanchthon; movement 6 is by Martin Luther; the remaining text may be by Christian Weiss, Sr. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes, oboe da caccia, violoncello piccolo, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 2 April 1725, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Bleib bei uns, denn es will Abend werden is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 10, page 45, edited by Alfred Dürr. Performance materials are available from BärenreiterVerlag. It is also published in BG, volume 1, page 153, edited by Moritz Hauptmann. Other available editions include those from Dover (Seven Great Sacred Cantatas, 0-486-24950-6, BG edition reprint, full score only with a literal English translation by Stanley Appelbaum), Bärenreiter (parts and score), Kalmus (NBA and BG editions, score and parts), and Breitkopf und Härtel.
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Manuscript Sources: The manuscript of the full score is in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. The original parts, in the hands of Johann Andreas Kuhnau, Christian Gottlob Meissner, and Johann Heinrich Bach, are in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: In Schübler Organ Chorale No. 5, BWV 649, Bach adapts the same chorale material. Movement 2 uses music from a secular cantata, now lost, Bach composed to celebrate the appointment of a new rector, Johann August Ernesti, at the Thomasschule. Movement 3 uses the hymn tune Ach bleib bei uns, Herr Jesu Christ from Geistliche Lieder (Leipzig, 1589). The final choral is the tune Erhalt’ uns, Herr, bei deinem Wort. Performance Issues: The choral writing is very accessible, the contrapuntal first movement is well supported by the instruments, and imitative entrances are well-cued for pitch. The three oboe players must be confident players who can blend well with each other. The oboe da caccia part is best covered by English horn if an oboe da caccia is not available. The oboe da caccia part should be assigned to the strongest player as it has a very exposed and lyrical solo in movement 2. The violoncello piccolo solo in movement 3 is critical, but can be effectively played on the standard cello. The first violin part is particularly involved in movement 5. If solo strings are not used for the entire cantata, it should be considered for this movement. Soloists: soprano - range: g'-f'', tessitura: b♭'-f'', this is a simple, but sustained solo, which only goes outside of the perfect-fifth tessatura for one note; alto-range: b♭-e♭'', tessitura: d'-a', this is a lyrical and very legato solo requiring clarity and beautiful tone; tenor - range: d-a♭', tessitura: a-g', this solo requires vocal flexibity, it is melismatic with broad leaps and significant passagework; bass - range: G-e♭', tessitura: d-b♭, this is a simple and brief solo appropriate for a chorister. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Edith Wiens, Carolyn Watkinson, Adalbert Kraus, Walter Heldwein; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, BachCollegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded December 1980. Hänssler Classic: 98.862. Paul Esswood, Kurt Equiluz, Max van Egmond; Vienna Boys’ Choir, Chorus Viennensis, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 2292-42498-2. Re-released as 4509-91755-2. Anna Reynolds, Peter Schreier, Dietrich FischerDieskau; Munich Bach Choir, Munich Bach Orchestra; conducted by Karl Richter. Archiv: 439 3742AX5.
5 Alfred Dürr lists 26 minutes in his Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, but the Rilling recording is 22 minutes long.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Ingeborg Reichelt, Hertha Töpper, Helmut Krebs, Franz Kelch; Heilbronn Heinrich Schütz Choir, Pforzheim Chamber Orchestra; conducted by Fritz Werner. Recorded in 1961. Erato: 4509-98525-2. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 231, 235, 296; volume 2: 173-179. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 242. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 173.
Cantata No. 7: Christ unser Herr zum Jordan kam, BWV 7 (1724) Duration: ca. 22 minutes5 Occasion: Feast of St. John Text: The text of movement 2 is from the New Testament (Matthew 28:19); the chorale texts of the outer movements are by Martin Luther (1541); the remaining texts are paraphrases attributed to Bach. Performing Forces: voices: alto, tenor, bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes d’amore, solo violin, strings, and basso continuo (including bassoon) First Performance: 24 June 1724, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Christ unser Herr zum Jordan kam is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 29, page 27, edited by Frieder Rempp. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 1, page 179, edited by Moritz Hauptmann. Other available editions include those from Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts) and Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: The original parts, in the hand of Johann Andreas Kuhnau, are in the Bach-Archiv, Leipzig. Notes: This is a chorale cantata using Martin Luther’s hymn of the same title, which appeared in his Geistliches Gesangbüchlein (Wittenberg, 1541). Movement 2 is closely related to the “Quia fecit mihi magna” aria in Bach’s Magnificat, BWV 243/5. Performance Issues: The choral writing in the opening movement is treated as a third section of the orchestra against the winds and strings, so there is no appreciable doubling of the vocal parts by the instruments. This first movement also includes a concertante violin part, which is difficult and exposed. Movement 4 is written for 2 concertante violins of equal difficulty and importance. The orchestrational treatment of these solos
11
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
requires a string section rather than individual players for the tutti portions. The continuo part of movement 2 demands an independent and fluid cellist. The orchestral writing, while practical, will require some care in creating a cohesive ensemble, especially in movements 1 and 6. Soloists: alto - range: b-e'', tessitura: e'- c'', this is a lyrical solo with numerous melismas and ornamental figures; tenor - range: d-a', tessitura: a-f', this is a difficult solo requiring vocal agility and freedom in the top of the range; bass range: A-e', tessitura: d-d', this is a declamatory, but not difficult solo with many broad leaps, which is well suited to baritone voices. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult.
Manuscript Sources: Portions of the original parts, in the hand of Christian Gottlob Meissner, are in the Bach-Archiv, Leipzig, and in the Bibliothèque Royale Albert in Brussels. Notes: This is a chorale cantata, using a hymn by Caspar Neumann, which was based upon the tune “Liebster Gott, wann werd ich sterben,” composed by Daniel Vetter, who had been organist at the Nicolaikirche in Leipzig. The original version is in E major. Bach revised the work in the late Leipzig years, including a transposition to D major. Both versions are included in the NBA.
Cantata No. 8: Liebster Gott, wann werd ich sterben?, BWV 8 (1724)
Performance Issues: The choral writing is very accessible to less experienced choirs, although the vocal parts are not directly supported by the accompaniment. The choir only sings in twenty full measures of movement 1. The solo transverse flute part is exposed, technically demanding, and critical, especially in movement 4. The oboes d’amore have equal parts in movement 1, which are prominent and echo each other. If these parts are to be played on modern oboe, there are a few octave displacements that must be worked out. One of the oboists has a challenging solo in movement 2, requiring agility and the ability to sustain long phrases. Soloists: soprano - range: d#-a#'', tessitura: f#'-f#'', this is a brief solo appropriate for a chorister; alto - range: c'-e'', tessitura: d'-a', this is a small and simple role appropriate for a chorister; tenor - range: c-a', tessitura: g-f', this is a florid solo with melismatic passagework throughout the range; bass range: A-e', tessitura: c#-c#', this is a very lyrical solo requiring a flexible voice capable of beautiful sustained singing and rapid passagework. Choir: easy to medium easy; Orchestra: medium easy.
Duration: ca. 17 minutes
Selected Discography:
Occasion: Trinity 16
Arleen Augér, Helen Watts, Adalbert Kraus, Philippe Huttenlocher; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, BachCollegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded February and October 1979. Hänssler Classic: 98.813. Paul Esswood, Kurt Equiluz, Max van Egmond; King’s College Choir, Leonhardt Ensemble; conducted by Gustav Leonhardt. Teldec: 2292-42498-2. Rereleased as 4509-91755-2. Ursula Buckel, Hertha Töpper, Ernst Haefliger, Kieth Engen; Munich Bach Choir, Ansbach Bach Week Soloists Orchestra; conducted by Karl Richter. Recorded in 1959. Archiv: 439 387-2AX6. Julianne Baird, Steven Rickards, Jeffrey Thomas, J. Weaver; American Bach Soloists; conducted by Jeffrey Thomas. Koch: 37 163-2. Frederike Sailer, Claudia Hellmann, Helmut Krebs, Erik Wenk; Heilbronn Heinrich Schütz Choir, South-West German Chamber Orchestra; conducted by Fritz Werner. Recorded in 1961. Erato: 4509-97407-2.
Selected Discography: Helen Watts, Adalbert Kraus, Wolfgang Schöne; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded February 1979. Hänssler Classic: 98.802. Paul Esswood, Kurt Equiluz, Max van Egmond; King’s College Choir, Leonhardt Ensemble; conducted by Gustav Leonhardt. Teldec: 2292-42498-2. Re-released as 4509-91755-2. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 2: 117, 283, 350-358. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 561. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 198.
Text: The chorale texts of the outer movements are by Caspar Neumann (before 1697). The remaining texts are paraphrases attributed to Bach. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: flute, 2 oboes d’amore, horn, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 24 September 1724, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Liebster Gott, wann werd ich sterben? is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 23, page 107 (first version) and page 165 (second version), edited by Helmuth Osthoff. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 1, page 213, edited by Moritz Hauptmann. Other available editions include those from Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts) and Breitkopf und Härtel.
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Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 235, 433, 488-494; volume 2: 283. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 453. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 77.
Cantata No. 9: Es ist das Heil uns kommen her, BWV 9 (c. 1732-1735) Duration: ca. 21 minutes6 Occasion: Trinity VI Text: The chorale text of the outer movements is by Paul Speratus (1523). The remaining texts are paraphrases from an unidentified source. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: flute, oboe d’amore, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: unknown Editions: Es ist das Heil uns kommen her is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 17/2, page 93, edited by Reinmar Emans. Performance materials are available from BärenreiterVerlag. It is also published in BG, volume 1, page 245, edited by Moritz Hauptmann. Other available editions include those from Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts) and Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: The manuscript of the full score is in the Library of Congress, Washington, DC. The original parts, in the hands of Anna Magdalena Bach and “copyist Ve,” are in the Bach-Archiv, Leipzig. Notes: This cantata uses the hymn tune of the same name, which is a traditional German Easter melody (c. 1400). Performance Issues: The choral writing is quite accessible to less-experienced ensembles. In the opening chorus, the sopranos are given a cantus firmus on the hymn tune, and the lower three parts are in pervasive imitation of each other. The vocal parts are not directly reinforced by the orchestra, but there is clear harmonic support. The flute and oboe d’amore parts are prominent in movements 1 and 5. The writing lies well on the instruments, but has an element of perpetual motion. If the oboe d’amore part is played on a modern oboe, only two notes [a] at cadences must be changed. There is a violin solo in movement 3, which requires a rhythmically secure player. The ensemble string writing is well within the ability of a student ensemble. 6 Alfred Dürr lists 28 minutes in his Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, but the Rilling recording is 20 minutes and 30 seconds long.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
This is a cantata, which would lend itself well to the use of solo strings. Soloists: soprano - range: e'-g'', tessitura: g'-e'', this is a lyrical solo, accessible to a less experienced singer; alto - range: b-d'', tessitura: d'-b', this is a lyrical solo, accessible to a less experienced singer; tenor - range: c-a', tessitura: e-f#', the singer moves across the entire range regularly throughout this aria demanding a vocally secure soloist; bass range: A#-e', tessitura: d-c', this role is exclusively recitatives, but there are an unusual number of awkward melodic leaps requiring a secure singer. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Ulrike Sonntag, Gabriele Schreckenbach, Adalbert Kraus, Wolfgang Schöne; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded February 1984. Hänssler Classic: 98.859. Paul Esswood, Kurt Equiluz, Max van Egmond; King’s College Choir, Leonhardt Ensemble; conducted by Gustav Leonhardt. Teldec: 2292-42499-2. Re-released as 4509-91755-2. Edith Mathis, Julia Hamari, Peter Schreier, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau; Munich Bach Choir, Munich Bach Orchestra; conducted by Karl Richter. Recorded between 1975 and 1977. Archiv: 439 387-2AX6. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 433, 501-506; volume 2: 283. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 366. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 106.
Cantata No. 10: Meine Seele erhebt den Herren, BWV 10 (1724) Duration: ca. 24 minutes Occasion: Visitation Text: The text of movements 1 and 5 is taken from the Magnificat, in German, found in the New Testament (Luke 1:46-48, 54); the texts of the remaining movements are paraphrases attributed to Bach. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes, trumpet, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 2 July 1724, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Meine Seele erhebt den Herren is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1,
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
volume 28/2, page 133, edited by Uwe Wolf. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 1, page 277, edited by Moritz Hauptmann. Other available editions include those from Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts) and Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: The manuscript of the full score is in the Library of Congress, Washington, DC. The original parts, in the hands of Johann Andreas Kuhnau and Christian Gottlob Meissner, are in the BachArchiv, Leipzig. Notes: See BWV 243 for Bach’s treatment of this, the Magnificat, text in Latin. For this cantata, Bach incorporates the “Tonus Peregrinus” plainchant of this text, which had come to be traditionally sung in a four-part setting by Johann Hermann Schein (1627). Performance Issues: The choral writing in movement 1 is quite contrapuntally complex, but well reinforced by the instrumental parts. The orchestral parts are all accessible to intermediate players. The string parts are the most technically demanding, and careful attention to the bowing of the violin parts is needed to ensure the indicated groupings and articulations. The orchestration would benefit from sections of strings, rather than one player per part. The trumpet part is all sustained and within the middle range of the instrument. Soloists: soprano - range: d'-a'', tessitura: b♭'-f'', this is a declamatory solo with frequent octave leaps that would benefit from a strong voice; alto - range: b-d'', tessitura: d'-a'', this is a brief and lyrical role, which should be timbrally matched to the tenor soloist; tenor - range: d-a', tessitura: a-g', this role is lyrical with some florid passages; bass - range: F-e♭', tessitura: dd', this solo has many coloratura passages and requires a singer capable of sustaining the lowest pitches of the indicated range. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Arleen Augér, Margit Neubauer, Aldo Baldin, Wolfgang Schöne; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Hänssler Classic: 98.868. Paul Esswood, Kurt Equiluz, Max van Egmond; King’s College Choir, Leonhardt Ensemble; conducted by Gustav Leonhardt. Teldec: 2292-42499-2. Re-released as 4509-91755-2. Edith Mathis, Anna Reynolds, Peter Schreier, Kurt Moll; Munich Bach Choir, Munich Bach Orchestra; conducted by Karl Richter. Recorded in 1974 and 1975. Archiv: 439 380-2AX6. Christiane Oelze, Cornelia Kallisch, Christoph Prégardien, Anton Scharinger; Freiburg Webern Choir; South-West German Radio Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Michael Gielen. Recorded in 1991. Intecord: INT860 919.
Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. Fugitive Notes on Certain Cantatas and Motets of J. S. Bach, 65-77. London: Oxford University Press, 1942. ———. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 22, 231; volume 2: 1, 179-184, 272, 304. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 554. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 199.
Cantata No. 11: Lobet Gott in seinen Reichen, BWV 11 (1725-1735) Duration: ca. 27 minutes Occasion: Ascension Text: The text of movement 2 is from the New Testament (Luke 24.50); movement 9 is from the New Testament (Luke 24:52 and Acts 1:12); movement 5 is from the New Testament (Acts 1:9); movement 7 is from the New Testament (Acts 1:10); movement 6 uses a text by Johann von Rist (1641), and movement 11, a text by Gottfried Wilhelm Sacer (1697). Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 3 trumpets, timpani, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 19 May 1735, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig. This cantata contains movements parodied from earlier works described in the notes below for which earlier performances would have taken place. Editions: This work is published as Oratorio Festo Ascensionis Christi: Lobet Gott in seinen Reichen with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 2, volume 8, edited by Paul Brainard. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 2, page 1, edited by Moritz Hauptmann. Other available editions include those from Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts) and Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: The manuscript of the full score is in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. The location of the original parts is unknown. Notes: This cantata contains portions parodied from other works: movement 10 is taken from movement 5 of Auf! süss entzückende Gewalt, a wedding cantata first performed 27 Novemeber 1725, from which only the text now survives; movement 4 is derived from movement 3 of the same cantata; and movement 1 is derived from the opening movements of Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Zagen, BWV 12, and Gleichwie der Regen und Schnee vom Himmel fällt, BWV 18. In movement 11 Bach uses the hymn tune “Gott fähret auf gen Himmel,” by Gottfried Wilhelm Sacer, as the
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cantus firmus. Bach derived the “Agnus Dei” of the Mass in B Minor, BWV 232, from movement 4 of this cantata. This work is also known as the Himmelfahrtsoratorium, or Ascension Oratorio, and is therefore listed with the oratorios in the “Works List” in The New Grove Bach Family biography although it appears with the cantatas in the original dictionary entry. The oratorio label was used by Bach because he has an Evangelist role, which is given to the tenor soloist. Performance Issues: The choral writing is contrapuntally complex, but well supported by the accompaniment. The final chorus gives the hymn tune cantus firmus to the sopranos while the lower three parts have melodic interplay. In that movement, the choral basses must articulate rapid melismatic figures, which are not doubled by the continuo. A clear and independent bass section is required for this movement. The trumpet I is especially difficult with much exposed high playing. The trumpet II needs a secure player, while the trumpet III is quite easy. The woodwind parts all have intricate passagework and considerable rhythmic complexity. Some sources incorrectly list this cantata as having only one violin part. There are two parts of considerable difficulty. In movement 10, Bach uses the violins and violas in unison as the “bass part” of the accompaniment. Soloists: soprano - range: e'-a'', tessitura: f#'-f#'', this solo has extended phrases and florid passagework, it is the most vocally demanding of the solo parts; alto - range: a-e'', tessitura: c'-c'', this is a lyrical and legato solo; tenor - range: f#-a', tessitura: b-g', this is a declamatory role requiring a clear voice; bass - range: B-e', tessitura: d-d', this is a lyric solo appropriate for a baritone. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Ascension Version (1724): Costanza Cuccaro, Mechtild Georg, Adalbert Kraus, Andreas Schmidt; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Württemburgisches Kammer-orchester Heilbronn; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded February 1984. Hänssler Classic: 98.858. Paul Esswood, Kurt Equiluz, Max van Egmond; Vienna Boys’ Choir, Chorus Viennensis, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 2292-42499-2. Re-released as 4509-91755-2. Edith Mathis, Anna Reynolds, Peter Schreier, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau; Munich Bach Choir, Munich Bach Orchestra; conducted by Karl Richter. Recorded between 1973 and 1975. Archiv: 439 374-2AX5. Barbara Schlick, Catherine Patriasz, Christoph Prégardien, Peter Kooy; Ghent Collegium Vocale, Paris Chapelle Royale Choir and Orchestra; conducted by
7 The New Grove lists the Leipzig performance as the premiere, but Gerhard Herz includes the Weimar performance in his chronology. See Bach, Johann Sebastian, Cantata No. 140: Wachet auf, ruft uns
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Philippe Herreweghe. Recorded in 1993. Harmonia Mundi: HMC90 1479. Monika Frimmer, Ralf Popken, Christoph Prégardien, David Wilson-Johnson; Age of Enlightenment Chorus and Orchestra; conducted by Gustav Leonhardt. Recorded in 1993. Philips: 442 119-2PH. Epiphany III Version (1725): Marcus Huber, Paul Esswood, Kurt Equiluz, Ruud van der Meer; Tolz Boys’ Choir, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 2292-42606-2. Re-released as 4509-91760-2. Edith Mathis, Anna Reynolds, Peter Schreier, Theo Adam; Munich Bach Choir, Munich Bach Orchestra; conducted by Karl Richter. Recorded in 1972. Archiv: 439 369-2AX4. Arleen Augér, Helen Watts, Lutz-Michael Harder, Philippe Huttenlocher; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Württemburgisches Kammerorchester Heilbronn; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Hänssler Classic: 98.874. Selected Bibliography: Smend, Friedrich. “Bachs Himmelsfahrts-Oratorium,” Bach-Gedenkschrift (1950), 42-65. Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 234, 235, 655; volume 2: 4047, 57, 117, 283. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 288. “Johann Sebastian Bach.” Walter Emery, Christoph Wolff, and Nicholas Temperley in The New Grove Bach Family, edited by Stanley Sadie, 101, 133, 134, 139, 140. New York: W.W. Norton, 1983. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 151.
Cantata No. 12: Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Zagen, BWV 12 (1714) Duration: ca. 26 minutes Occasion: Easter III (Jubilate) Text: The text of movement 5 is from the New Testament (Acts 14:22); movement 7 is by Samuel Rodigast (1674); the remaining movements are attributed to Salomo Franck. Performing Forces: voices: alto, tenor, bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: oboe, trumpet, strings, and basso continuo (including bassoon) First Performance: 22 April 1714, Weimar; reperformed 30 April 1724, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig7
die Stimme: The Score of the New Bach Edition, Backgrounds, Analysis, Views, and Comments, edited by Gerhard Herz; a Norton Critical Score, 10 (New York: W. W. Norton, 1972).
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Editions: Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Zagen is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 11/2, page 3, edited by Reinmar Emans. Performance materials are available from BärenreiterVerlag. It is also published in BG, volume 2, page 61, edited by Moritz Hauptmann. Other available editions include those from Dover (Eleven Great Cantatas, 0486-23268-9, BG edition reprint, full score only with a literal English translation by Stanley Appelbaum), Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts), and Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: The manuscript of the full score and five original parts in Bach’s hand are in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: Bach derived the “Crucifixus” of the Mass in B Minor, BWV 232, from movement 2 of this cantata. The final chorale uses hymn tune, “Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan,” which is believed to be by Johann Pachelbel. Performance Issues: The choral writing is sustained with much of the harmonic material independent of the accompaniment in movement 1. There are also a number of mode mixtures and cross relationships that could prove difficult in preparing this chorus; however, the familiarity that many choral singers may have with this piece in its incarnation as the “Crucifixus” from the B Minor Mass may negate these challenges. It is important to note that this movement is written in ABA form. The B section is accompanied only by continuo and does not occur in the “Crucifixus.” The oboe part in movements 1 and 4 is quite difficult and exposed, combining long phrases and highly ornamented figurations. In movement 2, the bassoon part is somewhat different from the basso continuo part. The trumpet appears only in movements 6 and 7 it is quite sustained, and in movement 7 it functions as a descant in unison with the oboe. The string writing throughout is accessible to intermediatelevel players. Soloists: alto - range: c'-d♭'', tessitura: e♭'-c'', movement 4 is a deceptively sustained solo, the notation of 16th- and 32nd-note figures betrays the appropriately slow tempo; tenor - range: d-g', tessitura: g-f, this is a sustained and lyrical solo with many florid passages; bass - range: E♭-c', tessitura: B♭-b♭, this is a forthright and vocally accessible solo for a true bass voice. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Helen Watts, Adalbert Kraus, Wolfgang Schöne; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Hänssler Classic: 98.853. Paul Esswood, Kurt Equiluz, Max van Egmond; Tolz Boys’ Choir, King’s College Choir, Leonhardt Ensemble; conducted by Gustav Leonhardt. Teldec:
2292-42500-2. Re-released as 4509-92627-2 and 4509-91755-2. Anna Reynolds, Peter Schreier, Theo Adam; Munich Bach Choir, Munich Bach Orchestra; conducted by Karl Richter. Recorded in 1973 and 1974. Archiv: 439 374-2AX5. Barbara Schlick, Kai Wessel, Christoph Prégardien, Klaus Mertens; Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra and Choir; conducted by Ton Koopman. Recorded live in 1995. Erato: 0630-12598-2. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. Fugitive Notes on Certain Cantatas and Motets of J. S. Bach, 159-166. London: Oxford University Press, 1942. ———. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 213-217, 234, 235; volume 2: 270. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 262. Ambrose, Z. Philip. “‘Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Zagen,’ und die antike Redekunst.” Bach-Jahrbuch, volume 66 (1980): 35-45. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 54.
Cantata No. 13: Meine Seufzer, meine Tränen, BWV 13 (1726) Duration: ca. 20 minutes Occasion: Epiphany II Text: The text for movement 3 is by Johann Heermann (1636), movement 6 is by Paul Fleming (1642), and the remaining text is by Georg Christian Lehms. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, bass soloists; SATB choir (chorale only); orchestra: 2 recorders, oboe da caccia, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 20 January 1726, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Meine Seufzer, meine Tränen is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 5, page 231, edited by Marianne Helms. Performance materials are available from BärenreiterVerlag. It is also published in BG, volume 2, page 81, edited by Moritz Hauptmann. Other available editions include that from Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: The manuscript of the full score and the original parts, in the hands of Christian Gottlob Meissner, Wilhelm Friedemann Bach, and Johann Heinrich Bach, are in the Staatbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: While this is not a choral cantata, Bach uses two pre-existent hymns in it. In movement 3, he uses Louis Bourgeois’s “Ainsi qu’on oit le cerf,” and in movement 6, he uses the anonymous hymn tune “In allen meinen Taten.”
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Performance Issues: The choral writing is very simple. Bach provides a cantus firmus soli melody for the altos in movement 3, and the entire choir sings the final four-part chorale in movement 6. In movement 1, the oboe da caccia part is very florid and technically demanding, and although it is less conspicuous than the recorder parts of this movement, it is far more difficult. If modern instruments are to used, this part is best suited to the English horn. The recorder parts are certainly playable on transverse flutes, but the timbral combinations Bach has created are quite distinct and should be preserved if possible. In movement 5, there is an obbligato part for unison violin and recorder that is highly ornamented with very intricate passagework that will require very secure players. The remaining string writing is quite accessible to intermediate-level players. This cantata lends itself particularly well to the use of solo strings. If a section of strings is used, only the concertmaster must be an advanced player. Soloists: soprano - range: e'-g'', tessitura: g'-e'', this is a small and vocally simple solo, which would be appropriate for a chorister; alto - range: b♭-d'', tessitura: e'-c'', this is a small and vocally simple solo, which would be appropriate for a chorister; tenor - range: da', tessitura: g-f', this is a sustained and lyrical solo; bass - range: G-e♭', tessitura: d-d', this solo is filled with coloratura passagework, the lowest pitches of the range are few and short. Choir: very easy; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Arleen Augér, Carolyn Watkinson, Adalbert Kraus, Walter Heldwein; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Hänssler Classic: 98.874. Walter Gampert, Paul Esswood, Kurt Equiluz, Max van Egmond; Tolz Boys’ Choir, King’s College Choir, Leonhardt Ensemble; conducted by Gustav Leonhardt. Teldec: 2292-42500-2. Re-released as 450991755-2. Edith Mathis, Anna Reynolds, Peter Schreier, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau; Munich Bach Choir, Munich Bach Orchestra; conducted by Karl Richter. Recorded in 1971. Archiv: 439 369-2AX4. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 2: 145-149, 345. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 184. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 169.
Cantata No. 14: Wär Gott nicht mit uns diese Zeit, BWV 14 (1735) Duration: ca. 17 minutes Occasion: Epiphany IV
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Text: The chorale text is by Martin Luther (1524), which is a translation of Psalm 124; the remaining texts are paraphrases by an unidentified author. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, tenor, bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes, horn, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: unknown Editions: Wär Gott nicht mit uns diese Zeit is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 6, edited by Peter Wollny. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 2, page 101, edited by Moritz Hauptmann. Other available editions include that from Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: The manuscript of the full score is in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. The original parts, in the hands of Anna Magdalena Bach and another unidentified copyist, are held in part by the Bach-Archiv in Leipzig and the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: This is a chorale cantata based upon the hymn of the same title by Martin Luther or Johann Walter, which is from the Gesangbuch (Wittenberg, 1537). Performance Issues: The choral writing is quite contrapuntal and somewhat chromatic, but the vocal parts are well-supported by the orchestra. Bach introduces the hymn tune as a cantus firmus in the horn and oboes. The horn part is for corno di caccia in B♭. It has many exposed solo passages, most of which are in the highest range of the instrument requiring an expert player. The oboes have exposed solo work in movement 5 that is not technically difficult. The string writing throughout is accessible to intermediate-level players, the one exception being the basso continuo part in movement 3, which may require special attention in rehearsal for effective ensemble. There are some passages in movement 2 labeled “solo” in the first violin part. These are not difficult, but it does suggest the need for a full string section rather than solo players throughout. Soloists: soprano - range: d'-a'', tessitura: b♭'-g'', this is a vocally challenging solo with significant coloratura writing; tenor - range: e-a', tessitura: g-f', this is a brief, but very declamatory solo; bass - range: G-e♭', tessitura: d-d', this solo is declamatory with many rapid melismatic passages, requiring an agile and powerful voice. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Krisztina Laki, Aldo Baldin, Philippe Huttenlocher; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Württembergisches Kammer-orchester Heilbronn; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded February 1984. Hänssler Classic: 98.859.
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Peter Hinterreiter, Marius van Altena, Max van Egmond; Tolz Boys’ Choir, King’s College Choir, Leonhardt Ensemble; conducted by Gustav Leonhardt. Teldec: 2292-42500-2. Re-released as 4509-91755-2. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 2: 295, 299, 322-328. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 199. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 143.
Cantata No. 15: Denn du wirst meine Seele nicht in der Hölle lassen, BWV 15 This cantata, which was attributed to J. S. Bach is, in fact, by Johann Ludwig Bach. It is published as a work of J. S. Bach by Kalmus and Breitkopf und Härtel. Editions: Denn du wirst meine Seele nicht in der Hölle lassen is published in BG, volume 2.
Cantata No. 16: Herr Gott, dich loben wir, BWV 16 (1725) Duration: ca. 21 minutes Occasion: New Year/Feast of Christ’s Circumcision Text: The text for movement 1 is by Martin Luther (1529), movement 6 is by Paul Eber (c. 1580), and the remaining texts are by Georg Christian Lehms.8 Performing Forces: voices: alto, tenor, and baritone soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes, oboe da caccia, horn, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 1 January 1726, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig. This cantata was reperformed in Leipzig between 1728 and 1731, and possibly in 1748. Editions: Herr Gott, dich loben wir is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 4, page 105, edited by Werner Neumann. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 2, page 175, edited by Moritz Hauptmann. Other available editions include those from Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts) and Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: The manuscript of the full score is in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin, as are the original parts, which are in the hands of Christian Gottlob Meissner, Johann Heinrich Bach, and other unidentified copyists.
translation of the Te Deum to the tune of “Ainsi qu’on oit le cerf” by Louis Bourgeois, from his Genevan Psalter (1551), in movement 1; and “Helft mir Gottes Güte preisen,” by Wolfgang Figulus (1569 or 1575), in movement 6. Performance Issues: In movement 1, the sopranos have the hymn tune in a very sustained cantus firmus part. The choral alto part of this movement has a high tessitura, and may benefit from the assistance of some of the sopranos. In movement 3, Bach intersperses the bass soloist with a spirited polyphonic chorus. There are some brief passages indicated for the choral basses alone. The choral writing in both movements 1 and 3 requires great vocal flexibility and clarity. The horn part in movement 3 was written for corno da caccia; it is very high and requires an expert player. In movement 5, there is an obbligato solo part labeled for oboe da caccia or violetta, if the latter is chosen the modern viola is appropriate, if a modern double reed is to be used, it must be an English horn. This part is florid, but lies well on both instruments. The string writing throughout this cantata is accessible to intermediatelevel players. Soloists: alto - range: a-d'', tessitura: d'c'', this is a sustained recitative suitable for a chorister; tenor - range: e-a', tessitura: a-f', this is a lyrical solo with many florid melismatic passages; bass - range: Be', tessitura: d-d', this is a declamatory solo with some highly ornamented passages; Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Gabriele Schreckenbach, Peter Schreier, Philippe Huttenlocher; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Hänssler Classic: 98.871. Paul Esswood, Marius van Altena, Max van Egmond; Tolz Boys’ Choir, King’s College Choir, Leonhardt Ensemble; conducted by Gustav Leonhardt. Teldec: 2292-42499-2. Re-released as 4509-91755-2. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 30, 434, 514-518; volume 2: 305. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 153. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 46.
Cantata No. 17: Wer Dank opfert, der preiset mich, BWV 17 (1726) Duration: ca. 22 minutes
Notes: In this cantata, Bach uses two hymn tunes: “Herr Gott, dich loben alle wir,” which is a German 8 In The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, page 46, W. Murray Young indicates that the libretto was written by Bach as an adaptation of these texts. He also states that this is the first
extant chorale cantata by Bach. Alfred Dürr indicates Lehms as the librettist in his Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, page 153.
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Occasion: Trinity XIV Text: The text for movement 1 is psalm 50 (v. 23); movement 4 is from the New Testament (Luke 17:15); movement 7 is by Johann Graumann (1530); the authorship of the remaining movements is unknown. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 22 September 1726, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Wer Dank opfert, der preiset mich is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 21, page, 149, edited by Werner Neumann. Performance materials are available from BärenreiterVerlag. It is also published in BG, volume 2, page 201, edited by Moritz Hauptmann. Other available editions include those from Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts) and Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: The manuscript of the full score is in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. The original parts, in the hands of Christian Gottlob Meissner and Johann Heinrich Bach, are in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: Bach parodied movement 1 of this cantata, with movement 5 of BWV 138, in movement 3 of his Mass in G, BWV 236. This cantata is divided into two parts, which were intended to frame the sermon. The chorale of movement 7 is a setting of the hymn tune “Nun lob’ mein’ Seel’, den Herren,” which is attributed to Johan Kugelmann and found in Concentus Novi (Augsburg, 1540). Performance Issues: The choral writing of movement 1 is entirely contrapuntal with extended melismatic fugal passages and contrasting episodes. Each section of the chorus has exposed florid passages, which require succinct articulation and cohesive ensemble singing. While much of the choral writing is doubled, there are a number of vocal passages, which are independent of the accompaniment. There are frequent voice crossings for the choir, and a number of places where the choral basses go below the basso continuo part. The oboe parts are quite practical and appear only in movements 1 and 7. The string parts are very diatonic and rhythmically active. The most intricate string writing is in movement 3 where solo players would be used to great advantage. If this is the case the ripieno orchestra players may be intermediate-level players. Soloists: soprano - range: e'-g'', tessitura: f#'-f#'', this solo is filled with florid, scalar melismas, and many ornamental passages; alto - range: b-e'', tessitura: e'-c'', this is a brief and simple solo appropriate for a chorister; tenor - range: c#-a', tessitura: g-g', this is a declamatory solo 9 David Daniels lists 26 minutes in his Orchestral Music, third edition, Alfred Dürr list 21 minutes in his Die Kantaten von Johann
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
with some awkward leaps; bass - range: A-e', tessitura: d-d', this is a straightforward and declamatory solo appropriate for a chorister with a secure sense of pitch. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Arleen Augér, Gabriele Schreckenbach, Adalbert Kraus, Walter Heldwein; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Hänssler Classic: 98.868. Paul Esswood, Kurt Equiluz, Max van Egmond; Vienna Boys’ Choir, Chorus Viennensis, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 2292-42501-2. Re-released as 4509-91755-2. Edith Mathis, Julia Hamari, Peter Schreier, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau; Munich Bach Choir, Munich Bach Orchestra; conducted by Karl Richter. Recorded in 1976 and 1977. Archiv: 439 387-2AX6. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 234; volume 2: 184-190. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 437. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 176.
Cantata No. 18: Gleichwie der Regen und Schnee vom Himmel fällt, BWV 18 (1713) Duration: ca. 16 minutes9 Occasion: Sexagesima Text: The text for movement 2 is from the Old Testament (Isaiah 55:10); movement 5 is by Lazarus Spengler (1524); part of movement 3 is from Martin Luther’s Litany; the remaining text is by Erdmann Neumeister, from his Fünffache Kirchen-Andachten. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 4 violas and basso continuo (including bassoon). 2 recorders were added in 1724. First Performance: 19 February 1713 or 4 February 1714 or 24 February 1715, Weimar in G minor 3 February 1724, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig, in a version transposed to A minor, which includes the addition of 2 recorders. Editions: Gleichwie der Regen und Schnee vom Himmel fällt is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 7, page 83 (Weimar version) and 109 (Leipzig Edition), edited by Werner Neumann. Performance materials are available from Sebastian Bach, but the Rilling recording is just under 16 minutes long.
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 2, page 229, edited by Moritz Hauptmann. Other available editions include those from Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts), Breitkopf und Härtel, and Bärenreiter. Manuscript Sources: The original parts of 1713, mostly in the composer’s hand, and the parts of revised version of 1724, in the hand of Christian Gottlob Meissner, are in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: The earlier version of this cantata, as performed in Weimar, contains no recorder parts and is in G minor rather than A minor. In movement 3, stanzas of Martin Luther’s Litany are interjected by the choir, between recitatives sung by the tenor and bass soloists. The final chorale is a setting of Lazarus Spengler’s hymn “Durch Adams Fall ist ganz verderbt,” which adapts (1535) the tune of the song “Was wöll wir aber heben an,” which was sung at the battle of Pavia (1529). Performance Issues: All of the choral writing is in fourpart choral style with all parts doubled in the orchestra. In movement 3, each passage of the choir’s litanies is intoned by the sopranos, which may best be done by the soprano soloist. In fact this cantata lends itself well to being sung by a solo quartet. The recorder parts are very accessible. Much of the viola writing is sustained. When the violas have moving parts they are usually in unison. It should be performed with one player per part. The changes of style in movement 3 may require some extra attention in rehearsal, but this is a very practical cantata, presenting few significant challenges. Soloists: soprano - range: e♭'-a♭'', tessitura: g'f'', this is a lyrical solo combining declamatory and melismatic writing, stylistically it would benefit from a clear-voiced soloist; tenor - range: E♭-g', tessitura: b♭-f', this is a sustained and declamatory role with a few isolated passages of rapid melismas; bass - range: F-d', tessitura: B♭-b♭, this is a declamatory and sustained role with some intricate melismatic passages. Choir: very easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Eva Csapó, Gabriele Schnaut, Adalbert Kraus, Wolfgang Schöne; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Hänssler Classic: 98.877. [Rilling uses a solo quartet in place of the choir in movement 3.] Kurt Equiluz, Max van Egmond; Vienna Boys’ Choir, Chorus Viennensis, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 229242501-2. Re-released as 4509-91755-2. Barbara Schlick, Kai Wessel, Christoph Prégardien, Klaus Mertens; Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra and
Choir; conducted by Ton Koopman. Recorded live in 1995. Erato: 0630-12598-2. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 11, 141-146, 530; volume 2: 280, 442. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 209. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 7.
Cantata No. 19: Es erhub sich ein Streit, BWV 19 (1726) Duration: ca. 22 minutes Occasion: Feast of St. Michael Text: The text is thought to be adapted from the writings of Picander (c. 1620) by J. S. Bach. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes, 2 oboes d’amore, taille, 3 trumpets, timpani, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 29 September 1726, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Es erhub sich ein Streit is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 30, page 57, edited by Marianne Helms. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 2, page 295, edited by Moritz Hauptmann. Other available editions include those from Dover (Seven Great Sacred Cantatas, 0-48624950-6, BG edition reprint, full score only with a literal English translation by Stanley Appelbaum), Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts), and Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: The manuscript of the full score and the original parts, which are in the hand of Johann Heinrich Bach, are in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: This cantata, written for the Feast of St. Michael and All the Angels, opens with a chorus celebrating the triumph of the Archangel and his angelic army defeating the dragon [Satan] and banishing him from heaven. The remaining movements are about man’s relationship with angels. In movement 5, the trumpet plays a cantus firmus line taken from the hymn tune “Herzlich lieb hab ich dich, o Herr,” by Bernard Schmid from his Orgelbuch (Strassburg, 1577). The final chorale is a setting of the anonymous hymn tune “Freu dich sehr, o meine Seele,” which is the same as “Ainsi qu’on oit le cerf” by Louis Bourgeois, from his Genevan Psalter (1551).
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Performance Issues: The choral writing is vocally demanding. The opening chorus is a virtuosic choral fugue in ABA form. The vocal parts are generally doubled by the instruments although there are passages that are not doubled including some in which the choral basses are a second apart from the basso continuo and often cross below the contino line. The trumpet I part is considerably more difficult than the other two parts, with numerous high pitches [c''']. Trumpet I must also must be able to play in the highest register as a background instrument with slow sustained lines as it provides the cantus firmus of movement 5. The oboes and oboes d’amore do not appear in the same movements so one pair of players can be used. The oboe d’amore II part in movement 3 only plays two brief pitches [a] that are not on the modern oboe, so some minor editing can allow this to be played on the latter instrument if the former is not available. The oboe d’amore parts in movement 3 are exposed and difficult with long intricate phrases. The taille only appears in movements 1 and 7, doubling the violas throughout so that it could be omitted if necessary. The string writing throughout is quite practical, even in the busiest sections of the opening fugal chorus. Soloists: soprano - range: d'-g'', tessitura: f'-e'', this is a very florid and lyrical solo requiring a singer with an agile voice; tenor - range: d-a', tessitura: e-g', this is a remarkable solo with extended melismatic passages and very long phrases requiring a first-rate lyric tenor; bass - range: G-e', tessitura: c-c', this is a brief declamatory solo appropriate for a chorister. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Barbara Rondelli, Adalbert Kraus, Siegmund Nimsgern; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Hänssler Classic: 98.869. Kurt Equiluz, Max van Egmond; Vienna Boys’ Choir, Chorus Viennensis, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 229242501-2. Re-released as 4509-91755-2. Edith Mathis, Hans-Peter Blochwitz, Thomas Quasthoff; Windsbach Boys’ Choir, Munich Bach Soloists; conducted by Karl Friedrich Beringer. Bayer: BR100162. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 234, 314, 369, 434, 529-533; volume 2: 271, 455. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 570. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 81.
Cantata No. 20: O Ewigkeit, du Donnerwort I, BWV 20 (1724) Duration: ca. 31 minutes
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Occasion: Trinity I Text: The text of movement 2 is from the New Testament (Matthew 23:33); movements 1, 7, and 11 are by Johann von Rist (1642). The remaining texts are paraphrases believed to be by J. S. Bach. Performing Forces: voices: alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 3 oboes, trumpet da tirarsi, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 11 June 1724 Editions: O Ewigkeit, du Donnerwort is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 15, page 135, edited by James Webster. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 2, page 293, edited by Moritz Hauptmann. Other available editions include those from Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts) and Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: The manuscript of the full score is in a private collection in New York. The original parts, in the hand of Johann Andreas Kuhnau, are in the Bach-Archiv in Leipzig. Notes: This is a chorale cantata using all of the verses of Johann Rist’s hymn of the same title on the tune by Johann Schop (1642). Bach composed another cantata of the same title in 1732, BWV 60. This cantata was to be performed in two parts with the sermon dividing them. Performance Issues: In the opening chorus, the sopranos have the hymn tune as a cantus firmus, which is doubled by the trumpet. The choral writing in this movement is fairly homophonic in the lower three voices. The vocal parts are harmonically supported by the orchestra, but are generally melodically independent of the instrumental parts. The two chorales are thoroughly doubled by the orchestra. Movement 1 is modeled upon the baroque French overture. Care may be needed to establish the appropriate style for the execution of dotted figures in the orchestra in that movement. All three oboe parts are quite involved. The trumpet is sustained and exclusively doubles the sopranos in the three choral movements. The string writing is generally conservative. The most difficult section for the orchestra is movement 8, which has numerous rapid scalar passages beginning on delayed subdivisions of the beat. This will require rehearsal attention and clarity from the podium. Soloists: alto range: c'-e'', tessitura: d'-b♭', this is a sustained and legato role for a mezzo soprano voice capable of long beautiful phrasing and sustained singing in the top of the range; tenor - range: c-a♭', tessitura: g-g', this is a lyrical solo with many lilting melismatic passages; bass - range: G-e', tessitura: d-d', this is a very lyrical role with a number of ornamented passages in the first part, and declamatory with rapid melismatic figures in
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
the second part, it is equally well-suited for a bass or baritone soloist. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Verena Gohl, Martha Kessler, Theo Altmeyer, Adalbert Kraus, Wolfgang Schöne; Frankfurter Kantorei, BachCollegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in June and July 1970. Hänssler Classic: 98.801. Paul Esswood, Kurt Equiluz, Max van Egmond; Vienna Boys’ Choir, Chorus Viennensis, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 2292-42501-2. Re-released as 4509-91756-2. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 235, 408, 433, 479-488; volume 2: 284. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 330. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 69.
Cantata No. 21: Ich hatte viel Bekümmernis, BWV 21 (1713, rev. 1720 and 1723) Duration: ca. 44 minutes Occasion: Trinity III Text: The text of movement 6 is Psalm 42 (v. 5); movement 2 is Psalm 94 (v. 19); movement 9 is Psalm 106 (v. 7) as adapted by Georg Neumark (1657); movement 11 is from the New Testament (Revelation 5:12); the remaining text is attributed to Salomo Franck. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: oboe, 3 trumpets, timpani, strings, and basso continuo (including bassoon). Four trombone parts were added in 1723, doubling the voice parts. They are optional in modern editions. First Performances: possibly 10 December 1713, Liebfrauenkirche, Halle, as a test piece for Zachow’s position, which Bach did not win. 11 or 17 June 1714, Weimar for the departure of Prince Johann Ernst SaxeWeimar. Before 23 November 1720, Jakobi Kirche, Hamburg as a test piece, transposed to D minor with all solos sung by soprano. 13 June 1723, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig in the final revised form. Editions: Ich hatte viel Bekümmernis is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 16, 10 W. Murray Young: The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, page 8.
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page 111, edited by Paul Brainard. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 5/1, page 1, edited by Wilhelm Rust. Other available editions include those from Dover (Eleven Great Cantatas, 0-486-23268-9, BG edition reprint, full score only with a literal English translation by Stanley Appelbaum), Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts), and Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: The manuscript score of the 1723 version, the first set of parts, in the hand of the composer, and the third set of parts, in the hands of Johann Andreas Kuhnau and Christian Gottlob Meissner, are in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: W. Murray Young states that with this cantata, Bach achieves his mature cantata style.10 It was written as a test piece as is indicated above under First Performances. This is one of Bach’s longer cantatas, written in two parts, which would frame the sermon. In movement 9, Bach incorporates a cantus firmus on Georg Neumark’s hymn tune (1640 or 1657) “Wer nur den lieben Gott läßt walten.” The final chorus is on the same scriptural text as the closing chorus of Handel’s Messiah. Performance Issues: The choral writing is challenging throughout this cantata, both vocally and musically. Bach contrasts styles and choral textures in each chorus. These are built upon imitative counterpoint, which is often harmonically supported by the orchestra, but remains melodically independent. The fugue of the final chorus begins with only a basso continuo accompaniment. The chorus should be able to sing their movements a cappella before combining with the orchestra. The solo oboe part is exposed and difficult, with especially long sustained phrases. The trombone parts appear only in movement 9, they are doubled by the strings and bassoon, and can be effectively dismissed if necessary. The trumpets only appear in the final movement. Their part is a typical high, fast, and loud baroque fanfare. The first trumpet part is especially difficult. The string parts are quite accessible, although the Sinfonia is likely to cause some rhythmic difficulties in rehearsal. Soloists: soprano - range: c'a♭'', tessitura: g'-g'', this is a lyrical and legato solo role; tenor - range: c-a', tessitura: g-g', this is a declamatory solo with many rapid ornamental figurations and quick shifts from highest to lowest range; bass - range: G-e♭', tessitura: d-d', this role is declamatory and requires a singer capable of rapid articulation, the low G appears only as one eighth-note, otherwise, the solo only reaches B♭. Choir: difficult; Orchestra: difficult.
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Selected Discography: Arleen Augér, Adalbert Kraus, Wolfgang Schöne; Nancy Amini, Karen Hagerman, Douglas Robinson, Norman Anderson; Indiana University Chamber Singers, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in March and May 1976. Hänssler Classic: 98.801. Michael Knapp, Ernst Jankowitsch; Vienna Boys’ Choir, Chorus Viennensis, Stuttgart Philharmonic Orchestra; conducted by P. Marschik. Capriccio: 10 531. Arleen Augér, Ortrun Wenkel, Peter Schreier, Theo Adam; Leipzig St. Thomas Church Choir, Leipzig New Bach Collegium Musicum; conducted by Hans Joachim Rotzsch. Recorded between 1981 and 1983. Berlin: BC2150-2. Paul Esswood, Kurt Equiluz, Walker Wyatt; Vienna Boys’ Choir, Chorus Viennensis, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 2292-42502-2. Re-released as 4509-91756-2. Barbara Schlick, Gérard Lesne, Howard Crook, Peter Harvey; Ghent Collegium Vocale, Paris Chapelle Royale Choir and Orchestra; conducted by Philippe Herreweghe. Recorded in 1990. Harmonia Mundi: HMC90 1328. Greta de Reyghere, Christoph Prégardien, Peter Lika; Netherlands Chamber Choir, Petite Bande; conducted by Sigiswald Kuijken. Virgin: VC7 59528-2. Edith Mathis, Ernst Haefliger, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau; Munich Bach Choir, Munich Bach Orchestra; conducted by Karl Richter. Recorded in 1969. Archiv: 439 380-2AX6. Barbara Schlick, Kai Wessel, Guy de Mey, Klaus Mertens; Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra and Choir; conducted by Ton Koopman. Recorded live in 1995. Erato: 4509-98536-2. Selected Bibliography: Upton, George P. The Standard Cantatas, seventh edition, 31-32. Chicago: A. C. McClurg and Company, 1899. Jauernig, Reinhold. “Zur Kantate, ‘Ich hatte viel Bekümmernis.’” Bach-Jahrbuch, volume 41 (1954). 46-49. Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 11, 110-121, 131, 161, 232; volume 2: 211, 305, 561. Werthemann, Helene. “Zum Text der Bach-Kantate 21, ‘Ich hatte viel Bekümmernis in meinem Herzen.’” Bach-Jahrbuch, volume 51 (1965): 135 and 143. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 343. Brainard, Paul. “Cantata 21 Revisited” Studies in Renaissance and Baroque Music in Honor of Arthur Mendel, 231-242, edited by Robert Lewis Marshall. Kassel: Bärenreiter, 1974. Young, W. Murray: The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 8.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Cantata No. 22: Jesus nahm zu sich die Zwölfe, BWV 22 (1723) Duration: ca. 20 minutes Occasion: Quinquagesima/Estomihi Text: The text of movement 1 is from the New Testament (Luke 18:31); movement 5 is by Elisabeth Kreuziger (1524); the remaining texts are from an unknown source. Performing Forces: voices: alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: oboe, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 7 February 1723, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig; premiered with BWV 23 Editions: Jesus nahm zu sich die Zwölfe is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 8, edited by Christoph Wolff. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 5/1, page 67, edited by Wilhelm Rust. Other available editions include those from Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts) and Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: A copy of the score, in the hand of Johann Andreas Kuhnau, is in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: Bach composed this cantata as his test piece for the position of cantor at St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche in Leipzig. He had originally composed BWV 23 for this purpose, but submitted this work instead because it was more consistent with the traditions of cantatas in Leipzig. The final chorale is based upon the anonymous hymn tune “Herr Christ, der einig Gottes Sohn,” which is found in the Enchiridion (Erfurt, 1524). Bach made four-part chorale settings of this tune to conclude three other cantatas: BWV 96, 132, and 164. Performance Issues: The choral writing is not contrapuntally complex, but it is fairly chromatic in movement 1, and often quite independent of the orchestra in movements 1 and 5. The final chorus is a straight fourpart chorale in broken phrases over a florid and perpetually moving orchestral background. The oboe part is exposed and very sustained, requiring a strong player. The string parts are conservatively written and well within the abilities of intermediate-level players. This cantata was clearly composed with the intention that it could be sung by a solo quartet and solo strings if necessary. Soloists: alto - range: c'- e♭'' tessitura: f'c'', this is a lyrical and very sustained solo; tenor range: d-g', tessitura: - f-f', this is a sustained and lyrical solo, which is a good introductory Bach role for a
23
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
student tenor; bass - range: G-e♭', tessitura: d-d', this is a sustained role with some highly ornamented passages. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Helen Watts, Adalbert Kraus, Wolfgang Schöne; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Hänssler Classic: 98.879. Paul Esswood, Kurt Equiluz, Max van Egmond; Tolz Boys’ Choir, King’s College Choir, Leonhardt Ensemble; conducted by Gustav Leonhardt. Teldec: 2292-42502-2. Re-released as 4509-91756-2. Barbara Schlick, Ruth Holton, Caroline Stam, Els Bongers, Elisabeth von Magnus, Andreas Scholl, Paul Agnew, Klaus Mertens; Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra and Choir; conducted by Ton Koopman. Recorded live in 1996. Erato: 0630-14336-2. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 171, 173-177, 181, 421, 422; volume 2: 284. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 219. Geck, Martin. “Bachs Probestücke.” Quellenstudien zur Musik: Wolfgang Schmieder zum 70. Geburtstag, 5568. Frankfurt-am-Main: Peters, 1972. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 29. Curtis, John. “Bach and Graupner: The Audition Cantatas” Choral Journal (February 1999): 9-15.
Cantata No. 23: Du wahrer Gott und Davids Sohn, BWV 23 (1723, rev. 1730) Duration: ca. 18 minutes Occasion: Quinquagesima/Estomihi Text: The text of movement 3 is Psalm 145 (v. 15); movement 4, which was added to this cantata later in 1723, is the standard German translation of the Agnus Dei (1528); the source of the text for the remaining movements is unknown. Performing Forces: 1723 version — voices: soprano, alto, and tenor soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes d’amore, cornetto, 3 trombones, strings, and basso continuo 1730 version — voices: soprano, alto, and tenor soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 7 February 1723, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig; premiered with BWV 22 Editions: Du wahrer Gott und Davids Sohn is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1,
volume 8, edited by Christoph Wolff. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 5/1, page 95, edited by Wilhelm Rust. Other available editions include those from Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts) and Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: The manuscript of the full score and the original parts, in the hands of J. S. Bach, Johann Andreas Kuhnau, and Christian Gottlob Meissner, are in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: Bach originally composed this cantata as his test piece for the position of cantor at St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche in Leipzig, but chose to write BWV 22 as his submission instead because it adhered to the style to which the Leipzig congregation was accustomed. Bach used the final chorale of this cantata in the second version of his St. John Passion, BWV 245. The chorale is the German Agnus Dei, “Christe, du Lamm Gottes,” which is from Johann Bugenhagen’s Kirchenordnung (Braunschweig, 1528). That tune also appears in the accompaniment of movement 2. Performance Issues: The choral writing is fairly homophonic in movement 3, with ritornelli that are similar but internally varied. Movement 3 also has four extended passages for tenor and bass only. These are not labeled as solo, but could function well as a duet since these lines are text spoken by the two blind men whom Jesus healed on the way to Jerusalem. In these sections the bass part has a range of c-e♭'. The choral parts are somewhat independent of the orchestra in movement 3, but in movement 4, they are directly doubled by cornetto and three trombones. These four instruments that are absent from the 1730 version may be considered optional, but they are present in modern orchestral sets and scores. Their presence certainly adds security to a less-skilled chorus. The final chorale is followed by a polyphonic setting of the same text with the hymn tune appearing as a cantus firmus in the soprano part. The oboe parts are exposed and fairly challenging. The string writing throughout is quite accessible. The trombone and cornetto parts are relatively easy. Soloists: soprano - range: f'-g'', tessitura: a'-f'', this is a lyrical and sustained solo role, which should be assigned with consideration for the blend with the alto soloist; alto - range: b♭-c'', tessitura: e♭'-b♭', this is a lyrical and sustained solo role with some difficult intervals, which should be assigned with consideration for the blend with the alto soloist; tenor - range: e♭-a♭', tessitura: af', this is a brief and declamatory solo. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Arleen Augér, Helen Watts, Aldo Baldin, Niklaus Tüller; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Hänssler Classic: 98.853.
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Walter Gampert, Paul Esswood, Marius van Altena; Tolz Boys’ Choir, King’s College Choir, Leonhardt Ensemble; conducted by Gustav Leonhardt. Teldec: 2292-42502-2. Re-released as 4509-91756-2. Edith Mathis, Anna Reynolds, Peter Schreier; Munich Bach Choir, Munich Bach Orchestra; conducted by Karl Richter. Recorded between 1973 and 1974. Archiv: 439 374-2AX5. Barbara Schlick, Ruth Holton, Caroline Stam, Els Bongers, Elisabeth von Magnus, Andreas Scholl, Paul Agnew, Klaus Mertens; Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra and Choir; conducted by Ton Koopman. Recorded live in 1996. Erato: 0630-14336-2. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 171, 177-181, 421, 422; volume 2: 274, 300, 450. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 216. Geck, Martin. “Bachs Probestücke.” Quellenstudien zur Musik: Wolfgang Schmieder zum 70. Geburtstag, 5568. Frankfurt-am-Main: Peters, 1972. Wolff, Christoph. “Bachs Leipziger Kantoratsprobe und die Aufführungsgeschichte der Kantate, ‘Du wahrer Gott und Davids Sohn,’ BWV 23.” Bach-Jahrbuch, volume 64 (1978), 78-94. Reprinted in English as: “Bach’s Audition for the St. Thomas Cantorate: The Cantata, ‘Du wahrer Gott und Davids Sohn.’” Bach: Essays on His Life and Music, 130. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1991. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 30. Curtis, John. “Bach and Graupner: The Audition Cantatas.” Choral Journal (February 1999): 9-15.
Cantata No. 24: Ein ungefärbt Gemüte, BWV 24 (1723) Duration: ca. 18 minutes Occasion: Trinity IV Text: The text of movement 3 is from the New Testament (Matthew 7:12); movement 6 is by Johann Heermann (1630); the remaining texts are by Erdmann Neumeister. Performing Forces: voices: alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes, 2 oboes d’amore, trumpet da tirarsi, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 20 June 1723, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig; premiered with first performance of the revised version of BWV 185 Editions: Ein ungefärbt Gemüte is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 17/1, page 49, edited by Kirsten Beissmenger. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
also published in BG, volume 5/1, page 127, edited by Wilhelm Rust. Other available editions include those from Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts) and Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: The manuscript of the full score and the original parts, in the hands of Johann Andreas Kuhnau and Christian Gottlob Meissner, are in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: The finale chorale is a setting of the hymn tune “O Gott, du frommer Gott,” an anonymous tune from Neuvermehrtes Gesangbuch (Meiningen, 1693). Performance Issues: The choral writing of movement 3 is very contrapuntal; Bach juxtaposes the chorus as a four-part texture combining passages of homophonic writing and paired imitation in canon against the orchestra, which follows with like textures a measure later. The second half of this chorus is a double fugue, which begins with a solo quartet and gradually becomes full choir. In the first half of this movement, the chorus is obviously independent of the orchestra. In the second half the vocal parts are well supported by some of the instrumental lines, which are more ornamented than their vocal counterparts. The orchestral writing is fairly conservative with considerable doubling of parts. The oboes d’amore have an exposed and sustained duet throughout movement 5. Movements 3 and 6 present the greatest challenges to the instruments. In movement 3 the complex contrapuntal textures may require particular attention to achieve linear clarity from the ensemble. In the final chorale the orchestra is independent of the choir. Soloists: alto range: b-e♭'', tessitura: e'-d'', this is a declamatory and sustained solo with many ornamental figurations, it is best suited to a lyric mezzo soprano; tenor - range: da', tessitura: f-f', this is a somewhat angular and highly ornamented solo role, requiring a secure and flexible singer; bass - range: G-e', tessitura: c-c', this is a declamatory solo with some awkward melodic leaps. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Arleen Augér, Helen Watts, Katharina Pugh, Adalbert Kraus, Walter Heldwein, Wolfgang Schöne; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in December 1977 and January 1978. Hänssler Classic: 98.803. Paul Esswood, Kurt Equiluz, Max van Egmond; Vienna Boys’ Choir, Chorus Viennensis, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 2292-42503-2. Re-released as 4509-91756-2. Anna Reynolds, Peter Schreier, Dietrich FischerDieskau; Munich Bach Choir, Munich Bach Orchestra; conducted by Karl Richter. Recorded between 1974 and 1975. Archiv: 439 380-2AX6.
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 434, 553-558; volume 2: 284. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 353. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 35.
Cantata No. 25: Es ist nicht Gesundes an meinem Leibe, BWV 25 (1723) Duration: ca. 16 minutes Occasion: Trinity XIV Text: The text of movement 1 is Psalm 38 (v. 3); movement 6 is by Johann Heermann (1630); the remaining texts are from unknown sources. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 3 recorders, 2 oboes (possibly oboes d’amore), cornetto, 3 trombones, strings, and basso continuo
accessible to intermediate-level players. The string writing throughout the cantata is quite conservative. Soloists: soprano - range: d'-a'', tessitura: g'-g'', this is a sustained and lyrical solo best suited for a clear high soprano voice; tenor - range: c-a', tessitura: a-f', this is a brief declamatory solo, which requires clarity through the entire range, but is appropriate for a likevoiced chorister; bass - range: B-e♭', tessitura: c-c', this is a declamatory solo requiring a singer capable of rapid melismatic articulations. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Arleen Augér, Adalbert Kraus, Philippe Huttenlocher; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in December 1977 and January 1978. Hänssler Classic: 98.810. Kurt Equiluz, Max van Egmond; Vienna Boys’ Choir, Chorus Viennensis, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 229242503-2. Re-released as 4509-91756-2.
First Performance: 29 August 1723, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig
Selected Bibliography:
Editions: Es ist nicht Gesundes an meinem Leibe is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 21, page 81, edited by Werner Neumann. Performance materials are available from BärenreiterVerlag. It is also published in BG, volume 5/1, page 155, edited by Wilhelm Rust. Other available editions include that from Breitkopf und Härtel.
Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 112, 434, 666, 676-681; volume 2: 299, 521. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 430. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 109.
Manuscript Sources: The original parts, in the hands Johann Andreas Kuhnau and Christian Gottlob Meissner, are in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin.
Cantata No. 26: Ach wie flüchtig, ach wie nichtig, BWV 26 (1724)
Notes: In movement 1, Bach gives the winds and brass an arrangement of Hans Leo Hassler’s hymn tune (1601) “Ach Herr, mich armen Sündern.” The final chorale is a setting of the hymn “Treuer Gott, Ich muss dir klagen,” which uses the tune “Ainsi qu’on oit le cerf” by Louis Bourgeois, from his Genevan Psalter (1551). Performance Issues: The opening movement presents the most significant challenges in this work, and its greatest rewards. Bach has written a four-part fugue for the chorus, which is sometimes accompanied only by continuo, sometimes harmonically supported by the strings, and sometimes directly doubled. Against this choral fugue he has juxtaposed a five-part setting of the Hassler chorale in the brass and winds. The choral singers must be capable of maintaining their parts independently against this chorale. Great care will need to be given to establishing an effective balance between these contrasting timbral elements. Movements 2, 3, and 4 are all accompanied by the basso continuo alone. The recorders only divide into three parts in movement 5. In all cases their parts are very
Duration: ca. 14 minutes Occasion: Trinity XXIV Text: The chorale text of movements 1 and 6 is by Michael Franck (1652), the remaining texts are paraphrases, which are thought to be by J. S. Bach. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: flute, 3 oboes, horn, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 19 November 1724, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Ach wie flüchtig, ach wie nichtig is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 27, page 31, edited by Alfred Dürr. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 5/1, page 191, edited by Wilhelm Rust. Other available editions include those from Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts) and Breitkopf und Härtel.
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Manuscript Sources: The manuscript of the full score is in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. The original parts, in the hands of Johann Andreas Kuhnau, J. S. Bach, and Anna Magdalena Bach, are in the BachArchiv in Leipzig. This is the earliest known appearance of Anna Magdalena Bach’s work as a copyist of her husband’s cantatas. Notes: This is a chorale cantata. The opening movement of this cantata is based upon Bach’s chorale prelude of the same title, BWV 644, which is found in the Orgelbüchlein, and was composed around 1714. Both were based upon Michael Frank’s hymn (1652) “Ach wie flüchtig, ach wie nichtig.” Performance Issues: This is a very challenging cantata for the male soloists and the orchestra; however, the chorale writing is quite accessible to amateur choirs. In the opening movement, Bach places the hymn tune in the soprano part as a cantus firmus with the three lower voices moving homophonically at four times the speed. Movement 2 is accompanied by flute and solo violin, who have rapid diatonic scalar legato figures requiring long phrases. There are three independent and exposed parts for the oboes in movement 4, that lie well on the instruments. There are some unusually aggressive passages for the continuo in this movement, which will require a strong cellist. The entire cantata is fairly hectic for the orchestra and will require an ensemble of secure and experienced players. Soloists: soprano - range: c'-g'', tessitura: e'-e'', this is a brief declamatory solo with some broad melodic leaps appropriate for a chorister; alto - range: b-e'', tessitura: d'-c'', this is a brief declamatory solo with one extended melismatic figure, it is appropriate for a chorister; tenor - range: d-a', tessitura: a-g', this is a very demanding virtuoso aria requiring exceptionally rapid melismatic passages, broad leaps, rearticulations of a single pitch and vowel in rapid succession, and freedom throughout the range; bass - range: G-e', tessitura: B-b, this is a delamatory solo with broad leaps and rapid melismatic passages. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: difficult. Selected Discography: Arleen Augér, Doris Soffel, Adalbert Kraus, Philippe Huttenlocher; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, BachCollegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in October 1979 and April 1980. Hänssler Classic: 98.821. Paul Esswood, Kurt Equiluz, Sigmund Nimsgern; Vienna Boys’ Choir, Chorus Viennensis, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 2292-42503-2. Re-released as 4509-91756-2. Edith Mathis, Trudeliese Schmidt, Peter Schreier, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau; Munich Bach Choir, Munich 11 In movement 6, the sopranos divide into two parts, making the configuration SSATB. This is the only cantata in which Bach makes this voicing change.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Bach Orchestra; conducted by Karl Richter. Archiv: 427 130-2AGA. Ursula Buckel, Hertha Töpper, Ernst Haefliger, Theo Adam; Munich Bach Choir, Munich Bach Orchestra; conducted by Karl Richter. Recorded in 1966. Archiv: 439 394-2AX5. Frederike Sailer, Claudia Hellmann, Helmut Krebs, Erik Wenk; Heilbronn Heinrich Schütz Choir, South-West German Chamber Orchestra; conducted by Fritz Werner. Recorded in 1961. Erato: 4509-97407-2. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 235; volume 2: 284, 358-365. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 520. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 221.
Cantata No. 27: Wer weiß, wie nahe mir mein Ende?, BWV 27 (1726) Duration: ca. 16 minutes Occasion: Trinity XVI Text: The text of movement 1 is from Ämilie Juliane von Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt (1695), movement 3 is by Erdmann Neumeister, movement 6 is by Johann Georg Albinus (1649), and the remaining texts are from an unknown source. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir;11 orchestra: 2 oboes, oboe da caccia, horn, organ obbligato, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 6 October 1726, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Wer weiß, wie nahe mir mein Ende? is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 23, page 223, edited by Helmuth Osthoff. Performance materials are available from BärenreiterVerlag. It is also published in BG, volume 5/1, page 219, edited by Wilhelm Rust. Other available editions include those from Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts) and Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: The manuscript of the full score and the original parts, in the hand of Johann Heinrich Bach, are in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: In movement 1, Bach combines a four-part choral texture with recitative interjections by three of the soloists. For this chorus he incorporates Georg Neumark’s hymn tune (1640 or 1657) “Wer nur den lieben Gott läßt walten.” In movement 6, he presents a setting
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
of Johann Rosenmüller’s hymn tune (1649) “Welt ade! ich bin dein müde.” Performance Issues: The choral writing is all homophonic and clearly doubled by the accompaniment. There is an organ solo in movement 3, which is a very accessible part. This movement also has a prominent solo for oboe da caccia, which is not particularly difficult, but requires some stamina. The oboe da caccia part does not appear in movements with the oboes, so only two oboists are required. The horn is sustained and high, with its only passages doubling the choral sopranos. Although a nice timbral addition, it can be left out. The string writing is varied in style and texture and is best suited to a full section of players. Soloists: soprano - range: c'-g'', tessitura: f'-f'', this is a brief and simple solo appropriate for a chorister; alto - range: b♭-e♭'', tessitura: c'-c'', this is a sustained role with many extended melismatic passages; tenor - range: da♭', tessitura: g-f', this is a brief and declamatory role appropriate for a chorister; bass - range: G-e♭', tessitura: d-d', this is a difficult solo combining aggressive melismatic runs with sustained lyrical passages. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium difiicult.
Selected Discography: Edith Wiens, Gabriele Schreckenbach, Lutz-Michael Harder, Walter Heldwein; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in February and October 1982. Hänssler Classic: 98.813. Paul Esswood, Kurt Equiluz, Sigmund Nimsgern; Vienna Boys’ Choir, Chorus Viennensis, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 2292-42503-2. Re-released as 4509-91756-2. Edith Mathis, Julia Hamari, Peter Schreier, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau; Munich Bach Choir, Munich Bach Orchestra; conducted by Karl Richter. Recorded between 1976 and 1977. Archiv: 439 387-2AX6. Rotraud Hansmann, Helen Watts, Kurt Equiluz, Max van Egmond; Monteverdi Choir, Concerto Amsterdam; conducted by Jürgen Jürgens. Recorded between 1966 and 1967. Teldec: 4509-93687-2. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 121, 235, 241, 257-261; volume 2: 280. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 455. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 112.
12 This date is given by Gerhard Herz. Alfred Dürr and Philipp Spitta concur with this general time of composition. Charles Sanford Terry and Werner Neumann have suggested 1736. W. Murray
Cantata No. 28: Gottlob! nun geht das Jahr zu Ende, BWV 28 (1725) Duration: ca. 17 minutes Occasion: Christmas I Text: The text of movement 2 is by Johann Graumann (1530); movement 3 is from the Old Testament (Jeremiah 32:41); movement 6 is by Paul Eber (ca. 1580); the remaining texts are by Erdmann Neumeister. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes, taille, cornetto, 3 trombones, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 30 December 1725, 12 St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Gottlob! nun geht das Jahr zu Ende is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 3, not yet published. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 5/1, page 247, edited by Wilhelm Rust. Other available editions include those from Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts), Breitkopf und Härtel, and H. W. Gray. Manuscript Sources: The manuscript full score and the original parts, in the hands of Johann Andreas Kuhnau, Christian Gottlob Meissner, Wilhelm Friedemann Bach, and Johann Heinrich Bach, are in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: Movement 2 of this cantata appears as an a cappella chorus in BWV 231. This is the only appearance of a Neumeister libretto during Bach’s Leipzig years. Movement 2 uses the hymn tune “Nun lob, mein Seel, den Herren,” attributed to Johann Kugelmann, and found in Concentus Novi (Augsburg, 1540), as the cantus firmus. The closing chorale is a setting of the hymn tune “Helft mir Gottes Güte preisen,” by Wolfgang Figulus (1569 or 1575). Performance Issues: The construction of movement 2 is much like Bach’s motets in both counterpoint and instrumentation. The movement is a multithemed polyphonic work using pervasive imitation with Graumann’s hymn tune serving as a cantus firmus in the soprano part. It could be an effective a cappella work by itself; little of the basso continuo differs from the choral bass part. All voice parts are doubled by instruments. The taille part is playable on the modern English horn. The instrumental writing throughout the cantata is quite conservative. The oboe and taille parts of movement 1 are the only instance of any difficulty and they are quite practical. In this cantata, the true performance challenges are presented to the upper three vocal soloists. Soloists: soprano - range: d'-a'', Young suggests that the closing chorale, a prayer for peace, might substantiate the later date, as a response to the War of the Polish Succession.
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tessitura: g'-g'', this is a lyrical solo with extended melismas and long phrases best given to lighter-voiced soloist; alto - range: b-d'', tessitura: e'-c'', this is a lyrical solo with florid melismatic passages; tenor - range: e-a', tessitura: g-f', this is a lyrical solo with florid melismatic passages, and thought should be given to the blend of this soloist with the alto as there are many parallel melodic figures in movement 5; bass - range: B-d', tessitura: d-c', this is a brief and lyrical role appropriate for a chorister. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Arleen Augér, Gabriele Schreckenbach, Adalbert Kraus, Walter Heldwein; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in November 1981 and February 1982. Hänssler Classic: 98.827. Paul Esswood, Kurt Equiluz, Sigmund Nimsgern; Vienna Boys’ Choir, Chorus Viennensis, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 2292-42504-2. Re-released as 4509-91756-2. Edith Mathis, Hertha Töpper, Peter Schreier, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau; Munich Bach Choir, Munich Bach Orchestra; conducted by Karl Richter. Recorded between 1970 and 1972. Archiv: 439 387-2AX6. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 2: 190-194, 296. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 146. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 174.
Cantata No. 29: Wir danken dir, Gott, wir danken dir, BWV 29 (1731) Duration: ca. 22 minutes Occasion: This cantata was composed for the inauguration of the Town Council of Leipzig. Text: The text of movement 8 is by Johann Graumann; movement 2 is Psalm 75 (v. 1); the remaining texts are from unidentified sources. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes, 3 trumpets, timpani, organ obbligato, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 27 August 1731, Leipzig; for the inauguration of the Town Council This cantata was reperformed for Town Council inaugurations on 31 August 1739 and 24 August 1749. The latter date is the last datable performance of a cantata of Bach’s during his lifetime. Editions: Wir danken dir, Gott, wir danken dir is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1,
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
volume 32/2, page 3, edited by Christine Fröde. Performance materials are available from BärenreiterVerlag. It is also published in BG, volume 5/1, page 275, edited by Wilhelm Rust. Other available editions include those from Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts) and Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: The manuscript of the full score and the original parts, in the hands of Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, Johann Ludwig Krebs, and other unidentified copyists, are in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: The Sinfonia of this cantata is an arrangement of the Prelude from Bach’s Partita for Solo Violin, BWV 1006. Bach also adapted this as movement 4 of BWV 120a. Bach derived the “Gratias agimus” and “Dona nobis pacem” of the Mass in B Minor, BWV 232, from movement 2 of Cantata No. 29. The final chorale is a setting of the hymn tune “Nun lob, mein Seel, den Herren,” attributed to Johann Kugelmann and found in Concentus Novi (Augsburg, 1540). Bach uses this chorale in a number of cantatas: BWV 51 and BWV 167 also close with the same verse of the hymn. Performance Issues: The choral writing is quite contrapuntal in four-part pervasive imitation, but with direct doubling of parts by the orchestra throughout. The tessitura of the soprano part in movement 2 is quite high. The chorus merely sings the final two-chord “Amen” of movement 6. In the final chorale the vocal parts are doubled by the oboes and strings, and the trumpets and timpani add ornamental figures to the cadences. The oboe parts present few difficulties and are always doubling the voices or other instruments. The organ solos in the Sinfonia and movement 7 require a technically adept player. The trumpets I and II have much high sustained playing while the third is not difficult. There is a difficult violin solo in movement 3, which is somewhat in perpetual motion, filled with virtuosic scalar figures. The remaining string parts are accessible to intermediate-level players. Soloists: soprano - range: f#'-a'', tessitura: a'-g, this is a lilting and lyrical solo containing some rapid ornamentation; alto - range: ae'', tessitura: a-c'', this is a lyrical solo with long melismatic phrases, it demands a singer capable of sustained singing at both extremes of the indicated range; tenor - range: e-b', tessitura: g-g', this is a declamatory role requiring a voice capable of rapid articulation and strength in the uppermost range; bass - range: B-d', tessitura: c#-c#', this is a brief and robust declamatory role appropriate for a chorister. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium difficult to difficult. Selected Discography: Ulrike Sonntag, Elisabeth Graf, Aldo Baldin, Philippe Huttenlocher; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Württembergisches Kammerorchester Heilbronn; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in February 1984. Hänssler Classic: 98.857.
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Paul Esswood, Kurt Equiluz, Max von Egmond; Vienna Boys’ Choir, Chorus Viennensis, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 2292-42504-2. Re-released as 4509-91756-2. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 234, 235, 238, 241, 254-257, 264; volume 2: 74. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 595. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 110.
Cantata No. 30: Freue dich, erlöste Schar, BWV 30 (1738) Duration: ca. 36 minutes13 Occasion: The Feast of St. John the Baptist Text: The text of movement 6 is by Johannes Olearius (1671); the remaining text is by Picander. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, oboe d’amore, strings, and basso continuo First Performances: 24 June 1738, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig.14 Editions: Freue dich, erlöste Schar, BWV 30, is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 29, page 61, edited by Frieder Rempp. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 5/1, page 323, edited by Wilhelm Rust. Other available editions include those from Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts), Breitkopf und Härtel, and Carl Fischer. Manuscript Sources: The manuscript score and the original parts for BWV 30, all in the composer’s hand, are in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: BWV 30a was originally composed as an homage to Johann Christian von Hennicke with the title Angenehmes Wiederau, freue dich. Bach made a sacred parody of that cantata in BWV 30 the following year. Bach adapted movements 5 and 1 of this cantata for movements 1 and 6 of his BWV 195. Bach uses the hymn “Tröstet, tröstet, meine Liebe” on the tune “Ainsi qu’on oit le cerf” by Louis Bourgeois, from his Genevan Psalter (1551), in movement 6. Performance Issues: The opening and closing choruses are entirely highly ornamented, four-part block choral writing with spirited orchestral interjections. The chorus is doubled throughout by the orchestra, but the 13 David Daniels lists 43 minutes in his Orchestral Music, third edition, Alfred Dürr list 47 minutes for BWV 30a and 40 minutes for BWV 30, in his Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, but the Rilling recording of BWV 30 is 35 minutes and 30 seconds long.
density of the choral writing may obscure this support for the choir; however, these two choruses are nearly identical musically, simplifying preparation. The size of the wind and brass sections suggests a full string section. Movement 8 confirms this as it has a violin solo and two ripieno sections. The string writing throughout is quite difficult with rapid passagework and intricate unison figurations. Movement 5 is interesting in that Bach gives melodic parts to the alto soloist, flute, and first violin, which he accompanies with continuo and pizzicato strings. The flute and oboe parts are accessible to intermediate-level players. Only two oboists are required as the oboe d’amore parts are not concurrent with those of the oboe. The first trumpet part must make broad changes of range including c', c'', and c''' in the span of two measures. The other two trumpet parts are considerably less challenging. Soloists: soprano - range: c#'-a'', tessitura: g'-g'', this is a lyrical and lilting role with a good introductory aria for student singers; alto - range: a-e'', tessitura: f#'e'', this is a lyrical and sustained role, which dwells almost entirely in the top fifth of the indicated range; tenor - range: f#-a', tessitura: a-f#', this is a simple solo appropriate for a chorister who is comfortable with the range; bass - range: A-e', tessitura: d-d', this is a higly ornamented role requiring a voice capable of rapid articulation and long melismatic passages. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: difficult. Selected Discography: Costanza Cuccaro, Mechtild Georg, Aldo Baldin, Philippe Huttenlocher; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Württem-bergisches Kammer-orchester Heilbronn; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in February 1984. Hänssler Classic: 98.857. Paul Esswood, Kurt Equiluz, Max von Egmond; Vienna Boys’ Choir, Chorus Viennensis, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 2292-42504-2. Re-released as 4509-91756-2. Edith Mathis, Anna Reynolds, Peter Schreier, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau; Munich Bach Choir, Munich Bach Orchestra; conducted by Karl Richter. Recorded between 1974 and 1975. Archiv: 439 380-2AX6. Edith Mathis, Hans-Peter Blochwitz, Thomas Quasthoff; Windsbach Boys’ Choir, Munich Bach Soloists; conducted by Karl Friedrich Beringer. Bayer: BR100162. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 235, 342; volume 2: 88-98, 686. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 564.
14 The New Grove gives this date as the premiere, but Gerhard Herz’s chronology is inconclusive as to which day in 1738 the first performance was given.
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 179.
Cantata No. 30a: Angenehmes Wiederau, freue dich, BWV 30a (1737) Duration: ca. 38 minutes15 Occasion: An homage to J. C. von Hennicke Text: The text is by Picander (1737).
Discography: None are available, see BWV 30 above. Selected Bibliography: Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 693. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 269.
Cantata No. 31: Der Himmel lacht! die Erde jubiliert, BWV 31 (1715)
Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, oboe d’amore, strings, and basso continuo
Duration: ca. 22 minutes
First Performances: 28 September 1737, Leipzig
Text: The text of movement 9 is by Nikolaus Herman (1575); the remaining texts are by Salomo Franck from his Evangelisches Andachts-Opfer (1715).
Editions: Angenehmes Wiederau, freue dich, BWV 30a, is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 39, page 53, edited by Werner Neumann. Manuscript Sources: The manuscript score and the original parts for BWV 30a, all in the composer’s hand, are in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: Bach originally composed BWV 30a as an homage to Johann Christian von Hennicke, at the request of Picander, who was attempting to gain the favor of Hennicke’s sponsor, the Duke of Dresden. Bach made a sacred parody (BWV 30) of this cantata the following year. Bach later adapted movements 5 and 1 of this cantata for movements 1 and 6 of his BWV 195. Each of the soloists represents an allegorical figure: soprano alto tenor bass
Zeit Glück Elster Schicksal
time luck name of a local river fate
Performance Issues: The opening and closing choruses are entirely highly ornamented, four-part block choral writing with spirited orchestral interjections. The chorus is doubled throughout by the orchestra, but the density of the choral writing may obscure this support for the choir; however, these two choruses are musically identical, simplifying preparation. Soloists: soprano - range: c#'-a'', tessitura: g'-g'', this is a lyrical and lilting role with a good introductory aria for student singers; alto - range: a-e'', tessitura: f#'-e'', this is a lyrical and sustained role, which dwells almost entirely in the top fifth of the indicated range; tenor range: f#-a', tessitura: a-f#', this is a simple solo appropriate for a chorister who is comfortable with the range; bass - range: A-e', tessitura: d-d', this is a higly ornamented role requiring a voice capable of rapid articulation and long melismatic passages. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: difficult. 15 David Daniels lists 43 minutes in his Orchestral Music, third edition, Alfred Dürr lists 47 minutes for BWV 30a and 40 minutes
Occasion: Easter
Performing Forces: voices: soprano, tenor, and bass soloists; SSATB choir; orchestra: 3 oboes, taille, bassoon, 3 trumpets, timpani, strings, and basso continuo. The taille part was added in 1724. First Performance: 21 April 1715, Ducal Chapel, Weimar. It is believed to have been performed 9 April 1724 and 25 March 1731, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig; with the added taille part. Editions: Der Himmel lacht! die Erde jubiliert is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 9, page 43, edited by Alfred Dürr. Performance materials are available from BärenreiterVerlag. It is also published in BG, volume 7, page 3, edited by Wilhelm Rust. Other available editions include those from Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts) and Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: The original 1715 parts, mostly in Bach’s hand, are not accessible. Notes: Bach uses the hymn tune “Wenn mein Stündlein vorhanden ist,” by Nikolaus Herman, from Kirchengesäng (Frankfurt, c. 1569), as the melody for the final chorale and as an accompanimental cantus firmus in the strings in movement 8. Performance Issues: The choral writing in movement 2 is quite challenging with florid contrapuntal writing for the voice, which at times is accompanied only by the basso continuo. The many passages that are doubled by the orchestra occur as dense counterpoint in which melodic lines are intermingled, requiring a choir capable of independence. The two choral soprano parts are the most entwined, and the first soprano part has a consistently high tessitura. The string section is divided into violin I and II, viola I and II, and cello I and II, with the cello II serving as the basso continuo part. The string writing is practical, but its for BWV 30, in his Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, but the Rilling recording of BWV 30 is 35 minutes and 30 seconds long.
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
demands are compounded by the number of independent parts. Clarity of articulation and line will be a concern in rehearsal for all of the orchestral-tutti sections. The violin I part in movement 6 may benefit from a brief section rehearsal. The woodwind parts are technically accessible. The oboe I has an exposed solo in movement 8, which is very sustained. The trumpet parts are typical of Bach writing for the instrument with the level of difficulty descending in score order. The first trumpet part is exceptionally high; in the final choral its range is c''-e'''. Soloists: soprano - range: ca'', tessitura: g'-g'', this is a lyrical and sustained role; tenor - range: c-g', tessitura: d-f', this role is lyrical and freely runs the entire compass of the indicated range; bass - range: F-d', tessitura: c-c', this role requires an expressive singer capable of demonstrating changes of mood between successive phrases, and one who can navigate rapid phrases and abrupt articulations. Choir: difficult; Orchestra: difficult. Selected Discography: Arleen Augér, Adalbert Kraus, Wolfgang Schöne; Indiana University Chamber Singers, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in March, April, and May 1976. Hänssler Classic: 98.881. Kurt Equiluz, Max van Egmond; Vienna Boys’ Choir, Chorus Viennensis, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 229242505-2. Re-released as 4509-91756-2. Ingeborg Reichelt, Hertha Töpper, Helmut Krebs, Franz Kelch; Heilbronn Heinrich Schütz Choir, Pforzheim Chamber Orchestra; conducted by Fritz Werner. Recorded in 1964. Erato: 4509-98525-2. Barbara Schlick, Kai Wessel, Guy de Mey, Klaus Mertens; Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra and Choir; conducted by Ton Koopman. Recorded live in 1995. Erato: 4509-98536-2. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 11, 110, 121-125, 161, 235; volume 2: 271. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 234. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 13.
Cantata No. 32: Liebster Jesu, mein Verlangen, BWV 32 (1725-1726) Duration: ca. 27 minutes Occasion: Epiphany I Text: The text for movement 2 is from the New Testament (Luke 2:49); movement 6 is by Paul Gerhardt 16 Herz’s chronology gives this date, but in The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, page 182, W. Murray Young gives the
(1647); movement 4 is Psalm 84 (v. 1); the remaining text is by Georg Christian Lehms. Performing Forces: voices: soprano and bass soloists; SATB choir (chorale only); orchestra: oboe, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 13 January 1726,16 St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Liebster Jesu, mein Verlangen is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 5, page 145, edited by Marianne Helms. Performance materials are available from BärenreiterVerlag. It is also published in BG, volume 7, page 55, edited by Wilhelm Rust. Other available editions include those from Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts) and Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: The manuscript of the full score and the original set of parts in the hands of Johann Heinrich Bach, Anna Magdalena Bach, and Wilhelm Friedemann Bach are in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: This is a dialogue cantata with the soprano representing the Soul and bass portraying Jesus. The final chorale is a setting of Paul Gerhardt’s hymn “Weg, mein Herz, mit den Gedanken” on the tune “Ainsi qu’on oit le cerf” by Louis Bourgeois, from his Genevan Psalter (1551). Performance Issues: The chorus only sings the final chorale, which is in straight four-part hymn style with all parts doubled by the orchestra. The oboe solo in movement 1 is sustained and exposed with florid and lyrical writing throughout. The violin I part in movement 5 is quite difficult with an extended series of rapid and exposed passages that are clearly intended for a solo player. This cantata is ideal for the use of solo string players on all parts, in which case the violin I player must be technically adept. Soloists: soprano range: d'-a'', tessitura: f#'-f#'', this role requires a soloist capable of lyrical singing and very long phrases; bass - range: G-e', tessitura: c-d', this soloist must be capable of sustained lyrical singing and occasionally angular melodic passagework. Choir: very easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Arleen Augér, Walter Heldwein; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Hänssler Classic: 98.873. Walter Gampert, Max van Egmond; Hanover Boys’ Choir, Leonhardt Consort; conducted by Gustav Leonhardt. Teldec: 2292-42505-2. Re-released as 450991756-2.
time of composition as 1738-1740. He also indicates that the librettist for the cantata is unknown.
32
Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 296; volume 2: 141-145. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 178. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 182.
Cantata No. 33: Allein zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ, BWV 33 (1724) Duration: ca. 21 minutes Occasion: Trinity 13 Text: The chorale texts of movements 1 and 6 are by Konrad Hubert (1540); the remaining texts are paraphrases attributed to Bach. Performing Forces: voices: alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 3 September 1724, 17 St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Allein zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 21, page 25, edited by Werner Neumann. Performance materials are available from BärenreiterVerlag. It is also published in BG, volume 7, page 83, edited by Wilhelm Rust. Other available editions include those from Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts) and Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: The manuscript full score is in a private collection in the United States. The original parts, in the hands of Johann Andreas Kuhnau, Christian Gottlob Meissner, and other unidentified copyists, are in the Bach-Archiv in Leipzig. Notes: This is a chorale cantata based upon the hymn tune of the same title by Konrad Hubert (Nürnberg, 1541). Performance Issues: In movement 1 the choir states each line of the chorale in either block four-part homophony or in terraced imitative entrances that align at the cadence. In each case they are not doubled by the orchestra, and must sing against rapid instrumental polyphony. The actual choral parts are not difficult, but integrating them into the instrumental fabric of the orchestra may require some attention in rehearsal. Both oboe parts are technically involved and exposed, particularly in movements 1 and 5. The string writing has numerous rapid scalar passages, which lie well on the instruments. Movement 3 gives a countermelody to the violin I part, arco, while the remaining strings 17 Herz’s chronology gives this date, but in The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, page 207, W. Murray Young gives the time of composition as c. 1740.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
accompany pizzicato. This could be played by a solo violinist if a full section of secure players is not available, but the sonority of a group of violins on this part is desirable. Soloists: alto - range: a-d'', tessitura: c'c'', this solo is sustained and lyrical with some rapid melismatic passages; tenor - range: e-a', tessitura: a-g', this is a lyrical role with much sustained singing in the upper range; bass - range: A-e', tessitura: e-d', this is a lyrical role best suited to a baritone voice. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Helen Watts, Frieder Land, Philippe Huttenlocher; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded February and October 1979. Hänssler Classic: 98.811. René Jacobs, Marius van Altena, Max van Egmond; Hanover Boys’ Choir, Leonhardt Consort; conducted by Gustav Leonhardt. Teldec: 2292-42505-2. Rereleased as 4509-91756-2. Julia Hamari, Peter Schreier, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau; Munich Bach Choir, Munich Bach Orchestra; conducted by Karl Richter. Recorded between 1976 and 1977. Archiv: 439 387-2AX6. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 2: 284, 365-372. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 425. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 207.
Cantata No. 34: O ewiges Feuer, O Ursprung der Liebe, BWV 34 and 34a (1726 and early 1740s) Duration: ca. 21 minutes Occasion: BWV 34 BWV 34a
Whitsunday/Pentecost a wedding
Text: BWV 34: The text of movement 5 is adapted from Psalm122 (v. 7); the remaining text is thought to be a parody by Bach of Christian Weiss Jr.’s text for BWV 34a. BWV 34a: The text of movement 3 is Psalm 128 (vv. 46); the remaining text is attributed to be by Christian Weiss Sr. Performing Forces: voices: alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 3 trumpets, strings, and basso continuo
33
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
First Performance: BWV 34: Whitsunday early 1740s, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig BWV 34a: 6 March 1726, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: BWV 34 is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 13, page 131, edited by Dietrich Kilian. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 7, page 117, edited by Wilhelm Rust. Other available editions include those from Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts) and Breitkopf und Härtel. BWV 34a is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 33, page 29, edited by Frederick Hudson. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 41, page 117. Manuscript Sources: The manuscript of the full score of BWV 34, and an incomplete set of original parts for BWV 34a, in the hands of Johann Andreas Kuhnau, Christian Gottlob Meissner, and Wilhelm Friedemann Bach, are in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: BWV 34 is a parody of the earlier BWV 34a. The later version was reduced from seven to five movements, with movements 1, 3, and 5 of BWV 34 remaining identical in words and music to movements 1, 5, and 4 of the earlier work. BWV 34 is evaluated here. Performance Issues: The opening chorus is quite long, nearly nine minutes, and in it the choir has a great deal of intricate polyphony, which often is independent of the orchestra. The violin I and viola parts in this movement are quite involved with extended arpeggiations and ornamental scalar figures. The final chorus is generally homophonic with extended orchestral interjections in the manner of a choral fantasia. The sopranos have a high tessitura in this movement making this cantata most suitable to choirs with experienced singers. The trumpet I part of movement 5 is quite sustained and generally very high. The other trumpet parts are much more accessible. The oboes and violin are in unison throughout this movement. The two flute parts are exposed and quite sustained in movement 3. The oboe parts are also significantly sustained, but remain accessible to intermediate level players. They are doubled within the orchestral fabric of the movements in which they appear. Incidentally, the oboes and flutes do not appear in the same movements. Soloists: alto - range: b-e'', tessitura: e'-d'', this is a lyrical and very sustained solo, which would also be appropriate for a richer soprano voice; tenor - range: f#-b', tessitura: a-a', this is a brief and simple solo appropriate for a chorister to whom b' is not prohibitive; bass - range: 18 Alfred Dürr ascribes the text to Lehms, in Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 2, page 419; however, W. Murray
A-e', tessitura: c-c', this is a brief and declamatory solo appropriate for a chorister. Choir: difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Helen Watts, Adalbert Kraus, Wolfgang Schöne; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded February 1972. Hänssler Classic: 98.887. Paul Esswood, Kurt Equiluz, Sigmund Nimsgern; Vienna Boys’ Choir, Chorus Viennensis, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 2292-42505-2. Re-released as 4509-91756-2. Anna Reynolds, Peter Schreier, Dietrich FischerDieskau; Munich Bach Choir, Munich Bach Orchestra; conducted by Karl Richter. Recorded between 1974 and 1975. Archiv: 439 380-2AX6. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 235, 321, 510, 511, 512; volume 2: 125-130. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, BWV 34: 303, BWV 34a: 603. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 195.
Cantata No. 35: Geist und Seele wird verwirret, BWV 35 (1726) Duration: ca. 26 minutes Occasion: Trinity XII Text: The text for this cantata is by Georg Christian Lehms.18 Performing Forces: voice: alto soloist; orchestra: 2 oboes, taille, organ obbligato, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 8 September 1726, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Geist und Seele wird verwirret is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 20, page 217, edited by Klaus Hofmann. Performance materials are available from BärenreiterVerlag. It is also published in BG, volume 7, page 173, edited by Wilhelm Rust. Other available editions include those from Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts) and Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: The manuscript of the full score, and the original set of parts, in the hands of Johann Andreas Kuhnau, Christian Gottlob Meissner, and
Young suggests that it may have been written by Bach, in The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, page 108.
34
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
possibly Wilhalm Friedemann Bach, are in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: Movements 1, 3, and 5 of this work were adapted from Bach’s lost Harpsichord Concerto, BWV 1059. Movements 4 and 7 were likely adapted from other lost instrumental works. Performance Issues: This could well be considered an organ concerto with obbligato alto soloist. The organ appears as a featured solo instrument in all of the movements except for the recitatives where it doubles the continuo. There does need to be a keyboard, preferably harpsichord, separate from the organ to play the continuo parts. The organ parts are quite virtuosic as are those for the alto soloist. This work should be programmed to showcase the talents of these two soloists who must be very skilled musicians. The remaining orchestral parts are quite accessible with considerable doubling between the oboes and violins, and between the taille and violas. Soloist: alto - range: a-e'', tessitura: f'-d'', this is a demanding role filled with coloratura writing, its narrow and high tessituras are better suited to a mezzo soprano than a contralto voice. Orchestra: medium difficult.
Text: The texts of BWV 36a, 36b, and 36c are believed to be by Picander; for BWV 36, movement 4 is by Philip Nicolai (1599); movements 2, 6, and 8 are by Martin Luther (1524); and the remaining texts are thought to be by either Picander or Bach. Performing Forces: BWV 36: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes d’amore, strings, and basso continuo BWV 36b: voices: soprano, alto, and tenor; SATB choir; orchestra: flute, oboe d’amore, strings, and basso continuo BWV 36c: voices: soprano, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: oboe d’amore, viola d’amore, strings, and basso continuo First Performance:
Selected Discography: Julia Hamari; Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded October 1982. Hänssler Classic: 98.811. Paul Esswood; Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 2292-42506-2. Rereleased as 4509-91756-2. René Jacobs; Ensemble 415; conducted by Chiara Banchini. Harmonia Mundi: HMC90 1273. Jard van Nes; Amsterdam Bach Soloists; conducted by Leo van Doeselaar. Ottavo: OTRC 108506. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 236, 241, 242, 245-249. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 419. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 108.
Cantata No. 36: Schwingt freudig euch empor, BWV 36, 36a, 36b, 36c (1725-1735) BWV 36a: Steigt freudig in die Luft (lost) BWV 36b: Die Freude reget sich BWV 36c: Schwingt freudig euch empor Duration: BWV 36
BWV 36a: birthday of the wife of Prince Leopold of Anhalt-Cöthen BWV 36b: birthday of Johann Florens Rivinus, a professor at Leipzig University BWV 36c: farewell homage to Johann Matthias Gesner, rector of the Thomasschule, or to Johann Heinrich Ernesti, his predecessor
ca. 29 minutes
Occasion: BWV 36: Advent I 19 Herz’s chronology gives 1726; however, the works list of the New Grove biography gives either 1726 or 1725.
BWV 36: 2 December 1731, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig BWV 36a: 30 November 172619 BWV 36b: 28 August 1735?, Leipzig BWV 36c: April or May 1725, Leipzig Editions: BWV 36 is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 1, pages 19 (older version) and 43 (revised version), edited by Alfred Dürr and Werner Neumann. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 7, page 223, edited by Wilhelm Rust. Other available editions include those from Bärenreiter (parts and score), Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts), and Breitkopf und Härtel. BWV 36b is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 38, page 257, edited by Werner Neumann. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 34, page 41, edited by Wilhelm Rust. Other available editions include those from Bärenreiter (parts and score), Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts), and Breitkopf und Härtel. BWV 36c is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 39, page 3, edited by Werner Neumann. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 34, page 41, edited by Wilhelm Rust. Other available editions include those from Bärenreiter
35
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
(parts and score), Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts), and Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: BWV 36: The manuscript full score, and the original parts, in the hand of Johann Ludwig Krebs and others, are in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. BWV 36a: All materials are now lost. BWV 36b: The original parts, mostly in the hand of the composer, are in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. BWV 36c: The manuscript full score is in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: BWV 36c was the original composition from, which the three other parodies and revision were derived. This work represents Bach’s most extensive act of self-borrowing. In the sacred incarnation of this set of cantatas, BWV 36, Bach uses Johann Walter’s hymn tune “Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland,” which is an adaptation of the Latin plainsong “Veni redemptor gentium,” in movements 2, 6, and 8, from Geistliches Gesangbüchlein (Wittenberg, 1524); and Philipp Nicolai’s hymn tune (1599) “Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern” in movement 4. Performance Issues: BWV 36: The opening chorus combines homophonic passages with imitative counterpoint. The choral writing is not particularly difficult, but it is generally independent of the accompaniment. In movements 4 and 8 the choir is in block hymn formation with all parts doubled by the orchestra. Movement 3 includes a difficult oboe d’amore solo and movement 6 features an exposed oboe d’amore duet. The violin I part is quite involved throughout this cantata, and there is a particularly difficult solo for the concertmaster throughout movement 7. The score indicates “organ and continuo” for the basso continuo line, but there are no independent organ parts. Soloists: soprano - range: d'-g'', tessitura: f#'-f#'', this role is highly ornamented with rapid melismatic passages; alto - range: a-e'', tessitura: d'-d'', this is a lyrical and somewhat ornamented solo best suited to a mezzo-soprano voice; tenor - range: d-a', tessitura: a-g', this is a lyrical role, movement 6 gives the tenor the hymn tune as a sustained cantus firmus with the range of b-f#'; bass - range: A-e', tessitura: d-d', this is a lilting and lyrical solo. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: BWV 36 only: Arleen Augér, Gabriele Schreckenbach, Peter Schreier, Walter Heldwein; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth
20 David Daniels lists 21 minutes in his Orchestral Music, third edition, as does Alfred Dürr in his Die Kantaten von Johann
Rilling. Recorded August 1980, February 1981, and March 1982. Hänssler Classic: 98.823. Paul Esswood, Kurt Equiluz, Ruud van der Meer; Vienna Boys’ Choir, Chorus Viennensis, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 2292-42506-2. Re-released as 4509-91756-2. Nancy Argenta, Petra Lang, Anthony Rolfe Johnson, Olaf Bär; Monteverdi Choir, English Baroque Soloists; conducted by John Eliot Gardiner. Archiv: 437 327-2AH. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 94, 236, 305-313; volume 2: 270, 272, 613-615. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, BWV 36: 100, BWV 36a: 646, BWV 36b: 687, BWV 36c: 690. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, BWV 36: 98, BWV 36c: 246. Meredith, Sarah. “Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern in the Chorale Cantatas of J. S. Bach.” Choral Journal 38/5 (December 1997): 9-14.
Cantata No. 37: Wer da gläubet und getauft wird, BWV 37 (1724) Duration: ca. 21 minutes20 Occasion: Ascension Text: The text of movement 1 is from the New Testament (Mark 16:16); movement 3 is by Philip Nicolai (1599); movement 6 is by Johann Kolrose (1535); and the remaining texts are attributed to Christian Weiss Sr. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes d’amore, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 18 May 1724, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Wer da gläubet und getauft wird is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 12, page 81, edited by Alfred Dürr. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 7, page 261, edited by Wilhelm Rust. Other available editions include those from Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts) and Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: The original parts, in the hands of three unidentified copyists and Johann Andreas Kuhnau, are in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin.
Sebastian Bach, but the Rilling recording is 16 minutes and 20 seconds long.
36
Notes: The final movement is a setting of the anonymous hymn tune “Ich dank’ dir, lieber Herre” from Musika Deutsch (Nürnberg, 1532); and Philipp Nicolai’s hymn tune (1599) “Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern” is used in movement 3. Performance Issues: The chorale writing of movement 1 is reminiscent of Bach’s motets except that there is a fully independent accompaniment. The vocal parts are sustained and combine paired doubling and imitative counterpoint. The choral pitches are underpinned by the orchestra, which often has ornamented figures centered around the choral lines. The BG edition gives only continuo in the accompaniment of movement 2; however, the NBA includes a reconstruction of the score, which has a violin solo that is desirable, and requires a skilled player. The remaining orchestra parts are quite accessible to intermediate-level players. Soloists: soprano - range: d'-a'', tessitura: g'-f#'', this is a florid solo with extended melismatic phrases; alto range: b-d'', tessitura: e'-b', this solo requires a singer capable of sustained singing and of navigating rapid melismatic passages; tenor - range: e-a', tessitura: f#f#', this solo has many rapid scalar melismatic passages and repeated articulations of a single pitch on a sustained vowel; bass - range: A#-d', tessitura: d-d', this role requires a singer capable of quick text declamation and rapid articulations. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Arleen Augér, Carolyn Watkinson, Adalbert Kraus, Philippe Huttenlocher; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded February 1979. Hänssler Classic: 98.886. Paul Esswood, Kurt Equiluz, Ruud van der Meer; Vienna Boys’ Choir, Chorus Viennensis, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 2292-42506-2. Re-released as 4509-91757-2. Selected Bibliography: Upton, George P. The Standard Cantatas, seventh edition, 37-38. Chicago: A. C. McClurg and Company, 1899. Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 434, 655-659; volume 2: 272. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 278. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 84. Meredith, Sarah. “Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern in the Chorale Cantatas of J. S. Bach.” Choral Journal 38/5 (December 1997): 9-14.
Cantata No. 38: Aus tiefer Not schrei ich zu dir, BWV 38 (1724) Duration: ca. 21 minutes
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Occasion: Trinity XXI Text: Movements 1, 4, and 6 use chorale texts by Martin Luther (1524); the text of the remaining movements is thought to be a paraphrase by Bach. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes, 4 trombones, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 29 October 1724, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Aus tiefer Not schrei ich zu dir is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 25, edited by Ulrich Bartels. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 7, page 285, edited by Wilhelm Rust. Other available editions include those from Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts), Breitkopf und Härtel, and H. W. Gray. Manuscript Sources: The original parts, in the hands of Johann Andreas Kuhnau and Christian Gottlob Meissner, are in the Bach-Archiv in Leipzig. Notes: This is a chorale cantata based upon Johann Walter’s hymn tune of the same title, which was a chorale setting of Martin Luther’s German translation of Psalm 130, from the Gesangbüchlein (Wittenberg, 1524). Performance Issues: The opening chorus is reminiscent of a Buxtehude or Pachelbel motet, consisting of a choral fugue with basso continuo accompaniment. Bach doubles all of the vocal parts with the tutti orchestra. The fugue is in the lower three voices while the sopranos have the hymn tune as a cantus firmus. Movement 4 is interesting as the soprano recitative is accompanied by the continuo with the chorale tune as the bass line. There is an exposed oboe duet accompanying the tenor in movement 3. The oboe parts are equal in importance and difficulty. While not technically difficult, they are sustained and somewhat complex rhythmically. Breath marks should be put in these parts before rehearsal. The trio (a rarity in Bach’s cantatas) is fugal throughout with only a basso continuo accompaniment, so the soloists must be particularly secure in their parts. The trombones only double the choral voices; however, this requires a soprano trombone for the first part. These parts may be considered optional, or if not all are to be used, they should be considered in order of importance from bottom to top. Soloists: soprano - range: c'-a'', tessitura: f'-f'', this is a sustained and lyrical role appropriate for an intermediate-level singer; alto - range: a-d', tessitura: d'-b', this is a sustained and lyrical role appropriate for an intermediate-level singer; tenor - range: d#-a', tessitura: gg', this is a lyrical solo with a few coloratura passages; bass - range: F-e', tessitura: B♭-b♭, this is a sustained solo, which requires a singer comfortable throughout
37
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
the indicated range. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: easy. Selected Discography: Arleen Augér, Helen Watts, Lutz-Michael Harder, Philippe Huttenlocher; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded February and April 1980. Hänssler Classic: 98.818. Paul Esswood, Kurt Equiluz, Ruud van der Meer; Vienna Boys’ Choir, Chorus Viennensis, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 2292-42506-2. Re-released as 4509-91757-2. Edith Mathis, Trudeliese Schmidt, Peter Schreier, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau; Munich Bach Choir, Munich Bach Orchestra; conducted by Karl Richter. Recorded between 1977 and 1978. Archiv: 439 394-2AX5. Greta de Reyghere, John Bowman, Guy de Mey, Max van Egmond; Capella Sancti Michaelis Vocal Ensemble, Ricercare Ensemble; conducted by Erik van Nevel. Recorded in 1991. Ricercare: 103086/7. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. Fugitive Notes on Certain Cantatas and Motets of J. S. Bach, 78-85. London: Oxford University Press, 1942. ———. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 236, 548; volume 2: 115-120, 274, 295. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 494. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 218.
Cantata No. 39: Brich dem Hungrigen dein Brot, BWV 39 (1726) Duration: ca. 21 minutes Occasion: Trinity I Text: The text of movement 1 is from Psalm 58 (v. 7) and the Old Testament (Isaiah 58:7); movement 4 is from the New Testament (Hebrews 13:16); movement 7 is by David Denicke (1648); and the remaining texts are from unidentified sources. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 recorders, 2 oboes, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 23 June 1726,21 St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Brich dem Hungrigen dein Brot is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, 21 This date is from Herz’s chronology. Schweitzer states in his J.S. Bach, volume 2, page 343, that the work was composed in 1732. At that time over two thousand refugees arrived at the St. Nikolaikirche in Leipzig fleeing the persecution of the Archbishop of Salzburg. Schweitzer suggests that the libretto’s focus on the
volume 15, page 181, edited by Alfred Dürr. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 7, page 303, edited by Wilhelm Rust. Other available editions include those from Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts) and Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: The manuscript of the full score, and the original parts, in the hands of Christian Gottlob Meissner and Johann Heinrich Bach, are in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: Movement 7 is a chorale setting of David Denicke’s hymn “Kommt laßt euch den Herren lehren” on a traditional German melody (c. 1400). Performance Issues: The choral writing in movement 1 is filled with coloratura passages and intricate imitative counterpoint, which is mostly independent of the orchestra. Movement 3 has obbligato solos for violin and oboe that are exposed and moderately difficult. Bach indicates that both recorders are to play a unison countermelody in movement 5, but for reasons of intonation, a solo player may be desirable. The remaining instrumental parts are quite accessible to intermediate-level players. Soloists: soprano - range: d'-g'', tessitura: a'-f'', this is a sustained and lyrical solo; alto - range: b-e♭', tessitura: d'-d', this role requires a singer capable of extended coloratura passages; bass range: G-e', tessitura: c-c', this is a lyrical solo. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Arleen Augér, Gabriele Schreckenbach, Franz Gerihsen; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded February 1982. Hänssler Classic: 98.802. René Jacobs, Max van Egmond; Hanover Boys’ Choir, Leonhardt Consort; conducted by Gustav Leonhardt. Teldec: 2292-42502-2. Re-released as 4509-91757-2. Edith Mathis, Anna Reynolds, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau; Munich Bach Choir, Munich Bach Orchestra; conducted by Karl Richter. Recorded between 1973 and 1975. Archiv: 439 380-2AX6. Collegium Vocale; conducted by Philippe Herreweghe. Recorded in 1991. Virgin: VC7 59320-2. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 434, 688-697, 701; volume 2: 194. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 333. story of Dives and Lazarus is reflective of the charity shown by the people of Leipzig to these unfortunate guests. Dürr, in his Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 2, page 333, notes the 1732 performance in conjunction with the sheltering of the Austrian pilgrims, but states that the cantata had already been performed at the earlier date.
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Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 122.
Cantata No. 40: Dazu ist erscheinen der Sohn Gottes, BWV 40 (1723) Duration: ca. 18 minutes Occasion: Second Day of Christmas/St. Stephen’s Day Text: The text of movement 1 is from the New Testament (I John 3:8); movement 3 is by Kaspar Füger (1592); movement 6 is by Paul Gerhardt (1653); movement 8 is by Christian Keymann (1646); the remaining texts are thought to be by Bach. Performing Forces: voices: alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes, 2 horns, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 26 December 1723, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
players of intermediate experience. Soloists: alto range: b♭-e♭'', tessitura: f'-c'', this is a declamatory solo consisting of triadic arpeggiations; tenor - range: d-a', tessitura: f-g', this is an exceptionally difficult role with extended high coloratura passages in movement 7; bass - range: G-e', tessitura: d-d', this is a declamatory solo with a few melismatic passages. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: difficult. Selected Discography: Verena Gohl, Adalbert Kraus, Siegmund Nimsgern; Figuralchor der Gedächtniskirche Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded June and July 1970. Hänssler Classic: 98.824. René Jacobs, Marius van Altena, Max van Egmond; Hanover Boys’ Choir, Leonhardt Consort; conducted by Gustav Leonhardt. Teldec: 2292-42556-2. Re-released as 4509-91757-2.
Editions: Dazu ist erscheinen der Sohn Gottes is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 3, not yet published. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 7, page 351, edited by Wilhelm Rust. Other available editions include that from Breitkopf und Härtel.
Selected Bibliography:
Manuscript Sources: The manuscript full score, and the original parts, in the hands of Johann Andreas Kuhnau and Christian Gottlob Meissner, are in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin.
Cantata No. 41: Jesu, nun sei gepreiset, BWV 41 (1724)
Notes: Movement 1 of this cantata is parodied in movement 2, “Cum sancto spiritu,” of Bach’s Mass in F, BWV 233. Bach makes four-part chorale settings of three pre-existent hymn tunes in this cantata: movement 3 uses Caspar Fuger’s (1593) “Wir Christenleut” movement 6 uses “Schwing’ dich auf zu deinem Gott,” from Geistliche Andachten (Berlin, 1666) and movement 8 uses “Freut euch, ihr Christen alle,” by Andreas Hammerschmidt (1646).
Occasion: New Year/Feast of Christ’s Circumcision
Performance Issues: The choral writing in movement 1 is quite complex. There are passages of rapid text declamation. Though accompanied, the choral rhythms of this movement are quite independent from the orchestra. The middle section of the movement is a choral fugue also with independent accompaniment. There are some very high sustained passages for the sopranos in this movement and the soprano tessitura is fairly high in the chorales as well. Movements 1 and 7 have very difficult and exposed horn parts, which explore the very upper reaches of the modern instrument. Movements 4 and 7 have exposed and somewhat difficult oboe parts. Movement 7 is orchestrationally interesting in that it is scored for tenor soloist, 2 horns, 2 oboes, and continuo. To enhance this sonority, it would be advisable to double the continuo part with bassoon, if possible. The string writing is accessible to
First Performance: 1 January 1725, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig
Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 234, 434, 566-574, 579. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 119. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 43.
Duration: ca. 33 minutes Text: Movements 1 and 6 use the chorale text of Johann Heermann (1593); the remaining movements are of paraphrases thought to be by Bach. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 3 oboes, 3 trumpets, timpani, violoncello piccolo, strings, and basso continuo
Editions: Jesu, nun sei gepreiset is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 4, page 39, edited by Werner Neumann. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 10, page 3, edited by Wilhelm Rust. Other available editions include those from Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts) and Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: An incomplete manuscript full score is in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. The original parts, in the hands of Johann Andreas Kuhnau and Christian Gottlob Meissner, are in the BachArchiv in Leipzig.
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Notes: This is a chorale cantata based upon Johann Heerman’s hymn on an anonymous tune of the same title. It appears as a chorale fantasia (the longest Bach composed) in movement 1, and as a four-part chorale setting in movement 6. The spirit of this work reflects the celebratory feelings in Saxony, as it was written at the conclusion of the War of Polish Succession.22 Performance Issues: The opening chorale fantasia is composed in an ABA' form, featuring a triumphant fanfare-like motive in the A section and a sustained and imitative B section. Both feature Heermann’s hymn tune as a cantus firmus in the soprano part. The fanfare figure is brought back as connecting orchestral material in the final chorale. The B section material moves to the relative minor key and the relative minor of the dominant with significant chromatic adjustments. The A section is very melismatic with rapid passagework in the three lower voice parts. Nearly all of the choral parts are doubled directly by the orchestra, and even less complex sections are well supported by the instrumental parts, if not doubled. It is interesting that the soprano, alto, and tenor soloists appear in four measures of movement 5, which could easily be overlooked until the last moment. The instrumental writing is very idiomatic. Movement 2 is written for soprano soloist, three oboes, and continuo. The sonority of this combination would be well-served if a bassoon were used in the continuo. All three oboe parts are sustained and florid, but well within the abilities of collegiate-level players. The first trumpet part has numerous passages above the staff combining rapid passagework and a sustained doubling of the cantus firmus. Movement 4 features a violoncello piccolo solo that is independent of the continuo part. It is high, but playable on standard cello. This solo requires an expert player. The section string parts are very accessible. Soloists: soprano - range: e'-a'', tessitura: f'-f'', this is a lyrical role featuring long, elegant phrases; alto - range: b-e'', tessitura: c'-c'', this is a brief recitative solo well within the abilities of a chorister; tenor - range: e-a', tessitura: g-f', this is a lyrical solo with extended melismatic passages; bass - range: G-d', tessitura: B♭-b♭', this solo is declamatory, requiring a strong voice, but is well within the abilities of a chorister. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Helen Donath, Marga Hoeffgen, Adalbert Kraus, Siegmund Nimsgern; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, BachCollegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded 1982. Hänssler Classic: 98.870.
22 W. Murray Young, The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, page 168. 23 Terry attributes the libretto to Weiss, but Neumann suggests that the libretto was probably by Bach.
Paul Esswood, Kurt Equiluz, Ruud van der Meer; Vienna Boys’ Choir, Chorus Viennensis, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 2292-42556-2. Re-released as 4509-91757-2. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 236, 320, 321; volume 2: 7581, 277, 285, 305. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 150. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 168. Chafe, Eric T. “Aufgang und Ende: Cyclic Recurrence in Bach’s Cantata Jesu, nun sei gepreiset, BWV 41.” In Bach Perspectives, edited by Russell Stinson, page 41. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1995.
Cantata No. 42: Am Abend aber desselbigen Sabbats, BWV 42 (1725) Duration: ca. 29 minutes Occasion: Easter I, Quasimodogeniti Text: The text of movement 2 is from the New Testament (John 20:19); movement 4 is by David Fabricius (ca. 1635); movement 7 is by Martin Luther (1524); the remaining texts are attributed to Christian Weiss Sr.23 Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir (chorale only); orchestra: 2 oboes, bassoon,24 strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 8 April 1725, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Am Abend aber desselbigen Sabbats is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 11/1, page 63, edited by Reinmar Emans. Performance materials are available from BärenreiterVerlag. It is also published in BG, volume 10, page 65, edited by Wilhelm Rust. Other available editions include those from Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts) and Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: unknown Notes: This is a solo cantata. The chorus appears only in the final chorale, and this too could be sung by solo quartet. The opening Sinfonia was probably taken from a now-lost concerto. There are thematic links between movement 5 of this cantata, and movement 6 of BWV 67. Fabricius’s text for movement 4 has traditionally been linked with a hymn tune by Altenburg, but for this setting, Bach uses the anonymous German 24 Some sources list this as a continuo instrument, but it has independent parts in a number of the movements.
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hymn tune (c. 1400) “Kommt her zu mir, spricht Gottes Sohn.” The hymn tune of movement 7 is “Verlieh uns Frieden,” which was adapted from the Latin plainsong “Veni redemptor gentium,” found in Jobst Gutknecht’s Kirchen gesenge (Nürnberg, 1531). Performance Issues: This cantata requires four viruoso soloists and a strong orchestra. It is a useful work for a chamber orchestra without access to a good choir. All of the instrumental parts in the Sinfonia are technically intricate, but they remain idiomatic to the instruments, and well within the abilities of collegiate players. The oboe I part in movement 3 is highly ornamented with some rapid figurations. Movement 6 is scored for bass soloist, continuo, and first violins in divisi. This is probably best served with two solo violinists. Both parts are exposed with rapid arpeggiated figures, and they are equally difficult. Soloists: soprano - range: d#'-a'', tessitura: g'-f'', this is a lyrical solo with extended melismatic writing; alto - range: be'', tessitura: e'-d'', this is a lyrical solo with slow, but significant, chromatic passagework, requiring a singer with a flexible instrument of great beauty in sustained singing; tenor - range: e-a', tessitura: g-g', this is a lyrical solo requiring a singer capable of relaxed and sustained singing at the top of the indicated range; bass range: A-e', tessitura: c-d', this is a florid solo, requiring a flexible voice. Choir: easy (if used for chorale); Orchestra: difficult. Selected Discography: Arleen Augér, Julia Hamari, Peter Schreier, Philippe Huttenlocher; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, BachCollegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in the Gedächtniskirche, Stuttgart, in 1980; and the Große Aula der Alten Universität, Salzburg, 1981. Hänssler Classic: 98.882. Paul Esswood, Kurt Equiluz, Ruud van der Meer; Vienna Boys’ Choir, Chorus Viennensis, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 2292-42556-2. Re-released as 4509-91757-2. Barbara Schlick, Gérard Lesne, Howard Crook, Peter Kooy; Ghent Collegium Vocale, Paris Chapelle Royale Choir and Orchestra; conducted by Philippe Herreweghe. Recorded in 1990. Harmonia Mundi: HMC90 1328. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 236, 295-300. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 254. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 103.
25 This timing is given by David Daniels; however, the Rilling recording is 23 minutes long.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Cantata No. 43: Gott fähret auf mit Jauchzen, BWV 43 (1726) Duration: ca. 28 minutes25 Occasion: Ascension Text: The text of movement 1 is Psalm 47 (v. 5); movement 4 is from the New Testament (Mark 16:19); movement 11 is by Johann von Rist (1641); the source of the remaining text is the entire hymn “Mein Jesus hat nunmehr,” the author of which is unknown. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes, 3 trumpets (later removed), timpani, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 30 May 1726, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Gott fähret auf mit Jauchzen is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 12, page 135, edited by Alfred Dürr. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 10, page 95, edited by Wilhelm Rust. Other available editions include that from Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: The manuscript of the full score and the original parts, in the hands of J. S. Bach, Christian Gottlob Meissner, and Johann Heinrich Bach, are in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: It is interesting to note that there are no da capo numbers in this cantata; this is probably to keep it within Leipzig’s traditional time limit of thirty minutes, despite the number of movements. The final chorale is on the hymn “Du Lebensfürst, Herr Jesu Christ,” on the tune “Ermuntre dich, mein schwacher Geist,” by Johann Schop (1641). Performance Issues: While the choral parts of movement 1 are harmonically supported by the orchestra, they are not consistently doubled. Some editions present this movement in 4/2 beginning in measure 6, and some break these measures into pairs of 2/2. It is important to be sure the numbering of measures is consistent between the choir and orchestra. The choral writing is very melismatic and juxtaposes semihomophonic passages with ones that are fugally imitative. The orchestral writing is very practical throughout the score with numerous doublings between parts. Movement 7 is scored for bass soloists, solo trumpet, and continuo. This requires a very solid trumpeter capable of broad melodic leaps, rapid articulation, and dynamic control above the staff. Soloists: soprano range: d'-a'', tessitura: g'-g'', this is a lyric solo with many scalar melismatic passages; alto - range: b-e'',
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
tessitura: d'-c'', this is a lyrical and sustained role; tenor - range: d-a', tessitura: g-f', this is a declamatory role with broad melodic leaps and rapid passagework, the singer must be able to sustain notes at the very bottom of the indicated range; bass - range: G-e', tessitura: Bd', this is a bravura solo with rapid, declamatory writing throughout. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Arleen Augér, Julia Hamari, Lutz-Michael Harder, Philippe Huttenlocher; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in the Gedächtniskirche, Stuttgart, in 1981 and 1982. Hänssler Classic: 98.885. Peter Jelosits, Paul Esswood, Kurt Equiluz, Ruud van der Meer; Vienna Boys’ Choir, Chorus Viennensis, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 2292-42559-2. Re-released as 4509-91757-2. Frederike Sailer, Claudia Hellman, Helmut Krebs, Jakob Stämpli; Heilbronn Heinrich Schütz Choir, Pforzheim Chamber Orchestra; conducted by Fritz Werner. Recorded in 1961. Erato: 4509-97407-2. Barbara Schlick, Catherine Patriasz, Christoph Prégardien, Peter Kooy; Ghent Collegium Vocale, Paris Chapelle Royale Choir and Orchestra; conducted by Philippe Herreweghe. Recorded in 1993. Harmonia Mundi: HMC90 1479. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 655; volume 2: 235-245. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 284. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 149.
Cantata No. 44: Sie werden euch in den Bann tun I, BWV 44 (1724) Duration: ca. 21 minutes Occasion: Ascension I, Exaudi Text: The texts of movements 1 and 2 are from the New Testament (John 16:2); movement 4 is by Moller (1587); movement 7 is by Paul Fleming (1642); and the remaining texts are attributed to Christian Weiss Sr. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes, strings, and basso continuo (with bassoon) First Performance: 21 May 1724, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Sie werden euch in den Bann tun is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 12, page 167, edited by Alfred Dürr. Performance
materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 10, page 129, edited by Wilhelm Rust. Other available editions include those from Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts) and Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: The manuscript of the full score, and the original parts, in the hands of Johann Andreas Kuhnau, Christian Gottlob Meissner, and others, are in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: The same title is shared by BWV 183. The tenor solo in movement 4 is a setting of the anonymous hymn tune (1587), “Ach Gott, wie manches Herzelied.” The final chorale, movement 7, is a setting of the anonymous hymn tune “In allen meinen Taten.” Performance Issues: This is an excellent introduction to Bach’s cantata repertoire for an amateur organization. If a strong soprano soloist and oboe I player are available, the remaining parts are quite accessible to intermediate-level ensembles. The choral writing is mostly homophonic with few passages exceeding two levels of rhythmic activity. The vocal lines are thoroughly doubled by the orchestra. The instrumental writing is quite accessible to less-experienced players with the exception of the oboe I part, which is very exposed and sustained. The bassoonist for the continuo needs good pitch control and endurance. Soloists: soprano - range: d'-a'', tessitura: f'-f'', this solo has considerably challenging coloratura passages; alto - range: b-d'', tessitura: e'-b', this is a lyrical solo accessible to amateur singers; tenor - range: f#-a♭'', tessitura: b-f', this is a sustained role, which is quite accessible to a less experienced singer with a naturally high tessitura; bass range: G-e♭', tessitura: d-c', this is a declamatory solo with some awkward melodic leaps. Choir: easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Arleen Augér, Helen Watts, Aldo Baldin, Wolfgang Schöne; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in the Gedächtniskirche, Stuttgart, in 1979. Hänssler Classic: 98.886. Peter Jelosits, Paul Esswood, Kurt Equiluz, Ruud van der Meer; Vienna Boys’ Choir, Chorus Viennensis, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 2292-42559-2. Re-released as 4509-91757-2. Edith Mathis, Anna Reynolds, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau; Munich Bach Choir, Munich Bach Orchestra; conducted by Karl Richter. Recorded between 1973 and 1975. Archiv: 439 380-2AX6. Barbara Schlick, Catherine Patriasz, Christoph Prégardien, Peter Kooy; Ghent Collegium Vocale, Paris Chapelle Royale Choir and Orchestra; conducted by Philippe Herreweghe. Recorded in 1993. Harmonia Mundi: HMC90 1479.
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Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 434, 625-630; volume 2: 138, 270. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 291. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 68.
Cantata No. 45: Es ist dir gesagt Mensch, wer wird mich erlösen, BWV 45 (1726) Duration: ca. 21 minutes Occasion: Trinity VIII Text: The text of movement 1 is from the Old Testament (Micah 6:8); movement 4 is from the New Testament (Matthew 7:22); and movement 7 is by Johann Heermann (1630). The text of the remaining movements is from unidentified sources.26 Performing Forces: voices: alto tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 11 August 1726, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Es ist dir gesagt Mensch, wer wird mich erlösen is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 18, page 199, edited by Alfred Dürr. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 10, page 153, edited by Wilhelm Rust. Other available editions include those from Bärenreiter (parts and score) and Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: The manuscript of the full score and the original set of parts, in the hands of Christian Gottlob Meissner and Johann Heinrich Bach, are in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: The final chorale is a setting of the anonymous tune “O Gott, du frommer Gott,” from Neuvermehrtes Gesangbuch (Meiningen, 1693). Performance Issues: The choral writing juxtaposes imitative and homophonic passages that are intermittently doubled by the instruments. The chorus must be capable of independent singing. The instrumental writing is idiomatic with considerable doubling between parts in the tutti movements. There is a prominent flute solo in movement 5, which is not technically difficult, but requires a musically sensitive player capable of interacting with the alto soloist. Soloists: alto - range: b-e'', tessitura: e'-b'', this is a sustained and lilting solo role; tenor - range: e-a', tessitura: g-f', this is 26 Schweitzer suggested Picander, Terry suggested Christian Weiss Jr., Neumann and Whittaker believed it was some other, unknown author.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
a lyrical solo with many extended melismatic passages; bass - range: A-e', tessitura: d-e', this is a very dramatic and declamatory solo requiring a powerful voice capable of broad leaps and rapid coloratura singing. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Julia Hamari, Aldo Baldin, Philippe Huttenlocher; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in the Gedächtniskirche, Stuttgart, in 1982. Hänssler Classic: 98.807. René Jacobs, Kurt Equiluz, Hanns-Friedrich Kunz; Hanover Boys’ Choir, Leonhardt Consort; conducted by Gustav Leonhardt. Teldec: 2292-42559-2. Re-released as 4509-91757-2. Hertha Töpper, Ernst Haefliger, Kieth Engen; Munich Bach Choir, Ansbach Bach Week Soloists Orchestra; conducted by Karl Richter. Recorded in 1959. Archiv: 439 387-2AX6. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 2: 194-199. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 385. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 200.
Cantata No. 46: Schauet doch und sehet, BWV 46 (1723) Duration: ca. 19 minutes Occasion: Trinity X Text: The text of movement 1 is from the Old Testament (Lamentations 1:12); movement 4 is from the New Testament (Luke 13:5); movement 6 is by Schnurr (1632); the remaining texts are from unidentified sources. Performing Forces: voices: alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 recorders, strings, and basso continuo. Trumpet or horn da tirarsi and 2 tailles were added to the score at a later date. First Performance: 1 August 1723, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Schauet doch und sehet is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 19, page 111, edited by Robert Lewis Marshall. Performance materials are available from BärenreiterVerlag. It is also published in BG, volume 10, page
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
189, edited by Wilhelm Rust. Other available editions include those from Dover (Seven Great Sacred Cantatas, 0-486-24950-6, BG edition reprint, full score only with a literal English translation by Stanley Appelbaum), Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts), and Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: The original parts in the hand of Johann Andreas Kuhnau are in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. The location of the autograph of the full score is unknown. Notes: Movement 1 of this cantata was parodied by Bach in the “Qui tollis” section of his B Minor Mass, BWV 232. The final chorale is a setting of the hymn tune “O großer Gott von Macht,” which is attributed to Melchior Franck (1632). It is set with flute-duet interludes between each line of the hymn. Performance Issues: The choral writing combines sustained chromatic passages and a four-part fugue, the latter of which is often independent of the accompaniment. The opening sustained section requires substantial control of pitch and dynamic. The instrumental parts are generally idiomatic. The two flute parts are the most exposed and present the greatest technical challenges. These flute parts are often homophonically written in thirds and sixths and require like-sounding players. Bach has not indicated “traverso” in the score, which suggests that he intended these parts for recorders, but they are very well suited to modern transverse instruments. In some editions the trumpet part is written at concert pitch in the first and last movements, but appears as a transposed part for a B♭ instrument in movement 3, so the parts should be inspected before distribution. Soloists: alto - range: b♭-e♭'', tessitura: d'd'', this role combines rapid passagework with sustained singing, it requires a singer comfortable with prolonged passages in the upper fifth of the indicated range; tenor - range: c-a', tessitura: g-g', this is a declamatory, but soft role with a number of awkward melodic leaps; bass - range: B♭-e♭', tessitura: d-d', this is a dramatic and difficult solo for a power voice capable of rapid coloratura singing. Choir: difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Helen Watts, Adalbert Kraus, Wolfgang Schöne; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in the Gedächtniskirche, Stuttgart, in 1977 and 1978. Hänssler Classic: 98.808. René Jacobs, Kurt Equiluz, Hanns-Friedrich Kunz; Hanover Boys’ Choir, Leonhardt Consort; conducted by Gustav Leonhardt. Teldec: 2292-42559-2. Re-released as 4509-91757-2.
Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 234, 434, 637-644, 666; volume 2: 285. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 397. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 75.
Cantata No. 47: Wer sich selbst erhöhet, BWV 47 (1726) Duration: ca. 23 minutes Occasion: Trinity XVII Text: The text of movement 5 is an unidentified source thought to be dated around 1560; the remaining texts are by Johann Friedrich Helbig (1720). Performing Forces: voices: soprano and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes, organ obbligato, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 13 October 1726, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Wer sich selbst erhöhet is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 23, page 321, edited by Helmuth Osthoff. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 10, page 241, edited by Wilhelm Rust. Other available editions include those from Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts) and Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: The autograph of the full score and the original set of parts in the hands of “copyist C” and Christian Gottlob Meissner are in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: It is believed that Bach composed this cantata in Carlsbad in 1720, following the death of Maria Barbara. It was not performed until six years later. The final chorale is a setting of the tune “Warum betrübst du dich, mein Herze?,” attributed to Hans Sachs (1565). Performance Issues: The opening chorus presents highly complex fugal material for the choir, which is harmonically supported by the orchestra, but rarely doubled. This requires a musically independent choir. The orchestra parts are generally quite accessible to players of intermediate abilities. The organ solo in movement 2 is not technically difficult, but requires a rhythmically confident player. There are exposed oboe and violin solos in movement 4, which are not particularly difficult, but must appear effortless. Soloists: soprano - range: d'-a'', tessitura: g'-f'', this is a sustained and lyrical solo best suited to darker voices;
44 bass - range: G-e♭', tessitura: d-d', this is a role, which contrasts a powerful and declamatory recitative with a lilting, legato aria. Choir: difficult; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Arleen Augér, Philippe Huttenlocher; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in the Gedächtniskirche, Stuttgart, in 1982. Hänssler Classic: 98.815. Peter Jelosits, Paul Esswood, Kurt Equiluz, Ruud van der Meer; Vienna Boys’ Choir, Chorus Viennensis, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 2292-42560-2. Re-released as 450991757-2. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 12, 162-172, 241. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 464. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 27.
Cantata No. 48: Ich elender Mensch, wer wird mich erlösen, BWV 48 (1723) Duration: ca. 16 minutes Occasion: Trinity XIX Text: The text of movement 1 is from the New Testament (Romans 7:24); movement 3 is by Martin Rutilius (1604); movement 7 is by an unidentified source, which has been dated to 1620; the remaining texts are from unidentified sources.27 Performing Forces: voices: alto and tenor soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes, trumpet da tirarsi, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 3 October 1723,28 St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Ich elender Mensch, wer wird mich erlösen is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 23, page 107, edited by Matthias Wendt. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 10, page 277, edited by Wilhelm Rust. Other available editions include those from Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts) and Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: The manuscript of the full score, and the original parts, in the hands of Johann Andreas Kuhnau and Christian Gottlob Meissner, are in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. 27 Terry suggests that the librettist was Picander.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Notes: The opening chorus incoporates the anonymous (1593) chorale tune “Herr Jesu Christ, du höchtes Gut,” which Bach then presents in four-part hymn form in the final movement. Movement 3 is a setting of the anonymous hymn tune “Ach Gott und Herr,” found in Carl Peter’s Andachts-Zymbeln (1655). Performance Issues: The choral writing of the first movement is entirely canonic with no direct support from the orchestra. The slow tempo and predominance of scalar writing increase its accessibility to less-experienced choirs. The brevity of this opening chorus, combined with the presence of two chorale movements, makes it a good work for amateur ensembles. The orchestral writing is quite conservative, and very accessible to intermediate-level players. The trumpet part in movement 1 is quite sustained, but not as stratospherically high as many of Bach’s trumpet parts. Soloists: alto - range: b♭-e♭'', tessitura: e♭'-c'', this is a lilting and sustained solo, well suited to mezzo-soprano voices; tenor - range: d-a'', tessitura: f-e♭', this is a lyrical and sustained solo requiring clarity in the lower range. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Marga Heoffgen, Aldo Baldin; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in the Gedächtniskirche, Stuttgart, in 1973. Hänssler Classic: 98.813. Paul Esswood, Kurt Equiluz, Ruud van der Meer; Vienna Boys’ Choir, Chorus Viennensis, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 2292-42560-2. Re-released as 4509-91757-2. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 2: 199-203, 299. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 473. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 215.
Cantata No. 49: Ich geh und suche mit Verlangen, BWV 49 (1726) Duration: ca. 27 minutes Occasion: Trinity XX Text: The text of movement 6 is by Philip Nicolai (1599); movement 5 includes text from the New Testament (Revelation 2:10); the remaining text is likely to have been written by Picander.
28 This date is from Gerhard Herz. Neumann estimates the date of composition to be around 1732. W. Murray Young suggests that it may be as late as 1740.
45
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Performing Forces: voices: soprano and bass soloists; orchestra: oboe d’amore, organ obbligato, violoncello piccolo, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 3 November 1726, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Ich geh und suche mit Verlangen is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 25, edited by Ulrich Bartels. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 10, page 301, edited by Wilhelm Rust. Other available editions include those from Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts) and Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: The autograph of the full score and the original set of parts, in the hands of “copyist C” and Christian Gottlob Meissner, are in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: The Sinfonia of this cantata was adapted from the third movement of a now lost harpsichord concerto, BWV 1053. This is Bach’s first “dialogue cantata,” written entirely as a dialogue between the two soloists. The final movement incorporates the seventh stanza of Philipp Nicolai’s chorale (1599) “Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern” as a cantus firmus for the soprano. Performance Issues: The organ solo is a critical feature throughout this cantata. It is melodically and harmonically prominent, and requires a soloist who is rhythmically fluid and able to interact with the vocal soloists. There are exposed solos for violoncello piccolo and oboe d’amore in movement 4. Both of these solos are navigable on modern instruments. The remaining orchestra parts present no significant challenges. The Sinfonia and final movement have the most complex orchestral writing, most of which is homophonic with considerable doubling between parts. Soloists: soprano - range: c'-g'', tessitura: f'-e'', this is a lyrical and expressive role, which requires some very sustained singing in the middle of the voice throughout the final movement; bass - range: A-e', tessitura: d-d', this is a lyrical role well suited to baritone voices with considerable coloratura writing, particularly in the final movement. Orchestra: medium easy (with the exception of the organ part). Selected Discography: Arleen Augér, Philippe Huttenlocher; Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in the Gedächtniskirche, Stuttgart, in 1982. Hänssler Classic: 98.817. Peter Jelosits, Ruud van der Meer; Vienna Boys’ Choir, Chorus Viennensis, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 229242560-2. Re-released as 4509-91757-2. 29 This date is given by Herz. W. Murray Young believes this to be a late work from around 1740.
Nancy Argenta, Klaus Mertens; Petite Bande; conducted by Sigiswald Kuijken. Recorded in 1993. Accent: ACC9395D. Barbara Schlick, Andreas Scholl, Christoph Prégardien, Gotthold Schwarz; Concerto Vocale, Limoges Baroque Ensemble; conducted by Christophe Coin. Recorded in 1993. Astrée Auvidis: E8530. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 236, 241, 251-254, 264, 304; volume 2: 272. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 487. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 117. Meredith, Sarah. “Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern in the Chorale Cantatas of J. S. Bach.” Choral Journal 38/5 (December 1997): 9-14.
Cantata No. 50: Nun ist das Heil und die Kraft, BWV 50 (1723?) Duration: ca. 5 minutes Occasion: Feast of St. Michael Text: The text is from the New Testament (Revelation 12:10). Performing Forces: voices: double SATB choir; orchestra: 3 oboes, 3 trumpets, timpani, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: The first performance has been estimated as 29 September 1723,29 St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Nun ist das Heil und die Kraft is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 30, page 143, edited by Marianne Helms. Performance materials are available from BärenreiterVerlag. It is also published in BG, volume 10, page 343, edited by Wilhelm Rust. Other available editions include those from Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts) and Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: There are no manuscript materials of this work known to be in existence. There are two eighteenth-century copies of the score that have served as the basis for the current editions. Notes: All that remains of this cantata is this single movement. It is Bach’s only known sacred cantata for eight-part choir. Performance Issues: This chorus is an elaborate counterpoint exercise in which Bach constructs a double-
46
fugue between the two choirs with both fugue themes eventually being present in sections of each choir. The opening four-part fugue is directly supported by the orchestra, but as the movement unfolds, the choirs become more independent of the instruments. The two choirs could be learned separately as a possible capstone work on a program shared by two ensembles. The instrumental parts are idiomatically conceived. The trumpet I is typically high with extended passages above the staff. Choir: difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Württembergisches Kammerorchester Heilbronn; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in the Gedächtniskirche, Stuttgart, in 1984. Hänssler Classic: 98.857. Vienna Boys’ Choir, Chorus Viennensis, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 2292-42560-2. Re-released as 4509-91757-2. Vienna Stadtsoper Chor, Vienna Stadtsoper Orchestra; conducted by Felix Prohaska. Vanguard: 08.2010.71. Monteverdi Choir, English Baroque Soloists; conducted by John Eliot Gardiner. Erato: 2292-45979-2. The Sixteen, The Sixteen Orchestra; conducted by Harry Christophers. Collins Classics: Coll 1317-2. Ruth Ziesak, Elisabeth von Magnus, Paul Agnew, Klaus Mertens; Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra and Choir; conducted by Ton Koopman. Recorded live in 1997. Erato: 3984-21629-2. Selected Bibliography: Tovey, Donald F. “Church Cantatas Nos. 67, 170, and 50.” In Essays in Musical Analysis, volume 5, Vocal Music, 60-73. London: Oxford University Press, 1944. Scheide, William H. “Luther and Bach’s Cantata 50.” Journal of the American Musicological Society, volume 4 (1951): 36-39. Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 314; volume 2: 164-167, 270, 455, 664. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 574. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 234.
Cantata No. 51: Jauchzet Gott in allen Landen!, BWV 51 (1730) Duration: ca. 19 minutes30 Occasion: Trinity XV
30 The Kirkby recording is 15 minutes 39 seconds.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Text: The text of movement 4 is by Johann Graumann (1548), the remaining texts are from unidentified sources.31 Performing Forces: voices: soprano soloist; orchestra: trumpet, strings, and basso continuo. Two additional trumpets and timpani were later added to the score by Wilhelm Friedemann Bach. First Performance: The first performance is believed to have been 17 September 1730, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig. It is possible for the work to have been composed and first performed in 1729 or 1731 as well. Editions: Jauchzet Gott in allen Landen! is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 22, page 79, edited by Matthias Wendt. Performance materials are available from BärenreiterVerlag. It is also published in BG, volume 12/2, page 3, edited by Wilhelm Rust. Other available editions include those from Dover (Eleven Great Cantatas, 0486-23268-9, BG edition reprint, full score only with a literal English translation by Stanley Appelbaum), Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts), and Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: The autograph of the full score and the original set of parts, in the hands of Johann Ludwig Krebs and others, are in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: The final chorale is a setting of the hymn tune “Nun lob’ mein’ Seel’, den Herren,” attributed to Johann Fugelmann and found in Concentus Novi (Augsburg, 1540). Bach uses this chorale in a number of cantatas, and BWV 29 and BWV 167 also close with the same verse of the hymn. Performance Issues: This is a bravura work requiring a first-rate soprano soloist and an expert trumpeter. The trumpet appears in the first and last movements only. It is a high part, staying at the top of or above the staff throughout, with rapid passagework. The remaining instrumental parts are contrapuntally intricate and might be best served with solo players. Soloists: soprano - range: c'-c''', tessitura: g'-g'', this role requries significant florid coloratura singing with some very sustained passages (especially in movement 4). Orchestra: difficult. Selected Discography: Arleen Augér; Hannes Läubin, trumpet; Württembergisches Kammerorchester Heilbronn; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in the Gedächtniskirche, Stuttgart, in 1983. Hänssler Classic: 98.857. Emma Kirkby; Crispian Steele-Perkins, trumpet; English Baroque Soloists; conducted by John Elliot 31 W. Murray Young believes that Bach was his own libret-
tist for the work.
47
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Gardiner. Recorded in London in 1983. Philips: 411 458-2. Helen Field; John Wallace, trumpet; Philharmonia; Simon Wright. Nimbus: NI5123. Teresa Stich-Randall; Saar Chamber Orchestra; conducted by Karl Ristenpart. Acco: 20004-2. Marlanne Kweksilber; Leonhardt Consort; conducted by Gustav Leonhardt. Teldec: 2292-42422-2. Re-released as 4509-92627-2 and 4509-91757-2. Julianne Baird; Fred Holmgren, trumpet; Bach Ensemble; conducted by Joshua Rifkin. Recorded in 1986. L’Oiseau Lyre: 443 188-20M. Julianne Baird; Barry Baugess, trumpet; American Bach Soloists; conducted by Jeffrey Thomas. Recorded in 1990. Koch: 37138-2. Ingrid Kertesi; Failoni Chamber Orchestra; conducted by Mátyás Antal. Naxos: 8 550643. Teresa Stich-Randall; Vienna Stadtsoper Orchestra; conducted by Anton Heiller. Recorded in 1954. Vanguard: 08.2028.71. Nancy Argenta; Ensemble Sonnerie; conducted by Monica Huggett. Recorded in 1993. Virgin: VC5 45038-2. Maria Stader; Munich Bach Choir, Munich Bach Orchestra; conducted by Karl Richter. Recorded in 1959. Archiv: 439 387-2AX6. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 236, 359-363. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 444. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 111.
Cantata No. 52: Falsche Welt, dir trau ich nicht, BWV 52 (1726) Duration: ca. 15 minutes Occasion: Trinity XXIII Text: The text of movement 6 is by Adam Reusner (1533), the remaining texts are from unidentified sources. Performing Forces: voices: soprano soloist; SATB choir (for chorale only); orchestra: 3 oboes, 2 horns, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 24 November 1726, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Falsche Welt, dir trau ich nicht is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 26, page 133, edited by Andreas Glöckner. Performance materials are available from BärenreiterVerlag. It is also published in BG, volume 12/2, page 27, edited by Wilhelm Rust. Other available editions include those from Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts) and Breitkopf und Härtel.
Manuscript Sources: The autograph of the full score and the original set of parts, in the hands of “copyist C” and Christian Gottlob Meissner, are in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: The Sinfonia of this cantata is the first movement of the first Brandenburg Concerto, BWV 1046. The final chorale is a setting of the hymn tune “In dich hab’ ich gehoffet, Herr,” which is attributed to Sethus Calvisius and found in Himmlische Harfen (Augsburg, 1581). Performance Issues: The choir is used only for the final chorale, which is written in four-part hymn style. The horns appear only in the Sinfonia and final chorale. In the latter they are fairly high, but not technically involved; however, in the Sinfonia, they have a prominent and difficult part. The string parts are typical of Bach’s orchestral writing. Some passages of the Sinfonia may be best served by using solo string players. The three oboes and bassoon play a prominent role throuh this cantata, but are especially exposed in movement 5 where they accompany the soloist as a quartet. Each oboe part has its own particular technical challenges, and they are both equally difficult. Soloists: soprano - range: d'-a'', tessitura: g'-f'', this is a florid and lyrical role requiring a soloist capable of dramatic contrast and vocal flexibility. Choir: easy; Orchestra: difficult. Selected Discography: Arleen Augér; Gächinger Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in the Gedächtniskirche, Stuttgart, in 1982 and 1983. Hänssler Classic: 98.821. Seppi Kronwitter; Hanover Boys’ Choir, Leonhardt Consort; conducted by Gustav Leonhardt. Teldec: 2292-42422-2. Re-released as 4509-91757-2. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 236, 284-288, 365. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 514. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 97.
Cantata No. 53: Schlage doch, gewünschte Stunde, BWV 53 This cantata, which was attributed to J. S. Bach, is by G. Melchior Hoffmann. This work is published by Kalmus and Breitkopf und Härtel as a work of J. S. Bach.
Cantata No. 54: Widerstehe doch der Sünde, BWV 54 (1714) Duration: ca. 12 minutes Occasion: Oculi or Trinity VII
48
Text: The text of this cantata is by Georg Christian Lehms. Performing Forces: voice: alto soloist; orchestra: strings and basso continuo First Performance: 15 July 1714 or 4 March 1714,32 Weimar Editions: Widerstehe doch der Sünde is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 18, page 3, edited by Alfred Dürr. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 12/2, page 61, edited by Wilhelm Rust. Other available editions include those from Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts) and Breitkopf und Härtel.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Maureen Forrester; Zagreb Soloists; conducted by Antonio Janigro. Recorded in the 1960s. Vanguard: 08.5069.71. Barbara Schlick, Ruth Holton, Caroline Stam, Els Bongers, Elisabeth von Magnus, Andreas Scholl, Paul Agnew, Klaus Mertens; Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra and Choir; conducted by Ton Koopman. Recorded live in 1996. Erato: 0630-14336-2. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 367-369. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 368. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 140.
Manuscript Sources: The copy of the full score, in the hand of J. G. Walter, is in the Bibliothèque Royale Albert in Brussels.
Cantata No. 55: Ich armer Mensch, ich Sündenknecht, BWV 55 (1726)
Notes: The first movement of this cantata is parodied by Bach in movement 53 of his St. Mark Passion, BWV 247. This is an unusually brief solo cantata with only three movements.33
Duration: ca. 14 minutes
Performance Issues: There are two viola parts in this score. The score would work well with all solo strings. The string writing is all practical and technically accessible to intermediate-level players; however, some of the harmonic organization of the piece may present intonation difficulties for the players. Soloists: alto range: f-c'', tessitura: a-a', this is a dramatic solo requiring a strong presence in the bottom of the range, with the dark timbre implied by the texts on the wages of sin, this is a role, which would be well suited to a countertenor voice. Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Julia Hamari; Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in the Gedächtniskirche, Stuttgart, in 1975. Hänssler Classic: 98.805. Russell Oberlin; orchestra; conducted by Glenn Gould. Recorded in 1962. Sony: S6LV48400. Drew Minter; American Bach Soloists; conducted by Jeffrey Thomas. Recorded in 1990. Koch: 37138-2. John Bowman; King’s Consort; conducted by Robert King. Hyperion: CDA66326 and Meridian: CDE84138. Paul Esswood; Leonhardt Consort; conducted by Gustav Leonhardt. Teldec: 2292-42422-2. Re-released as 4509-92627-2 and 4509-91757-2. Alfred Deller; Leonhardt Baroque Ensemble; conducted by Gustav Leonhardt. Recorded in 1954. Vanguard: 08.5069.71.
32 Terry ascribed the work to the period between 1723 and 1734 when it was probably performed again.
Occasion: Trinity XXII Text: The text of movement 5 is by Johann von Rist (1642); the remaining texts are from unknown sources Performing Forces: voices: tenor soloist; SATB choir (chorale only); orchestra: flute, oboe d’amore, 2 violins, and basso continuo First Performance: 17 November 1726, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Ich armer Mensch, ich Sündenknecht is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 26, page 57, edited by Andreas Glöckner. Performance materials are available from BärenreiterVerlag. It is also published in BG, volume 12/2, page 75, edited by Wilhelm Rust. Other available editions include those from Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts) and Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: The autograph of the full score and the original set of parts, in the hands of “copyist C” and Christian Gottlob Meissner, are in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: This is Bach’s only solo cantata for tenor. The final chorale, which uses a four-part chorus, is a setting of the hymn tune “Werde munter, mein Gemüte,” by Johann Schop (1642). Performance Issues: The choir is used only for the final chorale, which is written in four-part hymn style. The instrumental parts are generally quite easy, with the exception of that for the transverse flute, which is quite difficult. The flute part is especially challenging in movement 3 where it has an exposed and florid solo throughout the movement. Soloists: tenor - range: d33 Werner Neumann believes that it is only the first half of a twopart work of which the remainder is lost.
49
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
b♭', tessitura: g-g', this is a difficult, lyrical, and dramatic solo requiring the ability to sing broad melodic leaps with ease. Choir: easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Adalbert Kraus; Gächinger Kantorei Stuttgart, BachCollegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in the Gedächtniskirche, Stuttgart, in 1982. Hänssler Classic: 98.819. Kurt Equiluz; Hanover Boys’ Choir, Leonhardt Consort; conducted by Gustav Leonhardt. Teldec: 2292-424222. Re-released as 4509-91757-2. Ernst Haefliger; Munich Bach Choir, Munich Bach Orchestra; conducted by Karl Richter. Recorded in 1959. Archiv: 439 394-2AX5. Peter Schreier; Leipzig St. Thomas Church Choir, Leipzig New Bach Collegium Musicum; conducted by Max Pommer. Capriccio: CC27 149. Jeffrey Thomas; American Bach Soloists; conducted by Jeffrey Thomas. Koch: 37138-2. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 370-373. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 507. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 119.
Cantata No. 56: Ich will den Kreuzstab gerne tragen, BWV 56 (1726) Duration: ca. 20 minutes Occasion: Trinity XIX Text: The text of movement 5 is by Johann Franck (1653); movement 2 is adapted from the New Testament (Hebrews 13:5); the remaining text is believed to be a revision of the writings of Erdmann Neumeister. Performing Forces: voices: bass soloist; SATB choir (chorale only); orchestra: 2 oboes, taille, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 27 October 1726, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Ich will den Kreuzstab gerne tragen is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 24, page 175, edited by Matthias Wendt. Performance materials are available from BärenreiterVerlag. It is also published in BG, volume 12/2, page 89, edited by Wilhelm Rust. Other available editions include those from Dover (Eleven Great Cantatas, 0486-23268-9, BG edition reprint, full score only with a literal English translation by Stanley Appelbaum), Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts), and Breitkopf und Härtel.
Manuscript Sources: The autograph of the full score and the original set of parts, in the hands of “copyist C” and Christian Gottlob Meissner, are in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: This cantata compares life to a voyage at sea for which Bach uses many elements of nautical imagery in his music. The final chorale is a setting of the hymn “Du, O schönes Weltgebäude,” by Johann Crüger (1649). Performance Issues: The choir is used only for the final chorale, which is written in four-part hymn style. There is a prominent and difficult oboe solo in movement 3, which has considerably intricate passagework and very long phrases. The remaining orchestra parts are quite easy, with significant doubling between parts. There is an independent cello solo, which is neither difficult, nor exposed, in movement 2 so another instrument should be available for the continuo line. Soloists: bass - range: G-e', tessitura: d-d', this is a very demanding solo, requiring sustained singing at both extremes of the range as well as very rapid and extended melismatic passages. Choir: easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau; Gächinger Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in the Gedächtniskirche, Stuttgart, in 1983. Hänssler Classic: 98.855 and Nova: 150 0292. Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau; Munich Bach Choir, Munich Bach Orchestra; conducted by Karl Richter. Recorded in 1969. Archiv: 439 394-2AX5 and 427 128-2AGA. Michael Schopper; Hanover Boys’ Choir, Leonhardt Consort; conducted by Gustav Leonhardt. Teldec: 2292-42422-2. Re-released as 4509-91757-2 and 4509-92627-2. Harry van der Kamp; Bremen Vocal Ensemble, Fiori Musicali; conducted by Thomas Albert. Dabringaus und Grimm: L3297. Max van Egmond; St. Bavo Cathedral Boys’ Choir, Michiel ten Houte de Lange, Harry van der Kamp, Lucia Meeuwsen, Baroque Instrumental Ensemble; conducted by Frans Brüggen. Recorded in 1977. RCA: GD7 1956. Peter Kooy; Ghent Collegium Vocale, Paris Chapelle Royale Choir and Orchestra; conducted by Philippe Herreweghe. Harmonia Mundi: HMC90 1365. Olaf Bär; Scottish Chamber Orchestra; conducted by Peter Schreier. EMI: CDC7 54453-2. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. Fugitive Notes on Certain Cantatas and Motets of J. S. Bach, 116-128. London: Oxford University Press, 1942. ———. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 109, 303, 373-378, 431; volume 2: 569.
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 477. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 116.
Peter Jelosits, Ruud van der Meer; Tolz Boys’ Choir,Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 2292-42423-2. Re-released as 450991757-2.
Cantata No. 57: Selig ist der Mann, Dialogus, BWV 57 (1725)
Selected Bibliography:
Duration: ca. 28 minutes Occasion: Second Day of Christmas Text: The text for movement 1 is from the New Testament (James 1:12); movement 8 is by Ahasverus Fritsch (1668); and the remaining texts are by Georg Christian Lehms. Performing Forces: voices: soprano and bass soloists; SATB choir (chorale only); orchestra: 2 oboes, taille, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 26 December 1725, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Selig ist der Mann is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 3. Performance materials are available from BärenreiterVerlag. It is also published in BG, volume 12/2, page 107, edited by Wilhelm Rust. Other available editions include those from Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts) and Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: The manuscript of the full score, and the original parts, in the hands of Johann Andreas Kuhnau, Christian Gottlob Meissner, and Wilhelm Friedemann Bach, are in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: For this “dialogue” cantata, Bach has uses the two soloists as characters: the bass soloist representing Jesus Christ, and the soprano soloist portraying “the Soul.” The final chorale is a setting of the anonymous hymn tune “Hast du denn, Jesu, dein Angesicht.” Performance Issues: The choir is used only for the final chorale, which is written in four-part hymn style. The instrumental parts are conservatively written and include significant doubling between parts. Soloists: soprano - range: c'-a♭'', tessitura: f'-e♭'', this is a lyric solo, set syllabically, with some broad melodic leaps and sustained singing on the bottom pitch of the indicated range; bass - range: G-e♭', tessitura: d-d', this is an exceptionally sustained solo role requiring a resonant singer capable of great breath control and some rapid melismatic singing as well. Choir: easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Arleen Augér, Walter Hedwein; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in the Gedächtniskirche, Stuttgart, in 1981 and 1982. Hänssler Classic: 98.825.
Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 2: 153-160. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 125. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 228.
Cantata No. 58: Ach Gott, wie manches Herzeleid II, BWV 58 (1726-1727) Duration: ca. 17 minutes Occasion: New Year I—Feast of the Circumcision Text: The text of movement 5 is by Martin Behm (1610); movement 2 is from the Old Testament (Isaiah 54:10); the remaining texts are by Martin Moller (1587), revised by an unknown author. Performing Forces: voices: soprano and bass soloists; orchestra: 2 oboes, taille, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 5 January 1727, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Ach Gott, wie manches Herzeleid II is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 4, page 219, edited by Werner Neumann. Performance materials are available from BärenreiterVerlag. It is also published in BG, volume 12/2, page 135, edited by Wilhelm Rust. Other available editions include that from Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: The manuscript of the full score is in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. The original set of parts, in the hands of J. S. Bach, Johann Heinrich Bach, and other, is in the Bach-Archiv in Leipzig. Notes: Bach composed another cantata with the same title, BWV 3. The first and last movements are chorale fantasias in which the soprano sings the hymn tune in counterplay with a bass aria. Movement 1 uses the anonymous hymn tune “Ach Gott, wie manches Herzelied,” and movement 5 uses the hymn tune “O Jesu Christ, mein’s Lebens Licht,” which is an anonymous setting of “Rex Christe factor omnum,” found in the Nürnbergisches Gesangbuch (1676). In this final
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
movement, Bach has adapted the chorale tune to correspond with music from a now-lost violin concerto.34 Performance Issues: The orchestral writing is generally conservative and includes significant doubling between parts. There is an exposed and fairly difficult violin solo in movement 3. Soloists: soprano - range: d'-a'', tessitura: a'-g'', this is a lyrical role requiring a clear voice and some very sustained singing, particularly in the final movement; bass - range: G-e, tessitura: d-d', this is a lyrical role with some extended melismatic passages. Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Ingeborg Reichelt, Wolfgang Schöne; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Hänssler Classic: 98.871. Peter Jelosits, Seppi Kronwitter, Ruud van der Meer; Tolz Boys’ Choir, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 229242423-2. Re-released as 4509-91757-2. Nancy Argenta, Klaus Mertens; Petite Bande; conducted by Sigiswald Kuijken. ACCE: ACC9395D. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 236, 300-304; volume 2: 272, 345. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 162. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 134.
Cantata No. 59: Wer mich liebet, der wird mein Wort halten, BWV 59 (1723 or 1724) Duration: ca. 14 minutes35 Occasion: Whit Sunday Text: The text of movement 1 is from the New Testament (John 14.23); movement 3 is by Martin Luther (1524); and the remaining texts are by Erdmann Neumeister. Performing Forces: voices: soprano and bass soloists; SATB choir (chorale only); orchestra: 2 trumpets, timpani, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 16 May 1723 or 28 May 1724, University Church of St. Paul’s, Leipzig36 Editions: Wer mich liebet, der wird mein Wort halten is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 13, page 67, edited by Dietrich Kilian. 34 W. Murray Young. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, page 135. 35 This timing is given by David Daniels and Dürr, but the Rilling recording is 10 minutes 40 seconds.
Performance materials are available from BärenreiterVerlag. It is also published in BG, volume 12/2, page 153, edited by Wilhelm Rust. Other available editions include those from Kalmus (urtext edition, score and parts), Breitkopf und Härtel, and Bärenreiter. Manuscript Sources: The manuscript of the full score, and a set of original parts, in the hand of Christian Gottlob Meissner, are in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: There may have been a final chorus for this cantata, which has been lost. This is the first of two settings of the text by Bach the other being BWV 74. Movements 1 and 4 have been used as movements 1 and 2 of BWV 74. Movement 3 has been parodied as movement 7 of BWV 175. Movement 3 uses the traditional German, fifteenth-century hymn tune “Komm heiliger Geist, Herre Gott,” which is derived from the Sarum plainsong “Veni creator spiritus.” Performance Issues: The chorus only sings the chorale in movement 3, which is written in four-part hymn style. The orchestra parts are idiomatic and fairly easy. The trumpets appear only in movement 1. The first trumpet part is typically high for the period, but with few extended passages. There is a very exposed violin solo in movement 4. Soloists: soprano - range: c'-g'', tessitura: g'-e'', this is a lyrical role, which is well within the grasp of a less-experienced singer; bass range: G-d', tessitura: d-c', this role includes some extended melismatic passagework, but is not very vocally challenging. Choir: easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Arleen Augér, Niklaus Tüller; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in the Gedächtniskirche, Stuttgart, in 1976 and 1977. Hänssler Classic: 98.886. Peter Jelosits, Ruud van der Meer; Tolz Boys’ Choir,Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 2292-42423-2. Re-released as 4509-91757-2. Ruth Ziesak, Elisabeth von Magnus, Paul Agnew, Klaus Mertens; Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra and Choir; conducted by Ton Koopman. Recorded live in 1997. Erato: 3984-21629-2. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 12, 103-106, 236, 586; volume 2: 47, 48. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 298. 36 Whittaker gives the first performance as 31 May 1716, Castle Chapel, Weimar. The later dates are from Herz, and confirmed by Dürr, who believed the work was composed in Cöthen, but not performed until he was in Leipzig.
52
Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 20.
Cantata No. 60: O Ewigkeit, du Donnerwort II, BWV 60 (1723) Duration: ca. 16 minutes Occasion: Trinity XXIV Text: The text of movement 1 is by Johann von Rist (1642); movement 4 is from the New Testament (Revelation 14:13); movement 5 is by Franz Joachim Burmeister (1662); and the remaining texts are from unidentified sources. Performing Forces: voices: alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir (chorale only); orchestra: 2 oboes d’amore, horn, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 7 November 1723, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: O Ewigkeit, du Donnerwort II is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 27, page 3, edited by Alfred Dürr. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 12/2, page 171, edited by Wilhelm Rust. Other available editions include those from Dover (Seven Great Sacred Cantatas, 0486-24950-6, BG edition reprint, full score only with a literal English translation by Stanley Appelbaum) and Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: The manuscript full score is lost. An original set of parts, in the hand of Johann Andreas Kuhnau, is in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: This is a dialogue cantata in which the alto soloist portrays Fear and the tenor, Hope. The bass part appears in movement 4 as “the voice of the Holy Ghost.” The opening movement is a chorale fantasia on Johann Schop’s hymn tune “O Ewigkeit, du Donnerwort,” with the alto singing the hymn tune as a cantus firmus while the tenor sings an original aria as counterpoint. The closing chorale is a four-part setting of the hymn tune “Es ist genug,” from Drittes Zehn neuer geistlicher Arien (Mühlhausen, 1672). Performance Issues: The chorus only sings the final chorale, which is written in four-part hymn style.37 The orchestra writing is quite conservative. The oboe d’amore parts are the most difficult parts. There are exposed solos for violin and oboe d’amore in movement 3. The horn part is very easy. Soloists: alto range: b-e'', tessitura: e'-d'', this is a dramatic and declamatory role; tenor - range: d-a', tessitura: f-f', this is a lyrical role requiring a strong voice; bass - range: Ge', tessitura: B-c', this is a sustained and very legato
37 Some conductors, including Rilling in the recording above, assign the alto role of movement 1 to the women of the choir.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
role with considerable chromaticisms. Choir: easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Helen Watts, Adalbert Kraus, Philippe Huttenlocher; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in the Gedächtniskirche, Stuttgart, in 1977 and 1978. Hänssler Classic: 98.821. Paul Esswood, Kurt Equiluz, Ruud van der Meer; Tolz Boys’ Choir, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 2292-42423-2. Rereleased as 4509-91757-2. Hertha Töpper, Ernst Haefliger, Kieth Engen; Munich Bach Choir, Munich Bach Orchestra; conducted by Karl Richter. Recorded in 1964. Archiv: 439 3942AX5. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 407-411, 480; volume 2: 272. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 516. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 131.
Cantata No. 61: Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland I, BWV 61 (1714) Duration: ca. 18 minutes38 Occasion: Advent I Text: The text of movement 1 is by Martin Luther (1524); movement 4 is from the New Testament (Revelation 3:20); movement 6 is by Philipp Nicolai (1599); the remaining texts are by Erdmann Neumeister. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: strings and basso continuo First Performance: 2 December 1714, Weimar Editions: Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland I is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 1, page 3, edited by Alfred Dürr and Werner Neumann. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 16, page 3, edited by Wilhelm Rust. Other available editions include those from Dover (Eleven Great Cantatas, 0-486-23268-9, BG edition reprint, full score only with a literal English translation by Stanley Appelbaum), Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts), Breitkopf und Härtel, and Bärenreiter.
38 David Daniels lists 14 minutes, Dürr lists 18 minutes, and the Rilling recording is 19 minutes.
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Manuscript Sources: The composer’s manuscript of the full score is in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: This is the first of two settings of this text, the second being BWV 62. Movement 1 utilizes Johann Walter’s hymn tune “Nun Komm der Heiden Heiland,” from the Geistliche Gesangbüchlein (Wittenberg, 1524), in a cantus firmus fashion. The final chorale is a setting of the second half of one stanza of Philipp Nicolai’s hymn (1599) “Wie schöne leuchtet der Morgenstern.” Performance Issues: The opening chorus is in an ABA' form with soli statements of the hymn tune by each section of the choir, and then as a homophonic fourpart chorale block against an orchestral accompaniment in the French overture style. The B section is in a faster tempo and triple meter utilizing pervasive imitation. In this middle section, the voice parts are doubled directly by the orchestra. The final chorale is arranged contrapuntally with extended melismatic passages, all of which are doubled by the orchestra. The orchestral writing is conservative. The most difficult parts are those for violin, which are all written tutti in one or two parts. Soloists: soprano - range: d'-g'', tessitura: f'-e'', this is a brief, syllabically-set aria accompanied by continuo alone; tenor - range: c-f', tessitura: e-e', this role is lyrical, and technically undemanding; it repeatedly visits the lowest pitch of the indicated range and may be better suited to a light baritone voice; bass - range: A-c', tessitura: B-b, this is a brief solo (9 measure), with the unusual accompaniment of pizzicato strings, which is accessible to most choristers. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Helen Donath, Adalbert Kraus, Wolfgang Schöne; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in the Gedächtniskirche, Stuttgart, in 1974. Hänssler Classic: 98.867. Seppi Kronwitter, Kurt Equiluz, Ruud van der Meer; Tolz Boys’ Choir, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 229242565-2. Re-released as 4509-91758-2. Nancy Argenta, Anthony Rolfe Johnson, Olaf Bär; Monteverdi Choir, English Baroque Soloists; conducted by John Eliot Gardiner. Archiv: 437 327-2AH. Edith Mathis, Peter Schreier, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau; Munich Bach Choir, Munich Bach Orchestra; conducted by Karl Richter. Recorded in 1970. Archiv: 439 369-2AX4. Frederike Sailer, Claudia Hellmann, Helmut Krebs, Jakob Stämpfli; Heilbronn Heinrich Schütz Choir, Pforzheim Chamber Orchestra; conducted by Fritz Werner. Recorded in 1961. Erato: 4509-97407-2. Barbara Schlick, Kai Wessel, Christoph Prégardien, Klaus Mertens; Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra and
Choir; conducted by Ton Koopman. Recorded live in 1995. Erato: 0630-12598-2. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. Fugitive Notes on Certain Cantatas and Motets of J. S. Bach, 102-115. London: Oxford University Press, 1942. ———. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 11, 131, 146-150, 197, 226, 311; volume 2: 285, 306, 372, 475. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 95. Rudy, Helen E. A Study of the Chorale Tune, “Nun komm der Heiden Heiland,” and Its Treatment by Selected Composers of the Baroque Period. Florida State University: Ph.D. dissertation, 1973. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 11. Meredith, Sarah. “Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern in the Chorale Cantatas of J. S. Bach.” Choral Journal 38/5 (December 1997): 9-14.
Cantata No. 62: Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland II, BWV 62 (1724) Duration: ca. 21 minutes Occasion: Advent I Text: The chorale texts of movements 1 and 6 are by Martin Luther (1524), the remaining texts are paraphrases of Luther’s text, which have been attributed to the composer. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes, horn, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 3 December 1724, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland II is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 1, page 77, edited by Alfred Dürr and Werner Neumann. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 16, page 21, edited by Wilhelm Rust. Other available editions include those from Kalmus (NBA and BG editions, score and parts), Breitkopf und Härtel, and Bärenreiter. Manuscript Sources: The composer’s manuscript score, with a title page by Johann Andreas Kuhnau, is in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. The original set of parts, in the hands of Christian Gottlob Meissner, Johann Andreas Kuhnau, and others, is in the Bach-Archiv in Leipzig. Notes: This is the second of two settings of this text, the first being BWV 61. Movement 1 is based upon Johann Walter’s hymn tune “Nun Komm der Heiden Heiland,” from the Geistliche Gesangbüchlein
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
(Wittenberg, 1524). The final chorale is a four-part hymn setting of the last stanza of the same hymn.
Text: The text of this cantata is by Johann Michaelis Heineccius.
Performance Issues: In movement 1, the hymn tune is used as a cantus firmus in the soprano part with the other three voices alternating between imitative and homophonic passages with each other. The cantus firmus is doubled by the horn, but the remaining three choral parts, including the basses, are generally independent of the accompaniment. The orchestra in movement 1 is reminiscent of Bach’s concerti with a great deal of independent contrapuntal activity between the parts. The two oboe parts are particularly involved, as is the first violin part, all of which will require strong players. Soloists: soprano - range: e'g#'', tessitura: a'-e'', this is a brief, syllabic solo written as a homophonic duet with the alto, it is appropriate for a chorister; alto - range: b-d'', tessitura: c'-b'', this is a brief, syllabic solo written as a homophonic duet with the soprano, it is appropriate for a chorister; tenor - range: c-a', tessitura: g-f', this is a lyric role with extended melismatic passages; bass range: A-e', tessitura: d-d', this is a dramatic role with rapid and very demanding coloratura passages throughout the range. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult.
Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 3 oboes, 4 trumpets, timpani, strings, and basso continuo.
Selected Discography: Inga Nielsen, Helen Watts, Aldo Baldin, Philippe Huttenlocher; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in the Gedächtniskirche, Stuttgart, in 1980. Hänssler Classic: 98.822. Peter Jelosits, Paul Esswood, Kurt Equiluz, Ruud van der Meer; Tolz Boys’ Choir, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 229242565-2. Re-released as 4509-91758-2. Nancy Argenta, Anthony Rolfe Johnson, Olaf Bär; Monteverdi Choir, English Baroque Soloists; conducted by John Eliot Gardiner. Archiv: 437 327-2AH. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 2: 300, 372-377, 378. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 97. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 224.
Cantata No. 63: Christen, ätzet diesen Tag, BWV 63 (1713-1715) Duration: ca. 28 minutes Occasion: Christmas
39 This is a supposition supported by Gerhard Herz and Alfred Dürr. Spitta and W. Murray Young believe that it was composed for Bach’s first Christmas in Leipzig.
An obbligato organ part was added after 1729. First Performance: The date of the first performance is uncertain; however, it may have been on 10 December 1713 at Liebfrauenkirche in Halle.39 Later performances at St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche in Leipzig include those given on 25 December 1723 and 25 December 1729. Editions: Christen, ätzet diesen Tag is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 2, page 3, edited by Alfred Dürr. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 16, page 53, edited by Wilhelm Rust. Other available editions include those from Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts), Breitkopf und Härtel, and Bärenreiter. Manuscript Sources: The original manuscript score of this work is lost. Nine original parts, in the composer’s hand, are in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: It is believed that either this work or BWV 21 was written as an audition work for Zachow’s post in Halle. This cantata contains no chorale tunes. Performance Issues: The orchestration of the first and last movements is much like Bach’s Brandenburg Concerti. While the presence of the four trumpets might initially suggest the use of a large choir in these movements, it should be noted that the choir and trumpets generally alternate passages. They do not sound together at all in movement 1 and are overlapped sparingly in movement 7, usually then with only the trumpet I playing. In movement 1, the choir is generally homophonic, treated much like a section of the orchestra. The choir is directly doubled by the strings in nearly all of movement 1, but there are extended passages for a cappella choir, or choir with continuo only in movement 7. This final movement is also the more contrapuntally complex of the choruses. The instrumental parts are quite challenging and require expert players, especially in the outer movements. The oboes have very rapid passagework, and the trumpets, especially trumpet I, have some typically high passages. There is an exposed and intricate oboe solo in movement 3. Soloists: soprano - range: d'-b♭'', tessitura: g'g'', this is a lyrical role with numerous melismas; alto - range: b-e'', tessitura: d'-c'', this is a lyrical role with extended scalar passagework and broad leaps; tenor -
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
range: B-a', tessitura: e-d', this is a very demanding role due to the broad range, the singer must execute extended melismatic passages in the lowest part of the range and leap to the highest pitches, if it were not for the few highest pitches, this part would be best suited for a baritone; bass - range: A-e', tessitura: d-c', this is a declamatory solo with significant melismatic passages. Choir: difficult; Orchestra: difficult. Selected Discography: Arleen Augér, Julia Hamari, Hildegard Laurich, Adalbert Kraus, Walter Heldwein, Wolfgang Schöne; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in the Gedächtniskirche, Stuttgart, in 1971 and 1981. Hänssler Classic: 98.823. Peter Jelosits, Paul Esswood, Kurt Equiluz, Ruud van der Meer; Tolz Boys’ Choir, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 229242565-2. Re-released as 4509-91758-2. Edith Mathis, Anna Reynolds, Peter Schreier, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau; Munich Bach Choir, Munich Bach Orchestra; conducted by Karl Richter. Recorded between 1970 and 1972. Archiv: 439 369-2AX4. Barbara Schlick, Ruth Holton, Caroline Stam, Els Bongers, Elisabeth von Magnus, Andreas Scholl, Paul Agnew, Klaus Mertens; Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra and Choir; conducted by Ton Koopman. Recorded live in 1996. Erato: 0630-14336-2. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 434, 705-712. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 107. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 42.
Cantata No. 64: Sehet, welch eine Liebe hat uns der Vater erzeiget, BWV 64 (1723) Duration: ca. 21 minutes Occasion: Third Day of Christmas Text: The text of movement 1 is from the New Testament (I John 3:1); movement 2 is an adaptation of the sequence “Grates nunc omnes reddamus,” by Martin Luther (1524); movement 4 is by Georg Michael Pfefferkorn (1667); movement 8 is by Johann Franck (1650); the remaining texts are believed to be by Christian Weiss Sr.40 Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: oboe d’amore, cornetto, 3 trombones, strings, and basso continuo 40 W. Murray Young, The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, page 45. Gerhard Herz suspects that Bach may have been the source of the remaining texts.
First Performance: 27 December 1723, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Sehet, welch eine Liebe hat uns der Vater erzeiget is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 3, not yet published. Performance materials are available from BärenreiterVerlag. It is also published in BG, volume 16, page 113, edited by Wilhelm Rust. Other available editions include those from Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts) and Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: An original set of parts, in the hands of Christian Gottlob Meissner and Johann Andreas Kuhnau, is in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: This cantata includes chorale settings of three hymns: “Gelobet seist du, Jesus Christ,” adapted from plainsong in 1524 by Johann Walter and Martin Luther, is set in movement 2; “O Gott, du frommer Gott,” an anonymous tune published with the text “Die Wollust dieser Welt (1679), is set in movement 4; and “Jesu, meine Freude,” by Johann Crüger (1653), is set in movement 8. The BG edition of this cantata includes variants of the first two chorales. Performance Issues: The choral writing in movement 1 juxtaposes fugal sections with extended four-part writing that is contrapuntally diverse, but not always imitative. This chorus is directly doubled by the orchestra throughout this movement. The three chorales are likewise doubled by the orchestra and follow traditional four-part hymn style. The orchestral writing is fairly conservative with doubling between the parts and with the chorus. There is an exposed solo for oboe d’amore in movement 7, which is very sustained, but not technically complicated. The string writing is accessible to intermediate-level players and includes significant doubling between parts, even in exposed string passages. Soloists: soprano - range: d'-g#'', tessitura: f'-f'', this is a lyrical solo with some long sustained passages; alto - range: b-e'', tessitura: - e'-c'', this is a sustained role with some awkward melodic leaps, well-suited to a mezzo-soprano voice; bass - range: Be', tessitura: e-c#', this is a declamatory solo appropriate for a chorister. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Arleen Augér, Ann Murray, Philippe Huttenlocher; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in Heidelberg and Stuttgart, in 1978 and 1981. Hänssler Classic: 98.825.
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Peter Jelosits, Paul Esswood, Kurt Equiluz, Ruud van der Meer; Tolz Boys’ Choir, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 229242565-2. Re-released as 4509-91758-2. Edith Mathis, Anna Reynolds, Peter Schreier, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau; Munich Bach Choir, Munich Bach Orchestra; conducted by Karl Richter. Recorded between 1970 and 1972. Archiv: 439 369-2AX4. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 236, 434, 566, 574-579; volume 2: 391. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 131. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 44.
Cantata No. 65: Sie Werden aus Saba alle kommen, BWV 65 (1723-1724) Duration: ca. 19 minutes41 Occasion: Epiphany Text: The text of movement 1 is from the Old Testament (Isaiah 60:6); movement 2 is a German translation of the traditional Christmas text Puer Natus (1545); movement 7 is by Paul Gerhardt (1647); the remaining texts are believed to be by Christian Weiss Jr.42 Performing Forces: voices: tenor and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 recorders, 2 oboes da caccia, 2 horns, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 6 January 1724, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Sie Werden aus Saba alle kommen is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 5, page 3, edited by Marianne Helms. Performance materials are available from BärenreiterVerlag. It is also published in BG, volume 16, page 135, edited by Wilhelm Rust. Other available editions include those from Dover (Seven Great Sacred Cantatas, 0-486-24950-6, BG edition reprint, full score only with a literal English translation by Stanley Appelbaum), Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts), and Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: The manuscript of the full score is in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: Movement 2 is a setting of the hymn tune “Ein Kind geborn zu Bethlehem,” also known with the Latin text “Puer natus in Bethlehem,” an anonymous German melody (1553), and movement 7 is a setting 41 This duration is give by David Daniels. Alfred Dürr lists 18 minutes, but the Rilling recording last 16 minutes. 42 W. Murray Young, The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, page 48. Alfred Dürr lists the librettist as unknown. Gerhard
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
of “Ich hab’ in Gottes Herz und Sinn,” an anonymous French secular tune (c. 1529). Performance Issues: The choral writing in movement 1 combines passages of very close pervasive imitation with highly complex fugal writing. Much of the choir’s parts are not directly supported by the orchestra. The orchestral writing is quite complex in movement 1 as Bach creates a very dense contrapuntal texture. Although bassoon is not specified in the continuo part, it would be very effective, especially in movement 3, which features a duet for oboes d’amore. The orchestra writing is complex, but the individual parts are not technically complex. The horn parts are extremely high for modern instruments and may pose some balance problems, especially in movement 6. There are numerous passages where the recorders are in unison above the staff, which may create some intonation difficulties. Soloists: tenor - range: d-a', tessitura: g-f', this is a lilting and lyrical solo, which requires a strong voice to balance against the full ensemble; bass - range: G-e', tessitura: d-d', this role is declamatory and requires a singer capable of rapid melismatic runs. Choir: difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Adalbert Kraus, Wolfgang Schöne; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in the Gedächtniskirche, Stuttgart, in 1978. Hänssler Classic: 98.872. Kurt Equiluz, Ruud van der Meer; Tolz Boys’ Choir, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 2292-42571-2. Re-released as 4509-91758-2. Ernst Haefliger, Theo Adam; Munich Bach Choir, Munich Bach Orchestra; conducted by Karl Richter. Recorded in 1965. Archiv: 439 369-2AX4. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 401, 434, 579-586; volume 2: 104, 428, 626. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 167. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 48.
Cantata No. 66: Erfreut euch, ihr Herzen, BWV 66 (1724) Duration: ca. 31 minutes Occasion: Easter Monday
Herz suspects that Bach may have been the source of the remaining texts.
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Text: The text of movement 6 is a traditional Easter hymn (ca. 1200); the remaining texts are thought to be by the composer.43 Performing Forces: voices: alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes, bassoon, trumpet, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 10 April 1724, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Erfreut euch, ihr Herzen is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 10, page 3, edited by Alfred Dürr. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 16, page 169, edited by Wilhelm Rust. Other available editions include that from Breitkopf und Härtel. BWV 66a is addressed in the critical commentary of the NBA, series 1, volume 35. Manuscript Sources: The manuscript of the full score is in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: This work was adapted from BWV 66a, Der Himmel dacht auf Anhaltz Ruhm und Glück, a serenata with text by Christian Friedrich Hunold, which was composed for the birthday of Prince Leopold of Anhalt-Cöthen, 10 December 1718. The music of the original serenata has been lost (see NBA, volume 35, critical commentary). Movements 4 and 5 are written as dialogues between the personifications of Fear (alto) and Hope (tenor). The final chorale is a setting of the anonymous twelth-century Latin hymn tune, “Christ ist erstanden.” Performance Issues: The choral writing of movement 1 is highly ornamented and well-supported by the orchestra. This support is often more ornamented than the vocal lines and may not be immediately apparent to less-experienced singers. This “da capo” chorus has an extended duet between the alto and bass sections in the “B” section of the work, which is less complex than the “A” material, but which is also more independent of the accompaniment. Some conductors choose to use soloists for this section. The orchestral parts are very idiomatic, but all contain some intricate passsagework. This includes some very rapid and high unison playing for the violins. There is an extended and exposed violin solo in movement 5. Soloists: alto - range: a-e'', tessitura: f'-d'', this is a lyrical and substantial solo best suited to a mezzo-soprano voice; tenor - range: d-a', tessitura: f-f', this is a lyrical solo, which requires frequent visits to the lowest indicated range; bass - range: A-e', tessitura: d-d', this is a lyrical role requiring a soloist able to sound clearly against the entire instrumental ensemble (except the trumpet). Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: difficult.
43 This is an assertion of Charles Sanford Terry, which has not been strongly disputed.
Selected Discography: Gabriele Schreckenbach, Adalbert Kraus, Philippe Huttenlocher; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in the Gedächtniskirche, Stuttgart, in 1981. Hänssler Classic: 98.880. Paul Esswood, Kurt Equiluz, Ruud van der Meer; Hanover Boys’ Choir, Ghent Collegium Vocale, Leonhardt Consort; conducted by Gustav Leonhardt. Teldec: 2292-42571-2. Re-released as 4509-91758-2. Barbara Schlick, Kai Wessel, James Taylor, Peter Kooy; Collegium Vocale; conducted by Philippe Herreweghe. Recorded in 1994. Harmonia Mundi: HMC90 1513. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 236, 434, 533-543. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, BWV 66: 239, BWV 66a: 646. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 101.
Cantata No. 67: Halt im Gedächtnis Jesum Christ, BWV 67 (1724) Duration: ca. 16 minutes Occasion: Easter I Text: The text of movement 1 is from the New Testament (I Timothy 2.8); movement 6 is from the New Testament (John 20:19); movement 4 is by Nikolaus Herman (1560); movement 7 is by Jakob Ebert (1601); the remaining texts are believed to be by Christian Weiss Sr. Performing Forces: voices: alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: flute, 2 oboes d’amore, horn, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 16 April 1724, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Halt im Gedächtnis Jesum Christ is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 11/1, page 3, edited by Reinmar Emans. Performance materials are available from BärenreiterVerlag. It is also published in BG, volume 16, page 217, edited by Wilhelm Rust. Other available editions include those from Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts), Breitkopf und Härtel, and H. W. Gray. Manuscript Sources: The composer’s original full score and an original set of parts, in the hands of Christian Gottlob Meissner and Johann Andreas Kuhnau, are in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin.
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Notes: Movement 6 of this cantata is parodied in movement 1 of Bach’s Mass in A, BWV 234. This cantata represents Christ’s reappearance to his disciples following the resurrection. In it, the tenor soloist represents doubting Thomas, and the bass, Jesus. Movement 4 is a four-part chorale setting of the hymn tune “Ershienen ist der herrlich Tag,” by Nikolaus Herman (1560); and movement 7 is a setting of “Du Friedefürst, Herr Jesu Christ,” attributed to Bartholomäus Gesius (1601). Performance Issues: The choral writing in movement 1 alternates homophonic and contrapuntal passages. The vocal lines are harmonically supported by the orchestra with the exception of an extended fugal section, which is accompanied by continuo alone. The sparse accompaniment of this section coupled with its contrapuntal complexity makes this an ideal passage for solo quartet or semi-choir. Movement 6 is quite remarkable in its construction exchanging sustained solo lines from the bass soloist with ornate polyphonic choral responses. These alternations also include changes of tempo. The score does not specify soloists versus chorus, although most writers assume the bass part to be for soloist and the remaining trio to be full chorus. This certainly serves the dramatic intent best, but a solo quartet could be employed should the choral part be beyond the capacity of the choir at hand. The instrumental parts are idiomatic and within the grasp of intermediate-level players with the exception of the first violin part, which is riddled with very rapid scalar passages. The corno da tirarsi part is typically high, but less exposed than in many of the trumpet parts in Bach’s cantatas. Soloists: alto - range: b-d#'', tessitura: c#'-c#'', this is a declamatory role appropriate for a chorister; tenor - range: e-a', tessitura: g-f', this is a lyrical and ornamented solo; bass - range: A-d', tessitura: e-c#', this is a very sustained role. Choir: difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Arleen Augér, Tsuyako Mitsui, Ann Murray, Adalbert Kraus, Walter Heldwein; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in 1978. Hänssler Classic: 98.882. Paul Esswood, Kurt Equiluz, Ruud van der Meer; Hanover Boys’ Choir, Ghent Collegium Vocale, Leonhardt Consort; conducted by Gustav Leonhardt. Teldec: 2292-42571-2. Re-released as 4509-91758-2 and 4509-92627-2. Ingeborg Reichelt, Hertha Töpper, Helmut Krebs, Franz Kelch; Heilbronn Heinrich Schütz Choir, Pforzheim Chamber Orchestra; conducted by Fritz Werner. Recorded in 1961. Erato: 4509-98525-2.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Lilian Benningsen, Peter Pears, Kieth Engen; Munich Bach Choir, Munich State Opera Orchestra; conducted by Karl Richter. Recorded in 1958. Teldec: 9031-77614-2. Anna Reynolds, Peter Schreier, Dietrich FischerDieskau; Munich Bach Choir, Munich Bach Orchestra; conducted by Karl Richter. Recorded between 1973 and 1974. Archiv: 439 374-2AX5. Elly Ameling, Helen Watts, Werner Krenn, Tom Krause; Lausanne Pro Arte Chorus, Suisse Romande Orchestra; conducted by Ernest Ansermet. Decca: 433 1752DM. Selected Bibliography: Tovey, Donald F. “Church Cantatas Nos. 67, 170, and 50.” In Essays in Musical Analysis, volume 5, Vocal Music, 60-73. London: Oxford University Press, 1944. Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 107, 234, 434, 613-619. Dürr, Alfred: Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 251. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 64.
Cantata No. 68: Also hat Gott die Welt geliebt, BWV 68 (1725)44 Duration: ca. 18 minutes Occasion: Whit Monday Text: The text of movement 1 is by Salomo Liscow (1675); movement 5 is from the New Testament (John 3:18); the remaining texts are by Mariane von Ziegler. Performing Forces: voices: soprano and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes, taille, horn, cornetto, 3 trombones, solo violoncello piccolo, strings, and basso continuo45 First Performance: 21 May 1725, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Also hat Gott die Welt geliebt is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 14, page 33, edited by Alfred Dürr and Arthur Mendel. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 16, page 249, edited by Wilhelm Rust. Other available editions include those from Kalmus (NBA and BG editions, score and parts), Breitkopf und Härtel, and Bärenreiter. Manuscript Sources: The location of the manuscript of the full score is unknown. An original set of parts, in the hands of Christian Gottlob Meissner, Johann
44 This date is from Gerhard Herz. W. Murray Young lists the year
45 Some sources list three trumpets in the orchestra for this cantata,
of composition as 1735 in The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, page 156.
but there are no editions to support this.
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Andreas Kuhnau, and the composer, are in the BachArchiv in Leipzig. Notes: Movements 4 and 2 are parodies of movements 7 and 13 from Bach’s earlier secular cantata, BWV 208. Movement 2 is frequently excerpted as a concert aria; when sung in English it is found under the title “My Heart Ever Faithful.” Performance Issues: Movement 1 is a Sicilienne with choral writing in close imitation or four-part block homophony. The vocal parts are well supported by the orchestra and are vocally accessible to amateur singers. The final chorus is a four-part fugue, which is fairly complex, but all the vocal parts are completely doubled by the orchestra. There is a very ornate and difficult solo for violoncello piccolo in movement 2. This is independent of the continuo part. It is playable on modern cello, but will require an expert player. Bach added an instrumental coda to this aria, which includes solos for violin and oboe. Movement 4 is scored for 2 oboes, taille, and continuo. It is advisable to consider using bassoon in the continuo of this movement. The cornetto and trombone appear only in movement 5 where they double the choral parts throughout. Soloists: soprano - range: f'-a'', tessitura: c''- a'', this is a lyrical and ornate solo with a consistently high tessitura; bass - range: A-d', tessitura: d-c', this is a declamatory solo with some rapid scalar passages. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Arleen Augér, Philippe Huttenlocher; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in the Gedächtniskirche, Stuttgart, in 1980 and 1981. Hänssler Classic: 98.890. Peter Jelosits, Ruud van der Meer; Tolz Boys’ Choir, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 2292-42571-2. Re-released as 4509-91758-2. Edith Mathis, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau; Munich Bach Choir, Munich Bach Orchestra; conducted by Karl Richter. Recorded between 1974 and 1975. Archiv: 439 380-2AX6. Arleen Augér, Ortrun Wenkel, Peter Schreier, Theo Adam; Leipzig St. Thomas Church Choir, Leipzig New Bach Collegium Musicum; conducted by Hans Joachim Rotzsch. Berlin: BC2150-2. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. Fugitive Notes on Certain Cantatas and Motets of J. S. Bach, 42-50. London: Oxford University Press, 1942. ———. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 131, 236, 313, 321; volume 2: 38, 47, 51-57, 306, 510, 514. 46 This timing is given by David Daniels, and Alfred Dürr lists 27 minutes, but the Rilling recording is 20 minutes 50 seconds.
Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 307. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 156.
Cantata No. 69: Lobe den Herrn, meine Seele, BWV 69 (1742-1748) Duration: ca. 26 minutes46 Occasion: Inauguration of the Town Council (Leipzig) Text: The text of movement 1 is Psalm 103 (v. 2); movement 6 is by Martin Luther (1524); the remaining texts are adapted from Johann Oswald Knauer.47 Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 3 oboes, oboe d’amore, 3 trumpets, timpani, strings, and basso continuo (including bassoon) First Performance: 1742-1748, Leipzig Editions: Lobe den Herrn, meine Seele, BWV 69, is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 32/2, page 113, edited by Christine Fröde. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 16, page 283, edited by Wilhelm Rust. Other available editions include that from Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: A set of original parts is in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: This composition is a reworking of Bach’s earlier BWV 69a, described below. Another setting of this Psalm text of spurious authorship is BWV 143. The final chorus is on the anonymous hymn tune (1525) “Es wollt uns Gott genädig sein,” which he also used to conclude BWV 76. Performance Issues: The choral writing in movement 1 is quite complex. The movement is a double fugue with the vocal parts either supported by the continuo alone, or with an accompaniment of countermelodies. It is a spectacular movement, but one that demands a choir that is musically independent. The orchestral parts are fairly rigorous throughout the cantata, especially in this opening movement, which is a contrapuntal and an orchestration tour de force. There are exposed and intricate solos for oboe and violin in movement 3. There is a brilliant descant to the final chorale for the trumpets, which requires sustained playing of c'''. This chorale is also more ornate than most of Bach’s hymn settings. The oboe d’amore appears only in movement 5, and is to be played by one of the 3 oboists. Soloists: soprano - range: d#'-a'', tessitura: a'-e'', this is a brief declamatory solo appropriate for a chorister; alto - range: b-e'', tessitura: e'-c', this 47 W. Murray Young believes the librettist may have been Christian Weiss Sr.
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is a lyrical solo with some rapid melismas and tricky chromaticisms; tenor - range: d-a', tessitura: g-g', this is a declamatory solo with some broad melodic leaps; bass - range: A-e', tessitura: d-d', this is a lyrical and sustained solo with numerous abbreviated ornaments. Choir: difficult; Orchestra: difficult. Selected Discography: Helen Donath, Julia Hamari, Adalbert Kraus, Wolfgang Schöne; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in the Gedächtniskirche, Stuttgart, in 1973 and 1982. Hänssler Classic: 98.829. Wilhelm Wiedl, Paul Esswood, Kurt Equiluz; Tolz Boys’ Choir, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 2292-42572-2. Rereleased as 4509-91758-2. Ruth Ziesak, Elisabeth von Magnus, Paul Agnew, Klaus Mertens; Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra and Choir; conducted by Ton Koopman. Recorded live in 1997. Erato: 3984-21629-2. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 236, 434, 451, 600-607. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 598. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 59.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Notes: Bach later adapted this work into BWV 69, described above. Another setting of this Psalm text of spurious authorship is BWV 143. Movement 6 is a setting of the hymn tune “Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan,” attributed to Johann Pachelbel (1690). Performance Issues: Movements 1 and 5 are identical to those in BWV 69 (see above). There are exposed solos for recorder and oboe da caccia in movement 3. The oboe da caccia can be played by one of the three oboists. The movements that have been substituted for those of BWV 69 are less difficult, especially the final chorale; however, the complexity of the first movement remains. The BG score does not list oboe d’amore, but it is used for movement 5 in BWV 69, which it indicates to duplicate. Soloists: soprano range: e'-a'', tessitura: a'-f#'', this is a brief declamatory solo appropriate for a chorister; alto - range: a-d'', tessitura: d'-b'', this is a declamatory and brief solo appropriate for a chorister; tenor - range: e-a', tessitura: g-g', this is a lyrical and sustained solo; bass - range: A-e', tessitura: d-d', this is a lyrical and sustained solo with numerous abbreviated ornaments. Choir: difficult; Orchestra: difficult. Discography:
Duration: ca. 26 minutes
Wilhelm Wiedl, Paul Esswood, Kurt Equiluz, Ruud van der Meer; Tolz Boys’ Choir, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 2292-42572-2. Re-released as 4509-91758-2. Ruth Ziesak, Elisabeth von Magnus, Paul Agnew, Klaus Mertens; Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra and Choir; conducted by Ton Koopman. Recorded live in 1997. Erato: 3984-21629-2.
Occasion: Trinity XII
Selected Bibliography:
Text: The text of movement 1 is from Psalm 103, movement 6 is by Samuel Rodigast (1676), and the remaining texts are by Johann Oswald Knauer.
Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 415.
Cantata No. 69a: Lobe den Herrn, meine Seele, BWV 69a (1723)
Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: recorder, 3 oboes, oboe da caccia, 3 trumpets, timpani, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 15 August 1723, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Lobe den Herrn, meine Seele, BWV 69a, is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 20, page 119, edited by Klaus Hofmann. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 16, page 379, edited by Wilhelm Rust. Other available editions include that from Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: An original set of parts, in the hands of Christian Gottlob Meissner and Johann Andreas Kuhnau, and additional parts made in 1727 by Johann Heinrich Bach, are in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin.
Cantata No. 70: Wachet! betet! betet! wachet!, BWV 70 (1716 and 1723) Duration: ca. 28 minutes Occasion: Trinity XXVI Text: The text of movement 11 is by Christian Keymann (1658); movements 2, 4, 6, 7, and 9 are by unknown authors; and the remaining texts are by Salomo Franck (1716). Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: oboe, trumpet, strings, and basso continuo (including bassoon) First Performance: 21 November 1723, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig. Herz indicates that BWV 70a was first performed 6 December 1716, Weimar.
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Editions: Wachet! betet! betet! wachet! is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 27, page 109, edited by Alfred Dürr. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 16, page 329, edited by Wilhelm Rust. Other available editions include those from Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts) and Breitkopf und Härtel. BWV 70a is addressed in the critical commentary of the NBA, series 1, volume 1. Manuscript Sources: An original set of parts for BWV 70, in the hands of Christian Gottlob Meissner and Johann Andreas Kuhnau, and three original parts of BWV 70a, in the composer’s hand, and two parts of BWV 70 copied by Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach and Johann Ludwig Krebs for a 1731 performance, are in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: This work is an adaptation of BWV 70a, which was composed in 1716 for Advent II but probably not performed then. The score of this earlier cantata is now lost, but three parts survive in the composer’s hand (see NBA volume 27 critical commentary). The 1723 version added four recitatives and a chorus to the earlier work. Movement 7 is a setting of Louis Bourgeois’s hymn tune “Ainsi qu’on oit le cerf,” from his Genevan Psalter (1551), under the name of “Freu’ dich sehr, O meine Seele.” Movement 11 is a setting of “Meinen Jesum lass ich nicht,” by Andreas Hammerschmidt (1658). In movement 9, Bach gives the anonymous (1535) hymn tune “Nun freut euch, lieben Christen g’mein” to the accompanying trumpet, with the label “Es ist gewisslich an der Zeit.” For movement 5, Bach derived the vocal and instrumental themes from a bass aria in Handel’s opera Almira (1705).48 Performance Issues: The choral writing in movement 1 juxtaposes passages of pervasive imitation with homophonic passages. The latter are often quite melismatic. The vocal parts are harmonically supported by the orchestra, but there is little direct doubling. There is a solo for cello in movement 3, which is independent of the continuo part. It is not particularly difficult, but it is perpetual. The orchestral parts are fairly conservative, but the string parts in movement 5 are fairly quick with significant unison writing. The trumpet part has a few high passages, but remains on the staff most of the time. Soloists: soprano - range: e'-g'', tessitura: g'- f'', this is a declamatory role with no extended melismatic figures, but numerous rapid ornamental figurations; alto - range: a- d'', tessitura: c'-c'', this is a lilting and sustained solo; tenor - range: c-a', tessitura: f-f', this is a declamatory role with broad melodic leaps; bass range: G-f', tessitura: c-d', this is a very demanding role combining declamatory singing with broad leaps
48 W. Murray Young: The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, page 22.
and passages with rapid melismatic runs. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Arleen Augér, Verena Gohl, Lutz-Michael Herder, Siegmund Nimsgern; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, BachCollegium Stuttgart, conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Hänssler Classic: 98.866. Wilhelm Wiedl, Paul Esswood, Kurt Equiluz, Ruud van der Meer; Tolz Boys’ Choir, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 2292-42572-2. Re-released as 4509-91758-2. Edith Mathis, Trudeliese Schmidt, Peter Schreier, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau; Munich Bach Choir, Munich Bach Orchestra; conducted by Karl Richter. Recorded between 1977 and 1978. Archiv: 439 394-2AX5. Anny Felbermayer, Erika Wien, Hugo Meyer-Welfing, Norman Foster; Vienna Chamber Choir, Vienna Stadtsoper Orchestra; conducted by Felix Prohaska. Recorded in 1957. Vanguard: 08.2010.71. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. Fugitive Notes on Certain Cantatas and Motets of J. S. Bach, 167-178. London: Oxford University Press, 1942. ———. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 12, 125-134, 150, 161, 236, 261, 358; volume 2: 274. Barber, Elinore. “Questions to the Editor.” Bach: The Quarterly Journal, volume 1, number 4 (1970): 35-40. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, BWV 70: 527, BWV 70a: 103. Young, W. Murra. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 21.
Cantata No. 71: Gott ist mein König, BWV 71 (1708) Duration: ca. 18 minutes Occasion: Inauguration of the Town Council of Mühlhausen Text: The text of movement 1 is Psalm 84 (v. 12); movement 2 is from the Old Testament (II Samuel 19:35); movement 4 is from the Old Testament (Genesis 21:22, Deuteronomy 33:25) and Psalm 84 (v. 16); movement 6 is Psalm 84 (v. 19); other texts are by Johann Heermann (1630) and Georg Christian Eilmar. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 recorders, 2 oboes, 3 trumpets, solo violoncello, strings, and basso continuo (including bassoon and organ obbligato) First Performance: 4 February 1708; Mühlhausen
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Editions: Gott ist mein König is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 32/1, page 3 (Mühlhausen version) and 67 (Leipzig version), edited by Christine Fröde. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 18, page 3, edited by Wilhelm Rust. Other available editions include those from Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts) and Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: The manuscript full score and a set of original parts, in the hand of the composer, are in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: Published in 1708, this is the only surviving cantata by Bach to be printed during his lifetime. Movement 4 is the earliest known da capo aria by Bach. In movement 2, Bach accompanies the tenor soloist with a cantus firmus in the soprano of the anonymous (1693) hymn tune “O Gott, du frommer Gott.”
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
sustained syllabic passages. Choir: difficult; 50 Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Katrin Graf, Arleen Augér, Helrun Gardow, Hanna Schwarz, Gabriele Schreckenbach, Alexander Senger, Lutz-Michael Herder, Niklaus Tüller, Philippe Huttenlocher; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart, conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in the Gedächtniskirche, Stuttgart, in 1975 and 1982. Hänssler Classic: 98.863. Wilhelm Wiedl, Paul Esswood, Kurt Equiluz, Lieuwe Visser; Tolz Boys’ Choir, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 229242572-2. Re-released as 4509-91758-2. Barbara Schlick, Kai Wessel, Guy de Mey, Klaus Mertens; Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra and Choir; conducted by Ton Koopman. Recorded live in 1995. Erato: 4509-98536-2.
Performance Issues: This cantata is unusual in Bach’s attempts to use concerto grosso techniques with the choir. The choir is labeled “coro pleno” and “senza ripieni,” for which one may wish to juxtapose full choir and semichorus, or quartet. In movements 1 and 7, the “pleno” sections are generally homophonic and wellsupported by the accompaniment, whereas the “senza ripieni” passages are more contrapuntally complex, although these too are doubled by the strings. There is a fugue for the quartet in movement 7 that is accompanied by continuo only. Movement 3 is quite contrapuntally complex and is also accompanied by continuo only. Movement 6 is entirely homophonic with some ornamentation. It is entirely doubled by the orchestra. There is an organ solo in movement 2, which is the entire accompaniment but is not difficult. The instrumental parts are not paticularly difficult on their own, but there are some challenges to effective ensemble playing, particularly in the final two movements. Some time should be spent in selecting a seating pattern for the orchestra. Bach has created instrumental choirs from diverse instruments. For example, he groups the cello with flutes in the tutti scoring. Seating by score grouping will prove more advantageous than adhering to homogenous instrumental groupings. Soloists:49 soprano - range: e'-g'', tessitura: g'-e'', this is a lyrical and sustained solo suitable for a strong chorister; alto - range: c'-e'', tessitura: f'-d', this is a lyrical solo best suited to a mezzo-soprano voice, and appropriate for a chorister; tenor - range: d-g'', tessitura: gg', this is a lyical solo with some broad melodic leaps; bass - range: F-e♭', tessitura: B♭-d', this solo requires sustaining the lowest pitch of the range a number of times, it also combines rapid melismatic singing with
Selected Bibliography:
49 These solo evaluations do not include the sections labeled “coro
51 Bach, Johann Sebastian, Cantata No. 140: Wachet auf, ruft uns
senza ripieni” in movements 1, 3, and 7. 50 If a solo quartet is used, this can be considered medium easy for
die Stimme: The Score of the New Bach Edition, Backgrounds, Analysis, Views, and Comments, edited by Gerhard Herz; a Norton Critical Score, 11 (New York: W. W. Norton, 1972).
the choir.
Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 10, 25, 38-44, 52, 90, 181, 227, 588; volume 2: 272, 458. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 586. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 2.
Cantata No. 72: Alles nur nach Gottes Willen, BWV 72 (1714-1715 or 1726) Duration: ca. 20 minutes Occasion: Epiphany III Text: The text of movement 6 is by Margrave Albrecht von Brandenburg (1547), the remaining texts are by Salomo Franck (1715). Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 27 January 1726, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig; Gerhard Herz lists 27 January 1715 as a possible first performance of an earlier version of the cantata as it corresponds to his Weimar “Urform.” 51 Editions: Alles nur nach Gottes Willen is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 6, edited by Peter Wollny. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 18, page 57, edited by Wilhelm Rust. Other available editions include those from Kalmus
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
(BG edition, score and parts) and Breitkopf und Härtel.
Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 79.
Manuscript Sources: The composer’s manuscript score and parts in the hands of Johann Heinrich Bach, Wilhelm Friedemann Bach, and Anna Magdalena Bach are in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin.
Cantata No. 73: Herr, wie du willt, so schicks mit mir, BWV 73 (1724)
Notes: Movement 1 of this cantata is parodied in movement 2 of Bach’s Mass in G minor, BWV 235. The final chorale is a setting of the hymn tune “Was mein Gott will, das g’scheh allzeit.”
Occasion: Epiphany III
Performance Issues: The choral writing in movement 1 is quite dramatic. It is harmonically supported by the orchestra but has little direct doubling. There are independent rapid melismatic passages for each section of the choir. This chorus is organized with three contrasting vocal sections: rapidly articulated melismas, homophonic declamations, and sustained imitative passages rife with suspensions. In all of these sections, but especially the first, the tessitura of each choral section is quite high, which may prove counterproductive with choirs of untrained voices. The orchestral parts are conservatively written, although some of the counterpoint of movement 1, with irregular juxtapositions of imitation and homophony, may create some ensemble difficulties. There is an oboe solo in movement 5, which is quite accessible. The oboe II plays only in movements 1 and 6 and may be an intermediate-level player. Soloists: soprano - range: d'-a'', tessitura: g'-g'', this is a lyrical solo with some long sustained phrases, which would be a good introductory aria for a student singer; alto - range: b-e'', tessitura: e'-d'', this is a florid solo with extended passagework that is best suited to a mezzo-soprano voice; bass - range: A-d', tessitura: d-d', this is a brief declamatory solo appropriate for a chorister. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Arleen Augér, Hildegard Laurich, Wolfgang Schöne; Figuralchor der Gedächtniskirche Stuttgart, BachCollegium Stuttgart, conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in the Gedächtniskirche, Stuttgart, in 1983. Hänssler Classic: 98.875. Wilhelm Wiedl, Paul Esswood, Ruud van der Meer; Tolz Boys’ Choir, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 2292-42572-2. Rereleased as 4509-91758-2. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 234, 434, 523-529. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 191. 52 The score indicates that the horn part may be played on organ. It likely proved too difficult for the horns at Bach’s disposal.
Duration: ca. 17 minutes Text: The text of movement 1 is by Kaspar Bienemann (1582), movement 5 is by Ludwig Helmbold, and the remaining texts are believed to be by J. S. Bach. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, tenor, bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes, horn,52 strings, and basso continuo.53 A version made in the 1730s replaces the horn part with an organ obbligato. First Performance: 23 January 1724, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Herr, wie du willt, so schicks mit mir is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 6, edited by Peter Wollny. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 18, page 87, edited by Wilhelm Rust. Other available editions include those from Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts) and Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: An original set of parts, in the hand of Johann Andreas Kuhnau, is in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: The opening movement is an interesting integration of recitatives and chorale fantasias. The choral portion is based upon the hymn “Herr, wie du willt, so schicks mit mir,” which uses the anonymous (1525) hymn tune “Aus tiefer Not schrei ich zu dir.” The final chorale is a setting of the hymn “Von Gott will ich nicht lassen,” the tune of which has an anonymous secular source in the song “Ich ging einmal spazieren.” Performance Issues: The choral writing in movement 1 is that of an ornamented four-part hymn, which though not directly doubled by the orchestra should be played/doubled? by the continuo. The closing chorale is a very simple four-part hymn setting. The orchestral role in movement 1 requires flexibility to navigate the alternation between recitative and chorale sections. Throughout the movement there is a quasi moto perpetuo role for the two oboes that requires some stamina. The horn part of this movement is very high and will be difficult to keep within a proper dynamic on a modern instrument. There is an extended and exposed solo for oboe I in movement 2. Soloists: soprano range: c-g'', tessitura: f'-f'', this is a brief role with some awkward melodic leaps that may be appropriate for a 53 Some conductors elect to include bassoon in the continuo of this cantata, the sonority of which is particulary effective in movement 2.
64 strong chorister; tenor - range: c-a♭', tessitura: g-g', this is a role requiring considerable coloratura singing; bass - range:54 G-e♭', tessitura: d-d', this is a lyrical role well-suited to a baritone voice. Choir: easy; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Magdalene Schreiber, Adalbert Kraus, Wolfgang Schöne; Figuralchor der Gedächtniskirche Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart, conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in the Gedächtniskirche, Stuttgart, in 1972. Hänssler Classic: 98.874. Jörg Erler, Paul Esswood, Kurt Equiluz, Max van Egmond; Hanover Boys’ Choir, Ghent Collegium Vocale, Leonhardt Consort; conducted by Gustav Leonhardt. Teldec: 2292-42573-2. Re-released as 4509-91758-2. Barbara Schlick, Gérard Lesne, Howard Crook, Peter Kooy; Ghent Collegium Vocale, Paris Chapelle Royale Choir and Orchestra; conducted by Philippe Herreweghe. Virgin: VC7 59237-2. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 241, 434, 518-523; volume 2: 280. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 186. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 61.
Cantata No. 74: Wer mich liebet, der wird mein Wort halten II, BWV 74 (1725) Duration: ca. 25 minutes Occasion: Whit Sunday Text: The text of movement 8 is by Paul Gerhardt (1653); movement 1 is from the New Testament (John 14:23); movement 4 is from the New Testament (John 14:28); movement 6 is from the New Testament (Romans 8:1); the remaining texts are by Mariane von Ziegler. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes, oboe da caccia, 3 trumpets, timpani, strings, and basso conrinuo First Performance: 20 May 1725, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Wer mich liebet, der wird mein Wort halten is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 8, page 85, edited by Dietrich Kilian. Performance materials are available from BärenreiterVerlag. It is also published in BG, volume 18, page 54 The role only goes below [c] in the recitative, and there the lowest singing is minimal.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
107, edited by Wilhelm Rust. Other available editions include those from Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts) and Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: An original set of parts, in the hands of Johann Andreas Kuhnau, Johann Heinrich Bach, Wilhelm Friedemann Bach, and Christian Gottlob Meissner, is in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: This is the second of two settings of the text by Bach the other being BWV 59. Movements 1 and 2 of this cantata are adapted from movements 1 and 4 from BWV 59. In BWV 59, movement 1 is a duet, which here has been expanded into a four-part chorus. Likewise, Bach transformed a bass aria of the earlier cantata into one for soprano. The final chorale is a setting of the anonymous (c. 1400) hymn tune “Kommt her zu mir, spricht Gottes Sohn.” Performance Issues: The choral writing combines duetto passages, homophonic declarations, and four-part imitative counterpoint in a way that betrays its previous incarnation as a duet. The vocal parts, though harmonically supported by the orchestra, are melodically independent of it. The choral parts are highly ornamented, but employ such direct imitation that this becomes a fairly easily learned movement. The trumpet parts are typically high and exposed in movement 1, especially the first part, which remains above the staff most of the time. There is a conspicuous and sustained oboe da caccia solo in movement 2. The presence of oboe trios in movements 6 and 7 may benefit by the inclusion of a bassoon in the continuo part for these and the outer movements. Movement 7 also features a prominent and very rapid violin solo, as well as some abrupt tutti block chord with quadruple stops in the strings that may prove troublesome to good ensemble unity, and should probably be divided. Soloists: soprano - range: d'-g'', tessitura: g'-g'', this is a very lyrical solo that adheres almost exclusively within the indicated tessitura, it is a good introductory aria for a developing soloist; alto - range: g-e'', tessitura: c'-c'', this is a difficult solo with broadly sweeping melodic line and substantial coloratura writing; tenor - range: d-a', tessitura: f-f', this is a very demanding solo with rapid melismatic passagework, sustained singing, and frequent melodic leaps to the extremes of the indicated range; bass - range: B-e', tessitura: c-c', this solo juxtaposes declamatory passages with some very rapid coloratura writing. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: difficult. Selected Discography: Helen Donath, Hildegard Laurich, Adalbert Kraus, Philippe Huttenlocher; Gächinger Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart, conducted by Helmuth
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Rilling. Recorded in the Gedächtniskirche, Stuttgart, in 1972. Hänssler Classic: 98.887. Jörg Erler, Paul Esswood, Kurt Equiluz, Max van Egmond; Hanover Boys’ Choir, Ghent Collegium Vocale, Leonhardt Consort; conducted by Gustav Leonhardt. Teldec: 2292-42573-2. Re-released as 4509-91758-2. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 105, 106, 236, 321, 586; volume 2: 38, 47-51. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 301. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 155.
Cantata No. 75: Die Elenden sollen essen, BWV 75 (1723) Duration: ca. 40 minutes55 Occasion: Trinity I Text: The text of movement 1 is Psalm 22 (v. 26), movements 7 and 14 are by Samuel Rodigast (1674), and the remaining texts are believed to be by Christian Weiss Sr. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes, oboe d’amore, trumpet, strings, and basso continuo (including bassoon) First Performance: 30 May 1723, St. Nicolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Die Elenden sollen essen is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 21, page 25, edited by Alfred Dürr. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 18, page 149, edited by Wilhelm Rust. Other available editions include that from Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: The composer’s autograph full score is in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: This was Bach’s first cantata presentation at the Nicolaikirche, given on the day preceding his induction as cantor.56 It is paired with BWV 76, which was given the following Sunday. Movements 7 and 14 of this cantata are parodied as movement 6 of BWV 100 with a new orchestration. Movements 7 and 14 are chorale settings of the hymn tune “Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan,” which is attributed to Johann Pachelbel (1690). He also includes this tune as a cantus firmus in the trumpet in movement 8.
55 This time is given by Alfred Dürr and David Daniels; however, the Rilling recording is under 36 minutes.
Performance Issues: The choral writing in the first half of movement 1 is very expressive and quite unpredictable in its patterns of imitation. There are occasional doublings of vocal lines by the orchestra (mostly the basses and continuo), but the choristers must be musically independent. The second half of this opening chorus is a tremendously imaginative fugue, which also has minimal doubling between the instruments and voices. Some conductors elect to use soloists for the first choral section of this fugue, which is accompanied by continuo only. The full choir then enters in the second choral section, which has a fuller orchestral accompaniment. The chorale movements have a highly ornamented instrumental accompaniment. In the BG edition, for movement 14 there is merely an instruction to repeat movement 7; however, only the text of the stanza intended for movement 7 appears in the score. There is a prominent and sustained oboe d’amore solo in movement 5. The trumpet appears in movements 8 and 12 only. In the latter it has a prominent solo spanning a range of c' to c''' with extended florid figurations. In the former movement where the trumpet is used as a cantus firmus on the chorale tune, it is sustained and very high, reaching e'''. Soloists: soprano - range: e'-a'', tessitura: g'-f'', this role has some very demanding coloratura passages; alto - range: be'', tessitura: e'-c'', this is a lyrical role for a mezzosoprano; tenor - range: d-a', tessitura: f-f', this is a sustained and lyrical role that frequently visits the bottom of the indicated range; bass - range: B-f#', tessitura: ce', this is a declamatory solo with some awkward melodic leaps and some highly ornamented passages, best assigned to a baritone. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Ingeborg Reichelt, Verena Gohl, Julia Hamari, Adalbert Kraus, Aldo Baldin, Hanns-Friedrich Kunz; Frankfurter Kantorei, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart, conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in the Gedächtniskirche, Stuttgart, in 1970 and 1983. Hänssler Classic: 98.891. Markus Klein, Paul Esswood, Adalbert Kraus, Max van Egmond; Hanover Boys’ Choir, Ghent Collegium Vocale, Leonhardt Consort; conducted by Gustav Leonhardt. Teldec: 2292-42573-2. Re-released as 450991758-2. Ruth Ziesak, Elisabeth von Magnus, Paul Agnew, Klaus Mertens; Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra and Choir; conducted by Ton Koopman. Recorded live in 1997. Erato: 3984-21629-2. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 21, 171, 181-195, 232, 236, 558; volume 2: 62, 285. 56 W. Murray Young, The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, page 31.
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Marshall, Robert Lewis. “Zur Vollständigkeit der Arie, ‘Mein Jesus soll mein alles sein,’ aus Kantate BWV 75.” Bach-Jahrbuch, volume 51 (1965): 144 and 147. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 325. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 31.
Cantata No. 76: Die Himmel erzählen die Ehre Gottes, BWV 76 (1723) Duration: ca. 38 minutes57 Occasion: Trinity II Text: The text of movement 1 is Psalm 19 (vv. 1, 3), movements 7 and 14 are by Martin Luther (1524), and the remaining texts are believed to be by Christian Weiss Sr. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes, oboe d’amore, trumpet, viola da gamba, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 6 June 1723, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Die Himmel erzählen die Ehre Gottes is published with a Critical Commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 16, page 3, edited by Robert Moreen. Performance materials are available from BärenreiterVerlag. It is also published in BG, volume 18, page 191, edited by Wilhelm Rust. Other available editions include those from Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts) and Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: The composer’s manuscript full score, and a set of original parts, in the hands of Johann Andreas Kuhnau and Christian Gottlob Meissner, are in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: This was Bach’s second Leipzig cantata. It is related to BWV 75, which was first performed the previous Sunday. Bach used material from this cantata in his organ sonata, BWV 528. Movements 7 and 14 are settings of Martin Luther’s text on the anonymous (1525) hymn tune “Es wohl uns Gott genädig sein.” Performance Issues: The opening chorus is fugal with sections for solo quartet. The solo passages are melodically independent of the orchestra, but most of the tutti choral sections are doubled by the instruments. The most difficult portions are given to the soloists, and the remaining choral material is brief. The trumpet appears in movements 1, 5, 7, and 14. In the first two movements, the part is high and rapidly articulated, but in the chorale movements it is much less difficult. The Sinfonia resembles a trio sonata for oboe d’amore, 57 This time is given by David Daniels, and Alfred Dürr indicates 39 minutes; however, the Rilling recording is exactly 32 minutes long.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
viola da gamba, and continuo. Both solo parts are fairly difficult and dramatic, requiring a high level of musical sophistication. The solo instruments return as the accompaniment of movement 12 where they have similarly expressive parts. Some conductors use bassoon in the continuo of these movements to great effect. Soloists: soprano - range: d'-g'', tessitura: g'-f'', this brief lyrical role requires clear articulation of dotted rhythms in melismatic passages; alto - range: b-d'', tessitura: c'-b', this is a sustained and lilting solo for a rich voice; tenor - range: d-a', tessitura: g-g', this is a difficult role combining rapid melismatic singing with declamatory sections; bass - range: G-e', tessitura: cc', this role has sustained phrases and coloratura passagework. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Arleen Augér, Helen Watts, Adalbert Kraus, Siegmund Nimsgern; Gächinger Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart, conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in the Gedächtniskirche, Stuttgart, in 1977 and 1978. Hänssler Classic: 98.869. Wilhelm Wiedl, Paul Esswood, Kurt Equiluz, Ruud van der Meer; Tolz Boys’ Choir, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 2292-42576-2. Re-released as 4509-91758-2. Edith Mathis, Anna Reynolds, Peter Schreier, Kurt Moll; Munich Bach Choir, Munich Bach Orchestra; conducted by Karl Richter. Recorded between 1974 and 1975. Archiv: 439 380-2AX6. Ingeborg Reichelt, Hertha Töpper, Helmut Krebs, Franz Kelch; Heilbronn Heinrich Schütz Choir, Pforzheim Chamber Orchestra; conducted by Fritz Werner. Recorded in 1960. Erato: 4509-98525-2. Ruth Ziesak, Elisabeth von Magnus, Paul Agnew, Klaus Mertens; Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra and Choir; conducted by Ton Koopman. Recorded live in 1997. Erato: 3984-21629-2. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 21, 171, 181-195, 558; volume 2: 285. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 337, 582. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 33.
Cantata No. 77: Du sollt Gott, deinen Herren lieben, BWV 77 (1723) Duration: ca. 17 minutes Occasion: Trinity XIII
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Text: The text of movement 1 is from the New Testament (Luke 10:27); movement 6 is from Justus Gesenius and David Denicke (1630); the remaining texts are thought to be by Johann Oswald Knauer. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, and tenor soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes, trumpet da tirarsi, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 22 August 1723, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Du sollt Gott, deinen Herren lieben is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 21, page 3, edited by Werner Neumann. Performance materials are available from BärenreiterVerlag. It is also published in BG, volume 18, page 235, edited by Wilhelm Rust. Other available editions include that from Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: The composer’s manuscript full score is in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: In the opening chorus, Bach includes a cantus firmus, in the trumpet and continuo, on Martin Luther’s hymn (1524) “Dies sind die heil’gen zehn Gebot,” which adopts the tune of the traditional pilgrim song “In Gottes Namen fahren wir.” The final chorale does not appear in Bach’s manuscript, Carl Zelter inserted the text of stanza 8 of David Denicke’s hymn “Wenn einer alle Ding verstünd,” 58 using the anonymous (1524) hymn tune “Ach Gott vom Himmel, sieh darein.” Editions vary in the choice of text, but most retain this hymn tune to close the work. Bach made a four-part arrangement of the chorale tune found in movement 1, which might make an effective substitute for Zelter’s choice.59 Performance Issues: The opening chorus is remarkable in its construction. Bach uses a hymn tune as a cantus firmus (see notes above), in the trumpet and continuo. The striking thing about this is that he treats the cantus firmus independently for each, with the continuo part being an augmentation of the trumpet, and transposed down a perfect fifth. Upon this he has set a highly imitative chorus that utilizes significant paired doubling. The choral parts are clearly doubled by the strings throughout the movement. In addition to its part in the opening chorus, there is a prominent trumpet solo in movement 5, which requires an expert player. The remaining instrumental parts are quite conservatively written, remaining within the capabilities of most collegiate-level players. Soloists: soprano - range: e'-a'', tessitura: g'-f'', this is a demanding, coloratura solo; alto - range: c#'-d'', tessitura: e'-c'', this is a sustained 58 W. Murray Young, The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, page 77. 59This is chorale number 69 in Charles Sanford Terry’s edition of The Four-Part Chorals [sic] of J. S. Bach, volume 1 (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1928).
and fairly syllabic solo; tenor - range: e-a', tessitura: gg', this is a declamatory solo appropriate for a chorister; bass - range: c-d', tessitura: e-c', this is a brief declamatory solo appropriate for a chorister. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Helen Donath, Julia Hamari, Adalbert Kraus, Wolfgang Schöne; Gächinger Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart, conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in the Gedächtniskirche, Stuttgart, in 1972. Hänssler Classic: 98.809. Detlef Bratschke, Paul Esswood, Adalbert Kraus, Max van Egmond; Hanover Boys’ Choir, Ghent Collegium Vocale, Leonhardt Consort; conducted by Gustav Leonhardt. Teldec: 2292-42576-2. Re-released as 4509-91758-2. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 434, 644-650; volume 2: 299. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 422. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 76. Herz, Gerhard. “Thoughts on the First Movement of Johann Sebastian Bach’s Cantata No. 77 (1974).” In Essays on J. S. Bach, 205. Ann Arbor: UMI Research Press, 1985.
Cantata No. 78: Jesu, der du mein Seele, BWV 78 (1724) Duration: ca. 21 minutes60 Occasion: Trinity XIV Text: The texts of movements 1 and 7 are by Johann von Rist (1641). The remaining texts are believed to be paraphrases made by J. S. Bach. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: flute, 2 oboes, horn, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 10 September 1724, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Jesu, der du mein Seele is published with a Critical Commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 21, page 117, edited by Werner Neumann. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 18, page 257, edited by Wilhelm Rust. Other available editions include those from Dover (Eleven Great Cantatas, 0-486-23268-9, 60 This time is given by David Daniels, and is supported by the Rilling recording; however, Alfred Dürr lists 25 minutes.
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BG edition reprint, full score only with a literal English translation by Stanley Appelbaum), Kalmus (NBA and BG editions, score and parts), Breitkopf und Härtel, and Bärenreiter. Manuscript Sources: An original set of parts, in the hands of the composer, Johann Andreas Kuhnau, Christian Gottlob Meissner, and others, is in the BachArchiv in Leipzig. Notes: This is a chorale cantata based upon Johann Rist’s hymn “Jesu, der du meine Seele,” which uses an anonymous secular tune (1642). Performance Issues: In the opening chorus, the sopranos have the hymn tune as a cantus firmus. They are doubled by the horn, at pitch, and by the flute, an octave higher. Likewise, the bass part is consistently doubled by the continuo; however, the tenor and alto parts are melodically independent of the orchestra. All of the choral parts are fairly chromatic, which may prove troublesome in rehearsal. In the second movement, there is a “solo” for organ and cello, for which the organ has figures. This is separate from the bass line, which is labeled “violone.” This latter part should be played upon the double bass. The former part is quite quick and will require a secure player on the cello. There is a prominent and technically involved flute solo in movement 4. Movement 5 is an accompanied recitative with three changes of tempo, and may require special attention to establish a cohesive sense of ensemble. Movement 6 has a sustained and important solo for oboe. Soloists: soprano - range: d'-b♭'', tessitura: g'-f'', this is a spritely and lilting role, which should be assigned with consideration for its blending with the alto soloist; alto - range: a-d'', tessitura: d'-b', this is a spirited and lyrical role, which should be assigned with consideration for its blending with the soprano soloist; tenor - range: c-a', tessitura: g-g', this role combines broad melodic leaps and sustained passages; bass - range: G-e♭', tessitura: c-c', this is a challenging role combining sustained passages, awkward melodic leaps, and coloratura singing. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Arleen Augér, Carolyn Watkinson, Aldo Baldin, Wolfgang Schöne; Gächinger Kantorei Stuttgart, BachCollegium Stuttgart, conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in the Gedächtniskirche, Stuttgart, in 1979. Hänssler Classic: 98.861. Wilhelm Wiedl, Paul Esswood, Kurt Equiluz, Ruud van der Meer; Tolz Boys’ Choir, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 2292-42576-2. Re-released as 4509-91758-2.
61 Spitta and Terry dated this work to 1735, at the end of the War of Polish Succession. 1725 is the date given by Gerhard Herz and Alfred Dürr.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Ingrid Schmithüsen, Charles Brett, Howard Crook, Peter Kooy; Paris Chapelle Royale Choir and Orchestra; conducted by Philippe Herreweghe. Harmonia Mundi: HMC90 1270. Julianne Baird, Allan Fast, Frank Kelley, Jan Opalach; Bach Ensemble; conducted by Joshua Rifkin. Recorded in 1988. L’Oiseau Lyre: 443 188-20M. Ursula Buckel, Hertha Töpper, John van Kesteren, Kieth Engen; Munich Bach Choir, Ansbach Bach Week Soloists Orchestra; conducted by Karl Richter. Recorded in 1961. Archiv: 439 387-2AX6. Teresa Stich-Randall, Dagmar Hermann, Anton Dermota, Hans Braun; Vienna Bach Guild Chorus and Orchestra; conducted by Felix Prohaska. Recorded in 1954. Vanguard: 08.2009.71. Selected Bibliography: “Nr. 78, Jesu, der du meine Seele.” Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra Symphony Magazine (12-13 January 1950). Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 236; volume 2: 306, 377-386. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 433. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 208.
Cantata No. 79: Gott der Herr ist Sonn und Schild, BWV 79 (1725) Duration: ca. 17 minutes Occasion: Reformation Text: The text of movement 1 is from Psalm 79 (v. 11); movement 3 is by Martin Rinckart (1636); movement 6 is by Ludwig Helmbold; the remaining text is attributed to Christian Weiss Sr. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, and bass soloists, SATB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, horn, timpani, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 31 October 1725,61 St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Gott der Herr ist Sonn und Schild is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 31, page 3, edited by Frieder Rempp. Performance materials are available from BärenreiterVerlag. It is also published in BG, volume 18, page 289, edited by Wilhelm Rust. Other available editions include those from Dover (Seven Great Sacred Cantatas, 0-486-24950-6, BG edition reprint, full score only with a literal English translation by Stanley Appelbaum), Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts), and Breitkopf und Härtel.
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Manuscript Sources: The composer’s autograph full score, and an original set of parts, in the hands of Johann Andreas Kuhnau, Wilhelm Friedemann Bach, and Christian Gottlob Meissner, are in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: Movement 2 is parodied as movement 3 of Mass in A, BWV 234. Movements 1 and 5 are parodied in movement 2 of Mass in G, BWV 236. Movement 3 is a chorale setting of Johann Crüger’s hymn tune (1648) “Nun danket alle Gott,” and movement 6 is a setting of Niklaus Selnecker’s hymn tune (1587) “Nun laßt uns Gott dem Herren.” Performance Issues: The choral writing in movement 1 is fairly sustained in comparison with the frenetic activity in the orchestra, as the voices introduce the second theme of this fugal work. When the choir picks up the faster thematic material, it is generally doubled by the orchestra. This is a bravura movement requiring a strong chorus and orchestra. There is a difficult solo for flute or oboe in movement 2. The labeling of the instrument is inconsistent in the manuscript materials, and it is idiomatic for either.62 The horn parts are very high, and sustained particularly in the two chorale movements. In these movements the horns are very prominent, almost being accompanied by the remaining ensemble. Soloists: soprano - range: d'-a'', tessitura: g'-g'', this is a lyrical role with some challenging coloratura work, a voice should be chosen to match well with the bass soloist; alto - range: c#'-e'', tessitura: e'-c#'', this is a sustained solo with considerable melismatic passagework; bass - range: A-e', tessitura: dd', this is a lyrical role with some challenging coloratura work and rapid, awkward leaps, a voice should be chosen to blend with the soprano soloist. Choir: difficult; Orchestra: difficult. Selected Discography: Arleen Augér, Julia Hamari, Philippe Huttenlocher; Gächinger Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart, conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in the Gedächtniskirche, Stuttgart, in 1981. Hänssler Classic: 98.866. Detlef Bratschke, Paul Esswood, Max van Egmond; Hanover Boys’ Choir, Ghent Collegium Vocale, Leonhardt Consort; conducted by Gustav Leonhardt. Teldec: 2292-42576-2. Re-released as 4509-91759-2.
62 Alfred Dürr, in his Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 2, page 581, states that he believes the flute parts were added between 1728 and 1731, which explains the mixed labeling, and suggests that Bach changed the solo to flute in the later version. 63 Alfred Dürr lists 30 minutes, but most other sources and recordings confirm 25 minutes.
Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 234, 456; volume 2: 141, 204-209, 285. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 580. Leaver, Robin. “The Libretto of Bach’s Cantata No. 79: A Conjecture.” Bach: The Quarterly Journal, volume 6, number 1 (1975): 3-11. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 167.
Cantata No. 80: Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott, BWV 80 (before 1744) Duration: ca. 25 minutes63 Occasion: Reformation Text: The texts of movements 1, 2, 5, and 8 are by Martin Luther (1529); movements 3, 4, 6, and 7 are by Salomo Franck (1715). Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes, taille, strings, and basso continuo. Three trumpets and a timpani part were added by Wilhelm Friedemann Bach. First Performance: (31 October) before 1744, 64 St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 31, page 67 (BWVb fragment) and 73 (BWV 80), edited by Frieder Rempp. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 18, page 319 and 381, edited by Wilhelm Rust. Other available editions include those from Dover (Eleven Great Cantatas, 0-486-23268-9, BG edition reprint, full score only with a literal English translation by Stanley Appelbaum), Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts), and Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: There are no extant manuscripts of this cantata. There are three eighteenth-century copies known to exist. Notes: This work was derived from BWV 80a, Alles, was von Gott geboren, a cantata for Lent III, composed in 1715, which is now lost. Bach also made an earlier version of this adaptation, BWV 80b in 1723, which survives only in autograph fragments of movements 1 and 2. The cantata is based upon the 64 Gerhard Herz gives 1724 as the year of first performance. Some, more recent, sources give this year for an earlier version, which was replaced by a later, final version for which the year of first performance is uncertain.
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eponymous hymn tune by Martin Luther (1529), which occurs in movements 1, 2, 5, and 8. The BG edition includes a variant of movement 1 for Gaudete, which was found in the hand of Wilhelm Friedemann Bach. It also has a variant for the choir for movement 5 on the Latin text “Manebit verbum Domini,” which is in the hand of Johann Kirnberger. Performance Issues: Movement 1 is a chorale fantasia that presents a complex four-voice fugue on a highly ornamented version of the chorale tune. The choir is thoroughly doubled by the orchestra. The choir sings the chorale tune in unison in movement 5 against a highly ornamented orchestra in duple compound time. The cantus firmus in the soprano solo in movement 2 is supported by a solo oboe. The trumpet 1 part, in the expanded orchestration of Wilhelm Friedemann Bach, is typically high and difficult. There are exposed and difficult solos for violin and oboe da caccia in movement 7. The orchestra parts overall are quite challenging throughout the work, but especially in movements 1 and 5, which have considerable stretches of unrelenting rhythmic motion. Soloists: soprano - range: d'-a'', tessitura: f#'-f#'', this is a lyrical and sustained solo with some coloratura passages; alto - range: g-e'', tessitura: d'-b', this is a lyrical role with some difficult melismatic passages; tenor - range: d-g', tessitura: ge', this is a sustained role with some melismatic writing; bass - range: A-e', tessitura: c-d', this solo has considerable coloratura passages and long phrases. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: difficult. Selected Discography: Arleen Augér, Gabriele Schreckenbach, Lutz-Michael Harder, Philippe Huttenlocher; Gächinger Kantorei Stuttgart, Württembergisches Kammerorchester Heilbronn, conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in the Gedächtniskirche, Stuttgart, in 1976 and 1983. Hänssler Classic: 98.819. Wilhelm Wiedl, Paul Esswood, Kurt Equiluz, Ruud van der Meer; Tolz Boys’ Choir, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 2292-42577-2. Re-released as 4509-91759-2 and 4509-92627-2. Edith Mathis, Trudeliese Schmidt, Peter Schreier, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau; Munich Bach Choir, Munich Bach Orchestra; conducted by Karl Richter. Archiv: 427 130-2AGA. Edith Mathis, Trudeliese Schmidt, Peter Schreier, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau; Munich Bach Choir, Munich Bach Orchestra; conducted by Karl Richter. Recorded between 1977 and 1978. Archiv: 439 394-2AX5. Ingeborg Reichelt, Hertha Töpper, Helmut Krebs, Franz Kelch; Heilbronn Heinrich Schütz Choir, Pforzheim Chamber Orchestra; conducted by Fritz Werner. Recorded in 1961. Erato: 4509-98525-2. Barbara Schlick, Gérard Lesne, Howard Crook, Peter Kooy; Ghent Collegium Vocale, Chapelle Royale
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Orchestra; conducted by Philippe Herreweghe. Harmonia Mundi: HMC90 1326. Ingrid Kertesi, Judit Németh, Jósef Mukk, Istvan Gáti; Hungarian Radio Chorus, Failoni Chamber Orchestra; conducted by Mátyás Antal. Naxos: 8 550642. Gabriele Fontana, Julia Hamari, Gösta Winbergh, Tom Krause; Stuttgart Hymnus Choir, Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra; conducted by Karl Münchinger. Recorded in 1984. Decca: 436 226-3DM. Selected Bibliography: Upton, George P. The Standard Cantatas, 7th edition, 38-43. Chicago: A. C. McClurg and Company, 1899. Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 131, 221-227, 236, 238, 456, 472, 645; volume 2: 272, 286, 296, 300. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, BWV 80: 577, BWV 80a: 225. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 95. Wolff, Christoph. “The Reformation Cantata,‘Ein feste Burg.’” Bach: Essays on His Life and Music, 152. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1991. Berger, Melvin. Guide to Choral Masterpieces: A Listener’s Guide, 7-11. New York: Anchor Books, 1993.
Cantata No. 81: Jesus schläft, was soll ich hoffen?, BWV 81 (1724) Duration: ca. 19 minutes Occasion: Epiphany IV Text: The text of movement 4 is from the New Testament (Matthew 8:26); movement 7 is by Johann Franck (1650) and the remaining text is believed to be by Christian Weiss Sr., Erdmann Neumeister, or the composer. Performing Forces: voices: alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir (chorale only); orchestra: 2 recorders, 2 oboes d’amore, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 30 January 1724, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Jesus schläft, was soll ich hoffen? is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 6, edited by Ulrich Leisinger. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 20/1, page 3, edited by Wilhelm Rust. Other available editions include those from Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts) and Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: The composer’s autograph full score and an original set of parts, in the hands of Johann Andreas Kuhnau and Christian Gottlob Meissner, are in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: This is a solo cantata in which the bass soloist portrays Christ. There is a final four-part chorale
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
setting of Johann Crüger’s hymn tune (1653) “Jesu meine Freude,” which could be sung by an audience.
First Performance: 2 February 1727, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig
Performance Issues: All three solo roles are difficult and the string parts are quite challenging, especially in movement 3. The violin 1 part in movement 3 is especially rapid, and may be best executed by solo strings; however, the storm subject of the text may be better served by the turbulence of the full string section. Movement 5 accompanies the bass solo with violins I and II, and violas in rapid unison against a contrapuntally complex duet for oboes d’amore. Soloists: alto - range: a-d'', tessitura: d'-c'', this is a lyrical role that is very sustained in the lowest range; tenor - range: d-a', tessitura: g-f', this difficult role has long phrases, considerable coloratura writing, awkward leaps, and it moves freely and regularly throughout the entire indicated range; bass - range: G-e', tessitura: B-d', this role has long phrases with some difficult melismatic passages, the soloist must be able to sustain in the lowest range. Choir: easy; Orchestra: difficult.
Editions: Ich habe genug is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 28/1, page 77 (version for bass soloist), 116 (revised version for bass or mezzo-soprano soloist), and 155 (revised version for soprano soloist), edited by Matthias Wendt. Performance materials are available from BärenreiterVerlag. It is also published in BG, volume 20/1, page 27, edited by Wilhelm Rust. Other available editions include those from Dover (Eleven Great Cantatas, 0486-23268-9, BG edition reprint, full score only with a literal English translation by Stanley Appelbaum), Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts), and Breitkopf und Härtel.
Selected Discography: Julia Hamari, Adalbert Kraus, Siegmund Nimsgern; Gächinger Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart, conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in the Gedächtniskirche, Stuttgart. Hänssler Classic: 98.876. Paul Esswood, Kurt Equiluz, Ruud van der Meer; Tolz Boys’ Choir, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 2292-42577-2. Rereleased as 4509-91759-2. Anna Reynolds, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau; Munich Bach Choir, Munich Bach Orchestra; conducted by Karl Richter. Recorded in 1972. Archiv: 439 369-2AX4. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 392-393, 398-401. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 196. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 50.
Cantata No. 82: Ich habe genug, BWV 82 (1727) Duration: ca. 24 minutes Occasion: Purification Text: The source of the text for this cantata is unknown. Performing Forces: voice: bass soloist; orchestra: oboe, strings, and basso continuo
65 Herz lists these movements as adaptations from the keyboard works; however, W. Murray Young states that “It is strange that
Manuscript Sources: The composer’s autograph full score, and an original set of parts, in the hand of Christian Gottlob Meissner and others, is in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: Of his many compositions, this is the only one that Bach labeled as a cantata. Bach made alternate versions for soprano and alto soloists, which included different woodwind parts. Movements 2 and 3 of this cantata are adapted from pieces 34 and 38 in the Clavierbüchlein of Anna Magdalena Bach, volume 2.65 Performance Issues: Movement 1 has an exposed and difficult solo for the oboe. The BG score includes separate organ and continuo parts, which differ in some octave displacements, and by the presence of figured bass only in the organ part. This piece would work well with solo strings, if desired. The string parts are not technically very demanding, but subtleties of pitch within a sophisticated harmonic fabric will require experienced players. Soloists: bass - range: G-e♭', tessitura: c-c', this role includes some improvised ornamentation, some extended melismas, and very long phrases, both extremes of range are frequently reached, and the soloist must be capable of sustained singing on G. Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau; Bach-Collegium Stuttgart, conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in the Gedächtniskirche, Stuttgart, in 1983. Hänssler Classic: 98.855. Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau; Württemberg Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Nova: 150 028-2. Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau; Munich Bach Orchestra; conducted by Karl Richter. Archiv: 427 128-2AGA.
these numbers were transferred from the cantata to the clavier book sometime after the Notenbüchlein was begun, not vice versa” (The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, page 99).
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Harry van der Kamp; Bremen Vocal Ensemble, Fiori Musicali; conducted by Thomas Albert. Dabringaus und Grimm: L3297. Max van Egmond; Baroque Instrumental Ensemble; conducted by Frans Brüggen. Recorded in 1977. RCA: GD7 1956. Max van Egmond; Ricercar Ensemble. Ricercar: RIC061041. Philippe Huttenlocher; Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 229242577-2. Re-released as 4509-91759-2 and 450992627-2. René Jacobs; Ensemble 415; conducted by Chiara Banchini. Harmonia Mundi: HMC90 1273. David Thomas; Taverner Players; conducted by Andrew Parrott. Hyperion: CDA66036. Oxford Schola Cantorum, Jeremy Summerly, chorus master; Northern Chamber Orchestra; conducted by Nicholas Ward. Naxos: 8 550763. John Shirley-Quirk; Academy of St. Martin in the Fields; condcuted by Neville Marriner. Decca: 430 260-2DM. Peter Kooy; Paris Chapelle Royale Choir and Orchestra; conducted by Philippe Herreweghe. Harmonia Mundi: HMC90 1365. William Sharp; American Bach Soloists; conducted by Jeffrey Thomas. Koch: 37138-2. Olaf Bär; Scottish Chamber Orchestra; conducted by Peter Schreier. EMI: CDC7 54453-2. Klaus Mertens; Petite Bande; conducted by Sigiswald Kuijken. Recorded in 1993. Accent: ACC9395D. Nancy Argenta; Ensemble Sonnerie; conducted by Monica Huggett. Recorded in 1993. Virgin: VC5 45038-2. Hans Hotter; Philharmonia; conducted by Anthony Bernard. Recorded in 1950. EMI: CDH7 63198-2. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 378-384. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 542. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 99.
Cantata No. 83: Erfreute Zeit im neuen Bunde, BWV 83 (1724) Duration: ca. 20 minutes Occasion: Purification Text: The text of movement 2 is from the New Testament (Luke 2:29, 30); movement 5 is by Martin Luther (1524); and the remaining texts are from an unidentified source.
66 W. Murray Young, The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, page 52.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Performing Forces: voices: alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir (chorale only); orchestra: 2 oboes, 2 horns, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 2 February 1724, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Erfreute Zeit im neuen Bunde is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 28/1, page 3, edited by Uwe Wolf. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 20/1, page 53, edited by Wilhelm Rust. Other available editions include that from Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: An original set of parts, in the hands of Johann Andreas Kuhnau and Christian Gottlob Meissner, is in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: This is a solo cantata with a final four-part chorale. W. Murray Young believes the first three movements of this cantata may have been adapted from a now lost violin concerto,66 which is supported by the prominent, concerto-like violin solo in movements 1 and 3. Movement 2 begins and ends with the intonation of the German translation of the Nunc dimittis, using the traditional chant tune. This chant intonation frames a recitative. The final movement is a chorale setting of the hymn tune “Mit Fried und Freud ich fahr dahin,” which is believed to be by Martin Luther (1524). The text of this hymn is Luther’s German paraphrase of the Nunc dimittis. Performance Issues: Movements 1 and 3 have prominent and very difficult solos for violin. The horn parts of movement 1 are also quite high and require expert players. As mentioned above, the bass soloist intones the Nunc dimittis at the beginning and ending of movement 2. There is a countermelody for the upper three string parts in unison and some potentially awkward tempo shifts in and out of the recitative. Soloists: alto - range: b-e'', tessitura: e'-c'', this role has considerable coloratura and long phrases; tenor - range: e-a', tessitura: g-f', this is a very difficult solo with rapid coloratura writing and very long phrases; bass - range: Ae♭', tessitura: c-c', this is a sustained and declamatory solo that is vocally fairly easy. Choir: easy; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Helen Watts, Adalbert Kraus, Walter Heldwein; Gächinger Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart, conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in the Gedächtniskirche, Stuttgart. Hänssler Classic: 98.875. Kurt Equiluz, Max van Egmond; Vienna Boys’ Choir, Chorus Viennensis, Vienna Concentus Musicus;
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 229242577-2. Re-released as 4509-91759-2. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 271-276; volume 2: 275. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 536. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 51.
the indicated range with sustained singing at the very bottom of that range, the soloist must be capable of singing very long phrases and rapid coloratura. Choir: easy; Orchestra: medium easy.69 Selected Discography:
Cantata No. 84: Ich bin vergnügt mit meinem Glücke, BWV 84 (1727)
Arleen Augér; Gächinger Kantorei Stuttgart, Württembergisches Kammerorchester Heilbronn, conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in 1983. Hänssler Classic: 98.877. Wilhelm Wiedl; Tolz Boys’ Choir, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 2292-42578-2. Re-released as 4509-91759-2.
Duration: ca. 15 minutes67
Selected Bibliography:
Occasion: Septuagesima
Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 363-365, 381. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 207. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 100.
Text: The text of movement 5 is by Ämilie Juliane von Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt; the remaining movements are by Picander as revised by Bach. Performing Forces: voices: soprano soloist; SATB choir (chorale only); orchestra: oboe, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 9 February 1727,68 St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Ich bin vergnügt mit meinem Glücke is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 7, page 23, edited by Werner Neumann. Performance materials are available from BärenreiterVerlag. It is also published in BG, volume 20/1, page 79, edited by Wilhelm Rust. Other available editions include those from Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts) and Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: The composer’s autograph full score, and an original set of parts, in the hand of Johann Heinrich Bach, is in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: This is a solo cantata with a final four-part chorale. The chorale in movement 5 is a setting of the hymn tune “Wer nur den lieben Gott läßt walten,” by Georg Neumark (1657). Performance Issues: This work was probably intended for solo strings and works well with that configuration. In movement 1, there is a sustained and difficult oboe solo. In this movement, the string writing is idiomatic and fairly easy. In movement 3, there is a solo for the oboe that is similarly sustained and here more exposed. In movement 3, there is also a difficult and exposed solo for violin. Soloists: soprano - range: d'-a'', tessitura: g'-g'', this solo role moves freely throughout 67 David Daniels lists 18 minutes; Alfred Dürr lists 16 minutes, and Rilling’s recording is fourteen minutes and thirty-five seconds. 68 This date is given by Gerhard Herz in his chronology, it is also listed by Alfred Dürr. Schweitzer, Terry, and Neumann give 1731 as the likely year of composition.
Cantata No. 85: Ich bin ein guter Hirt, BWV 85 (1725) Duration: ca. 18 minutes Occasion: Easter II/Misericordia Domini Text: The text of movement 1 is from the New Testament (John 10:11); movement 3 is by Cornelius Becker (1598); movement 6 is by Ernst Christoph Homburg (1658); and the remaining texts are believed to be by Christian Weiss Sr. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir (chorale only); orchestra: oboe, violoncello piccolo; strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 15 April 1725, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Ich bin ein guter Hirt is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 11/1, page 159, edited by Reinmar Emans. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 20/1, page 101, edited by Wilhelm Rust. Other available editions include those from Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts), Breitkopf und Härtel, and Ricordi. Manuscript Sources: The composer’s autograph full score, and an original set of parts, in the hands of Johann Andreas Kuhnau, Wilhelm Friedemann Bach,
69 With the exception of the violin and oboe soloists, the instrumental parts are suitable for intermediate-level players.
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Johann Heinrich Bach, and Christian Gottlob Meissner, are in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: This is a solo cantata with a final four-part chorale setting of the anonymous (1694) hymn tune “Ist Gott mein Schild Helfersmann.” In movement 3, the soprano solo is an ornamented variant of the hymn tune “Allein Gott in der Höh’ sei Ehr,” which was a Lutheran adaptation (1539) of the chant tune “Gloria in excelsis” appropriated for Easter. Performance Issues: There is a sustained oboe solo in movement 1, and a very exposed and difficult oboe duet in movement 3. This third movement could benefit from the addition of bassoon to the continuo part. In movement 2 there is a very difficult solo part for violoncello piccolo, which is written an octave above sounding pitch in treble clef. This cantata would work well with solo strings. Soloists: soprano - range: g'-g'', this solo is ornamented and very sustained; alto range: c'-e♭'', tessitura: d'-c'', this is a lilting and sustained role with some coloratura passages; tenor range: e♭-a♭', tessitura: a-f', this is a declamatory solo with very long phrases; bass - range: A♭-e♭', tessitura: d-d', this solo has some rapid melismas and broad melodic leaps. Choir: easy; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Arleen Augér, Gabriele Schreckenbach, Adalbert Kraus, Walter Heldwein; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in the Gedächtniskirche, Stuttgart, in 1980 and 1981. Hänssler Classic: 98.864. Wilhelm Wiedl, Paul Esswood, Kurt Equiluz, Ruud van der Meer; Tolz Boys’ Choir, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 2292-42578-2. Re-released as 4509-91759-2. Ingeborg Reichelt, Hertha Töpper, Helmut Krebs, Franz Kelch; Heilbronn Heinrich Schütz Choir, Pforzheim Chamber Orchestra; conducted by Fritz Werner. Recorded in 1959. Erato: 4509-974072. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 436, 619; volume 2: 38, 131134, 270. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 258. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 144.
Cantata No. 86: Wahrlich, wahrlich, ich sage euch, BWV 86 (1724) Duration: ca. 18 minutes Occasion: Easter V/Rogate
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Text: The text of movement 1 is from the New Testament (John 16:23); movement 3 is by Georg Grünwald (1530); movement 6 is by Paul Speratus (1524); and the remaining texts are believed to be by Christian Weiss Sr. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir (chorale only); orchestra: 2 oboes d’amore, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 14 May 1724, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Wahrlich, wahrlich, ich sage euch is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 12, page 47, edited by Alfred Dürr. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 20/1, page 121, edited by Wilhelm Rust. Other available editions include those from Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts) and Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: The composer’s autograph full score is in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: This is a solo cantata with a four-part final chorale. Movement 3 includes a cantus firmus on the anonymous (1530) hymn tune “Kommt her zu mir, spricht Gottes Sohn,” and the finale chorale is a setting of the anonymous fifteenth-century Easter hymn “Freu dich du werthe Christenheit.” Performance Issues: The orchestral writing is generally quite accessible for all parts. Movement 2 has a very difficult violin solo, requiring a strong player. Movement 3 has a demanding duet for two oboes. It has very long phrases and perpetual motion throughout the movement. This movement has the soprano soloist as a cantus firmus on the hymn tune, “Kommt her zu mir, spricht Gottes Sohn.” If a choir is present for the final chorale, the use of a soprano section for this part would be quite effective. This cantata would be appropriate for solo strings throughout. Soloists: soprano range: e'-c#'', tessitura: e'-c#'', this is a declamatory and syllabic solo, which is very sustained; alto - range: b-d'', tessitura: e'-c#'', this is a melismatic solo following scalar and triadic configurations; tenor - range: f#b', tessitura: b-g#', this is a declamatory solo with a high tessitura; bass - range: G#-d', tessitura: B-b, this is a declamatory solo, which is not particularly difficult. Choir: easy; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Arleen Augér, Helen Watts, Adalbert Kraus, Walter Heldwein; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in the Gedächtniskirche, Stuttgart, in 1979. Hänssler Classic: 98.885. Wilhelm Wiedl, Paul Esswood, Kurt Equiluz, Ruud van der Meer; Tolz Boys’ Choir, Vienna Concentus
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 2292-42578-2. Re-released as 4509-91759-2. Andrew Sparke, Peter White, Andrew Mullen; Ampleforth Singers and Baroque Ensemble; conducted by David Bowman. York: HAC 801. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 415-418; volume 2: 270. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 274. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 67.
Cantata No. 87: Bisher habt ihr nichts gebeten, BWV 87 (1725) Duration: ca. 22 minutes70 Occasion: Easter V/Rogate Text: The text of movement 1 is from the New Testament (John 16:24); movement 5 is from the New Testament (John 16:33); movement 7 is by Heinrich Müller; and the remaining texts are by Mariane von Ziegler, from her Versuch in gebundenet Schreibart, as adapted by Bach. Performing Forces: voices: alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir (chorale only); orchestra: 2 oboes, 2 oboes da caccia, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 6 May 1725, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Bisher habt ihr nichts gebeten is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 12, page 63, edited by Alfred Dürr. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 20/1, page 137, edited by Wilhelm Rust. Other available editions include that from Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: The composer’s autograph full score, and an original set of parts, in the hands of Johann Andreas Kuhnau, Wilhelm Friedemann Bach, Christian Gottlob Meissner, and the composer, are in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: This is a solo cantata, which closes with a fourpart chorale setting of Johann Crüger’s hymn tune (1653) “Jesu meine Freude.” Performance Issues: The string writing in this cantata is very idiomatic. The oboes da caccia play a prominent role in this cantata, but their most exposed and difficult passages are in movement 2. In most other cases they are doubled by the strings. Of the oboe da caccia parts, the second is somewhat more difficult 70 Alfred Dürr lists 22 minutes and David Daniels lists 26 minutes, but the Rilling recording is 20 minutes and 10 seconds.
than the first. Soloists: alto - range: b♭-e'', tessitura: e♭'-d'', this is a very difficult role that includes sustained singing in the upper range and considerable ornamentation; tenor - range: f-b♭', tessitura: a-f', this is a sustained and lilting solo part; bass - range: G-e♭', tessitura: c-c', this role has long phrases and considerable melismatic writing. Choir: easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Julia Hamari, Aldo Baldin, Walter Heldwein; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in the Gedächtniskirche, Stuttgart, in 1980 and 1981. Hänssler Classic: 98.885. Paul Esswood, Kurt Equiluz, Ruud van der Meer; Tolz Boys’ Choir, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 2292-42578-2. Rereleased as 4509-91759-2. Ingeborg Reichelt, Hertha Töpper, Helmut Krebs, Franz Kelch; Heilbronn Heinrich Schütz Choir, Pforzheim Chamber Orchestra; conducted by Fritz Werner. Recorded in 1961. Erato: 4509-98525-2. Anna Reynolds, Peter Schreier, Dietrich FischerDieskau; Munich Bach Choir, Munich Bach Orchestra; conducted by Karl Richter. Recorded between 1973 and 1974. Archiv: 439 374-2AX5. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 2: 38, 134-138. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 276. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 148.
Cantata No. 88: Siehe, ich will viel Fischer aussenden, BWV 88 (1726) Duration: ca. 23 minutes Occasion: Trinity V Text: The text for movement 1 is from the Old Testament (Jeremiah 16:16); movement 4 is from the New Testament (Luke 5:10); movement 7 is by Georg Neumark (1657); and the remaining texts are from an unidentified source. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir (chorale only); orchestra: 2 oboes d’amore, 2 horns, taille, strings, and basso continuo
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First Performance: 21 July 1726, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Siehe, ich will viel Fischer aussenden is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 17/2, page 33, edited by Reinmar Emans. Performance materials are available from BärenreiterVerlag. It is also published in BG, volume 20/1, page 155, edited by Wilhelm Rust. Other available editions include that from Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: The autograph of the full score, and the original set of parts, in the hands of “copyist C” and Christian Gottlob Meissner, are in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: This is a solo cantata that closes with a four-part chorale setting of Georg Neumark’s hymn tune (1657) “Wer nur den lieben Gott läßt walten.” Performance Issues: This cantata has particularly difficult parts for the solo quartet. The orchestration of the opening movement is remarkably varied and colorful, but may prove challenging for establishing good balance. This is because the horn parts in this cantata are quite high and may be difficult to subdue on modern instruments. Placement of the horns should take this into consideration. Rarely does Bach provide so robust an accompanying ensemble for a solo singer. There is an exposed and difficult oboe d’amore solo in movement 3. In movement 6, Bach has put both oboe d’amore parts and the violins in unison throughout the movement. Movement 5 is particularly suitable for extraction as a concert duet for soprano and alto soloists with strings. Soloists: soprano - range: d'-g'', tessitura: f#'-e'', this is a lyrical and ornamented solo, this singer should blend well with the alto soloist; alto - range: ad'', tessitura: d'-b', this is a lilting and somewhat ornamented solo, this singer should blend well with the soprano soloist; tenor - range: d-a', tessitura: g-g', this is a very melismatic solo; bass - range: G-e', tessitura: dd', this is a very difficult bravura solo with long phrases and extended coloratura passagework, a large voice is required to penetrate the orchestration of movement 1. Choir: easy; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Ingeborg Reichelt, Verena Gohl, Adalbert Kraus, Wolfgang Schöne; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, BachCollegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in 1970. Hänssler Classic: 98.804. Markus Klein, Paul Esswood, Kurt Equiluz, Max van Egmond; Hanover Boys’ Choir, Ghent Collegium Vocale, Leonhardt Consort; conducted by Gustav Leonhardt. Teldec: 2292-42578-2. Re-released as 450991759-2.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 425-431; volume 2: 84. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 361. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 124.
Cantata No. 89: Was soll ich aus dir machen, Ephraim?, BWV 89 (1723) Duration: ca. 12 minutes Occasion: Trinity XXII Text: The text of movement 1 is from the Old Testament (Hosea 11:8); movement 6 is by Johann Heermann (1630); the remaining texts are from an unidentified source. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, and bass soloists; SATB choir (chorale only); orchestra: 2 oboes, horn, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 24 October 1723, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Was soll ich aus dir machen, Ephraim? is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 26, page 3, edited by Andreas Glöckner. Performance materials are available from BärenreiterVerlag. It is also published in BG, volume 20/1, page 181, edited by Wilhelm Rust. Other available editions include those from Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts) and Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: An original set of parts, in the hands of Johann Andreas Kuhnau and Christian Gottlob Meissner, is in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: This is a solo cantata with a finale four-part chorale setting of the anonymous secular tune (1574) “Auf meinen lieben Gott.” Performance Issues: The orchestra parts are consistently accessible to college-level players, and appear only in movements 1, 5, and 6. Movements 2, 3, and 4 are all secco recitatives. The horn parts are unusually easy compared to most that Bach wrote. There is an exposed oboe solo in movement 5, which is not particularly difficult. Soloists: soprano - range: c-g'', tessitura: f'-f'', this is a lilting and lyrical solo; alto - range: b♭-e'', tessitura: e'-d'', this is a declamatory role with some rapid melismatic passages; bass - range: G-e♭', tessitura: c-c', this is a farily difficult solo with long phrases and considerable coloratura passagework. Choir: easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Arleen Augér, Helen Watts, Philippe Huttenlocher; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in the Gedächtniskirche, Stuttgart, in 1977. Hänssler Classic: 98.818. Markus Klein, Paul Esswood, Max van Egmond; Hanover Boys’ Choir, Ghent Collegium Vocale, Leonhardt Consort; conducted by Gustav Leonhardt. Teldec: 2292-42578-2. Re-released as 4509-91759-2. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 388-392. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 502. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 96.
rapid passagework.71 Soloists: alto - range: c'-e♭'', tessitura: e'-d♭'', this is a short solo appropriate for a chorister; tenor - range: d-a', tessitura: f-f', this solo combines some melismatic singing with passages of straight text declamation; bass - range: B♭-e♭', tessitura: d-d', this is a difficult solo with rapid text declamation and melismatic passagework. Choir: easy; Orchestra: difficult. Selected Discography:
Duration: ca. 14 minutes
Helen Watts, Adalbert Kraus, Siegmund Nimsgern; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in the Gedächtniskirche, Stuttgart, in 1977 and 1978. Hänssler Classic: 98.821. Paul Esswood, Kurt Equiluz, Max van Egmond; Hanover Boys’ Choir, Ghent Collegium Vocale, Leonhardt Consort; conducted by Gustav Leonhardt. Teldec: 2292-42578-2. Re-released as 4509-91759-2.
Occasion: Trinity XXV
Selected Bibliography:
Text: The text of movement 5 is by Martin Moller (1584); the remaining texts are from an unidentified source. Performing Forces: voices: alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir (chorale only); orchestra: trumpet, strings, and basso continuo
Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 2: 149-153. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 523. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 223.
First Performance: 14 November 1723, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig
Cantata No. 91: Gelobet seist du, Jesu Christ, BWV 91 (1724)
Editions: Es reisset euch ein Schrecklich Ende is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 27, page 61, edited by Alfred Dürr. Performance materials are available from BärenreiterVerlag. It is also published in BG, volume 20/1, page 197, edited by Wilhelm Rust. Other available editions include that from Breitkopf und Härtel.
Duration: ca. 19 minutes
Cantata No. 90: Es reisset euch ein Schrecklich Ende, BWV 90 (1723)
Manuscript Sources: The composer’s autograph full score is in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: This is a solo cantata on the topic of the Last Judgment with a finale four-part chorale setting of the anonymous tune, which Martin Luther adapted for hymn on the Lord’s Prayer, “Vater unser im Himmelreich.” Performance Issues: The orchestra parts are difficult throughout with violin I parts filled with rapid runs and chromatic figurations. This is especially true in movements 1 and 3. This cantata would be well suited for solo strings. If a section is used, the aforementioned movements will require attention to achieve cohesive ensemble. There is an exceptionally demanding trumpet solo (in B♭) in movement 3. It is not as high as many of Bach’s trumpet parts, but it is rife with 71 This trumpet part is not labeled in the BG full score.
Occasion: Christmas Text: The texts of movements 1, 2, and 6 are by Martin Luther (1524); the remaining texts are paraphrases attributed to Bach. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 3 oboes, 2 horns, timpani, strings, and basso continuo (including bassoon) First Performance: 25 December 1724, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Gelobet seist du, Jesu Christ is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 2, page 133, edited by Alfred Dürr. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 22, page 3, edited by Wilhelm Rust. Other available editions include those from Bärenreiter (parts and score), Kalmus (NBA edition, score and parts), and Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: The composer’s autograph full score and an original set of parts, in the hands of Johann Andreas Kuhnau, Wilhelm Friedemann Bach,
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and others, are in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: This is a chorale cantata based upon Martin Luther’s hymn of the same name. Luther adapted (1524) a Latin plainsong to form his tune. Movements 1, 2, and 6 use Luther’s verses 1, 2, and 7, respectively. Movement 6 is an elaborated adaptation of movement 2 of BWV 64. The BG edition includes an alternate version of movement 5 with the text “Sein menschlich Wesen,” and a fragment of a mostly lost bass aria, which is believed to have come from this cantata. Performance Issues: In movement 1, the sopranos have a cantus firmus on the hymn tune. This is accompanied by the other choral parts in a combination of imitative and homophonic passages. Neither the cantus firmus nor the other choral parts are doubled by the orchestra. The orchestral accompaniment in this movement is perpetually moving and utilizes pervasive imitation. The horn parts in this movement are very challenging with sustained playing and rapid passagework at the very top of the modern-horn range. In movement 2 the soprano’s recitative is interjected with passages of the chorale tune. These interpolations might be best contrasted with the recitative if sung by the soprano section. In movement 3 there is an oboe trio, which has sustained phrases and intricate rhythmic articulation for all three players. This movement would benefit from the addition of bassoon to the continuo part. There is a unison dotted figuration for all of the violins in movement 5. The final chorale has additional parts for the horns and timpani. Soloists: soprano - range: d'-a'', tessitura: a'-f'', this is a declamatory solo with some intricate rhythmic figures; alto - range: g-d'', tessitura: c'-b', this is a declamatory solo requiring rhythmic articulation and some melismatic singing; tenor range: e-a', tessitura: g-f', this role has long phrases and a variety of articulations are required; bass - range: B-e', tessitura: d-c', this is a brief and easy solo appropriate for a chorister. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Helen Donath, Helen Watts, Adalbert Kraus, Wolfgang Schöne; Frankfurter Kantorei, Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart, Württembergisches Kammerorchester Heil-bronn; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in the Gedächtniskirche, Stuttgart, in 1972 and 1984. Hänssler Classic: 98.822. Detlef Bratschke, Paul Esswood, Kurt Equiluz, Max van Egmond; Hanover Boys’ Choir, Ghent Collegium Vocale, Leonhardt Consort; conducted by Gustav Leonhardt. Teldec: 2292-42582-2. Re-released as 450991759-2.
72 Alfred Dürr lists 33 minutes and David Daniels lists 37 minutes, but the Rilling recording is 30 minutes 35 seconds.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 236; volume 2: 275, 286, 386-391. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 109. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 225.
Cantata No. 92: Ich hab in Gottes Herz und Sinn, BWV 92 (1725) Duration: ca. 32 minutes72 Occasion: Septuagesima Text: The texts of movements 3, 5, 6, and 8 are believed to be paraphrases by Bach; the remaining texts are by Paul Gerhardt (1647). Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes d’amore; strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 28 January 1725, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Ich hab in Gottes Herz und Sinn is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 7, page 43, edited by Werner Neumann. Performance materials are available from BärenreiterVerlag. It is also published in BG, volume 22, page 35, edited by Wilhelm Rust. Other available editions include that from Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: The composer’s autograph full score is in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. An original set of parts, in the hands of Johann Andreas Kuhnau, Wilhelm Friedemann Bach, and Johann Heinrich Bach, is in the Bach-Archiv in Leipzig. Notes: This is a chorale cantata based upon Paul Gerhard’s hymn of the same name. Of Gerhard’s original twelve verses, the librettist uses 1, 2, 5, 10, and 12, verbatim, and paraphrases those remaining. The tune for this hymn is the anonymous (c. 1529) “Was mein Gott will, gescheh allzeit,” which is based upon the secular tune “Il me souffit des tous mes maulx.” Performance Issues: In movement 1, the sopranos have the hymn tune as a cantus firmus while the other choral parts are written in pervasive imitation. These contrapuntal vocal parts are generally doubled by the orchestra while the cantus firmus is not. Movement 2 interjects lines of the chorale amid the recitative; these interpolations may be best served by using the entire section. There is a difficult and highly ornamented violin I part in movement 3. This movement may benefit from the use of solo strings. Movement 4 features an
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
exposed duet for oboes d’amore around a slightly ornamented monophonic presentation of the chorale by the alto soloist. The use of bassoon in the continuo of this movement should be considered. Movement 7 intersperses a four-part setting of the chorale with recitative lines from each soloist. The chorale passages can be sung by the choir or solo quartet. There is an exposed, but not difficult oboe d’amore solo in movement 8. Soloists: soprano - range: d'-a'', tessitura: g'f'', this is a lyrical solo with some melismas; alto range: c'-b', tessitura: c'-b', this is a sustained solo that could be appropriate for a chorister, especially if the chorale is sung by the section; tenor - range: c-a', tessitura: f-g', this solo has exceptionally broad melodic leaps, some coloratura passages, and dotted rhythmic figurations; bass - range: G-e', tessitura: e-c', this is a difficult role that requires a singer capable of dramatic variety and very rapid coloratura singer. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Arleen Augér, Helen Watts, Gabriele Schreckenbach, Aldo Baldin, Philippe Huttenlocher; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Hänssler Classic: 98.877. Detlef Bratschke, Paul Esswood, Kurt Equiluz, Max van Egmond; Hanover Boys’ Choir, Ghent Collegium Vocale, Leonhardt Consort; conducted by Gustav Leonhardt. Teldec: 2292-42582-2. Re-released as 450991759-2. Edith Mathis, Peter Schreier, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau; Munich Bach Choir, Munich Bach Orchestra; conducted by Karl Richter. Recorded between 1973 and 1974. Archiv: 439 374-2AX5. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 2: 270, 275, 280, 301, 391-398, 402. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 204. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 187.
Cantata No. 93: Wer nur den lieben Gott lässt walten, BWV 93 (1724) Duration: ca. 20 minutes Occasion: Trinity V Text: The texts of movements 1, 4, 5, and 7 are by Georg Neumark (1657); the remaining texts are thought to be paraphrases by Bach.
73 In his recording, Helmut Rilling assigns these “duets” to the soloists. The effect is quite natural, and it heightens the contrast of textures.
Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 9 July 1724, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Wer nur den lieben Gott lässt walten is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 17/2, page 3, edited by Reinmar Emans. Performance materials are available from BärenreiterVerlag. It is also published in BG, volume 22, page 71, edited by Wilhelm Rust. Other available editions include those from Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts) and Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: Sets of parts in the hands of “copyist IIa” and “copyist E” are in the Bach-Archiv in Leipzig. Notes: This is a chorale cantata based upon Georg Neumark’s hymn (1657) of the same title. Bach used movement 4 as the basis of his organ work, BWV 647. This is Schübler chorale 3. Performance Issues: There is an occasional use of cantus firmus, as well as fugal imitation in the choir. These contrapuntal passages are followed by homophonic statements of the hymn. Bach pairs the voices by gender to present introductions to these passages, which are canonic, or in unison.73 In movements 2 and 5, the soloists interpolate lines of the chorale between lines of recitative. In movement 4 Bach presents a lovely duet between the soprano and alto with the chorale tune being played intermittently, in unison, by the violins and violas. There is a difficult and exposed oboe solo in movement 6. The use of bassoon in the continuo of this movement could be very effective. Soloists: soprano - range: d'-g'', tessitura: g'-f'', this is a sustained and lyrical solo; alto - range: b♭-d♭'', tessitura: d'-b♭', this is a lyrical and sustained role; tenor range: d-a', tessitura: a♭-f', this is a lilting and sustained solo; bass - range: A-e♭', tessitura: d-c', this is a brief declamatory role appropriate for a chorister. Choir: medium difficult. Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Arleen Augér, Ann Murray, Adalbert Kraus, Walter Heldwein; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in the Gedächtniskirche, Stuttgart, in 1979. Hänssler Classic: 98.865. Wilhelm Wiedl, Paul Esswood, Kurt Equiluz, Ruud vand der Meer; Tolz Boys’ Choir, Vienna Concentus
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Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 2292-42582-2. Re-released as 4509-91759-2. Edith Mathis, Anna Reynolds, Peter Schreier, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau; Munich Bach Choir, Munich Bach Orchestra; conducted by Karl Richter. Recorded between 1974 and 1975. Archiv: 439 380-2AX6. Collegium Vocale; conducted by Philippe Herreweghe. Recorded in 1991. Virgin: VC7 59320-2. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 231, 433, 494-501; volume 2: 84, 273, 275, 277, 307. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 358. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 87.
Cantata No. 94: Was frag ich nach der Welt, BWV 94 (1724) Duration: ca. 28 minutes Occasion: Trinity IX Text: The texts of movements 2, 4, and 6 are thought to be paraphrases by Bach; movement 7 is believed to be by Bach; and the remaining texts are by Georg Michael Pfefferkorn (1667). Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: flute, 2 oboes, oboe d’amore, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 6 August 1724, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Was frag ich nach der Welt is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 19, page 45, edited by Robert Lewis Marshall. Performance materials are available from BärenreiterVerlag. It is also published in BG, volume 22, page 97, edited by Wilhelm Rust. Other available editions include those from Kalmus (urtext edition, score and parts) and Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: The composer’s autograph full score is in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. An original set of parts, in the hand of Johann Andreas Kuhnau, is in the Bach-Archiv in Leipzig. Notes: This is a chorale cantata based upon the hymn text of the same name, which is set to the anonymous (1679) tune “O Gott, du frommer Gott.” In movements 3 and 5, Bach interpolates lines of the chorale between lines of recitative. Performance Issues: The chorale writing for this cantata is very accessible to less-experienced choirs. It is a good introduction to Bach’s chorale cantatas. The opening choral fantasia is quite conservative for the choir, using mostly homophonic writing. The orchestra ornaments but does not double the choir, except for
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
the basses, who often correspond to the continuo part. There is a prominent and difficult flute solo in movements 1 and 4, the latter being more exposed, but less difficult. There is an exposed oboe duet in movement 3, and an exposed and very sustained oboe d’amore solo in movement 7. In movement 7, there are separate organ and continuo parts. The differences are primarily octave displacements of the bass line, and tacets for the organ. The string writing is quite accessible throughout the cantata. Soloists: soprano - range: c-g', tessitura: f'-d'', this is a lyrical solo with some melismatic writing; alto - range: b-d'', tessitura: e'-c'', this is a rhythmically articulate solo with some ornamentation; tenor - range: d-a', tessitura: a-f#', this is a very difficult role with long phrases, dotted figures, and extended coloratura passages; bass - range: A-e', tessitura: c-c', this is a declamatory solo with some coloratura writing. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Helen Donath, Else Paaske, Aldo Baldin, Hanns-Friedrich Kunz, Wolfgang Schöne; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in the Gedächtniskirche, Stuttgart, in 1974. Hänssler Classic: 98.808. Wilhelm Wiedl, Paul Esswood, Kurt Equiluz, Philippe Huttenlocher; Tolz Boys’ Choir, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 2292-42582-2. Re-released as 4509-91759-2. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 2: 275, 277, 286, 328-335. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 390. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 162.
Cantata No. 95: Christus, der ist mein Leben, BWV 95 (1723) Duration: ca. 21 minutes Occasion: Trinity XVI Text: The text of movement 1 is by Martin Luther and an unidentified source; movement 3 is by Valerius Herberger; and movement 7 is by Nikolaus Herman (1560). Performing Forces: voices: soprano, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes d’amore, horn, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 12 September 1723, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Christus, der ist mein Leben is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 23, page 67, edited by Helmuth Osthoff. Performance
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 22, page 131, edited by Wilhelm Rust. Other available editions include those from Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts) and Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: An original set of parts, in the hands of Johann Andreas Kuhnau and Christian Gottlob Meissner, is in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: This cantata is quite original in its incorporation of four hymn tunes. Movement 1 begins with a fantasia on Melchior Vulpius’s (1609) “Christus, der ist mein Leben,” and after recitative interjections from the tenor soloist, closes with an adaptation of “Mit Fried und Freud ich fahr dahin,” which is attributed to Martin Luther (1524). Movement 3 is a setting of “Valet will ich dir geben,” by Melchior Teschner (1613), and the final chorale is a four-part setting of Niklaus Herman’s (1569) “Wenn mein Stündlein vorhanden ist.” Performance Issues: The unusual three-part first movement is quite accessible to a less-experienced choir. The choral parts are sustained and homophonic with considerable support in the accompaniment. The final chorale is in traditional hymn form, except that it is truly in five parts, the fifth being the first violin part, written as a descant. Most of the instrumental writing is quite accessible, but the horn part in movement 1 is stratospherically high. Few players of modern horn will be able to execute these parts without some octave transpositions. There are oboe d’amore duets, in movements 1, 3, and 5. There is a single part in movement 3, labeled for both players, but it would be best to have only one player in that movement. The last duet is delightful, but very intricate. It is accompanied by pizzicato strings and requires subtle interweaving of parts and echo-like dynamics. Soloists: soprano range: e'-a'', tessitura: a'-f'', this is a declamatory and sustained solo appropriate for a strong chorister; tenor - range: d-a', tessitura: a-g', this solo has awkward melodic leaps and some coloratura writing; bass - range: G-d', tessitura: d-c', this is a brief declamatory solo appropriate for a chorister. Choir: medium easy, Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Arleen Augér, Adalbert Kraus, Walter Heldwein; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in the Gedächtniskirche, Stuttgart, in 1977 and 1978. Hänssler Classic: 98.812. Wilhelm Wiedl, Kurt Equiluz, Philippe Huttenlocher; Tolz Boys’ Choir, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 229242583-2. Re-released as 4509-91759-2.
Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 434, 543-548; volume 2: 270, 301, 301. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 450. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 129.
Cantata No. 96: Herr Christ, der einge Gottessohn, BWV 96 (1724) Duration: ca. 20 minutes Occasion: Trinity XVIII Text: The texts of movements 1 and 6 are by Elisabeth Kreuziger (1524); the remaining texts are believed to be paraphrases by Bach. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: recorder (4th flute), flute, 2 oboes, horn, trombone, violin piccolo, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 8 October 1724, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Herr Christ, der einge Gottessohn is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 24, page 3, edited by Matthias Wendt. Performance materials are available from BärenreiterVerlag. It is also published in BG, volume 22, page 157, edited by Wilhelm Rust. Other available editions include that from Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: The composer’s autograph full score is in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. An original set of parts, in the hands of Johann Andreas Kuhnau and Christian Gottlob Meissner, is in the Bach-Archiv in Leipzig. Notes: This is a chorale cantata, setting the anonymous (1524) hymn tune “Herr Christ, der einge Gottessohn” as a chorale fantasia in movement 1 and as a four-part chorale in the final movement. Bach made four-part chorale settings of this tune to conclude three other cantatas: BWV 22, 132, and 164. Performance Issues: In movement 1, the hymn tune appears as a cantus firmus in the alto chorus part, horn, and trombone. For this movement, alto trombone is advisable. The remaining choral parts are in pervasive imitation, and are mostly doubled by the orchestra. In this movement, there are some unison parts in which one part has a trill and another does not. It may be advantageous to unify these. There is a perpetually moving recorder solo in movement 1, which is doubled by violin piccolo. This work should not be performed without a very strong recorder player. If a transverse flute is to be substituted, the part may need to be transposed (originally in F) depending upon the edition. It
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should also then be played on piccolo. There is another prominent and difficult flute solo in movement 3. The string writing throughout is accessible to college-level players. Soloists: soprano - range: d'-g'', tessitura: a'f'', this is a brief declamatory solo appropriate for a chorister; alto - range: b♭-d'', tessitura: d'-c'', this is a brief declamatory solo appropriate for a chorister; tenor - range: e-a', tessitura: a-g', this is an ornamented solo with some coloratura writing; bass - range: G-e', tessitura: d-c', this is a declamatory and ornamented solo requiring a big voice. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Helen Donath, Marga Hoeffgen, Adalbert Kraus, Siegmund Nimsgern; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, BachCollegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in the Gedächtniskirche, Stuttgart, in 1973. Hänssler Classic: 98.814. Wilhelm Wiedl, Paul Esswood, Kurt Equiluz, Philippe Huttenlocher; Tolz Boys’ Choir, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 2292-42583-2. Re-released as 4509-91759-2. Edith Mathis, Anna Reynolds, Peter Schreier, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau; Munich Bach Choir, Munich Bach Orchestra; conducted by Karl Richter. Recorded between 1977 and 1978. Archiv: 439 394-2AX5.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Wilhelm Rust. Other available editions include that from Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: The composer’s manuscript full score is in the New York Public Library. An original set of parts, in the hand of Friedrich Christian Samuel Mohrheim, is in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: This is a chorale cantata in which each movement is a setting of a successive verse. Bach uses the anonymous (1539) hymn tune “O Welt, ich muß dich lassen” only in the first and last movements. It is derived from the secular song, “Innsbruck, ich muß dich lassen,” by Heinrick Isaak.
Cantata No. 97: In allen meinen Taten, BWV 97 (1734)
Performance Issues: The sopranos have the hymn tune as a cantus firmus in movement one. The other choral parts have very articulate melismatic passagework, which is doubled by the orchestra, while the cantus firmus is not. The choral writing is vocally difficult, requiring trained singers with secure technique. In movement 1, there are separate parts for the continuo and bassoon. They differ mostly in octave placement. Movement 4 has an exposed and difficult solo for violin that also has frequent dynamic shifts. There is a prominent but not difficult oboe duet in movement 8. The BG edition includes a simplified version of movement 2, and alternate organ parts for movement 6. Soloists: soprano - range: c'-g'', tessitura: g'-f'', this is a lyrical and sustained solo, this singer should blend well with the bass soloist; alto - range: b-e♭'', tessitura: f'-c'', this is a lyrical solo with long phrases that is best suited to a mezzo-soprano voice; tenor - range: d-a♭', tessitura: g-f', this is a declamatory solo with considerable coloratura writing; bass - range: A♭-e♭', tessitura: c-c', this is a lyrical and sustained role, this singer should blend well with the soprano soloist. Choir: difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult.
Duration: ca. 31 minutes74
Selected Discography:
Occasion: unknown
Helen Donath, Helrun Gardow, Adalbert Kraus, Philippe Huttenlocher; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, BachCollegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in the Gedächtniskirche, Stuttgart, in 1974. Hänssler Classic: 98.835. Wilhelm Wiedl, Paul Esswood, Kurt Equiluz, Ruud van der Meer, Philippe Huttenlocher; Tolz Boys’ Choir, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 2292-42583-2. Re-released as 4509-91759-2.
Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 2: 286, 398-402. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 467. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 212.
Text: The entire text is by Paul Fleming (1642). Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 1734, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: In allen meinen Taten is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 34, page 199, edited by Ryuichi Higuchi. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 22, page 187, edited by
74 Alfred Dürr lists 32 minutes and David Daniels lists 36 minutes, but the Rilling recording is 29 minutes 50 seconds.
Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 236, 433, 435, 465-472; volume 2: 307.
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Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 636. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 138.
Cantata No. 98: Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan I, BWV 98 (1726) Duration: ca. 16 minutes75 Occasion: Trinity XXI Text: The text of movement 1 is by Samuel Rodigast (1674); the remaining text is from an unknown source. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: oboe, oboe d’amore, taille, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 10 November 1726, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 25, edited by Ulrich Bartels. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 22, page 233, edited by Wilhelm Rust. Other available editions include those from Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts) and Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: The autograph of the full score, and an original set of parts, in the hands of “copyist C” and Christian Gottlob Meissner, are in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: This is a chorale cantata based upon the hymn tune “Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan,” which is attributed to Johann Pachelbel (1690). See BWV 99 and BWV 100 for different treatments of the same text and hymn tune. This work is interesting in that it does not have a final chorale. The final page does not bear Bach’s usual dedicatory S.D.G. mark, which may suggest that he intended to add a chorale, or that one was composed and has since been lost. Performance Issues: The hymn tune appears only in movement 1, where it is set as a cantus firmus in the sopranos. The remaining choral parts are entirely homophonic harmonizations of the tune. The choral parts are entirely doubled in the orchestra: oboe I with the sopranos, oboe II with the altos, taille with the tenors, and continuo with the basses. There is a prominent and fairly challenging oboe solo in movement 3. The score lists unison violins in movement 5, but a solo violinist would be simpler and probably more effective. The orchestra parts are quite easy throughout, with the exception of the first violin part, which is not virtuosic but is more difficult than its neighbors. This is an excellent introductory cantata for an 75 Alfred Dürr lists 17 minutes and David Daniels lists 19 minutes, but the Rilling recording is 14 minutes 26 seconds.
inexperienced choir with limited orchestral resources. Soloists: soprano - range: c'-a♭'', tessitura: g'-f'', this is
a lyrical and melismatic solo; alto - range: b♭-e♭'', tessitura: d'-d'', this is a brief declamatory solo appropriate for a chorister; tenor - range: e♭-b♭', tessitura: g-f', this is a brief declamatory solo appropriate for a chorister; bass - range: A-e♭', tessitura: c-c', this is a melismatic solo with long phrases requiring a secure technique. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Arleen Augér, Julia Hamari, Lutz-Michael Harder, Walter Heldwein; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, BachCollegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in the Gedächtniskirche, Stuttgart, in 1982 and 1983. Hänssler Classic: 98.817. Claus Lengert, Paul Esswood, Kurt Equiluz, Max van Egmond; Hanover Boys’ Choir, Leonhardt Consort; conducted by Gustav Leonhardt. Teldec: 2292-425832. Re-released as 4509-91759-2. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 434, 506, 548-553; volume 2: 286. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 497. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 130.
Cantata No. 99: Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan II, BWV 99 (1724) Duration: ca. 17 minutes Occasion: Trinity XV Text: The texts of movements 1 and 6 are by Samuel Rodigast (1674); the remaining texts are believed to be paraphrases by Bach. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: flute, oboe d’amore, horn, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 17 September 1724, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 22, page 43, edited by Matthias Wendt. Performance materials are available from BärenreiterVerlag. It is also published in BG, volume 22, page 253, edited by Wilhelm Rust. Other available editions include that from Breitkopf und Härtel.
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Manuscript Sources: The composer’s autograph full score is in a private collection. An original set of parts, in the hands of Johann Andreas Kuhnau and Christian Gottlob Meissner, is in the Bach-Archiv in Leipzig.
Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 442. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 135.
Notes: This is a chorale cantata based upon the hymn tune “Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan,” which is attributed to Johann Pachelbel (1690). See BWV 98 and BWV 100 for different treatments of the same text and hymn tune. Movement 1 of BWV 100 merely expands the orchestration of movement 1 of this cantata to include horn and timpani.
Cantata No. 100: Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan III, BWV 100 (1732-1735)
Performance Issues: In movement 1, the hymn tune appears as a cantus firmus in the soprano part, which is doubled by horn. This horn part has a high tessitura, and may benefit from some octave transpositions if a modern horn is used. The remaining chorus parts are homophonic and very straightforward, but they are not doubled by the orchestra. There is a very difficult and exposed flute solo in movements 1 and 3. The flutist returns for an intricate duet with oboe d’amore in movement 5. The orchestral parts are quite accessible to intermediate players with the exception of the flute, which demands an expert soloist. The simplicity of the choral writing makes this an excellent choice for a choir of limited expertise. With the possible exception of the tenor, the soloists can probably be found within a choir of moderate ability. Soloists: soprano - range: d'-g'', tessitura: b'-g'', this is a syllabic and declamatory solo, the singer should blend well with the alto soloist; alto - range: b-d'', tessitura: e'-c'', this is a declamatory and syllabic solo, the singer should blend well with the soprano soloist; tenor - range: e-a', tessitura: g-g', this is a somewhat aggressive and rhythmically articulate solo with long phrases; bass - range: A-e', tessitura: ec#', this is a brief, declamatory solo appropriate for a chorister. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium easy (except for the flute).
Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: flute, oboe d’amore, 2 horns, timpani, strings, and basso continuo
Selected Discography: Arleen Augér, Helen Watts, Lutz-Michael Harder, John Bröcheler; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in the Gedächtniskirche, Stuttgart, in 1979. Hänssler Classic: 98.813. Wilhelm Wiedl, Paul Esswood, Kurt Equiluz, Philippe Huttenlocher; Tolz Boys’ Choir, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 2292-42584-2. Re-released as 4509-91759-2. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 236, 237, 433, 506-510, 548; volume 2: 62, 287.
76 W. Murray Young, The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, page 166.
Duration: ca. 23 minutes Occasion: Trinity XV or XXI Text: The text is by Samuel Rodigast (1674).
First Performance: Between 1732 and 1735, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 34, page 241, edited by Ryuichi Higuchi. Performance materials are available from BärenreiterVerlag. It is also published in BG, volume 22, page 279, edited by Wilhelm Rust. Other available editions include that from Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: The autograph full score, and two sets of original parts, in the hands of Bach, “copyist Vj,” and Johann Ludwig Dietel, are in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: This is a chorale cantata based upon the hymn tune “Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan,” which is attributed to Johann Pachelbel (1690). See BWV 98 and BWV 99 for different treatments of the same text and hymn tune. Movement 6 is a parody and reorchestration of movements 7 and 14 of BWV 75. Movement 1 of this cantata is an adaptation of movement 1 of BWV 99 with the addition of a second horn and timpani. Of this work, W. Murray Young writes, “One might judge this work to be one of Bach’s highest achievements in the chorale cantata genre.”76 Performance Issues: In movement 1, the hymn tune appears as a cantus firmus in the sopranos with a homophonic echoing in the lower three choral parts. These lower choral parts are rhythmically articulate and not doubled by the orchestra; however, they are well reinforced harmonically by the more ornate orchestral material. This movement has difficult and exposed parts for the horns and the flute. Movement 2 has an imitative but fairly simple duet for the alto and tenor soloists. The flutist has a very challenging part in movement 3 filled with rapid runs and melodic figuration, which resemble a velocity etude. There is a sustained, but not technically difficult, oboe d’amore solo in movement 5. The final chorale has a highly
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
ornamented accompaniment with particularly difficult horn parts. This is an excellent work for a less-experienced chorus with strong orchestral resources, or for an orchestra to feature a local amateur chorus. The orchestration and choral writing can accommodate a large choral ensemble. Soloists: soprano - range: e'g#'', tessitura: g'-e'', this is a lilting, cantilena solo role; alto - range: a-e'', tessitura: f'-c'', this is a lyrical and sustained role best suited to a mezzo-soprano voice; tenor - range: d-a', tessitura: a-f#', this is a lyrical and sustained solo; bass - range: A-e', tessitura: d-d', this is a lyrical solo with rapid coloratura passagework. Choir: easy; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Arleen Augér, Julia Hamari, Aldo Baldin, Philippe Huttenlocher; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Württembergisches Kammerorchester Heilbronn; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in the Gedächtniskirche, Stuttgart, in 1983 and 1984. Hänssler Classic: 98.858. Detlef Bratschke, Paul Esswood, Kurt Equiluz, Max van Egmond; Hanover Boys’ Choir, Leonhardt Consort; conducted by Gustav Leonhardt. Teldec: 2292-425842. Re-released as 4509-91760-2. Edith Mathis, Julia Hamari, Peter Schreier, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau; Munich Bach Choir, Munich Bach Orchestra; conducted by Karl Richter. Recorded between 1976 and 1977. Archiv: 439 387-2AX6. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 236, 506, 548, 552; volume 2: 62-66, 277, 287. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 639. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 164.
Cantata No. 101: Nimm von uns, Herr, du treuer Gott, BWV 101 (1724) Duration: ca. 25 minutes Occasion: Trinity X Text: The texts of movements 2, 4, and 6 are believed to be paraphrases by Bach; the remaining texts are by Martin Moller (1584). Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: flute, 2 oboes, oboe da caccia, cornetto, 3 trombones, strings, and basso continuo77
77 For the oboe trio in movement 3, some editions list two oboes and taille, while others list two oboes and oboe da caccia. In either
First Performance: 13 August 1724, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Nimm von uns, Herr, du treuer Gott is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 19, page 175, edited by Robert Lewis Marshall. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 23, page 3, edited by Wilhelm Rust. Other available editions include that from Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: An original set of parts, in the hand of Johann Andreas Kuhnau, is in the BachArchiv in Leipzig. Notes: This is a chorale cantata using Martin Moller’s text using the anonymous (1539) hymn tune “Vater unser im Himmelreich,” which had been adapted by Martin Luther for his setting of the Lord’s Prayer. Performance Issues: In movement 1, the hymn tune is presented in the soprano part, as a cantus firmus, which is doubled by cornetto and flute. The remaining choral parts are sustained and imitative, and are doubled by trombones. These choral parts have many interesting non-chord tones, which will require attention to secure proper intonation. The remaining orchestra in this movement is highly imitative with independence between the parts. Nearly every instrument has exposed passages, but none of the parts is technically difficult. There is a difficult, exposed violin solo in movement 2. In movement 3, the soprano soloist has interpolations of the chorales between lines of her recitative. This same configuration occurs for the tenor soloist in movement 5. Movement 4 has similar interpolations with a more arioso alternation to the chorale. This movement would be very effective using the bass section of the choir for the chorale passages. In movement 4, there is an oboe trio that is quick and perpetual. This movement would benefit from the addition of bassoon to the continuo. There are difficult solos for flute and oboe da caccia in movement 6. Soloists: soprano - range: d'-a'', tessitura: g'-f'', this solo has some ornamented melismas, this singer should blend well with the alto soloist; alto - range: b♭-d'', tessitura: f'-b♭', this is a lyrical and sustained role, this singer should blend well with the soprano soloist; tenor range: d-a', tessitura: g-g', this is a declamatory and sustained solo with some broad melodic leaps; bass range: A-e', tessitura: d-d', this solo has some rapid and extended melismatic passages. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Arleen Augér, Helen Watts, Aldo Baldin, John Bröcheler; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium case only three players are required for the cantata. With modern instruments, two oboes and an English horn should be used for the trio.
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Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in the Gedächtniskirche, Stuttgart, in 1979. Hänssler Classic: 98.809. Wilhelm Wiedl, Paul Esswood, Kurt Equiluz; Tolz Boys’ Choir, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 2292-42584-2. Rereleased as 4509-91760-2. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 2: 271, 275, 277, 298, 478, 484497. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 400. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 203.
Cantata No. 102: Herr, deine Augen sehen nach dem Glauben, BWV 102 (1726) Duration: ca. 23 minutes Occasion: Trinity X Text: The text of movement 1 is from the Old Testament (Jeremiah 5:3); movement 4 is from the New Testament (Romans 2:4); and the remaining texts are from an unidentified source. Performing Forces: voices: alto, tenor, and bass soloists, SATB choir; orchestra: flute, 2 oboes, strings, and basso continuo78 First Performance: 25 August 1726, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Herr, deine Augen sehen nach dem Glauben is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 19, page 231, edited by Robert Lewis Marshall. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 23, page 35, edited by Wilhelm Rust. Other available editions include those from Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts) and Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: The autograph of the full score and the original set of parts, in the hands of “copyist C” and Christian Gottlob Meissner, are in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: Movement 1 of this cantata is parodied in movement 1 of Bach’s Mass in G minor, BWV 235. Movements 3 and 5 of this cantata are parodied in movement 1 of Bach’s Mass in F, BWV 233. The final chorale is a four-part setting of the anonymous (1539) hymn tune “Vater unser im Himmelreich,” which had been adapted by Martin Luther for his setting of the Lord’s Prayer.
78 In movement 5, there is a flute solo that is optionally assigned to piccolo violin.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Performance Issues: The opening chorus of this cantata is a large fugal number with contrasting homophonic passages. The imitative choral writing is well doubled by the orchestra while the homophonic passages are not. There are section of lightly accompanied imitative choral writing that could be well served with solo singers in contrast with the heavily accompanied passages with full choir. The string writing is idiomatic and accessible to collegiate-level players. There is an exposed and sustained oboe solo in movement 3 and a very difficult solo in movement 5, which may be played on flute or violin piccolo. This latter solo is accompanied by the basso continuo and pizzicato strings. Soloists: alto - range: b-e♭'', tessitura: f'-c'', this is a lyrical and sustained solo that is best suited to a mezzo-soprano voice; tenor - range: d-a', tessitura: g-f', this is a sustained and lyrical solo with some rigid text declamation; bass - range: G-e',79 tessitura: d-d', this is a declamatory and rhythmically articulate solo. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Eva Randova, Kurt Equiluz, Wolfgang Schöne; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in the Gedächtniskirche, Stuttgart, in 1972. Hänssler Classic: 98.809. Paul Esswood, Kurt Equiluz; Tolz Boys’ Choir, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 2292-42584-2. Re-released as 4509-91760-2. Julia Hamari, Peter Schreier, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau; Munich Bach Choir, Munich Bach Orchestra; conducted by Karl Richter. Recorded between 1975 and 1977. Archiv: 439 387-2AX6. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 234, 434, 666-676, 681. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 404. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 107.
Cantata No. 103: Ihr werdet weinen und heulen, BWV 103 (1725) Duration: ca. 19 minutes Occasion: Easter III/Jubilate Text: The text of movement 1 is from the New Testament (John 16:20); movement 6 is by Paul Gerhardt (1653); and the remaining texts are by Mariane von Ziegler or Christian Weiss Jr., as revised by Bach. 79 The [G] has an ossia [g], so the lowest pitch can be [A].
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Performing Forces: voices: alto and tenor soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: recorder (4th flute), 80 2 oboes d’amore, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 25 April 1725, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Ihr werdet weinen und heulen is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 11/2, page 27, edited by Reinmar Emans. Performance materials are available from BärenreiterVerlag. It is also published in BG, volume 23, page 69, edited by Wilhelm Rust. Other available editions include that from Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: The composer’s autograph full score is in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. An original set of parts, in the hands of Johann Andreas Kuhnau and Wilhelm Friedemann Bach, is in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: This is the earliest appearance of Mariane von Ziegler’s poetry in Bach’s works.81 The final chorale is a four-part setting of the anonymous (c. 1529) “Was mein Gott will, gescheh allzeit,” which is based upon the secular tune “Il me souffit des tous mes maulx.” Performance Issues: The opening movement juxtaposes passages of paired doubling of soprano with tenor and alto with bass against purely fugal four-part writing. For the former there is little direct support of the chorus by the orchestra, but in the latter, the vocal parts are clearly doubled by the instruments. There is an eight-measure adagio section in the middle of this movement, which is a recitative for the bass soloist. In the original score, the “flauto piccolo” part was written for recorder in A, sounding a major-sixth above the written pitch. In modern editions this part may be assigned to a piccolo, sounding an octave above the indicated pitch. Care should be taken that the part is in the correct key as some sets may vary. There are a few notes, which go below the range of the modern piccolo by a step. This part is fairly difficult, and is naturally exposed whenever it plays; however, in movement 3 it appears with only continuo and alto soloist. There is a trumpet solo in movement 5 that is typically high and somewhat difficult. The trumpet appears only in the last two movements. Soloists: alto - range: b-d#'', tessitura: c'-c#'', this is a sustained solo with long phrases and some extended melismatic passages; tenor - range: d-a', tessitura: a-g', this is a declamatory solo with some coloratura writing. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult.
Selected Discography: Doris Soffel, Peter Schreier, Walter Heldwein; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Hänssler Classic: 98.883. Paul Esswood, Kurt Equiluz, Max van Egmond; Hanover Boys’ Choir, Leonhardt Consort; conducted by Gustav Leonhardt. Teldec: 2292-42602-2. Re-released as 4509-91760-2. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 214; volume 2: 38, 209-215. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 265. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 145.
Cantata No. 104: Du Hirte, Israel, höre, BWV 104 (1724) Duration: ca. 18 minutes82 Occasion: Easter II/Misericordia Domini Text: The text of movement 1 is Psalm 80 (v. 1); movement 6 is by Cornelius Becker (1598), this chorale text is a paraphrase of Psalm 23; the remaining texts are believed to be by Christian Weiss Sr. Performing Forces: voices: tenor and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes, 2 oboes d’amore, oboe da caccia, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 23 April 1724, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Du Hirte, Israel, höre is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 11/1, page 115, edited by Reinmar Emans. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 23, page 97, edited by Wilhelm Rust. Other available editions include those from Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts), Breitkopf und Härtel, and Ricordi. Manuscript Sources: An original set of parts, in the hands of Johann Andreas Kuhnau and Christian Gottlob Meissner, is in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: The final chorale is a four-part setting of the hymn tune “Allein Gott in der Höh’ sei Ehr,” which was a Lutheran adaptation (1539) of the chant tune “Gloria in excelsis” appropriated for Easter.
80 This may be substituted with piccolo.
82 Alfred Dürr lists 23 minutes and David Daniels lists 24 minutes,
81 W. Murray Young states that Bach adapted Ziegler’s text with the assistance of Christian Weiss Jr., or Picander (The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, page 145).
but the Rilling recording is 16 minutes 40 seconds.
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Performance Issues: The opening chorus alternates homophonic sections paired doubling with fugal material. The chorus is not always directly doubled by the orchestra, but it is harmonically well-reinforced by the accompaniment. There are considerable dotted figurations, particularly in the orchestra, that occur simultaneously with triplets. The dotted-eighth sixteenth figures should be executed as quarter and eighth within an eighth-note triplet, in the manner of notes inégale. With orchestras unaccustomed to this practice, it may be prudent to mark the parts accordingly. There is a prominent oboe d’amore duet in movement 3 that is not technically difficult. The orchestral parts are generally within the abilities of amateur orchestras, and the choral parts are accessible to a well-prepared church choir of moderate musical aptitude. The solo parts require strong singers. Soloists: tenor range: e-a', tessitura: g-f#', this role has long phrases and extended melismatic passages; bass - range: F#-e', tessitura: c#-c#', this is a lilting and lyrical solo, requiring a voice appropriate to the role of comforter. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Adalbert Kraus, Wolfgang Schöne; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Hänssler Classic: 98.869. Kurt Equiluz, Philippe Huttenlocher; Tolz Boys’ Choir, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 2292-42602-2. Re-released as 4509-91760-2. Peter Schreier, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau; Munich Bach Choir, Munich Bach Orchestra; conducted by Karl Richter. Recorded between 1973 and 1975. Archiv: 439 374-2AX5. Ruth Ziesak, Elisabeth von Magnus, Paul Agnew, Klaus Mertens; Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra and Choir; conducted by Ton Koopman. Recorded live in 1997. Erato: 3984-21629-2. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. Fugitive Notes on Certain Cantatas and Motets of J. S. Bach, 86-101. London: Oxford University Press, 1942. ———. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 434, 436, 619-625; volume 2: 132. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 256. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 65.
83 In Rilling’s recording, this seven-measure section is sung by soloists.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Cantata No. 105: Herr, gehe nicht ins Gericht mit deinem Knecht, BWV 105 (1723) Duration: ca. 25 minutes Occasion: Trinity IX Text: The text of movement 1 is Psalm 143 (v. 2); movement 6 is by Johann von Rist (1641); and the remaining texts are from an unidentified source. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes, horn, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 25 July 1723, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Herr, gehe nicht ins Gericht mit deinem Knecht is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 19, page 3, edited by Robert Lewis Marshall. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 23, page 119, edited by Wilhelm Rust. Other available editions include those from Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts) and Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: The autograph full score is in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: The final chorale is a four-part setting of the anonymous (1642) hymn tune “Jesu, der du meine Seele,” which is of secular origin. Performance Issues: In the first half of movement 1, the chorus is generally independent of the orchestra. There are many melodic parallelisms (i.e., thirds, fourths, and sixths) between the choir and orchestra, which may prove distracting to less-experienced choral ensembles. This section of the movement has very close pervasive imitation, and begins with a passage accompanied by only the continuo.83 The second half of this movement is a four-part fugue with clear instrumental doubling of the vocal parts. This movement has a high horn I part, which may prove to be difficult in establishing a good balance within the orchestra. In movement 3, there is an exposed oboe solo, which is accessible to intermediate-level players. In movement 5, the horns are scored in unison on a very high and difficult part. This movement has a very rapid and technically involved violin I part. The use of solo players on both of these parts should be strongly considered. Bach has labeled the final chorale “for seven voices.” The continuo part doubles the choral basses, the other three choral parts are not doubled, but there are three additional parts for the strings, which, while in perpetual sixteenth notes, function as more homophonic chorale parts. Soloists: soprano - range: c-a♭'',
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
tessitura: g'-f'', this is a lyrical solo with long phrases and some coloratura passages; alto - range: b-d'', tessitura: f'-c'', this is a brief declamatory solo appropriate for a chorister; tenor - range: d-a♭', tessitura: g-g', this is a declamatory solo with some awkward melodic leaps and long phrases; bass - range: B♭-e♭', tessitura: d-c', this is a declamatory and fairly easy solo. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: difficult. Selected Discography: Arleen Augér, Helen Watts, Adalbert Kraus, Walter Heldwein; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in the Gedächtniskirche, Stuttgart, in 1977 and 1978. Hänssler Classic: 98.807. Wilhelm Wiedl, Paul Esswood, Kurt Equiluz, Ruud van der Meer; Tolz Boys’ Choir, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 2292-42602-2. Re-released as 4509-91760-2. Barbara Schlick, Gérard Lesne, Howard Crook, Peter Kooy; Ghent Collegium Vocale, Ghent Collegium Vocale Orchestra; conducted by Philippe Herreweghe. Virgin: VC7 59237-2. Edith Mathis, Julia Hamari, Peter Schreier, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau; Munich Bach Choir, Munich Bach Orchestra; conducted by Karl Richter. Recorded between 1976 and 1977. Archiv: 439 387-2AX6. Selected Bibliography Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 434, 630-637, 644; volume 2: 287. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 388. Marshall, Robert Lewis. “The Genesis of an Aria Ritornello: Observations on the Autograph Score of ‘Wie zittern und wanken,’ BWV 105/3.” Studies in Renaissance and Baroque Music in Honor of Arthur Mendel, 165-182, edited by Robert Lewis Marshall. Kassel: Bärenreiter, 1974. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 74.
Cantata No. 106: Gottes Zeit ist die allerbeste Zeit (Actus tragicus), BWV 106 (1707?) Duration: ca. 21 minutes Occasion: funeral Text: The text of movement 2 is Psalm 90 (v. 12); movement 3 is Psalm 31 (v. 5); movement 2 is from the Old Testament (Isaiah 38:1), the New Testament (Revelation 22:20), and the Apocrypha (Ecclesiasticus 14:17); movement 3 is from the New Testament (Luke 23:43); the remaining text is Martin Luther (1524), and Adam Reusner (1533).
Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 recorders, 2 violas da gamba, and basso continuo First Performance: August 1707?, Mühlhausen? Editions: Gottes Zeit ist die allerbeste Zeit is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 34, page 3, edited by Ryuichi Higuchi. Performance materials are available from BärenreiterVerlag. It is also published in BG, volume 23, page 149, edited by Wilhelm Rust. Other available editions include those from Dover (Eleven Great Cantatas, 0486-23268-9, BG edition reprint, full score only with a literal English translation by Stanley Appelbaum), Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts), and Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: There are no original manuscript materials known to exist. A copy of the full score, made by Penzel in 1768, is in the Bach-Archiv in Leipzig. Notes: It is likely that Bach composed this cantata for a mourning service for his uncle, Tobias Lämmerhirt. The choral parts and those of the instruments were originally a major second apart because of the traditions of chamber and church pitch in Mühlhausen. In movement 2d, Bach uses the hymn tune “Ich hab mein Sach Gott heimgestellt,” which was adapted (1589) from the anonymous secular song “Ich weis mir ein Röslein hübsch und fein,” in the orchestra. In movement 3b, the alto soloist sings the hymn tune “Mit Fried und Freud ich fahr dahin,” which is attributed to Martin Luther (1524), as a cantus firmus. Movement 4 is an ornamented four-part accompagnato setting of the hymn tune “In dich hab’ ich gehoffet, Herr!,” which is attributed to Seth Calvisius (1581). Performance Issues: In movement 2a, the choral writing is generally quite imitative, and it is well supported by the accompaniment. Movement 2d is highly imitative for the singers, with only continuo as accompaniment. It begins with a fughetta for the lower three voices, which is interrupted by a brief, accompanied soprano solo, followed again by four-part imitative choral writing with continuo as accompaniment. All of 2d would be well suited to a solo quartet, or for threepart chorus with soprano soloist throughout since the soprano part is melodically independent of the other voices, and has a different text. In either case, it is the most difficult choral writing in the work. The cantus firmus in movement 3b may be best sung by the alto section rather than a soloist. The joyous fugal amen that closes the final chorale begins with no reinforcement of the vocal parts except the continuo part. Given the limited aural penetration of the violas da gamba, it is advisable to avoid performances of this work with large choirs. The recorder parts are moderately difficult, accessible to collegiate-level players on transverse flute if recorder players are unavailable. The two
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viola da gamba parts are integral to the success of this piece, and require very secure players. Soloists: soprano - range: e'-g'', tessitura: g'-f'', this is a declamatory and lyrical solo suited to a darker soprano voice; alto - range: b♭-e♭'', tessitura: g♭'-d♭'', this is a lyrical solo with a fairly high tessitura well suited to a mezzosoprano voice; tenor - range: c-a♭', tessitura: f-f', this is a brief and declamatory role; bass - range: F-e♭', tessitura: c-c', this is a lyrical solo with declamatory and melismatic passages. Choir: difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Eva Csapò, Hanna Schwarz, Adalbert Kraus, Wolfgang Schöne; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, chamber ensemble; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in the Gedächtniskirche, Stuttgart, in 1975. Hänssler Classic: 98.830. Markus Klein, Raphael Harten, Marius van Altena, Max van Egmond; Hanover Boys’ Choir, Ghent Collegium Vocale, Leonhardt Consort; conducted by Gustav Leonhardt. Teldec: 2292-42602-2. Re-released as 4509-91760-2. Teresa Stich-Randall, Dagmar Hermann, Anton Dermota, Hans Braun; Vienna Bach Guild Chorus and Orchestra; conducted by Felix Prohaska. Recorded in 1954. Vanguard: 08.2009.71. Nancy Argenta, Michael Chance, Anthony Rolfe Johnson, Stephen Varcoe; Monteverdi Choir, English Baroque Soloists; conducted by John Eliot Gardiner. Archiv: 429 782-2AH. Magda Lásló, Herbert Handt, James Loomis; Milan RAI Chorus and Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Hermann Scherchen. Live concert performance in 1958. Memories (Nuova Era): HR4160. Greta de Reyghere, John Bowman, Guy de Mey, Max van Egmond; Capella Sancti Michaelis Vocal Ensemble, Ricercare Ensemble; conducted by Erik van Nevel. Recorded in 1991. Ricercare: RIC079061. Hertha Töpper, Ernst Haefliger, Theo Adam; Munich Bach Choir, Munich Bach Orchestra; conducted by Karl Richter. Recorded in 1966. Archiv: 439 3942AX5. Barbara Schlick, Kai Wessel, Guy de Mey, Klaus Mertens; Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra and Choir; conducted by Ton Koopman. Recorded live in 1995. Erato: 4509-98536-2. Selected Bibliography: Upton, George P. The Standard Cantatas, seventh edition, 33-36. Chicago: A. C. McClurg and Company, 1899. Martin, R.E. “L’Actus tragicus, Nr. 106.” Musique et Liturgie, number 16/17 (1950): 28.
84 Alfred Dürr lists 20 minutes and David Daniels lists 23 minutes, but the Rilling recording is 17 minutes 20 seconds.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 11, 25, 53, 57-63, 74, 131, 156, 161, 594; volume 2: 273, 294, 300. Dalhaus, Carl. “Analyse und Werturteil.” Musikpädagogik, Forschung, und Lehre, volume 8 (1970): 69-72. Schmalfuß, Hermann. “Johann Sebastian Bachs ‘Actus tragicus’ (BWV 106). Ein Beitrag zu seiner Entstehungsgeschichte.” Bach-Jahrbuch, 1970. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 611. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 5. Berger, Melvin. Guide to Choral Masterpieces: A Listener’s Guide, 11-14. New York: Anchor Books, 1993.
Cantata No. 107: Was willst du dich betrüben, BWV 107 (1724) Duration: ca. 19 minutes84 Occasion: Trinity VII Text: The text is by Johann Heerman (1630) and David Denicke. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 oboes d’amore, horn, strings, and basso continuo85 First Performance: 23 July 1724, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Was willst du dich betrüben is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 18, page 57, edited by Alfred Dürr. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 23, page 181, edited by Wilhelm Rust. Other available editions include that from Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: An original set of parts, in the hands of Johann Andreas Kuhnau and Christian Gottlob Meissner, is in the Bach-Archiv in Leipzig. Notes: This is a chorale cantata. The first six movements are settings of subsequent verses of Johann Heermann’s hymn “Was willst du dich betrüben.” The final chorale uses the fourteenth verse of Denicke’s hymn “Ich will zu aller Stunde.” In this cantata, Bach uses the hymn tune “Von Gott will ich nicht lassen,” which was adapted (1571) from the secular song “Ich ging einmal spazieren.” It is treated as a four-part chorale setting in movement 7, and appears as a cantus firmus in the sopranos in movement 1. Another incipit of the tune appears at the end of the soprano solo in movement 5.
85 The score is labeled “organ and continuo.”
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Performance Issues: The cantus firmus in the soprano part of movement 1 is an ornamented version of the hymn tune. It is doubled by horn and the oboes d’amore. The other choral parts are homophonic and only somewhat rhythmically different from the soprano part. The orchestra in the opening movement is highly ornamented with a significant number of chromaticisms in the upper instruments that may prove challenging in establishing good intonation. While the lower choral parts are not doubled by the orchestra, they are very simple and harmonically reinforced by the instruments. As with the opening chorus, the final chorale has an independent, ornamented accompaniment with direct doubling of only the soprano part by the horn. There is a very simple but exposed oboe d’amore duet in movement 2. Their subsequent duet in movement 5 is equally exposed, but far more challenging. In this latter movement, the addition of bassoon to the continuo would be very effective. The violin I part in movement 3 is filled with virtuosic scalar passagework. It should be played by a soloist who will need to be an expert player. The continuo bass line in movement 4 is very exposed and fairly challenging. If this part is doubled on cello and doublebass, it will require two rhythmically strong players. Movement 6 has an ornate part for unison flutes, which, though not technically challenging, may prove difficult to tune. A single player may prove preferable. This is an excellent work for a secure orchestra to feature an inexperienced choral group. Soloists: soprano - range: f#'-a'', tessitura: a'-f#'', this is a lyrical and melismatic solo; tenor - range: d-a', tessitura: a-g', this is a difficult role with coloratura writing and sustained singing; bass - range: A-e', tessitura: d-c#', this is a challenging solo with extended coloratura passages. Choir: easy; Orchestra: difficult. Selected Discography: Arleen Augér, Aldo Baldin, John Bröcheler; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in the Gedächtniskirche, Stuttgart, in 1979. Hänssler Classic: 98.805. Markus Klein, Kurt Equiluz, Max van Egmond; Hanover Boys’ Choir, Ghent Collegium Vocale, Leonhardt Consort; conducted by Gustav Leonhardt. Teldec: 2292-42603-2. Re-released as 4509-91760-2. Collegium Vocale; conducted by Philippe Herreweghe. Recorded in 1991. Virgin: VC7 59320-2. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 537; volume 2: 245-251, 287, 308. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 373. 86 Alfred Dürr and David Daniels list 20 minutes, but the Rilling recording is 16 minutes 30 seconds.
Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 160.
Cantata No. 108: Es ist euch gut, daß ich hingehe, BWV 108 (1725) Duration: ca. 18 minutes86 Occasion: Easter IV Text: The text of movement 1 is from the New Testament (John 16:7); movement 4 is from the New Testament (John 16:13); movement 6 is by Paul Gerhardt (1653); and the remaining texts are by Mariane von Ziegler. Performing Forces: voices: alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes, d’amore; strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 29 April 1725, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Es ist euch gut, daßich hingehe is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 12, page 19, edited by Alfred Dürr. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 23, page 205, edited by Wilhelm Rust. Other available editions include those from Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts) and Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: The composer’s autograph full score, and an original set of parts, in the hands of Johann Andreas Kuhnau, Wilhelm Friedemann Bach, and the composer, are in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: Movement 6 is a four-part chorale setting of the anonymous (1530) hymn tune, “Kommt her zu mir, spricht Gottes Sohn.” Performance Issues: Movement 4, the principal choral movement, is actually three successive fugues built upon related subjects. The contrapuntal writing is brilliant but quite predictable. All of the choral parts are clearly doubled by instrumental parts. The oboe d’amore I part in movement 1 is very exposed with long, rapid, scalar passages. There is a very prominent and difficult violin solo with perpetual melodic motion throughout movement 2. The violin I part in movement 5 is fairly difficult and somewhat exposed. This cantata is well suited for the use of solo string players, especially in movements 2 and 5. Soloists: alto range: b-e'', tessitura: d'-c#'', this is a lyrical solo with long flowing melismatic lines; tenor - range: e-a'', tessitura: g-g', this is a lyrical solo with some ornate melismatic sections; bass - range: A-e', tessitura: d-d', this is a difficult, florid solo with many extended
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coloratura passages. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Carolyn Watkinson, Peter Schreier, Philippe Huttenlocher; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in the Gedächtniskirche, Stuttgart, in 1980 and 1981. Hänssler Classic: 98.884. Paul Esswood, Kurt Equiluz, Ruud van der Meer; Tolz Boys’ Choir, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 2292-42603-2. Rereleased as 4509-91760-2. Hertha Töpper, Ernst Haefliger, Theo Adam; Munich Bach Choir, Munich Bach Orchestra; conducted by Karl Richter. Recorded in 1967. Archiv: 439 3742AX5. Lilian Benningsen, Peter Pears, Kieth Engen; Munich Bach Choir, Munich State Opera Orchestra; conducted by Karl Richter. Recorded in 1958. Teldec: 903177614-2. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 2: 38, 215-221. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 272. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 146.
Cantata No. 109: Ich glaube, lieber Herr, hilf meine Unglauben!, BWV 109 (1723) Duration: ca. 26 minutes Occasion: Trinity XXI Text: The text for movement 1 is from the New Testament (Mark 1:46-48); movement 6 is by Lazarus Spengler (1524); and the remaining texts are from an unidentified source. Performing Forces: voices: alto and tenor soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes, horn, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 17 October 1723, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Ich glaube, lieber Herr, hilf meine Unglauben! is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 25, edited by Ulrich Bartels. Performance materials are available from BärenreiterVerlag. It is also published in BG, volume 23, page 233, edited by Wilhelm Rust. Other available editions include those from Kalmus (urtext edition, score and parts) and Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: The autograph full score, and an original set of parts, in the hands of Johann Andreas Kuhnau and Christian Gottlob Meissner, are in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Notes: This cantata explores the issues of belief and unbelief, with the tenor solos and opening chorus addressing unbelief, and the alto solos and final chorale addressing belief. This may play a part, timbrally, in the selection of soloists for this work. Movement 6 is an ornamented four-part chorale setting of Lazarus Spengler’s hymn “Durch Adams Fall ist ganz verderbt,” which adapts (1535) the tune of the song “Was wöll wir aber heben an,” which was sung at the battle of Pavia (1529). Performance Issues: The choral writing in movement 1 is block like with a number of passages resembling solos between four-part sections for the choir that could be assigned to solo singers for heightened contrast. Despite the homophonic choral entrances, there is a great deal of contrapuntal activity between the choral parts, much of which is only supported by the continuo. The second half of this chorus exhibits greater imitation with some paired doubling and ornate passagework, but no additional accompanimental support. A secure and independent choral ensemble is needed for this work. In the final chorale, the choral parts are typical of Bach’s hymn settings, but the orchestra has a very highly ornamented accompaniment with ritornelli between each line of the hymn. In movement 1 there are a number of passages where the violin part is labeled “solo” and “tutti” with corresponding dynamic changes in the concurrent oboe part. This necessitates the use of a section of strings rather than solo players. The opening movement has an extended orchestral introduction that also serves as its coda. The horn part is very high and difficult. If it is to be played on modern horn, many octave transpositions will probably need to be made. The string parts in movement 3 are quite difficult, especially the violin I and basso continuo. There is a challenging oboe duet, with long phrases and rapid, overlapping passagework, throughout movement 5. The final chorale is set within an orchestral framework resembling a baroque overture. The sopranos have the hymn tune as a cantus firmus with an ornamented homophonic accompaniment from the lower three voices. The cantus firmus is doubled by the horn, but the remaining vocal parts are not doubled by instrumental lines. The instrumental parts of movements 1 and 6 are contrapuntally independent of each other and the choir. The choral and orchestral parts require very strong ensembles to successfully maneuver this stunningly beautiful cantata. Soloists: alto - range: b♭-e♭'', tessitura: d'-d'', this solo combines very long sustained notes with rapid, scalar, coloratura passages, it is best suited for a mezzosoprano voice; tenor - range: c-a', tessitura: f#-g', this is a lyrical solo with some rapid coloratura figures. Choir: difficult; Orchestra: difficult. Selected Discography: Gabriele Schreckenbach, Kurt Equiluz; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in the Gedächtniskirche, Stuttgart, in 1971 and 1981. Hänssler Classic: 98.818. Paul Esswood, Kurt Equiluz; Tolz Boys’ Choir, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 2292-42603-2. Re-released as 450991760-2. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 434, 666, 681-688; volume 2: 287. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 491. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 118.
Cantata No. 110: Unser Mund sei voll Lachens, BWV 110 (1725) Duration: ca. 27 minutes Occasion: Christmas Text: The text of movement 1 is Psalm 124 (v. 2); movement 3 is from the Old Testament (Jeremiah 10:6); movement 5 is from the New Testament (Luke 2:14); movement 7 is by Kaspar Füger; and the remaining texts are by Georg Christian Lehms. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, 3 oboes, oboe d’amore, oboe da caccia, 3 trumpets, timpani, strings, and basso continuo (including bassoon and organ) First Performance: 25 December 1725, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Unser Mund sei voll Lachens is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 2, page 73, edited by Alfred Dürr. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 23, page 265, edited by Wilhelm Rust. Other available editions include those from Kalmus (urtext edition, score and parts) and Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: The autograph full score, and an original set of parts, in the hands of Johann Andreas Kuhnau, Christian Gottlob Meissner, and the composer, are in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: Movement 1 is a revision of movement 1 of Bach’s Orchestral Suite, BWV 1069. Movement 5 is adapted from the Virga Jesse floruit movement in the original incarnation of the Magnificat, BWV 243a. Movement 7 is a four-part chorale setting of the hymn tune (1593) “Wir Christenleut,” by Caspar Fuger, the younger.
Performance Issues: The opening movement is written like a French overture with the chorus occupying the middle section. The chorus is labeled in three groups: pleno, ripieno, and tutti. Soloists can be effectively used as the smallest group. The choral portion of this movement is in 9/8 meter with many sections notated as dotted-eighth and sixteenth, as there was no tradition in Bach’s time to indicate a tripletted quarter and eighth. This may require some attention in rehearsal, or as part of the markings for the instrumentalists. Only three oboists are required, the d’amore and da caccia parts appear in separate movements from those with three oboe parts. The orchestration is quite dense and rhythmically intricate. Bach doubles the oboe I part of movement 1 with both flutes, and in movement 6 he doubles the upper three strings with oboes to create a rich sonority, which may require some attention regarding intonation. There is an exposed and difficult duet for flutes in movement 2, which has long overlapping phrases. The oboe d’amore solo in movement 4 is quite difficult with challenging rhythms, very long phrases, and meter shifts between 3/4 and 9/8. There is a difficult solo for trumpet I in movement 6. It is quite high and very florid. Soloists: soprano - range: d'-a'' , tessitura: g'-g'', this is a lyrical solo with considerable coloratura, the singer should be chosen to blend well with the tenor soloist; alto - range: c#'-e'', tessitura: e'-c#', this is a lilting solo requiring expert breath control, it is well suited for a mezzo-soprano voice; tenor - range: d-a', tessitura: f#-g', this is a lyrical solo with some declamatory passages and considerable coloratura in the duet; bass - range: F#-e', tessitura: d-d', this is a declamatory solo for a powerful singer, there is only 1 short [F#], otherwise [A] is the lowest pitch. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Kathrin Graf, Helrun Gardow, Aldo Baldin, Wolfgang Schöne; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in the Gedächtniskirche, Stuttgart, in 1974. Hänssler Classic: 98.824. Wilhelm Wiedl, Stefan Frangoulis, Paul Esswood, Kurt Equiluz, Siegfried Lorenz, Ruud van der Meer; Tolz Boys’ Choir, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 2292-42603-2. Rereleased as 4509-91760-2. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 236, 660; volume 2: 66-73, 99. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 112. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 226.
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Cantata No. 111: Was mein Gott will, das g’scheh allzeit, BWV 111 (1725) Duration: ca. 22 minutes Occasion: Epiphany III Text: The texts of movements 1 and 6 are by Margrave Albrecht von Brandenburg (1547); the remaining movements are believed to be paraphrases by Bach. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 21 January 1725, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Was mein Gott will, das g’scheh allzeit is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 6, edited by Ulrich Leisinger. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 24, page 3, edited by Alfred Dörffel. Other available editions include those from Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts) and Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: The autograph full score is thought to be in a private collection. Only fragmentary original parts, in the hands of Anna Magdalena Bach, Wilhelm Friedemann Bach, and Johann Andreas Kuhnau, are in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: This is a chorale cantata based upon the hymn tune “Was mein Gott will, das g’scheh allzeit,” an anonymous French secular tune (c. 1529) on text: “Il me souffit de tous mes maulx.” The first and last movements use the hymn text directly. It has been altered to supply the texts for the inner movements. Performance Issues: The choral writing of movement 1 is quite straightforward. The sopranos have the tune as a cantus firmus with the lower voices accompanying in successive imitation, which become fairly homophonic upon the entrance of the final choral section in each phrase. The choral lines are rhythmically very simple, and the part writing is quite conservative. The vocal parts are not doubled by the accompaniment, which is quite active, but the vocal parts are so accessible that this should present few problems. Movements 2 and 3 are accompanied by continuo only. The string parts in movements 1 and 4 are quite rhythmically active, requiring secure players. The violin I part in movement 4 is particularly difficult. This movement would be well suited to solo string players. The oboes play a prominent role in movements 1 and 5 where their parts are exposed, but not very difficult. Soloists: soprano - range: d#'-g'', tessitura: f#'-f#'', this is a brief declamatory solo appropriate for a chorister; alto - range: g-e'', tessitura: c#'-c#'', this is a lyrical solo, which should blend well with the tenor soloist;
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
tenor - range: c-a', tessitura: e-f#', this is a lyrical solo requiring a singer with a penetrating lower range; bass - range: A-e', tessitura: d-d', this is a declamatory and rhythmic solo. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Arleen Augér, Helen Watts, Lutz-Michael Harder, Philippe Huttenlocher; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Hänssler Classic: 98.851. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 2: 278, 287, 402-407. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 189. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 186.
Cantata No. 112: Der Herr ist mein getreuer Hirt, BWV 112 (1731) Duration: ca. 14 minutes Occasion: Easter II/Misericordia Domini Text: The text is an adaptation of Psalm 23 made by Wolfgang Meuslin (c. 1530). Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes d’amore; 2 horns, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 8 April 1731, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Der Herr ist mein getreuer Hirt is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 11/1, page 181, edited by Reinmar Emans. Performance materials are available from BärenreiterVerlag. It is also published in BG, volume 24, page 31, edited by Alfred Dörffel. Other available editions include that from Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: The autograph full score is in the New York Public Library. An original set of parts, in a hand attributed to Samuel Gottlieb Heder, is in the Bach-Archiv in Leipzig. Notes: This is a chorale cantata based upon the anonymous hymn tune, “Allein Gott in der Höh’ sei Ehr,” the Lutheran adaptation of “Gloria in excelsis,” a plainsong for Easter (1539). Performance Issues: The hymn tune appears in the soprano as a cantus firmus in movement 1. The lower voices are written in simple imitation of each other. The choral parts are not doubled by the instruments, but they are quite easy and well supported harmonically by the orchestral fabric of the work. The horn parts in movement 1 are typically high and very
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
difficult with extremely long phrases. The horn 1 has no rests in the entire movement. There is an exposed and fairly difficult solo for oboe d’amore in movement 2. The string writing throughout the cantata is quite difficult with some challenging chromaticisms, ornamentation, and stylistic contrasts within movements. Soloists: soprano - range: d'-a'', tessitura: g'-g'', this is a lyrical and sustained solo with many melismatic passages whose voice should be well matched to the tenor; alto - range: b-e'', tessitura: e'-c'', this is a difficult, lyrical solo with florid melismatic writing; tenor - range: d#-a', tessitura: g-g', this is a lyrical solo with many melismatic passages; bass - range: A-e', tessitura: d-d', this is a declamatory solo appropriate for a chorister capable of contrasts in vocal timbre. Choir: easy; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Inga Nielsen, Gabriele Schreckenbach, Aldo Baldin, Walter Heldwein; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in the Gedächtniskirche, Stuttgart, in 1981. Hänssler Classic: 98.860. Marcus Huber, Paul Esswood, Kurt Equiluz, Ruud van der Meer; Tolz Boys’ Choir, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 2292-42606-2. Re-released as 4509-91760-2. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 433, 436-439, 440, 619; volume 2: 132, 169, 288. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 260. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 104.
Cantata No. 113: Herr Jesu Christ, du höchstes Gut, BWV 113 (1724) Duration: ca. 28 minutes87 Occasion: Trinity XI Text: The text of movement 6 is from the New Testament (Matthew 11:28); movements 3 to 7 are believed to be paraphrases by Bach; the remaining text is by Bartholomäus Ringwaldt (1588). Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: flute, 2 oboes d’amore, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 20 August 1724, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig
87 Alfred Dürr and David Daniels list 30 minutes, but the Rilling recording is 26 minutes 10 seconds.
Editions: Herr Jesu Christ, du höchstes Gut is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 20, page 81, edited by Ernest May. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 24, page 51, edited by Alfred Dörffel. Other available editions include those from Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts) and Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: The autograph full score is in a private collection in New York. Notes: This is a chorale cantata based upon the anonymous (1593) hymn tune “Herr Jesu Christ, du höchstes Gut.” The chorale appears in some fashion in each movement of the cantata. Performance Issues: The choral writing of the first movement is in four-part chorale style with minimal ornamentation. The vocal parts are supported by only the continuo. The cantus firmus tune in movement 2 is well suited to being sung by the entire section. Against this is a fairly chromatic melody to be played by all the violins. The final chorale has no indicated instruments. Certainly parts can be written for the orchestra; however, the solemnity of the text is well served with this a cappella conclusion. Movement 3 has a critical, canonic oboe d’amore duet running throughout. In movement 4, Bach intersperses lines of recitative with lines from the hymn, all of which is secco. There is a prominent and technically challenging flute solo in movement 5. With the exception of the noted wind solos, the orchestral parts are quite accessible to collegiate-level players. Soloists: soprano - range: d#'-g'', tessitura: a'-f#'', this is a sustained solo with considerable parallel coloratura with the alto soloist; alto range: a-d'', tessitura: d'-b', this is a sustained solo with considerable parallel coloratura with the soprano soloist; tenor - range: e-a', tessitura: a-g', this is a lyrical and sustained solo suitable for a light voice; bass range: A-e', tessitura: c#-c#', this is a declamatory solo with a few rapid melismatic passages. Choir: easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Arleen Augér, Gabriele Schreckenbach, Adalbert Kraus, Niklaus Tüller; Frankfurter Kantorei Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in the Gedächtniskirche, Stuttgart, in 1973 and 1981. Hänssler Classic: 98.810. Sebastian Hennig, Detlef Bratschke, René Jacobs, Kurt Equiluz, Max van Egmond; Hanover Boys’ Choir, Ghent Collegium Vocale, Leonhardt Consort; conducted by Gustav Leonhardt. Teldec: 2292-42606-2. Re-released as 4509-91760-2.
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Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 2: 270, 275, 278, 288, 407-414. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 412. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 204.
Cantata No. 114: Ach, lieben Christen, seid getrost, BWV 114 (1724) Duration: ca. 27 minutes Occasion: Trinity XVII Text: The texts of movements 1, 4, and 7 are by Johannes Gigas (1561); the remaining texts are paraphrases attributed to Bach. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: flute, 2 oboes, horn, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 1 October 1724, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Ach, lieben Christen, seid getrost is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 23, page 289, edited by Rufus Hallmark. Performance materials are available from BärenreiterVerlag. It is also published in BG, volume 24, page 83, edited by Alfred Dörffel. Other available editions include that from Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: The autograph full score is in a private collection in New York. An original set of parts, in the hand of Johann Andreas Kuhnau, is in the Bach-Archiv in Leipzig. Notes: This is a chorale cantata using the anonymous (1535) hymn tune “Wo Gott der Herr nicht bei uns hält.” Performance Issues: The hymn tune appears as a cantus firmus in the soprano part of movement 1. It is doubled by the horn, which appears only in this and the last movement where it also doubles the soprano part. In the opening chorus, the three lower choral parts appear in alternate phrases homophonically and in close imitation. In both cases they are not doubled by the orchestra. There are some cleverly terraced instrumental entrances that may prompt false starts. There is a very expressive and difficult flute solo in movement 2 requiring an expert player. The soprano part of movement 4 would be appropriate for the entire section; however, the fact that it is accompanied by only the continuo suggests the use of a soloist. There is an important oboe solo in movement 5. The orchestration of this cantata is somewhat dense, but the instrumental writing is idiomatic throughout. Soloists: soprano range: f'-d'', this is a simple solo appropriate for a chorister, or the entire section; alto - range: b♭-e♭'',
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
tessitura: f'-d'', this is a sustained and lyrical solo with some difficult chromaticisms, it is best suited to a mezzo-soprano voice; tenor - range: f-a', tessitura: af', this is a dramatic and declamatory solo; bass range: A-e♭', tessitura: d-d', this is a declamatory solo appropriate for a chorister. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Gabriele Schnaut, Julia Hamari, Kurt Equiluz, Wolfgang Schöne; Frankfurter Kantorei, Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in the Gedächtniskirche, Stuttgart, in 1974 and 1981. Hänssler Classic: 98.814. Sebastian Hennig, René Jacobs, Kurt Equiluz, Max van Egmond; Hanover Boys’ Choir, Ghent Collegium Vocale, Leonhardt Consort; conducted by Gustav Leonhardt. Teldec: 2292-42606-2. Re-released as 450991760-2. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 2: 270, 288, 414-421. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 461. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 211.
Cantata No. 115: Mache dich, mein Geist, bereit, BWV 115 (1724) Duration: ca. 21 minutes Occasion: Trinity XXII Text: The texts of movements 1 and 6 are by Johann Burckhard Freystein (1697); the remaining texts are paraphrases attributed to Bach. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: flute, oboe d’amore, horn, violoncello piccolo, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 5 November 1724, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Mache dich, mein Geist, bereit is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 26, page 23, edited by Andreas Glöckner. Performance materials are available from BärenreiterVerlag. It is also published in BG, volume 24, page 111, edited by Alfred Dörffel. Other available editions include those from Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts), Breitkopf und Härtel, and H. W. Gray. Manuscript Sources: The autograph full score, with a title page by Johann Andreas Kuhnau, is in Cambridge, England.
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Notes: This is a chorale cantata based upon the anonymous (1694) hymn tune “Straf mich nicht in deinem Zorn.” Performance Issues: The choral writing in the opening movement is fairly straightforward. The sopranos have the hymn tune as a cantus firmus, which is doubled by the horn. (The horn’s entire role in this work is to double the soprano in the first and last movements.) The remaining choral parts accompany the soprano line with closely imitative terraced entrances. This is contrasted with a few phrases that are spartan homophonic interjections. These three lower choral parts are not doubled by the orchestra, but are quite accessible. Throughout this movement, the cantus firmus is in half and quarter notes, the other choral parts are in quarters and eighths, and the orchestra parts are in eighths and sixteenths. In movement 1, the violins and violas are entirely in unison with some rapid but idiomatic passagework. The flute part of this movement is technically demanding. There is an oboe d’amore solo in movement 2 that is doubled by the violin I part most of the time, and is not difficult. Movement 4 features a very expressive duet for flute and violoncello piccolo. The latter is practical on modern cello. Both parts require sensitive and experienced players. Soloists: soprano - range: d'-g'', tessitura: g'f#'', this is a lyrical solo with long sustained phrases; alto - range: a-e'', tessitura: e'-d'', this is a lilting and lyrical solo; tenor - range: e-a', tessitura: a-f', this is a brief declamatory solo appropriate for a chorister; bass - range: B♭-e', tessitura: d-d', this is a simple declamatory solo appropriate for a chorister. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Arleen Augér, Helen Watts, Lutz-Michael Herder, Wolfgang Schöne; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, BachCollegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in the Gedächtniskirche, Stuttgart, in 1980. Hänssler Classic: 98.819. Marcus Huber, Paul Esswood, Kurt Equiluz, Philippe Huttenlocher; Tolz Boys’ Choir, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 2292-42608-2. Re-released as 4509-91760-2. Edith Mathis, Trudeliese Schmidt, Peter Schreier, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau; Munich Bach Choir, Munich Bach Orchestra; conducted by Karl Richter. Recorded between 1977 and 1978. Archiv: 439 394-2AX5. Barbara Schlick, Andreas Scholl, Christoph Prégardien, Gotthold Schwarz; Concerto Vocale, Limoges Baroque Ensemble; conducted by Christophe Coin. Recorded in 1993. Astrée Auvidis: E8530.
88 Herz lists the date of composition as 1724, while earlier musicologists attributed it to 1744 or 1745. This latter evaluation made it the last of Bach’s extant sacred cantatas.
Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. Fugitive Notes on Certain Cantatas and Motets of J. S. Bach, 147-158. London: Oxford University Press, 1942. ———. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 2: 308, 421-428. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 504. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 219.
Cantata No. 116: Du Friedefürst, Herr Jesu Christ, BWV 116 (1724)88 Duration: ca. 18 minutes Occasion: Trinity XXV Text: The texts of movements 1 and 6 are by Jakob Ebert (1601); the remaining texts are believed to be paraphrases by Bach. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes d’amore, horn, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 26 November 1724, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Du Friedefürst, Herr Jesu Christ is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 27, page 81, edited by Alfred Dürr. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 24, page 135, edited by Alfred Dörffel. Other available editions include that from Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: The autograph score, with a title page by Johann Andreas Kuhnau, is in the Bibliothèque Nationale in Paris. An incomplete set of original parts, in the hands of Johann Andreas Kuhnau, Christian Gottlob Meissner, and the composer, is in the Bach-Archiv in Leipzig. Notes: This is a chorale cantata based upon the tune “Du Friedefürst, Herr Jesu Christ,” which is attributed to Bartholomäus Gesius (1601). Performance Issues: In the opening movement, the hymn tune is treated as a cantus firmus in the soprano part. This part is doubled by the horn. The remaining choral parts appear in varied textures: as homophonic harmonizations of the cantus firmus, in pervasive imitation, and in short articulated declamatory interjections. Those sections that are contrapuntally involved have instrumental doubling of vocal lines, while simpler passages do not. There is a great deal of rhythmic momentum in this first movement, but the
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instrumental writing is very idiomatic and should present few problems in performance. There is an oboe d’amore solo in movement 2 that is very sustained but not technically difficult. This is a very practical cantata in terms of orchestral and choral demands. The vocal trio in movement 4 is very expressive and quite difficult. It is a critical element in the potential success of this cantata. Soloists: soprano - range: d'-a'', tessitura: f#'-f#'', this is a sustained a lyrical solo; alto range: b-e'', tessitura: g'-d'', this is a lyrical solo with some extended melismatic passages, it is best suited for a mezzo-soprano voice; tenor - range: d#-a', tessitura: f#-g#', this is a sustained a lyrical solo; bass range: G#-e', tessitura: B-d#', this is a sustained a lyrical solo. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Arleen Augér, Helen Watts, Lutz-Michael Harder, Philippe Huttenlocher; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in the Gedächtniskirche, Stuttgart, in 1980. Hänssler Classic: 98.820. Marcus Huber, Paul Esswood, Kurt Equiluz, Philippe Huttenlocher; Tolz Boys’ Choir, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 2292-42608-2. Re-released as 4509-91760-2. Edith Mathis, Trudeliese Schmidt, Peter Schreier, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau; Munich Bach Choir, Munich Bach Orchestra; conducted by Karl Richter. Recorded between 1977 and 1978. Archiv: 439 394-2AX5. Rereleased as 427 130-2AGA. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. Fugitive Notes on Certain Cantatas and Motets of J. S. Bach, 179-187. London: Oxford University Press, 1942. ———. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 2: 117, 278, 308, 478-484. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 525. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 233.
Cantata No. 117: Sei Lob und Ehr dem höchsten Gut, BWV 117 (c. 1728-1731) Duration: ca. 22 minutes Occasion: unknown Text: The text is by Johann Jakob Schütz (1675). Performing Forces: voices: alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 oboes d’amore, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: c. 1728-1731, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Editions: Sei Lob und Ehr dem höchsten Gut is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 34, page 153, edited by Ryuichi Higuchi. Performance materials are available from BärenreiterVerlag. It is also published in BG, volume 24, page 161, edited by Alfred Dörffel. Other available editions include those from Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts) and Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: The autograph full score is in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: This is a chorale cantata using the hymn tune “Es ist das Heil uns kommen her,” which is derived from the fifteenth-century Easter hymn “Freu dich, du werthe Christenheit,” in movements 1, 4, and 9. Bach uses the closing motive of the hymn at the end of each movement to create a sense of thematic unity. Performance Issues: In the opening chorus, the sopranos have the hymn tune as a cantus firmus. The other choral parts are general ornamented homophonic harmonizations of the tune. The choral parts are not doubled by the orchestra, but they are quite simple and harmonically well supported by the instruments. There is considerable and varied doubling between instruments in the tutti numbers, which helps to secure intonation and cohesion of ensemble. In this movement the instrumental parts are ripe with hemiolas, many of which cross the bar lines, and are independent of concurrent hemiolas in contrasting lines. Movements 4 and 9 are straightforward four-part chorales for a choir and continuo alone. The music is identical for these two movements. Movement 3 has a very exposed and sustained duet for oboes d’amore that is not very technically demanding, but requires sensitive unity of execution between the players. This movement would benefit from the use of bassoon in the continuo. There is an exposed, but not very difficult, violin solo in movement 6. There is a prominent flute solo in movement 7 that is also quite practically written for the instrument. Soloists: alto - range: b-e'', tessitura: e'-d'', this is a lyrical solo with lilting ornamental figures, it is well suited for a mezzo-soprano voice; tenor - range: d#-g', tessitura: a-f#', this is a lyrical solo with long legato passages and extended melismatic writing; bass - range: G-e', tessitura: c-d', this is a difficult, declamatory solo with numerous coloratura passages. Choir: easy; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Mechtild Georg, Adalbert Kraus, Andreas Schmidt; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Württembergisches Kammer-orchester Heilbronn; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in the Gedächtniskirche, Stuttgart, in 1984. Hänssler Classic: 98.856. Also released as NOVA: 150 028-2. René Jacobs, Kurt Equiluz, Max van Egmond; Hanover Boys’ Choir, Ghent Collegium Vocale, Leonhardt
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Consort; conducted by Gustav Leonhardt. Teldec: 2292-42608-2. Re-released as 4509-91760-2. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 433, 435, 460-465; volume 2: 278, 288. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 633. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 136.
Cantata No. 118: O Jesu Christ, mein Lebens Licht, BWV 118 (1736-1737, rev. c.1740-1745) Duration: ca. 7 minutes Occasion: burial or memorial service Text: The text is by Martin Behm (1608 or 1611). Performing Forces: version 1—voices: SATB choir; orchestra: 2 litui,89 cornetto, 3 trombones, and optional organ continuo version 2—voices: SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes, oboe da caccia, bassoon (optional), 2 horns, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: version 1—1736-1737, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig version 2—c.1745-1749, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: version 1—O Jesu Christ, mein Lebens Licht is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 3, volume 1, page 163, edited by Konrad Ameln. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 24, page 185, edited by Alfred Dörffel. Other available editions of both versions include those from Breitkopf und Härtel. version 2—O Jesu Christ, mein Lebens Licht is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 3, volume 1, page 171, edited by Konrad Ameln.
Manuscript Sources: version 1—The autograph full score is in a private collection in New York. version 2—The autograph full score is in a private collection in Switzerland. Notes: Although catalogued by Schmieder as a cantata, and treated as such in the BG, this work is actually a motet, and has been so treated in the NBA. F. Murray Young suggests that it is a lone-surviving movement from a complete cantata, like BWV 50. He also states that it was sung graveside for the burial of Count Friedrich von Fleming, 11 October 1740. 90 Because of these outdoor performance conditions, this original version of the work contains no string parts. The work is based upon the hymn tune “O Jesus Christ, mein’s Lebens Licht,” which had been adapted for this text from the anonymous (1594) melody “Rex Christe factor omnium.” Terry states that “C.P.E. Bach (1786) associates the melody with Johann Heermann’s ‘O Jesu, du mein Bräutigam.’”91 The work consists of a single chorus. Performance Issues: The hymn tune appears as a cantus firmus in the soprano part. The remaining parts are written in free counterpoint with sections of close imitation. The brass parts are practical, but there are few or no breaks for the players, depending upon the part. The cornetto and alto trombone parts have very high tessituri. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: First Version Monteverdi Choir, English Baroque Soloists; conducted by John Eliot Gardiner. Recorded in 1980. Erato: 2292-45979-2. Monteverdi Choir, English Baroque Soloists; conducted by John Eliot Gardiner. Recorded in 1989. Archiv: 439 885-2AH. Second Version Monteverdi Choir, English Baroque Soloists; conducted by John Eliot Gardiner. Recorded in 1989. Archiv: 429 782-2AH. Selected Bibliography:
See also: NBA, series 1, volume 33, critical commentary.
Sachs, Curt. “Die Litui in Bachs Motette, ‘O Jesus Christ.’” In Bach-Jahrbuch, 1921. Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 2: 167-169, 298, 245.
89 The score calls for two litui, which, in the seventeenth century,
91 J.S. Bach’s Four-Part Chorales, edited by Charles Stanford Terry, volume 2, page 315 (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1928).
indicated a cornetti or cromorne. Bach, however, intended these to be tenor trumpets in B♭. 90 In Young, The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, page 234.
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Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 234. ———. The Sacred Dramas of J.S. Bach: A Reference and Textual Interpretation, 128-130. Jefferson, NC: McFarland and Company, 1994. Melamed, Daniel. J. S. Bach and the German Motet, 2227, 31, 36, 38, 43, 101-102, 106, 132, 137, 142-143, 146, 150, 155-156, 195. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1995.
Cantata No. 119: Preise, Jerusalem, den Herrn, BWV 119 (1723) Duration: ca. 27 minutes92 Occasion: Inauguration of the Town Council of Leipzig Text: The text of movement 1 is Psalm 147 (v. 12); movement 2 is Psalm 85 (v. 10); movement 9 is by Martin Luther (1529); the remaining texts are from an unidentified source. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 recorders, 2 oboes, 2 oboes da caccia, 4 trumpets, timpani, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 30 August 1723; Leipzig Editions: Preise, Jerusalem, den Herrn is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 32/1, page 131, edited by Christine Fröde. Performance materials are available from BärenreiterVerlag. It is also published in BG, volume 24, page 195, edited by Alfred Dörffel. Other available editions include that from Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: The autograph full score is in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: The final chorale of this work is a four-part setting of the hymn tune “Herr Gott, dich loben wir,” which Martin Luther adapted (1529) from a Latin plainsong for his verse translation of the “Te Deum laudamus.”
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
passages are skeletally related. Bach uses the brass sparingly in the choral sections. There are some vocal and instrumental ritornelli between verses, and rapid unison figures shared between parts in different sections of the orchestra that may prove a challenge in establishing rhythmic precision. The choral writing in movement 7 is very contrapuntal. The choral parts are doubled by the orchestra about half of the time. The choral parts have considerable coloratura writing that is mostly scalar and diatonic. The tessitura of the soprano part is fairly high throughout the movement. The trumpet parts are typically high, but generous breaks are provided between phrases. There is an exposed oboe da caccia duet in movement 3 with pervasive dotted figurations that are not difficult. Bach has written for the flutes to play a solo in unison in movemen 5. The solo part is not difficult, but unison playing of it may become an intonation hazard. Soloists: soprano - range: d'-g, tessitura: g'-f'', this is a simple declamatory solo appropriate for a choister; alto - range: b♭-e'', tessitura: e♭'-c'', this is a lilting and lyrical solo; tenor - range: c-a', tessitura: g-g', this is a declamatory and rhythmic role with some extended melismas; bass - range: A-d', tessitura: c-c', this is a declamatory solo appropriate for a chorister with a powerful voice. Choir: difficult; Orchestra: difficult. Selected Discography: Arleen Augér, Ann Murray, Adalbert Kraus, Wolfgang Schöne; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in the Gedächtniskirche, Stuttgart, in 1977 and 1978. Hänssler Classic: 98.828.93 Marcus Huber, Paul Esswood, Kurt Equiluz, Robert Holl; Tolz Boys’ Choir, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 229242608-2. Re-released as 4509-91761-2. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 434, 558-566; volume 2: 673.
Performance Issues: This is a thrilling baroque tour de force. The size and density of the orchestration suggests the use of a larger choir, as would have been the case in the original performance, since it was a municipal celebration. Some of the doublings and registrations may prove a challenge for orchestral intonation. The opening movement is written as a French overture (slow-fast-slow), with the chorus appearing only in the central section. The choral writing in this movement is quite ornate with considerable doubling by the orchestra. Some of the doubling is direct, while other
Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 590.
92 Alfred Dürr lists 27 minutes and David Daniels lists 29 minutes,
94 Alfred Dürr lists 26 minutes and David Daniels lists 22 minutes,
but the Rilling recording is 25 minutes 10 seconds. 93 In the complete cantata collection, this work has been accidentally left out of the index. It is in volume 66.
but the Rilling recording is 22 minutes 20 seconds. 95 W. Murray Young states that it was written for the centenary of
Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 38.
Cantata No. 120: Gott, man lobet dich in der Stille, BWV 120 (1729) Duration: ca. 24 minutes94 Occasion: Inauguration of the Town Council95
the Augsburg Confession, 26 June 1730, and repeated for the
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Text: The text of movement 1 is Psalm 45 (v. 1 ) and Psalm 65 (v. 1); movement 6 is by Martin Luther (1529); and the remaining texts are probably by Picander. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes d’amore, 3 trumpets, timpani, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 29 August 1729, Leipzig Editions: Gott, man lobet dich in der Stille is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 32/2, page 55, edited by Christine Fröde. Performance materials are available from BärenreiterVerlag. It is also published in BG, volume 24, page 249, edited by Alfred Dörffel. Other available editions include that from Breitkopf und Härtel. BWV 120b, is addressed in the critical commentary of the NBA, series 1, volume 34. Manuscript Sources: No autograph materials are currently accessible. Notes: Bach made an adaptation of this cantata, catalogued as BWV 120b, for the second day of the 200th anniversary celebration of the Augsburg Confession. It was premiered on 26 June 1730 at St. Thomaskirche in Leipzig with a text by Picander. The music of this revision is now lost, but its existence is confirmed by surviving printings of the text. Bach adapted movements 2, 4, and 1 of this cantata to create movements 1, 3, and 6 of BWV 120a, which is described in the next entry. Movement 4 was probably composed as an independent aria between 1717 and 1723. This aria was also parodied as movement 3 of Bach’s Violin Sonata, BWV 1019a. Bach derived the “Et exspecto” of the Mass in B Minor, BWV 232, from this cantata. Like BWV 119, the final chorale of this work is a fourpart setting of the hymn tune “Herr Gott, dich loben wir,”which Martin Luther adapted (1529) from a Latin plainsong for his verse translation of the “Te Deum laudamus.”
oboe d’amore parts are quite challenging and rhythmically intricate. There is an exposed and very difficult violin solo in movement 4, which will require an expert player. Soloists: soprano - range: d'-g'', tessitura: g'-f'', this is a difficult lyrical solo with considerable coloratura passagework; alto - range: a-e'', tessitura: e'e', this is a long and difficult aria with a high tessitura and very involved coloratura passages; tenor - range: f#-a', tessitura: a-g', this is a short declamatory solo appropriate for a chorister; bass - range: B-e', tessitura: d-d', this is a simple declamatory solo appropriate for a chorister. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Helen Donath, Hildegard Laurich, Adalbert Kraus, Wolfgang Schöne; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in the Gedächtniskirche, Stuttgart, in 1973. Hänssler Classic: 98.829. Marcus Huber, Paul Esswood, Kurt Equiluz, Philippe Huttenlocher; Tolz Boys’ Choir, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 2292-42609-2. Re-released as 4509-91761-2. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 234, 236, 238, 292-295; volume 2: 74. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 593. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 92.
Cantata No. 120a: Herr Gott, Beherrscher aller Dinge, BWV 120a (1729?)96 Occasion: Wedding Text: The text of movement 2 is from the Apocrypha (Ecclesiasticus 50:22); movement 8 is by Joachim Neander (1679); the remaining text is from an unidentified source.
Performance Issues: This cantata is unusual in that it begins with an alto aria followed by the triumphal chorus. These first two movements are quite spectacular, and comprise half the cantata’s duration. The choral writing in movement 2 is quite melismatic and contrapuntally complex. The choral parts are well-doubled by the orchestra. This is a rhythmically vigorous movement that is very idiomatic in each instrumental part. The trumpets, which play only in this movement, are typically high, but have adequate breaks between phrases. There is no accompaniment of the final chorale except for continuo. In the opening movement the
Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes, 2 oboes d’amore, 3 trumpets, timpani, organ obbligato, strings, and basso continuo
Ratswahl Inauguration festivities two months later. This conclusion places the Ratswahl ceremony one year later than that, which Herz has indicated in his chronology.
96 Herz suggests that it may have been written in 1729 or later. W.
First Performance: 1729-1733, Leipzig Editions: Herr Gott, Beherrscher aller Dinge is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 33, page 77, edited by Frederick Hudson. Performance materials are available from BärenreiterVerlag. It is also published in BG, volume 41, page
Murray Young states that it was written for a wedding in 1733.
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149, edited by Alfred Dörffel. Other available editions include that from Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: An incomplete autograph full score, and an incomplete set of original parts, in the hands of Johann Ludwig Krebs and Samuel Gottlieb Heder, are in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: This is an adaptation of BWV 120. Although the entire text survives, portions of the music have been lost. Movements 1, 3, and 6 are derived from movements 2, 4, and 1 of BWV 120; movement 4 is derived from movement 1 of BWV 29; and movement 8 is derived from movement 5 of BWV 137. Discography: No commercial recording Selected Bibliography: Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, BWV 120a: 603, BWV 120b: 624.
Cantata No. 121: Christum wir sollen loben schon, BWV 121 (1724) Duration: ca. 21 minutes Occasion: Second Day of Christmas/St. Stephen’s Day Text: The texts of movements 1 and 6 are by Martin Luther (1524); the remaining texts are believed to be paraphrases by Bach. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: oboe d’amore, cornetto, 3 trombones, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 26 December 1724, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Christum wir sollen loben schon is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 3, not yet published. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 26, page 3, edited by Alfred Dörffel. Other available editions include that from Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: The autograph full score is not publicly accessible. An original set of parts, in the hands of Johann Andreas Kuhnau, Christian Gottlob Meissner, and Johann Heinrich Bach, is in the BachArchiv in Leipzig. Notes: This is a chorale cantata. It utilizes the hymn tune “Christum wir sollen loben schon,” which Martin Luther adapted (1524) to correspond with his translation of the Latin hymn “A solis ortus cardine,” by Coelius Sedulius. Performance Issues: In the opening movement, the hymn tune appears in the soprano part as a cantus firmus. The remaining choral parts are imitative with considerable melismatic passagework. Each vocal part is thoroughly doubled by instruments with no
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
additional orchestral part outside of the continuo, as is the case in the closing chorale. This movement is very much in the style of Pachelbel. This doubling increases security of execution for weaker choirs, but the instrumentation is dense enough that either a larger choir or one with strong singers must be engaged. In movement 2 there is a conspicuous and moderately difficult solo for oboe d’amore. If a performance of this movement is intended for modern oboe, considerable editing will have to be done. The string writing in movement 4 is tightly imitative, but well conceived for the instruments. Soloists: soprano - range: d'-a'', tessitura: g'-g'', this is a short declamatory secco recitative appropriate for a chorister; alto - range: b-e'', tessitura: e'-c'', this is a short declamatory secco recitative appropriate for a chorister, even a soprano; tenor - range: d-a', tessitura: a-f', this is a lyrical solo with considerable melismatic writing; bass - range: G-e', tessitura: c-c', this is a very difficult solo with considerable coloratura passagework throughout. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Arleen Augér, Doris Soffel, Adalbert Kraus, Wolfgang Schöne; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in the Gedächtniskirche, Stuttgart, in 1980. Hänssler Classic: 98.824. Marcus Huber, Paul Esswood, Kurt Equiluz, Philippe Huttenlocher; Tolz Boys’ Choir, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 2292-42609-2. Re-released as 4509-91761-2. Edith Mathis, Anna Reynolds, Peter Schreier, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau; Munich Bach Choir, Munich Bach Orchestra; conducted by Karl Richter. Recorded between 1971 and 1972. Archiv: 439 369-2AX4. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, vol. 1: 237; vol. 2: 110-115, 295. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 122. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 229.
Cantata No. 122: Das neugeborne Kindelein, BWV 122 (1724) Duration: ca. 17 minutes Occasion: Christmas I Text: The texts of movements 1, 4, and 6 are by Cyriakus Schneegass (1597); movement 5 is Psalm 118 (v. 24); the remaining texts are believed to be paraphrases by Bach. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 3 recorders, 2 oboes, taille, strings, and basso continuo
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
First Performance: 31 December 1724, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Das neugeborne Kindelein is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 3, not yet published. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 26, page 23, edited by Alfred Dörffel. Other available editions include that from Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: The autograph full score is in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. An original set of parts, in the hands of Johann Andreas Kuhnau and Johann Heinrich Bach, is in the Bach-Archiv in Leipzig. Notes: This is a chorale cantata based upon the tune “Das neugeborne Kindelein,” by Melchior Vulpius (1609). Performance Issues: The choral writing in movement 1 is quite conservative but includes considerable melismatic passagework, especially for the basses. The hymn tune appears as a cantus firmus in the soprano. The remaining choral parts are written in close imitation of each other. The choral parts are not directly doubled by the orchestra, but they are well supported harmonically. There are three flutes in movement 3, accompanying the soprano recitative with a chorale harmonization of the hymn tune. The flutes appear in no other movement of the cantata. Their parts are all quite easy. Movement 4 is a duet for soprano and tenor with the hymn tune being sung by the alto soloist.97 This solo deviates from the hymn tune at the end, but while it adheres to the hymn, it is doubled by the violins. Soloists: soprano - range: d'-a'', tessitura: f'-e'', this is a declamatory and lyrical solo with some awkward melodic leaps and extended melismas; alto range: a-d'', tessitura: f'-c'', this is a sustained and lyrical solo appropriate for a chorister with a strong voice; tenor - range: d-a', tessitura: a-f', this is a lyrical solo with some extended melismas; bass - range: G-e♭',98 tessitura: c-c', this is a difficult and lyrical solo with much melismatic singing. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Helen Donath, Helen Watts, Adalbert Kraus, Niklaus Tüller; Frankfurter Kantorei, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in the Gedächtniskirche, Stuttgart, in 1972. Hänssler Classic: 98.826. Marcus Huber, Thomas Schilling, Kurt Equiluz, Philippe Huttenlocher; Tolz Boys’ Choir, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 2292-42609-2. Re-released as 4509-91761-2.
97 In the Rilling recording, this alto part is sung by the alto section of the choir.
Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 2: 117, 190, 259-263, 274, 288, 309. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 143. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 231.
Cantata No. 123: Liebster Immanuel, Herzog der Frommen, BWV 123 (1725) Duration: ca. 20 minutes Occasion: Epiphany Text: The texts of movements 1 and 6 are by Ahasverus Fritsch (1679); the remaining texts are believed to be paraphrases by Bach. Performing Forces: voices: alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 oboes d’amore, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 6 January 1725, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Liebster Immanuel, Herzog der Frommen is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 5, page 49, edited by Marianne Helms. Performance materials are available from BärenreiterVerlag. It is also published in BG, volume 26, page 43, edited by Alfred Dörffel. Other available editions include those from Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts) and Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: The autograph full score is not publicly accessible. An original set of parts, in the hands of Johann Andreas Kuhnau, Christian Gottlob Meissner, Wilhelm Friedemann Bach, and Johann Heinrich Bach, is in the Bach-Archiv in Leipzig. Notes: This is a chorale cantata based upon the hymn tune “Liebster Immanuel, Herzog der Frommen,” which is an adaptation of a Courante (1679) from an anonymous French Dance Suite. Performance Issues: The choral writing in the opening movement is quite homophonic in 9/8 meter. The choral parts are conservative with strong harmonic underpinning from the orchestra, but they are not thoroughly doubled by the instruments. The hymn tune appears as a cantus firmus in the soprano. The orchestration of this first movement is quite dense, inviting the use of a larger chorus. These vocal parts are well within the abilities of most amateur choral organizations. There is an sustained, exposed, and somewhat difficult oboe d’amore duet in movement 3. This movement would benefit from the use of bassoon in the continuo. There 98 There is only one G; everything else is B♭ and higher.
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is a fairly pervasive flute solo in movement 5 that is not technically demanding, but will require a solid player. Soloists: alto - range: b-d#'', tessitura: d'-b', this is a brief declamatory solo appropriate for a chorister; tenor - range: e-a', tessitura: a-g', this is a difficult solo with long lyric lines and considerable rapid melismatic passagework; bass - range: G-e', tessitura: c-c', this is a difficult role with sustained passages and coloratura figurations. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Helen Watts, Adalbert Kraus, Philippe Huttenlocher; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Hänssler Classic: 98.872. Stefan Rampf, Kurt Equiluz, Robert Holl; Tolz Boys’ Choir, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 2292-42609-2. Re-released as 4509-91761-2. The Sixteen, The Sixteen Orchestra; conducted by Harry Christophers. Collins Classics: Coll 1317-2. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 2: 309, 428-434, 435. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 169. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 181.
Cantata No. 124: Meinem Jesum lass ich nicht, BWV 124 (1725) Duration: ca. 14 minutes99 Occasion: Epiphany I Text: The texts of movements 1 and 6 are by Christian Keymann (1658); the remaining texts are believed to be paraphrases by Bach. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: oboe d’amore, trumpet da tirarsi, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 7 January 1725, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Meinem Jesum lass ich nicht is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 5, page 117, edited by Marianne Helms. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 26, page 63, edited by Alfred Dörffel. Other available editions include those
99 Alfred Dürr lists 17 minutes and David Daniels lists 19 minutes, but the Rilling recording is 14 minutes 09 seconds.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
from Kalmus (urtext edition, score and parts) and Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: The autograph full score is in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. An original set of parts, in the hands of Johann Andreas Kuhnau, Christian Gottlob Meissner, Wilhelm Friedemann Bach, and Anna Magdalena Bach, is in the Bach-Archiv in Leipzig. Notes: This is a chorale cantata based upon the hymn tune “Meinen Jesum lass ich nicht,” by Andreas Hammerschmidt (1658). Performance Issues: The choral writing in movement 1 is quite conservative with the chorale tune as a cantus firmus in the soprano part. The remaining choral parts are in close imitation or homophonic harmonization of the tune. There is little direct support of the choral parts within the orchestra. This cantata features the oboe d’amore as a solo instrument in movements 1 and 3. In both cases, it has a very difficult and critical part. This work should not be planned without an appropriate soloist in mind. With the exception of the oboe d’amore, the orchestral parts are quite accessible to intermediate-level players. Soloists: soprano - range: e'a'', tessitura: g'-e'', this is a lyrical solo with long phrases, consideration should be given that this singer blend well with the alto soloist; alto - range: a -e'', tessitura: c#'-c#'', this is a lyrical solo with long phrases, this voice should blend well with the soprano soloist; tenor - range: e-a', tessitura: a-f#', this is a challenging lyrical role; bass - range: A-e, tessitura: d-d', this is a brief declamatory solo appropriate for a chorister. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Arleen Augér, Helen Watts, Aldo Baldin, Wolfgang Schöne; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Hänssler Classic: 98.872. Alan Bergius, Stefan Rampf, Kurt Equiluz, Thomas Thomaschke; Tolz Boys’ Choir, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 2292-42615-2. Re-released as 4509-91761-2. Lotte Schädle, Hertha Töpper, Ernst Haefliger, Theo Adam; Munich Bach Choir, Munich Bach Orchestra; conducted by Karl Richter. Recorded in 1967. Archiv: 439 369-2AX4. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 2: 289, 435-440. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 176.
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Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 184.
Cantata No. 125: Mit Fried und Freud ich fahr dahin, BWV 125 (1725) Duration: ca. 25 minutes100
- range: b-d#'', tessitura: d'-b', this is a lilting lyrical solo with considerable ornamentation; tenor - range: d-a', tessitura: g-g', this is a lyrical solo with significant melismatic singing; bass - range: A-e', tessitura: d-c', this is a declamatory solo with some sustained singing and challenging melismatic passagework. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult.
Occasion: Purification
Selected Discography:
Text: The texts of movements 1, 3, and 6 are by Martin Luther (1524); the remaining texts are believed to be paraphrases by Bach. The text of the chorale is Luther’s translation and paraphrase of the “Nunc dimittis” (Luke 2:29-32).
Marga Hoeffgen, Kurt Equiluz, Wolfgang Schöne; Figuralchor der Gedächtniskirche Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Hänssler Classic: 98.876. Paul Esswood, Kurt Equiluz, Thomas Thomaschke; Tolz Boys’ Choir, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 2292-42615-2. Rereleased as 4509-91761-2.
Performing Forces: voices: alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: flute, oboe, oboe d’amore, horn, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 2 February 1725, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Mit Fried und Freud ich fahr dahin is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 28/1, page 33, edited by Uwe Wolf. Performance materials are available from BärenreiterVerlag. It is also published in BG, volume 26, page 85, edited by Alfred Dörffel. Other available editions include that from Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: An original set of parts, in the hands of Johann Andreas Kuhnau, Christian Gottlob Meissner, and Wilhelm Friedemann Bach, is in the Bach-Archiv in Leipzig. Notes: This is a chorale cantata, based upon the hymn tune “Mit Fried und Freud ich fahr dahin,” which is attributed to Martin Luther (1524). Performance Issues: In the opening chorus, the hymn tune appears as a cantus firmus in the soprano part. This is doubled by the horn. In fact, the horn only appears in the first and last movements, and in each case, it only doubles the soprano part. The remaining choral parts move in close imitation of each other with some homophonic section. The cantus firmus moves in dotted half notes while the other choral parts move in eighths. The lower choral parts are subtly doubled most of the time. There is a fairly difficult duet for flute and oboe d’amore in movement 2. It is filled with ornament, which should probably be clarified in the parts before rehearsal, especially since some differ between the parts despite parallel motion. In movement 3, Bach interjects lines of the chorale amid the bass recitative, these interpolations may be best served by using the entire section, but certainly may be left to the soloist. The string writing throughout the cantata is rhythmically varied and will present some difficulties in consistent execution of articulations. Soloists: alto 100 Alfred Dürr lists 24 minutes and David Daniels lists 29 minutes, but the Rilling recording is 24 minutes 24 seconds.
Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 2: 251-259, 276, 289. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 539. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 188.
Cantata No. 126: Erhalt uns, Herr, bei deinem Wort, BWV 126 (1725) Duration: ca. 21 minutes101 Occasion: Sexagesima Text: The texts of movements 1 and 3 are by Martin Luther (1524); movement 6 is by Luther (1529); the remaining texts are believed to be paraphrases by Bach Performing Forces: voices: alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes, trumpet, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 4 February 1725, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Erhalt uns, Herr, bei deinem Wort is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 7, page 157, edited by Werner Neumann. Performance materials are available from BärenreiterVerlag. It is also published in BG, volume 26, page 113, edited by Alfred Dörffel. Other available editions include that from Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: An original set of parts, in the hands of Johann Andreas Kuhnau, Christian Gottlob Meissner, Wilhelm Friedemann Bach, and Johann Heinrich Bach, is in the Bach-Archiv in Leipzig.
101 Alfred Dürr lists 22 minutes and David Daniels lists 21 minutes, but the Rilling recording is 17 minutes 40 seconds.
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Notes: This is a chorale cantata. Movements 1 and 3 incorporate the anonymous (1543) hymn tune “Erhalt uns, Herr, bei deinem Wort.” The final movement is a four-part chorale setting of the hymn tune “Verleih uns Frieden gnädiglich,” which is an adaptation (1531) of the Latin tune “Veni Redemptor gentium,” set to Martin Luther’s translation of “Da pacem, Domine.” In 1566, Johann Walter attached an unmetered addendum to the text and tune. Performance Issues: The hymn tune appears as a cantus firmus in the soprano part of movement 1. The other choral parts are rhythmically active, but fairly homophonic and well supported by the accompaniment. The most involved melismas are in the bass part, which is doubled by the continuo. There is a prominent and difficult trumpet solo throughout the first movement. The trumpet only appears again doubling the soprano part in the final chorale. There is a sustained and serpentine duet for oboes in movement 2. This would be wellserved with the addition of bassoon to the continuo. The first movement is the only movement with ensemble challenges for the strings. The continuo part of movement 4 is rapid and requires clean articulation. Soloists: alto - range: c'-e'', tessitura: e'-c'', this is a sustained and lyrical role best suited to a mezzosoprano; tenor - range: e-a', tessitura: g-g', this is a very difficult role with very rapid coloratura passagework; bass - range: E-e', tessitura: d-d', this is a powerful and declamatory solo with rapid text declamation and some intricate melismas. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Helen Watts, Adalbert Kraus, Wolfgang Schöne; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Hänssler Classic: 98.878. Paul Esswood, Kurt Equiluz, Thomas Thomaschke; Tolz Boys’ Choir, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 2292-42615-2. Rereleased as 4509-91761-2. Anna Reynolds, Peter Schreier, Theo Adam; Munich Bach Choir, Munich Bach Orchestra; conducted by Karl Richter. Recorded between 1973 and 1974. Archiv: 439 374-2AX5. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 2: 276, 309, 440-447. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 213. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 190.
Cantata No. 127: Herr Jesu Christ, wahr’ Mensch und Gott, BWV 127 (1725) Duration: ca. 21 minutes
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Occasion: Quinquagesima/Estomihi Text: The texts of movements 1 and 5 are by Eber (1562); the remaining texts are believed to be paraphrases by Bach. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 recorders, 2 oboes, trumpet, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 11 February 1725, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Herr Jesu Christ, wahr’ Mensch und Gott is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 8, edited by Christoph Wolff. Performance materials are available from BärenreiterVerlag. It is also published in BG, volume 26, page 135, edited by Alfred Dörffel. Other available editions include those from Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts) and Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: The autograph full score is in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. An original set of parts, in the hands of Johann Andreas Kuhnau and Wilhelm Friedemann Bach, is in the Bach-Archiv in Leipzig. Notes: This is a chorale cantata, base entirely upon Paul Eber’s hymn “Herr Jesu Christ, wahr’ Mensch und Gott,” which uses the tune, now known by the same name, by Louis Bourgeois (1551). Bourgeois originally composed the tune as a metrical setting of Psalm 127. Bach also harmonized a setting of Eber’s text using an anonymous melody (1597), known by the same name. Performance Issues: In the opening chorus, the hymn tune appears as a cantus firmus in the soprano part. The remaining choral parts move in close imitation alternating with homophonic passages. The choral parts are quite accessible to amateur choirs. The tessituri are moderate and the melodic writing fairly diatonic. The choral parts are not directly doubled by the orchestra, but there is a clear harmonic underpinning of the choral material. The orchestral writing in movement 1 is quite intricate, with dotted-note exchanges between section of instruments. The recorder parts are particularly important here. They also create an accompanimental background in movement 3 that sounds like a parody of pizzicato. There is also a chromatic, and somewhat difficult, oboe solo in movement 3. There is also a prominent trumpet solo in movement 4. The trumpet only plays in this movement. It is not consistently high, nor very difficult, although balance may prove challenging with the bass soloist. Soloists: soprano - range: c'-a♭'', tessitura: g'-g'', this is a lyrical solo with some rapid pasagework and a fairly high tessitura; tenor - range: e-a', tessitura: g-g', this is a brief declamatory solo appropriate for a chorister; bass range: G-e', tessitura: c-c', this is a dramatic solo for a
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strong and lyrical voice. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Arleen Augér, Lutz-Michael Harder, Wolfgang Schöne; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Hänssler Classic: 98.878. Sebastian Hennig, Kurt Equiluz, Max van Egmond; Hanover Boys’ Choir, Ghent Collegium Vocale, Leonhardt Consort; conducted by Gustav Leonhardt. Teldec: 2292-42615-2. Re-released as 4509-91761-2. Antonia Fahberg, Peter Pears, Kieth Engen; Munich Bach Choir, Munich State Opera Orchestra; conducted by Karl Richter. Recorded in 1958. Teldec: 903177614-2. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 237; volume 2: 278, 301, 301, 447-455, 461. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 221. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 191.
Cantata No. 128: Auf Christi Himmelfahrt allein, BWV 128 (1725) Duration: ca. 18 minutes102 Occasion: Ascension Text: The text of movement 1 is by Josua WegelinSonnemann (1661); movement 5 is by Matthäus Avenarius (1673); and the remaining text is by Mariane von Ziegler in a revision attributed to Bach. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes d’amore, trumpet, 2 horns, taille, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 10 May 1725, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Auf Christi Himmelfahrt allein is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 12, page 103, edited by Alfred Dürr. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 26, page 163, edited by Alfred Dörffel. Other available editions include those from Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts) and Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: The autograph full score is in a private collection in Switzerland. An original set of 102 Alfred Dürr lists 22 minutes and David Daniels lists 21 minutes, but the Rilling recording is 16 minutes 20 seconds.
parts, in the hands of Johann Andreas Kuhnau, Christian Gottlob Meissner, and Wilhelm Friedemann Bach, is in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: The opening chorus is a chorale fantasia on the hymn tune “Allein Gott in der Höh sei Ehr!,” which is an adaptation (1539) of the Easter plainsong setting of the “Gloria in excelsis.” The final chorale is a fourpart setting of the tune “O Gott, du frommer Gott,” which is an adaptation (1697) of the anonymous “Die Wollust dieser Welt.” Movement 5 of this cantata is parodied in movement 3 of Bach’s Mass in G, BWV 236. Performance Issues: The “Allein Gott in der Höh sei Ehr!” hymn tune appears as a cantus firmus in the soprano part of movement 1. In this movement, none of the choral parts is directly doubled by the orchestra, but there are significant parallelisms. The choral writing sets the lower three vocal lines in close imitation of each other. The vocal parts are fairly diatonic, but vocally demanding with considerable melismatic singing and some awkward melodic leaps. The orchestral writing overall is most challenging in movement 1, which is in the style of Bach’s concerti. The string parts are fairly rapid, but quite practical. It may be a challenge to achieve an acceptable balance within the orchestra. In movement 1, the horn parts are high, filled with rapid passagework, and very difficult. The horns appear again only in the final movement where they provide two high sustained descant lines to the chorale. There is a very difficult trumpet solo in movement 3; however, the trumpet appears only in this movement. There is a prominent oboe d’amore solo with long phrases and scalar passagework in movement 4. It requires only one note change to be played on modern oboe. The use of a bassoon in the continuo of this canatata would be quite effective. Soloists: alto - range: a-e'', tessitura: c'-d'', this is a sustained and lyric solo, this singer should be chosen to pair well with the tenor soloist; tenor - range: e-a', tessitura: gg', this is a lilting and sustained role, this singer should be chosen to pair well with the alto soloist; bass range: F#-e', tessitura: c-d', this is a difficult solo with rapid text declamation and considerable melismatic writing. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: difficult. Selected Discography: Gabriele Schrekenbach, Aldo Baldin, Wolfgang Schöne; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in the Gedächtniskirche, Stuttgart, in 1980 and 1981. Hänssler Classic: 98.886. René Jacobs, Kurt Equiluz, Max van Egmond; Hanover Boys’ Choir, Ghent Collegium Vocale, Leonhardt
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Consort; conducted by Gustav Leonhardt. Teldec: 2292-42617-2. Re-released as 4509-91761-2. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 655; volume 2: 38, 169-173, 289. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 281. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 153.
Cantata No. 129: Gelobet sei der Herr, mein Gott, BWV 129 (1726) Duration: ca. 19 minutes Occasion: Trinity of Reformation Text: The text is by Johannes Olearius (1665). Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: flute, 2 oboes, oboe d’amore, 3 trumpets, timpani, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 16 June or 31 October 1726, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Gelobet sei der Herr, mein Gott is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 15, page 39, edited by Alfred Dürr. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 26, page 187, edited by Alfred Dörffel. Other available editions include that from Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: An original set of parts, in the hands of “copyist C” and Christian Gottlob Meissner, is in the Bach-Archiv in Leipzig.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
doubled by the flute; however, the rest of the orchestra plays a seemingly independent fanfare-like accompaniment. The trumpet parts in this final movement are typically high. The difficulty of the trumpet parts in movement 1 is that they appear as a series of short high interjections with no approach. There are conspicuous solos for flute and violin in movement 3. Both parts are quite accessible to experienced players. There is a good amount of melodic interplay that would benefit from having these players seated near each other. There is a very sustained and lyrical oboe d’amore solo in movement 4. It is not technically difficult, but presents significant endurance challenges. Soloists: soprano - range: e'-a'', tessitura: a'-g'', this is a lyrical solo best suited for lighter voice; alto - range: d'-e'', tessitura: g'-d'', this is a lyrical solo with a high tessitura, best suited for a mezzo-soprano; bass - range: Ae'', tessitura: d-d', this is a lyrical and sustained solo with considerable ornamentation. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: difficult. Selected Discography: Arleen Augér, Gabriele Schreckenbach, Philippe Huttenlocher; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in the Gedächtniskirche, Stuttgart, in 1982. Hänssler Classic: 98.861. Sebastian Hennig, René Jacobs, Max van Egmond; Hanover Boys’ Choir, Ghent Collegium Vocale, Leonhardt Consort; conducted by Gustav Leonhardt. Teldec: 2292-42617-2. Re-released as 4509-91761-2. Edith Mathis, Anna Reynolds, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau; Munich Bach Choir, Munich Bach Orchestra; conducted by Karl Richter. Recorded between 1974 and 1975. Archiv: 439 380-2AX6. Selected Bibliography:
Notes: This is a chorale cantata with each movement being an adaptation of a successive verse of the hymn. It is based upon the hymn tune “O Gott, du frommer Gott,” which is an adaptation (1697) of the anonymous “Die Wollust dieser Welt.” Bach used the orchestral material of movement 5 again in the conclusion of the Christmas Oratorio, BWV 248.
Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 433, 439-444, 451; volume 2: 279, 290. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 322. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 121.
Performance Issues: This is a festival cantata with a large and bright orchestration. In movement 1, the hymn tune appears in the soprano part as a cantus firmus. The lower three parts are in close imitation with alternating declamatory passages and rapid melismatic singing. There is no doubling of the vocal parts by the instruments. There is a real sense of perpetual motion in the orchestra in this movement. Bach doubles many orchestral figures in multiple instruments, which will aid in ensemble, but may prove a challenge for intonation. All of the instrumental parts in this movement are technically difficult, and maintaining a steady allegro will prove difficult. The final movement is a straight four-part chorale for the choir, with the soprano
Cantata No. 130: Herr Gott, dich loben alle wir, BWV 130 (1724) Duration: ca. 17 minutes Occasion: Feast of St. Michael Text: The texts of movements 1 and 6 are by Eber (c. 1561); the remaining texts are believed to be paraphrases by Bach. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: flute, 3 oboes, 3 trumpets, timpani, strings, and basso continuo
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
First Performance: 29 September 1724, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig103 Editions: Herr Gott, dich loben alle wir is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 30, page 3, edited by Marianne Helms. Performance materials are available from BärenreiterVerlag. It is also published in BG, volume 26, page 233, edited by Alfred Dörffel. Other available editions include those from Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts) and Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: The autograph full score is in a private collection in Germany. An original set of parts, in the hands of Christian Gottlob Meissner and Wilhelm Friedemann Bach, has been broken up with some parts in a number of collections. This is the first appearance of Wilhelm Friedemann Bach as a copyist for his father. Notes: This is a chorale cantata based upon the hymn tune “Herr Gott, dich loben alle wir,” also known as “Old Hundredth” composed by Louis Bourgeois and published in the Genevan Psalter (1551). Performance Issues: This is a flashy and brilliant cantata that is orchestrated so that it can accommodate a large chorus; however, there are some rapid melismatic passages for the choir that may be unwieldy for a large group. The choral writing in movement 1 places the hymn tune in the sopranos as a cantus firmus, with close imitation between the remaining choral parts. The vocal parts are not doubled by the instruments. The lower three choral parts have extended melismas and long, sustained phrases. This movement is accompanied by the entire orchestra and includes typically high and difficult trumpet parts. The trumpet trio returns in movement 3 where they must be balanced against the bass soloist. This is a particularly challenging movement for the trumpets and will require an expert first player and very strong players on second and third. Lastly the trumpets provide cadential flourishes in the final chorale. There is a prominent and somewhat difficult flute solo in movement 5. It has long phrases of perpetually moving figures. Soloists: soprano - range: e'-g'', tessitura: f#'-f#'', this is a brief solo with some awkward leaps that would be appropriate for a chorister; alto - range: b-e', tessitura: d'-b', this is a brief and simple solo appropriate for a chorister; tenor - range: d-a'', tessitura: g-g', this is a lyric solo with some broad melodic leaps and an exploitation of the entire range; bass - range: G-e', tessitura: c-d', this is a lyrical solo with very long phrases, a soloist should be chosen with a voice capable of competing with the three trumpet parts. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult.
103 W. Murray Young incorrectly states that this is Bach’s last complete cantata.
Selected Discography: Kathrin Graf, Gabriele Schnaut, Adalbert Kraus, Wolfgang Schöne; Figuralchor der Gedächtniskirche Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Hänssler Classic: 98.868. Arleen Augér, Ortrun Wenkel, Peter Schreier, Theo Adam; Leipzig St. Thomas Church Choir, Leipzig New Bach Collegium Musicum; conducted by Hans Joachim Rotzsch. Recorded between 1981 and 1983. Berlin: BC2150-2. Alan Bergius, Stefan Rampf, Kurt Equiluz, Walter Heldwein; Tolz Boys’ Choir, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 2292-42617-2. Re-released as 4509-91761-2. Frederike Sailer, Claudia Hellmann, Helmut Krebs, Erik Wenk; Heilbronn Heinrich Schütz Choir, Pforzheim Chamber Orchestra; conducted by Fritz Werner. Recorded in 1961. Erato: 4509-97407-2. Elly Ameling, Helen Watts, Werner Krenn, Tom Krause; Lausanne Pro Arte Chorus, Suisse Romande Orchestra; conducted by Ernest Ansermet. Decca: 433 1752DM. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 314; volume 2: 290, 455-461. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 568. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 214.
Cantata No. 131: Aus Tiefen rufe ich, Herr, zu dir, BWV 131 (1707) Duration: ca. 27 minutes Occasion: Memorial or Penitential Service Text: This cantata is a setting of Psalm 130. The texts of the chorale canti firmi are two verses of the hymn “Herr Jesu Christ, du höchstes Gut,” by Bartholomäus Ringwaldt (1588). Performing Forces: voices: soprano, tenor, alto, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: oboe, bassoon, violin, 2 violas, basso continuo (including bassoon) First Performance: 1707, Mühlhausen? Editions: Aus Tiefen rufe ich, Herr, zu dir is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 34, page 69, edited by Ryuichi Higuchi. Performance materials are available from BärenreiterVerlag. It is also published in BG, volume 28, page 3, edited by Wilhelm Rust. Other available editions include those from Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts) and Breitkopf und Härtel.
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Manuscript Sources: The autograph full score is in a private collection in New York. Notes: This cantata may have been composed in the summer of 1707 as a memorial for a fire on 30 May. It was commissioned by Pastor Georg Christian Eilmar of St. Mary’s Church in Mühlhausen. In movements 2 and 4, the solos are accompanied by a cantus firmus of the anonymous (1593) hymn tune “Herr Jesu Christ, du höchstes Gut,” sung by the sopranos and altos respectively. Although this is one of Bach’s earliest cantatas, it is the product of a mature musical hand. Performance Issues: The choral writing in the opening movement combines homophonic and imitative passages. Most of the vocal material is not directly doubled by the orchestra. There are some exposed lines for each section that could be assigned to soloists within the ensemble. Movement 3 is entirely imitative in a manner reminiscent of Buxtehude and Pachelbel. These vocal lines are not doubled by the orchestra. Instead, the accompaniment is an arrangement of “busy” figures that create an energized harmonic plane upon which the voices rest. The choral writing in the final movement is also pervasively imitative, but with clear doubling of each vocal part within the orchestra. Here the choral parts have some very challenging melismas. Clearly the canti firmi of movements 2 and 4 are intended for the entire choral section. The orchestral parts are accessible to collegiate-level players. The first oboe part has the most exposed playing. Movement 4 is accompanied by continuo, and would be best served by organ. A peculiar feature of the BG score is that the bassoon part is for a transposing B♭ instru-
ment. Soloists: tenor - range: c-a♭', tessitura: d-g', this is a lyrical solo with very long phrases that exploits the entire indicated range; bass - range: D-d', tessitura: cc', this is a lyrical solo with very long phrases, there is only one short D, the next lowest pitch is G. Choir: difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult.
Selected Discography: Adalbert Kraus, Wolfgang Schöne; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Hänssler Classic: 98.866. Alan Bergius, Paul Esswood, Kurt Equiluz, Robert Holl; Tolz Boys’ Choir, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 229242617-2. Re-released as 4509-91761-2 and 450992627-2. William Kendall, Stephen Varcoe; Monteverdi Choir, English Baroque Soloists; conducted by John Eliot Gardiner. Erato: 2292-45988-2. Barbara Schlick, Gérard Lesne, Howard Crook, Peter Kooy; Ghent Collegium Vocale, Ghent Collegium Vocale Orchestra; conducted by Philippe Herreweghe. Virgin: VC7 59237-2. Greta de Reyghere, John Bowman, Guy de Mey, Max van Egmond; Capella Sancti Michaelis Vocal
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Ensemble, Ricercare Ensemble; conducted by Erik van Nevel. Recorded in 1991. Ricercare: RIC103086/7 and RIC92001. Barbara Schlick, Kai Wessel, Guy de Mey, Klaus Mertens; Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra and Choir; conducted by Ton Koopman. Recorded live in 1995. Erato: 4509-98536-2. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 10, 33-38, 44, 52, 74, 232; volume 2: 273, 626. Herz, Gerhard. “Bach’s First Cantata.” Studies in Eighteenth-Century Music [A Festschrift for Karl Geiringer], 272-291. London: Allen & Unwin, 1970. Also in Essays on J. S. Bach, 212-227. Ann Arbor: UMI Research Press, 1985. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 625. Jacobson, Lena. “Musical Figures in BWV 131.” The Organ Yearbook, volume 11 (1980). Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 1.
Cantata No. 132: Bereitet die Wege, bereitet die Bahn!, BWV 132 (1715) Duration: ca. 21 minutes Occasion: Advent IV Text: The text of movement 6 is by Elisabeth Kreuziger (1524); the remaining text is by Salomo Franck (1715). Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; orchestra: oboe, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 22 December 1715, Weimar Editions: Bereitet die Wege, bereitet die Bahn! is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 1, page 101, edited by Alfred Dürr and Werner Neumann. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 28, page 35, edited by Wilhelm Rust. Other available editions include those from Kalmus (NBA edition, score and parts), Breitkopf und Härtel, and Bärenreiter. Manuscript Sources: The autograph full score and a single original part are in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: This is a solo cantata. W. Murray Young suggests that Bach composed this work in response to his own interest in Italian-style cantatas, leading it to be similar
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
to the cantatas of Alessandro Scarlatti.104 The anonymous (1524) hymn tune “Herr Christ, der einge Gottessohn,” appears as a four-part chorale in the final movement. Bach made four-part chorale settings of this tune to conclude three other cantatas: BWV 22, 96, and 164. Performance Issues: The orchestral parts are generally quite easy. There is a prominent oboe solo in movement 1. The violins are in unison with that solo some of the time. There is also a difficult violin solo throughout movement 5. In the BG score the final chorale is given as text only with the instruction of “Choral semplice stylo.” Soloists: soprano - range: c#'-a'', tessitura: e'-f#'', this is a difficult solo with considerable melismatic passagework; alto - range: a-d', tessitura: d'-b', this is a sustained and lyrical solo; tenor range: c#-g', tessitura: e-e', this solo has some broad melodic leaps and a fair amount of coloratura; bass range: E-d', tessitura: B-b, this is a declamatory solo requiring a strong low register and the capability to make broad vocal leaps. Choir: easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Arleen Augér, Helen Watts, Kurt Equiluz, Wolfgang Schöne; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in the Gedächtniskirche, Stuttgart, in 1976 and 1977. Hänssler Classic: 98.822. Sebastian Hennig, René Jacobs, Marius van Altena, Max van Egmond; Hanover Boys’ Choir, Ghent Collegium Vocale, Leonhardt Consort; conducted by Gustav Leonhardt. Teldec: 2292-42618-2. Re-released as 4509-91761-2. Edith Mathis, Anna Reynolds, Peter Schreier, Theo Adam; Munich Bach Choir, Munich Bach Orchestra; conducted by Karl Richter. Recorded in 1972. Archiv: 439 369-2AX4. Barbara Schlick, Kai Wessel, Christoph Prégardien, Klaus Mertens; Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra and Choir; conducted by Ton Koopman. Recorded live in 1995. Erato: 0630-12598-2. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 11, 90-93, 237. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 104. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 18.
104 In Young, The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, page 18.
Cantata No. 133: Ich freue mich in dir, BWV 133 (1724) Duration: ca. 20 minutes Occasion: Third Day of Christmas Text: The texts of movement 1 and 6 are by Kaspar Ziegler (1697); the remaining text is believed to be paraphrases by Bach or Christian Weiss Jr. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes d’amore, cornetto, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 27 December 1724, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Ich freue mich in dir is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 3, not yet published. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 28, page 53, edited by Wilhelm Rust. Other available editions include those from Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts) and Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: The autograph full score is in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. An original set of parts, in the hands of Johann Andreas Kuhnau, Christian Gottlob Meissner, and Wilhelm Friedemann Bach, is in the Bach-Archiv in Leipzig. Notes: This is a chorale cantata based upon the hymn tune “Ich freue mich in dir,” which is an adaptation (1738)105 of “O stilles Gotteslamm.” Performance Issues: The choral writing of this cantata is quite simple. The hymn tune appears as a cantus firmus in the soprano part of movement 1. It is joined homophonically by the remaining choral parts who move in like time. There are a few brief melismatic figures at the close of the movement. The choral bass part is directly doubled by the continuo, the other choral parts are not directly doubled by the instruments, but they are clearly reinforced harmonically. There is a challenging oboe d’amore duet in movement 2. Soloists: soprano - range: e'-a'', tessitura: a'-g'', this is a lilting and high solo for a very flexible singer; alto range: a-e'', tessitura: d'-d'', this is a lyrical solo with some difficult coloratura passagework; tenor - range: e-a'', tessitura: g-f', this is a brief and easy solo appropriate for a chorister; bass - range: A#-e', tessitura: cc', this is a brief and easy solo appropriate for a chorister. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium difficult.
105 This is the date given by Terry in J.S. Bach, Four-Part Chorales, volume 1, page 193, despite Bach’s use of it here, fourteen years earlier.
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Selected Discography: Arleen Augér, Doris Soffel, Aldo Baldin, Philippe Huttenlocher; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in the Gedächtniskirche, Stuttgart, in 1980. Hänssler Classic: 98.826. Sebastian Hennig, René Jacobs, Marius van Altena, Max van Egmond; Hanover Boys’ Choir, Ghent Collegium Vocale, Leonhardt Consort; conducted by Gustav Leonhardt. Teldec: 2292-42618-2. Re-released as 4509-91761-2. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 272; volume 2: 290, 335-340. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 133. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 163.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
duet, which seems intended for the soloists. The first violin parts are difficult throughout the cantata, especially in movements 2, 4, and 6. In movement 4 a solo string quartet would be appropriate and would eliminate many ensemble difficulties for the violins. The oboe parts are fairly challenging, particulary in movement 2. The first oboe part in movement 6 will require a very strong player. Soloists: alto - range: b♭-e♭'', tessitura: f'-d'', this is a lyrical solo best suited to a mezzosoprano; tenor - range: d-b♭', tessitura: g-g', this is a very difficult role with considerable coloratura and numerous leaps to the top of the indicated range. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography:
Cantata No. 134: Ein Herz, das seinen Jesum lebend weiss, BWV 134 (1724)
Helen Watts, Adalbert Kraus; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Hänssler Classic: 98.881. René Jacobs, Marius van Altena; Hanover Boys’ Choir, Ghent Collegium Vocale, Leonhardt Consort; conducted by Gustav Leonhardt. Teldec: 2292-42618-2. Re-released as 4509-91761-2.
Duration: ca. 30 minutes
Selected Bibliography:
Occasion: Easter Tuesday
Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 162, 237, 305, 328-336; volume 2: 518, 520. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 244. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 27.
Text: The text is attributed to Bach. Performing Forces: voices: alto and tenor soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 11 April 1724, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Ein Herz, das seinen Jesum lebend weiss is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 10, page 71 (first version) and 108 (a variant version), edited by Alfred Dürr. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 28, pages 83 and 287, edited by Wilhelm Rust. Other available editions include those from Bärenreiter (parts and score), Kalmus (NBA edition, score and parts), and Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: The autograph full score, and an original set of parts, in the hands of Johann Andreas Kuhnau and Christian Gottlob Meissner, are in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: This cantata was adapted from BWV 134a, described next. The text was published in Leipzig in 1731. Performance Issues: The choral writing of the final movement is mostly homophonic. The bass part is doubled by the continuo, but the upper choral parts are not directly reinforced by the instruments. There are demanding melismas in all of the choral parts. Each choral statement is prefaced with a brief alto/tenor
Cantata No. 134a: Die Zeit, die Tag und Jahre macht, BWV 134a (1719) Duration: ca. 29 minutes Occasion: The Birthday of Prince Leopold of AnhaltCöthen or New Year/Feast of Christ’s Circumcision Text: The text is by Christian Friedrich Hunold. Performing Forces: voices: alto and tenor soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 1 January 1719, Cöthen Editions: Die Zeit, die Tag und Jahre macht is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 35, page 51, edited by Alfred Dürr. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 29, page 209, edited by Alfred Dörffel. Other available editions include those from Bärenreiter (parts and score), Kalmus (NBA edition, score and parts), and Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: An incomplete autograph full score is in the Bibliothèque Nationale in Paris. An original set of parts, thought to be in the hand of the
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
composer, is in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: This cantata served as the basis of BWV 134. Performance Issues: This cantata was adapted into BWV 134, described above.
declamatory recitative appropriate for a chorister; tenor - range: c-a', tessitura: g-g', this is a difficult lyrical solo with considerable coloratura writing; bass range: A-e', tessitura: d-d', this is a lilting and lyrical solo. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium difficult.
Discography: No commercial recording
Selected Discography:
Selected Bibliography:
Helen Watts, Adalbert Kraus, Philippe Huttenlocher; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in the Gedächtniskirche, Stuttgart, in 1979. Hänssler Classic: 98.802. René Jacobs, Marius van Altena, Max van Egmond; Hanover Boys’ Choir, Ghent Collegium Vocale, Leonhardt Consort; conducted by Gustav Leonhardt. Teldec: 2292-42618-2. Re-released as 4509-91761-2. Anna Reynolds, Peter Schreier, Dietrich FischerDieskau; Munich Bach Choir, Munich Bach Orchestra; conducted by Karl Richter. Recorded between 1974 and 1975. Archiv: 439 380-2AX6.
Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 654.
Cantata No. 135: Ach Herr, mich armen Sünder, BWV 135 (1724) Duration: ca. 15 minutes Occasion: Trinity III Text: The texts of movements 1 and 6 are by Cyriakus Schneegass (1597); the remaining texts are believed to be paraphrases by Bach. Performing Forces: voices: alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes, cornetto, trombone (doubling continuo), strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 25 June 1724, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Ach Herr, mich armen Sünder is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 16, page 199, edited by Paul Brainard. Performance materials are available from BärenreiterVerlag. It is also published in BG, volume 28, page 121, edited by Wilhelm Rust. Other available editions include that from Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: The autograph full score is in the Bach-Archiv in Leipzig. Notes: This is a chorale cantata based upon the hymn tune “Herzlich thut mir verlangen,” by Hans Leo Hassler (1601), which was an adaptation of the secular song “Mein Gmüt ist mir verwirret.” Performance Issues: In movement 1, the hymn tune appears as a cantus firmus in the basses and continuo with the upper choral parts in close imitation on the same melodic material moving six times as quickly. All of the choral parts are clearly doubled by the orchestra. The orchestra has elegant ritornelli between each choral statement. There is an intricate and difficult oboe duet in movement 3. This duet includes rapid passagework and occasional unisons that could prove difficult for accurate intonation. The first violin part in movement 5 is quite difficult, and may be best served as a solo part within a string quartet for this movement. The trombone doubles the continuo line in movement 1 and does not appear again in the cantata, although it could be effectively used in the closing chorale. Soloists: alto - range: b♭-d'', tessitura: f'-c'', this is a brief
Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 237; volume 2: 120-125, 301. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 348. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 197.
Cantata No. 136: Erforsche mich, Gott, und erfahre mein Herz, BWV 136 (1723) Duration: ca. 19 minutes Occasion: Trinity VIII Text: The text of movement 1 is Psalm 139 (v. 23); movement 6 is by Johann Heermann (1630); and the remaining texts are from an unidentified source. Performing Forces: voices: alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes d’amore, horn, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 18 July 1723, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Erforsche mich, Gott, und erfahre mein Herz is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 18, page 131, edited by Alfred Dürr. Performance materials are available from BärenreiterVerlag. It is also published in BG, volume 28, page 139, edited by Wilhelm Rust. Other available editions include that from Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: An incomplete autograph full score, and an original set of parts, in the hands of Johann Andreas Kuhnau and Christian Gottlob Meissner, are in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin.
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Notes: Movement 1 of this cantata is parodied in movement 3 of Bach’s Mass in A, BWV 234. The finale chorale is a four-part setting of the anonymous (1609) hymn tune “Wo soll ich fliehen hin,” which was derived from a secular song (1574). Performance Issues: The choral writing in the opening movement is highly imitative and doubled by the orchestra throughout. The choral parts have some unusually long sustained passages. The oboes are likewise quite sustained. The horn part in this movement is critical and very difficult, requiring an expert player. There is a promient and fairly difficult oboe d’amore solo in movement 3. Movement 5 has a very difficult violin part throughout that is labeled “Violins 1 and 2 in unison;” however, it will probably be best to treat it as a solo part.106 The horn doubles the soprano part in the final chorale. Here and in the opening movement it goes above the standard range of the modern horn and may require editing for performance. Soloists: alto - range: a-e'', tessitura: e'-c#'', this highly ornamented solo has awkward melodic leaps and long phrases; tenor - range: f-a', tessitura: a-f#', this solo has considerable coloratura passagework and should be chosen to blend well with the bass soloist; bass range: A-e', tessitura: B-b, this solo has considerable coloratura passagework and should be chosen to blend well with the tenor soloist. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Helen Watts, Kurt Equiluz, Niklaus Tüller; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in the Gedächtniskirche, Stuttgart, in 1977 and 1978. Hänssler Classic: 98.806. Paul Esswood, Kurt Equiluz, Walter Heldwein; Tolz Boys’ Choir, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 2292-42619-2. Rereleased as 4509-91761-2. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 229, 234, 237, 349-354. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 379. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 72.
Cantata No. 137: Lobe den Herren, den mächtigen König der Ehren, BWV 137 (1725)
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Occasion: Trinity XII107 Text: The text is by Joachim Neander (1680). Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes, 3 trumpets, timpani, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 19 August 1725, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Lobe den Herren, den mächtigen König der Ehren is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 20, page 173, edited by Klaus Hofmann. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 28, page 167, edited by Wilhelm Rust. Other available editions include those from Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts) and Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: An original set of parts, in the hand of Johann Andreas Kuhnau, is in the BachArchiv in Leipzig. Notes: This is a chorale cantata with each movement being a successive verse of the hymn, upon the anonymous (1665) tune “Hast du denn, Liebster, dein Angesicht gänzlich verborgen.” Bach adapted movement 5 of this cantata for inclusion as movement 8 of BWV 120a. Performance Issues: The choral writing in movement 1 combines imitative and homophonic passages. The hymn tune appears as a cantus firmus in the soprano part with the other choral parts generally in close imitation. The choral lines are intermittently doubled by the orchestra. The trumpet part in this movement is typically high and challenging. The trumpets’ final appearance in the closing triumphal chorale is high and sustained. The first part is by far the most challenging, but the second part is also quite difficult. The alto solo in movement 2 is a lightly ornamented setting of the hymn tune for the singer with an essential and very difficult violin solo. Movement 3 presents the hymn tune in canon between the two soloists against the backdrop of a challenging oboe duet. A single trumpet returns with an obbligato solo on the hymn tune in movement 4 as the tenor soloist executes an elaborate aria. Soloists: soprano - range: e'-a'', tessitura: g'-e'', this is a lyrical and chromatic solo with some coloratura writing; alto - range: d'-d'', tessitura: g'-d'', this is a lyrical solo appropriate for a chorister; tenor - range: e-a', tessitura: g-g', this is a very difficult solo with much coloratura; bass - range: A-e', tessitura: d-c', this is a lyric solo with long sustained phrases. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: difficult.
Duration: ca. 15 minutes
106 Rilling does this in his recording.
107 It was also performed for the election of the town council in August 1732.
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Selected Discography: Arleen Augér, Gabriele Schreckenbach, Adalbert Kraus, Walter Heldwein; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in the Gedächtniskirche, Stuttgart, in 1982. Hänssler Classic: 98.861. Alan Bergius, Paul Esswood, Kurt Equiluz, Albert Hartinger; Tolz Boys’ Choir, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 2292-42619-2. Re-released as 4509-91761-2. Edith Mathis, Julia Hamari, Peter Schreier, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau; Munich Bach Choir, Munich Bach Orchestra; conducted by Karl Richter. Recorded between 1975 and 1977. Archiv: 439 387-2AX6. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 231, 238, 433, 439, 451-456; volume 2: 74, 270, 271, 273, 310. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 417. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 128.
Cantata No. 138: Warum betruubst du dich, mein Herz?, BWV 138 (1723) Duration: ca. 20 minutes Occasion: Trinity XV Text: The texts of movements 1, 3, and 7 are from an unknown source written in Nürnberg (1561), although Bach and many other sources attribute them to Hans Sachs; the remaining text is from another unidentified source. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes d’amore, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 5 September 1723, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Warum betruubst du dich, mein Herz? is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 22, page 3, edited by Matthias Wendt. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 28, page 199, edited by Wilhelm Rust. Other available editions include that from Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: The autograph full score is in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: Bach parodied movement 1 of this cantata, with movement 1 of BWV 17, in movement 3 of his Mass in G, BWV 236. The cantata is based upon the anonymous (1565) hymn tune “Warum betrübst du dich, mein Herz.”
Performance Issues: Movements 1, 3, and 7 are highly ornamented chorale settings with intricately involved accompaniments, and in movements 1 and 3 Bach places recitative interjections between lines of the chorale. Bach creates some imitative counterpoint for the voice in movement 3, but still maintains a clear hymnlike format. The final chorale verse in movement 7 has been adapted from a quadruple simple meter into duple compound. The choral parts are thoroughly double by the instruments. The string writing throughout the cantata is quite challenging, especially in movements 5 and 7. The unison violin parts of movement 7 may require particular attention in rehearsal. Some of the scalar runs marked with slurs place 11 or 12 notes to a bow. This should be applied consistently throughout the movement. The two oboe parts are not technically difficult and are rarely exposed. Soloists: alto - range: b-c'', tessitura: e'-a', these are brief recitatives appropriate for a chorister; tenor - range: d-a', tessitura: f#g', these are brief recitatives appropriate for a chorister; bass - range: G#-e', tessitura: d-d', this is a difficult role with long sustained phrases and some challenging coloratura. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: difficult. Selected Discography: Arleen Augér, Ria Bollen, Aldo Baldin, Philippe Huttenlocher; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in the Gedächtniskirche, Stuttgart, in 1977 and 1978. Hänssler Classic: 98.812. Alan Bergius, Stefan Rampf, Kurt Equiluz, Robert Holl; Tolz Boys’ Choir, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 229242619-2. Re-released as 4509-91762-2. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 234; volume 2: 263-267, 280, 290, 301. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 439. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 209.
Cantata No. 139: Wohl dem, der sich auf seinen Gott, BWV 139 (1724) Duration: ca. 20 minutes Occasion: Trinity XXIII Text: The texts of movements 1 and 6 are by Johann Christoph Rübe (1692); the remaining texts are believed to be paraphrases by Bach. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes d’amore, strings, and basso continuo
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First Performance: 12 November 1724, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Wohl dem, der sich auf seinen Gott is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 26, page 99, edited by Andreas Glöckner. Performance materials are available from BärenreiterVerlag. It is also published in BG, volume 28, page 225, edited by Wilhelm Rust. Other available editions include that from Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: An original set of parts, in the hands of Johann Andreas Kuhnau and Christian Gottlob Meissner, are in the Bach-Archiv in Leipzig. Notes: This is a chorale cantata, based upon the hymn tune “Machs mit mir, Gott, nach deiner Güt,” by Johann Hermann Schein (1629). Performance Issues: In the opening chorus, the hymn tune is a cantus firmus in the soprano part. The remaining choral parts are in closer imitation of each other. These lower three choral parts are well reinforced by the orchestra, while the cantus firmus is not instrumentally doubled. The instrumental interludes of this movement are more contrapuntally complex than are the choral passages. The first violin part in this movement is particularly difficult. There is a concertato violin solo in movement 2 and movement 4, both of which demand an expert player with a dramatic flair. Some performances alternate phrases of the solo in movement 2 between two violinists. The two oboe parts are somewhat chromatic, but are not very technically challenging. Their unison passages in movement 4 may prove a challenge to intonation and rhythmic unity. This fourth movement also has some potentially difficult changes of tempo and meter. Soloists: soprano - range: c#'-g#'', tessitura: g#'-d#'', this is a brief and simple solo appropriate for a chorister; alto range: c#'-d#'', tessitura: e'-c#'', this is a brief and simple solo appropriate for a chorister; tenor - range: d-a', tessitura: g-g', this is a lyrical solo with some challenging coloratura passages; bass - range: A-e', tessitura: c#-c#', this is a dramatic role with considerable ornamentation and long lilting phrases. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Inga Nielsen, Helen Watts, Adalbert Kraus, Philippe Huttenlocher; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, BachCollegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in the Gedächtniskirche, Stuttgart, in 1979 and 1980. Hänssler Classic: 98.820. Alan Bergius, Stefan Rampf, Kurt Equiluz, Robert Holl; Tolz Boys’ Choir, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 229242619-2. Re-released as 4509-91762-2. 108 Alfred Dürr lists 31 minutes and David Daniels lists 29 minutes, but the Rilling recording is 24 minutes 15 seconds.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Edith Mathis, Trudeliese Schmidt, Peter Schreier, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau; Munich Bach Choir, Munich Bach Orchestra; conducted by Karl Richter. Recorded between 1977 and 1978. Archiv: 439 394-2AX5. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 2: 310, 461-466. Scheide, William H. “The ‘Concertato’ Violin in BWV 139.” Bach-Studien 5: 123-137. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 511. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 220.
Cantata No. 140: Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme, BWV 140 (1731) Duration: ca. 25 minutes108 Occasion: Trinity XXVII Text: The texts of movements 1, 4, and 7 are by Philip Nicolai; the remaining texts are attributed to Picander. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes, horn, taille, violin piccolo, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 25 November 1731, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 27, page 151, edited by Alfred Dürr. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 28, page 251, edited by Wilhelm Rust. Other available editions include those from Norton Critical Score [full score copied from the NBA with critical essays and analyses in English, edited by Gerhard Herz; this volume also contains Herz’s revised chronology of all of Bach’s cantatas], Dover (Eleven Great Cantatas, 0-486-23268-9, BG edition reprint, full score only with a literal English translation by Stanley Appelbaum), Bärenreiter (parts and score), Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts), Breitkopf und Härtel, and Boosey and Hawkes. Manuscript Sources: An original set of parts, in the hands of Johann Ludwig Krebs, Johann Gottlob Haupt, and the composer, is in the Bach-Archiv in Leipzig. Notes: Bach adapted movement 4 of this cantata as his Schübler Chorale No. 1, BWV 645. The chorale is based upon the hymn tune “Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme,” by Philipp Nicolai (1599). In the soprano and bass duets, the bass portrays Jesus and the soprano, “The Soul.”
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Performance Issues: In the opening chorus, the hymn tune appears as a cantus firmus in the sopranos with the remaining choral parts in close imitation. The lower choral parts have considerable coloratura writing, and are not directly doubled by the orchestra. The first violin and first oboe parts are quite challenging in this movement, the former having rapid scalar passagework, and the latter having exceptionally long sustained passages. Likewise, there is a very challenging violin solo in movement 3. Originally written for violin piccolo, it has been transcribed for regular violin in all modern editions. Movement 4 has all of the tenors singing the chorale tune against a background of a unison countermelody in all of the violins and violas. This is the best known movement of this cantata. There is an exposed and difficult solo for oboe in movement 6. It combines rapid passagework with very long phrases. The closing chorale is very simple and square, but is fully reinforced by the orchestra. Soloists: soprano - range: c'-g'', tessitura: g'-f'', this is a lyrical solo with some coloratura, the singer should be chosen to blend well with the soprano soloist; tenor range: e♭-a♭', tessitura: a♭-f', this is a lyrical solo with some long phrases; bass - range: G-e♭', tessitura: d-d', this is a lyrical and lilting role with some ornamentation, the singer should be chosen to blend well with the soprano soloist. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult.
Selected Discography: Arleen Augér, Aldo Baldin, Philippe Huttenlocher; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Württembergisches Kammer-orchester Heilbronn; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in the Gedächtniskirche, Stuttgart, in 1983 and 1984. Hänssler Classic: 98.857 and Nova: 150 029-2. Gabriele Fontana, Julia Hamari, Gösta Winbergh, Tom Krause; Stuttgart Hymnus Choir, Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra; conducted by Karl Münchinger. Recorded in 1984. Decca: 436 226-3DM. Alan Bergius, Kurt Equiluz, Thomas Hampson; Tolz Boys’ Choir, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 2292-42627-2. Rereleased as 4509-91762-2, 2292-43109-2, and 229242630-2. Edith Mathis, Peter Schreier, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau; Munich Bach Choir, Munich Bach Orchestra; conducted by Karl Richter. Recorded between 1977 and 1978. Archiv: 439 394-2AX5. Re-released as Deutsche Grammophon: 419 466-2GGA. Henrietta Schellenberg, Jon Humphrey, Sanford Sylvan; Blanche Moyse Chorale, St. Luke’s Orchestra; conducted by Blanche Moyse. Music Masters: 7059-2. Julianne Baird, Drew Minter, Jeffrey Thomas, Jan Opalach; Bach Ensemble; conducted by Joshua Rifkin. Recorded in 1986. L’Oiseau Lyre: 443 18820M.
Laurence Dutoit, Kurt Equiluz, Helena Braun; Vienna Chamber Choir, Vienna Stadtsoper Orchestra; conducted by Felix Prohaska. Vanguard: 08.2001.71. Ruth Holton, Michael Chance, Anthony Rolfe Johnson, Stephen Varcoe; Monteverdi Choir, English Baroque Soloists; conducted by John Eliot Gardiner. Archiv: 431 809-2AH. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. Fugitive Notes on Certain Cantatas and Motets of J. S. Bach, 51-64. London: Oxford University Press, 1942. Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 65, 131, 231, 433, 472-479; volume 2: 270, 310. Thornburg, R.B. “Bach the Lutheran Layman, and the Church Year.” Response, volume 3, number 2 (1961): 25-31. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 531. Bach, Johann Sebastian. Cantata No. 140: Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme: The Score of the New Bach Edition, Backgrounds, Analysis, Views, and Comments, edited by Gerhard Herz; a Norton Critical Score. New York: W. W. Norton, 1972. Prevost, J.-J. “J.S. Bach (1685-1750): Cantate, ‘Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme,’ BWV 140.” L’Education musicale, number 227 (1976): 263-269. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 119.
Cantata No. 141: Das ist je gewisslich wahr, BWV 141 This cantata, which was attributed to J. S. Bach is, in fact, by Georg Philipp Telemann. It is published as a work of Bach by Breitkopf und Härtel. Editions: Das ist je gewisslich wahr is published in BG, volume 30, page 3, edited by Paul Graf Waldersee.
Cantata No. 142: Uns ist ein Kind geboren, BWV 142 This cantata, which was attributed to J. S. Bach, is thought to be by Johann Kuhnau. Editions: Uns ist ein Kind geboren is published in BG, volume 30, page 19, edited by Paul Graf Waldersee. It is also published as a work of J. S. Bach by Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts), Breitkopf und Härtel, Galaxy, and G. Schirmer.
Cantata No. 143: Lobe den Herrn, meine Seele (II), BWV 143 Duration: ca. 14 minutes Occasion: New Year/Feast of Christ’s Circumcision Text: The text of movement 1 is Psalm 146 (v. 1); movement 3 is Psalm 146 (v. 5); movement 5 is Psalm 146 (v. 10); movement 7 is Psalm 146 (v. 10).
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Performing Forces: voices: soprano, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: bassoon, 3 horns, timpani, strings, and basso continuo Editions: Lobe den Herrn, meine Seele is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 4, page 167, edited by Werner Neumann. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 30, page 45, edited by Paul Graf Waldersee. Other available editions include those from Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts) and Breitkopf und Härtel. Notes: Bach’s authorship of this cantata is doubtful. See BWV 69 and 69a for other treatments of this psalm text. It is a chorale cantata, based upon the hymn tune “Du Friedefürst, Herr Jesu Christ,” attributed to Bartholomäus Gesius (1601). Performance Issues: The hymn tune appears in movement 2 as the soprano solo, as a cantus firmus in the violins and violas in movement 6, and as a cantus firmus in the soprano part of movement 7. The choral writing in the opening and closing movements includes close imitation juxtaposed with homophonic passages. There are some rapid melismatic figures for the choir. The choral parts are not doubled by the orchestra at all in movement 1, and are sporadically in movement 7. The trio of horns plays in movements 1, 5, and 7. Their parts are fanfare-like. The first and second parts are quite high. The first part will require some editing if it is to be played on modern horn, because it goes well above the accepted range of that instrument. There is a conspicuous and somewhat awkward violin solo in movement 2 that is parenthetically labeled “violini,” but will be better served with a soloist. There is an exposed, but not technically difficult bassoon solo in movement 6. Soloists: soprano range: a'-g'', tessitura: b♭'-f'', this is a sustained and simple solo appropriate for a chorister; tenor - range: d-a', tessitura: f-f', this is a very difficult solo with considerable coloratura writing; bass - range: F-e♭', tessitura: B♭-b♭, this is a dramatic solo with long sustained notes and rapid melismatic passagework. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Eva Csapò, Adalbert Kraus, Wolfgang Schöne; Frankfurter Kantorei, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Hänssler Classic: 98.870. Roger Cericius, Kurt Equiluz, Max van Egmond; Hanover Boys’ Choir, Ghent Collegium Vocale, Leonhardt Consort; conducted by Gustav Leonhardt. Teldec: 2292-42627-2. Re-released as 4509-91762-2 and 2292-42630-2. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 2: 221-225, 270, 271, 310, 458.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 158. ———. “Zur Problematik der Bach-Kantate, ‘Lobe den Herrn, meine Seele.’” Die Musikforschung, volume 30 (1977), 299-304. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 141.
Cantata No. 144: Nimm, was dein ist, und gehe hin, BWV 144 (1724) Duration: ca. 15 minutes Occasion: Septuagesima Text: The text of movement 1 is from the New Testament (Matthew 20:14); movement 3 is by Samuel Rodigast (1674); movement 6 is by Margrave Albrecht von Brandenburg (1547); and the remaining texts are from an unidentified source. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, and tenor soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes, oboe d’amore, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 6 February 1724, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Nimm, was dein ist, und gehe hin is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 7, page 3, edited by Werner Neumann. Performance materials are available from BärenreiterVerlag. It is also published in BG, volume 30, page 77, edited by Paul Graf Waldersee. Other available editions include those from Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts) and Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: The autograph full score is in the Staatsbiliothek in Bertlin. Notes: In this cantata, Bach sets two hymn tunes in traditional four-part chorale style. For movement 3, he sets the hymn tune “Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan,” attributed to Johann Pachelbel (1690); and for movement 6, he uses the chorale “Was mein Gott will, das g’scheh allzeit,” derived from the anonymous (c. 1529) French secular tune “Il me souffit de tous mes maulx.” Performance Issues: The opening chorus is written in a fugal motet style, accompanied only by the continuo. The vocal parts are almost exclusively syllabic, with considerable sustained passages. There are a number of chromatically altered nonharmonic tones that may prove challenging for good intonation; however, the rhythmic simplicity and scalar part writing should make this movement easily accessible to most choirs. There is a prominent oboe d’amore solo in movement 5 with long phrases and very few opportunities for catch breaths. The string parts are quite easy, and they only play in movement 2. With the oboe solo in movement 5, these are the only sections accompanied by more than continuo. This is an excellent cantata for
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ensembles with limited resources. It would be very appropriate to use solo string quartet, oboe, and keyboard. Soloists: soprano - range: d'-g'', tessitura: f#'f#'', this is a lyric and ornamented solo best suited to a lighter voice; alto - range: a-e'', tessitura: d'-d'', this is a declamatory and lyric solo best suited to a mezzosoprano; tenor - range: d-g', tessitura: g-f', this is a brief solo appropriate for a chorister. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: easy. Selected Discography: Arleen Augér, Helen Watts, Adalbert Kraus; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Hänssler Classic: 98.876. Ansgar Pfeiffer, Kurt Equiluz, Max van Egmond; Hanover Boys’ Choir, Ghent Collegium Vocale, Leonhardt Consort; conducted by Gustav Leonhardt. Teldec: 2292-42630-2. Re-released as 4509-91762-2. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 237, 354-357, 363. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 202. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 62.
Cantata No. 145: Ich lebe, mein Herze, zu deinem Ergötzen, BWV 145 (1717-1723, and 1729?) Duration: ca. 9 minutes Occasion: Easter Tuesday Text: The text of movement 1 is by Caspar Neumann (c. 1700); movement 2 is from the New Testament (Romans 10:9); movement 7 is by Nikolaus Herman (1560); and the remaining texts are by Picander. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: flute, 2 oboes d’amore, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 19 April 1729?, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Ich lebe, mein Herze, zu deinem Ergötzen is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 10, page 113, edited by Alfred Dürr. Performance materials are available from BärenreiterVerlag. It is also published in BG, volume 30, page 95, edited by Paul Graf Waldersee. Other available editions include that from Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: No original materials are available. Notes: Bach composed movements 1 and 3 separately in Cöthen between 1717 and 1723. Two movements by Telemann were added to the beginning. With these additional movements, the cantata is known as So du mit
deinem Munde bekennest Jesum, or Auf, mein Herz! Des Herren Tag. Modern performances generally use only the movements composed by Bach, which is what is reviewed here. Movement 5 is a four-part chorale setting of the hymn tune “Erschienen ist der herrlich Tag,” by Nikolaus Herman (1560), who also wrote the text. Performance Issues: In its original form, the chorus appears only for the final chorale. There is a critical violin solo in movement 1, which is quite difficult. The full orchestra plays only in movement 3, which is quite brilliant in its orchestration. It includes rapid melodic runs throughout the ensemble and some very articulate unison rhythms. The trumpet part is accessible to a mid-level collegiate player. The oboe d’amore parts are written in transpoition in the BG score, which is not a consistent practice in that edition. Soloists: soprano - range: e'-a'', tessitura: a'-g'', this is a light and lyric solo with some rapid ornamentation; tenor range: d-a', tessitura: e-e', this is a lyrical solo with some broad leaps and rapid ornamentation; bass range: A-e', tessitura: d-d', this is a lilting and declamatory solo with some rapid coloratura passages. Choir: easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Costanza Cuccaro, Adalbert Kraus, Andreas Schmidt; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Württembergisches Kammer-orchester Heilbronn; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in the Gedächtniskirche, Stuttgart, in 1984. Hänssler Classic: 98.856 and Nova: 150 0292. Alan Bergius, Kurt Equiluz, Thomas Hampson; Tolz Boys’ Choir, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 2292-42630-2. Rereleased as 4509-91762-2. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 434, 660-666. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 246. Young, W. Murra. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 89.
Cantata No. 146: Wir müssen durch viel Trübsal in das Reich Gottes eingehen, BWV 146 (1726 or 1728) Duration: ca. 40 minutes Occasion: Easter III or Jubilate Text: The text of movement 2 is from the New Testament (Acts 14:22); movement 8 is from an unidentified source; the remaining texts are attributed to Picander.
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Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and basso soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: flute, 2 oboes, 2 oboes d’amore, taille, organ obbligato, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 18 April 1728,109 St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche Leipzig Editions: Wir müssen durch viel Trübsal in das Reich Gottes eingehen is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 11/2, page 67, edited by Reinmar Emans. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 10, page 125, edited by Paul Graf Waldersee. Other available editions include those from Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts) and Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: There are no surviving original materials. The current editions are derived from two eighteenth-century copies. Notes: Movements 1 and 2 of this cantata are adapted from movements 1 and 2 of a now lost violin concerto. It was also adapted for harpsichord as BWV 1052. This is also the Sinfonia of BWV 188. For the final chorale, Bach did not indicate the text, but the ninth strophe of Gregorius Richter’s “Lässet ab von euren Tränen” is traditionally used. The hymn tune of the chorale is “Werde munter, mein Gemüthe,” by Johann Schop (1642). Performance Issues: This cantata begins with a lengthy Sinfonia (over eight minutes) featuring a very difficult organ solo. As noted above, this movement was adapted from an earlier violin concerto. In movement 2, Bach superimposes the choir upon the earlier instrumental composition, here again featuring the organ as the solo instrument. The choral writing in movement 2 is homophonic, but quite contrapuntal. With the partial exception of the bass part and continuo, the choral parts are not directly doubled by the orchestra. In this instance some pitch difficulties may arise because the choral basses often move in eighth-note scalar figures against quarter-note triadic figures in the continuo, alternating unisons and seconds. The movement is slow and quite sustained, ending in a brief fugal coda. There is an exposed and rhythmically involved violin solo in movement 3. Movement 5 features a fairly difficult flute solo accompanied by two oboes d’amore. These oboe d’amore parts are quite accessible to intermediate-level players. The oboists return in movement 7 on regular oboe with less exposed but technically more challenging parts, usually in parallel motion. This cantata is accessible to average collegiate choirs. The orchestra is also quite accessible to players of similar experience with the exception of the violin solo in 109 Herz’s chronology gives 12 May 1726 as the likely date; however, the works list of the New Grove biography gives the date above with a question mark.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
movement 3. This work should only be programmed with a highly skilled organist. Soloists: soprano range: c'-g'', tessitura: g'-g'', this is a lyrical solo with some challenging melismatic passagework; alto range: b♭-e♭'', tessitura: e♭'-e♭'', this is a lyrical solo well suited to a mezzo-soprano voice; tenor - range: ea', tessitura: g-f', this is a lyric solo that must execute rapid melismatic passages parallel with the bass soloist; bass - range: A-e', tessitura: d-d', this is a lyric solo that must execute rapid melismatic passages parallel with the tenor soloist. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Helen Donath, Marga Hoeffgen, Kurt Equiluz, HannsFriedrich Kunz; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, BachCollegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in the Gedächtniskirche, Stuttgart, in 1973. Hänssler Classic: 98.884. Alan Bergius, Paul Esswood, Kurt Equiluz, Thomas Hampson; Tolz Boys’ Choir, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 2292-42630-2. Re-released as 4509-91762-2. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 214, 229, 237, 241, 261; volume 2: 98-104. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 267. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 194.
Cantata No. 147: Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben, BWV 147 (1723) Duration: ca. 30 minutes Occasion: Visitation Text: BWV 147: The text of movements 6 and 10 are by Martin Jahn (1661); movements 2, 4, 8, and 9 are attributed to Bach; the remaining texts are by Salomo Franck (1717). BWV 147a: The text of movement 6 is by Johann Kolrose (c. 1535); the remaining texts are by Salomo Franck (1717). Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes, oboe d’amore, 2 oboes da caccia, trumpet, strings, and basso continuo (including bassoon)
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
First Performance: BWV 147: 2 July 1723, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig BWV 147a: 20 December 1716, Weimar Editions: Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 28/2, page 65, edited by Uwe Wolf. Performance materials are available from BärenreiterVerlag. It is also published in BG, volume 30, page 193, edited by Paul Graf Waldersee. Other available editions include those from Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts) and Breitkopf und Härtel. BWV 147a is addressed in the critical commentary of the NBA, series 1, volume 1. “Jesu Joy of Man’s Desiring,” which serves as movements 6 and 10, is published separately in numerous editions and arrangements. Manuscript Sources: The autograph full score, and a set of parts, in the hands of Johann Andreas Kuhnau and Christian Gottlob Meissner, are in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: This cantata was adapted from a 1716 cantata of the same title, BWV 147a.110 The earlier cantata is now lost.111 Movements 6 and 10 are settings of the hymn tune “Werde munter, mein Gemüthe,” by Johann Schop (1642). Performance Issues: The opening movement features the chorus in a brisk and very melismatic fugue. Most of the more complicated melodic figures for the choristers are doubled by the orchestra, but not all vocal lines have instrumental support. Bach also interjects some passages of paired doubling between the men and women, as well as occasional homophonic statements. Some clever contrapuntal devices include the return of the original fugal idea in reverse order of voices. The choral writing for movements 6 and 10 is hymnlike with the familiar ornamented accompaniment. There is a sustained and somewhat awkward oboe d’amore solo in movement 3. There is a technically demanding violin solo in movement 5. There is a divisi indicated for cello and bass in the continuo part of movement 7, wherein the cello part is quite difficult. There is an oboe d’amore duet in parallel motion throughout movement 8 that is technically quite accessible to intermediate-level players. Movement 9 features a fairly difficult trumpet solo that is typically high. Soloists: soprano - range: d'-b♭'', tessitura: a'-g'', this is a declamatory solo best suited to a lighter voice; alto - range: b-e'', tessitura: d'-d'', this is a lyric and sustained role, the differing character of these two arias is such that the use of two soloists could be very effective; tenor - range: d-a', tessitura: a-g', this is a
declamatory solo with broad melodic leaps and some rapid melismatic passages; bass - range: G-e, tessitura: d-d', this is a dramatic solo with rapid text declamation and some rapid coloratura writing. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Arleen Augér, Helen Watts, Kurt Equiluz, Wolfgang Schöne; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in the Gedächtniskirche, Stuttgart, in 1976 and 1977. Hänssler Classic: 98.863. Alan Bergius, Stefan Rampf, Paul Esswood, Kurt Equiluz, Thomas Hampson; Tolz Boys’ Choir, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 2292-42627-2. Re-released as 4509-91762-2, 2292-43109-2, 2292-42631-2, and 4509-95987-2. Ingrid Kertesi, Judit Németh, Jósef Mukk, Istvan Gáti; Hungarian Radio Chorus, Failoni Chamber Orchestra; conducted by Mátyás Antal. Naxos: 8 550642. Ruth Holton, Michael Chance, Anthony Rolfe Johnson, Stephen Varcoe; Monteverdi Choir, English Baroque Soloists; conducted by John Eliot Gardiner. Archiv: 431 809-2AH. Elly Ameling, Janet Baker, Ian Partidge, John ShirleyQuirk; King’s College Choir, Academy of St. Martin in the Fields. EMI Eminence: CD-EMX2199. The Sixteen, The Sixteen Orchestra; conducted by Harry Christophers. Collins Classics: Coll 1317-2. Ursula Buckel, Hertha Töpper, John van Kesteren, Kieth Engen; Munich Bach Choir, Ansbach Bach Week Soloists Orchestra; conducted by Karl Richter. Recorded in 1961. Archiv: 439 380-2AX6. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 12, 134-141, 237, 245; volume 2: 110, 291. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, BWV 147: 550, BWV 147a: 106. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 23.
Cantata No. 148: Bringet dem Herrn Ehre seines Namens, BWV 148 (1723) Duration: ca. 19 minutes Occasion: Trinity XVII
110 See the critical commentary of the NBA, series 1, volume 1, for
111 Herz lists an autograph manuscript and original parts being in
information on this lost work.
the Staatsbibliothek in Berlin, but later scholarship cites no extant materials.
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Text: The text of movement 1 is Psalm 96 (v. 8); movement 6 is by Heerman (1630); the remaining texts are by Picander112 in revisions attributed to Bach. Performing Forces: voices: alto and tenor soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: oboe, oboe d’amore, oboe da caccia, trumpet, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 19 September 1723?, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Bringet dem Herrn Ehre seines Namens is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 23, page 255, edited by Helmuth Osthoff. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 30, page 237, edited by Paul Graf Waldersee. Other available editions include those from Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts) and Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: There is a manuscript full score, in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin, which is not in Bach’s hand. Notes: The final chorale is a four-part setting of the anonymous (1609) hymn tune “Auf meinen lieben Gott,” which was derived from a secular song (1574). The final chorale is a setting of the text “Amen zu aller Stund.”113 Performance Issues: The choral writing in movement 1 combines homophonic and imitative passages. The imitative passages are all doubled by the orchestra while the homophonic passages are doubled intermittently. The choral parts are fairly diatonic and scalar with some melismatic passagework for each voice. This movement has a typically high and difficult trumpet solo with very long phrases that is missing from some instrumentation lists. The orchestral material of this movement is very kinetic, and it may prove difficult to hold a steady tempo. There is an exposed and difficult violin solo in movement 2, which also features some difficult passages in the continuo. Movement 4 is accompanied by trio labeled oboes I, II, and III, which is clearly intended for oboe, oboe d’amore, and oboe da caccia. This movement would benefit from the use of bassoon in the continuo. Soloists: alto - range: b- e'', tessitura: e'-d'', this is a lyric solo with long phrases, best suited for a mezzo-soprano voice; tenor - range: e-b', tessitura: b-a', this is a facile solo with considerable coloratura and a high tessitura. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium difficult.
112 W. Murray Young states that this is Bach’s “first confirmed association with Picander as his librettist” (The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, page 78). 113 Bach did not indicate the text for the final chorale. That listed is the final strophe of a text by Sigismund Weingäriner. Some
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Selected Discography: Helen Watts, Kurt Equiluz; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in the Gedächtniskirche, Stuttgart, in 1979. Hänssler Classic: 98.814. Paul Esswood, Kurt Equiluz; Tolz Boys’ Choir, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 2292-42631-2. Re-released as 4509-91762-2. Julia Hamari, Peter Schreier; Munich Bach Choir, Munich Bach Orchestra; conducted by Karl Richter. Recorded between 1977 and 1978. Archiv: 439 3872AX6. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 434, 650-655. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 458. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 78.
Cantata No. 149: Man singet mit Freuden vom Sieg, BWV 149 (1728) Duration: ca. 19 minutes Occasion: Feast of St. Michael Text: The text of movement 1 is Psalm 118 (v. 15); movement 7 is by Martin Schalling (1571); the remaining texts are by Picander. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 3 oboes, bassoon, 3 trumpets, timpani, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 29 September 1728?, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Man singet mit Freuden vom Sieg is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 30, page 99, edited by Marianne Helms. Performance materials are available from BärenreiterVerlag. It is also published in BG, volume 30, page 263, edited by Paul Graf Waldersee. Other available editions include those from Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts), Breitkopf und Härtel, and H. W. Gray. Manuscript Sources: There are no available original manuscripts.
editions give the eleventh strophe of Johann Heermann’s hymn “Wo soll ich fliehen hin,” which begins “Führ auch mein Herz und Sinn.”
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Notes: Movement 1 of this cantata is adapted from movement 15 of Bach’s secular cantata, BWV 208. The finale chorale is a four-part setting of the anonymous (1577) hymn tune “Herzlich lieb hab ich dich, O Herr.” Performance Issues: Although it begins with an imitative phrase, the choral writing in movement 1 is homophonic and highly ornamented. The size and brilliance of the orchestration allows for the use of a large choir. The trumpet and timpani parts in movements 1 and 7 are fanfare-like, and they occupy so few measures that they are not taxing; however, pitch may be problematic with so much time between entrances, especially in the final chorale. Movement 2 has an optional solo for double bass that is a simplification of the continuo part. Movement 6 is accompanied by an exposed and somewhat challenging basoon solo. The final chorale is thoroughly doubled by the orchestra. The string writing throughout the cantata is rhythmically charged with a variety of articulations that will require an experienced ensemble, or extra attention in rehearsal, especially if a larger string section is utilized. Soloists: soprano - range: c#'-a'', tessitura: f#'f#'', this is a lilting and lyric role; alto - range: a-e'', tessitura: g'-e'', this is a declamatory solo with some sustained singing at the top of the indicated range, this soloist should be chosen to blend with the tenor; tenor - range: c-g', tessitura: f#-e, this is a declamatory solo with some long phrases, this soloist should be chosen to blend with the alto; bass - range: G-e', tessitura: dd', this is a difficult and dramatic role with some rapid melismatic passages. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Arleen Augér, Mechtild Georg, Aldo Baldin, Philippe Huttenlocher; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, BachCollegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in the Gedächtniskirche, Stuttgart, in 1983 and 1984. Hänssler Classic: 98.815. Sebastian Hennig, Paul Esswood, Kurt Equiluz, Max van Egmond; Hanover Boys’ Choir, Ghent Collegium Vocale, Leonhardt Consort; conducted by Gustav Leonhardt. Teldec: 2292-42631-2. Re-released as 450991762-2. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 237, 305, 313-318, 455; volume 2: 515. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 572. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 114. 114 Alfred Dürr lists 17 minutes, and David Daniels lists 19 minutes, but the Rilling recording is 14 minutes 55 seconds.
Cantata No. 150: Nach dir, Herr, verlanget mich, BWV 150 (c. 1708-1710) Duration: ca. 17 minutes114 Occasion: unknown Text: The text of movements 2, 4, and 6 is from Psalm 25 (vv. 1, 2, 5, 15); the remaining text is from an unidentified source. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: bassoon, 2 violins, and basso continuo First Performance: c. 1708-1710?, probably Mühlhausen Editions: Nach dir, Herr, verlanget mich is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 41, not yet published. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 30, page 303, edited by Paul Graf Waldersee. Other available editions include those from Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts) and Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: No original materials are available. A 1753 copy of the full score, made by Penzel in Leipzig, survives. Notes: Bach labels the final chorus “Ciaccona.” Performance Issues: The sparse orchestration of this cantata, in the use of two violin parts and bassoon, is compensated by the independence of the chorus, and the possible use of a section of violinists. In movement 1 the chorus is chromatic and in close imitation with occasional homophonic passages. This movement also has a few potentially awkward tempo changes. The chorus in movement 4 is primarily composed of homophonic passages and paired doubling between the men and women. In the latter, there are some rapid melismatic figurations. The trio in movement 5 could be well served by using the choir. This is a sustained and chorale-like movement that would benefit from the color of the entire ensemble. Movement 6 combines paired doubling, homophony, and fugal imitation. There are some interesting hemiolas in this movement that may need attention. The final chorus is a chaconne, built on a ground that goes through a series of modulations. This chorus has exposed passages for each voice that could be assigned as solos. This is an unusual cantata among Bach’s works because of its orchestration and organization, which has brought about some questions regarding its authenticity; however, the melodic invention and the sophistication of the counterpoint are strong indicators that it is from Bach’s hand. This is an excellent work for a strong
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choir that has limited instrumental resources. All of the solo passages are accessible to intermediate-level singers, and the orchestra can be covered by five players including the keyboardist. Soloists: soprano range: e'-g'', tessitura: g#'-f#'', this is a brief and lyric solo that could be assigned to a chorister; alto - range: b-c#'', tessitura: e-c#'', this is a sustained and simple solo that could be assigned to a chorister, or the entire section; tenor - range: f#-f#', tessitura: a-e', this is a sustained and simple solo that could be assigned to a chorister, or the entire section; bass - range: E-d, tessitura: c#-c#', this is a sustained and simple solo that could be assigned to a chorister, or the entire section. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Magdalene Schreiber, Margret Jetter, Peter Maus, Hanns-Friedrich Kunz; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in the Gedächtniskirche, Stuttgart, in 1970. Hänssler Classic: 98.835. Ansgar Pfeiffer, Paul Esswood, Kurt Equiluz, Max van Egmond; Hanover Boys’ Choir, Ghent Collegium Vocale, Leonhardt Consort; conducted by Gustav Leonhardt. Teldec: 2292-42631-2. Re-released as 450991762-2. Barbara Schlick, Kai Wessel, Guy de Mey, Klaus Mertens; Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra and Choir; conducted by Ton Koopman. Recorded live in 1995. Erato: 4509-98536-2. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 11, 52-57, 58, 70, 131; volume 2: 117. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 628. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 4.
Cantata No. 151: Süsser Trost, mein Jesus kömmt, BWV 151 (1725) Duration: ca. 19 minutes Occasion: Third Day of Christmas Text: The text of movement 5 is by Nikolaus Herman (1560); the remaining text is by Georg Christian Lehms. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir (chorale only); orchestra: flute, strings, and basso continuo. An oboe d’amore part was added c. 1727. First Performance: 27 December 1725, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Editions: Süsser Trost, mein Jesus kömmt is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 3, not yet published. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 32, page 3, edited by Ernst Naumann. Other available editions include those from Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts) and Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: The autograph full score is in the Kunstsammlungen der Veste in Coburg. Original parts, in the hand of Johann Andreas Kuhnau, Johann Heinrich Bach, Wilhelm Friedemann Bach, and Anna Magdalena Bach, are in the Kunstsammlungen der Veste in Coburg and the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: This is a solo cantata with a closing chorale that can be sung by a choir or the solo quartet. The final chorale is a four-part setting of the hymn tune “Lobt Gott, ihr Christen alle gleich,” by Nikolaus Herman (1554), based upon his “Kommt her, ihr lieben Schwesterlein.” Performance Issues: This cantata is accessible to instrumentalist of limited experience, with the exception of the flutist whose solo in movement 1 requires both technical facility and musical sophistication. There is a somewhat exposed oboe d’amore solo in movement 3. It is doubled by the violins and violas most of the time, and is not technically demanding. Soloists: soprano - range: c'-a'', tessitura: a'-f#'', this solo is very sustained with some rapid coloratura passages; alto range: g-e'', tessitura: f#'-d'', this solo has long lyrical phrases and a high tessitura, being well suited to a mezzo-soprano; tenor - range: d-a', tessitura: g-g', this is a brief declamatory solo appropriate for a chorister; bass - range: B-e', tessitura: c#-d', this is a brief declamatory solo appropriate for a chorister. Choir: very easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Nobuko Gamo-Yamamoto, Hildegard Laurich, Adalbert Kraus, Hanns-Friedrich Kunz; Frankfurter Kantorei, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in the Gedächtniskirche, Stuttgart, in 1971. Hänssler Classic: 98.825. Sebastian Hennig, Paul Esswood, Kurt Equiluz, Max van Egmond; Hanover Boys’ Choir, Ghent Collegium Vocale, Leonhardt Consort; conducted by Gustav Leonhardt. Teldec: 2292-42631-2. Re-released as 450991762-2. Selected Bibliography: Zirnbauer, Heinz. “Die Urfassung der 151. Kantate von Johann Sebastian Bach.” Zeitschrift für Musik, volume 111 (1950): 303-304.
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 12, 93-100, 101, 198, 232; volume 2: 85, 190. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 136. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 231.
Cantata No. 152: Tritt auf die Glaubensbahn, BWV 152 (1714) Duration: ca. 19 minutes Occasion: Christmas I Text: The text is by Salomo Franck (1715). Performing Forces: voices: soprano and bass soloists; orchestra: recorder, oboe, viola d’amore, viola da gamba, and basso continuo First Performance: 30 December 1714; Weimar Editions: Tritt auf die Glaubensbahn is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 3, not yet published. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 32, page 19, edited by Ernst Naumann. Other available editions include those from Kalmus (NBA edition, score and parts) and Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: The autograph full score is in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: In this cantata the soprano soloist portrays “The Soul,” and the bass soloist, “Jesus.” Performance Issues: The opening “concerto” movement is contrapuntally intricate. The viola gamba part doubles the continuo with some octave displacements. There is a prominent and somewhat difficult oboe solo in movement 2. Movement 3 features very sustained solos for recorder and viola d’amore. In the closing duet all of the instruments, except the continuo, play in unison. This is a true chamber cantata requiring strong players on all parts. It could be very effectively performed without a conductor. Soloists: soprano range: d'-g'', tessitura: g'-f#'', this is an ornamented solo with long phrases; bass - range: D#-c', tessitura: G-g, this is a declamatory solo with some coloratura passagework, this solo requires a real bass. Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Arleen Augér, Wolfgang Schöne; chamber ensemble; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in the Gedächtniskirche, Stuttgart, in 1976. Hänssler Classic: 98.826. Christoph Wegmann, Thomas Hampson; Tolz Boys’ Choir, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 2292-42632-2. Re-released as 4509-91762-2.
Christine Brandes, William Sharp; American Bach Soloists; conducted by Jeffrey Thomas. Koch: 37164-2. Greta de Reyghere, Max van Egmond; Ricercare Consort. Ricercare: RIC061041. Barbara Schlick, Kai Wessel, Christoph Prégardien, Klaus Mertens; Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra and Choir; conducted by Ton Koopman. Recorded live in 1995. Erato: 0630-12598-2. Selected Bibliography: Neumann, Werner. “Zur Aufführungspraxis der Kantate 152.” Bach-Jahrbuch 38 (1949/1950): 100-103. Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 12, 93-100, 101, 198, 232; volume 2: 85, 190. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 140. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 19.
Cantata No. 153: Schau, lieber Gott, wie meine Feind, BWV 153 (1724) Duration: ca. 17 minutes Occasion: New Year I—Feast of the Circumcision Text: The text of movement 1 is by David Denicke (1646); movement 3 is from the Old Testament (Isaiah 41:10), movement 5 is by Paul Gerhardt (1653); movement 9 is by Martin Moller (1587); the remaining texts are from an unidentified source. Performing Forces: voices: alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir (chorale only); orchestra: strings and basso continuo First Performance: 2 January 1724, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Schau, lieber Gott, wie meine Feind is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 4, page 201, edited by Werner Neumann. Performance materials are available from BärenreiterVerlag. It is also published in BG, volume 32, page 43, edited by Ernst Naumann. Other available editions include that from Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: An original set of parts, in the hands of Johann Andreas Kuhnau and Christian Gottlob Meissner, is in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: In this work, Bach includes three four-part chorale settings: movement 1 is a setting of the anonymous (1524) hymn tune “Ach Gott vom Himmel, sieh darein”; movement 5 is a setting of the anonymous (1524) hymn tune “Helft mir Gotts Güte preisen”; and movement 9 is a setting of the anonymous (1625) hymn tune “Ach Gott, wie manches Herzelied.” Performance Issues: The chorales are all thoroughly doubled by the orchestra. Bach probably intended for
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them to be sung by the congregation. The instrumental parts are all quite accessible to inexperienced players with the exception of movement 6. Here, the string parts are filled with very fast scalar runs, many beginning after the beat. Without this movement, the orchestra would be labeled medium easy. Soloists: alto - range: c#'-e'', tessitura: g'-d'', this is a lilting and lyric solo with a high tessitura, best suited to a mezzosoprano; tenor - range: d-a', tessitura: g-g', this is a very difficult solo with rapid coloratura passagework; bass - range: A-e', tessitura: d-d', this is a lyric solo with some melismatic writing appropriate for a chorister. Choir: very easy; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Ann Murray, Adalbert Kraus, Walter Heldwein; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Hänssler Classic: 98.871. Stefan Rampf, Kurt Equiluz, Thomas Hampson; Tolz Boys’ Choir, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 2292-42632-2. Rereleased as 4509-91762-2. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 237, 401-407. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 160. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 47.
Cantata No. 154: Mein liebster Jesus ist verloren, BWV 154 (1724) Duration: ca. 19 minutes Occasion: Epiphany I
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Andreas Kuhnau and Christian Gottlob Meissner, are in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: There are two four-part chorale settings of hymn tunes: movement 3 is a setting of “Werde munter, mein Gemüthe,” by Johann Schop (1642); and movement 8 is a setting of the anonymous (1686) “Jesus ist mein Aufenthalt.” Performance Issues: The chorales are thoroughly doubled by the orchestra. The orchestral parts require secure players throughout the ensemble. The string parts are quite technically involved. There is also a very sustained oboe d’amore duet in movement 4. Soloists: alto - range: b-e'', tessitura: e'-d'', this is a lilting and lyric solo; tenor - range: c#-a', tessitura: g-g', this a declamatory solo with long phrases, dotted articulations, and broad melodic leaps; bass - range: B-e', tessitura: c#-d', this is a brief declamatory solo appropriate for strong a chorister. Choir: very easy; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Ann Murray, Aldo Baldin, Walter Heldwein; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Hänssler Classic: 98.872. Paul Esswood, Kurt Equiluz, Thomas Hampson; Tolz Boys’ Choir, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 2292-42632-2. Rereleased as 4509-91762-2. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 392-397, 400. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 174. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 49.
Text: The text of movement 3 is by Martin Jahn (1661); movement 5 is from the New Testament (Luke 2:49); movement 8 is by Christian Keymann (1658); the remaining text is attributed to Christian Weiss Sr.
Cantata No. 155: Mein Gott, wie lang, ach lange? BWV 155 (1716)
Performing Forces: voices: alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir (chorale only); orchestra: 2 oboes d’amore, strings, and basso continuo
Occasion: Epiphany II
First Performance: 9 January 1724, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Mein liebster Jesus ist verloren is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 5, page 91, edited by Marianne Helms. Performance materials are available from BärenreiterVerlag. It is also published in BG, volume 32, page 61, edited by Ernst Naumann. Other available editions include those from Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts) and Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: A full score, in the hand of “copyist Ih,” and a set of parts in the hands of Johann
Duration: ca. 14 minutes Text: The text of movement 5 is by Paul Speratus (1524); the remaining text is by Salomo Franck (1715). Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir (chorale only); orchestra: bassoon, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 19 January 1716, Weimar Editions: Mein Gott, wie lang, ach lange? is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 5, page 175, edited by Marianne Helms. Performance materials are available from BärenreiterVerlag. It is also published in BG, volume 32, page 85, edited by Ernst Naumann. Other available editions
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
include those from Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts) and Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: The autograph full score is in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: This is a solo cantata with a closing four-part chorale setting of the anonymous hymn tune “Es ist das Heil,” which is an adaptation of the fifteenth-century Easter hymn “Freu dich, du werthe Christenheit.” Performance Issues: The chorale is thoroughly doubled by the orchestra. It could be sung by the choir, a solo quartet, or the audience. The orchestral parts are quite accessible to intermediate-level players. There is a difficult and exposed bassoon solo in movement 2. Soloists: soprano - range: d'-a♭'', tessitura: g'-g'', this is a declamatory role with some coloratura writing and crisp rhythmic articulations; alto - range: b-d'', tessitura: e'-c'', this is a lyric solo with extended melismatic passages; tenor - range: e-f#', tessitura: g-e', this is a lyric solo with extended melismatic passages; bass range: A-c', tessitura: d-b♭, this is a brief declamatory solo appropriate for a chorister. Choir: very easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Ingeborg Reichelt, Norma Lerer, Friedreich Melzer, Hanns-Friedrich Kunz; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Hänssler Classic: 98.873. Alan Bergius, Paul Esswood, Kurt Equiluz, Thomas Hampson; Tolz Boys’ Choir, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 2292-42632-2. Re-released as 4509-91762-2. Barbara Schlick, Ruth Holton, Caroline Stam, Els Bongers, Elisabeth von Magnus, Andreas Scholl, Paul Agnew, Klaus Mertens; Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra and Choir; conducted by Ton Koopman. Recorded live in 1996. Erato: 0630-14336-2. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 12, 100-103, 528; volume 2: 345. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 180. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 20.
Cantata No. 156: Ich steh mit einem Fuß im Grabe, BWV 156 (1729) Duration: ca. 18 minutes Occasion: Epiphany III
115 Herz lists 27 January. The New Grove lists 23 January.
Text: The text of movement 2 is by Johann Hermann Schein (1628); movement 6 is by Kaspar Bienemann (1582); the remaining text is by Picander (1728/1729). Performing Forces: voices: alto, tenor, and bass soloists; orchestra: oboe, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 23 January 1729,115 St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Ich steh mit einem Fuß im Grabe is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 6, edited by Ulrich Leisinger. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 32, page 99, edited by Ernst Naumann. Other available editions include those from Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts) and Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: There is a set of parts, in an unidentified hand, dating after 1750, in the Bach-Archiv in Leipzig. Notes: The Sinfonia of this cantata was adapted from a lost oboe concerto, which was also later adapted as the adagio movement of his Harpsichord Concerto in F Minor, BWV 1056. In movement 2, the soprano sings the hymn tune “Machs mit mir, Gott, nach deiner Güt,” by Johann Hermann Schein (1629) within the fabric of a newly composed movement. The final movement is a four-part chorale setting of the anonymous (1525) hymn tune “Herr, wie du willt, so schicks mit mir,” which was originally “Aus tiefer Noth schrei ich zu dir.” Performance Issues: The opening Sinfonia requires a sensitive and musical oboist. In movement 4, the oboe returns in a rapid duet with the violins. In movement two Bach places the chorale as a cantus firmus in the soprano part. This is most effective if sung by the soprano section of the choir rather than by a soloist. The closing chorale is thoroughly doubled by the orchestra. Soloists: soprano - range: f'-f'', tessitura: f'-f'', this is a sustained solo that would probably be better sung by the soprano section of the choir; alto - range: f-e♭'', tessitura: d'-d'', this is a difficult solo with considerable coloratura writing and broad melodic leaps; tenor range: c-a', tessitura: d-g', this is a lyric solo that requires sustained singing at the very bottom of the indicated range; bass - range: A-e', tessitura: d-d', this role consists of two brief recitatives, which would be appropriate for a chorister. Choir: very easy; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Hildegard Laurich, Kurt Equiluz, Wolfgang Schöne; Figuralchor der Gedächtniskirche Stuttgart, BachCollegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Hänssler Classic: 98.875.
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Christoph Wegmann, Paul Esswood, Kurt Equiluz, Thomas Hampson; Tolz Boys’ Choir, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 2292-42632-2. Re-released as 4509-91762-2. Selected Bibliography: Kinkeldey, Otto. “‘Ich steh mit einem Fuß im Grabe.’ Bach Self-embellished.” Journal of the American Musicological Society, volume 2 (1949): 197-198. Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 237, 276-279; volume 2: 273. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 194. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 91.
Cantata No. 157: Ich lasse dich nicht, du segnest mich denn, BWV 157 (1728?) Duration: ca. 21 minutes116
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
flute and violin. Aside from these solo parts, the orchestral writing is very simple, and accessible to nearly all players. Soloists: tenor - range: c#-b', tessitura: g-g', this is a difficult solo with big leaps and much coloratura writing; bass - range: A-e', tessitura: d-d', this is a difficult role with considerable coloratura. Choir: very easy; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Adalbert Kraus, Philippe Huttenlocher; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, chamber ensemble; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in the Gedächtniskirche, Stuttgart, in 1982 and 1983. Hänssler Classic: 98.835. Kurt Equiluz, Max van Egmond; Tolz Boys’ Choir, Ghent Collegium Vocale, Leonhardt Consort; conducted by Gustav Leonhardt. Teldec: 2292-42633-2. Re-released as 4509-91762-2. Selected Bibliography:
Text: The text of movement 1 is from the Old Testament (Genesis 32:26); movement 5 is by Christian Keymann; the remaining text is by Picander.
Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 30, 384-387. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 546, 618. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 83.
Performing Forces: voices: tenor and bass soloists; SATB choir (chorale only); orchestra: oboe d’amore, strings, and basso continuo
Cantata No. 158: Der Friede sei mit dir, BWV 158 (after 1723)
First Performance: 2 February 1728, or later, 117 St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig
Duration: ca. 12 minutes118
Occasion: Purification
Editions: Ich lasse dich nicht, du segnest mich denn is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 34, page 43, edited by Ryuichi Higuchi. Performance materials are available from BärenreiterVerlag. It is also published in BG, volume 32, page 117, edited by Ernst Naumann. Other available editions include that from Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: The autograph full score, and a set of original parts, in the hands of Johann Heinrich Bach, and others, is in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: The final chorale is a four-part setting of the hymn tune “Meinen Jesum lass ich nicht,” by Andreas Hammerschmidt (1658). Performance Issues: All of the arioso movements have highly ornamented obbligato instrumental solos. In movement 1, there are independent intricate solos for flute, oboe, and violin. There is a very sustained and rapidly articulate oboe d’amore solo in movement 2. Movement 4 features technically challenging solos for 116 Alfred Dürr lists 21 minutes, and David Daniels lists 23 minutes, but the Rilling recording is 19 minutes. 117 This is according to the New Grove; however Herz suggests 6 February 1727 as a possible first performance date, in which case it
Occasion: Easter Tuesday or Purification Text: The text of movement 1 is based upon the New Testament (Luke 24:36) Performing Forces: voices: bass soloist; SATB choir (chorale only); orchestra: oboe, violin, and basso continuo First Performance: 1725? Editions: Der Friede sei mit dir is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 10, page 131, edited by Alfred Dürr. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 32, page 143, edited by Ernst Naumann. Other available editions include those from Kalmus (NBA and BG editions, score and parts) and Breitkopf und Härtel. BWV 158 is addressed in the critical commentary of the NBA, series 1, volume 28/1. Manuscript Sources: unknown Notes: The final chorale is a four-part setting of the hymn tune “Christ ist erstanden,” a Latin melody, c. 1100, adapted by Martin Luther and Johann Walther would have been performed for a funeral service for J. C. von Ponickau. 118 Alfred Dürr lists 12 minutes, and David Daniels lists 14 minutes, but the Rilling recording is 10 minutes 15 seconds.
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(1524). In movement 2, Bach uses the hymn tune “Welt, ade, ich bin dein müde,” by Johann Rosenmüller (1649) as a cantus firmus in the soprano. Performance Issues: The soprano cantus firmus in movement 2 is best sung by a soprano section. The closing chorale is accompanied only by continuo, although some performances double the soprano part. There is a very difficult violin solo in movement 2. Soloists: soprano - range: e'-d'', tessitura: e'-d'', sustained, best sung as a section; bass - range: G-e', tessitura: d-d', this is a difficult and ornamented role. Choir: easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Philippe Huttenlocher; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, chamber ensemble; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Hänssler Classic: 98.882. Christoph Wegmann, Max van Egmond; Tolz Boys’ Choir, Ghent Collegium Vocale, Leonhardt Consort; conducted by Gustav Leonhardt. Teldec: 2292-426332. Re-released as 4509-91762-2. Olaf Bär; Scottish Chamber Orchestra; conducted by Peter Schreier. EMI: CDC7 54453-2. Peter Kooy; Paris Chapelle Royale Choir and Orchestra; conducted by Philippe Herreweghe. Harmonia Mundi: HMC90 1365. Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau; Munich Bach Choir, Munich Bach Orchestra; conducted by Karl Richter. Recorded in 1969. Archiv: 439 374-2AX5. Max van Egmond; Monteverdi Choir, Concerto Amsterdam; conducted by Jürgen Jürgens. Recorded between 1966 and 1967. Teldec: 4509-93687-2.
Editions: Sehet, wir gehn hinauf gen Jerusalem is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 8, edited by Christoph Wolff. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 32, page 157, edited by Ernst Naumann. Other available editions include those from Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts) and Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: There are no publically accessible manuscripts. Notes: The final chorale is a four-part setting of the hymn tune “Jesu Leiden, Pein und Tod,” by Melchior Vulpius (1609), originally “Jesu Kreuz, Leiden und Pein.” In movement 2, Bach uses the hymn tune “Herzlich thut mich verlangen,” by Hans Leo Hassler (1601) as a cantus firmus in the soprano. Performance Issues: The soprano cantus firmus in movement 2 is best sung by a soprano section. This cantus firmus is doubled by the oboe. The oboe has a prominent solo in movement 4 that is not technically difficult. The choir is thoroughly doubled by the orchestra in the final chorale. Soloists: soprano - range: f'-f'', tessitura: g'-e♭'', sustained, best sung as a section; alto - range: c'-e♭'', tessitura: g'-e♭'', this is a difficult and highly ornamented lyric solo with broad melodic leaps; tenor - range: c-a♭', tessitura: f-f', this is a brief declamatory solo appropriate for a chorister; bass range: G-e♭", tessitura: d-d', this is a difficult role with broad melodic leaps and considerable coloratura. Choir: very easy; Orchestra: easy.
Selected Bibliography:
Selected Discography:
Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 12, 107-110, 237, 618; volume 2: 273. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 249, 546. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 24.
Julia Hamari, Aldo Baldin, Philippe Huttenlocher; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Hänssler Classic: 98.879. Tobias Eiwanger, Paul Esswood, Kurt Equiluz, Max van Egmond; Hanover Boys’ Choir, Ghent Collegium Vocale, Leonhardt Consort; conducted by Gustav Leonhardt. Teldec: 2292-42633-2. Re-released as 450991762-2. Janet Baker, Robert Tear, John Shirley-Quirk; St. Anthony Singers, Academy of St. Martin in the Fields; Decca: 430 260-2DM.
Cantata No. 159: Sehet, wir gehn hinauf gen Jerusalem, BWV 159 (1729?) Duration: ca. 16 minutes Occasion: Qinquagesima/Estomihi Text: The text of movement 1 is from the New Testament (Luke 18:31); movement 2 is by Paul Gerhardt (1656); movement 5 is by Paul Stockmann (1633); the remaining text is by Picander (1728/29). Performing Forces: voices: alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir (chorale only); orchestra: oboe, strings, and basso continuo (including bassoon) First Performance: 27 February 1729?, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig
Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 421-425; volume 2: 273. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 223. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 88.
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Cantata No. 160: Ich weiss, dass mein Erlöser lebt, BWV 160 This cantata, which was attributed to J. S. Bach is, in fact, by Georg Philipp Telemann. It is published as a work of J. S. Bach by Kalmus (score and parts) and Breitkopf und Härtel. Editions: Ich weiss, dass mein Erlöser lebt is published in BG, volume 32, page 171, edited by Ernst Naumann.
Cantata No. 161: Komm du Todesstunde, BWV 161 (1715)
süße
Duration: ca. 21 minutes Occasion: Trinity XVI Text: The text of movement 6 is by Christoph Knoll (1605); the remaining texts are by Salomo Franck (1715). Performing Forces: voices: alto and tenor soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 recorders, organ obbligato, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 6 October 1715, Weimar Editions: Komm du süße Todesstunde is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 23, pages 3 (version A) and 35 (version B), edited by Helmuth Osthoff. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 33, page 3, edited by Franz Wüllner. Other available editions include those from Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts) and Breitkopf und Härtel. BWV 161 is addressed in the critical commentary of the NBA, series 1, volume 28/1. Manuscript Sources: This work survives only in nonautograph copies of the score. Notes: Bach uses the hymn tune “Herzlich thut mich verlangen,” by Hans Leo Hassler (1601), as a cantus firmus in the organ in movement 1 and for the four-part chorale setting in movement 5. Performance Issues: The choral writing in movement 5 consists of paired doubling between the men and the women throughout the movement. These choral parts are not doubled by the orchestra, but they are vocally accessible and scalar. The choral parts are thoroughly doubled in the final chorale by the strings. There are exposed and ornamented recorder duets in movements 1 and 4 that are not technically challenging; however, the recorder parts in movement 5 and 6 are filled with rapid parallel passagework. The string parts are all quite accessible to players of moderate experience. Soloists: alto - range: g-d'', tessitura: c'-c'', this is a highly ornamented lyric solo; tenor - range: c-g', tessitura: e-e', this is a lyric solo with long phrases. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium difficult.
Selected Discography: Hildegard Laurich, Adalbert Kraus; Frankfurter Kantorei Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in the Gedächtniskirche, Stuttgart, in 1975 and 1976. Hänssler Classic: 98.812. Paul Esswood, Kurt Equiluz; Tolz Boys’ Choir, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 2292-42633-2. Re-released as 4509-91762-2. Christine Brandes, Drew Minter, Jeffrey Thomas; American Bach Soloists; conducted by Jeffrey Thomas. Recorded in 1993. Koch: 37164-2. Barbara Schlick, Ruth Holton, Caroline Stam, Els Bongers, Elisabeth von Magnus, Andreas Scholl, Paul Agnew, Klaus Mertens; Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra and Choir; conducted by Ton Koopman. Recorded live in 1996. Erato: 0630-14336-2. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 11, 156-160; volume 2: 271. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 447, 546. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 15.
Cantata No. 162: Ach! ich sehe, jetzt, da ich zur Hochzeit gehe, BWV 162 (1715) Duration: ca. 17 minutes Occasion: Trinity XX Text: The text of movement 6 is by Johann Rosenmüller (1652); the remaining texts are by Salomo Franck (1715). Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir (chorale only); orchestra: trumpet da tirarsi, strings, and basso continuo (including bassoon) First Performance: 3 November 1715, Weimar Editions: Ach! ich sehe, jetzt, da ich zur Hochzeit gehe is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 25, edited by Ulrich Bartels. Performance materials are available from BärenreiterVerlag. It is also published in BG, volume 33, page 31, edited by Franz Wüllner. Other available editions include that from Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: There is an original set of parts, mostly in Bach’s hand, and a set of revised parts from a Leipzig performance (10 October 1723), in the hands of Johann Andreas Kuhnau and Christian Gottlob Meissner, in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: The closing movement is a four-part chorale setting of the hymn tune “Alle Menschen müssen sterben, by Johann Rosenmüller (1652).
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Performance Issues: The final chorale is thoroughly doubled by the orchestra. The trumpet da tirarsi parts are not particularly high and could be played on soprano trombone, or horn. The orchestra is only involved in movements 1 and 6. The string writing in movement 1 includes some fairly rapid but very practical passagework. Soloists: soprano - range: d'-g'', tessitura: g'-e'', this is a lyric and ornamented solo; alto - range: a-c'', tessitura: e'-c'', this is a lyric solo with some coloratura; tenor - range: c-g', tessitura: e-e', this is a lyric solo with some coloratura; bass - range: D-c', tessitura: A-a, this is a difficult solo with coloratura passagework. Choir: very easy; Orchestra: easy. Selected Discography: Arleen Augér, Alyce Rogers, Kurt Equiluz, Wolfgang Schöne; Frankfurter Kantorei, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in the Gedächtniskirche, Stuttgart, in 1975 and 1976. Hänssler Classic: 98.851. Tobias Eiwanger, Paul Esswood, Kurt Equiluz, Robert Holl; Tolz Boys’ Choir, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 229242633-2. Re-released as 4509-91762-2. Barbara Schlick, Ruth Holton, Caroline Stam, Els Bongers, Elisabeth von Magnus, Andreas Scholl, Paul Agnew, Klaus Mertens; Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra and Choir; conducted by Ton Koopman. Recorded live in 1996. Erato: 0630-14336-2.
Manuscript Sources: The autograph full score is in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: The final chorale is a four-part setting of the anonymous (1609) hymn tune from a secular (1574) source “Auf meinen lieben Gott.” In movement 5, Bach includes a cantus firmus in the strings on the tune “Meinen Jesum lass ich nicht,” by Andreas Hammerschmidt (1658). Performance Issues: The opening movement has the most complex orchestral material, which is still within the ability of intermediate-level players. In movement 2, there is a challenging cello duet independent of the continuo part, which can be played on keyboard alone for this movement. Bach indicates for the final movement, “Chorale in simple style,” for which the BG score provides only the continuo part. This could surely be sung by the solo quartet instead of a choir. Soloists: soprano - range: d-b'', tessitura: g'-g'', this is a lyric solo with some rapid melismatic passages and a high tessitura; alto - range: a-d'', tessitura: c'-b', this is a lyric solo with some rapid melismatic passages; tenor - range: d-g', tessitura: f-f', this is a declamatory solo with some broad melodic leaps; bass - range: Gc', tessitura: B-b, this is an ornamented and declamatory solo. Choir: very easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography:
Duration: ca. 17 minutes
Arleen Augér, Helen Watts, Adalbert Kraus, Niklaus Tüller; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in the Gedächtniskirche, Stuttgart, in 1976 and 1977. Hänssler Classic: 98.820. Tobias Eiwanger, Panito Iconomou, Kurt Equiluz, Robert Holl; Tolz Boys’ Choir, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 2292-42633-2. Re-released as 4509-91763-2. Barbara Schlick, Ruth Holton, Caroline Stam, Els Bongers, Elisabeth von Magnus, Andreas Scholl, Paul Agnew, Klaus Mertens; Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra and Choir; conducted by Ton Koopman. Recorded live in 1996. Erato: 0630-14336-2.
Occasion: Trinity XXIII
Selected Bibliography:
Text: The text of movement 6 is by Johann Heermann (1630); the remaining texts are by Salomo Franck (1715).
Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 11, 84-90. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 508. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 17.
Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 11, 65-70. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 482. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 16.
Cantata No. 163: Nur jedem das Seine, BWV 163 (1715)
Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; orchestra: strings and basso continuo First Performance: 24 November 1715, Weimar Editions: Nur jedem das Seine is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 26, page 79, edited by Andreas Glöckner. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 33, page 49, edited by Franz Wüllner. Other available editions include that from Breitkopf und Härtel.
Cantata No. 164: Ihr, die ihr euch von Christo nennet, BWV 164 (1725) Duration: ca. 19 minutes Occasion: Trinity XIII Text: The text of movement 2 is from the New Testament (Matthew 5:7); movement 6 is by Elisabeth
132
Kreuziger; the remaining movements are by Salomo Frank. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir (chorale only); orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 26 August 1725, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Ihr, die ihr euch von Christo nennet is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 21, page 59, edited by Werner Neumann. Performance materials are available from BärenreiterVerlag. It is also published in BG, volume 33, page 67, edited by Franz Wüllner. Other available editions include those from Kalmus (urtext edition, score and parts) and Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: The autograph full score, and a set of original parts, in the hands of Johann Andreas Kuhnau, Christian Gottlob Meissner, Wilhelm Friedemann Bach, and others, is in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: The anonymous (1524) hymn tune “Herr Christ, der einge Gottessohn” appears as a four-part chorale in the final movement. Bach made four-part chorale settings of this tune to conclude three other cantatas: BWV 22, BWV 96, and BWV 132. Performance Issues: The final chorale is thoroughly doubled by the orchestra. There is a lovely flute duet in movement 3 that is not technically difficult, but both parts require some musical sensitivity. In movement 5 Bach displays his contrapuntal prowess by exploring a series of canonic combinations between the four melodic lines of the movement: soprano, bass, continuo, and a unison line comprised of all the remaining instruments. The string writing throughout the cantata is quite accessible to intermediate-level players. Soloists: soprano - range: d'-a♭'', tessitura: g'-f'', this is a lyrical solo with some melismatic writing and long phrases; alto - range: a-e'', tessitura: d'-c'', this is a sustained and lyrical solo; tenor - range: e♭-a', tessitura: a-g', this is a dramatic and declamtory solo with some rapid melismatic passages and broad melodic leaps; bass - range: c-e', tessitura: e-d', this is a lyrical solo with some melismatic writing. Choir: very easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Edith Wiens, Julia Hamari, Lutz-Michael Harder, Walter Heldwein; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in the Gedächtniskirche, Stuttgart, in 1981 and 1982. Hänssler Classic: 98.811.
119 Alfred Dürr lists 15 minutes, and David Daniels lists 18 minutes, but the Rilling recording is 13 minutes 11 seconds.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Christoph Wegmann, Paul Esswood, Kurt Equiluz, Max van Egmond; Tolz Boys’ Choir, Ghent Collegium Vocale, Leonhardt Consort; conducted by Gustav Leonhardt. Teldec: 2292-42634-2. Re-released as 450991763-2. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 196-200. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 427. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 37.
Cantata No. 165: O heil’ges Geist- und Wasserbad, BWV 165 (1715) Duration: ca. 14 minutes119 Occasion: Trinity Text: The text of movement 6 is by Ludwig Helmbold (1575); the remaining text is by Salomo Franck (1715). Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir (chorale only); orchestra: strings and basso continuo (including bassoon) First Performance: 16 June 1715, Weimar Editions: O heil’ges Geist- und Wasserbad is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 15, page 3, edited by Alfred Dürr. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 33, page 91, edited by Franz Wüllner. Other available editions include that from Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: There are no available manuscript materials. Notes: The final chorale is a four-part setting of the hymn tune “Nun lasst uns Gott dem Herren,” which is attributed to Nikolaus Selnecker (1587). Performance Issues: The chorale is thoroughly doubled by the orchestra. It could well be sung by the solo quartet if a choir is unavailable. The string writing is generally conservative. The first movement is fugal, but not technically complex. In movement 5, the violins play a fairly rapid unison figure, which with limited strength of players could be given to a soloist. Soloists: soprano - range: d'-a'', tessitura: g'-f'', this is a lyric solo with many extended melismatic passages; alto - range: a-d'', tessitura: c'-c'', this is a lilting and lyric solo; tenor - range: c-g', tessitura: d-d', this is a lyrical solo with a low tessitura; bass - range: G-d',
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tessitura: c-c', this is a declamatory solo with some melismatic passages. Choir: very easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Arleen Augér, Alyce Rogers, Kurt Equiluz, Wolfgang Schöne; Frankfurter Kantorei, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in the Gedächtniskirche, Stuttgart, in 1975 and 1976. Hänssler Classic: 98.891. Tobias Eiwanger, Paul Esswood, Kurt Equiluz, Max van Egmond; Tolz Boys’ Choir, Ghent Collegium Vocale, Leonhardt Consort; conducted by Gustav Leonhardt. Teldec: 2292-42634-2. Re-released as 4509-91763-2. Barbara Schlick, Ruth Holton, Caroline Stam, Els Bongers, Elisabeth von Magnus, Andreas Scholl, Paul Agnew, Klaus Mertens; Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra and Choir; conducted by Ton Koopman. Recorded live in 1996. Erato: 0630-14336-2. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 411-415. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 316. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 57.
Cantata No. 166: Wo gehest du hin?, BWV 166 (1724) Duration: ca. 17 minutes Occasion: Easter IV Text: The text of movement 1 is from the New Testament (John 16:5); movement 3 is by Bartholomäus Ringwaldt (1582); movement 6 is by Ämilie Juliane von Schwarzburg-Rudolfstadt; the remaining text is attributed to Christian Weiss Sr.
anonymous (1648) hymn tune “Herr Jesu Christ, du höchstes Gut” is set as a cantus firmus for soprano. Performance Issues: There is a difficult and exposed oboe solo in movement 2. While the chorale tune in movement 3 can be sung by a soloist, it is far more effective when sung by a section. This movement has the violins in unison on an elegant melody that may require some attention to unify articulations. The final chorale likewise could be sung by a solo quartet, but it is fully orchestrated, which seems to suggest the use of a choir. Soloists: soprano - range: b'-g'', tessitura: b'-g'', this is a very sustained role best suited to a section; alto - range: b-e'', tessitura: d'-c'', this is a difficult solo with extended coloratura passages; tenor - range: d-a', tessitura: g-g', this is a difficult solo with considerable coloratura writing; bass - range: A-eb', tessitura: d-c', this is a declamatory solo. Choir: very easy; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Helen Watts, Aldo Baldin, Wolfgang Schöne; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Hänssler Classic: 98.883. Christoph Wegmann, Paul Esswood, Kurt Equiluz, Max van Egmond; Tolz Boys’ Choir, Ghent Collegium Vocale, Leonhardt Consort; conducted by Gustav Leonhardt. Teldec: 2292-42634-2. Re-released as 450991763-2. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 237, 288-292, 415; volume 2: 270. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 270. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 66.
Performing Forces: voices: alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir (chorale only); orchestra: oboe, strings, and basso continuo
Cantata No. 167: Ihr Menschen, rühmet Gottes Liebe, BWV 167 (1723)
First Performance: 7 May 1724, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig
Occasion: Feast of St. John
Editions: Wo gehest du hin? is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 12, page 3, edited by Alfred Dürr. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 33, page 107, edited by Franz Wüllner. Other available editions include those from Bärenreiter (parts and score), Kalmus (NBA edition, score and parts), and Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: unknown Notes: The final movement is a four-part chorale setting of the hymn tune “Wer nur den lieben Gott läßt walten,” by Georg Neumark (1657). In movement 3, the
Duration: ca. 17 minutes Text: The text of movement 5 is by Johann Graumann; the remaining text is from an unidentified source. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass solists; SATB choir (chorale only); orchestra: trumpet da tirarsi, oboe, oboe da caccia, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 24 June 1723, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Ihr Menschen, rühmet Gottes Liebe is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 29, page 3, edited by Frieder Rempp. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-
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Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 33, page 125, edited by Franz Wüllner. Other available editions include that from Breitkopf und Härtel.
Text: The text of movement 6 is by Bartholomäus Ringwaldt (1588); the remaining text is by Salomo Franck.
Manuscript Sources: There is an original set of parts, in the hand of Johann Andreas Kuhnau, in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin.
Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir (chorale only); orchestra: 2 oboes d’amore, strings, and basso continuo
Notes: The final chorale is a setting of Johann Graumann’s hymn tune “Nun lob’ mein’ Seel’, den Herren.” Bach uses this chorale in a number of cantatas, and BWV 29 and BWV 51 also close with the same verse of the hymn.
First Performance: 29 July 1725, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig
Performance Issues: The choral writing of the final movement is that of an ornamented choral. The vocal parts are well reinforced by the orchestra. Additionally there is a joyous instrumental fantasy accompanying the chorale. The trumpet part is labeled “clarino” in the BG score. It merely doubles the soprano part in the last movement. There is a prominent and difficult oboe da caccia solo in movement 4. The string parts throuhout the cantata are fairly involved, but not that technically difficult. Soloists: soprano - range: d'-a'', tessitura: g'-f'', this is a difficult solo with some rapid passagework, much in parallel motion with the alto; alto - range: a-e'', tessitura: c'-c'', this is a difficult solo with some rapid passagework, much in parallel motion with the soprano; tenor - range: d-a', tessitura: g-e', this is a difficult solo with rapid melismatic passages; bass - range: A-e', tessitura: d-d', this is a brief declamatory solo appropriate for a chorister. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Kathrin Graf, Helrun Gardow, Adalbert Kraus, Niklaus Tüller; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in the Gedächtniskirche, Stuttgart, in 1974. Hänssler Classic: 98.803. Helmut Wittek, Panito Iconomou, Kurt Equiluz; Tolz Boys’ Choir, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 2292-42634-2. Rereleased as 4509-91763-2. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 418-421; volume 2: 279, 291. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 558. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 71.
Cantata No. 168: Tue Rechnung! Donnerwort, BWV 168 (1725) Duration: ca. 16 minutes Occasion: Trinity IX
Editions: Tue Rechnung! Donnerwort is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 19, page 89, edited by Robert Lewis Marshall. Performance materials are available from BärenreiterVerlag. It is also published in BG, volume 33, page 149, edited by Franz Wüllner. Other available editions include those from Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts) and Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: The autograph full score is in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. An incomplete set of parts, in the hands of Johann Andreas Kuhnau and Christian Gottlob Meissner, is divided between the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin, a private collection, Cambridge University, and the New York Public Library. Notes: Movement 6 is a four-part chorale setting of the anonymous (1648) hymn tune “Herr Jesu Christ, du höchstes Gut.” Performance Issues: The final chorale is thoroughly doubled by the orchestra. There is an unusual juxtaposition of triplet and dotted figures in movement 1 that should probably be clarified in the parts before rehearsal. The dotted figures should be tripletized. The string writing in this movement is quite challenging, and it may prove to be difficult to achieve rhythmic unity. In movement 2, the tenor’s recitative is accompanied by two sustained oboe d’amore lines that are very prolonged. These oboes d’amore then play a flowing unison melody throughout the following aria. In these two movements, the addition of bassoon to the continuo would be very effective. Soloists: soprano range: d'-a'', tessitura: g'-f#'', this is a lyrical solo with some rhythmic challenges; alto - range: a-d'', tessitura: c'-b', this is a lyrical solo with some rhythmic challenges; tenor - range: e-a', tessitura: a-f', this is a lyric solo with some extended melismas; bass - range: G-e', tessitura: c-d', this is a dramatic and difficult solo with rapid coloratura passages. Choir: very easy; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Nancy Burns, Verena Gohl, Theo Altmeyer, Siegmund Nimsgern; Frankfurter Kantorei, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in the Gedächtniskirche, Stuttgart, in 1970. Hänssler Classic: 98.807.
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Helmut Wittek, Christian Immler, Kurt Equiluz, Robert Holl; Tolz Boys’ Choir, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 229242634-2. Re-released as 4509-91763-2. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 217-221, 237. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 395. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 73.
Cantata No. 169: Gott soll allein mein Herz haben, BWV 169 (1726) Duration: ca. 25 minutes120 Occasion: Trinity XVIII Text: The text of movement 7 is by Martin Luther (1524); the remaining text is from an unidentified source. Performing Forces: voices: alto soloist; SATB choir (chorale only); orchestra: 2 oboes d’amore, taille, organ obbligato, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 20 October 1726, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Gott soll allein mein Herz haben is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 24, page 61, edited by Matthias Wendt. Performance materials are available from BärenreiterVerlag. It is also published in BG, volume 33, page 169, edited by Franz Wüllner. Other available editions include those from Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts) and Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: The autograph full score, and a set of parts, in the hand of Johann Heinrich Bach, are in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: This cantata is partially adapted from movements 1 and 2 of a now lost oboe concerto that was also adapted as the Harpsichord Concerto in E Major, BWV 1053. The organ solos appear in the Sinfonia and within movements 3 and 5. The closing chorale is a four-part setting of the anonymous pre-Reformation hymn tune “Nun bitten wir den Heiligen Geist.” Performance Issues: The final chorale is thoroughly doubled by the orchestra. The organ solos in movement 1 and 3 are difficult, mostly consisting of very rapid, single-part melodic figures. There should be a harpsichord to provide the additional continuo parts in at least movements 1 and 3. The two oboe parts are generally doubled by the violins. The orchestra writing is generally quite accessible to intermediate-level 120 Alfred Dürr lists 27 minutes, and David Daniels lists 29 minutes, but the Rilling recording is 23 minutes 36 seconds.
players. The most challenging ensemble movement in the Sinfonia, for which the first violins and organ have the most difficult parts. Soloist: alto - range: a#-e'', tessitura: e'-c'', this is a declamatory role with some coloratura writing and big melodic leaps. Choir: very easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Carolyn Watkinson; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Württembergisches Kammerorchester Heilbronn; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in the Gedächtniskirche, Stuttgart, in 1983. Hänssler Classic: 98.815. Paul Esswood; Tolz Boys’ Choir, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 2292-42634-2. Re-released as 4509-91763-2. John Bowman; King’s Consort; conducted by Robert King. Hyperion: CDA66326. Maureen Forrester; Zagreb Soloists; conducted by Antonio Janigro. Recorded in the 1960s. Vanguard: 08.9094.72. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 237, 241, 242, 249-250, 263. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 469. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 113.
Cantata No. 170: Vergnügte Ruh’, beliebte Seelenlust, BWV 170 (1726) Duration: ca. 24 minutes Occasion: Trinity VI Text: The text of movement 2 is from the New Testament (Matthew 5:22); the remaining text is by Georg Christian Lehms. Performing Forces: voices: alto soloist; orchestra: oboe d’amore, organ obbligato, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 28 July 1726, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Vergnügte Ruh’, beliebte Seelenlust is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 17/2, page 61, edited by Reinmar Emans. Performance materials are available from BärenreiterVerlag. It is also published in BG, volume 33, page 195, edited by Franz Wüllner. Other available editions include those from Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts) and Breitkopf und Härtel.
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Manuscript Sources: The autograph full score, and a set of parts, in the hand of Christian Gottlob Meissner, are in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Performance Issues: Movement 3 has the unusual orchestration of two treble organ manuals, alto soloist, and unison violins and violas serving as the bass line. In this movement, Bach treats the two manuals and the singer as the lines of a three-part fugue with the string parts serving as a pseudo ground bass. There is another organ solo in movement 5, for which Bach has offered an alternative flute solo, as this solo is almost exclusively a rapid one-line treble solo. The fact that the optional flute part is written an octave higher than the keyboard line should impact the registration choices if an organ is used. It is curious that Bach provided an alternative to the organ in movement 5, but not in movement 3. The string writing is quite conservative, and the most technically challenging passages for the first violin are doubled by the organ solo. Soloist: alto - range: a-e'', tessitura: e'-e'', this is a difficult solo with long phrases and some rapid coloratura passagework. Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Julia Hamari; Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in the Gedächtniskirche, Stuttgart, in 1982. Hänssler Classic: 98.804. Paul Esswood; Leonhardt Consort; conducted by Gustav Leonhardt. Teldec: 2292-42635-2. Re-released as 4509-91763-2 and 2292-42627-2. Maureen Forrester; Vienna Soloist; conducted by Anton Heiller. Vanguard: 08.9094.72. Jochen Kowalski; Academy of St. Martin in the Fields; conducted by Kenneth Sillito. Capriccio: 10 523. Janet Baker; Academy of St. Martin in the Fields; conducted by Neville Marriner. Decca: 430 260-2DM. Jard van Nes; Amsterdam Bach Soloists; conducted by Leo van Doeselaar. Ottavo: OTRC 108506. Alfred Deller; Leonhardt Baroque Ensemble; conducted by Gustav Leonhardt. Recorded in 1954. Vanguard: 08.5069.71. Selected Bibliography: Tovey, Donald F. “Church Cantatas Nos. 67, 170, and 50.” In Essays in Musical Analysis, volume 5, Vocal Music, 60-73. London: Oxford University Press, 1944. Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 237, 241, 242-245, 251. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 364. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 126.
121 Alfred Dürr lists 22 minutes, and David Daniels lists 21 minutes, but the Rilling recording is 11 minutes 30 seconds.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Cantata No. 171: Gott, wie dein Name, so ist auch dein Ruhm, BWV 171 (1729?) Duration: ca. 21 minutes121 Occasion: New Year/Feast of Christ’s Circumcision Text: The text of movement 1 is Psalm 48 (v. 10); movement 6 is by Johann Heermann (1593); the remaining text is by Picander (1728). Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes, 3 trumpets, timpani, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 1 January 1729?, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Gott, wie dein Name, so ist auch dein Ruhm is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 4, page 133, edited by Werner Neumann. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 35, page 3, edited by Alfred Dörffel. Other available editions include that from Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: The autograph full score is in a private collection in Switzerland. Notes: Bach derived the “Patrem omnipotentem” of the Mass in B Minor, BWV 232, from movement 1 of this cantata. Movement 4 is adapted from movement 8 of BWV 205. Movement 6 is a four-part chorale setting of the anonymous (1591) hymn tune “Jesu, nun sei gepreiset.” Performance Issues: The choral writing in movement 1 is pervasively imitative. The orchestra doubles all of the choral parts. The first trumpet part in this movement is very high with long, rapid phrases. The other trumpets have minimal duty in this movement. There is a difficult violin duet in movement 2. Both parts have rapid passagework and some awkward shifts. Likewise, there is a very challenging violin solo in movement 4. The two oboes accompany movement 5 in long, sustained passages that are not technically demanding, but may prove troublesome for endurance with less-experienced players. The final chorale is thoroughly doubled by the orchestra. There is a fanfare ritornello in the trumpets and timpani at five of the cadence points. An interesting feature of this chorale is a shift from quadruple to triple meter halfway through. The soprano tessitura of this chorale is unusually high. The soprano range is c''-g''. Soloists: soprano - range: d'-g'', tessitura: f'-d'', this is a lyric solo with some extended melismatic passages; alto - range: b-e'', tessitura: e'-c#'', this is a brief declamatory appropriate for a chorister; tenor - range: c#-a', tessitura: e-g', this is a very difficult solo with broad melodic leaps and
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extremely challenging coloratura; bass - range: G-e', tessitura: d-d', this is a brief declamatory appropriate for a chorister. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Arleen Augér, Julia Hamari, Aldo Baldin, Walter Heldwein; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Württembergisches Kammerorchester Heilbronn; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Hänssler Classic: 98.871. Helmut Wittek, Panito Iconomou, Kurt Equiluz, Robert Holl; Tolz Boys’ Choir, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 229242635-2. Re-released as 4509-91763-2. Edith Mathis, Hertha Töpper, Peter Schreier, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau; Munich Bach Choir, Munich Bach Orchestra; conducted by Karl Richter. Recorded between 1971 and 1972. Archiv: 439 369-2AX4. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 234, 236, 237, 305, 318-321; volume 2: 75, 291, 527, 537. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 155. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 90.
Cantata No. 172: Erschallet, ihr Lieder, BWV 172 (1714) Duration: 1724 version: ca. 25 minutes 1731 version: ca. 17 minutes Occasion: Whit Sunday Text: The text of movement 2 is from the New Testament (John 14:23); movement 6 is by Philip Nicolai (1599); the remaining text is attributed to Salomo Franck. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: oboe, 3 trumpets, timpani, strings, and basso continuo (including bassoon) First Performance: 20 May 1714, Weimar Editions: Erschallet, ihr Lieder is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 13, page 3 (version in D) and 35 (version in C), edited by Dietrich Kilian. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 35, page 37, edited by Alfred Dörffel. Other available editions of the 1731 version include those from Kalmus (NBA and BG editions, score and parts) and Breitkopf und Härtel, Bärenreiter. The 1724 version is unpublished as of 1999.
Manuscript Sources: An original set of parts, partly in Bach’s hand, is in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: In the original version, the opening chorus was repeated as the conclusion of the cantata. In movement 5 the soprano portrays “The Soul,” and the alto, “The Holy Spirit.” For that movement, Bach includes an ornamented version of the hymn tune “Komm, Heiliger Geist, Herre Gott,” which is Martin Luther’s adaptation (1524) of the Latin plainsong “Veni creator spiritus,” in the violins. Movement 6 is a four-part chorale setting of the hymn tune “Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern,” by Philipp Nicolai (1599). Performance Issues: The “A” section of the opening da capo chorus is entirely homophonic with some ornamentation, while the “B” section is fugal. It both cases, the orchestra clearly doubles all of the vocal parts. The trumpet parts are high and difficult, but do not play in the “B” section. The trumpet trio also accompanies the bass soloist in movement 3. Here the first trumpet part is fiendishly difficult with very rapid passagework. The second part is unusually high compared to the second parts in other Bach works. The bass soloist must be able to compete with these flourishes. All violins and violas play in unison in movement 4. Movement 5 is accompanied by solos for violin, cello, and organ, of which the cello part is the most demanding. The final chorale is doubled by the strings with the first violins providing a descant. There are two independent viola parts in the first and last movements of this cantata. This is a remarkably exciting cantata that can accommodate a large choir. The string parts are accessible to intermediate-level collegiate players, with the exception of the cello solo in movement 5, which will require a very strong player. The availability of a capable first trumpeter and bass soloist will be the determinig factors in choosing this cantata for performance. Soloists: soprano - range: d'-g'', tessitura: b'-g'', this is a lyric and highly ornamented solo; alto range: a-d'', tessitura: d'-b', this is a lyric solo with some melismatic writing; tenor - range: c-g', tessitura: f-f', this is a lyric solo with long phrases; bass - range: C-d', tessitura: G-c', this is a very difficult and declamtory solo, the [C] occurs only once at the cadence of movement 2, the next lowest note is [F]. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Eva Csapò, Doris Soffel, Adalbert Kraus, Wolfgang Schöne; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in the Gedächtniskirche, Stuttgart, in 1975. Hänssler Classic: 98.864. Matthias Echternach, Paul Esswood, Marius van Altena, Max van Egmond; Hanover Boys’ Choir, Ghent Collegium Vocale, Leonhardt Consort; conducted by
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Gustav Leonhardt. Teldec: 2292-42635-2. Re-released as 4509-91763-2. Arleen Augér, Ortrun Wenkel, Peter Schreier, Theo Adam; Leipzig St. Thomas Church Choir, Leipzig New Bach Collegium Musicum; conducted by Hans Joachim Rotzsch. Berlin: BC2150-2. Barbara Schlick, Kai Wessel, Christoph Prégardien, Klaus Mertens; Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra and Choir; conducted by Ton Koopman. Recorded live in 1995. Erato: 0630-12598-2.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
but otherwise retains the original music. The earlier secular version is rarely, if ever, performed today.
Duration: ca. 20 minutes122
Performance Issues: The choral writing in the last movement is primarily homophonic. Most of the choral parts are reinforced by the orchestra. The soprano part of this chorus is unusually high. There are prominent flute parts in movement 1, 4, and 6, which are not technically difficult. In the first and last movements the flutes are in unison, and in the first of these they are doubled by the first violin part. There are dotted figures in movement 1 that will need to be tripletized; this may be best indicated in the parts before distribution. The first violin part in movement 4 is rapid and scalar. It is the only particularly challenging string part in the cantata. The orchestra parts are accessible to intermediate-level collegiate players. The chorus is easily learned, but the high tessitura of the soprano part may make it prohibitive to some choirs. Soloists: soprano - range: e'-b'', tessitura: f'-f'', this is a lyric solo with some extended melismatic passages; alto - range: b-e'', tessitura: d'-d'', this is a lyric and ornamented solo best suited to a mezzo-soprano; tenor - range: d-a', tessitura: a-a', this is a difficult lyric solo with some challenging coloratura passages; bass - range: d-e', tessitura: d-d', this is a lyric and lilting sustained solo. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium easy.
Occasion: Whit Monday
Selected Discography:
Text: The text is attributed to Bach.
Judith Beckmann, Helen Watts, Adalbert Kraus, Niklaus Tüller; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in the Gedächtniskirche, Stuttgart, in 1977. Hänssler Classic: 98.890. Alan Bergius, Stefan Gienger, Christian Immler, Kurt Equiluz, Robert Holl; Tolz Boys’ Choir, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 2292-42635-2. Re-released as 4509-91763-2.
Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 237, 241, 242, 434, 586-594; volume 2: 273, 458. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 296. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 55. Meredith, Sarah. “Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern in the Chorale Cantatas of J. S. Bach.” Choral Journal 38/5 (December 1997): 9-14.
Cantata No. 173: Erhörtes Fleisch und Blut, BWV 173 (1724?)
Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: strings and basso continuo First Performance: 29 May 1724?, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Erhörtes Fleisch und Blut is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 14, page 3, edited by Alfred Dürr and Arthur Mendel. Performance materials are available from BärenreiterVerlag. It is also published in BG, volume 35, page 73, edited by Alfred Dörffel. Other available editions include that from Breitkopf und Härtel. Durchlauchtster Leopold, BWV 173a, is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 35, page 3, edited by Alfred Dürr. Manuscript Sources: There is a full score, in the hand of Christian Gottlob Meissner, in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: This cantata is an adaptation of Durchlauchtster Leopold, BWV 173a, which was composed for Leopold’s Birthday, 10 December 1722, on a text of Christian Friedrich Hunold (who had died the previous year). The sacred revision eliminates two movements, 122 Alfred Dürr lists 23 minutes, and David Daniel lists 20 minutes; the Rilling recording is 15 minutes 46 seconds.
Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 162, 237, 305, 321-328, 337; volume 2: 59, 516. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, BWV 173: 305, BWV 173a: 656. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, BWV 173: 25, BWV 173a: 240.
Cantata No. 174: Ich liebe den Höchsten von ganzem Gemüte, BWV 174 (1729) Duration: ca. 22 minutes Occasion: Whit Monday Text: The text of movement 3 is adapted from the New Testament (John 3:16); movement 5 is by Martin
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Schalling (1571); the remaining text is by Picander (1728). Performing Forces: voices: alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir (chorale only); orchestra: 2 oboes, taille, 2 horns, strings (independent parts for 3 violins, 3 violas, 3 cellos), and basso continuo First Performance: 6 June 1729, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Ich liebe den Höchsten von ganzem Gemüte is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 14, page 65, edited by Alfred Dürr and Arthur Mendel. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 35, page 105, edited by Alfred Dörffel. Other available editions include that from Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: The autograph full score is in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. An incomplete set of parts, in the hands of Samuel Gottlieb Heder, Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, and J.S. Bach, is broken up with some parts in a private collection and others in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: The Sinfonia is an adaptation of the first movement of the Third Brandenburg Concerto, BWV 1048. In the cantata, Bach expanded the orchestra from the original concerto. Movement 5 is a four-part chorale setting of the anonymous (1577) hymn tune “Herzlich lieb hab ich dich, O Herr.” Performance Issues: The final chorale is thoroughly doubled by the orchestra. The first two movements are the lion’s share of this work. All fourteen solo parts in the Sinfonia require strong, independent players. The horns are typically high and difficult, but appear only in this movement. If modern instruments are used, some editing will have to be done as the part exceeds the accepted range for modern horn. There is a difficult oboe duet in movement 2. Both parts have intricate melodic figures and very long phrases. The parts are of equal difficulty. The string parts for the last three movements are all simple in comparison to the first movement. All are in unison in movement 4, which has a variety of articulations. This is an orchestration that is intended to display the abilities of the players. This would be a good work to program with one of Bach concerti, or overtures. Soloists: alto range: c#'-e'', tessitura: f#'-d'', this is a lyric solo with long phrases; tenor - range: e-g#', tessitura: a-f#', this is a brief declamatory solo appropriate for a chorister; bass - range: A-e', tessitura: d-d', this is a declamatory solo that rarely goes beyond the indicate tessitura. Choir: very easy; Orchestra: difficult. Selected Discography: Julia Hamari, Aldo Baldin, Wolfgang Schöne; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Württembergisches
Kammer-orchester Heilbronn; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in the Gedächtniskirche, Stuttgart, in 1984. Hänssler Classic: 98.856. Christian Immler, Kurt Equiluz, Robert Holl; Tolz Boys’ Choir, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 2292-42635-2. Re-released as 4509-91763-2. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 228, 237, 279-284; volume 2: 51, 68. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 310. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 105.
Cantata No. 175: Er rufet seinen Schafen mit Namen, BWV 175 (1725) Duration: ca. 16 minutes Occasion: Whit Tuesday Text: The text of movement 1 is adapted from the New Testament (John 10:3); movement 5 is adapted from the New Testament (John 10:6); movement 7 is by Johann von Rist (1651); the remaining text is by Mariane von Ziegler in an adaptation attributed to Bach. Performing Forces: voices: alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir (chorale only); orchestra: 3 recorders, 2 trumpets, violoncello piccolo, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 22 May 1725, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Er rufet seinen Schafen mit Namen is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 14, page 149, edited by Alfred Dürr and Arthur Mendel. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 35, page 161, edited by Alfred Dörffel. Other available editions include that from Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: The autograph full score, and an original set of parts, in the hands of Johann Andreas Kuhnau, Christian Gottlob Meissner, and Wilhelm Friedemann Bach, are in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: Movement 7 is a setting of the traditional German fifteenth-century hymn tune “Komm heiliger Geist, Herre Gott,” which is derived from the Sarum plainsong “Veni creator spiritus.” This chorale harmonization is taken from movement 3 of BWV 59. Performance Issues: The final chorale is thoroughly doubled by the orchestra. Movements 1 and 2 are accompanied by a recorder trio and continuo. The individual parts are not particularly difficult. There is an
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exposed solo for violoncello piccolo that can be played quite satifactorily on regular cello. This part has some awkward leaps that will require an experienced player. The trumpets have a high and very difficult duet in movement 6. Care must be taken to effect a reasonable balance between these players and the soloist. The strings only play in movements 5 and 7 and have very easy parts. The challenges for the instrumental ensemble are primarily for the trumpets, and to a lesser extent the recorders. Soloists: alto - range: b-e'', tessitura: e'-c'', this is a lyric and highly ornamented solo; tenor - range: e-a', tessitura: b-g', this is a lyric solo with long phrases and some challenging coloratura passages; bass - range: A-e', tessitura: d-d', this is a very difficult solo with some very rapid coloratura passages. Choir: very easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Carolyn Watkinson, Peter Schreier, Philippe Huttenlocher; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in the Gedächtniskirche, Stuttgart, in 1981. Hänssler Classic: 98.891. Paul Esswood, Marius van Altena, Max van Egmond; Hanover Boys’ Choir, Ghent Collegium Vocale, Leonhardt Consort; conducted by Gustav Leonhardt. Teldec: 2292-42428-2. Re-released as 4509-91763-2. Anna Reynolds, Peter Schreier, Dietrich FischerDieskau; Munich Bach Choir, Munich Bach Orchestra; conducted by Karl Richter. Recorded between 1974 and 1975. Archiv: 439 380-2AX6. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 105, 237, 321, 327; volume 2: 38, 47, 57-62, 575. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 314. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 158.
Cantata No. 176: Es ist ein trotzig, und verzagt Ding, BWV 176 (1725) Duration: ca. 13 minutes Occasion: Trinity Text: The text of movement 1 is from the Old Testament (Jeremiah 17:9); movement 6 is by Paul Gerhardt (1653); the remaining text is by Mariane von Ziegler in an adaptation attributed to Bach. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: strings and basso continuo First Performance: 27 May 1725, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Editions: Es ist ein trotzig, und verzagt Ding is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 15, page 19, edited by Robert Freeman. Performance materials are available from BärenreiterVerlag. It is also published in BG, volume 35, page 181, edited by Alfred Dörffel. Other available editions include those from Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts) and Breitkopf und Härtel, and Bärenreiter. Manuscript Sources: The autograph full score is in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: Movement 6 is a four-part chorale setting of the hymn tune “Christ unser Herr zum Jordan kam,” attributed to Johann Walther (1524). It was originally “Es wollt uns Gott genädig sein.” Performance Issues: The choral writing in movement 1 is primarily fugal with some homophonic passages. The choral parts are clearly supported by the oboes and continuo, against which the strings become an independent accompaniment. The vocal lines contain rapid passagework and some awkward melodic leaps. The tessitura of the sopranos stays fairly high. None of the orchestral parts is exposed as a solo instrument in this work, but there are some ensemble challenges for the strings in movements 1 and 3. The oboes play a fairly complicated melody in unison throughout movement 5. Soloists: soprano - range: d'-a♭'', tessitura: b♭'-g'', this is a lyric solo with some very long sustained notes; alto - range: b♭-e♭'', tessitura: d'-c'', this is a lyrical role with some melismatic singing; bass - range: A-d', tessitura: c-c', this is a brief lyric solo. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult.
Selected Discography: Inga Nielsen, Carolyn Watkinson, Walter Heldwein; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in the Gedächtniskirche, Stuttgart, in 1980. Hänssler Classic: 98.801. Matthias Echternach, Paul Esswood, Max van Egmond; Hanover Boys’ Choir, Ghent Collegium Vocale, Leonhardt Consort; conducted by Gustav Leonhardt. Teldec: 2292-42428-2. Re-released as 4509-91763-2. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 2: 38, 225-230. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 319. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 159.
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Occasion: Trinity IV
Gedächtniskirche, Stuttgart, in 1981. Hänssler Classic: 98.803. Helmut Wittek, Panito Iconomou, Kurt Equiluz; Tolz Boys’ Choir, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 2292-42428-2. Rereleased as 4509-91763-2.
Text: The text is attributed to Johann Agricola (1529).
Selected Bibliography:
Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, and tenor soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes, taille, bassoon, strings, and basso continuo
Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 433, 436, 439, 444-451; volume 2: 279, 311. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 355. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 123.
Cantata No. 177: Ich ruf zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ, BWV 177 (1732) Duration: ca. 27 minutes
First Performance: 6 July 1732, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Ich ruf zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 17/1, page 79, edited by Kirsten Beissmenger. Performance materials are available from BärenreiterVerlag. It is also published in BG, volume 35, page 201, edited by Alfred Dörffel. Other available editions include that from Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: The autograph full score is in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. A set of original parts, in the hand of “copyist E, ” is in the Bach-Archiv in Leipzig. Notes: This is a chorale cantata, setting all five of Agricola’s verses in order. The hymn tune “Ich ruf zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ” is from an anonymous (1529) source. Performance Issues: The hymn tune appears as a cantus firmus in the soprano in movement 1. The other voices are in close imitation moving thrice the speed of the cantus firmus. Although the cantus firmus is doubled by the oboes, the contrapuntally more complex remaining choral parts have no instrumental doubling. In addition to the two orchestral violin parts in this movement, there is also a concertato violin part; it and the first orchestral part are quite demanding. There is an exposed and sustained oboe da caccia solo in movement 3. It has long phrases, but is not technically difficult. In movement 4, there are difficult solos for bassoon and violin. Movement 1 will present some challenges to balance and ensemble for the orchestra, which may be exacerbated by the addition of the choir. Soloists: soprano - range: c'-g'', tessitura: f'-f'', this is a lyric solo with flowing melismatic figures; alto range: b♭-e♭'', tessitura: e♭'-c'', this is a lyric solo with long phrases and considerably challenging melismatic passagework; tenor - range: d-a♭', tessitura: g-f', this is a difficult solo with rapid coloratura passages and broad melodic leaps. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Arlene Augér, Julia Hamari, Peter Schreier; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in the
Cantata No. 178: Wo Gott der Herr nicht bei uns hält, BWV 178 (1724) Duration: ca. 23 minutes Occasion: Trinity VIII Text: The text of movements 3 and 6 are paraphrases attributed to Bach; the remaining text is by Justus Jonas, based upon Psalm 124. Performing Forces: voices: alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes, 2 oboes d’amore, horn, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 30 July 1724, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Wo Gott der Herr nicht bei uns hält is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 18, page 161, edited by Alfred Dürr. Performance materials are available from BärenreiterVerlag. It is also published in BG, volume 35, page 237, edited by Alfred Dörffel. Other available editions include those from Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts) and Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: A set of original parts, in the hand of Johann Andreas Kuhnau, is divided between the Bach-Archiv in Leipzig and a private collection. Notes: This is a chorale cantata with each verse appearing in succession, used directly or adapted. The hymn tune “Wo Gott der Herr nicht bei uns hält” is from an anonymous (1535) source. Performance Issues: In movement 1, the hymn tune appears as a cantus firmus in the soprano. The lower voices sometimes harmonize the tune homophonically in tempo. Alternating phrases have the lower choral parts in close imitation with rapid melismatic figures. None of these choral parts is doubled by the orchestra. The orchestra in this movement is written as a frenetic tonal backdrop for the voices, with particularly tricky oboe parts. In movement 2, it is particularly effective if the recitative lines are sung by the soloist while the chorale lines are sung by the alto section. The violins
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have a rapid unison melody running throughout movement 3 that includes some unison double stops and some articulations requiring some rehearsal attention. There is a conspicuous oboe d’amore duet in movement 4, accompanying a chorale melody that could be sung by the soloist, or the tenor section. In movement 5, the choir sings each phrase of the hymn with a recitative interjection from a soloist. Soloists: alto range: c'-d'', tessitura: e'-c'', this is a brief declamatory solo appropriate for a chorister; tenor - range: e-a', tessitura: a-g', this is a difficult and aggressive solo with rapid coloratura passages; bass - range: G-e'', tessitura: d-d', this is a difficult and dramatic solo with rapid coloratura passages. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: difficult. Selected Discography: Gabriele Schreckenbach, Kurt Equiluz, Aldo Baldin, Wolfgang Schöne; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in the Gedächtniskirche, Stuttgart, in 1972 and 1982. Hänssler Classic: 98.806. Panito Iconomou, Kurt Equiluz, Robert Holl; Tolz Boys’ Choir, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 2292-42428-2. Re-released as 4509-91763-2. Edith Mathis, Julia Hamari, Peter Schreier, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau; Munich Bach Choir, Munich Bach Orchestra; conducted by Karl Richter. Recorded between 1975 and 1977. Archiv: 439 387-2AX6. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 2: 276, 281, 291, 466-472. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 382. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 202.
Cantata No. 179: Siehe zu, dass deine Gottesfurcht, BWV 179 (1723) Duration: ca. 17 minutes Occasion: Trinity IX Text: The text of movement 1 is from the Apocrypha (Ecclesiasticus 1:28); movement 6 is by Christoph Tietze (1663); the remaining text is attributed to Christian Weiss Sr. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes, 2 oboes da caccia, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 8 August 1723, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Siehe zu, dass deine Gottesfurcht is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 20, page 57, edited by Klaus Hofmann.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Performance materials are available from BärenreiterVerlag. It is also published in BG, volume 35, page 275, edited by Alfred Dörffel. Other available editions include that from Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: The autograph full score, and an incomplete set of original parts, in the hand of Johann Andreas Kuhnau, are in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: Movement 5 of this cantata is parodied in movement 2 of Bach’s Mass in A, BWV 234. Movements 1 and 3 of this cantata are parodied in movement 1 of Bach’s Mass in G, BWV 236. Movement 6 is a fourpart chorale setting of “Wer nur den lieben Gott läßt walten,” by Georg Neumark (1540 or 1557). Performance Issues: The choral writing in movement 1 is motet-like. It is fugal with each choral line doubled by a string part. The phrases are long, and there are many chromaticisms including descending chromatic scales that may prove a challenge for good intonation. In movement 3, there is a complex melodic line that is played in unison by the first violin and oboes. There is a sustained and long duet for oboes da caccia in movement 5. Soloists: soprano - range: c'-a'', tessitura: f'-f'', this is a lyric solo with long phrases; tenor - range: da', tessitura: g-g', this is a difficult solo with rapid ornamental figurations; bass - range: B-e', tessitura: d-c', this is a brief declamatory solo appropriate for a chorister. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Arleen Augér, Kurt Equiluz, Wolfgang Schöne; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in the Gedächtniskirche, Stuttgart, in 1974 and 1982. Hänssler Classic: 98.808. Helmut Wittek, Kurt Equiluz, Robert Holl; Tolz Boys’ Choir, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 2292-42428-2. Re-released as 4509-91763-2. Edith Mathis, Peter Schreier, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau; Munich Bach Choir, Munich Bach Orchestra; conducted by Karl Richter. Recorded between 1976 and 1977. Archiv: 439 387-2AX6. Ruth Ziesak, Elisabeth von Magnus, Paul Agnew, Klaus Mertens; Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra and Choir; conducted by Ton Koopman. Recorded live in 1997. Erato: 3984-21629-2. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 234, 434, 594-600. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 409. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 58.
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Cantata No. 180: Schmücke dich, o liebe Seele, BWV 180 (1724) Duration: ca. 23 minutes Occasion: Trinity XX Text: The texts of movements 2, 4, 5, and 6 are paraphrases attributed to Bach; movements 1, 3, and 7 are by Johann Franck (1653). Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: flute, 2 recorders, oboe, oboe da caccia, violoncello piccolo, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 22 October 1724, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Schmücke dich, o liebe Seele is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 25, edited by Ulrich Bartels. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 35, page 295, edited by Alfred Dörffel. Other available editions include those from Kalmus (urtext edition, score and parts), Breitkopf und Härtel, and H. W. Gray. Manuscript Sources: The autograph full score is in a private collection in the United States. Notes: This is a chorale cantata based upon the hymn tune “Schmücke dich, o liebe Seele,” by Johann Crüger (1649). Performance Issues: The hymn tune is placed as a cantus firmus in the soprano part of movement 1. The remaining choral parts are in close imitation of each other at thrice the speed of the cantus firmus. The cantus firmus is sometimes doubled by the orchestra, but the other choral parts are not. These vocal lines include numerous melodic leaps and a fair amount of chromaticism. Although not indicated in the full score, the chorale is doubled by the orchestra in most sets of parts. There is a difficult and articulate flute solo in movement 2. There is a solo for violoncello piccolo in movement 3, which is not technically difficult on modern cello, although it is somewhat of a perpetual motion excercise. The soprano chorale is ornamented to an extent that it is clearly intended for the soloist. It may be appropriate to assign this simple solo to a soloist different from that of movement 5. The aria in movement 5 is accompanied by a full instrumental ensemble, which may require attention in achieving a satisfactory balance. Although the flute solo occurs only in one movement, which does not include recorders, it may prove necessary to use a separate player as the complexity of the flute and recorder parts may not allow for an adequate doubler. Soloists: soprano range: d'-a'', tessitura: g'-g'', this is a lyric solo with highly ornamented passages; alto - range: b♭-e♭'', tessitura: d'-d'', this is a brief and simple solo; tenor -
range: d-a'', tessitura: g-g', this is a difficult solo with some extended melismatic passages; bass - range: de', tessitura: d-d', this is a brief declamatory solo appropriate for a chorister. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Arleen Augér, Carolyn Watkinson, Adalbert Kraus, Walter Heldwein; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in the Gedächtniskirche, Stuttgart, in 1979. Hänssler Classic: 98.816. Jan Patrick O’Farrell, Paul Esswood, Kurt Equiluz, Max van Egmond; Tolz Boys’ Choir, Ghent Collegium Vocale, Leonhardt Consort; conducted by Gustav Leonhardt. Teldec: 2292-42738-2. Re-released as 450991763-2. Edith Mathis, Trudeliese Schmidt, Peter Schreier, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau; Munich Bach Choir, Munich Bach Orchestra; conducted by Karl Richter. Recorded between 1973 and 1975. Archiv: 439 394-2AX5. Barbara Schlick, Andreas Scholl, Christoph Prégardien, Gotthold Schwarz; Concerto Vocale, Limoges Baroque Ensemble; conducted by Christophe Coin. Recorded in 1993. Astrée Auvidis: E8530. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 2: 270, 291, 472-478. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 484. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 216.
Cantata No. 181: Leichtgesinnte Flattergeister, BWV 181 (1724) Duration: ca. 18 minutes Occasion: Sexagesima Text: The text is from an unidentified source. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: strings and basso continuo First Performance: 13 February 1724, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Leichtgesinnte Flattergeister is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 7, page 135, edited by Werner Neumann. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 37, page 3, edited by Alfred Dörffel. Other available editions include that from Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: An original set of parts, in the hands of Johann Andreas Kuhnau and Christian Gottlob Meissner, is in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin.
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Performance Issues: The final chorus is a brilliantsounding movement of great contrapuntal complexity. Bach begins with an imitative succession of concurrent melody and countermelody in pairs for the voices, which then leads to close imitation of a single melody through all four voices. There are rapid melismas for all of the choral parts, and the soprano part has many passages that sit high in the voice. This is a da capo movement with a soprano/alto duet accompanied by continuo only as the “B” section. These parts were probably intended for the soloists, which does not change the indicated range of the alto solo, but does increase its difficulty having parallel melismatic passages with the soprano. In the “A” section the choral parts are doubled intermittently by the orchestra; however, these doublings are not necessarily concurrent with the most difficult choral passages. The orchestral writing in the outer movements is fairly challenging with difficult parts for all instruments. The middle three movements are accompanied by continuo only. The trumpet appears only in the final movement and is quite difficult. Soloists: soprano - range: d'-a'', tessitura: f#'-f#'', this is a brief declamatory solo; alto range: b-d#'', tessitura: d'-b', this is a brief declamatory solo; tenor - range: c-a', tessitura: g-g', this is a difficult solo with long phrases and rapid coloratura passages; bass - range: A#-e', tessitura: B-c', this is a dramatic solo with some rapid ornamental figurations. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Arleen Augér, Gabriele Schnaut, Gabriele Schreckenbach, Kurt Equiluz, Niklaus Tüller; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Hänssler Classic: 98.878. Alexander Raymann, Paul Esswood, Kurt Equiluz, Max van Egmond; Tolz Boys’ Choir, Ghent Collegium Vocale, Leonhardt Consort; conducted by Gustav Leonhardt. Teldec: 2292-42738-2. Re-released as 450991763-2. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 238, 434, 712-717. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 211. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 63.
Cantata No. 182: Himmelskönig, sei willkommen, BWV 182 (1714) Duration: ca. 30 minutes Occasion: Palm Sunday Text: The text of movement 3 is Psalm 40 (v. 7); movement 7 is by Paul Stockmann (1633); the remaining text is attributed to Salomo Franck.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Performing Forces: voices: alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: recorder, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 25 March 1714, Weimar Editions: Himmelskönig, sei willkommen is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 8, edited by Christoph Wolff. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 37, page 23, edited by Alfred Dörffel. Other available editions include those from Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts) and Breitkopf und Härtel. BWV 182 is addressed in the critical commentary of the NBA, series 1, volume 28/2. Manuscript Sources: The autograph full score and an original set of parts are in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. This collection also contains ten parts from a set made by Johann Andreas Kuhnau for a reperformance of the work in Leipzig (25 March 1724). Notes: This is the first cantata that Bach presented as concertmaster at Weimar. Movement 7 is based upon the hymn tune “Jesu Leiden, Pein und Tod,” by Melchior Vulpius (1609), which was originally “Jesu Kreuz, Leiden Pein.” Performance Issues: The choral writing of movement 2 is all imitative. It is a da capo movement. In the “A” section the imitation is fugal by the measure, while in the “B” section the imitation is tonally freer and by the beat. In the first section the vocal parts are intermittently doubled by the orchestra, but in the second section they are quite independent of the accompaniment. Likewise, the vocal lines are quite melismatic in the “A” section, and syllabic in the “B” section. The chorale fantasia in movement 7 places the hymn tune in the soprano as a cantus firmus in half notes above a fugue using the same theme in quarter notes as its opening motive. The lower vocal parts become quite melismatic, but all the voices are clearly doubled throughout the movement by the orchestra. The final chorus combines homophonic passages with four-part fugal imitation. The choral parts are vocal challenging and only intermittently doubled by the instruments. There are also some surprising chromatically based harmonic shifts in this movement. The opening sonata features a concertato violin solo and a recorder solo, both of which are quite difficult. There is another difficult and very chromatic violin solo in movement 4. The recorder has an intricate and challenging solo in movement 5. The continuo line in movement 6 is unusually difficult and is specifically labeled to feature the cello as soloist. Soloists: alto - range: a-d'', tessitura: b-b', this is a lyric solo with long phrases; tenor range: d-g', tessitura: g-f', this is a lyric solo with some rapid melismatic passages; bass - range: E-c', tessitura: B-b', this is a difficult and highly ornamented solo. Choir: difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult.
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Selected Discography: Doris Soffel, Aldo Baldin, Philippe Huttenlocher; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in the Gedächtniskirche, Stuttgart, in 1975. Hänssler Classic: 98.880. Paul Esswood, Kurt Equiluz, Robert Holz; Tolz Boys’ Choir, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 2292-42738-2. Re-released as 4509-91763-2. Anna Reynolds, Peter Schreier, Theo Adam; Munich Bach Choir, Munich Bach Orchestra; conducted by Karl Richter. Recorded between 1974 and 1975. Archiv: 439 374-2AX5. Frederike Sailer, Claudia Hellmann, Helmut Krebs, Erik Wenk; Heilbronn Heinrich Schütz Choir, Pforzheim Chamber Orchestra; conducted by Fritz Werner. Recorded in 1961. Erato: 4509-97407-2. Barbara Schlick, Kai Wessel, Christoph Prégardien, Klaus Mertens; Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra and Choir; conducted by Ton Koopman. Recorded live in 1995. Erato: 0630-12598-2. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 11, 150-156; volume 2: 297. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 226, 549. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 12.
Cantata No. 183: Sie werden euch in den Bann tun II, BWV 183 (1725) Duration: ca. 14 minutes Occasion: Ascension I Text: The text of movement 1 is from the New Testament (John 16:2); movement 5 is by Paul Gerhardt (1653); the remaining text is by Mariane von Ziegler in a revision attributed to Bach. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir (chorale only); orchestra: 2 oboes d’amore, 2 oboes da caccia, violoncello piccolo, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 13 May 1724, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Sie werden euch in den Bann tun is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 12, page 189, edited by Alfred Dürr. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 37, page 61, edited by Alfred Dörffel. Other available editions include those from Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts) and Breitkopf und Härtel.
Manuscript Sources: The autograph full score, and an original set of parts, in the hands of Johann Andreas Kuhnau, are in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: The same title is shared by BWV 44. Movement 5 is a four-part chorale setting of the anonymous (1524) hymn tune “Helft mir Gotts Güte preisen.” Performance Issues: The chorale is thoroughly doubled by the instruments. All four oboes play together in movements 1 and 3. While the sonority is unusually rich, the sustained harmonies accompanying movement 1 may prove treacherous in establishing good intonation. There is a pervasive and somewhat difficult violoncello piccolo solo in movement 2 that is quite accessible on normal cello, although some of the passages are fairly high for intermediate-level players. This cantata is well suited for the use of solo strings. Likewise, the final chorale could be effectively sung by the soloists. Soloists: soprano - range: d'-a'', tessitura: b'-a'', this is a bright and difficult solo with rapid coloratura passages; alto - range: d'-e'', tessitura: e'-d'', this is a brief declamatory solo appropriate for a chorister; tenor - range: e-b', tessitura: g-g', this is a difficult and highly ornamented solo; bass - range: B-d', tessitura: e-c', this is a brief declamatory solo appropriate for a chorister. Choir: very easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Arleen Augér, Julia Hamari, Peter Schreier, Walter Heldwein; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in the Gedächtniskirche, Stuttgart, in 1981. Hänssler Classic: 98.887. Helmut Wittek, Paul Esswood, Kurt Equiluz, Thomas Hampson; Tolz Boys’ Choir, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 2292-42378-2. Re-released as 4509-91764-2. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 218, 625; volume 2: 38, 138141. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 294. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 154.
Cantata No. 184: Erwünschtes Freudenlicht, BWV 184 (1724) Duration: ca. 24 minutes Occasion: Whit Tuesday Text: The text of movement 5 is by Anarg von Wildenfels (1527); the remaining text is attributed to Bach.
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Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, and tenor soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: flute, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 30 May 1724, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Erwünschtes Freudenlicht is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 14, page 121, edited by Alfred Dürr and Arthur Mendel. Performance materials are available from BärenreiterVerlag. It is also published in BG, volume 37, page 77, edited by Alfred Dörffel. Other available editions include that from Breitkopf und Härtel. BWV 184a is addressed in the critical commentary of the NBA, series 1, volume 35. Manuscript Sources: A full score, not in Bach’s hand, but with an autograph title page, and a set of original parts in the hands of Bach, Johann Andreas Kuhnau, and Christian Gottlob Meissner, are in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Selected Discography: Arleen Augér, Gabriele Schnaut, Adalbert Kraus, Niklaus Tüller; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in the Gedächtniskirche, Stuttgart, in 1976 and 1977. Hänssler Classic: 98.890. Alexander Raymann, Paul Esswood, Kurt Equiluz, Max van Egmond; Tolz Boys’ Choir, Ghent Collegium Vocale, Leonhardt Consort; conducted by Gustav Leonhardt. Teldec: 2292-42738-2. Re-released as 450991764-2. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 238, 239, 305, 321, 336-342; volume 2: 622, 639. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, BWV 184: 312, BWV 184a: 646. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 56.
Notes: This cantata is a parody of BWV 184a, which was written for the New Year Service in Cöthen in 1722 or 1723, and is now lost. Bach adapted movement 6 of this cantata to serve as the final chorus of BWV 213. Movement 5 is a chorale setting of the anonymous (1527) hymn tune “O Herre Gott, dein göttlich Wort.”
Cantata No. 185: Barmherziges Herze der ewigen Liebe, BWV 185 (1715 and 1723)
Performance Issues: The final chorus is da capo, with the choir singing a four-part homophonic passage in section “A.” These choral passages are fully doubled by the orchestra. The “B” section is a duet for soprano and bass. These passages are not doubled, and are probably intended as solos. The bass information in “Soloists” below corresponds to this section, which could be sung by the section. The chorale is thoroughly doubled by the orchestra. There is a fairly easy flute duet in movement 1 that will require some flexibility to respond to the phrasing of the tenor soloist. The orchestra parts for movement 2 are challenging, especially the flute and first violin parts, which have rapid unison passagework. There is a pervasive violin solo in movement 4. Soloists: soprano - range: e'-a'', tessitura: b'-g'', this is a lyric solo with long phrases and extended melismas that rarely goes outside of the indicated tessitura, this singer should be chosen to blend well with the alto soloist; alto - range: b-e'', tessitura: d'-e', this is a lyric solo with long phrases and extended melismas best suited for a mezzo-soprano, this singer should be chosen to blend well with the soprano soloist; tenor - range: d-a', tessitura: e-f#', this is a sustained and well-ornamented lyric solo; bass range: B-f#', tessitura: e-e', this is a lyric solo with long sustained phrases, the [f#'] is optional. Choir: easy; Orchestra: medium difficult.
Text: The text of movement 6 is by Johann Agricola (1529); the remaining text is by Salomo Franck (1715).
Duration: ca. 16 minutes Occasion: Trinity IV
Performing Forces: original version: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: oboe, strings, and basso continuo (including bassoon) revised version: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: trumpet da tirarsi, strings, and basso continuo (including bassoon) First Performance: original version — 14 July 1715, Weimar revised version — 20 June 1723, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig; first performed with the premiere of BWV 24 Editions: Barmherziges Herze der ewigen Liebe is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 17/1, page 3 (first version) and 23 (fourth version), edited by Yoshitake Kobayashi. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 37, page 103, edited by Alfred Dörffel. Other available editions include those from Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts) and Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: The autograph full scores of both versions; a set of original parts for the original version, mostly in Bach’s hand; and a set of parts for the
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
revised version, in the hand of Johann Andreas Kuhnau, are in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: This is a solo cantata. It concludes with a fourpart chorale setting of the anonymous (1529) hymn tune “Ich ruf zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ.” The hymn tune also appears in the opening duet as a cantus firmus in the oboe.123 Performance Issues: The final chorale is thoroughly doubled by the orchestra with an additional descant line for the first violins, suggesting the use of a choir on this movement; however, if one is not convenient, it certainly could be sung by the solo quartet. The orchestral writing is very easy in all but movement 3, which has parallel melodic figures between instruments that contain rhythmic complexities, detailed articulations, and rapid ornamental figures. The continuo line is also quite challenging in movement 1. This cantata would work well with solo strings. Soloists: soprano - range: b#-g#'', tessitura: f#'-f#'', this is a lyric and lilting solo; alto - range: a-c#'', tessitura: e'c#'', this is a difficult solo with long coloratura passages; tenor - range: B#-f#', tessitura: f#-f#'', this is a lyric and lilting solo; bass - range: F#-c#', tessitura: Bb, this is a fairly easy declamatory solo. Choir: very easy; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Arleen Augér, Hildegard Laurich, Aldo Baldin, Philippe Huttenlocher; Frankfurter Kantorei, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in the Gedächtniskirche, Stuttgart, in 1976. Hänssler Classic: 98.804. Helmut Wittek, Paul Esswood, Kurt Equiluz, Thomas Hampson; Tolz Boys’ Choir, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 2292-44179-2. Re-released as 4509-91764-2. Barbara Schlick, Kai Wessel, Guy de Mey, Klaus Mertens; Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra and Choir; conducted by Ton Koopman. Recorded live in 1995. Erato: 4509-98536-2. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 11, 79-84; volume 2: 273. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 350. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 14.
Cantata No. 186: Ärgre dich, o Seele, nicht, BWV 186 (1723) Duration: ca. 35 minutes
123 Bach offers trumpet as an optional instrument for this part.
Occasion: Trinity VII Text: The text of movement 6 is by Paul Speratus (1524); movements 2, 4, 7, and 9 are attributed to Bach; the remaining texts are by Salomo Franck (1717). Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes, taille, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 11 July 1723, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Ärgre dich, o Seele, nicht is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 18, page 17, edited by Alfred Dürr. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 37, page 121, edited by Alfred Dörffel. Other available editions include those from Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts) and Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: A manuscript full score, in an unidentified hand, is in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: This work was adapted from BWV 186a. The added recitatives are those with text attributed to the composer. Movement 11 is a repetition of 6, which is a chorale fantasia on the hymn tune “Es ist das Heil uns kommen her,” an adaptation of the fifteenthcentury Easter hymn “Freu dich, du werthe Christenheit.” The two parts of the cantata were intended to frame the sermon. Performance Issues: The choral writing of the opening chorus is quite challenging. The vocal parts are pervasively imitative, with the sequence of voices and manner of imitation varying with each successive phrase. The text refers to John the Baptist’s question about Christ’s authenticity as the Messiah. Bach uses these contrapuntal devices to dramatize the sense of uncertainty inherent in the lyrics. The choral parts of this movement are also fairly chromatic, and they remain independent of the orchestra. In fact, most of the vocal lines are in contrary motion with the instruments throughout this movement. The orchestral parts are also imitative of each other. The chorale fantasia of movements 6 and 11 places the hymn tune in the soprano as a cantus firmus, while the remaining choral parts support it homophonically or in close imitation. These lower three vocal lines are doubled by the orchestra, but the cantus firmus is not. There is a very difficult oboe da caccia solo in movement 5, it also exceeds the low ranges of the oboe da caccia solo and modern English horn with the pitch [d]. This passage can be effectively rewritten. The violins play a unison obbligato melody in movement 8 that is very chromatic and quite awkward, and may prove troublesome
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for good ensemble playing. The orchestral writing in this cantata is rhythmically complex and often imitative. The individual parts are technically demanding, and the independence of concurrent melodic lines adds to the difficulty of ensemble playing. Soloists: soprano - range: d'-a♭'', tessitura: b♭'-g'', this is a lyric solo with some long phrases; alto - range: g-d'', tessitura: d'-c'', this is a lyric solo with some long phrases; tenor - range: d-a', tessitura: b♭-g', this is lyric solo with long phrases and some extended melismatic passages; bass - range: G-e♭', tessitura: d-d', this is a lyric and lilting solo. Choir: difficult; Orchestra: difficult. Selected Discography: Arleen Augér, Helen Watts, Kurt Equiluz, Philippe Huttenlocher; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in the Gedächtniskirche, Stuttgart, in 1977. Hänssler Classic: 98.805. Helmut Wittek, Paul Esswood, Kurt Equiluz, Robert Holl; Tolz Boys’ Choir, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 229244179-2. Re-released as 4509-91764-2. Ruth Ziesak, Elisabeth von Magnus, Paul Agnew, Klaus Mertens; Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra and Choir; conducted by Ton Koopman. Recorded live in 1997. Erato: 3984-21629-2. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 200-207, 238; volume 2: 292. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 371. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 36.
Cantata No. 186a: Ärgre dich, o Seele, nicht, BWV 186a (1716) Text: The text of movement 6 is by Ludwig Helmbold (1563); the remaining texts are by Salomo Franck (1717).124 Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: strings and basso continuo Editions: BWV 186a is addressed in the critical commentary of the NBA, series 1, volume 1. Notes: This cantata was the urform for BWV 186 described above. Only the text has been preserved, from which a reconstruction can be deduced. The final chorale has been lost. The other five movements correspond to the following movements of BWV 186, in order: 1, 3, 5, 8, and 10. 124 Herz gives this date for the text authorship in conjunction with the 1716 composition date.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Selected Bibliography: Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 103.
Cantata No. 187: Es wartet alles auf dich, BWV 187 (1726) Duration: ca. 23 minutes Occasion: Trinity VII Text: The text of movement 1 is Psalm 104 (vv. 27, 28); movement 2 is from the New Testament (Matthew 6:31); the remaining text is from an unidentified source. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 4 August 1726, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Es wartet alles auf dich is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 18, page 93, edited by Leo Treitler. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 37, page 157, edited by Alfred Dörffel. Other available editions include those from Kalmus (urtext edition, score and parts) and Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: The autograph full score is in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. An incomplete original set of parts, in the hands of “copyist C” and Christian Gottlob Meissner, is divided between the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin and a private collection in the United States. Notes: Movements 1, 3, 4, and 5 of this cantata are parodied in Bach’s Mass in G minor BWV 235. Movement 7 is a four-part chorale setting of the anonymous (1544) hymn tune “Singen wir aus Herzengrund,” which was originally known as “Da Christus geboren war.” The two parts of the cantata were intended to frame the sermon. Performance Issues: The chorale writing of the opening movement combines close imitation with full fugal treatment between the voices. These vocal lines contain a significant amount of rapid melismatic passagework, and are, for the most part, not doubled directly by the orchestra. There is an exciting frenetic drive to this movement in the voices and instruments that may become a challenge in maintaining the tempo and clarity of independent parts. The final chorale is fully doubled by the orchestra. The orchestral parts are quite idiomatic. The first violin part is somewhat technically demanding. Both oboe parts are difficult, especially
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
the first part, which has a very difficult solo in movement 5. Soloists: soprano - range: d'-ab'', tessitura: g'f'', this is a highly ornamented lyric solo; alto - range: c'-e♭'', tessitura: e♭'-d'', this is a lyric solo with considerable ornamentation well suited to a mezzo-soprano; bass - range: G-e♭', tessitura: d-d', this is a sustained and lyric solo. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Maria Friesenhausen, Hildegard Laurich, Wolfgang Schöne; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in the Gedächtniskirche, Stuttgart, in 1971. Hänssler Classic: 98.806. Michael Emmermann, Paul Esswood, Kurt Equiluz, Max van Egmond; Hanover Boys’ Choir, Ghent Collegium Vocale, Leonhardt Consort; conducted by Gustav Leonhardt. Teldec: 2292-44179-2. Re-released as 4509-91764-2. Edith Mathis, Julia Hamari, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau; Munich Bach Choir, Munich Bach Orchestra; conducted by Karl Richter. Recorded between 1976 and 1977. Archiv: 439 387-2AX6.
in BG, volume 37, page 195, edited by Alfred Dörffel. Other available editions include that from Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: There is an incomplete autograph full score in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: Movement 1 of this cantata is adapted from the first movement of a now lost violin concerto, it was also adapted for harpsichord as BWV 1052. This also provided the Sinfonia of BWV 146. Some printings of the BG score do not include the Sinfonia. Movement 6 is a four-part chorale setting of the anonymous (1609) hymn tune “Auf meinen lieben Gott,” which is of secular origin (1574).
Cantata No. 188: Ich habe meine Zuversicht, BWV 188 (1728?)
Performance Issues: There is no indication of the accompaniment for the chorale, suggesting that Bach either intended it to be sung by the solo quartet or the congregation. This work should be programmed only with the presence of an excellent organist. The solo part of the Sinfonia, which occupies one third of the cantata’s duration, is filled with rapid passages. The organ also plays an obbligato accompaniment in movement 4. This is not technically demanding, but is quite rhythmically complicated. The remaining orchestra parts are quite accessible to intermediate-level players. Soloists: soprano - range: e'-f'', tessitura: g'e'', this is a brief solo appropriate for a chorister; alto range: c'-e'', tessitura: f'-d'', this is a difficult solo with rapid coloratura passages, best suited for a mezzo-soprano; tenor - range: c-g', tessitura: f-f', this is a dramatic and declamatory solo with some rapid melismatic passagework and broad melodic leaps; bass - range: c-e♭', tessitura: d-d', this is a brief and simple declamatory solo. Choir: very easy; Orchestra: medium difficult.
Duration: ca. 25 minutes125
Selected Discography:
Occasion: Trinity XXI
Arleen Augér, Julia Hamari, Aldo Baldin, Walter Heldwein; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Württembergisches Kammerorchester Heilbronn; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in the Gedächtniskirche, Stuttgart, in 1983. Hänssler Classic: 98.817. Helmut Wittek, Paul Esswood, Kurt Equiluz, Robert Holl; Tolz Boys’ Choir, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 229244179-2. Re-released as 4509-91764-2.
Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 234, 238, 434, 697-705. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 376. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 127.
Text: The text of movement 2 is adapted from the Old Testament (Genesis 32:26); movement 6 was written in Lübeck (before 1603); the remaining text is by Picander. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir (chorale only); orchestra: 2 oboes, taille, organ obbligato, strings, and basso continuo (including bassoon) First Performance: October 1728?, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Ich habe meine Zuversicht is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 25, edited by Ulrich Bartels. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published 125 Alfred Dürr lists 29 minutes, and David Daniel lists 20 minutes; the Rilling recording is 23 minutes 46 seconds.
Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 238, 241, 261-264; volume 2: 98. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 499.
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Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 94.
Cantata No. 189: Meine Seele rühmt und preist, BWV 189 This cantata, which was attributed to J. S. Bach, is thought to be by Melchior Hoffmann. It is published as a work of J. S. Bach by Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts) and Breitkopf und Härtel. Editions: Meine Seele rühmt und preist is published in BG, volume 37, page 215, edited by Alfred Dörffel.
Cantata No. 190: Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied!, BWV 190 (1724) Duration: ca. 17 minutes Occasion: New Year/Feast of Christ’s Circumcision Text: The text of movement 1 is from Psalm 149 (v. 1) and Psalm 150 (vv. 4, 6); movement 7 is by Johann Heermann (1593); the remaining text is attributed to Picander. Performing Forces: voices: alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 3 oboes, oboe d’amore, bassoon, 3 trumpets, timpani, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 1 January 1724, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied! is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 4, page 3, edited by Werner Neumann. Performance materials are available from BärenreiterVerlag. It is also published in BG, volume 37, page 229, edited by Alfred Dörffel. Other available editions include that from Breitkopf und Härtel. BWV190a is addressed in the critical commentary of the NBA, series 1, volume 34. Manuscript Sources: An incomplete autograph full score, and an incomplete set of original parts, in the hand of Johann Andreas Kuhnau, are in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: Bach made an adaptation of this cantata in 1730 for the 200th anniversary celebration of the Augsburg Confession, of which only two violin parts survive for the first two movements. It was not until 1948 that these movements were reconstructed by Walther Reinhart for modern performance. Therefore, the BG score is incomplete. Movements 1 and 2 incorporate unison passages singing the hymn tune “Herr Gott, dich loben wir,” which Martin Luther adapted (1529) from a Latin plainsong for his verse translation of the “Te Deum laudamus.” Movement 7 is a four-part chorale setting of the anonymous (1591) hymn tune “Jesu, nun sei gepreiset.”
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Performance Issues: The choral writing of the opening movement combines passages of homophony with close imitation and fugual writing. In the most contrapuntally complex passages, the choral parts are doubled by the orchestra, but most of the vocal lines are not directly supported by the instruments. In this movement, the chorus interjects two phrases of the hymn setting of Luther’s translation of the Te Deum in unison dotted half notes between sections of rapid contrapuntal singing. All of the choral parts have rapid melismatic passages. In movement 2, the choir sings four phrases of the chorale with a recitative passage from each soloist in between. The closing chorale is fully doubled by the orchestra. There is a prominent, and fairly challenging oboe d’amore solo in movement 5. The trumpet parts in movement 1 are typically high and difficult. The trumpets also have a ritornello-like fanfare at each cadence in the final chorale. The reconstruction of the orchestration is quite convincing and musically rewarding. This is a brilliant and difficult ensemble piece. Soloists: alto - range: b-e'', tessitura: e'-c'', this is a lyric solo with some extended melismatic passages; tenor - range: e-b', tessitura: g-g', this is a lyric solo with some declamatory passages; bass range: A-e', tessitura: c-c', this is a lyric solo with some broad melodic leaps. Choir: difficult; Orchestra: difficult. Selected Discography: Helen Watts, Kurt Equiluz, Niklaus Tüller; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Hänssler Classic: 98.870. Ruth Ziesak, Elisabeth von Magnus, Paul Agnew, Klaus Mertens; Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra and Choir; conducted by Ton Koopman. Recorded live in 1997. Erato: 3984-21629-2. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 434, 607-613; volume 2: 281. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, BWV 190: 149, BWV 190a: 624. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 60.
Cantata No. 191: Gloria in excelsis Deo, BWV 191 (after 1740) Duration: ca. 19 minutes Occasion: Christmas Text: The text of movement 1 is from the New Testament (Luke 2:14) in Latin. Performing Forces: voices: soprano and tenor soloists; SSATB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 3 trumpets, timpani, strings, and basso continuo
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
First Performance: after 1740,126 St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig
Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 136.
Editions: Gloria in excelsis Deo is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 2, page 173, edited by Alfred Dürr. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 41, page 3, edited by Alfred Dörffel. Other available editions include those from Kalmus (urtext edition, score and parts), Breitkopf und Härtel, and G. Schirmer.
Cantata No. 192: Nun danket alle Gott, BWV 192 (1730)
Manuscript Sources: The autograph full score is in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: This is adapted from Bach’s Mass in B Minor, BWV 232. The cantata, which is divided into two parts and would have framed the sermon, is organized as follows: Part I 1. [chorus] Gloria in excelsis Deo Part II 2. [soprano/tenor duet] Gloria Patri et Filio et Spiritui sancto 3. [chorus] Sicut erat in principio Performance Issues: The choral writing in this cantata combines declamatory homophonic passages, paired doubling, close imitation, and fugal procedures. The choral parts are vocally difficult with rapid melismatic figures, extremes of range, and broad melodic leaps. These vocal lines are only occasionally doubled by the orchestra. The orchestral parts are all technically challenging. The first flute and first violin parts are particularly difficult with relentless rapid passagework. The third trumpet and timpani are the least challenging parts; however, the first trumpet is exceptionally difficult and has a higher tessitura than most of Bach’s first trumpet parts. There is a prominent and somewhat difficult flute solo throughout movement 2. Soloists: soprano - range: c#'-g'', tessitura: g'-e'', this is a lyric and sustained solo with extended melismas; tenor - range: c-a', tessitura: f#-f#', this is a lyric and sustained solo with extended melismas. Choir: difficult; Orchestra: difficult. Selected Discography: Nobuko Gamo-Yamamoto, Adalbert Kraus; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Hänssler Classic: 98.867. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 121, 238, 357-358, 660. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 118. 126 This is according to Herz’s chronology. W. Murray Young states (The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, page 136)
Duration: ca. 15 minutes Occasion: Reformation Text: The text is by Martin Rinckart (1636). Performing Forces: voices: soprano and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 1730, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Nun danket alle Gott is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 34, page 109, edited by Ryuichi Higuchi. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 41, page 67, edited by Alfred Dörffel. Other available editions include those from Kalmus (urtext edition, score and parts) and Breitkopf und Härtel. BWV 192 is addressed in the critical commentary of the NBA, series 1, volume 32/1. Manuscript Sources: There is an incomplete set of parts, in the hand of Johann Andreas Kuhnau, in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: This is a chorale cantata, based upon the hymn tune “Nun danket alle Gott,” by Johann Crüger (1648). The cantata sets each of Rinckart’s stanzas in successive movements. Despite this, Charles Sanford Terry assumed that it was an incomplete work. Performance Issues: In the first movement, the hymn tune appears as a cantus firmus in the sopranos and oboes. This cantus firmus is sustained at an unusually slow rate given the motion of the surrounding parts at six to twelve times the pace. The remaining choral parts are mostly imitative with rapid melismatic passages. The three lower choral parts are independent of the orchestra. The orchestra parts of movement 1 are quite difficult, due especially to a sense of perpetual motion throughout the movement. In the final movement, the sopranos again have the hymn tune as a cantus firmus in dotted half notes with the orchestra and remaining choral parts accompanying in a rocking 12/8 meter. The pastoral 12/8 melody is also organically generated from Crüger’s melody. Here the sopranos are not doubled, but the bass part is enrirely supported by the continuo part. The tenor part was apparently lost for movement 3, and does not appear in the BG full score. It has been reconstructed for the NBA; however, a performance without this tenor part that this cantata was probably written for Christmas Day 1733, but performed for the first time on 21 April 1733 to celebrate a visit of Friedrich Augustus III to Leipzig.
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would still be effective. Soloists: soprano - range: d'a'', tessitura: g'-e'', this is a lyric solo with some extended melismas; bass - range: A-d', tessitura: d-d', this is a lyric solo with some extended melismas. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Helen Donath, Niklaus Tüller; Frankfurter Kantorei, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in the Gedächtniskirche, Stuttgart, in 1974. Hänssler Classic: 98.863. Helmut Wittek, Thomas Hampson; Tolz Boys’ Choir, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 2292-44193-2. Re-released as 4509-91764-2.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Manuscript Sources: There is an original set of parts, in the hands of “copyist C” and Wilhelm Friedemann Bach, in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: This cantata is an adaptation of Ihr Häuser des Himmels, ihr scheinenden Lichter, BWV 193a (Cöthen, 1717-1723), of which only the text survives. The cantata is also sometimes entitled “Ihr Pforten zu Zion.” Bach indicated that there was to be a recitative between movement 5 and the repetition of the chorus, but did not include it in the score or parts. The choral tenor and bass parts and the continuo parts were also lost. These do not appear in the BG edition, but have been reconstructed for modern performance.
Cantata No. 193: Ihr Tore zu Zion, BWV 193 (1727)
Performance Issues: The final chorus is a direct repetition of the first movement. The choral parts are generally homophonic, and are directly doubled by the orchestra. The oboe I has a solo in movement 3 that is not overtly exposed, but it does have some critical and tricky passages. The oboe returns with a very exposed solo in movement 5 that is quite difficult. The Kubik edition includes trumpet parts in the choral movements. The first of these is high and quite difficult. Soloists: soprano - range: e'-g'', tessitura: g'-e'', this is a lilting and lyric solo; alto - range: c#'-e'', tessitura: e'e'', this is a very difficult solo with rapid coloratura writing, it is best suited to a mezzo-soprano. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium difficult.
Duration: ca. 21 minutes127
Selected Discography:
Occasion: Inauguration of the Town Council
Arleen Augér, Julia Hamari; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in the Gedächtniskirche, Stuttgart, in 1983. Hänssler Classic: 98.829.
Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 433, 439, 456-459; volume 2: 292, 311. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 630. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 133.
Text: The text of movement 3 is Psalm 65 (v. 2); the remaining text is from an unidentified source. Performing Forces: voices: soprano and alto bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes, strings, and basso continuo128 First Performance: 25 August 1727, Leipzig Editions: Ihr Tore zu Zion is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 32/1, page 203, edited by Christine Fröde. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 41, page 93, edited by Alfred Dörffel. Other available editions include that from Breitkopf und Härtel. BWV 193 is addressed in the critical commentary of the NBA, series 1, volume 32/2. BWV 193a is addressed in the critical commentary of the NBA, series 1, volume 36.
127 Alfred Dürr lists 26 minutes, and David Daniel lists 16 minutes; the Rilling recording is 20 minutes 45 seconds. 128 A reconstruction of the score by Reinhold Kubik includes 3 trumpets and timpani, in addition to the instruments listed here.
Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 2: 230-234. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, BWV 193: 593, BWV 193a: 659. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 206.
Cantata No. 194: Höchsterwünschtes Freudenfest, BWV 194 (1723) Duration: ca. 40 minutes129 Occasion: Consecration of a church and organ in Stürmthal Text: The text of movement 6 is by Johann Heermann (1630); movement 12 is by Paul Gerhardt (1647); the remaining text is from an unidentified source. 129 Alfred Dürr lists 39 minutes, and David Daniel lists 40 minutes; the Rilling recording is 47 minutes 12 seconds.
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Performing Forces: voices: soprano, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 3 oboes, strings, and basso continuo (including bassoon) First Performance: 2 November 1723, Stürmthal Editions: Höchsterwünschtes Freudenfest is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 31, page 147, edited by Frieder Rempp. Performance materials are available from BärenreiterVerlag. It is also published in BG, volume 29, page 101, edited by Alfred Dörffel. Other available editions include that from Breitkopf und Härtel. Höchsterwünschtes Freudenfest is addressed in the critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 15. Manuscript Sources: The autograph full score, and an original set of parts, in the hand of Johann Andreas Kuhnau, are in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: This cantata is adapted from BWV 194a. Stürmthal is near Leipzig. Its church was rebuilt in 1722 and 1723 with a new organ given by Statz Hilmor von Fullen. He asked Bach to examine the new instrument. For the occasion, he brought an entire ensemble from Leipzig, including his wife, Anna Magdalena, as soprano soloist. In Leipzig, Bach used boys for his sopranos in church performances. Movement 6 is a four-part chorale setting of the hymn tune “Freu dich sehr, o meine Seele,” which is the same as “Ainsi qu’on oit le cerf” by Louis Bourgeois, from his Genevan Psalter (1551). Movement 12 is a setting of Niklaus Selnecker’s hymn tune (1587) “Nun laßt uns Gott dem Herren.” Performance Issues: All of the concerted movements are in French dance forms. The opening chorus places the voices in pervasive imitation with the vocal parts clearly doubled in the orchestra. The choral parts are not difficult to learn, but have rapid melismatic passages and are vocally demanding, requiring experienced singers. The chorales are entirely doubled by the orchestra, and were probably intended for congregational singing. Each has two verses of text. The orchestral writing is generally challenging for all of the instrumental parts. The three oboes in movement 1 have particularly rapid scalar passages that are less difficult technically than they are for secure ensemble. The first violin part is quite challenging, especially in movements 3 and 5. There is a technically demanding solo for first oboe in movement 3 that is entirely doubled by the first violins. There is an exposed and challenging oboe duet in movement 10 that is equally difficult for both players. Soloists: soprano - range: e♭'-b♭'', tessitura: g'-g'', this is a difficult sustained and lyric solo; tenor - range: e-a', tessitura: f-f', this is an ornamented and lyric solo; bass - range: c-g', tessitura: 130 Alfred Dürr lists 16 minutes, and David Daniel lists 30 minutes; the Rilling recording is 19 minutes 25 seconds.
f-f', this is a very difficult solo with some rapid passagework and an unusually high range and tessitura. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Judith Beckmann, Adalbert Kraus, Walter Heldwein; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in the Gedächtniskirche, Stuttgart, in 1976 and 1977. Hänssler Classic: 98.826. Hans Stricker, Stefan Gienger, Kurt Equiluz, Thomas Hampson; Tolz Boys’ Choir, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 2292-44193-2. Re-released as 4509-91764-2. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 238, 264-271, 276; volume 2: 66. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, BWV 194: 583; BWV 194a: 646. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 40.
Cantata No. 194a: Höchsterwünschtes Freudenfest, BWV 194a (1717-1723) Duration: ca. 40 minutes Occasion: Birthday Text: The text is from an unidentified source. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: strings and basso continuo First Performance: 1717-1723, Cöthen Editions: Critical commentary on Höchsterwünschtes Freudenfest, BWV 194a is published in the NBA, series 1, volume 35. There are no published performance materials. Manuscript Sources: It is believed that some Cöthen parts survive. Notes: This cantata served as the urform of BWV 194, described above.
Cantata No. 195: Dem Gerechten muss das Licht, BWV 195 (1741?) Duration: ca. 20 minutes130 Occasion: Wedding of the daughter of the pastor of St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche to the mayor of Naumburg
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Text: The text of movement 1 is Psalm 97 (v. 11); the remaining text is from an unidentified source. Performing Forces: voices: soprano and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 oboes d’amore, 2 horns, 3 trumpets, timpani, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 11 September 1741?, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig There was a revision made for another wedding performance c.1748 for which the surviving score and parts were made. Editions: Dem Gerechten muss das Licht is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 33, page 17, edited by Frederick Hudson. Performance materials are available from BärenreiterVerlag. It is also published in BG, volume 13/1, page 3, edited by Wilhelm Rust. Other available editions include those from Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts) and Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: A manuscript score, in the hands of Bach, “copyist H,” and Johann Christoph Friedrich Bach, and a set of original parts, in the hands of Bach, “copyist H,” “copyist Vr,” and Anna Magdalena Bach, are in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: Movement 6 is a four-part chorale setting of the hymn tune “Lobt Gott, ihr Christen alle gleich,” by Nikolaus Herman (1554), based upon his “Kommt her, ihr lieben Schwesterlein.” The first five movements of the cantata were to be sung before the wedding ceremony, and the final chorale afterward. Performance Issues: The opening chorus is a brilliant movement with choristers serving as ripienists to the solo vocal quartet. The choral passages are generally in ornamented homophony or paired doubling while the solo passages are more imitative. Most of the vocal passages are independent of the accompaniment, but the most active melismatic choral portions are doubled by the orchestra. Movement 5 alternates phrases between the solo quartet and the choir. Much of the choral material of this movement is doubled in some fashion by the orchestra, but the quartet is generally supported by continuo only. The nature and density of the orchestration suggest the use of a larger choir, as does the need to establish a strong contrast to the texture of the solo passages. The orchestral parts for movements 1 and 5 are all quite challenging. The first trumpet is typically high and difficult. The horns appear only in the final chorale. There parts are high enough to be played on modern trumpet. There are rapid dovetailed scalar figures for the flutes in movement 4 that may require some extra attention to coordinate. Soloists: soprano - range: d'-a'', tessitura: g'-f'', 131 Alfred Dürr lists 14 minutes, and David Daniels lists 17 minutes, but the Rilling recording is 12 minutes 40 seconds.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
this is a lyric solo with some extended melismas; alto - range: a-e'', tessitura: d'-c'', this is a lyric solo with rapid melismas that occurs only within the context of the solo quartet; tenor - range: e-a', tessitura: a-g', this is a lyric solo with rapid melismas that occurs only within the context of the solo quartet; bass - range: Ge', tessitura: d-d', this is a lyric and highly ornamented solo, it is the most important solo role in the cantata. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: difficult. Selected Discography: Shihomi Inuoe-Heller, Elisabeth Graf, Oly Pfaff, Andreas Schmidt; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Württem-bergisches Kammerorchester Heilbronn; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in the Gedächtniskirche, Stuttgart, in 1984. Hänssler Classic: 98.859. Jan Patrick O’Farrell, René Jacobs, John Elwes, Harry van der Kamp; Hanover Boys’ Choir, Ghent Collegium Vocale, Leonhardt Consort; conducted by Gustav Leonhardt. Teldec: 2292-44193-2. Re-released as 4509-91764-2. Selected Bibliography: Smend, Friedrich. “Bachs Trauungskantate, ‘Dem Gerichten muß das Licht immer wieder aufgehen.” Die Musikforschung, volume 2 (1952): 144-152. Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 238, 305, 342-349, 510. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 608. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 82.
Cantata No. 196: Der Herr denket an uns, BWV 196 (1708) Duration: ca. 14 minutes131 Occasion: Wedding of J. L. Stauber to Maria Barbara Bach’s aunt Text: The text is Psalm 95 (vv. 12-15). Performing Forces: voices: soprano, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: strings and basso continuo First Performance: 5 June 1708, Dornheim (near Arnstadt) Editions: Der Herr denket an uns is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 33, page 3, edited by Frederick Hudson. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 13, part 1, page 73, edited by Wilhelm Rust. Other available editions include those
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
from Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts) and Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: There are no original manuscript materials. Performance Issues: The choral writing in movement 2 combines paired doubling and fugal techniques. There are some extended melismatic passages for the choristers, many of which are not supported by the orchestra. In movement 5, the choir begins with a fairly homophonic section that is followed by a double fugue “Amen.” This contrapuntally complex section is only intermittently doubled by the orchestra and requires a very independent choir. The string writing is fairly challenging, but idiomatic for all parts throughout the cantata. It will require experienced players. Soloists: soprano - range: b-f'', tessitura: e'-e'', this is a florid solo that could be sung by a mezzo-soprano; tenor range: g-g', tessitura: g-f', this is a simple lyric solo; bass - range: c-b, tessitura: c-b, this is a simple lyric solo with a narrow range. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Doris Soffel, Aldo Baldin; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in the Gedächtniskirche, Stuttgart, in 1975. Hänssler Classic: 98.828. Helmut Wittek, Kurt Equiluz, Thomas Hampson; Tolz Boys’ Choir, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 2292-44194-2. Rereleased as 4509-91764-2. Barbara Schlick, Kai Wessel, Guy de Mey, Klaus Mertens; Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra and Choir; conducted by Ton Koopman. Recorded live in 1995. Erato: 4509-98536-2. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 11, 31, 44-47, 51. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 601. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 3.
Cantata No. 197: Gott ist unsre Zuversicht, BWV 197 (between 1739 and 1742) Duration: ca. 28 minutes132 Occasion: Wedding Text: The text of movement 5 is by Martin Luther (1524); movement 10 is by Georg Neumark (1657); the remaining text is attributed to Bach.
132 Alfred Dürr lists 20 minutes, and David Daniels lists 40 minutes, but the Rilling recording is 26 minutes 35 seconds.
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Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes, 2 oboes d’amore, 3 trumpets, timpani, strings, and basso continuo (including bassoon) First Performance: 1739-1742, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Gott ist unsre Zuversicht is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 33, page 119, edited by Frederick Hudson. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 13/1, page 97, edited by Wilhelm Rust. Other available editions include that from Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: The autograph full score is in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: This cantata is an adaptation of BWV 197a. Movement 3 is an adaptation of movement 8 of BWV 249a. Movement 5 is a four-part chorale setting of the anonymous pre-Reformation hymn tune “Nun bitten wir den Heiligen Geist.” Movement 10 is a four-part chorale setting of the hymn tune “Wer nur lieben Gott läßt walten,” by Georg Neumark (1657). Performance Issues: The choral writing in movement 1 is a combination of homophony and imitative counterpoint, about half of which is doubled by the orchestra. The tessitura of the choral soprano part is quite high and may become strained with less-experienced singers. Bach did not specify the instrumentation of the chorales, but most editions include orchestral parts doubling the singers. The fanfare-like trumpet parts have unusually broad leaps, including two octaves for the first player. The trumpets appear only in movement 1. There is a very sustained oboe d’amore solo in movement 3. There is a difficult bassoon obbligato in movement 6. The bassoon would be an excellent addition to the continuo in movement 8. Movement 6 is quite challenging for all of the instruments: first oboe, bassoon, and first and second violins. Bach alternates between unison motion and very close imitation in these parts in a way that may cause significant ensemble problems. There is a difficult violin solo in movement 8. All of the instrumental parts of this cantata require strong players. The choral material is more vocally demanding than musically difficult. Soloists: soprano - range: d'-a'', tessitura: g'-f'', this is a brief solo with some florid passagework; alto - range: a-e'', tessitura: e'-d'', this is a lyric solo with some extended melismatic passages; bass - range: G-e', tessitura: e-e', this is a declamatory solo with some difficult coloratura passages, best suited to a baritone. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: difficult.
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Selected Discography: Costanza Cuccaro, Mechtild Georg, Philippe Huttenlocher; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Württembergisches Kammerorchester Heilbronn; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in the Gedächtniskirche, Stuttgart, in 1984. Hänssler Classic: 98.828. Jan Patrick O’Farrell, René Jacobs, Harry van der Kamp; Hanover Boys’ Choir, Ghent Collegium Vocale, Leonhardt Consort; conducted by Gustav Leonhardt. Teldec: 2292-44193-2. Re-released as 4509-91764-2.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 114.
Cantata No. 198: Trauer Ode: Lass, Fürstin, lass noch einen Strahl, BWV 198 (1727) Duration: ca. 35 minutes133 Occasion: Memorial service for Electress Christiane Eberhardine
Selected Bibliography:
Text: The text is by Johann Christoph Gottsched (1727).
Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 238, 510, 660; volume 2: 8188. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 605. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 177.
Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 oboes d’amore,134 2 violas da gamba, 2 lutes, strings, and basso continuo
Cantata No. 197a: Ehre sei Gott in der Höhe, BWV 197a (c.1728)
Editions: Trauer Ode: Lass, Fürstin, lass noch einen Strahl is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 38, page 181, edited by Werner Neumann. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 13/3, page 3, edited by Wilhelm Rust. Other available editions include those from Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts) and Breitkopf und Härtel.
Duration: ca. 40 minutes Occasion: Christmas Text: The text of movement 1 is from the New Testament (Luke 2:14); movement 7 is by Kaspar Ziegler (1697); the remaining text is by Picander. Performing Forces: voices: alto and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 flute, oboe d’amore, violoncello (or bassoon), strings, and basso continuo First Performance: c.1728, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Ehre sei Gott in der Höhe is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 2, page 65, edited by Alfred Dürr. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 41, page 109, edited by Alfred Dörffel. Other available editions include that from Breitkopf und Härtel.
First Performance: 17 October 1727, St. Paul’s University Church, Leipzig
Manuscript Sources: The autograph full score is in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: This work, known by the title of its opening chorus, or as the Trauerode, was commissioned by Hans von Kirchbach, a nobleman and student at the University of Leipzig, as a memorial upon the death of the Electress of Saxony, Christiane Eberhardine. Kirchbach commissioned the text from Johann Christoph Gottsched, a member of the University faculty, and chose Bach as composer over Johann Gottlieb Görner, the music director of the University Church. Kirchbach delivered a eulogy between the parts of the cantata.
Selected Bibliography:
Performance Issues: The opening chorus is highly ornamented, but homophonic throughout. The choral pitches are doubled throughout, although not consistently in a part-to-part fashion. Successive choral pitches may be played by different sections of the orchestra. The orchestra is almost exclusively in dotted rhythms throughout this movement, but the chorus alternates between dotted figures and even pairs of notes, which may require rehearsal attention to establish rhythmic clarity. In movement 7 the choral portions resemble Bach’s motet style in their canonic treatment. Also, the vocal lines of this movement are directly doubled by the instruments; however, these doublings are sometimes ornamented. There is also an
133 David Daniels lists 31 minutes.
134 Some editions call for two oboes in movement 4.
Manuscript Sources: An incomplete autograph full score is in a private collection in the United States. Notes: Bach used this as the urform of BWV 197. The text of this work survives completely, but the score only in fragments, which can be performed, although the complete later version is usually chosen for performance. The final chorale is a four-part setting of the anonymous (1679) hymn tune “O Gott, du frommer Gott.” Discography: No commercial recording
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
orchestral interlude and the presence of additional contrapuntal lines in the instruments. The last movement is in a lilting 12/8 meter. The choral writing is homophonic and well doubled by the orchestra. This is one of Bach’s most unusual orchestral combinations. Each instrument has some difficult passagework. The lutes are sometimes give melodic parts and at other times become part of the continuo. Bach clearly intended for there to be cello and gambas, so the timbre of each is critical in performance. It is not clear whether Bach intended to use oboes d’amore throughout the cantata, but it appears that he may have wanted regular oboe in movement 4. In any case only two players are required. This fourth movement is one of great timbral creativity that may require special attention to achieve a proper balance and color from the orchestra. Soloists: soprano - range: d'-g#'', tessitura: f#'-f#'', this is a lyric solo with some awkward melodic leaps; alto - range: b-e'', tessitura: d'-d'', this is a lilting and sustained solo; tenor - range: d-a', tessitura: f#-g', this is a difficult solo with long phrases and extended coloratura passages; bass - range: G-e', tessitura: c-d', this is a brief lyric solo. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: difficult. Selected Discography: Arleen Augér, Gabriele Schreckenbach, Aldo Baldin, Philippe Huttenlocher; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Württembergisches Kammerorchester Heilbronn; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in the Gedächtniskirche, Stuttgart, in 1983. Hänssler Classic: 98.830. Ingrid Schmithüsen, Charles Brett, Howard Crook, Peter Kooy; Paris Chapelle Royale Choir and Orchestra; conducted by Philippe Herreweghe. Harmonia Mundi: HMC90 1270. Jan Patrick O’Farrell, René Jacobs, John Elwes, Harry van der Kamp; Hanover Boys’ Choir, Ghent Collegium Vocale, Leonhardt Consort; conducted by Gustav Leonhardt. Teldec: 2292-44193-2. Re-released as 4509-91764-2. Nancy Argenta, Michael Chance, Anthony Rolfe Johnson, Stephen Varcoe; Monteverdi Choir, English Baroque Soloists; conducted by John Eliot Gardiner. Archiv: 429 782-2AH. Judith Nelson, Judith Malafronte, Jeffrey Thomas, William Sharp; American Bach Soloists; conducted by Jeffrey Thomas. Koch: 37163-2. Rotraud Hansmann, Helen Watts, Kurt Equiluz, Max van Egmond; Monteverdi Choir, Concerto Amsterdam; conducted by Jürgen Jürgens. Recorded in 1966. Teldec: 4509-93687-2. Lisa Larson, Caroline Stam, Anne Grimm, Els Bongers, Elisabeth von Magnus, Peter de Groot, Paul Agnew, Jeremy Ovenden, Klaus Mertens, Donald Bentvelsen; Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra and Choir; conducted by Ton Koopman. Recorded live in 1996. Erato: 063015562-2.
Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 159, 233, 240; volume 2: 245, 555-571, 685. Dürr, Alfred. “Bachs Trauer-Ode und Markuspassion.” Neue Zeitschrift für Musik, volume 124 (1963): 459466. ———. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 683. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 85. Rifkin, Joshua. “Some Question of Performance in J.S. Bach’s Trauerode,” 119-153, in Bach Studies 2, edited by Daniel R. Melamed. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1995.
Cantata No. 199: Mein Herze schwimmt im Blut, BWV 199 (1714) Duration: ca. 26 minutes Occasion: Trinity XI Text: The text of movement 6 is by Johann Heermann (1630); the remaining text is by Georg Christian Lehms. Performing Forces: voices: soprano soloist; orchestra: oboe, strings, and basso continuo (doubled by bassoon) First Performance: 12 August 1714, Weimar Editions: Mein Herze schwimmt im Blut is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 20, page 3 (Weimar version) and 25 (Leipzig version), edited by Klaus Hofmann. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. Other available editions include those from Kalmus and Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: The autograph full score is in the Royal Library in Copenhagen. An incomplete set of original parts, mostly in Bach’s hand, are in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: This is a solo cantata. There are two versions, the Weimar and the Leipzig; the latter is a step higher and includes a violoncello piccolo. Movement 6 is a solo setting of the anonymous (1609) hymn tune “Auf meinen lieben Gott,” which has a secular origin (1574). Performance Issues: There are conspicuous and challenging oboe solos in movements 2 and 8. Bach puts an obbligato counter melody in movement 6 for viola in the Weimar edition and violoncello piccolo in the Leipzig edition. Both are idiomatic, but difficult. With the exception of the indicated solos, the orchestral writing is quite conservative and accessible to less-experienced players. Soloists: Weimar edition: soprano - range: b♭-a♭'', tessitura: f'-e''; Leipzig edition:
158 soprano - range: c'-b♭'', tessitura: g'-f#'', this is a rich, sustained, and lyric solo. Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Arleen Augér; Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in the Gedächtniskirche, Stuttgart, in 1976. Hänssler Classic: 98.810. Barbara Bonney; Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 2292-44194-2. Rereleased as 4509-91764-2. Edith Mathis; Munich Bach Choir, Munich Bach Orchestra; conducted by Karl Richter. Recorded between 1971 and 1972. Archiv: 439 387-2AX6. Venceslava Hruba-Freiberger; Leipzig University Choir, Leipzig New Bach Collegium Musicum; conducted by Max Pommer. Capriccio: 10 151. Nancy Argenta; Ensemble Sonnerie; conducted by Monica Huggett. Recorded in 1993. Virgin: VC5 45038-2. Friedericke Wagner; Capella Istropolitana; conducted by Christian Brembeck. Naxos: 8 550431. Barbara Schlick, Kai Wessel, Christoph Prégardien, Klaus Mertens; Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra and Choir; conducted by Ton Koopman. Recorded live in 1995. Erato: 0630-12598-2. Selected Bibliography: Wolffheim, Werner. “‘Mein Herze schwimmt im Blut,’ eine ungedruckte Solo-Kantate Johann Sebastian Bachs.” Bach-Jahrbuch, volume 8 (1911): 1-22. Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 11, 74-79, 238; volume 2: 270. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 407. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 10.
Cantata No. 200: Bekennen will ich seinen Namen, BWV 200 (c. 1724) Duration: ca. 3 minutes Occasion: Purification Text: The text is from an unidentified source. Performing Forces: voices: alto soloist; orchestra: 2 violins and basso continuo (including bassoon) First Performance: c.1742, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Bekennen will ich seinen Namen is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 28/1, page 189, edited by Matthias Wendt. Performance materials are available from BärenreiterVerlag. Other available editions include that from C. F. Peters, edited by Landshoff (4209 in German, 66032 in English).
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Manuscript Sources: The surviving partial autograph full score is in a private collection in London. Notes: Only a single aria remains from this otherwise lost cantata. It was found in 1924. Performance Issues: This light accompaniment is best suited to two solo violinists with the continuo. The violin parts are of equal difficulty, requiring a good sense of melodic interplay. While not technically demanding, they reflect a degree of musical subtlety. Soloist: alto - range: c#-e'', tessitura: e'-b', this is a brief lyric solo. Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Mechtild Georg; chamber ensemble; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in the Gedächtniskirche, Stuttgart, in 1984. Hänssler Classic: 98.857 and 98. 976. Jochen Kowalski; Academy of St. Martin in the Fields; conducted by Kenneth Sillito. Capriccio: 10 523. Selected Bibliography: Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 545. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 235.
Cantata No. 201: Der Streit zwischen Phoebus und Pan: Geschwinde, ihr wirbeln den Winde, BWV 201 (1729?) Duration: ca. 52 minutes Occasion: probably a summer Collegium Music concert Text: The text is by Picander. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, 2 tenor, and 2 bass soloists; SATTBB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, oboe d’amore, 3 trumpets, timpani, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 1729-1731, Collegium Musicum; Zimmer-mann’s Garden?, Leipzig Editions: Der Streit zwischen Phoebus und Pan: Geschwinde, ihr wirbeln den Winde is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 40, page 119, edited by Werner Neumann. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 11/2, page 3, edited by Wilhelm Rust. Other available editions include those from Dover (Six Great Secular Cantatas, 0-48623934-9, BG edition reprint, full score only, with a literal English translation by Stanley Appelbaum), Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts), and Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: The autograph full score, and an original set of parts, in the hands of Johann Ludwig
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Krebs and Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, are in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: The story of the cantata is based upon Ovid’s telling of the singing contest between Phoebus and Pan. It was truly a satire directed against those who had been critical of Bach’s music. Bach adapted movement 7 of this cantata for movement 20 of BWV 212. The soloists are each given a character name and are doubled by the corresponding choral part in the ensemble numbers: Momus Mercurius Tmolus Mydas Phoebus Pan
God of Ridicule God of Commerce Lydian God/Contest Judge Phrygian King/Contest Judge Apollo Flute-playing Satyr
soprano alto tenor I tenor II bass I bass II
Performance Issues: It must be remembered in preparing this work that Pan is intended to be mediocre in his singing, particularly in terms of the part-writing of his songs, and that Mydas is no better. The contrast between them and the others, particularly Phoebus, is critical to achieve the humor of the tale. Both choruses are set for six voices and are primarily homophonic. In the final chorus, the vocal lines are almost entirely doubled by the orchestra. In the opening chorus, the singers are generally independent of the accompaniment. In fact, Bach creates sections that are reminiscent of hocketing with the singers and instrumentalists sounding on alternating beats. Both choruses call for the soloists and choristers, but this work could be successfully performed with only a sextet; however, the orchestration of these outer movements is quite large and would be easier balanced with a choir. In movement 1, Bach has written sixteenth notes against sixteenth-note triplets. Movement 5 has particularly hard parts for first flute, oboe, and violin. This is the crucial movement wherein Phoebus demonstrates his superiority of song. It will require attention. The unison violin part in movement 7 is, likewise, an ensemble challenge, but of a more comic nature. There is a difficult and very sustained oboe d’amore solo in movement 9, and a duet for flutes in movement 13 that is quite technically difficult for both players. Each instrument in this ensemble has a difficult part. The large ensemble numbers are rhythmically complex and will require experienced players. Soloists: soprano [Momus] - range: d'-a'', tessitura: g'-g'', this is a declamatory and graceful solo; alto [Mercurius] - range: b-e'', tessitura: e'-e'', this is a declamatory solo with frequent broad melodic leaps; tenor I [Tmolus] - range: c#-g#', tessitura: f#-f#', this is a sustained and lilting solo; tenor II [Mydas] - range: d-a', tessitura: g-g', this is a declamatory solo with some long sustained passages; bass I [Phoebus] - range: B-f#', tessitura: e-e', this is a lyric baritone part that should be given to a beautiful voice; bass II [Pan] - range: A-e', tessitura: d-d', this is a comic declamatory solo, it is musically challenging
because pitch expectations are often not fulfilled. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: difficult. Selected Discography: Lilli Pons, H. Bove; Renaissance Quartet. Recorded in French in 1940. Music Masters: MM30446. Lisa Larson, Caroline Stam, Anne Grimm, Els Bongers, Elisabeth von Magnus, Peter de Groot, Paul Agnew, Jeremy Ovenden, Klaus Mertens, Donald Bentvelsen; Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra and Choir; conducted by Ton Koopman. Recorded live in 1996. Erato: 063015562-2. Selected Bibliography: Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 711. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 257.
Cantata No. 202: Weichet nur, betrübte Schatten, BWV 202 (1718-1723) Duration: ca. 22 minutes Occasion: Wedding Text: The text is from an unidentified source. Performing Forces: voices: soprano soloist; orchestra: oboe, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 1718-1723, Cöthen Editions: Weichet nur, betrübte Schatten is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 40, page 3, edited by Werner Neumann. Performance materials are available from BärenreiterVerlag. It is also published in BG, volume 11/2, page 75, edited by Wilhelm Rust. Other available editions include those from Dover (Six Great Secular Cantatas, 0-486-23934-9, BG edition reprint, full score only with a literal English translation by Stanley Appelbaum), Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts), Breitkopf und Härtel, and C. F. Peters. Manuscript Sources: No original manuscript materials are known. Notes: It is not known for whose wedding this secular cantata was composed. It would have been sung as part of the festivities following the ceremony. It is quite likely that the soloist was Anna Magdalena Bach. Performance Issues: There is an exposed and fairly difficult violin solo in movement 5, and a challenging oboe solo in movement 7. The latter has very long phrases. The orchestra would work well with solo strings. All of the parts are technically demanding and require experienced players. Soloist: soprano - range: c#'-a'', tessitura: a'-f#'', this is a difficult solo with long phrases and some extended melismatic passages. Orchestra: medium difficult.
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Selected Discography: Emma Kirkby; Taverner Players; conducted by Andrew Parrott. Hyperion: CDA66036. Nancy Argenta; Ensemble Sonnerie; conducted by Monica Huggett. Recorded in 1993. Virgin: VC5 45059-2. Friedericke Wagner; Capella Istropolitana; conducted by Christian Brembeck. Naxos: 8 550431. Greta de Reyghere; Ricercare Consort. Ricercare: RIC92001 and RIC061041. Elly Ameling; Collegium Aureum. Deutsche Harmonia Mundi: GD77151. Anny Felbermayer, Hilde Rössl-Majdan, Waldemar Kmentt; Vienna Bach Guild Chorus and Orchestra; conducted by Felix Prohaska. Recorded in 1953. Vangard: 08.2028.71. Mária Zádori; Capella Savaria; conducted by Pál Németh. Harmonia Mundi: HMA 190 3010. Lisa Larson Sibylla Rubens, Anne Grimm, Els Bongers, Elisabeth von Magnus, Christoph Prégardiens, Klaus Mertens; Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra and Choir; conducted by Ton Koopman. Recorded live in 1997. Erato: 0630-17578-2. Selected Bibliography: Trumpff, Gustav Adolf. “Bachs Hochzeitkantate, ‘Weichet nur, betrübte Schatten.’” Neue Zeitschrift für Musik, volume 122 (1961): 52-57. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 700. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 242.
Cantata No. 204: Ich bin in mir vergnügt, BWV 204 (1726-1727)
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Performance Issues: There is a prominent and sustained oboe duet in movement 2. There is a difficult solo for violin in movement 4, filled with rapid shifting arpeggios. There is a very challenging flute solo in movement 6 that is composed of rapid scalar and triadic patterns. The entire ensemble only plays in the final movement. The recitatives are secco, except for movement 3, which is sustained strings, and each previous aria is accompanied by the instruments listed above. Soloist: soprano - range: c'-b♭'', tessitura: g'-a'', this is a very difficult solo with unusually long recitatives, very long phrases, and challenging coloratura passages. Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Lisa Larson, Caroline Stam, Anne Grimm, Els Bongers, Elisabeth von Magnus, Peter de Groot, Paul Agnew, Jeremy Ovenden, Klaus Mertens, Donald Bentvelsen; Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra and Choir; conducted by Ton Koopman. Recorded live in 1996. Erato: 063015562-2. Selected Bibliography: Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 708. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 256.
Cantata No. 205: Der zufriedengestelle Äolus: Zerreisset, zerspringet, zertrümmert die Gruft, BWV 205 (1725) Duration: ca. 43 minutes
Duration: ca. 30 minutes
Occasion: Name Day of Dr. August Friedrich Müller (1684-1761)
Occasion: unknown
Text: The text is by Picander.
Text: The text is by Christian Friedrich Hunold (1713), adapted by an unidentified author. Performing Forces: voices: soprano soloist; orchestra: flute, 2 oboes, strings, and basso continuo
Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, oboe d’amore, 2 horns, 3 trumpets, timpani, viola d’amore, viola da gamba, strings, and basso continuo
First Performance: 1726-1727, Leipzig
First Performance: 3 August 1725, Leipzig
Editions: Ich bin in mir vergnügt is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 40, page 81, edited by Werner Neumann. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 11/2, page 105, edited by Wilhelm Rust. Other available editions include that from Breitkopf und Härtel.
Editions: Der zufriedengestelle Äolus: Zerreisset, zerspringet, zertrümmert die Gruft is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 38, page 3, edited by Werner Neumann. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 11/2, page 139, edited by Wilhelm Rust. Other available editions include those from Dover (Six Great Secular Cantatas, 0-48623934-9, BG edition reprint, full score only with a literal English translation by Stanley Appelbaum), Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts), and Breitkopf und Härtel. BWV 205a is addressed in the critical commentary of the NBA, series 1, volume 37.
Manuscript Sources: The autograph full score is in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: This cantata has also been called, Von der Vergnügsamkeit, or Der vergnügte Mensch. It is likely that Bach composed the work for Anna Magdalena to sing.
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Manuscript Sources: The autograph full score is in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: Bach adapted this cantata into Blast Lärmen, ihr Feinde!, BWV 205a, which is now lost, for the coronation of August III (19 February 1734). Movement 8 of this cantata was adapted as movement 4 of BWV 171. This is the first of Bach’s secular cantatas, which he subtitles, “Dramma per Musica.” The choir is labeled, “The Chorus of the Wind,” and each of the soloists is assigned a character as follows: Pallas Pomona Zephyrus Äolus
Goddess of Wisdom Goddess of Fruit God of Gentle Breezes God of Winds
soprano alto tenor bass
Performance Issues: The opening chorus is primarily homophonic with some imitative paired doubling. The choral parts are vocally challenging with rapid melismatic passages. Most of the choral material is independent of the orchestra. In the final movement, the choral writing is exclusively homophonic and well doubled by the accompaniment. The density of the orchestration suggests the use of a larger choir. Movement 5 is accompanied by a viola d’amore and viola da gamba duet, in which both parts are equally challenging. There is a difficult oboe d’amore solo in movement 7, and a very difficult violin solo in movement 9. Movement 11 has an interesting accompaniment of three trumpets, timpani, two horns, and continuo. The first two trumpets and both horns have very high and exceptionally demanding parts. Although Bach thins out the accompaniment during much of the soloist’s singing, this singer still must have a voice strong enouh to compete against this accompaniment. In movement 13, the flutists have a unison part that is quite rhythmically involved and will be an ensemble challenge. The orchestral writing is challenging for all parts. There are rapid scalar figures and offbeat rhythmic complexities that will prove challenging in establishing good ensemble. Soloists: soprano [Pallas] - range: c#'-a'', tessitura: g'-g'', this is a lyric solo with some rapid passagework; alto [Pomona] - range: b-e'', tessitura: e'-e'', this is a lyric solo with some dificult melismatic passagework; tenor [Zephyrus] - range: d-a', tessitura: a-a', this is a lyric solo with some very rapid coloratura passages; bass [Äolus] - range: F#-f#', tessitura: d-e', this is a difficult solo role with rapid coloratura and broad melodic leaps. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: difficult. Selected Discography: Mieke van der Sluis, René Jacobs, Christoph Prégardien, David Thomas; Age of Enlightenment Chorus and Orchestra; conducted by Gustav Leonhardt. Philips: 432 161-2PH. Lisa Larson Sibylla Rubens, Anne Grimm, Els Bongers, Elisabeth von Magnus, Christoph Prégardiens, Klaus Mertens; Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra and Choir;
conducted by Ton Koopman. Recorded live in 1997. Erato: 0630-17578-2. Selected Bibliography: Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, BWV 205: 678, BWV 205a: 660. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 248.
Cantata No. 206: Schleicht, spielende Wellen, BWV 206 (1736) Duration: ca. 43 minutes Occasion: Birthday and Name Day of August III Text: The text is from an unidentified source. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 3 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 oboes d’amore, 3 trumpets, timpani, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 7 October 1736, Leipzig Editions: Schleicht, spielende Wellen is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 36, page 159, edited by Werner Neumann. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 20/2, page 3, edited by Wilhelm Rust. Other available editions include those from Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts) and Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: The autograph full score, and an original set of parts, in the hands of Bach, Gottfried Heinrich Bach, and others, is in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: The four soloists represent the personification of four rivers that flow through Saxony and Poland: Pleisse Donau Elbe Weichsel
Pleisse Danube Elbe Vistula
soprano alto tenor bass
Performance Issues: The choral writing in movement 1 is generally homophonic with some rapid melismatic figures in each choral part. There are also some sections in very close imitation. The choral parts are vocally challenging and intermittently doubled by the orchestra. The final chorus is in a lilting 12/8 meter. The choral writing is homophonic and thoroughly doubled by the orchestra. There is a difficult arpeggiated solo for violin in movement 5. Movement 7 features an imitative duet for oboes d’amore. Movement 9 has the unusual accompaniment of 3 flutes and continuo. All three parts are of similar difficulty. The orchestra parts overall are quite difficult. The first violin part is notably involved in movement 3. The most challenging movement for the orchestra is the first, which has very rapid passagework. Soloists: soprano
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[Pleisse] - range: d'-a'', tessitura: g'-g'', this is a lyric solo; alto [Donau] - range: b-e'', tessitura: d'-d'', this is a lyric solo with some rapid melismatic passagework; tenor [Elbe] - range: d-a', tessitura: g-g', this is a difficult solo with broad melodic leaps and rapid coloratura passages; bass [Weichsel] - range: A-e', tessitura: d-d', this is a lyric with long phrases. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: difficult. Selected Discography: Ruth Ziesak, Michael Chance, Christoph Prégardien, Peter Kooy; Stuttgart Chamber Choir, Concerto Cologne; conducted by Frieder Bernius. Sony: SK 46492. Lisa Larson, Sibylla Rubens, Anne Grimm, Els Bongers, Elisabeth von Magnus, Christoph Prégardiens, Klaus Mertens; Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra and Choir; conducted by Ton Koopman. Recorded live in 1997. Erato: 0630-17578-2. Selected Bibliography: Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 673. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 267.
Cantata No. 207: Vereinigte Zweitracht der Wechselnden Saiten, BWV 207 (1726) Cantata No. 207a: Auf, schmetternde Töne der muntern Trompeten, BWV 207a (1735) Duration: BWV 207: ca. 32 minutes BWV 207a: ca. 31 minutes Occasion: BWV 207: Installation of Professor Gottlieb Kortte BWV 207a: Name Day of August III Text: BWV 207: The text is attributed to Picander. BWV 207a: The text is attributed to Picander. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 oboes d’amore, oboe da caccia, 3 trumpets, timpani, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: BWV 207: c. 11 December 1726, University of Leipzig BWV 207a: 3 August 1735?, Zimmermann’s Garden, Leipzig Editions: Vereinigte Zweitracht der Wechselnden Saiten, BWV 207, is published with a critical
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 38, page 99, edited by Werner Neumann. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 20/2, page 73, edited by Wilhelm Rust. Auf, schmetternde Töne der muntern Trompeten, BWV 207a, is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 37, page 3, edited by Werner Neumann. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 20/2, page 141, edited by Wilhelm Rust. Additional notes on BWV 207a are included in BG volume 34, page 345, edited by Paul Graf Waldersee. Other available editions include that from Kalmus (NBA edition, score and parts). BWV 207a is published by Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: BWV 207: The autograph full score, and an original set of parts, in the hands of Bach, Johann Heinrich Bach, and others, is in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. BWV 207a: An incomplete set of original parts, in the hands of Rudolph Straube, and others, is in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: BWV 207 and 207a are identical except for the texts and the recitatives. BWV 207a is the more frequently performed, but the performance issues apply to both versions. BWV 207 was preceded by a march. Each singer represents a character: Glück Dankbarkeit Fleiß Ehre
Luck or Fortune Gratitude Diligence Fame
soprano alto tenor bass
Performance Issues: The choral writing in movement 1 is generally homophonic with some imitative paired doubling. The vocal parts are doubled by the orchestra about half of the time. Each choral part is vocally difficult with demanding rapid coloratura passages. The bass part is the most vocally challenging of all. The choral writing in the final movement is mostly homophonic and is thoroughly doubled by the orchestra except for the one imitative passage, which is not very difficult. The ritornello in movement 4 is written for oboes d’amore and taille in unison, 2 trumpets, and strings. Like the introductory movement, this ritornello is a march. The first trumpet part in the ritornello is high and difficult. The size and thickness of the orchestration suggests the use of a larger choir. There are no exposed instrumental solos, but most of the parts have some challenging material requiring experienced players. Soloists: soprano [Glücke] - range: d'-a'', tessitura: g'-g'', this is a difficult solo with challenging coloratura passages; alto [Dankbarkeit] - range: b-e'', tessitura: e'-e'', this is a lyric solo with some difficult
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
melismatic passages; tenor [Fleiß] - range: e-b', tessitura: a-a', this is a difficult solo with rapid coloratura, broad melodic leaps, and a high tessitura; bass [Ehre] - range: A-e', tessitura: c#-c#', this is a difficult solo with challenging coloratura passages. Choir: difficult; Orchestra: difficult. Selected Discography: BWV 207: No commercial recording BWV 207a: Ruth Ziesak, Michael Chance, Christoph Prégardien, Peter Kooy; Stuttgart Chamber Choir, Concerto Cologne; conducted by Frieder Bernius. Sony: SK 46492. Lisa Larson Sibylla Rubens, Anne Grimm, Els Bongers, Elisabeth von Magnus, Christoph Prégardiens, Klaus Mertens; Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra and Choir; conducted by Ton Koopman. Recorded live in 1997. Erato: 0630-17578-2. Selected Bibliography: Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, BWV 207: 681, BWV 207a: 672. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, BWV 207: 250. BWV 207a: 253.
Cantata No. 208: Was mir behagt, ist nur die muntre Jagd!, BWV 208 (1713) Duration: ca. 38 minutes Occasion: Birthday of Duke Christian of SachsenWeissenfels Text: The text is by Salomo Franck. Performing Forces: voices: 2 soprano, tenor, and bass soloists; SSTB choir; orchestra: 2 recorders, 2 oboes, 2 oboes da caccia, bassoon, 2 horns, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 23 February 1713?, hunting lodge of Duke Christian of Sachsen-Weissenfels Editions: Was mir behagt, ist nur die muntre Jagd! is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 35, page 3, edited by Alfred Dürr. Performance materials are available from BärenreiterVerlag. It is also published in BG, volume 23, page 3, edited by Paul Graf Waldersee. Other available editions include those from Dover (Six Great Secular Cantatas, 0-486-23934-9, BG edition reprint, full score only with a literal English translation by Stanley Appelbaum), Kalmus (NBA and BG editions, score and parts), Breitkopf und Härtel, and Bärenreiter. BWV 208a is addressed in the critical commentary of the NBA, series 1, volume 37. “Sheep may safely graze” is the popular title of movement 9, which has been arranged for large orchestra by Lucien Cailliet. This transcription is published separately by Boosey and Hawkes.
Manuscript Sources: The autograph full score is in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: This is Bach’s earliest known secular work in German. It was commissioned by Bach’s employer in Weimar, Duke Wilhelm Ernst, for a hunting party given by Duke Christian of Sachsen-Weissenfels, who was celebrating his fifty-third birthday. Bach adapted movement 15 of this cantata as movement 1 of his sacred cantata, BWV 149. He also adapted the entire cantata into BWV 208a, which is now lost, for the Name Day of August III (1740-1742). Each singer portrays a mythological character: Diana Pales Endymion Pan
Goddess of the Hunt Goddess of the Flocks Shepherd who courts Diana God of the Shepherds
soprano I soprano II tenor bass
Performance Issues: Bach intended for his solo quartet to serve as the chorus for the first performance of this cantata, which is why the voicing is labeled SSTB; however, the soprano II part could easily be sung by an alto choral section. The choral writing in movement 11 is homophonic, or in close imitation with thorough doubling of the vocal parts by the orchestra in all but one phrase. The choral parts are vocally demanding. In the final movement, the choir is homophonic or in imitative paired doubling. About half of the choral material is doubled by the orchestra. There are some fast running figures that are sometimes independent of the accompaniment. Movement 2 is accompanied by a horn duet, the first part of, which is very difficult. Movement 7 is accompanied by two oboes and a taille and will present some rhythmic challenges with tripletized dotted-eighth and sixteenth figures. The continuo in this movement would benefit from the inclusion of bassoon. Movement 9 has an exposed duet for recorders, which in the BG edition are written in French violin clef. There is a “perpetual motion” solo for violin in movement 12. The orchestration is full enough to support a large choir. The instrumental parts are not technically difficult with the exceptions noted above, although there are likely to be balance problems, especially between the horns and strings if modern instruments are used. Soloists: soprano I [Diana] - range: c'-g'', tessitura: e'-e'', this is a lyric solo with some rapid coloratura; soprano II [Pales] - range: e'-a♭'', tessitura: g'-f', this is a sustained and lyric solo; tenor [Endymion] - range: c-g', tessitura: e-e', this is a declamatory solo with awkwad melodic jumps and difficult rhythms and rapid coloratura; bass [Pan] range: A-e', tessitura: c-c', this is a lyric and lilting solo with long phrases. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Julia Pászthy, Judit Németh, Jósef Mukk, Istvan Gáti; Hungarian Radio Chorus, Failoni Chamber Orchestra; conducted by Mátyás Antal. Naxos: 8 550643.
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Jennifer Smith, Emma Kirkby, Simon Davies, Michael George; Parley of Instruments; conducted by Roy Goodman. Hyperion: CDA66169. Barbara Schlick, Ruth Holton, Caroline Stam, Els Bongers, Elisabeth von Magnus, Andreas Scholl, Paul Agnew, Klaus Mertens; Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra and Choir; conducted by Ton Koopman. Recorded live in 1996. Erato: 0630-14336-2. Selected Bibliography: Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, BWV 208: 647, BWV 208a: 660. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 238.
Cantata No. 209: Non sa che sia dolore, BWV 209 (1734?) It is doubtful that Bach is the composer of this work. Duration: ca. 22 minutes Occasion: Departure of a Scholar Text: Italian by an unknown author Performing Forces: voices: soprano soloist; orchestra: flute, strings, and basso continuo
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Teresa Stich-Randall; Vienna Stadtsoper Orchestra; conducted by Anton Heiller. Recorded in 1954. Vanguard: 08.2028.71. Lisa Larson, Caroline Stam, Anne Grimm, Els Bongers, Elisabeth von Magnus, Peter de Groot, Paul Agnew, Jeremy Ovenden, Klaus Mertens, Donald Bentvelsen; Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra and Choir; conducted by Ton Koopman. Recorded live in 1996. Erato: 063015562-2. Selected Bibliography: Ansbacher, Luigi. “Sulla cantata profana N. 209, ‘Non sa che sia dolore,’ di G.S. Bach. Bach librettista italiano?” Rivista musicale italiana, volume 51 (1949): 98-116; and Bach-Gedenkschrift (1950), 163-177. Berri, Pietro. “Sulla cantata profana N. 209.” Rivista musicale italiana, volume 51 (1949): 306-309. Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 721. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 237.
Cantata No. 210: O holder Tag, erwünschte Zeit, BWV 210 (1742) Duration: ca. 32 minutes
First Performance: unknown
Occasion: Wedding
Editions: Non sa che sia dolore is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 41, not yet published. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 29, page 45, edited by Paul Graf Waldersee. Other available editions include those from Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts) and Breitkopf und Härtel.
Text: The text is from an unidentified source.
Manuscript Sources: unknown Notes: This and BWV 203 are the only cantatas in Italian ascribed to Bach. Both are spurious attributions. Performance Issues: All of the instrumental parts are technically involved and will require experienced players. The flute and first violin parts are particularly challenging with rapid figurations and rhythmic complexities. Soloist: soprano - range: d'-a'', tessitura: a'g'', this is a difficult solo with rapid coloratura passages and broad melodic leaps. Orchestra: medium difficult.
Performing Forces: voices: soprano soloist; orchestra: flute, oboe d’amore, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 3 April 1742?, Leipzig Editions: O holder Tag, erwünschte Zeit is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 40, page 37, edited by Werner Neumann. Performance materials are available from BärenreiterVerlag. It is also published in BG, volume 29, page 69, edited by Paul Graf Waldersee. Other available editions include that from Breitkopf und Härtel. O angenehme Melodei!, BWV 210a, is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 39, page 143, edited by Werner Neumann. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 29, page 245, edited by Paul Graf Waldersee.
Selected Discography:
Manuscript Sources: An incomplete set of original parts, some in Bach’s hand, is in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin.
Nancy Argenta; Ensemble Sonnerie; conducted by Monica Huggett. Recorded in 1993. Virgin: VC5 45059-2. Friedericke Wagner; Capella Istropolitana; conducted by Christian Brembeck. Naxos: 8 550431. Elly Ameling; Collegium Aureum. Deutsche Harmonia Mundi: GD77151. Mária Zádori; Capella Savaria; conducted by Pál Németh. Harmonia Mundi: HMA 190 3010.
Notes: This work was composed for the celebrations following a wedding ceremony. The soloist may well have been Anna Magdalena Bach. This cantata was adapted from O angenehme Melodei!, BWV 210a, of which the full score is now lost, which Bach composed for Joachim Friederich, Graf von Flemming (11 October 1740). Vocal reconstructions have been published in the BG edition.
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Performance Issues: The orchestral parts are difficult for all parts, requiring experienced players. This is a work that could be effectively performed with solo strings. Bach does indicate “senza violone” in some spots, suggesting that its presence is desired in the continuo group. There is a very difficult flute solo in movement 6 with rapid passagework. Movement 8 has an exposed oboe d’amore solo that has particularly long phrases. The oboe d’amore also has challenging and critical parts in movements 2 and 4, where it is companioned with the first violin. The first violin is also quite challenging in the final movement. Movement 9 features the flute and oboe d’amore in rapid parallel figurations. Soloist: soprano - range: c#'-c#''', tessitura: g'-a'', this is an exceedingly difficult role requiring a virtuoso singer, there are broad leaps, long phrases, and very rapid and extended coloratura passages. Orchestra: difficult. Selected Discography: Mária Zádori; Capella Savaria; conducted by Pál Németh. Harmonia Mundi: HMA 190 3010 and Quintana: QUI90 3010. Lisa Larson, Sibylla Rubens, Anne Grimm, Els Bongers, Elisabeth von Magnus, Christoph Prégardiens, Klaus Mertens; Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra and Choir; conducted by Ton Koopman. Recorded live in 1997. Erato: 0630-17578-2.
Appelbaum), Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts), Breitkopf und Härtel, and Ricordi. Manuscript Sources: The autograph full score is in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. An original set of parts, in the hands of “copyist Vh” and Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, is in Vienna. Notes: This work is better known as “The Coffee Cantata.” It was written to satirize Leipzig’s zealous coffee drinkers at a time when taxes were first being applied to the beverage. The plot has the father telling his daughter that she may not marry unless she gives up drinking coffee. Wanting both, she agrees, as long as the marriage contract allows her to brew coffee whenever she desires. The solo parts are assigned the following roles: Lieschen Tenore Schlendrian
The daughter The Narrator The Father
soprano tenor bass
The final movement is labeled “chorus,” but the three parts are labeled with the titles of the soloists.
Duration: ca. 26 minutes
Performance Issues: The ensemble writing of the last movement is homophonic and quite simple, allowing the text to be clearly understood. There is a rapid and difficult flute solo in movement 4. The flute also has a challenging and conspicuous part in the final movement. In movement 8, there is a rapid arpeggiated bass line with figures labeled cembalo that is separate from the continuo part. The route of the final movement is somewhat ambiguous with two places labeled “da capo.” Soloists: soprano - range: c#'-a'', tessitura: g'g'', this is a difficult role with some rapid coloratura passages; tenor - range: d-a', tessitura: g-g', this is a brief and simple role with some broad melodic leaps; bass - range: B-f#', tessitura: d-d', this is a lyric role with some rapid text declamation. Orchestra: medium difficult.
Occasion: Public concert
Selected Discography:
Text: The text is by Picander (1732). The two final movements do not appear in Picander’s poem, and are probably by Bach.
Barbara Bonney, Ralf Popken, Christoph Prégardien, David Wilson-Johnson; Age of Enlightenment Chorus and Orchestra; conducted by Gustav Leonhardt. Recorded in 1994. Philips: 442 779-2PH. Emma Kirkby, Rogers Covey-Crump, David Thomas; Academy of Ancient Music; conducted by Christopher Hogwood. L’Oiseau Lyre: 417 621-2OH. Elly Ameling, Gerald English, Siegmund Nimsgern; Collegium Aureum. Deutsche Harmonia Mundi: GD77151. Ingrid Kertesi, Jósef Mukk, Istvan Gáti; Hungarian Radio Chorus, Failoni Chamber Orchestra; conducted by Mátyás Antal. Naxos: 8 550641. Lynne Dawson, Nicholas Robertson, Stephen Alder; Friends of Apollo. Meridian: ECD84110. Lisa Larson, Caroline Stam, Anne Grimm, Els Bongers, Elisabeth von Magnus, Peter de Groot, Paul Agnew, Jeremy Ovenden, Klaus Mertens, Donald Bentvelsen;
Selected Bibliography: Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, BWV 210: 704, BWV 210a: 692. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 274.
Cantata No. 211: Schweigt stille, plaudert nicht, BWV 211 (c.1734-1735)
Performing Forces: voices: soprano, tenor, and bass soloists; orchestra: flute, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: c.1734-1735, Zimmermann’s Coffee House, Leipzig Editions: Schweigt stille, plaudert nicht, is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 40, page 195, edited by Werner Neumann. Performance materials are available from BärenreiterVerlag. It is also published in BG, volume 29, page 141, edited by Paul Graf Waldersee. Other available editions include those from Dover (Six Great Secular Cantatas, 0-486-23934-9, BG edition reprint, full score only with a literal English translation by Stanley
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Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra and Choir; conducted by Ton Koopman. Recorded live in 1996. Erato: 063015562-2. Selected Bibliography: Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 716. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 259.
Cantata No. 212: Mer hahn en neue Oberkeet, BWV 212 (1742) Duration: ca. 30 minutes Occasion: Manorial accession celebration for Carl Heinrich von Dieskau at Klein-Zschocher Text: The text, published in 1751, is by Picander. Performing Forces: voices: soprano and bass soloists; orchestra: flute, horn, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 30 August 1742, Manor of Carl Heinrich von Dieskau at Klein-Zschocher, Saxony Editions: Mer hahn en neue Oberkeet is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 39, page 153, edited by Werner Neumann. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 29, page 175, edited by Paul Graf Waldersee. Other available editions include those from Dover (Six Great Secular Cantatas, 0-48623934-9, BG edition reprint, full score only with a literal English translation by Stanley Appelbaum), Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts), Breitkopf und Härtel, and C. F. Peters. Manuscript Sources: The autograph full score is in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: This work is better known as The Peasant Cantata, or Bauernkantate. Movement 20 of this cantata is based upon movement 7 of BWV 201. Performance Issues: Bach emulated Saxon folk song and dances to enhance the rustic flavor of this work. In movement 14 there is a technically challenging flute solo. This is the only movement with two violin parts. There is a horn solo in movements 16 and 18 that will require a solid player, but it is not as difficult as many of Bach’s horn parts. With the exception of the three aforementioned movements, the instrumental forces for this cantata are violin, viola, and continuo. The simplicity and folk-inspired qualities of this work make it ideal for the use of solo strings. The vocal and instrumental parts are lyric and technically quite accessible. Soloists: soprano - range: d'-a'', tessitura: a'f#'', this is a lyric role with some florid passagework; bass - range: A-e', tessitura: d-d', this is a declamatory and folklike role. Orchestra: medium easy.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Selected Discography: Emma Kirkby, David Thomas; Academy of Ancient Music; conducted by Christopher Hogwood. L’Oiseau Lyre: 417 621-2OH. Elly Ameling, Gerald English, Siegmund Nimsgern; Collegium Aureum. Deutsche Harmonia Mundi: GD77151. Ingrid Kertesi, Jósef Mukk, Istvan Gáti; Hungarian Radio Chorus, Failoni Chamber Orchestra; conducted by Mátyás Antal. Naxos: 8 550641. Lynne Dawson, Stephen Alder; Friends of Apollo. Meridian: ECD84110. Lisa Larson, Sibylla Rubens, Anne Grimm, Els Bongers, Elisabeth von Magnus, Christoph Prégardiens, Klaus Mertens; Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra and Choir; conducted by Ton Koopman. Recorded live in 1997. Erato: 0630-17578-2. Selected Bibliography: Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 695. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 271.
Cantata No. 213: Hercules auf dem Scheidewege: Laßt uns sorgen, lasst uns wachen, BWV 213 (1733) Duration: ca. 45 minutes Occasion: Birthday of Elector Prince Friedrich Christian Text: The text, printed in 1737, is by Picander. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes, oboe d’amore, 2 horns, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 5 September 1733, Zimmermann’s Garden, Leipzig Editions: Hercules auf dem Scheidewege: Laßt uns sorgen, laßt uns wachen is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 36, page 3, edited by Werner Neumann. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 34, page 121, edited by Paul Graf Waldersee. Other available editions include that from Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: The autograph full score, and an original set of parts, in the hands of Bach, copyist “E,” Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, and others, are in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: Bach used this work as a source for six movements of his Christmas Oratorio, BWV 248, movements 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, and 13 becoming movements 36, 19, 39, 41, 4, 29, and 43, respectively. The final chorus of this work is derived from movement 6 of
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BWV 184. Each singer portrays a mythological character or the personification of an ideal: Wollust Hercules Echo Tugend Mercur
Pleasure Representing the Crown Prince A brief solo echoing Hercules Virtue The god Mercury
soprano alto alto tenor bass
Performance Issues: The choral writing in the opening movement is generally homophonic or in imitative paired doubling. The choral parts are doubled by the orchestra about half of the time, but the accompaniment strongly supports the choir harmonically throughout. There is some vocally demanding passagework for the choristers in this movement. The final chorus is strictly homophonic and vocally very approachable, with direct doubling of the choir by the orchestra throughout the movement. There are three brief recitative-like interjections from the bass soloist between phrases of the chorus. There is a sustained oboe d’amore solo in movement 6, and a technically difficult duet for oboe and violin in movement 7. In movement 9 there is a fairly challenging unison violin part. There is also a challenging duet for two violas in movement 11, requiring a strong player on each part. Apart from the movements listed above, the orchestra parts are quite idiomatic and accessible to intermediate-level players. Soloists: soprano [Wollust] - range: d'-a♭'', tessitura: a'-f'', this is a simple and lyric role; alto [Hercules] - range: b-e'', tessitura: d'-d'', this is a lyric role with some broad melodic leaps, it is best suited to a mezzo-soprano; alto [Echo] - range: c#'-e'', tessitura: e'-c#'', this is a very small solo echoing Hercules in movement 5, it is appropriate for a chorister tenor [Tugend] - range: c-a', tessitura: f#-g', this is a difficult role with florid coloratura; bass [Mercur] range: A-e', tessitura: d-d', this is a declamatory solo that could assigned to a chorister. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Barbara Bonney, Ralf Popken, Christoph Prégardien, David Wilson-Johnson; Age of Enlightenment Chorus and Orchestra; conducted by Gustav Leonhardt. Recorded in 1994. Philipps: 442 779-2PH. Lisa Larson, Sibylla Rubens, Anne Grimm, Els Bongers, Elisabeth von Magnus, Christoph Prégardiens, Klaus Mertens; Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra and Choir; conducted by Ton Koopman. Recorded live in 1997. Erato: 0630-17578-2. Selected Bibliography: Emery, Walter. “A Rationale of Bach’s Symbolism.” Musical Times, number 95 (1954): 533-536 and 597600. 135 W. Murray Young states that the libretto is by Bach (The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, page 263).
Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 661. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 261.
Cantata No. 214: Tönet, ihr Pauken! Erschallet, Trompeten!, BWV 214 (1733) Duration: ca. 27 minutes Occasion: Birthday of Electress Maria Josepha Text: The text is by Picander, it was printed in 1737.135 Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, oboe d’amore, 3 trumpets, timpani, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 8 December 1733, Zimmermann’s Garden?, Leipzig Editions: Tönet, ihr Pauken! Erschallet, Trompeten! is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 36, page 91, edited by Werner Neumann. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 34, page 177, edited by Paul Graf Waldersee. Other available editions include those from Kalmus (NBA edition, score and parts) and Breitkopf und Härtel. Manuscript Sources: The autograph full score, and an original set of parts, in the hands of “copyist E” and Johann Ludwig Dietel, are in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: Bach used this work as a source for four movements of his Christmas Oratorio, BWV 248, movements 1, 5, 7, and 9 becoming movements 1, 15, 8, and 24, respectively. The soloists represent figures from mythology: Bellona Pallas Irene Fama
Goddess of War Goddess of Wisdom A Goddess of the Seasons Fame
soprano alto tenor bass
Performance Issues: The choral writing of the opening movement combines homophony, close imitation and free counterpoint. The choral parts are doubled by the orchestra most of the time. The choral parts are vocally demanding with some rapid passagework for each part. The soprano part also has an unusually high tessitura. The final chorus alternates between fugal passages and choral homophony. The homophonic passages are clearly doubled by the instruments, but the fugal passages are not. Movement 3 has a fairly intricate flute duet, requiring rhythmic precision from both players. In movement 5, Bach sets the two oboes in a rapid unison part with some awkward
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chromaticisms. All of the orchestral parts are technically challenging, especially in the opening movement, which is an orchestral tour de force with very rapid passagework in most parts. Soloists: soprano [Bellona] - range: e'-a'', tessitura: a'-a'', this is a high and lyric solo with some challenging florid passagework; alto [Pallas] - range: a-e'', tessitura: d'-d'', this is a very difficult solo with rapid coloratura passages; tenor [Irene] - range: d#-a', tessitura: f#-f#', this is a brief declamatory solo appropriate for a chorister; bass [Fama] - range: A-e', tessitura: d-d', this is a lyric solo with some rapid passagework. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: very difficult. Selected Discography: Mieke van der Sluis, René Jacobs, Christoph Prégardien, David Thomas; Age of Enlightenment Chorus and Orchestra; conducted by Gustav Leonhardt. Philips: 432 161-2PH. Lisa Larson, Caroline Stam, Anne Grimm, Els Bongers, Elisabeth von Magnus, Peter de Groot, Paul Agnew, Jeremy Ovenden, Klaus Mertens, Donald Bentvelsen; Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra and Choir; conducted by Ton Koopman. Recorded live in 1996. Erato: 063015562-2. Selected Bibliography: Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 665. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 263.
Cantata No. 215: Preise dein Glücke, gesegnetes Sachsen, BWV 215 (1734) Duration: ca. 37 minutes Occasion: Anniversary of the Election of August III as King of Poland Text: The text is by Johann Christian Clauder. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, tenor, and bass soloists; double SATB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 oboes d’amore, 3 trupets, timpani, strings, and basso continuo (including bassoon) First Performance: 5 October 1734, The Leipzig Market Square outside the window of the visiting August III Editions: Preise dein Glücke, gesegnetes Sachsen is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 37, page 87, edited by Werner Neumann. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume
136 W. Murray Young, The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Ana-
lytical Guide, page 265.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
34, page 245, edited by Paul Graf Waldersee. Other available editions include that from Broude Brothers. Manuscript Sources: The autograph full score, and an original set of parts, in the hands of Bach, Johann Gottlob Haupt, Johann Ludwig Dietel, Rudolph Straube, and others, are in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: Movement 1 of this cantata is derived, in part, from the “Osanna” of the Mass in B Minor, BWV 232. Bach also revised movement 7 of this cantata as movement 5 of part 5 of his Christmas Oratorio, BWV 248. The first trumpeter of the premiere, Gottfried Reiche, died the following day from overexertion and smoke inhalation.136 Performance Issues: In the opening chorus, Bach treats each choir separately, combining passages of close imitation and homophony. Often the homophonic passages become exchanges between the choirs with occasional homophony through all eight choral parts. The choral material in this movement is generally independent of the accompaniment. The orchestral writing of this movement is very full, with technical challenges for all of the players. The final chorus is in four parts [SATB]. The choral writing is homophonic and almost entirely doubled by the orchestra. Movements 6 and 7 feature the flutes in synchronous motion in the former and in unison in the latter. Both movements are quite idiomatic, but may provide some ensemble challenges. Movement 8 has some flourishes for the trumpets, timpani, and strings that are very rapid with nonaligned offbeat beginnings. Soloists: soprano - range: d'-a'', tessitura: g'-f'', this is a lyric solo with some difficult coloratura; tenor - range: d-a', tessitura: a-f#', this is a difficult role with extended coloratura passages and much singing in the lower range; bass - range: G-e', tessitura: d-d', this is a lyric solo with extensive melismatic passages. Choir: difficult; Orchestra: difficult. Selected Discography: Lisa Larson, Caroline Stam, Anne Grimm, Els Bongers, Elisabeth von Magnus, Peter de Groot, Paul Agnew, Jeremy Ovenden, Klaus Mertens, Donald Bentvelsen; Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra and Choir; conducted by Ton Koopman. Recorded live in 1996. Erato: 063015562-2. Selected Bibliography: Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, 668. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 265. Crist, Stephen A. “The Question of Parody in Bach’s Cantata Preise dem Glücke, gesegnetes Sachsen,
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
BWV 215.” In Bach Perspectives, edited by Russell Stinson, page 135. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1995.
Cantata No. 216: Vergnügte Pleissenstadt, BWV 216 (1728) This work survives only in fragments and is therefore unperformable at present. Occasion: Wedding Text: The text is by Picander. Performing Forces: voices: soprano and alto soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: flute, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 5 February 1728 Editions: Vergnügte Pleissenstadt is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 1, volume 40, page 23, edited by Werner Neumann. In the BG edition, only the text is printed. Manuscript Sources: Two parts are believed to survive in a private collection.
doubled by the accompaniment. In the final movement the choral writing combines homophony with a single passage of close imitation. The imitative passage is unaccompanied, but the remainder of the choral material is doubled by the orchestra. The instrumental parts are all idiomatic and accessible to less-experienced players. Soloists: soprano - range: e'-a♭'', tessitura: g'f'', this is a brief declamatory solo, appropriate for a chorister; alto - range: c'-e'', tessitura: e'-d'', this is a simple and sustained lyric solo; tenor - range: a-a', tessitura: a-a', this is a very brief declamatory solo, appropriate for a chorister; bass - range: B-e♭', tessitura: c-c', this is a brief lyric solo, appropriate for a chorister. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: easy. Selected Discography: Johanna Koslowsky, Kal Wessel, Harry Geraerts, Phillip Langshaw; Alsfeld Vocal Ensemble, Steintor Barock; conducted by Wolfgang Helbich. CPO: CPO999 1392. Selected Bibliography: None found.
Notes: Only fragments of the voice parts survive. A reonconstruction was made by Georg Schumann and Werner Wolffheim in 1924, but it has not been widely accepted.
Cantata No. 218: Gott der Hoffnung erfülle euch, BWV 218
Selected Bibliography:
Editions: Gott der Hoffnung erfülle euch is published in BG, volume 41, page 223, edited by Alfred Dörffel.
Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, BWV 216: 703, BWV 216a: 689.
Cantata No. 217: Gedenke, Herr, wie es uns gehet, BWV 217 (?) Bach’s authorship of this cantata is highly questioned; however, performances continue to be given under his name as no other composer has been connected to the work. Duration: ca. 12 minutes Occasion: Epiphany I Text: unknown Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: strings and basso continuo
This cantata, which has been attributed to Bach, is known to be by Georg Philipp Telemann.
Selected Discography: Johanna Koslowsky, Kal Wessel, Harry Geraerts, Phillip Langshaw; Alsfeld Vocal Ensemble, Steintor Barock; conducted by Wolfgang Helbich. CPO: CPO999 1392.
Cantata No. 219: Siehe, es hat überwunden der Löwe, BWV 219 This cantata, which has been attributed to Bach, is known to be by Georg Philipp Telemann. Editions: Siehe, es hat überwunden der Löwe is published in BG, volume 41, page 239, edited by Alfred Dörffel. Selected Discography:
Editions: Gedenke, Herr, wie es uns gehet is published in BG, volume 41, page 207, edited by Alfred Dörffel.
Johanna Koslowsky, Kal Wessel, Harry Geraerts, Phillip Langshaw; Alsfeld Vocal Ensemble, Steintor Barock; conducted by Wolfgang Helbich. CPO: CPO999 1392.
Manuscript Sources: No surviving manuscripts are found.
Cantata No. 220: Lobt ihn mit Herz und Munde, BWV 220
Performance Issues: The choral writing in the first movement is almost entirely homophonic with some florid melodic passages. The choir is not directly
Bach is no longer believed to be the composer of this cantata.
First Performance: unknown
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Editions: Lobt ihn mit Herz und Munde is published in BG, volume 41, page 259, edited by Alfred Dörffel. Selected Discography: Johanna Koslowsky, Kal Wessel, Harry Geraerts, Phillip Langshaw; Alsfeld Vocal Ensemble, Steintor Barock; conducted by Wolfgang Helbich. CPO: CPO999 1392.
Cantata No. 221: Wer sucht die Pracht, wer wünscht den Glanz, BWV 221 Bach is no longer believed to be the composer of this cantata. Selected Discography: Johanna Koslowsky, Kal Wessel, Harry Geraerts, Phillip Langshaw; Alsfeld Vocal Ensemble, Steintor Barock; conducted by Wolfgang Helbich. CPO: CPO999 1392.
Cantata No. 222: Mein Odem ist schwach, BWV 222 This cantata, once attributed to J.S. Bach, is now believed to be the work of Johann Ernst Bach. Selected Discography: Johanna Koslowsky, Kal Wessel, Harry Geraerts, Phillip Langshaw; Alsfeld Vocal Ensemble, Steintor Barock; conducted by Wolfgang Helbich. CPO: CPO999 1392.
Cantata No. 223: Meine Seele soll Gott loben, BWV 223 Only an incipit of this work survives. Editions: BWV 223 is addressed in critical commentary of the NBA, series 1, volumes 4 and 34.
Cantata No. 224a: Klagt, Kinder, klagt es aller Welt, BWV 224a Only fragments of this work survive.
Motet No. 2: Der Geist hilft unser Schwachheit auf, BWV 226 (1729) Duration: ca. 8 minutes Occasion: Funeral of Rector Johann Heinrich Ernesti Text: The text of movements 1, 2, and 3 is from the New Testament (Romans 8:26, 27); movement 4 is by Luther (1524). Performing Forces: voices: two SATB choirs; orchestra: 2 oboes, taille, bassoon, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 24 October 1729, University Church of St. Paul’s, Leipzig
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Editions: Der Geist hilft unser Schwachheit auf is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 3, volume 1, page 39, edited by Konrad Ameln. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 39, page 41, edited by Franz Wüllner. Other available editions include that from Kalmus (Wolters/Ameln edition, score and parts). Manuscript Sources: The autograph full score, and an original set of parts, in the hands Johann Ludwig Krebs, Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, and Anna Magdalena Bach, are in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: The instruments are divided between the choirs. Choir I is paired with the strings: two violins, viola, and an obbligato cello; choir II is paired with the winds: two oboes, taille, and bassoon. Each instrument doubles its corresponding voice part. There are additional lines for continuo and a figured-bass organ part. The final section is a four-part setting of the anonymous hymn tune “Komm, Heiliger Geist, Herre Gott,” which is Martin Luther’s adaptation (1524) of the Latin plainsong “Veni creator spiritus.” Performance Issues: In movement 1, the choirs are each fairly homophonic with florid internal melismatic figure. The choirs follow each other in freely varied imitation. This is followed by a contrapuntally complex imitative section the entry pitches of which are oddly related. The second movement is a double fugue with the choirs joined into a four-voice texture. The vocal lines are entirely doubled by the orchestra. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Agnès Mellon, Greta de Reyghere, Vincent Darras, Howard Crook, Peter Kooy; Ghent Collegium Vocale, Paris Chapelle Royale Choir and Orchestra; conducted by Philippe Herreweghe. Harmonia Mundi: HMC90 1231. Stockholm Bach Choir, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: D 125372. Trinity College Choir, Cambridge; conducted by Richard Marlow. Conifer Classics: CDCF 158. Augsburg Cathedral Boys’ Choir; conducted by Reinhard Kammler. Deutsche Harmonia Mundi: RD77031. The Sixteen; conducted by Harry Christophers. Hyperion: CDA66369. Andreas Egeler, Inga Fischer, Martin van der Zeyst, Markus Brutscher, Thomas Herberich; Stuttgart Chamber Choir, Stuttgart Baroque Orchestra; conducted by Frieder Bernius. Sony: SK45859. Stuttgart Gächingen Cantorei, Stuttgart Bach Collegium; conducted by Helmut Rilling. Hänssler Classic: 98 965.
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Greta de Reyghere, Katelijne van Laethem, Martin van der Zeijst, Sytse Buwalda, Hans Hermann Jansen, Johannes-Christoph Happel; Petite Bande Chorus, Petite Bande; conducted by Sigiswald Kuijken. Recorded in concert in 1992. Accent: ACC9287D. Netherlands Chamber Choir; conducted by Ton Koopman. Philips: 434 165-2PH. Yorkshire Bach Choir; conducted by Peter Seymour. IMP: PCD997. Monteverdi Choir, English Baroque Soloists; conducted by John Eliot Gardiner. Erato: 2292-45979-2. Coeli et Terra Vocal Ensemble; conducted by Maurice Bourbon. Recorded in 1994. Arion: ARN68305. Regensburg Cathedral Choir, Vienna Capella Academica; conducted by Hans Martin Schneidt. Archiv: 435 087-2ACE. Oxford Schola Cantorum; conducted by Jeremy Summerly. Recorded in 1993. Proud Sound: PROUCD131. King’s College Choir; conducted by David Willcocks. EMI Eminence: CD-EMX2199. Selected Bibliography: Whittaker, William Gillies. Fugitive Notes on Certain Cantatas and Motets of J. S. Bach, 225-232. London: Oxford University Press, 1942. Young, W. Murray. The Sacred Dramas of J.S. Bach: A Reference and Textual Interpretation, 117-118. Jefferson, NC: McFarland and Company, 1994. Melamed, Daniel. J. S. Bach and the German Motet, 2124, 63-85, 99-105, 117, 176, 193-194. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1995.
Mass in B Minor, BWV 232 (1714-1749) Duration: ca. 120 minutes Occasion: Bach had no prospective performance opportunity for this work. Text: The text is from the traditional Roman Catholic eucharistic liturgy. Performing Forces: voices: 2 soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SSAATTBB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, 3 oboes [oboe I and II can double oboe d’amore I and II], 2 oboes d’amore, 2 bassoons, horn, 3 trumpets, timpani, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: There is no conclusory evidence that the entire Mass was performed during Bach’s lifetime. The Sanctus was first performed 25 December 1724, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig. C. P. E. Bach led a performance of the Symbolum, or Credo, 1 April 1786, in Hamburg. The entire Mass was read over a course of a few years by the Berlin Singakademie, led by Carl Friedrich Zelter, beginning 25 October 1811. There were a number of public 138 John Butt, Bach: Mass in B Minor, 19-20, 27-29 (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1991).
performances of single movements beginning in 1828; however, the first complete public performance did not take place until 1859, when it was given in Leipzig by the Riedel-Verein.138 Editions: Mass in B Minor is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 2, volume 1, edited by Friedrich Smend. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 6, edited by Julius Rietz. Other available editions include those from Dover (0-486-25992-7, BG edition reprint, full score only), Bärenreiter (parts and score), Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts), Breitkopf und Härtel, and C. F. Peters. Manuscript Sources: Sanctus: The autograph full score, an original set of parts, in the hands of “copyist IIf,” “copyist IIg,” and an unidentified hand, and a second set of parts, in the hands of Christian Gottlob Meissner, Johann Heinrich Bach, and Wilhelm Friedemann Bach, are in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Missa: The autograph full score is in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. An original set of parts, in the hands of Bach, Wilhelm Friedemann Bach, Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, and Anna Magdalena Bach, is in the Sächsische Landesbibliothek in Dresden. Credo, Sanctus, Osanna, Benedictus, Agnus Dei, and Dona Nobis Pacem: The autograph full scores are in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: Bach assembled this work between 1747 and 1749 using previously composed material for many of the subsections. The origin of the movements is as follows: Missa (Kyrie and Gloria) dedicated to Friederich August II, the New Elector of Saxony; 1733 Gratias agimus from BWV 29; 1731 Qui tollis from BWV 46/1; 1723 Symbolum Nicenum (Credo) added c. 1747-1749 Patrem omnipotentem from BWV 171; 1729? Crucifixus from BWV 12; 1714 Et exspecto from BWV 120; 1728-29 Sanctus 25 December 1724 added c. 1747-1749 Osanna from A9; 1727 and A11; 1732 added c. 1747-1749 Benedictus added c. 1747-1749 Agnus Dei from BWV 11; 1735 added c. 1747-1749 Dona Nobis Pacem from BWV 29; 1731 same as Gratias agimus added c. 1747-1749
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Bach adapted the “Gloria” of this Mass into his cantata, Gloria in excelsis Deo, BWV 191. The “Crucifixus” is derived from movement 2 of BWV 12. Performance Issues: Bach alters the makeup of the choir from movement to movement. In those listed as SATB above, he labels some of them with soprano I and II combined on a single part, and in others, he indicates only soprano II. Only movements 22, 23, and 24 exceed five voice parts. The choral writing combines homophonic singing with a variety of contrapuntal procedures including close imitation, free counterpoint, and fugue. In some movements, Bach doubles the vocal parts directly with the instruments; in others the voices are melodically independent of the accompaniment. Movements 4, 18, 23, and 27 are particularly difficult for the choir and orchestra with virtuosic writing for each. Movement 20 is accompanied by continuo only. There is a high and exposed horn solo in movement 11, a challenging flute solo in movement 8, and very difficult violin solos in movements 6 and 25. There is an exposed oboe d’amore solo in movement 10, and a sustained oboe d’amore duet in movement 19. All of the instrumental parts are quite difficult, especially trumpets I and II, horn, and violin I. The orchestrations are varied and contrapuntally complex, requiring an ensemble of very strong players. Likewise, the choral parts are musically and vocally demanding with rapid, often unsupported, passagework for all voices. The tessitura of the choral sopranos is quite high as well. While individual movements of this work are accessible to moderate-level ensembles, the Mass, as a whole, demands a seasoned and expert ensemble to execute a worthy performance. Soloists: soprano I - range: d'-a'', tessitura: g'-f'', this is an ornamented lyric role with long phrases; soprano II - range: b-f#'', tessitura: d'-e'', this is a lyric solo with some difficult coloratura passagework; alto - range: ae'', tessitura: d'-d'', this is a difficult role with considerable coloratura, it is well suited to a mezzo-soprano voice; tenor - range: c#-a', tessitura: f#-f#', this is an ornamented lyric solo; bass - range: F#-e', tessitura: Bd', this is a lyric solo with some coloratura writing. Choir: very difficult; Orchestra: difficult. Selected Discography: Maria Stader, Hertha Töpper, Ernst Haefliger, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau; Munich Bach Choir, Munich Bach Orchestra; conducted by Karl Richter. Archiv: 427 155-2AGA2. Gundula Janowitz, Christa Ludwig, Peter Schreier, Robert Kerns, Karl Ridderbusch; Vienna Singverein, Berlin Philharmonic; conducted by Herbert von Karajan. Recorded in 1973. Deutsche Grammophon: 415 6222GGA2. Re-released as 439 696-2GX2. Rotraud Hansmann, Emiko Iiyama, Helen Watts, Kurt Equiluz, Max van Egmond; Vienna Boys’ Choir, Chorus Viennensis, Vienna Concentus Musicus;
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Recorded in 1968. Teldec: 4509-95517-2. Elisabeth Schumann, Margaret Balfour, Walter Widdop, Friedrich Schorr; Philharmonia Chorus, London Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Albert Coates. Claremont: CDGSE78-50 39/40. Maria Venuti, Cornelia Kallisch, Christoph Prégardien, Anton Scharinger; Arnold Schoenberg Choir, Salzburg Baroque Ensemble; conducted by Erwin Ortner. Recorded live in 1990. Koch Schwann: 312512. Christine Schäfer, Ingeborg Danz, Markus Schäfer, Thomas Quasthoff; Windsbach Boys’ Choir, Läubin Trumpet Ensemble, Neuss German Chamber Academy; conducted by Karl Friedrich Beringer. Recorded in 1994. Hänssler: 98 959. Lynne Dawson, Carol Hall, Nancy Argenta, Howard Milner, Michael Chance, Stephen Varcoe, Patrizia Kwella, Mary Nichols, Richard Lloyd Morgan, Wynford Evans; Monteverdi Choir, English Baroque Soloists; conducted by John Eliot Gardiner. Archiv: 415 514-2AH2. Margaret Marshall, Janet Baker, Robert Tear, Samuel Ramey; Academy of St. Martin in the Fields Choir and Orchestra; conducted by Neville Marriner. Recorded in 1977. Philips: 416 415-2PH2. Emma Kirkby, Emily Van Evera, Panito Iconomou, Christian Immler, Michael Kilian, Rogers CoveyCrump, David Thomas; Taverner Consort, Taverner Players; conducted by Andrew Parrott. EMI: CDS7 47293-8. Angela Maria Blasi, Delores Ziegler, Jadwiga Rappé, Kurt Equiluz, Robert Holl; Arnold Schoenberg Choir, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 2292-42676-2. Re-released as 4509-91764-2. Barbara Schlick, Catherine Patriasz, Charles Brett, Howard Crook, Peter Kooy; Ghent Collegium Vocale, Ghent Collegium Vocale Orchestra; conducted by Philippe Herreweghe. Virgin: VCD7 59517-2. Jennifer Smith, Michael Chance, Nico van der Meel, Harry van der Kamp; Netherlands Chamber Chorus, Eighteenth-Century Orchestra; conducted by Frans Brüggen. Recorded in 1989. Philips: 426 238-2PH2. Isabelle Poulenard, Guillemette Laurens, René Jacobs, John Elwes, Max van Egmond, Harry van der Kamp; Netherlands Bach Society Collegium Musicum, Petite Bande; conducted by Gustav Leonhardt. Deutsche Harmonia Mundi: GD77040. Sylvia McNair, Delores Ziegler, Marietta Simpson, John Aler, William Stone, Thomas Paul; Atlanta Symphony Chamber Chorus, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Robert Shaw. Telarc: CD80233. Felicity Lott, Anne Sofie von Otter, Hans-Peter Blochwitz, William Shimell, Gwynne Howell; Chicago Symphony Chorus; Chicago Symphony Orchestra; conducted by George Solti. Recorded live in 1990. Decca: 430 353-2DH2. Arleen Augér, Ann Murray, Marjana Lipovsek, Peter Schreier, Anton Scharinger; Leipzig Radio Chorus,
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Staatskapelle Dresden; conducted by Peter Schreier. Philips: 432 972-2PH2. Nancy Argenta, Catherine Denley, Mark Tucker, Stephen Varcoe; Collegium Musicum 90 Chorus, Collegium Musicum 90; conducted by Richard Hickox. Chandos: CHAN0533/4. Friedericke Wagner, Faridah Schäfer-Subrata, Martina Koppelstetter, Markus Schäfer, Hartmut Elbert; Slovak Philharmonic Choir, Capella Istropolitana; conducted by Christian Brembeck. Naxos: 8 550585/6. American Bach Soloists; conducted by Jeffrey Thomas. Koch: 37194-2. Catherine Dubosc, Catherine Denley, John Bowman, John Mark Ainsley, Michael George; The Sixteen, The Sixteen Orchestra; conducted by Harry Christophers. Recorded in 1994. Collins Classics: Coll 7032-2. Elly Ameling, Yvonne Minton, Helen Watts, Werner Krenn, Tom Krause; Vienna Singakademie Chorus, Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra; conducted by Karl Münchinger. Recorded in 1970. Decca: 440 6092DF2. Ruth Ziesak, Roberta Alexander, Jard van Nes, Keith Lewis, David Wilson-Johnson; Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Carl Maria Giulini. Recorded live in 1994. Sony: S2K66354. Barbara Schlick, Kai Wessel, Guy de Mey, Klaus Mertens; Amsterdam Baroque Chorus and Orchestra; conducted by Ton Koopman. Recorded in 1994. Erato: 4509-98478-2. Selected Bibliography: Terry, Charles Sanford. Bach: The Mass in B Minor. London: Oxford University Press, 1928. Dickinson, A.E.F. “More about the Mass in B minor.” The Musical Times, volume 93 (1952): 354-358. Dürr, Alfred. Johann Sebastian Bach: Messe in h-Moll— Faksimile der autographen Partitur. Leipzig: C.F. Peters, 1965; revised 1981. David, Hans T. “Johann Sebastian Bach’s Great Mass: A Brief Introduction to the Groundplan Charts and Illustrations.” Bach: The Quarterly Journal, volume 2, number 1 (1971): 29-32. Blankenburg, Walter. Einführung in Bachs h-mollMesse. Kassel: Bärenreiter, 1974; revised 1986. Herz, Gerhard. “The Performance History of Bach’s B Minor Mass.” American Choral Review, volume 15, number 1 (1973): 5-21. Also in Essays on J. S. Bach, 187. Ann Arbor: UMI Research Press, 1985. Ehmann, Wilhelm. “‘Concertisten’ und ‘Ripienisten’ in der h-moll-Messe J.S. Bachs.” In Wilhelm Ehmann, Voce et Tuba, 119-117. Kassel: Bärenreiter, 1976. Herz, Gerhard. “Lombard Rhythm in the Domine Deus of Bach’s B Minor Mass—An Old Controversy Resolved.” Bach: The Quarterly Journal, volume 8, number 1 (1977): 3-11. Marshall, Robert Lewis. “Beobachtungen am Autograph der h-moll-Messe.” Musik und Kirche, volume 50 (1980): 230-239.
Schulze, Hans-Joachim. Johann Sebastian Bach: Missa H-Moll—Faksimile nach dem Originalstimmensatz. Leipzig: C.F. Peters, 1983. Rilling, Helmuth. Johann Sebastian Bach’s B Minor Mass, translated by Gordon Paine. Princeton: Prestige Publications, 1984. Schulze, Hans-Joachim. “The B Minor Mass—Perpetual Touchstone for Bach Research.” In Bach, Handel, Scarlatti: Tercentenary Essays, edited by P. Williams. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1985. Rifkin, Joshua. “Review of Facsimile Editions of Bach’s Mass in B Minor.” Notes, volume 44: 787-798. Pahlen, Kurt. The World of the Oratorio, translated by Judith Schaefer with additional English-language material by Thurston Dox, 34-39. Portland, OR: Amadeus Press, 1990. Wolff, Christoph. “Origins of the Kyrie of the B Minor Mass,” 141; and “The Agnus Dei of the B Minor Mass: Parody and New Composition Reconciled,” 332; Bach: Essays on His Life and Music, 152. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1991. Butt, John. Bach: Mass in B Minor. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1991. ———. “Bach’s Mass in B Minor: Considerations of Its Early Performance and Use.” Journal of Musicology, volume 9 (1991): 110-124. Berger, Melvin. Guide to Choral Masterpieces: A Listener’s Guide, 19-25. New York: Anchor Books, 1993. Young, W. Murray. The Sacred Dramas of J.S. Bach: A Reference and Textual Interpretation, 86-95. Jefferson, NC: McFarland and Company, 1994. Stauffer, George B. Bach: The Mass in B Minor (The Great Catholic Mass). New York: Schirmer Books, 1997.
Mass in F, BWV 233 (1737?) Duration: ca. 29 minutes Occasion: Service use, possibly commissioned by Graf Sporck of Bohemia Text: The text is from the traditional Roman Catholic eucharistic liturgy. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, strings, and bass continuo First Performance: 1737?, Leipzig Editions: Mass in F is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 2, volume 2, page 199, edited by Emil Platen and Mariane Helms. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 8, page 5, edited by Moritz Hauptmann. Other available editions include those from Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts), Breitkopf und Härtel, and C. F. Peters.
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Manuscript Sources: There are no original manuscript materials. Modern editions are based upon early nineteenth-century copies. Notes: This mass contains parodies of earlier compositions, BWV 11, 40, 102, and Anhang 18a. The Kyrie includes the hymn tune “Christe, du Lamm Gottes,” which is from Johann Bugenhagen’s Kirchenordnung (Braunschweig, 1528); it is the German Agnus Dei. Performance Issues: The choral writing of the first movement is in motet style with pervasive imitation and direct instrumental doubling of the choral parts. The hymn tune appears as a cantus firmus in unison oboes and horns, above the four-voice motet texture. In movements 2 and 6, the choral parts have some vocally demanding passagework. In these movements, the vocal parts are mostly doubled by the orchestra. There is a difficult first violin part in movement 2, and a very challenging violin solo in movement 5. There is also a technically difficult oboe solo in movement 4. The orchestration of movement 2 is much like that of Bach’s concerti, with challenging parts for all of the instrumental parts, requiring experienced players. The horn parts are particularly difficult in that movement. Soloists: soprano - range: c#'-g'', tessitura: g'-e'', this is a lyric solo with rapid passagework; alto - range: ae'', tessitura: d'-c'', this is an ornamented lyric solo with long phrases; bass - range: G-e', tessitura: c-c', this is a lyric solo with long phrases. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: difficult. Selected Discography: Elisabeth Speiser, Ingeborg Russ, John van Kesteren, Gerhard Faulstich, Jakob Stämpfli; Gächinger Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart, conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Intecord: INT820 510. Lausanne Vocal Ensemble, Lausanne Chamber Orchestra; conducted by Michel Corboz. Erato: 4509-972362. Agnès Mellon, Gérard Lesne, Peter Kooy; Ghent Collegium Vocale, Ghent Collegium Vocale Orchestra; conducted by Philippe Herreweghe. Virgin: VC7 59634-2. Barbara Bonney, Birgit Remmert, Rainer Trost, Olaf Bär; Berlin RIAS Chamber Choir; C.P.E. Bach Chamber Orchestra; conducted by Peter Schreier. Philips: 438 873-2PH2. Selected Bibliography: Terry, Charles Sanford. Bach: The Magnificat, Lutheran Masses, and Motets. London: Oxford University Press, 1929. Young, W. Murray. The Sacred Dramas of J.S. Bach: A Reference and Textual Interpretation, 98-100. Jefferson, NC: McFarland and Company, 1994. Stauffer, George B. Bach: The Mass in B Minor (The Great Catholic Mass), 38, 51, 65, 85, 226. New York: Schirmer Books, 1997.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Kyrie in F, BWV 233a Originally the Kyrie of BWV 233, this movement was adapted for individual performance with 5 voice parts, SSATB, and basso continuo. It is musically identical to the original Kyrie, except that the only accompaniment is continuo. The additional soprano part sings the cantus firmus of the hymn tune “Christe, du Lamm Gottes,” which is from Johann Bugenhagen’s Kirchenordnung (Braunschweig, 1528); it is the German Agnus Dei. Editions: Kyrie in F, BWV 233a, is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 2, volume 2, page 287, edited by Emil Platen and Mariane Helms. Selected Bibliography: Stauffer, George B. Bach: The Mass in B Minor (The Great Catholic Mass), 13, 30, 226. New York: Schirmer Books, 1997.
Mass in A, BWV 234 (c.1741-1749) Duration: ca. 37 minutes Occasion: Service use, possibly commissioned by Graf Sporck of Bohemia Text: The text is from the traditional Roman Catholic eucharistic liturgy. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, strings, and bass continuo First Performance: 1740s, Leipzig Editions: Mass in A is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 2, volume 2, page 3, edited by Emil Platen and Mariane Helms. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 8, page 53, edited by Moritz Hauptmann. Other available editions include those from Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts), Breitkopf und Härtel, and C. F. Peters. Manuscript Sources: The autograph full score is in the Hessische Landes- und Hochschulbibliothek in Darmstadt. An original set of parts, in the hand of Johann Christoph Friedrich Bach, is in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: This work includes parodies of earlier compositions: BWV 67, movement 6; BWV 179, movement 5; BWV 79, movement 2; and BWV 136, movement 1. Performance Issues: The choral writing of the first movement is homophonic for the opening Kyrie section and generally imitative from the Christe to the end. About half of the choral material is doubled by the orchestra. Movement 2 requires rapid vocal articulations. The chorus combines homophonic and imitative textures with the vocal parts being independent of the instruments. The final chorus is sustained free
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polyphony. The vocal parts are intermittently doubled by the orchestra. There is a unison part for violins and violas in movement 5 that may require extra time to unify the articulations. The flute parts are the most technically challenging in each of the full ensemble movements. Soloists: soprano - range: c#'-a'', tessitura: g'-g'', this is a sustained and chromatic lyric solo; alto - range: a-e'', tessitura: c#'-c#'', this is a lyric solo with broad melodic leaps and extended melismatic passages; bass - range: A-e', tessitura: d-d', this is a lyric solo with sustained and flowing passagework. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Elisabeth Speiser, Ingeborg Russ, John van Kesteren, Gerhard Faulstich, Jakob Stämpfli; Gächinger Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart, conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Intecord: INT820 510. Lausanne Vocal Ensemble, Lausanne Chamber Orchestra; conducted by Michel Corboz. Erato: 4509-972362. Agnès Mellon, Gérard Lesne, Peter Kooy; Ghent Collegium Vocale, Ghent Collegium Vocale Orchestra; conducted by Philippe Herreweghe. Virgin: VC7 59587-2. Barbara Bonney, Birgit Remmert, Rainer Trost, Olaf Bär; Berlin RIAS Chamber Choir; C.P.E. Bach Chamber Orchestra; conducted by Peter Schreier. Philips: 438 873-2PH2. Selected Bibliography: Terry, Charles Sanford. Bach: The Magnificat, Lutheran Masses, and Motets. London: Oxford University Press, 1929. Schneider, Max. “Die kurze Messe in A-dur.” Bach-Fest Buch (1953): 49-50. Bill, Oswald. “J.S. Bachs Messe in A-Dur: Beobachtungen am Autograph.” In Ars Musica—Musica Scientia: Festschrift Heinrich Hüschen, 49-60. Köln: Verlag Gitarre und Laute, 1980. Young, W. Murray. The Sacred Dramas of J.S. Bach: A Reference and Textual Interpretation, 101-102. Jefferson, NC: McFarland and Company, 1994. Stauffer, George B. Bach: The Mass in B Minor (The Great Catholic Mass), 38, 51, 65, 85, 216. New York: Schirmer Books, 1997.
Mass in G Minor, BWV 235 (1737?) Duration: ca. 33 minutes Occasion: Service use, possibly commissioned by Graf Sporck of Bohemia Text: The text is from the traditional Roman Catholic eucharistic liturgy.
Performing Forces: voices: alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes, strings, and bass continuo First Performance: 1737?, Leipzig Editions: Mass in G Minor is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 2, volume 2, page 129, edited by Emil Platen and Mariane Helms. Performance materials are available from BärenreiterVerlag. It is also published in BG, volume 8, page 101, edited by Moritz Hauptmann. Other available editions include those from Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts), Breitkopf und Härtel, and C. F. Peters. Manuscript Sources: There are no original manuscript materials. Modern editions are based upon early nineteenth-century copies. Notes: Each movement is a parody of an earlier composition: movement 1 movement 2 movement 3 movement 4 movement 5 movement 6
BWV 102, movement 1 BWV 72, movement 1 BWV 187, movement 4 BWV 187, movement 3 BWV 187, movement 5 BWV 187, movement 1
Performance Issues: The opening chorus is rhythmically complex. The imitative Christe is independent of the orchestra, but the closing fugal Kyrie is clearly doubled throughout. The chorus in movement 2 has rapid coloratura for all parts, most of which is not doubled by the instruments. The final chorus also has vocally demanding passages for all parts, it involves close imitation and fugal writing, which is intermittently doubled by the orchestra. There is a very difficult oboe solo in movement 5 requiring an expert player. Soloists: alto - range: b♭-e♭'', tessitura: d'-c'', this is a difficult lyric solo with long phrases; tenor range: d-a♭', tessitura: f-f', this is a difficult solo with rapid coloratura passagework; bass - range: G-e♭', tessitura: c-c', this is a sustained and declamatory solo. Choir: difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Hildegard Rütgers, Kurt Equiluz, Erik Wenk; Gächinger Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart, conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in the 1960s. Intecord: INT820 511. Ingeborg Danz, Christoph Prégardien, Thomas Quastoff; Gächinger Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart, conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in 1992. Hanssler: 98 962. Lausanne Vocal Ensemble, Lausanne Chamber Orchestra; conducted by Michel Corboz. Erato: 4509-972362. Agnès Mellon, Gérard Lesne, Christoph Prégardien, Peter Kooy; Ghent Collegium Vocale, Ghent Collegium
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Vocale Orchestra; conducted by Philippe Herreweghe. Virgin: VC7 59587-2. Barbara Bonney, Birgit Remmert, Rainer Trost, Olaf Bär; Berlin RIAS Chamber Choir; C.P.E. Bach Chamber Orchestra; conducted by Peter Schreier. Philips: 438 873-2PH2. Selected Bibliography: Terry, Charles Sanford. Bach: The Magnificat, Lutheran Masses, and Motets. London: Oxford University Press, 1929. Young, W. Murray. The Sacred Dramas of J.S. Bach: A Reference and Textual Interpretation, 103-106. Jefferson, NC: McFarland and Company, 1994. Stauffer, George B. Bach: The Mass in B Minor (The Great Catholic Mass), 38, 51, 65, 85. New York: Schirmer Books, 1997.
Mass in G, BWV 236 (c.1741-1749) Duration: ca. 32 minutes Occasion: Service use, possibly commissioned by Graf Sporck of Bohemia Text: The text is from the traditional Roman Catholic eucharistic liturgy. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes, strings, and bass continuo First Performance: 1740s, Leipzig Editions: Mass in G is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 2, volume 2, page 63, edited by Emil Platen and Mariane Helms. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 8, page 157, edited by Moritz Hauptmann. Other available editions include those from Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts), Breitkopf und Härtel, C. F. Peters, and H. W. Gray. Manuscript Sources: The autograph full score is in the Hessische Landes- und Hochschulbibliothek in Darmstadt. Notes: Each movement is a parody of an earlier composition: BWV 179, movements 1 and 3; BWV 79, movements 1 and 5; BWV 128, movement 5, and BWV 17, movement 1. Performance Issues: The opening chorus is fugal with direct instrumental doubling of all voices except the basses. Movement 2 has an extended section with only soprano and alto in homophony. This would be effective as another duet for the soloists. The movement closes with four parts in close imitation. The final chorus is vocally challenging with rapid passagework for all voices, combining homophonic and imitative textures. In this movement the choral parts are intermittently doubled by the orchestra. There is a particularly difficult oboe solo in movement 5, and some technical
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
challenges for each instrumental part in the tutti movements. Soloists: soprano - range: d'-g'', tessitura: a'-f'', this is a lyric and sustained solo that should be assigned to blend well with the alto soloist; alto - range: a-d'', tessitura: d'-b', this is a lyric and sustained solo that should be assigned to blend well with the soprano soloist; tenor - range: e-a', tessitura: a-g', this is a difficult solo with long phrases and extended coloratura passages; bass - range: A-e', tessitura: d-d', this is a lyric solo with some coloratura writing. Choir: difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Elisabeth Speiser, Ingeborg Russ, John van Kesteren, Gerhard Faulstich, Jakob Stämpfli; Gächinger Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart, conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Intecord: INT820 511. Ruth Ziesak, Ingeborg Danz, Christoph Prégardien, Thomas Quastoff; Gächinger Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart, conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in 1992. Hanssler: 98 962. Lausanne Vocal Ensemble, Lausanne Chamber Orchestra; conducted by Michel Corboz. Erato: 4509-972362. Agnès Mellon, Gérard Lesne, Peter Kooy; Ghent Collegium Vocale, Ghent Collegium Vocale Orchestra; conducted by Philippe Herreweghe. Virgin: VC7 59634-2. Barbara Bonney, Birgit Remmert, Rainer Trost, Olaf Bär; Berlin RIAS Chamber Choir; C.P.E. Bach Chamber Orchestra; conducted by Peter Schreier. Philips: 438 873-2PH2. Selected Bibliography: Terry, Charles Sanford. Bach: The Magnificat, Lutheran Masses, and Motets. London: Oxford University Press, 1929. Young, W. Murray. The Sacred Dramas of J.S. Bach: A Reference and Textual Interpretation, 107-113. Jefferson, NC: McFarland and Company, 1994. Stauffer, George B. Bach: The Mass in B Minor (The Great Catholic Mass), 38, 51, 65, 85, 226. New York: Schirmer Books, 1997.
Sanctus in C, BWV 237 (1723) Duration: ca. 4 minutes Occasion: Service use Text: The text is from the traditional Roman Catholic eucharistic liturgy. Performing Forces: voices: SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes, 3 trumpets, timpani, strings, and bass continuo First Performance: before 2 July 1723, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Sanctus in C is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 2, volume 2, page 313, edited by Emil Platen and Mariane Helms. Performance
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materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 11/1, page 69, edited by Wilhelm Rust. Manuscript Sources: The autograph full score, and a set of original parts, in the hand of Johann Andreas Kuhnau, are in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Performance Issues: This brief work combines homophony, paired doubling and close imitation for the singers who are mostly independent of the orchestra. The orchestration is full with rapid passagework for all parts. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Lausanne Vocal Ensemble, Lausanne Chamber Orchestra; conducted by Michel Corboz. Erato: 4509-972362. Selected Bibliography: Terry, Charles Sanford. Bach: The Magnificat, Lutheran Masses, and Motets. London: Oxford University Press, 1929. Stauffer, George B. Bach: The Mass in B Minor (The Great Catholic Mass), 30, 147. New York: Schirmer Books, 1997.
Sanctus in D, BWV 238 (1723 or 1724) Duration: ca. 3 minutes Occasion: Christmas Day Text: The text is from the traditional Roman Catholic eucharistic liturgy. Performing Forces: voices: SATB choir; orchestra: cornetto, strings, and bass continuo First Performance: 25 December 1723 or 1724, Leipzig Editions: Sanctus in D, BWV 238, is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 2, volume 2, page 327, edited by Emil Platen and Mariane Helms. Performance materials are available from BärenreiterVerlag. It is also published in BG, volume 11/1, page 81, edited by Wilhelm Rust. Manuscript Sources: The autograph full score, and a set of original parts, in the hands of Johann Andreas Kuhnau and Christian Gottlob Meissner, are in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Performance Issues: This is a fugal setting with rapid passagework that is vocally demanding for all parts. The soprano, alto, and tenor parts are directly doubled by instruments. There are additional independent parts for half of the violins, the choral basses, and the basso continuo. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult.
Selected Discography: Lausanne Vocal Ensemble, Lausanne Chamber Orchestra; conducted by Michel Corboz. Erato: 4509-972362. Agnès Mellon, Gérard Lesne, Peter Kooy; Ghent Collegium Vocale, Ghent Collegium Vocale Orchestra; conducted by Philippe Herreweghe. Virgin: VC7 59587-2. Selected Bibliography: Terry, Charles Sanford. Bach: The Magnificat, Lutheran Masses, and Motets. London: Oxford University Press, 1929. Stauffer, George B. Bach: The Mass in B Minor (The Great Catholic Mass), 30, 147. New York: Schirmer Books, 1997.
Sanctus in D Minor, BWV 239 (17351746) Duration: ca. 2 minutes Occasion: Service use Text: The text is from the traditional Roman Catholic eucharistic liturgy. Performing Forces: voices: SATB choir; orchestra: strings and bass continuo First Performance: 1735-1746, Leipzig Editions: Sanctus in D Minor is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 2, volume 9, not yet published. Performance materials will be available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 11/1, page 89, edited by Wilhelm Rust. Manuscript Sources: The autograph full score, and a copy, in the hand of “copyist H,” are in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Performance Issues: The choral writing is homophonic and declamatory. The vocal parts are independent of the orchestra. The violin parts are in unison much of the time, and in parallel motion elsewhere. The viola part is minimal and very accessible to less-experienced players. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Lausanne Vocal Ensemble, Lausanne Chamber Orchestra; conducted by Michel Corboz. Erato: 4509-972362. Selected Bibliography: Terry, Charles Sanford. Bach: The Magnificat, Lutheran Masses, and Motets. London: Oxford University Press, 1929.
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Stauffer, George B. Bach: The Mass in B Minor (The Great Catholic Mass), 30, 147. New York: Schirmer Books, 1997.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Duration: ca. 3 minutes
Editions: Sanctus in D, BWV 241, is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 2, volume 9, not yet published. Performance materials will be available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 41, page 177. It is published as a work of J. S. Bach by Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts).
Occasion: Service use
Manuscript Sources: None are known to survive.
Text: The text is from the traditional Roman Catholic eucharistic liturgy.
Notes: This work is an arrangement by Bach of the Sanctus from the Missa superba by Johann Kaspar Kerll (1627-1693).
Sanctus in G, BWV 240 (c.1736-1740)
Performing Forces: voices: SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes, strings, and bass continuo First Performance: unknown Editions: Sanctus in G is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 2, volume 9, not yet published. Performance materials will be available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 11/1, page 95, edited by Wilhelm Rust.
Performance Issues: This work is comprised of 8-part polyphony in close imitation. The choral parts are quite ornamented and are mostly doubled by the orchestra. All of the instrumental parts are technically involved. The choral bass II part must sustained a [D]. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography:
Manuscript Sources: The autograph full score, and a set of original parts, in an unidentified hand, are in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin.
Lausanne Vocal Ensemble, Lausanne Chamber Orchestra; conducted by Michel Corboz. Erato: 4509-972362.
Performance Issues: This work combines free counterpoint and pervasive imitation. About half of the choral material is doubled by the orchestra; the rest of the accompaniment is quite frenetic in scalar and triadic patterns. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult.
Selected Bibliography:
Selected Discography: Lausanne Vocal Ensemble, Lausanne Chamber Orchestra; conducted by Michel Corboz. Erato: 4509-972362. Selected Bibliography: Terry, Charles Sanford. Bach: The Magnificat, Lutheran Masses, and Motets. London: Oxford University Press, 1929. Stauffer, George B. Bach: The Mass in B Minor (The Great Catholic Mass), 147. New York: Schirmer Books, 1997.
Terry, Charles Sanford. Bach: The Magnificat, Lutheran Masses, and Motets. London: Oxford University Press, 1929. Stauffer, George B. Bach: The Mass in B Minor (The Great Catholic Mass), 147, 217. New York: Schirmer Books, 1997.
Christe Eleison, BWV 242 Duration: ca. 2 minutes Occasion: Service use Text: The text is from the traditional Roman Catholic eucharistic liturgy. Performing Forces: voices: soprano and alto soloists; orchestra: basso continuo First Performance: unknown
Duration: ca. 3 minutes
Editions: Christe Eleison is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 2, volume 2, page 297, edited by Emil Platen and Mariane Helms. Performance materials are available from BärenreiterVerlag. It is also published in BG, volume 41, page 197.
Occasion: Service use
Manuscript Sources: None are known to survive.
Text: The text is from the traditional Roman Catholic eucharistic liturgy.
Notes: This Christe appears inserted between Kyries by an unknown composer who may have been Johann Krebs. The Kyries are scored for 2 violins, 3 trombones, and basso continuo. They are approximately 3 and 2 minutes long, respectively, and are catalogued as Anhang 18a. Bach composed the work to be inserted into a Mass in C by Durante.
Sanctus in D, BWV 241 This Sanctus, which was attributed to J.S. Bach is, in fact, an arrangement by Bach of a work by Johann Kaspar Kerll.
Performing Forces: voices: 2 SATB choirs; orchestra: 2 oboes d’amore bassoon, strings [2 violins, 3 violas, cello, and violone], and bass continuo First Performance: unknown
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Performance Issues: This is a lyric and lilting movement notated in 12/16. Soloists: soprano - range: d'-f'', tessitura: f'-d'', this is a lyric solo with long phrases that could be sung by a mezzo-soprano; alto - range: c'-e♭'', tessitura: d'-c'', this is a lyric solo with long phrases. Orchestra: none. Selected Discography: Lausanne Vocal Ensemble, Lausanne Chamber Orchestra; conducted by Michel Corboz. Erato: 4509-972362. Selected Bibliography: Terry, Charles Sanford. Bach: The Magnificat, Lutheran Masses, and Motets. London: Oxford University Press, 1929. Stauffer, George B. Bach: The Mass in B Minor (The Great Catholic Mass), 10. New York: Schirmer Books, 1997.
Magnificat in D major, BWV 243 and 243a (1723, revised c.1728-1731) Duration:BWV 243: ca. 30 minutes139 BWV 243a: ca. 40 minutes Occasion: Christmas Eve and other Festival Days Text: The text is from the traditional Roman Catholic Matins service. It is a Latin translation of the Virgin Mary’s expostulation to the Archangel Gabriel in the New Testament (Luke 1:46-55). BWV 243a includes four Christmas texts interpolated into the Magnificat: these are a traditional Latin doxology (C), hymn texts by Martin Luther (A) and Paul Eber (B), and the Alleluia verse appointed to Common Masses of the Virgin Mary from the Feast of the Purification until Easter (D), derived from Isaiah 11:1-4. Performing Forces: BWV 243: voices: 2 soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SSATB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 oboes d’amore, 3 trumpets, timpani, strings, and basso continuo BWV 243a: voices: 2 soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SSATB choir; orchestra: 2 recorders, 2 oboes, 3 trumpets, timpani, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: BWV 243: c.1728-1731, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig BWV 243a: 25 December 1723, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: The Magnificats, BWV 243 and 243a, are published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 2, 139 The John Elliot Gardiner recording is just under 26 minutes.
volume 3, edited by Alfred Dürr. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. BWV 243 is also published in BG, volume 41/1, page 3, edited by Wilhelm Rust. Other available editions include those from Bärenreiter (parts and score), Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts), and C. F. Peters. Manuscript Sources: BWV 243a: The autograph full score is in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: The original version of this piece is BWV 243a, which interpolated four additional Christmas Eve movements between the twelve divisions of the Magnificat text. This first version was in E♭ major. Bach transposed the movements of the Magnificat text to D major for subsequent performances on religious festival days. The Bärenreiter edition includes the interpolations of BWV 243a with all movements transposed to correspond to the D major transposition. Bach reused the Virga Jesse floruit movement of BWV 243a in BWV 110. Bach created a chorale fantasy on the hymn tune “Vom himmel hoch da komm ich her,” attributed to Martin Luther (1539), in movement A, with the hymn tune appearing as a cantus firmus in the soprano part. He also used the tonus peregrinus, an ancient psalm tone (possibly pre-Christian), unusual in that it modulates, to which the Magnificat has been chanted for centuries, as a cantus firmus in the oboes in movement 10. The Magnificat is organized as follows [lettered sections indicate the Christmas Eve interpolations of 243a]: 1. 2. A. 3. 4. 5. B. 6. 7. C. 8. 9. D. 10. 11. 12.
[SSATB choir] Magnificat [soprano II aria] Et exsultavit spiritus meus [SATB choir] Vom Himmel hoch [soprano I aria] Quia respexit humilitatem [SSATB choir] Omnes generationes [bass aria] Quia fecit mihi magna [SSAT choir] Freut euch und jubiliert [alto/tenor duet] Et misericordia [SSATB choir] Fecit potentiam [SSATB choir] Gloria in excelsis Deo [tenor aria] Deposuit potentes [alto aria] Esurientes implevit bonis [soprano I/bass duet] Virga Jesse floruit [soprano I/soprano II/alto trio] Suscepit Israel [SSATB choir] Sicut locutus est [SSATB choir] Gloria Patri
Performance Issues: The lettered movements are less difficult for the choir than the numbered. They are more homophonic in texture and more directly doubled by the orchestra. Most of the choral material in the numbered movements is imitative, combining close imitation and fugue. The choir is intermittently doubled by the orchestra, but must be independent of direct instrumental support. All of the choral parts
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have some rapid coloratura writing. The size and density of orchestration allows for the use of a large chorus, although commercial recordings have been made using only a solo quintet. In concert conditions, this could prove very challenging in achieving an acceptable balance between the orchestra and singers. The full-scale ensemble numbers are 1, 7, and 12. Each of these has very challenging parts for all instruments and singers, especially the trumpets, which are high and articulate. Movement 4 is quite frenetic for the orchestra and choir. In this movement, the singers are directly doubled by the instruments. The sequence of entrances in this movement follows a diatonic scale, or the circle of fifths, which, if pointed out early, will save considerable rehersal time with the choir. There is a difficult and sustained oboe d’amore solo in movement 3, and an exposed flute duet in movement 9. The violins have a rhythmically challenging unison part in movement 8 that may prove difficult for unified ensemble. Soloists: soprano I - range: d'-g#'',140 tessitura: f#'-f#'', this is a lyric and sustained role; soprano II - range: c#'-f#'', tessitura: e'-e'', this is an ornamented lyric solo; alto - range: a-c#'', tessitura: d'-b', this is a lyric and sustained role with some coloratura writing; tenor - range: c#-a', tessitura: f#-f#', this solo combines lyric and declamatory singing with some dramatic coloratura and long sustained phrases; bass - range: G#e',141 tessitura: d-d', this is a lyric solo with some coloratura passages and challenging chromaticisms. Choir: difficult; Orchestra: difficult.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Nancy Argenta, Patrizia Kwella, Charles Brett, Anthony Rolfe-Johnson, David Thomas; Monteverdi Choir, English Baroque Soloists; conducted by John Elliot Gardiner. Recorded in London in 1983. Philips: 411 458-2. Christiane Oelze, Cornelia Kallisch, Christoph Prégardien, Anton Scharinger; Freiburg Webern Choir; South-West German Radio Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Michael Gielen. Recorded in 1991. Intecord: INT860 919. Barbara Schlick, Agnès Mellon, Gérard Lesne, Howard Crook, Peter Kooy; Ghent Collegium Vocale, Chapelle Royale Orchestra; conducted by Philippe Herreweghe. Recorded in 1993. Harmonia Mundi: HMC90 1326. Oxford Schola Cantorum, Jeremy Summerly, chorus master; Northern Chamber Orchestra; conducted by Nicholas Ward. Naxos: 8 550763. Maria Stader, Edith Mathis, Trudeliese Schmidt, Ernst Haefliger, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau; Munich Bach Choir, Munich Bach Orchestra; conducted by Karl
Richter. Recorded between 1977 and 1978. Deutsche Grammophon: 419 466-2GGA. Henrietta Schellenberg, Mary Westbrook-Geha, Jon Humphrey, Sanford Sylvan; Blanche Moyse Chorale, St. Luke’s Orchestra; conducted by Blanche Moyse. Music Masters: 7059-2. Lydia Marimpietri, Nicolette Panni, Anna Reynolds, Petra Munteanu, Boris Carmeli; Milan RAI Chorus and Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Hermann Scherchen. Recorded live in 1963. Memories: HR4160. Felicity Palmer, Helen Watts, Robert Tear, Stephen Roberts; King’s College Choir, Academy of St. Martin in the Fields; conducted by Philip Ledger. Decca: 421 148-2DM. Judith Blegen, Helga Müller Molinari, Francisco Araiza, Robert Holl; Berlin Radio Chamber Chorus, Berlin Philharmonic; conducted by Herbert von Karajan. Recorded in 1984. Sony: SLV45983. Arleen Augér, Ann Murray, Helen Watts, Adalbert Kraus, Philippe Huttenlocher, Wolfgang Schöne; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in the Gedächtniskirche, Stuttgart, in 1979. Sony: SBK48280. Lucia Popp, Anne Pashley, Janet Baker, Robert Tear, Thomas Hemsley; New Philharmonia Chorus and Orchestra; conducted by Daniel Barenboim. Recorded in 1968. EMI: CDM5 65334-2, re-released as CDM7 64634-2. Hildegard Heichele, Helrun Gardow, Paul Esswood, Kurt Equiluz, Robert Holl; Vienna Boys’ Choir, Chorus Viennensis, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 229242984-2. Dawn Upshaw, Penelope Jensen, Marietta Simpson, David Gordon, William Stone; Atlanta Symphony Chamber Chorus, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Robert Shaw. Recorded in 1988. Telarc: CD80194. Greta de Reyghere, René Jacobs, Christoph Prégardien, Peter Lika; Netherlands Chamber Choir, Petite Bande; conducted by Sigiswald Kuijken. Virgin: VC7 595282. Emma Kirkby, Tessa Bonner, Michael Chance, John Mark Ainsley, Stephen Varcoe; Collegium Musicum 90; conducted by Richard Hickox. Chandos: CHAN0518. Barbara Hendricks, Ann Murray, Jean Rigby, Uwe Heilmann, Jorma Hynninen, Academy of St. Martin in the Fields Chorus and Orchestra; conducted by Neville Marriner. EMI: CDC7 54283-2. Elly Ameling, Hanneke van Bork, Helen Watts, Werner Krenn, Tom Krause; Vienna Academy Chorus, Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra; conducted by Karl Münchinger. Decca: 433 175-2DM.
140 Without the BWV 243a interpolations, the range is: d'-g''.
141 Without the BWV 243a interpolations, the range is: A-e'.
Selected Discography: BWV243:
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Lynda Russell, Gillian Fisher, Alison Browner, Ian Partidge, Michael George; The Sixteen, The Sixteen Orchestra; conducted by Harry Christophers. Collins: Coll1320-2. Jennifer Smith, Rachel Yakar, Birgit Finnila, Anthony Rolfe Johnson, Jose Van Dam; Lausanne Vocal Ensemble, Lausanne Chamber Orchestra; conducted by Michel Corboz. Erato: 2292-45923-2. Mimi Coertse, Margareta Sjöstedt, Hilde Rössl-Majdan, Anton Dermota, Frederick Guthrie; Vienna Stadtsoper Chor, Vienna Stadtsoper Orchestra; conducted by Felix Prohaska. Vanguard: 08.2010.71. Barbara Bonney, Birgit Remmert, Rainer Trost, Olaf Bär; Berlin RIAS Chamber Choir; C.P.E. Bach Chamber Orchestra; conducted by Peter Schreier. Philips: 438 873-2PH2. BWV243a: Judith Nelson, Emma Kirkby, Carolyn Watkinson, Paul Elliott, David Thomas; Christ Church Cathedral Choir, Oxford, Academy of Ancient Music; conducted by Simon Preston. L’Oiseau Lyre: 443 199-2OM. Selected Bibliography: Upton, George. The Standard Oratorios, 48-50. Chicago: A. C. McClurg and Company, 1893. Terry, Charles Sanford. Bach: The Magnificat, Lutheran Masses, and Motets. London: Oxford University Press, 1929. Herford, Julius. “J.S. Bach: Magnificat.” Choral Journal (May 1963): 6. Rice, Martin R. “On Conducting Bach’s Magnificat.” Choral Journal (May-June 1968): 5-6. Hösch, Wolfgang. “Motivische Integration, Proportion, und Zahlensymbolik in Johann Sebastian Bachs Magnificat.” Musik und Kirche, volume 46 (1976): 265269. Marshall Robert Lewis. “On the Origin of Bach’s Magnificat: A Lutheran Composer’s Challenge.” In Bach Studies, Don O. Franklin, editor, 3-17. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1989. Pahlen, Kurt. The World of the Oratorio, translated by Judith Schaefer with additional English-language material by Thurston Dox, 42-44. Portland, OR: Amadeus Press, 1990. Berger, Melvin. Guide to Choral Masterpieces: A Listener’s Guide, 26-27. New York: Anchor Books, 1993.
Passion According to St. Matthew, BWV 244 and 244b (1727, revised 1736) Duration: ca. 150 minutes142 Occasion: Good Friday
142 David Daniels lists 131 minutes; Harnoncourt’s recording is 172 minutes.
Text: The text is by Picander (1729) with additional texts from the New Testament (Matthew) and thirteen hymns. Performing Forces: There are sixteen soloists, seven of whom are not aligned with a specific ensemble: soprano, tenor, and 5 basses. This work is otherwise written for two performing groups: Ensemble I—voices: 2 soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 recorders, 2 oboes, 2 oboes d’amore, 2 oboes da caccia, viola da gamba, strings, and basso continuo Ensemble II—voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 recorders, 2 oboes, 2 oboes d’amore, viola da gamba, strings, and basso continuo A revision in the late 1740s added a bassono grosso (contrabassoon) to the basso continuo part of Ensemble II. First Performance: BWV 244: 30 March 1736, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig BWV 244b: 11 April 1727 or Good Friday 1728 or 1729,144 St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Passion According to St. Matthew, BWV 244, is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 2, volume 5, edited by Alfred Dürr. Performance materials are available from BärenreiterVerlag. It is also published in BG, volume 4, edited by Julius Rietz. Other available editions include those from Dover (0-486-26257-X, BG edition reprint, full score only), Bärenreiter (parts and score), Kalmus (Breitkopf und Härtel edition, score and parts), Breitkopf und Härtel, and C. F. Peters. Passion According to St. Matthew, BWV 244b, is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 2, volume 5a, edited by Alfred Dürr. Klagt, Kinder, klagt es aller Welt, BWV 244a, is addressed in the critical commentary of the NBA, series 1, volume 34. Manuscript Sources: There are no surviving manuscripts of the first version. The autograph full score and a set of parts for the final version are in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: The movements of this Passion are numbered differently in the NBA from the numbering in the BWV. The BWV numbers will be used to describe performance issues. The earlier BWV 244b is scored similarly to BWV 244 except that it has only one basso 144 Herz lists the first performance as 15 April 1729.
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
continuo group. There are twenty soloists: twelve who are named characters, and two SATB quartets. The character assignments are: Erste Magd/Ancilla Zweite Magd/Ancilla Pilati Weib Zeuge/Testa Evangelist Zeuge/Testus Jesus Petrus Judas Pilatus Pontifex I Pontifex II
First Servant Girl Second Servant Girl Pilate’s Wife Witness [Narrator] Witness Peter Pontius Pilate
soprano soprano soprano alto tenor tenor bass bass bass bass bass bass
Bach uses a number of hymn tunes in this work: “O Lamm Gottes unschuldig,” by Nicolaus Decius (1542) appears as a cantus firmus in a ripieno soprano part in movement 1; movement 3 is a chorale setting of “Herzliebster Jesu,” by Johann Crüger (1640); movements 16 and 44 are chorale settings of “O Welt ich muß dich lassen,” adapted from “Innsbruck, ich muß dich lassen,” by Heinrich Isaak (1539); movements 21, 23, 25, 63, and 72 are chorale settings of “Herzlich thut mich verlangen,” by Hans Leo Hassler (1613), now associated with the text “O Haupt voll Blut”; movement 31 is a chorale setting of “Was mein Gott will, das g’scheh Allzeit,” based upon the anonymous secular song “Il me souffit de tous mes maux”; movement 35 is a chorale setting of “Es sind doch selig alle,” by Matthias Greiter (1525); movement 38 is a chorale setting of “In dich hab’ ich gehoffet,” by Seth Calvisius (1581); and movement 48 is a chorale setting of “Werde munter, mein Gemüthe,” by Johann Schop (1642). Performance Issues: The most conspicuous performance concern is the presence of two choirs and two orchestras. These should be clearly divided side to side to clarify antiphonal exchanges. Bach also indicates one ensemble or the other for the solo quartets, single choirs, and accompanying instruments. The named soloists sing recitatives outlining the drama of the Passion. Of them, all can be choristers, except for Jesus and the Evangelist. All of the arias are reserved for the unnamed solo quartet. For them, each choir is assigned solos for all four voice types. Here they are evaluated as two quartets, but they are sometimes sung by a single solo quartet. Movement 35 is a chorale fantasia with the hymn tune appearing as a cantus firmus in the soprano. Likewise movement 1 features an additional “ripieno” soprano part as a cantus firmus. The choral writing is quite challenging; the choir I part is somewhat more difficult than choir II. Bach uses a broad palette of contrapuntal procedures in this work. The choral material is often doubled by the orchestras, but not always directly. The choirs must be musically independent. There is a difficult oboe d’amore duet in movement 19, and an exposed and chromatic oboe
solo in movement 26 that has very long phrases. There are very difficult violin solos with rapid passagework in movements 47 and 51. There are a number of difficult passages for flute, but movement 58 is especially exposed. There are challenging duets for oboes da caccia in movements 69 and 70. In movement 75, Bach paired the first oboe da caccia with the first violin, and likewise the seconds of each instrument. These first parts are very difficult with rapid passagework throughout the movement. There is an exposed and difficult viola da gamba solo in movement 66. There is an optional version of movement 40 that also has a conspicuous viola da gamba part. Otherwise that instrument is used only within a larger ensemble. There is difficult writing for all of the instruments, and the interplay and balance between the two orchestras presents numerous challenges in rehearsal. The movements that are particulary challenging in this regard are 1, 5, 35, 43, 67, and 78. This is a monumental work requiring musically secure singers and an orchestra of experienced players. It is entirely appropriate to print the chorales in the program and invite the audience to join in those numbers. Unnamed Soloists Choir I: soprano - range: d'-g'', tessitura: f'-f'', this is a lyric solo with some coloratura; alto - range: a#-e'', tessitura: d'c'', this is a lyric solo suitable for a mezzo-soprano; tenor - range: f-b♭', tessitura: a-a', this is a difficult solo with rapid coloratura passages; bass - range: G-e', tessitura: d-d', this is a lyric solo with some challenging coloratura; Unnamed Soloists Choir II: soprano range: e'-g'', tessitura: f'-f'', this is an ornamented lyric solo; alto - range: c'-e♭'', tessitura: d'-c'', this is a lyric solo suitable for a mezzo-soprano; tenor - range: e-a', tessitura: g-g', this is a lyric solo; bass - range: G-e', tessitura: c-c', this is a lyric solo; Named Soloists: soprano [Erste Magd] - range: g'-g'', tessitura: g'-g'', this is a very brief declamatory solo appropriate for a chorister; soprano [Zweite Magd] - range: f#'-e'', tessitura: f#'-e'', this is a very brief declamatory solo appropriate for a chorister; soprano [Pilati Weib] - range: d'-g'', tessitura: g'-f'', this is a brief declamatory solo appropriate for a chorister; alto [Zeuge/Testa] - range: c'e♭'', tessitura: e'-d'', this is a brief ornamented and lyric solo appropriate for a chorister; tenor [Evangelist] range: d-b♭', tessitura: g-g', this is a large declamatory solo for a clear and flexible soloist; tenor [Zeuge/Testus] - range: c-a', tessitura: e-d', this is a brief ornamented and lyric solo appropriate for a chorister; bass [Jesus] - range: A♭-e', tessitura: d-d', this is a large declamatory solo for a rich and clear voice; bass [Petrus] - range: e-e', tessitura: e-c', this is a moderate-length declamatory solo appropriate for a chorister; bass [Judas] - range: e-e', tessitura: f-d', this is a brief declamatory solo appropriate for a chorister; bass [Pilatus] range: d-e', tessitura: e-c', this is a brief declamatory solo appropriate for a chorister; bass [Pontifex I] -
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
range: e♭-e', tessitura: f-d', this is a brief declamatory solo appropriate for a chorister; bass [Pontifex II] range: A-e', tessitura: d-b, this is a brief declamatory solo appropriate for a chorister. Choir I: very difficult; Choir II: difficult; Orchestra I: very difficult; Orchestra II: difficult. Selected Discography: Christoph Prégardien, Max von Egmond, René Jacobs, David Cordier, Marcus Schäfer, John Elwes, Klaus Mertens, Peter Lika; Tölz Boys’ Choir, La Petite Bande; conducted by Gustav Leonhardt. Deutsche Harmonia Mundi: 7848-2-RC. Agnes Giebel, Marga Höffgen, Ernst Haefliger, Walter Berry, John van Kesteren, Franz Crass, Leo Ketelaars; St. Willibord’s Boys’ Choir, Netherlands Radio Chorus, Concertgebouw; conducted by Eugen Jochum. Recorded in 1965. Philips: 420 900-2PSL3. Peter Pears, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Christa Ludwig, Nicolai Gedda, Walter Berry, John Carol Case, Otakar Kraus, Helen Watts, Geraint Evans, Wilfred Brown; Hempstead Boys’ Choir, Philharmonia Chorus and Orchestra; conducted by Otto Klemperer. EMI: CMS7 63058-2. Edith Mathis, Janet Baker, Peter Schreier, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, M Salimen; Regensburg Cathedral Choir, Munich Bach Choir, Munich Bach Orchestra; conducted by Karl Richter. Archiv: 427 704-2AX3. Peter Pears, Hermann Prey, Elly Ameling, Marga Höffgen, Fritz Wunderlich, Tom Krause, Heinz Blankenburg, August Messthaler; Stuttgart Hymnus Choir, Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra; conducted by Karl Münchinger. Decca: 414 057-2DM3. Kurt Equiluz, Karl Ridderbusch, Paul Esswood, Tom Sutcliffe, James Bowman, Nigel Rogers, Max van Egmond, Michael Schopper; Regensburg Cathedral Choir, King’s College Choir, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 2292-42509-2. Re-released as 49031-73479-2. Ernst Haefliger, Barry McDaniel, Elly Ameling, Birgit Finnila, Seth McCoy, Benjamin Luxon; Ambrosian Singers, English Chamber Orchestra; conducted by Johannes Somary. Vanguard: 08.4062.73. Arleen Augér, Rosmarie Hofmann, Gabriele Schnaut, Ann Murray, Julia Hamari, Ria Bollen, Adalbert Kraus, Aldo Baldin, Frieder Lang, Philippe Huttenlocher, Philip Frohmayer, Sigmund Nimsgern, David Thomas, Walter Heldwein, Herman Hildebrand, Johannes Kösters, Manfred Volz; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in the Gedächtniskirche, Stuttgart, in 1978. Sony: M3K79403. Rufus Müller, Richard Jackson, Nancy Argenta, Lynda Lee, Jonathan Peter Kenny, Jamie MacDougal, Stephen Varcoe; anonymous chorus and orchestra; conducted by Paul Goodwin. Recorded in 1994. United Recording: 89301-2.
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Peter Schreier, Theo Adam, Lucia Popp, Marjana Lipovsek, Eberhard Büchner, Robert Holl, Andreas Scheibner, Ekkehard Wlaschiha, Hermann Christian Polster, Olaf Bär, Johanna Schneiderheinze, Ekkehard Wegner, Andrea Ihle, Elisabeth Wilke, Helga Terner, Hans-Joachim Ribbe, Klaus Henkel; Dresdener Kapelleknaben, Leipzig Radio Chorus, Staatskapelle Dresden; conducted by Peter Schreier. Philips: 412 527-2PH3. Howard Crook, Ulrik Cold, Barbara Schlick, René Jacobs, Hans-Peter Blochwitz, Peter Kooy; St. Niklaas In Dulci Jubilo Children’s Chorus, Ghent Collegium Vocale, Paris Chapelle Royale Choir and Orchestra; conducted by Philippe Herreweghe. Recorded in 1993. Harmonia Mundi: HMC90 1155/7. Peter Schreier, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Gabrielle Janowitz, Christa Ludwig, Horst Laubenthal, Walter Berry, Anton Diakov, Berlin Cathedral Boys’ Choir, Berlin State Boys’ Choir, Vienna Singverein, Berlin Deutsche Opera Chorus, Berlin Philharmonic; conducted by Herbert von Karajan. Deutsche Grammophon: 419 789-2GH3. Hans-Peter Blochwitz, Olaf Bär, Kiri Te Kanawa, Anne Sofie von Otter, Anthony Rolfe Johnson, Tom Krause, Glen Ellyn Children’s Chorus, Chicago Symphony Chorus and Orchestra; conducted by George Solti. Decca: 421 177-2DH3. Anthony Rolfe Johnson, Andreas Schmidt, Barbara Bonney, Ann Monoyios, Anne Sofie von Otter, Michael Chance, Howard Crook, Olaf Bär, Cornelius Hauptmann; London Oratory Junior Choir, Monteverdi Choir, English Baroque Soloists; conducted by John Eliot Gardiner. Archiv: 427 648-2AH3. Margaret Marshall, Jard van Nes, Claes Hakon Ahnsjö, Aldo Baldin, Hermann Prey, Anton Scharinger, Christoph Dobmeier, Thomas Hamberger, Tolz Boys’ Choir, Neubeuern Chorus, Munich Bach Collegium; conducted by Enoch zu Guttenburg. Recorded live in 1990. Eurodisc: RD77848. Guy de Mey, Peter Kooy, Barbara Schlick, Kai Wessel, Christoph Prégardien, Klaus Mertens; Breda Sacraments Choir, Netherlands Bach Society Chorus, Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra; conducted by Ton Koopman. Recorded in 1992. Erato: 2292-45814-2. Ibolya Verebits, Roszá Kiss, Judit Németh, Agnes Csenki, Jósef Mukk, Istvan Gáti, Péter Cser, Péter Köves, Ferenc Korpás; Hungarian Festival Chorus, Hungarian Radio Children’s Choir, Hungarian State Philharmonic Orchestra; conducted by Géza Oberfrank. Recorded in 1993. Naxos: 8 550832/4. Christiane Oelze, Ingeborg Danz, Michael Schade, Matthias Görne, Thomas Quasthoff; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in 1994. Hänssler Classic: 98.925. In English, Revised by Edward Elgar and Ivor Atkins Felicity Lott, Alfreda Hodgson, Robert Tear, Neil Jenkins, John Shirley-Quirk, Stephen Roberts; St. Paul’s
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Cathedral Boys’ Choir, Bach Choir, Thames Chamber Orchestra; conducted by David Willcocks. Recorded in 1978. ASV: CDQSS324. Arranged by Felix Mendelssohn Wilfried Jochens, Peter Lika, Angela Kazimierczuk, Alison Browner, Markus Schäfer, Franz-Josef Selig; Chorus Musicus, Neue Orchestra; conducted by Christoph Spering. Recorded in 1992. Opus 111: OPS3072/3. Selected Bibliography: Upton, George. The Standard Oratorios, 39-48. Chicago: A. C. McClurg and Company, 1893. Terry, Charles Sanford. Bach: The Passions, Book II: 1729-31. London: Oxford University Press, 1925. Boult, Sir Adrian Cedric, and Walter Emery. The St. Matthew Passion: Its Preparation and Performance. London: Novello, 1949. Mendel, Arthur. “Traces of the Pre-History of Bach’s St. John and St. Matthew Passions.” In Otto Deutsch: Festschrift zum 80 Geburtstag. Kassel: Bärenreiter, 1963. Brainard, Paul. “Bach’s Parody Procedure and the St. Matthew Passion.” Journal of the American Musicological Society, volume 22 (1969): 241-260. Prautzsch, Ludwig. “Die Bedeutung der Instrumente in der Matthäus-Passion von Johann Sebastian Bach.” Musik und Kirche, volume 44 (1974): 209-222. Rifkin, Joshua. “The Chronology of Bach’s Saint Matthew Passion.” The Musical Quarterly, volume 61 (1975): 360-387. Rilling, Helmuth. Johann Sebastian Bach, “MatthäusPassion,” Einführung und Studienanleitung. Frankfurt-am-Main: Peters, 1975. Steinitz, Paul. Bach’s Passions. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1978. Pahlen, Kurt. The World of the Oratorio, translated by Judith Schaefer with additional English-language material by Thurston Dox, 28-34. Portland, OR: Amadeus Press, 1990. Berger, Melvin. Guide to Choral Masterpieces: A Listener’s Guide, 27-30. New York: Anchor Books, 1993. Young, W. Murray. The Sacred Dramas of J.S. Bach: A Reference and Textual Interpretation, 43-66. Jefferson, NC: McFarland and Company, 1994. Leisinger, Ulrich. “Forms and Functions of the Choral Movements of J.S. Bach’s St. Matthew Passion,” 7084, in Bach Studies 2, edited by Daniel R. Melamed. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1995.
Passion According to St. John, BWV 245 (1724) Duration: ca. 134 minutes Occasion: Good Friday
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Text: The text is a compilation of the New Testament (John), 11 hymns, Brockes, and Bach. Performing Forces: voices: 2 soprano, alto, 3 tenor, and 3 bass solists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 recorders, 2 oboes, 2 oboes d’amore, 2 oboes da caccia, 2 violas d’amore, viola da gamba, lute, harpsichord, organ, strings, and basso continuo. A revision in the late 1740s added a bassono grosso (contrabassoon) to the basso continuo part of Ensemble II. First Performance: 7 April 1724, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig It was reperformed with five replaced movements on 30 March 1725. Editions: Passion According to St. John, BWV 245, is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 2, volume 4, edited by Arthur Mendel. Performance materials are available from BärenreiterVerlag. It is also published in BG, volume 12/1, edited by Wilhelm Rust. Other available editions include those from Dover (0-486-27755-0, BG edition reprint, full score only), Bärenreiter (parts and score), Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts), Breitkopf und Härtel, and C. F. Peters. Manuscript Sources: An original set of parts for the first version, in the hands of Christian Gottlob Meissner, and others, is in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. An original set of parts for the 1725 revision, in the hands of Johann Andreas Kuhnau, Christian Gottlob Meissner, and Johann Heinrich Bach, is in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: The movements of this Passion are numbered differently in the NBA from the numbering in the BWV. The BWV numbers will be used to describe performance issues. There are nine soloists: five who are named characters, and an SATB quartet. The character assignments are: Magd/Ancilla Evangelist Diener/Servus Jesus Petrus Pilatus
Maid [narrator] Servant Peter Pontius Pilate
soprano tenor tenor bass bass bass
Bach uses a number of hymn tunes in this work: movements 7 and 27 are chorale settings of “Herzliebster Jesu,” by Johann Crüger (1640); movement 9 is a chorale setting of “Vater unser im Himmelreich,” Martin Luther’s setting of the Lord’s Prayer (1539); movement 15 is a chorale setting of “O Welt, ich muss dich lassen,” adapted from “Innsbruck, ich muss dich lassen,” by Heinrich Isaak (1539); movements 20, 56, and 60 are chorale settings of “Jesu Leiden, Pein und Tod,” by Melchior Vulpius (1609); movements 21 and 65 are chorale settings of “Christus, der uns selig
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
macht,” an adaptation by Seth Calvisius (1598) of the ancient Latin tune “Patris sapientia, veritas divina”; movement 40 is a chorale setting of “Mach’s mit mir Gott, nach deiner Gut,” by Johann Hermann Schein (1629); movement 52 is a chorale setting of “Valet will ich dir geben,” by Melchior Teschner (1614); and movement 68 is a chorale setting of the anonymous (1577) hymn tune “Herzlich Lieb’ hab ich dich.” Performance Issues: The named soloists sing recitatives outlining the drama of the Passion. Of them, all can be choristers, except for Jesus and the Evangelist. All of the arias are reserved for the unnamed solo quartet. The choral writing is quite accessible throughout the Passion, combining homophony, free imitation, and a few fugal passages. There is a good deal of direct text declamation for the choir. In many of the choral numbers, the vocal parts are directly doubled in Bach’s motet style. In most others, the choral parts are clearly doubled by the instruments. It is entirely appropriate to print the chorales in the program and invite the audience to join in those numbers. There is an intricate oboe duet in movement 11 and an exposed solo line for unison flutes in movement 13. The lute has one conspicuous solo in movement 31. It is a fairly difficult part, accompanied by two violas d’amore that have a simple duet in parallel motion. The violas d’amore continue their duet in movement 32. Here their parts are still in parallel motion, but are now very difficult, combining rhythmic and articulation challenges with rapid passagework. In movement 58, there is a rhythmically challenging solo for viola da gamba. Bach places the flutes on a unison part, and the oboes da caccia in unison on a countermelody to accompany the soprano soloist in movement 63. This movement will prove difficult for ensemble and intonation. The flutes, oboes, and first violins have difficult parts throughout the passion and will require experienced players, but the orchestral writing is generally conservative. The full ensemble movements are quite accessible to instrumental and vocal groups of moderate experience. For them the greatest challenge is the quantity of music rather than its specific technical difficulties. The most challenging ensemble movement is the opening chorus. Of the two Passions this is by far the easier. The vocal parts are well supported by the accompaniment, and the complexity of the scoring is minimal while retaining great dramatic effect. Unnamed Soloists: soprano - range: d'-a♭'', tessitura: g'g'', this is a lyric solo with chromatic passagework and some rapid coloratura; alto - range: b♭-e♭'', tessitura: d'-c'', this is a lyric solo with long phrases; tenor range: e-a', tessitura: f#-f#', this is a difficult solo with rapid articulations and challenging coloratura passagework; bass - range: G-e', tessitura: c-c', this is a lyric solo with some coloratura, best suited to a big voice; Named Soloists: soprano [Magd] - range: a'-a'', tessitura: a'-a'', this is a very brief declamatory solo
appropriate for a chorister; tenor [Evangelist] - range: c-a'', tessitura: f-g', this is a lyric and declamatory solo requiring a clear and flexible voice; bass [Jesus] range: F-e', tessitura: c-d', this is a declamatory solo with some lyric passagework; bass [Petrus] - range: de', tessitura: d-d', this is a very brief declamatory solo appropriate for a chorister; bass [Pilatus] - range: B-d', tessitura: c-c', this is a brief declamatory solo appropriate for a chorister. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Anthony Rolfe Johnson, Stephen Varcoe, Cornelius Hauptmann; Monteverdi Choir, English Baroque Soloists; conducted by John Eliot Gardiner. Recorded in 1986. Archiv: 419 324-2 [DDD]. Michael Schade, Matthias Goerne, Juliane Banse, Ingeborg Danz, James Taylor, Andreas Schmidt; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in the Gedächtniskirche, Stuttgart, in 1996. Hänssler Classic: 98.980. Ian Partridge, David Wilson-Johnson, Patrizia Kwella, David James, William Kendall, Michael George; The Sixteen, The Sixteen Orchestra; conducted by Harry Christophers. Recorded live in 1989. Chandos: CHAN0507/8. Ernst Haefliger, Walter Berry, Agnes Giebel, Franz Crass, A. Young; Netherlands Radio Chorus, Concertgebouw; conducted by Eugen Jochum. Recorded in 1965. Philips: 426 645-2PSL2. Kurt Equiluz, Max van Egmond, Bert van t’Hoff, Jacques Villisech, Siegfried Schneeweis; Vienna Boys’ Choir, Chorus Viennensis, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 2292-42492-2. Re-released as 9031-73479-2. Christine Schäfer, Yvi Jänicke, Adalbert Kraus, Timo Schöning, Gerold Spingler, Reinhard Hagen, Berthold Possemeyer; Stuttgart Hymnus Choir, Stuttgart Bach Collegium; conducted by Helmut Rilling. Hänssler: 98 968. Lenka Skornicková, Werner Marschall, James Griffet, Jirí Klecker; Brnensky Academy Chorus, Prague Gioia della Musica; conducted by Andreas Kröper. IMP: DPCD 1008. Arleen Augér, Charlotte Hofmann, Julia Hamari, Markus Müller, Peter Schreier, Dietrich FischerDieskau, Philippe Huttenlocher, Andreas Schmidt, Dietmar Keitz; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, BachCollegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in the Gedächtniskirche, Stuttgart, in 1984. Sony: M2K39694. Rogers Covey-Crump, David Thomas; Taverner Consort, Taverner Players; conducted by Andrew Parrott. Recorded in 1990. Virgin: VCD5 45096-2. Howard Crook, Peter Lika, Barbara Schlick, Catherine Patriaz, William Kendall, Peter Kooy; Ghent Collegium Vocale, Paris Chapelle Royale Choir and
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Orchestra; conducted by Philippe Herreweghe. Harmonia Mundi: HMC90 1264/5. Peter Schreier, Roberta Alexander, Marjana Lipvosek, Olaf Bär, Robert Holl; Leipzig Radio Chorus, Staatskapelle Dresden; conducted by Peter Schreier. Philips: 422 088-2PH2. Christoph Prégardien, Harry van der Kamp, Barbara Schlick, René Jacobs, Nico van der Meel, Max von Egmond; La Petite Bande Choir, La Petite Bande; conducted by Sigiswald Kuijken. Deutsche Harmonia Mundi: GD77041. Inge Nielsen, Nathalie Stutzman, Claes Hakon Ahnsjö, Robert Swensen, Anton Scharinger, Thomas Quasthoff; Neubeuern Chorus, Munich Bach Collegium; conducted by Enoch zu Guttenburg. RCA: RD60903. Annegeer Stumphius, James Bowman, Nico van der Meel, Christoph Prégardien, Kristin Sigmundsson, Peter Kooy; Netherlands Chamber Choir, Eighteenth Century Orchestra; conducted by Frans Brüggen. Recorded in 1992. Philips: 434 905-2PH2. Scholars Baroque Ensemble. Recorded in 1993. Naxos: 8 550664/5. In English Peter Pears, Gwynn Howell, Heather Harper, Alfreda Hodgson, Robert Tear, John Shirley-Quirk, Jenny Hill, Russell Burgess, John Tobin, Adrian Thompson; Wandsworth School Boys’ Choir, English Chamber Orchestra; conducted by Benjamin Britten. Recorded in 1971. Decca: 443 859-2DF2. Selected Bibliography: Terry, Charles Sanford. Bach: The Passions, Book I: 1723-25. London: Oxford University Press, 1926. Mendel, Arthur. “Traces of the Pre-History of Bach’s St. John and St. Matthew Passions.” In Otto Deutsch: Festschrift zum 80 Geburtstag. Kassel: Bärenreiter, 1963. Cone, Edward T. “On the Structure of Bach’s ‘Ich folge Dir.’” College Music Symposium, volume 5 (1965): 77-87. Lam, Basil. “Authenticity and the St. John Passion.” Early Music, volume 5 (1977): 45-49. Steinitz, Paul. Bach’s Passions. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1978. Chafe, Eric T. “The St. John Passion: Theology and Musical Structure.” In Bach Studies, Don O. Franklin, editor, 75-114. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1989. Pahlen, Kurt. The World of the Oratorio, translated by Judith Schaefer with additional English-language material by Thurston Dox, 23-28. Portland, OR: Amadeus Press, 1990. Berger, Melvin. Guide to Choral Masterpieces: A Listener’s Guide, 30-31. New York: Anchor Books, 1993.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Young, W. Murray. The Sacred Dramas of J.S. Bach: A Reference and Textual Interpretation, 28-42. Jefferson, NC: McFarland and Company, 1994. Marissen, Michael. Lutheranism, Anti-Judaism, and Bach’s St. John’s Passion. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1998.
Passion According to St. Mark, BWV 247 (1731) This work has been lost except for one movement, which was revised for the Christmas Oratorio, BWV 248; and seven movements that survive in their original forms in BWV 198 and BWV 54. First Performance: 23 March 1731, St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: Critical Commentary on the Passion According to St. Mark is published in the NBA, series 2, volume 5, edited by Alfred Dürr. Selected Bibliography: Terry, Charles Sanford. Bach: The Passions, Book II: 1729-31. London: Oxford University Press, 1925. Dürr, Alfred. “Bachs Trauer-Ode und Markuspassion.” Neue Zeitschrift für Musik, volume 124 (1963): 459466. Young, W. Murray. The Sacred Dramas of J.S. Bach: A Reference and Textual Interpretation, 67-80. Jefferson, NC: McFarland and Company, 1994.
Christmas Oratorio, BWV 248 (17241735) This work is comprised of six cantatas, which are identified by name in the text description below. Duration: ca. 165 minutes Occasion: This work was to be performed in six parts for Feastdays between Christmas and Epiphany: Christmas Day, the Second Day of Christmas, the Third Day of Christmas, Feast of the Circumcision (New Years Day), the Sunday After New Years, and Epiphany. Text: Texts are by Martin Luther, Johann von Rist, Paul Gerhardt; other texts are attributed to Picander and Bach; biblical citations are listed below: Part I — Jauchzet, frohlocket auf preiset die Tage — The texts of movements 2 and 6 are from the New Testament (Luke 2:1-6, 7) Part II — Und es waren Hirten in der selben Gegend — The texts of movements 2, 4, 7, 11, and 12 are from the New Testament (Luke 2:8, 10, 12, 13, 14) Part III — Herrscher des Himmels, erhöre das Lallen — The texts of movements 2, 3, 7, and 11 are from the New Testament (Luke 2:15, 16, 20) Part IV — Fallt mit Danken, fallt mit Loben — The text of movement 2 is from the New Testament (Luke 2:21)
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Part V — Ehre sei dir, Gott gesungen — The texts of movements 2, 3, 6, and 8 are from the New Testament (Matthew 2:1, 2, 3, 4) Part VI — Herr, wenn die stolzen Feinde schnauben — The texts of movements 2, 5, and 7 are from the New Testament (Matthew 2:7, 9, 12) Performing Forces: Part I voices: alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 oboes d’amore, 3 trumpets, timpani, strings, and basso continuo Part II voices: alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 oboes d’amore, 2 oboes da caccia, strings, and basso continuo Part III voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 oboes d’amore, 3 trumpets, timpani, strings, and basso continuo Part IV voices: soprano, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes, 2 horns, strings, and basso continuo Part V voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes d’amore, strings, and basso continuo Part VI voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes, 2 oboes d’amore, 3 trumpets, timpani, strings, and basso continuo All voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 oboes d’amore, 2 oboes da caccia, 3 trumpets, timpani, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: All St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Part I Part II Part III Part IV Part V Part VI
25 December 1734 26 December 1734 27 December 1734 1 January 1735 2 January 1735 6 January 1735
Editions: Christmas Oratorio is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 2, volume 6, edited by Walter Blankenburg and Alfred Dürr. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 5, part 2, edited by Wilhelm Rust. Other available editions include those from Dover (0-486-27230-3, BG edition reprint, full score only), Bärenreiter (parts and score), Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts), Breitkopf und Härtel, and C. F. Peters. Manuscript Sources: The autograph full score, and a set of parts, in the hands of Johann Gottlob Haupt, Johann Ludwig Dietel, Rudolph Straube, and others, are in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: Portions of Parts I-V are derived from movements of Bach’s secular cantatas, BWV 213, 214, and 215. Most of Part VI is derived from a lost church
cantata, BWV 248a. The conclusion of Part VI is adapted from the final movement of BWV 129. In all but one of his recitatives, the tenor soloist is assigned the title of Evangelist; he serves as the narrator. Bach uses a number of hymn tunes in this work: movements 5 and 64 are chorale settings (the latter with a highly ornamented accompaniment) of “Herzlich thut mich verlangen,” by Hans Leo Hassler (1613), now associated with the text “O Haupt voll Blut;” movements 7 and 28 are chorale settings of “Gelobet seist du, Jesu Christ!” and adaptation by Martin Luther (1524) of a Latin plainsong; movements 9, 17, and 23 are chorale settings of “Vom Himmel hoch, da komm ich her,” attributed to Martin Luther (1539); movement 12 is a chorale setting of “Ermuntre dich, mein schwacher Geist,” by Johann Schop (1641); movement 33 is a chorale setting of “Warum sollt ich mich denn grämen?” by Johann G. Ebeling (1666); movement 35 is a chorale setting of “Wir Christenleut,” attributed to Caspar Fuger, the younger (1593); movement 42 is a chorale setting of “Hilf, Herr Jesu, lass gelingen!” by Johann Schop (1642); movement 46 is a chorale setting of “In dich hab ich gehoffet, Herr!” attributed to Seth Calvisius (1581); movement 53 is a chorale setting of “Ihr Gestirn, ihr hohlen Lüfte,” by Christopher Peter (1655); and movement 59 is a chorale setting of the anonymous (1524) hymn tune “Nun freut euch, lieben Christen g’mein.” Performance Issues: Cantata I: The choral writing in movement 1 is generally homophonic and declamatory. The choral parts are fairly demanding, especially the soprano part, which has a high tessitura. The choral parts are mostly doubled by the orchestra, and the orchestration allows for the use of a large choir. There is difficult and rapid passagework for all of the instruments. The first trumpet part is particularly challenging. There is an easy, but sustained oboe d’amore duet in movement 3. In movement 4, the first oboe d’amore and first violin are in unison on a solo that is fairly rapid with mixed articulations. There is also an intricate duet for oboe and oboe d’amore in movement 7. The orchestra will require a group of experienced and secure players. Soloists: soprano - range: d'-e'', tessitura: g'-c'', this is a very sustained solo that could be sung by the soprano section; alto - range: c'-e'', tessitura: e'-d'', this is a lyric solo with long phrases best suited to a mezzo-soprano; tenor [Evangelist] - range: d-a', tessitura: f-f', this is a light and declamatory solo; bass - range: A-e', tessitura: d-d', this is a lyric solo with some rapid passagework. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Cantata II: In this cantata, Bach labels movements for the tenor Evangelist and for tenor solo. Here these parts are evaluated for two soloists, although one singer could effectively cover both parts. The choral writing in movement 21 combines free counterpoint
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and close imitation. The choral parts are not conspicuously doubled by the orchestra. There is an exposed and difficult flute solo in movement 15. Balance and intonation will prove troublesome in movement 10. This work requires four oboists who play simutaneously in a number of movements, which will create its own intonation challenges. Soloists: soprano - range: d'-a'', tessitura: a'-f'', this is a brief declamatory solo appropriate for a chorister; alto - range: b-e'', tessitura: d'-d'', this is a difficult lyric solo with challenging coloratura passages; tenor [Evangelist] - range: d-g', tessitura: f-f', this is a light and declamatory solo; tenor range: d#-a', tessitura: e-g', this is a very difficult solo with rapid coloratura; bass - range: d-e', tessitura: d-d', this is a brief declamatory solo appropriate for a chorister. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: difficult. Cantata III: The choral writing in movement 24 combines homophony with imitative procedures. The choral parts are vocally demanding with rapid passagework for all parts. The syllabic and homophonic passages are clearly doubled by the orchestra, but the imitative and melismatic sections are independent of the orchestra. In movement 26, the choir is homophonic and well doubled by the orchestra. There is a challenging, rapid part for unison flutes and first violin. There is an oboe d’amore duet with long phrases in movement 29, and an exposed and difficult violin solo in movement 29. There are difficult passages for all members of the orchestra. Soloists: soprano - range: c#'-a'', tessitura: a'-f'', this is a lyric solo with intricate passagework; alto - range: b-e'', tessitura: d-d'', this is a lyric solo with long phrases; tenor [Evangelist] - range: d-a', tessitura: g-g', this is a light and declamatory solo; bass - range: A-e', tessitura: de', this is a lyric solo with some difficult passagework. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Cantata IV: In this cantata, Bach labels movements for the tenor Evangelist and for tenor solo. Here these parts are evaluated for two soloists, although one singer could effectively cover both parts. In movement 36 the choral writing is nearly all homophonic and directly doubled by the orchestra. There is a sustained and exposed oboe solo in movement 39, and a very difficult violin duet in movement 41. The horn parts are high and difficult, especially in movement 36. Soloists: soprano - range: d'-g'', tessitura: f'-f'', this is a lyric solo with long phrases; soprano [echo] - range: f#'-g'', tessitura: g'-f'', this is a brief lyric solo that sparsely echos the soprano soloist appropriate for a chorister; tenor [Evangelist] - range: g-a', tessitura: ga', this is a brief and declamatory solo; tenor - range: c-g', tessitura: f-f', this is a difficult solo with challenging coloratura and a need for a singer with a strong lower range; bass - range: A-e♭', tessitura: d-d', this is a declamatory solo. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium difficult.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Cantata V: In this cantata, Bach labels movement for the tenor Evangelist and for tenor solo. Here these parts are evaluated for two soloists, although one singer could effectively cover both parts. In movement 43, Bach combines passages of free counterpoint, pervasive imitation, and paired doubling for the chorus. The vocal parts are not directly supported by the accompaniment. In movement 45, the choral writing is declamatory and homophonic or in close imitation. Here the vocal lines are doubled by the instruments. There is an exposed and difficult oboe d’amore solo in movement 47, and a difficult violin solo in movement 51. The rhythmic, offbeat string writing in movement 50 may prove troublesome for a unified ensemble. There is difficult passagework for all of the instruments. The first violin part is especially challenging throughout the cantata. This will require a choir and orchestra of experienced musicians. Soloists: soprano - range: d'-g'', tessitura: a'-f'', this is a lyric solo with difficult rapid coloratura, this soloist should pair well with the tenor soloist; alto - range: b-e'', tessitura: e'd'', this is a declamatory and articulate solo; tenor [Evangelist] - range: d-a', tessitura: g-f', this is a light and declamatory solo; tenor - range: c#-a', tessitura: fg, this is a difficult solo with challenging coloratura, this soloist should pair well with the soprano soloist; bass - range: B-e', tessitura: c-d', this is a lyric solo with some coloratura. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Cantata VI: In this cantata, Bach labels movements for the tenor Evangelist and for tenor solo. Here these parts are evaluated for two soloists, although one singer could effectively cover both parts. Likewise, there is a small solo labeled Herodes (Herod) for bass. The choral writing in movement 54 is imitative. The choral parts are vocally demanding with difficult passagework for each voice part. About half of the choral material of this movement is doubled by the orchestra. This is a big and difficult movement for the entire ensemble. The accompaniment of movement 57 is quite intricate. There is an exposed oboe d’amore duet in movements 61 and 62, with the latter movement being by far the more difficult. All of the orchestral parts are difficult, especially the first of each instrument, and most especially the first trumpet. This is a challenging cantata requiring mature and experienced musicians throughout the ensemble. Soloists: soprano - range: c#'-a'', tessitura: g'-g'', this is a lyric solo with long phrases; alto - range: b-e'', tessitura: d'-d'', this is a brief declamatory solo appropriate for a chorister; tenor [Evangelist] - range: d-a', tessitura: g-a', this is a light and declamatory solo; tenor - range: d-a', tessitura: ag', this is a lyric solo with broad melodic leaps; bass range: A-e', tessitura: d-c#', this is a brief declamatory solo appropriate for a chorister; bass [Herodes] range: d-e', tessitura: e-d', this is a brief declamatory solo appropriate for a chorister. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: difficult.
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Selected Discography: Arleen Augér, Christa Muckenheim, Julia Hamari, Peter Schreier, Wolfgang Schöne; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in the Gedächtniskirche, Stuttgart, in 1984. Hänssler Classic: 98.851, 98.852, and 98.853, or as a complete set: 98.976. Nancy Argenta, Anne Sofie von Mutter, Anthony Rolfe Johnson, Hans Peter Blochwitz, Olaf Bär; Monteverdi Choir, English Baroque Soloists; conducted by John Eliot Gardiner. Recorded in London in 1987. Archiv: 423 232-2 [DDD]. Hans Buchhierl, Andreas Stein, Theo Altmeyer, Barry MacDaniel; Tolz Boys’ Choir, Collegium Aurem; Gerhard Schmidt-Gaden. Deutsche Harmonia Mundi: GD77046. Barbara Schlick, Carolyn Watkinson, Kurt Equiluz, Michel Brodard; Lausanne Vocal Ensemble, Lausanne Chamber Orchestra; conducted by Michel Corboz. Erato: 2292-45212-2. Paul Esswood, Kurt Equiluz, Sigmund Nimsgern; Vienna Boys’ Choir, Chorus Viennensis, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 9031-77610-2. Helen Donath, Andrea Ihle, Marjana Lipovsek, Peter Schreier, Eberhard Büchner, Robert Holl; Leipzig Radio Chorus, Ludwig Güttler Brass Ensemble, Staatkapelle Dresden; conducted by Peter Schreier. Philips: 420 204-2PH3. Gabriele Janowitz, Christa Ludwig, Fritz Wunderlich, Franz Crass; Munich Bach Choir, Munich Bach Orchestra; conducted by Karl Richter. Archiv: 427 2362AX3. Barbara Schlick, Michael Chance, Howard Crook, Peter Kooy; Ghent Collegium Vocale, Ghent Collegium Vocale Orchestra; conducted by Philippe Herreweghe. Virgin: VCD7 59530-2. Ruth Ziesak, Monica Groop, Christoph Prégardien, Klaus Mertens; Frankfurt Vocal Ensemble, Cologne Concerto; conducted by Ralf Otto. Capriccio: 60 0252. Ingrid Kertesi, Judit Németh, Jósef Mukk, János Tóth; Hungarian Radio Chorus, Failoni Chamber Orchestra; conducted by Géza Oberfrank. Naxos: 8 550428/30. Lynda Russell, Catherine Wyn-Rogers, Mark Padmore, Michael George; The Sixteen, The Sixteen Orchestra; conducted by Harry Christophers. Recorded in 1993. Collins: Coll7028-2. Selected Bibliography: Upton, George. The Standard Oratorios, 33-39. Chicago: A. C. McClurg and Company, 1893. Whittaker, William Gillies. The Cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach, volume 1: 235, 239, 240, 660, 666, 709;
145 Alfred Dürr lists 47 minutes, and David Daniels lists 52 minutes, but the Rilling recording is 40 minutes 53 seconds.
volume 2: 40, 129, 138, 141, 153, 276, 292, 293, 620622, 625-639, 641-651, 666. Dürr, Alfred. Johann Sebastian Bach: WeihnachtsOratorium, BWV 248. Munich: Wilhelm Fink, 1967. ———. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, BWV 248/I: 115, BWV 248/II: 128, BWV 248/III: 138, BWV 248/IV: 157, BWV 248/V: 165, BWV 248/VI: 171. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, 277. Pahlen, Kurt. The World of the Oratorio, translated by Judith Schaefer with additional English-language material by Thurston Dox, 39-42. Portland, OR: Amadeus Press, 1990. Berger, Melvin. Guide to Choral Masterpieces: A Listener’s Guide, 32-35. New York: Anchor Books, 1993. Young, W. Murray. The Sacred Dramas of J.S. Bach: A Reference and Textual Interpretation, 192-200. Jefferson, NC: McFarland and Company, 1994.
Easter Oratorio, BWV 249, 249a, and 249b (1725, revised 1732-1735) Duration:
BWV 249 BWV 249a
ca. 45 minutes145 ca. 45 minutes
Occasion: Easter Text: librettist unknown, possibly Picander or Bach Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 recorders, 2 oboes d’amore, 3 trumpets, timpani, strings, and basso continuo First Performance: 1 April 1725 (as a cantata), St. Thomaskirche or St. Nikolaikirche, Leipzig Editions: The Easter Oratorio is published with a critical commentary in the NBA, series 2, volume 7, edited by Paul Brainard. Performance materials are available from Bärenreiter-Verlag. It is also published in BG, volume 21, page 3, edited by Wilhelm Rust. Other available editions include those from Kalmus (BG edition, score and parts), Breitkopf und Härtel, and Schott. BWV 249a is addressed in the critical commentary of the NBA, series 1, volume 35. Manuscript Sources: An autograph full score (17321735), and a set of parts, in the hands of Johann Andreas Kuhnau and Christian Gottlob Meissner, are in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: The Easter Oratorio is also entitled Kommt, eilet und laufet. Bach retitled it as the Easter Oratorio for a performance in the early 1730s. This work was based upon a now lost cantata, Entfliehet, verschwindet,
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entweichet, ihr Sorgen, BWV 249a, of which only Picander’s published text survives (1727). It has been reconstructed by Friedrich Smend and Hermann Keller. Bach added the chorus to movement 3 after the first performance. BWV 249a was also parodied in 1726, as Verjaget, zerstreuet, zerrütet, ihr Sterne, BWV249b, also with a Picander text (libretto published in 1727). BWV 249b was composed for the celebration of the birthday of Count von Flemming, 25 August 1726. Bach assigned characters to each of the soloists: Maria Jacobi Maria Magdalena Petrus Johannes
Mary, Mother of Jesus Mary Magdalene Peter John
soprano alto tenor bass
Performance Issues: The choral writing in movement 3 combines homophony and close imitation. The choir and soloists are independent of the accompaniment. There is rapid passagework for the singers and instruments in this movement. In movement 11, the choir has an extended homophonic section with long sustained phrases and considerable harmonic tension, followed by a brisk fugue. The former is fairly independent of the orchestra and the latter is well doubled. There is an exposed and somewhat difficult flute solo in movement 5 for which Bach has offered the possibility of a violin substitute. There is a very sustained and challenging solo for oboe d’amore in movement 9. There are some challenges for all of the instruments, but the overall orchestration is quite idiomatic. The opening Sinfonia is much like Bach’s concerti, with difficult parts for all of the instruments, especially the first and second trumpets and the first violins. A bassoon would be a welcome addition to the continuo group of this work. Movement 2, also for orchestra, features a sustained and lyric flute solo. Bach offers the oboe as a substitute for this solo part. An experienced orchestra is needed for this work. The choral portion is quite practical for a moderately experienced choral society or intermediate college chorus. Soloists: soprano [Maria Jacobi] - range: c#'-g#'', tessitura: f#'-f#'', this is a lyric solo with some difficult melismatic passages; alto [Maria Magdalena] - range: a-e'', tessitura: c#'-c#'', this is a lyric solo with some very ornamented passagework; tenor [Petrus] - range: c#-a', tessitura: e-g', this is a lyric solo with long phrases that requires a singer capable of sustained singing at the bottom of the range; bass [Johannes] range: A-e', tessitura: d-d', this solo has lyric and declamatory passages and some difficult coloratura. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Arleen Augér, Julia Hamari, Adalbert Kraus, Philippe Huttenlocher; Gächingen Kantorei Stuttgart, BachCollegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling.
Recorded in the Gedächtniskirche, Stuttgart, in 1980 and 1981. Hänssler Classic: 98.862 [AAD]. Emily Van Evera, Caroline Trevor, Charles Daniels, Peter Kooy; Taverner Consort, Taverner Players; conducted by Andrew Parrott. Recorded in 1993. Virgin: VC5 45011-2. Monika Frimmer, Ralf Popken, Christoph Prégardien, David Wilson-Johnson; Age of Enlightenment Chorus and Orchestra; conducted by Gustav Leonhardt. Recorded in 1993. Philips: 442 119-2PH. Barbara Schlick, Kai Wessel, James Taylor, Peter Kooy; Collegium Vocale; conducted by Philippe Herreweghe. Recorded in 1994. Harmonia Mundi: HMC90 1513. Selected Bibliography: Dürr, Alfred. Die Kantaten von Johann Sebastian Bach, BWV 249: 237, BWV 249a: 650, BWV 249b: 691. Young, W. Murray. The Cantatas of J.S. Bach: An Analytical Guide, BWV 249: 171, BWV 249a: 244. Pahlen, Kurt. The World of the Oratorio, translated by Judith Schaefer with additional English-language material by Thurston Dox, 44. Portland, OR: Amadeus Press, 1990.
BARBER, Samuel (b. West Chester, PA, 9 March 1910; d. New York, 23 January 1981). Barber began to study piano at the age of six, and composed his first piece, Sadness, the following year. in 1924 he entered the Curtis Institute (BMus 1933), where he studied piano with George Boyle and Isabelle Vengerova, voice with Emilio de Gorgoza, conducting with Fritz Reiner, and composition with Rosario Scalero. At Curtis Barber met his longtime companion Gian Carlo Menotti. The two young composers toured Italy in the summers of 1931 and 1932. A series of awards allowed them to spend much of the next four years studying and performing throughout Europe. Barber returned to the Curtis Institute (19391942) to teach orchestration and direct a chamber choir. Beginning in 1942, he devoted his career entirely to composition. Barber’s music is lyrical and generally tonal in concept although often charged with strong dissonances. He uses classical formal structures throughout his works. Barber’s music is consistently refined with frequent juxtapositions of angular and rhythmically aggressive passages with exceptionally elegant and languid melodies. His musical language is highly personal, combining a tonal fabric
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reminiscent of the nineteenth century with a twentiethcentury cosmopolitan sensibility.146 Awards: American Prix de Rome (1935), Pulitzer Traveling Scholarship (1935), Guggenheim Fellowship (1945), New York Music Critics’ Circle Award (1947 for Concerto for Violoncello), 2 Pulitzer Prizes (1958 for Vanessa, 1963 for Concerto for Piano), Henry Hadley Medal (1958). In 1964 he was commissioned to compose an opera for the opening of the Metropolitan Opera House in Lincoln Center (1966, Antony and Cleopatra). He was elected to the Institute (1941) and Academy (1958) of the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters, and was vice president of the Executive Board of the International Music Council of UNESCO (1952). Teacher: Rosario Scalero Principal Works: operas - Vanessa (1956-1957), A Hand of Bridge (1953), Antony and Cleopatra (1966); ballets - Medea (1946), Souvenirs (1952); orchestral - The School for Scandal (1931-1933), Music for a Scene from Shelley (1933), Symphony in One Movement (1936), Adagio for Strings [adapted from movement 2 of his String Quartet] (1936), Essay for Orchestra (1937), Violin Concerto (1939), Second Essay (1942), Symphony no. 2 (1944), Capricorn Concerto (1944), Cello Concerto (1945), Piano Concerto (1962), Third Essay (1978); choral - A Stopwatch and an Ordinance Map (1940), Reincarnations (1937), Prayers of Kierkegaard (1954), Twelfth Night (1968); and many songs and chamber pieces. Selected Composer Bibliography:
———. Samuel Barber: The Composer and His Music. New York: Oxford University Press, 1992. ———. Samuel Barber: A Thematic Catalogue of the Complete Works. New York: Oxford University Press, 2012. Wentzel, Wayne C. Samuel Barber: A Guide to Research. New York: Routledge, 2001.
The Lovers, op. 43 (1971) Duration: ca. 31 minutes Text: Pablo Neruda’s Veinte poemas de amor y una canción desperada (1924), the last of which is the source for The Lovers. Translations are by Christopher Logue and W. S. Merwin. Performing Forces: voices: soprano and baritone soloists; choir; orchestra: piccolo, 2 flutes, alto flute, 2 oboes, English horn, 2 clarinets, bass clarinet, bassoon, 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion (3 players - bass drum, bongo drums, cymbals, antique cymbal [1], tam tam, triangle, wood blocks [high, low], 3 bell trees, xylophone), celeste, harp, piano, and strings First Performance: 22 September 1971; Philadelphia; Tom Krause; Temple University Choirs, Philadelphia Orchestra; conducted by Eugene Ormandy. Edition: The Lovers is published and distributed by G. Schirmer. The piano-vocal and study scores are for sale; orchestral materials may be rented. Autograph: The composer’s manuscripts are in the Library of Congress.
“Barber, Samuel.” Current Biography Yearbook, v (September 1944); obituary, lxii (March 1981). New York: H. W. Wilson Company. Broder, Nathan. Samuel Barber. New York: G. Schirmer, 1954. Heinsheimer, Hans. “Samuel Barber: Maverick Composer.” Keynote, iv/1 (1980): 7. Gleason, Harold, and Walter Becker. “Samuel Barber.” In 20th-century American Composers, Music Literature Outlines, series iv. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, revised 1981. Hennessee, Don A. Samuel Barber: A Bio-bibliography. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1985. Jackson, Richard, and Barbara Heyman. “Samuel Barber.” The New Grove Twentieth-Century American Masters, 243-262. New York: W.W. Norton, 1986. Heyman, Barbara. Samuel Barber: A Documentary Study of His Works. Dissertation, CUNY [no date of registration as of January 1993].
Notes: This work was commissioned by the Girard Bank of Philadelphia and dedicated to Valentin Herranz. About the work, the composer states:
146 Harold Gleason and Walter Becker, “Samuel Barber,” in 20th-
147 As quoted in Phillip Huscher: notes for recording of Samuel Barber’s The Lovers. Performed by Dale Duesing, Sarah Reese; Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Andrew Schenck. Koch International Classics: 3-7125-2H1, 1992.
Century American Composers, Music Literature Outlines, series iv (Bloomington: Indiana University Press, revised 1981).
“It was one of my most challenging but stimulating undertakings.…I was fascinated by the Twenty Poems of Love and a Song of Sadness by Pablo Neruda.…I was inspired by them and wanted to set a number of them to music. The poems themselves are extremely erotic, and some of the Girard board members raised their eyebrows. Finally, I asked them whether they didn’t have love affairs in Philadelphia and learned that they did.…At any rate, the bank thought about it all and gave me complete freedom.”147 Performance Issues: The full score is in C and sounding at pitch with the exception of the mallet percussion and double basses, which are notated traditionally. The choral writing is contrapuntally complex, exploiting imitation at the fourth with great rhythmic variety.
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The rhythms are generated by the prosody of the text. There are divisi in all of the choral ranks including a three-part division for the basses. The vocal writing is chromatic, but tonally grounded. Most of the choral material is independently lyrical and clearly supported by the accompaniment. The double basses are required to play numerous low c#’s and d’s, for, which an extension would be more adequate than merely tuning down. This score is less rhapsodic than many of Barber’s other vocal works. The orchestration is imaginative and colorful and presents few challenges to ensemble coordination. The instrumental parts are not notably difficult with the exception of clarinet I and the lower strings, which should be strong players. The scoring suggests a fairly large string section and a large choir. With substantial rehearsal time this work could be performed by a choir of limited experience. The text is about a love affair; it is filled with eloquent, erotic allusions. Soloists: soprano, range: d'-f#'', tessitura: d'-d'', lyrical, and only eight measures long, it should be assigned to a member of the choir; baritone, range: G#-f' with an optional f#', tessitura: e-d', declamatory with rapid text articulation. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Discography: Sarah Reese, soprano, Dale Duesing, baritone; Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Andrew Schenck. Recorded: October 1991. Koch International Classics: 37125-2H1 [DDD]. Selected Bibliography: [review of premiere], New York Times (24 September 1971), 36:6. Turock. “Philharmonic Hall,” Music Journal, xxx (January 1972), 75. Mussulman, John A. Dear People…Robert Shaw: A Biography. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1979, 243-244. Hicks, Anne Matlack. Samuel Barber’s The Lovers. University of Cincinnati: D.M.A. Thesis, 1991. Heyman, Barbara. Samuel Barber: A Thematic Catalogue of the Complete Works, 443-457. New York: Oxford University Press, 2012.
BARTÓK Béla (b. Nagyszentmiklós, Hungary, 25 March 1881; d. New York, NY, 26 September 1945) Bartók is one of the most influential composers of the twentieth century. His interest in folk music, his dedication to the meaningful education of amateur musicians, and his experiments with meter and pitch sets in his music have each had a profound impact upon the development of music in the modern era.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Bartók’s father was a schoolmaster and his mother a capable amateur pianist. Bartók began publicly performing as a pianist at the age of eleven. At eighteen, he enrolled in the Royal Academy of Music in Budapest, studying piano with István Thomán, and composition with Hans Koessler. Shortly after his graduation, he established an important friendship with Zoltan Kodály with whom he collected and published folk music from Hungary, Rumania, Transylvania, and Slovakia. Later ethnomusicological tours would take him through northern Africa. In 1907 he succeeded Thomán as professor of piano at the Royal Academy. He toured as a pianist throughout Europe, the Soviet Union, and the United States often performing his own compositions. In 1934 he resigned his post at the Royal Academy, but continued his research in folk music as a member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. Upon the outbreak of the Second World War, he elected to move to the United States, where he was the recipient of an honorary doctorate from Columbia University in 1940. He received support for his research in ethnomusicology under the auspices of Columbia University for the year of 1941-1942. During the final three years of his life he rejected some offers to teach composition, and instead taught piano privately. During these years he also completed a number of substantial commissions, including the Concerto for Orchestra, which he composed while seeking the recuperative mountain air of Asheville, NC. Bartók’s music is distinctive, in part, because of the catholic palette of resources, which he would freely combine within a single work. In his compositions can be found a wealth of folk idea (in quotation or spirit), impressionist harmonic language, and highly refined contrapuntal procedures, not unlike those used by the dodecaphonic composers of the Second Viennese School. The lasting strength of his works rests upon the fact that while being highly technical in conception, they remain tuneful even at their most intellectually complex moments. Teacher: Hans Koessler Students: Violet Archer, Jack Beeson, Tibor Serly Writings: Bartók’s earliest collection of folk songs was published in 1906. He continued to publish collections and commentaries throughout the rest of his life. These are being published in English translations by the New York Bartók Archive, Benjamin Suchoff, editor. They include Rumanian Folk Music, volumes IV; Turkish Folk Music of Asia Minor; Béla Bartók’s Essays; Yugoslav Folk Music, volumes I-IV; and The Hungarian Folk Song. Principal Works: opera: Bluebeard’s Castle (1911); ballets: The Wooden Prince (1914-1916), The Miraculous Mandarin (1918-1919); orchestral: 3 Piano Concertos (1926, 1930-1931, 1945), Dance Suite (1923), Music for Strings, Percussion, and Celeste
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(1936), Divertimento (1939), Concerto for Orchestra (1945); chamber: six String Quartets (1908, 19151917, 1927, 1928, 1934, 1939), Sonata for Two Pianos and Percussion (1937), Contrasts for clarinet, violin, and piano (1938); piano: 14 Bagatelles (1908), Allegro barbaro (1911), Sonata (1926), Mikrokosmos (1926-1939); vocal: numerous folk song arrangements for various choral ensembles. Selected Composer Bibliography: Stevens, Halsey. The Life and Music of Bela Bartok, revised. New York: Oxford University Press, 1964. Demény, János, editor. Bela Bartok Letters, with a preface by Sir Michael Tippett, translated into English by Péter Balabán and István Farkas, revised by Elisabeth West and Colin Mason. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1971. The Hungarian edition was first published in 1948. Antokoletz, Elliott. The Music of Bela Bartok. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1984. ———. Bela Bartok: A Guide to Research, second edition. New York: Routledge, 1997.
Cantata Profana, op. 94 — A Kilenc csordaszarvas [The nine enchanted stags] (1930) Duration: ca. 18 minutes Text: The text taken from a Rumanian colinda, a Christmas folk song, was arranged and translated into Hungarian by Bartok. The study score from Universal Edition contains singing translations in English and German, but not the original Hungarian. Performing Forces: voices: two SATB choirs, soprano and baritone soloists; orchestra: 3 flutes (flute III doubling piccolo), 3 oboes, 3 clarinets in A (clarinet II doubling bass clarinet), 3 bassoons (bassoon II doubling contrabassoon), 4 horns in F, 2 trumpets in C, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion (2 players — snare drum, bass drum, cymbals, tam-tam), harp, and strings First Performance: 25 May 1934, London, Trefor Jones, tenor; Frank Phillips, baritone; BBC Symphony and Wireless Chorus, conducted by Aylmer Buesst Edition: Cantata Profana is published by Universal Edition and distributed in the United States through Boosey and Hawkes. The piano-vocal score (10614), choral parts (10615A-D), full score (10613), and miniature score (12760) are available for purchase; orchestral materials are available through rental. Autograph: The first edition is a facsimile of the composer’s manuscript. Notes: The score was completed in Budapest on 8 September 1930. While on a folk song collecting tour of Transylvania in April 1914, Bartok recorded two versions of a colinda, a Rumanian Christmas ballad. Each
of the songs had the same tune, but different words. They are included in his book on Rumanian Christmas Songs first published by Universal Edition in 1935 and reissued in an updated form by Editio Musica and Schott’s Söhne in 1968. Bartok sought to have the text translated into a Hungarian poem, which he would set to music. This was undertaken by Jósef Erdélyi with the result being published in the literary magazine Nyugat. Bartok was dissatisfied with Erdélyi’s version and wrote his own, which appears anonymously in the original score. Bartok did allow a recording to be made of him reading the text on Budapest radio. Performance Issues: There are two-part divisi within each of the choral parts, yielding a sixteen-part chorus in some sections. The choir must be aurally secure as the choral parts are harmonically outlined by the orchestra, but not in a conspicuous, nor direct fashion. The choral textures are also rather complex presenting many obstacles for creating a clear presentation of the text. There are brief SATB choral solos in the first movement. The score utilizes a number of nontraditional scales and folk modes, two of which (d-e-f#-g#a-b-c-d and d-e-f-g-a♭-b♭-c-d) help to shape the overall structure of the piece. The presence of two tritone relationships within each of these pitch sets creates a number of challenges for intonation, which will require particular attention in rehearsal. The individual instrumental parts are fairly conservatively written, presenting few technical challenges to the players. The difficulties presented in this score include numerous meter changes wherein the value of the pulse changes within tempi where the speed of the beat is awkwardly slow and the value of the subdivision awkwardly fast. There are also many subtle changes of tempo within each movement. Of greatest difficulty is the maintenance of soft dynamics and balance of parts within a large ensemble as about half of the score is marked piano or lower. Soloists: tenor - range: f#-c'', tessitura: d'-a', although not long, this is a very vocally demanding role because of its sustained persistence within a narrow band of the high range; baritone - range: A♭e', tessitura: c-c', this role requires a strong and clear voice. Choir: difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Réti, Faragó Budapest Symphony and Chorus; conducted by Ferencsik. Hungaroton: HCD-12759 [LP]. Lewis, Rothmüller; Hillis Ensemble; conducted by Süsskind. Bartok: 312 [LP]. John Aler, John Tomlinson; Chicago Symphony Chorus (Margaret Hillis, chorus-master), and Chicago Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Pierre Boulez, recorded in Orchestra Hall, Chicago, in December 1991. Deutsche Grammophon: D 101210 [DDD].
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Selected Bibliography: Somfai, Laszlo. Cantata Profana, preface to the score. Vienna: Universal Edition, 1937; reprint: New York: Boosey and Hawkes, 1955. Bartok, Bela. Cantata Profana. A Kilenc csodaszarvas. Budapest: Zenemükindó Vállalut, 1974. [This is a published facsimile of Bartok’s autograph of his essay on the text for this work. The essay is in Rumanian and includes the text in Hungarian.] Laszlo, F. “Megjegyzések a Cantata profana szövegéhez, Még egyszer a Cantata profana szövegévöl” [Notes on the text of Cantata Profana]. Müvelödés, 28/ 9: 11 (1975), 49. Breuer, J. “Kolinda-ritmika Bartók zezé jeben” [Colinda Rhythms in Bartok’s Music]. Zeneelmélet, stilus elemzés (Budapest, 1977), 84. Tallián, Tibor. “Die Cantata Profana: ein ‘Mythos des Übergangs.’” Studia Musicologica, 23 (1978): 135.
BEACH, H. H. A. (b. [Amy Marcy Cheney] Henniker, New Hampshire, 5 September 1867; d. New York, 27 December 1944) The daughter of a prominent New England family, she made her debut as a pianist in Boston at age 16. She began her composition career signing her works with her married name of Mrs. H. H. A. Beach. The premiere of her Grand Mass in E♭ (see below) marked the first time a work of a female composer was performed by the Handel and Haydn Society. Her Gaelic Symphony was premiered by the Boston Symphony in 1896, and in 1900 she appeared as soloist with that orchestra in the first performance of her Piano Concerto. Beach embarked on a concert tour of Europe where she was the first American woman to receive acclaim for compositions considered on the level of top-tier concert halls. Beach’s songs and piano music have seen a revival in recent decades. A number of her works for choir have been edited, often as graduate research projects, and published in high-quality performing editions. The remaining works remain available in piano-vocal editions in many choral libraries. There are substantial collections of manuscripts and archived published scores in the libraries of the University of New Hampshire (http://www.izaak.unh.edu/specoll/macoll/beach.htm #mus) and the University of Missouri at Kansas City (http://www. umkc.edu/lib/spec-col/amy-b. html) that would allow the precocious conductor to prepare materials for revival performances of a number of fine out-of-print compositions by Beach. Incomplete commentaries on those works appear at the end of her entries to provide a starting point for research in the hope
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
that her entire choral oeuvre may return to the performance repertoire. Teacher: Junius W. Hill Other Principal Works: Gaelic Symphony (1896), Violin Sonata (1896), Piano Concerto (1900), Piano Quintet (1908), String Quartet (1929), numerous choral works: see below. Selected Composer Bibliography: Tuthill, Burnet C. “Mrs. H. H. A. Beach.” The Musical Quarterly (1940), volume 26, number 3: 297-310. Merrill, E. Lindsey. Mrs. H.H.A. Beach: Her Life and Music. Eastman School of Music, dissertation, 1963. Eden, Myrna G. Energy and Individuality in the Art of Anna Huntingtin, Sculptor, and Amy Beach, Composer. Metuchen, NJ: Scarecrow Press, 1987. Reigles, B. Jean. The Choral Music of Amy Beach. Texas Tech University, dissertation, 1996. Block, Adrienne Fried. Amy Beach, Passionate Victorian: The Life and Work of an American composer, 1867-1944. New York: Oxford University Press, 1998.
Grand Mass in E♭ (1890) Duration: ca. 65 minutes Text: The text is from the Roman Catholic eucharistic liturgy. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets (B♭), 2 bassoons, 4 horns (F), 3 trumpets (F), 3 trombones (alto, tenor, and bass), timpani (2 drums), harp, organ, and strings First Performance: 18 February 1892; Boston; Handel and Haydn Society Editions: Full scores and parts for Grand Mass in E♭ are available from Edwin F. Kalmus (A8805). The pianovocal score was originally published in Boston in 1890 by Arthur P. Schmidt. This score is now available in reprint from Recital Publications in Huntsville, Texas. Notes: The Kalmus score, which is reproduced from manuscript in two different hands, indicates an intermission before the “Graduale.” This reproduction is quite legible with some odd changes of score order, but many labels of instruments are cut off. Most of this is self-evident, but determining solo quartet versus choir requires some divining. Also some pages of the “Graduale” are out of order in the full score. The page numbers are in correct sequence, but the measures are not. It should read pages 94, 96, 95, 97. Performance Issues: The choral writing combines homophonic and imitative writing. Virtually all of the choral parts are doubled by the orchestra. The vocal writing for the choir and the soloists is fairly athletic.
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A large choir is demanded to balance the orchestration. There is an a cappella section for the solo quartet in the “Sanctus.” Much of the solo material is interspersed with choral passages. Each soloist, with the exception of the bass, has an extended aria. The English horn solo in the “Qui tollis” movement is assigned its own line below the bassoons, but it can be navigated best by the oboe I player. There is a cello solo in the “Gloria” [63] that requires significant facility. The orchestral writing is fairly inconsistent. Some of the wind and violin passages are high for the spirit of the music. The individual parts are generally very difficult. The balancing of parts and harmonies may prove challenging in certain sections. The composer’s youth and orchestrational naïveté are evidenced by the haphazard use of the orchestra. It is clearly derivative of a number of scores she had studied. This aside, it is an attractive and effective piece despite its idiosyncracies, and deserves to remain in the repertory beyond the role of “poster child” for Victorian women’s compositions. Soloists: soprano - range: d'-b♭'', tessitura: f'-f'', this is a sustained and dramatic solo requiring a strong voice; alto - range: a-f#'', tessitura: d'-b♭', this is a lyric and sustained solo with a few high passages, it is best suited to a mezzo-soprano; tenor - range: e-a#', tessitura: f-f', this is a sustained solo that must be able to carry over the entire ensemble; bass - range: G♭-e♭', tessitura: c-c', this is the easiest of the solos with only occasionally exposed lyric passages. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Barbara Schramm, Daniel Beckwith, Paul Rogers; Michael May Festival Chorus; conducted by Michael May, recorded in 1989. Newport Classic: NCD 6008. This is a version transcribed for organ, harp, and percussion. Margot Law, Martha Remington, Ray Bauwens, Joel Schneider; Stow Festival Chorus; conducted by Barbara Jones, recorded 22 January 1995 in the Cathedral of St. Paul in Boston. Albany Records: Troy 179. Selected Bibliography:
The Sea-fairies, op. 59 (1904) Duration: ca. 15 minutes Text: The text is by Alfred Lord Tennyson. Performing Forces: voices: 2 soprano and one alto soloist; SSAA choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 clarinets (A), 2 horns (F), harp, and strings First Performance: February 1905; Philadelphia; Eurydice Chorus conducted by Walter Damrosch Editions: The original piano-vocal score of The Seafairies was published by A.P. Schmidt in 1904. A modern performing piano-vocal edition, prepared by Adrienne Fried Block in 1996, is available from Hildegard Publishing Company. A scholarly edition of the full score has been prepared by Andrew Thomas Kuster and was published by A-R Editions in 1999 as Recent Researches in American Music, volume 32. Autograph: The holograph full score is in the Spaulding Library of the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston (Vault ML96 B38 op. 59). The composer’s manuscript is in the Beach Archive in the Special Collection of the University of New Hampshire Library (box 5, f. 18). Notes: The Sea-fairies was commissioned by the Thursday Morning Musical Club of Boston. Performance Issues: The choir has significant unaccompanied passages in four parts. The choral writing is mostly homophonic, but has a number of extended melismas, which curiously exceed any melismatic writing for the soloists. The solos are appropriate for strong choristers. There are only a few places where a solo appears concurrently with the choir. The harp part is an integral element of the score. The wind and string parts are conservatively written. The scoring allows for effective performances using a solo string quintet and a small choir. There were performances during the composer’s lifetime with a choir of 12 singers. Soloists: soprano I - range: f#'-b'', tessitura: g'-f'', this is a sustained solo with some long phrases; soprano II range: e♭'-f'', tessitura: e♭'-e♭'', this is a simple solo; alto - range: g-e♭'', tessitura: c'-c'', this is a lyric solo; Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium easy.
Hale, Philip. “Amy Beach: A Review of Mass in E-flat,” Boston Evening Transcript (8 February 1892), 5. Reprinted in Source Readings in American Choral Music: Composers’ Writings, Interviews, and Reviews, edited by David P. DeVenney; Monographs and Bibliographies in American Music, number 15, 74-76. Missoula, MT: College Music Society, 1995.
Selected Discography: No commercial recording
Study of Its Style and Sources. Harvard College: Honors thesis (A.B.), 1997. Zerkle, Paula Ring. A Study of Amy Beach’s Grand Mass in E flat major, op. 5. Indiana University, dissertation, 1998.
Additional Works by Amy Beach
Ochs, Ruth Amelia. Amy Beach’s Mass in E♭, op. 5: A
Selected Bibliography: Kuster, Andrew Thomas. “Introduction” and “Critical Report” from Recent Researches in American Music, volume 32, Amy Beach: The Sea-Fairies, Opus 59. Madison, WI: A-R Editions, Inc., 1999. The following works are not yet available in modern performing editions.
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The Minstrel and the King: Rudolph von Hapsburg, op. 16 (1892) Duration: ca. 25 minutes Text: The text, in German and a singing English translation, is by Friedrich Schiller. Performing Forces: voices: tenor and baritone soloists; TTBB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, timpani, and strings. Editions: The piano-vocal score of The Minstrel and the King was originally published in Boston in 1894 by Arthur P. Schmidt. This score is now available in reprint from Recital Publications in Huntsville, Texas.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
first performed by an ensemble of approximately 300 singers. It is an effective and celebratory work that will be most successful with a large symphonic choir; Choir: medium easy. Discography: No commercial recording Selected Bibliography: Brittain, Randy Charles. Festival jubilate, op. 17 by Amy Cheney Beach (1867-1944): A Performing Edition. University of North Carolina at Greensboro, dissertation, 1994. This includes nine pages of bibliographic references. The score is published commercially by Hildegard, see above.
The Rose of Avon-town, op. 30 (1896)
Autograph: The autograph full score of The Minstrel and the King is in the Spalding Library of the New England Conservatory in Boston.
Text: The text is by Caroline Mischka.
Festival Jubilate, op. 17 (1891) Text: The text is the Psalm 100 in English.
Editions: The Rose of Avon-town was originally published in Boston by Arthur P. Schmidt. This piano-vocal score is now available in reprint from Recital Publications in Huntsville, Texas.
Performing Forces: voices: SATB choir; orchestra
The Chambered Nautilus, op. 66 (1907)
First Performance: 1 May 1893; World’s Columbian Exposition, in Chicago; Exposition Orchestra, choristers from William Tomlin’s Apollo Club of Chicago, conducted by Theodore Thomas.148
Text: The text is by Oliver Wendell Holmes.
Editions: The piano-vocal score was originally published in Boston in 1892 by Arthur P. Schmidt. This score is now available in reprint from Recital Publications in Huntsville, Texas. A modern performing edition, prepared by Randy C. Brittain, is available from Hildegard Publishing Company.
Autograph: The composer’s manuscript in the Beach Archive in the Special Collection of the University of Missouri at Kansas City Library (box 1, manuscript 9).
Autograph: The autograph full score of Festival Jubilate is in the Spalding Library of the New England Conservatory in Boston.
The Canticle of the Sun, op. 123 (1924)
Notes: This work was selected to be included in the opening ceremonies of the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1892, but was withdrawn by the Bureau of Music due to apparent gender prejudice. The work was performed for the dedication of the Woman’s Building at the same exposition.
Text: The text is by St. Francis of Assisi.
Performance Issues: The choral writing nicely balances passages of homophonic writing often including twopart divisi in all sections with extended passages in pervasive imitation. Some of the intervals of imitation (3rd and 6th) are cleverly incorporated. Many of the imitative procedures betray a keen familiarity with the choral works of Brahms. All of the choral material is well supported by the accompaniment. This work was
With orchestra: 13 May 1930; Toledo Choral Society; Chicago Symphony
Duration: ca. 12 minutes
148 Randy Brittain, from the introduction to the 1995 edition of the piano-vocal score.
Performing Forces: voices: soprano soloist, SSAA choir; orchestra
Performing Forces: voices: soprano and alto soloists, SSAA choir; orchestra
Editions: A modern performing piano-vocal edition, prepared by Adrienne Fried Block in 1994, is available from Hildegard Publishing Company.
Duration: ca. 22 minutes Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra First Performance: with organ: 8 December 1928; St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church, New York
Notes: “The origin of The Canticle of the Sun is interesting. In 1924, she went to the MacDowell Colony. Here, she came across the text of St. Francis of Assisi’s Canticle of the Sun. In a 1943 interview published in The Etude, she told this story. ‘I took it up and read it over - and the only way I can describe what
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
happened is that it jumped at me and struck me, most forcibly! As if from dictation, I jotted down the notes of my Canticle. In less than five days the entire work was done.’”149 Selected Discography: Capitol Hill Choral Society and Orchestra; conducted by Barbara Buchanan. It was released in July 1998. Albany Records: Troy 295.
would not have been as vocally taxing had he been able to hear rehearsals clearly are entirely specious. Beethoven’s challenging tessiture are the result of counterpoint, not disability. His choral works are vocally demanding, but the countless excellent performances of the Ninth Symphony and Missa Solemnis mitigate such discussions. Teachers: Johann Georg Albrechtsberger, Franz Joseph Haydn, Christian Gottlob Neefe, Antonio Salieri Students: Carl Czerny
BEETHOVEN, Ludwig van (b. Bonn, 15 or 16 December 1770; d. Vienna, 26 March 1827) Beethoven is not only one of the supreme geniuses of Western art music, but his is one of the best-documented lives of the nineteenth century. He left behind a significant collection of letters and what is possibly the richest repository of sketchbooks to survive any composer in history. Because of his deafness, we have many conversation books documenting half of the discussions he had with many of his visitors over the course of two decades. While he did not publish prose documents during his lifetime, many have been collected, annotated, and published. They provide a remarkable insight into one of the greatest creative lives in history. Born into a musical family—his grandfather and abusive father were both singers in the court in Bonn—he received his early training from his father who wished to exploit his precocious son in the model of Leopold Mozart. He attracted patronage from Count Waldstein when he was 16. He soon attracted the attention of Haydn whose composition lessons with Beethoven are reputed to have been exasperating for teacher and pupil. We do know that Haydn emphasized counterpoint in this tutelage, and that J.J. Fux’s Gradus ad Parnassum provided many of the exercises, which prepared him for study with Albrechtsberger and surely cultivated his future contrapuntally oriented compositional style. Beethoven enjoyed the Patronage of Prince Lichnowsky in Vienna, living in his home (17941796). In the following 30 years he lived in as many apartments in Vienna, producing numerous masterpieces and literally transforming every musical genre in which he worked. Beethoven’s deafness has been the subject of much discussion, as have his relationships with women, his politics, and his religious views. All of these had profound influences upon his works and his choices of texts for his vocal works. While it is true that working in his imagination he explored simultaneities a hearing composer might not have considered, arguments that his choral writing 149 From the Albany Records website promoting their recording of the work. No author was attributed.
Other Principal Works: opera: Fidelio (1804-1805); orchestral: Symphony No. 1 (1800), Symphony No. 2 (1801-1802), Symphony No. 3 (1803-1804), Symphony No. 4 (1806), Symphony No. 5 (1807-1808), Symphony No. 6 (1808), Symphony No. 7 (18111812), Symphony No. 8 (1812), Symphony No. 9 (1815-1818, 1822-1824), Violin Concerto (1806), Piano Concerto No. 1 (1795, 1800), Piano Concerto No. 2 (1795), Piano Concerto No. 3 (1800?), Piano Concerto No. 4 (1805-1806), Piano Concerto No. 5 (1809), Triple Concerto (1803-1804), Die Geschöpfe des Prometheus (1800-1801), Coriolan Overture (1807), Leonora Overture No. 1 (1806-1807), Leonora Overture No. 2 (1804-1805), Leonora Overture No. 3 (18051806), Egmont (1809-1810), Die Ruinen von Athen (1811), König Stephan (1811), Die Weihe des Hauses (1822); chamber music: 32 pianos sonatas, 3 piano quartets, numerous variations for piano, 16 string quartets, Die Grosse Fugue; songs: Adelaide (17941795), An die Hoffnung (1811), An die ferne Geliebte (1815-1816), etc., and numerous folksong arrangements. Selected Composer Bibliography: Beethoven, Ludwig van. The Letters of Beethoven, translated and edited by Emily Anderson. London: Macmillan, 1961. MacArdle, Donald. An Index to Beethoven’s Conversation Books. Detroit: Information Service, 1962. Thayer, Alexander Wheelock. Thayer’s Life of Beethoven, revised and edited by Elliot Forbes, second edition. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1967. Cooper, Martin. Beethoven: The Last Decade 18171827. London: Oxford University Press, 1970. The Beethoven Companion, edited by Thomas K. Sherman and Louis Biancolli. Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1972. Solomon, Maynard. Beethoven. New York: W. W. Norton, 1977. Kerman, Joseph, and Alan Tyson. The New Grove Beethoven. New York: W. W. Norton, 1983. Johnson, Douglas, Alan Tyson, and Robert Winter. The Beethoven Sketchbooks. Berkley: University of California Press, 1985.
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Mellers, Wilfrid. Beethoven and the Voice of God. London: Oxford University Press, 1985. Dahlhaus, Carl. Ludwig van Beethoven und seine Zeit. Laaber: Laaber-Verlag, 1987. Beethoven and His World, edited by Scott Burnham and Michael P. Steinberg. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2000. Fuchs, Ingrid. Ludwig van Beethoven: Die Musikautographe in öffentlichen Wiener Sammlungen. Tutzing, Germany: Hans Schneider, 2004.
Christus am Oelberge, op. 85 (1803) Duration: ca. 54 minutes Text: The text is by Franz Xavier Huber. Performing Forces: voices: soprano (Seraph), tenor (Jesus), and bass (Peter) soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 clarinets (A, B♭, and C), 2 bassoons, 2 horns (B♭, C, D, E♭, and G), 2 trumpets (C, D, and E♭), 3 trombones (alto, tenor, and bass), timpani (2 drums), and strings First Performance: 5 April 1803, Theater an der Wien, Vienna150 Editions: Full scores and parts for Christus am Oelberge were published in a critical edition, Ludwig van Beethoven’s Werke: Vollständige kritisch durchgesehene überall berichtige Ausgabe, series 19, by Breitkopf and Härtel. It is also available for purchase in other editions from: Breitkopf and Härtel, H. W. Gray, and Kalmus. Autograph: The full score is in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. There are manuscript studies for this work in the Wielhorsky Sketch book, which is in the Beethoven-Haus in Bonn Germany (HCB Mh 69). Notes: In 1803, Beethoven assumed a post at the Theater an der Wien, which put an orchestra and choir at his disposal. This work was his first appearance in Vienna as a composer of dramatic vocal works.151 The score was first published in Leipzig in 1811. Performance Issues: The choral writing is generally syllabic and well reinforced by the orchestra. Although in homophonic passages there is little direct doubling of parts, fugal sections are clearly doubled throughout by the instruments. The choral parts are quite sustained and have fairly high tessiture. In movement 5, the “Choir of Youths” is in two parts with a tenor clef; however, the tessitura suggests that altos should be used for the upper part. In movement 6, the orchestra has double-dotted figures concurrent with single-dotted choral parts. This should be reconciled 150 This concert included a performance of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 2 and C minor Piano Concerto with the composer as soloist.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
in favor of the double-dotted rhythm. There are exposed passages for all of the instruments, including prominent melodic passages for all of the winds; however, the string parts are particularly difficult, including rapid figurations and some challenging synchopations. This is a rhythmically complex score with many passages that will require care to integrate the parts. The choral material is all quite accessible, and scored to accommodate less secure choral ensembles. This is a good work for larger choirs of moderate skill when paired with a strong orchestra. The tenor soloist has the largest role, but the soprano part demands a highly skilled singer with flexibility at the top of the range. Soloists: soprano - range: e'-d''' (e'''), tessitura: g'-a'', this is a difficult lyric solo with some ornate coloratura figures and very long phrases; tenor range: d-a♭', tessitura: f-g', this is a declamatory and lyric role with some broad melodic leaps; bass - range: B♭-e♭', tessitura: c-c', this is a declamatory and simple solo role. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: difficult. Selected Discography: Erna Spoorenberg, Fritz Wunderlich, Hermann Schey; Groot Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Henk Spruit, recorded in 1957. Re-released on CD by Bella Voce. Cristina Deutekom, Nicolai Gedda, Hans Sotin; Philharmonic Chor der Stadt Bonn, Chor des Theaters der Stadt Bonn; Orchester der Beethoven-Halle; conducted by Volker Wangenheim, recorded in 1970 for the Beethoven centennial. Re-released on CD as EMI Classics: 7243 85687. Maria Venuti, Keith Lewis, Michael Brodard; Gächinger Kantorei Stuttgart; Stuttgart Bach Collegium; conducted by Helmut Rilling, recorded in 1993 in Hegelsaal, Stuttgart. Hänssler Classics: 98422. Rereleased on Brilliant Classics: 92825. Luba Orgonasova, Placido Domingo, Andreas Schmidt; Rundfunkchor Berlin; Deutsches SymphonieOrchester Berlin; conducted by Kent Nagano, released in 2004. Harmonia Mundi: HMC 901802. Selected Bibliography: Upton, George. The Standard Oratorios, 53-59. Chicago: A. C. McClurg and Company, 1893. Tyson, Alan. “The 1803 Version of Beethoven’s Christus am Oelberge.” In Musical Quarterly (1970), volume 56: 551-584. Weinstock, Herbert. “Christus am Ölberge.” In The Beethoven Companion, edited by Thomas K. Sherman and Louis Biancolli, 775-778. Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1972.
151 Kerman, Joseph, and Alan Tyson, The New Grove Beethoven, 36 (New York: W. W. Norton, 1983).
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Smither, Howard E. A History of the Oratorio, volume 3, 513-535. Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press, 1987. Berger, Melvin. Guide to Choral Masterpieces: A Listener’s Guide, 41-42. New York: Anchor Books, 1993.
Mass in C, op. 86 (1807) Duration: ca. 47 minutes Text: The text is from the Roman Catholic eucharistic liturgy. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets (C), 2 bassoons, 2 horns (C), 2 trumpets (C), timpani (2 drums), organ, and strings First Performance: 13 September 1807; Eisenstadt Palace Editions: Full scores and parts for Mass were published in a critical edition, Ludwig van Beethoven’s Werke: Vollständige kritisch durchgesehene überall berichtige Ausgabe, series 21, by Breitkopf and Härtel. It is also available for purchase in other editions from: Breitkopf and Härtel, H. W. Gray, C. F. Peters, and Kalmus. Autograph: The composer’s manuscript of the Kyrie and Gloria are in the Beethoven-Haus in Bonn. Notes: This mass was commissioned by Prince Nikolaus Esterhazy, Haydn’s final patron, for the Name Day of his wife, Princess Maria von Lichtenstein. The score bears a dedication to Prince Ferdinand Kinsky. It was first published in Leipzig in 1812.
Although the score is functional without the organ, it should be used if at all possible. There are rapid melismatic passages for all of the soloists. This is a remarkably beautiful and expressive score requiring a skilled choir and expert orchestra. The vocal writing is more idiomatic than most of Beethoven’s other concerted choral works. This mass is woefully underperformed, perhaps having been eclipsed by the Missa Solemnis. It is most deserving of greater attention from good ensembles. Soloists: soprano - range: e'-a♭'', tessitura: g'-f'', this is a lyric solo with some sustained singing; alto - range: d'-e'', tessitura: f#'-c#'', this is a declamatory solo best suited to a mezzo-soprano; tenor - range: e-g', tessitura: a-f', this is a very sustained and lyric role; bass - range: (F) G-d', tessitura: B♭-c', this is a declamatory solo role for whom the lowest indicated pitch is exposed. Choir: difficult; Orchestra: difficult. Selected Discography: Elly Ameling, Janet Baker, Theo Altmeyer, Marius Rintzler; New Philharmonia Chorus and Orchestra; conducted by Carlo Maria Giulini. Re-released on Brilliant Classics: 92825. Henriette Schellenberg, Marietta Simpson, Jon Humphrey, Myron Meyers; Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Robert Shaw, recorded 6-7 November 1989 in Symphony Hall, Atlanta. Telarc: CD80248. Charlotte Margiono, Catherine Robbin, William Kendall, Alastair Miles; The Monteverdi Choir, Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique; conducted by John Eliot Gardiner, recorded in 1992. Deutsche Grammophone: D 101485.
Performance Issues: The choral parts are texturally complex, incorporating homophonic, fugal, and freely contrapuntal passages. Some of these passages include rapid ensemble melismas. Much of the choral material is clearly supported by the orchestra, but this is harmonically more evident than it is rhythmically. The choir must be quite independent in its parts as the accompanimental reinforcement is sometimes subtle. Some of the choral soprano and alto parts sit high in the voice, and there are considerable sustained passages for the entire choir. The score features dramatic dynamic contrasts and melodic leaps for the singers. In fact the choristers have more vocally demanding parts than the soloists. Most of the solo work is in a quartet context. The scoring and treatment of the orchestra and choir suggest the use of a large choral ensemble and a full complement of strings. There are demanding passages for all of the instruments with particular technical challenges in the strings. The organ is a continuo part, which includes figures.
Selected Bibliography:
152 There is a two-note divisi in the solo alto passage, which is not
153 Some editions label the chorus as SSATTB; however, the only
labeled as an “ossia,” but there are no other indications for two voices.
divisi of the soprano and tenor parts occur in passages labeled “solo.”
Pahlen, Kurt. The World of the Oratorio, translated by Judith Schaefer with additional English-language material by Thurston Dox, 48-49. Portland, OR: Amadeus Press, 1990. Berger, Melvin. Guide to Choral Masterpieces: A Listener’s Guide, 42-44. New York: Anchor Books, 1993.
Fantasia in C minor for Piano, Chorus, and Orchestra, op. 80 (1808) Duration: ca. 19 minutes Text: The author of the text is unknown, but some sources, including Carl Czerny, attribute it to Christoph Kuffner. Performing Forces: voices: 2 soprano, alto,152 2 tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir;153 orchestra: 2 flutes,
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2 oboes, 2 clarinets (C, A), 2 bassoons, 2 horns (C, F), 2 trumpets (C), timpani (2 drums), strings, and solo piano First Performance: 22 December 1808; Theater an der Wien; Beethoven as piano soloist Editions: Full scores and parts for Fantasia were published in a critical edition, Ludwig van Beethoven’s Werke: Vollständige kritisch durchgesehene überall berichtige Ausgabe, series 9, by Breitkopf and Härtel in the nineteenth century. The full score is reprinted by Dover. It is also available for purchase in other editions from: Breitkopf and Härtel, H. W. Gray, G. Schirmer, and Kalmus. Autograph: The composer’s manuscript of the vocal score is in the Beethoven-Haus in Bonn. Notes: The Choral Fantasy is dedicated to Maximilian Joseph, King of Bavaria. This work was composed to serve as a finale to the concert upon which it was premiered, which also included the first performances of the fith and sixth symphonies, the Vienna premiere of the fourth piano concerto, and portions of the Mass in C and the scene and aria “Ah! Perfido.” At the premiere, which was clearly overprogrammed, and apparently under rehearsed, Beethoven improvised the opening piano solos. The final piano part was written out in 1809, and the score was first published in London in 1810 and Leipzig in 1811. Performance Issues: The choral writing is virtually all homophonic. The choral parts are well supported by the accompaniment, and none of them is vocally demanding. The tessitura of the choral soprano part is fairly high and narrow, but not nearly as challenging as Beethoven’s other choral works. The choral material is also fairly concise and should be quickly and easily learned by most choirs. The piano part requires a skilled soloist, but the remaining orchestral parts are all quite easy. This is an excellent work for youth orchestras wishing to combine with amateur choirs if an able pianist is available. The opening portion of the solo vocal portion contains the divisi. The singers assigned to soprano I and tenor I should be those utilized for the pure quartet passages that follow. While all of the solo parts are well within the abilities of good choristers, the soprano II and tenor II solos should logically be assigned to choristers even if a true solo quartet is used. All of the solo material is written as trio and quartet textures. Soloists: soprano I - range: a'-a'', tessitura: b'-g'', this is a simple declamatory solo; soprano II - range: g'-c'', tessitura: g'-c'', this is a simple ensemble solo; alto - range: g-c'', tessitura: c'-c'', this is a simple declamatory solo; tenor I - range: a-f', tessitura: af', this is a simple declamatory solo; tenor II - range: e-c', tessitura: g-c', this is a simple ensemble solo; bass 154 The piccolo part is presented as a discrete line; however, it never appears concurrently with the flute II.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
- range: G-c', tessitura: c-c', this is a simple declamatory solo. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Sviatoslav Richter, piano; Russian State Academy Chorus; conducted by Kurt Sanderling, recorded between 1948 and 1952. Re-released as a CD as Urania: SP4219. Daniel Barenboim, piano; John Alldis Choir; New Philharmonia Orchestra; conducted by Otto Klemperer. Re-released on CD as EMI: 0077776336922. Maurizio Pollini, piano; Vienna State Opera Chorus; Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra; conducted by Claudio Abbado. Deutsche Grammophon: 469549-2. Alfred Brendel Piano; London Philharmonic Choir and Orchestra; conducted by Bernard Haitink. Philips: 434148-2. Aldo Ciccolini, piano; I Pomeriggi Musicali; conducted by Aldo Ceccato. Frame: FR0137-2. Chor der Deutschen Staatsoper; Berlin Philharmonic; Daniel Barenboim as pianist and conductor. EMI Classics: 0724355551627. Also released as a DVD. Hélène Grimaud, piano; Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra and Choir; conducted by Esa-Pekka Salonen. Deutsche Grammophon: 471769-2. Yefim Bronfman, piano; Schweizer Kammerchor; Tonhalle Orchestra; conducted by David Zinman. Arte Nova: 82876825852. Selected Bibliography: Pahlen, Kurt. The World of the Oratorio, translated by Judith Schaefer with additional English-language material by Thurston Dox, 46-48. Portland, OR: Amadeus Press, 1990. Berger, Melvin. Guide to Choral Masterpieces: A Listener’s Guide, 38-40. New York: Anchor Books, 1993.
Die Ruinen von Athen [The Ruins of Athens], op. 113 (1811) Duration: ca. 40 minutes Text: The text is by August von Kotzebue. Performing Forces: voices: soprano and 2 bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes (flute II doubling piccolo),154 2 oboes, 2 clarinets (C, B♭), 2 bassoons, 4 horns (C, D, E♭, G, B♭), 2 trumpets (C, B♭, D, E♭), 3 trombones (alto, tenor, and bass), timpani (2 drums), percussion (3 players — triangle, cymbals, and bass drum), and strings First Performance: 10 February 1812, Pest (now Budapest)
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Editions: Full scores and parts for Die Ruinen von Athen were published in a critical edition, Ludwig van Beethoven’s Werke: Vollständige kritisch durchgesehene überall berichtige Ausgabe, series 20, by Breitkopf and Härtel. Selections are also available for purchase in other editions from: Breitkopf and Härtel and Kalmus. Autograph: The composer’s manuscript is in the Deutsches Staatsbibliothek in Berlin.
Selected Bibliography: Upton, George P. The Standard Cantatas, seventh edition, 49-52. Chicago: A. C. McClurg and Company, 1899.
König Stephan [King Stephen], op. 117 (1811) Duration: ca. 37 minutes
Notes: During the summer of 1811, Beethoven composed incidental music for two plays by Kotzebue, Die Ruinen von Athen and König Stephan, which had been written for the opening of a new theater in Pest. The overture was first published in 1823, but the complete score did not appear until 1846. The publisher dedicated this edition to Kaiser Wilhelm IV of Prussia.
Text: The text is by August von Kotzebue.
Performance Issues: The score includes indications for the choir to be “invisible” relevant to a staged production. There are also dialogues between some of the movements, which could be effective in a concert settting if presented in the language of the audience. The choral writing is declamatory and generally scalar or triadic. The vocal material is well supported by the orchestra and includes brief a cappella passages. There are two passages with peculiar part crossings between the sopranos and altos in the final movement that appear to be for dramatic effect, but reversing these may be advised. The choral parts are vocally reasonable and musically very accessible. There are important exposed solo passages for the flute I, oboe I, and bassoon I. The remaining instrumental parts are all quite practical. The critical edition includes an appendix version of movement 6 for concert use, which includes no overlay of spoken text and uses a traditional seated orchestra. In movement 6, the score calls for a full section of winds to be “off-stage” alternating with a matching group “in the orchestra.” The “Greek man and woman” appear only in the duet of movement 2. Soloists: soprano (a Greek woman) - range: f'-a'', tessitura: f'-f'', this is a simple lyric solo appropriate for a chorister; bass (high priest) - range: C-e', tessitura: Gc', this is a declamatory solo requiring projection throughout the range, there are ossias provided for the lowest passage; bass (a Greek man) - range: d-d', tessitura: d-a, this is a simple lyric solo appropriate for a chorister. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium difficult.
First Performance: 10 February 1812, Pest (now Budapest)
Selected Discography: Berlin Philharmonic; conducted by Bernhard Klee. Volume 3 of the Complete Beethoven Edition, Orchestral Works: Music for the Stage. Deutsche Grammophon: 418829.
Performing Forces: voices: SATB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets (C, A, B♭), 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 4 horns (C, D, E♭, G, B♭), 2 trumpets (C, E♭), 3 trombones (alto, tenor, and bass), timpani (2 drums), and strings
Editions: Full scores and parts for König Stephan were published in a critical edition, Ludwig van Beethoven’s Werke: Vollständige kritisch durchgesehene überall berichtige Ausgabe, series 20, by Breitkopf and Härtel. Autograph: The composer’s manuscript is in the Deutsches Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: During the summer of 1811, Beethoven composed incidental music for two plays by Kotzebue, Die Ruinen von Athen and König Stephan, which had been written for the opening of a new theater in Pest. The overture was first published in 1826, but the complete score did not appear until it was published in the first collected works by Breitkopf and Härtel. Performance Issues: There are four-part divisi for the tenors. The choral writing is declamatory and generally homophonic. It is well conceived for the voices and presents few vocal challenges. The vocal material is well supported by the orchestra. There is intricate passagework in all of the principal wind parts. The score includes dialogue between most of the movements, which should be in the language of the audience, if used. The melodramas are very brief. The orchestral writing is energetic and may provide some challenges for balance within the orchestra, particularly in the final movement. This is a rarely performed work that is well within the abilities of any large choral society. The orchestral accompaniment should be playable by a reasonable pickup ensemble. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Ulrike Jackwerth, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau; Roma Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia; conducted by Myung-Whun Chung. Deutsche Grammophon 431778.
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Selected Bibliography: Kaleva, Daniela. “Beethoven and Melodrama.” In Musicology Australia (2000) 23:1, 49-75.
Der glorreiche Augenblick [“The Gloriaus Moment”], op. 136 (1814) Duration: ca. 34 minutes Text: The text is by Alois Weissenbach, a deaf surgeon and admirer of Beethoven from Salzburg, whom Beethoven met in Vienna while Weissenbach was there to attend the festivities surrounding the Congress of Vienna. This new friendship led them to collaborate on this work.155 Performing Forces: voices: 2 sopranos,156 tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; SA children’s choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets in B♭ and A, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 4 horns (C, D, F, G, A), 2 trumpets (C, D, F), 3 trombones (alto, tenor, and bass), percussion (3 players — triangle, bass drum, and cymbals), timpani, and strings First Performance: 29 November 1814; Vienna Editions: Full scores and parts for Der glorreiche Augenblick were published in a critical edition, Ludwig van Beethoven’s Werke: Vollständige kritisch durchgesehene überall berichtige Ausgabe, series 21, by Breitkopf and Härtel. Autograph: The composer’s manuscript is in the Deutsches Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: This work was composed for the Congress of Vienna in 1814 using the Weissenbach text. It was published in Vienna in 1837 with the new text, “Preis der Tonkunst,” by Friedrich Rochlitz. 157 Most sources agree that the text is the cause for this work falling out of the repertoire. Other figures have also attempted to revive the piece with new lyrics, but none has been particularly successful. Each of the soloists portrays an allegorical figure. Performance Issues: Most listings of the performing forces of this work do not include the children’s choir, but the final movement divides the choral forces into three groups: women’s choir, children’s choir, and men’s choir. There are occasional divisi for the choir. Most of the choral material is clearly doubled by the orchestra. There are dramatic alternations of dynamics, but the overall effect of the choir is bombastic. A large choral component is desirable. Some of the soprano material stays in the upper range, but not as mercilessly as in some other more-performed works of
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Beethoven. There are a few unaccompanied passages that are fairly static and clearly prepared. The choral parts are principally syllabic and homophonic with some contrapuntal writing that is less conspicuously doubled by the accompaniment. The orchestral parts are well conceived for the respective instruments, but many have challenging passagework, and some of the integration of parts, particularly in movement 5, will require attentive rehearsal. Rhythmic clarity in the strings may present challenges as well. There is an exposed and challenging violin solo throughout movement 4. There is another solo for cello in movement 2 that is exposed, but significantly shorter. The timpanist can be used as one of the percussionists as these parts are not concurrent. Soloists: soprano I (Vienna) - range: c#'-c''', tessitura: a'-a'', this is a lyric solo with some sustained high singing; soprano II (Seherinn) range: e'-a'' (b'' optional), tessitura: a'-f#'', this is a lyric solo with some declamatory passages; tenor (Genius) - range: db-g#', tessitura: f#-f#', this is a lyric solo with some broad melodic leaps; bass (Führer des Volkes) range: A-e', tessitura: d-d', this is an articulate and declamatory role. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: difficult. Selected Discography: Deborah Voigt, Elizabeth Futral, Collegiate Chorale; Orchestra of St. Luke’s; conducted by Robert Bass. Koch Classics: 7377. Luba Orgonasova, Iris Vermillion, Vincenzo Bolognese, Timothy Robinson, Franz Hamlata; Roma Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia; conducted by Myung-Whun Chung. Deutsche Grammophon: 453798. Selected Bibliography: Schünemann, G. “Beethovens Skizzen zur Kantate ‘Der glorreiche Augenblick.’” In Die Musik (1909-1910), volume 9: 22, 93. Pahlen, Kurt. The World of the Oratorio, translated by Judith Schaefer with additional English-language material by Thurston Dox, 50-51. Portland, OR: Amadeus Press, 1990.
Meerestille und glückliche Fahrt [“Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage”], op. 112 (1814-1815) Duration: ca. 7-8 minutes Text: The text is by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, to whom Beethoven dedicated the score.
155 Kerman, Joseph, and Alan Tyson, The New Grove Beethoven,
157 As stated in the works list of The New Grove Beethoven; how-
61 (New York: W. W. Norton, 1983). 156 This is often listed as a soprano and an alto part, but Beethoven
ever, Kurt Pahlen states that it was Ludwig Rellstab.
used soprano clef for each, and the ranges are virtually identical.
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Performing Forces: voices: SATB choir;158 orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets in A, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 4 horns (D, G), 2 trumpets (D), timpani (2 drums), and strings First Performance: 25 December 1815; Akademie zum Besten des Bürgerspitalfonds, Vienna Editions: Full scores and parts for Meerestille und glückliche Fahrt were published in a critical edition, Ludwig van Beethoven’s Werke: Vollständige kritisch durchgesehene überall berichtige Ausgabe, series 21, by Breitkopf and Härtel. It is also available for purchase in other editions from: Breitkopf and Härtel and Kalmus.
program notes for the New York Philharmonic in 1966]. Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1972.
Missa Solemnis, op. 123 (1819-1823) Duration: ca. 81 minutes Text: The text is from the Roman Catholic eucharistic liturgy. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets (A, C, B♭), 2 bassoons, contrabas-
Autograph: The location of the manuscript is unknown.
soon, 4 horns (D, E♭, B♭ basso, E, G), 2 trumpets (D, B♭, C), 3 trombones (alto, tenor, and bass), timpani, organ, and strings
Notes: The score was first published in Vienna in 1822. It is divided into two sections, the former sustained and reserved, the latter quick, articulate, and joyful.
First Performance: 6 April 1824; St. Petersburg, Russia, in a benefit concert sponsored by Prince Nikolaus von Galitzin.159
Performance Issues: The choral writing is sustained and requires significant control in the first half of the work. The second half presents some passages that will require significant attention, as they become tongue twisters at performance tempo. The orchestral material is very idiomatic. There is some challenging passagework for the strings, and much of the horn material is exposed and set fairly high. This is a brief and effective work that serves best as a concert opener. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult.
May 1824; Vienna; three movements were performed on the same program as the premiere of the Ninth Symphony.
Selected Discography: Vienna State Opera Chorus; Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra; conducted by Claudio Abbado. Deutsche Grammophon: 469549-2. Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Robert Shaw, recorded 7-8 May 1990 in Symphony Hall, Atlanta. Telarc: CD-80248. The Monteverdi Choir, Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique; conducted by John Eliot Gardiner. Recorded in 1992. Deutsche Grammophone: D 101485. Schweizer Kammerchor; Tonhalle Orchestra; conducted by David Zinman. Arte Nova: 82876825852. Selected Bibliography: Tovey, Francis. “Beethoven: Cantata, ‘Becalmed Sea and Prosperous Voyage,’ Op. 112 (Dedicated to Goethe).” In Essays in Musical Analysis, volume 5, 193194. London: Oxford University Press, 1937. Downes, Edward. “Meerestille und Glückliche Fahrt.” In The Beethoven Companion, edited by Thomas K. Sherman and Louis Biancolli, 960-961 [originally
158 Some sources indicate a solo quartet, but this is misleading as there are only occasional brief passages within the choral material for which the composer indicates a solo voice. These should be assigned to member of the choir.
Editions: Full scores and parts for Missa Solemnis were published in a critical edition, Ludwig van Beethoven’s Werke: Vollständige kritisch durchgesehene überall berichtige Ausgabe, series 21, by Breitkopf and Härtel. It is also available for purchase in other editions from: Breitkopf and Härtel, C. F. Peters, G. Schirmer, and Kalmus. Eulenburg published a miniature score edited by Willy Hess (1964) from the original manuscript source materials. A facsimile of the autograph score of the first movement is published as Ludwig van Beethoven: Missa Solemnis, op. 123 (Tutzing: Schneider, 1965). An accompanying booklet was written by Wilhelm Virneisel [see below]. Sketch materials are published as: Ludwig van Beethoven: Drei Skizzenbücher zur Missa Solemnis, facsimile and transcription with commentary by Joseph Schmidt-Görg in two volumes. Bonn: Beethovenhaus, 1970-1972. Ludwig van Beethoven: Ein Skizzenbuchr zu den Diabelli-Variationen und zur Missa Solemnis, facsimile and transcription with commentary by Joseph Schmidt-Görg in six volumes. Bonn: Beethovenhaus, 1952-1970. Autograph: The composer’s manuscript is in the Deutsches Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: Beethoven had intended this work for the enthronement of Archduke Rudoph, to whom the score 159 Kurt Pahlen uses this date and 26 March, which may be a reflection in the disparity between eastern and western European calendars at that time, but this is not clarified. Other sources also indicate 6 April.
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is dedicated; however, the score was completed well after the fact. Rudoph had been a pupil of Beethoven’s. Performance Issues: This is a remarkable work in its breadth of expressive gestures and colorful orchestration. It is an exceptionally demanding work for the choir and orchestra alike. The choral parts have considerably sustained passages at times on static pitches at the top of their respective ranges. This is a work well suited to a large opera chorus, as it demands athletic and articulate singing and control of a broad dynamic palette at extremes of range. It will present endurance concerns for most choirs. The choral alto part has an unusually high tessitura. There are many noteworthy contrapuntal sections for the singers. All of these passages are clearly supported by the orchestra. All of the orchestral parts are demanding, but idiomatic. There are significant unison passages that may present pitch issues between instrumental families. Likewise, the virtuosity of the string writing will present some ensemble issues for the strings. The wind parts are sometimes densely orchestrated; at these points particular attention will need to be directed toward balance. There is a difficult and exposed violin solo throughout the “Benedictus.” The sostenuto passages and wind and brass writing necessitate the use of a large string section and large choir. Thoughtful planning is needed for the registrations of the organ part. The composer has provided a bare minimum of annotations in the organ part. Many performances use the organ to punctuate specific passages in the score through changes in registration. The composer provides no assistance in these decisions, and great consideration should be made about whether there is musical justification for these traditions. Soloists: soprano - range: e♭'-b'' (there is one optional c'''), tessitura: b'-g'', this is a sustained and dramatic role requiring a powerful voice; alto range: b♭-e'', tessitura: f'-d'', this is a true mezzosoprano part with several exposed passages at the upper range; tenor - range: c-a', tessitura: g-g', this role remains within a narrow pitch compass most of the time, it does require some very sustained singing; bass - range: F-e', tessitura: c-c', this is a dramatic role requiring clarity at the bottom of the range. Choir: very difficult; Orchestra: very difficult. Selected Discography: Heather Harper, Janet Baker, Robert Tear, Hans Sotin; London Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Carol Maria Giulini, recorded 10 May 1975 in Kingsway Hall, London. EMI Classics. Re-released on Brilliant Classics: 92825. Lella Cuberli, Trudeliese Schmidt, Vinson Cole, José van Dam; Wiener Singverein, Berlin Philharmonic; 160 David Daniels, Daniels’ Orchestral Music, fifth edition (Lanham, MD: Roman & Littlefield, 2015).
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
conducted by Herbert von Karajan (recorded in September 1985). Deutsche Grammophon: 419 166-1/2/4. Selected Bibliography: Tovey, Francis. “Beethoven: Missa Solemnis, Op. 123.” In Essays in Musical Analysis, volume 5: 161-184. London: Oxford University Press, 1937. Adorno, Bruno. “Verfremdes Hauptwerk: zur Missa Solemnis” (1959), in Moments musicaux. Frankfurt am Main: Suhrkamp, 1964. Published in English as “Alienated Masterpiece: the Missa Solemnis,” translated by Duncan Smith, Telos, volume 28 (1976), 113-124. Virneisel, Wilhelm. “Zur Handschrift der Missa Solemnis von Beethoven” Österreichische Musikzeitschrift, volume 21 (1966): 261-268. Kirkendale, Warren. “New Roads to Old Ideas in Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis.” The Musical Quarterly, volume 56 (1970): 665-701. Lester, Joel. “Revisions in the Autograph of the Missa Solemnis Kyrie.” Journal of the American Musicological Society, volume 23 (1970): 420-238. Fiske, Roger. Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis. London: Elek, 1979. Ohl, John F. “Beethoven: Missa Solemnis.” In The Choral Journal (February 1981): 9-17. Winter, Robert. “Reconstructing Riddles: The Sources for Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis.” Beethoven Essays: Studies in Honor of Elliot Forbes, edited by Lewis Lockwood and Phyllis Benjamin, 217-250. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1984. Kinderman, William. “Beethoven’s Symbol for the Deity in the Missa Solemnis and the Ninth Symphony.” 19th-Century Music, volume 9 (1985-1986): 102-118. Pahlen, Kurt. The World of the Oratorio, translated by Judith Schaefer with additional English-language material by Thurston Dox, 51-55. Portland, OR: Amadeus Press, 1990. Drabkin, William. “The Agnus Dei of Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis: The Growth of Its Form.” Beethoven Studies, edited by William Kindermann. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1991. ———. Beethoven: Missa Solemnis [from the series, Cambridge Music Handbooks]. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1991. Berger, Melvin. Guide to Choral Masterpieces: A Listener’s Guide, 44-47. New York: Anchor Books, 1993. Del Mar, Norman. Conducting Beethoven: Volume II — Overtures, Concertos, Missa Solemnis, 139-173. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1993.
Symphony No. 9, op. 125 (1824) Duration: ca. 65 minutes160
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Text: The text is “An die Freude” by Friedrich von Schiller excerpted and edited by the composer. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: piccolo, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets (B♭, C), 2 bassoons, contra-
bassoon, 4 horns (B♭ basso, D, E♭, B♭), 2 trumpets (B♭, D), 3 trombones, timpani, percussion (2 or 3 players: triangle, cymbals, bass drum), and strings
First Performance: 7 May 1824; Hoftheater, Vienna; soloists: Henriette Sontag, Caroline Unger, Anton Haitzinger, Joseph Seipelt Editions: Full scores and parts for Symphony No. 9 were published in a critical edition, Ludwig van Beethoven’s Werke: Vollständige kritisch durchgesehene überall berichtige Ausgabe, series 1, by Breitkopf and Härtel. It is also available for purchase in other editions from: Breitkopf and Härtel and Kalmus. Autograph: The composer’s manuscript is in the Deutsches Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: The score, which was first published in Mainz in 1826, is dedicated to Friedrich Wilhelm III of Prussia. The principal tune of the finale, often referred to as the “Ode to Joy” theme, was explored in WoO 118, no. 1, “Seufzer eines Ungeliebten” (1794-1795), and op. 80, the Choral Fantasy (1808). The structure of the final movement has been the subject of much speculation, and arguments in support of traditional musical forms are far from convincing. One scenario that this author has comfortably embraced is a dramatic narrative in which the composer comes to terms with his frustration about the expressive limitations of music without text. In the introduction of this movement, the orchestra reviews each of the major themes of the previous movements followed by a discordant expression of frustration. The doublebasses and cellos introduce a new theme, which is taken up by the rest of the instruments with great optimisim only to be cut off by the same frustrated cry. At this point, the bass soloist stands and sings the composer’s words, “O friends, not these sounds! Let’s strike up more pleasing and joyful ones.” This leads into the Schiller text using the tune previously introduced by the lower strings. Performance Issues: This is one of the true monuments of Western art music. Although this work is competently performed by regional ensembles with great frequency, the challenges in mounting a truly good performance should not be underestimated. The range of expressive gestures and colors requires a disciplined and mature ensemble. The choral parts are musically quite accessible and clearly supported by the orchestra; however, they are vocally difficult. All parts have extended powerful passages at extremes of 161 See Max Rudolf, “The Metronome Indications in Beethoven’s Symphonies” and “A Question of Tempo in Beethoven’s Ninth
range. The choral soprano part is particularly troublesome due to its high tessitura and the composer’s merciless persistence within a narrow pitch band near the top of the range. This is almost more problematic in rehearsal than performance. Repetition in rehearsal should be carefully planned to avoid undue fatigue. The choir must be capable of rapid and expressive changes in dynamic as well as rhythmic and textual clarity. The scoring of the winds requires a full complement of strings and a choral ensemble capable of balancing with an orchestra accompanying some passages in full orchestration and a forte dynamic. Likewise, the soloists must be able to clearly penetrate the full ensemble. The string writing presents a number of challenges to accurate ensemble playing. There are also significant balance issues, particularly in the final movement. If a cymbal is mounted on the bass drum, 2 percussionists may be used. The overall architecture of the piece not only explores sophisticated cyclic ideas, but is dependent upon complex internal tempo relationships that should be well established prior to rehearsal. There is some controversy regarding the metronome marking of the Alla Marcia section of the final movement, which is marked dotted-quarter = 84 in the standard scores. Manscript letters from the composer include reference to this tempo being dotted-half = 84. Outside of this single tempo issue, for which the latter indication is an effective solution, the metronome markings are highly recommended.161 Soloists: soprano - range: e'-b'', tessitura: a'-a'', this is a high and sustained solo that requires both power and soft singing at the top of the indicated range; alto - range: d'-e'', tessitura: e'-d'', this is the least demanding solo, but must be able to balance within the quartet, it is ideally a mezzo-soprano part; tenor - range: f-b♭', tessitura: gg', this is a heroic solo with some sustained singing; bass - range: F#-f#', tessitura: A-e', this is a declamatory and powerful solo role. Choir: difficult; Orchestra: difficult. Selected Discography: Tilla Briem, Elisabeth Hongen, Peter Anders, Rudolf Watzke; Chorus Brno Kittel; Berlin Philharmonic; conducted by Wilhelm Furtwängler, recorded live on 22 March 1942 in Berlin. Russian Compact Disc: RCD25006. Eileen Farrell, Nan Merriman, Jan Peerce, Norman Scott; Robert Shaw Chorale; NBC Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Arturo Toscanini, recorded 31 March and 1 April 1952 in Carnegie Hall. Re-released as CD on RCA: D 217018C. Hilde Gueden, Sieglinde Wagner, Anton Dermota, Ludwig Weber; Singverein der Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde; Vienna Philharmonic; conducted by Erich
Symphony,” in Max Rudolf: A Musical Life Writings and Letters, 241-260 and 261-264 (Hillsdale, NY: Pendragon Press, 2001).
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Kleiber, recorded between 1949 and 1955. Re-released as CD on Decca: 4756080. Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Elisabeth Hongen, Hans Hopf, Otto Edelmann; Choir and Orchestra of the Bayreauth Festspiele; conducted by Wilhelm Furtwängler, recorded 22 August 1954. EMI: 0724356695320. Irmgaard Seefried, Maureen Forrester, Ernst Haefliger, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau; Chorus of St. Hedwig’s Cathedral; Berlin Philharmonic; conducted by Ferenc Fricsay. Deutsche Grammophon: 463626-2. Emilia Cundari, Nell Rankin, Albert Da Costa, William Wildermann; Columbia Symphony Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Bruno Walter, recorded 26 January 1959 in the American Legion Hall, Hollywood. Sony: SMK 64464.162 Aase Nordmo-Lövber, Christa Ludwig, Waldemar Kmentt, Hans Hotter; Philharmonia Chorus and Orchestra; conducted by Otto Klemperer. EMI: 0724356679726. Gundula Janowitz, Hildegard Rossel-Majdan, Waldemar Kmentt, Walter Berry; Vienna Singverein; Berlin Philharmonic; conducted by Herbert von Karajan, recorded in 1962. Deutsche Grammophon: 447401-2. Sheila Armstrong, Anna Reynolds, Robert Tear, John Shirley-Quirk; London Symphony Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Carlo Maria Giulini. EMI: 0724358549027. Helen Donath, Teresa Berganza, Wieslaw Ochman, Thomas Stewart; Bavarian Radio Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Rafael Kubelik. Deutsche Grammophon: 459463-2. Margaret Price, Marianna Lipovsek, Peter Seiffert, Youri Egorov; Stadtischer Musikverein zu Dusseldorf; Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra; conducted by Wolfgang Sawallisch. EMI: 0724357332927. Janet Perry, Agnes Baltsa, Vinson Cole, José van Dam; Vienna Singverein; Berlin Philharmonic; conducted by Herbert von Karajan, recorded in 1983. Deutsche Grammophon: 439006-2. Pilar Lorengar, Yvonne Minton, Stuart Burrows, Martti Talvela; Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Georg Solti. Decca: 430792-2. Gwyneth Jones, Hanna Schwarz, René Kollo, Kurt Moll; Vienna State Opera Chorus; Vienna Philharmonic; conducted by Leonard Bernstein. Deutsche Grammophon: 457910-2. Helen Donath, Doris Soffel, Siegfried Jerusalem, Peter Lika; Munich Philharmonic Chorus and Orchestra; conducted by Sergiu Celibidache. EMI: 0724355684226. Arleen Auger, Catherine Robbin, Anthony Rolfe Johnson, Gregory Reinhart; London Symphony Chorus; Academy of Ancient Music; conducted by Christopher Hogwood. Decca: 452551-2.
162 An excerpt of the rehearsal for this recording has been released on a companion disc of Walter’s rehearsal of Beethoven Symphonies 4, 5, 7, and 9. It is on Sony: SMK 64465.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Birgit Remmert, Charlotte Margiono, Robert Holl, Rudolf Schasching; Arnold Schoenberg Choir; Chamber Orchestra of Europe; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 2292-46452-2. Luba Orgonasova, Anne Sophie von Otter, Anthony Rolfe Johnson, Gilles Cachemaille; Monteverdi Choir; Orchestre Revolutionnaire et Romantique; conducted by John Eliot Gardiner. Deutsche Grammophon: 447074-2. Karita Mattila, Violetta Urmana, Thomas Moser, Thomas Quasthoff; Eric-Ericson Chamber Choir, Swedish Radio Chorus; Berlin Philharmonic; conducted by Claudio Abbado. Deutsche Grammophon: 471491-2. Soile Isokoski, Rosemary Lang, Robert Gambill, René Pape; Chorus of the Deutsche Oper Berlin; Staatskapelle Berlin; conducted by Daniel Barenboim. Teldec: 8573-83063-2. Selected Bibliography: Grove, George. Beethoven and His Nine Symphonies, third edition, 309-400. London: Novello and Ewer, 1898. Reprinted: New York: Dover, 1962. Weingartner, Felix. On the Performance of Beethoven’s Symphonies, translated by Jessie Crossland. London: C. H. Ditson, 1907. Reprinted: New York: Dover, 2004. Schenker, Heinrich. Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony: A Portrayal of Its Musical Content, with Running Commentary on Performance and Literature As Well, translated and edited by John Rothgeb. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1992. Originally published in German in 1912. Tovey, Donald. Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. London: Oxford University Press, 1928. Vaughan Williams, Ralph. Some Thoughts on Beethoven’s Choral Symphony, with Other Musical Subjects. London: Oxford University Press, 1953. Treitler, Leo. “History, Criticism, and Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony.” In 19th-Century Music (19791980) volume 3: 193. Winter, Robert. “The Sketches for the ‘Ode to Joy.’” In Beethoven, Performers, and Critics, edited by Robert Winter and Bruce Carr, 176-214. Detroit: Papers given during the International Beethoven Congress of 1977, 1980. Kinderman, William. “Beethoven’s Symbol for the Deity in the Missa Solemnis and the Ninth Symphony.” 19th-Century Music, volume 9 (1985-1986): 102-118. Cook, Nicholas. Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 [from the series, Cambridge Music Handbooks]. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1993. Del Mar, Norman. Conducting Beethoven: Volume I — The Symphonies, 169-217. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1992.
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Berger, Melvin. Guide to Choral Masterpieces: A Listener’s Guide, 47-51. New York: Anchor Books, 1993. Schwaegermann, Ingrid. Joy: How the Ode to It Was Written. http://raptusassociation.org/creation2_e.html.
BERLIOZ, Hector (b. La Côte-SaintAndré, Isère, 11 December 1803; d. Paris, 8 March 1869) The son of a musically predisposed physician, Berlioz learned the guitar and recorder from his father. He moved to Paris to study medicine, but he began to compose choral works and soon entered the studio of LeSueur at the Paris Conservatory, eschewing medicine for a career in music. In 1827, Berlioz attended a touring production of Hamlet. He immediately became obsessed with Shakespeare and the Irish actress Harriet Smithson, who portrayed Ophelia. His obsession led to the composition of Symphonie fantastique and ultimately to his marriage to Smithson. The ensuing decade saw the production of a number of masterpieces. Berlioz supplemented his income as a composer through conducting and writing. His Memoirs are still regarded as great literature, and his criticism remains an important window into the musical world of the nineteenth century. His Grande Traité d’Instrumentation et d’orchestration modernes became the standard for orchestration manuals. In it, Berlioz described his ideal orchestra, which was a gargantuan ensemble utilizing quint bassoons, “fullsized” basses, and forces so large that subconductors connected electronically with the music director to lead players too distant to see the principal podium. An appendix, “On Conducting” in the Grande Traité was the first to propose the current pattern for conducting in 3, and it was the first to provide a method for conducting in 5. It is also the first publication to state that the conductor’s responsibility was to determine an interpretation of a score for the ensemble. Although Berlioz exercised more influence on the excesses of nineteenth-century music, he did so with great artistry and conviction. While a number of his works rarely receive performances because of their length and the forces required, when they are performed it is an important musical event. Teachers: Jean François LeSueur, Anton Reicha Students: Louis Moreau Gottschalk, Gustav Roguski Selected Writings: Grande Traité d’Instrumentation et d’orchestration modernes. Paris: Schonenberger, 1843; second edition 1855. Published in English as A Treatise upon Modern
Instrumentation and Orchestration, translated by M. Cowden Clarke. London: Novello, 1856. Les Soirées de l’orchestre. Paris: Michel Lévy, 1852. Published in English as Evenings with the Orchestra, translated by Jacques Barzun. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1959, reprinted in 1999. A travers chants. Études musicales, adorations, boutades, et critiques. Paris: Michel Lévy, 1870. Published in English as The Art of Music and Other Essays, translated by Elisabeth Csicsery-Rónay. Bloomington: University of Indiana Press, 1994. Mémoires d’Hector Berlioz. Paris: Michel Lévy, 1870. Published in English as The Memoirs of Hector Berlioz, translated by Rachel and Eleanor Holmes, annotated and revised by Ernest Newman. New York: Knopf, 1932. Reprinted, New York: Dover 1966. Correspondance générale d’Hector Berlioz, six volumes, edited by Pierre Citron, Yves Gérard, and Hugh Macdonald. Paris: Flammarion, 1972-1995. Other Principal Works: opera: Benvenuto Cellini (1834-1837), Les Troyens (1856-1858), Béatrice et Bénedict (1860-1862); orchestral: Symphonie fantastique (1830), Harold en Italie for viola and orchestra (1834), Grande symphonie funèbre et triomphale (1840), Le Carnaval romain (1844), Le Corsaire (1844); songs: Les Nuit d’été (1840). Selected Composer Bibliography: Barzun, Jacques. Berlioz and the Romantic Century, 2 volumes, second edition. New York: Columbia University Press, 1969. Dickinson, Alan E. F. The Music of Berlioz. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1972. Primmer, Brian. The Berlioz Style. London: Oxford University Press, 1973. Crabbe, John. Hector Berlioz, Rational Romantic. London: Kahn and Averill, 1980. Holoman, D. Kern. The Creative Process in the Autograph Documents of Hector Berlioz, c. 1818-1840. Ann Arbor: UMI Research Press, 1980. Rushton, Julian. The Musical Language of Berlioz. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1983. Holoman, D. Kern. Catalogue of the Works of Hector Berlioz. Kassel: Bärenreiter, 1987. ———. Berlioz. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1989. Simultaneously published in London by Faber. Cairns, David. Berlioz: The Making of an Artist. London: Deutsch, 1989. Langford, Jeffrey A., and Jane Denker Graves. Hector Berlioz: A Guide to Research. New York: Garland, 1989. Macdonald, Hugh. Berlioz, second edition [from The Master Musicians series]. London: Dent, 1991. Bloom, Peter A. Berlioz Studies. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1992. Del Mar, Norman. Conducting Berlioz. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1997.
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Bloom, Peter A. The Life of Berlioz. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1998. ———, editor. The Cambridge Companion to Berlioz. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2000. Rushton, Julian. The Music of Berlioz. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2001.
Messe solennelle, H. 20A (1824) Duration: ca. 60 minutes Text: The text is from the Roman Catholic eucharistic liturgy. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, tenor, and bass soloists; SSAATTB choir; orchestra: piccolo (optional), 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets (C), 2 bassoons, 4 horns (C, D, E♭, E, F, G), 2 trumpets (D, E♭, F), 3 trombones, serpent, Buccin 163 (or ophicléide), timpani (2 drums), percussion (2 players — cymbals, tamtam), 2 harps (optional), and strings. Every modern conductor surely rejoices to see that piccolo is an optional instrument, but serpent is not. A tuba is an ideal substitute. First Performance: 10 July 1825; Church of St. Roch, Paris Editions: Messe solennelle is published in a critical edition in The New Berlioz Edition, volume 23, edited by Hugh MacDonald, by Bärenreiter (BA 5463). Orchestral parts, a piano-vocal score, and a study score are also available. Autograph: The autograph score is in the library of St. Carolus Borromenskerke in Antwerp. Notes: Berlioz had indicated in his Memoirs that he had burned the score of the Messe solennelle; however, a manuscript was discovered in the Church of St. Carolus-Borromeus in Antwerp in Belgium in 1991. Performance Issues: This is a contrapuntally conceived work. The choral parts are quite simple and accessible to most choral singers. The vocal material is well supported by the orchestra. There are some passages, particularly in the “Gloria,” where one section of the choir sings in quarter notes while another sings in eighths with eighth rests in between. Extra care must be taken to guarantee that it is an intriguing effect rather than sloppy preparation. This is an early work, and there are a number of quirky notations like this that soon disappear from Berlioz’s compositional palette. Some of the writing is not yet idiomatic for the singers or instrumentalists. Sometimes repetitions in the score may promote early fatigue for the performers. There is a passage in the “Resurrexit” movement labeled for a choral bass solo. There is no reason not to use the soloist here. Although the harps are optional, they should 163 The buccin was a short-lived instrument of great power developed at the end of the French Revolution. It had already fallen from
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
be used if at all possible. The orchestral parts are not difficult, and with the exception of a brief fanfare in the “Resurrexit” movement, there is little bombast. In fact, this is a delicate and transparent work. It is probably Berlioz’s most accessible choral-orchestral work for less experienced ensembles. With a little creativity, the obsolete instruments can be substituted. Soloists: soprano - range: d'-g'', tessitura: g'-e'', this is a lyric solo role with some odd melodic figures; tenor - range: f-g', tessitura: g-f', this is a simple, lyric solo role; bass - range: G-e' (f'), tessitura: f-d', this is a lyric and simple solo role. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Donna Brown, Jean-Luc Viala, Gilles Cachemaille; Monteverdi Choir; Orchestre Révolutionnaire; conducted by John Eliot Gardiner, recorded in 1993. Philips: 442 137-2. Selected Bibliography: Berlioz, Hector. The Memoirs of Hector Berlioz, translated by Rachel and Eleanor Holmes, annotated and revised by Ernest Newman, 23, 74. New York: Knopf, 1932. Reprinted, New York: Dover, 1966. Barzun, Jacques. Berlioz and the Romantic Century, second edition, I: 58, 63, 64, 65-66, 74, 83, 87, 92, 204, 212, 274, 559; II: 56, 104. New York: Columbia University Press, 1969. Dickinson, Alan E. F. The Music of Berlioz, 39-41. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1972. Macdonald, Hugh. “Berlioz’s Messe solennelle.” 19thCentury Music, volume 16 (Spring 1993): 267-285. Rushton, Julian. “Ecstacy of Emulation: Berlioz’s Messe solennelle and His Debt to Lesueur.” Musical Times, volume 140, issue 1868 (Autumn 1999): 11-18. Locke, Ralph P. “The Religious Works.” In The Cambridge Companion to Berlioz, edited by Peter A. Bloom, 96-107. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2000. Rushton, Julian. The Music of Berlioz, 10-11, 107-112, 192-202. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2001.
Requiem: Grande Messe des Morts [“Grand Mass of the Dead”], op. 5 (1837), H. 75 Duration: ca. 82 minutes Text: The text is from the Roman Catholic liturgy of the Mass for the Dead. Performing Forces: voices: tenor soloist; STB choir; orchestra: 4 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 English horns, 4 clarinets (A, B♭), 8 bassoons, 12 horns (B♭ basso, C, D, E♭, E, F, G, A), timpani (10 players and 8 pairs of drums), use before Berlioz included in this score. In this case, a Sousaphone might be an ideal substitute.
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percussion (14 players — 2 bass drums, 4 tam-tams, 10 pairs of cymbals), strings. Four brass bands: Band I: Band II: Band III: Band IV:
4 cornets (A, B♭), 4 trombones, 2 tubas 4 trumpets (D, E), 4 trombones 4 trumpets (D), 4 trombones 4 trumpets (C), 4 trombones, and 4 ophicléides164
Berlioz indicates that the choir should consist of 80 sopranos, 60 tenors, and 70 basses. Likewise, he calls for 50 violins, 20 violas, 20 cellos, and 18 doublebasses. He adds that the choral numbers are only relative, and that double or triple these number would be welcome if space permits, suggesting that the instrumental forces might be expanded slightly as well. He does state that when using a choir of 700 to 800, the entire ensemble should probably only sing in the Dies Irae, Rex tremendae, 165 and Lacrimosa, using only 400 in the other movements. First Performance: 5 December 1837; Cathedral of St. Louis des Invalides in Paris; conducted by François Antoine Habeneck Editions: Grande messe des morts is published in a critical edition in The New Berlioz Edition, volume 9, edited by Jürgen Kindermann, by Bärenreiter (BA 5449). Orchestral parts, a piano-vocal score (BA 5449a), and a study score (TP 332) are also available. It was published by Breitkopf and Härtel in the previous critical edition, Hector Berlioz: Werke, volume 7, edited by C. Malherbe and Felix Weingartner. Other editions, which are available for purchase include Breitkopf and Härtel and Kalmus. Autograph: The composer’s manuscript of the full score and the original set of parts are in the Paris Conservatory. Notes: Requiem was commissioned by the French government to be presented in a memorial service for the victims of the 1830 July Revolution. The score is organized into 10 movements as follows: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
Requiem et Kyrie Dies irae. Prose. Quid sum miser Rex tremendae Quaerens me a cappella SSTTBB choir Lacrimosa Offertoire labeled “Choir of souls in purgatory” Hostias Sanctus tenor soloist and choir Agnus Dei
164 Tubas may be substituted for the ophicléide parts.
Performance Issues: Berlioz placed the brass ensembles at the extreme points of the cathedral and the principal orchestra and choir at the crossing. Halls will dictate the placement of these groups, but every effort should be made to surround the audience with these brass bands so the sounds of entrances around the listeners is palpable. The timpani are tuned to all 12 discrete pitches of an octave (F-f); however, the tunings change between movements. They are used to create a visceral rumble; therefore, it may also be advantageous to place them in the hall so the audience can feel their part being played. There are divisi in all of the choral parts. The vocal material is clearly reinforced by the accompaniment most of the time, although there are a cappella passages throughout the work. There are extended passages wherein the tessitura of the choral basses is relatively high. Although there are frequent divisi for the sopranos, the lower part does not provide a functional alto part. A traditional mixed SATB choir will find it difficult to utilize the altos consistently in this piece; however, there is an independent “contralto” part in movement 9, which is the only movement in which the soloist appears. The score indicates that the choral tenor section may be substituted for the soloist; however, this would greatly diminish the contrast between the solo part and the choir. There are some soli passages for the choir in movement 6. In spite of the enormous forces called for in this score, much of it is orchestrated delicately and transparently, which makes the bombastic passages all the more effective. The orchestral writing is idiomatic and colorful. The effect of the brass bands and percussion is one of the great tours de force in the symphonic repertoire, but it also requires the most attention in rehearsal because of the articulate figurations of the fanfares and the obvious challenge of acoustic distance and timing. There are dramatic dynamic shifts and quick gestural diminuendi that are included for dramatic effect. Sometimes secondary conductors are employed, the practicality of which may be determined by the space. The individual orchestra parts are not particularly difficult, although the antiphonal brass groups and the orchestral horns have the most challenging parts. The diversity of scoring and the ensemble challenges presented by the distribution of players throughout the performance space make this an exceedingly difficult piece to perform well. Of equal limitation for most presenters is the enormous roster of players and the sheer quantity of percussion equipment. Soloists: tenor - range: a♭-b♭', tessitura: b♭-b♭', this is a high lyric solo with long sustained phrases. Choir: difficult; Orchestra: very difficult.
165The score actually states Tuba mirum, which is part of the Dies irae. Rex tremendae is the intention.
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Selected Discography: Léopold Simoneau; Vienna State Opera Chorus; Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra; conducted by Dmitri Mitropoulos, recorded in 1956. Reisued on CD in 1997 Orfeo: C 457 971 B [mono]. Richard Lewis; Royal Philharmonic Chorus and Orchestra; conducted by Thomas Beecham, recorded in 1957. Reissued on CD in 1999 – BBC Music: BBCL 40112. Ronald Dowd; Wandsworth School Boys’ Choir, London Symphony Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Colin Davis, recorded in 1969. Philips: 416 283-2. John Aler; Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Robert Shaw, recorded in 1985. Reissued on Telarc: CD 801109. Luciano Pavarotti; Ernst-Senff-Chor; Berlin Philharmonic; conducted by James Levine, recorded in 1992. Deutsche Grammophon: DG 429 724-2. John Mark Ainsley; Montréal Symphony Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Charles Dutoit, recorded in 1999. Decca: 289 458 921-2. Frank Lopardo; Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Robert Spano, recorded 2004. Telarc: CD-80627 and SACD-60627, Selected Bibliography: Berlioz, Hector. The Memoirs of Hector Berlioz, translated by Rachel and Eleanor Holmes, annotated and revised by Ernest Newman, 204-213, 232, 235, 239, 241, 285, 287, 288, 299-301, 328-333, 362, 458, 488489. New York: Knopf, 1932. Reprinted, New York: Dover, 1966. Upton, George. The Standard Oratorios, 70-77. Chicago: A. C. McClurg and Company, 1893. Robertson, Alec. Requiem: Music of Mourning and Consolation, 85-95. New York: Frederick A. Praeger, 1967. Barzun, Jacques. Berlioz and the Romantic Century, second edition, I: 204, 219, 228, 232, 262, 272, 273, 275277, 279-289, 447, 525; II: 105, 148, 208, 281, 289, 297. New York: Columbia University Press, 1969. Dickinson, Alan E. F. The Music of Berlioz, 91-106. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1972. McDonald, Hugh. “Preface” to Hector Berlioz: Grande messe des morts “Requiem,” edited by Jürgen Kinder. Kassel: Bärenreiter, 1978. Pahlen, Kurt. The World of the Oratorio, translated by Judith Schaefer with additional English-language material by Thurston Dox, 58-61. Portland, OR: Amadeus Press, 1990. Berger, Melvin. Guide to Choral Masterpieces: A Listener’s Guide, 53-55. New York: Anchor Books, 1993. Locke, Ralph P. “The Religious Works.” In The Cambridge Companion to Berlioz, edited by Peter A. Bloom, 96-107. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2000.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Rushton, Julian. The Music of Berlioz, 40-41, 203-215. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2001.
Romeo et Juliette, op. 17 (1839), H. 79 Duration: ca. 95 minutes Text: The text is by Emile Deschamps, based upon the David Garrick adaptation of Shakespeare’s play. Performing Forces: voices: alto, tenor, and bass soloists; chamber ATB choir (14 to 20 members); two SATB choirs; orchestra: piccolo, 2 flutes, 2 oboes (oboe II doubling English horn), 2 clarinets, 4 bassoons, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 2 cornets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani (4), percussion (bass drum, cymbals, 2 triangles, 2 tambourines, 2 crotales [F, B♭]), 2 harps, and strings First Performances: 24 November, 1 and 15 December 1839; Paris Conservatoire; Emily Widemann, Alexis Dupont, Louis Alizard; a pick-up choir and orchestra; conducted by the composer Editions: Roméo et Juliette is published in a critical editions in The New Berlioz Edition, volume 18, edited by D. Kern Holoman, by Bärenreiter (BA 5458). Orchestral parts, a piano-vocal score (BA 5458a), and a study score (TP 334) are also available. It was published by Breitkopf and Härtel in the previous critical edition, Hector Berlioz: Werke, volume 3, edited by C. Malherbe and Felix Weingartner. Other editions, which are available for purchase include: Breitkopf and Härtel, G. Schirmer, and Kalmus. Autograph: The autograph score is in the library of the Paris Conservatory (Ms. 1165). Notes: Berlioz composed Roméo et Juliette as a tribute to Paganini. The soloists portray three characters from the play: alto - Juliet, tenor - Romeo, and bass - Friar Laurence. The two large choirs represent the Montague and Capulet families, and the chamber choir serves a narrating capacity. Performance Issues: Berlioz indicates the physical arrangement of the singers and orchestra in the score, which may not be practical in some halls, but will aid in the clarity of the storytelling. The two choirs represent the feuding Montague and Capulet families, and should be placed on opposite sides of the stage with the chamber choir and soloists in the middle. The score calls for two off-stage, four-part men’s choirs in II/2. The choral writing is practical, and not particularly vocally demanding. Most of the choral material is well supported by the accompaniment. The aforementioned off-stage men’s choirs are the exception to this. Here, an offstage chorus master is necessary. The principal conductor needs to follow the chorus in this section as the orchestra provides a transparent accompaniment under the more rhythmic choral parts. Here the choir and orchestra seem almost oblivious of each other.
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
The choirs sing in about one third of the score. All of the orchestral writing is fairly virtuosic. Two harps are needed to effect a reasonable balance with the rest of the ensemble. They should be placed near the front of the stage. The wind and string sections have some particularly complex passagework. The brass is fanfarelike with some sustained playing. As is typical in Berlioz’s music, the choirs of the orchestra are often given contrasting strata of musical material. A sectional rehearsal is well advised. Sections II/1 and II/3 will require the most attention from the orchestra. The finale will present the greatest difficulties in coordinating the choirs and orchestra. This is a very expressive score that has been expertly orchestrated to allow the singers to be heard throughout the work. The score builds conflicting rhythmic layers upon each other that require clear direction, and may at times provide challenges to cohesive ensemble playing. This is an ideal work for a professional orchestra wishing to feature a large semiskilled choral group. Soloists: alto - range: c'-e'', tessitura: d'-c#'', this is a simple, lyric, and declamatory solo; tenor - range: e-g', tessitura: f-e', this is a simple, declamatory solo; bass - range: G-e', tessitura: c-e♭', this is a sustained solo requiring a strong lyric voice. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: difficult. Selected Discography: Regina Resnik, André Turp, David Ward; London Symphony Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Pierre Monteux. Recorded in London, June 1962. Released on the Westminster label, re-released on CD as MCA Classics: MCAD2-9805-A. Patricia Kern, Robert Tear, John Shirley-Quirk; John Alldis Choir; Londonson Symphony Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Colin Davis, recorded in 1968. Philips: 416 962-2. Catherine Robbin, Jean-Paul Fouchécourt, Gilles Cachemaille; Monteverdi Choir; Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique; conducted by John Eliot Gardiner, recorded in October 1995 in the Colosseum in Watford, England. Philips: 454 454-2. Melanie Diener, Kenneth Tarver, Denis Sedov; Cleveland Symphony Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Pierre Boulez, recorded in May 2000 in the Masonic Auditorium in Cleveland. Deutsche-Grammophon: 474 2372.
Bass, Edward C. Thematic Procedures in the Symphonies of Berlioz. Doctoral dissertation, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, 1964. Barzun, Jacques. Berlioz and the Romantic Century, second edition, I: 156, 318-329, 330-335, 337, 430, 567; II: 185, 289. New York: Columbia University Press, 1969. Chailley, Jacques. “Roméo et Juliette.” Revue de Musicologie, volume 63 (1977): 115-122. Cockrell, William Dale. Hector Berlioz and “Le Système Shakespearien.” Doctoral dissertation, University of Illinois, 1978. Elliott, John R., Jr. “The Shakespeare Berlioz Saw.” Music and Letters, volume 57 (1976): 292-308. Friedheim, Philip. “Berlioz’s Roméo Symphony and the Romantic Temperament.” Current Musicology, volume 63 (1983): 101-111. Langford, Jeffrey A. “The ‘Dramatic Symphonies’ of Berlioz as an Outgrowth of the French Operatic Tradition.” The Musical Quarterly, volume 69 (1983): 85-103. Shamgar, Beth. “Program and Sonority: An Essay in Analysis of the ‘Queen Mab’ Scherzo from Berlioz’s Roméo and Juliet.” College Music Symposium (1988): 40-52. Holoman, D. Kern. Foreword to Berlioz: Roméo et Juliette, in The New Berlioz Edition. Kassel: Bärenreiter, 1990. Kemp, Ian. “Romeo and Juliet and Roméo et Juliette.” 37-79, Berlioz Studies, edited by Peter A. Bloom. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1992. Rushton, Julian. Berlioz: Romeo et Juliette [from the series, Cambridge Music Handbooks]. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1994. Langford, Jeffrey. “The Symphonies.” In The Cambridge Companion to Berlioz, edited by Peter A. Bloom, 53-68. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2000. Rushton, Julian. The Music of Berlioz, 41-44, 149-151, 269-275, 289-291. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2001.
La Damnation de Faust, légende dramatique [“The Damnation of Faust, a dramatic legend”], op. 24 (1845-1846), H. 111
Selected Bibliography:
Duration: ca. 120 minutes
Berlioz, Hector. The Memoirs of Hector Berlioz, translated by Rachel and Eleanor Holmes, annotated and revised by Ernest Newman, 230-232, 239-240, 283, 285, 291, 294, 298-301, 327-328, 332, 333, 336-337, 342, 377, 414-415, 419-420, 427-428, 438-440, 477, 479, 481, 482, 486, 489-490, 503, 504. New York: Knopf, 1932. Reprinted, New York: Dover, 1966. Upton, George P. The Standard Cantatas, seventh edition, 70-74. Chicago: A. C. McClurg and Company, 1899.
Text: The text is by Berlioz, Almire Gandonnière, and Gérard de Nerval. Performing Forces: voices: Marguerite (mezzo-soprano), Faust (tenor), Méphistophélès (baritone or
212 bass),166 and Brander (bass) soloists; SATB choir and SA children’s choir; orchestra: 3 flutes (all doubling piccolo), 2 oboes (oboe II doubling English horn), 2 clarinets (A, B♭), bass clarinet (B♭), 4 bassoons, 4 horns (C, D♭, D, E♭, F, A, B♭, B), 2 trumpets (B♭, B, C, D, F), 2 cornets (B♭, A), 3 trombones, tuba, timpani (4 drums),167 percussion (4 players — a bell [c, d, f#, or a], triangle, snare drum, bass drum, cymbals, 168 tam-tam), 2 harps, and strings First Performance: 6 December 1846; Salle Favart of the Opéra Comique in Paris; conducted by the composer. The first staged performance was given in Monte Carlo on 18 February 1893. Editions: La Damnation de Faust is published in a critical edition in The New Berlioz Edition, volume 8, edited by Julian Rushton, by Bärenreiter (BA 5448). Orchestral parts, and a piano-vocal score (BA 5448a) are also available. It was published by Breitkopf and Härtel in the previous critical edition, Hector Berlioz: Werke, volumes 11 and 12, edited by C. Malherbe and Felix Weingartner, which includes an English singing translation by John Bernhoff. Other editions, which are available for purchase include: Breitkopf and Härtel, G. Schirmer, and Kalmus. The “Rakoczy March,” “Ballet des sylphs,” and “Menuet de follets” movements are published independently by Breitkopf and Härtel and Kalmus. Autograph: The composer’s manuscript of the full score is in the library of the Paris Conservatory (Ms. 1190). Notes: This work is organized as a concert drama with each singer assigned a role within the story. It is freely adapted from selected scenes in Goethe’s telling of the Faust legend. The “Rakoczy March” is Berlioz’s arrangement of what he calls “The Hungarian WarSong.” Performance Issues: There are a number of descriptive passages within the score that identify what the music represents. Likewise there are many stage directions for the singers that would be lost in a pure concert performance. These should be incorporated into the program, or projected as super titles during the performance. The Breitkopf and Härtel edition includes singing translations in German (using Goethe’s original text) and English. Slight alterations are given in the score to accommodate minor syllabic deviations from the French. There are divisi in all of choral parts, although more predominantly for the men. The tessitura for the tenor I part is quite high and will demand secure and mature singers for proper effect. The choral 166 The score includes ossia passages to accommodate either voice type. 167 Throughout most of the score a single player and two drums are required. In scenes 9 and 15, Berlioz calls for four timpanists each playing a single drum. At this point, the other percussionists
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
writing is conservatively conceived focusing upon evident triadic and scalar relationships, and the parts are clearly doubled by the orchestra throughout much of the work. There are a few complex fugal sections for the choir, but these are quite directly doubled and fairly diatonic. There are some unaccompanied choral passages. The choral material is more vocally demanding than it is challenging to learn. Also some sections, particularly in scene 7, present a great amount of text quite quickly, which may require special attention in rehearsal. This is a large symphonic work requiring a sizable choir and expansive string section. The children’s choir appears in only the final scene, which may pose some logistical issues. From the choir, a group of 4 boys is assigned a unison solo, which may be given to a single child if he has a sufficient voice to carry the part. Berlioz indicates that their placement should be dictated by the size of the group. He indicates that a group of “2 to 300 children” may be used. The composer also calls for 8 soloists within each violin section, which should be an indication of the scale he intended. The editor has indicated that with a smaller ensemble, single players could provide the necessary contrast. There are exposed passages for most of the wind and brass players. There are rapid melodic and accompanimental figurations throughout the winds and strings. There is an important and prolonged viola solo in scene 11. There are also some extended brass-choir passages accompanying very soft solo singing, which will require skilled players able to maintain a reduced dynamic. These passages may also shape seating decisions for the orchestra. Likewise, scene 9 calls for the trumpets and two horns to be behind the scenes. This is one of many indications that this work is best if treated as a concert opera. The score implies significant action, some of which is not evident in the lyrics and scoring alone. Every effort should be made to clearly present the drama in a pseudotheatrical fashion. Soloists: Marguerite (mezzo-soprano) - range: c'-a'', tessitura: d'-d'', this is a sustained and lyric solo role; Faust (tenor) - range: d#-c#'', tessitura: g-g', this is a demanding, sustained, and heroic solo role; Méphistofélès (baritone or bass) - range: (A) B♭-f' (g'), tessitura: d-d', this is a lyric role that is probably more effective as a baritone, which provides greater contrast between the three male soloists, it is also the variant that provides the fewer melodic compromises; Brander (bass) - range: A-d', tessitura: c-c', this is a simple lyric role. Choir: difficult; Orchestra: difficult.
are unoccupied and can cover those parts. There is an additional section for four drums with two players in scenes 12 and 19; here a single percussionist can join the timpanist to effect the part. 168 Berlioz uses the words piatti and cinelli for cymbals without indicating an intended difference.
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Selected Discography: Nicolai Gedda, Janet Baker, Gabriel Bacquier, Maria Peronne, Pierre Thau; Choeurs de l’Opéra de Paris; Orchestre de Paris; conducted by Georges Prêtre, recorded in 1969. EMI: 7243-5 68 583-2 (CD). Nicolai Gedda, Jules Bastin, Josephine Veasey, Richard Van Allan, Gillian Knight; London Symphony Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Colin Davis, recorded in 1973. Philips: 416 395-2. Placido Domingo, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Yvonne Minton, Jules Bastin; Choeurs de l’ Orchestre de Paris, Choeur d’Enfants de Paris; Orchestre de Paris; conducted by Daniel Barenboim, recorded 1978. Reissued as a CD in 2003. Deutsche Grammophon: DG 474 440 2. Anne Sofie von Otter, Fiona Wright, Michael Myers, Jean-Philippe Lafont, René Schirrer; Edinburgh Festival Chorus, Orchestre de l’Opéra de Lyon; conducted by John Eliot Gardiner, recorded in the Auditorium Ravel in Lyon on 27 September and 2 October 1987. Philips: 426 199-2. Selected Bibliography: Berlioz, Hector. The Memoirs of Hector Berlioz, translated by Rachel and Eleanor Holmes, annotated and revised by Ernest Newman, 97, 386, 418-420, 427, 428, 436-437, 440, 445-447, 474, 476, 481-483, 486, 488, 528, 532. New York: Knopf, 1932. Reprinted, New York: Dover, 1966. Upton, George P. The Standard Cantatas, seventh edition, 74-81. Chicago: A. C. McClurg and Company, 1899. Bass, Eddie C. Thematic Procedures in the Symphonies of Berlioz. Doctoral dissertation, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, 1964. Barzun, Jacques. Berlioz and the Romantic Century, second edition, I: 108, 118, 378, 483-503, 508, 509, 511, 556, 567, 569; II: 44, 47, 51, 71, 72, 105. New York: Columbia University Press, 1969. Dickinson, Alan E. F. The Music of Berlioz, 63-80. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1972. Rushton, Julian. “The Genesis of Berlioz’s ‘La Damnation de Faust.’” Music and Letters, volume 56 (1975): 129-146. ———. “The Figure and the Background: Faust in La damnation.” In The Musical Language of Hector Berlioz, 228-256. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1983. Pahlen, Kurt. The World of the Oratorio, translated by Judith Schaefer with additional English-language material by Thurston Dox, 61-64. Portland, OR: Amadeus Press, 1990. Werth, Kent. “‘Nature Immense,’ A Sketch from Berlioz’s La Damnation de Faust: A New View of the 169 Ron Jeffers, Translations and Annotations of Choral Repertoire, Volume I: Sacred Latin Texts, 218 (Corvallis, OR: Earthsongs, 1988).
Composer at Work.” The Musical Quarterly, volume 74, number 1 (1990): 74-82. Reeve [Kolb], Katherine. “The Damnation of Faust: The Perils of Heroism in Music.” In Berlioz Studies, edited by Peter A. Bloom, 148-188. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1992. Berger, Melvin. Guide to Choral Masterpieces: A Listener’s Guide, 57-59. New York: Anchor Books, 1993. Haar, James. “The Operas and the Dramatic Legend.” In The Cambridge Companion to Berlioz, edited by Peter A. Bloom, 81-95. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2000. Rushton, Julian. The Music of Berlioz, 50-53, 303-315. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2001.
Te Deum, op. 22 (1849), H. 118 Duration: ca. 52 minutes Text: This is an anonymous hymn of thanksgiving in church use since the sixth century. It is usually sung during the Matins service. The apocryphal source of its genesis is that it was spontaneously sung by Ss. Ambrose and Augustine on the evening when Augustine was baptized.169 Performing Forces: voices: tenor soloist; 2 STB choirs, children’s choir; 170 orchestra: 4 flutes, 4 oboes, 4 clarinets (in A, B♭, C), 4 bassoons, soprano saxophone (in B♭), 4 horns (D♭, D, E♭, E, F, B♭, B), 4 trumpets (in D♭, D, E♭, E, B), 4 cornets (in A, B♭), 6 trombones, 2 tubas, timpani (2 drums), percussion (6 players — 4 tenor drums [tuned to F], 6 snare drums, bass drum, 4 or 5 pairs of cymbals), organ, 12 harps, and strings First Performance: 30 April 1855; St. Eustache Church, Paris; conducted by the composer Editions: Te Deum is published in a critical edition in The New Berlioz Edition, volume 10, edited by Denis McCaldin, by Bärenreiter (BA 5782). Orchestral parts, a piano-vocal score (BA 5782a) are also available. It was published by Breitkopf and Härtel in the previous critical edition, Hector Berlioz: Werke, volume 8, edited by C. Malherbe and Felix Weingartner. Other editions that are available for purchase include: Breitkopf and Härtel, G. Schirmer, and Kalmus. Autograph: A copy of the composer’s manuscript of the full score is in the public library in St. Petersburg, Russia. Notes: This score is dedicated to Prince Albert. In the hope that the Te Deum might be premiered at the coronation of Napoleon III in 1853, Berlioz added the Prélude and March; however, the work would not be 170 Berlioz states in the score that the children’s choir should be as large as possible. The score is labeled SA, but it is virtually in unison with a few octave divisi.
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performed until the Universal Exhibition of 1855. It was performed to open the Badinguet Agricultural Show. The composer states that if the work is not to be performed for a thanksgiving or military service, the two instrumental movements should be deleted. Performance Issues: In the score, Berlioz indicates that the choirs and orchestra should be at the opposite end of the church from the organ. He includes recommendations for assistant conductors or his electric metronome, which was a device that flashed in synchrony with the beat of the conductor. The choral writing is contrapuntally conceived with some very elegant fugal sections and clever interplay between the choirs. There are divisi for all of the choral parts. The bass II parts of both mixed choirs have many pedal Ds. The choral parts are well written for the singers, and there is considerable support of the vocal parts within the accompaniment. There is a brief section of movement 5 that calls for a solo quartet from the choirs. The end of movement 6 is a cappella. The choral material is challenging; however, the children’s choir is quite accessible and simple. The composer’s demand for as large a group as possible is warranted given the context in which they appear. The orchestration is obviously large, but there are significant passages that are delicately transparent. The brass section is used to great effect. A large pipe organ is ideal. The harps only appear in the finale. Their quantity is certainly negotiable. Berlioz indicates that a harmonium may be substituted, but this is an unlikely complement to the forces of the orchestra. The antiphonal effects between the orchestra and the organ are quite dramatic. The composer also indicates the preferred placement of the choirs. The sonic space is an important consideration for the composer’s decision making, so this must not be trivialized. There are rapid and challenging passages throughout the orchestra, most of which are idiomatically written. The composer’s desired ensemble contains approximately 900 singers and instrumentalists for which this is an ideal score. A more mortalsized group may be used, but this work does demand as large a complement of performers as can be conscripted. Soloist: tenor - range: f#-g', tessitura: g-f', this is a lyric solo that is not threatened by heavy accompaniment. Choir: difficult; Orchestra: difficult. Selected Discography: Alexander Young; London Philharmonic Choir, Dulwich College Boys’ Choir; Royal Philharmonic Orchestra; conducted by Thomas Beecham, recorded in 1953. Reissued on CD in 2003 – Sony Classics: SMK 87964. Keith Lewis; Matthias Eisenberg, organ; Vokalensemble Frankfurt, Bachchor und Currende der Christuskirche Mainz, Kinder und Jugendchor des Hessischen Rundfunks; Radio-Sinfonie-Orchester; conducted by Eliahu Inbal, recorded 25-26 February 1988 in the Old Opera House in Frankfurt. Denon: CO-76142.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Stuart Neill; Dresden Philharmonic Chorus and Children’s Chorus, Dresden Singakademie, Dresden State Opera Chorus; Dresden Staatskapelle; conducted by Colin Davis, recorded in 1998. Profil Medien: PH06039. Roberto Alagna; Choeurs de l’ Orchestre de Paris, Choeur d’Enfants de l’Union Européenne; Orchestre de Paris; conducted by John Nelson, recorded in 2001. Virgin Classics: 5 45449 2. Selected Bibliography: Berlioz, Hector. The Memoirs of Hector Berlioz, translated by Rachel and Eleanor Holmes, annotated and revised by Ernest Newman, 482, 489, 493, 508. New York: Knopf, 1932. Reprinted, New York: Dover, 1966. Dickinson, Alan E. F. The Music of Berlioz, 91-106. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1972. Barzun, Jacques. Berlioz and the Romantic Century, second edition, I: 228, 266, 357, 401, 550, 554, 561-573; II: 70, 125, 289. New York: Columbia University Press, 1969. Pahlen, Kurt. The World of the Oratorio, translated by Judith Schaefer with additional English-language material by Thurston Dox, 64-66. Portland, OR: Amadeus Press, 1990. Berger, Melvin. Guide to Choral Masterpieces: A Listener’s Guide, 55-57. New York: Anchor Books, 1993. Locke, Ralph P. “The Religious Works.” In The Cambridge Companion to Berlioz, edited by Peter A. Bloom, 96-107. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2000. Rushton, Julian. The Music of Berlioz, 55-57, 220-236. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2001.
L’Enfance du Christ [“The Childhood of Christ”], op. 25 (1850-1854), H.130 Duration: ca. 93 minutes Text: The text, which is in French, is by the composer. Performing Forces: voices: Marie (mezzo-soprano), Récitant (tenor), Centurion (tenor), Joseph (baritone), Hérode (bass), Père de famille (bass), Polydorus (bass) soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes (flute II doubling piccolo), oboes (oboe II doubling English horn), 2 clarinets (A, B♭), 2 bassoons, 2 horns (E♭), 3 trombones, organ or harmonium (offstage), harp, timpani (2 drums), and strings
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First Performance: The first section171 was premiered 12 November 1850 in Paris. The entire oratorio received its premiere 10 December 1854 in Paris. Editions: L’Enfance du Christ is published in a critical edition in The New Berlioz Edition, volume 11, edited by David Lloyd-Jones, by Bärenreiter (BA 5451). Orchestral parts, a piano-vocal score (BA 5451a – French/German, 5451b — French/English) are also available. It was published by Breitkopf and Härtel in the previous critical edition, Hector Berlioz: Werke, volume 9, edited by C. Malherbe and Felix Weingartner. Other editions, which are available for purchase include: Breitkopf and Härtel, G. Schirmer, H. W. Gray, and Kalmus. Autograph: The composer’s manuscript is in the Bibliothèque Nationale in Paris. Notes: The Breitkopf edition includes singing translations in German by Peter Cornelius and Felix Weingartner and in English by John Bernhoff. The score is divided into three large sections: Part One — Le Songe d’Hérode, which is dedicated to the composer’s nieces, Josephine and Nanci Suat; Part Two — La Fuite en Egypte, which is dedicated to Mr. Ella, the director of the London Musical Union; and Part Three — L’Arrivée à Saïs, which is dedicated to the Singakademie and Universitäts-Sängerverein “Paulus” in Leipzig. Movement 9 is the famous Shepherds’ Farewell that is often excerpted for independent performance. Performance Issues: Berlioz indicates in the score that during Part One, the male choristers are onstage, and the women offstage around the harmonium. At the beginning of Part Two, the women join the men onstage. An SSAA octet should remain offstage for selected effects. There are significant recitatives that are unaccompanied or minimally supported. The offstage women’s choir must be fairly independent. They are harmonically supported by the harmonium, but have some unaccompanied passages. The onstage choral material is generally well supported by the orchestra. The integration of them and the onstage orchestra may present some difficulties. The orchestra has some contrapuntally complex material some of which will require attention to balance the layers of musical activity, as there are foreground and background elements at work concurrently. In movement 5, there is a “cabbalistic procession” that maintains a 7/4 meter to great effect. There is a cello solo in movement 6. This appears in duet with the violin I part, which is not labeled solo, but this should be considered. There is some truly challenging rapid passagework for the orchestra intermittently throughout this work. The string parts are particularly challenging in this regard. The 171 This sectional premiere was presented under the pseudonym Pierre Ducré, whom Berlioz had fabricated as an unknown seventeenth-century composer whose work he had recently discovered.
bassoons also have critical thematic material throughout the work. There are some unusually conceived contrapuntal passages for both the orchestra and choir. The overture to Part Two is a lovely fugal work, as is the choral portion of movement 13. The trio in movement 14 is completely exposed and quite expressive. The harmonium and harp each appear in only a single movement; likewise, the oboe II part plays English horn in all but one movement. The final movement has an extended a cappella section for the choir. This is a lyrical and sensitively conceived work. It includes some of Berlioz’s most accessible and appealing music. The choral material is quite accessible, and this score can be performed by moderate-sized forces. Soloists: Marie (mezzo-soprano) - range: c'-f'', tessitura: f'-e♭'', this is a lyric and simple solo role; Récitant (tenor) - range: d#-a', tessitura: f-f', this is a lyric, “evangelist” role; Centurion (tenor) - range: d-f', tessitura: f-d', this is a simple declamatory role; Joseph (baritone) - range: B♭-e', tessitura: c-c', this is a simple declamatory role; Hérode (bass) - range: F-e♭', tessitura: B♭-c', this is a sustained and expressive role that must be clear at the bottom of the range; Père de famille (bass) - range: F#-d', tessitura: d-c', this is a simple declamatory solo; Polydorus (bass) - range: c-e♭', tessitura: c-c', this is a simple declamatory solo. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: difficult. Selected Discography: Janet Baker, Eric Tappy, Philip Landridge, Thomas Allen, Jules Bastin, Joseph Rouleau, Raimond Herincx; John Alldis Choir, London Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Colin Davis, recorded in London in October 1976. Philips: 416 949-2. Gilles Cachemaille, Philippe Bernold, Gilles Cottin, José Van Dam, René Schirrer, Michel Fockenoy, Chantal Mathieu, Anne Sofie von Otter, Anthony Rolfe Johnson; Monteverdi Choir; Lyon Opera Orchestra; conducted by John Eliot Gardiner, recorded in 1988. Erato: 2292-45275-2. Frederic Caton, Laurent Naouri, Olivier Lallouette, Paul Agnew, Veronique Gens; La Chapelle Royale, Collegium Vocale; Orchestra des Champs Elysées; conducted by Philippe Herreweghe, recorded in 1997. Reissued in 2002. Harmonia Mundi: HMX 290 1632/3. Christiane Oelze, Christopher Maltman, Mark Padmore, Ralf Lukas, Mikhael Nikiforov, Berhhard Hartmann, Frank Bossert; SWR Vokalensemble; Stuttgart Radio Orchestra; conducted by Roger Norrington, recorded in 2003. Hänssler Classic: CD93.091.
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Selected Bibliography: Berlioz, Hector. The Memoirs of Hector Berlioz, translated by Rachel and Eleanor Holmes, annotated and revised by Ernest Newman, 475, 479, 482, 483, 488, 489, 506. New York: Knopf, 1932. Reprinted, New York: Dover, 1966. Barzun, Jacques. Berlioz and the Romantic Century, second edition, I: 89-105, 116, 212, 228, 327; II: 91, 9396, 103, 105 107, 134, 225. New York: Columbia University Press, 1969. Dickinson, Alan E. F. The Music of Berlioz, 81-90. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1972. O’Neal, Melinda. Berlioz’s L’Enfance du Christ: trilogie sacrée, Op. 25: A Conductor’s Analysis for Performance. Doctoral dissertation, Indiana University, 1987. Pahlen, Kurt. The World of the Oratorio, translated by Judith Schaefer with additional English-language material by Thurston Dox, 66-68. Portland, OR: Amadeus Press, 1990. Berger, Melvin. Guide to Choral Masterpieces: A Listener’s Guide, 59-61. New York: Anchor Books, 1993. Locke, Ralph P. “The Religious Works.” In The Cambridge Companion to Berlioz, edited by Peter A. Bloom, 96-107. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2000. Smither, Howard E. A History of the Oratorio, volume 4: The Oratorio in the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries, 552-565. Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina Press, 2000. Rushton, Julian. The Music of Berlioz, 60-61, 315-324. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2001.
La révolution grecque, scène héroïque (1825-1826), H. 21 Duration: ca. 18 minutes Text: The text is by Humbert Ferrand. Performing Forces: voices: Greek Priest (bass), Greek Hero (bass) soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 4 flutes, 4 oboes, 4 clarinets (C), 4 bassoons, 4 horns (D, E, G, A), 2 trumpets (A, C), 3 trombones, tuba, timpani (2 drums), percussion (2 players — bass drum, cymbals, tam-tam), and strings The score provides the option of using only 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, and 2 bassoons. First Performance: 26 May 1828; Salle du Conservatoire, Paris; conducted by Nathan Bloc Editions: Scène héroïque is published in a critical editions in The New Berlioz Edition, volume 12a, edited by Julian Rushton, by Bärenreiter (BA 5972). Orchestral parts are also available. It was published by Breitkopf and Härtel in the previous critical edition, Hector Berlioz: Werke, volume 10, edited by C. Malherbe and Felix Weingartner, which includes singing
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
translations in German by Emma Klingenfeld and English by John Bernhoff. Autograph: The composer’s manuscript of the full score is lost; however, there is a set of manuscript parts in the library of the Paris Conservatory. Notes: This work was first published in 1903 as part of the Hector Berlioz: Werke. Performance Issues: There are divisi in all of the choral parts. The choral writing is generally homophonic, and much is set for TTB or SSA choirs, portraying Greek women, priests, soldiers, etcetera. The choral roles change within movements, so it may be difficult for the audience to clearly identify who is supposed to be singing. The parts are well conceived for the voices and generally well supported by the accompaniment. There are some dissonances placed high in the women’s ranges that may prove difficult to tune accurately. In the finale, the women are in unison at a range higher than most altos can produce. It may be best to assign them to the first tenor part, which is in a traditional alto range in the troublesome passages. The instrumental writing is idiomatic and well informed from a player’s perspective. Berlioz includes some rapid passagework in the winds that played in unison by the four players he suggests may provide some challenges for precise ensemble playing. This work is suitable to a large symphonic choir, although a medium-sized choral group is sufficient. The composer indicates that the second basses should outnumber the firsts. This is a very practical work for less-experienced choirs. It could be a good companion piece with a concert performance of the finale from Mozart’s Don Giovanni. Soloists: Greek Priest (bass) - range: G-e', tessitura: d-d', this is a sustained and lyric role; Greek Hero (bass) - range: G-e', tessitura: d-d', this is a declamatory solo with some sustained passages. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Lieuwe Visser, Ruud van der Meer; Dutch Radio Choir and Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Jean Fournet, recorded in 1988. Denon: CO-72886. Selected Bibliography: Berlioz, Hector. The Memoirs of Hector Berlioz, translated by Rachel and Eleanor Holmes, annotated and revised by Ernest Newman, 23, 24. New York: Knopf, 1932. Reprinted, New York: Dover, 1966. Barzun, Jacques. Berlioz and the Romantic Century, second edition, I: 65, 68, 83, 88, 92, 240-241. New York: Columbia University Press, 1969. Dickinson, Alan E. F. The Music of Berlioz, 41-44. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1972. Rushton, Julian. The Music of Berlioz, 13-17, 89-92. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2001.
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Huit scènes du Faust, op. 1 (1828-1829), H. 33 Duration: ca. 36 minutes Text: The text is from Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s Faust, translated into French by Gérard de Nerval. Performing Forces: voices: Marguerite (soprano), unnamed (soprano or tenor), Méphistophélès (tenor), and Brander (bass) soloists; SSAATTBB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes (both doubling piccolo), 2 oboes (both doubling English horn), 2 clarinets (A, B♭), 2 bassoons, 4 horns (B♭ basso, C, D, E♭, F, G), tuba, timpani (2 drums),172 2 harps, celeste, guitar, and strings
First Performance: 1 November 1829; Salle du Conservatoire, Paris; conducted by François-Antoine Habeneck Editions: Huit scenes du Faust is published in a critical edition in The New Berlioz Edition, volume 5, edited by Julian Rushton, by Bärenreiter (BA 5445). Orchestral parts are also available. It was published by Breitkopf and Härtel in the previous critical edition, Hector Berlioz: Werke, volume 10, edited by C. Malherbe and Felix Weingartner. Autograph: The composer’s manuscript of the full score is lost; however, there is a set of manuscript parts in the library of the Paris Conservatory. Notes: Much of this composition was reworked to become Berlioz’s La Damnation de Faust (q.v.). Performance Issues: There are spoken lines of text at the beginnings and endings of many of the scenes. The choral parts are somewhat contrapuntal, but most of the choral material is homophonic. Sections of the choir are labeled as portraying groups of people within the story. The choral parts are generally well conceived for the singers; however, some of the alto material is quite high. The score divides the women into two SA choirs, which may benefit from spatial separation. If the singers are to be grouped together, some of the divisi may be better redistributed based upon range rather than choir. Movement 4 calls for an SSTTBB solo sextet. This is the most complicated vocal ensemble, and even its recitative-like passages are clearly doubled by the instruments. It does require a sextet of solid singers, but this treatment also considerably reduces the challenge of the work for the full choir. The orchestration varies considerably by movement. The tuba only appears in movement 5, and only two horns are used, except for movements 6 and 7, which call for four. Likewise the trumpets are only used in movement 7. The harp parts are complex and 172 In movement 7, Berlioz calls for four players playing two pairs of timpani. The purpose is to emulate a military retreat. A single player and pair of drums can suffice if necessary.
critical. There is an extended viola solo in movement 6 and an important and exposed English horn solo in movement 7. The final scene is accompanied by solo guitar, which is the only use of this instrument in the work. The choral material is quite accessible, and with the exception of the sextet, this is a men’s-choir piece. The solos are all strophic and songlike, and the orchestra parts are fairly easy except as noted. This is a much easier score for singers and players than the composer’s later La Damnation de Faust. It is also interesting to note that Méphistophélès is converted into a baritone role in the later incarnation. Soloists: Marguerite (soprano) - range: c'-a'', tessitura: f'-f'', this is a simple lyric solo appropriate for a soprano or mezzosoprano; soprano or tenor - range: c#'-a'', tessitura: e'e'', this is a lyric, folklike solo that sings a four verse song in movement 2; Méphistophélès (tenor) - range: d-f', tessitura: f-f', this is a lyric solo role; Brander (bass) - range: A-d', tessitura: d-d', this is a straightforward, declamatory solo. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Angelika Kirschlager, Frederic Caton, Jean-Paul Fouchecourt, Claude Zibi; Choeur et Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France; conducted by Yutaka Sado, recorded in 2000. Erato: 8573-80234-2. Susan Graham, Susanne Mentzer, François Le Roux, John Mark Ainsley; Montréal Symphony Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Charles Dutoit, recorded in 2003. Decca: 4750972. Selected Bibliography: Berlioz, Hector. The Memoirs of Hector Berlioz, translated by Rachel and Eleanor Holmes, annotated and revised by Ernest Newman, 97-98. New York: Knopf, 1932. Reprinted, New York: Dover, 1966. Barzun, Jacques. Berlioz and the Romantic Century, second edition, I: 96-98, 102, 106-118, 327, 441, 484; II: 66, 220. New York: Columbia University Press, 1969. Rushton, Julian. “Berlioz’s ‘Huit scenes de Faust’: New Source Material.” Musical Times, volume 65 (1970): 471-473. ———. The Music of Berlioz, 25-26, 172-176, 181-184, 303-306. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2001.
Lélio ou le Retour à la vie [Lélio, or The Return to Life], op. 14 bis (1831-1832), H. 55 Duration: ca. 51 minutes Text: The text is by the composer with the additional poem “Der Fischer,” by Goethe translated into French by A. Dubuys.
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Performing Forces: voices: Lélio (tenor), Horatio (tenor), and Captain (baritone) soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes (flute II doubling piccolo), 2 oboes (oboe II doubling English horn), 2 clarinets (A, B♭, C), 2 bassoons, 4 horns (C, E, F), 2 cornets (B ♭), 2 trumpets (D, E♭, E, F), 3 trombones, tuba, 2 timpanists (4 drums), percussion (2 players — bass drum, cymbals, tam-tam), harp, piano (4-hands), and strings
First Performance: 9 December 1832; Salle du Conservatoire, Paris; conducted by François-Antoine Habeneck Editions: Lélio ou le Retour à la vie is published in a critical edition in The New Berlioz Edition, volume 7, edited by Peter Bloom, by Bärenreiter (BA 5447). Orchestral parts, and a piano-vocal score (BA 5447a) are also available. It was published Breitkopf and Härtel in the previous critical edition, Hector Berlioz: Werke, volume 13, edited by C. Malherbe and Felix Weingartner. Autograph: The composer’s manuscript of the full score is in the library of the Paris Conservatory. Notes: This work was composed as a sequel to Berlioz’s Symphonie fantastique and is dedicated to the composer’s son, Louis. The composer’s notes in the score state that this work should be performed as a supplement to the Symphonie fantastique. He also indicates that the orchestra is to be invisible and the singers throughout the theater and behind the curtain. Only the actor portraying Lélio is in front of the curtain until the finale, at which point Lélio exits and the curtain rises to reveal the other musicians. The character of Lélio is a composer. Berlioz indicates that it is more important for this role to be a good actor than a singer, in fact the singing voice should belong an unseen singer who represents Lélio’s “imaginary voice.” Horatio is his friend, and the choir portrays Musicians, Friends and Pupils of Lélio, Brigands, and Ghosts. The Breitkopf score includes a singing German translation by Peter Cornelius and an English one by John Bernhoff. The work includes substantial spoken text. Performance Issues: The choral material is syllabic and clearly doubled by the orchestra. There is significant unison singing by the SATB choir, but the men are presented with the majority of the harmonic material. The finale has the most complex music for the choir and the orchestra. Here the singers must be somewhat independent. The orchestral material is idiomatically conceived. There are significant divisi for all of the strings (4, 4, 2, 4, 2). This may dictate the size of the ensemble in that at minimum there must be four cellos and three doublebasses. The orchestration is quirky, but only heavy-handed in the finale. Here the strings are written as solo parts, so a moderate string and choral component can be used. The string players need to be fairly independent. This is a peculiar melodrama
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
that does require a strong actor in the title role. The staging directions presented in the score may prove impractical, as most of the music is to be performed behind the curtain, which may prove acoustically impossible. The use of a scrim, which is fairly soundtransparent, may be a viable solution. This is a rarely performed work due to its awkward performance demands and challenging text. If presented in the language of the audience as the second half of a concert in sequel to Symphonie fantastique, this could be a remarkably powerful examination of the inner workings of the artist. Soloists: Lélio (tenor) - range: e-b', tessitura: g-g', this is a lyric solo; Horatio (tenor) - range: e-c#'', tessitura: a-a', this is a lyric role that is exposed at the limits of the range; Captain (baritone) - range: c-f', tessitura: e-e', this is an energetic and lyric solo that stresses the top of the range. Choir: medium, easy; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: José Carreras, Thomas Allen; John Alldis Choir; London Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Colin Davis, recorded in 1980. Philips: 416 961-2. Selected Bibliography: Berlioz, Hector. The Memoirs of Hector Berlioz, translated by Rachel and Eleanor Holmes, annotated and revised by Ernest Newman, 94-94, 160, 190, 192, 194195, 508. New York: Knopf, 1932. Reprinted, New York: Dover, 1966. Newman, Ernest. “Lélio.” In Berlioz, Romantic and Classic: Writings by Ernest Newman, edited by Peter Heyworth, 175-177. London: Victor Gollancz, Ltd., 1972. This particular essay was written in 1949. Barzun, Jacques. Berlioz and the Romantic Century, second edition, I: 133, 137, 150, 158, 220-230, 232-233, 236, 265, 327; II: 88, 109, 146. New York: Columbia University Press, 1969. Rushton, Julian. The Music of Berlioz, 30-33, 86-88. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2001.
Le Cinq Mai: Chant sur la mort de l’empereur Napoléon, op. 6 (1835), H. 74 Duration: ca. 13 minutes Text: The text is by Pierre-Jean de Béranger. Performing Forces: voices: bass soloist; SSTTBB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 clarinets (C), 4 bassoons, 4 horns (C, E♭), 2 trumpets (F), 3 trombones, percussion (1 player — large bass drum), and strings First Performance: 22 November 1835; Salle du Conservatoire, Paris; conducted by Narcisse Girard Editions: Le Cinq mai is published in a critical edition in The New Berlioz Edition, volume 12a, edited by Julian Rushton, by Bärenreiter (BA 5452). Orchestral
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parts are also available. It was published by Breitkopf and Härtel in the previous critical edition, Hector Berlioz: Werke, volume 13, edited by C. Malherbe and Felix Weingartner.
La Mort d’Ophélie voices: SA choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, English horn, 2 clarinets (B♭), 2 bassoons, 2 horns
Autograph: The composer’s manuscript of the full score is lost; however, there is a set of manuscript parts in the library of the Paris Conservatory.
Marche funébre pour la dernière scène d’“Hamlet”voices: SATB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets (C), 4 bassoons (optionally 2), 4 horns (D, F), 2 trumpets (D), 2 cornets (A), 3 trombones, tuba, timpani (2 drums), percussion (9 players — 6 snare drums, bass drum, cymbals, and tam-tam), and strings
Notes: The Breitkopf score includes singing translations in German by Felix Weingartner and in English by Percy Pinkerton. The score is dedicated to the French painter, Horace Vernet. Performance Issues: Much of the choral material is in a unison melody that doubles the soloist at times. The remainder is in block-chord homophonic writing. There are some brief a cappella passages that are clearly prepared and simple. The orchestral parts are very practically written, and the score is within the ability of many amateur ensembles. A small to medium-sized string section will be effective. Soloist: bass - range: G-e', tessitura: c-c', this is a sustained and lyric solo that is exposed at both extremes of range. Choir: easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Lieuwe Visser, Ruud van der Meer; Dutch Radio Choir and Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Jean Fournet, recorded in 1988. Denon: CO-72886. Selected Bibliography: Berlioz, Hector. The Memoirs of Hector Berlioz, translated by Rachel and Eleanor Holmes, annotated and revised by Ernest Newman, 291, 304, 331, 333, 336, 340, 343. New York: Knopf, 1932. Reprinted, New York: Dover, 1966. Barzun, Jacques. Berlioz and the Romantic Century, second edition, I: 266-267, 349, 523. New York: Columbia University Press, 1969. Dickinson, Alan E. F. The Music of Berlioz, 44. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1972.
Tristia, op. 18 (1831-1848), H. 56, 92 b, 103 Duration: Méditation religieuse ca. 4 minutes, La Mort d’Ophélie ca. 8 minutes, Marche funébre pour la dernière scène d’“Hamlet” ca. 7 minutes Text: The text of Méditation religieuse is by Louise Belloc, after Thomas Moore. The text of La Mort d’Ophélie is by Ernest Legouvé, after William Shakespeare. The third work in this set is for textless choir. Performing Forces: Méditation religieuse voices: SATTBB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 clarinets (C), 2 bassoons, 2 horns (D), and strings
(A♭, E♭), and strings
First Performance: It appears that Berlioz compiled this collection of earlier works and had it engraved and published without having heard a note of it performed. It is unclear when the premiere occurred. Editions: Tristia is published in a critical edition in The New Berlioz Edition, volume 12b, edited by David Charlton, by Bärenreiter (BA 5790). Orchestral parts are also available. It was published by Breitkopf and Härtel in the previous critical edition, Hector Berlioz: Werke, volumes 6 and 14, edited by C. Malherbe and Felix Weingartner. Autograph: The composer’s manuscript of version 2 Méditation religieuse is in the library of the Paris Conservatory (ms. 1187), version 1 for chorus and seven wind instruments is lost. Version 2 of La Mort d’Ophélie is in the library of the Paris Conservatory (ms. 1187), version 2 is in the Gesellschaft für Musik in Vienna (A 170). Marche funébre pour la dernière scène d’“Hamlet” is in the library of the Paris Conservatory (Ms. 1187). Notes: This score is a collection of three works: Méditation religieuse, La Mort d’Ophélie, and Marche funébre pour la dernière scène d’Hamlet. All three works are dedicated to Prince Eugen von Sayn-Wittgenstein. Méditation religieuse was completed in Rome 4 August 1831. The Breitkopf score includes singing translations in German by F. Graf Spork and in English by Percy Pinkerton. La Mort d’Ophélie was completed in London on 4 July 1848 and is dedicated to Prince Eugen von Sayn-Wittgenstein. The Breitkopf score includes singing translations in German by Emma Klingenfeld and in English by Percy Pinkerton. Performance Issues: Méditation religieuse: The choral writing is homophonic and syllabic. Most of the choral material is a cappella or very lightly accompanied. Passages are exchanged in a call-and-response fashion between the choir and the orchestra. A small choir and chamber orchestra are entirely appropriate for this work. The orchestral material is quite simple. The string parts are simpler than the winds, which may provide good programming opportunities for developing ensembles. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium easy.
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La Mort d’Ophélie: This is a simple and lyrical score. The choral writing is exclusively two-part. It is homophonic with the majority of the parts moving in parallel thirds or sixths. The instrumental parts are fairly simple and a small orchestra will be quite effective in this work. Choir: easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Marche funébre pour la dernière scène d’“Hamlet”: Berlioz indicates in the score that the singers and percussionists should be “behind the scenes at some distance from the orchestra.” He also suggests placing 2 violins and a viola near the choir to maintain pitch. The choir actually begins the work unaccompanied on a single “A” natural. This can come from the orchestral tuning. The choir merely lets out an occasional “ah” whole note in octaves. The orchestral writing is rich and expressive and completely idiomatic. Near the end of the piece, there is an indication for “Volley firing at the back of the stage farther away than the side drums.” Recorded gunfire or pistols with blanks can be used. Choir: very easy; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: John Alldis Choir; London Symphony Orchestra; Colin Davis, recorded in 1980. Philips: 416 431-2. Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique; conducted by John Eliot Gardiner, recorded in 1996. Philips: 446 676-2. Montréal Symphony Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Charles Dutoit, recorded in 2001. Decca: 458 0112. Selected Bibliography: Berlioz, Hector. The Memoirs of Hector Berlioz, translated by Rachel and Eleanor Holmes, annotated and revised by Ernest Newman, 161. New York: Knopf, 1932. Reprinted, New York: Dover, 1966. Barzun, Jacques. Berlioz and the Romantic Century, second edition, I: 216, 228, 245, 333, 404-405, 518, 543, 547, 562; II: 65, 71, 104, 185. New York: Columbia University Press, 1969. Dickinson, Alan E. F. The Music of Berlioz, 45-49, 5661. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1972. Rushton, Julian. The Music of Berlioz, 279-280. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2001.
Vox populi, op. 20 (1844-1851), H. 120 Duration:
Hymne à la France: ca. 8 minutes La Menace des Francs: ca. 4 minutes
Text: The text of Hymne à la France is by HenriAuguste Barbier. The text of La Menace des Francs is by an anonymous author, possibly the composer. Performing Forces: Hymne à la France: voices: SATB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets (C), 2 bassoons, 4 horns (D, E), 2 trumpets (D), 2 cornets (A), 3 trombones, tuba, 2
timpanists (2 drums each), percussion (2 players — bass drum, cymbals), and strings La Menace des Francs: voices: TTBB chamber choir and SATTBB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets (C), 2 bassoons, 4 horns (B ♭ basso, C), 2 trumpets (F), 2 cornets (B♭), 3 trombones, tuba, 2 timpanists (2 drums each), and strings
First Performance: Hymne à la France: 1 August 1844; Paris for the closing of an industrial exhibition; conducted by the composer Editions: Vox populi is published in a critical edition in The New Berlioz Edition, volume 12a, edited by David Charlton, by Bärenreiter (BA 5452/II). Orchestral parts, a piano-vocal score, and a study score are also available. It appears as op. 20, nos. 1 and 2, in the Breitkopf and Härtel previous critical edition, Hector Berlioz: Werke, volume 14, edited by C. Malherbe and Felix Weingartner. Autograph: This is a compilation of two earlier works. The autograph full score of La Menace des Francs is lost; however, there is a set of manuscript parts in the library of the Paris Conservatory. A fragment of the autograph of Hymne à la France is also in the Paris Conservatory (ms. 1517). Notes: This work was originally two pieces: Hymne à la France, H. 97 and La Menace des Francs, H. 117. The Breitkopf score includes singing translations in German by Emma Klingenfeld and in English by Percy Pinkerton. Hymne à la France was composed in 1844 and orchestrated in 1859. La Menace des Francs was composed in 1851. Both scores are dedicated to the French Philharmonic Society. Performance Issues: Hymne à la France: The choral writing is generally homophonic and well reinforced by the accompaniment. There are extended passages for the sopranos and basses that could be effectively given to soloists, although balance might prove challenging. The orchestration is varied and the parts are idiomatic. There are many ostinato accompanimental figures throughout the orchestra, some of which are fairly filigreed. The scoring suggests the use of a large choir and sizable string section. This is a bombastic and impressive short work. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium difficult. La Menace des Francs: This very straightforward composition is truly an overblown hymn. It is generally homophonic with consistent doubling of the singers by the orchestra. Both tenor I parts have fairly high tessiture. Beyond a few imitative gestures among groups of instruments, the orchestra derives nearly all of its material from the choir. The orchestra parts are therefore quite conservative. The size of the ensemble is the greatest complication. Much of the chamber choir’s
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material is actually doubled by the men’s section of the full choir. This is a short, powerful work for large choir and orchestra that provides an opportunity for merging a men’s choir and a mixed choir. Choir: easy; Orchestra: easy. Selected Discography: No commercial recording Selected Bibliography: Barzun, Jacques. Berlioz and the Romantic Century, second edition, I: 444, 446, 532, 556; II: 278. New York: Columbia University Press, 1969. Dickinson, Alan E. F. The Music of Berlioz, 115-116. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1972.
L’Impériale, op. 26 (1854), H. 129
throughout the ensemble. The Breitkopf score includes singing translations in German by Emma Klingenfeld and English by Percy Pinkerton. Performance Issues: The choral writing is in unison and homophonic chordal writing. There is one imitative section for the singers, which is clearly doubled and diatonic. This is a bombastic and colorfully orchestrated hymn. The principal challenge is the sheer size of the ensemble. Musically it is a very practical piece. There is some rapid passagework for the winds that provide no significant challenges. Choir: easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography:
Duration: ca. 10 minutes
Dutch Radio Choir and Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Jean Fournet, recorded in 1988. Denon: CO-72886.
Text: The text is by Pierre-Chéri Lafont.
Selected Bibliography:
Performing Forces: voices: 2 SATB choirs; orchestra: 6 flutes, 6 oboes, 6 clarinets (B♭), 8 bassoons, 8 horns
Berlioz, Hector. The Memoirs of Hector Berlioz, translated by Rachel and Eleanor Holmes, annotated and revised by Ernest Newman, 483, 489, 492-493. New York: Knopf, 1932. Reprinted, New York: Dover, 1966. Barzun, Jacques. Berlioz and the Romantic Century, second edition, I: 363; II: 87, 113. New York: Columbia University Press, 1969. Dickinson, Alan E. F. The Music of Berlioz, 44-45. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1972. Rushton, Julian. The Music of Berlioz, 58-60, 218-220. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2001.
(E♭, F), 6 cornets (B♭), 6 trumpets (E♭), 8 trombones, 5 tubas, 3 timpanists (2 drums each), percussion (5 players — 5 snare drums), and strings. Berlioz indicates in the score that choir I should have 10 singers on each part and that choir II should be much larger. The score calls for a string disposition of 36, 34, 28, 25, and 25. The composer also states that in a smaller hall traditional numbers of instruments can be used with choir I becoming a solo quartet. In such an arrangement 2, 2, 2, 2 — 4, 2, 3, 1 (1 perc, timp) — strings will suffice. First Performance: 15 and 16 November 1855; Palais de l’Industrie at the Exposition Universelle, Paris; conducted by the composer Editions: L’Impériale is published in a critical edition in The New Berlioz Edition, volume 12b, edited by David Charlton, by Bärenreiter (BA 5980). Orchestral parts are also available. It was published by Breitkopf and Härtel in the previous critical edition, Hector Berlioz: Werke, volume 13, edited by C. Malherbe and Felix Weingartner. Autograph: The composer’s manuscript of the full score is in the library of the Paris Conservatory (Ms. 1191). Notes: This work was composed in honor of Napoleon III and premiered in a pair of concerts closing the Exposition Universelle that Berlioz presented at the request of Prince Napoleon, the emperor’s brother. It was at this enormous concert that Berlioz first used the electric metronome, a device invented by Henri Verbrugghen that allowed the principal conductor to coordinate the beats of “subconductors” distributed 173 Joseph Machlis, Introduction to Contemporary Music, 575-576 (New York: W.W. Norton, 1961).
BERNSTEIN, Leonard (b. Lawrence, MA, 25 August 1918; d. New York, 14 October 1990). Bernstein was educated at the Boston Latin School and Harvard (BA 1939). He entered the Curtis Institute in 1941, where he studied conducting with Fritz Reiner and orchestration with Randall Thompson. He also studied conducting with Serge Koussevitsky and composition with Aaron Copland and Paul Hindemith at Tanglewood (1940-1942). He was catapulted to fame as a conductor when he substituted for the ailing Bruno Walter in a national radio broadcast. After a year as joint principal conductor, with Dmitri Mitropoulos, he was named sole conductor of the New York Philharmonic (1958-1969), retiring as conductor laureate. He was one of the most influential and renowned conductors of this century. His compositions are marked by an inventive integration of jazz music with elements of concert music. His melodies are very technically crafted in terms of intervallic organization, while retaining qualities of popular music. 173
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Throughout his works there is a common theme of man’s struggle with unstable beliefs and the pursuit to find faith.174 His skills as a communicator were displayed in the many educational programs given on national television with the New York Philharmonic, and through his popular books on musical topics. Teachers: Nadia Boulanger, Aaron Copland, Edward Burlingame Hill, Walter Piston, Randall Thompson Students: H. Owen Reed Writings: The Joy of Music (1959), Young People’s Concerts for Reading and Listening (1962, revised and enlarged 1970), The Infinite Variety of Music (1966), The Unanswered Question (1976), and Findings (1982) Principal Works: musicals/operas - On the Town (1944), Trouble in Tahiti (1951), Wonderful Town (1953), Candide (1956, revised 1973), West Side Story (1957), 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue (1976), A Quiet Place (1983); ballets - Fancy Free (1944), Facsimile (1946), Symphony no. 1, “Jeremiah” (1942), Symphony no. 2, “The Age of Anxiety” (1949), Symphony no. 3, “Kaddish” (1961-1963); choral - Chichester Psalms (1965); film music - On the Waterfront (1954). Selected Composer Bibliography: “Bernstein, Leonard.” Current Biography Yearbook, v (February 1944); xxi (February 1960); New York: H. W. Wilson Company. Bernstein, Leonard. The Joy of Music. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1959. ———. The Infinite Variety of Music. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1966. ———. The Unanswered Question. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1976. ———. Findings. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1982. Hughes, Allen. “Leonard Bernstein: Musical Personality of 1960.” Musical America (January 1961): 15. Leonard Bernstein. A Catalogue of His Works. New York: Boosey and Hawkes, 1978. Robinson, Paul. Bernstein (Art of the Conductor). New York: Vanguard Press of Simon and Schuster, 1982. Peyser, Joan. “Leonard Bernstein.” The New Grove Twentieth-Century American Masters, 291-306. New York: W.W. Norton, 1986. ———. Bernstein: A Biography. New York: Beechtree Books, 1987. Fluegel, Jane, editor. Bernstein Remembered. New York: Carroll and Graf, 1991.
174 Joan Peyser, Bernstein: A Biography (New York: Beechtree Books, 1987).
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Laird, Paul F. Leonard Bernstein: A Guide to Research. New York: Routledge, 2001.
Chichester Psalms (1965) Duration: ca. 19 minutes Text: The Psalms in Hebrew Performing Forces: voices: boy soloist, SATB choral solos; SSAATTBB choir; orchestra: 3 trumpets in B♭, 3 trombones, timpani, percussion (7 players glockenspiel, xylophone, suspended cymbal, crash cymbals, triangle, temple blocks, wood block, whip, rasp, snare drum, 3 bongos, tambourine, bass drum), 2 harps, and strings reduced orchestra version: organ, harp and percussion First Performance: 15 July 1965; New York; John Bogart; Camerata Singers (Abraham Kaplan, chorusmaster), New York Philharmonic Orchestra; conducted by Bernstein. Edition: Chichester Psalms is published by Amberson Music, Bernstein’s division of G. Schirmer. The piano-vocal and full scores are available for purchase; orchestral materials are available through rental. The first movement is also available separately for performance with piano. Notes: Chichester Psalms was commissioned for the Three Choirs Festival at Chichester Cathedral in England where it was performed 31 July 1965. It is dedicated to Cyril Solomon. The composer states in the score that he conceived the work to be for a male choir, and that although a mixed choir was acceptable, the extended solo in the second movement must be sung by a male treble or a countertenor. Lukas Foss states that the score contains quotes from Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony, and from Foss’s own Psalms.175 The score is written in transliterated Hebrew with a guide for pronunciation and a translation. The texts are selected and arranged as follows: Movement I Psalm 18, verse 2 Psalm 100, all Movement II Psalm 23, all Psalm 2, verses 1-4 Movement III Psalm 131, all Psalm 133, verse 1
175 As quoted in William Westbrook Burton (editor), Conversations about Bernstein, 10-11 (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1995).
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Performance Issues: This score is metrically complex utilizing numerous compound meters reflecting Israeli folk music. There is also an element of middle-eastern modality throughout the work reflecting a good amount of chromaticism. The vocal parts are very rhythmic and require a broad palette of dynamics and articulation. The musical prosody of the Hebrew is accessible to singers lacking previous experience in this language. Although the vocal parts are chromatic and involve significant divisi, they are tonally based and tuneful. All four sections of the choir must be vocally strong and musically independent. The two harp parts can be successfully negotiated by a single player although the sonority of two harps is preferred. The score is clearly written for seven percussionists, although five good players could execute all of the parts. The score uses the term “frusta” for a whip. While there is only a single cymbal stroke for the percussion in the final movement, a brief prerehearsal percussion sectional of the second movement is advisable. The individual orchestral parts are well-written for the instruments. A good harpist is crucial as this part is quite exposed, particularly in the second movement. The first trumpet part has a high tessitura and all of the brass parts require solid players. The string parts are the most accessible, while rhythmic and chromatic, they present few technical difficulties. Soloists: boy, range: d'-e'', tessitura: e'-c'', this solo represents the young psalmist, King David, he sings only in the second movement; the part is well doubled in the accompaniment, which is suitably transparent to not overshadow a young singer. There are four choral soloists with brief solos in the first and third movements: soprano - range: d-a♭'', tessitura: g'-g''; alto - range: d'd'', tessitura: d'-b'; tenor - range: d-a', tessitura: a-d'; bass - range: d♭-e', tessitura: d-d'. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: John Bogart; Camerata Singers (Abraham Kaplan, chorus master), New York Philharmonic Orchestra; conducted by Leonard Bernstein. Recorded: 26 July 1965 in the Manhattan Center, New York. Sony: SM3K 47 162 [ADD] and CBS: MK 44710 [ADD]. Estonian National Orchestra, Pacific Chorale; conducted by J. Alexander. Bay Cities: BCD 1035 [DDD]. Vienna Youth Chorus (Günther Teuring, chorus-master), Israel Philharmonic Orchestra; conducted by Leonard Bernstein. Deutsche Grammophon: 415965 [ADD]. Aled Jones; London Symphony Orchestra Chorus, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra; conducted by Richard Hickox. RPO Records: RPO 7007 [DDD], also released as MCA Classics: MCAD-6199. American Boychoir, American Symphony Orchestra; conducted by James Litton. MusicMasters: 7049-2-C [DDD]. Atlanta Symphony and Chorus; conducted by Robert Shaw. Telarc: CD-80181 [DDD].
version for organ and percussion: Dominic Martelli; Corydon Singers; Thomas Trotter, organ; Rachel Masters, harp; Gary Kettel, percussion; conducted by Matthew Best. Hyperion: CDA-66219 [DDD]. James Bowman, countertenor; King’s College Choir; James Lancelot, organ; Osian Ellis, harp; David Corkhill, percussion; conducted by Stephen Cleobury. Angel: CDC-54188 [DDD]. Selected Bibliography: Gottlieb, Jack. “The Choral Music of Leonard Bernstein, Reflections of Theater and Liturgy.” American Choral Review, volume 10 (1968): 155-177. Berger, Melvin. Guide to Choral Masterpieces: A Listener’s Guide, 63-67. New York: Anchor Books, 1993. Burton, Humphrey. Leonard Bernstein, 347-49, 418-19. New York: Doubleday, 1994.
Kaddish, Symphony No. 3 (1961-1963) Duration: ca. 40 minutes Text: Traditional Hebrew text, narrator’s text is by the composer. Performing Forces: voices: speaker, soprano soloist; SATB choir, boy choir; orchestra: 4 flutes (flutes III and IV doubling piccolo), 2 oboes, English horn, clarinet in E♭, 2 clarinets in B♭ and A, bass clarinet, alto saxophone, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 4 horns, trumpet in D, 3 trumpets in C, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani (5), percussion (7 players - snare drum, field drum, tenor drum, bass drum, Israeli hand drum, 3 bongos, tambourine, crash cymbals, 2 suspended cymbals, finger cymbals, crotales [E, G, B, C], tam-tam, triangle, 3 temple blocks, wood block, sandpaper blocks, rasp, whip, ratchet, maracas, claves, xylophone, glockenspiel, vibraphone, chimes), celeste, harp, piano, and strings First Performance: 10 December 1963; Tel Aviv; Hannah Rovina, speaker; Jennie Tourel, soprano; Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, choirs prepared by Abraham Kaplan and Isaac Graziani; conducted by the composer Boston Premiere: 31 January 1964; Boston, MA; Felicia Montealegre, speaker; Jennie Tourel, soprano; New England Conservatory Chorus, prepared by Lorna Cooke DeVaron, Columbus Boychoir prepared by Donald Bryant; Boston Symphony; conducted by Charles Munch Premiere of Revised Version: 25 August 1977; Mainz; Michael Wager, speaker; Montserrat Caballé, soprano; Wiener Jeunesse Chor prepared by Günther Theuring, Wiener Sängerknaben prepared by Uwe Harrer; Israel Philharmonic; conducted by the composer
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Edition: The Kaddish Symphony is published by Jalni Publications and distributed by Boosey and Hawkes. Piano-vocal and study scores are available for purchase; orchestral materials available for rental. Autograph: A copy of the composer’s manuscript is in the possession of Boosey and Hawkes. Notes: The work is dedicated “To the Beloved Memory of John F. Kennedy.” “Kaddish” is a prayer from the Jewish service for the dead; it is however, also about life. The symphony is a quest for faith; it is an attempt to fit an ancient God into a contemporary belief. Bernstein attempts to achieve this by broadening the scope of the believer to comprehend the role of a deity within a changing world. The “Kaddish” serves as a requiem for the God of the past and prayer for the God of today. The English text is reserved for the narrator. These issues are revisited from an ecumenical perspective in Mass. Bernstein has arranged this symphony into three parts, which are further divided into seven movements. In the score are the following notes:
be passed along through the section, but there should be as little visual disturbance as possible.” This cadenza creates 8 ostinati in diverse tempos, which ultimately fade to nothing. The choral parts are not only musically difficult, but also physically challenging. All of the orchestral parts contain very difficult passages and constant rhythmic challenges. The score is thoroughly bowed. The timpanist is asked to play improvised pitches within a given rhythm at [F]. The narration is never notated in definite rhythm, but it is made to correspond to measures, or the score indicates specific beats upon which phrases are to begin. Soloist: soprano, range: c'-b♭'', tessitura: a'-g'', requires a clear and lyric voice capable of sustained phrases. This is a remarkably challenging piece for all involved in its performance. It is an equally magnificent musical expression of faith and the human condition, well worth the effort of those few ensembles capable of executing it. Choir: difficult; Orchestra: difficult. Selected Discography:
Kaddish (Symphony No. 3) is the belated result of a joint commission by the Koussevitsky Music Foundation and the Boston Symphony Orchestra, on the occasion of the Orchestra’s seventy-fifth anniversary in 1955. Intensive work on the Symphony was begun in the summer of 1961, at Martha’s Vineyard, continued at the MacDowell Colony, in New Hampshire, in the summer of 1962, and completed on August 19, 1963, at Fairfield, Connecticut. The orchestration was achieved in three weeks of November, 1963. . . On November 22, 1963, Bernstein had come to the orchestration of the final amen section of the Symphony when, abruptly, fate commanded the dedication: “To the beloved memory of John F. Kennedy.”
Jennie Tourel, mezzo-soprano; Felicia Montealegre, speaker; Camerata Singers, Columbus Boychoir, New York Philharmonic; conducted by Bernstein. Recorded 15 and 17 April 1964. Columbia: KL-6005 [LP]; re-released as Sony: SM3K 47162 [ADD]. Montserrat Caballé, soprano; Michael Wager, speaker; Vienna Academy Chamber Choir, Wiener Sängerknaben, Israel Philharmonic Orchestra; conducted by Bernstein. Recorded 1978. Deutsche Grammophon: 2530.968(10)-2530.970(10) [LP]; re-released as 423582-2 GH [ADD].
Because he was not satisfied with the original version, the composer, in 1977, made some revisions. This included a few cuts, some musical re-writing [sic] and even more re-writing of the spoken text. Furthermore, he made it possible for the speaker to be either a woman or a man.
Selected Bibliography:
Performance Issues: This is a chromatic and rhythmically charged work. The chromaticisms reflect Bernstein’s unique combination of classical traditions with Jewish folk songs and jazz. It is filled with displaced downbeats, constantly changing meters, crossrhythms, unusual and varied beat divisions, and erratically placed accents. The beginning of the score has the text of the Kaddish prayer in Aramaic with a translation, a phonetic transliteration and a guide to the symbols used. The transliteration is in the Sephardic dialect and is used in place of the text in the score. The choral writing is very chromatic, but supported by the accompaniment. Bernstein frequently utilizes paired doublings and choral unisons. The vocal counterpoint rarely exceeds two levels of simultaneous melodic motion. The choir is asked to clap, stomp, and to hum on low-register pitches, which are up to the discretion of the singers. Beginning two bars after [M], the choir has an 8-part cadenza; for this the composer states, “Each of the 8 groups has its own inner conductor, who beats that group’s separate pulse. The beat may
Davis, Peter. “Bernstein as Symphonist.” New York Times (26 November 1978), section II, 17. Gottlieb, Jack. “Symbols of Faith in the Music of Leonard Bernstein.” The Musical Quarterly, lxvi (1980): 14. Bernard, Andrew. Two Musical Perspectives of Twentieth-Century Pacifism: An Analytical and Historical View of Britten’s “War Requiem” and Bernstein’s “Kaddish Symphony.” University of Washington, dissertation, 1990.
Mass (1970-1971) Duration: ca. 95 minutes Text: Latin Liturgy, Bernstein, and Stephen Schwartz Performing Forces: voices: Celebrant (baritone), boy soprano; SATB choir, boy choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 oboes (oboe II doubling English horn), 3 clarinets (clarinet III doubling E♭ clarinet, bass clarinet, and saxophones), 2 bassoons (bassoon II doubling contrabassoon), 4 horns, 4 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, 4 electric guitars, 2 electronic keyboards, percussion (38 pieces), 2 Allen organs, harp, and strings
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
First Performance: 8 September 1971; Kennedy Center, Washington, DC; Alan Titus - Celebrant; Norman Scribner Choir; conducted by Maurice Peress Revision: arranged for chamber orchestra by Maurice Peress (1972) Performing Forces: voices: Celebrant (baritone), boy soprano, choir of 12, boy choir of 10, Street Ensemble of 16, 3 dancers; orchestra: flute (doubling clarinet and saxophone), horn, trumpet, trombone, tuba, bass guitar, electric piano, harp, organ, percussion (2 players), 1 violin First Performance: 26 December 1972; Los Angeles; conducted by Maurice Peress Edition: Mass is published by Amberson and distributed by Boosey and Hawkes. The piano-vocal score (47108c) is for sale. The full score and orchestral materials are available by rental. Autograph: A copy of the composer’s manuscript is in the possession of Boosey and Hawkes. Notes: The original orchestrations are by Bernstein, Hershy Kay, and Jonathan Tunick. The work was composed for the opening of the John F. Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, at the request of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. Mass combines the words of the Roman Catholic Mass with additional Hebrew prayers and original English text. The work uses the liturgy of the Mass as the basis for a work of musical theater in the manner of a semistaged oratorio. The liturgy serves as an exploration of faith, its demise and ultimate reaffirmation. Performance Issues: This work is a remarkable amalgamation of styles ranging from marches to jazz to classical to rock. In this writer’s opinion, it is an effective and sincere composition, which, although it contains many pop-music elements of the period, is capable of sustaining its musical worth in the future. Bernstein’s craft transcends the possible snares of questionable taste, which often plague works of this nature. This is a very rhythmic composition with frequent use of odd-legged meters and ostinati. The choral writing is generally diatonic and variable in texture and treatment including choral unisons, chorales, and strict canons. There are divisi for as many as twelve parts for the choir, but many of these involve substantial overlaps. At some sections, some of the men must sing in falsetto. There are also some spoken passages for the Celebrant and members of the choir. The score indicates that the Kyrie Eleison is to be on a quadraphonic tape, which successively is played from four speakers placed at the corners of the audience. This could certainly be modified and even adapted to live presentation. The most difficult portions of the score are those which are on the tape. Viola d’amore and shawm are included on this tape, which might require rescoring if an entirely live performance were
executed. There are some minor staging indications and suggestions for some offstage playing and singing. Soloists: Celebrant - baritone/tenor, range: E-a', tessitura: f-e', this role requires a lyric voice, endurance, and strong acting skills; boy soprano, range: d'g'', tessitura: f'-f'', this solo is tuneful, sustained, and carefully supported by the accompaniment. There are a number of smaller solo roles, which should be assigned to members of the ensemble: 1st Rock Singer tenor, range: e-f#', tessitura: b-e'; 2nd Rock Singer baritone, range: e♭-e♭', tessitura: g-d'; 3rd Rock Singer - baritone, range: f#-f#', tessitura: f#-f#'; 1st Blues Singer - baritone, range: c-g'; tessitura: g-d'; 2nd Blues Singer - alto, range: d♭'-g'', tessitura: g'-d''; 3rd Blues Singer - baritone, range: d♭-g', tessitura: g-d'; Descant - tenor/countertenor, range: b-a'', tessitura: e'-a''; soprano 1, range: d'-f'', tessitura: g'-e♭''; soprano 2,
range: d'-f'', tessitura: f'-e♭''; soprano 3, range: d'-a'', tessitura: a'-g''; tenor 1, range: d-f', tessitura: g-e♭'; tenor 2, range: d-f', tessitura: f-e♭'; tenor 3, range: d-a', tessitura: a-g'. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Alan Titus; Norman Scribner Choir, Berkshire Boys’ Choir; conducted by the composer. Recorded in 1971. CBS: M2K-44593 [ADD]; re-released as SONY: SM3K 47154. Selected Bibliography: Berlinski, Herman. “Bernstein’s Mass.” Sacred Music, volume 99, No. 1 (1972): 3. Goemanne, Noel. “Open Forum: The Controversial Bernstein Mass: Another Point of View.” Sacred Music, (1973): 33. Pearlmutter, Alan. “Bernstein’s Mass Revisited: A Guide to Using a Contemporary Work to Teach Music Concepts.” Music Educators Journal, 1 lxi (1974): 34. Cottle, William Andrew Sr. Social Commentary in Vocal Music in the Twentieth Century as Evidenced by Leonard Bernstein’s “Mass.” University of Northern Colorado, dissertation, 1978. Andre, Don Alan. Leonard Bernstein’s “Mass” as Social and Political Commentary on the Sixties. University of Washington, dissertation, 1979. DeSesa, Gary. A Comparison between Descriptive Analysis of Leonard Bernstein’s Mass and the Musical Implications of the Critical Evaluations Thereof. New York University, dissertation, 1985.
BLISS, Arthur (b. London, 2 August 1891; d. London, 27 March 1975). Arthur Bliss was a student of Gustav Holst, Ralph Vaughan Williams, and Charles Villiers Stanford at
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the Royal College of Music. His studies were interrupted by military service (1916-1918). He became a professor at the RCM in 1921, resigning after a year to dedicate all of his time to composition. He did however teach again for two years in California 19231925. There he established contacts with Leopold Stokowski and the Coolidge Foundation. Bliss was music director of the BBC (1942-1944), and was made Master of the Queen’s Musick in 1953, succeeding Arnold Bax. He was knighted in 1950, made Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order in 1969, and a Companion of Honour in 1971. Bliss’s music maintains a tonal center, expanding upon it via chromaticisms and modal melodic material. His harmonies are tertian, although often nonfunctional and containing many parallel ninth and eleventh chords. His orchestration is lush, continuing in the style of English mysticism established by his teachers and Delius.176 Teachers: Gustav Holst, Charles Villiers Stanford, Ralph Vaughan Williams, Charles Wood Students: Roy Harris, Roger Nixon Principal Works: film scores - Of Things to Come (1935), Men of Two Worlds; operas - The Olympians (1949), Tobias and the Angel (1960); ballets - Checkmate (1937), Miracle in the Gorbals (1944), Adam Zero (1946); orchestral - Color Symphony (1922); vocal - Serenade (1929), The Beatitudes (1962), A Knot of Riddles (1963), The World Is Charged with the Grandeur of God (1969). Selected Composer Bibliography: Bliss, Arthur. As I Remember [autobiography]. London: Faber and Faber, 1970. Palmer, Christopher. Bliss. Sevenoaks, England: Novello, 1972. Craggs, Stewart R. Sir Arthur Bliss: A Preliminary Survey and Synthesis of Materials for the Study of His Music. 4 volumes. University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, Scotland, dissertation, 1982. ———. Arthur Bliss: A Bio-Bibliography. New York: Greenwood Press, 1988. Bliss, Arthur. Bliss on Music: Selected Writings of Arthur Bliss, edited by Gregory Roscow. New York: Oxford University Press, 1991.
Pastoral: Lie Strewn the White Flocks (1928-1929) Duration: ca. 30-33 minutes Text: adapted from Ben Jonson, John Fletcher, Poliziano, Robert Nichols, and Theocritus
176 Stewart R. Craggs, Arthur Bliss: A Bio-Bibliography (New York: Greenwood Press, 1988).
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Performing Forces: voices: mezzo-soprano soloist; choir; orchestra: flute, timpani, and strings. First Performance: 8 May 1929; Bishopsgate Institute, London; Odette de Foras, mezzo-soprano; Gilbert Barton, flute; Harold Brooke Choir and Orchestra; conducted by Harold Brooke. Edition: Pastoral is published by Novello and distributed by Theodore Presser Company. The piano-vocal score is for sale; orchestral materials are available through rental. Autograph: It is in the possession of Lady Bliss in London. Notes: This work was commissioned by the Harold Brooke Choir and is dedicated to Edward Elgar. The composer notes that if “The Pigeon Song” is omitted, the piece can be performed by choir and orchestra only. Performance Issues: The choral and string parts are divided. The finale includes some a cappella passages, which are quite simple. The vocal writing is strictly homophonic, using functional harmonies within a fabric of constantly shifting tonal centers. The string writing is conservative and practical. This score is playable by any college-level orchestra and is certainly worth the consideration of many youth orchestras. The flute part is treated as a featured solo. It demands an expert player capable of dramatic nuance and technical flexibility. Soloist: mezzo-soprano, range: d'-f#'', tessitura: f'-d'', requiring a lyric voice capable of rapid articulation. This is a fairly simple work with graceful tunes and varied dance rhythms. It is a practical selection for an ensemble of limited means and experience, and is certainly deserving of the consideration of advanced groups as well. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Discography: Sybil Michelow, mezzo-soprano; Norman Knight, flute; Bruckner-Mahler Choir of London, London Chamber Orchestra; conducted by Wyn Morris. Recorded in 1970. Pye Virtuoso: TPLS 13036 [LP]. Shirley Minty, mezzo-soprano; Judith Pearce, flute; Holst Singers and Orchestra; conducted by Hilary Davan Wetton. Recorded in 1985. Hyperion: CDA66175 [ADD]. Della Jones, mezzo-soprano; The Sinfonia Chorus, Northern Sinfonia; conducted by Richard Hickox. Chandos: CHAN 8886 [DDD].
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Selected Bibliography: Thompson, Oscar. “Forecast and Review.” Modern Music, vii/2 (February/March 1930): 30.
Morning Heroes (1929-1930) Duration: ca. 60-65 minutes Text: adapted from Homer, Li Tai Po, Walt Whitman, Wilfred Owen, and Robert Nichols Performing Forces: voices: narrator; choir; orchestra: 3 flutes (flute III doubling piccolo), 3 oboes, English horn, 2 clarinets, bass clarinet, 3 bassoons, contrabassoon, 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, 2 timpanists, percussion (2 players - bass drum, snare drum, tenor drum, cymbals, gong), harp, and strings. The composer states that if necessary the following parts may be omitted: flute III, oboe II, bass clarinet, contrabassoon, timpani II, and percussion II. First Performance: 22 October 1930; St. Andrew’s Hall, Norwich, England; Basil Maine, narrator; Festival Chorus, Queen’s Hall Orchestra; conducted by Bliss. Edition: Morning Heroes is published by Novello and distributed by Theodore Presser Company. The piano-vocal score (15551) is for sale; orchestral materials are available through rental.
requires a large choir, which must be moderately experienced, with a strong men’s section. This is a beautiful work in the style of Vaughan Williams and Howells, which very elegantly sets a collection of poignant texts. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium. Selected Discography: John Westbrook, speaker; Liverpool Philharmonic Choir, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra; conducted by Charles Groves. Recorded in 1975. His Master’s Voice: SAN 365 [LP]. Selected Bibliography: Bliss, Arthur. “Arthur Bliss’s Morning Heroes.” Monthly Musical Record, lx (1 October 1930): 289-91. Grace, Harvey. “Morning Heroes.” The Musical Times, lxx (October 1930): 881-6. Blom, Eric. “Morning Heroes.” The Music Teacher (March 1931): 149-50. Burn, Andrew. “Now, Trumpeter for Thy Close.” The Musical Times, cxxvi (November 1985): 666-8. Foreman, Lewis. From Parry to Britten: British Music in Letters 1900-1945, 104, 140, 141, 167, 292. Portland, OR: Amadeus Press, 1987.
Golden Cantata (“Music in the Golden Form”) (1963)
Autograph: The composer’s manuscript is in the University Library, Cambridge.
Duration: ca. 28 minutes
Notes: This work was commissioned by the Norfolk and Norwich 33rd Triennial Music Festival, and “Dedicated to the memory of my brother Francis Kennard Bliss and all other comrades killed in battle.” Morning Heroes is subtitled a Symphony. The fifteen-minute third movement may be performed separately.
Performing Forces: voices: tenor soloist; choir; orchestra: 3 flutes (all doubling piccolo), 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion (at least 3 players - snare drum, tenor drum, bass drum, crash cymbals, suspended cymbal, triangle, wood block, glockenspiel, xylophone, chimes), celeste, harp, organ (pedals only), and strings
Performance Issues: The narrator speaks throughout the first movement and at the beginning of the fifth movement only. The composer states in the score of the first movement: [It] is to be declaimed dramatically. Correct timing between the Orator and Conductor is necessary only at the bars marked *, but each speech should end approximately where indicated. Bar by bar synchronization throughout, which will restrict the orator, should naturally not be attempted, nor on any account must the flow of the music be interrupted.
The choral writing is triadic and mostly homophonic. At times, Bliss divides the choir into pairs, which he treats antiphonally or casts into contrasting homophonic groups. The independent vocal lines move by step or triadic leap. All of the choral parts are supported harmonically by the accompaniment. The orchestra parts are well written and fairly demanding, remaining within the abilities of an above average college or community ensemble. The orchestration
Text: Kathleen Raine
First Performance: 18 February 1964; The Guildhall, Cambridge; Wilfred Brown; Cambridge University Musical Society Chorus and Orchestra; conducted by Bliss Edition: Golden Cantata is published by Novello and distributed by Theodore Presser Company. The piano-vocal score is for sale; orchestral materials are available through rental. Autograph: It is in the possession of Lady Bliss in London. The full score is a facsimile of the composer’s manuscript. Notes: The Golden Cantata was commissioned by and is dedicated to the Cambridge University Musical Society to mark the Quincentenary of the first recorded degree in music being awarded by Cambridge University in 1464. It is in eight movements, which are played without pause.
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Performance Issues: The full score of this work is extremely difficult to read, and much of the performance indications and text is completely illegible. This is a tonal composition with primarily homophonic and unison choral writing. The soprano part is, at times, divided. In the final movement, successive phrases are sung by the full choir or a semichoir. The scoring is very skillful and quite varied, presenting some challenges for good ensemble playing, as there are constant shifts of primary instruments and regular melodic exchanges between diverse instruments. Soloist: tenor, range: d-a♭'; tessitura: f-f': this is a sustained and brilliant role with an optional c'' at the end. The tenor soloist sings only in the seventh movement. The choral part is accessible to a choir of moderate experience and size. The complexity of orchestral integration requires a professional level ensemble. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: difficult. Discography: No commercial recording Selected Bibliography: Sadie, Stanley. “The Golden Cantata.” The Musical Times, cv (April 1960): 283.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Teachers: Emile Jaques-Dalcroze, Léo Délibes, Iwan Knorr, François Rasse Students: George Antheil, Ernst Bacon, Elliott Carter, Herbert Elwell, Theodore Chanler, Isadore Freed, Frederick Jacobi, Earl Kim, Leon Kirchner, Douglas Moore, Roger Nixon, Lionel Nowak, Quincy Porter, Bernard Rogers, Roger Sessions, Halsey Stevens, Randall Thompson Writings: A number of Bloch’s essays and program notes can be found in Ernest Bloch, Creative Spirit: A Program Source Book. New York: Jewish Music Council, 1976. Principal Works: opera - Macbeth (1904-1909); orchestral - Israel Symphony (1912-1916), Schelomo for cello and orchestra (1916), America (1926), Evocations (1937), Violin Concerto (1938), Suite symphonique (1945), Suite hébraïque for viola and orchestra (1952); chamber - Suite for Viola and Piano (1919), Méditation hébraïque for cello and piano (1925), From Jewish Life for cello and piano (1925), 5 String Quartets (1916, 1946, 1951, 1954, 1956), 3 Suites for Unaccompanied Cello (1956), Suite Modale for flute and strings (1957). Selected Composer Bibliography:
BLOCH, Ernest (b. Geneva, Switzerland, 24 July 1880; d. Portland, Oregon, 15 July 1959) Bloch was one of the central figures in the development of Jewish concert music in the twentieth century. From 1894 to 1897 he studied solfeggio with Émile Jaques-Dalcroze and violin with Louis Rey. He then went to Brussels to study violin with Eugène Ysaÿe and composition with François Rasse. In 1900 he began studies in music theory with Iwan Knorr at the Hoch Conservatory in Frankfurt, and composition lessons from Ludwig Thuille in Munich. Bloch returned to Switzerland in 1903 and began to support himself as a conductor. He was offered a teaching post at the David Mannes School of Music in New York in 1917. In 1924, Bloch became an American citizen. He served as director of the Cleveland Institute of Music (1920-1925) and the San Francisco Conservatory (1925-1930). He moved to Switzerland in 1930 and returned to the United States in 1939, teaching at Berkeley (1940-1952). Bloch then retired to Portland, Oregon, where he spent his final years composing. Around the time of his arrival in the United States, Bloch began a conscious focus upon creating a genre of concert works which reflected his Jewish heritage. His symphonic setting of the Sacred Service is the most conspicuously liturgical, but other works, including the Israel Symphony and Schelomo, combine programmatic themes from Jewish history with melodic elements suggestive of Jewish folk songs and liturgical cantillation.
Bloch, Suzanne, and Irene Heskes (editors). Ernest Bloch, Creative Spirit: A Program Source Book. New York: Jewish Music Council, 1976. Strassburg, Robert. Ernest Bloch, A Voice in the Wilderness: A Biographical Study. Los Angeles: Trident Shop Press, 1977. Kushner, David Z. Ernest Bloch and His Music. Glascow, Scotland: W. MacLellan, 1973. ———. Ernest Bloch: A Guide to Research. New York: Garland Publishing, 1988.
Avodath Hakodesh [Sacred Service] (19321934) Duration: ca. 49 minutes Text: The text is from the Jewish liturgy; it is written to be sung in Hebrew or English. The English text was prepared by David Stevens. Performing Forces: voices: narrator (optional), baritone soloist (cantor); SATB choir; orchestra: 3 flutes (flute II doubling piccolo), 2 oboes, English horn, 2 clarinets in A, bass clarinet in B♭, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 4 horns in F, 3 trumpets in C, 3 trombones, tuba, percussion (3 players - snare drum, bass drum, tambourine, cymbals, suspended cymbal, tam-tam, triangle), 2 harps, celeste, and strings (minimum: 10-86-6-5) First Performance: 12 January 1934; Turin, Italy; conducted by the composer
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Edition: Avodath Hakodesh is published by Broude Brothers. The piano-vocal score, choral parts, full score, and study score (23) are available for purchase. The “Benediction” is available separately for performance with piano. Orchestral materials are available for rent. A full score is available for purchase through Carish publishers (21744). The Broude Brothers score is published with an English singing translation, prepared by David Stevens. The Carish edition includes a singing translation in Italian, prepared by Maria Tebaldi-Chiesa. Notes: The melodic material for this work is derived from the ancient cantillation from Jewish liturgical tradition. Bloch takes this ancient melodic material and sets it within a completely modern harmonic surrounding. The score is dedicated to Gerald Warburg. The work divides the service into five parts, which are further subdivided into the separate prayers of the Shabbat service. Performance Issues: All of the Hebrew is transliterated, so that traditional sung Latin will correspond phonetically. The transliteration is in the Ashkenazy dialect. There are brief choral solos (SAATB) for members of the choir. In movement V, the cantor’s part is labeled “minister” for a section, which is in English only. This is fully notated, but labeled to be spoken, apparently in the manner of Sprechstimme. The Hebrew is probably the better choir for the text; however, using Hebrew for the cantor and English for the choir offers a compelling compromise. Even in the singing English version, there are a few Hebrew words for which no alternative is given, nor is it needed. The choral writing is very diatonic and scalar in construction. The pitch material of the singers is well supported by the orchestra. The orchestral writing contains many chromatic flourishes for the winds and strings. These generally lie well on the respective instruments. Facile players are needed to execute the many rapid ensemble passages. There is a significant amount of rubato called for in this score. Bloch has transcribed much of the tradition of the performance style of liturgical Jewish music in his musical guidelines in the score, which will require great temporal flexibility from the orchestra and choir. If a well-versed cantor is used, the interplay between his part and the accompaniment must be very fluid, and at times improvisatory in the manner of a Mozart recitative. If a conductor is not familiar with the practices of Jewish liturgical music, appropriate research must be done, and observing some conservative, or orthodox services is crucial. It is interesting that Bloch set the cantor’s role for baritone, as most of the cantorial repertoire is for tenors. Soloist: Cantor (baritone) - range: B-f', tessitura: d-d', this role is chant like throughout and requires an understanding of the style of traditional Hebrew cantillation. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium difficult.
Discography: Marko Rothmuller, Dorothy Bond, Doris Cowan; London Philharmonic Orchestra and Choir; conducted by Ernest Bloch. London: 5006 [LP]. Berkman; London Symphony Orchestra, Zemel Chorus; conducted by Geoffrey Simon. Chandos: ABR 1001 [DDD]. Robert Merrill; New York Philharmonic Orchestra; conducted by Leonard Bernstein. Sony Classical: SMK 47533 [ADD]. Selected Bibliography: Davidson, Walter A. “Ernest Bloch’s Avodath Hakodesh and the New York Press.” Jewish Music, 1 (July 1934): 12-13. Weisser, Albert. The Modern Renaissance of Jewish Music. New York: Bloch Publishing, 1949. Fulton, Alvin W. Ernest Bloch’s Sacred Service. Master’s Thesis, Eastman School of Music, 1953. Binder, A. W. “Ernest Bloch’s Avodath Hakodesh.” American Guild of Organists Quarterly (January 1957): 7-9, 34-35. Bloch, Ernest. “My Sacred Service.” In Ernest Bloch Creative Spirit: A Program Source Book, Suzanne Bloch and Irene Heskes, editors. New York: Jewish Music Council, 1976. Reprinted in Source Readings in American Choral Music, edited by David P. DeVenney. Missoula, MT: College Music Society, 1995. Kushner, David Z. “The ‘Jewish’ Works of Ernest Bloch.” Journal of Musicological Research, volume 3, numbers 3-4 (1981): 259. Berger, Melvin. Guide to Choral Masterpieces: A Listener’s Guide, 70-79. New York: Anchor Books, 1993.
BÖHM, Georg (b. Hohenkirchen, Thuringia, Germany, 2 September 1661; d. Lüneburg, Germany, 18 May 1733) Böhm is now best known as a probable teacher and certain influencer of J.S. Bach. He was an innovative keyboard composer who had an affinity for variations and chorale partite. He is considered an important developer of the latter. Böhm’s first teacher was his father, a local schoolmaster and organist. He continued his studies at the Latin School on Goldbach and the Gymnasium in Gotha. Both communities had musical leaders trained by members of the elder Bach family. He attended the University of Jena and then moved to Hamburg. Böhm became organist of the Johanneskirche in Lüneburg in 1697, remaining there until his death 36 years later. Teachers: His father, Johann Heinrich Hildebrand (?) Student: J.S. Bach (?)
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Principal Works: The attribution of a number of the surviving works is questionable. keyboard: 10 Chorale Partite and Variations, 10 Chorales, 2 Praeludia, 11 Suites; vocal: 10 Cantatas, 2 Motets, 23 Sacred Songs. Selected Composer Bibliography: Wolgast, Johannes. Georg Böhm: Ein Meister der Übergangszeit vom 17ten zum 18ten Jahrhundert. Dissertation, University of Berlin, 1924. Waldschmidt, Carl. Georg Boehm: His Life and His Works. Thesis, Northwestern University, 1962. Crumrine, Carol Ann. The Keyboard and Vocal Settings of Georg Boehm: An Analysis of Style as Dictated by Text. Dissertation, Syracuse University, 1972. McLean, Hugh J. “Böhm, Georg (born 1661), composer organist.” Grove Music Online. Oxford University Press.
Passion nach dem Evangelisten Johannes N.B. This composition is published under Handel’s name in currently available editions. Hans Joachim Marx has now posited that the work may be by Christian Ritter. Duration: ca. 58 minutes Text: The text was adapted from the Gospel of John by Christian Heinrich Postel (1656-1705). Performing Forces: voices: 2 soprano, 3 alto, 3 tenor, and 2 bass soloists, and SATTB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes, strings, and continuo. The continuo group includes bassoon, cello, double bass, and keyboard. Autograph: A copyist’s manuscript, which was used in the preparation of the Hallische Händel-Ausgabe edition is held by the Deutschen Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Note: This composition is no longer attributed to Handel although it is so labeled in currently published editions.177 Performance Issues: The choral writing is primarily homophonic and declamatory. The vocal parts are well supported by the continuo group. Imitative passages for the choir are not directly doubled by the instruments. The choral writing is five-part throughout. The second unnamed soloists are not distinctively assigned to solo parts except when they appear together in ensemble numbers. The role of Jesus and those of soprano (I) and bass are vocally challenging. The Evangelist sings throughout, but is not particularly difficult. All of the other solo parts can be effectively sung by secure choristers. There are two duets for soprano and bass (nos. 62 and 64). The orchestral writing is quite thin with the vast majority of material assigned 177 Bernd Baselt, “Händel und Bach: Zur Frage der Passionen,” Bericht über das wissenschaftliche Kolloquium der 24, Handelfestspeile der DDR, 58-66 (Halle: 1976).
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
to the continuo group. The orchestral parts are idiomatic and within the abilities of most amateur players. Soloists: soprano I - range: c'-a♭'', tessitura: g'-g'', this is a lyric role with some long phrases and coloratura passagework; soprano II - range: d'-g'', tessitura: e'-d'', this is a lyric role that appears in duet with soprano I; Pilatus (alto) - range: a-d'', tessitura: c'-a', this is a lyric role with some melismatic passagework; alto - range: a-d'', tessitura: d'-c'', this is a lyrical role appropriate for a chorister; Evangelist (tenor) - range: c-g', tessitura: f-f', this is a light declamatory role exclusively in recitative; tenor I - range: d-g', tessitura: f-f', this is a lyrical role with some melismatic passagework; tenor II - range: d-e♭', tessitura: f-d', this is a lyric role that appears in duet with tenor I, it could be assigned to a light baritone; Jesus (bass) - range: F-f', tessitura: c-d', this is a sustained and lyrical role with some sustained notes at the top of the range bass - range: F-f', tessitura: B♭-e♭', this is a coloratura part that requires clarity across the range. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: easy. Editions: Passion nach dem Evangelisten Johannes is available from Bärenreiter (BA 4022). It is found in two scholarly editions — G. F. Händels Werke: Ausgabe der Deutschen Händelgesellschaft, volume ix, edited by Friedrich W. Chrysander (Leipzig and Bergedorf bei Hamburg: 1858-1894, reprinted in 1965); and Hallische Händel-Ausgabe im Auftrage der Georg Friedrich Händel-Gesellschaft, series 1, volume 2, edited by Karl G. Fellerer (Kassel: Bärenreiter, 1967). It was also published in an edition prepared by Felix Schoeder that includes an English text translated by Laurence Swinyard from Willy Müller, Süddeutscher Musikverlag, c. 1957, which was absorbed by Bärenreiter. Selected Discography: Maria Zadori, Ibolya Verebics, Judith Nemeth, Charles Brett, Martin Klietmann, Gabor Kallay, Jozsef Moldvay, and Istvan Gati; Chamber Choir, Capella Savaria; conducted by Pal Nemeth. Recorded in 1995 by Hungaroton; re-released on Brilliant Classics: 92003. Selected Bibliography: Pahlen, Kurt. The World of the Oratorio, translated by Judith Schaefer with additional English-language material by Thurston Dox, 161-162. Portland, OR: Amadeus Press, 1990.
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BRAHMS, Johannes (b. Hamburg, 7 May 1833; d. Vienna, 3 April 1897) Brahms’s father was a doublebass player in the Hamburg Stadtstheater. Brahms made his debut as a pianist at age 15 and supported himself by teaching lessons and playing the piano in theaters, dance halls, and brothels. In 1853, he accompanied violinist Eduard Reményi on a concert tour. He met another virtuoso violinist on this tour, Joseph Joachim, with whom he maintained a long professional friendship. Joachim provided Brahms with an entrée in the upper echelon of musical Germany. He was famously declared a genius by Robert Schumann. Clara Schumann, who became the object of Brahms’s unrequited desire, remained his closest musical confidante for the rest of his life. Soon after Robert Schumann’s public praise, Brahms achieved lucrative positions as a piano teacher and conductor. Many of his choral works, especially those for women’s choir, were written for his own ensembles. He also enjoyed significant opportunities to conduct orchestras and was highly regarded as a pianist. Brahms signed a manifesto in 1860 that opposed the musical ideals of the “New German” musical movement espoused by Liszt and Wagner. German musical criticism made Brahms the posterchild for the opposing compositional camp. Much of the rhetoric surrounding the aesthetic differences of these two “schools” was entirely the fabrication of writers on music. Brahms seems to have held no objections to the music of Wagner, and in fact he acquired some of Wagner’s manuscripts for his personal music library. In many ways, Brahms was the most progressive composer of his generation. A dedicated student of music of the past, he developed a compositional technique that seamlessly combined elements of many centuries into logical and impeccably crafted works. His scores demonstrate a mastery of late nineteenth-century harmonic practices, classical form, and sixteenth- and eighteenth-century counterpoint. This conflation of musical devices with an original approach to temporal relationships produced works that were deceptively ahead of their time.
(1868-1869), Neue Liebeslieder (1874), 3 Motets, op. 110 (1889); songs: Magelone Lieder (1861-1868), Vier ernste Gesänge (1896), many folk song arrangements. Selected Composer Bibliography: Evans, Edwin. Historical, Descriptive, and Analytical Account of the Entire Works of Johannes Brahms, volume 1 — The Vocal Works. London: William Reeves, 1912. Geiringer, Karl. Brahms: His Life and Work. London: Oxford University Press, 1948; second edition: New York: Da Capo Press, 1963. Pascall, Robert (editor). Brahms: Biographical, Documentary, and Analytical Studies. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1983. Hancock, Virginia. Brahms’s Choral Compositions and His Library of Early Music, UMI Reasearch Press Studies in Musicology Number 76. Ann Arbor: UMI Research Press, 1983. Musgrave, Michael (editor). Brahms 2: Biographical, Documentary, and Analytical Studies. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1985. Bozarth, Geore S. Brahms Studies: Analytical and Historical Perspectives. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1990. MacDonald, Malcolm. Brahms. London: Schirmer Books, 1990. Musgrave, Michael. The Music of Brahms, revised edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1994. Avins, Styra. Johannes Brahms: Life and Letters. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1997. Swafford, Jan. Johannes Brahms: A Biography. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1997. Musgrave, Michael (editor). The Cambridge Companion to Brahms. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1999. Platt, Heather. Johannes Brahms: A Guide to Research. New York: Routledge, 2003. Geiringer, Karl. On Brahms and His Circle: Essays and Documentary Studies, revised and enlarged by George S. Bozarth. Sterling Heights, MI: Harmonie Park Press, 2006.
Teachers: Eduard Marxsen, Robert Schumann
Ave Maria, op. 12 (1858)
Other Principal Works: orchestral: Symphony No. 1 (1855-1876), Symphony No. 2 (1877), Symphony No. 3 (1883), Symphony No. 4 (1884-1885), Violin Concerto (1878), Piano Concerto No. 1 (1854-1858), Piano Concerto No. 2 (1878-1881), Double Concerto (1881), Variations on a Theme of Haydn (1873), Academic Festival Overture (1880), Tragic Overture (1880); chamber: 3 piano trios, 3 string quartets, 2 string quintets, 2 string sextets, 3 piano sonatas, 3 violin sonatas, 2 cello sonatas, numerous works for solo piano including significant sets of variations; choral: (without orchestra) Marienlieder (1859), 2 Motets, op. 29 (1860), 5 Soldatenlieder (1861-1862), Liebeslieder
Duration: ca. 6 minutes Text: This text is one of the principal Marian Antiphons from Roman Catholic tradition.
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Performing Forces: voices: SSAA choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets (B♭), 2 bassoons, 2 horns (F), and strings.178
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Performing Forces: voices: SATBB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes, 2 clarinets (B♭), 2 bassoons, 2 horns (E♭), 3 trombones, tuba, and timpani (2 drums)
First Performance: 2 December 1859; Wörmerscher Saal, Hamburg; Hamburg Frauenchor, conducted by the composer
First Performance: 2 December 1859; Wörmerscher Saal, Hamburg; Hamburg Frauenchor, conducted by the composer
Editions: Ave Maria is published in the critical edition Johannes Brahms sämtliche Werke, volume 19, page 113, edited by Eusebius Mandyczewski and published by Breitkopf and Härtel. Complete performing materials are also available from Kalmus.
Editions: Begräbnisgesang is published in the critical edition Johannes Brahms sämtliche Werke, volume 19, page 124, edited by Eusebius Mandyczewski and published by Breitkopf and Härtel. Complete performing materials are also available from Kalmus.
Autograph: There is a signed, undated score in the Library of Congress.
Autograph: There is a signed, undated score in the Library of Congress. The first-draft manuscript has been lost.
Performance Issues: The first half of this score makes significant use of paired doubling with the pairs frequently in canon at the octave or in inversion. The vocal parts are doubled by the orchestra intermittently, but the accompaniment provides conspicuous harmonic support throughout. The second half of the score is in four-part homophonic textures that are fully doubled by the orchestra. The vocal parts are conservatively written, and all of the orchestral material is idiomatically conceived. A fairly small choir and string contingent will balance effectively against the winds. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: With organ: Corydon Singer; John Scott, organ; conducted by Matthew Best. Hyperion: CDA66389. With orchestra: Kammerchor Stuttgart; Deutschen Kammer-philharmonie; conducted by Frieder Bernius. Carus: 83.201. Danish National Symphony Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Gerd Albrecht, recorded at the Danish Radio Concert Hall in Copenhagen on 25 to 27 November 2003. Chandos: 10165. Selected Bibliography: Evans, Edwin. Historical, Descriptive, and Analytical Account of the Entire Works of Johannes Brahms, volume 1 — The Vocal Works, 55-57. London: William Reeves, 1912. Drinker, Sophie. Brahms and His Women’s Chorus. Merion, PA: A.G. Hess, 1952.
Begräbnisgesang [“Burial Song”], op. 13 (1858) wind band Duration: ca. 5 minutes Text: The text is “Nun lasst und den Leib begraben” by Michael Weisse.
178 The full score includes a reduction of the orchestral material for organ.
Notes: Some scholars have identified the principal tune of this work as one of a number of hymns; however, Brahms stated in a letter that he had not borrowed any folk song or chorale.179 Performance Issues: The choral parts are very simple and declamatory. The soprano part has a fairly high tessitura, but it is not a taxing part. The choral material is well supported by the instruments. One passage is labeled “Half Choir.” The instrumentation allows the use of a large choral group, but balances should not be an issue even with a small choir. The instrumental parts are idiomatic. The clarinet I and oboe I parts have some exposed filigree-like parts that set triplets against duplets in the rest of the ensemble. A logical pairing would be J. S. Bach’s, Cantata No. 118: O Jesu Christ, mein Lebens Licht, BWV 118, a seven-minute work for six brass players and choir that was composed for an outdoor burial service. Likewise, Bruckner’s Mass No. 2 in E Minor [qv], which is also scored for winds, brass, and choir, would complement both of these pieces very effectively. Choir: easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Kammerchor Stuttgart; Deutschen Kammerphilharmonie; conducted by Frieder Bernius. Carus: 83.201. Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Bernard Haitink. Orfeo: C025821A. Gächinger Kantorei Stuttgart; Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmut Rilling. Hänssler: CD98460. Selected Bibliography: Evans, Edwin. Historical, Descriptive, and Analytical Account of the Entire Works of Johannes Brahms, volume 1 — The Vocal Works, 58-59. London: William Reeves, 1912. Hancock, Virginia. Brahms’s Choral Compositions and His Library of Early Music, 114, UMI Reasearch 179 Brahms Briefwechsel, volume 4, page 79. Berlin: Deutsche Brahms-Gesellschaft, 1908-1922.
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Press Studies in Musicology Number 76. Ann Arbor: UMI Research Press, 1983. Avins, Styra. Johannes Brahms: Life and Letters, 39, 185. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1997.
Hancock, Virginia. Brahms’s Choral Compositions and His Library of Early Music, 113, UMI Reasearch Press Studies in Musicology Number 76. Ann Arbor: UMI Research Press, 1983.
Psalm 13, op. 27 (1859) optional strings Duration: ca. 4 ½ minutes
Ein deutsches Requiem [“A German Requiem”], op. 45 (1857-1868)
Text: The text is from the Book of Psalms in the Bible.
Duration: ca. 72 minutes
Performing Forces: voices: SSA choir; orchestra: organ or piano and strings (ad libitum)
Text: Brahms compiled the text using excerpts from Luther’s German translation of the Bible as follows:180
First Performance: 19 September 1864; St. Peter’s Church, Hamburg; Hamburg Frauenchor, conducted by the composer Editions: Psalm 13 is published in the critical edition Johannes Brahms sämtliche Werke, volume 20, page 1, edited by Eusebius Mandyczewski and published by Breitkopf and Härtel. Complete performing materials are also available from Kalmus. Autograph: The composer’s manuscript score was in the archives of the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde in Vienna prior to World War II. It has since been lost. Notes: The score is labeled for organ or piano “three or four hands.” The strings are labeled ad libitum; but if they are used, the keyboard is not substituted but rather reinforced. There are portions of the accompaniment that do not appear in the string parts.
I Gospel of St. Matthew, chapter 5, verse 4 Psalm 126, verses 5-6 II I Peter, chapter 1, verses 24-25 James, chapter 5, verse 7 Isaiah, chapter 35, verse 10 III Psalm 39, verses 4-8 Wisdom of Solomon [Apocrypha], chapter 3, verse 1 IV Psalm 8, verses 1, 2, and 4 V Gospel of St. John, chapter 16, verse 22 Ecclesiasticus [Apocrypha], chapter 51, verse 27 Isaiah, chapter 66, verse 13 VI Hebrews, chapter 13, verse 14 I Corinthians, chapter 15, verses 51-52 and 54-55 Revelation of St. John, chapter 4, verse 11 VII Revelation of St. John, chapter 14, verse 13
Performance Issues: The choral parts are conservatively written and well doubled or supported by the accompaniment. While not musically challenging, the high tessitura of the soprano I part will require singers of at least moderate experience. The string writing is very practical. Solo players may be used effectively, as would solo singers or a small choir; however a full complement of singers will also work well. There is an independent double bass part, although when it does not double the cello, it is doubled by the organ’s pedal part. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium easy.
Performing Forces: voices: soprano and baritone soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: piccolo, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets (B♭, A), 2 bassoons, contrabassoon,
Selected Discography: Corydon Singers; conducted by Matthew Best. Released in March 1993. Hyperion: 66389. St. Bride’s Church Choir; conducted by Robert Jones. Recorded in St. Silas Church, June 1996. Naxos: 553877.
First four and last two movements: 10 April 1868 (Good Friday concert); Bremen Cathedral; Bremen Cathedral Choir, Julius Stockhausen, soloist, conducted by the composer
Selected Bibliography: Evans, Edwin. Historical, Descriptive, and Analytical Account of the Entire Works of Johannes Brahms, volume 1 — The Vocal Works, 90. London: William Reeves, 1912.
180 Luther’s Bible differs from modern English editions particularly in emphasis.
4 horns (B♭ basso, C basso, D, E♭, E, F), 2 trumpets (B♭, C, D), 3 trombones, tuba, timpani (3 drums), harp, organ (ad libitum), and strings
First Performance: First three movements: 1 December 1867; Vienna; Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde, Rudolf Panzer, soloist, conducted by Johann Herbeck
Complete work: 18 February 1869; Gewandhaus, Leipzig; Emilie Bellingrath-Wagner and Franz Krückl, soloists, conducted by Karl Reinecke Editions: Ein deutsches Requiem is published in the critical edition Johannes Brahms sämtliche Werke, volume 17, page 3, edited by Eusebius Mandyczewski and published by Breitkopf and Härtel. Complete
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performing materials are also available from Breitkopf and Härtel, C. F. Peters, Hinshaw, and Kalmus. Autograph: The autograph score, the composer’s copy of the first published edition, and the original set of parts used in the Vienna performances led by the composer are in the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde in Vienna. The composer’s manuscript of the piano reduction is in the Brahms Archive of the Universitätsbibliothek in Hamburg, Germany. Notes: The Hinshaw full score includes a singing English translation and a comparative table of tempi extracted from selected recordings of the work. Performance Issues: Most of the choral material is clearly supported by the accompaniment. There is significant use of paired doubling in the choir, as well as some complex close imitation and some exceedingly complex extended fugues. There are exposed and intricate solo passages for each of the principal winds. A full symphonic complement of strings is appropriate, and there are some significant divisi within the strings, including three viola parts in one section. Likewise, a large choral component is desirable, although credible performances are given regularly by smaller ensembles. The score makes productive use of pedal point and rhythmic ostinati as a unifying element and to establish forward momentum. This contributes some efficiency to rehearsal time. The piccolo part requires a discrete player. Although many performances are given without organ, the timbral depth this instrument adds to the score is significant. Care should be given to general registration of the organ part, but particular attention should be given to the selection of pedal stops. The “Vivace” section of movement 6 will require attention in rehearsal to establish accuracy and tempo stability. This score uses a number of less-common meters, including 4/2, which in some instances produces measures that contain many notes and may produce some challenges to visual clarity. Adding a few dotted bar lines in the parts may save rehearsal time. Brahms’s alternations of meter within movements have implicit tempo relationships within them. These metric modulations should be carefully calculated ahead of time. This is one of the great canonic works of the choral-orchestal literature. Because of its familiarity, it is easy to gloss over the many sophisticated technical achievements of metrical organization and extended contrapuntal virtuosity within the score that add vibrancy to a good performance. Careful attention to nuances, especially related to displaced stresses, will do much to enhance the final product. Soloists: soprano - range: f'-b♭'', tessitura: a'-f#'', this is a lyric and declamatory solo best suited to a clear and focused voice; bass - range: A-f#', tessitura: d-d', this is a lyric solo role that is fairly syllabic with some sustained passages, Brahms labels to part as “bass” in movement 3 and “baritone” in movement 6; however,
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
a single vocalist is the norm. Choir: difficult; Orchestra: difficult. Selected Discography: Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Hans Hotter; Singverein der Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde; Wiener Philharmonic; conducted by Herbert von Karajan. EMI: 0724356281127. Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau; Philharmonia Chorus and Orchestra; conducted by Otto Klemperer. EMI: 0724356690325. Anna Tomowa-Sintow, José van Dam; Wiener Singverein; Berlin Philharmonic; conducted by Herbert von Karajan. EMI: 0724358505320. Kathleen Battle, Håkan Hagegård; Chicago Symphony Chorus (Margaret Hillis, director), Chicago Symphony Orchestra; conducted by James Levine. RCA: RCD1-5003. Arleen Auger, Franz Gerihsen; Munich Philharmonic Choir and Orchestra; conducted by Sergiu Celibidache. EMI: 0724355684325. Margaret Price, Samuel Ramey; Ambrosian Singers; Royal Philharmonic Orchestra; conducted by André Previn. Apex: 8573-89081-2. Barbara Bonney, Andreas Schmidt; Vienna State Opera Chorus; Vienna Philharmonic; conducted by Carlo Maria Giulini. Deutsche Grammophon: 44546-2. Sylvia McNair, Håkan Hagegård; Westminster Symphonic Choir; New York Philharmonic; conducted by Kurt Masur. Teldec: 4509-98413-2. Charlotte Margiono, Rodhey Gilfry; Monteverdi Choir; Orchestra Révolutionnaire et Romantique; conducted by John Eliiot Gardiner, recorded in 1990. Philips: 432140-2. Cheryl Studer, Andreas Schmidt; Eric-Ericson Chamber Choir; Berlin Philharmonic; conducted by Claudio Abbado. Deutsche Grammophon: 437517-2. Donna Brown, Gilles Cahemaille; Gächinger Kantorei; Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmut Rilling. Hänssler: CD 91102. Jessye Norman, Jorma Hynninen; London Philharmonic Chorus and Orchestra; conducted by Klaus Tennstedt. EMI: 0724357572224. Selected Bibliography: Upton, George. The Standard Oratorios, 80-81. Chicago: A. C. McClurg and Company, 1893. Evans, Edwin. Historical, Descriptive, and Analytical Account of the Entire Works of Johannes Brahms, volume 1 — The Vocal Works, 163-181. London: William Reeves, 1912. Tovey, Francis. “Brahms: Requiem, Op. 45.” In Essays in Musical Analysis, volume 5: 211-224. London: Oxford University Press, 1937. Newman, William S. “A ‘Basic Motive’ in Brahms’s ‘German Requiem.’” Music Review, volume 24 (1963): 190.
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Robertson, Alec. Requiem: Music of Mourning and Consolation, 175-182. New York: Frederick A. Praeger, 1967. Boyd, Malcolm. “Brahms’s Requiem: A Note on Thematic Integration.” The Musical Times, volume 113 (1972): 140-141. Musgrave, Michael. “Historical Influences on Brahms’s ‘Requiem.’” Music and Letters, volume 53, number 1 (January 1972): 3-17. Zeileis, Friedrich G. “Two Manuscript Sources of Brahms’s German Requiem.” Music and Letters, volume 60 (1979): 149-155. Reynolds, Christopher. “A Choral Symphony by Brahms?” 19th-Century Music, volume 9, number 1 (1985), 3-25. Pahlen, Kurt. The World of the Oratorio, translated by Judith Schaefer with additional English-language material by Thurston Dox, 73-78. Portland, OR: Amadeus Press, 1990. Berger, Melvin. Guide to Choral Masterpieces: A Listener’s Guide, 81-88. New York: Anchor Books, 1993. Struck, Michael. “Ein deutsches Requiem—handlich gemacht. Der Klavierauszug und seine Stichvorlage,” Patrimonia, volume 80 (1994): 5-18. Musgrave, Michael. Brahms: A German Requiem [from the series, Cambridge Music Handbooks]. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1996. Avins, Styra. Johannes Brahms: Life and Letters, 320322, 355, 356, 357, 375-376, 378, 384-385, 390, 413, 416, 480. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1997. Rudolf, Max. “Brahms’s German Requiem: A Report on a Composer-Annotated Score.” In Max Rudolf: A Musical Life Writings and Letters, 135-150. Hillsdale, NY: Pendragon Press, 2001. Originally published as “A Recently Discovered Composer-Annotated Score of the Brahms Requiem,” in the Quarterly Journal of the Riemenschneider Bach Institute, volume 7, number 4 (1976).
Rinaldo, op. 50 (1863-1868) Duration: ca. 45 minutes Text: The text is by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. Performing Forces: voices: tenor soloist; TTBB choir; orchestra: piccolo, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets (B♭, A), 2 bassoons, 2 horns (E♭), 2 trumpets (E♭), 3 trombones, timpani (3 drums), and strings First Performance: 28 February 1869; Great Redoutensaal, Vienna; Gustav Walter, soloist, Akademischer Gesangverein of Vienna, Vienna Hofopernorchester, conducted by the composer Editions: Rinaldo is published in the critical edition Johannes Brahms sämtliche Werke, volume 18, page 192, edited by Eusebius Mandyczewski and published by Breitkopf and Härtel. Other editions, which are
available for purchase include: Simrock, Lucks, and Kalmus. Autograph: A signed, undated score is in the Moldenhauer Archives in Spokane, Washington. Notes: This is the closest Brahms comes to writing dramatic music. This is an operatic work in spirit. It was composed amid the heat of critical arguments within Germany of the “new” music of the Wagner camp, and the “conservative” music embodied by Brahms. While in hindsight, we know Brahms’s music to have been as progressive, albeit in very different ways, as Wagner’s, the public debates of style and Brahms’s awareness of the paucity of staged music on the “conservative” front must have done much to shape his musical decisions. Performance Issues: The choral writing is primarily homophonic in three- and four-part block harmonies. The choral material is supported by the orchestra, but not consistently doubled. The parts are vocally demanding, but well written for the voices. A mature vocal ensemble is necessary to balance the ranges across the choir. There are some significant high passages for the tenor I and bass I parts. The orchestration requires a moderate to large-sized choir. There are some brief solo quartets of choristers throughout the work. Some of these indicate a second singer to rotate in intermittently. There is also a brief section at the end in, which the choir is broken into eight parts. The score demands a broad palette of colors and dynamics from the singers as well as some important rhythmic clarity. The orchestral parts are idiomatic and present few technical challenges for experienced players. There are some rapid alternations of extreme dynamics and a recurring 32nd-note figure that needs a lightness and precision of articulation. Some of the writing may require attention to guarantee good balances between the choir and orchestra. Thoughtful attention should be given to the tempo relationships between sections of this piece. This is a dramatic and effective work that is rarely performed. It is an excellent showpiece for a gifted tenor soloist, and it would make an interesting pairing with Brahms’s Alto Rhapsodie (qv), which features an alto soloist with men’s choir and orchestra. Soloist: tenor - range: (c# optional) e♭-a', tessitura: f#-f#', this is a lyric solo with long sustained phrases and some declamatory writing that requires a strong singer. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Steve Davislim; Dresden Philharmonc Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Michel Plasson. EMI: 0724357572224. Carsten Süss; Gächinger Kantorei Stuttgart; Radio-Sinfonieorchester Stuttgart; conducted by Helmut Rilling. Hänssler: CD98228.
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Selected Bibliography:
Selected Discography:
Evans, Edwin. Historical, Descriptive, and Analytical Account of the Entire Works of Johannes Brahms, volume 1 — The Vocal Works, 206-222. London: William Reeves, 1912. Hancock, Virginia. Brahms’s Choral Compositions and His Library of Early Music, 128, UMI Reasearch Press Studies in Musicology Number 76. Ann Arbor: UMI Research Press, 1983. Avins, Styra. Johannes Brahms: Life and Letters, 188 n. 8, 287, 385, 751-752. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1997.
Christa Ludwig; Philharmonia Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Otto Klemperer. EMI: 0724356702929. Janet Baker; London Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Adrian Boult. EMI: 072435679124. Christa Ludwig; Vienna Philharmonic; conducted by Karl Böhm. Deutsche Grammophon: 471443-2. Janet Baker; City of London Sinfonia; conducted by Richard Hickox. EMI: 0724357572224. Marilyn Horne; Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, conducted by Robert Shaw, recorded 14-16 March 1988 in Symphony Hall, Atlanta. Telarc: CD80176. Marianna Lipovsek; Ernst Senff Chorus; Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra; conducted by Claudio Abbado. Deutsche Grammophon: 435791-2. Brigitte Fassbaender; Prague Philharmonic Choir; Czech Philharmonic; conducted by Giuseppe Sinopoli. Deutsche Grammophon: 435066-2. Alfreda Hopson; Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Bernard Haitink. Orfeo: C025821A. Lioba Braun; Gächinger Kantorei Stuttgart; RadioSinfonieorchester Stuttgart; conducted by Helmut Rilling. Hänssler: CD98228.
Alto Rhapsodie, op. 53 (1869) Duration: ca. 14 minutes Text: The text is taken from Goethe’s poem, Harzreise im Winter. Performing Forces: voices: alto soloist; TTBB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets (B♭), 2 bassoons, 2 horns (C basso), and strings First Performance: 3 March 1870; Jena; Pauline Viardot-Garcia, soloist, Choral Society of the Academy of Jena, conducted by the composer181 Editions: Alto Rhapsodie is published in the critical edition Johannes Brahms sämtliche Werke, volume 19, page 1, edited by Eusebius Mandyczewski and published by Breitkopf and Härtel. Other editions that are available for purchase include: Breitkopf and Härtel, C. F. Peters, Carl Fischer, and Kalmus. Autograph: The signed, undated score is in the Music Division of the New York Public Library. A facsimile has been published by Walter Frisch, 1983. Notes: This work was composed in heartsunk response to the engagement of Julie Schumann, daughter of Robert and Clara, for whom Brahms had been carrying an undeclared torch. Performance Issues: The choral writing is primarily homophonic. The vocal material is harmonically, but not melodically, supported by the orchestra. The choral style of the ensemble is that of a mid-nineteenthcentury partsong. With the exception of the soloist, the vocal writing is conservative and well within the abilities of a moderately experienced amateur ensemble. The orchestral parts are idiomatic and not technically challenging. Some of the tutti passages are harmonically dense due to the voicing of the orchestral parts. Soloist: alto - range: a♭-g♭'', tessitura: d'-d'', this solo is the heart of this work, it requires a lyric and clear voice capable of very wide melodic leaps. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium difficult. 181 There was an unofficial performance given in Karlsruhe in late 1869 to test the work before its offical premiere.
Selected Bibliography: Tovey, Francis. “Brahms: Rhapsodie for Alto Voice, Male Chorus, and Orchestra, Op. 53.” In Essays in Musical Analysis, volume 5, 225-226. London: Oxford University Press, 1937. Evans, Edwin. Historical, Descriptive, and Analytical Account of the Entire Works of Johannes Brahms, volume 1 — The Vocal Works, 233-237. London: William Reeves, 1912. Hancock, Virginia. Brahms’s Choral Compositions and His Library of Early Music, 128, UMI Reasearch Press Studies in Musicology Number 76. Ann Arbor: UMI Research Press, 1983. Pahlen, Kurt. The World of the Oratorio, translated by Judith Schaefer with additional English-language material by Thurston Dox, 81-82. Portland, OR: Amadeus Press, 1990. Berger, Melvin. Guide to Choral Masterpieces: A Listener’s Guide, 88-89. New York: Anchor Books, 1993. Avins, Styra. Johannes Brahms: Life and Letters, 394. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1997. Webster, James. “The Alto Rhapsody: Psychology, Intertextuality, and Brahms’s Artistic Development.” In Brahms Studies 3, edited by David Brodbeck, 19-45. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 2001.
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Schicksalslied [“Song of Destiny”], op. 54 (1868-1871) Duration: ca. 17 minutes Text: The text is derived from the German poem “Hyperion’s Schicksalslied,” which appears in the novel, Hyperion, by Friedrich Hölderlin. Performing Forces: voices: SATB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets (B♭), 2 bassoons, 2 horns (E♭), 2 trumpets (C), 3 trombones, timpani (3 drums), and strings
First Performance: 18 October 1871; Karlsruhe; conducted by the composer Editions: Schicksalslied is published in the critical edition Johannes Brahms sämtliche Werke, volume 19, page 22, edited by Eusebius Mandyczewski and published by Breitkopf and Härtel. Other editions that are available for purchase include: Breitkopf and Härtel, Simrock, and Kalmus. Autograph: The signed, undated manuscript is in the Library of Congress in Washington, DC. Notes: There has been much written about the closing orchestral section of this work. It is often suggested by earlier writers that the composer was trying to dispel the gloom of the previous section or that he was presenting a musical subtext as a way of commenting on the poem. A much more reasonable conclusion is to provide a balanced classical structure. The return of material from the E♭ introduction in the new key of C provides a brilliant denouement to this minor masterpiece. Performance Issues: The choral writing is primarily homophonic with a few passages in pervasive imitation. In the latter, the choral entrances are often in unorthodox pitch sequences. The choral parts are generally well supported by the accompaniment, although there are a few brief a cappella passages, which are well prepared and present no challenges. The choral writing is all vocally practical. There is an extended middle section of the composition that utilizes significant choral unisons with octave doublings. This same section uses frenetic unison string writing, all of which is idiomatic and plays well. The nature of the orchestration allows this work to be performed by medium-sized choirs; however, a large symphonic choir and string section are also appropriate. The orchestral writing is conservative, but expressive. The score exploits sharp dynamic contrasts and significant use of hemiolas. This is a particularly good work to introduce Brahms’s symphonic choral music to developing choirs. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium difficult.
Selected Discography: Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Robert Shaw, recorded 14-16 March 1988 in Symphony Hall, Atlanta. Telarc: CD-80176. Ernst Senff Chorus; Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra; conducted by Claudio Abbado. Deutsche Grammophon: 435791-2. Prague Philharmonic Choir; Czech Philharmonic; conducted by Giuseppe Sinopoli. Deutsche Grammophon: 435066-2. Dresden Philharmonc Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Michel Plasson. EMI: 0724357572224. Danish National Symphony Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Gerd Albrecht, recorded at the Danish Radio Concert Hall in Copenhagen on 8 and 9 November 2001. Chandos: 10165. Gächinger Kantorei Stuttgart; Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmut Rilling. Hänssler: CD98460. Selected Bibliography: Tovey, Francis. “Brahms: ‘Song of Destiny’ (Schicksalslied), for Chorus and Orchestra Op. 54.” In Essays in Musical Analysis, volume 5: 226-229. London: Oxford University Press, 1937. Evans, Edwin. Historical, Descriptive, and Analytical Account of the Entire Works of Johannes Brahms, volume 1 — The Vocal Works, 238-247. London: William Reeves, 1912. Hancock, Virginia. Brahms’s Choral Compositions and His Library of Early Music, 129-130, UMI Reasearch Press Studies in Musicology Number 76. Ann Arbor: UMI Research Press, 1983. Berger, Melvin. Guide to Choral Masterpieces: A Listener’s Guide, 90-91. New York: Anchor Books, 1993. Avins, Styra. Johannes Brahms: Life and Letters, 427, 429. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1997.
Triumphlied [“Song of Triumph”], op. 55 (1870-1871) Duration: ca. 24 minutes Text: The text is from the book of Revelation, chapter 19. Performing Forces: voices: baritone soloist; two SATB choirs; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets (A), 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 4 horns (D), 3 trumpets (D), 3 trombones, tuba, timpani (2 drums), organ (ad libitum), and strings First Performance: 5 June 1872; Hoftheater, Karlsruhe; Julis Stockhausen, soloist, Hoftheater Choir and Orchestra, conducted by Hermann Levi. The first movement was performed 7 April 1871; Bremen Cathedral; Singakademie, conducted by the composer. Editions: Triumphlied is published in the critical edition Johannes Brahms sämtliche Werke, volume 18, page
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1, edited by Eusebius Mandyczewski and published by Breitkopf and Härtel. Complete performing materials are also available from Kalmus. Autograph: The composer’s manuscript is in the Biblioteka Jagiellonska in Krakow. Notes: This work was written to celebrate Germany’s victory over France in the war of 1870-1871. It is dedicated to Wilhelm I who had recently been crowned Emperor of the new German Empire. It is organized in three movements with the soloist appearing only in the third. Performance Issues: The choral writing juxtaposes block homophonic singing with free counterpoint. There are some rapid melismatic passages for the singers. The contrapuntal organization of this work would benefit from a physical separation of the two choirs. There is rapid unison passagework for the winds and strings that demands secure players. All of the principal wind parts have significantly challenging passagework. Some of the string writing is fairly high, and may require attention for accurate intonation. The voicing of the winds and brass require the use of a large choral ensemble and a full complement of strings. Although the organ is optional, it provides coloristic punctuation to the orchestration that greatly enhances the effect of the score. Also, the organ is sometimes the only instrument doubling the choir. This score includes some of Brahms’s most virtuosic orchestral writing. It is an atypical work, but one that has the potential of great dramatic effect. It is a fairly bombastic and difficult work. Soloist: baritone range: A-f#', tessitura: e-e', this is a brief declamatory solo role. Choir: difficult; Orchestra: very difficult. Selected Discography: Wolfgang Brendel; Prague Philharmonic Choir; Czech Philharmonic; conducted by Giuseppe Sinopoli. Deutsche Grammophon: 435066-2. Dietrich Henschel; Dresden Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Michel Plasson. EMI: 0724357572224. Bo Skovhus; Danish National Symphony Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Gerd Albrecht, recorded at the Danish Radio Concert Hall in Copenhagen on 25 to 27 November 2003. Chandos: 10165. Selected Bibliography: Upton, George P. The Standard Cantatas, seventh edition, 83-85. Chicago: A. C. McClurg and Company, 1899. Evans, Edwin. Historical, Descriptive, and Analytical Account of the Entire Works of Johannes Brahms,
182 This concert included the second performance of Brahms’s Piano Concerto No. 2 with the composer as soloist, the Academic Festival Overture, and the Second Symphony.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
volume 1 — The Vocal Works, 248-252. London: William Reeves, 1912. Hancock, Virginia. Brahms’s Choral Compositions and His Library of Early Music, 128-129, UMI Reasearch Press Studies in Musicology Number 76. Ann Arbor: UMI Research Press, 1983. Avins, Styra. Johannes Brahms: Life and Letters, 559. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1997.
Nänie, op. 82 (1880-1881) Duration: ca. 13 minutes Text: The text is a German poem by Friedrich Schiller. Performing Forces: voices: SATB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets (A), 2 bassoons, 2 horns (D), 3 trombones, timpani (2 drums), harp, and strings First Performance: 6 December 1881; Zurich Concert Society; conducted by the composer182 Editions: Nänie is published in the critical edition Johannes Brahms sämtliche Werke, volume 19, page 60, edited by Eusebius Mandyczewski and published by Breitkopf and Härtel. Other editions that are available for purchase include: Breitkopf and Härtel, C. F. Peters, and Kalmus. Autograph: An unsigned and undated manuscript is in the Musikbibliothek der Stadt Leipzig. Notes: Brahms composed this lament in response to the death of his friend, the painter Anselm Feuerbach. The score is dedicated to the artist’s mother. Performance Issues: The choral writing juxtaposes passages of pervasive imitation with purely homophonic writing. Much of the choral material is clearly supported by the orchestra; however, there are a number of exposed a cappella passages. Each section of the choir has exposed melodic moments, and the composer introduces some very effective paired doubling in selected passages. The harp part adds tremendous color to the orchestration, but there are occasional cued passages in the strings should a harpist not be available. Some significant melodic material is given to the oboe I player. This score is filled with intricate hemiola constructions, many of which require careful analysis as they begin on unusual beats within measures. Attention to these details in rehearsal will reveal an exceptional metric vitality. This is a particularly expressive composition that is conceived with great insight into the role of each part. It is exceedingly playable and singable in spite of significant structural complexity. It is truly a minor masterpiece. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult.
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Selected Discography: Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Robert Shaw, recorded 14-16 March 1988 in Symphony Hall, Atlanta. Telarc: CD-80176. Berlin Radio Chorus; Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra; conducted by Claudio Abbado. Deutsche Grammophon: 435791-2. New Philharmonia Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Wilhelm Pitz. EMI: 0724357572224. Prague Philharmonic Choir; Czech Philharmonic; conducted by Giuseppe Sinopoli. Deutsche Grammophon: 435066-2. Danish National Symphony Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Gerd Albrecht, recorded at the Danish Radio Concert Hall in Copenhagen on 8 and 9 November 2001. Chandos: 10165. Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Bernard Haitink. Orfeo: C025821A. Gächinger Kantorei Stuttgart; Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmut Rilling. Hänssler: CD98460. Selected Bibliography: Evans, Edwin. Historical, Descriptive, and Analytical Account of the Entire Works of Johannes Brahms, volume 1 — The Vocal Works, 372-376. London: William Reeves, 1912. Hancock, Virginia. Brahms’s Choral Compositions and His Library of Early Music, 129, UMI Reasearch Press Studies in Musicology Number 76. Ann Arbor: UMI Research Press, 1983. Avins, Styra. Johannes Brahms: Life and Letters, 579. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1997.
Gesang der Parzen [“Song of the Fates”], op. 89 (1882) Duration: ca. 12 minutes Text: The text is from Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s Iphigenie auf Tauris. Performing Forces: voices: SAATBB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes (flute I doubling piccolo), 2 oboes, 2 clarinets in (B♭), 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 4 horns (D, F), 2 trumpets (D), 3 trombones (alto, tenor, and bass), tuba, timpani, and strings First Performance: 10 December 1882; Basel; Allgemeinen Musik-Gesellschaft, conducted by the composer Editions: Gesang der Parzen is published in the critical edition Johannes Brahms sämtliche Werke, volume 19, page 86, edited by Eusebius Mandyczewski and published by Breitkopf and Härtel. Complete performing materials are also available from Kalmus. Autograph: The signed and dated manuscript is in the Stadtarchiv in Krefeld, Germany.
Notes: Virginia Hancock (see bibliography below) suggests that the harmonic and contrapuntal language of this work was significantly shaped by Brahms’s study of the music of J. S. Bach. Performance Issues: The choral writing is primarily homophonic with occasional paired imitation and some passages in close imitation. The pitch material for the choir is well supported in the accompaniment, although at times in the form of pedal point. The orchestral material is much more varied than the choral. There are some challenging passages for each section of the orchestra. Some of the instrumental counterpoint may provide intonation difficulties. There are some dramatic contrasts in this work, which can be effectively performed by medium and large choral ensembles. There is a dark timbral quality to the orchestration that is heightened by the voicing of the choir to exploit the lower choral sections of both genders. This dark quality is best maintained through the use of mature-sounding ensembles, both choral and orchestral. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Robert Shaw, recorded 14-16 March 1988 in Symphony Hall, Atlanta. Telarc: CD-80176. Ernst Senff Chorus; Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra; conducted by Claudio Abbado. Deutsche Grammophon: 435791-2. Dresden Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Michel Plasson. EMI: 0724357572224. Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Bernard Haitink. Orfeo: C025821A. Gächinger Kantorei Stuttgart; Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmut Rilling. Hänssler: CD98460. Selected Bibliography: Evans, Edwin. Historical, Descriptive, and Analytical Account of the Entire Works of Johannes Brahms, volume 1—The Vocal Works, 396-401. London: William Reeves, 1912. Hancock, Virginia. Brahms’s Choral Compositions and His Library of Early Music, 130-131, UMI Reasearch Press Studies in Musicology Number 76. Ann Arbor: UMI Research Press, 1983. Pahlen, Kurt. The World of the Oratorio, translated by Judith Schaefer with additional English-language material by Thurston Dox, 82. Portland, OR: Amadeus Press, 1990.
BRITTEN, (Edward) Benjamin (b. Lowestoft, 22 November 1913; d. Aldeburgh, 4 December 1976).
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Britten was the twentieth century’s most successful composer of opera in English.183 As a youth, he studied piano with Harold Samuel and composition with Frank Bridge. He attended the Royal College of Music (1930-1933), but was unhappy with an official refusal to allow him to study in Vienna with Alban Berg. He began having music published at the age of 17 and in 1936 started writing music for the G.P.O. Film Unit. In 1939, he and lifelong companion Peter Pears followed W. H. Auden to the United States, staying until 1942. Upon his return to England, he and Pears settled in Aldeburgh where he began the Aldeburgh Festival in 1948. He was a made a Companion of Honour (1953), received the Order of Merit (1965), and became the first composer to be made a Life Peer: Lord Britten of Aldeburgh (1976). His music is characterized by an exceptional lyric gift, innovative rhythms, and a unique extension of tonality through modal exploration. He enjoyed writing music for amateurs, which is consistently of complete artistic integrity. Most of all, he had a distinctive sensibility for setting texts. His texts are generally concerned with themes of lost innocence and the relationship between an outsider and society. Both of these themes border upon autobiography.184 Teachers: Frank Bridge, John Ireland Principal Works: opera - Paul Bunyan (1940-1941), Peter Grimes (1945), The Rape of Lucretia (1946), Albert Herring (1947), Billy Budd (1951, revised 1960), Gloriana (1953), The Turn of the Screw (1954), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (1960), Owen Wingrave (1971), Death in Venice (1973); orchestra - Sinfonietta (1932), Simple Symphony (1934), Variations on a Theme of Frank Bridge (1937), Piano Concerto (1938, revised 1945), Violin Concerto (1939, revised 1958), Sinfonia da Requiem (1940), Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra (1946), Cello Symphony (1963); choral - Hymn to the Virgin (1930, revised 1934), A Boy Was Born (1933, revised 1955), Ceremony of Carols (1942), Hymn to St. Cecilia (1942), Rejoice in the Lamb (1943), Five Flower Songs (1950), Cantata Academica (1959), Cantata Misericordium (1963), Children’s Crusade (1968); solo vocal - Les Illuminations (1939), Serenade (1943), Nocturne (1958), Phaedra (1975); and many folk song arrangements and chamber works. Selected Composer Bibliography: “Britten, Benjamin (Edward).” Current Biography Yearbook, iii (October 1942); xxii (April 1961); obituary, xxxviii (February 1977); New York: H. W. Wilson Company. 183 Robert P. Morgan, Twentieth-Century Music, 272-278 (New York: W.W. Norton, 1991).
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Mitchell, Donald, and Hans Keller. Benjamin Britten. London: Rockcliff, 1952 (reprinted, Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1972). Hansler, George E. Stylistic Characteristics and Trends in the Choral Music of Five Twentieth-Century Composers: A Study of the Choral Works of Benjamin Britten, Gerald Finzi, Constant Lambert, Michael Tippett, and William Walton. New York University, dissertation, 1957. Benjamin Britten: A Catalogue of His Works. New York: Boosey and Hawkes, 1973. Kennedy, Michael. Britten. London: Dent, 1981. Palmer, Christopher (editor). The Britten Companion. London: Faber and Faber, 1984. Evans, Peter. “Benjamin Britten.” The New Grove Twentieth-Century English Masters, 239-296. New York: W.W. Norton, 1986. Mitchell, Donald. Britten (Edward) Benjamin, Baron Britten (1913-76) The Dictionary of National Biography 1971-80. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1986. Evans, John, Philip Reed, and Paul Wilson. A Britten Sourcebook. Aldeburgh, Suffolk: Britten-Pears Library, 1987. Whittall, Arnold. The Music of Britten and Tippett: Studies in Themes and Techniques, second edition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1990. Hodgson, Peter J. Benjamin Britten: A Guide to Research. New York: Routledge, 1996.
Cantata Academica, carmen basiliense, op. 62 (1959) Duration: ca. 22 minutes Text: The text is in Latin and was compiled by Bernard Wyss from the charter of the University of Basle and other older orations praising the City and University of Basle. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes (flute II doubling piccolo), 2 oboes, 2 clarinets in B ♭, 2 bassoons, 4 horns in F, 2 trumpets in C, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion (4 players - glockenspiel, xylophone, bell in C, snare drum, bass drum, tambourine, cymbals, tam-tam, triangle, “chinese block”), 2 harps (harp II is optional), celeste (optional), piano, and strings First Performance: 1 July 1960; Basle University; Agnes Giebel, Elsa Cavelti, Peter Pears, Heinz Rehfuss; Basle University Chorus, Basler Kammerorchester; conducted by Paul Sacher
184 Peter Evans, “Benjamin Britten,” The New Grove TwentiethCentury English Masters, 239-296 (New York: W.W. Norton, 1986).
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Edition: Cantata Academica is published by Boosey and Hawkes. Piano-vocal score (LCB 160), choral score (LCB 53), and miniature score (HPS 719) are available for purchase; full score and orchestral material are available for rental. The piano-vocal score was prepared by Imogen Holst. Autograph: The manuscript is in the possession of the Paul Sacher Foundation in Basle, Switzerland, having been purchased prior to sale at an auction at Christie’s in London on 23 March 1961. Notes: This work was composed in commemoration of the 500th anniversary of Basle University. Although this work is diatonic with conspicuous triadic formations, each of the first 12 movements feature a unique tonal center and a 12-note tone row, which appears in prime form and retrograde forms as a unifying structural device. The work is arranged into 13 movements, with the final movement being a return to the original pitch center, as follows: Part I I Corale II Alla rovescio III IV V VI VII
Recitativo Arioso Duettino Recitativo Scherzo
G F E♭ E F# A D
Canto Popolare XI Recitativo XII Canone ed Ostinato XIII Corale con Canto
London Symphony Orchestra; conducted by George Malcolm. Oiseaux-Lyre: 60037 [LP]. Re-released as London: 452123-2LM [ADD]. Selected Bibliography: Bradshaw, S. “Britten’s ‘Cantata Academica.’” Tempo, numbers 53-54 (1960): 22. Sadie, Stanley. “Britten’s Cantata Academica.” Musical Events, volume 16 (January 1961). Maack, R., and Percy M. Young. “Report from Germany.” American Choral Review, volume 14, number 4 (1972).
Cantata Misericordium (1963)
tenor bass soprano/alto duet tenor tutti
Duration: ca. 20 minutes
B♭ choir C bass/alto duet D♭ B G# G
Selected Discography:
tutti choir
Part II VIII Tema Seriale con Fuga IX Soli et Duetto X Arioso con
b-e'', tessitura: d'-d'', this is a sustained role with mostly scalar melodic material; tenor - range: f#-a', tessitura: g-g', this role is rhapsodic, regularly using the entire range and requiring an expressive singer; bass - range: A-e', tessitura: g-d', this role has a lot of sustained singing in the upper range. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium easy.
soprano, TB choir tenor tutti tutti
Performance Issues: Britten uses multileveled hemiolas as a source of temporal momentum. The melodic material is scalar and triadic. Harmonically, the score exploits quartal-quintal relationships. The choral writing is generally diatonic, but with frequently shifting pitch centers. The pitch material for the choir is often static, using pedals or repeated pitch figurations. The choral writing combines block chordal homophonic motion with an assortment of techniques rooted in pervasive imitation procedures from the Renaissance and Baroque eras. The instrumental writing is accessible to less-experienced players. It is very accompanimental in nature, using ostinati and sustained harmonies. The most intricate accompaniments are for the recitatives, where the burden is upon the pianist, who should be a player capable of musical independence and able to interplay with the tenor soloist. Soloists: soprano range: e'-b'', tessitura: d''-a'', this role has a generally high tessitura and frequent melodic leaps; alto - range:
Text: The text is a Latin dramatization of the parable of the Good Samaritan from the New Testament as adapted by L. Patrick Wilkerson. Performing Forces: voices: tenor and baritone soloists, SATB choir; orchestra: timpani, piano, harp, string quartet, and string orchestra First Performance: 1 September 1963; Geneva, Switzerland; Peter Pears, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau; Motet de Genève (Jacques Horneffer, chorus-master), Suisse Romande Orchestra; conducted by Ernest Ansermet Edition: Cantata misericordium is published by Boosey and Hawkes. The piano-vocal score, full score, choral score, and miniature score are available for purchase; orchestral materials are available for rental. The pianovocal score was prepared by Imogen Holst. Notes: This work was composed for the centenary celebrations of the International Red Cross and is dedicated to Fidelity Cranbrook. The score was completed 25 May 1963. The text is dedicated to the responsibility that people have to their neighbors. The majority of it is centered around the parable of the “Good Samaritan” as a metaphor for the role the Red Cross has played in the modern era. Within the parable, the baritone soloist portrays the traveler, and the tenor, the Samaritan. Performance Issues: This is a rhythmically complex, but musically accessible score, riddled with syncopations and frequent alternations between duple and triple divisions of the beat. These duple/triple division changes recur over successive beats in some sections. It is, however, a good work for less-experienced
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chamber orchestras if strong principal players are available. The string quartet is treated as the concertato section of a concerto grosso. The ripieno string section could be as small as two or three players per part; however, a minimum of two double basses is advisable because of divisi. A total string allocation of 44-3-3-2 would be quite effective. The choral writing juxtaposes sections of homophonic writing, which are harmonically supported by, but often rhythmically independent of, the accompanying orchestra with highly imitative writing, suggestive of sixteenth-century models, which are directly doubled by the concertato strings. Significant quantities of the choral writing utilize paired doubling and unison singing allowing rehearsal time for the more intricate imitative passages. The harp and piano parts are within the abilities of good amateur players as are the ripieno string parts. The concertato string parts are quite difficult and contrapuntally complex. The more difficult passages for the ripieno players are in tutti passages so that the stronger solo players are able to lead them. The timpani part is written for two chromatic drums and a third drum tuned to a pedal D. The composer indicates that if the latter is unavailable, it may be substituted with a bass drum. This D does function as the harmonic root when played, so its presence is much preferred. Soloists: tenor - range: e-a♭', tessitura: c-g', this is a short and very lyrical role with a fairly high tessitura; baritone - range: B♭-f#', tessitura: f-d', this role suggests a lyric voice capable of very expressive singing. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium easy, with the exception of the principal strings. Selected Discography: Peter Pears, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau; London Symphony Chorus and Orchestra; conducted by Benjamin Britten; recorded 12 December 1963. London: SXL 6175 [LP]. Re-released as London: 425100-2 LH [ADD]. Selected Bibliography: Mitchell, Donald. “A Memorable Cantata by Britten.” Daily Telegraph (2 September 1963). Roseberry, E. “Britten’s Cantata misericordium and Psalm 150.” Tempo, numbers 66-67 (Autumn-Winter 1963). Evans, John. “Cantata misericordium, Op. 69.” Aldeburgh Festival Program Bulletin (1983).
Saint Nicolas, op. 42 (1948) Duration: ca. 50-55 minutes Text: Eric Crozier Performing Forces: voices: Saint Nicolas - tenor, soprano, alto soloists, and 4 treble soloists; SA gallery choir, SATB choir; orchestra: organ, piano 4-hands, percussion (at least 2 players - timpani, snare drum,
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
tenor drum, tambourine, cymbal, gong, triangle, whip), and strings. First Performance: 5 June 1948, Aldeburgh, England; Peter Pears, Aldeburgh Festival Chorus, conducted by Leslie Woodgate. Commissioner’s first performance: 24 July 1948; Peter Pears, Lancing College Ensembles; gallery choir led by Jasper Rooper, performance conducted by Britten. Edition: Saint Nicolas is published and distributed by Boosey and Hawkes. The piano-vocal score (#16469, arranged by Arthur Oldham) and miniature score (#16528) are for sale; orchestral materials are available for rental. Autograph: A copy of the composer’s manuscript is in the possession of the Britten-Pears Library in Aldeburgh, Suffolk. Notes: Saint Nicolas was composed for performance at the centenary celebrations of Lancing College. St. Nicolas was the Bishop of Myra and is the patron saint of children, seamen, and travelers. The libretto presents vignettes from the saint’s life. Performance Issues: Britten has included the following note in the full score: As stated in the dedication, Saint Nicolas was written to be performed at the centenary of a school, when it was sung by the combined choirs of three boys’ schools (the main chorus) and one girls’ school (the gallery-choir). It is therefore suitable for performance by any numerically big chorus, even if the singers are not very experienced. The choir in the gallery should have a separate conductor. The string parts are not very sophisticated and can be played by amateur players, preferably led by a professional quintet. The piano duet part is also of moderate difficulty. The first percussion is obbligato and should be played by a professional drummer, who may play as many of the instruments included in the second part as is feasible; the second part is ad libitum and may be played by as many gifted and/or enthusiastic amateurs as there are instruments. On the other hand, the solo tenor part, as can easily be seen, is no amateur matter. The conductor must be cool-headed and should turn to the congregation/audience to conduct them in the two hymns.
The two sections include congregational singing utilizing traditional hymn tunes: #5 - “Old 100th,” and #9 - “God moves in a mysterious way his wonders to perform.” The words of these should be made available to the audience. The choral writing is rhythmically conservative, homophonic, and triadically conceived. There are four two-measure solos for a treble voice portraying the young boy Nicolas (movement 2), and one for tenor as the young man Nicolas (movement 3). There are some string solos, which argues for the importance of secure principal players. There are some unmeasured passages for the gallery-choir and soloist, which are underscored by ad libitum ostinati. This is an excellent work for ensembles of limited experience, but should not be neglected by established groups as it
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
is a most effective piece. The element of congregational participation also makes this an ideal item for a concertized church service. Soloist: tenor, range: dg#'; tessitura: g-f'; lyric, sustained, and very demanding. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Peter Pears, tenor; David Hemmings, treble; Aldeburgh Festival Chorus and Orchestra; conducted by Britten. Recorded in 1955. London: LXT 5060 [LP]. Re-released as London: 425714-2 LM [ADD]. Robert Tear, tenor; King’s College Choir, Academy of St. Martin in the Fields; conducted by Sir David Willcocks. Seraphim: 60296 [LP]. Selected Bibliography: Holst, Imogen. “Britten’s Saint Nicolas.” Tempo, x (1948-49): 23. Mitchell, Donald. “A Note on Saint Nicolas: Some Points on Britten’s Style.” Music Survey, ii (Spring 1950). Crozier, Eric. “Saint Nicolas.” Aldeburgh Festival Programme Book (1949).
Spring Symphony, op. 44 (1949) Duration: ca. 43-45 minutes Text: Various; see “notes” below. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, and tenor soloists; SATB choir, children’s choir; orchestra: 3 flutes (flute III doubling alto-flute and piccolo), 2 oboes, English horn, 2 clarinets, bass clarinet, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, cow horn, timpani, percussion (5 players - snare drum, tenor drum, bass drum, tambourine, cymbals, gong, wood block, castanets, xylophone, vibraphone, chimes), 2 harps, and strings First Performance: 9 July 1949; Holland Festival, Amsterdam; Jo Vincent, Kathleen Ferrier, Peter Pears; Boy’s Choir of the St. Willibrorduskerk in Rotterdam, Mixed Choir of the Dutch Radio, Concertgebouw Orchestra; conducted by Eduard van Beinum American Premiere: 13 August 1949; Berkshire Festival in Tanglewood; Boston Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Serge Koussevitsky. Edition: Spring Symphony is published and distributed by Boosey and Hawkes. Piano-vocal (prepared by Arthur Oldham, B. & H. 16868) and study (B. & H. 16904) scores are available for purchase; orchestral materials are available for rental. Autograph: A copy of the composer’s manuscript is in the possession of the Britten-Pears Library in Aldeburgh, Suffolk.
Notes: Commissioned by Serge Koussevitsky and the Boston Symphony, Spring Symphony is in four movements. Performance Issues: The score indicates four percussionists, but five players are well advised. The wind parts are all technically challenging, containing frequent polyrhythms, and rapid unison passagework between diverse instruments. The winds are more prominent than the strings throughout the piece. Both harp parts are difficult, but challenging passages are exchanged between the players. There are prominent brass fanfares in “Out on the Lawn I Lie in Bed” and “Sound the Flute!” There are some melodic lines passed between string parts in the “Finale” at rehearsal #10, and in the violins in “Waters Above.” The choral parts are well written for the voices and are accompanied by thin textures guaranteeing a successful balance. The choir is often asked to sing unaccompanied. The choral parts are often dissonant and contrapuntally intricate, but the harmonic tensions are approached in a logical linear fashion. There are frequent paired doublings at the octave between S and T, and A and B; however, these passages contain many deceptive sevenths and ninths. There are constant overlappings of texts creating a challenge to textual clarity and rhythmic cohesion. The Boys’ Choir is written in unison with occasional optional divisi for sections, which may be too high for some of the boys, except for “Sound the Flute!,” which has two opposing treble parts. The boys are also asked to whistle a written part on pages 32-42. On pages 23, 25, and 28 there are cadenzas for the soloists, ad lib. The “Finale” is very dense with a complex overlapping of contrasting parts. Soloists: soprano, range: d#'- b'', tessitura: g'f'', lyrical with long sustained lines, and some light and rapid sections, particularly in “Fair and Fair;” alto, range: a- f#'', tessitura: e'-c'', generally sustained and lyric except for ensemble writing; tenor, range: d#- b', tessitura: g-g', declamatory with high sustained singing and soft, crisp articulations in the top of the voice. This is typical of the parts which Britten wrote for Peter Pears. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Jennifer Vyvyan, Norma Procter, Peter Pears; Royal Opera House Choir and Orchestra; conducted by Britten. Recorded in 1961. London: SXL 2264 [LP]. Rereleased as London: 425153-2 LM [ADD]. Elizabeth Gale, Alfreda Hodgson, Martyn Hill; Southend Boy’s Choir; London Symphony Chorus and Orchestra; conducted by Richard Hickox. Recorded in 1990. Chandos: CHAN 8855 [DDD]. Selected Bibliography: Britten, Benjamin. “A Note on the Spring Symphony.” Music Survey, ii (Spring 1950).
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Ottaway, Hugh. “Spring Symphony.” Monthly Musical Record, lxxx (September 1950). Blom, Eric. “Vernal Anthology.” Observer (2 December 1951). Stein, Erwin. Orpheus in New Guises. London: Rockcliff Press, 1953.
War Requiem, op. 66 (1961) Duration: ca. 85 minutes Text: The Requiem Mass and Wilfred Owen Performing Forces: voices: soprano, tenor, and baritone soloists, SATB choir, boy choir; orchestra: 3 flutes (flute III doubling piccolo), 2 oboes, English horn, 3 clarinets (clarinet III doubling clarinet in E♭ and bass-clarinet), 2 bassoon, contrabassoon, 6 horns, 4 trumpets in C, 3 trombones, tuba, piano, organ,185 timpani, percussion (4 players - 2 side drums, tenor drum, bass drum, tambourine, cymbals, gong, triangle, castanets, whip, temple blocks, glockenspiel, vibraphone, crotales [C and F#], bells [C and F#]), and strings; chamber orchestra: flute (doubling piccolo), oboe (doubling English horn), clarinet (B♭ and A), bassoon, horn, percussion (1 player - timpani, side drum, bass drum, cymbal, gong), harp, 2 violins, viola, cello, double bass. First Performance: 30 May 1962; St. Michael’s Cathedral, Coventry; Heather Harper, Peter Pears, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau; Coventry Festival Chorus, City of Birmingham Symphony, Melos Ensemble, Boys of Holy Trinity, Leamington and Stratford; conducted by Meredith Davies and the composer Edition: War Requiem is published and distributed by Boosey and Hawkes. The study score (HPS 742), and piano-vocal score are all available for purchase; orchestral materials are available for rental. Autograph: A copy of the composer’s manuscript is in the possession of the Britten-Pears Library in Aldeburgh, Suffolk. Notes: War Requiem was commissioned for the festival celebrating the consecration of St. Michael’s Cathedral, Coventry. Wilfred Owen was a pacifist poet who was killed while serving in the trenches during the First World War. The poetry used was written in the field of battle. It should be noted that the “In Paradisum” section of the Missa pro defunctis is not included in this work. Performance Issues: This is a very sophisticated work in which Britten exercises all of his extended twentieth-century compositional techniques. He uses 185 “The Boy Choir is accompanied throughout by an organ, and it may be advisable to use a harmonium or portable organ for this purpose since the sound should be distant. A grand organ (ad lib,)
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
regularly shifting tonal references within a fairly diatonic harmonic language, often exploring polytonality. This pitch language is especially evident in his polarization of pitch centers a tritone apart. Elements of indeterminacy are used in sections of chant, primarily in the Sanctus. In the setting of the text “Aspera me,” the notation for the choir is quadruply augmented from that of the orchestra. These relationships are later reversed; thus, as separate portions of the ensemble are assigned different note values for a common pulse, the beat values are exchanged in opposition to each other. This creates the visual impression of concurrent accellerandi and ritardandi to the performers while the actual pulse remains constant. The choral writing exploits inner tonal relationships and logogenic rhythms. In the vocal parts, Britten exploits many contrapuntal devices including imitation, inversion, and retrogression of diatonic material. Most of the choral material is clearly supported by the accompaniment, and there are divisi in all of the choral parts. There are incidents of polymeters and differing concurrent tempos between sections of the ensembles. The recitatives are exceptionally complex, especially in the Libera me. The chamber orchestra and soloists should be separated from the full orchestra and chorus. The Boy Choir should be far removed from the rest of the ensemble. Two conductors may be needed because of these distances and the independence of the two orchestras, which includes sections that overlap in different tempos. The Offertorium contains a section at rehearsal #69 in which Britten quotes his own Canticle III, Abraham and Isaac. Such a reference is surely Britten’s attempt to underline the metaphor of men sacrificing their sons. The orchestration is greatly varied with difficult passages in many of the individual parts, but it presents greater challenges in the integration of the ensemble. There are numerous crossrhythms, including: 7 against 6, 5 against 4, 4 against 3, and 3 against 2. The orchestration suggests a large string section and a large choir. The coordination of the diverse ensembles and their disposition requires a substantial amount of planning. Soloists: soprano, range: c'-b'', tessitura: a'-f#'', lyric with sustained and florid phrases; tenor, range: d-g#', tessitura: g-f', declamatory and powerful with great flexibility; baritone, range: A-f', tessitura: d-d', powerful, lyric, and clear. Choir: difficult; Orchestra: difficult. Selected Discography: Galina Vishnevskaya, Peter Pears, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau; Bach Choir, Highgate School Boys’ Choir, London Symphony Orchestra, Melos Ensemble; conducted by the composer. Recorded in 1963.
plays with the orchestra in the last movement only” (Britten’s note in the score).
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
London: OSA 1255 [LP]. Re-released as London: 414383-2 LH2 [ADD]. Elisabeth Söderstrom, Robert Tear, Thomas Allen; Trebles of Christ Church Cathedral Choir, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and Choir; conducted by Simon Rattle. Angel: CDC-47033 [DDD]. Lorna Haywood, Anthony Rolfe Johnson, Benjamin Luxon; Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Robert Shaw. Telarc: CD-80157 [DDD]. Heather Harper, Philip Langridge, John Shirley-Quirk; London Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, Choristers of St. Paul’s Cathedral; conducted by Richard Hickox. Chandos: CHAN 8983/4 [DDD].
Teacher: Darius Milhaud
Selected Bibliography:
Selected Composer Bibliography:
Evans, Peter. “Britten’s War Requiem.” Tempo, lxi-lxii (1962), 20. Robertson, Alec. “Britten’s War Requiem.” The Musical Times, ciii (1962): 308. Whittall, Arnold. “Tonal Instability in Britten’s War Requiem.” The Music Review, xxiv (1963): 201. Boyd, Malcolm. “Britten, Verdi and the Requiem.” Tempo, lxxxvi (1968): 2. Cox, Richard. “Student Concern Fires War Requiem Venture.” Choral Journal, xi/1 (1970). Hall, William Dawson. The Requiem Mass: A Study of Performance Practices from the Baroque Era to the Present Day as Related to Four Requiem Settings by Gilles, Mozart, Verdi, and Britten. University of Southern Califoria, dissertation, 1970. Juul-Hansen, A. “Benjamin Britten’s War Requiem and Wilfred Owen’s text.” Musikforskning, iii (1977). Bernard, Andrew. Two Musical Perspectives of Twentieth-Century Pacifism: An Analytical and Historical View of Britten’s “War Requiem” and Bernstein’s “Kaddish Symphony.” University of Washington, dissertation, 1990. Page, Gordon Keith. Melodic Unification in Benjamin Brittem’s “War Requiem.” Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, dissertation, 1991.
“Brubeck, Dave.” Current Biography Yearbook, xvii (March 1956). New York: H. W. Wilson Company. Brubeck, Dave. Autobiography of Dave Brubeck. New York: 1972.187 Stuessy, Clarence Joseph Jr. The Confluence of Jazz and Classical Forms from 1950 to 1970. University of Rochester, dissertation, 1978; 296-320. Brubeck, Dave. The Genius Continues. Hialeah, FL: CPP/Belwin, 1986. Zirpoli, Danny Roland. An Evaluation of the Work of Jazz Pianist/Composer Dave Brubeck. University of Florida, dissertation, 1990. Hall, Fred. It’s About Time: The Dave Brubeck Story. Fayetteville: University of Arkansas Press, 1996.
BRUBECK, David (b. Concord, CA, 6 December 1920) Brubeck attended the College of the Pacific as a music major, studying composition with Darius Milhaud at Mills College. With other students, he founded the Jazz Workshop Ensemble, which ultimately led to the establishment of the Dave Brubeck Quartet. This group had a variety of members, the most famous combination being Brubeck (piano), Paul Desmond (saxophone), Joe Morello (drums), and Eugene 186 Frank Tirro, Jazz: A History (New York: W.W. Norton, 1977). 187 This autobiography is listed in the bibliography of the “Brubeck” article in The New Grove Dictionary of American Music,
Wright (double bass). The ensemble helped to popularize the use of unusual meters in jazz. The best known of these pieces is Take Five, which was the first instrumental jazz recording to sell a million copies.186 Brubeck has written a number of concert works that combine jazz and European traditions. Principal Concert Works: ballets - A Maiden in the Tower (1956), Points on Jazz (1961); cantatas - The Gates of Justice (1969), Truth Is Fallen (1971), La fiesta de la poseda (1975); oratorios - Beloved Son (1975), Festival Mass to Hope (1980); and a number of works for jazz combo and orchestra.
Light in the Wilderness (1968) Duration: with improvisations ca. 75 minutes without improvisations ca. 60 minutes Text: Bible, Dave Brubeck, and Iola Brubeck (the composer’s wife) Performing Forces: voices: baritone soloist; SATB choir; orchestra: 3 flutes (flute III doubling piccolo), 2 oboes, English horn, 2 clarinets, bass clarinet, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion (2 players - trap set [bass drum, snare drum, tom-toms, cymbals, highhat], bongos or small eastern drum, high middle eastern drum, small tom-tom, tabla in D, tambourine, crash cymbals, finger cymbals, 2 hand cymbals [small and medium], gong, oriental gong, small gong, temple blocks, gourd, slapstick, 2 maracas, ratchet, wash board with thimbles, glockenspiel, crotales in E♭, G, B, and A, xylophone, vibraphone, chimes), and strings; organ soloist and jazz combo: piano soloist edited by H. Wiley Hitchcock, 4 volumes (London: Macmillan, 1986); however, no publisher was listed and it is not catalogued in the standard book-trade references.
246
(with optional improvisations), drums, and double bass. The entire accompaniment may be performed by a combo of piano, double bass, and drums. First Performance: with combo only: January 1968; University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill; University of North Carolina Choir; conducted by Lara Hoggard; full orchestra: 29 March 1968; Cincinnati, OH; William Justus, baritone; Dave Brubeck, piano; Miami University (OH) A Cappella Singers, Cincinnati Symphony; conducted by Erich Kunzel Edition: The Light in the Wilderness is published by St. Francis Music and distributed by Shawnee Press. A reduced study score, organ excerpts, piano improvisation chart, percussion parts, and double bass parts are available for purchase; orchestral materials are available for rental. Autograph: A copy of the composer’s manuscript is in the possession of Shawnee Press. Notes: This work was composed at the suggestion of Ernest Farmer, president of Shawnee Press.188 Performance Issues: The composer notes that any sections may be excerpted for performance, and that the instrumentation may be subject to the conductor’s discretion. The piano improvisations are completely optional and need not be in a jazz style, but should represent the player’s “musical orientation.” The tenor part is written in the bass clef. The choral writing includes random imitation and free note-on-note counterpoint between parts. The part writing is primarily diatonic and shows the influence of Milhaud. Vocal dissonances are approached carefully by stepwise motion. Brubeck uses many extended nonfunctional tertian harmonies, which often exhibit parallel motion or contrary motion between opposing triads. There are divisi in vocal parts, which are very clearly supported by the accompaniment, and at times the vocal ensemble is divided into two choirs. There are frequent descriptions of specific vocal effects such as “whining,” “straight tone,” “eerie,” “mouth almost closed,” “with the sound of the desert,” etcetera. The combo parts are relatively difficult, requiring players well versed in the jazz idiom. The orchestra parts are straightforward and well within the abilities of an amateur ensemble. The percussion players are not technically challenged, but due to the variety of instruments used and the frequent changes, they should be experienced players. The part very clearly assigns each instrument to a specific player. Soloist: baritone, range: B♭-f#'; tessitura: g-e♭', powerful with long legato phrases and broad melodic leaps. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium. 188 Tom Wilmeth, “A Previously Unpublished Interview with Dave Brubeck:The Pianist on his sacred recordings and more,” in Jazz Times, 18 November 2013.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Selected Discography: William Justus, baritone; Gerre Hancock, organ; Dave Brubeck, piano; University of Miami A Cappella Singers, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Erich Kunzel. Recorded in 1968. DL-740155-56 [LP]. Selected Bibliography: Brubeck, Dave. Program Booklet for The Light in the Wilderness. Delaware Water Gap, PA: Shawnee Press, 1968.
BRUCH, Max (b. Cologne, 6 January 1838; d. Friedenau, Germany, 2 October 1920) Bruch’s father was a government official and his mother an accomplished amateur singer. His initial training came from Breidenstein in Bonn. In 1852, he won a scholarship from the Mozart Foundation that allowed him to move to Cologne where he studied with Hiller, Reinecke, and Breuning. Bruch taught in Cologne from 1858 to 1861. He was music director in Koblenz from 1865 to 1867, and was subsequently Kapellmeister in Sonderhausen. From 1880 to 1883, he was conductor of the Liverpool Philharmonic and director of the Orchesterverein of Breslau from 1883 to 1890. In 1891 he became professor of composition at the Hochschule für Musik in Berlin, remaining there until his retirement in 1910. Bruch’s entire musical output has been eclipsed by the success of his first Violin Concerto, Scottish Fantasy, and Kol Nidrei. He was a successful opera composer during the first half of his career and one of the most significant composers of oratorios during the second half of the nineteenth century. Most of these works have fully fallen from the repertoire, and complete materials for their performance have, in some cases, become unavailable. Based upon the works for which full scores or vocal scores were reviewed, this is an important body of works for large choral ensembles and orchestra. A number of them also reflect his Jewish faith and heritage. Like the entry for Amy Beach, I have included incomplete information for those works for which a full score, or even piano-vocal scores, was not readily available with the expectation that some conductors may take the effort to revive these remarkable compositions. Teachers: Breidenstein, Breuning, Ferdinand Hiller, Carl Reinecke
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Students: Gian Francesco Malipiero, Wallingford Riegger, Oscar Straus, Arthur Thomas, Ralph Vaughan Williams Other Principal Works: opera: Loreley (1863), Hermione (1872); orchestral: Symphony No. 1 (1870), Symphony No. 2 (1870), Symphony No. 3 (1887), Violin Concerto No. 1 (1868), Violin Concerto No. 2 (1878), Violin Concerto No. 3 (1891), Scottish Fantasy (1880), Kol Nidrei (1881); chamber music: 2 string quartets Selected Composer Bibliography: Pfitzner, Hans. Meine Beziehungen zu Max Bruch. Munich: Langen-Müller, 1938. Max Bruch Studien, zum 50 Todestag des Komponisten, Dietrich Kämper, editor, in the series Beiträge zur rheinischen Musikgeschichte, lxxxvii. Colgne: Arno, 1970. Fellerer, Karl Gustav. Max Bruch, in the series Beiträge zur rheinischen Musikgeschichte, ciii. Cologne: Arno, 1974. Vick, Bingham Lafayette. The Five Oratorios of Max Bruch. Doctoral dissertation, Northwestern University, 1977. Luyken, Sonja. Max Bruch, in the series, Kölner Biografen, xvii. Cologne: Stadt Köln, Der Oberstadtdirektor, 1984. Fifield, Christopher. Max Bruch: His Life and Works. New York: George Braziller, 1988. Schwarzer, Matthias. Die Oratorien von Max Bruch: Eine Quellenstudie. Berlin: Merseburger, 1988.
Selected Bibliography: Upton, George P. The Standard Cantatas, seventh edition, 87-92. Chicago: A. C. McClurg and Company, 1899. Fifield, Christopher. Max Bruch: His Life and Works, 52-58. New York: George Brazillier, 1988.
Schön Ellen, op. 24 (1866) Duration: ca. 12 minutes Text: The text is by Emanuel Geibel. Performing Forces: voices: soprano (Fair Ellen) and baritone (Lord Edward) soloists; SATB choir; orchestra First Performance: 22 February 1867, Coblenz, Germany Editions: Piano-vocal scores are available for purchase from G. Schirmer, which also provides orchestral materials for rent. Notes: The score incorporates the Scottish folk song “The Campbells Are Coming.” The story is loosely based upon an uprising in India between 1857 and 1858 during which a British fort in Lucknow was under siege for two months. In this ballad, the character of Ellen hears the drums of the Scottish Highland Regiment coming to the relief of the besieged British. Twice no one else hears them, and she is thought to be crazy, but on her third expostulation, she is believed, and they are, in fact, saved.
Frithjof, op. 23 (1857-1864)
Selected Discography:
Text: The text is the composer’s adaptation of the German translation by Gottlieb Mohnike of a Swedish poem by Esaias Tegner.
Claudia Braun, Thomas Laske; Kantorei Barmen-Gemarke; Wuppertal Symphony Orchestra; conducted by George Hanson. MD&G: 3351096.
Performing Forces: voices: soprano (Ingeborg) and baritone (Frithjof) soloists, TTBB choir; orchestra
Selected Bibliography:
First Performance: 20 November 1864, Aachen, Germany; Concordia Male Choir and orchestra; conducted by the composer Editions: Full scores and parts for Frithjof were published by C. F. W. Siegel Musikalienhandlung. Notes: Tegner’s poem is based upon a thirteenth-century Icelandic legend. Performance Issues: There is a solo TTBB quartet accessible to a group of strong choristers. Soloists: soprano - range: d'-g'', this is a declamatory role for a powerful voice; baritone - range: c-f', tessitura: e-e', this is a very lyric role with sustained singing in the top of the range. Choir: difficult; Orchestra: medium Selected Discography: No commercial recording
Upton, George P. The Standard Cantatas, seventh edition, 93-95. Chicago: A. C. McClurg and Company, 1899. Fifield, Christopher. Max Bruch: His Life and Works, 61, 62, etc. New York: George Braziller, 1988.
Salamis, op. 25 (1866) Text: The text is by Hermann Lingg. Performing Forces: voices: 4 male soloists, TTBB choir; orchestra Notes: The drama set in this work centers around Greek troops returning from their victory over Xerxes and the Persians. Selected Discography: No commercial recording
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Selected Bibliography:
Selected Discography:
Upton, George P. The Standard Cantatas, seventh edition, 92-93. Chicago: A. C. McClurg and Company, 1899. Fifield, Christopher. Max Bruch: His Life and Works, 61, 62, etc. New York: George Braziller, 1988.
Camilla Nylund, Nancy Maultsby, Jeffrey Kneebone; Budapest Radio Chorus; North German Radio Orchestra; conducted by Leon Botstein, recorded in 1997. Koch Schwann: 3-6557-2.
Odysseus, op. 41 (1872) Duration: ca. 107 minutes Text: The text was written for this work by the poet Wilhelm Paul Graff, based upon scenes from Homer’s Odyssey on an outline from the composer. Performing Forces: voices: Nausicaa (soprano), Pallas Athene (soprano), Leucothea (soprano), Penelope (alto), Arete (alto), Spirit of Anticlea (alto), Hermes (tenor), Odysseus (bass-baritone), Alcinoos (bass), Helmsman (bass), Spirit of Tiresias (bass); SATB choir;189 orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, harp, and strings First Performance: 8 February 1873, Barmen Germany; Barmen Konzertgesellschaft, prepared by Anton Krause; conducted by the composer. Amalie Joachim and Julius Stockhausen were scheduled as soloists, but both were forced to cancel late that day. They were replaced by Adele Graf and Josef Bletzacher. Six completed scenes (1, 2, 3, 4, 7, and 10) were performed in Bremen by the Choral Society of Bremen, under the direction of Carl Rheinthaler, 6 May 1872. Editions: N. Simrock published full scores and parts for Odysseus in 1872. This first edition included an English singing translation prepared by Natlie Macfarren. Notes: The score is dedicated to the Choral Society of Bremen. It was conceived in September 1871 and completed in November 1872. Between 1872 and 1875, over 40 performances were given throughout Germany, England, and the United States. Bruch married the soprano, Clara Tuczek, in 1882, after which she often sang the role of Penelope when her husband conducted performances of this work. Performance Issues: In performances during Bruch’s lifetime, the roles of Nausicaa, Pallas Athene, Arete, and the Spirit of Anticlea were often doubled by Penelope and Leucothea. The clarity of the drama is better served with individual soloists for each role. These smaller roles may be best assigned to choristers.
Selected Bibliography: Upton, George P. The Standard Cantatas, seventh edition, 95-100. Chicago: A. C. McClurg and Company, 1899. Kahl, Willi. “Zur Barmer Erstauffuhrung des ‘Odysseus’ von Max Bruch (1873): Nach unveroffentlichten Briefen.” Beiträge zur rheinische Musikgeschichte, v (1954): 32-50. Geck, Martin. “Max Bruchs weltliche Oratorien.” Beiträge zur rheinische Musikgeschichte, lxxxvii (1970): 80-88. Vick, Bingham Lafayette. The Five Oratorios of Max Bruch, 32-75. Doctoral dissertation, Northwestern University, 1977. Fifield, Christopher. Max Bruch: His Life and Works, 129-135. New York: George Braziller, 1988. Schwarzer, Matthias. Die Oratorien von Max Bruch: Eine Quellenstudie, 1-85. Berlin: Merseburger, 1988.
Arminius, op. 43 (1875) Duration: ca. 90 minutes Text: The text was written by Friedrich Hellmuth for this work using the pseudonym J. Küppers. Performing Forces: voices: Priestess (alto), Siegmund (tenor), and Arminius (baritone) soloists, SATB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets (B♭), 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani (2 drums), organ, and strings First Performance: 4 December 1875;190 Barmen Germany; George Henschel, baritone; Barmen Konzertgesellschaft, prepared by Anton Krause; conducted by the composer Revised version: 21 January 1877, Zürich; George Henschel, baritone [also singing the tenor solos for an ailing colleague]; conducted by the composer American premiere: 5 May 1883, Boston; conducted by the composer Editions: Arminius was first published in 1878 by Simrock. Full scores and parts are available from Edwin F. Kalmus. Piano-vocal scores are available from G. Schirmer. Notes: The oratorio is based on the historical story of the battle between the Germanic tribe, Cherusci, led by Arminius (Latin for Hermann), who defeated the
189 The score reconfigures the choral forces into male, female, and
190 Christopher Fifield indicates 4 December as the premiere date,
mixed ensembles to represent various groups of people.
but Bingham Vick cites 10 December. See “Selected Bibliography” below.
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Romans, led by Varus, in a battle in the Teutonburger Forest. The work, which was composed on the heels of the Franco-Prussian War, was conceived in conjunction with the dedication of a memorial to the ancient tribal leader constructed by Ernst von Bandel in Grotenburg. After three performances, Bruch chose to revise the score. It is dedicated to George Henschel who served as the lead in the premieres of both versions. Performance Issues: The choral parts are primarily homophonic and declamatory. The choral material is thoroughly doubled by the orchestra, usually the winds and brass. There are numerous divisi for the sopranos and basses and a few for the altos and tenors. The choral writing is melodic and well conceived for the voices. The tessiture of the choral parts (particularly the tenors) require choristers with reasonable vocal prowess. The orchestration and use of the choir suggests the need for a large vocal ensemble. Nearly all of the choral writing is homophonic and syllabic. The few contrapuntal passages are skillfully executed and very accessible. Despite the date of composition, Siegmund and the choral tenors are notated in tenor clef in the full score. The organ part is minimal and serves as orchestral color while not being musically necessary. The orchestral writing is all very practical. The winds and brass mostly double the melodic material of the singers or play fanfare-like material. All of these parts are musically easy, but in the case of the brass, strong players are needed for endurance and dynamic control. Some of the orchestration may prove difficult for achieving good balance unless the choir and soloists are particularly athletic singers. The string parts are much more involved, but are very idiomatic. There is more than a little resemblance between this work and Wagner’s Teutonic operas, both in subject and treatment. Bruch’s work with folk song and his less progressive harmonic language and orchestration temper this effect. This oratorio is a good choral complement to Wagner’s traditional orchestral concert extracts. The musical language is very accessible for larger choirs of moderate experience, while the soloists must be vocally strong. Soloists: Priestess (alto) range: a♭-g'', tessitura: d'-d'', this is a dramatic and declamatory solo best suited to a powerful and darker voice; Siegmund (tenor) - range: e♭-b♭', tessitura: f-f', this is a declamatory and sustained solo requiring flexibility in the upper range; Arminius (baritone) - range: A♭-f#', tessitura: e♭-e♭', this is a helden baritone role with extended lyric passages and dramatic declamations. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult.
Hermann Max. Niedersachsen, recorded 28 February2 March 2009. Selected Bibliography: Chrysander, Friedrich. “Arminius, Oratorium von Max Bruch [review].” Allgemeine Musikalische Zeitung (29 December 1875): 817. Vick, Bingham Lafayette. The Five Oratorios of Max Bruch, 76-114. Doctoral dissertation, Northwestern University, 1977. Fifield, Christopher. Max Bruch: His Life and Works, 145-149. New York: George Braziller, 1988. Schwarzer, Matthias. Die Oratorien von Max Bruch: Eine Quellenstudie, 86-149. Berlin: Merseburger, 1988.
Das Lied von (1877-1878)
der
Glocke,
op.
45
Duration: ca. 110 minutes Text: The text is a poem by Friedrich Schiller to whose memory the score is dedicated. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra First Performance: 12 May 1878, Gürzenich Hall, Colgne, conducted by the composer Final version: January and February 1879, Barmen, Germany; conducted by the composer English premiere: 26 August 1879, Birmingham; Birmingham Triennial Festival, conducted by the composer Editions: Das Lied von der Glocke was first published by Simrock in 1879 (number 8088); however, the composer paid for the initial engraving. This edition includes an English singing translation by Nathalia Macfarren. Notes: The fair copy of the score was completed 8 January 1878. Selected Discography: Ute Selbig, Elisabeth Graf, Matthias Blidorn, André Eckert; Dresden State Opera Chorus; Dresden Philharmonic; conducted by Hans-Christoph Rademann, recorded in 1995. Thorofon: DCTH-2291/92. Eleonore Marguerre, Annette Markert, Klaus Florian Vogt, Mario Hoff; Kuehn’s Mixed Chorus, Prague Philharmonic Chorus; Staatskapelle Weimar; conducted by Jac van Steen. CPO: 777130-2.
Selected Discography:
Selected Bibliography:
Ursula Eittinger, Michael Smallwood, Hans Christoph Begemann; Ryoko Morooka, organ; Rheinische Kantorei, Göttinger Symphonie Orchester; conducted by
Fifield, Christopher. Max Bruch: His Life and Works, 158-165. New York: George Braziller, 1988. Steinert, Daniel A. Max Bruch’s Dramatic Cantata on Friedrich Schiller’s Poem, “Das Lied von der
250
Glocke”: A Conductor’s Analysis for Performance. Doctoral dissertation, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, 1995.
Achilleus, op. 50 (1882-1885) Duration: ca. 180 minutes Text: The text, which is based upon Homer’s Iliad, was commissioned for this work from Heinrich Bulthaupt. Performing Forces: voices: Andromache (alto), Achilles (tenor), Hector (baritone), Priam (bass) soloists; SSAATTBB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, cymbals, harp, and strings First Performance: 28 June 1885, Bonn, Germany; Amalie Joachim, Emil Götze, George Henschel, Bonn Music Festival, conducted by the composer Performance Issues: “The orchestration has none of the subtle colors and tender beauties of Odysseus. It is overburdened with instrumental doublings and overwhelmed by a thickened texture.…Clarity is lost in the frenetic string passages at melodramatic moments.”191 Selected Discography: Carmen Mammoser, Ulrike Sonntag, Robert Wörle, Jörn Wilsing, Mark Munkittrick; Philharmonischer Chor, Württembergisches Staatsorchester, conducted by Ulrich Walddörfer. Recorded live 12 September 1993, Festhalle Harmonie, Heilbronn. Selected Bibliography: Kahl, Willi. “Zur Entstehung und Bonner Uraufführung von Max Bruchs ‘Achilleus’ 1885” Beiträge zur rheinische Musikgeschichte, xxxv (1959): 26-54 Vick, Bingham Lafayette. The Five Oratorios of Max Bruch, 115-167. Doctoral dissertation, Northwestern University, 1977. Fifield, Christopher. Max Bruch: His Life and Works, 220-224. New York: George Braziller, 1988. Schwarzer, Matthias. Die Oratorien von Max Bruch: Eine Quellenstudie, 150-269. Berlin: Merseburger, 1988.
Das Feuerkreuz [The Cross of Fire], op. 52 (1888) Text: The text was written for this work by Heinrich Alfred Bulthaupt based upon an incident in Sir Walter Scott’s The Lady of the Lake.
191 Christopher Fifield, Max Bruch: His Life and Works,
222 (New York: George Braziller, 1988).
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Performing Forces: voices: Mary (soprano), Norman (baritone), Angus (bass); SATB choir; orchestra First Performance: 26 February 1889; Breslau, Germany; Breslau Sing-Akademie, conducted by the composer Notes: The work was initially conceived in 1874 with Wilhelm Graff as librettist. Bruch’s dissatisfaction with Graff’s work and their eventual estrangement led him to commission the text from Bulthaupt. Bruch initially intended to dedicate the score to the Kaiser, but chose instead to dedicate it to the Breslau Sing-Akademie. The “Ave Maria” movement was extracted for independent performance as op. 52, no. 6. Bruch later also adapted it for solo cello and orchestra as op. 61. Selected Discography: No commercial recording Selected Bibliography: Fifield, Christopher. Max Bruch: His Life and Works. 224-228. New York: George Braziller, 1988.
Moses, op. 67 (1895) Duration: ca. 120 minutes Text: The text, based upon the Bible, is by Ludwig Spitta. Performing Forces: voices: soprano (The Angel of the Lord), tenor (Aaron), and bass (Moses) soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 oboes (oboe II doubling English horn), 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion (1 player — triangle and cymbals), organ, harp, and strings First Performance: 19 January 1895; Barmen, Germany; Konzertgesellschaft, conducted by the composer American premiere: 6 February 1896; Baltimore; in an English translation by Paul England Editions: Full scores and parts for Moses were published by Simrock in 1895. Simrock also published a pianovocal score with a singing English translation by Paul England. Autograph: The autograph full score is in the Moldenhauer Archive of Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. Selected Discography: Elizabeth Whitehouse, Robert Gambill, Michael Volle; Bamberg Symphony Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Claus Peter Flor. Orfeo: C 438 982 H. Brigitte Christensen, Peter Lika, Stefan Vinke; Maulbronn Choir; Russian Chamber Philharmonic, St.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Petersburg; conducted by Jurgen Budday, recorded live in the Maulbronn Monastery. K&K: KUK96. Selected Bibliography: Fellinger, Imogen. “Zur Entstehung von Bruchs ‘Moses.’” Max Bruch-Studien, lxxxvii, edited by Dietrich Kämper, 89-103. Cologne: Arno Volk-Verlag, 1970. Vick, Bingham Lafayette. The Five Oratorios of Max Bruch, 168-204. Doctoral dissertation. Northwestern University, 1977. Fifield, Christopher. Max Bruch: His Life and Works, 256-260. New York: George Braziller, 1988. Schwarzer, Matthias. Die Oratorien von Max Bruch: Eine Quellenstudie, 270-332. Berlin: Merseburger, 1988.
Gustav Adolf, op. 73 (1898) Text: Albert Hackenburg wrote the text. Performing Forces: voices: Gustav Adolf, Duke Bernard, Leubelfing; SATB and TTBB choirs; orchestra: 2 flutes (flute II doubling piccolo), 2 oboes (oboe II doubling English horn), 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion (3 players — snare drum, bass drum, triangle, and cymbals), organ, and strings First Performance: 22 May 1898; Barmen, Germany; Konzertgesellschaft, conducted by the composer Editions: Full scores and parts for Gustav Adolf were published by Simrock in 1898. This set is reprinted by Edwin Kalmus (A3291-STP). Notes: Gustav Adolf was performed in Berlin in 1917 for the celebration of 400 years of Protestantism in Germany. Selected Discography: No commercial recording Selected Bibliography: Geck, Martin. “Max Bruchs Oratorium ‘Gustav Adolf’ — ein Denkmal des Kultur-Protestantismus.” Archiv für Musikwissenshaft, xxvii (1970): 138-149. Vick, Bingham Lafayette. The Five Oratorios of Max Bruch, 205-240. Doctoral dissertation, Northwestern University, 1977. Fifield, Christopher. Max Bruch: His Life and Works, 256-260. New York: George Braziller, 1988. Schwarzer, Matthias. Die Oratorien von Max Bruch: Eine Quellenstudie, 333-400. Berlin: Merseburger, 1988.
192 David Daniels: Orchestral Music, fifth edition. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press, 2015.
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BRUCKNER, Anton (b. Ansfelden, Austria, 4 September 1824; d. 11 October 1896) Bruckner was a choirboy at St. Florian’s monastery. He moved to Linz to prepare to become a schoolmaster and continued his music training there. He became a vituoso organist and would later tour throughout Europe giving concerts of improvisations, and returned to St. Florian to teach. There he produced his first significant works. In 1868, he moved to Vienna to succeed his teacher, Sechter, as professor of harmony and counterpoint. Bruckner became an ardent admirer of Wagner’s music, and he dedicated his third symphony to his senior composer, which labeled him as part of the “New German” movement bringing him the undeserved indignation of the critic Eduard Hanslick and his contemporaries in the Viennese press. Bruckner’s music displays consummate technical brilliance. He integrated the harmonic language of his time with imitative procedures from the sixteenth century, producing exquisite and highly individual compositions; however, he was plagued by self-doubt, which has led to one of the great challenges for performers and scholars of his music. He revised compositions, especially the symphonies, many times, leaving two and three finished versions. These were sometimes in response to criticism from feeble sources. The critical edition under the direction of Robert Haas and Alfred Orel produced a number of multiversioned works. Haas’s successor, Leopold Nowak, continued to produce discrete editions for each version of a work, but also made subsequent revisions of many of the editions of the works published under the Haas regime. Those conductors wishing to select materials for performances of the symphonies should consult David Daniels’s Orchestral Music 192 for recommendations of editions, scores, and parts. Fortunately, the choral works, including those with orchestra seem to have been spared such capriciousness, and therefore the Bruckner Gesellschaft editions appear in single versions, and they are ideal for concert use. Teachers: Otto Kitzler, Simon Sechter, Johann Baptist Weiss, Leopold Edler von Zenetti Students: Guido Adler, Emile Jaques-Dalcroze, Hans Rott, Heinrich Schenker, Franz Schmidt Other Principal Works: orchestra: Symphony No. 0 (1863-1864), Symphony No. 1 (1865-1866), Symphony No. 2 (1871-1872), Symphony No. 3 (1873), Symphony No. 4 (1874), Symphony No. 5 (18751876), Symphony No. 6 (1879-1881), Symphony No. 7 (1881-1883), Symphony No. 8 (1884-1887),
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Symphony No. 9 (1887-1894); choir: (without orchestra) numerous motets Selected Composer Bibliography: Orel, Alfred. Bruckner-Brevier: Briefe, Dokumente, Berichte. Vienna: Musikwissenschaftlicher Verlag, 1959. Cook, Deryck. “The Bruckner Problem Simplified.” In The Musical Times (1969), compiled as a monograph, New York: The Musical Newsletter, 1975. Grasberger, Renate. Werzeichnis Anton Bruckner. Tutzing: Hans Schneider, 1977. Howie, A. C. “Traditional and Novel Elements in Bruckner’s Sacred Music.” Musical Quarterly (October 1981), volume 67: 544-567.
Requiem in D minor, WAB 39 (1848-1849) Duration: ca. 37 minutes Text: The text is from the Roman Catholic Mass for the Dead. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 3 trombones (alto, tenor, and bass), organ, and strings. First Performance: 15 September 1849; St. Florian Editions: Requiem in D minor is published in the critical editions Anton Bruckner: Sämtliche Werke, volume 15, edited by Robert Haas, and Anton Bruckner Gesamtausgabe, volume 14, edited by Leopold Nowak. It also appears in a study-score published by the Bruckner-Gesellschaft, which is published by Musikwissenschaftlicher Verlag and distributed in the United States by C. F. Peters. Editions which are available for purchase include: Musikwissenschaftlicher Verlag. Autograph: The composer’s manuscript is in the Music Collection of the Österreichischen Nationalbibliothek in Vienna (S. m. 2125). Notes: This work was composed for a memorial service for Bruckner’s friend, Franz Sailer. Performance Issues: The choral writing freely intersperses homophonic and polyphonic textures. Much of the choral material is harmonically supported by the instruments, but the choral singers must exercise a fair degree of musical independence. The scoring allows for the use of a small choir and reduced, or even single strings. Movement 3 begins with a dramatic soli section for the basses that seems to be intended for the soloist, which is reinforced by a similar solo passage for the soprano in the middle of the movement. Movement 4 is nearly a cappella, and movement 9 is an a cappella chorale. The trombones are used to reinforce choral harmonies and to “set” beginning pitches of other choral passages. This practice appears to be informed by the practice of Bach. The organ is written as a figured-bass part. All of the solos are appropriate for strong choristers. Soloists: soprano - range: e'-g'',
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
tessitura: g'-e'', this is a lyric role; alto - range: b-e♭'', tessitura: d'-c'', this is a sustained lyric role; tenor range: e-a', tessitura: g-f', this is a lyric solo part; bass - range: F-e♭', tessitura: B♭-b♭, this is a declamatory role. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Joan Rodgers, Catherine Denley, Maldwyn Davies, Michael George; Corydon Singers; English Chamber Orchestra; conducted by Matthew Best. Hyperion: CDA66245. Selected Bibliography: Müller, Franz Xaver. “Bruckners Requiem.” BrucknerBlätter, volume 2 (1930): 80-82. Bayer, Julia. “Anton Bruckners d-Moll-Requiem.” Chorblätter, volume 6 (1951): 19. Diether, Jack. “Flashes of Greatness from the 25-YearOld Bruckner: A Moving Masterly Requiem (Recording).” American Record Guide, volume 37 (1971): 428-429.
Missa Solemnis in B♭ minor, WAB 29 (1854) Duration: ca. 31 minutes Text: The text is from the Roman Catholic eucharistic liturgy. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes, 2 bassoons, 2 trumpets (B♭), 3 trombones (alto, tenor, and bass), timpani (2 drums), organ, and strings First Performance: 14 September 1854; St. Florian Editions: Missa Solemnis in B♭ minor is published in the critical editions Anton Bruckner: Sämtliche Werke, volume 15, edited by Robert Haas, and Anton Bruckner Gesamtausgabe, volume 15, edited by Leopold Nowak. It also appears in a study-score published by the Bruckner-Gesellschaft, which is published by Musikwissenschaftlicher Verlag and distributed in the United States by C. F. Peters. Editions which are available for purchase include: Musikwissenschaftlicher Verlag. Autograph: The composer’s manuscript is in the archives of the St. Florian Monastery. Notes: Bruckner composed this mass for the induction ceremony of Friedrich Mayr at St. Florian. Performance Issues: The choir is well supported harmonically by the instruments, but it is not often clearly doubled by the accompaniment. There are alternate text underlays in the “Kyrie” that provide differing sequences of repetition of the Kyrie and Christe iterations. The organ is a continuo part. There is an
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
extended oboe solo in the “Qui tollis” movement. The orchestral parts are conservatively written and the choral parts are more musically than vocally demanding, which makes this an excellent work for good church choirs with a pickup orchestra. A small string section is appropriate, and single players can be used effectively. Soloists: soprano - range: f'-b♭'', tessitura: g'-f'', this is a lyric solo with some wide melodic leaps; alto - range: a-e♭'', tessitura: d'-a', this is a sustained solo
correspondence, and there is no evidence that it was performed during the composer’s lifetime.
Duration: ca. 35 minutes
Performance Issues: The choral writing freely alternates between four-part textures and assorted divisi. The choral material is often clearly supported by the orchestra, but there are also extended a cappella passages. The choral parts are vocally demanding. There is rapid coloratura passagework for all of the voices, and the tessiture of the soprano and tenor parts are fairly high. The double-choir writing in movement 3 would benefit from a physical separation of these groups as much of the material is in block imitation between the choirs. There is an important oboe solo in movement 4 that is florid, but accessible. In movement 1, there is a horn part labeled solo and two additional parts labeled 1 and 2. There are 4 horn parts in movement 4, but only two in the remaining movements. The wind and brass parts are generally idiomatic and not overly demanding. There is some rapid passagework for the strings that requires solid players. The scoring for the bass suggests the use of a large symphonic choir and a full complement of strings. This is a rarely performed but impressive symphonic choral work reflecting an awareness of the music of Mendelssohn. Soloists: soprano - range: c'-a'', tessitura: f'-f'', this is a lyrica role that has the most singing of the soloists and must be able to penetrate the full ensemble; alto range: b♭-c'', tessitura: d'-a', this is a simple solo that appears only in an ensemble context; tenor - range: ca', tessitura: f-f', this is a lyric role; bass - range: A-e', tessitura: c-c', this is a declamatory role. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult.
Text: The text is from the Bible. It is in German.
Selected Discography:
Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SSAATTBB choir; orchestra: 1 flute, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets (A), 2 bassoons, 4 horns, (B♭ basso, D, F), trumpets (D), 4 trombones (alto, tenor, and 2 bass), timpani (2 drums), and strings
Wendt, Russ, Stricker, Nimsgern; Sachs Choir, Lehrergesangverein Nürnberg, Nürnberg Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Riedelbach. Colosseum: 548 [LP].
First Performance: unknown
Hawkshaw, Paul. “Foreword” to the critical edition. Vienna: Musikwissenschaftlicher Verlag, 1996.
role; tenor - range: f-a♭', tessitura: a-f', this is a lyric solo; bass - range: (D) F-e♭', tessitura: F-a, this is a powerful declamatory role for which the parenthetical low note is offered optionally an octave higher. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Christiane Oelze, Claudia Schubert, Jürg Dürmüller, Reinhard Hagen; Bamberg Symphony Orchestra and chorus; conducted by Karl Anton Rickenbacher. Virgin Classics: 5615012. Selected Bibliography: Schnerich, Alfred. “Bruckners B-Messe.” Musica sacra, volume 55 (1925): 228. Habel, Ferdinand. “‘Missa solemnis’ B-moll.” Bruckner-Blätter, volume 6, number 3 (1934): 31-34. Strehlen, Oswald. “Anton Bruckner’s erste Messe.” Der neue Wille, volume 2, number 43 (1940): 8.
Psalm 146, WAB 37 (1854?)
Editions: Psalm 146 is published in a critical edition by the Bruckner-Gesellschaft volume 20, number 4, as prepared by Paul Hawkshaw, which was published in 1996 by Musikwissenschaftlicher Verlag and distributed in the United States by C. F. Peters. Autograph: There is an incomplete score in the composer’s hand (Mus.-Hs. 40.500) and a complete score by an unknown copyist with annotations in Bruckner’s hand (Mus.-Hs. 6011). Both are in the Music Collection of the Österreichischen Nationalbibliothek in Vienna. Notes: The dating of this work is problematic, but the mid-1850s is a reasonable assumption. There is no reference to this composition in Bruckner’s
Selected Bibliography:
Psalm 112, WAB 35 (1863) Duration: ca. 14 minutes Text: The text is from the Bible. It is in German. Performing Forces: voices: double SATB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets (B♭), 2 bassoons, 2 horns, (F), 2 trumpets (E♭), 3 trombones (alto, tenor, and bass), timpani (2 drums), and strings
First Performance: 14 March 1926; Vöcklabruck, Austria Editions: Psalm 112 is published in a critical edition by the Bruckner-Gesellschaft, volume 20, number 5, as prepared by Paul Hawkshaw, which was published in
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1996 by Musikwissenschaftlicher Verlag and distributed in the United States by C. F. Peters. Additional materials are published by Universal Edition. Autograph: The composer’s manuscript is in the Music Collection of the Österreichischen Nationalbibliothek in Vienna (Mus.-Hs. 3156). Notes: This is the final work Bruckner composed as part of his studies with Otto Kitzler. Performance Issues: The choral writing is primarily homophonic with the two choirs in close imitation of each other. The choral material is generally well supported harmonically, but the choral parts are rarely directly doubled by the instruments. Bruckner’s work with Kitzler was focused on orchestration and the study of form. There are a number of coloristic orchestrational effects including tremolos and trills that one rarely sees in Bruckner’s concerted choral music that are surely the result of those endeavors. The choral writing is practical, and the grand fugue at the end of the score reduces the choral component to four parts. The instrumental parts are practically written, and the density of orchestration is more varied than in much of Bruckner’s music. A da capo of the opening section is suggested at the end of the score. This was introduced in the first published edition of 1926 by Josef V. Wöss. It has been retained in the critical edition and is advisable in performance. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Corydon Singers; English Chamber Orchestra; conducted by Matthew Best. Hyperion: CDA66245. Bamberg Symphony Orchestra and chorus; conducted by Karl Anton Rickenbacher. Virgin Classics: VC 7 91481 and CDC 59060. Selected Bibliography: Hawkshaw, Paul. “Foreword” to the critical edition. Vienna: Musikwissenschaftlicher Verlag, 1996.
Mass No. 1 in D minor, WAB 26 (1864) Duration: ca. 43 minutes Text: The text is from the Roman Catholic eucharistic liturgy. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets (B♭), 2 bassoons, 2 horns (F), 2 trumpets (F), 3 trombones (alto, tenor, and bass), timpani (2 drums), organ, and strings
193 Leopold Nowak, preface to Mass No. 1 in D minor, translated by Christl Schönfeldt (Vienna: Musikwissenschaftlicher Verlag, 1957).
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
First Performance: 20 November 1864; Linz cathedral; conducted by the composer Editions: Mass No. 1 in D minor is published in the critical edition Anton Bruckner Gesamtausgabe, volume 15, edited by Leopold Nowak. It also appears in a study-score published by the Bruckner-Gesellschaft, which is published by Musikwissenschaftlicher Verlag and distributed in the United States by C. F. Peters. Autograph: The composer’s manuscript is in the music collection of the Österreichishen Nationalbibliothek (Cod. 19.483). Notes: Leopold Nowak indicates in “Foreword” to his edition of the score that “Bruckner did not include the organ in his original score, except for the small solo in the Credo, and a figured thorough-bass is also missing. Its use, however, is indispensable in this kind of sacred music.”193 This score established Bruckner’s reputation as an important composer. Performance Issues: The choral material combines homophonic and imitative writing. There are limited divisi in all choral parts. The accompaniment does not always clearly support the singers, which necessitates a strong and independent vocal ensemble. The wind scoring allows the use of a moderate-sized choir, although a symphonic group could be effective. The wind parts do not pose any technical challenges, although there are some significant sustained passages. The string writing is quite challenging and will demand skilled players and may warrant a separate instrumental rehearsal. The vocal solos are interspersed occasionally throughout the choral material. With the exception of the bass, the soloists appear only in ensemble textures. The organ part is not difficult and is appropriate for a small instrument. It actually appears as an independent part for only a few measures in the “Credo.” There are optional wind parts should an organ not be available. Soloists: soprano - range: c'-g'', tessitura: e'-e'', this is a simple solo role suitable for a chorister; alto - range: b-d'', tessitura: e'-b', this is a simple solo role suitable for a chorister; tenor - range: d-a', tessitura: a-f#', this is a simple solo role suitable for a chorister; bass - range: F-e', tessitura: d-c', this role has more exposed material than the others and requires clarity at the bottom of the range, but it is also appropriate for a strong chorister. Choir: difficult; Orchestra: difficult. Selected Discography: Edith Mathis, Marga Schiml, Wieslaw Ochman, Karl Ridderbusch; Elmar Schloter, organ; Bavarian Radio Chorus and Orchestra; conducted by Eugen Jochum, recorded in January 1971 in the Herkules Saal,
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Residenz, Munich. Re-released on CD as Deutsche Grammophon: 423 127 2. Joan Rodgers, Catherine Wyn-Rogers, Keith Lewis, Alastair Miles; James O’Donnell, organ; Corydon Singers and Orchestra; conducted by Matthew Best; recorded 5-7 February 1993. Hyperion: CDA66650. Luba Orgonasova, Bernarda Fink, Christoph Prégardien, Eike Wilm Schulte; Ian Watson, organ; Monteverdi Choir; Vienna Philharmonic; conducted by John Eliot Gardiner, recorded 1 June 1996. Deutsche Grammophon: 028945967424. Isabelle Müller-Kant, Eibe Möhlmann, Christoph Fischesser, Daniel Sans; Chamber Choir of Europe; Württembergische Philharmonic Reutligen; conducted by Nicol Matt, recorded 20-25 January 2003. Brilliant Classics: 92002. Selected Bibliography: Auer, Max. “Anton Bruckners ertes Meisterwerk für Ischl geplant (d-Moll-Messe).” Festchrift zum 400jährigen Jubiläum der röman-katholische, 36-39. Bad Ischl: Pfarre Bad Ischl, 1954. Nowak, Leopold. “Foreword” to Messe D-Moll. Anton Bruckner Gesamtausgabe, volume 16. Vienna: Musikwissenschaftlicher Verlag, 1957. Newlin, Dika. “Bruckner’s Three Great Masses.” Chord and Discord, volume 2, number 8 (1958): 3-16. Sullivan, Cornelius Francis. The D minor and F minor Masses of Anton Bruckner as the Culmination of the Viennese Classical Mass Tradition. Columbia University, dissertation, 1972.
Mass No. 2 in E minor, WAB 27 (1866) Duration: ca. 37 minutes Text: The text is from the Roman Catholic eucharistic liturgy. Performing Forces: voices: SSAATTBB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes, 2 clarinets (A, C), 2 bassoons, 4 horns (D, F), 2 trumpets (C), 3 trombones (alto, tenor, and bass) First Performance: 29 September 1869; the cathedral square in Linz; conducted by the composer for the dedication of a new votive chapel in the cathedral Editions: The 1866 version is published in the critical edition Anton Bruckner Gesamtausgabe, volume 17, part 1, edited by Leopold Nowak. The revised 1882 version of Mass No. 2 in E minor is published in the critical editions Anton Bruckner: Sämtliche Werke, volume 13, edited by Robert Haas, and Anton Bruckner Gesamtausgabe, volume 17, part 2, edited by Leopold Nowak. Both versions appear in study-scores by the Bruckner-Gesellschaft, which are published by Musikwissenschaftlicher Verlag and distributed in the 194 Deryck Cooke, “Anton Bruckner,” The New Grove Late Romantic Masters, 41 (New York: W.W. Norton, 1985).
United States by C. F. Peters. Editions that are available for purchase include: Musikwissenschaftlicher Verlag. Autograph: The composer’s manuscript is in the archives of the New Cathedral in Linz. The original presentation score is in the Bishop’s Palace in Linz. A set of parts copied in 1885 is in the St. Florian Monastery. Notes: In the “Sanctus,” Bruckner quoted a phrase from the Missa brevis of Palestrina.194 The score is dedicated to Bishop Rudigier, who had commissioned it for the cornerstone dedication of the votive chapel of the Virgini Mary. Performance Issues: This score combines Palestrinan contrapuntal techniques with nineteenth-century harmonic practices and romantic wind and brass scoring. The eight-part polyphonic textures of the choral writing are frequently a cappella and at other times placed against accompanimental figures sharply contrasted with the vocal material. The soprano I part has an unusually high tessitura, and there are some awkward and broad melodic leaps for the singers, particularly the basses. One notable challenge for the singers is Bruckner’s use of chromatic variation as a method of melodic development. Motives are repeated with selected notes altered by semitone often leaving the rest of the harmonic context unaltered. The wind parts are generally interspersed with frequent rests so that fatigue for the players should not be a concern. The individual parts do require secure and experienced players. The bassoons have the most technically demanding of the wind parts. This remarkable composition demonstrates Bruckner’s supreme mastery of counterpoint and his avant-garde harmonic practices. It is an exceedingly effective work filled with moments of drama and beauty. An interesting pairing would be J. S. Bach’s, Cantata No. 118: O Jesu Christ, mein Lebens Licht, BWV 118, a seven-minute work for six brass players and choir and Brahms’s Begräbnisgesang [qv]. Choir: difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Bavarian Radio Chorus and Orchestra; conducted by Eugen Jochum, recorded in February 1971 in the Herkules Saal, Residenz, Munich. Re-released on CD as Deutsche Grammophon: 423 127 2. John Alldis Choir; New English Chamber Orchestra; conducted by Daniel Barenboim. EMI: 0724358550825. Corydon Singers; English Chamber Orchestra Winds; conducted by Matthew Best; recorded 1985. Hyperion: CDA66650.
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Gächinger Kantorei; Stuttgart Bach Collegium; conducted by Helmut Rilling. Hänssler: CD 98.119. Selected Bibliography: Diether, Jack. “An Introduction to Bruckner’s Mass in E minor.” Chord and Discord, volume 2, number 6 (1950): 60-65. Newlin, Dika. “Bruckner’s Three Great Masses.” Chord and Discord, volume 2, number 8 (1958): 3-16. Brauckmann, Rudolf. “Einige Gedanken über Anton Bruckner sowie praktische Hinweise zur Einstudierung seiner Messe in e-moll.” Musica sacra, volume 94 (1974): 204-206. Nowak, Leopold. “Foreword” to Messe e-Moll. Anton Bruckner Gesamtausgabe, volume 17, part 1. Vienna: Musikwissenschaftlicher Verlag, 1977. Berger, Melvin. Guide to Choral Masterpieces: A Listener’s Guide, 98-100. New York: Anchor Books, 1993.
Mass No. 3 in F minor “The Great,” WAB 28 (1867-1868) Duration: ca. 60 minutes Text: The text is from the Roman Catholic eucharistic liturgy. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets (B♭), 2 bassoons, 2 horns (F), 3 trombones (alto, tenor, and bass), organ195 and strings First Performance: 16 June 1872; St. Augustine’s Church, Vienna; conducted by the composer Editions: Mass No. 3 in F minor is published in the critical editions Anton Bruckner: Sämtliche Werke, volume 13, edited by Robert Haas, and Anton Bruckner Gesamtausgabe, volume 18, edited by Leopold Nowak. It also appears in a study-score published by the Bruckner Gesellschaft, which is published by Musikwissenschaftlicher Verlag and distributed in the United States by C. F. Peters. Editions that are available for purchase include a study score of the critical edition from Musikwissenschaftlicher Verlag. Autograph: The composer’s manuscript is in the Music Collection of the Österreichische Nationalbibliothek in Vienna (S.m. 2105). This collection has additional manuscript materials (S.m. 6015) and a score annotated with expanded scoring by Joseph Schalk (S.m. 19.302). Notes: Bruckner had the opportunity to hear a performance of this work elaborated by Joseph Schalk. He rejected these changes; however, he made some changes of his own in preparation for various 195 There are indications for the organ to play in a handful of passages in the Kyrie, but nowhere else. Given the performance
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
performances over two decades that were not used in the preparation of the Haas edition. The Nowak edition has carefully rectified any discrepancies and should be the one used for performance. Performance Issues: The choral material combines homophonic and imitative textures. There are divisi in all parts. A number of choral passages are unaccompanied. These are all clearly and logically prepared by previous choral material or the preceding accompaniment. Much of the accompaniment provides a harmonic framework for the vocal parts, but there is little direct doubling. The choir must be strong and musically independent. Some sections of this composition are fairly demanding vocally requiring sustained and powerful singing and broad vocal ranges for the choristers. The string parts are quite challenging throughout the mass with some intricate passagework. This includes a violin solo in the Kyrie that is exposed and technically demanding. The wind parts have some rapid chromatic passagework as well. The brass scoring is rich in color and should provide no balance problems, although experienced and sensitive players are advisable. The size of the orchestration allows the use of a medium-sized choral ensemble, which, given the contrapuntal complexities, would be preferable to a symphonic group. The solos are not overly challenging, but the score suggests the use of an independent solo quartet. Soloists: soprano - range: b-b♭'', tessitura: f'-f'', this is a lyric solo with some sustained passages; alto - range: b-f'', tessitura: d'-d'', this is a sustained solo best suited to a mezzo-soprano voice; tenor - range: d#-a'', tessitura: f-f', this is a lyric solo; bass - range: G-f', tessitura: c-d', this is a declamatory solo with some sustained singing. Choir: difficult; Orchestra: difficult. Selected Discography: Maria Stadter, Claudia Hellman Ernst Haefliger, Kim Borg; Anton Nowakowski, organ; Bavarian Radio Chorus and Orchestra; conducted by Eugen Jochum, recorded in July 1967 in the Herkules Saal, Residenz, Munich. Re-released on CD as Deutsche Grammophon: 423 127 2. Heather Harper, Anna Reynolds, Robert Tear, Marius Rintzler; New Philharmonia Chorus and Orchestra; conducted by Daniel Barenboim. EMI: 0724358550825. Juliet Booth, Jean Rigby, John Mark Ainsley, Gwynne Howell; Corydon Singers and Orchestra; conducted by Matthew Best; recorded February 1992. Hyperion: CDA66650. Selected Bibliography: Zentner, Wilhelm. Anton Bruckner: Messe in f-moll. Munich: Schnell and Steiner, 1948. tradition of the time and place, a thoroughbass organ part is entirely appropriate if an instrument is available in the performance venue.
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Newlin, Dika. “Bruckner’s Three Great Masses.” Chord and Discord, volume 2, number 8 (1958): 3-16. Nowak, Leopold. “Foreword” to Messe F-Moll. Anton Bruckner Gesamtausgabe, volume 18. Vienna: Musikwissenschaftlicher Verlag, 1960. Sullivan, Cornelius Fancis. The D minor and F minor Masses of Anton Bruckner as the Culmination of the Viennese Classical Mass Tradition. Columbia University, dissertation, 1972.
Te Deum, WAB 45 (1881) Duration: ca. 22 minutes Text: This is an anonymous hymn of thanksgiving in church use since the sixth century. It is usually sung during the Matins service. The apocryphal source of its genesis is that it was spontaneously sung by Ss. Ambrose and Augustine on the evening when Augustine was baptized.196 Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets (A), 2 bassoons, 4 horns (F), 3 trumpets (F), 3 trombones (alto, tenor, and bass), tuba, timpani, organ,197 and strings First Performance: With two pianos: 2 May 1885; Vienna; Mrs. Ulrich-Linde, Emilie Zips, Richard Exleben, Heinrich Gassner; Wiener Akademischer Richard Wager Verein Choir; Robert Erben and Josef Schalk, pianists; conducted by the composer With orchestra: 10 January 1886; Vienna; Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde; conducted by Hans Richter Editions: Te Deum is published in the critical edition Anton Bruckner Gesamtausgabe, volume 19, edited by Leopold Nowak. A full score and parts are also available from C. F. Peters. Autograph: The composer’s manuscript is in the Music Collection of the Österreichische Nationalbibliothek in Vienna (Cod. 19.486). Additional sketches are in the archive of the Monastery in Kremsmünster. Notes: This score was one of Bruckner’s most successful; during his own lifetime it was performed around the world.
which demands a large symphonic choir and full string complement. While much of the choral material is clearly doubled by the orchestra, there are passages that are a cappella or sparsely accompanied. The orchestra writing is straightforward and practical. There is a significant amount of ostinato usage in the strings. The brass and winds must be capable of full sustained playing for extended passages. Some of these may prove troublesome for intonation. There is a florid violin solo in movement 2. Soloists: soprano - range: c'a'', tessitura: f-f'', this is a sustained lyric role; alto range: a-c'', tessitura: c'-g', this is a sustained solo; tenor - range: d♭-b♭', tessitura: g-g', this is a dramatic solo role; bass - range: F-c', tessitura: B♭-b♭, this is a declamatory solo. Choir: difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Anneliese Kupper, Ruth Siewert, Lorenz Fehenberger, Kim Borg; Bavarian Radio Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Eugen Jochum, recorded in 1954. Rereleased on CD as Orfeo d’Or: 195892. Leontyne Price, Fritz Wunderlich, Walter Berry; Singverein der Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde; Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra; conducted by Herbert von Karajan. EMI: 0724356688025. Maria Stadter, Sieglinde Wagner, Ernst Haefliger, Peter Lagger; Bavarian Radio Chorus, Berlin German Opera Chorus; Berlin Philharmonic; conducted by Eugen Jochum. Deutsche Grammophon: 457743-2. Joan Rodgers, Catherine Wyn-Rogers, Alastair Miles; James O’Donnell, organ; Corydon Singers and Orchestra; conducted by Matthew Best, recorded 5-7 February 1993. Hyperion: CDA66650. Anne Pashley, Birgit Finnila, Robert Tear, Don Garrard; New Philharmonia Chorus and Orchestra; conducted by Daniel Barenboim. EMI: 0724358550825. Margaret Price, Christel Borchers, Karl Helm, Elmar Schloter; Munich Bach Choir, Munich Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Sergiu Celibidache. EMI: 0724355669520. Pamela Coburn, Ingeborg Danz, Christian Elsner, FranzJoseph Selig; Gächinger Kantorei; Stuttgart Bach Collegium; conducted by Helmut Rilling. Hänssler: CD 98.119.
Performance Issues: There are divisi in each choral part, and all of the parts require vocally strong singers. The choral writing is homophonic and in close imitation. Some of the harmonic language is more progressive than the contrapuntal procedures would suggest, which may require extra attention in the preparation of the choir. The orchestration is full and powerful,
Selected Bibliography:
196 Ron Jeffers, Translations and Annotations of Choral Repertoire, Volume I: Sacred Latin Texts, 218 (Corvallis, OR: Earthsongs, 1988). 197 Some resources list the organ as optional, but that is not indi-
committee that this indication in earlier editions was to increase the number of likely performances. It should be noted that the organ part is well doubled by the winds.
cated in the critical score. It is the supposition of the editorial
Engel, Gabriel. “The Grand Te Deum.” Chord and Discord, volume 1, number 7 (1935): 9-10. Newlin, Dika. “Bruckner’s Te Deum.” Chord and Discord, volume 2, number 8 (1958): 71-75.
258
Nowak, Leopold. “Foreword” to the critical edition. Vienna: Musikwissenschaftlicher Verlag, 1962. Pahlen, Kurt. The World of the Oratorio, translated by Judith Schaefer with additional English-language material by Thurston Dox, 95-97. Portland, OR: Amadeus Press, 1990. Berger, Melvin. Guide to Choral Masterpieces: A Listener’s Guide, 100-101. New York: Anchor Books, 1993.
Psalm 150, WAB 38 (1892) Duration: ca. 9 minutes Text: The text is from the Book of Psalms in the Bible. Performing Forces: voices: soprano soloist; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets (B♭), 2 bassoons, 4 horns (F), 3 trumpets (F), 3 trombones, tuba, timpani (2 drums), and strings First Performance: 15 November 1892; Geselleschaft der Musikfreunde, Vienna; conducted by Wilhelm Gericke Editions: Psalm 150 is published in the critical edition Anton Bruckner Gesamtausgabe, volume 20/6, edited by F. Grasberger. It also appears in a study-score published by the Bruckner-Gesellschaft, which is published by Musikwissenschaftlicher Verlag and distributed in the United States by C. F. Peters. Editions that are available for purchase include: Musikwissenschaftlicher Verlag. Autograph: The composer’s manuscript is in the Music Collection of the Österreichische Nationalbibliothek in Vienna (Mus. H 19.484). Notes: This work was originally composed for a music festival planned for 1892 in Vienna that did not come to fruition. It was fortunately performed later in the year as listed above. Performance Issues: There are significant unison passages for the choir and orchestra. There are also frequent iterations of a double-dotted rhythmic figure that will require attention. This is a bombastic score that requires a large choir and full complement of strings. There are a number of a cappella passages throughout the work to give balance to the powerful wind and brass sections. The part writing is exquisite. The choral parts are vocally challenging with broad ranges in all parts and wide melodic leaps throughout. There are two-part divisi for the alto and sopranos and three-part divisi in each of the men’s parts. The tessitura of the soprano part is fairly high. The orchestration is brilliant and full, but there may be challenges to balance within the orchestra and between the instruments and the singers. There are some intricate and exposed passages for the flutes. The brass and string parts will likewise require seasoned players. This would be a fine complement to Holst’s Hymn to Jesus.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Soloists: soprano - range: e'-b'', tessitura: g'-g'', this is a brief lyric role with some chromaticisms, the orchestration is very light when accompanying this soloist. Choir: difficult Orchestra: difficult. Selected Discography: Maria Stadter, Sieglinde Wagner, Ernst Haefliger, Peter Lagger; Bavarian Radio Chorus, Berlin German Opera Chorus; Berlin Philharmonic; conducted by Eugen Jochum. Deutsche Grammophon: 457743-2. Bamberg Symphony Orchestra and chorus; conducted by Karl Anton Rickenbacher. Virgin Classics: 5615012. Pamela Coburn, Ingeborg Danz, Christian Elsner, FranzJoseph Selig; Gächinger Kantorei; Stuttgart Bach Collegium; conducted by Helmut Rilling. Hänssler: CD 98.119. Selected Bibliography: Graf, Max: “Bruckners 150. Psalm.” Neues Wiener Journal (21 January 1901). Botstiber, Hugo. Anton Bruckner, der 150. Psalm: Erläuert. Berlin: Schlesinger, 1907. Berger, Melvin. Guide to Choral Masterpieces: A Listener’s Guide, 102-103. New York: Anchor Books, 1993.
Helgoland, WAB 71 (1893) Duration: ca. 14 minutes Text: The text is by August Silberstein. Performing Forces: voices: TTBB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets (B♭), 2 bassoons, 4 horns (B♭ basso, F), 3 trumpets (F), 3 trombones (alto, tenor, and bass), tuba, timpani (2 drums), percussion (1 player — cymbals), and strings
First Performance: 8 October 1893; Vienna; Wiener Männergesang-Verein and Vienna Philharmonic, conducted by Eduard Kremser on the event of the choir’s fiftieth anniversary Editions: Helgoland is published in a critical edition by the Bruckner-Gesellschaft, volume 22, part 2, which is published by Musikwissenschaftlicher Verlag and distributed in the United States by C. F. Peters. Editions that are available for purchase include: Musikwissenschaftlicher Verlag, Bärenreiter, and Universal Edition. Autograph: The composer’s manuscript is in the Music Collection of the Österreichische Nationalbibliothek in Vienna (Mus. H 19.485). Notes: This is Bruckner’s last completed composition. Performance Issues: The choral writing is almost entirely homophonic. Because of this, the tessitura of the tenor I part remains narrow and high, which may prove problematic for endurance. There are some extended
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soli passages for tenor I that could be effectively assigned to a soloist and provide some rest to the section. The work is musically accessible for the singers, but may prove too vocally demanding for most ensembles. Mature voices are needed. The score of this work requires a large men’s choir and a full string section. The instrumental writing is fairly conservative and should be within the abilities of most players. This work would make an excellent complement to Brahms’s Alto Rhapsody. Choir: difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Berlin Radio Chorus; Berlin Philharmonic; conducted by Daniel Barenboim. Warner Classics: 2564-61891-2. Selected Bibliography: Nowak, Leopold. “Foreword” to the critical edition. Vienna: Musikwissenschaftlicher Verlag, 1987.
BUXTEHUDE, Dietrich (b. Helsingborg, Denmark, c. 1637; d. Lübeck, Germany, 9 May 1707) Buxtehude was a remarkably influential composer and organist. His first post as organist was at St. Mary’s Church in Helsingborg c. 1658. In 1660 he became organist at St. Mary’s Church in Helsingør. In 1668, he succeeded Franz Tunder at St. Mary’s Church in Lübeck, a post he held until his death. Buxtehude continued the Lübeck tradition of Abendmusik concerts during the five or six weeks following Christmas. One of the stipulations of accepting the position was that he had to marry the daughter of his successor, which he did. This same clause, when invoked at the end of Buxtehude’s career, apparently limited the field of willing takers. Handel, Matteson and J. S. Bach each visited Buxtehude in Lübeck, presumably to investigate the opportunity to succeed him, but it is assumed the proposition of marrying Fräulein Buxtehude led each to reject the position. 198 Although the young Bach returned to Arnstadt without a new job, it is widely accepted that his playing and composition were influenced by his exposure to Buxtehude’s work. Buxtehude produced richly varied works, particularly for sacred vocal and organ music. Many of his choral works were made to be very practical and accessible for amateur singers, which provides a wonderful resource for developing choirs seeking concerted compositions using a small complement of instruments. A significant number of his compositions are derived from secondary manuscript resources, often in the hands of younger composers who made study or playing copies of his works. Others survive only in 198 Herbert Kupferberg, Basically Bach, 37 (London: Robson, 1986).
tablature notebooks; many of these have been transcribed into modern editions. Georg Karstädt has produced a catalogue of his works (see below), which is the source of the work numbers used here. There are 124 surviving vocal compositions. In those for multiple voices, it is sometimes ambiguous as to whether soloists or a choir were intended. In these cases options are presented. Works that are clearly for soloists only have not been addressed in this volume. Teachers: Johannes Buxtehude (his father) Students: Nicolaus Bruhns Principal Works: 114 sacred and 10 secular vocal works; 90 solo organ compositions; 18 keyboard suites; assorted chamber music Selected Composer Bibliography: Pirro, André. Dietrich Buxtehude. Paris: Fischbacher, 1913. Blume, Friedrich. “Das Kantatenwerk Dietrich Buxtehudes.” In Jahrbuch des Musikbibliothek Peters für 1940, volume 48 (1941): 10-39. Reprinted in Blume, Syntagma musicologicum, edited by Martin Ruhnke. Kassel: Bärenreiter, 1963. This anthology includes other essays by Blume on Buxtehude. Stahl, Wilhelm. Dietrich Buxtehude, 2nd edition. Kassel: Bärenreiter, 1952. Kilian, H. Dietrich. Das Vokalwerk Dietrich Buxtehudes: Quellenstudien zu seiner Überlieferüng und Verwendung. Free University of Berlin, dissertation, 1956. Grusnick, Bruno. “Zur Chronologie von Dietrich Buxtehudes Vokalwerken.” Musikforschung, volume 10 (1957): 75-84. Sørenson, Søren. Diderich Buxtehudes vokale kirkenmusik: Studier til den evangeliske kirkekantates udviklingshistorie. Copenhagen: Ejnar Munksgaard, 1958. Geck, Martin. “Die Authentizität des Vokalwerkes Dietrich Buxtehudes in quellenkritischer Sicht.” Musikforschung, volume 14 (1961): 393-414. Grusnick, Bruno. “Die Dübensammlung: Ein Versuch ihrer chronologischen Ordnung.” Svensk tidskrift för musikforskning, volume 46 (1964): 27-82; and volume 48 (1966): 63-186. Geck, Martin. Die Vokalmusik Dietrich Butxtehudes und der frühe Pietismus. Kassel: Bärenreiter, 1965. Karstädt, Georg. Der Lübecker Kantatenband Dietrich Buxtehudes: Ein Studie über die Tablatur Mus. A 373. Lübeck: Max Schmidt-Römhild, 1971. Karstädt, Georg. “Die Instrumente in den Kantaten und Abendmusiken Dietrich Buxtehudes.” Beiträge zur Musikgeschichte Nordeuropas: Kurt Gudewill zum 65. Geburtstag, 111-121, edited by Uwe Haensel. Wolfenbüttel: Moseler Verlag, 1978.
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Snyder, Kerala J. “Dietrich Buxtehude’s Studies in Learned Counterpoint.” Journal of the American Musicological Society, volume 33 (1980): 544–64. Karstädt, Georg. Thematisch-systematisches Verzeichnis der musikalischen Werke von Dietrich Buxtehude: Buxtehude-Werke-Verzeichnis. Wiesbaden: Breitkopf und Härtel, 1974; 2nd edition: 1985. Snyder, Kerala J. “Dietrich Buxtehude.” In The New Grove North European Baroque Masters. New York, W. W. Norton, 1985. Wettstein, Hermann. Dietrich Buxtehude (1637–1707): Bibliographie zu seinem Leben und Werk. Munich: K. G. Sauer, 1989. Webber, Geoffrey. North German Church Music in the Age of Buxtehude. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1996. Snyder, Kerala J. Dieterich Buxtehude: Organist in Lübeck. New York: Schirmer Books, 1987. The University of Rochester released a revised edition in 2007. Snyder, Kerala J. “Buxtehude, Dieterich.” Grove Music Online, edited by L. Macy. http://www.grovemusic.com (accessed 6 June 2008).
Accedite gentes, BuxWV 1
accurite
populi,
Duration: ca. 6 minutes Text: The text is an adaptation of Psalm 86:9-10 and Psalm 103:8. Performing Forces: voices: SSATB choir; orchestra: 2 violins, and continuo First Performance: unknown Editions: Accedite gentes, accurite populi is published in the critical edition Fire latinske Kantater, edited by Søren Sørenson (Copenhagen: Samfundet til Udgivelse af dansk Musik, 1957). Autograph: Manuscript materials may be found in the Uppsala Universitetsbiblioteket (38:1, 82:34). Notes: Kerala Snyder indicates that there is some doubt that this is the work of Buxtehude.199 Performance Issues: This brief Latin cantata alternates between homophonic and polyphonic textures. The choral parts are always harmonically supported by the continuo. The two violin parts occasionally double the voices, but frequently they provide a filigreed counterpoint to the singers. These two parts appear to be meant for solo players and although not technically challenging will require musically independent players. The choral portions can be effectively performed by solo singers. The score is not labeled as having soloists, but there are solo passages for both of the men’s parts. Soloists: tenor - range: e-g', tessitura: g-e', this is a brief recitative; bass- range: D-c', tessitura: A-a, 199 Kerala J. Snyder, Dieterich Buxtehude: Organist in Lübeck, 402 (New York: Schirmer Books, 1987).
this is a declamatory solo that should be capable of clarity throughout the indicated range. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Theatre of Voices; conducted by Paul Hillier. Recorded February 2010 in St. Maria Church, Helsingør. Da Capo: 6220534. Selected Bibliography: Sørenson, Søren. Diderich Buxtehudes vokale kirkenmusik: Studier til den evangeliske kirkekantates udviklingshistorie, 19, 30, 66, 69, 268, 310, 313. Copenhagen: Ejnar Munksgaard, 1958. Geck, Martin. “Die Authentizität des Vokalwerkes Dietrich Buxtehudes in quellenkritischer Sicht.” Musikforschung, volume 14 (1961): 404-406. Grusnick, Bruno. “Die Dübensammlung: Ein Versuch ihrer chronologischen Ordnung.” Svensk tidskrift för musikforskning, volume 48 (1966): 115, 134. Geck, Martin. Die Vokalmusik Dietrich Butxtehudes und der frühe Pietismus, 14, 58, 198. Kassel: Bärenreiter, 1965. Karstädt, Georg. Thematisch-systematisches Verzeichnis der musikalischen Werke von Dietrich Buxtehude: Buxtehude-Werke-Verzeichnis, 3. Wiesbaden: Breitkopf und Härtel, 1974. Snyder, Kerala J. Dieterich Buxtehude: Organist in Lübeck, 139, 206, 384. New York: Schirmer Books, 1987.
All solch dein Güt’ wir preisen, BuxWV 3 Duration: ca. 3 minutes Text: The text is taken from “Helft mir Gottes Güte preisen” by Paul Eber. It appeared in Geistiche Lieder Dr. Martin Luther und anderer frommen Christen, which was published in Frankfurt in 1572. Performing Forces: voices: SSATB choir; orchestra: 2 violins, 2 violas, violone (double bass) or cello, and continuo First Performance: unknown Editions: All solch dein Güt’ wir preisen is published in a critical edition edited by Bruno Grusnick (Kassel: Bärenreiter) (3197). It is also available from Edition Merseburger (EM 956), edited by Dietrich Kilian. Autograph: Manuscript materials may be found in the Uppsala Universitetsbiblioteket (50:1a). Notes: This work was composed for the celebration of the New Year. Buxtehude uses a hymn tune from Michael Praetorius’s Musae Sionae VIII, which was first published in Wolfenbüttel in 1610. It is not the same
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tune as the choral at the end of Bach’s, BWV 16, which uses the same text. Performance Issues: The score is indicates the use of ripieni, confirming the implementation of a choir in appropriate ensemble passages. The work comprises a concerted homophonic five-voice chorale harmonization followed by a florid, polyphonic “Amen.” Within the chorale, the vocal parts are well supported by the instruments. All parts are conservatively written and idiomatic. The nineteen-measure “Amen” alternates rapid figurations between the strings and voices and presents the soprano I part with a higher tessitura. It remains practical, but presents greater musical and technical challenges than the first section. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra and Soloists; conducted by Ton Koopman. Challenge: CC 72256. Selected Bibliography: Kilian, Dietrich. Das Vokalwerk Dietrich Buxtehudes: Quellenstudien zu seiner Überlieferüng und Verwendung, 22, 29, 190, 194, 243, 258. Free University of Berlin, dissertation, 1956. Sørenson, Søren. Diderich Buxtehudes vokale kirkenmusik: Studier til den evangeliske kirkekantates udviklingshistorie, 36, 94, 169, 171, 310. Copenhagen: Ejnar Munksgaard, 1958. Karstädt, Georg. Thematisch-systematisches Verzeichnis der musikalischen Werke von Dietrich Buxtehude: Buxtehude-Werke-Verzeichnis, 3-4. Wiesbaden: Breitkopf und Härtel, 1974. Snyder, Kerala J. Dieterich Buxtehude: Organist in Lübeck, 148, 177, 189-190, 364, 383. New York: Schirmer Books, 1987.
Alles was ihr tut mit Worten oder mit Worden, BuxWV 4 (1680s) Duration: ca. 12-15 minutes Text: The text is Colossians 3:17, Psalm 37:4, and strophes 6 and 7 from “Aus meines Herzengrunde” by Georg Niege. The poet of the text for the aria has not been established. Performing Forces: voices: soprano and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 violins, 2 violas (or 3 violins and 1 viola), violone (double bass), and continuo First Performance: unknown Editions: Alles, was ihr tut mit Worten oder mit Worden is published in two critical editions: Abendmusiken en und Kirchenkantaten, volume 14 of Denkmäler deutscher Tonkunst, edited by Max Seiffert, page 39 200 Kerala J. Snyder, Dieterich Buxtehude: Organist in Lübeck, 205 (New York: Schirmer Books, 1987).
(Leipzig: Breitkopf und Härtel, 1903; revised in 1957 by Hans J. Moser, Wiesbaden: Breitkopf und Härtel, 1957). It also appears in the subsequent critical edition, Dietrich Buxtehude: The Collected Works, edited by Kerala J. Snyder, volume 9, page 3, published by Broude. It is also available for purchase in editions from: Kalmus (edited by Klauss) and Carus Verlag (edited by Derek McCulloch). Autograph: Manuscript materials may be found in the Uppsala Universitetsbiblioteket (50:2); the Bibliothek der Hansestadt of the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek, Berlin (A373); and the Music Collection of the Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin Preußischer Kulturbesitz (B 2680). Notes: Buxtehude incorporates a cantus firmus based upon an anonymous hymn tune, Aus meines Herzens Grunde. This work is emblematic of what has been referred to as “music for the ordinary citizen,” with concertato chorales and simple strophic arias setting familiar German texts. 200 It is one of Buxtehude’s more popular works during his own lifetime. Performance Issues: The choral writing is generally homophonic, and well supported by the accompaniment. There are some florid melismatic passages for the choir in the second and fifth movements, which are thoroughly doubled by the strings. The third movement alternates the choir accompanied by continuo with ritornelli from the orchestra. Soloists: soprano range: f#'-d'', tessitura: g'-d'', this is a very simple, sustained solo; bass - range: A-d', tessitura: B-b, this is an easy, declamatory solo with continuo accompaniment. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Friedrich Melzer, Bruce Abel; Stuttgart Motet Choir; conducted by Gunter Graulich. Carus: 83.134. The Dufay Collective; conducted Ebbe Munk. Naxos: 8570494. Klaus Mertens; conducted by Ton Koopman. Recorded in 2006 or 2007 in Waalse Church, Amsterdam. Challenge Classics: CC 72246. Selected Bibliography: Pirro, André. Dietrich Buxtehude, 285, 353, 429, 484. Paris: Fischbacher, 1913. Kilian, Dietrich. Das Vokalwerk Dietrich Buxtehudes: Quellenstudien zu seiner Überlieferüng und Verwendung, 17, 48, 53, 57, 59, 63, 7, 70, 75, 98, 104, 128, 143, 194, 198, 222. Free University of Berlin, dissertation, 1956. Sørenson, Søren. Diderich Buxtehudes vokale kirkenmusik: Studier til den evangeliske kirkekantates udviklingshistorie, 23, 34, 51, 83, 91, 136, 172, 180, 187, 200, 270. Copenhagen: Ejnar Munksgaard, 1958.
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Karstädt, Georg. Der Lübecker Kantatenband Dietrich Buxtehudes: Ein Studie über die Tablatur Mus. A 373, 23, 32, 37, 77. Lübeck: Max Schmidt-Römhild, 1971. Karstädt, Georg. Thematisch-systematisches Verzeichnis der musikalischen Werke von Dietrich Buxtehude: Buxtehude-Werke-Verzeichnis, 4-6. Wiesbaden: Breitkopf und Härtel, 1974. Snyder, Kerala J. “Critical Apparatus.” Dietrich Buxtehude: The Collected Works, volume 9: 272-277. New York: Broude, 1987. ———. Dieterich Buxtehude: Organist in Lübeck, 134, 201-205, 211, 304, 316, 323-324, 358, 364-366, 383. New York: Schirmer Books, 1987.
An filius non est Dei, BuxWV 6 Duration: ca. 12 minutes Text: The author of the text has not been determined. Performing Forces: voices: alto, tenor, and bass; orchestra: 3 viola da gambas or 3 trombones, and continuo
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Selected Bibliography: Blume, Friedrich. “Das Kantatenwerk Dietrich Buxtehudes.” In Jahrbuch des Musikbibliothek Peters für 1940, volume 48 (1941): 21, 31, 34. Sørenson, Søren. Diderich Buxtehudes vokale kirkenmusik: Studier til den evangeliske kirkekantates udviklingshistorie, 41, 181, 243, 254, 312. Copenhagen: Ejnar Munksgaard, 1958. Geck, Martin. Die Vokalmusik Dietrich Butxtehudes und der frühe Pietismus, 25, 58, 134, 202. Kassel: Bärenreiter, 1965. Karstädt, Georg. Thematisch-systematisches Verzeichnis der musikalischen Werke von Dietrich Buxtehude: Buxtehude-Werke-Verzeichnis, 6-7. Wiesbaden: Breitkopf und Härtel, 1974. Snyder, Kerala J. Dieterich Buxtehude: Organist in Lübeck, 142, 144, 148, 177, 182, 368. New York: Schirmer Books, 1987.
Aperite mihi portas justitiae, BuxWV 7 (1662-1668)
First Performance: unknown
Duration: ca. 6 minutes
Editions: An filius non est Dei is published in a critical edition, Dietrich Buxtehude: Werke, edited by Wilibald Gurlitt, volume 7, pages 49-55.
Text: The text is Psalm 117:19-20 and 24-26.
Autograph: Manuscript materials may be found in the Uppsala Universitetsbiblioteket (50:3). Notes: This work was composed for Passiontide. Performance Issues: This work can be performed with a solo trio or an ATB choir with solo trio. In the latter configuration there are echo features of alternating forte and piano that would effectively be passed between soloists and tutti. Much of the vocal material is homophonic or in simple close imitation. The tutti vocal material is doubled by the instruments in two movements. In another there is only continuo, but this appears to be intended for solo voices. In the final movement there is alternation between the gambas, trombones, and the voices. In all cases the voices are supported by the continuo. If trombones are used, they should be alto, tenor, and bass. The upper part has a top pitch of d''. Soloists: alto - range: a#-c#'', tessitura: b-b', this is a sustained an simple part; tenor - range: af#', tessitura: b-f#', this is a sustained and lyric part; bass - range: E-b, tessitura: B-b, this is a lyric solo with some broad leaps. Choir: easy; Orchestra: medium easy Selected Discography: Michael Chance, Charles Daniels, Peter Harvey; Purcell Quartet; recorded September 2004, St. Jude on the Hill, Hempstead. Chandos Chaconne Series: 723. 201 Snyder, Kerala J.: Dieterich Buxtehude: Organist in Lübeck, 334-335 New York: Schirmer Books, 1987.
Performing Forces: voices: ATB choir; orchestra: 2 violins, and continuo First Performance: unknown Editions: Aperite mihi portas justitiae is published in a critical edition, Dietrich Buxtehude: Werke, edited by Wilibald Gurlitt, volume 7, page 62-68. It also appears in an edition with the Latin text and a singing English translation edited by Buzin from Hinrichsen Press. Autograph: Manuscript materials may be found in the Uppsala Universitetsbiblioteket (50:4). Notes: This work is dedicated to the Swedish commissioner in Helsingør, Christoph Schneider, and is therefore probably composed between 1662 and 1668.201 Performance Issues: The vocal parts can be performed by a solo trio or a three-part choir. The choral material is harmonically supported by the accompaniment, but remains melodically independent throughout. The alto part has a top range of b♭', making this appropriate for tenor, baritone, and bass as well. The instrumental parts are idiomatic and well within the abilities of amateur players. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: easy. Selected Discography: Andreas Karasiak, Klaus Mertens; conducted by Ton Koopman. Recorded in 2006 or 2007 in Waalse Church, Amsterdam. Challenge Classics: CC 72246.
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Selected Bibliography: Karstädt, Georg. Thematisch-systematisches Verzeichnis der musikalischen Werke von Dietrich Buxtehude: Buxtehude-Werke-Verzeichnis, 8. Wiesbaden: Breitkopf und Härtel, 1974. Snyder, Kerala J. Dieterich Buxtehude: Organist in Lübeck, 28, 35, 140, 158, 312, 334-337, 357, 394. New York: Schirmer Books, 1987.
Bedenke, Mensch, das Ende, BuxWV 9 Duration: ca. 11 minutes Text: The text is by Salomon Liscow from Frommer Christen Goldener Hertzens-Schatz, which was published in Braunschweig in 1686. Performing Forces: voices: 2 sopranos, bass; orchestra: 3 violins, violone (double bass), and continuo First Performance: unknown Editions: Bedenke, Mensch, das Ende is published in a critical edition, Dietrich Buxtehude: Werke, edited by Wilibald Gurlitt, volume 5, page 14. Autograph: Manuscript materials may be found in the Uppsala Universitetsbiblioteket (85:1-18), and the Bibliothek der Hansestadt of the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek, Berlin (A373). Performance Issues: The vocal writing is three-part throughout treated homophonically, with the exception of close imitation in the “Amen.” There are melismatic figurations in all vocal parts. The vocal parts are harmonically supported by the continuo, but there is minimal doubling of the soprano parts even in the concerted verse. The ranges and tessituri of the vocal parts are conservative and suitable for a solo trio or choir. All vocal and instrumental parts are within the abilities of intermediate amateurs. Choir: easy, Orchestra: easy. Selected Discography: Miriam Meyer, Bettina Pahn, Klaus Mertens; conducted by Ton Koopman. Recorded in Utrecht. Challenge Classics: 72253. Selected Bibliography: Kilian, Dietrich. Das Vokalwerk Dietrich Buxtehudes: Quellenstudien zu seiner Überlieferüng und Verwendung, 148, 185, 191, 255. Free University of Berlin, dissertation, 1956. Sørenson, Søren. Diderich Buxtehudes vokale kirkenmusik: Studier til den evangeliske kirkekantates udviklingshistorie, 29, 63, 70, 271, 306, 310, 313. Copenhagen: Ejnar Munksgaard, 1958. Geck, Martin. Die Vokalmusik Dietrich Butxtehudes und der frühe Pietismus, 15, 39, 58, 188. Kassel: Bärenreiter, 1965.
Grusnick, Bruno. “Die Dübensammlung: Ein Versuch ihrer chronologischen Ordnung.” Svensk tidskrift för musikforskning, volume 48 (1966): 115, 177, 180. Karstädt, Georg. Thematisch-systematisches Verzeichnis der musikalischen Werke von Dietrich Buxtehude: Buxtehude-Werke-Verzeichnis, 9. Wiesbaden: Breitkopf und Härtel, 1974. Snyder, Kerala J. Dieterich Buxtehude: Organist in Lübeck, 177, 182-183, 323, 334. New York: Schirmer Books, 1987.
Befiel dem Engel, dass er komm, BuxWV 10 Duration: ca. 6 minutes Text: The text is the sixth and seventh strophes of a poem by Erasmus Alberus, which was published in 1556. Performing Forces: voices: SATB choir; orchestra: 2 violins, violone (double bass or cello), and continuo First Performance: unknown Editions: Befiel dem Engel, dass er komm is published in a critical edition, Dietrich Buxtehude: Werke, edited by Wilibald Gurlitt, volume 7, page 73. It is also available for purchase in editions from: Kalmus and Carus. Autograph: Manuscript materials may be found in the Uppsala Universitetsbiblioteket (50:5). Notes: This work is a concertato setting of the hymn tune Christ, der du bist der helle Tag, a setting of the sacred poem of Erasmus Alberus by Cyriacus Spangenberg, which first appeared in print in 1568. The subtitle of the score suggests two violins on a part, which is supported by the manuscript performance materials. Performance Issues: The vocal writing is four-part throughout with rapid melismatic figures in all voice parts. Although the work is suitable for a solo quartet, it appears to be conceived as a choral composition. Much of the vocal material is accompanied by continuo only with frequent interpolations from the strings. The violone part generally doubles the continuo bass line. It includes written low C and D, one time each (mm. 67 and 97). The Gurlitt edition includes a good realization of the continuo part, which would ideally be played on organ. This work is accessible to intermediate vocal and instrumental ensembles. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Bettina Pahn, Johannette Zomer, Bogna Bartosz, Patrick van Goethem, Daniel Taylor, Jorg Durmuller, Andreas Karasiak, Donald Bentvelsen, Klaus Mertens; Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra and Choir; conducted by Ton Koopman. Challenge Classics: CC 72244.
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Johannes Kunzel; Greifswalder Cathedral Choir; conducted by Hans Pflugbeil. Recorded in April 1959 at the Teldec Studio in Berlin. Cantate: 57601. Wilfried Jochens, Stephan Schreckenberger; Cantus Cölln; conducted by Konrad Junghänel. Recorded April 1997. Harmonia Mundi: 501629. Lautten Compagney Capella Angelica; conducted by Wolfgang Katschner. Carus: 83.193. Collegium Ad Mosam; conducted by Huub Ehlen. Recorded October 2006 in the Decanal Chapel of the Abbey of St. Amelberga of Susteren. Solal: 4. Selected Bibliography: Kilian, Dietrich. Das Vokalwerk Dietrich Buxtehudes: Quellenstudien zu seiner Überlieferüng und Verwendung, 22, 185, 190, 237. Free University of Berlin, dissertation, 1956. Sørenson, Søren. Diderich Buxtehudes vokale kirkenmusik: Studier til den evangeliske kirkekantates udviklingshistorie, 35, 104, 115, 149, 167, 169, 171. Copenhagen: Ejnar Munksgaard, 1958. Geck, Martin. Die Vokalmusik Dietrich Butxtehudes und der frühe Pietismus, 36, 58, 140. Kassel: Bärenreiter, 1965. Grusnick, Bruno. “Die Dübensammlung: Ein Versuch ihrer chronologischen Ordnung.” Svensk tidskrift för musikforskning, volume 48 (1966): 177, 179, 184. Karstädt, Georg. Thematisch-systematisches Verzeichnis der musikalischen Werke von Dietrich Buxtehude: Buxtehude-Werke-Verzeichnis, 10. Wiesbaden: Breitkopf und Härtel, 1974; second edition: 1985. Snyder, Kerala J. Dieterich Buxtehude: Organist in Lübeck, 189-190, 192, 365, 383. New York: Schirmer Books, 1987.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
continuo and full ensemble. This is a delightful tripletime composition with a number of effective hemiolas. The vocal writing is appropriate for trio or choir and is well within the abilities of most amateur groups. Soloist: - range: c'-g'', tessitura: f'-f'', this is a brief secco recitative with florid melismas. Choir: medium easy. Orchestra: easy. Selected Discography: Margaret Pearce, Helen Gagliano, Michael Leighton Shugg; Arcadia; conducted by Jacqueline Ogeil. Recorded in the Chapel of the Carmelite Monastery in Kew, Melbourne, Australia. Tall Poppies: TP 157. Johannette Zomer, Bettina Pahn, Klaus Mertens; conducted by Ton Koopman. Recorded in 2006 or 2007 in Waalse Church, Amsterdam. Challenge Classics: CC 72250. Selected Bibliography:
Canite Jesu nostro citharae, cymbala, organa, BuxWV 11 (c. 1683)
Kilian, Dietrich. Das Vokalwerk Dietrich Buxtehudes: Quellenstudien zu seiner Überlieferüng und Verwendung, 200. Free University of Berlin, dissertation, 1956. Sørenson, Søren. Diderich Buxtehudes vokale kirkenmusik: Studier til den evangeliske kirkekantates udviklingshistorie, 29, 63, 306. Copenhagen: Ejnar Munksgaard, 1958. Geck, Martin. Die Vokalmusik Dietrich Butxtehudes und der frühe Pietismus, 23, 58, 198. Kassel: Bärenreiter, 1965. Karstädt, Georg. Thematisch-systematisches Verzeichnis der musikalischen Werke von Dietrich Buxtehude: Buxtehude-Werke-Verzeichnis, 11. Wiesbaden: Breitkopf und Härtel, 1974. Snyder, Kerala J. Dieterich Buxtehude: Organist in Lübeck, 142, 158, 331, 333. New York: Schirmer Books, 1987.
Duration: ca. 5 minutes
Das neugeborne Kindelein, BuxWV 13
Text: The author of this text has not been determined.
Duration: ca. 7 minutes
Performing Forces: voices: 2 sopranos, bass; orchestra: 2 violins, violone (double bass), and continuo First Performance: unknown
Text: The text is by Cyriacus Schneegaß from Sieben und Zwentzigh Neue Geistliche Gesenge, which was published in 1588.
Editions: Canite Jesu nostro is published in a critical edition, Dietrich Buxtehude: Werke, edited by Wilibald Gurlitt, volume 5, page 21.
Performing Forces: voices: SATB choir; orchestra: 3 violins, violone (cello or double bass) or bassoon, and continuo
Autograph: Manuscript materials may be found in the Uppsala Universitetsbiblioteket (82:43).
First Performance: unknown
Notes: The copyist’s materials above are dated 11 May 1683. Performance Issues: The majority of the vocal writing is in consistent trio textures interrupted by one brief soprano solo. The vocal material alternates between imitative and homophonic writing, and the instrumental support of the vocal writing alternates between
Editions: Das neugeborne Kindelein is published in a critical edition, Dietrich Buxtehude: Werke, edited by Wilibald Gurlitt, volume 8, page 121. Other editions have been published by Henle (Graulich and Horn), Concordia (Oberdoerffer), and Lawson-Gould (Ehret). Autograph: Manuscript materials may be found in the Uppsala Universitetsbiblioteket (50:7).
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Notes: This work is composed for the services celebrating the New Year. The subtitle of the score suggests two violins on a part, which is supported by the manuscript performance materials. Performance Issues: The vocal writing is almost entirely in four-part homophonic textures. There are occasional passages in close imitation, and no solos. The work appears to have been intended for choral use. The choral material is supported by the continuo throughout, and many passages are fully concerted. It is a bright and agile composition that is not particularly difficult, but that requires a nimbleness and clarity to be of full effect. There are brief florid figurations in all parts, and a preponderance of quick dotted figures. The work is sectionalized with a number of tempo and metric changes. The Gurlitt edition includes a good realization of the continuo part, which is ideally for organ. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Emma Kirkby, Michael Chance, Charles Daniels, Peter Harvey; Purcell Quartet; recorded September 2004, St. Jude on the Hill, Hempstead. Chandos Chaconne Series: 723. Vocalensemble Rastatt, Les Favorites; conducted by Holger Speck. Carus: 83.156. Stuttgart Motet Choir; conducted by Gunter Graulich. Carus: 83.134. Siri Karoline Thornhill, Klaus Mertens, Jorg Durmuller; conducted by Ton Koopman. Recorded in 2006 or 2007 in Waalse Church, Amsterdam. Challenge Classics: CC 72250. The Dufay Collective; conducted by Ebbe Munk. Naxos: 8570494. Selected Bibliography: Kilian, Dietrich. Das Vokalwerk Dietrich Buxtehudes: Quellenstudien zu seiner Überlieferüng und Verwendung, 15, 22, 29, 99, 185, 190, 222, 243. Free University of Berlin, dissertation, 1956. Sørenson, Søren. Diderich Buxtehudes vokale kirkenmusik: Studier til den evangeliske kirkekantates udviklingshistorie, 42, 243, 246, 262. Copenhagen: Ejnar Munksgaard, 1958. Geck, Martin. Die Vokalmusik Dietrich Butxtehudes und der frühe Pietismus, 29, 45, 52, 57. Kassel: Bärenreiter, 1965. Grusnick, Bruno. “Die Dübensammlung: Ein Versuch ihrer chronologischen Ordnung.” Svensk tidskrift för musikforskning, volume 48 (1966): 177, 179, 182. Karstädt, Georg. Thematisch-systematisches Verzeichnis der musikalischen Werke von Dietrich Buxtehude: Buxtehude-Werke-Verzeichnis, 13. Wiesbaden: Breitkopf und Härtel, 1974. 202 Kerala J. Snyder, Dieterich Buxtehude: Organist in Lübeck, 365 (New York: Schirmer Books, 1987).
Snyder, Kerala J. Dieterich Buxtehude: Organist in Lübeck, 148, 177, 182, 207, 366, 383. New York: Schirmer Books, 1987.
Dein edles Herz, der BuxWV 14 (c. 1685)
Liebe
Thron,
Duration: ca. 10 minutes Text: The text is by Johann Rist (1607-1667) from Der zu seinem allerheiligsten Leiden und Sterben hingeführter und an das Kreuz gehefteter Christus Jesus, which was published in Hamburg in 1648. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 violins, 2 violas, violone (double bass), and continuo First Performance: unknown Editions: Dein edles Herz, der Liebe Thron was edited by Dietrich Kilian as part of Veröffentlichungen des Instituts für Musikforschung Berlin, series I, volume 37, Kantaten von Dietrich Buxtehude (EM 960) (Berlin: Merseburg, 1959). Bruno Grusnick produced an edition for Bärenreiter (3364). It is also published in the critical edition Dietrich Buxtehude: The Collected Works, edited by Kerala J. Snyder, volume 9, page 35, published by Broude. Autograph: Manuscript materials, in the hand of Gustav Düben, may be found in the Uppsala Universitetsbiblioteket (82:35). Notes: This work is composed for Passiontide. Kerala Snyder believes that the vocal ensemble passages are intended for solo singers.202 Performance Issues: The choral writing is primarily homophonic with a few imitative passages. Versus One is for choir with continuo alone. There are instrumental ritornelli between movements, which are subsequent vocal soli. The work closes with a fully concerted chorus. Soloist: soprano - range: c'-g'', tessitura: e♭'-c'', this is a lyric role that appears only in duet with the alto; alto - range: b-b♭', tessitura: c'-f', this is an easy solo and duet with continuo accompaniment only; tenor - range: e♭-f', tessitura: g-f', this is a lyric solo with continuo accompaniment and some melismatic writing; bass - range: E♭-b♭, tessitura: Gg, this is a declamatory solo with some coloratura. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Lautten Compagney Capella Angelica; conducted by Wolfgang Katschner. Carus: 83.193.
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Selected Bibliography:
Selected Discography:
Kilian, Dietrich. Das Vokalwerk Dietrich Buxtehudes: Quellenstudien zu seiner Überlieferüng und Verwendung, 13, 241. Free University of Berlin, dissertation, 1956. Grusnick, Bruno. “Zur Chronologie von Dietrich Buxtehudes Vokalwerken.” Musikforschung, volume 10 (1957): 79, 84. Sørenson, Søren. Diderich Buxtehudes vokale kirkenmusik: Studier til den evangeliske kirkekantates udviklingshistorie, 42, 190, 213. Copenhagen: Ejnar Munksgaard, 1958. Geck, Martin. Die Vokalmusik Dietrich Butxtehudes und der frühe Pietismus, 30, 33, 48, 57, 94. Kassel: Bärenreiter, 1965. Karstädt, Georg. Thematisch-systematisches Verzeichnis der musikalischen Werke von Dietrich Buxtehude: Buxtehude-Werke-Verzeichnis, 14-15. Wiesbaden: Breitkopf und Härtel, 1974. Snyder, Kerala J. “Critical Apparatus.” Dietrich Buxtehude: The Collected Works, volume 9: 277-279. New York: Broude, 1987. ———. Dieterich Buxtehude: Organist in Lübeck, 142, 144, 148, 177, 182, 186, 334, 365. New York: Schirmer Books, 1987.
The Dufay Collective; conducted Ebbe Munk. Naxos: 8570494. Collegium Ad Mosam; conducted by Huub Ehlen. Recorded October 2006 in the Decanal Chapel of the Abbey of St. Amelberga of Susteren. Solal: 4.
Der Herr ist mit mir, BuxWV 15 Duration: ca. 8 minutes
Domine Salvum Fac Regem, BuxWV 18 (c. 1687)
Text: The text is Psalm 118:6-7.
Duration: ca. 6 minutes
Performing Forces: voices: SATB choir; orchestra: 2 violins, violone (cello or double bass), and continuo
Text: The Latin text is Psalm 20:10 and the Doxology.
First Performance: unknown Editions: Der Herr ist mit mir is published in a critical edition, Dietrich Buxtehude: Werke, edited by Dietrich Killian, volume 8, page 85. Autograph: Manuscript materials may be found in the Uppsala Universitetsbiblioteket (85:1-18). Performance Issues: The vocal writing is in four-part textures throughout and appears to have been conceived as a choral work. There are rapid melismatic passages for all voices. The majority of the vocal writing is homophonic, but there are some elaborate imitative passages. The vocal parts are harmonically supported by the continuo throughout and by the whole ensemble intermittently. There are a number of tempo and metric changes. There are a few particularly florid passages for one or two parts that might be best assigned to a soloist depending upon the speed with which these melismas can be made clear with a given ensemble. The string writing is idiomatic and less challenging than the vocal counterparts. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium easy.
Selected Bibliography: Grusnick, Bruno. “Zur Chronologie von Dietrich Buxtehudes Vokalwerken.” Musikforschung, volume 10 (1957): 80, 84. Sørenson, Søren. Diderich Buxtehudes vokale kirkenmusik: Studier til den evangeliske kirkekantates udviklingshistorie, 29, 66, 69, 95, 310. Copenhagen: Ejnar Munksgaard, 1958. Geck, Martin. Die Vokalmusik Dietrich Butxtehudes und der frühe Pietismus, 58, 186. Kassel: Bärenreiter, 1965. Karstädt, Georg. Thematisch-systematisches Verzeichnis der musikalischen Werke von Dietrich Buxtehude: Buxtehude-Werke-Verzeichnis, 15-16. Wiesbaden: Breitkopf und Härtel, 1974. Snyder, Kerala J. Dieterich Buxtehude: Organist in Lübeck, 158, 177, 334, 365. New York: Schirmer Books, 1987.
Performing Forces: voices: SSATB choir; orchestra: 2 violins, 2 violas, cello, and continuo First Performance: unknown Editions: Domine Salvum Fac Regem is published in the critical edition Fire latinske Kantater, edited by Søren Sørenson (Copenhagen: Samfundet til Udgivelse af dansk Musik, 1957). Autograph: Manuscript materials may be found in the Uppsala Universitetsbiblioteket (85:1-18). Performance Issues: This brief Latin cantata is primarily homophonic with some voices adding subdivided melismas and occasional passages in close imitation. The five-voice texture is persistent, and the vocal parts are always harmonically supported by the accompaniment. There are a number of metrical and tempo changes. All of the choral parts are vocally conservative as is true of the instrumental parts, which are idiomatic and well within the grasp of intermediate-level players. Choir: easy; Orchestra: easy. Selected Discography: Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra and Soloists; conducted by Ton Koopman. Challenge: CC 72256.
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Theatre of Voices; conducted by Paul Hillier. Recorded February 2010 in St. Maria Church, Helsingør. Da Capo: 6220534. Selected Bibliography: Snyder, Kerala J. Dieterich Buxtehude: Organist in Lübeck, 158, 334, 364. New York: Schirmer Books, 1987.
Du Frieden-Fürst, Herr Jesu Christ, BuxWV 21 (1675-1676) Duration: ca. 9 minutes Text: The text is the first three strophes of a poem by Jacob Ebert (1601).
udviklingshistorie, 35, 101, 108, 117, 153, 167, 169, 173. Copenhagen: Ejnar Munksgaard, 1958. Grusnick, Bruno. “Die Dübensammlung: Ein Versuch ihrer chronologischen Ordnung.” Svensk tidskrift för musikforskning, volume 48 (1966): 63, 163, 179. Geck, Martin. Die Vokalmusik Dietrich Butxtehudes und der frühe Pietismus, 58, 138. Kassel: Bärenreiter, 1965. Karstädt, Georg. Thematisch-systematisches Verzeichnis der musikalischen Werke von Dietrich Buxtehude: Buxtehude-Werke-Verzeichnis, 20-21. Wiesbaden: Breitkopf und Härtel, 1974. Snyder, Kerala J. Dieterich Buxtehude: Organist in Lübeck, 189, 193-194, 335, 339, 352-354, 357-358. New York: Schirmer Books, 1987.
Performing Forces: voices: SAB choir;203 orchestra: bassoon, 2 violins, 2 violas (a third viola or cello may be substituted for the bassoon), and continuo
Du Lebensfurst Herr Jesu Christ, BuxWV 22
First Performance: unknown
Text: The text is by Johann Rist from Himmlische Lieder, which was published in Lüneburg in 1642.
Editions: BuxWV 21 is published in a critical edition, Dietrich Buxtehude: Werke, edited by Wilibald Gurlitt, volume 5, page 35. There is another edition prepared by Bruno Grusnick that is published by Bärenreiter (1737). Autograph: Manuscript materials may be found in the Uppsala Universitetsbiblioteket (6:5). Notes: Buxtehude also set this text as BuxWV 20. This cantata is based upon the chorale tune of the same name composed by Bartholomäus Gesius (c.15551613). Performance Issues: The first verse of this choral-cantata is sung by Canto I. It is a simple statement of the hymn tune, and is appropriate for a choral section to sing in unison. The individual instrumental parts are idiomatic and rhythmically easy, but the counterpoint between the instrumental parts is more complex than many of Buxtehude’s other cantatas. The vocal parts are straightforward and generally homophonic. The “Amen” is the most musically challenging passage for the singers whose parts are harmonically supported by the continuo throughout. In concerted passages there are some variations of rhythm between the strings and the voices that may require attention in rehearsal. Choir: medium easy, Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra and Soloists; conducted by Ton Koopman. Challenge: CC 72256. Selected Bibliography: Sørenson, Søren. Diderich Buxtehudes vokale kirkenmusik: Studier til den evangeliske kirkekantates 203 In the score, the vocal parts are labeled Canto 1 and 2 and Basso. Canto 2 is consistent with a typical alto choral range.
Duration: ca. 10 minutes
Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists, and SATB choir; orchestra: 2 violins, 2 violas, violone (double bass), and continuo First Performance: unknown Editions: Du Lebensfurst Herr Jesu Christ is published in a critical edition edited by Bruno Grusnick (Kassel: Bärenreiter); and Dietrich Buxtehude: The Collected Works, edited by Kerala J. Snyder, volume 9, page 61, published by Broude. It is also available for purchase in editions from: Kalmus (Grusnick edition). Autograph: Manuscript materials may be found in the Uppsala Universitetsbiblioteket (50:11 and 83:41-45). Notes: This work is written for use on Ascension Day. Performance Issues: This cantata is an ideal work for an inexperienced choir with capable soloists, particularly the bass soloists. The other soli are a lyric and simple soprano-alto duet, and two alto-tenor-bass trios. The choral writing is practical and well supported by the accompaniment. In the vocal ensemble numbers, passages are accompanied by the full instrumental component or continuo alone. It would be wise to alternate a solo quartet and the full choir with the changes of accompaniment. The string writing is accessible to amateur players. Soloists: soprano - range: c#'-e'', tessitura: e'-c#'', this is a lyric solo paired with the alto in duet; alto - range: a-c#'', tessitura: c#'-a', this is a lyric role with some florid passagework; tenor range: g#-g', tessitura: a-f#', this is a lyric solo with some melismatic writing; bass - range: E-e', tessitura:
268
A-a, this is a dramatic role with florid coloratura writing. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: No commercial recording Selected Bibliography: Kilian, Dietrich. Das Vokalwerk Dietrich Buxtehudes: Quellenstudien zu seiner Überlieferüng und Verwendung, 29, 103, 196, 234, 237, 240, 243. Free University of Berlin, dissertation, 1956. Sørenson, Søren. “Instrumentalforspillen i Buxtehudes kantater.” Dansk Aaborg for Musikforskning (1961): 14, 18, 23. Geck, Martin. Die Vokalmusik Dietrich Butxtehudes und der frühe Pietismus, 30, 33, 48, 57, 191. Kassel: Bärenreiter, 1965. Karstädt, Georg. Thematisch-systematisches Verzeichnis der musikalischen Werke von Dietrich Buxtehude: Buxtehude-Werke-Verzeichnis, 21-22. Wiesbaden: Breitkopf und Härtel, 1974. Snyder, Kerala J. “Critical Apparatus.” Dietrich Buxtehude: The Collected Works, volume 9: 279-282. New York: Broude, 1987. ———. Dieterich Buxtehude: Organist in Lübeck, 144, 148, 177, 187, 303, 315, 333, 365-366, 369, 394. New York: Schirmer Books, 1987.
Ecce nunc Benedicite Domino, BuxWV 23 (1668) Duration: ca. 6 minutes Text: The text is Psalm 133:1-3. Performing Forces: voices: ATTB choir; orchestra: 2 violins, viola,204 and continuo
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
close imitation. Much of the string writing is contrapuntally independent from the voices, and the principal support of the voices comes from the continuo. The use of solo strings is appropriate. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Theatre of Voices; conducted by Paul Hillier. Recorded February 2010 in St. Maria Church, Helsingør. Da Capo: 6220534. Selected Bibliography: Sørenson, Søren. Diderich Buxtehudes vokale kirkenmusik: Studier til den evangeliske kirkekantates udviklingshistorie, 19, 29, 66, 70, 309, 313. Copenhagen: Ejnar Munksgaard, 1958. ———. “Instrumentalforspillen i Buxtehudes kantater.” Dansk Aaborg for Musikforskning (1961): 14, 20, 35. Geck, Martin. Die Vokalmusik Dietrich Butxtehudes und der frühe Pietismus, 52, 58. Kassel: Bärenreiter, 1965. Grusnick, Bruno. “Die Dübensammlung: Ein Versuch ihrer chronologischen Ordnung.” Svensk tidskrift för musikforskning, volume 46 (1964): 56, 69; and volume 48 (1966): 120, 134. Karstädt, Georg. Thematisch-systematisches Verzeichnis der musikalischen Werke von Dietrich Buxtehude: Buxtehude-Werke-Verzeichnis, 22-23. Wiesbaden: Breitkopf und Härtel, 1974. Snyder, Kerala J. Dieterich Buxtehude: Organist in Lübeck, 140, 158, 206, 335-337, 357, 366, 383. New York: Schirmer Books, 1987.
Eins bitte ich vom Herrn, BuxWV 24 Duration: ca. 21 minutes
First Performance: unknown
Text: The text is Psalm 27:4.
Editions: Ecce nunc Benedicite Domino is published in a critical edition, Dietrich Buxtehude: Werke, edited by Dietrich Killian, volume 8, page 105; and Fire latinske Kantater, edited by Søren Sørenson (Copenhagen: Samfundet til Udgivelse af dansk Musik, 1957). It is also available from Edition Merseburger, edited by Dietrich Kilian, which is available for purchase as a reprint from Kalmus.
Performing Forces: voices: 2 soprano and alto soloists; SSATB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 violins, 2 violas, violone (double bass) (or bassoon), and continuo
Autograph: Manuscript materials may be found in the Uppsala Universitetsbiblioteket (6:6 and 83:24). Performance Issues: This work is to accommodate solo singers or a choral ensemble. There are exposed passages for each vocal line that could be effectively treated as solos within a larger choral configuration. The soloistic passages have some conservative melismatic writing. The four-part textures are almost entirely syllabic and employ homophonic writing and 204 In the works list in Dieterich Buxtehude: Organist in Lübeck, page 404, Kerala Snyder does not list viola. A minimal part appears in the score of the Gurlitt edition.
First Performance: unknown Editions: Eins bitte ich vom Herrn is published in two critical editions: Abendmusiken en und Kirchenkantaten, volume 14, page 15 of Denkmäler deutscher Tonkunst, edited by Max Seiffert (Leipzig: Breitkopf und Härtel, 1903; revised in 1957 by Hans J. Moser). Another critical edition has been produced by Søren Sørenson with German and Danish text underlays. It is published by Wilhelm Hansen. Autograph: Manuscript materials may be found in the Uppsala Universitetsbiblioteket (50:13 and 85:1-18).
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Notes: The tune, which appears in the Nürnbergischen Gesangbuch of 1676 and 1690, is reputed to be by Christian Weselovius. Performance Issues: The choral writing is principally homophonic with some close imitation. The vocal parts are harmonically well supported by the instruments, and the choral passages that are only accompanied by continuo are contrapuntally the most simple. The opening of the first chorus is musically the most challenging for the singers. The instrumental writing is practical and conservative. Some materials suggest that violins or flutes may be employed, but the Sinfonia has lines for both although the music is the same. The use of ripieno strings is not always clear and should be determined and marked into the parts. The score indicates “for 10 to 15, 5 voices, 5 instruments, and 5 in ripieni.” Soloists: soprano I - range: e'-g'', tessitura: f'-f'', this is a lyric solo with some florid passages; soprano II - range: e'-f'', tessitura: g'-e'', this is a lyric solo with some ornamental passagework: alto range: a-b', tessitura: b-g', this is a simple declamatory solo. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: easy. Selected Discography: Lautten Compagney Capella Angelica; conducted by Wolfgang Katschner. Carus: 83.193. Miriam Meyer, Bettina Pahn; conducted by Ton Koopman. Recorded in 2006 or 2007 in Waalse Church, Amsterdam. Challenge Classics: CC 72246. Selected Bibliography: Kilian, Dietrich. Das Vokalwerk Dietrich Buxtehudes: Quellenstudien zu seiner Überlieferüng und Verwendung, 138, 190, 202, 223. Free University of Berlin, dissertation, 1956. Grusnick, Bruno. “Zur Chronologie von Dietrich Buxtehudes Vokalwerken.” Musikforschung, volume 10 (1957): 80, 84. Sørenson, Søren. Diderich Buxtehudes vokale kirkenmusik: Studier til den evangeliske kirkekantates udviklingshistorie, 32, 71, 74, 82, 91, 190, 223, 307. Copenhagen: Ejnar Munksgaard, 1958. Geck, Martin. Die Vokalmusik Dietrich Butxtehudes und der frühe Pietismus, 30, 34, 44, 58, 143. Kassel: Bärenreiter, 1965. Grusnick, Bruno. “Die Dübensammlung: Ein Versuch ihrer chronologischen Ordnung.” Svensk tidskrift för musikforskning, volume 48 (1966): 179, 183. Karstädt, Georg. Thematisch-systematisches Verzeichnis der musikalischen Werke von Dietrich Buxtehude: Buxtehude-Werke-Verzeichnis, 23-24. Wiesbaden: Breitkopf und Härtel, 1974. Snyder, Kerala J. Dieterich Buxtehude: Organist in Lübeck, 198, 334, 364, 374, 383. New York: Schirmer Books, 1987.
Erhalt uns, Herr, bei deinem Wort, BuxWV 27 Duration: ca. 7 minutes Text: The text is by Martin Luther (1542). Performing Forces: voices: SATB choir; orchestra: 2 violins, violone (double bass or cello) or bombard (bassoon), and continuo First Performance: unknown Editions: Erhalt uns, Herr, bei deinem Wort is published in a critical edition, Dietrich Buxtehude: Werke, edited by Dietrich Killian, volume 8, page 47; and an edition prepared by Bruno Grusnick (Kassel: Bärenreiter). It is also available for purchase in editions from: Kalmus (Grusnick edition) and Carus. Autograph: Manuscript materials may be found in the Uppsala Universitetsbiblioteket (50:14 and 85:1-18). Notes: This cantata incorporates the anonymous hymn tune Erhalt uns, Herr, bei deinem Wort (1543). This tune and text also serve as the foundation for J. S. Bach’s cantata of the same name, BWV 126. Performance Issues: This work is an elaborate and effective presentation of a four-part setting of a Lutheran hymn. The hymn is presented with instrumental ritornelli between each vocal phrase. There is an imitative “Amen,” but otherwise the vocal writing is presented as a chorale. The instrumental parts are idiomatic and accessible to most amateur players. Choir: easy; Orchestra: easy. Selected Discography: Lautten Compagney Capella Angelica; conducted by Wolfgang Katschner. Carus: 83.193. Patrick van Goethem, Andreas Karasiak, Johannette Zomer, Klaus Mertens; conducted by Ton Koopman. Recorded in 2006 or 2007 in Waalse Church, Amsterdam. Challenge Classics: CC 72250. Selected Bibliography: Kilian, Dietrich. Das Vokalwerk Dietrich Buxtehudes: Quellenstudien zu seiner Überlieferüng und Verwendung, 13, 22, 195, 197, 202, 237. Free University of Berlin, dissertation, 1956. Grusnick, Bruno. “Zur Chronologie von Dietrich Buxtehudes Vokalwerken.” Musikforschung, volume 10 (1957): 80, 84. Sørenson, Søren. Diderich Buxtehudes vokale kirkenmusik: Studier til den evangeliske kirkekantates udviklingshistorie, 36, 95, 97, 154, 168, 171. Copenhagen: Ejnar Munksgaard, 1958. Geck, Martin. Die Vokalmusik Dietrich Butxtehudes und der frühe Pietismus, 52, 57. Kassel: Bärenreiter, 1965. Karstädt, Georg. Thematisch-systematisches Verzeichnis der musikalischen Werke von Dietrich Buxtehude: Buxtehude-Werke-Verzeichnis, 25. Wiesbaden:
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Breitkopf und Härtel, 1974. Snyder, Kerala J. Dieterich Buxtehude: Organist in Lübeck, 143, 189, 334, 365, 375. New York: Schirmer Books, 1987.
Fürwahr, er trug unserer Krankheit, BuxWV 31 (c. 1680-1690) Duration: ca. 11 minutes Text: The text is Isaiah 53:4-5. Performing Forces: voices: 2 sopranos, alto, tenor, and bass; SSATB choir; orchestra: 2 violins, 2 violas da gamba,205 violone (double bass) or bassoon, and continuo First Performance: unknown Editions: Fürwahr, er trug unserer Krankheit is published in a facsimile edition with commentary by Bruno Grusnick (Kassel: Bärenreiter). It is also available from Hänssler-Editions, Stuttgart, edited by Graulich. Autograph: The autograph score may be found in the Uppsala Universitetsbiblioteket (6:9). Notes: The manuscript includes the word “con le capella” indicating Buxtehude’s expectation for choral participation. He indicates their entrance with “tutti.” Performance Issues: The choral writing is primarily in close imitation with some homophonic passages. The vocal parts are directly doubled by the instruments much of the time. There are a number of metric and tempo changes all of which are quite natural. The sting writing is idiomatic and well within the abilities of most amateur players. Soloists: soprano I - range: e'g'', tessitura: g'-g'', this is a lyric solo appropriate for a chorister; soprano II - range: c'-g'', tessitura: g'-e♭'', this is a simple declamatory solo appropriate for a chorister; alto - range: g-a♭', tessitura: b♭-f', this is a simple declamatory solo appropriate for a chorister; tenor - range: g-f'', tessitura: g-f'', this is a simple declamatory solo; bass - range: G-b♭, tessitura: B♭-b♭, this is a declamatory solo appropriate for a chorister. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: easy. Selected Discography: Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra and Soloists; conducted by Ton Koopman. Challenge: CC 72256. Barbara Ulrich, Heidi Reiss, Friedrich Melzer, Oly Pfaff, Bruce Abel; Stuttgart Motet Choir; conducted by Gunter Graulich. Carus: 83.134. Gerd Turk, Kerstin Bruns, Stephan Schreckenberger; Cantus Cölln; conducted by Konrad Junghänel. Recorded April 1997. Harmonia Mundi: 501629.
205 Both of these parts are navigable on viola.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Collegium Ad Mosam; conducted by Huub Ehlen. Recorded October 2006 in the Decanal Chapel of the Abbey of St. Amelberga of Susteren. Solal: 4. Selected Bibliography: Kilian, Dietrich. Das Vokalwerk Dietrich Buxtehudes: Quellenstudien zu seiner Überlieferüng und Verwendung, 14, 22, 34, 152, 185, 190. Free University of Berlin, dissertation, 1956. Sørenson, Søren. Diderich Buxtehudes vokale kirkenmusik: Studier til den evangeliske kirkekantates udviklingshistorie, 30, 66, 70, 238. Copenhagen: Ejnar Munksgaard, 1958. Geck, Martin. Die Vokalmusik Dietrich Butxtehudes und der frühe Pietismus, 52, 57, 177, 187. Kassel: Bärenreiter, 1965. Karstädt, Georg. Thematisch-systematisches Verzeichnis der musikalischen Werke von Dietrich Buxtehude: Buxtehude-Werke-Verzeichnis, 28-30. Wiesbaden: Breitkopf und Härtel, 1974.
Gott fähret auf mit Jauchzen, BuxWV 33 Duration: ca. 9 minutes Text: The text is Psalm 47:6-7. Johann Rist is the author of poem in the aria. It is from Himmlische Lieder published in Lüneburg in 1642. Performing Forces: voices: 2 sopranos and bass soloist, SSB choir; orchestra: 2 trombettas, 2 cornetti, 2 trombones, 2 violins, 2 violas, and continuo First Performance: unknown Editions: Gott fähret auf mit Jauchzen is published in a critical edition, Dietrich Buxtehude: Werke, edited by Wilibald Gurlitt, volume 5, page 44. Autograph: Manuscript materials may be found in the Uppsala Universitetsbiblioteket (82:43). Notes: This work incorporates the anonymous hymn tune Nun freut euch lieben Christen g’mein (1535). Buxtehude also used this tune in BuxWV 32, 210, and 211. J. S. Bach used this same hymn tune in BWV 70 and 248. Performance Issues: The strings and brass play in alternate movements, but never concurrently. The work is scored so that it could be performed by a solo trio throughout. The three voices appear in ensemble only in the final two sections, which could be done as choruses; however, even here the use of a solo trio for the penultimate movement, followed by full choir in the finale would be very effective. Aside from the ensemble sections, a single soprano soloist could be used. Each pair of like instruments is treated as a homophonic pair in the orchestration, which is rich and very functional. The trombetta I part has a fairly high
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tessitura, but there are ample rests between most phrases to mitigate fatigue. The choral writing includes some melismatic writing. The choral material is harmonically support by the continuo and is generally presented in alternation with the brass, so balance will not be a challenge. Soloists: soprano I - range: e'g'', tessitura: g'-g'', this is a declamatory solo accompanied by continuo alone; soprano II - range: e'-g'', tessitura: g'-g'', this is a declamatory solo accompanied by continuo alone; bass - range: D-c', tessitura: G-c', this is the featured solo role, it is lyrical with some intricate melismas, pitches below G are few and not sustained. Choir: easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Miriam Meyer, Bettina Pahn, Klaus Mertens; conducted by Ton Koopman. Recorded in 2006 or 2007 in Waalse Church, Amsterdam. Challenge Classics: CC 72250. Selected Bibliography: Sørenson, Søren. Diderich Buxtehudes vokale kirkenmusik: Studier til den evangeliske kirkekantates udviklingshistorie, 31, 71, 82, 91, 190, 220. Copenhagen: Ejnar Munksgaard, 1958. Geck, Martin. Die Vokalmusik Dietrich Butxtehudes und der frühe Pietismus, 52, 57, 191. Kassel: Bärenreiter, 1965. Karstädt, Georg. Thematisch-systematisches Verzeichnis der musikalischen Werke von Dietrich Buxtehude: Buxtehude-Werke-Verzeichnis, 31-32. Wiesbaden: Breitkopf und Härtel, 1974. Snyder, Kerala J. Dieterich Buxtehude: Organist in Lübeck, 144, 148, 198, 200, 208, 333, 374. New York: Schirmer Books, 1987.
Gott hilf mir, BuxWV 34 Duration: ca. 14 minutes Text: The text includes Psalm 69:2-3, Isaiah 43:1-3, Psalm 130:7-8, the chorale “Wer hofft in Gott” by Lazarus Spengler from 1524. The authors of the two additional texts, “Ach ja mein Gott” and the fifth strophe of “Durch Adams Fall,” are not known. Performing Forces: voices: 2 sopranos, and 2 bass soloists; SSATBB choir; orchestra: 2 violins, 2 violas, violone (double bass), and continuo. Other editions include Henle (36 006), edited by Graulich; Durand edited by Raugel; and Wilhelm Hansen, edited by Sørenson. First Performance: unknown Editions: Gott hilf mir is published in the critical editions, Abendmusiken en und Kirchenkantaten, volume 14, page 57 of Denkmäler deutscher Tonkunst, edited by Max Seiffert (Leipzig: Breitkopf und Härtel, 1903; revised in 1957 by Hans J. Moser).
Autograph: Manuscript materials may be found in the Uppsala Universitetsbiblioteket (50:19). Notes: This cantata incorporates the hymn tune Durch Adams Fall ist ganz verderbt, which Buxtehude uses as the basis of his organ work of that name, BuxWV 183. The tune had been a secular song about the battle of Pavia and was soon adapted to sacred use, appearing in Klug’s Geistliches Lieder in 1529. J. S. Bach used this tune in BWV 18 and 109. Performance Issues: The choral writing is principally homophonic with some internal contrapuntally sections. There is a five-part vocal passage that includes some elaborate figures that suggest they are intended for the solo quintet. Such an approach would be logical if a choir is to be used, as the textures and writing are so different in that one section. The instrumental writing is conservative and accessible to most players. Soloists: soprano I - range: g'-g'', tessitura: g'-f'', this is a lyric solo with some coloratura; soprano II - range: e'-f'', tessitura: e'-c'', this is a lyric solo with some coloratura; bass I - range: D-e♭', tessitura: G-d', this is a vocally challenging solo requiring clarity throughout the range; bass II - range: F-d♭', tessitura: B♭-c', this is a straightforward declamatory solo. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Cologne Musica Fiata; conducted by Roland Wilson. Recorded November 2006 in St. Nicholas and St. Ulrich’s Church in Mögeldorf, Germany. CPO: 777318. Gerd Turk, Hedwig Westhoff-Duppmann, Stephan Schreckenberger; Cantus Cölln; conducted by Konrad Junghänel. Recorded April 1997. Harmonia Mundi: 501629. Barbara Ulrich, Heidi Reiss, Bruce Abel; Stuttgart Motet Choir; conducted by Gunter Graulich. Carus: 83.134. Collegium Ad Mosam; conducted by Huub Ehlen. Recorded October 2006 in the Decanal Chapel of the Abbey of St. Amelberga of Susteren. Solal: 4. Selected Bibliography: Stahl, Wilhelm. Dietrich Buxtehude, second edition, 45, 47, 49, 51. Kassel: Bärenreiter, 1952. Kilian, Dietrich. Das Vokalwerk Dietrich Buxtehudes: Quellenstudien zu seiner Überlieferüng und Verwendung, 190, 222. Free University of Berlin, dissertation, 1956. Sørenson, Søren. Diderich Buxtehudes vokale kirkenmusik: Studier til den evangeliske kirkekantates udviklingshistorie, 34, 83, 86, 91, 172, 180, 187, 313. Copenhagen: Ejnar Munksgaard, 1958. Geck, Martin. Die Vokalmusik Dietrich Butxtehudes und der frühe Pietismus, 31, 45, 52, 57, 191. Kassel: Bärenreiter, 1965. Karstädt, Georg. Thematisch-systematisches Verzeichnis der musikalischen Werke von Dietrich Buxtehude: Buxtehude-Werke-Verzeichnis, 32-34. Wiesbaden:
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Breitkopf und Härtel, 1974. Snyder, Kerala J. Dieterich Buxtehude: Organist in Lübeck, 139, 141, 143, 201-202, 364, 383. New York: Schirmer Books, 1987.
Herren vår Gud / Der Herr erhöre dich, BuxWV 40 (1687) Duration: ca. 6 minutes Text: The text is Psalm 20, taken from The Swenska Psalm Boken, which was published in Stockholm in 1697. Performing Forces: voices: SATB choir; orchestra: 2 violins, violone (double bass), and continuo First Performance: unknown Editions: Herren vår Gud is published in a critical edition, Dietrich Buxtehude: Werke, edited by Dietrich Killian, volume 8, page 64. There is another edition from Edition Merseburger (955), edited by Dietrich Kilian. Autograph: Manuscript materials may be found in the Uppsala Universitetsbiblioteket (85:1-18). Notes: Buxtehude incorporates the hymn tune Ach Herr, wie lang willst du jetzt. Performance Issues: This work is an elaborate and effective presentation of a four-part setting of a Lutheran hymn. The hymn is presented with florid instrumental ritornelli between each vocal phrase. The vocal writing is all presented as a chorale. The instrumental parts are idiomatic and accessible to most amateur players. Choir: easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Theatre of Voices; conducted by Paul Hillier. Recorded February 2010 in St. Maria Church, Helsingør. Da Capo: 6220534. Selected Bibliography: Kilian, Dietrich. Das Vokalwerk Dietrich Buxtehudes: Quellenstudien zu seiner Überlieferüng und Verwendung, 22, 149, 199, 202, 254. Free University of Berlin, dissertation, 1956. Grusnick, Bruno. “Zur Chronologie von Dietrich Buxtehudes Vokalwerken.” Musikforschung, volume 10 (1957): 77, 80, 84. Sørenson, Søren. Diderich Buxtehudes vokale kirkenmusik: Studier til den evangeliske kirkekantates udviklingshistorie, 36, 95, 97, 168, 171, 306. Copenhagen: Ejnar Munksgaard, 1958. ———. “Instrumentalforspillen i Buxtehudes kantater.” Dansk Aaborg for Musikforskning (1961): 14, 22, 24, 34. Geck, Martin. Die Vokalmusik Dietrich Butxtehudes und der frühe Pietismus, 52, 58, 67. Kassel: Bärenreiter, 1965.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Karstädt, Georg. Thematisch-systematisches Verzeichnis der musikalischen Werke von Dietrich Buxtehude: Buxtehude-Werke-Verzeichnis, 38. Wiesbaden: Breitkopf und Härtel, 1974. Snyder, Kerala J. Dieterich Buxtehude: Organist in Lübeck, 140, 189, 334, 365. New York: Schirmer Books, 1987.
Herzlich lieb, hab ich dich o Herr, BuxWV 41 Duration: ca. 18 minutes Text: The text is by Martin Schalling (c. 1570). Performing Forces: voices: SSATB choir; orchestra: strings (2 violins, 2 violas, and double bass or bassoon), and continuo First Performance: unknown Editions: Herzlich lieb, hab ich dich o Herr is published in a critical edition edited by Bruno Grusnick (Kassel: Bärenreiter), which is available for purchase as a reprint from Kalmus. Autograph: Manuscript materials may be found in the Bibliothek der Hansestadt of the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek, Berlin (A373). Notes: This verse cantata uses the anonymous hymn tune Herzlich lieb, hab ich dich o Herr, which is attributed to Bernard Schmid and appears in OrgeltablaturBuch, Stassburg (1577). The tune receives a different treatment in each verse, demonstrating Buxtehude’s inventive talents to great effect. J. S. Bach used this tune in BWV, 19, 149, 174, and 245. Performance Issues: The choral writing is varied including homophonic passages and extended contrapuntal writing with some ornamental melismas, which is always harmonically supported by the continuo, but not always accompanied colla parte by the strings. Some performances utilize a solo quintet throughout the work, but a good choir can navigate the entire composition successfully. Were one to desire a contrast of vocal textures, some verses could be assigned to a solo quintet with others reserved for full choir. This would open the piece to less developed ensembles with a group of stronger choristers handling the more technically challenging passages. The continuo group has the lion’s share of the instrumental writing. The string parts are idiomatic and quite easy. The trumpets only appear verse 3, mm. 78-97. This passage is included in the violin parts, and can be navigated without trumpets, but their presence is desirable. The trumpet I part is high and exposed, aside from this part the orchestral component is not challenging. Choir: medium difficult. Orchestra: easy.
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Selected Discography: Gothenburg Baroque Arts Ensemble; conducted by Magnus Kjellson. Intim Musik. Kerstin Bruns, Wilfried Jochens, Stephan Schreckenberger; Cantus Cölln; conducted by Konrad Junghänel. Recorded April 1997. Harmonia Mundi: 501629. Collegium Ad Mosam; conducted by Huub Ehlen. Recorded October 2006 in the Decanal Chapel of the Abbey of St. Amelberga of Susteren. Solal: 4. Miriam Meyer, Bettina Pahn, Klaus Mertens, Jorg Durmuller; conducted by Ton Koopman. Recorded in 2006 or 2007 in Waalse Church, Amsterdam. Challenge Classics: CC 72246. Selected Bibliography: Kilian, Dietrich. Das Vokalwerk Dietrich Buxtehudes: Quellenstudien zu seiner Überlieferüng und Verwendung, 22, 48, 51, 53, 107, 143. Free University of Berlin, dissertation, 1956. Sørenson, Søren. Diderich Buxtehudes vokale kirkenmusik: Studier til den evangeliske kirkekantates udviklingshistorie, 22, 37, 117, 122, 167, 169. Copenhagen: Ejnar Munksgaard, 1958. Geck, Martin. “Die Authentizität des Vokalwerkes Dietrich Buxtehudes in quellenkritischer Sicht.” Musikforschung, volume 14 (1961): 394, 396. ———. Die Vokalmusik Dietrich Butxtehudes und der frühe Pietismus, 36, 52, 57, 138, 206. Kassel: Bärenreiter, 1965. Karstädt, Georg. Der Lübecker Kantatenband Dietrich Buxtehudes: Ein Studie über die Tablatur Mus. A 373, 17, 20, 23, 26, 32, 54, 77, 79. Lübeck: Max SchmidtRömhild, 1971. ———. Thematisch-systematisches Verzeichnis der musikalischen Werke von Dietrich Buxtehude: Buxtehude-Werke-Verzeichnis, 38-39. Wiesbaden: Breitkopf und Härtel, 1974. Snyder, Kerala J. Dieterich Buxtehude: Organist in Lübeck, 139, 144, 189, 193-195, 201, 205, 323-324, 338-339, 364, 376. New York: Schirmer Books, 1987.
Ich habe Lust, abzuscheiden, BuxWV 46 and 47 Duration: ca. 9 minutes Text: The text is Philippians 1:23 and “Spann aus, ach frommer Gott,” by Michael Walther from Neuerfundene Gaistliche Wasser-Quelle, published in Franfurt in 1658. Performing Forces: voices: 2 sopranos, bass; orchestra: 2 violins, violone (double bass) or bassoon, and continuo First Performance: unknown Editions: Both versions of Ich habe Lust, abzuscheiden are published in a critical edition, Dietrich Buxtehude:
Werke, edited by Wilibald Gurlitt, volume 5, page 56, and page 62. BuxWV 46 also appears in an edition by Bruno Grusnick (Kassel: Bärenreiter) (894), which is available from Lucks as a reprint. Autograph: Manuscript materials for BuxWV 46 may be found in the Uppsala Universitetsbiblioteket (51:4 and 82:42). Additional manuscript materials for BuxWV 47 may be found in the Bibliothek der Hansestadt of the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek, Berlin (A373). Notes: BuxWV 46 and 47 are two versions of the same work of which the former is the more elaborate. Performance Issues: The vocal writing is organized in a way that three soloists can be used throughout, or they can be integrated with a choral component. The vocal parts are supported harmonically by the continuo. The instrumental writing is idiomatic and will work well with single instruments. Soloists: soprano I - range: g'-g'' (f#'-g'' in version 2), tessitura: g'-e♭'', this is a simple lyric solo; soprano II - range: g'-g'', tessitura: g'-e♭'', this is a simple lyric solo; bass - range: Ge♭', tessitura: c-c', this is a lyric solo with some coloratura writing. Choir: easy; Orchestra: easy.
Selected Discography (BuxWV 47): Miriam Meyer, Bettina Pahn, Klaus Mertens; conducted by Ton Koopman. Recorded in 2006 or 2007 in Waalse Church, Amsterdam. Challenge Classics: CC 72246. Emma Kirkby, Suzie LeBlanc, Peter Harvey; Purcell Quartet. Recorded February 2002 in St. Jude on the Hill, Hempstead, London. Chandos: 691. Selected Bibliography: Kilian, Dietrich. Das Vokalwerk Dietrich Buxtehudes: Quellenstudien zu seiner Überlieferüng und Verwendung, 48, 51, 194. Free University of Berlin, dissertation, 1956. Sørenson, Søren. Diderich Buxtehudes vokale kirkenmusik: Studier til den evangeliske kirkekantates udviklingshistorie, 22, 31, 32, 71, 72, 74, 82, 92, 190, 224. Copenhagen: Ejnar Munksgaard, 1958. Geck, Martin. Die Vokalmusik Dietrich Butxtehudes und der frühe Pietismus, 30, 34, 52, 57, 143, 196. Kassel: Bärenreiter, 1965. Karstädt, Georg. Der Lübecker Kantatenband Dietrich Buxtehudes: Ein Studie über die Tablatur Mus. A 373; 20, 22, 25, 59, 77, and 79. Lübeck: Max SchmidtRömhild, 1971. ———. Thematisch-systematisches Verzeichnis der musikalischen Werke von Dietrich Buxtehude: Buxtehude-Werke-Verzeichnis, 43-45. Wiesbaden: Breitkopf und Härtel, 1974. Snyder, Kerala J. Dieterich Buxtehude: Organist in Lübeck, 148, 198, 323, 333, 339, 341, 343-346, and 359. New York: Schirmer Books, 1987.
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Ihr lieben Christen freut euch nun, BuxWV 51
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
bass - range: F#-c#', tessitura: B-b, this is a lyric solo. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: difficult.
Duration: ca. 11 to 12 minutes
Selected Discography:
Text: The text is by Erasmus Alberus (1546).
The following winds may be added to or substituted for the strings above: 3 cornetts206 (or 3 oboes or 3 trumpets), bassoon, 3 trombones, and continuo. Ideally, the full complement of instruments will be employed.
Bettina Pahn, Johannette Zomer, Bogna Bartosz, Patrick van Goethem, Daniel Taylor, Jorg Durmuller, Andreas Karasiak, Donald Bentvelsen, Klaus Mertens; Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra and Choir; conducted by Ton Koopman. Challenge Classics: CC 72244. Cologne Musica Fiata; conducted by Roland Wilson. Recorded November 2006 in St. Nicholas and St. Ulrich’s Church in Mögeldorf, Germany. CPO: 777318. Vocalensemble Rastatt, Les Favorites; conducted by Holger Speck. Carus: 83.156.
First Performance: unknown
Selected Bibliography:
Editions: Ihr lieben Christen freut euch nun is published in the critical editions, Abendmusiken en und Kirchenkantaten, volume 14, page 104 of Denkmäler deutscher Tonkunst, edited by Max Seiffert (Leipzig: Breitkopf und Härtel, 1903; revised in 1957 by Hans J. Moser [Wiesbaden: Breitkopf und Härtel, 1957]). It appears in a subsequent scholarly edition prepared by Bruno and Barbara Grusnick published in NeuhausenStuttgart by Hännsler, 1979. It is also available for purchase in editions from: Kalmus and Carus.
Kilian, Dietrich. Das Vokalwerk Dietrich Buxtehudes: Quellenstudien zu seiner Überlieferüng und Verwendung, 17, 48, 51, 53, 107, 123, 143, 185, 190, 222, 236, 241. Free University of Berlin, dissertation, 1956. Sørenson, Søren. Diderich Buxtehudes vokale kirkenmusik: Studier til den evangeliske kirkekantates udviklingshistorie, 38, 134, 139, 167, 170, 180, 187, 313. Copenhagen: Ejnar Munksgaard, 1958. Geck, Martin. “Die Authentizität des Vokalwerkes Dietrich Buxtehudes in quellenkritischer Sicht.” Musikforschung, volume 14 (1961): 394, 397. ———. Die Vokalmusik Dietrich Butxtehudes und der frühe Pietismus, 31, 44, 48, 56, 138, 207. Kassel: Bärenreiter, 1965. Karstädt, Georg. Der Lübecker Kantatenband Dietrich Buxtehudes: Ein Studie über die Tablatur Mus. A 373, 8, 18, 23, 25, 33, 41, and 77. Lübeck: Max SchmidtRömhild, 1971. ———. Thematisch-systematisches Verzeichnis der musikalischen Werke von Dietrich Buxtehude: Buxtehude-Werke-Verzeichnis, 48-49. Wiesbaden: Breitkopf und Härtel, 1974. Snyder, Kerala J. Dieterich Buxtehude: Organist in Lübeck, 147-148, 201, 304, 323-324, 339, 362-363, 374-376, and 383. New York: Schirmer Books, 1987.
Performing Forces: voices: 2 soprano and bass soloists; SSATB choir; orchestra: 2 trumpets, strings (with 3 violin parts and 2 viola parts), and continuo
Autograph: Manuscript materials may be found in the Bibliothek der Hansestadt of the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek, Berlin (A373). Notes: This work utilizes the hymn tune Nun laßt uns den Leib begraben, which was composed by George Rhau (1488-1548) and was first published in 1544. It is the basis of Bach’s chorale prelude for organ, BWV 1111. Performance Issues: The choral writing is practical and well supported by the accompaniment. The small ensemble vocal parts are accessible to choristers, and the work will accommodate a large choir. The orchestral writing is idiomatic, but technically more demanding than in most of Buxtehude’s concerted choral works. The trumpet parts are filled with conspicuous high flourishes, and the integration of the cornetto parts is desirable. These parts in particular require very strong players. This is a sonorously varied work that exhibits some of the composer’s most brilliant orchestrations. Soloists: soprano I - range: d'-f#'', tessitura: f#'-e'', this is a lyric solo appearing only in duet with the other soprano part; soprano II - range: c#'-d'', tessitura: d'd'', this is a lyric solo appearing only in duet with the other soprano part; alto - range: b-b', tessitura: d'-a', this is a lyric solo appearing only in a trio with bass and tenor; tenor - range: a-f#', tessitura: a-f#', this is a lyric solo appearing only in a trio with bass and alto; 206 These are labeled “Zinken,” which is the German name for the cornetto. It is a short, wide-bored instrument often made of wood
In dulci jubilo, BuxWV 52 Duration: ca. 6 minutes Text: The text is a traditional Christmas song from the late Middle Ages. Performing Forces: voices: 2 sopranos and bass; orchestra: 2 violins and continuo First Performance: unknown Editions: In dulci jubilo is published in a critical edition, Dietrich Buxtehude: Werke, edited by Wilibald Gurlitt, volume 5, page 69. It is also available from or ivory that has finger holes and a cup-shaped mouthpiece. It has a bright, trumpet-like quality (Adam Carse, Musical Wind Instruments, 44 [New York: Da Capo Press, 1965]).
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Bärenreiter, edited by Grusnick; Hansen, edited by Hedar; Hännsler, edited by Graulich and Horn; Carus, edited by Derek McCulloch; and Kalmus.
Text: The text is Gospel of St. Matthew 22:17 and 21 and a poem “Meister, ist es recht,” by an unidentified author.
Autograph: Manuscript materials may be found in the Uppsala Universitetsbiblioteket (82:43); and the Music Collection of the Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin Preußischer Kulturbesitz (2680).
Performing Forces: voices: SSATB choir; orchestra: 2 violins, 2 violas, violone (double bass), and continuo
Notes: This work incorporates the well-known German carol melody In dulci jubilo, which first appears in Codex 1305, and manuscript from c. 1400. Performance Issues: This work is an elaborate and effective presentation of a four-part setting of a popular Christmas hymn. The hymn is presented with florid instrumental ritornelli between each vocal phrase. The vocal writing is all presented as a chorale. The instrumental parts are idiomatic and accessible to most amateur players. Choir: easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Bettina Pahn, Johannette Zomer, Bogna Bartosz, Patrick van Goethem, Daniel Taylor, Jorg Durmuller, Andreas Karasiak, Donald Bentvelsen, Klaus Mertens; Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra and Choir; conducted by Ton Koopman. Challenge Classics: CC 72244. Margaret Pearce, Helen Gagliano, Michael Leighton Shugg; Arcadia; conducted by Jaqueline Ogeil. Recorded in the Chapel of the Carmelite Monastery in Kew, Melbourne, Australia. Tall Poppies: TP 157. Vocalensemble Rastatt, Les Favorites; conducted by Holger Speck. Carus: 83.156. Selected Bibliography: Kilian, Dietrich. Das Vokalwerk Dietrich Buxtehudes: Quellenstudien zu seiner Überlieferüng und Verwendung, 21, 57, 59, 63, 67, 69, 75, 98, 100, 128, 222. Free University of Berlin, dissertation, 1956. Sørenson, Søren. Diderich Buxtehudes vokale kirkenmusik: Studier til den evangeliske kirkekantates udviklingshistorie, 23, 35, 99, 167, 169, 171. Copenhagen: Ejnar Munksgaard, 1958. Geck, Martin. Die Vokalmusik Dietrich Butxtehudes und der frühe Pietismus, 36, 45, 52, 57, 152. Kassel: Bärenreiter, 1965. Karstädt, Georg. Thematisch-systematisches Verzeichnis der musikalischen Werke von Dietrich Buxtehude: Buxtehude-Werke-Verzeichnis, 49-50. Wiesbaden: Breitkopf und Härtel, 1974. Snyder, Kerala J. Dieterich Buxtehude: Organist in Lübeck, 143, 148, 189-190, 316, 333. New York: Schirmer Books, 1987.
Ist es recht, das man dem Kaiser Zinse gebe oder nicht? BuxWV 54 Duration: ca. 9 minutes
First Performance: unknown Editions: Ist es recht is published in a critical edition edited by Bruno Grusnick (Kassel: Bärenreiter). Autograph: Manuscript materials may be found in the Uppsala Universitetsbiblioteket (51:11). Notes: The score is organized into three movements, which are labeled for choir in movements I and III and trio in Movement II. The writing in the middle movement is stylistically consistent with the choruses and would be entirely appropriate as an ATB choral passage, or it could be done by a semichoir or soloists. The parts are vocally easy and well within the abilities of choristers. Performance Issues: The choral writing is almost exclusively syllabic and alternates sections of pure homophony with close imitation between varying groupings within the choir. The choral material is vocally and musically conservative. Much of the choral parts are directly doubled by the instruments with some rhythmic variation. The string writing is simple and idiomatic. This is a practical work well within the abilities of most amateur ensembles. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: easy. Selected Discography: Miriam Meyer, Siri Karoline Thornhill, Klaus Mertens, Jorg Durmuller; conducted by Ton Koopman. Recorded in 2006 or 2007 in Waalse Church, Amsterdam. Challenge Classics: CC 72250. Selected Bibliography: Kilian, Dietrich. Das Vokalwerk Dietrich Buxtehudes: Quellenstudien zu seiner Überlieferüng und Verwendung, 185, 190, 223, 235, 240. Free University of Berlin, dissertation, 1956. Sørenson, Søren. Diderich Buxtehudes vokale kirkenmusik: Studier til den evangeliske kirkekantates udviklingshistorie, 32, 71, 73, 82, 91, 180, 187. Copenhagen: Ejnar Munksgaard, 1958. Geck, Martin. Die Vokalmusik Dietrich Butxtehudes und der frühe Pietismus, 31, 33, 37, 46, 48, 53, 55, 58, 68, 194. Kassel: Bärenreiter, 1965. Karstädt, Georg. Thematisch-systematisches Verzeichnis der musikalischen Werke von Dietrich Buxtehude: Buxtehude-Werke-Verzeichnis, 50-51. Wiesbaden: Breitkopf und Härtel, 1974. Snyder, Kerala J. Dieterich Buxtehude: Organist in Lübeck, 141, 148, 198, 362-364, 383. New York: Schirmer Books, 1987.
276
Je höher du bist, BuxWV 55 Duration: ca. 15 minutes Text: The text is Ecclesiasticus 3:20 and the poem “Liebstes Kind,” which is by an unknown author. Performing Forces: voices: 2 sopranos, bass; orchestra: 2 violins, violone (double bass), and continuo. First Performance: unknown Editions: Je höher du bist is published in a critical edition, Dietrich Buxtehude: Werke, edited by Wilibald Gurlitt, volume 5, page 76. Autograph: Manuscript materials may be found in the Uppsala Universitetsbiblioteket (51:5 and 82:35). Performance Issues: This work can be effectively performed by a solo vocal trio, with choir providing all of the ensemble work, or with choir providing the final verses and soloists singing the other ensemble passages. The two solo soprano sections are nearly musically identical, presenting two successive strophes. Buxtehude has implemented his most conservative vocal writing for this final section, which makes this a good choice for a novice choir with a good trio available. The violone part often doubles the basso continuo, but the latter has some differing material. Organ is the clear best choice for the continuo, and in this case, a solo bass instrument need not be added to the part. Substituting a cello for the violone would be effective as well. The string writing is contrapuntally independent and would be successful with solo players. Soloist: soprano I - range: d'-g'', tessitura: f#'-f#'', this is a simple declamatory solo; soprano II - - range: d'g'', tessitura: f#'-f#'', this is a simple declamatory solo; bass - range: F#-d', tessitura: d-d', this is a declamatory solo with some wide leaps that should be able to project at the bottom of the indicated range. Choir: easy; Orchestra: medium easy.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Snyder, Kerala J. Dieterich Buxtehude: Organist in Lübeck, 141, 198, 302-303, 333. New York: Schirmer Books, 1987.
Jesu dulcis memoria, BuxWV 57 Duration: ca. 9 minutes Text: The text is from Jubilus Bernhardi of 1660 by Samuel Capricornus. Performing Forces: voices: alto, tenor, and bass; orchestra: 2 violins and basso continuo First Performance: unknown Editions: Jesu, dulcis memoria is published in a critical edition, Dietrich Buxtehude: Werke, edited by Wilibald Gurlitt, volume 7, page 72. Autograph: Manuscript materials may be found in the Uppsala Universitetsbiblioteket (51:8). Notes: Buxtehude also set this text for two sopranos using different melodic material, BuxWV 56. The piece is a very attractive single-movement chaconne on a three-bar ground bass. Performance Issues: The vocal material is suitable for a solo trio or ATB choir. There are rapid melismatic passages for all vocal parts, and the choral writing combines homophonic writing with close imitation and free counterpoint. The violin parts are fairly florid and occasionally invert. Because of the ground bass pattern, the continuo part does not double the bass vocal line. With the exception of one pedal D in the bass, all of the ranges are conservative, and the general tessitura is fairly low. The nature of the form makes this a work of six independent contrapuntal lines. There are some cross relations related to some shifting tonicizations that may prove challenging on initial reading. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium easy.
Selected Discography:
Selected Discography:
Dorothee Wohlgemuth, Siri Karoline Thornhill, Klaus Mertens; conducted by Ton Koopman. Recorded in Utrecht. Challenge Classics: 72253.
Michael Chance, Charles Daniels, Peter Harvey; Purcell Quartet; recorded September 2004, St. Jude on the Hill, Hempstead. Chandos Chaconne Series: 723. Klaus Mertens, Jorg Durmuller; conducted by Ton Koopman. Recorded in Utrecht. Challenge Classics: 72253.
Selected Bibliography: Sørenson, Søren. Diderich Buxtehudes vokale kirkenmusik: Studier til den evangeliske kirkekantates udviklingshistorie, 32, 71, 73, 81, 180, 190, 224, 306. Copenhagen: Ejnar Munksgaard, 1958. Geck, Martin. Die Vokalmusik Dietrich Butxtehudes und der frühe Pietismus, 31, 33, 57, 193. Kassel: Bärenreiter, 1965. Karstädt, Georg. Thematisch-systematisches Verzeichnis der musikalischen Werke von Dietrich Buxtehude: Buxtehude-Werke-Verzeichnis, 51-52. Wiesbaden: Breitkopf und Härtel, 1974.
Selected Bibliography: Kilian, Dietrich. Das Vokalwerk Dietrich Buxtehudes: Quellenstudien zu seiner Überlieferüng und Verwendung, 170, 185, 190, 234. Free University of Berlin, dissertation, 1956. Sørenson, Søren. Diderich Buxtehudes vokale kirkenmusik: Studier til den evangeliske kirkekantates udviklingshistorie, 41, 228, 262, 309. Copenhagen: Ejnar Munksgaard, 1958.
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Geck, Martin. Die Vokalmusik Dietrich Butxtehudes und der frühe Pietismus, 25, 48, 53, 70, 133, 200. Kassel: Bärenreiter, 1965. Grusnick, Bruno. “Die Dübensammlung: Ein Versuch ihrer chronologischen Ordnung.” Svensk tidskrift för musikforskning, volume 48 (1966): 174, 178, 183. Karstädt, Georg. Thematisch-systematisches Verzeichnis der musikalischen Werke von Dietrich Buxtehude: Buxtehude-Werke-Verzeichnis, 53. Wiesbaden: Breitkopf und Härtel, 1974. Snyder, Kerala J. Dieterich Buxtehude: Organist in Lübeck, 142, 175-176, 236, 347. New York: Schirmer Books, 1987.
Geck, Martin. Die Vokalmusik Dietrich Butxtehudes und der frühe Pietismus, 30, 33, 58, 135, 221. Kassel: Bärenreiter, 1965. Karstädt, Georg. Thematisch-systematisches Verzeichnis der musikalischen Werke von Dietrich Buxtehude: Buxtehude-Werke-Verzeichnis, 53-54. Wiesbaden: Breitkopf und Härtel, 1974. Snyder, Kerala J. Dieterich Buxtehude: Organist in Lübeck, 145, 177, 183-184, 369. New York: Schirmer Books, 1987.
Jesu, komm, mein Trost und Lachen, BuxWV 58
Text: The text is by Johann Franck (1653).
Duration: ca. 8 minutes Text: The text is by Ernst Christian Homburg from Geistlicher Lieder erste Theile, which was published in Jena in 1659. Performing Forces: voices: alto, tenor, and bass; orchestra: 2 violins, viola, violone (double bass), and continuo First Performance: unknown Editions: Jesu, komm, mein Trost und Lachen is published in a critical edition, Dietrich Buxtehude: Werke, edited by Wilibald Gurlitt, volume 7, page 81. Autograph: Manuscript materials may be found in the Uppsala Universitetsbiblioteket (6:12). Performance Issues: This work alternates instrumental passages with secco solo recitatives and tutti vocal passages that are appropriate for solo trio of choral ensemble. The choral numbers are homophonic and well reinforced by the accompaniment. Soloist: alto range: g-c'', tessitura: b-b', this is a declamatory solo with some intricate rhythmic figures; tenor - range: gg', tessitura: b-e', this is a declamatory solo with some intricate rhythmic figures; bass - range: G-d', tessitura: c-c', this is a declamatory solo with some broad melodic leaps. Choir: easy; Orchestra: easy. Selected Discography: Michael Chance, Charles Daniels, Peter Harvey; Purcell Quartet; recorded September 2004, St. Jude on the Hill, Hempstead. Chandos Chaconne Series: 723. Klaus Mertens, Jorg Durmuller; conducted by Ton Koopman. Recorded in Utrecht. Challenge Classics: 72253. Selected Bibliography: Sørenson, Søren. Diderich Buxtehudes vokale kirkenmusik: Studier til den evangeliske kirkekantates udviklingshistorie, 41, 190, 209, 213, 228, 309, 312. Copenhagen: Ejnar Munksgaard, 1958.
Jesu, meine Freude, BuxWV 60 Duration: ca. 12 minutes Performing Forces: voices: 2 sopranos and bass soloists; SSB choir; orchestra: bassoon, 2 violins, and continuo First Performance: unknown Editions: Jesu, meine Freude is published in a critical edition, Dietrich Buxtehude: Werke, edited by Wilibald Gurlitt, volume 5, page 87. It is also available for purchase in editions from Carus, edited by Jean Lunn; Bärenreiter, edited by Grusnick; Henrichsen, edited by Groves; Chantry Music Press, edited by Gore with the text “Jesu Joy and Treasure;” Foetisch, edited by Margot with the text “Jésus ma joie”; and Kalmus. Autograph: Manuscript materials may be found in the Uppsala Universitetsbiblioteket (85:1-18); and the Bibliothek der Hansestadt of the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek, Berlin (A373). Notes: This work is an elaboration on the hymn “Jesu, meine Freude,” by Johann Crüger (1653). Performance Issues: This work alternates concerted chorale verses with highly ornamented solo verses cleverly derived from the hymn tune. The string and bassoon parts include some florid passagework and could effectively be all solo players. The ensemble vocal sections are most effectively choral passages given the choral nature of the vocal writing. Soloists: soprano I - range: d'-g'', tessitura: e'-e'', this is a brief solo with florid melismas; soprano II - range: d#'-g'', tessitura: e'-e'', this is a lyric solo with some florid writing; bass - range: D-d', tessitura: E-g, this is a declamatory solo with wide melodic leaps for a true bass. Choir: easy, Orchestra: easy. Selected Discography: Emma Kirkby, Suzie LeBlanc, Peter Harvey; Purcell Quartet. Recorded February 2002 in St. Jude on the Hill, Hempstead, London. Chandos: 691. Harrad Wehrung, Gundula Bernat-Klein, Wilhelm Pommerien; Westfalische Kantorei; conducted by Wilhelm Ehmann. Recorded in June 1967 at the Petrikirche in Herford, Germany. Cantate: 57601.
278
Lautten Compagney Capella Angelica; conducted by Wolfgang Katschner. Carus: 83.193. Selected Bibliography: Kilian, Dietrich. Das Vokalwerk Dietrich Buxtehudes: Quellenstudien zu seiner Überlieferüng und Verwendung, 21, 48, 51. Free University of Berlin, dissertation, 1956. Grusnick, Bruno. “Zur Chronologie von Dietrich Buxtehudes Vokalwerken.” Musikforschung, volume 10 (1957): 80, 84. Sørenson, Søren. Diderich Buxtehudes vokale kirkenmusik: Studier til den evangeliske kirkekantates udviklingshistorie, 35, 94, 104, 117, 125, 165, 167, 200. Copenhagen: Ejnar Munksgaard, 1958. Geck, Martin. Die Vokalmusik Dietrich Butxtehudes und der frühe Pietismus, 21, 29, 34, 57, 205. Kassel: Bärenreiter, 1965. Karstädt, Georg. Der Lübecker Kantatenband Dietrich Buxtehudes: Ein Studie über die Tablatur Mus. A 373, 20, 22, 24, 26, 60, 77, and 79. Lübeck: Max SchmidtRömhild, 1971. Karstädt, Georg. Thematisch-systematisches Verzeichnis der musikalischen Werke von Dietrich Buxtehude: Buxtehude-Werke-Verzeichnis, 55-56. Wiesbaden: Breitkopf und Härtel, 1974. Snyder, Kerala J. Dieterich Buxtehude: Organist in Lübeck, 144, 189, 193-194, 323-324, 334. New York: Schirmer Books, 1987.
Jesu, meiner Freuden Meister, BuxWV 61 (1677) Duration: ca. 3 minutes Text: The text is by Mauritius Rachelius from “TrostLied…Bey Beysetzung seiner selein Ehe-Liebsten Margarita Rachelin,” which was included in Geistliche Gedechtnis-Seule…Margarita Rachelin/Zum Andencken auffgerichtet and published in Ratzeburg in 1677. Performing Forces: voices: bass soloists and SAT choir or trio; orchestra: strings and continuo First Performance: unknown Editions: Jesu, meiner Freuden Meister is published by Wilhelm Hansen in an edition by Søren Sørenson. Autograph: Print and manuscript materials may be found in the Uppsala Universitetsbiblioteket (86:36). Notes: This work was composed as a memorial for the wife of Mauritius Rachelius (author of the poem), a minister whose son had lived with Buxtehude at one time, perhaps as a student. It is one of the few compositions of Buxtehude to be published during his
207 Søren Sørenson, “Foreword” to Jesu meines Lebens Leben, 5 (Copenhagen: Wilhelm Hansen, 1977).
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
lifetime. The form is a strophic dialog between the soul (trio) and Christ (bass soloist). 207 Performance Issues: The choral movement may also be sung by a trio. It is in chorale form and fully supported by the continuo. The string writing is very easy and primarily in a chorale style. Soloist: bass - range: E-b, tessitura: G-g, this is a lilting sustained solo for a true bass. Choir: very easy; Orchestra: very easy. Selected Discography: Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra and Soloists; conducted by Ton Koopman. Challenge: CC 72256. Gothenburg Baroque Arts Ensemble; conducted by Magnus Kjellson. Intim Musik. Selected Bibliography: Kilian, Dietrich. Das Vokalwerk Dietrich Buxtehudes: Quellenstudien zu seiner Überlieferüng und Verwendung, 20, 27, 55, 139, 160, 255, 258. Free University of Berlin, dissertation, 1956. Grusnick, Bruno. “Zur Chronologie von Dietrich Buxtehudes Vokalwerken.” Musikforschung, volume 10 (1957): 76, 83. Sørenson, Søren. Diderich Buxtehudes vokale kirkenmusik: Studier til den evangeliske kirkekantates udviklingshistorie, 20, 42, 168, 189, 194, 306, 309, 312. Copenhagen: Ejnar Munksgaard, 1958. Geck, Martin. Die Vokalmusik Dietrich Butxtehudes und der frühe Pietismus, 57, 221. Kassel: Bärenreiter, 1965. Karstädt, Georg. Thematisch-systematisches Verzeichnis der musikalischen Werke von Dietrich Buxtehude: Buxtehude-Werke-Verzeichnis, 57. Wiesbaden: Breitkopf und Härtel, 1974.
Jesu, meines Lebens Leben, BuxWV 62 (1671-1674) Duration: ca. 6 minutes Text: The text is strophes 1-4 and 8 by Ernst Christian Homburg from Geistlicher Lieder erste Theile, which was published in Jena in 1659 with a melody for two voices by Wernero Fabricio. Performing Forces: voices: soprano and tenor soloists; SATB choir (optional); orchestra: 2 violins (violin I may be doubled by flute), 2 violas, violone (double bass), and continuo. First Performance: unknown Editions: Jesu, meines Lebens Leben was edited by Dietrich Kilian as part of Veröffentlichungen des Instituts für Musikforschung Berlin, series I, volume 37, Kantaten von Dietrich Buxtehude (Berlin: Merseburg, 1959). It is also published in the critical edition
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Dietrich Buxtehude: The Collected Works, edited by Kerala J. Snyder, volume 9, page 91, published by Broude. Autograph: Manuscript materials may be found in the Uppsala Universitetsbiblioteket (6:13 and 82:37). Notes: The Kerala J. Snyder edition above includes an appendix with an early version of the work that, among a variety of differences from the later version, does not include the final choral “Amens.” The critical commentary of that edition suggests the likelihood of the earlier version being from the 1670s and the later version from the 1680s. Performance Issues: It appears that the composer intended that this work be for solo quartet; however, alternation of solo and ensemble singing with a nimble choir would be very effective. In this format there are only two extended passages for solo voice for which the parameters are given below. The ensemble passages include some florid passagework for all parts, which are not directly doubled by the accompaniment. Soloists: soprano - range: c#'-g'', tessitura: d'-d'', this is a lyric solo; tenor - range: g-a', tessitura: a-f', this is a lyric solo. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Collegium Ad Mosam; conducted by Huub Ehlen. Recorded October 2006 in the Decanal Chapel of the Abbey of St. Amelberga of Susteren. Solal: 4. Donald Bentvelsen, Johannette Zomer, Jorg Durmuller; conducted by Ton Koopman. Recorded in 2006 or 2007 in Waalse Church, Amsterdam. Challenge Classics: CC 72246. Selected Bibliography: Kilian, Dietrich. Das Vokalwerk Dietrich Buxtehudes: Quellenstudien zu seiner Überlieferüng und Verwendung, 13, 20, 28, 137, 151, 161, 194, 250. Free University of Berlin, dissertation, 1956. Sørenson, Søren. Diderich Buxtehudes vokale kirkenmusik: Studier til den evangeliske kirkekantates udviklingshistorie, 25, 43, 228, 231, 262, 264, 309. Copenhagen: Ejnar Munksgaard, 1958. Geck, Martin. Die Vokalmusik Dietrich Butxtehudes und der frühe Pietismus, 30, 33, 57, 224. Kassel: Bärenreiter, 1965. Karstädt, Georg. Thematisch-systematisches Verzeichnis der musikalischen Werke von Dietrich Buxtehude: Buxtehude-Werke-Verzeichnis, 57-58. Wiesbaden: Breitkopf und Härtel, 1974. Snyder, Kerala J. “Critical Apparatus.” Dietrich Buxtehude: The Collected Works, volume 9: 283-287. New York: Broude, 1987. Snyder, Kerala J. Dieterich Buxtehude: Organist in Lübeck, 145, 148, 175, 177, 184, 206, 315, 335, 341342, 344, 347-349, 365, 374. New York: Schirmer Books, 1987.
Jesulein, du Tausendschön, BuxWV 63 Duration: ca. 9 minutes Text: The author of this text is unknown. Performing Forces: voices: alto, tenor, and bass; orchestra: 2 violins, bassoon or violone (double bass), and continuo First Performance: unknown Editions: Jesulein, du Tausendschön is published in a critical edition, Dietrich Buxtehude: Werke, edited by Wilibald Gurlitt, volume 7, page 89. Autograph: Manuscript materials may be found in the Uppsala Universitetsbiblioteket (51:9). Performance Issues: The tutti vocal movements are appropriate for a choral ensemble or a solo trio. A choir can be used only in the final “Alleluia” movement even if soloists are featured in the other vocal ensemble sections. The parts in the movement are simple vocally and musically. In the vocal ensemble passages there are extended florid melismas in each part. The alto and tenor solos are secco recitatives and the choral material has both continuo and concerted accompaniment. The bass solo is considerably longer than the others and has a fully concerted accompaniment. There are a few passages in which the violins are divided. This can be navigated with double stops, but the parts have two sets of stems suggesting the intention of multiple players and a true divisi at these points. Soloists: alto - range: a-b♭', tessitura: c'-g', this is a melismatic and lyrical solo; tenor - range: g-g', tessitura: g-g', this is a declamatory solo; bass - range: Gd', tessitura: c-c', this solo is lyrical with melismatic writing and is the feature of the cantata. Choir: medium easy. Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Andreas Karasiak, Klaus Mertens; conducted by Ton Koopman. Recorded in 2006 or 2007 in Waalse Church, Amsterdam. Challenge Classics: CC 72246. Selected Bibliography: Kilian, Dietrich. Das Vokalwerk Dietrich Buxtehudes: Quellenstudien zu seiner Überlieferüng und Verwendung, 13, 186, 191, 222. Free University of Berlin, dissertation, 1956. Sørenson, Søren. Diderich Buxtehudes vokale kirkenmusik: Studier til den evangeliske kirkekantates udviklingshistorie, 41, 180, 190, 197, 201, 203. Copenhagen: Ejnar Munksgaard, 1958. Geck, Martin. Die Vokalmusik Dietrich Butxtehudes und der frühe Pietismus, 31, 45, 57, 135, 153, 222. Kassel: Bärenreiter, 1965. Karstädt, Georg. Thematisch-systematisches Verzeichnis der musikalischen Werke von Dietrich Buxtehude: Buxtehude-Werke-Verzeichnis, 58-59. Wiesbaden:
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Breitkopf und Härtel, 1974. Snyder, Kerala J. Dieterich Buxtehude: Organist in Lübeck, 146, 177. New York: Schirmer Books, 1987.
Snyder, Kerala J. Dieterich Buxtehude: Organist in Lübeck, 28, 124, 139, 147, 156, 177, 182, 208, 312, 314, 333, 377, 383. New York: Schirmer Books, 1987.
Klinget mit Freuden, ihr klaren Klarinen, BuxWV 65 and BuxWV 119 (1680)
Kommst du, Licht der Heiden, BuxWV 66
Duration: ca. 7 minutes with all verses
Text: The text is by Ernst Christian Homburg from Geistlicher Lieder erste Theile, which was published in Jena in 1659.
Text: The text is from an unknown source. Performing Forces: voices: SSB choir; orchestra: 2 trumpets and/or 2 violins, violone (double bass), and continuo
Duration: ca. 10 minutes
Performing Forces: voices: SSB choir; orchestra: 2 violins, 2 violas, violone (double bass), and continuo
First Performance: 1680
First Performance: unknown
Editions: Klinget mit Freuden is published in a critical edition, Dietrich Buxtehude: Werke, edited by Wilibald Gurlitt, volume 5, page 96.
Editions: Kommst du, Licht der Heiden is published in a critical edition, Dietrich Buxtehude: Werke, edited by Wilibald Gurlitt, volume 6, page 14. It is also available from Hännsler, edited by Horn, and Wilhelm Hansen, edited by Hedar.
Autograph: Manuscript materials may be found in the Uppsala Universitetsbiblioteket (6:14). Notes: The sacred work is a parody of Buxtehude’s secular cantata, Klinget mit Freuden, ihr lärmen Klarinen, BuxWV 119. As BuxW 65, the text is for Feast of the Circumcision (1 January). The secular text is a narrative about the wedding between Charles XI, son of the King of Sweden, to Princess Ulricka Eleonore of Denmark. Performance Issues: The work is a five-verse homophonic trio with continuo accompaniment with ritornelli for strings and continuo or an alternate ritornello for trumpets and continuo. If resources allow, alternating between ritornelli would be ideal. Choir: very easy; Orchestra: easy. Selected Discography: Miriam Meyer, Bettina Pahn, Klaus Mertens; conducted by Ton Koopman. Recorded in 2006 or 2007 in Waalse Church, Amsterdam. Challenge Classics: CC 72246. Selected Bibliography: Kilian, Dietrich. Das Vokalwerk Dietrich Buxtehudes: Quellenstudien zu seiner Überlieferüng und Verwendung, 14, 24, 35, 149, 151, 166, 186, 190, 194, 202, 234. Free University of Berlin, dissertation, 1956. Grusnick, Bruno. “Zur Chronologie von Dietrich Buxtehudes Vokalwerken.” Musikforschung, volume 10 (1957): 83. Geck, Martin. Die Vokalmusik Dietrich Butxtehudes und der frühe Pietismus, 14, 48. Kassel: Bärenreiter, 1965. Karstädt, Georg. Thematisch-systematisches Verzeichnis der musikalischen Werke von Dietrich Buxtehude: Buxtehude-Werke-Verzeichnis, 60, 117. Wiesbaden: Breitkopf und Härtel, 1974.
Autograph: Manuscript materials may be found in the Uppsala Universitetsbiblioteket (6:15 and 82:42). Notes: The text is presented in five strophes that include varied musical material that is bound together by an instrumental ritornello. Performance Issues: The vocal material is well supported by the accompaniment. The vocal textures are primarily three-part with some two-part passages, but all of the vocal writing is homophonic. A solo trio would be effective, but this work also provides a great opportunity for a small less-experienced choir that has access to a capable quintet of strings. The vocal writing is simple and within conservative ranges. The instrumental writing is more ornate and contrapuntally complex. The parts remain idiomatic and technically accessible, but present greater musical independence than does the vocal material. Choir: easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Vocalensemble Rastatt, Les Favorites; conducted by Holger Speck. Carus: 83.156. Selected Bibliography: Kilian, Dietrich. Das Vokalwerk Dietrich Buxtehudes: Quellenstudien zu seiner Überlieferüng und Verwendung, 15, 159, 194, 222. Free University of Berlin, dissertation, 1956. Sørenson, Søren. Diderich Buxtehudes vokale kirkenmusik: Studier til den evangeliske kirkekantates udviklingshistorie, 40, 243, 256. Copenhagen: Ejnar Munksgaard, 1958. Geck, Martin. Die Vokalmusik Dietrich Butxtehudes und der frühe Pietismus, 30, 33, 45, 56, 135, 216. Kassel: Bärenreiter, 1965. Grusnick, Bruno. “Die Dübensammlung: Ein Versuch ihrer chronologischen Ordnung.” Svensk tidskrift för
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musikforskning, volume 46 (1964): 59; and volume 48 (1966): 138, 142, 143. Karstädt, Georg. Thematisch-systematisches Verzeichnis der musikalischen Werke von Dietrich Buxtehude: Buxtehude-Werke-Verzeichnis, 60. Wiesbaden: Breitkopf und Härtel, 1974. Snyder, Kerala J. Dieterich Buxtehude: Organist in Lübeck, 145, 177, 182, 309-311, 333-334, 369, 374. New York: Schirmer Books, 1987.
Lauda Sion Salvatorem, BuxWV 68 Duration: ca. 8 minutes Text: The text is a traditional communion sequence for the Mass of Corpus Christi. Performing Forces: voices: 2 sopranos and bass; orchestra: 2 violins, viola da gamba, and continuo. First Performance: unknown Editions: Lauda Sion Salvatorem is published in a critical edition, Dietrich Buxtehude: Werke, edited by Wilibald Gurlitt, volume 6, page 24. It is also available from Bärenreiter, edited by Grusnick with the German text “Lobet Christen, euren Heiland”; Wilhelm Hansen, edited by Hedar; Chantry Music Press, edited by Otto; and Kalmus. Autograph: Manuscript materials may be found in the Uppsala Universitetsbiblioteket (51:14 and 82:42); and in the Bibliothek der Hansestadt of the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek, Berlin (A373). Performance Issues: This work alternates trio passages of various textures. Some of the vocal ensemble writing is florid and imitative. A choir can be used for all the three-part material, or a solo trio could be used in alternation. Only the sopranos have true solo passages, and they are virtually musically identical. The vocal material is supported by the continuo alone. The string writing is flashy, but idiomatic. The gamba part parallels the continuo, but is rhythmically independent. An additional solo bass instrument is unnecessary for the continuo, although double bass would be effective. Soloists: soprano I - range: e'-f'', tessitura: e'-e'', this is a brief lyric solo; soprano II - range: e'-f'', tessitura: e'e'', this is a brief lyric solo. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Maria Friesenhausen; Kantorei Barmen-Gemarke; conducted by Helmut Kahlhofer. Recorded in January 1960 at the Immanuelkirche in Wuppertal-Barmen, Germany. Cantate: 57601. Johannette Zomer, Bettina Pahn, Klaus Mertens; conducted by Ton Koopman. Recorded in 2006 or 2007 in Waalse Church, Amsterdam. Challenge Classics: CC 72246.
Selected Bibliography: Kilian, Dietrich. Das Vokalwerk Dietrich Buxtehudes: Quellenstudien zu seiner Überlieferüng und Verwendung, 15, 21, 23, 34, 48, 196, 200, 232, 256. Free University of Berlin, dissertation, 1956. Sørenson, Søren. Diderich Buxtehudes vokale kirkenmusik: Studier til den evangeliske kirkekantates udviklingshistorie, 40, 189, 194, 207, 211, 306. Copenhagen: Ejnar Munksgaard, 1958. Geck, Martin. Die Vokalmusik Dietrich Butxtehudes und der frühe Pietismus, 25, 48, 53, 58, 199. Kassel: Bärenreiter, 1965. Karstädt, Georg. Der Lübecker Kantatenband Dietrich Buxtehudes: Ein Studie über die Tablatur Mus. A 373, 20, 22, 26, 32, 56, 77, and 79. Lübeck: Max SchmidtRömhild, 1971. ———. Thematisch-systematisches Verzeichnis der musikalischen Werke von Dietrich Buxtehude: Buxtehude-Werke-Verzeichnis, 61-62. Wiesbaden: Breitkopf und Härtel, 1974. Snyder, Kerala J. Dieterich Buxtehude: Organist in Lübeck, 142, 177, 323, 332-334. New York: Schirmer Books, 1987.
Mein Gemüt erfreuet sich, BuxWV 72 Duration: ca. 9 minutes Text: The text, by an unknown author, is taken from Vollständigen Gesangbuch, which was published in Hamburg in 1679. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, and bass; orchestra: 2 flutes, 3 bassoons, 2 trumpets, 2 cornetti, 3 trombones, 4 violins, and continuo First Performance: unknown Editions: Mein Gemüt erfreuet sich is published in a critical edition, Dietrich Buxtehude: Werke, edited by Wilibald Gurlitt, volume 7, page 10. Autograph: Manuscript materials may be found in the Uppsala Universitetsbiblioteket (85:1-18). Notes: The text refers to various musical instruments and the accompanying instruments change to reflect the textual references. Therefore the winds appear in only nine consecutive measures when the text states “Dulcians [baroque bassoons] and Flutes sound,” and the brass appear in six measures when the text states “Trombones and Trumpets echo.” The remainder of the work is accompanied by strings. Performance Issues: There are connecting passages for one voice part that appear intended for soloists. The cantata is in one movement with changes in orchestration by section of the work. The density of orchestration throughout suggests the use of choir for all threepart vocal sections, and a good argument could be made for the use a sections for some of the “solo” passages as well. Soloists: soprano - range: g'-g'',
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tessitura: g'-e'', this is a simple declamatory solo; alto - range: g-a', tessitura: b-g', this is a lyrical solo with extended melismas; bass - range: B-c', tessitura: c-c', this is a lyrical part with extended melismas. Choir: medium easy. Orchestra: medium easy.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Discography: No commercial recording Selected Bibliography:
Meine Seele, willtu ruhn, BuxWV 74
Kilian, Dietrich. Das Vokalwerk Dietrich Buxtehudes: Quellenstudien zu seiner Überlieferüng und Verwendung, 48, 51, 190. Free University of Berlin, dissertation, 1956. Sørenson, Søren. Diderich Buxtehudes vokale kirkenmusik: Studier til den evangeliske kirkekantates udviklingshistorie, 40, 189, 197. Copenhagen: Ejnar Munksgaard, 1958. Geck, Martin. “Die Authentizität des Vokalwerkes Dietrich Buxtehudes in quellenkritischer Sicht.” Musikforschung, volume 14 (1961): 394, 396. ———. Die Vokalmusik Dietrich Butxtehudes und der frühe Pietismus, 30, 35, 58, 105, 217. Kassel: Bärenreiter, 1965. Grusnick, Bruno. “Die Dübensammlung: Ein Versuch ihrer chronologischen Ordnung.” Svensk tidskrift för musikforskning, volume 48 (1966): 179, 184. Karstädt, Georg. Der Lübecker Kantatenband Dietrich Buxtehudes: Ein Studie über die Tablatur Mus. A 373, 20, 22, 25, 63, 77, 79. Lübeck: Max SchmidtRömhild, 1971. Karstädt, Georg. Thematisch-systematisches Verzeichnis der musikalischen Werke von Dietrich Buxtehude: Buxtehude-Werke-Verzeichnis, 67. Wiesbaden: Breitkopf und Härtel, 1974. Snyder, Kerala J. Dieterich Buxtehude: Organist in Lübeck, 145, 177, 323. New York: Schirmer Books, 1987.
Duration: ca. 6 minutes
Membra Jesu Nostri, BuxWV 75 (1680)
Text: The text is by Angelus Silesius from Heilige Seelen-Lust, which was published in Breslau in 1657.
Duration: ca. 60 minutes
Selected Discography: Cologne Musica Fiata; conducted by Roland Wilson. Recorded November 2006 in St. Nicholas and St. Ulrich’s Church in Mögeldorf, Germany. CPO: 777318. Bettina Pahn, Klaus Mertens; conducted by Ton Koopman. Recorded in 2006 or 2007 in Waalse Church, Amsterdam. Challenge Classics: CC 72246. Selected Bibliography: Sørenson, Søren. Diderich Buxtehudes vokale kirkenmusik: Studier til den evangeliske kirkekantates udviklingshistorie, 41, 190, 201, 307. Copenhagen: Ejnar Munksgaard, 1958. Geck, Martin. Die Vokalmusik Dietrich Butxtehudes und der frühe Pietismus, 30, 35, 38, 46, 57, 105, 135, 148, 218. Kassel: Bärenreiter, 1965. Karstädt, Georg. Thematisch-systematisches Verzeichnis der musikalischen Werke von Dietrich Buxtehude: Buxtehude-Werke-Verzeichnis, 64-65. Wiesbaden: Breitkopf und Härtel, 1974. Snyder, Kerala J. Dieterich Buxtehude: Organist in Lübeck, 55, 177, 185, 334, 374-376, 383. New York: Schirmer Books, 1987.
Performing Forces: voices: SSB choir; orchestra: 2 violins, violone (double bass), and continuo First Performance: unknown Editions: Meine Seele, willtu ruhn is published in a critical edition, Dietrich Buxtehude: Werke, edited by Wilibald Gurlitt, volume 6, page 30. Autograph: Manuscript materials may be found in the Uppsala Universitetsbiblioteket (51:16); and the Bibliothek der Hansestadt of the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek, Berlin (A373). Performance Issues: The vocal writing is three-part throughout with the voices supported by the continuo and other instruments appearing between the vocal phrases. Much of the vocal material is declamatory, and the vocal parts are conservative in range and contour. There is a final “Amen” section that is considerably more florid and provides some greater integration of voices and instruments. The string writing is idiomatic and would lend itself to solo players. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: easy.
Text: The text, Salve mundi salutare, is also called the Rhythmica oratio of St. Bernard. It is believed to be the work of Arnulf de Leuven, but has also been attributed to Bernard de Clairvaux, but he died two centuries before the earliest surviving copies were produced. The text is divided into seven parts, each addressed to a different part of Christ's crucified body: feet, knees, hands, side, chest, heart, and head. In Buxtehude’s setting each canto of the poem is interpolated with a passage of scripture as follows: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.
Ad pedes Ad genua Ad manus Ad latus Ad pectus Ad cor Ad faciem
Nahum 2:1 Isaiah 66:12 Zacharia 13:6 Song of Solomon 2:13-14 I Peter 2:2-3 Song of Solomon 4:9 Psalm 31:17
Performing Forces: voices: 2 sopranos, alto, tenor, and bass; SSATB choir; orchestra: 2 violins and viola or
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3 violins,208 viola da gamba, and continuo. Unlike the other sections, Canto six is scored for 2 sopranos and bass, 5 “violas,” which can be realized by 3 violas (or 1 violin and 2 violas) and 2 violas da gamba, and continuo. First Performance: unknown Editions: A critical edition has been prepared by Dietrich Kilian and published by Edition Merseburger (981-991). Another edition edited by Bruno Grusnick is published by Bärenreiter (3456-3463). Autograph: The autograph materials may be found in the Uppsala Universitetsbiblioteket (50:12) with a dedication page to Gustaf Düben. Notes: This is a cycle of seven cantatas. Some have referred to it as the first Lutheran oratorio. It is dedicated to Gutaf Düben, who was director of the Swedish Court Orchestra and organist of St. Gertrude’s Church in Stockholm. Paul Gerhardt’s German hymn “O Haupt voll Blut und Wunden” (O Sacred Head now Wounded) is a poetic translation of the last section. Performance Issues: The score presents a rich variety of contrapuntal textures interweaving five-part homophonic sections with pervasive imitation and frequent solo, duet, and trio passages. The entire work can be performed by a solo quintet and single strings, but the tutti passages, particularly the homophonic ones, would benefit from a larger ensemble presence. The score includes some references to the ripieno, but these references do not appear to be complete. Careful attention to the assignment of soli and tutti passages will yield great dramatic effect. The instrumental parts are very practically written and provide consistent support of the vocal parts. The score is devoid of dynamic markings and has only a few tempo indications, which should be carefully considered prior to rehearsal. The use of a theorbo in the continuo group is well worth considering. Soloists: soprano I - range: d'b♭'', tessitura: f'-f'', this is a lyric solo with some coloratura passagework; soprano II - range: d'-g'', tessitura: g'-e♭', this is a simple lyric solo; alto - range: g-c'', tessitura: b♭-g', this is a lyric solo with some rapid passagework that is particularly well suited for a countertenor; tenor - range: f#-g', tessitura: g-g', this is a lyric and gentle solo; bass - range: D-d', tessitura: B♭-c', this is a declamatory role that requires clarity across the indicated range. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium easy.
Selected Discography: Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra and Soloists; conducted by Ton Koopman. Challenge: CC 72255. 208 The score includes a “complemento” part that completes the harmony and could be played by violin or viola.
Carolyn Sampson, Libby Crabtree, Robin Blaz, James Gilchrist, Simon Birchall; The Symphony of Harmony and Invention; conducted by Harry Christophers. Recorded at St. Jude’s Church, Hampstead Garden, 79 February 2000. Linn Records: CKD 141. Joshua Cheatham, Ricardo Rodriguez Miranda, Christine Plubeau; Cantus Cölln; conducted by Konrad Junghänel. Recorded May 2005 in the Church of St. Osdag, Neustadt. Harmonia Mundi: 901912. Johannette Zomer, Anne Grimm, Andrew Tortise, Bas Ramselarr; Netherlands Bach Society; conducted by Jos van Veldhoven. Recorded November 2005 in Waalse Church, Amsterdam. Channel: 24006 [SACD]. Suzie LeBlanc, Catherine Webster, Matthew White, Pascal Charbonneau, Thomas Maglioranza; Les Voix Baroques. Recorded 2007 at the Church of SaintAugustin de Mirabel, Quebec. ATMA Classique: 2563. Selected Bibliography: Kilian, Dietrich. Das Vokalwerk Dietrich Buxtehudes: Quellenstudien zu seiner Überlieferüng und Verwendung, 14, 24, 28, 148, 151, 167, 185, 191, 193, 200, 234, 254. Free University of Berlin, dissertation, 1956. Sørenson, Søren. Diderich Buxtehudes vokale kirkenmusik: Studier til den evangeliske kirkekantates udviklingshistorie, 10, 32, 71, 82, 91, 190, 302, 306, 310, 312. Copenhagen: Ejnar Munksgaard, 1958. Kilian, Dietrich. “Buxtehudes Membra.” Norddeutsche und nordeuropäische Musik, (1963): 32-36. Geck, Martin. Die Vokalmusik Dietrich Butxtehudes und der frühe Pietismus, 27, 44, 48, 57, 94, 158, 202. Kassel: Bärenreiter, 1965. Grusnick, Bruno. “Die Dübensammlung: Ein Versuch ihrer chronologischen Ordnung.” Svensk tidskrift för musikforskning, volume 48 (1966): 178, 180, 186. Karstädt, Georg. Der Lübecker Kantatenband Dietrich Buxtehudes: Ein Studie über die Tablatur Mus. A 373, 23, 32, 35. Lübeck: Max Schmidt-Römhild, 1971. ———. Thematisch-systematisches Verzeichnis der musikalischen Werke von Dietrich Buxtehude: Buxtehude-Werke-Verzeichnis, 68-73. Wiesbaden: Breitkopf und Härtel, 1974. Snyder, Kerala J. Dieterich Buxtehude: Organist in Lübeck, 121, 139-142, 148, 156, 158, 198-119, 280, 312, 314, 331, 333, 368-369, 383-384. New York: Schirmer Books, 1987.
Nichts soll uns scheiden von der Liebe Gottes, BuxWV 77 Duration: ca. 10 minutes
284
Text: The text is Romans 8:9 and the poem “Wie sollte wohl heißen das zeitliche Leiden,” the authorship of which is undetermined. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, and bass;209 orchestra: 2 violins, violone (double bass), and continuo First Performance: unknown Editions: Nichts soll uns scheiden is published in a critical edition, Dietrich Buxtehude: Werke, edited by Wilibald Gurlitt, volume 7, page 20. It is also available from Hännsler, edited by Trubel; Pro Musica, edited by Westerlund; Krumpholz, edited by Leichti; and in a Swedish version from Nordiska Musikförlaget, edited by Hjorth. Autograph: Manuscript materials may be found in the Bibliothek der Hansestadt of the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek, Berlin (A373). Performance Issues: This work can be effectively performed by a vocal trio with a choir performing the closing chorale, or all SAB passages could be sung by a choir interspersed by the two brief solos. The choral material is harmonically supported by the accompaniment, and the bass part is nearly doubled by the continuo line. The violin parts have some ornamental passagework, and the violone part is occasionally independent of the continuo. Soloists: soprano - range: f'-f'', tessitura: f'-f'', this is a simple solo appropriate for a chorister; alto - range: f-g', tessitura: a-f', this is a simple solo appropriate for a chorister. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Emma Kirkby, Michael Chance, Peter Harvey; Purcell Quartet; recorded September 2004, St. Jude on the Hill, Hempstead. Chandos Chaconne Series: 723. Miriam Meyer, Klaus Mertens; conducted by Ton Koopman. Recorded in 2006 or 2007 in Waalse Church, Amsterdam. Challenge Classics: CC 72246. Selected Bibliography: Sørenson, Søren. Diderich Buxtehudes vokale kirkenmusik: Studier til den evangeliske kirkekantates udviklingshistorie, 32, 71, 73, 75, 82, 91, 180, 190, 220. Copenhagen: Ejnar Munksgaard, 1958. Geck, Martin. Die Vokalmusik Dietrich Butxtehudes und der frühe Pietismus, 31, 58, 195. Kassel: Bärenreiter, 1965. Karstädt, Georg. Der Lübecker Kantatenband Dietrich Buxtehudes: Ein Studie über die Tablatur Mus. A 373, 20, 23, 25, 32, 36, 58, 77, 79. Lübeck: Max SchmidtRömhild, 1971.
209 The score labels the part as “bassetto,” or little bass. This implies a baritone. The range A-f'.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
———. Thematisch-systematisches Verzeichnis der musikalischen Werke von Dietrich Buxtehude: Buxtehude-Werke-Verzeichnis, 74-75. Wiesbaden: Breitkopf und Härtel, 1974. Snyder, Kerala J. Dieterich Buxtehude: Organist in Lübeck, 198, 200, 323, 339, 359. New York: Schirmer Books, 1987.
Nimm von uns, Herr, BuxWV 78 (c. 1680) Duration: ca. 13 minutes Text: The text is by Martin Moller (1584). Performing Forces: voices: SATB choir and/or solo quartet; orchestra: bassoon, 2 violins, 2 violettas,210 and continuo First Performance: unknown Editions: Nimm von uns, Herr is published in a critical edition prepared by Bruno Grusnick (Kassel: Bärenreiter, 1967). It also appears in Dietrich Buxtehude: The Collected Works, edited by Kerala J. Snyder, volume 9, page 109. The Grusnick edition is also available from Kalmus. Autograph: Manuscript materials including an autograph score may be found in the Uppsala Universitetsbiblioteket (82:38). Notes: This work incorporates the anonymous hymn tune Vater unser im Himmelreich, which Martin Luther adapted as a setting of the Lord’s Prayer (1539). Buxtehude also used this tune in the organ work, Nimm von uns, Herr, BuxWV 207. J. S. Bach used this tune in BWV 243 and 248. Performance Issues: The choral writing is primarily homophonic with some close imitation. There are extended sections wherein the upper three voices alternate with the bass part (data provided below). These seem particularly well suited for bass soloists and choral parts, although a variety of configurations using tutti and soli will be effective. The instrumental parts are practical for amateur players. The bassoon part generally doubles the continuo part, but is indicated independently in the score. Soloists: bass - range: Gd', tessitura: B-b, this is a declamatory and straightforward solo. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra and Soloists; conducted by Ton Koopman. Challenge: CC 72256. Joshua Cheatham, Ricardo Rodriguez Miranda, Christine Plubeau; Cantus Cölln; conducted by Konrad Junghänel. Recorded May 2005 in the Church of St. Osdag, Neustadt. Harmonia Mundi: 901912. 210 These parts correspond to modern viola.
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Selected Bibliography:
Selected Discography:
Kilian, Dietrich. Das Vokalwerk Dietrich Buxtehudes: Quellenstudien zu seiner Überlieferüng und Verwendung, 22, 185, 190. Free University of Berlin, dissertation, 1956. Sørenson, Søren. Diderich Buxtehudes vokale kirkenmusik: Studier til den evangeliske kirkekantates udviklingshistorie, 36, 104, 115, 117, 167, 171. Copenhagen: Ejnar Munksgaard, 1958. Geck, Martin. Die Vokalmusik Dietrich Butxtehudes und der frühe Pietismus, 36, 57. Kassel: Bärenreiter, 1965. Karstädt, Georg. Thematisch-systematisches Verzeichnis der musikalischen Werke von Dietrich Buxtehude: Buxtehude-Werke-Verzeichnis, 76-77. Wiesbaden: Breitkopf und Härtel, 1974. Snyder, Kerala J. “Critical Apparatus.” Dietrich Buxtehude: The Collected Works, volume 9: 287-289. New York: Broude, 1987. ———. Dieterich Buxtehude: Organist in Lübeck, 189, 193-194, 312, 365, 369-370. New York: Schirmer Books, 1987.
Bettina Pahn, Johannette Zomer, Bogna Bartosz, Patrick van Goethem, Daniel Taylor, Jorg Durmuller, Andreas Karasiak, Donald Bentvelsen, Klaus Mertens; Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra and Choir; conducted by Ton Koopman. Challenge Classics: CC 72244.
Nun laßt uns Gott dem Herren, BuxWV 81 Duration: ca. 6 minutes Text: The text is by Ludwig Helmhold (1575). The work also has a Swedish text underlay as “Nu låt oss Gudh wår Herra tacka.” Performing Forces: voices: SATB choir; orchestra: strings and continuo First Performance: unknown
Selected Bibliography: Kilian, Dietrich. Das Vokalwerk Dietrich Buxtehudes: Quellenstudien zu seiner Überlieferüng und Verwendung, 13, 22, 194, 197, 237. Free University of Berlin, dissertation, 1956. Sørenson, Søren. “Ein neu gefundene Buxtehude-Kantate.” Kongreßbericht, Hamburg 1956, 221. Kassel: Bärenreiter, 1957. Sørenson, Søren. Diderich Buxtehudes vokale kirkenmusik: Studier til den evangeliske kirkekantates udviklingshistorie, 19, 36, 95, 168, 171. Copenhagen: Ejnar Munksgaard, 1958. Geck, Martin. Die Vokalmusik Dietrich Butxtehudes und der frühe Pietismus, 58, 205. Kassel: Bärenreiter, 1965. Karstädt, Georg. Thematisch-systematisches Verzeichnis der musikalischen Werke von Dietrich Buxtehude: Buxtehude-Werke-Verzeichnis, 79. Wiesbaden: Breitkopf und Härtel, 1974. Snyder, Kerala J. Dieterich Buxtehude: Organist in Lübeck, 189, 334, 365. New York: Schirmer Books, 1987.
O fröhliche Stunden, o herrliche Zeit, BuxWV 85 (1680)
Editions: Nun laßt uns Gott dem Herren is published in a critical edition, Dietrich Buxtehude: Werke, edited by Dietrich Killian, volume 8, page 9. It is also available from Edition Merseburger, edited by Dietrich Kilian.
Duration: ca. 8 minutes
Autograph: Manuscript materials may be found in the Uppsala Universitetsbiblioteket (51:17 and 85:1-18).
Performing Forces: voices: 2 sopranos, alto, and bass; SSAB choir; orchestra: 2 violins, 2 violas da braccia,211 violone (double bass), and continuo
Notes: This work uses the hymn tune Nun laßt uns Gott dem Herren (1587) by Niklaus Selnecker (15321592). J. S. Bach used this hymn tune in BWV 79, 165, and 194. Performance Issues: This work is an elaborate and effective presentation of a four-part setting of a Lutheran hymn. The hymn is presented with florid instrumental ritornelli between each vocal phrase. The vocal writing is all presented as a chorale. The instrumental parts are idiomatic and accessible to most amateur players. Choir: easy; Orchestra: medium easy.
211 Playable on modern viola.
Text: The text is by Johann Rist from Neue Musikalische Fest-Andachten, which was published in Lüneburg in 1655.
First Performance: This work may have been composed for the entry of the newly married King Charles of Sweden and Ulika Eleanor, Princess of Denmark, into Stockholm in November 1680; or it may have been intended for Easter of that year, 11 April.212 Editions: O fröhliche Stunden, o herrliche Zeit was edited by Dietrich Kilian as part of Veröffentlichungen des Instituts für Musikforschung Berlin, series I, volume 37, Kantaten von Dietrich Buxtehude (Berlin: Merseburg, 1959). It is also published in the critical edition Dietrich Buxtehude: The Collected Works,
212 “Editorial Commentary,” Dietrich Buxtehude: The Collected Works, edited by Kerala J. Snyder, volume 9, page 289 (New York: Broude, 1987).
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
edited by Kerala J. Snyder, volume 9, page 151, published by Broude.
Text: The chorale text is by Nikolaus Boie213 (1541). The aria, “Gottes reiche Segenwolke” is anonymous.
Autograph: Manuscript materials including an autograph score may be found in the Uppsala Universitetsbiblioteket (51:13a and 86:61).
Performing Forces: voices: 2 soprano and bass soloists; SSATB choir; orchestra: 2 violins, cello,214 and continuo
Notes: Buxtehude also set this text for solo soprano using different melodic material in BuxWV 84.
First Performance: unknown
Performance Issues: This work can be performed by four soloists throughout, or utilize a choir for the final movement, which is SSAB. The choral writing of this final movement is homophonic and syllabic with only a few staggered entrances. The violone part doubles the continuo part when it plays, but this is intermittently, presumably indicating the composer’s wish to add the lower octave when it is present. Use of an 8' instrument for the continuo part will guarantee this distinction. Soloists: soprano I - range: c'-g'', tessitura: a'-e'', this is a declamatory solo with some long phrases; soprano II - range: e'-g'', tessitura: g'-e'', this is a declamatory part that appears in ensemble only; alto - range: c'-c'', tessitura: c'-c'', this is a declamatory solo with long phrases; bass - range: G-d', tessitura: cc', this is a declamatory part that appears in ensemble only. Choir: easy; Orchestra: easy. Selected Discography: Chamber Choir of St. Peter’s in the Great Valley, The Sacrum Consort; conducted by Martha Johnson. PGM: 102. Selected Bibliography: Kilian, Dietrich. Das Vokalwerk Dietrich Buxtehudes: Quellenstudien zu seiner Überlieferüng und Verwendung, 15, 25, 152, 159, 190. Free University of Berlin, dissertation, 1956. Grusnick, Bruno. “Zur Chronologie von Dietrich Buxtehudes Vokalwerken.” Musikforschung, volume 10 (1957): 76, 83. Karstädt, Georg. Thematisch-systematisches Verzeichnis der musikalischen Werke von Dietrich Buxtehude: Buxtehude-Werke-Verzeichnis, 83-84. Wiesbaden: Breitkopf und Härtel, 1974. Snyder, Kerala J. “Critical Apparatus.” Dietrich Buxtehude: The Collected Works, volume 9: 289-291. New York: Broude, 1987. ———. Dieterich Buxtehude: Organist in Lübeck, 144, 148, 156, 158, 177, 186, 303, 312, 314, 365, 369, 370. New York: Schirmer Books, 1987.
O Gott, wir danken deiner Güt’, BuxWV 86 Duration: ca. 9 minutes
213 Spelled Nicholas Boye in some sources. 214 The Sørenson edition has cello, but violone appears in some references. Although the addition of the lower octave would be
Editions: O Gott, wir danken deiner Güt’ is published in a critical edition from Edition Merseburger, edited by Dietrich Kilian. It is also available from Wilhelm Hansen, edited by Sørenson. Autograph: Manuscript materials may be found in the Uppsala Universitetsbiblioteket (85:1-18). Notes: The chorale tune O Gott, wir danken deiner Güt’ first appears in Gesangbüchlein, which was published in Augsburg in 1557. The work provides an ideal opportunity for an inexperienced church choir to present a multisectioned work with instruments. Performance Issues: The choral material is homophonic throughout. Nearly all of the choral material is doubled directly, with some inversions by the instruments. This work is accessible to all mixed choirs. The instrumental parts are simple and idiomatic well within the abilities of most amateur players. The trio could easily be sung by the choir, although the contrast of texture is an appealing component of this practical work. Soloists: soprano I - range: e'-g'', tessitura: a'-f'', this solo includes a simple declamatory aria appropriate for a chorister ; soprano II - range: e'-e'', tessitura: e'-c'', this simple solo appears within a homophonic trio; bass - range: D-c, tessitura: A-a, this simple solo appears within a homophonic trio; the few very low pitches can logically be taken up an octave. Choir: very easy; Orchestra: very easy. Selected Discography: Patrick van Goethem, Andreas Karasiak, Johannette Zomer, Bettina Pahn, Klaus Mertens; conducted by Ton Koopman. Recorded in 2006 or 2007 in Waalse Church, Amsterdam. Challenge Classics: CC 72250. Selected Bibliography: Sørenson, Søren. Diderich Buxtehudes vokale kirkenmusik: Studier til den evangeliske kirkekantates udviklingshistorie, 37, 130, 132, 167, 169, 171, 180, 187. Copenhagen: Ejnar Munksgaard, 1958. ———. “Instrumentalforspillen i Buxtehudes kantater.” Dansk Aaborg for Musikforskning (1961): 14, 19. Geck, Martin. Die Vokalmusik Dietrich Butxtehudes und der frühe Pietismus, 20, 31, 37, 58, 205. Kassel: Bärenreiter, 1965.
welcome in the continuo group, it is clear that the part is intended at pitch in the Sinfonia.
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Karstädt, Georg. Thematisch-systematisches Verzeichnis der musikalischen Werke von Dietrich Buxtehude: Buxtehude-Werke-Verzeichnis, 84. Wiesbaden: Breitkopf und Härtel, 1974. Snyder, Kerala J. Dieterich Buxtehude: Organist in Lübeck, 200, 334, 364. New York: Schirmer Books, 1987.
Pange Lingua, BuxWV 91 (1684) Duration: ca. 7 minutes Text: This text is a hymn by Thomas Aquinas, which was written c. 1264 at the request of Pope Urban IV for use in the newly established Feast of Corpus Christi. Performing Forces: voices: alto soloist; SSAB choir; orchestra: 2 violins, 2 violas, 215 violone (double bass), and continuo First Performance: unknown Editions: Pange Lingua is published in the critical edition Fire latinske Kantater, edited by Søren Sørenson (Copenhagen: Samfundet til Udgivelse af dansk Musik, 1957). It also appears in the subsequent scholarly edition, Dietrich Buxtehude: The Collected Works, edited by Kerala J. Snyder, volume 9, page 183, published by Broude. Autograph: Manuscript materials may be found in the Uppsala Universitetsbiblioteket (51:22 and 83:41-45). Performance Issues: The score was probably intended for four soloists, but the writing invites a choral treatment with some extended passages for alto soloist, described below. The choral writing alternates passages that are homophonic and in close imitation. There are some florid melismatic passages and a brief fughetta in the final verse for the singers that are not directly supported by the accompaniment. The violone part doubles the continuo part when it plays, but this is intermittently, presumably indicating the composer’s wish to add the lower octave when it is present. Use of an 8' instrument for the continuo part will guarantee this distinction. Soloist: alto - range: g-c'', tessitura: bb', this is a lyric solo with some florid passagework. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography:
Grusnick, Bruno. “Zur Chronologie von Dietrich Buxtehudes Vokalwerken.” Musikforschung, volume 10 (1957): 77, 79, 84. Sørenson, Søren. Diderich Buxtehudes vokale kirkenmusik: Studier til den evangeliske kirkekantates udviklingshistorie, 42, 233, 235, 240, 262, 306. Copenhagen: Ejnar Munksgaard, 1958. Geck, Martin. Die Vokalmusik Dietrich Butxtehudes und der frühe Pietismus, 53, 58, 200. Kassel: Bärenreiter, 1965. Karstädt, Georg: Thematisch-systematisches Verzeichnis der musikalischen Werke von Dietrich Buxtehude: Buxtehude-Werke-Verzeichnis, 88. Wiesbaden: Breitkopf und Härtel, 1974. Snyder, Kerala J. “Critical Apparatus.” Dietrich Buxtehude: The Collected Works, volume 9: 291-293. New York: Broude, 1987. ———. Dieterich Buxtehude: Organist in Lübeck, 142, 177, 182, 315, 333, 365, 369. New York: Schirmer Books, 1987.
Salve, desiderium, BuxWV 93 Duration: ca. 6 minutes Text: The author of this text is unknown. Performing Forces: voices: 2 sopranos and bass; orchestra: 2 violins, violone (double bass) or bassoon, and continuo First Performance: unknown Editions: Salve, desiderium is published in a critical edition, Dietrich Buxtehude: Werke, edited by Wilibald Gurlitt, volume 6, page 46. Autograph: Manuscript materials may be found in the Uppsala Universitetsbiblioteket (51:24 and 82:42). Performance Issues: The choral writing is primarily homophonic with some close imitation. The two soprano solos are merely two verses of the same musical material. The vocal parts are well supported by the instruments. The instrumental writing is conservative and practical. Soloist: soprano I - range: c'-e♭'', tessitura: d'-d'', this is a brief lyric solo; soprano II - range: c'-e♭'', tessitura: d'-d'', this is a brief lyric solo; bass range: E♭-c', tessitura: G-b♭, this is a brief florid solo. Choir: easy; Orchestra: easy.
Theatre of Voices; conducted by Paul Hillier. Recorded February 2010 in St. Maria Church, Helsingør. Da Capo: 6220534.
Discography: No commercial recording
Selected Bibliography:
Kilian, Dietrich. Das Vokalwerk Dietrich Buxtehudes: Quellenstudien zu seiner Überlieferüng und Verwendung, 196, 234. Free University of Berlin, dissertation, 1956.
Kilian, Dietrich. Das Vokalwerk Dietrich Buxtehudes: Quellenstudien zu seiner Überlieferüng und Verwendung, 196, 200. Free University of Berlin, dissertation, 1956. 215 Labeled as violetta.
Selected Bibliography:
288
Sørenson, Søren. Diderich Buxtehudes vokale kirkenmusik: Studier til den evangeliske kirkekantates udviklingshistorie, 40, 180, 190, 201, 207. Copenhagen: Ejnar Munksgaard, 1958. Geck, Martin. Die Vokalmusik Dietrich Butxtehudes und der frühe Pietismus, 25, 48, 58. Kassel: Bärenreiter, 1965. Karstädt, Georg. Thematisch-systematisches Verzeichnis der musikalischen Werke von Dietrich Buxtehude: Buxtehude-Werke-Verzeichnis, 89-90. Wiesbaden: Breitkopf und Härtel, 1974. Snyder, Kerala J. Dieterich Buxtehude: Organist in Lübeck, 177, 333. New York: Schirmer Books, 1987.
Schwinget euch himmelan, BuxWV 96 (1686-1687) Duration: ca. 10 minutes Text: The author of this text is unknown. Performing Forces: voices: 2 sopranos, alto, tenor, and bass; SSATB choir; orchestra: 3 violins, violone (double bass), and continuo First Performance: unknown Editions: Schwinget euch himmelan is published in a critical edition edited by Bruno Grusnick (Kassel: Bärenreiter) (3366). Autograph: Manuscript materials may be found in the Uppsala Universitetsbiblioteket (70:8 and 85:1-18). Notes: This work is emblematic of what has been referred to as “music for the ordinary citizen,” with concertato chorales and simple strophic arias setting familiar German texts.216 Performance Issues: The choral writing is consistently in five voices and combines sections that are purely homophonic with some melismatic ornamentation and a few florid passages in the final movement. The choral material is harmonically supported by the instruments, but there is little direct doubling of the singers. The solo writing is all simple and conservative, making this an ideal work for an amateur choir wishing to use its members as soloists. The instrumental writing is very practical and within the abilities of most amateur players. Soloists: soprano I - range: e'-f'', tessitura: g'-e'', this is a simple solo part that appears only in homophonic trios; soprano II - range: d'-f#'', tessitura: e'-e'', this is a simple solo part that appears only in homophonic trios; alto - range: b-c'', tessitura: d'-b', this is a simple solo part that appears only in homophonic trios; tenor - range: B-f', tessitura: g-e', this is a simple, lyric part and the only soloist to appear alone; bass - range: G-d', tessitura: B-c', this is a simple solo
216 Kerala J. Snyder, Dieterich Buxtehude: Organist in Lübeck, 205 (New York: Schirmer Books, 1987).
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
part that appears only in homophonic trios. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: easy. Selected Discography: Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra and Soloists; conducted by Ton Koopman. Challenge: CC 72256. Selected Bibliography: Kilian, Dietrich. Das Vokalwerk Dietrich Buxtehudes: Quellenstudien zu seiner Überlieferüng und Verwendung, 43, 152, 191, 195, 197, 227, 235. Free University of Berlin, dissertation, 1956. Sørenson, Søren. Diderich Buxtehudes vokale kirkenmusik: Studier til den evangeliske kirkekantates udviklingshistorie, 43, 180, 189, 242, 310. Copenhagen: Ejnar Munksgaard, 1958. Karstädt, Georg. Thematisch-systematisches Verzeichnis der musikalischen Werke von Dietrich Buxtehude: Buxtehude-Werke-Verzeichnis, 92-93. Wiesbaden: Breitkopf und Härtel, 1974. Snyder, Kerala J. Dieterich Buxtehude: Organist in Lübeck, 67, 143, 177, 184-186, 205, 208, 334, 358, 364. New York: Schirmer Books, 1987.
Surrexit Christus hodie, BuxWV 99 Duration: ca. 12 minutes Text: This text is a fourteenth-century sequence for Easter that originated as a Latin carol in Bohemia. Performing Forces: voices: 2 sopranos and bass; orchestra: bassoon, 3 violins, and continuo First Performance: unknown Editions: Surrexit Christus hodie is published in a critical edition, Dietrich Buxtehude: Werke, edited by Wilibald Gurlitt, volume 6, page 51. It is also available from Hännsler, edited by Hellmann, with the German text “Erstanden ist der heilig Christ.” Autograph: Manuscript materials may be found in the Uppsala Universitetsbiblioteket (86:19-28). Performance Issues: This work is suitable for solo trio or choir. Only the bass part has any extended solo passages. These are really voiced for tenor. The tutti material includes a B in the bass part, but the range and tessitura throughout correspond to modern tenor parts. The choral material is contrapuntally varied and rhythmically independent. The string writing is contrapuntally independent, but idiomatic. Soloist: bass - range: d-g', tessitura: f-f', this is a tenor part with some florid coloratura. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Discography: No commercial recording
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Selected Bibliography: Sørenson, Søren. Diderich Buxtehudes vokale kirkenmusik: Studier til den evangeliske kirkekantates udviklingshistorie, 41, 233, 235, 237, 262, 274, 311. Copenhagen: Ejnar Munksgaard, 1958. ———. “Instrumentalforspillen i Buxtehudes kantater.” Dansk Aaborg for Musikforskning (1961): 28, 31, 37. Geck, Martin. Die Vokalmusik Dietrich Butxtehudes und der frühe Pietismus, 25, 53, 57, 199. Kassel: Bärenreiter, 1965. Karstädt, Georg. Thematisch-systematisches Verzeichnis der musikalischen Werke von Dietrich Buxtehude: Buxtehude-Werke-Verzeichnis, 94-95. Wiesbaden: Breitkopf und Härtel, 1974. Snyder, Kerala J. Dieterich Buxtehude: Organist in Lübeck, 142, 148, 177, 182, 333, 335, 357. New York: Schirmer Books, 1987.
Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme, BuxWV 100 Duration: ca. 10 minutes Text: The text is a hymn by Philipp Nicolai (1599). Performing Forces: voices: 2 sopranos and bass; orchestra: bassoon, 4 violins,217 and continuo
is a sustained and lyrical solo; bass - range: F#-d', tessitura: A-a, this is a sustained lyrical solo. Choir: easy; Orchestra: easy. Discography: No commercial recording Selected Bibliography: Kilian, Dietrich. Das Vokalwerk Dietrich Buxtehudes: Quellenstudien zu seiner Überlieferüng und Verwendung, 57, 59, 63, 67, 69, 75, 95, 106, 128. Free University of Berlin, dissertation, 1956. Sørenson, Søren. Diderich Buxtehudes vokale kirkenmusik: Studier til den evangeliske kirkekantates udviklingshistorie, 24, 42, 93, 165, 243, 257, 264, 312. Copenhagen: Ejnar Munksgaard, 1958. Karstädt, Georg. Thematisch-systematisches Verzeichnis der musikalischen Werke von Dietrich Buxtehude: Buxtehude-Werke-Verzeichnis, 96. Wiesbaden: Breitkopf und Härtel, 1974. Snyder, Kerala J. Dieterich Buxtehude: Organist in Lübeck, 144, 148, 189, 193, 316, 338, 383. New York: Schirmer Books, 1987.
Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme, BuxWV 101 Duration: ca. 10 minutes
First Performance: unknown
Text: The text is a hymn by Philipp Nicolai (1599).
Editions: Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme is published in a critical edition, Dietrich Buxtehude: Werke, edited by Wilibald Gurlitt, volume 6, page 60. It is also available from Kalmus, edited by Traugott Fedtke; Concordia, with the English text “Wake, Awake, for Night Is Flying,” edited by Thomas; Hännsler and Carus also publish editions of this work.
Performing Forces: voices: alto, tenor, and bass; orchestra: 2 violins, and continuo
Autograph: Manuscript materials may be found in the Music Collection of the Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin Preußischer Kulturbesitz (2680). Notes: This work uses the hymn tune Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme (1599) by Philipp Nicolai. Buxtehude also set this text for alto, tenor, and bass using different melodic material in BuxWV 101. This tune is also used in J. S. Bach’s cantata of the same name, BWV 140. Performance Issues: This work can be sung by a solo trio. Soprano I only appears in the third verse, which is all in three-part textures. This is most effectively treated as a choral movement. The vocal parts are harmonically well supported, but contrapuntally independent of the instruments. There are some long sustained passages for the voices in the third verse. The instrumental parts are very accessible to amateur players, but a sensitivity to balance will be important. Soloists: soprano II - range: d'-f#'', tessitura: d'-d'', this 217 Violin 4 is scored for viola or violin.
First Performance: unknown Editions: Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme is published in a critical edition, Dietrich Buxtehude: Werke, edited by Hilmar Trede, volume 7, page 100. It is also found in Abendmusiken en und Kirchenkantaten, volume 14 of Denkmäler deutscher Tonkunst, edited by Max Seiffert (Leipzig: Breitkopf und Härtel, 1903; revised by Hans J. Moser, Wiesbaden: Breitkopf und Härtel, 1957). Another edition, edited by Fedtke is published by Bärenreiter (1734). Autograph: Manuscript materials may be found in the Music Collection of the Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin Preußischer Kulturbesitz (2680). Notes: Buxtehude set this hymn text to original music in this cantata. He also set this text for two sopranos and bass using Nicolai’s hymn tune in BuxWV 100. Performance Issues: This work is well suited for use with a solo vocal trio, or alternation between choral and solo singing. The vocal parts are sometimes directly doubled by the accompaniment and at other times melodically independent, although there is always clear harmonic support for the voices. The entire work sung by choir, but the section beginning “Zion
290
hört die wächter singen” lends itself particularly well to an alto-tenor duet followed by a bass solo with the choir re-entering with the “Gloria.” The following solo ranges are addressing this section only. The instrumental parts are idiomatic and well within the abilities of most amateur players. Soloists: alto - range: bb', tessitura: c'-g', this is a simple melismatic solo appropriate for a chorister; tenor - range: g-f#', tessitura: g-d', this is a simple melismatic solo appropriate for a chorister; bass - range: G-d', tessitura: c-c', this is a simple melismatic solo appropriate for a chorister. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: easy.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Wittenberg (1537). This tune was used by J. S. Bach in BWV 14. Performance Issues: This work is an elaborate and effective presentation of a four-part setting of a Lutheran hymn. The hymn is presented with florid instrumental ritornelli between each vocal phrase. The vocal writing is all presented as a chorale. The instrumental parts are idiomatic and accessible to most amateur players. Choir: easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography:
Discography: No commercial recording
Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra and Soloists; conducted by Ton Koopman. Challenge: CC 72256.
Selected Bibliography:
Selected Bibliography:
Kilian, Dietrich. Das Vokalwerk Dietrich Buxtehudes: Quellenstudien zu seiner Überlieferüng und Verwendung, 21, 29, 57, 59, 63, 67, 69, 75, 95, 106, 128. Free University of Berlin, dissertation, 1956. Sørenson, Søren. Diderich Buxtehudes vokale kirkenmusik: Studier til den evangeliske kirkekantates udviklingshistorie, 23, 35, 93, 104, 108, 117, 167, 312. Copenhagen: Ejnar Munksgaard, 1958. Geck, Martin. Die Vokalmusik Dietrich Butxtehudes und der frühe Pietismus, 20, 45, 58, 138. Kassel: Bärenreiter, 1965. Karstädt, Georg. Thematisch-systematisches Verzeichnis der musikalischen Werke von Dietrich Buxtehude: Buxtehude-Werke-Verzeichnis, 97. Wiesbaden: Breitkopf und Härtel, 1974. Snyder, Kerala J. Dieterich Buxtehude: Organist in Lübeck, 139, 206-207, 316, 338. New York: Schirmer Books, 1987.
Kilian, Dietrich. Das Vokalwerk Dietrich Buxtehudes: Quellenstudien zu seiner Überlieferüng und Verwendung, 22, 160. Free University of Berlin, dissertation, 1956. Sørenson, Søren. Diderich Buxtehudes vokale kirkenmusik: Studier til den evangeliske kirkekantates udviklingshistorie, 19, 36, 99, 168, 171. Copenhagen: Ejnar Munksgaard, 1958. Geck, Martin. “Die Authentizität des Vokalwerkes Dietrich Buxtehudes in quellenkritischer Sicht.” Musikforschung, volume 14 (1961): 404, 407. ———. Die Vokalmusik Dietrich Butxtehudes und der frühe Pietismus, 53, 57, 205. Kassel: Bärenreiter, 1965. Karstädt, Georg. Thematisch-systematisches Verzeichnis der musikalischen Werke von Dietrich Buxtehude: Buxtehude-Werke-Verzeichnis, 97-98. Wiesbaden: Breitkopf und Härtel, 1974. Snyder, Kerala J. Dieterich Buxtehude: Organist in Lübeck, 143, 189, 334, 365. New York: Schirmer Books, 1987.
Wär Gott nicht mit uns diese Zeit, BuxWV 102 Duration: ca. 4 minutes Text: The text is by Martin Luther. It appears in Johann Walther’s Geystliche Gesangk Buchleyn, which was published in Wittenberg in 1524. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass; orchestra: 2 violins and continuo First Performance: unknown Editions: Wär Gott nicht mit uns diese Zeit is published in a critical edition, Dietrich Buxtehude: Werke, edited by Dietrich Killian, volume 8, page 22. It is also available from Edition Merseburger, edited by Dietrich Kilian. Autograph: Manuscript materials may be found in the Uppsala Universitetsbiblioteket (85:1-18). Notes: This work incorporates the hymn tune Wär Gott nicht mit uns diese Zeit, which may be by Johann Walter (1496-1570). It first appears in Gesangbuch,
Walts Gott, mein Werk ich lasse, BuxWV 103 Duration: ca. 8 minutes Text: The text is by Michael Ziegenspeck from Christliche Tag- und Uhrwerk, which was published in Leipzig in 1617. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass; orchestra: 2 violins, violone, and continuo First Performance: unknown Editions: Walts Gott, mein Werk ich lasse is published in a critical edition, Dietrich Buxtehude: Werke, edited by Dietrich Killian, volume 8, page 31. Autograph: Manuscript materials may be found in the Uppsala Universitetsbiblioteket (2:1 and 85:1-18). Performance Issues: This work is an elaborate and effective presentation of a four-part setting of a Lutheran hymn. The hymn is presented with florid instrumental
291
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
ritornelli between each vocal phrase. With the exception of a richly melismatic “Amen,” the vocal writing is all presented as a chorale. The instrumental parts are idiomatic and accessible to most amateur players. Choir: easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Dresdner Kammerchor; conducted by Hans-Christoph Rademann. Carus: 83.234. Selected Bibliography: Kilian, Dietrich. Das Vokalwerk Dietrich Buxtehudes: Quellenstudien zu seiner Überlieferüng und Verwendung, 22, 245. Free University of Berlin, dissertation, 1956. Sørenson, Søren. Diderich Buxtehudes vokale kirkenmusik: Studier til den evangeliske kirkekantates udviklingshistorie, 36, 99, 103, 168, 171. Copenhagen: Ejnar Munksgaard, 1958. Geck, Martin. “Rezension des 8. Bandes der BuxtehudeGesamtausgabe.” Musikforschung, volume 13 (1960): 504. ———. Die Vokalmusik Dietrich Butxtehudes und der frühe Pietismus, 58, 205. Kassel: Bärenreiter, 1965. Karstädt, Georg. Thematisch-systematisches Verzeichnis der musikalischen Werke von Dietrich Buxtehude: Buxtehude-Werke-Verzeichnis, 98. Wiesbaden: Breitkopf und Härtel, 1974. Snyder, Kerala J. Dieterich Buxtehude: Organist in Lübeck, 189-191, 334, 365. New York: Schirmer Books, 1987.
Was frag’ ich nach der Welt, BuxWV 104 Duration: ca. 8 minutes Text: The text is by Balthasar Kindermann from Das Buch der Redlichen, which was published in Küstrin in 1664. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, and bass; orchestra: 2 violins, violone (double bass), and continuo First Performance: unknown Editions: Was frag’ ich nach der Welt is published in a critical edition, Dietrich Buxtehude: Werke, edited by Wilibald Gurlitt, volume 7, page 29. It is also available from Hännsler, edited by Trubel; and Concordia, edited by Wunderlich. Autograph: Manuscript materials may be found in the Bibliothek der Hansestadt of the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek, Berlin (A373). Performance Issues: The vocal parts can be sung entirely by a solo trio, but the score is well disposed for alternations between soloist and choir. The choral material is harmonically supported by the continuo, but is not doubled by the strings. There are considerable melismas for the choir and some harmonic cross relations. The violone part is sometimes independent of
the continuo. The string parts are idiomatic and contrapuntally independent. Soloists: soprano - range: c'g'', tessitura: e'-e'', this is a declamatory solo with some broad leaps; alto - range: g-c'', tessitura: c'-a', this is a simple, declamatory solo; bass - range: C-c', tessitura: A-a, this is a melismatic solo with some broad leaps and a few critical pitches at the bottom of the indicated range. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: easy. Selected Discography: Katherine Hill, Matthew White, Paul Grindlay; Arcadia Baroque Ensemble; conducted by Kevin Mallon. Recorded May 2002 in Grace Church on the Hill, Toronto. Naxos: 8557041. Selected Bibliography: Kilian, Dietrich. Das Vokalwerk Dietrich Buxtehudes: Quellenstudien zu seiner Überlieferüng und Verwendung, 24, 29, 48, 51. Free University of Berlin, dissertation, 1956. Sørenson, Søren. Diderich Buxtehudes vokale kirkenmusik: Studier til den evangeliske kirkekantates udviklingshistorie, 41, 190, 209, 264, 307. Copenhagen: Ejnar Munksgaard, 1958. Geck, Martin. “Die Authentizität des Vokalwerkes Dietrich Buxtehudes in quellenkritischer Sicht.” Musikforschung, volume 14 (1961): 394, 396. ———. Die Vokalmusik Dietrich Butxtehudes und der frühe Pietismus, 31, 34, 53, 57, 94, 135, 219. Kassel: Bärenreiter, 1965. Karstädt, Georg. Der Lübecker Kantatenband Dietrich Buxtehudes: Ein Studie über die Tablatur Mus. A 373, 20, 23, 25, 32, 62, 77, 79. Lübeck: Max SchmidtRömhild, 1971. ———. Thematisch-systematisches Verzeichnis der musikalischen Werke von Dietrich Buxtehude: Buxtehude-Werke-Verzeichnis, 99. Wiesbaden: Breitkopf und Härtel, 1974. Snyder, Kerala J. Dieterich Buxtehude: Organist in Lübeck, 177, 323, 339, 367. New York: Schirmer Books, 1987.
Welt, packe dich, ich sehne mich nur dem Himmel, BuxWV 106 Duration: ca. 5 minutes Text: The text is by Justus Sieber from Poetisierende Jugend, which was published in Dresden in 1658. Performing Forces: voices: 2 sopranos and bass; SSB choir; orchestra: 2 violins, violone (double bass), and continuo First Performance: unknown Editions: Welt, packe dich is published in a critical edition, Dietrich Buxtehude: Werke, edited by Wilibald Gurlitt, volume 6, page 75.
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Autograph: Manuscript materials may be found in the Uppsala Universitetsbiblioteket (51:28 and 82:42). Performance Issues: The vocal ensemble passages can be performed by a solo trio or choir, although the scoring and texture suggests that Buxtehude intended the latter. The two soprano solos are presentation of two verses with the same music material. The instrumental parts are idiomatically written and provide a fair amount of direct doubling of the choir. The choral material includes some close imitation and paired doubling. Soloists: soprano I - range: e'-g'', tessitura: g'e'', this is a lyric solo with long phrases; soprano II range: e'-g'', tessitura: g'-e'', this is a lyric solo with long phrases; bass - range: F#-c#', tessitura: A-a, this is a declamatory solo. Choir: easy; Orchestra: easy.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
solo passages. The vocal material is harmonically supported by the accompaniment, but aside from the bass line, there is very little direct doubling of the voices by the instruments. The closing “alleluia” section contains the most challenging music of the work. The violone part is sometimes independent of the continuo. Soloists: soprano - range: b-g'', tessitura: d'-d'', this is a lyric solo with some melismatic writing; alto - range: a#-d'', tessitura: d'-b'', this is a simple lyric solo; bass range: G-b, tessitura: A-a, this is a sustained lyric solo. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography:
Discography: No commercial recording
Katherine Hill, Matthew White, Paul Grindlay; Aradia Baroque Ensemble; conducted by Kevin Mallon. Recorded May 2002 in Grace Church on the Hill, Toronto. Naxos: 8557041.
Selected Bibliography:
Selected Bibliography:
Grusnick, Bruno. “Zur Chronologie von Dietrich Buxtehudes Vokalwerken.” Musikforschung, volume 10 (1957): 78, 83. Sørenson, Søren. Diderich Buxtehudes vokale kirkenmusik: Studier til den evangeliske kirkekantates udviklingshistorie, 41, 190, 197, 232, 264. Copenhagen: Ejnar Munksgaard, 1958. ———. “Instrumentalforspillen i Buxtehudes kantater.” Dansk Aaborg for Musikforskning (1961): 14, 22, 24, 34. Geck, Martin. Die Vokalmusik Dietrich Butxtehudes und der frühe Pietismus, 30, 34, 58, 95, 135, 217. Kassel: Bärenreiter, 1965. Karstädt, Georg. Thematisch-systematisches Verzeichnis der musikalischen Werke von Dietrich Buxtehude: Buxtehude-Werke-Verzeichnis, 100-101. Wiesbaden: Breitkopf und Härtel, 1974. Snyder, Kerala J. Dieterich Buxtehude: Organist in Lübeck, 177, 333. New York: Schirmer Books, 1987.
Grusnick, Bruno. “Zur Chronologie von Dietrich Buxtehudes Vokalwerken.” Musikforschung, volume 10 (1957): 78, 84. Sørenson, Søren. Diderich Buxtehudes vokale kirkenmusik: Studier til den evangeliske kirkekantates udviklingshistorie, 41, 190, 209, 211. Copenhagen: Ejnar Munksgaard, 1958. Geck, Martin. Die Vokalmusik Dietrich Butxtehudes und der frühe Pietismus, 30, 34, 38, 58, 94, 105, 135, 154, 220. Kassel: Bärenreiter, 1965. Karstädt, Georg. Thematisch-systematisches Verzeichnis der musikalischen Werke von Dietrich Buxtehude: Buxtehude-Werke-Verzeichnis, 101-102. Wiesbaden: Breitkopf und Härtel, 1974. Snyder, Kerala J. Dieterich Buxtehude: Organist in Lübeck, 146, 177, 182, 187, 333. New York: Schirmer Books, 1987.
Wie schmeckt es so lieblich und wohl, BuxWV 108
Duration: ca. 6 minutes
Duration: ca. 10 minutes Text: The text is by Heinrich Müller from Geistliche Seelen-Musik, which was published in Rostock in 1659. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, and bass; orchestra: 2 violins, violone (double bass), and continuo First Performance: unknown Editions: Wie schmeckt es so lieblich und wohl is published in a critical edition, Dietrich Buxtehude: Werke, edited by Wilibald Gurlitt, volume 7, page 39. Autograph: Manuscript materials may be found in the Uppsala Universitetsbiblioteket (82:43). Performance Issues: The vocal parts can be performed exclusively by a solo trio or by alternating choir with
Wie soll lich dich empfangen, BuxWV 109 Text: The text is by Paul Gerhardt from Praxis Pietatis Melica. Performing Forces: voices: 2 sopranos and bass; orchestra: bassoon, 2 violins, and continuo First Performance: unknown Editions: Wie sol lich dich empfangen is published in a critical edition, Dietrich Buxtehude: Werke, edited by Wilibald Gurlitt, volume 6, page 84. It has also been included in Das Musikwerke, volume 32, number 14, edited by Jakoby. An edition prepared by Metzler is published by Edition Merseburger. Autograph: Manuscript materials may be found in the Uppsala Universitetsbiblioteket (51:29 and 82:35). Notes: This is an elegantly structured work that sets 6 verses of text as follows:
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Sonata Verse I Ritornello Verse II Ritornello Verse III Ritornello Verse IV Ritornello Verse V Ritornello Verse V Ritornello
Music A Music B Music C Music D Music C Music D Music C Music E Music C Music B Music C Music B Music C
Instruments only Choir and continuo Instruments only Soprano I and continuo Instruments only Soprano II and continuo Instruments only Bass and continuo Instruments only Choir and continuo Instruments only Choir and continuo Instruments only
Performance Issues: The choral material of “music B” is contrapuntally complex with some florid coloratura in each part, but it is fundamentally twelve measures of music sung three times. The instrumental writing presents contrapuntally independent parts that are idiomatically written and accessible to intermediate-level players. Soloist: soprano I - range: e'-f'', tessitura: e'e'', this is a simple declamatory solo; soprano II range: e'-f'', tessitura: e'-e'', this is a simple declamatory solo; bass - range: A-c', tessitura: A-a, this is a simple declamatory solo. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Vocalensemble Rastatt, Les Favorites; conducted by Holger Speck. Carus: 83.156. Selected Bibliography: Kilian, Dietrich. Das Vokalwerk Dietrich Buxtehudes: Quellenstudien zu seiner Überlieferüng und Verwendung, 13, 28, 196, 222. Free University of Berlin, dissertation, 1956. Sørenson, Søren. Diderich Buxtehudes vokale kirkenmusik: Studier til den evangeliske kirkekantates udviklingshistorie, 41, 190, 197, 199. Copenhagen: Ejnar Munksgaard, 1958. Geck, Martin. Die Vokalmusik Dietrich Butxtehudes und der frühe Pietismus, 29, 34, 45, 56, 58, 218. Kassel: Bärenreiter, 1965. Karstädt, Georg. Thematisch-systematisches Verzeichnis der musikalischen Werke von Dietrich Buxtehude: Buxtehude-Werke-Verzeichnis, 102-103. Wiesbaden: Breitkopf und Härtel, 1974. Snyder, Kerala J. Dieterich Buxtehude: Organist in Lübeck, 144, 148, 177, 333. New York: Schirmer Books, 1987.
Wo soll ich fliehen hin, BuxWV 112 Duration: ca. 17 minutes Text: The text is a hymn by Johann Heermann, “Trostgesänglein”; the Gospel of St. Matthew 11:28-30 and 7:7; and a poem by Sigismund von Birken from Der Geistlichen Erquickstunden des Fürstrefflichen
Theologi H. Doct. Heinrich Müllers…Poetischer Andacht-Klang, published in Nürnberg in 1673. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, tenor, and bass; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 violins, 2 violas, violone (double bass), and continuo First Performance: unknown Editions: Wo soll ich fliehen hin is published in the critical editions, Abendmusiken en und Kirchenkantaten, volume 14 of Denkmäler deutscher Tonkunst, edited by Max Seiffert, page 39 (Leipzig: Breitkopf und Härtel, 1903; revised in 1957 by Hans J. Moser, Wiesbaden: Breitkopf und Härtel, 1957). It appears in the subsequent critical edition, Dietrich Buxtehude: The Collected Works, edited by Kerala J. Snyder, volume 9, page 211, published by Broude. It is also available from Kalmus, edited by Adrio, and Carus. Autograph: Manuscript materials may be found in the Bibliothek der Hansestadt of the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek, Berlin (A373). Notes: This work uses the anonymous hymn tune, Auf meinen lieben Gott (1609), which Buxtehude also utilized as the foundation for the organ work of that title, BuxWV 179. The tune is based upon a secular song that is found in Kurtzweilige Teutsche Lieder, Nürnberg, 1576. It also uses the hymn tune, Herr Jesu Christ, du höchstes Gut (1588), by Bartholomäus Ringwaldt (c. 1532-1599), which Buxtehude uses in the organ work of that title, BuxWV193. J. S. Bach incorporates that tune into his cantata Aus Tiefen rufe ich, zu dir, BWV 131. Performance Issues: This work comprises a series of solos with a final concerted quartet that equally suited as a choral finale. There are no independent solos for alto. It does require a flexible and sensitive choral ensemble. The violone part doubles the continuo part when it plays, but this is intermittently, presumably indicating the composer’s wish to add the lower octave when it is present. Use of an 8' instrument for the continuo part will guarantee this distinction. The string writing is more contrapuntally independent than many of Buxtehude’s other works in this genre. Soloists: soprano - range: d'-f'', tessitura: g'-d'', this is a lyric solo role; tenor - range: d-g', tessitura: g-f', this is a lyric solo; bass - range: D-e', tessitura: G-b, this is a sustained solo with some articulate passagework. It can be performed with a lowest pitch of [F] by taking the cadence of the lowest indicated pitch up an octave. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Cologne Musica Fiata; conducted by Roland Wilson. Recorded November 2006 in St. Nicholas and St. Ulrich’s Church in Mögeldorf, Germany. CPO: 777318.
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Lautten Compagney Capella Angelica; conducted by Wolfgang Katschner. Carus: 83.193. Patrick van Goethem, Bettina Pahn, Klaus Mertens, Jorg Durmuller; conducted by Ton Koopman. Recorded in 2006 or 2007 in Waalse Church, Amsterdam. Challenge Classics: CC 72250. Selected Bibliography: Kilian, Dietrich. Das Vokalwerk Dietrich Buxtehudes: Quellenstudien zu seiner Überlieferüng und Verwendung, 17, 48, 51, 53, 107, 143, 222. Free University of Berlin, dissertation, 1956. Sørenson, Søren. Diderich Buxtehudes vokale kirkenmusik: Studier til den evangeliske kirkekantates udviklingshistorie, 20, 37, 134, 153, 167, 170, 180, 187. Copenhagen: Ejnar Munksgaard, 1958. Geck, Martin. Die Vokalmusik Dietrich Butxtehudes und der frühe Pietismus, 21, 30, 32, 45, 58, 138, 207. Kassel: Bärenreiter, 1965. Karstädt, Georg. Der Lübecker Kantatenband Dietrich Buxtehudes: Ein Studie über die Tablatur Mus. A 373, 17, 20, 23, 26, 48, 77, and 79. Lübeck: Max SchmidtRömhild, 1971. ———. Thematisch-systematisches Verzeichnis der musikalischen Werke von Dietrich Buxtehude: Buxtehude-Werke-Verzeichnis, 107-108. Wiesbaden: Breitkopf und Härtel, 1974. Snyder, Kerala J. “Critical Apparatus.” Dietrich Buxtehude: The Collected Works, volume 9: 293-297. New York: Broude, 1987. ———. Dieterich Buxtehude: Organist in Lübeck, 147, 196, 198, 201, 304, 323-324, 339, 365. New York: Schirmer Books, 1987.
Benedicam Dominum in omni tempore, BuxWV 113 (1683) Duration: ca. 12 minutes Text: The text is Psalm 33:2-4. Performing Forces: This work is scored for six “choirs” as follows: 1. orchestra: 2 violins and violone (double bass); 2. orchestra: 4 trumpets, trombone, bombard218 (or bass trombone); 3. voices: 2 sopranos, alto, tenor, bass soloists 4. orchestra: 2 cornettos, bassoon; 5. orchestra: 3 trombones; 6. voices: SATB choir orchestra: continuo First Performance: This work was composed for the second day of Christmas (26 December) 1683.
218 The modern equivalent is bassoon.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Editions: Benedicam Dominum is published in a critical edition, Dietrich Buxtehude: Werke, edited by Wilibald Gurlitt, volume 4, page 23. Autograph: Manuscript materials may be found in the Uppsala Universitetsbiblioteket (50:6). Notes: This work has a brief introductory sonata for the instrumental groups followed by a multisectioned concerted choral portion. It is an orchestrational tour de force that is very effective as a celebratory work. Performance Issues: The score integrates a variety of polyphonic and homophonic textures. The vocal portions are sometimes doubled by the instruments and always supported by the continuo. There are many changes of tempo and meter. It will be advantageous to treat the six choirs as spatially independent groups. The composer has labeled the vocal parts in choir 3 as “concertato.” Therefore, soloists are appropriate. There are some rhythmically florid imitative passages for the soloists. The trumpet writing has a high tessitura. Small-bore baroque trombones and trumpets will also allow the vocal parts to be clearly heard throughout the doubled passages. Clarity of counterpoint and balance will be the primary challenges throughout this work. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Bettina Pahn, Johannette Zo-mer, Bogna Bartosz, Patrick van Goethem, Daniel Taylor, Jorg Durmuller, Andreas Karasiak, Donald Bentvelsen, Klaus Mertens; Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra and Choir; conducted by Ton Koopman. Challenge Classics: CC 72244. Cologne Musica Fiata; conducted by Roland Wilson. Recorded November 2006 in St. Nicholas and St. Ulrich’s Church in Mögeldorf, Germany. CPO: 777318. Selected Bibliography: Kilian, Dietrich. Das Vokalwerk Dietrich Buxtehudes: Quellenstudien zu seiner Überlieferüng und Verwendung, 26, 34, 43, 185, 190, 236, 255. Free University of Berlin, dissertation, 1956. Geck, Martin. Die Vokalmusik Dietrich Butxtehudes und der frühe Pietismus, 51, 58, 67, 188. Kassel: Bärenreiter, 1965. Grusnick, Bruno. “Die Dübensammlung: Ein Versuch ihrer chronologischen Ordnung.” Svensk tidskrift för musikforskning, volume 48 (1966): 177, 183. Karstädt, Georg. Thematisch-systematisches Verzeichnis der musikalischen Werke von Dietrich Buxtehude: Buxtehude-Werke-Verzeichnis, 111-112. Wiesbaden: Breitkopf und Härtel, 1974. Snyder, Kerala J. Dieterich Buxtehude: Organist in Lübeck, 139, 154, 158, 174, 362-363, 374-376. New York: Schirmer Books, 1987.
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Auf! Stimmet die Saiten, BuxWV 116 (1672) Duration: ca. 4 minutes Text: The text is a wedding poem by an unidentified author. Performing Forces: voices: 2 altos and bass; orchestra: bassoon, 2 trumpets, 2 trombones, and continuo First Performance: possibly 23 November 1672 Editions: Auf! Stimmet die Saiten is published in a critical edition, Dietrich Buxtehude: Werke, edited by Wilibald Gurlitt, volume 7, page 116.
Germanico, a Jesuit institution in Rome in 1629, remaining there for the rest of his life. There he taught generations of students from throughout Europe. He also served as maestro di cappella at the Church of St. Apollinaire, which belonged to the college. He was ordained as a priest in 1637. In 1656, Queen Christina of Sweden bestowed upon him the title maestro di cappella del concerto di camera. Carissimi made significant contributions to the development of monody, including an increased sophistication in the writing of recitatives. His works demonstrate a rich variety of instrumental color and a keen sense of dramatic pacing. Teachers: Unknown
Autograph: Print and manuscript materials may be found in the Uppsala Universitetsbiblioteket (6:10a).
Students: Vincenzo Albrici, Antonio Cesti, MarcAntoine Charpentier, Giuseppe Corso, Johann Kaspar Kerll, Giovanni Battista Mocchi
Notes: This work was written for the wedding of Henricus Kirchrink and Agneta von Stiten.
Writings: Ars cantandi eine Anleitung zur Singkunst. Augsburg, 1696.
Performance Issues: This is a simple strophic trio. The voices present four verses with continuo. There is a trumpet introduction and ritornelli for all of the instruments. The trumpet and trombone parts are muted throughout. Choir: very easy; Orchestra: medium easy.
Principal Works: numerous motets and cantatas; oratorios: Historia Jephte, Baltazar, Jonas, Judicium Salomonis, Dives Malus, Historia Job
Selected Discography: Klaus Mertens; conducted by Ton Koopman. Recorded in 2006 or 2007 in Waalse Church, Amsterdam. Challenge Classics: CC 72246. Selected Bibliography: Kilian, Dietrich. Das Vokalwerk Dietrich Buxtehudes: Quellenstudien zu seiner Überlieferüng und Verwendung, 34, 55, 152, 255. Free University of Berlin, dissertation, 1956. Karstädt, Georg. Thematisch-systematisches Verzeichnis der musikalischen Werke von Dietrich Buxtehude: Buxtehude-Werke-Verzeichnis, 115. Wiesbaden: Breitkopf und Härtel, 1974. Snyder, Kerala J. Dieterich Buxtehude: Organist in Lübeck, 75, 101, 177, 182, 309, 335, 368, 375-377. New York: Schirmer Books, 1987.
Klinget für Freuden, BuxWV 119 (1680) See BuxWV 65, above.
CARISSIMI, Giacomo (b. Marino, Italy, 18 April 1605 (baptism date); d. Rome, 12 January 1674) An organist and composer, Carissimi began his career as organist at the Cathedral in Tivoli in 1625. From 1628 to 1629 he worked in Assisi, and then as the maestro di cappella at the cathedral in San Rufino. He became maestro di cappella of the Collegio
Selected Composer Bibliography: Bianchi, Lino. “Giacomo Carissimi: nuovi documenti nell’archivio del Collegio Germanico Ungarico di Roma.” Nuova rivista musicale italiana, vii (1974): 107-124, 254-262. ———. “Due appunti su recenti studi dedicati a Giacomo Carissimi.” Nuova rivista musicale italiana, xix (1985): 112–21. Dixon, Graham. Carissimi. Oxford: Oxford University press, 1986. Stein, Beverly Ann. Between Key and Mode: Tonal Practice in the Music of Giacomo Carissimi. Brandeis University, dissertation, 1994.
Jephte (before 1650) Duration: ca. 21 minutes Text: The text is an anonymous adaptation of Judges 11: 28-40 from the Vulgate Bible. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SSATTB choir; orchestra: strings and continuo First Performance: unknown Editions: There are two scholarly editions of Jephte: one from Novello, edited by Janet Beat, 1974; and another from Ricordi, edited by Adelchi Amisano, Milan, 1977. Roger Dean publishes a piano-vocal edition (HCMC107) prepared by Fiora Contino, which includes a literal translation of the text and optional realizations of ornamentation. Autograph: The location of this manuscript is unknown.
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Notes: This work was praised by the theorist, Athanasius Kircher in his Musurgia univeralis in 1650. Performance Issues: The choral writing is full of rich dissonances. All of the choral material is well supported by the accompaniment. The string parts are colla parte with the choir, and most of the solos are secco recitatives, although there are lyric ariosi for the soprano, tenor, and bass soloists. Throughout the work there are passages embedded within the choir that seem intended for soloists. These could be assigned to the named soloists, or assigned to choristers. This is a work well suited to an ensemble with access to a good continuo group and soloists. Soloists: soprano (Filia) - range: d'-g'', tessitura: g'-g'', this is a florid lyric solo; alto (Historicus) - range: a-f'', tessitura: f'-f'', this is a simple declamatory solo; tenor (Jephte) - range: f-f#', tessitura: f-f, this is a lyric solo with some florid passagework; bass - range: G-d', tessitura: c-c', this is a lyric solo with some florid passagework. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Stephan Van Dyck, Luca Dordolo, Stephan Imboden, Elisa Franzetti, Mercedes Hernandez, Emmanuelle Halimi; Le Parlement de Musique; conducted by Martin Gester. Recorded in October 2000 in the Church of Walbourg in France. Naïve: 30526. Garrick Comeaux, Marco Scavazza, Elena Biscuola, Eiko Morikawa, Nadia Caristi, Annamaria Calciolari, Fabio Furnari, Paolo Costa; conducted by Vittorio Zanon. Recorded in November 2003 in the Museo Civico, Marino Italy. Naxos: 8557390. Selected Bibliography: Chrysander, Friedrich. “Das Oratorium Jephta von Carissimi.” Allgemeine musikalische Zeitung, xiii (1878): 337–339, 353–355, 369–371, 385–388. Beat, Janet. “Two Problems in Carissimi's Oratorio Jephte.” Music Review 34 (1973): 339-343. Contino, Fiora. “Editor’s Preface” to Carissimi: Historia di Jephte, ii-iii. Macomb, IL: Roger Dean, 1976. Smither, Howard E. A History of the Oratorio, volume I, 224-225, 230-248, 326. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1977.
Jonas (c. 1649) Duration: ca. 22 minutes Text: The text is an anonymous adaptation of passages from the Book of Jonah from the Vulgate Bible. Performing Forces: voices: 2 soprano, 2 alto, 2 tenor, and bass soloists; 2 SATB choirs; orchestra: 2 oboes (optional), strings, and continuo First Performance: unknown Editions: Jonas is published by Oxford University Press in an edition prepared by Jack Pilgrim.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Autograph: There are manuscripts in the Staatsbibliothek der Stiftung Preussischer Kulturbesitz (Ms. 3104) in Berlin, the Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek in Hamburg, and the Bibliothèque de Versailles (Ms. M 58) in Paris. Notes: There are movements in which the soloists are assigned a character’s name, but they may appear at other times without the same attribution. Performance Issues: The choirs are primarily homophonic with some close imitation and passages that are treated antiphonally. Some separation is advisable. All of the choral material is well supported by the accompaniment. The solos are nearly all secco recitatives. Jonah has one more elaborate solo, but it is also quite simply presented. The string parts are all colla parte with the choir. This work is well suited to amateur ensembles with access to a strong continuo group. Soloists: soprano I (Historicus) - range: f'-g'', tessitura: f'f'', this is a simple declamatory solo; soprano II range: f'-g'', tessitura: f'-f'', this is a simple declamatory solo; alto I - range: a-a', tessitura: c'-a', this is a simple declamatory solo; alto II - range: a-a', tessitura: d'-a', this is a simple declamatory solo; tenor I (Jonah) range: d-g', tessitura: e-e', this is a lyric solo with some florid passagework; tenor II - range: f-d', tessitura: fd', this is a simple declamatory solo; bass I (Deus) range: F-c', tessitura: c-c', this is a simple declamatory solo. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: easy. Selected Discography: Garrick Comeaux, Marco Scavazza, Elena Biscuola, Nadia Caristi, Annamaria Calciolari, Cristiano Contadin, Fabio Furnari, Paolo Costa; conducted by Vittorio Zanon. Recorded in November 2003 in the Museo Civico, Marino Italy. Naxos: 8557390. Selected Bibliography: Smither, Howard E. A History of the Oratorio, volume I, 224-227, 236, 239-241, 243. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1977.
CHARPENTIER, Marc-Antoine (b. Paris, 1643; d. Paris, 24 February 1704) Following studies in Rome with Carissimi, Charpentier returned to his native Paris where he served the Duchess of Guise, Marie de Lorraine from c.1675 until her death in 1688. While in her service, Charpentier also established a highly productive relationship with Molière and the Comédie Française for whom he provided numerous sets of incidental music. He became maître de musique at the Church of St. Louis, and then at Sainte-Chapelle from 1698 until his death. He was a very prolific composer of both sacred and secular compositions of the highest quality. Little of his music was published during his lifetime, but he kept
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meticulous care of his manuscripts, all of which are contained in a set of twenty-eight bound volumes in the Bibliothèque Nationale in Paris. Teacher: Giacomo Carissimi Student: Philippe, Duke of Chartes Principal Works: 11 Masses, 10 Magnificats, 4 Te Deums, 84 psalms settings, over 200 motets, and music for 30 theatrical productions Selected Composer Bibliography: Barber, Clarence H. The Liturgical Music of Marc-Antoine Charpentier: The Masses, Motets, Leçons de tenebres. Harvard University, dissertation, 1955. Cessac, Catherine. Marc-Antoine Charpentier. Paris: Librairie Artème Fayard, 1988. Translated into English by C. Thomas Glasow. Portland, OR: Amadeus Press, 1995. Hitchcock, H. Wiley. Marc-Antoine Charpentier. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1990.
Messe de Minuit à 4 voix flutes et violon pour Noël, H. 9 (c. 1694) Duration: ca. 28 minutes Text: The text is the Latin ordinary of the Roman Catholic Mass. Performing Forces: voices: SATB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, strings, and continuo (organ) First Performance: unknown Editions: Messe de Minuit à 4 voix flutes et violon pour Noël is published in an urtext edition by Jen-Pail Montaignier by Ernst Eulenberg (8041). A full score and performance material are available for purchase from Lucks. Autograph: The composer’s manuscript is contained in volume 25 of the collection of Charpentier’s autograph score in the Bibliotèque Nationale in Paris. Notes: This work may have been commissioned by the Jesuits of the Church of St. Louis, now Saint-PaulSaint-Louis.219 Throughout the mass, there are textual incipits indicating events in the Christmas story. Performance Issues: There are passages labeled seul (solo) and tous (tutti) for all of the voice and string parts. The score indicates two different solo quintets, but the work can be performed with a single quintet and choir. The review treats these parts as a single quintet. The vocal writing combines pervasive imitation with homophonic passages. All of the choral material is directly doubled by the instruments and is not vocally demanding. The instrumental writing is not 219 Jean-Paul Montaignier, “Preface” Charpentier: Messe de Minuit à 4 voix flutes et violon pour Noël (London: Ernst Eulenberg, 1996).
technically challenging and can be performed by intermediate-level players. Soloists: dessus I (soprano) - range: a'-a'', tessitura: b'-g'', this is a simple lyric solo appropriate for a chorister; dessus II (soprano) - range: a'-a'', tessitura: b'-g'', this is a simple lyric solo appropriate for a chorister; haute-contre (alto) - range: a-a', tessitura: d'-a'', this is a simple declamatory solo appropriate for a chorister; taille (tenor) - range: a-g', tessitura: a-d', this is a simple declamatory solo appropriate for a chorister; bass - range: A-d', tessitura: d-d', this is a simple declamatory solo appropriate for a chorister. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Choir of King’s College, English Chamber Orchestra; conducted by David Willcocks. EMI: 756823. Selected Bibliography: Hitchcock, H. Wiley. Marc-Antoine Charpentier, 10. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1990. Cessac, Catherine. Marc-Antoine Charpentier. Paris: Librairie Artème Fayard, 1988. Translated into English by C. Thomas Glasow, 175, 304, 305, 310311, 331, 467, 493. Portland, OR: Amadeus Press, 1995.
Messe des Morts a quatre voix et orchestre, H. 10 (1687-1697) Duration: ca. 22 minutes Text: The text is from the Roman Catholic liturgy of the Mass for the Dead. Performing Forces: voices: 2 soprano, 2 alto, 2 tenor, and 2 bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, strings, and continuo (organ) First Performance: unknown Editions: Messe des Morts a quatre voix et orchestre is published by Editions Costallat as edited by Fr. J. Deleu. Autograph: The composer’s manuscript is contained in volume 26 of the collection of Charpentier’s autograph score in the Bibliotèque Nationale in Paris. Notes: There is another work by Charpentier entitled Messe des Morts a quatre voix, H. 7, which is written for choir and continuo. Performance Issues: The score includes solo and tutti passages for all voices and strings. The choral writing includes significant pervasive imitation, but all of the material is vocally conservative, and there is colla parte doubling of all of the choral material by the
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instruments. The instrumental writing is conservative and well within the abilities of most amateur players. The nuances of the numerous suspensions and retardations may need reinforcement with less-experienced musicians. Soloists: soprano I- range: c''-g'', tessitura: c''-g'', this is a simple declamatory solo appropriate for a chorister, it is the largest of the solo roles; soprano II - range: d'-g'', tessitura: a'-d'', this is a simple lyric solo appropriate for a chorister; alto I - range: b♭-b♭', tessitura: d'-a', this is a simple lyric solo appropriate for a chorister; alto II - range: a-b♭', tessitura: c'-g', this is a simple lyric solo appropriate for a chorister; tenor I range: g-g', tessitura: a-g', this is a simple lyric solo appropriate for a chorister; tenor II - range: f#-g', tessitura: b-g', this is a simple lyric solo appropriate for a chorister; bass I - range: c-d', tessitura: d-d', this is a simple lyric solo appropriate for a chorister; bass II range: G-c', tessitura: c-c', this is a simple sustained solo appropriate for a chorister. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium easy.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Autograph: The composer’s manuscript is contained in volumes 15 and 17 of the collection of Charpentier’s autograph score in the Bibliotèque Nationale in Paris.
Te Deum, H. 145 (early 1670s)
Performance Issues: The voices and strings have indications for solo and tutti playing throughout the work. The choirs divide with the orchestras, and the ensembles should be arranged to take advantage of this musical separation. Much of the choral material is doubled by the instruments, but there are passages assigned either to the complement of soloists or choir I that are quite florid and only supported by continuo. Likewise, the solo material, which is at times quite florid, is often presented with sustained chordal accompaniment à la recitative. The instrumental writing is practical and idiomatic throughout. The instrumental material is accessible to most intermediate-level players. The two oboes parts may present some endurance challenges in a few movements. Soloists: soprano I - range: f#'-a'', tessitura: a'-g'', this is a sustained, lyric solo with some florid melismatic passagework; soprano II - range: d'-g'', tessitura: a'-g'', this is a lyric solo with some florid melismatic passagework; alto I - range: g-b♭', tessitura: a-g', this is a sustained solo with some melismatic writing; alto II range: c'-a', tessitura: c'-g', this is a sustained solo with some melismatic writing; tenor I - range: f#-g', tessitura: g-d', this is a lyric solo with some florid melismatic passagework; tenor II - range: f-g', tessitura: gd', this is a lyric solo with some florid melismatic passagework; bass I - range: G-d', tessitura: c-c', this is a lyric solo; bass II - range: A-d', tessitura: c-c', this is a sustained solo with some melismatic writing. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium easy.
Duration: ca. 28 minutes
Selected Discography:
Text: This is an anonymous hymn of thanksgiving in church use since the sixth century. It is usually sung during the Matins service. The apocryphal source of its genesis is that it was spontaneously sung by Ss. Ambrose and Augustine on the evening when Augustine was baptized.
Le Concert Spirituel; conducted by Hervé Niquet. Glossa: GCDSA921611.
Selected Discography: Le Concert Spirituel; conducted by Hervé Niquet. Naxos: 8.553173. Selected Bibliography: Cessac, Catherine. Marc-Antoine Charpentier. Paris: Librairie Artème Fayard, 1988. Translated into English by C. Thomas Glasow, 174, 304, 305, 306, 312-315, 419, 467, 493. Portland, OR: Amadeus Press, 1995.
Performing Forces: voices: 2 soprano, 2 alto, 2 tenor, and 2 bass soloists; 2 SATB choirs; orchestra I: 2 flutes, 2 oboes (oboes II doubling English horn), bassoon, strings (3 violin parts or 2 violin parts and 1 viola part, cellos); orchestra II: strings (3 violin parts or 2 violin parts and 1 viola part, cellos), and basso continuo (organ, cello, and double bass).220 Editions: Full score and performance material of the Te Deum are available for purchase from Heugel-Paris as edited by Denise Launay as part of Le Pupitre: Collection de musique ancienne. It is also distributed by Universal Edition.
220 Some references include trumpet and timpani, probably conflating the information with H. 146.
Selected Bibliography: Hitchcock, H. Wiley. Marc-Antoine Charpentier, 25, 31. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1990. Cessac, Catherine. Marc-Antoine Charpentier. Paris: Librairie Artème Fayard, 1988. Translated into English by C. Thomas Glasow, 109, 130, 245, 451, 454, 495. Portland, OR: Amadeus Press, 1995.
Te Deum, H. 146 (early 1690s) Duration: ca. 13 minutes Text: This is an anonymous hymn of thanksgiving in church use since the sixth century. It is usually sung during the Matins service. The apocryphal source of its genesis is that it was spontaneously sung by Ss.
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Ambrose and Augustine on the evening when Augustine was baptized. Performing Forces: voices: 2 soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 trumpets, timpani,221 strings, and basso continuo Editions: Te Deum is published in an urtext edition by Jean-Paul Montaignier by Ernst Eulenberg (8042). Heugel-Paris also publishes an edition with performing materials.
Selected Bibliography: Hitchcock, H. Wiley. Marc-Antoine Charpentier, 25-29. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1990. Cessac, Catherine. Marc-Antoine Charpentier. Paris: Librairie Artème Fayard, 1988. Translated into English by C. Thomas Glasow, 245-247, 370, 372, 448, 496. Portland, OR: Amadeus Press, 1995.
Autograph: The composer’s manuscript is contained in volume 10 of the collection of Charpentier’s autograph score in the Bibliotèque Nationale in Paris.
Judicium Salomonis, H. 422 (1702)
Notes: This was the first work of Charpentier’s to be recorded (1953).222 The opening prelude was used as the signature theme for Eurovision in the early 1950s.223
Text: The text is drawn from the Bible, particularly I Kings, 3:1-28, and Psalm 117.
Performance Issues: There are passages labeled solo and tutti for all voices and strings. The choral material is well doubled by the instruments. It is vocally conservative, leaving the more challenging vocal material for the soloists, but this is also not technically demanding. The instrumental writing is practical and within the abilities of most payers. The trumpet part is unison throughout. Charpentier may have wanted the sonority of two players, but it is also likely that he recognized the need for the part to be shared between two players. The tessitura is high, and the part is quite persistent. It requires a player with significant stamina. Soloists: dessus (soprano) I - range: f#'-a'', tessitura: a'-d'', this is a simple solo; dessus (soprano) II - range: e'-d'', tessitura: a'-d'', haute-contre (alto) I - range: b-a', tessitura: d'-a', this is a simple lyric solo; haute-contre (alto) II - range: b-b', tessitura: d'-a', this is a lyric solo with some florid ornaments; taille (tenor) I - range: f#e', tessitura: a-d', this is a simple lyric solo; taille (tenor) II - range: g-f#', tessitura: a-f#', this is a lyric solo with some florid ornaments; bass I - range: B-e', tessitura: d-d', this is a simple declamatory solo; bass II - range: G-d', tessitura: d-d', this is a lyric baritone solo. Choir: medium easy. Orchestra: medium easy (except for trumpet). Selected Discography: Le Parlement de Musique; conducted by Martin Gester. Recorded at the Lycée de l’Assomption, Rennes, France, on June 2000. Naïve: 30463. Choir of King’s College, Academy of St. Martin in the Fields; conducted by Philip Ledger. EMI: 756823.
221 The score includes the label “Timbales et Basse de Trompette.“ This is only a timpani part. The composer is indicating the role of the timpani as the bass companion to the trumpet parts.
Duration: ca. 62 minutes
Performing Forces: voices: SATB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, oboe, bassoon, strings, and continuo First Performance: 11 November 1702, Palais de Justice, Paris Editions: Judicium Salomonis, H. 422 is published in a critical score, edited by H. Wiley Hitchcock as Recent Researches in the Music of the Baroque Era, volume I (New Haven, CT: A-R Editions, 1964). Autograph: The composer’s manuscript is contained in volume 27, folios 19-36, of the collection of Charpentier’s autograph score in the Bibliothèque Nationale in Paris. Notes: This work was composed to serve as a motet for the “Red Mass,” an event celebrating the convening of the French Parliament during the reign of Louis XIV. The soloists include two narrators, Solomon, and the true and false mothers each of whom claim a baby as her own. Performance Issues: The composer’s manuscript indicates plural winds and at times he calls for a second orchestra, which appears to be the equivalent of a concertante group. The flutes and oboes double the violin I part much of the time, but there are some divisi and a few independent passages. The choral material is well supported by the instruments with much colla parte doubling. There are some florid passages for the choristers, but overall, the parts are not vocally difficult. There are frequent ornaments indicated for the instruments and choristers. These should be worked out in the parts if possible. The instrumental writing includes some intricate passagework that is not technically difficult but may provide ensemble challenges for less experienced players. Soloists: Vera mater 222 Catherine Cessac, Marc-Antoine Charpentier (Paris: Librairie Artème Fayard, 1988). Translated into English by C. Thomas Glasow, 246 (Portland, OR: Amadeus Press, 1995). 223 Jean-Paul Montaignier, “Preface” to Charpentier: Te Deum (London: Ernst Eulenberg, 1996).
300 (soprano) - range: e'-e'', tessitura: f'-e♭'', this is a simple declamatory solo; Falsa mater (alto) - range: g-b♭', tessitura: c'-a', this is a lyric solo; Salomon (tenor) range: g-g', tessitura: g-f', this is a lyric part with florid coloratura within a narrow compass; Historicus II (tenor) - range: g-e♭', tessitura: g-e♭', this is a simple recitative; Historicus I (bass) - range: c-d', tessitura: cc', this is a simple declamatory solo; Deus (bass) range: c-d', tessitura: c-c', this is a sustained declamatory solo. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Ana Quintans, Maud Gnidzaz, Paul Agnew, Leif ArunSolén, Marc Molomot, Marc Mauillon, Neal Davies, João Fernandes; Les Arts Florissants; conducted by William Christie. Virgin: 140308. Selected Bibliography: Brenet, Michel. “Note sur le ‘Jugement de Salomon’ et son auteur M.-A. Charpentier.” Tribune de Saint-Gervais, 128-130: xx, 1914. Hitchcock, H. Wiley. “Preface” to Judicium Salomonis, v-xvi, Recent Researches in the Music of the Baroque Era, volume I. New Haven, CT: A-R Editions, 1964. ———. Marc-Antoine Charpentier, 60-61. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1990. Cessac, Catherine. Marc-Antoine Charpentier. Paris: Librairie Artème Fayard, 1988. Translated into English by C. Thomas Glasow, 23-24, 263, 270, 272, 283, 291-295, 368, 370, 372-373, 415, 420, 469, 500. Portland, OR: Amadeus Press, 1995.
CHERUBINI, Luigi (b. Florence, 14 September 1760; d. Paris, 15 March 1842) Cherubini was a prolific composer. He produced thirty operas, fourteen masses, fourteen cantatas, and a number of orchestral works. He spent time in London as a young man and was greatly affected by the Gluck operas he saw there. Moving to Paris in 1788, he began producing works in that style. When Napoleonic France became too heated for him, he visited Vienna, where he is said to have exerted significant influence upon Beethoven, especially in the composition of Fidelio. Cherubini returned to France at the request of the French throne. He joined the faculty of the Paris Conservatory in 1816 and served as its director from 1821 to 1841. In 1841, he was the first musician to be made a Commander of the Légion d’honneur.
224 This duration is indicated in the score and appears accurate; however, a variety of sources give durations ranging from 45 to 52 minutes.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Teachers: Bizarri, Castrucci, Alessandro Felici, Bartolomeo Felici, Giuseppe Sarti Students: Pierre Baillot, César Franck, Fromental Halévy, Aimé-Ambroise-Simon Leborne, Pierre-JosephGuillaume Zimmerman Writings: A Treatise on Counterpoint and Fugue (originally published in Paris in 1833, translated into English by Mary Cowden Clarke, revised by Joseph Bennett). London: Novello and Ewer, 1884. Other Principal Works: opera: Armida (1782), Médée (1797), Deux Journées (1800), Anacréon (1803), Les Abencérages (1813); orchestral: Symphony in D major (1815); choral: Requiem in D minor (1811), Requiem in C minor (1816), Coronation Mass in A major (1825). Selected Composer Bibliography: Bellasis, Edward. Cherubini: Memorials Illustrative of His Life and Work. Birmingham: Cornish Brothers Limited, 1912; reprinted, New York: Da Capo Press, 1971.
Requiem Mass in D minor (1836) Duration: ca. 35 minutes224 Text: The text is from the Roman Catholic liturgy of the Mass for the Dead. Performing Forces: voices: TTB choir; orchestra: piccolo, flute, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns (F, D), 2 trumpets (D), 3 trombones, timpani, and strings First Performance: 25 March 1838; Société des Concerts, Paris Editions: Full scores for Requiem Mass in D minor are available for purchase from C. F. Peters (EP 2005) and Kalmus. Eulenberg publishes a study score of the Peters edition. Parts are available for rental from Peters and for sale or rent from Kalmus. Autograph: The location of the composer’s manuscript is unknown. Notes: A lesser-known Requiem in D minor was composed in 1811. It is for mixed voices. This led to the originial title of “Deuxième Requiem.” Cherubini was inspired to compose this work, which he intended to be for his own funeral, upon the death of the composer Boieldieu in 1834 for whose funeral Cherubini’s C Minor Requiem was performed. That event provoked complaints from the archbishop over the participation of women in the service. The work was performed for the composer’s funeral four years after its premiere.225 225 Rudolf Lück: “Foreword” to Requiem für Männerchor und Orchester, edited by Rudolf Lück. London: Ernst Eulenberg, n.d.
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Performance Issues: There are divisi in all of the choral parts. Most of the choral writing is homophonic. Polyphonic writing is in close imitation, and although these passages are not always conspicuously doubled, there is significant harmonic and melodic support of all choral parts by the orchestra. The exception to this is in the “Pie Jesu” in which virtually all the choral passages are unaccompanied. The tessitura of the tenor I part is quite high, remaining within a compass of a perfect fifth (c'-g') for extended periods of time. An odd feature of this score is the placement of the bassoons between the trumpets and trombones. The orchestral writing is idiomatic and colorful. There are exposed passages for all principal players, but the score as a whole would work well for a good college or amateur ensemble. The significant brass writing will require players with some stamina and control. The scoring of the tutti passages suggests the use of a large string section and a sizable choir. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, Prague Philharmonic Chorus; conducted by Igor Markevitch; Supraphon: SU3429-2. Selected Bibliography:
Coleridge-Taylor, Jessie Fleetwood. A Memory Sketch or Personal Reminiscences of My Husband: Genius and Musician S. Coleridge-Taylor. London: Bobby and Co., 1912. Thompson, Jewel Taylor. Samuels Coleridge-Taylor: The Development of His Compositional Style. Metuchen, NJ: Scarecrow Press, 1994. Self, Geoffrey. The “Hiawatha Man.” Aldershot: Scolar Press, 1995. Tortolano, William. Samuel Coleridge-Taylor: AngloBlack Composer, 1875-1912, 2nd edition. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press, 2002.
The Song of Hiawatha (1898-1900) Text: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Notes: This oratorio comprises three works, which were composed independently, and can each be performed as a freestanding composition. The proper nouns used by Longfellow have traditional pronunciations that may not be evident to a newcomer to the text. Care should be taken to become familiar with these names prior to the first rehearsal. Each is described independently below.
I. Hiawatha’s Wedding Feast
Lück, Rudolf. “Foreword” to Requiem für Männerchor und Orchester, edited by Rudolf Lück. London: Ernst Eulenberg, n.d. Pahlen, Kurt. The World of the Oratorio, translated by Judith Schaefer with additional English-language material by Thurston Dox, 108. Portland, OR: Amadeus Press, 1990.
COLERIDGE-TAYLOR,
Selected Composer Bibliography:
Samuel
(b. London, 15 August 1875; d. Croydon, England, 1 September 1912) Coleridge-Taylor was a prominent and very successful black English composer whose father had been born in Sierra Leone. He studied at the Royal College of Music in London and later taught violin at the Royal Academy of Music and composition at Trinity College in London and the Guildhall School. ColeridgeTaylor’s music is tuneful and highly refined in a distinctively Edwardian style. He is best remembered today for his Song of Hiawatha trilogy. Teacher: Charles Villiers Stanford Other Principal Works: opera: Thelma (1909); orchestral: Symphony in A minor (1896), Idyll (1901), Symphonic Variations on an African Air (1906), Bamboula (1910), Violin Concerto (1911)
(1898)
Duration: ca. 34 minutes Performing Forces: voices: soprano, tenor, and baritone soloists, SATB choir; orchestra: piccolo, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets (A), 2 bassoons, 4 horns (F), 2 trumpets (F), 3 trombones, tuba, percussion (2 players: triangle, cymbals, and bass drum), timpani, harp, and strings
II. The Death of Minnehaha
(1899)
Duration: ca. 37 minutes Performing Forces: voices: soprano, tenor, and baritone soloists, SATB choir; orchestra: piccolo, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets (A), 2 bassoons, 4 horns (F), 2 trumpets (F), 3 trombones, tuba, percussion (2 players — triangle, cymbals, and bass drum), timpani, harp, and strings
III. The Departure of Hiawatha
(1900)
Duration: ca. 48 minutes Performing Forces: voices: soprano, tenor, and baritone soloists, SATB choir; orchestra: piccolo, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets (A), 2 bassoons, 4 horns in F, 2 trumpets in F, 3 trombones, tuba, percussion (2 players: triangle, cymbals, and bass drum), timpani, harp, organ (optional), and strings Editions: Full scores and parts these three works are published by Edwin F. Kalmus.
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Performance Issues: The choral writing is conservative and lyrical allowing for the use of a large, but marginally experienced ensemble. The choral parts are well supported by the orchestra. The orchestral writing is rich, but none of the individual parts is particularly challenging. If an amateur ensemble is used, some issues of balance between the choir and orchestra may require additional attention, as the delicacy of the writing may not be patently obvious to inexperienced players. The organ part is entirely optional and its absence does not require the playing of any cues in the winds. Soloists: soprano - range: f#'-a'', tessitura: b'-g'', this is a lyric solo reuiring a fairly strong voice; tenor - range: g#-g#' (b'), tessitura: b-g#', this is a declamatory solo with the bracketed pitch offered as an optional high note; baritone - range: B-f', tessitura: e-e', this is a lyric solo requiring a flexible and strong singer. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Helen Field, Arthur Davies, Bryn Terfel; Chorus of the Welsh National Opera (Andrew Greenwood, chorusmaster), Orchestra of the Welsh National Opera; conducted by Kenneth Alwyn, recorded in Brabgwyn Hall, Swansea, Wales, January 1990. Argo: CD 430 356-2. Selected Bibliography: Self, Geoffrey. The “Hiawatha Man,” 69-108. Aldershot: Scolar Press, 1995. Tortolano, William. Samuel Coleridge-Taylor: AngloBlack Composer, 1875-1912, 2nd edition, 17-39. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press, 2002
COPLAND, Aaron (b. New York, NY, 14 November 1900; d. Tarrytown, NY, 2 December 1990) Copland has remained the most internationally recognized American composer of concert music. A tireless champion for American music, he was an influential teacher, composer, and administrator. Copland began his music studies as a piano student of Victor Wittgenstein and Clarence Adler. He studied counterpoint and harmony with Rubin Goldmark (1917-1920), and in 1920 entered the American Conservatory at Fontainebleau, near Paris, where he was a composition pupil of Nadia Boulanger. Upon his return to the United States, Copland began to receive a number of important performances of his works. As the Depression set in, he began to incorporate more and more folk elements into his music, developing what has been perceived as a very “American” quality. This culminated in his three most celebrated ballets: Billy the Kid, Rodeo, and Appalachian Spring, each of which was centered around frontier American life and included
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
numerous quotations of indigenous music of the eras represented. Copland was active as a musical ambassador to other countries, especially throughout the Americas. He was involved in the League of Composers, American Composers Alliance, Yaddo Festival, and the Koussevitsky Foundation. He led the composition department at the Berkshire Music Center at Tanglewood (1940-1965) and served as chairman of the faculty there (1957-1965). He lectured extensively; especially important are his talks on Music and Imagination, which were presented as the Eliot Norton Lectures at Harvard (1951-1952). His honors are numerous including ten honorary doctorates, the Pulitzer Prize, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. In 1982, the music department of Queens College of the City University of New York became the Aaron Copland School of Music. Teachers: Nadia Boulanger, Rubin Goldmark Students: Samuel Adler, Tzvi Avni, Leonard Bernstein, Paul Bowles, Mario Davidovsky, Jacob Druckman, Einer Englund, William Flanagan, Roger Hannay, Toshi Ichiyanagi, Charles Mills, Thea Musgrave, Juan Orrego-Salas, Robert Palmer, Daniel Pinkham, Jaromir Podesva, Einojuhani Rautavaara, Gardner Read, H. Owen Reed, Earl Robinson, Ned Rorem, Allen Sapp, Ezra Sims, Michael Schelle, Robert Starer, Lester Trimble, Robert Ward, David Ward-Steinman, Raymond Wilding-White Writings: Music and Imagination (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1952); What to Listen For in Music, revised edition (New York: McGraw-Hill, 1957); Copland on Music (New York: Harcourt, Brace, and Jovanovich, 1960; reprinted—New York: Da Capo Press, 1976); The New Music: 1900-1960, revised edition (New York: W.W. Norton, 1968); and many articles. Principal Works: opera - The Tenderland (1954); ballets - Billy the Kid (1938), Rodeo (1942), Appalachian Spring (1945, Pulitzer Prize and N.Y. Critic’s Circle Award), Dance Panels (1959); orchestral - 3 Symphonies (1928, 1932-1933, 1944-1946), Music for the Theatre (1925), Piano Concerto (1926), Dance Symphony (1930, N.Y. Critic’s Circle Award), El Salón Mexico (1933-1936), Music for Radio (1937), An Outdoor Overture (1938), Quiet City (1939), John Henry (1940), Lincoln Portrait (1942), Music for Movies (1942), Fanfare for the Common Man (1942), Danzón Cubano (1944), clarinet concerto (1947-1948), Preamble for a Solemn Occasion (1949), Music for a Great City (1964), Three Latin American Sketches (1972); chamber - Vitebsk (1928), Threnody I: Igor Stravinsky, In Memoriam (1971), Threnody II: Beatrice Cunningham, In Memoriam (1973); choral Las agadachas (1942), In the Beginning (1947); solo vocal - Twelve Poems of Emily Dickinson (19491950), Old American Songs, sets I and II (1950 and 1952); film scores - The City (1939), Of Mice and Men
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(1939), Our Town (1940), North Star (1943), The Cummington Story (1945), The Red Pony (1948), The Heiress (1948, Academy Award), Something Wild (1961). Selected Composer Bibliography: Skowronski, JoAnn. Aaron Copland: A Bio-Bibliography. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1985. Copland, Aaron, and Vivian Perlis. Copland: 1900 through 1942. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1984. ———. Copland since 1943. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1989. Robertson, Marta, and Robin Armstrong. Aaron Copland: A Guide to Research. New York: Routledge, 2001.
Canticle of Freedom (1955) Duration: ca. 13 minutes Text: The text is by John Barbour, in a modern English adaptation of his Middle Scots poem, Bruce. Performing Forces: voices: SATB choir; orchestra: piccolo, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, English horn (optional), 2 clarinets in B♭, 2 bassoons, 4 horns in F, 3 trumpets in B♭, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion (4 players - bells, xylophone, vibraphone, chimes, snare drum, bass drum, suspended cymbal, crash cymbals, gong, tam-tam, triangle, woodblock, slapstock), harp, and strings First Performance: first version: 8 May 1955; Kresge Auditorium, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA; Massachusetts Institute of Technology chorus and orchestra, conducted by Klaus Liepmann final version: October 1967, Atlanta, GA; Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, conducted by Robert Shaw Edition: Canticle of Freedom is published by Boosey and Hawkes. Study scores and piano-vocal scores are available for purchase; orchestral materials are available through rental. Notes: Canticle of Freedom was commissioned by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology for the dedication of its new Kresge Auditorium. Performance Issues: The orchestral writing presents some meter and tempo changes, as well as crossmetric relationships, but all of this is written to remain within the abilities of a student ensemble. With an inexperienced orchestra, the section between mm. 20 and 96 will require specific attention to establish a sense of cohesive ensemble. The first trumpet and first horn parts maintain a fairly high tessitura. There are exposed solo passages for most of the wind and brass 226 From a conversation with Vivian Fine, 1987.
players. There are also divisi passages in all of the string parts. The choir appears only in the second half of this work, entering in m. 221. The choral writing is very accessible; it is entirely in unison or two parts with paired doubling between sections of the choir. Most of this is homophonic, while the few contrapuntal vocal sections are in two-part canon. The accompaniment consistently supports the pitch material of the vocal parts, but does not reinforce the vocal rhythms. This score is written so that it is technically within the abilities of many college and youth orchestras, as well as large amateur and student choirs; however, it is also musically worthy of performances from the finest professional ensembles. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium. Selected Discography: Crane Chorus and Crane Symphony Orchestra (SUNY at Potsdam); conducted by Aaron Copland, recorded in 1978. Vogt: CSRV 2600 [LP]. John Mark Ainsley, Stephen Varcoe; City of London Sinfonia, Britten Singers; conducted by Richard Hickox. Chandos: CHAN 8997 [DDD]. Selected Bibliography: Durgin, Cyrus. “Illness Causes Fiedler to Miss Opening of Pops 50th Season.” Musical America, 75 (June 1955): 20 [review of the premiere]. Cowell, Henry. “Current Chronicle: New York.” Musical Quarterly, 42 (January 1956): 90-92. White, Chappell. “Atlanta.” American Choral Review, 10:3 (1968): 135 [review of the premiere of the revised version].
COWELL, Henry Dixon (b. Menlo Park, CA, 11 March 1897; d. Shady, NY, 10 December 1965). In addition to maintaining a productive compositional career, Cowell worked tirelessly as a promoter of contemporary music (particularly that by American composers). He decided to become a composer at age eight, beginning his first lengthy work, Golden Legend, in 1908. He was the child of “free thinkers” who encouraged his self-guided education and an acceptance of the sounds of the world as musically worthwhile. This included the broad range of Asian music to be heard in the San Francisco area and the Irish folk music of his family.226 Cowell began his formal training with Charles Seeger at the University of California at Berkeley in 1914. He also pursued studies in English composition from Samuel Seward at Stanford University. Between 1923 and 1933 he made five European tours as a composer-pianist,
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gaining notoriety and forging many friendships with Europe’s most prominent composers. He was the first American composer to be invited to the USSR (1929). Cowell’s most significant role in music history was through his writing, publishing, and ceaseless championship of modern music. He founded the New Music Society, which published the quarterly New Music. This unique periodical introduced editions of numerous significant composers, including Ives, Ruggles, and Varèse. He was crucial in the establishment of the Pan-American Association of Composers and founded New Music Quarterly Recordings. Cowell was one of the first composers to explore the incorporation of non-Western musical techniques into his compositions.227 He greatly accelerated the development of systematic ethnomusicology and the study of American folk music. He lectured extensively and held teaching positions at Columbia University (19491965), Peabody Conservatory (1951-1956), and the New School for Social Research (1941-1963). Cowell was elected to the National Institute of Arts and Letters in 1951. He also served as president of ACA from 1951 to 1955. Teachers: Frank Damrosch, Wallace Sabin, Charles Seeger, E. G. Strickland Students: Dominick Argento, Burt Bacharach, John Cage, Gearge Crumb, George Gershwin, Lou Harrison, William Kraft, Alan Stout, Irwin Swack, Frank Wigglesworth Principal Writings: American Composers on American Music (2nd edition, New York: Frederick Ungar, 1962), Charles Ives and His Music (New York: Oxford University Press, 1955), coauthored with his wife, Sydney. Principal Works: His catalogued compositions number nearly one thousand, encompassing all traditional genres and exploring a diversity of styles ranging from the wildly dissonant avant-garde to simple folk like tunes. Selected Composer Bibliography: Slonimsky, Nicholas. “Henry Cowell.” In American Composers on American Music: A Symposium, edited by Henry Cowell. New York: Frederick Ungar Publishing, 1933 (revised, 1962). Goldman, Robert Franko. “Henry Cowell.” Inter-American Institute for Musical Research Yearbook, ii (1966): 96. Godwin, Joscelyn. The Music of Henry Cowell. Cornell University, dissertation, 1969. Saylor, Bruce. The Writings of Henry Cowell: A Descriptive Bibliography. Brooklyn: Institute for the Study of American Music Monographs, 1977. 227 Harold Gleason and Walter Becker, “Henry Cowell,” in 20thCentury American Composers, Music Literature Outlines, series iv (Bloomington: Indiana University Press, revised 1981).
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Gleason, Harold, and Walter Becker. “Henry Cowell.” 20th-century American Composers. Music Literature Outlines, series iv, 58-77. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, revised, 1981. Mead, Rita. Henry Cowell’s New Music 1925-36: The Society, the Music Editions, and the Recordings. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Research Press, 1981. Manion, Martha L. Writings about Henry Cowell: An Annotated Bibliography. Brooklyn: Institute for the Study of American Music Monographs, 1982. Mead, Rita. “The Amazing Mr. Cowell.” American Music, i/4 (1983): 63. Lichtenwanger, William. The Music of Henry Cowell: A Descriptive Catalogue. Brooklyn: Institute for the Study of American Music Monographs, 1986. Saylor, Bruce, William Lichtenwanger, and Elizabeth A. Wright. “Henry Cowell.” The New Grove TwentiethCentury American Masters, 101-136. New York: W.W. Norton, 1986.
…If he please (1955) Duration: ca. 18 minutes Text: Edward Taylor, the first thirty lines of “The Preface,” from God’s Determinations Touching His Elect (ca. 1703), as found in The Poetical Works of Edward Taylor, edited by Thomas H. Johnson (New York: Rockland Editions, 1939). Performing Forces: voices: SATB choir, boy choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 3 trumpets, 2 trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion (1 player - suspended cymbal, 4 anvils or metal pipes [low to high], slap stick), and strings First Performance: 29 February 1956; Carnegie Hall, New York; Oratorio Society of New York, Choristers of St. John the Divine and St. Thomas Church; conducted by William Strickland Edition: …If he please is published by C. F. Peters; orchestral materials are available for rental. Autograph: The ink full score and an incomplete pencil draft of the condensed score are held by the Cowell Collection at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC; an ozalid copy is in the possession of C. F. Peters. Notes: The work bears the dedication: “Written for William Strickland and the Oratorio Society of New York.” The text was suggested to the composer by Strickland as one particularly appropriate in the nuclear age. Cowell states that the boy choir may be replaced by women, girls, or mixed children if preferred by the conductor.
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Performance Issues: The boys divide into three parts, and the adult choir divides into six women’s and nine men’s parts. The score is fairly diatonic with extended functional harmonies in the voices. The strings frequently exploit harmonies built from adjacent seconds. There are numerous octave doublings and unisons within the choir. The anvils could be replaced by brake drums of varied pitches. The principal oboe, horn, and trumpets all have exposed solo passages. All of the orchestra writing is within the capacity of a moderately experienced amateur ensemble. The divisions in the choir suggest a large group. If the ninepart men’s section is not a deterrent, this is an attractive and accessible work, which has become a neglected part of the repertoire. Choir: medium; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Rolf Karlsen, organ; Norwegian Choir of Solo Singers; members of the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra; conducted by William Strickland. Recorded in 1968. CRI: CRI-165 [LP] and CRI-217 [LP]. Selected Bibliography: Schoneberg, Harold C. “Oratorio Society gives modern program [review of premiere].” New York Times (1 March 1956), p. 36, col. 1. Sabin, Robert. “Strickland Leads Contemporary Works.” Musical America, lxxvi (March 1956): 18. Rich, Alan. “Records; innovators new and old.” New York Times (23 June 1963), section II, p. X12, col. 1. Shupp, Enos E. Jr. “Concert: Sowerby…Cowell: …If He Please.” New Records, xxxi/4 (June 1963): 6. Miller, Philip L. “Cowell: …If He please.” American Record Guide, xxix/11 (July 1963): 868. Frankenstein, Alfred. “Cowell …If He please….” High Fidelity, xiii/8 (August 1963): 76. Flanagan, William. “Cowell …If He Please, for chorus and orchestra (1955)….” HiFi/Stereo Review. xi/3 (September 1963): 75. Miller, Philip L. “Cowell: If He please….” Library Journal, lxxxviii/18 (15 October 1963): 3831.
First Performance: 1 May 1964; Elizabeth Hall, Stetson University, De Land, FL; Stetson University Concert Choir, Chorus, and Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Robert L. Hause Edition: The Creator is published and distributed by C. F. Peters; vocal and orchestral materials are available for rental (full score #P66084 ). Autograph: The ink full score and pencil sketches are held by the Cowell Collection at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC; an ozalid copy is in the Music Library of Stetson University and C. F. Peters. The full score is a facsimile of the composer’s manuscript. Notes: The Creator was “Commissioned by Stetson University. . . for Stetson’s 1964 Observance of Religious Focus Week.” It is in fourteen movements, which are to be played without pause. Performance Issues: The choral parts divide: SSSSAAAATTTBBB. The vocal writing is strictly homophonic and uses functional harmonies. The choir is asked to speak and to use semipitched Sprechstimme. The choral and solo tenor parts are written in the bass clef. The first horn player has some exposed and expressive solos. The first trumpet is consistently high with rapid passagework above the staff. The “metal sounds” would probably be best achieved with brake drums of varied pitches. Soloists: soprano, range: c'-g''; tessitura: f'-e'', lyric and sustained; alto, range: a-d''; tessitura: d'-b', dramatic and filled with melismas; tenor, range: c-a'; tessitura: f-e'', bright and powerful; bass, range: E-d'; tessitura: G-g, declamatory with good projection in the bottom range. The divisi suggest the use of a large choir. This is a very accessible piece for singers and players alike. With the noted exceptions above this is a fine work for a community orchestra and choir. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Discography: No commercial recording Selected Bibliography: Anderson, Owen. “New Works/New York[review].” Music Journal, xxiv (May 1966): 82.
The Creator, op. 919 (1963) Duration: ca. 25 minutes Text: Gavril Romanovich Derzhavin, from his poem “Bog,” from Sochinenya (“Works,” vol. 1, St. Petersburg, 1798); translated as “God,” by John Bowring in Specimens of the Russian Poets (London, 1821). Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; double SATB choir; orchestra: 3 flutes, 3 oboes, 3 clarinets, 3 bassoons, 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani (4), percussion (2 players - 4 suspended cymbals [low to high], 5 drums [low to high], 5 metal sounds [low to high]), and strings
CRESTON, Paul (b. New York, 10 October 1906; d. San Diego, CA, 24 August 1985). Creston chose a career in composition in 1932 with little previous training. He received a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1938 and the New York Critic’s Circle award in 1941 for his Symphony no. 1. Creston served as president of the National Association for American Composers and Conductors (1956-1960), director of ASCAP (1960-1968), and composer-in-residence at Central Washington State College (1968-1975).
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Creston’s music is tied to tradition in its formal unity and creative methods of thematic development. His harmonic language exploits nonfunctional triads and pandiatonicism. It is incisive and energetic rhythms which most distinguish his music.228 Interested in improving methods of rhythmic notation and practice, he authored Principles of Rhythm (1964) and Rational Metric Notation (1979). Teachers: self-taught Students: Charles Roland Berry, John Corigliano, Frank Felice, Elliott Schwartz, Irwin Swack Principal Works: orchestral - 6 Symphonies (op. 20 1940, op. 35 - 1944, op. 48 - 1950, op. 52 - 1951, op. 64 - 1955, and op. 118 -1981), 2 Violin Concertos (op. 65 - 1956 and op. 78 - 1960), Saxophone Concerto, op. 26 (1941), Piano Concerto, op. 43 (1949), Accordion Concerto, op. 75 (1958); choral - Mass “Adoro te,” op. 54 for choir and piano (1952), Mass “Cum jubilo,” op. 97 for choir and piano (1968), Calamus, op. 104 for men’s choir, brass, and percussion (1972) Selected Composer Bibliography: Cowell, Henry. “Paul Creston.” The Musical Quarterly, xxxiv (1948): 533. Simmons, Walter. “Paul Creston: Maintaining a Middle Course.” Music Journal, xxxiv/10 (1976): 12. [obituary], New York Times (26 August 1985). Simmons, Walter. “Paul Creston.” In The New Grove Dictionary of American Music, edited by H. Wiley Hitchcock, I, 535-536. 4 volumes. London: Macmillan, 1986. Slowski, Monica Justine. Paul Creston: The Man and His Music with an Annotated Bibliography of His Works. University of Missouri at Kansas City, dissertation, 1987.
Isaiah’s Prophecy (a Christmas Oratorio), op. 80 (1962)
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Edition: Isaiah’s Prophecy is published by F. Colombo and distributed by Theodore Presser Company. The piano-vocal score and study score are available for purchase; orchestral materials are available on rental. Autograph: A pencil manuscript score is in the Library of Congress (ML 96C8335, case). Notes: Isaiah’s Prophecy is dedicated: “To A. A. Beecher with profound thanks for a magnificent and memorable premiere of the work — and in everlasting friendship.” It is in fifteen sections, many of which use traditional carols for texts and some of the music. Performance Issues: This is a chromatic work, which operates within the traditions of functional harmony. The choral writing is primarily homophonic with a cappella passages and divisi in all parts. Movement X provides the greatest challenge to the singers with eight fairly independent parts and increased contrapuntal complexity. The instrumental parts are quite straightforward. There is rapid passagework in the strings and bassoons. The trumpets and trombones have a number of exposed brass choir passages. Soloists: soprano, range: b♭'-g♭'', tessitura: b♭'-g♭'', very sustained; Mary - mezzo-soprano, range: c#'-f#'', tessitura: e'-b', very articulate with sustained phrases; Evangelist - tenor, range: d♭-g♭', tessitura: a♭-e♭', declamatory with some speaking; Caspar - tenor, range: f#-g', tessitura: f#-f#', small role; Prophet - baritone, range: c#-f', tessitura: f-e', lyric and articulate; Melchior - baritone, range: d-c#', tessitura: d-c#', small role; Balthazar - bass, range: F#-a, tessitura: A-a, small role. Choir: easy to medium easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Discography: No commercial recording Selected Bibliography: [review]: Choral Journal (March 1963), 7.
Duration: ca. 30 minutes Text: Bible and traditional carols Performing Forces: voices: soprano, mezzo-soprano, 2 tenor, 2 baritone, and bass soloists; narrator; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, 2 trombones, timpani, percussion (1 player - tom-tom, crash cymbals, suspended cymbal, glockenspiel, chimes), harp, and strings First Performance: 12 December 1962; University of South Florida, Tampa, FL; University of South Florida ensembles; conducted by A. A. Beecher
228 Gilbert Chase, America’s Music, 535-536 (New York: McGraw-Hill, 1955).
DEBUSSY, Claude (b. St.-Germaineen-Laye, 22 August 1862; d. Paris, 25 March 1918) Debussy was one of the most influential composers of the twentieth century. His atmospheric use of nontraditional harmonic structures and his integration of Asian elements in his music established the style which came to be known as impressionism, a style which laid the foundations for many of the important musical developments of the twentieth century. Debussy was admitted to the Paris Conservatory in 1872,
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
there he studied piano with Antoine-François Marmontel, solfeggio with Albert Lavignac, and harmony with Émile Durand. In 1880, he entered Ernest Guiraud’s composition class at the Paris Conservatory. In 1884 his L’Enfant prodigue won the Grand Prix de Rome. In 1889, Debussy attended the Paris World Exhibition where he was exposed to the music of Asia, including a Javanese gamelan. The non-Western scales and unusual timbres of this music had a profound impact upon his developing compositional style. These new sonorities and the exoticism of the impressionist poets of his day converged in his songs and instrumental music throughout the following decade, reaching a critical apex with the opera Pelléas et Mélisande, which was premiered 30 April 1902 and secured Debussy’s position in the first rank of French composers. In later symphonic works he experimented with the organic development of thematic material, as in La Mer (1905), and the integration of Spanish folk elements into his music, as in Images (1906-1912). It is often noted that Debussy did not accept the term impressionism when applied to his music, but the titles of his works and their musical content are so evocative of the spirit of the poets and painters of this genre that it is impossible to avoid this categorization. Although celebrated for his uses of parallelisms and exotic scales, Debussy’s most important contribution to the development of music in the next generation was his use of musical sonorities purely as aesthetic sound combinations “free from the bonds of academic tyranny.” Teacher: Ernest Guiraud Writings: Among the collections of Debussy’s writings for the French press, which have been published in English translations are: Debussy on Music: The Critical Writings of the Great French Composer Claude Debussy (New York, 1977). Principal Works: opera - Pelléas et Mélisande (18931902); orchestral - Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune (1892-1894), Nocturnes (1892-1899), Danse sacréee et Danse profane for harp and strings (1903), La Mer (1903-1905), Images (1906-1912), Jeux (1912); choral - l’Enfant prodigue (1884), La Damoiselle élue (1887-1889), Le Martyre de Saint-Sébastien (1911); songs - Fête galante I, Fête galante II, Cinq poèmes de Baudelaire, Ariettes oubliées, Trois chansons de Bilitis; piano - Deux arabesques (1880), Suite bergamasque (1890-1905), Estampes (1903), Images I (1905), Children’s Corner (1906-1908), Images II (1907-1908), Douze préludes, book I (1910), Douze préludes, book II (1910-1913), Douze études, books I and II (1915). Selected Composer Bibliography: Vallas, Léon. Claude Debussy et son temps. Paris: Alcan, 1932; revised as Paris: Albin Michel, 1958. Published in English translation by Maire and Grace O’Brien as
Claude Debussy: His Life and Works. London: Oxford University Press, 1933; reprinted as New York: Dover, 1973. Thompson, Oscar. Debussy: Man and Artist. New York: Dodd and Mead, 1937. Dietschy, Marcel. La Passion de Claude Debussy. Neuchâtel, Switzerland: Éditions de la Baconnière, 1962. Lockspeiser, Edward. Debussy: His Life and Mind, 2 volumes. London: Cassell, 1962 and 1965; reprinted as Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1978. Lesure, François. Catalogue de l’œuvre de Claude Debussy. Geneva: Éditions Minkoff, 1977. ———. Debussy, 5th edition, revised with preface by R. Langham Smith. London: J. M. Dent and Sons, 1980. Nichols, Roger, with work list by Robert Orledge. “Claude Debussy.” In The New Grove Twentieth-Century French Masters. New York: W. W. Norton, 1986. Parks, Richard S. The Music of Claude Debussy. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1989. Briscoe, James R. Claude Debussy: A Guide to Research. New York: Garland Press, 1990.
Nocturnes (1892-1899) Duration: ca. 25 minutes Text: none Performing Forces: voices: SSA choir; orchestra: movement I: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, English horn, 2 clarinets in B♭, 3 bassoons, 4 horns in F, timpani, harp, and strings movement II: 3 flutes, oboe, English horn, 2 clarinets in B♭, 3 bassoons, 4 horns in F, 3 trumpets in F, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion (2 players - snare drum, cymbals), 2 harps, and strings movement III: 3 flutes, 2 oboes, English horn, 2 clarinets in A, 3 bassoons, 4 horns in F, 3 trumpets in F, 2 harps, and strings First Performance: movements I and II only: 9 December 1900; Paris; Concerts Lamoureux; conducted by Camille Chevillard first complete performance: 27 October 1901; Paris; Concerts Lamoureux; conducted by Camille Chevillard first staged performance: [movements I and III only] 5 May 1913; théâtre des Champs-Élysées, Paris; Loïe Full and F. Ochsé, directors; F. Ochsé and Émile Bertin, scenery; conducted by Desiré-Émile Inghelbrecht Edition: Nocturnes was first published by Fromont in 1900 and 1909. An edition was released from Jobert in 1930 and 1964, which reflect changes made to the Fromont edition by the composer. The original version of the score has been published as a reprint from Peters (1977/1978), Dover (1983, in Three Great Orchestral Works), Boosey and Hawkes, International, and Kalmus. Orchestral materials may be purchased or rented
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from Boosey and Hawkes or Kalmus. Parts should be compared to the full score as the sets do not necessarily correspond completely with either the Fromont or Jobert editions. Orchestral materials are also available from Jobert, which correspond thoroughly with their revised edition of 1964. Autograph: The principal manuscript is in the collection of Jobert-Georges. A manuscript draft score is in the Library of Congress, and corrected proofs are in the Monteux collection in Hancock, Maine. The Bibliothèque Nationale has a microfilm copy of the corrected Fromont edition, which is in the possession of F. Lang in Royaumont, France. Notes: The score is dedicated to Georges Hartmann. The textless choir appears only in the last of the three movements, which is entitled “Sirens.” The performance history of this work and the independent spirit of its movements allows for the performance of single movements from the whole. Performance Issues: The third movement uses a women’s choir as an orchestral color to represent the sirens from classical mythology. There are no indications as to what vowels are to be used, therefore this must be decided in rehearsal preparation. Since the score indicates varied numbers of singers throughout, it seems logical to use different vowels for various musical contexts. A minimum of 8 singers per part is needed; however, the score’s indication of 8 first sopranos, 8 second sopranos, and 8 mezzo-sopranos, seems to indicate these as reduced numbers from a larger whole. Each of the 3 sections of the choir has 2 to 4-part divisi within it. There are divisi within each string section. In movement 1 there are solo passages for violin I, viola, and cello. The strings have a good amount of soft, controlled playing in the first movement including some important harmonics. The wind parts are practical throughout, remaining within the abilities of better amateur players. Movement 2 has quite a few octave doublings in the woodwinds that could prove challenging to good intonation. The woodwinds also have significant passagework in that movement. The two harp parts can be executed by a single player, but the sonority of two instruments should be sought if at all possible. The brass parts in movement 3 require control of soft playing. This is a work of varied colors and playing styles, which is well within the ability of better college and community orchestras. The vocal parts are best suited to the timbre of an adult women’s choir. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Orchestre de la Suisse Romande; conducted by Ernest Ansermet, recorded in 1957. London: LL 530 [LP], rereleased as London: 433712-2 [ADD]. Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Women’s voices of the Collegium Musicum Amstelodamense (Toon
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Vranken, chorus-master); conducted by Eduard van Beinum, recorded in 1958. Philips: 411 156-4 [LP]. Orchestre Nationale de France; conducted by DésiréeÉmile Inghelbrecht, recorded live on 17 December 1963. Disques Montaigne: TCE 8710 [ADD]. Detroit Symphony Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Paul Paray; Mercury Living Presence: 434306 [ADD]. Leopold Stokowski and “His Orchestra.” Victor: LM 1154 [LP]. London Symphony Orchestra, BBC Chorus; conducted by Leopold Stokowski. Seraphim: 4XG-60422 [LP]. Choeurs de l’O.R.T.F and Orchestre National de l’O.R.T.F.; conducted by Jean Martinon, recorded during 1973 in the Salle Wagram in Paris. EMI: CDM 7 69587 2 [ADD]. Philadelphia Orchestra, Temple University Women’s Choir; conducted by Eugene Ormandy. CBS: MGT30950 [ADD]. Philharmonic Orchestra of Strasbourg, Chorus of the Opéra du Rhin; conducted by Alain Lombard. Musical Heritage Society: 6458A [cassette]. Boston Symphony; conducted by Claudio Abbado. Deutsche Grammophon: 415370 [ADD]. Luxembourg Radio Orchestra; conducted by Louis de Froment. Vox Box: CDX 5003 [ADD]. London Symphony Orchestra; conducted by André Previn. Angel: CDD-64056 [DDD]. Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra; conducted by Eliahu Inbal. Philips: 426635-2 [DDD]. London Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos. IMP Classics: PCD 915 [DDD]. Philharmonia Orchestra, Ambrosian Choir; conducted by Michael Tilson Thomas. CBS: MDK-44645 [DDD]. Cleveland Orchestra and Women’s Chorus; conducted by Vladimir Ashkenazy. London: 430732-2 [DDD]. Tanglewood Chorus, Boston Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Colin Davis. Philips: 411433-2 PH [DDD]. Montréal Symphony Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Charles Dutoit. London: 425502-2 [DDD]. Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Women’s voices of the Collegium Musicum Amstelodamense; conducted by Bernard Haitink. Philips: 400023-2 [DDD]. Philharmonia Orchestra and Women’s Chorus; conducted by Geoffrey Simon, recorded in January 1990. Cala: CACD 1002 [DDD]. Women of the Los Angeles Master Chorale; Los Angeles Philharmonic; conducted by Esa-Pekka Salonen. Sony Classical: SK 58 952 [DDD]. Orchestre de la Suisse Romande; conducted by Armin Jordan. Erato: 2292-45605-2 [DDD]. BRT Orchestra; conducted by Alexander Rahbari, recorded in November 1989. Naxos: 8.550262 [DDD]. Ulster Orchestra, Renaissance Singers and Grosvenor High School Choir; conducted by Yan Pascal Tortelier. Chandos: CHAN 8914 [DDD]. Orchestre du Paris; conducted by Daniel Barenboim. Deutsche Grammophon: 4350692 [DDD].
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Nuages and Fêtes only: NBC Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Arturo Toscanini, recorded in 1952. RCA: (Toscanini Collection, volume 37) 60265-2-RG [ADD]. Philadelphia Orchestra; conducted by Eugene Ormandy. Columbia: ML 4020 [LP]. New York Philharmonic Orchestra; conducted by Guido Cantelli, recorded live in Carnegie Hall on 8 May 1955. AS Disc: AS 548 [ADD mono]. Boston Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Charles Munch. RCA: 6719-2-RG [ADD]. Selected Bibliography: Vallas, Léon. Claude Debussy et son temps, 204-216. Paris: Alcan, 1932; revised as Paris: Albin Michel, 1958. Michel, André. La Sirène dans l’elément musical. Paris: Éditions de la Diaspora française, 1970. Langham Smith, Richard. “Debussy and the Art of the Cinema.” Music and Letters, volume 54, number 1 (January 1973): 61-70. Schnebel, Dieter. “Sirènes oder der Versuch einer sinnlichen Musik.” Musik-Konzepte, volume 1, number 2, Claude Debussy (December 1977), part III. Fischer, Kurt von. “Claude Debussy und das Klima des Art nouveau: Bemerkungen zur Aesthetik Debusseys und J. McNeil Whistlers.” Art Nouveau, Jugendstil und Musik, 31-46. Zurich: Atlantis, 1980. Lang-Becker, Elke. Claude Debussy: “Nocturnes.” Munich: Fink, 1982. Stegemann, Michael. “Ausdruck und Eindruck: Claude Debussys missverstandene Ästhetik.” Neue Zeitschrift für Musik, volume 147, numbers 10 and 11 (October 1986): 8-12; and (November 1986): 13-18.
DELIBES, Léo (b. St.-Germain-du-Val, 21 February 1836; d. Paris, 16 January 1891) Delibes received early musical training from his mother and uncle. He then studied organ and composition at the Paris Conservatory. In 1853 was appointed organist at St. Pierre de Chaillot and became an accompanist at the Théâtre-Lyriques. Three years later his first operetta was produced at the FoliesNouvelle. He became a prolific composer of operettas, ballets, and opera. Delibes possessed a great lyric gift and an innate elegance, which has led a number of his melodies to gain virtual universal recognition. Teachers: Adolphe Adam Students: Emile Jaques-Dalcroze Other Principal Works: opera: Lakmé (1883); ballet: Coppélia (1870), Sylvia (1876); songs: Les filles de Cadiz
Selected Composer Bibliography: Curzon, Henri de. Léo Delibe: Sa vie et ses œuvres. Paris: Legouix, 1926. Studwell, W., editor. Adolphe Adam and Léo Delibes: A Guide to Research. New York: Garland, 1987.
Messe Brève (n.d.) Duration: ca. 20 minutes Text: The text is from the Roman Catholic eucharistic liturgy. Performing Forces: voices: SA choir; orchestra: strings and organ Editions: Full scores (30/1196R), piano-vocal scores (30/1150R), and parts (30/1197R) for Messe Brève are available from Roger Dean Music as edited by Dan Krunnfuss. Performance Issues: The organ part is optional. It merely reinforces pitch material in the choir and strings. All of the choral material is clearly double by the orchestra. This is a homophonic and declamatory work for the singers. The voicing is appropriate for women’s choir or children’s choir. The score is simple enough for the use of solo strings. Choir: easy; Orchestra: easy. Discography: No commercial recording Selected Bibliography: Curzon, Henri de. Léo Delibe: Sa vie et ses œuvres, 213. Paris: Legouix, 1926.
DELIUS, Frederick (b. Bradford, Yorks, 29 January 1862; d. Grez-surLoing, France, 10 June 1934). Delius was the son of a German-born British textile merchant who was involved with the founding of the Hallé concerts and who entertained many prominent musicians. Frederick attended Bradford Grammar School and the International College in Isleworth. The father opposed his son’s pursuit of a career in music, so Frederick attempted to work in the wool trade. Showing no aptitude for this, he was sent to Jacksonville, Florida, to manage a citrus plantation. In Jacksonville, he studied theory with a local organist, Thomas Wood. In 1886, with his father’s support, he began eighteen months of study at the Leipzig Conservatory. There he studied with Sitt, Carl Reinecke, and Jadassohn. In Leipzig he also met and befriended Edvard Grieg, who convinced Delius’s father to continue to support his son’s career in music. Delius moved to Paris where his associations included Paul Gauguin, August Strindberg, Edvard Munch, and Maurice Ravel. He succumbed to an illness in the
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1920s, which led to paralysis and blindness. He had contracted syphilis in 1895. His last works were notated by his amanuensis, Eric Fenby. The first significant performance of his music in England was in 1907, after which with Sir Thomas Beecham’s support, he became regarded as a national treasure. 229 Delius’s music is in the extended tonal language of Mahler, Debussy, and Strauss. His works are romantic and rhapsodic, using chromatic modes to great effect. His music exhibits the beginnings of the English mysticism that pervaded the music of Vaughan Williams and Howells.230
Payne, Anthony. “Frederick Delius.” The New Grove Twentieth-Century English Masters, 69-96. New York: W.W. Norton, 1986. Huismann, Mary Christison. Frederick Delius: A Guide to Research. New York: Routledge, 2005. Delius Society Newsletter. London: Delius Society of Great Britain, 1963- .
Honors: Companion of Honour (1929), the Freedom of Bradford (1932), Gold Medal of the Royal Philharmonic Society (1925)
Performing Forces: voices: SSAATTBarBB choir; orchestra: 3 flutes (flute I doubling piccolo), 3 oboes, English horn, E♭ clarinet, 2 B♭ clarinets, bass clarinet, 3 bassoons, contrabassoon, 6 horns, 3 C trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion (2 players - bass drum, snare drum, tam-tam), 2 harps, and strings
Teachers: Salomon Jadassohn, Carl Reinecke, Hans Sitt, Thomas F. Ward Students: Philip Heseltine Principal Works: operas - Irmelin (1890-1892), The Magic Fountain (1893), Kuanga (1895-1897), A Village Romeo and Juliet (1900-1901), Margot-la-Rouge (1902), Fennimore and Gerde (1908-1910); orchestral- Florida Suite (1886-1887), Piano Concerto (1897, revised 1906), Life’s Dance (1899), Paris (1898-1899), Brigg Fair (1907), In a Summer Garden (1908), Dance Rhapsody No. 1 (1908), On Hearing the First Cuckoo in Spring (1912), North Country Sketches (1913-1914), Concerto for Violin and Cello (1915), Violin Concerto (1917), Eventyr (1917), Cello Concerto (1921), A Song of Summer (1930); vocal Songs of Sunset (1906-1908), Songs of Farewell (1930), Idyll: Once I passed through a populous city (1930-1932). Selected Composer Bibliography: Delius, Clare. Frederick Delius: Memories of My Brother. London: Ivor Nicholson and Watson, 1935. Fenby, Eric. Delius as I Knew Him. London: Faber and Faber, 1936. Mitchell, Donald. “Delius: The Choral Music,” Tempo, special Delius edition (Winter 1952-1953). Fenby, Eric. Delius. London: Faber and Faber, 1971. Jefferson, Alan: Delius. London: J. M. Dent and Sons, 1972. Caldwell, Donald Graham. The Choral Music of Frederick Delius. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, dissertation, 1975. Redwood, Christopher. A Delius Companion, 2nd edition. London: Scolar Press, 1980; paperback: New York: Riverrun Press, 1991. Palmer, Christopher. Delius: Portrait of a Cosmopolitan. New York: Holmes and Meier, 1984. 229 Christopher Redwood, A Delius Companion, 2nd edition (London: Scolar Press, 1980).
Appalachia (1896-1903) Duration: ca. 34 minutes Text: traditional: “After night has gone comes the day”
First Performance: 15 October 1904; Stadthalle, Elberfeld, Germany; Elberfeld Choral and Orchestral Societies (Gesangverein); conducted by Hans Haym. Edition: Appalachia is published by Boosey and Hawkes in an edition supervised by Sir Thomas Beecham. The full score and orchestral materials are available for rental. A miniature score is for sale. Kalmus publishes a reprint of the same edition for which the full score, piano-vocal score, and orchestral materials may be purchased or rented. A piano-vocal score prepared by Suchoff is for sale from Fox publishers (S PS170). Autograph: Delius’s sketches and manuscripts, and those executed by Eric Fenby are in the possession of the Delius Trust. Notes: Appalachia is dedicated to Julius Buths, and subtitled, “Variations on an Old Slave Song.” It was adapted in 1902-1903 from Delius’s purely orchestral work of the same title composed in 1896. It should be noted that this work is frequently listed for baritone soloist, choir, and orchestra. All vocal parts in this version of the piece are assigned to the choir. Some performances may assign the choral baritone division, which occurs from measures 593 to 619, to a soloist, but this is clearly not the score’s indication. Performance Issues: This composition presents seven sets of variations and a finale. It is a lushly scored work with traditional periodic phrase structures and key exploration through relationships of thirds. The harmony is always recognizably his own, but there is still considerable reliance on conventional melodic developments and counterpoints; regular phrase patterns are as much in evidence as the subtle flights of 230 Michael Kennedy, The Oxford Concise Dictionary of Music (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1981).
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harmony, which point forward to his maturity.231 The chorus occupies only the last 119 measures of this 654-measure work with texted singing. Delius uses them elsewhere for momentary orchestral color on the syllable “la.” The vocal parts are aurally accessible to choirs of limited experience. The vocal harmonies explore extended tertian sets. These nontraditional chords are logically approached by linear movement and generally reinforced by the accompaniment. There is a 14-measure a cappella section at the beginning of the finale. The men’s parts are somewhat vocally demanding due to high tessiture; however, the brevity of the choir’s role in the work diminishes this challenge. The string section must be large (Delius calls for eight stands of first violins) as there are numerous divisi. The assignment of most string divisions is made in the score. There are a number of prolonged solos for the concertmaster. The individual wind parts present many technical challenges as a result of significant passagework. The overall orchestral part should present only minor challenges to successful ensemble. The scoring is very precise and practical, and while the division of the beat varies regularly within the work, Delius uses the same division throughout the ensemble at any given time. Although there is frequent doubling of instruments throughout the piece, all parts at some point are integral and should be present including the two harp parts. Choir: medium; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Jenkins; Hallé Orchestra and Ambrosian Singers; conducted by Sir John Barbirolli. EMI: EMX 41 20811/4 [LP]. BBC Chorus, Royal Opera Chorus, London Philharmonic Orchestra; conducted by Sir Thomas Beecham. Volume III of the Delius Society recordings, recorded in 1938. Columbia: SDX 15/21 [78’s]. Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra; conducted by Hopkins. Records International: 7012-2 [DDD]. This is a recording of the purely orchestral version of the work. Selected Bibliography: Holland, A. K. “Notes” for Delius Society recording, Columbia: SDX 15/21. London: Delius Society, 1938.
Sea Drift (1903-1904) Duration: ca. 25-30 minutes232 Text: Walt Whitman, excerpted from Out of the Cradle Endlessly Rocking
clarinets in B♭, bass clarinet, 3 bassoons, contrabassoon, 6 horns, 3 trumpets in C, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion (1 player - bass drum), 2 harps, and strings First Performance: 24 May 1906; Essen, Germany; J. Loritz; conducted by G. Witte. Other Early Performances: 1908; Sheffield; conducted by Henry Wood. 1909; London; conducted by Sir Thomas Beecham. Edition: Sea Drift is published by Boosey and Hawkes. The full score, piano-vocal score, choral parts, and orchestral materials are available for rental; a study score, piano-vocal score and choral parts are available for purchase. Kalmus publishes a reprint of this same set, of which the full score and orchestral materials are available for sale or rent. Autograph: Delius’s sketches and manuscripts, and those executed by Eric Fenby, are in the possession of the Delius Trust. Notes: Sea Drift is dedicated to Max Schillings. Performance Issues: There are divisi in all string parts. The double basses are asked to play down to a pedal C. There are solos for the concert master. The individual instrumental parts are not technically demanding, although the winds must be capable of soft sustained playing in high registers. This is a very tender and subtle composition, which requires sensitive playing by all members of the orchestra. Challenges in rehearsal will prove to be controlling intonation and balance. The choral writing is generally homophonic with consistent doublings between choral parts and by the orchestra. The harmonic vocabulary is conservative for the voices and well within the grasp of amateur choirs. Vocal divisi are infrequent; however, there is an eight-part chorale with soloist in measures 344369. It is supposed to be a cappella, but there are woodwind cues, which double the voices if this section proves impractical. In general this would be an excellent work for developing a keener sense of ensemble and blend for developing choirs and orchestra. Soloist: range: A-f#', tessitura: f-d', this is a very sustained role with frequent octave leaps. The soloist must be able to clearly carry over the entire ensemble. The role requires vocal endurance and a powerful yet lyric voice capable of sustained soft singing in the top of the range. Choir: medium; Orchestra: medium. Selected Discography:
Performing Forces: voices: baritone soloist; SATB choir; orchestra: 3 flutes, 3 oboes, English horn, 3
Bruce Boyce; Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and BBC Chorus; conducted by Sir Thomas Beecham. Re-
231 Anthony Payne, “Frederick Delius,” The New Grove Twentieth-Century English Masters, 76 (New York: W.W. Norton, 1986).
232 Margaret K. Farish (Orchestra Music in Print [Philadelphia: Musicdata, 1979].) lists a duration of 25 minutes, but the score indicates ca. 30 minutes.
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corded in 1954. English Philips: ABL 3088 [78s]. Rereleased as Sony Masterworks: MPK 47680 [ADD]. Thomas Hampson; Welsh National Opera Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Sir Charles Mackerras. Argo: 430206-2 ZH [DDD]. John Brownlee; London Select Chorus and the London Philharmonic Orchestra; conducted by Sir Thomas Beecham. Volume II of the Delius Society Recordings, recorded in 1936. Columbia: SDX8/14 [78s]. Selected Bibliography:
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
sonority associated with English nationalism, which was shared by Elgar, Vaughan Williams, and Howells.233 Though smaller in scale Delius’s work exhibits a strong influence from Brahms’s Requiem. The text is pantheistic with solace being found in the predictability of the cycles of nature as symbolized in the seasons. Because of its atheistic inclinations, this work received such violent criticism upon its premiere that a second performance did not occur for over forty years.
First United States Performance: 6 November 1950; New York
Performance Issues: In this work, Delius creates a mystical sound through the integration of chromaticisms and modal pitch sets. There is a great variety of contrapuntal textures, especially emphasizing exchanges between the two choirs. The choral writing moves primarily by step and third with many internal crossrhythms. The two choirs should be spatially divided to clarify exchanges between them. Most of the choral parts are clearly supported in the accompaniment. The presence of a sarrusophone part should be noted, although it can be played on contrabassoon. Of greater concern is the bass oboe whose unavailability would require that a divided part be written between bassoon and English horn. Beginning four measures after rehearsal #14, Delius establishes a curious duel between the women on “Hallelujah” and the men on “La Allah il Allah.” There are elements of bitonality in the coda. The individual instrumental parts are not particularly difficult, and the interplay between parts should present few significant challenges. The orchestration is denser than that of most of Delius’s other works. This is a composition that demands an experienced choir to guarantee clarity in the eight-part sections. The orchestra’s role is less challenging with many passages of only sustained harmonies. Soloists: soprano, range: b♭-a'', tessitura: g'-e'', lyric and sustained; baritone,
Edition: Requiem is published and distributed by Boosey and Hawkes. The piano-vocal and study scores are for sale; orchestral materials are available for rental.
range: A-e', with an optional A♭, tessitura: e♭-c', requiring a voice, which is dramatic, powerful, and declamatory with good endurance. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium.
Brennan, J. G. “Delius and Whitman.” Walt Whitman Review, xviii/3 (1972): 90. Foreman, Lewis. From Parry to Britten: British Music in Letters 1900-1945, 52, 141, 161. Portland, OR: Amadeus Press, 1987.
Requiem (1913-1916) Duration: ca. 45 minutes Text: Friederich Nietzsche as translated by Heinrich Simon Performing Forces: voices: soprano and baritone soloists, double SATB choir; orchestra: 3 flutes (flute III doubling piccolo), 2 oboes, English horn, bass oboe, 3 clarinets in B♭, bass clarinets, 3 bassoons, sarrusophone (contrabassoon), 6 horns, 3 trumpets in C, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion (3 players - snare drum, bass drum, cymbals, triangle, glockenspiel), celeste, harp, and strings First Performance: 23 March 1922, Queen’s Hall, London; Evans, Williams, Philharmonia Choir, conducted by Albert Coates
Autograph: Delius’s sketches and manuscripts, and those executed by Eric Fenby are in the possession of the Delius Trust. Notes: Requiem is dedicated: “To the memory of all young Artists fallen in war.” Nietzsche’s text addresses the mourning for those who have died. There is a singing English translation in the score. The choral writing is primarily homophonic in a harmonic style resembling French impressionism, and owing some credit to Ravel’s choral writing. This combined with the modality of English folk song created the 233 Willi Apel, editor, The Harvard Dictionary of Music, 2nd edition (Cambridge, MA: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 1972).
Selected Discography: Heather Harper, Thomas Hemsley; Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and Choir; conducted by Charles Groves. Recorded live in 1965. Intaglio: INCD 702-2 [ADD]. Selected Bibliography: Payne, Anthony. “Delius’s Requiem.” Tempo (Spring 1966).
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Foreman, Lewis. From Parry to Britten: British Music in Letters 1900-1945: 97. Portland, OR: Amadeus Press, 1987. Carley, Lionel. Delius: A Life in Letters II, 1909-34. Cambridge: Scolar Press, 1988.
DELLO JOIO, Norman (b. New York, 24 January 1913; d. East Hampton, NY, 24 July 2008) Dello Joio began his musical career as an organist, receiving his earliest organ studies from his godfather, Pietro Yon. He pursued his formal musical education at the Institute of Musical Art, and the Juilliard Graduate School where he studied composition with Bernard Wagenaar. This was followed by postgraduate study with Paul Hindemith at Tanglewood and Yale University. He has held a number of teaching positions: Sarah Lawrence College (1945-1950), Mannes College (1956-1972), and Boston University (19721978). He organized and directed (1959-1973) the Contemporary Music Project for Creativity in Music Education, through which the Ford Foundation established residencies for composers within public school music programs. Awards: Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge Award (1937) for his piano trio, 2 Guggenheim Fellowships, 2 New York Critics’ Circle Awards [for the orchestra work Variations, Chaconne, and Finale (1948) and the opera The Triumph of St. Joan (1962)], Pulitzer Prize (1957) for Meditations on Ecclesiastes for string orchestra. Dello Joio’s compositional style combines melodic qualities of Roman Catholic liturgical music and nineteenth-century harmonic language with jazz rhythms and a nontraditional approach to form. 234 His music is always tuneful and written for practical performance.235 Teachers: Paul Hindemith, Bernard Wagenaar Principal Works: five ballets; four operas; scores for seven television programs including: Air Power (1956-1957) and The Louvre (1965); forty choral works including The Mystic Trumpeter (1943), A Fable (1946), A Psalm of David (1950), Years of the Modern (1968), The Psalmist’s Meditation (1979); and many chamber works and songs. Selected Composer Bibliography: Sabin, Robert. “It Takes a Great Strength to Remain Tender and Simple.” Musical America (1 December 1950): 9. 234 Gilbert Chase, America’s Music, 537-538 (New York: McGraw-Hill, 1955).
“Dello Joio, Norman.” Current Biography Yearbook, xviii (September 1957); New York: H. W. Wilson Company. Downes, Edward. “The Music of Norman Dello Joio.” The Musical Quarterly, xlviii (1962): 149. Jackson, Richard. “Norman Dello Joio.” The New Grove Dictionary of American Music, edited by H. Wiley Hitchcock, i: 596-598. 4 volumes. London: Macmillan, 1986. Bumgardner, Thomas A. Norman Dello Joio. Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1986.
Song of Affirmation (1952) Duration: ca. 42 minutes Text: Adapted from Western Star (1943) by Stephen Vincent Benét Performing Forces: voices: soprano soloist, narrator, SATB choir; orchestra: 3 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion (2 players - snare drum, bass drum, tambourine, crash cymbals, suspended cymbal, xylophone, glockenspiel, chimes), and strings First Performance: May 1952; Cornell College, Mount Vernon, IA; Jennie Tourel, soprano; the composer, narrator; Cornell College Choir, members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Raphael Kubelik. Edition: Song of Affirmation is published and distributed by Carl Fischer. The piano-vocal score (N1878) and study score (SC 20) are available for purchase. The full-score (RCO-D 36) and orchestral parts are available on rental. Autograph: The full score is a facsimile of the composer’s manuscript. Notes: Song of Affirmation was commissioned by Cornell College in Mount Vernon, Iowa to commemorate their Centennial. Thomas A. Bumgardner explains this work’s previous incarnation: “The Symphony for Voices and Orchestra was commissioned by Robert Shaw who premiered it on 28 April 1945 with the Collegiate Chorale; Eileen Farrell, soprano; Robert Merrill, baritone; Joseph Laderoute, tenor; and Frederick Hart as narrator. Dello Joio culled his text from various passages in Stephen Vincent Benét’s epic poem, ‘Western Star.’ The first movement, entitled 'Virginia,’ deals with the desire of those in England destined to become the first pioneers from that country to America. The second movement, ‘New England,’ is a Pilgrim’s prayer asking that God sustain them in their attempt to build a ‘New Zion.’ The last movement, ‘The Star in the West,’ has to do 235 Robert Sabin, “It Takes a Great Strength to Remain Tender and Simple,” Musical America (1 December 1950), 9.
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with the essential restlessness and progressiveness of Americans from the earliest colonial days to the present. According to the New York Times review, the work was brilliantly performed and well received by the capacity crowd. Dello Joio, however, felt that it had too many weaknesses and withdrew the score from circulation.” 236 In 1953, when Dello Joio was commissioned by Cornell College in Iowa to compose a large work to be presented in the final festival concert of their centennial celebration, he took the score of Symphony for Voices and Orchestra and recast it into a symphonic cantata for chorus, soprano soloist, and full orchestra, which he entitled Song of Affirmation. The major revisions were made in movements 1 and 3. Movement 2 was left virtually intact. Basically the latter work is a condensation of the material from the former with some new sections added. Performance Issues: There are prominent sections of rhythmic speaking in the chorus parts in the first movement. The narrator speaks in rhythm in the second movement for eight measures at rehearsal letter L; however, the rest of the narration is unaccompanied, or over a sustained harmony. The choral writing is almost exclusively homophonic with brief passages for one or two sections of the choir. There are divisi in all parts often with octave doublings between the men’s and women’s parts, some paired doublings, and frequent choral unisons. There are a few brief a cappella passages; the most dissonant of which are cued in the orchestra parts, to be played in case it should prove problematic (rehearsal letter U). The work has great rhythmic vitality; it incorporates qualities of American folk music, which well underscores the patriotism of the text. Although the tonal center shifts frequently, the melodies are diatonic and tonally conceived, and the harmonies are triadic and executed via commonpractice methods. The orchestral gestures resemble those found in solo piano music and not always idiomatic for the instruments used. Dello Joio also uses many octave doublings, ostinati, and motor rhythms. It is very conservatively conceived, presenting no contrapuntal complexities, and is well voiced to guarantee a good balance within the orchestra, and between the instruments and the voices. It is quite approachable by an average college-level orchestra. Soloist: Soprano, range: e'-a♭'', tessitura: g'-g'', the solo is not substantial, but it is sustained, and the singer should be able to project over the entire ensemble. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium. Discography: No commercial recording
236 Thomas A. Bumgardener, Norman Dello Joio, 38. (Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1986).
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Selected Bibliography: Mussulman, John A. Dear People…Robert Shaw: A Biography. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1979: 55-56.
Songs of Walt Whitman (1966) Duration: ca. 25 minutes Text: Walt Whitman as adapted by the composer Performing Forces: voices: baritone soloist; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes (flute II doubling piccolo), 2 oboes (oboe II doubling English horn), 2 clarinets (clarinet II doubling bass clarinet), 2 bassoons (bassoon II doubling contrabassoon), 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion (3 players snare drum, bass drum, tambourine, crash cymbals, suspended cymbal, tam-tam, ratchet, wood block, xylophone, glockenspiel, vibraphone, chimes), celeste, harp, and strings. In movement #4, there are three optional brass choirs: 3 horns, 3 trumpets, and 3 trombones in each. First Performance: 20 August 1966; Interlochen, Michigan; ensembles of the National Music Camp. Edition: Songs of Walt Whitman is published by E. B. Marks and distributed by Theodore Presser Company. The movements are published in separate piano-vocal scores, which are available for purchase; a unified full score and orchestral materials are available for rental. Autograph: The full score is a facsimile of the composer’s manuscript. Notes: This work was “Commissioned by and dedicated to: National Music Camp, on the occasion of the 7th International Society of Music Education, Interlochen, Michigan, August 18-26, 1966.” In the full score, the composer includes this note for the fourth movement: “The addition of the three brass choirs at the coda is optional. Their use is not a requisite for performance. However, if the forces are available, the following is a suggested placement plan: [He includes a diagram, which places Choir I to the audience’s left, Choir II to the audience’s rear, and Choir III to the audience’s right.] A man for each brass choir should be advantageously placed to take his cues and tempo from the conductor for maximum performance accuracy. If the placement suggested is not feasible, the discretion of the conductor should be relied upon.” Performance Issues: This is a spectacular work well suited for a festival event. It is a highly chromatic but tonally oriented composition. The choral writing is primarily homophonic with some paired imitation and occasional free polyphony. The vocal harmonies are
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
almost exclusively triadic and dissonances are approached melodically. The choral parts are rhythmically simple, generally being an exaggeration of the natural text rhythm. The vocal pitches are clearly supported by the accompaniment. The orchestra parts are much more rhythmically complex. There are unusual beat divisions and a number of levels of hemiola. The string writing is quite conservative with many unisons between the sections. The winds all have rapid and complex passagework throughout the work. The tessitura of the brass parts suggests a need for experienced players. The auxiliary brass parts for the coda are high and difficult. The rhythmic activity exchanged between ensembles in that portion of the score will require substantial rehearsal, especially in a large performance space. The rest of the score is also filled with challenges to ensemble integration. There are many terraced and echoed entrances, as well as some hocket like events for the winds. The orchestra brass players are presented with an endurance test and some potential balance problems. This is an excellent piece deserving many performances. It should only be attempted if substantial rehearsal time for the orchestra is available. Soloist: baritone, range: B♭-d#', tessitura: e-b, declamatory and articulate with broad leaps. This is not a substantial solo. Choir: medium; Orchestra: medium difficult. Discography: No commercial recording Selected Bibliography: Wannamaker, John Samuel. The Musical Settings of Walt Whitman. University of Minnesota, dissertation, 1975.
DEL TREDICI, David (b. Cloverdale, CA, 16 March 1937) A virtuoso pianist, Del Tredici studied with Bernhard Abromowitsch and Robert Helps. On the suggestion of Darius Milhaud, he turned to composition, studying with Arnold Elston and Seymour Shifrin at the University of California, Berkeley; and Roger Sessions and Earl Kim at Princeton. He has served on the faculties of Harvard (1966-1972), SUNY Buffalo (1973), Boston University (1973-1984), and since 1984 at City College and Graduate School, CUNY. Del Tredici’s earlier works favored the texts of James Joyce, but since 1968, virtually all of his work has been centered around the writings of Lewis Carroll, with a specific focus on Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass. His compositions incorporate elements of theater and a good amount of humor.237 From 1968-1976 he composed for ensembles, which included a rock ’n roll combo.
237 Robert P. Morgan, Twentieth-Century Music, 435 (New York: W.W. Norton, 1991).
Teachers: Arnold Elston, Robert Helps, Andrew Imbrie, Earl Kim, Roger Sessions, Seymour Shifrin Student: Tison Street Awards: Guggenheim Fellow (1966), Naumburg Award (1972), three NEA grants (1973, 1974, and 1984), Pulitzer Prize (1980 for In Memory of a Summer Day), Friedheim Award (1982 for Happy Voices). Principal Works: Joyce texts - Four Songs (1961), I Hear an Army (1963-1964), Night Conjure-verse (1965), and Syzygy (1966); Carroll texts - An Alice Symphony (1969), Adventures Underground (1971), Vintage Alice: Fantascene on A Mad Tea Party (1972), Final Alice (1976), Child Alice (1977-1981), and Haddocks’ Eyes (1985-1986). Selected Composer Bibliography: Del Tredici, David, et. al. “Contemporary Music: Observations from Those Who Create It.” Music and Artists, v/3 (1972): 12. “Del Tredici, David.” Current Biography Yearbook, xliv (March 1983). New York: H. W. Wilson Company. Wierzbicki, James. “Del Tredici, David.” In The New Grove Dictionary of American Music, edited by H. Wiley Hitchcock, i: 598-600. London: Macmillan, 1986.
Pop-Pourri (1968, revised 1973) Duration: ca. 27-28 minutes Text: Lewis Carroll’s “Turtle Soup I and II” from Alice in Wonderland and “Jabberwocky” from Through the Looking Glass; “The Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary” from Liber Usualis; and “Es ist genug” from Bach’s Cantata No. 60. Performing Forces: voices: soprano soloist (amplified); SATB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes (flutes I and II doubling piccolo), 2 oboes (oboe II doubling English horn), 2 clarinets (clarinet II doubling bass clarinet), 2 bassoons (bassoon II doubling contrabassoon), 2 trumpets in C, 2 trombones, percussion (3 players - bass drum [largest possible], anvil [largest possible], tamtam [largest possible], wind machine [largest possible, or electronic equivalent], electric bull-horn [for the soprano]), and strings; rock group: 2 soprano saxophones (soprano saxophone II doubling tenor saxophone), electric guitar (with “fuzz” and “wahwah” effects), electric bass guitar (with “fuzz” and “wah-wah” effects). The score notes that there must be a sound technician to control a mixing board for the rock group and soprano. In “Turtle Soup I and II,” the solo may be performed by a mezzo-soprano or counter-tenor.
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Edition: Pop-Pourri is published and distributed by Boosey and Hawkes. The piano-vocal and miniature scores are for sale; orchestral materials are available for rental. Autograph: The full score is a facsimile of the composer’s manuscript. Notes: The work uses Bach’s chorale setting “Es ist genug” throughout. It is in five movements with an introduction and subsequent interjections of the chorale. Del Tredici notes that the “Litany” may be omitted. The closing bars have three chime parts (playable on one set of chimes), each of which has thirteen successive notes. These are numbered in Italian, closing the work with “TREDICI,” which is Italian for thirteen. Performance Issues: This score presents an interesting hodgepodge of techniques including traditional tonality, free-atonality, and hexachordal combinatoriality. The score is rhythmically very complex. The choir sings in only about five minutes of the piece. They present the “Litany” and all of the statements of the chorale. That movement is mostly easy with mere recitations on single pitches for each choral part. However, there are thirty-eight measures in the middle of that movement, which are fiercely difficult. Here, Del Tredici weaves a most complex contrapuntal fabric with much rhythmic and pitch disparity between parts. The tenor part is written at sounding pitch and is notated alternately between treble and bass clef. The score is filled with lengthy instructions regarding articulations, style, and methods of presentation. The rock group parts are thoroughly notated using traditional staff notation. Their parts are often serial and are rhythmically very challenging. Soloist: soprano, range: e-d♭''', tessitura: g'-g''. This is a most demanding role with broad leaps, difficult pitch language, and complex rhythms. This is a very theatrical part with directions for many characterizations and unusual vocal sounds. To program this work, one must have a soloist in mind. If a separate soloist is used in the two movements listed above, it requires, range: d♭'-g''; tessitura: f'-g''; it is full of melodic leaps with long sustained passages in the top of the range. Choir: difficult; Orchestra: difficult. Discography: No commercial recording
DETT, R(obert) Nathaniel (b. Drummondsville [now part of Niagara Falls], Ont., 11 October 1882; d. Battle Creek, MI, 2 October 1943) 238 Hildred Roach, Black American Music: Past and Present (Boston: Crescendo Publishing, 1973).
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Dett was born into a musical family and began formal musical training at the Oliver Willis Halstead Conservatory (1901-1903) in Lockport, New York. In 1908, he became the first black man to receive a B.Mus. from Oberlin Conservatory. At Oberlin, Dett studied piano with Howard Handel Carter and George Carl Hastings and theory with Arthur E. Heacox. He pursued further studies at Columbia University, the University of Pennsylvania, the American Conservatory, and Harvard University (1919-1920) where he was a composition student of Arthur Foote. In 1929, he also studied with Nadia Boulanger in Paris, and in 1932 he received a M.Mus from the Eastman School. He taught at Lane College (1908-1911), Lincoln Institute (1911-1913), and the Hampton Institute (19131931) where he was Director of Music. At Hampton, he established a strong choral tradition with international tours of the Hampton Institute Choir. Dett moved to Rochester, New York teaching privately and conducting a choir that did weekly radio broadcasts on NBC. He joined the faculty of Bennett College (19371942), and in 1943 he became music director of the USO in Battlecreek, Michigan. There he also conducted the Women’s Army Corps Chorus. Dett was fundamental in the founding of the National Association of Negro Musicians (1919). His music combines the essence of African-American folk music, as well as actual quotations of it, with the structures and counterpoint of European tradition.238 Teachers: Nadia Boulanger, Arthur Foote, Howard Hanson, Bernard Rogers Awards: Bowdoin Literary Prize, Francis Boott Music Award from Harvard, the Palm and Ribbon Award from the Royal Belgian Band, Harmon Foundation Award Principal Works: oratorios - Music of Mine (1916) and The Chariot Jubilee (1921); piano suites - Magnolia (1912), In the Bottoms (1913), Enchantment (1922), Tropic Winter (1938), Eight Bible Vignettes (19411943); and many motets and spiritual arrangements Selected Composer Bibliography: “Dett, Nathaniel.” Current Biography Yearbook, obituary, iv (November 1943). New York: H. W. Wilson Company. Ewen, David. “Dett, Nathaniel.” In American Composers Today: A Biographical and Critical Guide. New York: H. W. Wilson, 1949. McBrier, Vivian. R. Nathaniel Dett. His Life and Works: 1882-1943. Washington, DC: Associated Publishers, 1977.
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Simpson, Anne Key. Follow Me: The Life and Music of R. Nathaniel Dett. Composers of North America Series, number 10. Metuchen, NJ: Scarecrow Press, 1993.
The Ordering of Moses (1937) Duration: ca. 40 minutes Text: compiled by the composer from the Bible and folklore Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and 2 baritone soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: piccolo, 3 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, percussion (3 players snare drum, tenor drum, bass drum, tom-tom, tambourine, cymbals, triangle, chains), harp, organ, and strings First Performance: 7 May 1937; May Music Festival, Cincinnati, Ohio Edition: The Ordering of Moses was originally published by J. Fischer and Brothers. It is now published by Belwin-Mills and distributed by Theodore Presser Company. The piano-vocal score is available for purchase; orchestral materials may be rented. Autograph: The full score is a facsimile of the composer’s manuscript. Notes: Despite Dett’s two earlier works in this genre, David Ewen states that this is “the first oratorio composed by a black man.”239 It does appear to be the oldest oratorio by an African American to be published. Performance Issues: Although the opening section is very chromatic and tonally unstable, this is a diatonic work with traditional tonal relationships. It is a rhythmically intricate composition, which juxtaposes a variety of beat divisions and utilizes frequently displaced downbeats, polyrhythms, and syncopations. At times, the vocal parts quote actual African-American tunes and elsewhere imitate spirituals. The choral writing is strictly homophonic with divisi in all parts. There are passages in which melodic figures are repeated under a freely intoned text. The orchestration exhibits some sound effects including the rattling of chains upon the word “bondage.” In the accompaniment, beats are frequently divided into 5, 7, 10, 12, and 14 even parts. The winds and upper strings have a considerable amount of very fast unison passagework. The notation of the full score is generally clear, but the Horn IV part often appears to be a first trumpet part. Dett labels one of the percussion parts for side drum, which probably means tenor drum. Side drum is usually synonymous
with snare drum, but that is also listed in the score. There is ensemble singing for the soloists, which should be considered when selecting them. Soloists: Miriam - soprano, range: f'-c''', tessitura: a'-g'', lyric, high, and sustained; Voice of Israel - alto, range: f#c'', tessitura: c'-a', rich and sustained with strength in the bottom of the range; Moses - tenor, range: e-b♭', tessitura: a♭-f', powerful and sustained; bass, range: cf', tessitura: d-d', declamatory and speechlike. The choral parts are very straightforward and quite easy. There is little variety for the singers; however, the orchestra’s music is diverse and at times very difficult. An advanced instrumental ensemble is necessary while a large choir of limited experience would be adequate. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium difficult. Discography: No commercial recording Selected Bibliography: Bicknell, Dwight. [review of premiere], The Cincinnati Enquirer (8 May 1937). Yeiser, Frederick. [review of premiere], The Cincinnati Enquirer (8 May 1937). ———. “Whithorne’s Symphony; Dett’s Moses,” Modern Music, xiv/4 (May/June 1937): 222.
DIAMOND, David Leo (b. Rochester, NY, 9 July 1915) Diamond studied composition at the Cleveland Institute and the Eastman School with Bernard Rogers. He then attended the Dalcroze School in New York (1934-1936) where he studied with Roger Sessions and Paul Boepple. This was followed by study in Paris with Nadia Boulanger. In Paris, he made contacts with André Gide, Maurice Ravel, Albert Roussel, and Igor Stravinsky. Diamond served as Fulbright professor at the University of Rome in 1951. Two years later he moved to Florence where he lived until 1965. He has taught at the Harvard Seminar in American Studies, SUNY Buffalo (1961 and 1963), the Manhattan School (1967-1968), and since 1973, at the Juilliard School. Of Diamond’s music, Virgil Thomson writes: “His string works are idiomatic, his songs melodious, his symphonies romantically inspired. The musical style in general is harmonious, the continuity relaxed. For all its seeming emotional self-indulgence, this is music of artistic integrity and real thought.”240
239 As quoted under “Dett, Nathaniel: The Ordering of Moses” in Thurston Dox, American Oratorios and Cantatas: A Catalogue of Works Written in the United States from Colonial Times to 1985, 2 volumes (Metuchen, NJ: Scarecrow Press, 1986).
240 Virgil Thomson, American Music Since 1910, 138-139 (New York: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, 1971).
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Teachers: Nadia Boulanger, Bernard Rogers, Roger Sessions Students: William Flanagan, Adolphus Hailstork, James Sellars, Eric Whitacre Awards: National Institute of Arts and Letters, New York Critics’ Circle Award for Rounds (1944), 3 Guggenheim Fellowships (1938, 1942, and 1958), William Schuman Award (1985) for lifetime achievement as a composer Principal Works: 11 Symphonies (1940-1941, 1942, 1945, 1945, 1951, 1951-1954, 1959, 1960, 1985, 1987, and 1992), 3 Violin Concertos (1936, 1947, and 1967-1968), Hommage à Satie (1934), Elegy in Memory of Maurice Ravel (1938), The Enormous Room (1948), The World of Paul Klee (1957), This Sacred Ground (1962), A Secular Cantata (1976), many chamber works and songs. Selected Composer Bibliography: “Diamond, David.” Current Biography Yearbook, xxvii (1966). New York: H. W. Wilson Company. Peyser, Joan. “A Composer Who Defies Categorization.” New York Times (6 July 1985). Kimberling, Victoria. David Diamond: A Bio-Bibliography. Metuchen, NJ: Scarecrow Press, 1987. Diamond, David. The Midnight Sleep (unpublished autobiography).
This Sacred Ground (1963) Duration: ca. 16 minutes Text: The text is the “Gettysburg Address” of Abraham Lincoln. Performing Forces: voices: baritone soloist; children’s choir, mixed choir; orchestra: 3 flutes, 3 oboes, 3 clarinets in B♭, 3 bassoons, 4 horns in F, 3 trumpets in C, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion (4 players chimes, xylophone, snare drum, tom-toms, bass drum, cymbals, tam-tam, whip), harp, and strings First Performance: 17 November 1963; Buffalo, New York; the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra; conducted by Joseph Krips Edition: This Sacred Ground is published by Peer International. The piano-vocal score (61431-122) is available for purchase, all other materials are available for rental. Notes: The score was suggested to the composer by Joseph Krips, to whom it is dedicated. The work was commissioned by the Buffalo Evening News and
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Station WBEN, Inc. to commemorate the centennial of Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address (19 November 1863). Performance Issues: The vocal rhythms for the soloist and choir are very logogenic. The choral writing is generally diatonic and scalar. Much of the choral writing is in unison, it is otherwise homophonic with block-chord writing. All of the vocal material is clearly supported by the orchestra. The individual instrumental parts are idiomatic, and the scoring is highly effective, exhibiting the characteristic broadness of tonal American works from the middle of the century. There are some surprising chromatic turns, which help to perpetuate interest throughout the work. The instrumental parts are highly rhythmic. The principal brass players have some exposed high passages and must be capable of crisp rhythmic articulation throughout the score. The percussion parts can probably be executed by three players, but four are advisable because of some quick instrument changes. The scoring allows the use of a medium-sized choir, but the nature of the text and the spirit of the score would be best served by a large choir. This is an excellent work for large community or festival choruses and one which provides a useful programming alternative to orchestras. The memorial nature of Lincoln’s text and Diamond’s triumphant setting of it make this work suitable for commemorative and patriotic concerts. Musically, this score could be used on classical or pops programs. Soloist: baritone - range: A-g#', tessitura: e-e', this is a sustained and declamatory role with exposed passages at the extremes of the range. This solo is more vocally demanding than it first appears. Choir: medium easy, Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Erich Parch; Seattle Girls’ Choir, Northwest Boychoir, Seattle Symphony and Chorus; Richard Sparks, director of choirs, conducted by Gerard Schwarz. Recorded: 13 February 1994. Delos: DE 3141 [DDD]. Selected Bibliography: review of the premiere: Dwyer, John. Buffalo Evening News (18 November 1963). UPI review. Buffalo Evening News (18 November 1963). Cuddihy, Ed. Story regarding the premiere in Buffalo Evening News (18 November 1963). other sources “Composers.” Musical America, volume 83 (December 1963): 286.
To Music (1967) Duration: ca. 20 minutes
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Text: John Masefield “Invocation to Music” as published by Macmillan (1953), and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Performing Forces: voices: tenor and bass-baritone soloists, SATB choir; orchestra: piccolo, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, English horn, E♭ clarinet, 2 clarinets (B♭ and A), bass clarinet, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 6 horns, piccolo trumpet in D, 3 trumpets in C, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani (2 players), percussion (3 players - snare drum, tenor drum, bass drum, cymbals, large gong, triangle, woodblock, gavel, xylophone, glockenspiel), piano, harp, and strings First Performance: The Golden Anniversary Celebration of the Manhattan School of Music; Manahattan School of Music Ensembles; conducted by the composer Edition: To Music is published by Southern Music Publishing and distributed by Theodore Presser Company. The piano-vocal score is for sale; orchestral materials are available for rental. Autograph: The full score is a facsimile of the composer’s manuscript. The original autograph is in the possession of the Thorne Foundation.241 Notes: This work is dedicated to Ann and Francis Thorne, and was “commissioned by The Thorne Music Fund Inc. for The Golden Anniversary Inauguration Ceremonies of the Manhattan School of Music in New York City.” Performance Issues: The composer lists four players total for the timpani and percussion parts, but the numbers listed above are preferable. The first movement of this work is atonal although not serial. Dissonance is the result of inverted quartal/quintal harmonies and free imitation. There are frequent choral unisons and the vocal parts exploit approachable melodic intervals while remaining isolated within a dissonant accompaniment. Most vocal pitches are supported in some part of the orchestra, but this is not always evident. There are also passages for a cappella singing or for voices and unpitched percussion. The choral writing is generally homophonic or in close imitation and exploits quartal/quintal relationships. The final movement is triadically conceived in the manner of Debussy with free movement between triads without regard to harmonic function. This is executed through melodic lines, which have awkward leaps and unexpected chromaticisms. There are no significant rhythmic difficulties; however, in the second movement there are many levels of hemiola, displaced downbeats, and some very rapid unison off-the-string passages for all strings. Diamond’s string writing exhibits an intimate understanding of the instruments with thorough indications of articulation and bow use. Although 241 Telephone interview with David Diamond, August 1992.
practical, the string parts are not easy. It should be noted that the composer has indicated that the glockenspiel sounds an octave higher than written; it is actually two octaves above the notated pitch. Soloists: tenor, range: f-a', tessitura: a-f', it is sustained and lyrical; bass-baritone, range: F#-f#', tessitura: f#-d', declamatory and speechlike. This piece has considerable rhythmic vitality and is varied in style and texture. The orchestra part is challenging, but clearly conceived. The choir sings only about ten minutes of music, so while difficult, this could be learned by a choir of limited means, and could be a practical way of introducing a choir to music of this style. The text would allow for practical programming with more conservative works such as Vaughan Williams’s Serenade to Music, or one of the St. Cecilia works, such as those by Vivian Fine, Handel, Finzi, Britten, and Dello Joio. Choir: medium; Orchestra: medium difficult. Discography: No commercial recording
DURUFLÉ, Maurice (b. Louviers, France, 11 January 1902; d. Paris, 16 June 1986) Duruflé’s early musical education was as a student in the choir school of the Rouen Cathedral. At the age of seventeen he moved to Paris where he studied organ with Charles Tournemire, Alexandre Guilmant, and Louis Vierne. In 1920, Duruflé entered the Paris Conservatory, there he studied composition with Paul Dukas, counterpoint with Georges Caussade, organ with Eugène Gigout, and harmony with Jean Gallon. From 1919 to 1929, he was assistant organist at St. Clotilde in Paris. Duruflé was appointed organist at St. Etiennedu-Mont in Paris in 1930, a post he held until his death. He was succeeded at St. Etienne-du-Mont by his widow, Marie-Madeleine Duruflé-Chevalier. From 1943 to 1969, Duruflé served on the faculty of the Paris Conservatory. His remarkably short list of completed works is a body of highly refined compositions, which combine melodic elements of traditional Roman Catholic chant with the harmonic palette of the French impressionists to create a highly individual repertoire. Teachers: Georges Caussade, Paul Dukas, Jean Gallon Principal Works: orchestral - Trois Danses, op. 6 (1936), Andante et scherzo (1951); choral - Requiem, op. 9 (1947), Quatre Motets sur des Thèmes Grégoriens, op. 10 (1960), Mass “Cum jubilo,” op. 11 (1967); organ - Scherzo, op. 2 (1924), Prélude, adagio et choral varié sur le thème du “Veni Creator,” op. 5 (1933), Prélude and Fugue sur le Nom d’Alain,
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op. 7 (1942), Fugue, op. 12 (1962), Prélude sur l’Introit, op. 13 (1961) Selected Composer Bibliography: Beechey, G. “The Music of Maurice Duruflé.” The Music Review, volume 32 (1971): 146. Reynolds, Jeffrey Warren. The Choral Music of Maurice Duruflé. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, DMA thesis, 1990.
Requiem, op. 9 (1947) Duration: ca. 40 minutes Text: The text is from the Roman Catholic Mass for the Dead. Performing Forces: voices: mezzo-soprano and baritone soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 3 flutes (flutes II and III doubling piccolo), 2 oboes (oboe II doubling as English horn II), English horn, 2 clarinets in B ♭, bass clarinet in B♭, 2 bassoons, 4 horns in F, 3 trumpets in C, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion (3 players - bass drum, cymbals, tam-tam), celeste, harp, organ, and strings First Performance: 1947; Paris; conducted by Roger Désmorière Edition: Requiem is published by Durand. An organ-vocal score and study score are available for purchase. The full score of the reduced orchestration is also available for purchase. All other materials are available for rental. Notes: At the time that the publisher Durand approached Duruflé to commission the Requiem, he was working on a suite for organ, which was based upon the themes of the Gregorian setting of the Mass for the Dead. Duruflé used the material he had completed toward this suite as the foundation of the Requiem, which he dedicated to the memory of his father. This work, which appears to owe much of its organization to the model of Gabriel Fauré’s setting of this service, is arranged in nine movements. Performance Issues: The vocal material of this work is at times copied from, and otherwise based upon, the traditional Roman chant settings of these texts. They are therefore vocally quite natural and easily learned by less-experienced choirs. The vocal challenges lie in the metric organization of this material into a modern symphonic fabric. The composer has sanctioned the use of the baritones and second tenors of the choir as a replacement for the baritone soloist. He has also indicated that the choral soprano passages in movements III, VIII, and IX may be sung by a children’s choir if desired. In movement VI there is an indication of divided soprano and alto parts suggesting an antiphonal treatment. If the size of the choir or the performance space do not allow these sections to be physically
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
divided, all of the material can be sung by a single section. The instrumentation listed above is correct; however, it is not in the front matter of the score. The most important discrepancy is that the Kyrie has one oboe part and two English horn parts, which are very exposed and quite necessary and cannot be played on oboe. There are a number of exposed solo passages for the winds. The bassoon solo in movement VII is especially difficult because of the high tessitura of the part. There is rapid passagework for all of the upper winds. The string parts are generally idiomatic with some intricate scalar figures. The viola section is featured prominently throughout the entire work. An important issue with this work is balance. The chantlike quality of vocal writing benefits from a smaller choir, which must be balanced against a large instrumental contingent. It is advisable to consider dividing the choir in two and placing these halves near the front corners of the stage, even with the strings, and in front of the brass. Soloists: mezzo-soprano - range: b♭-f#'', tessitura: c'-c'', this is a tender and “maternal” solo, requiring a rich and lyrical voice; baritone - range: e-f', tessitura: g-d', this role is sustained and lyric with a cantorial quality. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: difficult (chamber orchestra version: medium difficult). Selected Discography: Kiri Te Kanawa, Siegmund Nimsgern; New Philharmonia Orchestra, Ambrosian Singers and Desborough School Choir (John McCarthy, chorus-master); conducted by Andrew Davis. Columbia: M34547 [Quadrophonic LP]. Judith Blegen, James Morris; Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Robert Shaw. Telarc: CD-80135 [DDD]. Choir of New College, Oxford; conducted by Edward Higginbotham. CRD: 3466 [DDD]. Ann Murray, Thomas Allen; English Chamber Orchestra, Corydon Singers; conducted by Matthew Best. Hyperion: CDA-66191 [DDD]. third version: M. Palberg, B. Kämpf; Neuwieder Chamber Orchestra; conducted by B. Kämpf. Motette: CD 50241 [DDD]. Choir and Orchestra of Cologne; conducted by Michel Corboz. Erato: CD45230 [DDD]. Selected Bibliography: Rostand, C. “Un maître normand et son chef d’oeuvre: Maurice Duruflé et son Requiem.” Etudes normandes, no. 26 (1958). Robertson, Alec. Requiem: Music of Mourning and Consolation, 122-126. New York: Frederick A. Praeger, 1967. Jarjisian, Peter G. The Influence of Gregorian Chant on Maurice Duruflé’s Requiem. Op. 9. University of Wisconsin, Doctor of Musical Arts dissertation, 1991.
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Eaton, Robert Powell. Maurice Duruflé’s Requiem. Op. 9: An Analysis for Performance. University of Hartford, Doctor of Musical Arts dissertation, 1991. Berger, Melvin. Guide to Choral Masterpieces: A Listener’s Guide, 108-110. New York: Anchor Books, 1993.
DVORÁK, Antonin (b. Mühlhausen, Czechoslovakia, 8 September 1841; d. Prague, 1 May 1904) Dvorak was the son of a butcher. He developed as a young violinist and was sent to the Organ School in Prague where he studied with the school’s director and began to compose prolifically. He eventually left the school to play viola, eventually becoming a member of the orchestra of the Prague National Theater. In 1874, he won the Austrian State Prize for his Symphony No. 3. He would win the prize two more times in 1877. One of the judges was Brahms who introduced him to his publisher, Simrock. Dvorak’s works were championed by the leading conductors and soloists of the time, including Joachim, Richter, and von Bülow. He made nine trips to England to conduct performances of his works. In 1892, Dvorak was invited to serve as the director of the National Conservatory of Music in New York, which would later become the Juilliard School, a post he held for three years. During his American sojourn, Dvorak summered in a part of Iowa with a large Bohemian population. It is believed that it was here that he encountered the African-American folk tune that became the celebrated melody of the slow movement of hie New World Symphony. He published an article, “Music in America,” in Harper’s New Monthly Magazine (February 1895) that encourages composers to utilize the rich folk and popular musical resources that he found so fertile. Dvorak’s music is an intriguing amalgamation of style including formal and rhythmic elements of Brahms, harmonic principles of Wagner, with a significant tincture of Czech folkmusic. Teachers: Joseh Krejci, Karel Pitsch Students: Rubin Goldmark, Rudolf Karel, Vitezslav Novák, Alois Reiser, Josef Suk Other Principal Works: opera: Rusalka (1900); orchestral: Symphony No. 1 (1865), Symphony No. 2 (1865), Symphony No. 3 (1873), Symphony No. 4 (1874), Symphony No. 5 (1875), Symphony No. 6 (1880), Symphony No. 7 (1884-1885), Symphony No. 8 (1889), Symphony No. 9 (1893), Piano Concerto (1876), Violin Concerto (1879-1880), Cello Concerto (1894-1895), Slavonic Dances, op. 46 (1878), Slavonic Dances, op. 72 (1886-1887), Carnival Overture (1891-1892); chamber music: “Dumky” Trio (18901891), Piano Quintet, op. 81 (1882)
Selected Composer Bibliography: Stefan, Paul. Anton Dvorak, translated by Y. W. Vance. New York: Greystone Press, 1941. Robertson, Alec. Dvorak. New York: Pellegrini and Cudahy, 1949. Burghauser, Jarmil. Antonin Dvorak: Thematic Catalogue. Prague: Artia, 1960. Clapham, John. Dvorak. New York: W. W. Norton, 1979. Schönzeler, Hans-Hubert. Dvorak. London: Marion Boyars, 1984.
Stabat Mater, op. 58, B. 71 (1876-1877) Duration: ca. 90 minutes Text: The authorship of this text is highly disputed. It has been attributed to Jacopone da Todi who died in 1306. It was removed from sanctioned use at the Council of Trent, and restored to the liturgical canon in 1727. The text addresses the “Seven Sorrows of the Virgin Mary.” It is used as the Sequence Hymn on the first Friday after Passion Sunday and on 15 September. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, English horn, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns (F, D), 2 trumpets (D), 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, organ (or harmonium), and strings First Performance: 23 Devember 1880; Society of Musicians in Prague; Eleonora Ehrenberg, Betty Fibich, Antonín Vávra, and Karel Cech, soloists; choir and orchestra of the Czech Provisional Theatre; conducted by Adolf Cech. A second performance was given on 2 April 1882, conducted by Leos Janácek. Editions: Stabat Mater is published in a critical edition as part of Antonin Dvorak: Complete Edition, series 2, volume 1 (Prague: Artia, 1961). A new critical edition, edited by Otakar Sourek was published by Editio Bärenreiter Praha in 2004, for which a study score (H 2268) is available. It was first published in 1881 by Simrock and soon appeared in English translation as a Novello publication. Autograph: The composer’s manuscript is in the Music Department of the National Museum in Prague (sign. 834/52). Notes: Like a number of Dvorak’s compositions, this work has been assigned two different numbers. It was first composed as op. 28, but later published as op. 58. The work was begun in response to the death of the composer’s daughter, Josefa (21 September 1875); before it was completed two others passed away, Ruzena (13 August 1877) and Otakar (13 November 1877). Performance Issues: This is a very dramatic work that demands a seasoned and vocally athletic choir and a skilled and cohesive orchestra. The choral writing is
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generally syllabic, and although there is a fair amount of imitative counterpoint, the parts are conceived in a chorale-like fashion. The vocal writing is primarily diatonic. Many of the chromatic elements provide a “Czech” quality to the music. The orchestra doubles most of the choral parts, and the remaining passages are well supported harmonically by the accompaniment. There are occasional divisi in the choral parts, and the voices are asked to produce a broad and quickly changing dynamic palette. The sixth movement is written for tenor soloist and four-part men’s choir, which includes some closely voiced melismatic writing for the choristers that will need attention to guarantee harmonic clarity. The final movement has very dramatic and sustained eight-part choral writing. This movement will test the endurance of less-experienced ensembles. The orchestral writing is expressive, and the orchestration is colorful. Some balances in the piano passage in the winds may present challenges for less-sophisticated ensembles. The wind writing suggests a full string section and large choir. Operatic soloists will be needed to properly balance with the orchestra. Soloists: soprano - range: f#'-b'', tessitura: a'-f#'', this is a declamatory role that must be capable of a full diversity of dynamics at the top of the range; alto - range: a-f'', tessitura: f'-d'', this is a sustained mezzo-soprano role with significant melismatic writing that is sometimes in unison with the soprano and should therefore have a contrasting, but compatible timbre; tenor - range: e♭-a', tessitura: a-f#', this is a sustained role requiring a strong voice; bass - range: E-f#', tessitura: c-c', this singer must have clear projection at the bottom of the indicated range. Choir: difficult; Orchestra: difficult. Selected Discography: Marina Shaguch, Ingeborg Danz, James Taylor, Thomas Quasthoff; Oregon Bach Festival Chorus and Orchestra; conducted by Helmut Rilling, recorded in July 1995. Hänssler Classic: 98935. Stefania Woytowicz, Vera Soukupová, Ivo Zídek, Kim Berg; Prague Philharmonic Choir, Czech Philharmonic Orchestra; conducted by Václav Smetácek. Supraphon: SU3775-2. Selected Bibliography: Upton, George. The Standard Oratorios, 92-95. Chicago: A. C. McClurg and Company, 1893. Pahlen, Kurt. The World of the Oratorio, translated by Judith Schaefer with additional English-language material by Thurston Dox, 118-119. Portland, OR: Amadeus Press, 1990. Berger, Melvin. Guide to Choral Masterpieces: A Listener’s Guide, 112-113. New York: Anchor Books, 1993. Sourek, Otakar. “Preface” and “Editor’s Notes.” Dvorak: Stabat Mater (H 2268). Prague: Editio Bärenreiter Praha, 2004.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Psalm 149, op. 79, B. 91 (1879); revised as B. 154 (1887) Duration: ca. 10 minutes Text: The text is from the Book of Psalms in the Bible. It was premiered in Czech, but is available with singing translations in many languages. Performing Forces: voices: SATB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets (C), 2 bassoons, 4 horns (C, F), 2 trumpets (C), 3 trombones, tuba, timpani (2 drums), and strings First Performance: Version 1: 16 March 1879; Sophia Island; Prague Hlahol Vocal Society, conducted by Karel Knittl Version 2: 16 November 1890; Olomouc; conducted by the composer at the Jubilee Concert of the Zerotin Vocal Society Editions: Psalm 149 is published in a critical edition as part of Antonin Dvorak: Complete Edition, series 2, volume 6. Prague: Artia, 1968. This edition includes a complete score of both versions. Autograph: The composer’s manuscript is in the Music Department of the National Museum in Prague (846/52). Notes: This work was composed for Hlahol, a Czech chorus that served as an early proponent of Czech culture. It was initially written for men’s choir, but was later rewritten for mixed choir. It is this latter version that was originally published by Simrock. Performance Issues: In addition to voicing changes, the SATB version has a number of textual and rhythmic deviations from the TTBB, but the general performance issues remain the same. Either version would make an effective concert work. The score includes singing texts in Czech, German, and English. The choral writing is generally homophonic and syllabic. There is one brief fugal section. All of the vocal material is clearly doubled by the orchestra, and none of the parts is vocally demanding. The scoring requires a large choir and full string section. The trombone I and II parts are written in alto clef, but appear to be intended for tenor trombones. There are sudden dramatic shifts in dynamics, and there are passages wherein the ensemble must be powerful to be effective. The string writing has some challenging figures, but they are idiomatically conceived, and should play well. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Christine Brewer, Marietta Simpson, John Aler, Ding Gao; Washington Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Robert Shafer. Naxos: 8.555301-02.
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Selected Bibliography: Burghauser, Jarmil. “Editors’ Notes.” Dvorak: Psalm 149 in Antonin Dvorak: Complete Edition, series 2, volume 6, vi-vii and unnumbered pages at the end, translated into English by R. F. Samsour. Prague: Artia, 1968. Pahlen, Kurt. The World of the Oratorio, translated by Judith Schaefer with additional English-language material by Thurston Dox, 119. Portland, OR: Amadeus Press, 1990.
Svatební kosile [“The Spectre’s Bride”], op. 69, B. 135 (1884) Duration: ca. 85 minutes Text: The text is from Garland of Folk Poesy [Kytice z povestí národích] by Karel Jaromír Erben Performing Forces: voices: soprano (Maiden), tenor (Spectre), and bass (Narrator) soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes (flute II doubling piccolo), 2 oboes, English horn, 2 clarinets (A, B♭), bass clarinet
(B♭), 2 bassoons, 4 horns (B♭ basso, D, E♭, E, F), 2 trumpets (C, D, E, F), 3 trombones, tuba, timpani (2 drums), percussion (3 players — triangle, tam, tam, chimes [e', a', e'', g#'']),242 harp, and strings.
First Performance: 28 March 1885; Plzen; Royal and Imperial 35th Regimental Band, local singers and instrumentalists and students from the Realgymnasium; conducted by the composer 243 Editions: Svatební kosile is published in a critical edition as part of Antonin Dvorak: Complete Edition, series 2, volume 6 (Prague: Artia, 1969). A piano-vocal score arranged by Heinrich von Káan with and English singing translation by Troutbeck was published by Novello, Ewer, and Co. Autograph: The sketches and manuscript of the full score were in the collection of the Dvorak family at the time of the creation of the critical edition and thematic catalogue. Notes: This is a dramatic and very effective work, which deserves a broader audience. Performance Issues: The score includes singing texts in Czech, German, and English. The choral writing is generally homophonic and syllabic. It is not vocally difficult. The choral material is clearly doubled by the orchestra. There are divisi throughout the choir, except for the altos. Movement 15 asks for a small group of basses singing in the distance. There are challenging passages throughout the orchestra, including exposed solo figures for the principal winds. There is also an
extended solo for the flute II in movement 12. There are some very difficult passages for the horns. The trombone I and II parts are written in alto clef, but appear to be intended for tenor trombones. The text must be very clearly delivered to guarantee the appropriate effect. Presenting this work in the language of the audience is advised. The score includes a wide variety of scoring and articulations. It is a very melodramatic presentation of the text that needs to be performed stylishly. This is an excellent work for a large community choir and professional orchestra. This gothic folktale in verse provides an intriguing secular drama for the concert hall. It would actually be a great adult Halloween program. Soloists: soprano - range: c'-a♭'' (b♭''), tessitura: f'-f'', this is a dramatic solo with some rapid coloratura figures; tenor - range: c#-a', tessitura: f-f', this is a sustained lyric role; bass - range: A-g♭', tessitura: e♭-e♭', this is a declamatory solo for a baritone or lyric bass. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: difficult. Selected Discography: Drahomíra Tikalová, Beno Blachut, Ladislav Mráz; Czech Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Jaroslav Krombholc. Supraphon: DV 5792-93 [LP]. Selected Bibliography: Upton, George P. The Standard Cantatas. 7th edition, 136-139. Chicago: A. C. McClurg and Company, 1899. Berkovec, Jírí. “Editors’ Notes.” Dvorak Svatební kosile in Antonin Dvorak: Complete Edition, series 2, volume 2, vii-viii, translated into English by R. F. Samsour. Prague: Artia, 1969. Philippi, Daniela. Antonín Dvorak: Die Geisterbraut/Svatební kosile op. 69 — Die heilige Ludmilla/Svatá Ludmila op. 71, Studien zur “großen Vokalform” im 19 Jahrhundert. Tutzing: Hans Schneider, 1993.
Svata Ludmila [St. Ludmila], op. 71, B. 144 (1885-1886) Duration: ca. 120 minutes Text: The text is by the Czech poet, Jaroslav Vrchlicky. The premiere was given in English, and singing translations have since been made in many languages. The critical edition includes text underlay in Czech, English, and German. Performing Forces: voices: soprano (Ludmila), alto (Svatava and young countryman), tenor (Borivoj), and bass (Ivan) soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes,
242 The instrument list calls for all four pitches, but only e', a', and
243 The score’s premiere was originally intended for a music fes-
e'' appear in the score.
tival in Birmingham, England, where it was performed in August 1885 in English.
324 2 oboes, English horn, 2 clarinets (A, B♭), bass clarinet (A, B♭), 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 4 horns (B♭ basso, C, D, E♭, E, F, B♭), 3 trumpets (B♭, C, E♭, E, F), 3 trombones,244 tuba, timpani (2 drums), percussion (1 player — triangle), harp, organ, and strings First Performance: 15 October 1886; Leeds, England; conducted by the composer Editions: Svata Ludmila is published in a critical edition as part of Antonin Dvorak: Complete Edition, series 2, volume 3 (Prague: Artia, 1964). Autograph: The composer’s manuscript of the full score was in the collection of the Dvorak family at the time of the creation of the critical edition and thematic catalogue. Notes: The score is dedicated to the Zerotin Musical Society of Olomouc. The text presents the medieval Bohemian legend of St. Ludmila (the grandmother of St. Wenceslas). The three sections of the work address Ludmila’s conversion, the conversion of her husband, Prince Boriwoj I, and the baptism of the couple and their followers. Performance Issues: The choral writing is primarily homophonic and the choral material is clearly supported by the orchestra. There are divisi in all choral parts. There are some important passages for the choral basses that are below the staff. Most of the vocal material is syllabic and quite declamatory. The choral ranges are varied enough to avoid fatigue. There are some sections that use two choirs for which physical division is not necessary but could be effective. The instrumental writing is informed and practical. There are a number of exposed solo passages for the winds, and some of the string writing provides some technical challenges, but should not present any obstacle for a successful performance. The organ and harp parts are minimal and easy. The bass clarinet appears in only two movements, but it appears simultaneously with the two clarinets, necessitating an independent player. Other wind players are unoccupied at those times, so a doubler could be navigated. There are some powerfully orchestrated passages that will require a large, mature choir. The recording made in conjunction with the critical edition had the part of the young man sung by a boy. In the score, it is assigned to the alto soloist. This is a well-crafted work with attractive tunes that is rarely performed outside the Czech Republic. The relevance of St. Ludmila beyond Eastern Europe may contribute to this neglect. The length of the work may also be a prohibition; however, it is an excellent choice for a single-work concert. Soloists: soprano - range: d'-b'', tessitura: f'-f'', this is a lyric solo with some 244 The composer indicates that the trombone III part is for bass trombone. It seems clear that parts I and II are intended for tenor trombone, but the parts in the critical edition are in alto clef.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
coloratura and long phrases; alto - range: b-g'', tessitura: f'-f'', this role combines declamatory and lyric material, there are many ossia pitches that allow singers to shift the tessitura down; tenor - range: d-a', tessitura: g-g', this is a sustained lyric role; bass - range: G-e', tessitura: B-d', this is a powerful declamatory role. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Eva Zikmundová, Vera Soukupová, Beno Blachut, Richard Novák, Vladimir Krejcik; Bohemian Choir (Josef Veselka, choirmaster), Prague Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Vaclav Smetácek. Supraphon: DV 6064-66 [LP], re-released on CD. Livia Àghová, Michelle Breedt, Piotr Beczala, Ludek Vele; Prague Chamber Choir. Cologne WDR Radio Choir and Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Gerd Albrecht. WDR: 513992. Selected Bibliography: Sychra, Antonin. “Editors’ Notes.” Dvorak: Svata Ludmila in Antonin Dvorak: Complete Edition, series 2, volume 3, part 2, 722-727, translated into English by John Clapham. Prague: Artia, 1964. Philippi, Daniela. Antonín Dvorak: Die Geisterbraut/Svatební kosile op. 69 — Die heilige Ludmilla/Svatá Ludmila op. 71, Studien zur “großen Vokalform” im 19 Jahrhundert. Tutzing: Hans Schneider, 1993.
Requiem Mass, op. 89, B. 165 (1890) Duration: ca. 95 minutes Text: The text is from the Roman Catholic liturgy of the Mass for the Dead. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists, SATB choir; orchestra: piccolo, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, English horn, 2 clarinets (A, B♭), bass
clarinet (A, B♭), 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 4 horns245 (D, F), 4 trumpets (B♭, D, E♭, F), 3 trombones, tuba, timpani (3 drums), percussion (1 player — tam-tam), organ, and strings.
First Performance: 9 October 1891; Birmingham, England; conducted by the composer Editions: Requiem is published in a critical edition as part of Antonin Dvorak: Complete Edition, series 2, volume 4 (Prague: Artia, 1961). Full scores and parts are available for purchase from: Bärenreiter, Kalmus, and Supraphon. Autograph: The composer’s manuscript of the full score was in the collection of the Dvorak family at the time 245 Some sources list a fifth horn part, but it is not in the score.
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
of the creation of the critical edition and thematic catalogue. Notes: The score was begun on New Year’s Day in 1890, the sketches were completed in July, and the full score was finished 31 October. Performance Issues: The choral writing is generally syllabic and homophonic. There are some extended passages of unison singing for the choir. The choral material is well supported by the accompaniment with some interspersed a cappella passages. There are divisi in all choral sections, and some passages are labeled “coro piccolo.” Dvorak creates some very effective textural contrasts between the solo quartet and the choir. Placement of the soloists will be important to keep these layers clear. There are some challenging figures for all of the winds often in unison combinations, and some of the string material is quite challenging, but written from a string-player’s perspective. The organ part is brief and primarily sustained pedals. There are some horn figures in the “Offertorium” that are wholly impractical and will be deemed unplayable by some hornists. Dvorak indicates that the tam-tam can be replaced with a bell, which may have a better effect. This is a complicated score that explores a wide array of textures and voicings. It is a distinctive setting of this text that will be very dramatic when presented by the best ensembles. Soloists: soprano - range: c'-b'', tessitura: f'-f'', this is a lyric solo; alto - range: a-e'', tessitura: e'-c'', this is a sustained and declamatory mezzo-soprano solo; tenor - range: d-a', tessitura: g-g', this is a lyric solo with very long phrases; bass - range: G-e', tessitura: c-c', this is a lyric role. Choir: difficult; Orchestra: very difficult. Selected Discography: Pilar Lorengar, Erzebet Komlossy, Robert Ilosfalvy, Tom Krause; Ambrosian Singers (John McCarthy, choirmaster), London Symphony Orchestra; conducted by István Kertész. Decca: 028946868722. Selected Bibliography: Burghauser, Jarmil. “Editors’ Notes.” Dvorak: Requiem in Antonin Dvorak: Complete Edition, series 2, volume 4, ix-xii and unnumbered pages at the end, translated into English by R. F. Samsour. Prague: Artia, 1961. Robertson, Alec. Requiem: Music of Mourning and Consolation, 110-116. New York: Frederick A. Praeger, 1967. Pahlen, Kurt. The World of the Oratorio, translated by Judith Schaefer with additional English-language material by Thurston Dox, 117-118. Portland, OR: Amadeus Press, 1990. Berger, Melvin. Guide to Choral Masterpieces: A Listener’s Guide, 114-115. New York: Anchor Books, 1993.
Te Deum, op. 103, B. 176 (1892) Duration: ca. 22 minutes Text: This is an anonymous hymn of thanksgiving in church use since the sixth century. It is usually sung during the Matins service. The apocryphal source of its genesis is that it was spontaneously sung by Ss. Ambrose and Augustine on the evening when Augustine was baptized. Performing Forces: voices: soprano and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, English horn, 2 clarinets (A, B♭), 2 bassoons, 4 horns (F), 2 trumpets (F), 3 trombones, tuba, timpani (2 drums), percussion (3 players —bass drum, triangle, cymbals), and strings First Performance: 21 October 1892; New York Music Hall; conducted by the composer. This was Dvorak’s first independent concert upon arriving in New York to head the National Conservatory. Editions: Te Deum is published in a critical edition as part of Antonin Dvorak: Complete Edition, series 2, volume 6 (Prague: Artia, 1969). Full scores and parts for Te Deum are available for purchase from Bärenreiter, Kalmus, Simrock, and Supraphon. Autograph: The sketches and manuscript of the full score were in the collection of the Dvorak family at the time of the creation of the critical edition and thematic catalogue. Notes: Jeanette Thurber, the founder of the National Conservatory, had contacted Dvorak about writing a choral work in celebration of the 400th anniversary of Columbus’s voyages, which he could conduct upon his arrival in New York as director of the new school. Dvorak set the Te Deum in anticipation of this concert; however, Mrs. Thurber sent him the text for The American Flag shortly before he sailed for the United States, giving him inadequate time to compose and displacing the Te Deum to another concert. Performance Issues: The choral writing of the first movement maintains significant rhythmic independence between the parts giving a sense of imitative counterpoint without actual imitation. There are significant passages with differing text declamation or the presentation of multiple passages of the text occurring simultaneously, which will require special attention to guarantee clarity in performance. The remaining movements are homophonic or unison passages. The choral writing is not vocally demanding, but requires a fairly musically savvy ensemble. There are intricate sections for all of the winds, including exposed passages for the pricipal players. The horn parts are quite difficult. The brass writing overall is fairly heavy. The trombone I and II parts are written in alto clef, but appear to be intended for tenor trombones. This is combined with some pervasive percussion
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parts necessitating a large choral group. The premiere featured 250 singers. This is a flashy and effective setting that has a real Czech flavor. Soloists: soprano range: f'-b'', tessitura: a'-g'', this is a sustained lyric solo; bass - range: c-g♭', tessitura: e♭-e♭', this is a sustained and declamatory solo. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Czech Philharmonic Chorus and Orchestra; conducted by Vaclav Neumann. Supraphon: 111961-2. Pamela Coburn; Gächinger Kantorei Stuttgart, BachCollegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Hänssler: CD98421.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
oratorios. His style is one of elegance and regal grandeur. The harmonic language is that of the late nineteenth century, and Elgar’s method of composition is purposefully nonprovincial. Outspoken with regard to the lack of quality English music at the beginning of the twentieth century, Elgar strove to adopt the fluid musical style of the continent. One can hear an English quality in his music, but in fact one probably hears a bit of Elgar in all of the English music to follow him. He became the paradigm of the English musical sound.247 The orchestration is lush and very knowledgeable of instrumental potentials, especially in his string writing, which is frequently challenging but always effective.
Selected Bibliography:
Teachers: self-taught
Bartos, Frantisek. “Editors’ Notes.” Dvorak: Te Deum in Antonin Dvorak: Complete Edition, series 2, volume 6, vi-vii and unnumbered pages at the end, translated into English by R. F. Samsour. Prague: Artia, 1969. Pahlen, Kurt. The World of the Oratorio, translated by Judith Schaefer with additional English-language material by Thurston Dox, 120-121. Portland, OR: Amadeus Press, 1990.
Students: John Alden Carpenter
ELGAR, Edward (b. Lower Broadheath, Worcester, 2 June 1857; d. Worcester, 23 February 1934). As a youth, Elgar worked in his father’s music store and served as assistant organist to his father at St. George’s, Worcester. He played violin in a number of regional orchestras some of which he also conducted. He began to establish a national reputation as a composer with a number of works for the Three Choirs Festival in Worcester. His first triumph in London was the debut of the Enigma Variations (1899). This was followed by the oratorio The Dream of Gerontius (1900), which secured his fame. He is best known for his five Pomp and Circumstance Marches (19011930), the first of which has virtually become Britain’s second national anthem with the addition of the text, “Land of Hope and Glory.”246 Elgar was knighted in 1904, was made a member of the Order of Merit in 1911. This was followed by the title, Master of the King’s Music in 1924 and a baronet in 1931. He also received several honorary doctorates, notably from Cambridge (1900) and Yale (1905). He served as conductor of the London Symphony for the 1911-1912 season. After his wife’s death he completed few scores. Elgar’s music was surely the finest of Britain’s romantic composers. His fame was instantly established by the success of the Enigma Variations and the 246 Michael Kennedy, Portrait of Elgar, revised (London: Oxford University Press, 1983).
Other Principal Works: choral-orchestral: The Black Knight (1889-1892), Scenes from the Saga of King Olaf (1897), The Banner of St. George (1897), The Dream of Gerontius (1900), The Apostles (1903), The Kingdom (1901-1906), The Music Makers (19021912), The Spirit of England (1915-1917); orchestral: Variations on an Original Theme (“Enigma,” 18981899), Froissart (1890), Cockaigne (1901), The Wand of Youth Suites 1 and 2 (1907), Symphony No. 1 (1907-1908), Symphony No. 2 (1903-1911), Coronation March (1911), Crown of India (1912), Pomp and Circumstances Marches (1901, 1901, 1904, 1907, 1930), Violin Concerto (1909-1910), Cello Concerto (1918-1919); many songs and chamber music. Selected Composer Bibliography: Maine, Basil. Elgar: His Life and Works, 2 volumes. Reprint of 1933 edition (New York: AMS Press) (no date given, but still listed in print as of January 1993). Young, Percy, editor. Letters of Edward Elgar and Other Writings. London: Collins, 1956. Moore, Eleanor Marie. A Study of the Vocal Works of Sir Edward Elgar. University of Rochester, dissertation, 1961. Redwood, Christopher, editor. An Elgar Companion. Ashbourne: Sequoia Publishing, 1982. Kennedy, Michael. Portrait of Elgar, revised. London: Oxford University Press, 1983. Moore, Jerrold Northrop. Spirit of England: Edward Elgar in his World. London: Oxford University Press, 1984. Philip, Robert. “The Recordings of Edward Elgar (18571934), Authenticity and Performance Practice.” Early Music, xii/4 (1984): 481-489. Willets, Pamela. “The Elgar Sketch-books.” British Library Journal, xi/1 (1985): 25.
247 Jerrold Northrop Moore, Spirit of England: Edward Elgar in His World (London: Oxford University Press, 1984).
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
McVeagh, Diana. “Edward Elgar.” The New Grove Twentieth-Century English Masters, 1-68. New York: W. W. Norton, 1986. Moore, Jerrold Northrop. Elgar and His Publishers: Letters of a Creative Life, 2 volumes. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1987. ———. Edward Elgar: The Windflower Letters, Correspondence with Alice Caroline Stuart Wortley and Her Family. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1989. ———. Edward Elgar: Letters of a Lifetime. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1990. Reed, William H. Elgar as I Knew Him. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1989. Anderson, Robert. Elgar in Manuscript. Portland, OR: Timber Press, 1990. Monk, Raymond, editor. Elgar Studies. Aldershot, England: Scolar Press, 1990. Kent, Christopher. Edward Elgar: A Guide to Research. New York: Routledge, 1993.
The Light of Life (Lux Christi), op. 29 (1896) Duration: ca. 65 minutes Text: The libretto was written by Edward Capel-Cure (1860-1949), based upon the Gospel of John. Performing Forces: voices: Mother of the Blind Man (soprano), narrator (alto), Blind Man (tenor), Jesus (baritone); SSAATTBBBB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes (II doubling piccolo), 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani (2 drums), percussion (cymbals), 248 harp, organ, and strings
the most demanding within the orchestra, but they are well informed by a violinist composer. This is a colorful score that presages the timbral palette of Elgar’s later oratorios. The horn I and II parts require control and endurance. Some attention will be required to establish appropriate balances within the orchestra. Soloists: soprano - range: c'-a♭'', tessitura: f'-f'', this is a gentle lyric role; alto - range: a-e'', tessitura: d'-c'', this is a straightforward declamatory role; tenor - range: ea', tessitura: f-f', this is a lyic solo with sustained passages; bass - range: c-e♭' (g'), tessitura: g-d', this is a declamatory role. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Judith Howarth, Linda Finnie, Arthur Davies, John Shirley-Quirk; London Symphony Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Richard Hickox. Chandos: 9208. Selected Bibliography: Moore, Jerrold Northrop. Elgar and His Publishers: Letters of a Creative Life, 30-39, 69-70, 93-94, 96, 125, 128-130, 136, 138-139, 351, 410, 412-413, 463, 582, 606, 795. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1987. Stam, John Campbell. Four English Music Festivals and Their Influence on the Careers and Selected Major Choral Works of Parry, Stanford, and Elgar, 115-121. University of Iowa, doctoral dissertation, 1991.
Caractacus, op. 35 (1898) Duration: ca. 105 minutes
First Performance: 8 September 1896; Worcester, England; Anna Williams, Jessie King, Edward Lloyd, Watkin Mills, Worcester Three Choirs Festival
Text: Harry Acworth wrote the libretto at Elgar’s request. It is based upon the legend of the ancient British hero of its title.
Editions: A critical edition and performing materials for The Light of Life are published by Novello.
Performing Forces: voices: Eigen (soprano), Orbin (tenor), Caractacus (baritone), Arch-Druid (bass), a Bard (bass), and Claudius (bass); SSAATTBB choir; orchestra: 2 flues (flute II doubling piccolo), 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, bass clarinet, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 4 horns, 4 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani (3 drums), percussion (4 players249 — snare drum, bass drum, triangle, cymbals, gong, small gong in E♭, and glockenspiel), harp, organ, and strings. The score indicates that the bass clarinet, contrabassoon, and trumpet IV are optional. It also states that in Scene VI, additional snare drums may be employed.
Autograph: The composer’s manuscript of the full score and proofs of the vocal score are in the Elgar Birthplace Museum (ms. 103). Additional sketches are in the British Library (add. ms. 47900A). Notes: The score was commissioned by the Worcester Three Choirs Festival. Performance Issues: The choral writing is vocally conservative, although the bass part has important passages below the staff. All of the choral material is well supported by the accompaniment. A large vocal ensemble is required. The only choral complications are a few brief sections with significant divisi. The composer has indicated that horns III and IV and the contrabassoon parts may be left out. The string parts are 248 The cymbal part is cued in the timpani part and does not require an independent player.
First Performance: 1898; Leeds, England; Medora Henson, Edward Lloyd, Andrew Black, Leeds Festival, conducted by the composer
249 The parts can be navigated with three players, but four are called for.
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Editions: Caractacus is published in a critical edition by Novello, which was prepared by Robert Anderson and Jerrold Northrop Moore in 1985. Earlier editions are also available for purchase or rental from Novello; this includes a set of orchestral parts matching the critical edition, which is available for rental. Autograph: The manuscript vocal score (Add. MSS. 58000 and 58001), sketches (Add. MS. 47901), and manuscript full score (Add. MS. 58002) are in the British Library. Additional proof score are in the Elgar Birthplace Museum. Notes: Caractacus was commissioned by the Leeds Festival. It is based upon mystical legends of early Britain and is dedicated to Queen Victoria. The score is organized into six scenes. The composer indicates that if an intermission is desired, it should occur after the second scene. Performance Issues: The choral material is loosely homophonic most of the time. The orchestra provides significant harmonic support for the singers, but they must be somewhat musically independent. There are some divisi for each choral section. All of the choral parts are vocally demanding. The orchestration is brilliant requiring execution of complex figurations from all sections. This work was written for very large choral forces and a sizable string section. The string writing is particularly involved, but the composer’s experience as a violinist leads them to be remarkably playable. Great care has been taken to balance the soloists. The instrumental colors are varied and quite effective. Elgar indicates that all of the bass roles may be sung by a single soloist, which is how they are evaluated here; however, he indicates that separate singers are preferred. The stage must be set to allow the choristers to be seated at times. The peculiar subject matter of the text has probably contributed to its current neglect. The lament in scene IV is in 7/4. This is an exceptionally refined composition that may in fact be compelling to contemporary audiences who seem to embrace fantasies of this ilk. Costuming of the soloists may be desirable. Soloists: Eigen (soprano) - range: c'-b'', tessitura: f'-f'', this is a dramatic solo role; Orbin (tenor) - range: f♯-b♭', tessitura: g-g', this is a sustained and lyric role; Caractacus (baritone) - range: B♭-g', tessitura: c-e♭', this is a dramatic role with some very sustained passages; Arch-Druid, Bard, and Claudius (bass) - range: (F) G-e♭' (f'), tessitura: c-c', this is a declamatory role that would dramatically benefit from three distinct singers. Choir: difficult; Orchestra: difficult. Selected Discography: Judith Howarth, Arthur Davies, David Wilson-Johnson, Alastair Miles, Stephen Roberts; London Symphony Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Richard Hickox. Chandos: 9156/7.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Selected Bibliography: Moore, Jerrold Northrop. Elgar and His Publishers: Letters of a Creative Life, 59-61, 63-67, 70-93, 102-105, 110, 115-116, 119-120, 142, 144-145, 154-155, 160, 171, 187, 318, 399, 450, 513, 531-532, 539, 582, 585, 586, 588, 596, 629-630, 799. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1987. Stam, John Campbell. Four English Music Festivals and Their Influence on the Careers and Selected Major Choral Works of Parry, Stanford, and Elgar, 121-127. University of Iowa, doctoral dissertation, 1991.
The Dream of Gerontius, op. 38 (1900) Duration: ca. 100 minutes Text: Cardinal John Henry Newman, abridged by the composer Performing Forces: voices: mezzo-soprano, tenor, and 1 or 2 bass soloists; semi chorus (5 sopranos, 5 altos, 4 tenors, 4 basses), SATB choir; orchestra: piccolo, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, English horn, 2 clarinets, bass clarinet, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion (2 players - bass drum, snare drum, cymbals, tam-tam, triangle, glockenspiel, bells), 2 harps (harp II is optional), organ, and strings (an additional 3 trumpets and extra timpanists are optional between rehearsal No.’s 118 and 120; these are mislabeled as page numbers in the introduction to the full score). First Performance: 3 October 1900; Town Hall, Birmingham, England; Marie Brema, mezzo-soprano, Edward Lloyd, tenor, Harry Plunket Greene, baritone; Birmingham Festival Chorus and Orchestra; conducted by Hans Richter. Edition: The Dream of Gerontius is available from three publishers: the piano-vocal score, full score, and orchestral materials are available for rental from Novello; a study score is for sale and full score and orchestral materials are available for rental from H. W. Gray; piano-vocal score, full score, and orchestral materials are for sale from Kalmus. Novello has released a critical edition of the full score as part of Elgar Complete Edition, prepared by Jerrold Northrop Moore and Christopher Kent, which is for sale. Autograph: The manuscript of the full score is in the possession of the Birmingham Oratory. Notes: The Dream of Gerontius was commissioned for the 1900 Birmingham Festival. Into the manuscript, the composer copied these lines from John Ruskins’s Sesame and Lilies: This is the best of me; for the rest I ate, and drank, and slept, loved and hated, like another; my life was the vapour and is not, but this I saw and knew: this, if anything of mine, is worth your memory.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
The composer notes that the tenor solo, “Santus fortis,” may be sung a step lower. He indicates the locations of the cued modulation and return. This transposed section is available with the Gray and Novello materials. The four solo roles are assigned as follows: Gerontius - tenor, The Angel – mezzosoprano, The Priest - bass, and The Angel of the Agony - bass. Elgar states that the two bass roles may be performed by the same singer. He indicates that the mezzo-soprano soloist should not be seen onstage until Part II. Elgar also suggests that the semichorus be placed between the orchestra and the soloists. Performance Issues: This work has served for many writers as the touchstone of British oratorios. There are multiple divisi in the string parts. These include solo passages for the principal cellist. The individual instrumental parts are quite challenging, but Elgar demonstrates an intimate understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the instruments for which he has written. The string parts are consistently more ambitious than their counterparts; however, there is some very intricate passagework for the woodwinds. The greatest challenge for the orchestra is the rhythmic integration of very diverse parts. The work is harmonically dense and metrically complex. The choral writing combines the harmonic language of the late nineteenth century with the contrapuntal techniques of the Tudor period including paired and pervasive imitation. The choral parts are subtly but consistently doubled by the orchestra. Much of the melodic motion for the choir involves intricate chromaticism, which may prove troublesome for intonation. There are occasional vocal divisi, including three-part divisions in the soprano section and the presence of the semichorus. At times these divisions yield twelve independent choral parts. At rehearsal #64, there is a section which emulates Anglican chant. There are frequent crossrhythms of substantial complexity. The score is filled with tempo changes and expressive indications, which will require substantial rehearsal time to guarantee. This score is filled with delicate musical nuance within the framework of an emense symphonic work. These intricacies, combined with the scope of the composition, limit its performances to the major symphonic organizations. Soloists: The Angel - mezzo-soprano, range: b♭-f♯'' or a'', tessitura: e'-d'', sustained and lyric; Gerontius - tenor, range: e♭-a', tessitura: g-g', lyric and expressive in the tradition of Bach’s Evangelists; The Priest/The Angel of Agony - bass, range: B♭-e', tessitura: g-d', declamatory and powerful. The mezzo-soprano and tenor roles are substantial requiring vocal endutrance. They also have prolonged duet sections, therefore the compatibility of their voices must be considered. Choir: difficult; Orchestra: difficult.
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Selected Discography: Complete: Yvonne Minton, Peter Pears, John Shirley-Quirk; London Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, King’s College Choir; conducted by Benjamin Britten. Recorded July 1971 in the Maltings, Snape, England. Decca: SET 525/6 421 381-2 [LP]; re-released as London: 4213812 LM2 [ADD]. Felicity Palmer, Arthur Davies, Gwynne Howell; London Symphony Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Richard Hickox. Chandos: CHAN-8641/42 [DDD]. Constance Shacklock, Jon Vickers, M. Nowkovski; Rome Radio Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Sir John Barbirolli. Recorded from a live broadcast, 20 November 1957. Arkadia: 2 CDHP 584 [ADD]. Dame Janet Baker, Richard Lewis, Kim Borg; Ambrosian Singers, Sheffield and Hallé Choirs, Hallé Orchestra; conducted by Sir John Barbirolli. Recorded December 1964 in the Free Trade Hall, Manchester, England. HMV: ALP 2101/2 [LP] and ASD 648/9 [LP]; re-released as Angel: CMS 763185-2 [ADD]. Dame Janet Baker, John Mitchinson, John ShirleyQuirk; Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Simon Rattle. Angel: C-49549-B [DDD]. Mary Thomas, Keith Lewis, John Ewen Cameron; Huddersfield Choral Society and Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra; conducted by Sir Malcolm Sargent. Columbia: CX 1247/8 [LP]; re-released as Angel: 463376-B [ADD]. Helen Watts, Nicolai Gedda, Robert Lloyd; London Philharmonic Orchestra, John Alldis Choir; conducted by Sir Adrian Boult. Recorded May/July in Kingsway Hall, London. HMV: SLS 987 [LP]; re-released as Angel: C-47208-B [ADD]. Gladys Ripley, Heddle Nash, Dennis Noble, Norman Walker; Huddersfield Choral Society and Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra; conducted by Sir Malcolm Sargent. Recorded April 1945 in Huddersfield Town Hall. Gramophone: 3435/46 [78s]; re-released as HMV: RLS 709 [LP]. Prelude only: BBC Symphony; conducted by Sir Adrian Boult. Angel: H-63134 [ADD]. Excerpts: Dame Clara Butt, Maurice D’Oisly; New Queens Hall Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Sir Henry Wood. Recorded 1916 in Queens Hall, London. Columbia: 7128/31 [78s]; re-released as HLM 7025 [LP]. Excerpts conducted by the composer: Margaret Balfour, Steuart Wilson, Herbert Heyner; Royal Choral Society, Royal Albert Hall Orchestra. Recorded February 1927 from a concert performance in the Royal Albert Hall, London. HMV: D1242/3 [78s]; re-released on The Elgar Edition: The Complete Electrical Recordings of Sir Edward Elgar, 19271932, volume 1. EMI Classics: CDCC 54560 [AAD mono].
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Margaret Balfour, Tudor Davies, Horace Stevens; Three Choirs Festival Chorus, London Symphony Orchestra. Recorded September 1927 from a concert performance in Hereford Cathedral. HMV: D1348/50 [78s]; re-released on The Elgar Edition: The Complete Electrical Recordings of Sir Edward Elgar, 1927-1932, volume 1. EMI Classics: CDCC 54560 [AAD mono]. The Elgar Edition: The Complete Recordings 19141925. Pearl: GEMM CDS 9951-55 [AAD mono]. Selected Bibliography: Jaeger, August Johannes. The Dream of Gerontius: Book of Words, with Analytical and Descriptive Notes. London: Novello, 1901, reprinted in 1974. Payne, Anthony. “Gerontius Apart.” Music and Musicians, xiii/4 (1964-5): 5. Day, E. “Interpreting Gerontius.” The Musical Times, cx (1969): 607. Foreman, Lewis. From Parry to Britten: British Music in Letters 1900-1945, many entries. Portland, OR: Amadeus Press, 1987.
The Apostles, op. 49 (1903) Duration: ca. 130 minutes Text: adapted by the composer from the Bible Performing Forces: voices: soprano (1 or 2), alto, tenor and 3 bass soloists; SSAA semi chorus, SATB chorus; orchestra: piccolo, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, English horn, 2 clarinets, bass clarinet, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani (3), percussion (4 players - bass drum, snare drum, tambourine, cymbals, tam-tam, small gong in E♭, antique cymbals [in this case finger cymbals], glockenspiel), 2 harps (harp II is optional), organ, and strings. Elgar calls for an additional trumpet, preferably natural, to represent a shofar. First Performance: 14 October 1903, Town Hall, Birmingham England; Emma Albani Gye, soprano; Muriel Foster, alto; John Coates, tenor; Robert Kennerly Rumford, Andrew Black, and David FfrangconDavies, basses; Birmingham Festival Chorus (prepared by R. H. Wilson) and Orchestra; conducted by the composer. Edition: The Apostles is published by Novello. The piano-vocal score is available for sale or rental. The full score and orchestral materials are available for rental. Novello has released a critical edition of the full score as part of Elgar Complete Edition, prepared by Jerrold Northrop Moore and Christopher Kent, which is for sale. Rental materials for the Prologue are available separately.
250 Diana McVeagh, “Edward Elgar,” The New Grove TwentiethCentury English Masters, 13 (New York: W.W. Norton, 1986).
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Autograph: The composer’s manuscript of the full score is in the British Library (Add. MS. 58019). Notes: There are numerous indications, which appear in the manuscript that are not present in the engraved edition. These have been meticulously presented in the frontismaterial in the Elgar Complete Edition. The score consists of sixty-seven independent numbers, which are organized in the following larger sections: PART I Prologue I. The Calling of the Apostles In the Mountain–Night Dawn Morning Psalm II. By the Wayside III. By the Sea of Galilee In the Tower of Magdala In Cæsarea Philippi PART II Introduction (orchestral) IV. The Betrayal In Gethsemane The Temple Without the Temple V. Golgotha VI. At the Sepulchre VII. The Ascension In Heaven On Earth The soloists are assigned the roles of Jesus, Mary, Mary Magdalene, John, Peter, and Judas, as indicated in the solo descriptions below. Elgar states that the soprano who sings the role of the Virgin Mary may also portray the Angel. This was in fact done on the premiere. Elgar notes in the score that the semichorus should have twenty-four members, six on a part. He prefers the use of boys’ voices in a group separated from and higher than the principal choir. If the available forces prohibit an independent ensemble, he requests that they be situated in the front two rows of the choir. The score incorporates a traditional Hebrew melody for Psalm 92, using a harmonization by Ernst Pauer. Elgar also used segments of the Gregorian chant “Constitues eos,” in which the Apostles are promised divine power. The Apostles and The Kingdom were to be the first and second works of a trilogy illustrating the teaching of the apostles and the founding of the early Christian church.250 Elgar’s first inspiration for The Apostles was his schoolmaster: The idea of the work originated in this way. Mr. Reeve, addressing his pupils, once remarked: “The Apostles were poor men, young men, at the time of their calling; perhaps before the descent of the Holy Ghost not cleverer than some of you here.” This set me thinking, and the oratorio of 1903
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
is the result.…I have been thinking it out since boyhood, and have been selecting the words for years, many years.251
Of his original intentions the composer stated: It was part of my original scheme to continue The Apostles by a second work carrying on the establishment of the Church among the Gentiles. This, too, is to be followed by a third oratorio, in which the fruit of the whole — that is to say, the end of the world and the Judgement — is to be exemplified. I, however, faltered at that idea.252
Material for what was to be a third part of The Apostles was absorbed into The Kingdom. The last installment in Elgar’s planned trilogy was to be titled The Last Judgement. The composer sketched sections of the text and music for many years. Portions of these musical sketches were used as source material for an unfinished third symphony. Performance Issues: Elgar uses the symbols R, A, and L to indicate ritardando, accelerando, and largamente throughout the score. There are multiple divisi within the string sections. The orchestration is at times very dense with substantial doublings throughout. Many of these full-ensemble passages are intended to be soft. Balance and the maintenance of a low dynamic may prove to be difficult. The score is filled with crossrhythms and constant shifts of tempo. The strings have many intricate passages, particularly the clarinets and violins. Melodic motives are rapidly exchanged between diverse sections of the orchestra, the coordination of which will require cautious rehearsal. Throughout the score are indications for optional doubling of the wind parts. There are a number of sections, which contain melismatic choral unisons, which at times resemble chant; however, their rhythms are fully notated. Elgar continues to combine the chromatic harmonic practice of the late nineteenth century with counterpoint modeled upon Tudor church music. However, the choral counterpoint is far less complicated than in his Dream of Gerontius. There are divisi in all choral parts. The soloists have a significant quantity of ensemble singing often in opposition to the choir. The presentation and content of the text is very reminiscent of the dated Passions of this same era, particularly those of Stainer and Maunder; however, Elgar’s work is of much greater musical sophistication. Soloists: The Blessed Virgin/The Angel - soprano, range: e♭'-g'', tessitura: a'-e'', lyric and sustained; Mary Magdalene - contralto, range: b-g'', tessitura: d'-b', resonant and dramatically expressive; St. John - tenor, range: c-a', tessitura: g-g', ; St. Peter - bass, range: B♭f', tessitura: f-d', sustained and somewhat declamatory; Judas - bass, range: F#-f', tessitura: f-d', lyric and articulate; Jesus - bass, range: c-f', tessitura: g-d',
expressive, very sustained and lyric. The ranges and tessiture of the solo roles, compared to Elgar’s indication of fach, suggests that his labels are indicative of timbre rather than range. Judas and Mary Magdalene are the largest and most vocally demanding of the solo roles. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: difficult. Selected Discography: Sheila Armstrong, Heather Watts, Robert Tear, Benjamin Luxon, John Carol Case; London Philharmonic Orchestra and Choir, Downe House School Choir; conducted by Sir Adrian Boult. Recorded OctoberDecember 1973 and July 1974 in Kingsway Hall, London. HMV SLS 976 EX 749742-1 [LP]; rereleased as EMI Classics: CDMB-64206 [AAD). Alison Hargan, Alfreda Hodgson, David Rendall, Stephen Roberts, Robert Lloyd; London Symphony Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Richard Hickox. Chandos: 8875/76 [DDD]. Excerpts: D. Labbette, Harold Williams, H. Eisdell, Dennis Noble, Robert Easton; Hallé Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Hamilton Harty. Columbia: 9343 [78s]. Selected Bibliography: Jaeger, August Johannes. The Apostles: Book of Words with Analytical and Descriptive Notes. London: Novello, 1903. Gorton, Canon Charles Vincent. The Apostles: An Interpretation of the Libretto. London: Novello, 1903. Powell, Dorabella M. “The First Performances of The Apostles and The Kingdom.” The Musical Times, ci (1960): 21. Anderson, Robert. “Elgar and Some Apostolic Problems.” The Musical Times, cxxv (1984): 13. Foreman, Lewis. From Parry to Britten: British Music in Letters 1900-1945, 141, 148, 193. Portland, OR: Amadeus Press, 1987.
The Kingdom,
op. 50 (1901-1906)
Duration: ca. 100-105 minutes Text: adapted by the composer from the Bible Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 3 flutes (flute III doubling piccolo), 2 oboes, English horn, 2 clarinets, bass clarinet, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 4 horns, 3 tumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion (2 players - bass drum, snare drum, cymbals), 2 harps, organ, and strings First Performance: 3 October 1906; Town Hall, Birmingham, England; Agnes Nicholls, Muriel Foster,
251 Robert J. Buckley, Sir Edward Elgar, 8, 74 (London: The Bod-
252 Interview with Robert de Cordova, The Strand Magazine (May
ley Head, 1905).
1904), 543.
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John Coates, W. Higley; Birmingham Festival Chorus and Orchestra; conducted by the composer. Edition: The Kingdom is published by Novello. The piano-vocal and full scores are available for purchase; the full score and orchestral materials are available for rental. Novello has released a critical edition of the full score as part of Elgar Complete Edition, prepared by Jerrold Northrop Moore and Christopher Kent, which is for sale. Autograph: The composer’s manuscript of the full score is in the Bodleian Library (MS. Mus.b.32) Notes: The Kingdom is in sixty-five independent numbers, which are arranged within the following larger sections: Prelude (orchestral) I. In the Upper Room II. At the Beautiful Gate The Morn of Pentecost III. Pentecost In the Upper Room In Solomon’s Porch IV. The Sign of Healing At the Beautiful Gate The Arrest V. The Upper Room In Fellowship The Breaking of Bread The Prayers The soloists are assigned the roles of the Virgin Mary, Mary Magdalen, St. John, and St. Peter, but there are some narrative solos in which they are not portraying their assigned characters. The Apostles and The Kingdom were to be the first and second works of a trilogy illustrating the teaching of the apostles and the founding of the early Christian church. See “Notes” under The Apostles. Performance Issues: Elgar uses the symbols R, A, and L to indicate ritardando, accelerando, and largamente throughout the score. Throughout the score are indications for optional doubling of the wind parts. The individual intrumental parts contain much intricate passagework, particularly the strings. The integration of diverse sections of the ensemble will require significant rehearsal. The size of the instrumental forces will produce additional challenges to the creation of a wellcoordinated and balanced ensemble. Most of the choral writing is homophonic with tertian harmonies and stepwise preparation of dissonances. The choral parts are clearly supported by the accompaniment. There are divisi in all choral parts, the greatest division being SSSAAATTBB. At times, the choir is used to represent different groups of people in the turba tradition of Handelian oratorio. The soloists are often presented in duets and as a quartet, which is juxtaposed with the choir. While still musically very complex, this work contains fewer cross-rhthyms and chromaticisms than
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
its predecessor The Apostles. The size of the orchestra and level of divisi within the choir suggest a very large vocal ensemble. This work is much more challenging for the orchestra than it is for the choir. The instrumental contingent will require substantial independent rehearsal. Soloists: The Blessed Virgin - soprano, range: c'-b♭'', tessitura: g'-e'', rich and sustained; Mary Magdalene - contralto, range: a-g#'', tessitura: c'-c'', lyric, powerful, and articulate; St. John - tenor, range: c-a', tessitura: g-f', declamatory, expressive, and must be capable of sustained phrases; St. Peter - bass, range: A-f', tessitura: f-d', powerful, lyric, and sustained, with recitativo passages. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: difficult. Selected Discography: Yvonne Kenny, Alfreda Hodgson, Christopher Gillett, Benjamin Luxon; London Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Leonard Slatkin. RCA: 7862-2 RC [DDD] Margaret Marshall, Felicity Palmer, Arthur Davies, David Wilson-Johnson, Roderick Elms; London Symphony Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Richard Hickox. Chandos: CHAN-8788/89 [DDD]. Margaret Price, Yvonne Minton, Alexander Young, John Shiley-Quirk; London Philharmonic Choir and Orchestra; conducted by Sir Adrian Boult. Recorded December 1968 and February 1969 in Kingsway Hall, London. HMV: SAN 244/5 [LP]; re-released as Angel: CDS 749381-2 [ADD] Prelude only, conducted by the composer: BBC Symphony Orchestra. Recorded April 1933 in Abbey Road Studios, London. HMV: DB 1934 [78’s]; rereleased as World Record Club: SH 139 [LP]. Selected Bibliography: Jaeger, August Johannes. The Kingdom: Book of Words with Analytical and Descriptive Notes. London: Novello, 1906. Gorton, Canon Charles Vincent. The Kingdom: An Interpretation of the Libretto. London: Novello, 1906. Powell, Dorabella M. “The First Performances of The Apostles and The Kingdom.” The Musical Times, ci (1960): 21. Foreman, Lewis. From Parry to Britten: British Music in Letters 1900-1945, 32, 148. Portland, OR: Amadeus Press, 1987.
The Music Makers, op. 69 (1902-1912) Duration: ca. 35 minutes Text: Arthur O’Shaughnessy “We Are the Music Makers,” first published in The Athenaeum, 30 August 1873, and then in the author’s book Music and Moonlight. Performing Forces: voices: alto soloist; SATB choir; orchestra: piccolo, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, English horn, 2 clarinets, bass clarinet, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 4
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horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion (2 players - bass drum, snare drum, triangle, cymbals), 2 harps, organ, and strings First Performance: 1 October 1912; Town Hall, Birmingham, England; Muriel Foster; Birmingham Festival Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by the composer. Edition: The Music Makers is published by Novello. The piano-vocal score, full score, and orchestral materials are available for rental. Novello has released a critical edition of the full score as part of Elgar Complete Edition, prepared by Jerrold Northrop Moore and Christopher Kent, which is for sale. Autograph: The composer’s manuscript of the full score is in the Music Library of the Barber Institute of Fine Arts at the University of Birmingham, England. A number of sketches and proofs may be found at Elgar’s Birthplace Museum (MS. 49a, 49b, 583608, 622, and 980). The manuscript vocal score (Add. MS. 58036) and numerous sketches (Add. MSS. 47902, 63153, 63154, 63156, 63158, 63159, and 63160) are in the British Library. Notes: The Music Makers is an ode. In the program notes to the first performance Ernest Newman wrote: “The ‘motif’ of the poem is the idea that the poets — the music makers and dreamers — are really the creators and inspirers of men and their deeds, and the true makers of history and of human societies. Their dreams and their visions are the foreshadowing of what the rest of mankind are predestined to work out in endless conflict.” In this work, Elgar used a number of musical quotations, many from his own works. They are The Marseillaise, Rule Britannia!, and the composer’s own Enigma Variations, Sea Pictures, The Apostles, The Violin Concerto, The Dream of Gerontius, and Symphonies 1 and 2. The Birmingham Festival concert upon which The Music Makers was premiered also marked the first British performance of Symphony No. 4 of Sibelius. Performance Issues: This is a colorfully orchestrated score with technically challenging passages for all parts, particularly the strings and woodwinds. The coordination of the entire ensemble will require careful rehearsal. There are numerous tempo changes and interpretive nuances, which will require sensitive and responsive playing from the orchestra. The choral writing is generally homophonic with contrapuntal independence usually occurring merely as text repetition within isolated sections. There are limited divisi in all of the choral parts and also some choral unisons. There are a few brief a cappella passages for the choir. This work presents a wide variety of musical textures within a relatively short time frame. This piece would be an excellent introduction to Elgar’s large choral-orchestral works while remaining within the grasp of a developing oratorio society. The text is also well suited to virtually any program. This would be a fine
companion piece to Ralph Vaughan Williams’s Serenade to Music, Gerald Finzi’s For St. Cecilia, or David Diamond’s To Music. Soloist: contralto, range: b♭-g', tessitura: e♭'-e♭'', this role requires a powerful, lyric voice capable of great expression. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Linda Finnie; London Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Bryden Thomson. Recorded April 1991. Chandos: CHAN-9022 [DDD]. Dame Janet Baker; London Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Sir Adrian Boult. Recorded April 1966 in Abbey Road Studios, London. HMV: TC C2-POR 54291 [LP]; re-released as Angel: CDS 747208-8 [ADD]. Excerpts conducted by the composer: London Symphony Orchestra and Hereford Three Choirs Festival Chorus. Recorded September 1927 in Hereford Cathedral. HMV: D 1347 and 1349 [78]; rereleased as World Record Club: SH 175 [LP]; currently available on The Elgar Edition: The Complete Electrical Recordings of Sir Edward Elgar, 19271932, volume 1. EMI Classics: CDCC 54560 [AAD mono]. Selected Bibliography: Newman, Ernest. “The Music Makers by Edward Elgar.” The Musical Times, liii (1912): 566. Foreman, Lewis. From Parry to Britten: British Music in Letters 1900-1945, 52. Portland, OR: Amadeus Press, 1987.
The Spirit of England, op. 80 (1915-1917) Duration: ca. 21-27 minutes (I - ca. 5 minutes, II - ca. 5 minutes, III - ca. 11 minutes) Text: (Robert) Lawrence Binyon’s “For the Fallen” Performing Forces: voices: soprano or tenor soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: piccolo (ad lib), 2 flutes, 2 oboes, English horn (ad lib), 2 clarinets, bass clarinet (ad lib), 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani (3), percussion (3 players - snare drum, bass drum, crash cymbals), 2 harps, organ, and strings First Performance: Part I - 4 October 1917; Birmingham, England; R. Buckman; conducted by A. Matthews. Parts II and III - 3 May 1916; Leeds; Agnes Nicholls, John Booth; Leeds Choral Union; conducted by the composer. First complete performance - 31 October 1917; Agnes Nicholls, Gervase Elwes; Leeds Choral Union; conducted by the composer. Edition: The Spirit of England is published by Novello and distributed by Theodore Presser Company, including a critical edition (catalogue #73 0010) prepared by Robert Anderson and Jerrold Northrop Moore (1986).
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The piano-vocal and full scores are for sale; orchestral materials are available for rental. Autograph: The full-score is housed at the British Library (Add. MSS 58041, 58042, and 58043); the British Library also houses sketches (Add. MSS 63153, 63159, and 47908) and the manuscript vocal score (Add. MS 58040). Notes: The Spirit of England is a requiem to those who had fallen in the First World War (during which it was composed). It was first suggested by Sir Sidney Colvin, who also recommended Binyon’s “For the Fallen.” The composer was then put in touch with the poet by R. A. Streatfield. Elgar inscribed the score: “My portion of this work I dedicate to the memory of our glorious men, and with a special thought for the WORCESTERS.” The completion of the first movement was delayed by Elgar’s difficulty in setting the section beginning “She fights the fraud that feeds on Lies.” There is thematic material, which is reworked throughout the three movements (note particularly the opening material of the soloist, which returns most conspicuously at rehearsal #21 in the final movement). For intended use at a ceremony unveiling the cenotaph machine (a device for engraving burial markers) and commemorating the second anniversary of Armistice Day, Elgar reworked the score, replacing the final movement with the new chorus “With proud Thanksgiving,” which was initially scored for choir and military band. This was intended to change the mood from funereal to festive. Performance Issues: The orchestration is lush and typical of the ceremonial quality for which Elgar is famous. The power of the instrumental writing demands a very large choir. There is only one written harp part; the indication of two players is surely for audibility. The string writing is contrapuntally complex with frequent divisi best achieved with a large string section. The organ part is integral to the score; it calls for a 32' pedal stop. The choral parts are very accessible, being generally homophonic with some paired imitation. The vocal writing is consistently diatonic with frequent unison and octave passages and all parts doubled by the accompaniment. Climactic moments include divisi in all vocal parts. The choir is asked for a wide range of dynamics, the soft passages of which are intelligently scored to allow for a relaxing in the sonic intensity required by the heavy orchestration of the forte sections. This score is dramatic with constantly shifting tempi in a style reminiscent of the late nineteenth century. The sheer number of performers and the independence of the orchestra parts will obligate substantial rehearsal time. Soloist: range: e♭'-b'', tessitura: a'-g'', requiring a powerful voice, though the paucity of low notes helps the likelihood of the solos carrying over the ensemble. The part is labeled merely as “solo” without discriminating a gender preference. The title page calls for soprano or tenor. In the
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
performances given during Elgar’s life two soloists were employed, probably using tenor in I and III and soprano in II, although the tessitura of all three movements is virtually identical. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium. Selected Discography: Teresa Cahill; Scottish National Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Alexander Gibson. Chandos: CHAN8428 [ADD]. Selected Bibliography: Newman, Ernest. “The Spirit of England, Edward Elgar’s New Choral Work.” The Musical Times, lvii (1916): 235. ———. “Fourth of August.” The Musical Times, lviii (1917): 295.
FAURÉ, Gabriel (b. Palmiers, Ariège, France, 12 May 1845; d. Paris, 4 November 1924) Fauré’s father, a school inspector, recognized his son’s musical talent and took him to Paris where he studied at the École Niedermeyer and then with Saint-Saëns. He held a number of organ positions, and in 1874 he was appointed deputy organist to Saint-Saëns at the church of the Madeleine, succeeding his teacher as principal organist in 1896. That same year, he became professor of composition at the Paris Conservatory. In 1905, he was named director, a post he held with distinction until his retirement in 1920. Fauré is widely regarded as one of the great teachers of composition. He is a cusp composer, serving as a bridge from the generation of Franck and Saint-Saëns to that of Debussy and Ravel. His music is a unique blending of church modes with the spirit and harmonies of the impressionists. The Requiem, Pelléas et Mélisande Suite, Pavane, and many of the songs have become staples of the repertoire. His chamber music is of equally high quality. Teachers: Louis Niedermeyer, Camille Saint-Saëns Students: Nadia Boulanger, Alfredo Casella, Eugene Cools, Georges Enescu, Jacques Ibert, Emile JaquesDalcroze, Charles Koechlin, André Messager, Maurice Ravel, Jean Roger-Ducasse, Florent Schmitt Writings: Opinions musicales [a posthumous compilation of his reviews in Le Figaro], edited by P. B. Gheusi. Paris: Rieder, 1930. Other Principal Works: opera: Prométhée (1900), Pénélope (1913), Masques et Bergamasques (divertissement, 1919); orchestral: Pelléas et Mélisande (incidental music, 1898); choral: Cantique de Jean Racine (1876), Messe basse (1881), Tantum ergo (1890), Salve Regina (1895), Ave Maria (1895);
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
songs: Nell (1880), Mandoline (1891), Green (1891), Clair de Lune (1892), La Bonne Chanson (18921893), many others Selected Composer Bibliography: Fauré-Fremiet, Philippe. Gabriel Fauré. Paris, Les Éditions Rieder, 1929. Koechlin, Charles. Gabriel Fauré, 2nd edition, translated by Leslie Orrey. London: Dennis Dobson Limited, 1946. Suckling, Norman. Fauré. London: J. M. Dent, 1946; reprinted, Greenwood Press, 1979. Fauré, Gabriel. Correspondance, edited by Jean-Michel Nectoux. Paris: Flammarion, 1980. ———. A Life in Letters, translated and edited by J. Barrie Jones. London: B. T. Batsford, 1988. Nectoux, Jean-Michel. Gabriel Fauré: A Musical Life, translated by Roger Nichols. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1991. Phillips, Edward R. Gabriel Fauré: A Guide to Research. New York: Routledge, 1999.
Pavane, op. 50 (1887) optional choir
Selected Discography: Academy of St. Martin in the Fields; conducted by Neville Marriner. Classics for Pleasure: 85624. St. Louis Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Leonard Slatkin. Telarc: 60641. King’s College Choir, New Philharmonia Orchestra; conducted by David Willcocks. Recorded in 1967. EMI Classics: 64715. Montréal Symphony Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Charles Dutoit. Recorded in 1987. London: 421440. Selected Bibliography: Fauré, Gabriel. A Life in Letters, translated and edited by J. Barrie Jones, 98, 100-101, 110, 131, 174, 178-181. London: B. T. Batsford, 1988. Nectoux, Jean-Michel. Gabriel Fauré: A Musical Life, translated by Roger Nichols, 34, 108-109, 172, 256, 258, 260, 275, 339, 394-395, 485, 509-512, 515, 520, 540, 556. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1991.
Duration: ca. 7 minutes
Messe de Requiem, op. 48 (1886-1887, 1889, 1900)
Text: The text is by Count R. de Montesquiou.
Duration: ca. 39 minutes
Performing Forces: voices: SATB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets (A), 2 bassoons, 2 horns (F), and strings.
Text: The text is from the Roman Catholic liturgy of the Mass for the Dead.
First Performance: 28 April 1888; Paris; Société nationale de musique Editions: Full scores and parts for Pavane are available for purchase from Hamelle et Cie, Broude Brothers, and Kalmus. Autograph: The composer’s manuscript is in the Bibliotheque Nationale in Paris. Notes: This brief work is probably Fauré’s most recognized composition. It is often performed without the choir. The Broude score contains only an English text, which is “freely adapted” by Harold Heilberg. Performance Issues: The choral material is quite simple and completely supported by the orchestra. There are exposed but simple solos for all of the principal winds. This work is quite effective with a small choir and reduced strings. This is a beautiful and easily prepared secular work that is commonly paired with Fauré’s Requiem. It would also be a very effective complement to Brahms’s Nänie. Choir: easy; Orchestra: easy.
Performing Forces: voices: soprano and baritone soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: Version 1 (1887): solo violin, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, harp, organ, timpani, and strings (without violins); Version 2 (1900): 2 flutes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, timpani, 2 harps, organ, and strings. First Performance: Version 1: 16 January 1888, Church of the Madeleine, Paris; conducted by the composer Version 2: 28 January 1892; Church of St. Gervais, Paris; Louis Aubert, Louis Ballard, Société Nationale Editions: Full scores and parts for Requiem are available for purchase from Lucks and in a critical edition produced by Hamelle. All materials for the chamberorchestra version (edited by John Rutter) are available for purchase from Hinshaw. This edition comes with single string parts for which duplication permission is granted. Autograph: No manuscript of the final symphonic version exists in the archives of either the composer or publisher, which has led Jean-Michel Nectoux to suggest the possibility that this arrangement may have been executed by Fauré’s student, Roger Ducasse,
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who is known to have produced the piano-vocal reduction associated with that edition.253 Notes: Version 1 of this work was scored for a minimal orchestra and contained only five movements. Two years after its premiere, Fauré added two movements on texts from the Office of the Dead and expanded the orchestration, which resulted in version 2. In preparation for publication in 1900 an even larger instrumental contingent was employed to satisfy the publisher. This is sometimes referred to as “version 3,” but is generally recognized as a revision of version 2, which may or may not reflect the composer’s final intentions. Until recently, the larger orchestration appeared only in editions with considerable errors in both the score and parts, but a good edition is now available. The Hinshaw edition utilizes the scoring of the original five-movement work for, which the editor, John Rutter, has provided a corresponding orchestration of the movements added in 1889. A subsequent reconstruction has been produced by Roger Delage for the Herreweghe recording listed below. This work presents an individual set of texts as chosen by the composer. Performance Issues: The choral material is generally homophonic, and although there are some very cosmopolitan harmonies for the singers, through traditional part-writing procedures and careful preparation of these events, they pose little challenge even to inexperienced choirs. The choir is clearly supported by the orchestra throughout the score. None of the choral parts presents significant vocal challenges to the singers. The scoring, especially in the chamber-orchestra version, accommodates the use of a small choir. These smaller orchestrations seem to best represent the spirit of the work and also appear to reflect the legitimate intention of the composer were he was free of the influence of his publisher. The orchestral parts are all conservatively conceived and practically written so that less-experienced players will find them quite accessible. The two horn parts require the most assuredness from the players, but even these are quite practical. Some thought should be applied to the choices of registration for the organ to best complement the orchestration of each movement. Soloists: soprano - range: e♭'-f'', tessitura: f'-f'', this is a simple lyric solo appropriate for a child soloist; baritone range: d-d', tessitura: d-d', this is a sustained and lyrical solo. Choir: medium easy. Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Agnès Mellon, Peter Kooy; La Chapelle Royale, Ensemble Musique Oblique; conducted by Philippe
253 Liner notes for “Fauré Requiem, version 1893,” Harmonia Mundi: CD HMC 901292.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Herreweghe. Harmonia Mundi: HMC 901292 or as SACD: HMC 801292. Selected Bibliography: Robertson, Alec. Requiem: Music of Mourning and Consolation, 117-122. New York: Frederick A. Praeger, 1967. A Life in Letters, translated and edited by J. Barrie Jones, 9, 63, 103, 120-121, 193, 202. London: B. T. Batsford, 1988. Pahlen, Kurt. The World of the Oratorio, translated by Judith Schaefer with additional English-language material by Thurston Dox, 127-128. Portland, OR: Amadeus Press, 1990. Nectoux, Jean-Michel. Gabriel Fauré: A Musical Life, translated by Roger Nichols, 109, 116-124, 127, 167, 175, 177, 258, 260, 271, 301, 428-429, 434, 458, 467, 470, 492, 509-511, 514-515, 517-518, 524, 533, 540541. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1991. Berger, Melvin. Guide to Choral Masterpieces: A Listener’s Guide, 121-124. New York: Anchor Books, 1993.
Messe des pêcheurs de Villerville (18811882), composed with André Messager Duration: ca. 18 minutes Text: The text is from the Roman Catholic eucharistic liturgy. Performing Forces: voices: SSA choir; orchestra: flute, oboe, clarinet, harmonium, and strings First Performance: version I: 3 September 1881; Villerville, France; Fauré playing harmonium and Messager conducting version II: 10 September 1882; Villerville, France; Fauré playing harmonium and Messager conducting Editions: Messe des pêcheurs de Villerville is published by Heugel (HE 33 719) in a critical edition prepared by Jean-Michel Nectoux. A full score and piano-vocal score are available for purchase. Orchestral parts are available on rental through Alphonse Leduc. Autograph: All manuscript materials are in the Bibliothèque Nationale de France. The autograph score of the 1882 version, with movements 1-4 in Messager’s hand and movement 5 in Fauré’s, is Ms. 20302; the autograph score and parts of the 1881 version is Ms. 20301; and the parts of the 1882 version, in a copyist’s hand, are Vma. Ms. 1191. Notes: Fauré and Messager vacationed in the village of Villerville on the Normandy coast. There they chose to collaborate on a mass to be sung by the local women as a fund-raiser for the local fishermen’s association.
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
The original version was for violin, harmonium, and women’s choir. The following year, the two composers orchestrated the work for a second performance. In 1906, under pressure from his publisher, Fauré adapted his portions of this work into the better known, Messe basse, for women’s choir and organ. This Messe des pêcheurs de Villerville comprises five movements as follows: I II III IV V
Kyrie Gloria Sanctus O Salutaris Agnus Dei
Messager Fauré Fauré Messager Fauré
For the 1882 version examined here, Messager orchestrated movements I-IV, and Fauré orchestrated movement V. Performance Issues: The choral writing is conservative with stepwise motion. Much of the choral material is in unison, and all of it is well supported by the accompaniment. There are divisi for each section. These are minimal with the exception of movement IV, which is in three-part counterpoint throughout. The string writing is very easy and is in unison between all five parts much of the time. The wind parts are slightly more difficult, but still remain within the ability of most amateur players. This is a charming and simple work that should be accessible to all ensembles; however, it is of a quality that should provide musical rewards to all levels. Choir: easy; Orchestra: easy.
(1927-1928), Edward Burlingame Hill at Harvard (1928-1929), Alban Berg in Vienna (1931-1932), and Roger Sessions (1935). Finney was a faculty member at Smith College (1929-1948), and he then served as composer-in-residence at the University of Michigan (1949-1974). There he established the electronic music studio, and established a fine reputation for his teaching, with many successful students including William Albright, George Crumb, and Roger Reynolds. Finney’s compositional style is an eclectic amalgamation of folk music, tonal traditions, and intense formal organization, which at times includes the serialization of rhythm, tempo, and even musical form.254 He believes that the process of memory is an integral element in listening, and has therefore continued to expand the process of variation in his music to exploit that aspect of the musical experience.255 Teachers: Alban Berg, Nadia Boulanger, Donald Ferguson, Edward Burlingame Hill, Roger Sessions Students: Robert Ashley, William Albright, Leslie Bassett, George Crumb, Terry Riley, Roger Reynolds Awards: Pulitzer Fellowship (1937), 2 Guggenheim Fellowships (1937 and 1947), the Rome Prize (1960), membership in the National Institute of Arts and Letters (1962), the Brandeis Medal (1968) Principal Writings: The Game of Harmony (1947) and Time Line (1974)
Les Petits Chanteurs de Saint-Louis, Ensemble Musique Oblique; conducted by Philippe Herreweghe. Harmonia Mundi: HMC 901292 or as SACD: HMC 801292.
Principal Works: 4 Symphonies (1942, 1958, 1960, and 1972), 2 Violin Concertos (1933, revised 1952; and 1973), 2 Piano Concertos (1948 and 1968), Variation for Orchestra (1957), Variations on a Memory (1975), Concerto for Strings (1977), and 8 String Quartets (1935, 1937, 1940, 1947, 1949, 1950, 1955, and 1960)
Selected Bibliography:
Selected Composer Bibliography:
Nectoux, Jean-Michel. Gabriel Fauré: A Musical Life, translated by Roger Nichols, 114-115, 257, 260, 274, 303, 364, 369, 507, 517, 536. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1991. Nectoux, Jean-Michel. “Foreword” to Messe des pêcheurs de Villerville. Paris: Heugel: 2000.
Cooper, Paul. “The Music of Ross Lee Finney.” The Musical Quarterly, liii (1967): 1. “A Tribute to Ross Lee Finney.” Music at Michigan, xv/2 (1982): 1. Hitchens, Susan H. Hayes. Ross Lee Finney: A Bio-Bibliography. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1997.
Selected Discography:
Pilgrim Psalms (1945) Duration: ca. 20 minutes
FINNEY, Ross Lee (b. Wells, MN, 23 December 1906; d. Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA, 4 February 1997) Finney studied composition with Donald Ferguson at the University of Minnesota, Nadia Boulanger in Paris
Text: Ainsworth Psalter Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, and tenor soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 horns, 3 trumpets, 2 trombones, timpani, percussion (1 player - cymbal), and strings
254 Virgil Thomson, American Music Since 1910, 143 (New York:
255 Wilfrid Mellers, Music in a New Found Land: Themes and De-
Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, 1971).
velopments in the History of Amerian Music, 2nd edition (New York: Hillstone, 1975).
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Pilgrim Psalms may also be performed with organ or piano. First Performance: unable to determine Edition: Pilgrim Psalms is published and distributed by Carl Fischer. The piano-vocal score is for sale; orchestral materials are available for rent. There is a separate publication of the complete text and the music for the final hymn, which is to be given to the audience for their participation. It is sold in packages of one hundred (0 3640 A). Autograph: The full score is a facsimile of the composer’s manuscript. Notes: The Ainsworth Psalter was brought to Plymouth by the Pilgrims, and the singing of these psalms was some of the first such music making in the New World. Finney’s work uses the texts and tunes from this Psalter as the basis of his composition. The work is composed for amateur performers as is described by the composer in the vocal score: Pilgrim Psalms has been planned so as to distribute the performance between different school groups. There are two unison choruses (Nos. 1 and 7) so simple that they can be sung by children. The men’s glee club may learn Nos. 4 and 10, and the women’s glee club, No. 11. There are four a cappella choruses for mixed voices (Nos. 2, 4, 9, and 12). The organ [orchestra] has a prelude and an interlude in which there are no vocal parts (Nos. 6 and 13). There are two psalms for mixed chorus and organ [orchestra] (Nos. 8 and 14). A short tenor solo with organ [orchestra] may be included if a soloist is available. The whole audience may sing the simple hymn that ends the work. All of the psalms written for mixed voices, or for men’s or women’s voices alone, may be sung, if desired, without accompaniment, in the order that they appear in this work (or, indeed in any other order) and the resulting program will be musically satisfactory. Performance Issues: See “Notes” above. The choral writing is quite beautiful and it is very simple, reflecting its source. Some of the awkward prosody of the original Ainsworth settings is preserved in Finney’s arrangements. The mixed choir is given divisi in all parts, including the optional double choir in No. 4. That movement is arranged for antiphonal effect. It can be performed by a single four-part choir without eliminating any music or text. The orchestral writing is within the ability of most student orchestras. Soloist: tenor, range: d-f', tessitura: f-f', this role can be sung by a light, young voice capable of fairly long phrases and melismatic clarity. This work would be a fine piece to close a school music concert, which involved a variety of ensemble. The historic relevance of the source material should eclipse the current trend to exclude sacred texts from public school music programs. Choir: easy; Orchestra: easy.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Discography: No commercial recording Selected Bibliography: Noss, Luther. “Ross Lee Finney: Pilgrim Psalms.” Notes, viii (1950-1951): 570.
Still Are New Worlds (1962) Duration: ca. 28 minutes Text: Johann Kepler, Gabriel Harvey, Christopher Marlowe, John Donne, John Milton, Bernard Fontenelle, Henry More, Mark Akenside, Albert Camus, and Pindar as quoted by Marjorie Hope Nicholson (a 1914 graduate of the University of Michigan), in The Breaking of the Circle, also a brief quote from Albert Camus’s The Myth of Sisyphus as translated by Justin O’Brien. Performing Forces: voices: narrator; SATB choir; orchestra: 3 flutes (flute III doubling piccolo), 2 oboes, English horn, 2 clarinets, bass clarinet, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 4 horns, 3 trumpets in C, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion (3 players - snare drum, bass drum, cymbals, suspended cymbals, 2 tam-tams [small and large], triangle, xylophone, glockenspiel, vibraphone), harp, celeste, strings, and electronic tape. First Performance: 10 May 1963; Ann Arbor May Festival, Ann Arbor, MI; University of Michigan Choral Union, Philadelphia Orchestra; conducted by Thor Johnson Edition: Still Are New Worlds is published and distributed by C. F. Peters (P 6553). The piano-vocal score is available for purchase; orchestral materials (including the tape) are available for rental. Autograph: The full score is a facsimile of the composer’s manuscript. Notes: The score is inscribed: “Still Are New Worlds was commissioned by the University Musical Society of the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, for the Fiftieth Anniversary of the construction of Hill Auditorium for the first performance at the Seventieth Annual Ann Arbor May Festival.” The first work of Earthrise: A Trilogy Concerned with the Human Dilemma, it is “concerned with the discovery of new stars in the seventeenth century that challenged the old concept of a finite universe.” The texts are arranged into two parts with ten movements as follows: PART ONE I. The Sun II. The Moist Earth III. Our Soules IV. Man hath weav’d out a net V. To ask or search I blame thee not VI. Is Every Star VII. Farre Aboven
Kepler Harvey Marlowe Donne Milton Fontenelle More
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
PART TWO VIII. Give me to learn IX. Here are trees X. He…with ambitious aim
Akenside Camus Milton
The eighth movement closes with a quotation from Pindar. Performance Issues: Still Are New Worlds is a twelvetone composition. The choral writing is mostly homophonic, using dyads doubled at the octave, or harmonic tetrads of similar construction throughout, which should prove helpful for pitch learning. All choral entrance pitches are clearly cued by the orchestra, and Finney has conspicuously supported most of the choral harmonies with brass instruments. Melodic lines utilize consistent intervallic patterns, which help to establish a sense of aural order in the vocal parts. Moreover, independent statements of the row within the choir are organized to occasionally create unisons between parts and to serve as reference points for the singers. The third movement is the most challenging to the vocalists because of a more polyphonic treatment of the choral parts and a sparser accompaniment. At some points in the score metric accents are indicated using the symbols from poetry for indicating strong and weak syllables. The tape is cued in the score for beginnings and endings with no apparent need for the conductor to be conscious of clock time. There is an extended a cappella section in the fifth movement, which is in strict homophony. The narrator is asked to speak in rhythm in one passage. The choir also has passages of rhythmic speaking. The frequent brass doublings of the voices suggest a medium to large choir. The complexity of the pitch material requires an ensemble of experienced singers. Although the musical language is difficult, the orchestral writing is not very challenging technically. Therefore it could be a good piece with which to introduce serial music to a college ensemble. Choir: difficult; Orchestra: difficult.
glockenspiel, vibraphone, 3 tubular bells), harp, and strings First Performance: 23 April 1967; Ann Arbor, MI; University of Michigan Ensembles. Edition: The Martyr’s Elegy is published and distributed by C. F. Peters (P 66094). The piano-vocal score is for sale; orchestral materials are available for rental. Autograph: The full score is a facsimile of the composer’s manuscript. Notes: The second work of Earthrise: A Trilogy Concerned with the Human Dilemma was commissioned by the University Musical Society of the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor to commemorate the Sesquicentennial of the University of Michigan.
Discography: No commercial recording
Performance Issues: Like its companion work, Still Are New Worlds, this is a twelve-tone composition. The choral writing similarly uses dyads with octave doublings, and tetrads of like construction. Pitch learning should be enhanced by these regular harmonic patterns. All choral entrance pitches are clearly cued by the orchestra, and again Finney has supported many of the choral harmonies with brass instruments. In contrast to Still Are New Worlds, there are a number of arrows connecting orchestra pitches to the soloist pitches allowing the solo to immediately discern such cues. The soprano part is very high, and all vocal parts have long sustained lines. There are a number of sustained hisses for the choir to prolong “s’s.” The percussionists are asked to make quick changes of instruments and to use a variety of beaters, which are indicated graphically throughout the score. There is intricate passagework in the woodwinds and strings. In measures 78-110 and 162-169, the conductor is to beat seconds. In these sections, quarter notes are equal to one second and there are some instances of graphic notation in the harp and vibraphone parts. Soloist: high voice - soprano, range: d'-a'', tessitura: f'-e'', very sustained and scalar. Choir: difficult; Orchestra: difficult.
Selected Bibliography:
Discography: No commercial recording
Amman, David D. The Choral Music of Ross Lee Finney. University of Cincinnati: Dissertation, 1972.
Selected Bibliography:
The Martyr’s Elegy (1966)
Amman, David D. The Choral Music of Ross Lee Finney. University of Cincinnati: Dissertation, 1972.
Duration: ca. 18-23 minutes Text: Percy Byshe Shelley, from his Adonais Performing Forces: voices: “high solo voice”; SATB choir; orchestra: 3 flutes (flute III doubling piccolo), 2 oboes, English horn, 2 clarinets, bass clarinet, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion (2 players - 2 snare drums, 2 bass drums [large and small], cymbals [large, medium, and small], 2 tam-tams [large and small], gong, 2 triangles [large and small], temple blocks,
FINZI, Gerald (b. London, 14 July 1901; d. Oxford, 27 September 1956) Finzi was the son of a ship broker. His early composition study was with Ernest Farrar (1914-1916) and Edward Bairstow (1917-1922). Upon Holst’s advice, Finzi took a course in counterpoint in 1925 under R. O. Morris. This led him to settle in London and to establish himself within a musical circle, which included
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Howard Ferguson, Gustav Holst, Robin Milford, Edmund Rubbra, and Ralph Vaughan Williams. From 1930-1933, Finzi taught composition at the Royal Academy of Music. In 1933, he married the artist Joyce Black, and in 1937 the two built a house in the English countryside where Finzi composed and cultivated an orchard of rare trees. He also amassed a fine library including what was probably the finest private collection of English music from the middle of the eighteenth century. In 1939 he established the Newbury String Players, which he maintained until his death. With that group he read the works of many aspiring composers and revived numerous eighteenthcentury compositions to which he dedicated much editorial time. He gave the 1955 Crees lectures at the Royal College of Music in which he analyzed the history and æsthetics of English song. He died of leukemia, from which he had privately suffered for five years. He continued to make public appearances between medical treatments. His best known works are the songs which are logogenically conceived. He was an authority on English literature with a particular predilection for the works of Thomas Hardy. His music tends to be formally small, tuneful, and meticulously crafted.256
McVeagh, Diane. “Gerald Finzi.” Records and Recording, volume 23, number 4 (1980): 30. ———. “Finzi, Gerald.” In The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, Stanley Sadie. 20 volumes. London: Macmillan, 1980, volume 6: 594-597. McCoy, Jerry Michael. The Choral Music of Gerald Finzi: A Study of Text/Musical Relationships. University of Texas at Austin, dissertation, 1982. Dressler, John C. Gerald Finzi: A Bio-Bibliography. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1997.
Teachers: Edward Bairstow, Ernest Farrar, R.O. Morris
Edition: For St. Cecilia is published and distributed by Boosey and Hawkes. The piano-vocal score is for sale; orchestral materials are available for rental.
Principal Works: orchestral - Severn Rhapsody, op. 3 (1923), Romance, op. 11 (1928), Clarinet Concert, op. 31 (1948-1949), Grand Fantasia and Toccata, op. 38 (1953), Cello Concerto, op. 40 (1951-1955); choral Seven Partsongs, op. 17 (1934-1937), For St. Cecilia, op. 30 (1947), Magnificat, op. 36 (1956), In terra pax (1954); solo voice with orchestra - Dies natalis, op. 8 (1926-1939), Farewell to Arms, op. 9 (1940), Let us garlands bring, op. 18 (1929-1942); song cycles with piano - A Young Man’s Exhortation, op. 14 (19261929), Earth and Air and Rain, op. 15 (1929-1932), Before and After Summer, op. 16 (1938-1949), Let Us Garlands Bring, op. 18 (1929-1942); Till Earth Outwears, op. 19 (1929-1956), I Said to Love (19281956). Selected Composer Bibliography: Rubbra, Edmund. “Gerald Finzi.” The Monthly Musical Record, volume 59 (1929): 14. Ferguson, Howard. “Gerald Finzi (1901-56).” Music and Letters, volume 38 (1957): 130. Hansler, George E. Stylistic Characteristics and Trends in the Choral Music of Five Twentieth-Century Composers: A Study of the Choral Works of Benjamin Britten, Gerald Finzi, Constant Lambert, Michael Tippett, and William Walton. New York University, dissertation, 1957.
256 Diana McVeagh, “Finzi, Gerald,” in The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, edited by Stanley Sadie, volume 6, 594-597, 20 volumes (London: Macmillan, 1980).
For St. Cecilia, op. 30 (1947) Duration: ca. 17-21 minutes Text: Edmund Charles Blunden Performing Forces: voices: tenor soloist; SATB choir; orchestra: 3 flutes (flute III doubling piccolo), 2 oboes, English horn, 2 clarinets, bass clarinet, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 4 horns, 3 trumpets in C, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion (3 players - snare drum, bass drum, tambourine, cymbal, gong, triangle, xylophone), 2 harps (harp II is optional and only doubles the harp I), celeste, and strings First Performance: unable to determine
Autograph: The full score is a facsimile of the composer’s manuscript. Notes: The score is dedicated to Howard Ferguson, an Irish pianist and composer, who was a fellow student with Finzi. Performance Issues: This is a tonal work, which uses functional harmonies and traditional voice leadings. The choral writing is strictly homophonic and very rhythmic. There are divisi in all choral parts. The orchestration is varied, with melodic exchanges between sections and a great deal of rhythmic interplay. There is intricate passagework for all winds and strings, and the brass have numerous rapidly articulated phrases. Soloist: tenor, range: c-b', tessitura: g-g', powerful, bright, and rhythmic. The orchestral parts are subtle and quite sophisticated, requiring an ensemble of experienced players. The choral writing is more conservative in terms of counterpoint and pitch learning, but the group must be capable of rhythmically challenging unified declamations. The choir must also be able to effect subtle change of color and articulation. Choir: medium; Orchestra: medium difficult.
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Selected Discography: Philip Langridge; London Symphony Orchestra and Choir; conducted by Richard Hickox. Re-released on CD as Dies Natalis, For St. Cecilia, In Terra Pax. London: 425660. Selected Bibliography: Hansler, George. Stylistic Characteristics and Trends in the Choral Music of Five Twentieth-Century British Composers: A Study of the Choral Works of Benjamin Britten, Gerald Finzi, Constant Lambert, Michael Tippett, and William Walton. New York University, Ph.D. dissertation, 1957.
Intimations of Immortality, op. 29 (19361938, 1949-1950) Duration: ca. 43 minutes Text: The text, by William Wordsworth, is in English. Performing Forces: voices: tenor soloist; SATB choir; orchestra: 3 flutes (flute II doubling piccolo, flute III optional), 2 oboes, English horn (optional), 2 clarinets in B♭, bass clarinet in B♭ (optional), 2 bassoons, contrabassoon (optional), 4 horns, 3 trumpets in C, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion (2 players xylophone, snare drum, tenor drum, bass drum, tambourine, temple blocks, castanets, triangle), harp, and strings First Performance: 1950; Three Choirs Festival, Gloucester Cathedral, Gloucester, England; conducted by Herbert Sumsion Edition: Intimations of Immortality is published and distributed by Boosey and Hawkes. The piano-vocal score is for sale; the full score and orchestral materials are available for rental. Autograph: The manuscript is in the possession of the Finzi Trust. Notes: There was an earlier setting of this text by Arthur Somervell, which was premiered at the 1907 Leeds Festival, but has fallen into obscurity. Finzi chose to eliminate the seventh and eighth stanzas of Wordsworth’s text in his setting, which is divided into nine movements. In movement IV, there is a shift of pitch center down from B minor to B♭ minor, which marks a point at, which the poet abandoned the writing of the text for two years, and returned with a more retiscent spirit. Performance Issues: This is a challenging and expressive score by a remarkable composer. There are divisi throughout the choral and the string sections. The scoring is generally motivated by counterpoint more than color, but there are a great number of intricately conceived entrances and intertwinings of melodic material. There is a certain chamber-music quality
throughout this symphonically cast score. The choral parts are harmonically supported by the accompaniment, but there is little melodic reinforcement. Elements of pervasive imitation abound within the choral parts. A notable difficulty for the singers is that the voicing of harmonies for the orchestra often differs from that of the choir, so that the pitches for the bass singers are often different chord tones from those present in the lower strings. These differences are often at the interval of a second and may pose significant difficulty if not well reinforced during preparatory meetings of the choir. There is a brief unaccompanied passage, which is homophonic. The orchestral parts are conceived felicitously for the respective instruments; however, there are exposed, virtuosic passages in every part. The string parts are particularly idiomatic and very practical bowings have been provided by the composer for the entire work. Much of the score is rooted in a pan-modal vocabulary utilizing many non-functioning seventh and ninth chords. The score is rhythmically complex with great dynamic breadth and a need for flexibility throughout the ensemble in executing musical subtleties. Soloist: tenor - range: cb'; tessitura: a-f'; This sizeable role requires a lyric and powerful voice. The vocal writing for the soloist resembles intimate English art song, except that it must be rendered with a symphonic accompaniment. Choir: difficult; Orchestra: difficult. Discography: Philip Langridge; Liverpool Philharmonic Choir (Ian Tracey, chorus-master), Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra; conducted by Richard Hickox, recorded 27 and 28 November 1988. EMI: CDM 7 64720 2 [DDD]. Selected Bibliography: Hansler, George: Stylistic Characteristics and Trends in the Choral Music of Five Twentieth-Century British Composers: A Study of the Choral Works of Benjamin Britten, Gerald Finzi, Constant Lambert, Michael Tippett, and William Walton. New York University, Ph.D. dissertation, 1957. McCoy, Jerry Michael: The Choral Music of Gerald Finzi: A Study of Text/Musical Relationships. University of Texas at Austin: Dissertation, 1982. Banfield, Stephen: notes for recording booklet of Intimations of Immortality. London: EMI, 1989.
FLAGELLO, Nicolas (b. New York, 15 March 1928; d. New Rochelle, NY, 16 March 1994) Nicolas is the brother of the opera singer, Ezio Flagello. He studied at the Manhattan School (MMus 1950) and the Accademia di S. Cecilia in Rome (DMus 1956). His teachers have included Vittorio
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Giannini (composition) and Dmitri Mitropoulos (conducting). He has had a successful career as a conductor of orchestral and operatic repertoire including a number of recordings with the Rome Symphony Orchestra and the Chamber Orchestra of Rome. His compositional style incorporates the tunefulness and expressive dramatic sweeps of verismo opera and the rhythms of American popular music within concise formal structures.257 Principal Works: opera - Mirra, op. 13 (1953), The Wig, op. 14 (1953), Rip Van Winkle, op. 22 (1957), The Sisters, op. 25 (1958), The Judgement of St. Francis, op. 28 (1959), The Piper of Hamelin, op. 62 (1970), and Beyond the Horizon, op. 76 (1983); orchestral - 2 Symphonies, opp. 57, 63 (1968, 1970); 3 Piano Concertos, opp. 7, 18, 36 (1950, 1956, 1960); Missa Sinfonica, op. 24 (1957); Lautrec, op. 47 (1965); Credendum, op. 67 (1974); vocal - The Land, bass-baritone and orchestra, op. 15 (1954); Dante‘s Farewell, soprano and orchestra, op. 37 (1962); and Te Deum for all Mankind, choir and orchestra, op. 55 (1967) Selected Composer Bibliography: Cohn, Arthur, and Philip Miller. “The Music of Nicolas Flagello.” American Record Guide, xxxi (1965): 1054. Simmons, Walter. “The Music of Nicolas Flagello.” Fanfare, ii/1 (1978): 143. ———. “Flagello, Nicolas.” The New Grove Dictionary of American Music, edited by H. Wiley Hitchock. 4 volumes. ii: 136. London: Macmillan, 1986.
The Passion of Martin Luther King (1968) Duration: ca. 35-47 minutes 258 Text: adapted from Latin liturgical texts and speeches of Martin Luther King, Jr. Performing Forces: voices: bass-baritone soloist; SSAATTBB choir; orchestra: 3 flutes, 3 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion, celeste, organ (optional), and strings First Performance: 19 February 1974; Washington, DC; Cathedral Society Choir Edition: The Passion of Martin Luther King is published by Belwin-Mills and distributed by Theodore Presser Company. The piano-vocal score (SB-916) is for sale; orchestral materials are available for rental.
257 Arthur Cohn and Philip Miller, “The Music of Nicolas Flagello,” American Record Guide, xxxi (1965): 1054. 258 The composer lists 47 minutes, but Dox lists 35 minutes (Thurston Dox, American Oratorios and Cantatas: A Catalogue of
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Autograph: The full score is a facsimile of the composer’s manuscript. Notes: The work was commissioned by the London Philharmonic Orchestra. The liturgical texts are in Latin and sung by the choir, while King’s texts are of course in English and presented by the soloist. The work is structured as follows: I II III IV V VI VII VIII IX
Hosanna Filio David At the Center of Nonviolence Cor Jesu In the struggle… Et Flagellis Subditum Death is Inevitable Stabat Mater We’ve got some difficult days… Finale (Jesu misere nobis)
Choir Soloist Choir Soloist Choir Soloist Choir Soloist Choir
Performance Issues: This work is well composed for voices. The solos are written in a recitative style imitating speech rhythms throughout. The harmonic language is highly chromatic frequently utilizing nonfunctional seventh and ninth chords. Most dissonances are created through traditional and logical linear means. The choral parts are fairly easy, being made almost exclusively of triadic and scalar figures and never departing far from language of the common practice period. Flagello uses a good deal of imitation. One difficulty arises from an inconsistent use of enharmonic spellings within vocal lines: some diatonic scales include diminished thirds. Divisi within parts occur only in homophonic/chordal passages and then only in seventeen measures (I- eleventh and twelfth measures of rehearsal #1, last three measures; III - first five measures of rehearsal #5; VII - last five measures; IX - first two measures of rehearsal #3) to add density to the voicing of triads. The tessitura of the alto part is rather high, although in some passages the composer offers the alternative of the lower octave. The orchestra is very accompanimental though rhythmically active. Flagello creates an energized background with an accompaniment built from ostinati and sequences, none of which presents a substantial challenge to the ensemble. Soloist: baritone, range: A♭ (of, which there is but one) - e♭', tessitura: e - d'; the role requires a good control of sustained, legato singing. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium easy.
Discography: No commercial recording
Works Written in the United States from Colonial Times to 1985, 2 volumes [Metuchen, NJ: Scarecrow Press, 1986]).
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Selected Bibliography: Hume, Paul. [review of the premiere], The Washington Post (20 February 1974).
FOSS, Lukas (b. Berlin, Germany, 15 August 1922; d. Manhattan, NY, 1 February 2009) Born Lukas Fuchs, Foss’s music studies began in Berlin with Julius Herford, and continued in Paris (19331937) where his teachers were Noël Gallon (composition), Felix Wolfes (orchestration), Lazare Levy (piano), and Louis Moyse (flute). His family emigrated to the United States in 1937, and Lukas continued his studies at the Curtis Institute, studying conducting with Fritz Reiner and composition with Rosario Scalero and Randall Thompson. At Tanglewood (1939-1942) he studied conducting with Serge Koussevitsky and composition with Paul Hindemith. He served as pianist for the Boston Symphony from 19441950. From 1950 to 1952, he worked under a Fulbright grant as a Fellow of the American Academy in Rome. Foss joined the faculty of UCLA (1953-1963) where he founded the Improvisation Chamber Ensemble, and directed the Ojai Festival. He then took the music directorship of the Buffalo Philharmonic (19631970) and founded the Center for Creative and Performing Arts at SUNY, Buffalo. In 1971, he became conductor of the Brooklyn Philharmonic, and from 1981 to 1986 added the directorship of the Milwaukee Symphony to his duties. He retired as conductor laureate from the Brooklyn Philharmonic to dedicate himself to guest conducting and composition. Foss’s style is that of a chameleon: his works up to about 1960 are neoclassical with elements of American popular music; after 1960 his music utilizes aleatoric devices and controlled improvisation. Throughout his compositional career, he has maintained a wry sense of humor using frequent quotations of familiar music, and musical jokes such as Armageddon being announced by a toy pop gun, and the attempt to mock electronic sounds with acoustic instruments.259 Teachers: Noël Gallon, Julius Herford, Paul Hindemith, Rosario Scalero, Randall Thompson, Felix Wolfes
membership in the Institute of Arts and Letters (1962), and membership in the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters (1983). Principal Works: operas - The Jumping Frog of Calaveras County (1950), Griffelkin (1955); ballets - The Heart Remembers (1944), Within these Walls (1944), The Gift of the Magi (1945); orchestral - Recordare (1948), two Piano Concertos (1944, 1949, revised 1953), Symphony of Chorales (1956-1958), Baroque Variations (1967), Geod (1969), Night Music for John Lennon (1979-1980), 200 Cellos, a Celebration (1982); chamber music - Echoi (1961-1963), Paradigm (1968), Curriculum Vitae with Time Bomb (1980); vocal - Cool Prayer (1944), Behold I Build an House (1950), A Parable of Death (1952), Fragments of Archilochos (1965), American Cantata (1976) Selected Composer Bibliography: Mellers, Wilfrid. “Today and Tomorrow: Lukas Foss and the Younger Generation.” Music in a New Found Land, 220. New York: A. A. Knopf, 1965. “Foss, Lukas.” Current Biography Yearbook, xxvii (June 1966). New York: H. W. Wilson Company. Salzman, Eric. “The Many Lives of Lukas Foss.” Saturday Review, l/8 (1967): 73. Browne, Bruce Sparrow. The Choral Music of Lukas Foss. University of Washington, dissertation, 1975. Chase, Gilbert and David Wright. “Foss, Lukas.” In The New Grove Dictionary of American Music, edited by H. Wiley Hitchcock, ii: 155-157. 4 volumes. London: Macmillan, 1986. Perone, Karen L. Lukas Foss: A Bio-Bibliography. New York: Greenwood Press, 1991.
The Prairie (1943) Duration: ca. 48-54 minutes Text: Carl Sandburg’s opening poem in Cornhuskers, published by Henry Holt and Co. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: flute, oboe, English horn, clarinet, bass clarinet, bassoon, horn, trumpet, trombone, percussion (1 player - timpani, snare drum, bass drum, crash cymbals, suspended cymbal, triangle, xylophone), piano, and strings
Students: Tzvi Avni, Toshi Ichiyangi, Roger Hannay, Barbara Kolb, Alvin Lucier, Robert Stern
First Performance: 14 May 1944; Town Hall, New York; Patricia Neway, Alice Howland, Lucius Metz, Elwyn Carter; Collegiate Chorale, members of the NBC and CBS Orchestras; conducted by Robert Shaw
Awards: Three New York Critics’ Circle Awards (1944 for The Prairie, 1954 for Piano Concerto no. 2, and 1961 for Time Cycle), a Guggenheim Fellowship (1945 - the youngest recipient in the award’s history),
Edition: The Prairie is published and distributed by G. Schirmer. The piano-vocal score is for sale (publisher’s plate #40798, publisher’s edition #1793);
259 Gilbert Chase and David Wright, “Foss, Lukas,” in The New Grove Dictionary of American Music, edited by H. Wiley Hitchcock, ii: 155-157, 4 volumes (London: Macmillan, 1986).
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orchestral materials are available for rental. “Cool Prayers” is published separately (G. Schirmer #9605). Autograph: The full score is a facsimile of the composer’s manuscript. Notes: The Prairie received the 1944 New York Critics’ Circle Award for best new American work. The Prairie Symphonic Suite based on the cantata for orchestra alone was premiered first (15 October 1943; Boston, MA; Boston Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Serge Koussevitsky). Compare this work to the setting by Normand Lockwood. Performance Issues: This is a tonal work in the American mold of Aaron Copland and Roy Harris. The scoring is practical, remaining light during vocal passages and written well for the respective instruments. This is a rhythmically active piece with constantly changing meters and varied groupings of the subdivision. The choral writing is mostly homophonic with some inventive harmonies, which are approached from tertian harmonies by stepwise motion. There are some passages for a cappella choir and some divisi for sixpart choir. The third movement calls for one offstage voice, which should be soprano. The small wind section of this work suggests a small to medium sized choir and string section. Each wind player has numerous exposed passages, which will require soloistic tone and confidence, but which should present no significant technical demands. The less-exposed piano part is well conceived, but technically challenging. Melodic elegance may be prohibited by regular shifts in meter and a constant interchange of instruments. Although at first contact the score appears to be vertically conceived, focusing on its inherent linear momentum should be an important part of the initial rehearsal process. Soloists: soprano, range: c'-g'', tessitura: e'-e'', lyric and fairly low; alto, range: b-f'', tessitura: e'-b', should be warm and lyric; tenor, range: ea', tessitura: a-f#, declamatory, rhythmically active, and speechlike; bass, range: F-e', tessitura: c-c', declamatory, crisp, and not very demanding. Of the “Americana” works examined in this study, Foss’s is the most inventive and interesting. It is well crafted and logically organized while remaining tuneful and sonorous. The vocal writing is accessible to choirs of moderate experience and size, and the orchestra is fairly small. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Jeanne Distell, Ani Yervanian, Jerold Norman, Harlan Foss; Gregg Smith Singers, Long Island Symphonic Choral Association, Brooklyn Philharmonic; conducted by Foss. Recorded in 1976. Turnabout TV-S 34649 [LP].
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Selected Bibliography: Thomson, Virgil. “Music [review of the premiere].” New York Herald Tribune (16 May 1944): 14. Downes, Olin. [review of the premiere]. New York Times (16 May 1944). Berger, Arthur. “Scores and Records.” Modern Music, xxii (March/April 1945): 200. Foss, Lukas. “The Prairie, A Parable of Death, and Psalms.” In The Composer’s Point of View: Essays on Twentieth-Century Music by Those Who Wrote It, edited by Robert Stephan Hines, 3-13. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1963. Pisciotta, Louis Vincent. “Texture in the Choral Works of Lukas Foss.” In Texture in the Choral Works of Selected Contemporary American Composers, 200-233. Indiana University, dissertation, 1967. Browne, Bruce Sparrow. The Choral Music of Lukas Foss, 26-58. University of Washington, dissertation, 1976. Mussulman, John A. Dear People. . . Robert Shaw: A Biography, 52-53. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1979.
FOULDS, John (b. Manchester, 2 November 1880; d. Calcutta, 25 April 1939) Largely a self-taught composer, Foulds played cello in the Hallé Orchestra under Richter. As early as 1898, he was playing music which used quartertones. He traveled to Essen in 1906 where he met Gustav Mahler, Frederick Delius, and Engelbert Humperdinck. He began to study Greek modes and Indian instruments about the time of the First World War. He served as conductor of the London University Musical Society (1921-1927), and also conducted a number of London theatrical productions. Foulds moved to Paris in 1927, returning to London three years later. In 1935 he moved to India to collect folk music, study Indian musical practices, and to write. He became director of European Music for All-India Radio in Delhi (1937). Foulds died of cholera in 1939. He presented numerous lectures on the role of music in society in which he expressed his populist beliefs. Foulds published many articles on ethnic musics (mostly Greek and Indian). In the book Music Today, op. 92 (London, 1934), he presented his concepts about music and described his musical development and influences. Foulds was known mostly for semipopular music during his lifetime, but in his serious music he created a unique musical style, which integrated Western music traditions with Eastern styles, particularly elements of Indian music and some use of microtones. There has been a recent rekindling of interest in Foulds’s serious works. Unfortunately, many of his manuscripts are
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lost, but since 1980 over a dozen of his works have been recorded, with more scheduled for release.260 Principal Works: opera - The Vision of Dante, op. 7 (1905-1908); orchestral - Epithalamium (1906), two Cello Concertos (1908-1909, 1910), Keltic Melodies (1911), Dynamic Triptych (1929), Mantras (1930), Keltic Overture (1930), April-England (1926-1932), 3 Pasquinades (1935), Chinese Suite (1935); incidental music for twenty-seven plays; twelve short film scores; nine String Quartets, and many other works for varied ensembles Selected Composer Bibliography: Foulds, John. Music Today, op. 92. London: Ivor Nicholson and Watson, Ltd., 1934. MacDonald, Malcolm. John Foulds and His Music: An Introduction. White Plains, NY: Pro/Am Music Resources, 1989.
A World Requiem, op. 60 (1919-1921) Duration: ca. 100 minutes Text: Bible, Requiem Mass, “Benedicite,” Kabir, and Maud MacCarthy Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists, SATB choir, children’s choir; orchestra: 3 flutes (II and II doubling piccolo), 2 oboes, English horn, 2 clarinets, bass clarinet, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, bass trombone, tuba, timpani, 3 percussionists, celeste, 2 harps, organ, and string. The score calls for an additional 9 trumpets, 3 trombones, and 7 percussionists in the corners of the hall;261 distant ensemble: 2 harps, celeste, sistrum, and 4 solo violins First Performance: 11 November 1923; Royal Albert Hall, London, to benefit the British Legion; Ida Cooper, Olga Haley, William Heseltine, Robert Heyner; Festival Choir of 1200 and Orchestra; C. H. Kempling, organ; Maud MacCarthy, concert-mistress; conducted by Foulds. Edition: A piano-vocal score was published for sale by Novello, which is now represented in the United States by Theodore Presser Company. These piano-vocal scores could be reprinted upon request. A copy of the manuscript full-score and orchestral materials are available for rental. Autograph: A copy of the composer’s manuscript is in the possession of Novello and Company.
Notes: The premiere performance was repeated annually for three more years. In the style of Granville Bantock, Frederick Delius, and Havergal Brian, it has never been performed since and has not been reissued by the publisher. It is included in this catalogue because of its relevance to Britten’s War Requiem and Howells’s Hymnus Paradisi, and in anticipation of its possible revival. The work was a failure in the press, but gained lavish praise from audiences and composers of the time. The World Requiem’s text certainly speaks to modern audiences, and many of its musical devices are suggestive of things which were to come. Performance Issues: The publisher possesses a single copy of the full score and parts. Piano-vocal scores were published for the performances noted above, but these scores are no longer held by Novello. The publisher has stated that performance materials could be made if a performance were scheduled.262 The following remarks are based upon descriptions by Robertson263 and excerpts published in MacDonald’s264 biography. The work contains many nonfunctional ninth, eleventh, and thirteenth chords. There are occasional uses of microtones in the strings and voices. Most of these are relegated to solo passages for the concertmaster. Most of the choral writing is homophonic with divisi in all parts. The orchestrational style is reminiscent of Delius. Instruments are treated idiomatically, and in general the orchestra parts are not very challenging. The choir often sings unusual harmonies, which are approached by stepwise motion. The majority of the vocal material is supported by the instruments. Choir: difficult; Orchestra: medium. Selected Discography: Jeanne-Michèle Charbonnet, Catherine Wyn-Rogers, Stuart Skelton, Herald Finley; Trinity Boys Choir, Crouch End Festival Chorus, Philharmonia Chorus, BBC Symphony Chorus, BBC Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Leon Botstein. Recorded in 2008 in the Royal Albert Hall. Chandos: CHSA 5058. Selected Bibliography: Foreman, Lewis. From Parry to Britten: British Music in Letters 1900-1945, 166. Portland, OR: Amadeus Press, 1987.
FRANCK, Cesar (b. Liège, 10 December 1822; d. Paris, 8 November 1890)
260 Malcolm MacDonald, John Foulds and His Music: An Introduction (White Plains, NY: Pro/Am Music Resources, 1989). 261 These passages can be covered by the onstage orchestra if nec-
263 Alec Robertson, Requiem: Music of Mourning and Consolation (London: Praeger Press, 1985). 264 Malcolm MacDonald, John Foulds and His Music: An Intro-
essary. 262 Via a letter to this writer from Theodore Presser and Company.
duction (White Plains, NY: Pro/Am Music Resources, 1989).
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Franck was a child prodigy pianist. He attended the Paris Conservatory from 1837 to 1842 during which time, his focus turned to composition. In 1858, he became the organist at Saint-Clothilde in Paris and became widely known for his improvisatory skill. He later became professor of organ at the Paris Conservatory. He was not widely known as a composer until his students, especially d’Indy, began to promote his works. His music has an unmistakenly French quality, but betrays the harmonic influence of Wagner. He was made Chevalier du Légion d’Honneur in 1885. Teachers: Henri Berton, Luigi Cherubini, Leborne, Anton Reicha, Pierre-Joseph-Guillaume Zimmerman (piano) Students: Pierre Bréville, Henri-Paul Busser, Vincent d’Indy, François Rasse, Alberto Williams, Théophile Ysaÿe Principal Works: orchestral - Les Éolides (1876), Le Chasseur maudit (1882), Variations Symphoniques (1885), Symphony in D (1888); chamber – Sonata for piano and violin (1886), vocal – Panis angelicus (1872), Les Béatitudes (1879); organ – 6 Pièces pour Grand Orgue (1862), 3 Pièces pour Grand Orgue (1878) Selected Composer Bibliography: D’Indy, Vincent. César Franck. Paris: Alcan, 1906. Published in an English translation by Rosa Newmarch, London: John Lane the Bodley Head, 1909. Davies, Laurence. César Franck and His Circle. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1970. Stove: R.J. César Franck: His Life and Times. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press, 2012.
Psyché, M. 47 (1887-1888) Duration: ca. 37 minutes Text: The text is an adaptation of the story of Eros and Psyché from The Golden Ass of Apuleius. The author is unknown, the New Grove suggests Sicard or Louis de Foucard, and Vincent d’Indy surmised with Foucard or Georges Franck to be the soure.265 Performing Forces: voices: SATT choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, English horn, 2 clarinets in A, bass clarinet in B♭, 4 bassoons, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 2 cornets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani (2 drums), and strings
First Performance: 10 March 1888, Paris, Société Nationale. It was subsequently performed 23 February 1890 at the Colonne Concerts.
265 R. J. Stove, César Franck: His Life and Times, 262 (Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press, 2012).
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Edition: Psyché was first published by Bruneau in 1903 and subsequently by Bornemann. The score and parts are available in reprint from Kalmus and Luck’s. Autograph: The manuscript is in the Bibliothèque Nationale in Paris. Notes: There is a four-movement orchestral suite with no choral parts. Performance Issues: The choir appears intermittently representing about a fifth of the total work. The choral writing is throroughly homophonic with some passages for unison sopranos alone. The vocal parts are clearly supported by the accompaniment. The ranges of the choral parts are conservative, and the tenors only divide about half the time. Baritones could sing all of the lower divisi to engage all members of an SATB choir. The orchestral writing is thoroughly idiomatic. This is a lush score with a heavy focus on string writing, which will also benefit from a large string section. There are no particularly difficult passages, but the orchestra must be able to produce a rich tone in loud and soft passages, and they must be musically flexible. Choir: easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Belgian Radio and Television Chorus, Orchestre de Liège; conducted by Paul Strauss. EMI: 5 65162 2. BBC National Chorus and Orchestra; conducted by Tadaaki Otaka. Chandos: CHAN 9342.
GOUNOD, Charles François (b. St. Cloud, France, 17 June 1818; d. Paris, 18 October 1893) Gounod’s father was an accomplished painter who died while the composer was a child. He was educated by his mother and at the Lycée St. Louis. While studying at the Paris Conservatory, he won the 2nd Prix de Rome, which provided him the opportunity to study in Italy. There he assiduously studied the music of Palestrina. Upon his return to Paris, he became organist of the Missions Étrangères and began studying in preparation for the priesthood; however, after two years, he chose to pursue a career as a composer. After a number of less successful premieres at the Opéra, Gounod produced his masterpiece, Faust. He spent the years of the Franco-Prussian War (1870-1874) in London where he formed and conducted Gounod’s Choir, for which he composed a number of works including Gallia. Gounod spent the final decade of his life producing a significant number of large sacred compositions. He is
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best remembered for the operas Faust and Roméo et Juliette, which have remained in the core repertoire. Teachers: Fromental Halévy, Jean François LeSueur, Ferdinando Paër Students: Henri-Paul Büsser Other Principal Works: opera: Faust (1859), Mireille (1864), Roméo et Juliette (1867); orchestral: Symphony No. 1 (1855), Symphony No. 2 (1855), Marche funèbre d’une marionette (1873), Petite Symphony for Wind Instruments (1888); choral: Messe solenelle (1849), Gallia (1871), La Rédemption (1868-1881), Messe à Ste. Cécile (1882), Mors et Vita (1885), Te Deum (1886), Messe à Jeanne d’Arc (1887), Tantum ergo (1892)
solo; alto - range: b-d'', tessitura: d'-a', this is a brief and lyric solo; tenor - range: f-g', tessitura: a-g', this is a lyric and simple solo; bass - range: d-e♭', tessitura: g-d', this is a brief and lyric solo. Choir: easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Eva Buffoni, Irene Friedli, Ruben Amoretti, Alain Clement; Chroale de Brassus, Sine Nomine String Quartet; conducted by Andre Charlet. Claves: 9326. Selected Bibliography: Wagener, N. “Die Messen Charles Gounod.” In Kirchenmusikalisches Jahrbuch (1967), volume 51: 145-153.
Selected Composer Bibliography: Prudhomme, J-G, and A. Dandelot. Gounod: Sa vie et ses oeuvres. Paris: Delagrave, 1911. Büsser, Henri-Paul. Charles Gounod. Lyons: Sud-Est, 1961. Harding, James. Gounod. London: Allen and Unwin, 1973. Rustman, M.:Lyric Opera: A Study of the Contributions of Charles Gounod. University of Kansas, dissertation, 1986.
Requiem (1893) Duration: ca. 36 minutes Text: The text is from the Roman Catholic liturgy of the Mass for the Dead. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: clarinet, bassoon, organ, and strings First Performance: Holy Week, 1894 Editions: Full scores and parts for are available from Musica Sacra (#98/1) in an edition prepared by József Ács. Autograph: The location of the composer’s manuscript is unknown. Notes: The score is dedicated to the memory of the composer’s grandson, Maurice Gounod. The composer died before the work was orchestrated. The scoring was completed by the composer’s pupil, Henri Büsser. Performance Issues: The choral writing is mostly homophonic with some a cappella passages. It is a harmonically conservative work with the vocal parts well supported by the accompaniment. The orchestral parts are very simple, and the work lends itself to performance with solo string players. The work is accessible to amateur players; there is one brief florid passage in the violin I part in the Dies Irae. This is a toucing and gentle work in memory of a child. Soloists: soprano range: f#'-g'', tessitura: a'-f'', this is a lyric and simple
HANDEL, George Frideric (b. Halle, Germany, 23 February 1685; d. London, 14 April 1759) Handel’s father, a barber/surgeon, opposed his son’s intentions to become a musician. He studied law at Halle University and turned his attention fully toward music upon his father’s death. He joined the opera orchestra in Hamburg in 1703 as a violinist. He led performances of his own Almira there two years later. He traveled to Italy in 1706 where he met the Scarlattis and Corelli and quickly absorbed the Italian opera style. In 1710 he was appointed conductor of the opera in Hanover. At that time he was commissioned to compose an opera, Rinaldo, to be performed in London. Soon thereafter, he moved permanently to England. From 1712 onward, he received pensions from the British monarch, spanning Queen Anne and Georges I and II. For the latter he composed the four Coronation Anthems, HWV 258-261. From 1718 to 1720 he served as music director to the Duke of Chandos for whom he composed the Chandos Anthems, HWV 246256. He produced operas through a company he founded with Ariosti and Bononcini called the Royal Academy of Music, and later he developed an establishment through the King’s Theatre and then Covent Garden. As the popularity of Italian opera waned in London, Handel developed the English oratorio, beginning with Esther, HWV 50. Rising Tory sentiments and Handel’s innate dramatic gifts fueled the ascendant popularity of the genre. Following a stroke in 1737 and the remarkable success of Messiah, HWV 56, Handel began a series of oratorio triumphs on Old Testament dramas. Many of these works were composed in inconceivably short periods of time, and as a result often include reworkings of earlier compositions, often with surprisingly successful prosody with a second (or third) text. Handel became blind, but continued to conduct performances of his oratorios. His conducting scores, which include numerous corrections and revisions, have become the bases for modern editions. In
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many cases, changes in Handel’s scores reflect particular soloists engaged in new performances of his established works. For this reason, there are often multiple versions of particular arias, and in other cases, a solo role will contain vocal elements in one movement that appear incongruous with other movements for the same solo role. On occasion, modern conductors must reconcile these incongruities when assigning solos. Handel’s oratorios and anthems have remained a staple of the choral-orchestral repertoire from his time to the present. The Coronation Anthems have been sung at every British coronation since that of George II, and Messiah has persisted for centuries as the most performed concerted choral composition. Teacher: Friedrich Wilhelm Zachau Student: John Christopher Smith Principal Works: operas — Agrippina (1709), Giulio Cesare (1724), Tamerlano (1724), Rodelinda (1725), Orlando furioso (1733), Alcina (1735), Serse (1738); orchestra — Water Music (c. 1717), 6 Concerti Grossi, op. 3 (1734), 6 Organ Concerti, op. 7 (1740-1751); 12 Concerti Grossi, op. 12 (1740), Music for Royal Fireworks (1749); numerous chamber works Selected Composer Bibliography: Chrysander, Friedrich. G. F. Handel, 3 volumes. Leipzig: Breitkopf und Härtel, 1858-1867; reprinted in 1919. Streatfield, Richard Alexander. Handel, 2nd edition. London: Methuen, 1910; reprinted: New York: Da Capo Press, 1964 and Kessinger Publishing, 2007. Abraham, Gerald, editor. Handel: A Symposium. London: Oxford University Press, 1954. Deutsch, Otto Erich. Handel: A Documentary Biography. New York: W. W. Norton, 1954. Dean, Winton. Handel’s Dramatic Oratorios and Masques. London: Oxford University Press, 1959. Young, Percy M. The Oratorios of Handel. London: Dennis Dobson, 1959. Gooch, Bryan Niel Shirley. Poetry and Music in England 1660-1760: A Comparison Based on the Works of Dryden, Purcell, Pope, and Handel. University of British Columbia, dissertation, 1962. Dean, Winton. The New Grove Handel, with works list by Anthony Hicks. New York: W. W. Norton, 1982. Landon, H. C. Robbins. Handel and His World. Boston: Little, Brown, and Company, 1984. Baselt, Bernd. Verzeichnis der Werke Georg Friedrich Händels: Kleine Ausgabe. Leipzig: VEB Deutscher Verlag für Musik, 1986. Sadie, Stanley, editor. Handel: Tercentenary Collection. Ann Arbor, MI: UMI Research press, 1987. Burrows, Donald, and Martha J. Ronish. A Catalogue of Handel’s Musical Autographs. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1994.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Smith, Ruth. Handel’s Oratorios and EighteenthCentury Thought. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1995. Burrows, Donald. The Cambridge Companion to Handel. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1997. Hurley, David Ross. Handel’s Muse: Patterns of Creation in His Oratorios and Musical Dramas, 17431751. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2001. Parker, Mary Ann. G. F. Handel: A Guide to Research, 2nd edition. New York: Routledge, 2005. Hogwood, Christopher. Handel. London: Thames and Hudson, 2007. Hicks, Anthony. “Handel, George Frederick.” Grove Music Online ed. http://www.grovemusic.com Burrows, Donald. Handel, 2nd edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2012. N.B All dates, first-performance information, revisions, and much of the text information has been taken from the excellent works lists prepared by Anthony Hicks for the New Grove and the Handel-Werke Verzeichnis (see above). Likewise, the bulk of work-specific bibliographic information is from Mary Ann Parker’s exceedingly useful G. F. Handel: A Guide to Research.
Il trionfo del Tempo e del Disinganno, HWV 46a (1707) and Il trionfo del Tempo e della Veritá, HWV 46b (1737) Duration: HWV 46b: ca. 180 minutes Text: The libretto is by Cardinal Benedetto Pamphili (25 April 1653 to 22 March 1730). Performing Forces: HWV 46a voices: 2 soprano, alto, and tenor soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes, 2 trumpets, solo organ, strings, and continuo HWV 46b voices: 2 soprano, alto, and tenor soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes, 2 trumpets, solo organ, strings, and continuo First Performance: HWV 46a probably June 1707 in Cardinal Pietro Ottoboni’s palace in Rome; HWV 46b 23 March 1737; Covent Garden, London; conducted by the composer Editions: Il trionfo del Tempo e della Veritá is found in the scholarly edition — G. F. Händels Werke: Ausgabe der Deutschen Händelgesellschaft, volumes 20 and 24, edited by Friedrich W. Chrysander, Leipzig and Bergedorf bei Hamburg: 1858-1894, reprinted in 1965; and an entry in the Hallische Händel-Ausgabe im Auftrage der Georg Friedrich Händel-Gesellschaft is planned. Autograph: The composer’s manuscripts are in the British Library in London and the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge. Additional manuscript materials in other hands are in the Central Public Library, Manchester;
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and the Music Collection of the Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek Carl von Ossietzky, Hamburg. Notes: HWV 46b is dated 14 March 1737 and is a significant revision of Handel’s first oratorio, Il trionfo del Tempo e del Disinganno, HWV 46a, which is believed to have been composed in Rome in 1707. He would again revise this score in 1757 as The Triumph of Time and Truth, HWV 71, see below. The first version of this oratorio includes the aria, “Lascia la spina,” which was adapted from an instrumental sarabande in Almira (1704) and then adapted again into the famous aria “Lascia ch’io pianga” from Handel’s opera Rinaldo (1711). Performance Issues: The choral writing is vocally demanding, but well supported by the orchestra. There are some rapid contrapuntal passages for the choir. The beginning of Act II includes a section for SSSSAA soli from the choir. In the Chrysander edition there are passages labeled “Pleasure (soprano),” these should be assigned to the soprano portraying Deceit. Some others are just labeled “soprano,” and one must exercise best judgment as dictated by the nature of the text. The orchestral writing is challenging for all parts. There is rapid passagework for the strings including solo work for the principals. There are some sustained and challenging solos for oboe I, and the orchestration provides numerous challenges for cohesive ensemble playing. There are sections of the score assigned to solo violins serving as a concertino group. The organ solos are fairly virtuosic requiring a skill player. There need not be an additional instrument for the continuo group, but the solo passages should be distinguished by changes in registration. In the Chrysander edition, the organ part includes passages in soprano and tenor clef following the composer’s notation. Soloists: Bellezza (soprano) - range: d#'-a'', tessitura: f#'-f#'', this is a lyric solo with florid coloratura passages; Piacere (soprano)- range: d'-g'', tessitura: e'-e'', this is a lyric solo with rapid coloratura writing; Disinganno (alto) - range: b♭-e'', tessitura: c'-c'', this is a sustained lyric solo; Tempo (tenor) - range: d-a', tessitura: f-f', this is a dramatic solo with some florid passagework. Choir: difficult; Orchestra: difficult. Selected Discography: Claron McFadden, Elisabeth Scholl, Nicholas Hariades, Peer Abilgaard; Junge Kantorei, Barockorchester Franfurt; conducted by Joachim Carlos Martini. Recorded 31 May 1998 in Kloster Eberbach, Eltville am Rhein, Germany. Naxos: 8554440-42.
266 David Daniels states that by combining roles this work can be performed with SATTBB soloists, (Orchestral Music: A Handbook, fourth edition, 162 [Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press, 2005]). 267 Bernd Baselt indicates 3 April 1719 in the Domkirche in Hamburg (Verzeichnis der Werke Georg Friedrich Händels: Kleine
Selected Bibliography: Kimbell, David. “Aspekte von Händels Umarbeitungen und Revisionen eigener Werke.” Händel-Jahrbuch, volume 23 (1977): 45-67. Knapp, J. Merrill. “Die drei Fassungen von Händels Il trionfo del Tempo.” Konferenzbericht Halle 1981: 8694. Schmidt, Roland Dieter. “Die mittlere Fassung von Georg Friedrich Händels Il triono del Tempo, HWV 46b (London 1737).” Aspekte der englisch-deutschen Musikgeschichte im 17. Und 18. Jahrhundert, edited by Friedhelm Brusniak and Annemarie Clostermann, 69-96. Köln: Studio, 1997. ———. “Die drei Fassungen von Händels Oratorium Il trionfo del tempo/The Triumph of Time and Truth (HWV 46a, 46b, 71).” Göttinger Händel-Beitrage, volume 7 (1998): 86-118.
Passion nach Barthold Heinrich Brockes, “Brockes Passion” HWV 48 (1715) Duration: ca. 150 minutes Text: The text is the story of the Passion of Christ written for Lutheran use by Barthold Heinrich Brockes and first published in 1712. Performing Forces: voices: 6 soprano, 4 alto, 3 tenor, and 5 bass soloists; 266 SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes, 2 bassoons, strings, and continuo. The continuo group includes bassoon, cello, double bass, and keyboard. First Performance: possibly 1716 or 1719; Hamburg, Germany; conducted by the composer267 Editions: Brockes Passion is available from Bärenreiter. It is also found in two scholarly editions — G. F. Händels Werke: Ausgabe der Deutschen Händelgesellschaft, volume 15, edited by Friedrich W. Chrysander (Leipzig and Bergedorf bei Hamburg: 1858-1894, reprinted in 1965); and Hallische Händel-Ausgabe im Auftrage der Georg Friedrich Händel-Gesellschaft, series 1, volume 7, edited by Felix Schroeder (Kassel: Bärenreiter, 1965). Autograph: The composer’s manuscript is in the British Library in London. Additional manuscript materials in other hands are in the Central Public Library, Manchester; the Library of the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde, Vienna; the Music Collection of the Österreichische Nationalbibliothek, Vienna; the Music Collection of the Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin Preußischer Kulturbesitz; and the Music Collection of
Ausgabe, 74 [Leipzig: VEB Deutscher Verlag für Musik, 1986]). Anthony Hicks indicates the possibility of 1716 performance in in his “Works List” in the New Grove.
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the Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek Carl von Ossietzky, Hamburg. Notes: This work was originally entitled Der für die Sünde der Welt gemartete und sterbende Jesus. It provides a fascinating opportunity to hear Handel’s German Lutheran musical heritage that was quickly eclipsed by the cosmopolitan style he developed through his work with Italian opera. Telemann also produced a setting of this text, and J. S. Bach incorporated some passages from Brocke’s text in his St. John Passion, BWV 245. Performance Issues: The choral material is practically written for an amateur choir. Much of the choral material is in a Lutheran chorale style. The imitative counterpoint for the choir is conservatively written and quite accessible for less-experienced singers. The orchestra doubles the choral parts throughout. The orchestration is transparent with considerable doubling between the oboes and violins. The first oboe has some exposed passagework with long phrases. There are numerous extended passages with rhythmically intricate unison writing in all treble instruments, which will expose discrepancies in ensemble. There are passages with two obbligato bassoon parts. When using a small choral contingent, the work could be done with solo strings, although a slightly larger component would better balance the continuo group. Movement 49 is labeled terzetto. It is scored SAB, and could be a trio from the choir. The roles of Tochter Zion, Gläubige Seele (soprano), Petrus, the Evangelist, tenor (unnamed), and Jesus all require experienced soloists. The remaining solos can quite effectively be assigned to members of the choir. Three of the roles are labeled “Gläubige Seele,” but are distinguished by being scored for soprano, tenor, and bass. Soloists: soprano (Tochter Zion) - range: c'-a'', tessitura: g'-f'', this is a lyric solo with some coloratura writing, it is the most vocally complex role; soprano (Johannes) - range: e'c'', tessitura: f'-b♭', this is a minor solo appropriate for a chorister; soprano (unnamed) - range: d'-e♭'', tessitura: f'-d'', this is a minor solo appropriate for a chorister; soprano (Magdelan) - range: g'-e'', tessitura: a'd'', this is a minor solo appropriate for a chorister; soprano (Gläubige Seele) - range: d'-g'', tessitura: g'-f'', this is a lyrical role with sustained and lilting passages; soprano (Maria) - range: f'-g'', tessitura: a'-e'', this is a lyrical role appropriate for an advanced chorister; alto (Jakobus) - range: d'-g', tessitura: d'-g', this is a minor solo appropriate for a chorister; alto (unnamed) range: a-b♭', tessitura: c'-a', this is a minor solo appropriate for a chorister; alto (Judas) - range: b-d'', tessitura: d'-b', this is a declamatory role with some dramatic writing, it is scored for countertenor, but could be effectively presented by a baritone down an octave; tenor (Evangelist) - range: e♭-f', this is a declamatory role primarily in recitative; tenor (Petrus) -
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
range: c-a', tessitura: e-f', this is a declamatory role with some ensemble work coloratura passagework, it is more vocally challenging than the Evangelist; tenor (unnamed) - range: e-g', tessitura: f-f', this is a challenging solo with florid coloratura writing; tenor (Gläubige Seele) - range: e-f'', tessitura: g-e', this is a minor solo appropriate for a chorister; bass (Jesus) range: A♭-e', tessitura: c-d', this is a lyric role with some wide melodic leaps and occasionally florid passagework with sustained legato singing and long phrases, it is logically the prominent role within the work and one that requires a secure soloist; bass (Caiaphas) - range: c-e♭', tessitura: d-c', this is a minor solo appropriate for a chorister; bass (Pilatus) - range: d-d', tessitura: e-b, this is a minor solo appropriate for a chorister; bass (Hauptmann) - range: d-e', tessitura: ed, this is a declamatory solo appropriate for a chorister; bass (Gläubige Seele) - range: G-e♭', tessitura: dd', this is a dramatic solo appropriate for an advanced chorister. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Maria Stader, Edda Moser, Paul Esswood, Ernst Haefliger, Jerry J. Jennings, Theo Adam, and Jakob Stämpfli; Regensburger Domchor, Schola Cantorum Basiliensis; conducted by August Wenzinger, recorded in 1967. Re-released as Deutsche Grammophon/Archiv 463 644-2. Maria Zadori, Katalin Farkas, Eva Barfai-Barta, Eva Lax, Drew Minter, Peter Bajan, Martin Klietmann, Guy de May, Janos Bandi, Istvam Gai, Gunter Burzynski; Stadtsingechor Halle, Capella Savaria; conducted by Nicholas McGegan. Recorded in 1994 by Hungaroton; re-released on Brilliant Classics: 92003 Selected Bibliography: Becker, Heinz. “Die frühe Hamburgische Tagespresse, als musikgeschichtliche Quelle.” Beiträge zur Hamburgischen Musikgeschichte, volume 1, edited by Heinrich Husman. Hamburg: Schriftenreihe des Musikwissenschaftliche Instituts der Universität, 1956. Fredrichs, Henning. Das Verhältnis von Text und Musik in den Brockes-Passionen Keisers, Händels, Telemanns, und Matthesons. Munich: Musikverlag Emil Katzbicher, 1975. ———. “Zur theologischen Interpretation der BrockesPassion von G. F. Händel.” Göttinger Händel-Beitrage, volume 1 (1984): 21-34. Britsch, Edwin. Musical and Poetical Rhetoric in Handel’s Setting of Brocke’s Passion Oratorio: A Rhetorical Analysis of the Poem with a Study of Handel’s Use of the Figurenlehre. Florida State University, Ph.D. dissertation, 1984. Braun, Werner. “Händel und der Dichter Barthold Heinrich Brockes.” Händel und Hamburg: Austellung anläßlich des 300. Geburtstages von Georg Friedrich
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Händel, edited by Hans Joachim Marx, 85-97. Hamburg: Karl Dieter Wagner, 1985.
Acis and Galatea, HWV 49a/b (1718) Duration: ca. 126 minutes Text: The text was composed by John Gay and others based upon Ovid’s Metamorphoses, XIII. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, 2 tenor, and bass soloists; STTTB choir; orchestra: piccolo, 268 2 flutes, 2 oboes, strings (without violas), and continuo (bassoon, cello, bass, and keyboard) First Performance: The premiere is believed to have been in the summer of 1718 at Cannons, Edgware; conducted by the composer. A later adaptation in Italian was premiered 10 June 1732, King’s Theater, London.269 Editions: Acis and Galatea is available from Bärenreiter, Kalmus, and Novello. It is also found in two scholarly editions — G. F. Händels Werke: Ausgabe der Deutschen Händelgesellschaft, volumes 3 and 4, edited by Friedrich W. Chrysander (Leipzig and Bergedorf bei Hamburg: 1858-1894, reprinted in 1965); and Hallische Händel-Ausgabe im Auftrage der Georg Friedrich Händel-Gesellschaft, series 1, volume 9 (first version), edited by Wolfram Windszus (Kassel: Bärenreiter, 1991). Autograph: The composer’s manuscript of the first version is in the British Library. Additional manuscript materials in other hands are in the Gerald Coke Collection in Bentley, England; the Durham Cathedral Library; the Central Public Library, Manchester; St. Michael’s College Library, Tenbury Well, England; the Music Collection of the Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek Carl von Ossietzky, Hamburg; and in the Library of Congress. Autograph materials of later versions are in the British Library in London; and the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge. Additional manuscript materials in other hands are in the Durham Cathedral Library and in the Library of Congress. Notes: Mozart reorchestrated this work, adding 2 flutes, 2 clarinets, bassoon, and two horns. This version was premiered in Vienna in November 1788. It is catalogued as K. 566 and can be found in the Neue Mozart Ausgabe series 10, work group 28, part 1, volume 1. Performance Issues: The tessitura of the first tenor part is very high. The choral parts are well supported by the accompaniment. There are solo passages within the choir, and the choral writing is vocally demanding. The score can easily be realized with single 268 Sopranino recorder 269 Handel incorporated some music from his earlier Italian setting of the story Aci, Galatea e Polifemo, Serenata a Tre, HWV 72 in his setting of the Dryden text in 1718. That composition of 1708 is
instruments and solo singers on the choral parts. The preface to the Hallische Händel-Ausgabe suggests that this was apparently the practice of the first performance. The editor also recommends the use of piccolo/sopranino recorder in place of the flute in movement 12. There are extended florid passages for the violins in unison. This also occurs with the oboes, which requires consistently strong players to maintain good ensemble. There are alternate orchestrations of 9.a., which includes a carillon and viola. If this version were to be used, the use of solo parts within the choral and orchestral ensemble would be less effective. Soloists: Galatea (soprano)- range: d'-g'', tessitura: f'-f'', this is a lyric role with a fair amount of coloratura passagework; Acis (tenor) - range: d-a', tessitura: g-g', this is a lyric role with coloratura writing and long sustained passages; Damon (tenor) - range: f-a', tessitura: g-g', this is a lyric role that is less demanding than Acis; Polypheme (bass) - range: F-f', tessitura: B♭-d', this is a powerful coloratura bass role portraying a giant. Choir: difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Norma Burrowes, Anthony Rolfe Johnson, Martyn Hill, Willard White; English Baroque Soloists; conducted by John Eliot Gardiner. Archiv: 028947422525. Kym Amps, Robin Doveton, Angus Davidson; Scholars Baroque Ensemble; conducted by David von Asch. Recorded in All Saints Church, East Finchley, London, September 1993. Naxos: 8553188. Sophie Daneman, Patricia Petibon, Paul Agnew, Joseph Cornwell, Alan Ewing; Les Arts Florissants; conducted by William Christie. Erato: 25505. Selected Bibliography: Rendall, E. D. “The Influence of Henry Purcell on Handel traced in Acis and Galatea.” Musical Times, volume 36 (1895): 293-296. Smith, William, C. “Acis and Galatea in the Eighteenth Century.” Concerning Handel: His Life and Works, 197-265. London: Cassell, 1948. Dean, Winton Handel’s Dramatic Oratorios and Masques, 153-190. London: Oxford University Press, 1959. Fellerer, K. G. “Haendels Acis and Galatea in der Bearbeitung Mozarts (KV 566).” Deutsches Mozartfest der Deutschen Mozart-Gesellschaft, edited by Erich Valentin, 32-40. Schwetzinger: Deutsche Mozart-Gesellschaft, 1975. Beechey, Gwilym. “Acis and Galatea: Some Notes on a Handel Masterpiece.” Musical Opinion, volume 108 (1985): 227-229, 258-260.
scored for three soloists and orchestra. This earlier serenade should not be confused with the three-act Italian adaptation of the 1718 composition using text by Nicola Giuvo and cataloged as HWV 49b.
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Trowell, Brian. “Acis, Galatea, and Polyphemus: ‘sernata a tre voci’?” Music and Theatre: Essays in Honour of Winton Dean, edited by Nigel Fortune, 3194. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1987. Dugaw, Diane. “Parody, Gender, and Transformation in Gay and Handel’s Acis and Galatea.” Eighteenth-Century Studies, volume 29 (1996): 345-367. Winemiller, John. “Recontextualizing Handel’s Borrowing.” Journal of Musicology, volume 15 (1997): 444470.
Esther, HWV 50a/b (1717) Duration: ca. 90 minutes Text: The text was written by Alexander Pope and John Arbuthnot based upon Thomas Brereton’s translation of Racine’s Esther of 1689. Additional text was provided by Samuel Humphreys for the 1732 revision. Performing Forces: voices: 2 soprano, alto, 6 tenor, and bass soloists; SATTBB choir; orchestra: oboe, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, trumpet, harp, strings, and continuo (bassoon, cello, double bass, and keyboard) First Performance: The premiere is believed to have been in 1718 or 1720 at Cannons, Edgware; conducted by the composer.270 The first fully documented performance occurred 23 February 1732 in the Crown and Anchor Tavernin London, conducted by Bernard Gates. Editions: The first version of Esther is available from Bärenreiter, Kalmus, and Novello. It is also found in two scholarly editions — G. F. Händels Werke: Ausgabe der Deutschen Händelgesellschaft, volumes 40 and 41, edited by Friedrich W. Chrysander (Leipzig and Bergedorf bei Hamburg: 1858-1894, reprinted in 1965); and Hallische Händel-Ausgabe im Auftrage der Georg Friedrich Händel-Gesellschaft, series 1, volume 8 (first version), edited by Howard Serwer (Kassel: Bärenreiter, 1995). A subsequent edition of revised version will be published in the HHA as series 1, volume 10. Autograph: The composer’s and early copyists’ manuscripts of the first version are in the British Library in London; and the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge. Additional manuscript materials in other hands are in the Music Collection of the Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek Carl von Ossietzky, Hamburg; Archives of the Moravian Church in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania; and in the Library of Congress. Autograph materials of later versions are in the British Library in London; and the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge. Additional manuscript materials in other hands are in the Gerald Coke Collection in Bentley, England; the Central
270 Bernd Baselt, Verzeichnis der Werke Georg Friedrich Händels: Kleine Ausgabe, 76 (Leipzig: VEB Deutscher Verlag für Musik, 1986).
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Public Library of Manchester; and the New York Public Library. Notes: Nine numbers from the first version of Esther were borrowed from Handel’s Brockes Passion (qv). It is believed to have been composed for James Brydges, Duke of Chandos, but clear documentation has not been found to confirm this. Performance Issues: The choral writing is well supported by the orchestra, and much of it is homophonic. The choral parts are primarily scored for SATTB. The only movement with two bass parts is the finale, which is also the only movement in, which the trumpet plays. This final number comprises the major challenges for the choir and represents nearly half of the choral material of the entire oratorio. A review of that movement will confirm the suitability of this work for proposed choirs and orchestras. The Hallische Händel-Ausgabe provides a number of alternate instrumentations based upon alternate manuscripts and known concert variants during the composer’s lifetime. The harp part is an exposed solo. There is an interesting variety of instrumental combinations used to accompany the arias and duets. All of the wind parts have exposed independent passagework that is idiomatically written. There is rapid passagework in unison between the violins and oboes that may present some ensemble challenges. The first horn part has a high tessitura and stays in a narrow range for extended periods of time. Each of the solo parts has some passages of substance with the exceptions of the Officer and Habdonah, which should be given to members of the choir. Aside from Esther, the Israelite Woman, Assuerus, Mordecai, and Hamman, the roles can be assigned to strong choristers. Soloists: Esther (soprano) - range: f'-a'', tessitura: g'-f'', this is a sustained role with very long phrases; Israelite woman (soprano) - range: e'-g'', tessitura: a'-g'', this is a sustained solo part appropriate for a lighter voice; 3rd Israelite (alto) - range: b♭-c'', tessitura: d'-b'', this is a sustained lyric role; Assuerus (tenor) - range: e-a', tessitura: g-g', this is a lyric role with sustained singing in the top of the range and some coloratura passagework; Mordecai (tenor) - range: e♭g', tessitura: f-f', this is a sustained role perhaps best assigned to the darkest of the tenor soloists; 1st Israelite (tenor) - range: f-a', tessitura: g-g', this is a lyric role with sustained singing at the top of the indicated range; 2nd Israelite (tenor) - range: f-a', tessitura: a-f', this is a lyric and sustained role; Habdonah (tenor) range: b♭-f', tessitura: b♭-f', this is a very brief and simple part best assigned to a chorister; Officer (tenor) range: c'-g', tessitura: c'-g', this is a very brief and simple part best assigned to a chorister; Haman (bass)range: A♭-e', tessitura: c-c', this is a declamatory role
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
for a powerful voice. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Lynda Russell, Nancy Argenta, Mark Padmore, Anthony Robson, Michael George: The Sixteen, Symphony of Harmony and Invention; conducted by Harry Christopher. Recorded at St. Jude’s on the Hill, Hempstead Garden, England. Coro: 16019. Patrizia Kwella, Emma Kirkby, Drew Minter, Paul Elliott, Andrew King, Anthony Rolfe Johnson, Ian Partridge, David Thomas; Westminster Cathedral Boys Choir, Chorus and Orchestra of the Academy of Ancient Music; conducted by Christopher Hogwood. L’Oiseau-Lyre: 414423-2. Selected Bibliography: Dean, Winton. Handel’s Dramatic Oratorios and Masques, 191-224. London: Oxford University Press, 1959. Young, Percy M. The Oratorios of Handel, 43-58. London: Dennis Dobson, 1959. Larsen, Jens Peter. “Esther and the Origin of the Handelian Oratorio Tradition.” American Choral Review, volume 6, number 2 (1964): 1-5. Serwer, Howard. “Die Anfänge des Händelschen Oratoriums (Esther 1718).” Konferenzbericht Halle 1981: 34-45. Baselt, Bernd. “Händels englische Oratorien und ihre Anfänge, Musikalisches Füllhorn.” Aufsätze zur Musik Günter Fleischhauer zum 60. Geburtstag, edited by Berd Baselt, 5-11. Halle: Martin-LutherUniverität Halle-Wittenberg, 1990.
Deborah, HWV 51 (1733) Duration: ca. 140 minutes271 Text: The text is by Samuel Humphreys based upon chapter 5 of the Book of Judges from the Old Testament. Performing Forces: voices: 2 soprano, 2 alto, and bass soloists; double SATB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 bassoons, 3 horns, 3 trumpets, timpani, organ, strings, and continuo (bassoon, cello, double bass, harpsichord, and organ).272 First Performance: 17 March 1733; King’s Theater, Haymarket, London; conducted by the composer Editions: Deborah is available from Kalmus (A 2622). It is also found in the scholarly edition — G. F. Händels Werke: Ausgabe der Deutschen Händelgesellschaft, volume 29, edited by Friedrich W. Chrysander (Leipzig and Bergedorf bei Hamburg: 1858-1894, reprinted in 1965); and an entry in the Hallische Händel271 This is listed as 86 minutes in some sources, which is incorrect. 272 The use of a lute in the continuo group is advised if possible.
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Ausgabe im Auftrage der Georg Friedrich HändelGesellschaft is planned. Autograph: The composer’s manuscript is in the British Library in London. Additional manuscript materials in other hands are in the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge; the Central Public Library, Manchester; the Durham Cathedral Library; the Music Collection of the Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek Carl von Ossietzky, Hamburg. Notes: Handel reused earlier music. The score includes a completion date of 21 February 1733. It includes a richly elaborate chorus built on the hymn tune, St. Anne (1708), by William Croft. Performance Issues: This is a remarkably rich score with many melodies well remembered from Handel’s re-uses of them in more frequently performed works. A strong choir and orchestra are necessary for a successful performance. This is an excellent vehicle to show off a mature and skilled choir in a sadly underperformed composition. The choral writing places vocal demands on all of the parts, but the choral material is well supported by the instruments. The orchestration will effectively balance a large string section and choir. A significant portion of the score is given to the choir, and the eight-part texture occurs in a number of choruses. The orchestral writing is aggressive and presents challenges to all parts, especially the trumpets and violins. The trumpets and horns have more playing time than most works in this repertoire, which will present endurance challenges. Some of the string writing will present intonation challenges, especially in doublings with the winds. There are imaginative and counterintuitive rhythmic figures in some of the instrumental movements that will require attention to integrate parts. An ensemble of experienced players is necessary, and some of the tutti melodic material will present challenges to clarity of ensemble. There is an elaborate organ solo that is independent of the continuo group. There are a number of very brief solos representing minor characters in the story that are appropriate for choristers. Soloists: Deborah (soprano) - range: f'-b♭'', tessitura: g'-g'', this is a lyric and sustained solo with some long phrases and ornamental passages; Jael (soprano) - range: b♭-a'', tessitura: g'-g'', this is a lyric solo with some rapid coloratura; Barak (alto) - range: a-e♭'', tessitura: b-b', this is a dramatic solo with some rapid passagework and for which an ossia can eliminate the top third of the indicated range; Sisera (alto273) - range: g-e♭'', tessitura: c'-c'', this is a sustained solo with an alternate tenor version and ossia at the extremes of range; Abinoam (bass) - range: Ge', tessitura: c-c', this is a dramatic solo with some
273 The score indicates that this role may be sung by an alto or tenor. An alto was used in the premiere.
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rapid passagework. Choir: difficult; Orchestra: difficult. Selected Discography: Yvonne Kenny, Susan Gritton, Catherine Denley, James Bowman, Michael George; Choristers of Salisbury Cathedral, King’s Consort; conducted by Robert King. Hyperion: 66841. Elisabeth Scholl, Natasha Ducret, Lawrence Zazzo, Knut Schoch, Jelie Draijer; Junge Kantorei, Barockorchester Franfurt; conducted by Joachim Carlos Martini. Recorded 23 May 1999 in Kloster Eberbach, Eltville am Rhein, Germany. Naxos: 8554785-87. Selected Bibliography: Dean, Winton. Handel’s Dramatic Oratorios and Masques, 225-246. London: Oxford University Press, 1959. Young, Percy M. The Oratorios of Handel, 59-81. London: Dennis Dobson, 1959. Serwer, Howard. “In Praise of Handel’s Deborah.” American Choral Review, volume 27, numbers 2-3 (1985): 14-19. Gutknecht, Dieter. “Friedrich Chrysander und die Aufführungen Händelischen Oratorien.” Georg Friedrich Händel: ein Lebensinhalt. Gedenkschrift für Bernd Baselt (1934-1993), edited by Klaus Hortansky and Kostanze Musketa, 241-260. Kassel: Bärenreiter, 1995.
Athalia, HWV 52 (1733) Duration: ca. 129 minutes Text: The text is by Samuel Humphreys based upon Jean Racine’s Athalie of 1691, which in turn is inspired by the biblical account in the second Book of Kings. Performing Forces: voices: 3 soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; double SATB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, timpani, organ solo, strings (including 4 violin parts), and continuo (cello, bass, bassoon, theorbo, harpsichord, and organ) First Performance: 10 July 1733; Sheldonian Theater, Oxford; conducted by the composer. Editions: Athalia is published in two scholarly editions — G. F. Händels Werke: Ausgabe der Deutschen Händelgesellschaft, volume 5, edited by Friedrich W. Chrysander (Leipzig and Bergedorf bei Hamburg: 1858-1894, reprinted in 1965); and Hallische HändelAusgabe im Auftrage der Georg Friedrich HändelGesellschaft, series 1, volume 12, edited by Stephan Blaut (Kassel: Bärenreiter, 2006). Autograph: The composer’s manuscripts are in the British Library in London the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge. Additional manuscript materials in other hands are in the Royal College of Music, London; the Central Public Library, Manchester; the Gerald Coke
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Collection in Bentley, England; the Music Collection of the Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek Carl von Ossietzky, Hamburg; and the Nanki Ongaku Bunko (Nanki Music Library), Tokyo. Notes: The score includes a completion date of 7 June 1733. Additions were made in 1735, including Italian arias. A subsequent revision was made in 1756. Portions of this score also appear in Parnasso in festa, HWV 73, and “This is the Day the Lord hath made.” HWV 262. Handel made a habit of performing organ concerti at the end of the first act. The title character, Athalia, is the Queen of Judah, who upon the death of her son the King, Ahaziah, slaughters the remaining royal family to remain in power; Joas, Ahaziah’s son survives, hidden from his grandmother by his aunt, Josabeth; Joad is a high priest and husband of Josabeth; Mathan, a former Jewish priest is now a priest of Baal; and Abner is captain of the Jewish forces. Joad order has Joas declared King and has Athalia slain. Mathan is also slain before the altars as the Jewish soldiers destroy the altars of Baal and reclaim the temple. Performance Issues: The choral writing is vocally demanding. The choral material is well supported by the orchestra. There are some movements for double chorus, but much is SATB, combining homophonic and imitative textures. Likewise, the string writing is primarily for two violins. There is a challenging cello solo in movement 11. The orchestral writing is rich and idiomatic. The string writing, in particular, is demanding with very rapid unison passages that will require experienced players. If one is to perform this work, some thought will need to be given to which version of various numbers will be used. The interpolation of Italian arias may be problematic for modern audiences, but the available soloists may be the best guide for these decisions, especially for the role of Joad, which is quite flamboyant in the 1735 score. There are passages in the HHA edition in which it is not always clear where a solo part ends and a choral part begins when they are assigned a common line of the score. There is an alternate version of one movement, 4.a., which is a duet for two bass soloists with double SATB choir. This duet lists one of the soloists as Joas who is elsewhere a mezzo. Handel’s many revisions for a variety of soloists is the cause of this anomaly. Soloists: Athalia (soprano) - range: d'-a'', tessitura: a'-a'', this is a dramatic role with some rapid figures; Josabeth (soprano) - range: f'-b♭'', tessitura: a'f'', this is a lyric role with considerable coloratura; Joas (soprano) - range: e♭'-a♭'', tessitura: g'-g'', this is a lyric role best suited to a boy soprano; Joad (alto) - range: b♭-c'', tessitura: c'-a', this is a lilting role, but in the revision it is high mezzo role with long phrases and considerable coloratura (range: b-g''); Mathan (tenor) range: e-g', tessitura: f-f', this is a lyric role with rapid
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
coloratura writing; Abner (bass) - range: (F)274 G-f', tessitura: A-d', this is a dramatic solo with some rapid coloratura. Choir: difficult; Orchestra: difficult. Selected Discography: Elisabeth Scholl, Barbara Schlick, Friederike Holzhausen, Stephan MacLeod, Markus Britscher; Junge Kantorei, Franfurt Baroque Orchestra; conducted by Joachim Carlos Martini. Recorded in Kloster Eberbach, Eltville im Rheingau, 19 May 1996. Naxos: 8554364-65. Emma Kirkby, Aled Jones, James Bowman, Anthony Rolfe Johnson, David Thomas; Academy of Ancient Music; conducted by Christopher Hogwood. L’Oiseau-Lyre: 4171262. Selected Bibliography: Dean, Winton. Handel’s Dramatic Oratorios and Masques, 247-264. London: Oxford University Press, 1959. Young, Percy M. The Oratorios of Handel, 59-81. London: Dennis Dobson, 1959. Brett, Philip, and George Haggerty. “Handel and the Sentimental: The Case of Athalia.” Music & Letters, volume 68 (1987): 112-127. Téllez, Carmen Helena. Musical Form and Dramatic Concept in Handel’s Athalia. Indiana University, D. M. dissertation, 1989. Haake, Claus. “Beispiele dramatischer Gestaltung im Händels Musik zum Oratorium Athalia.” HändelJahrbuch, volume 37 (1991): 147-152. Burrows, Donald. “Handel’s 1735 (London) Version of Athalia.” Music in Eighteenth-Century Britain, edited by David Wyn Jones, 193-212. Aldershot: Ashgate, 2000. Held, Anette Christina. “Händels Oratorium Athalia (HWV 52, 1733) und die biblischen Tragödien Racines.” Göttinger Händel-Beitrage, volume 8 (2000): 75-104. Blaut, Stephan. “Preface” to Athalia, Hallische HändelAusgabe im Auftrage der Georg Friedrich HändelGesellschaft, series 1, volume 12: xix-xxix. Kassel: Bärenreiter, 2006.
Saul, HWV 53 (1738) Duration: ca. 180 minutes Text: The text is by Charles Jennens, based upon Abraham Cowley’s Davideis and I Samuel, chapter 17, and II Samuel, chapter 1 from the Old Testament. Performing Forces: voices: 3 soprano,275 alto, 4 tenor, and 4 bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes 274 In the alternate version only. 275 The Witch of Endor is listed as a tenor role, but appears in soprano range in the score. 276 This was a keyboard instrument for which a chime stop on the organ or celeste may be used. The size of the orchestra may make
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(recorders), 2 oboes, 2 bassoons, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, timpani, carillons,276 harp, organ, strings, and continuo (bassoon, cello, double bass, harpsichord, and organ) First Performance: 16 January 1739; King’s Theater, Haymarket, London; conducted by the composer Editions: Saul is available from Bärenreiter. It is also found in two scholarly editions — G. F. Händels Werke: Ausgabe der Deutschen Händelgesellschaft, volume 13, edited by Friedrich W. Chrysander (Leipzig and Bergedorf bei Hamburg: 1858-1894, reprinted in 1965); and Hallische Händel-Ausgabe im Auftrage der Georg Friedrich Händel-Gesellschaft, series 1, volume 13, edited by Percy M. Young (Kassel: Bärenreiter, 1962). Autograph: The composer’s manuscript is in the British Library in London. Additional manuscript materials in other hands are in the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge; the Bodleian Library, Oxford; the Royal College of Music, London; the Central Public Library, Manchester; and the Music Collection of the Staatsund Universitätsbibliothek Carl von Ossietzky, Hamburg. Notes: This is the first of Handel’s four collaborations with the librettist Charles Jennens: Saul; L’Allegro, HWV 55; Messiah, HWV 56; and Belshazzar’s, HWV 61. It is noteworthy that only four of the thirty arias are in da capo form. This is one of the largest orchestrations of the era. Performance Issues: The choral writing includes a diverse array of homophonic and imitative textures all of which are well supported by the orchestra. There are some divisi for the sopranos and tenors. There are some exposed and challenging solo passages for oboe I. A few of the solos are labeled with voice type without specifying the character. The orchestral writing is idiomatic. The brass and wind scorings make the use of a full string section advisable. The trombone parts are alto, tenor, and bass with the tessitura of the alto trombone quite high. There are a number of organ solos within the score. There are a few passages with three violin parts. The carillon part is labeled “Carillons in F.” The plural is of note, but the key appears to be an error. To remain harmonically consistent with the other instruments, the transposition should be down a perfect fourth rather than a perfect fifth. The harp appears as a brief solo movement representing David’s playing of the harp. It includes figured bass. This should be realized in the part to allow for an idiomatic solution. Soloists: Merab (soprano) - range: d'a celeste difficult to balance. The range goes beyond typical glockenspiels. In the right setting a handbell choir could be effectively added to the score.
356 b♭'', tessitura: g'-g'', this is a lyric role with some extended coloratura passagework; Michal (soprano) range: e'-a'', tessitura: g'-g'', this is a light lyric role; Witch of Endor (soprano) - range: g'-e'', tessitura: g'e'', this is a simple sustained role listed as a tenor in many sources and the frontismaterial of the critical edition, but written in soprano range; David (alto/countertenor) - range: b♭-a'', tessitura: d'-d'', this is a lyric role with some sustained passages and occasional coloratura passages, the range and tessitura of this part are higher in the third act than in acts I and II; Jonathan (tenor) - range: c#-a♭', tessitura: g-f', this is a lilting and sustained role; Abner (tenor) - range: f-e♭', tessitura: a-d', this is a simple part only in recitatives, it is appropriate for a chorister; An Amalekite (tenor) - range: d-f#', tessitura: f-e', this is a simple solo appropriate for a chorister; High Priest (tenor) - range: dg', tessitura: f-e', this is a simple declamatory role; Saul (bass) - range: B♭-e', tessitura: d-d', this is a powerful and declamatory role with some coloratura writing; Doeg (bass) - range: f-d', tessitura: f-d', this is a brief and simple solo appropriate for a chorister; Apparition of Samuel (bass) - range: B♭-d', tessitura: d-d', this is a simple solo appropriate for a chorister; Abiathar (bass) - range: B♭-e♭', tessitura: e♭-e♭', this character appears in the personnel list, but is not specifically identified in the score, there is a trio in the first scene for, which this part must be the bass, it is a simple lyric part. Choir: difficult; Orchestra: difficult. Selected Discography: Julia Varady, Elisabeth Gale, Matthias Holle, Paul Esswood, Anthony Rolfe Johnson, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau; Konzertvereinigung Wiener Staatsoperchor, Concentus Musicus Wien; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Live concert recording Musikvereinsall, Vienna, 28 April 1985. Warner Classics (Das Alte Werk re-release): 4686983. Barbara Schlick, Marcel Beekman, Claron McFadden, David Cordier, Knut Schoch, Stephan MacLeod, Gotthold Schwarz; Junge Kantorei, Barockorchestra Frankfurt; conducted by Joachim Carlos Martono. Recorded in Kloster Eberbach, Eltville am Rhein, Germany, May 1997. Naxos: 8554361-3. Donna Brown, Lynne Dawson, Ruth Holton, Derek Lee Ragin, Neil Mackie, John Mark Ainsley, Philip Salmon, Philip Slane, Simon Oberst, Alastair Miles, Richard Savage; Monteverdi Choir, English Baroque Soloists; conducted by John Eliot Gardiner. Recorded in Stadthalle Göttingen, June 1989. Philips: 000942802.
277 David Daniels indicates that the Bärenreiter edition includes two flutes (Orchestral Music: A Handbook, fourth edition, 161 [Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press, 2005]).
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Selected Bibliography: Dean, Winton. Handel’s Dramatic Oratorios and Masques, 274-310. London: Oxford University Press, 1959. Young, Percy M. The Oratorios of Handel, 82-97. London: Dennis Dobson, 1959. Webb, Ralph. “Views and Viewpoints: Handel’s Oratorios as Drama.” College Music Symposium, volume 23, number 2 (1983):122-144. Latini, Lucilla. Analisi e fortuna del Saul di G. F. Haendel (con traduzione e studio critico del libretto). Università degli Studi di Perugia, Ph.D. dissertation, 1986. Hicks, Anthony. “Handel, Jennens, and Saul: Aspects of a Collaboration.” Music and Theatre: Essays in Honour of Winton Dean, edited by Nigel Fortune, 75-104. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1987. Cox, Howard. “Character Portraits of the Hebrew Kings in Handel’s Oratorios.” Göttinger Händel-Beiträge, volume 5 (1993): 216-223.
Israel in Egypt, HWV 54 (1738) Duration: ca. 120 minutes Text: The text is taken from the Book of Exodus, chapter 15 from the Old Testament and the Psalter in the Book of Common Prayer. Performing Forces: voices: 2 soprano, alto, tenor, and 2 bass soloists; SSAATTBB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes, 2 bassoons, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, timpani, strings, and continuo (cello, double bass, harpsichord, and organ) 277 First Performance: 4 April 1739; King’s Theater, Haymarket, London; conducted by the composer Editions: Israel in Egypt is available from Bärenreiter, Kalmus, Luck’s, and C. F. Peters. It is also found in two scholarly editions — G. F. Händels Werke: Ausgabe der Deutschen Händelgesellschaft, volume 16, edited by Friedrich W. Chrysander (Leipzig and Bergedorf bei Hamburg: 1858-1894, reprinted in 1965); and Hallische Händel-Ausgabe im Auftrage der Georg Friedrich Händel-Gesellschaft, series 1, volume 14, parts 1 and 2, edited by Arnette Landgraf (Kassel: Bärenreiter, 1999). Autograph: The composer’s manuscript is in the British Library in London. Additional manuscript materials in other hands are in the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge; the Gerald Coke Collection in Bentley, England; the Central Public Library, Manchester; the Durham Cathedral Library; and the Music Collection of the Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek Carl von Ossietzky, Hamburg.
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Notes: Early performances (1739 and 1740) of this composition used an arrangement of Handel’s Funeral Anthem as the first act. From 1756 on, the first act was a reworking of passages from Solomon and the Occasional Oratorio. The Chrysander edition does not include the Sinfonia. Performance Issues: This work is a showcase for a virtuosic choir and orchestra. The choral material is almost entirely doubled by the orchestra. Sections scored for eight-part choir are generally less contrapuntally complex and syllabic than those for four parts. The significant majority of this work is choral. The solos and duets comprise only about a quarter of the composition, and each soloist has only one or two extended numbers. The choral material includes passages that are vocally challenging to all singers, but of greater significance is the amount of choral music to be learned and the vocal endurance of the choir. A choir that is musically solid and vocally mature is needed for an effective performance. The scoring suggests the use of a large choir. Despite the idiomatic writing for all of the instruments, there are some very florid passages for the violins that will require close attention in rehearsal. The trombones were added by Handel to his conducting score and provide colla parte support of the choir in selected passages. The orchestration is quite rich, and at times the density of the voicing presents challenges to clarity of line. Effort will need to be given to maintain a lightness of articulation to produce these passages effectively. Soloists: soprano I - range: e♭'-b♭'', tessitura: e'-e'', this is a lyric solo with some extended coloratura; soprano II range: e'-g'', tessitura: e'-e'', this is a lyric solo with some extended coloratura; alto - range: b♭-c'' (e''), tessitura: b♭-c'', this is a sustained lyric solo with long phrases; tenor - range: d-g', tessitura: f-e', this is a lyric solo rapid coloratura passagework; bass I - range: Ae', tessitura: c#-c#', this is a lyric solo with long melismatic passagework; bass II - range: G#-e', tessitura: c#-c#', this is a lyric solo with long melismatic passagework. Choir: difficult; Orchestra: difficult. Selected Discography: Nicola Jenkins, Simon Birchall, Robert Evans; The Sixteen, Symphony of Harmony and invention; conducted by Harry Christophers. Recorded in St. Jude’s on the Hill, Hempstead, England, in March 1993. Coro: 16011.
Susan Gritton, Michael Chance, Iain Bostridge, Stephen Varcoe; King’s College Choir, Cambridge; Brandenburg Consort; conducted by Stephen Cleobury. Decca. Selected Bibliography: Tovey, Donald Francis. “Handel: Israel in Egypt.” In Essays in Musical Analysis, volume 5, 82. London: Oxford University Press, 1937. Dean, Winton. Handel’s Dramatic Oratorios and Masques, 317-319. London: Oxford University Press, 1959. Young, Percy M. The Oratorios of Handel, 82-97. London: Dennis Dobson, 1959. Leopold, Silke. “Israel in Egypt — ein mißglückter Glücksfall.” Göttinger Händel-Beiträge, volume 1 (1984): 35-50. Kropfinger, Klaus. “Israel in Egypt — das fragwürdige Fragment,” Beiträge zur Geschichte des Oratoriums seit Händel: Festschrift Günther Massenkeil zum 60 Geburtstag, edited by Rainer Cadenbach and Helmut Loos, 1-28. Bonn: Voggenreiter, 1986. Landgraf, Annette. “Israel in Egypt: ein Oratorium als Opfer der Politik.” Händel-Jahrbuch, volume 42-43 (1996-1997): 213-221.
L’Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato, HWV 55 (1740) Duration: ca. 110 minutes Text: The text of parts I and II is an arrangement by Charles Jennens and James Harris of John Milton’s poems “L’Allegro” and “Il Penseroso,” which are companion poems first published in 1645, but probably written in 1631. “L’Allegro” refers to the “cheerful man” invoking the goddess Mirth to live with the poet in the pastoral countryside and the busy city. “Il Penseroso” refers to the “contemplative man” and is an invocation to the goddess Melancholy requesting Peace, Quiet Leisure, and Contemplation.278 Jennens provided original text for part III, “Il Moderato,” which was omitted in later performances. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes (transverse), 2 oboes, bassoon, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, carillon, timpani, strings, and continuo (bassoon, cello, double bass, harpsichord, and organ).279 First Performance: 27 February 1740; Lincoln’s Inn Fields, London; conducted by the composer Editions: L’Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato is available from Bärenreiter. It is also found in two scholarly editions — G. F. Händels Werke: Ausgabe
278 The Oxford Companion to English Literature, 5th edition, edited by Margaret Drabble, 492 and 544 (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1985). 279 There are three violin parts and two viola parts; likewise, the critical edition allows for the use of two obbligato bassoons or
cellos in certain movements. There is an independent bassoon part in some movements, which is not indicated in the instrumentation list of the score.
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der Deutschen Händelgesellschaft, volume 6, edited by Friedrich W. Chrysander (Leipzig and Bergedorf bei Hamburg: 1858-1894, reprinted in 1965); and Hallische Händel-Ausgabe im Auftrage der Georg Friedrich Händel-Gesellschaft, series 1, volume 16, edited by Martin V. Hall and James S. Hall (Kassel: Bärenreiter, 1965). The aria “Sweet Bird” is published as an independent concert work by Kalmus. Autograph: The composer’s manuscripts are in the British Library in London and the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge. Additional manuscript materials in other hands are in the Gerald Coke Collection in Bentley, England; and the Music Collection of the Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek Carl von Ossietzky, Hamburg. Notes: The work was composed between 19 January and 4 February 1740. After 1742, Handel omitted part III in performance. Performance Issues: The choral writing is primarily homophonic and well supported by the orchestra. The choral numbers are only about a fifth of the work. There are some passages that are vocally demanding for the choristers, but it is a work intended to show off the soloists, particularly the soprano. The score allows for some work to be assigned to the tenor or soprano, which is probably the result of particular soloists at the composer’s disposal in different performances. This does allow the soprano to take responsibility for the more florid material. There is considerable rapid unison passagework for the treble instruments requiring careful attention to achieve good ensemble. This includes a fair amount of ornamentation. There is an exposed horn solo in movement 13 that is quite high. The carillon appears in movement 19. It is a florid and critical part; however, there is an alternate simple movement to replace this when an instrument is unavailable. If the carillon movement is to be included, it will be necessary to interpret the octaves in the notation to correspond with available instruments as the notated range is D-g''. There are some challenging solo passages for violin and cello. The trumpets and timpani appear only in movement 30. The first part is high and sustained. Soloists: soprano - range: b♭-b♭'', tessitura: f'-f'', this is a lyric role with considerable coloratura passagework and long phrases, it is a tour de force requiring a strong vocalist, and if the numbers alternately assigned to tenor or soprano are given to the soprano, it represents a substantial portion of the oratorio; alto - range: c'-d'', tessitura: d'-c'', this is a lilting a small solo role; tenor - range: d-a', tessitura: f-f', this is a declamatory and articulated solo with some coloratura writing; bass - range: B♭-e', tessitura: d-d',
280 This version was premiered in Vienna in March 1789. It is catalogued as K. 572 and can be found in the Neue Mozart Ausgabe
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
this is a declamatory role with some coloratura writing. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: difficult. Selected Discography: Linda Perillo, Barbara Hannigan, Knut Schoch, Stephan MacLeod; Junge Kantorei, Franfurt Baroque Orchestra; conducted by Joachim Carlos Martini. Recorded in Kloster Eberbach, Eltville im Rheingau, 19 May 2002. Naxos: 8557057. Susan Gritton, Claron McFadden, Lorna Anderson, Paul Agnew, Neal Davies; The King’s Consort; conducted by Robert King. Recorded at St. Jude-on-the-Hill, Hempstead, London, 5 through 12 February 1999. Hyperion: 67283/4. Selected Bibliography: Myers, Robert Manson. Handel, Dryden, and Milton. London: Bowes and Bowes, 1956. Dean, Winton. Handel’s Dramatic Oratorios and Masques, 319-323. London: Oxford University Press, 1959. Key, Ivor. “Handel’s L’Allegro: A Celebration of Country and Town.” Studies in Music, volume 22 (1988): 39-47. Cookson, Sandra. “‘Linkèd sweetness:’ Milton, Handel, and the Companion Poems.” Milton Quarterly, volume 30 (1996): 132-142. Schauerte, Gesine. “Purcells Glocken und Luthers Choral: Anklänge Englischer und Deutscher Kirchenmusik in Händels Oratorium L’Allegro, il Penseroso, ed il Moderato.” Händel-Jahrbuch, volume 48 (2002): 281-295.
Messiah, HWV 56 (1741) Duration: ca. 120 minutes Text: The text was compiled from the Bible and the Psalter in the Book of Common Prayer by Charles Jennens. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes, 2 bassoons, 2 trumpets, timpani, organ, strings, and continuo W. A. Mozart orchestration: 2 flutes (flute II doubling piccolo), 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, timpani, organ, and strings280 Ebenezer Prout orchestration: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, timpani, organ, piano, and strings Eugène Goossens orchestration: 3 flutes (piccolo), 4 oboes (English horn), 2 clarinets (bass clarinet), 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, 3 percussionists, harp, and strings
series 10, work group 28, part 1, volume 2. Mozart used the music of Handel’s fugal chorus, “And with his stripes” as the first theme of the double-fugue opening movement of the Requiem.
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First Performance: 13 April 1742, New Music Hall, Fishamble Street, Dublin; conducted by the composer Editions: Messiah is published by Bärenreiter and Eulenberg, edited by Chrysander; Novello, edited by Watkins Shaw; Dover, edited by Alfred Mann; G. Schirmer, edited by Max Spicker; Roger Dean, edited by Leonard Van Camp (piano-vocal score: 65/1001, full score: 30/1026, orchestral parts are available individually for purchase). Of the available piano-vocal scores, the Watkins Shaw edition is highly recommended. Alfred Mann’s edition of the full score and parts is also commendable for their accuracy, clarity, and affordability. Orchestral materials corresponding to the Dover edition are available for purchase from Broude Brothers. The Van Camp edition is published to serve as a correction of the Spicker edition, including matching pagination and corresponding rehearsal numbers. Messiah is also found in two scholarly editions — G. F. Händels Werke: Ausgabe der Deutschen Händelgesellschaft, volume 45, edited by Friedrich W. Chrysander (Leipzig and Bergedorf bei Hamburg: 18581894, reprinted in 1965); and Hallische Händel-Ausgabe im Auftrage der Georg Friedrich Händel-Gesellschaft, series 1, volumes 17 and 18, edited by John Tobin (Kassel: Bärenreiter, 1965 and 1966). The Mozart orchestration is available from Bärenreiter and C.F. Peters. The Prout orchestration is available from G. Schirmer. The Goossens orchestration is available from Meriden Music, represented by Theodore Presser in the United States. Autograph: The composer’s manuscripts are in the British Library in London; St. Michael’s College Library, Tenbury Wells; and the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge. Additional manuscript materials in other hands are in the Gerald Coke Collection in Bentley, England; Rowe Music Library, King’s College, Cambridge; Royal Academy of Music Library, London; Senate House Library, University of London; the Thomas Coram Foundation, London; Trinity College Library, Dublin; Marsh’s Library, Dublin; the New York Public Library; and the Music Collection of the Staatsund Universitätsbibliothek Carl von Ossietzky, Hamburg. A facsimile score was published in three volumes by the Händelgesellschaft under the direction of Friedrich W. Chrysander 1889-1892. It has been reprinted in a single volume by Da Capo Press in 1969. The Royal Musical Association published Handel’s Conducting Score of Messiah, reproducing the aforementioned manuscript in St. Michael’s College, with an introduction by Watkins Shaw from Scolar Press, 1974. Notes: Messiah is Handel’s best known and most performed work, and it is the most widely performed oratorio in the choral-orchestral repertoire. Its success was nearly immediate, and the composer led many
performances of the work, the last of these a mere nine days before his death. Handel conducted from a second manuscript score made by his copyist, John Christopher Smith. The majority of Handel’s changes to the work over the seventeen years of performances he led were recorded in that copy. This document has provided much of the evidence for the multiple versions of many of the arias. This work was written in twentyone days, a herculean feat made only somewhat less miraculous as one begins to discover the clever reuses of musical material from earlier works including Italian arias. Performance Issues: The choral writing is vocally challenging for all parts employing widely varied contrapuntal techniques that include significant rapid melismas in all parts. The work is very practically scored to provide colla parte doubling of much of the choral material. The tunefulness and widespread familiarity of the choruses has made them more accessible to mid-level choirs than other works. This is technically demanding for the choristers. The chorus, “Lift up your gates,” includes passages for semi chorus, which would be extremely effective as an antiphonal group. The instrumental writing is idiomatic with conservative orchestration that includes significant doubling between parts. The trumpet I part has a fairly high tessitura, but Handel provides ample tacets between numbers employing the trumpets and timpani. Logically, there is an exposed and extended trumpet solo in the aria “The trumpet shall sound.” None of the various reorchestrations of the work make it easier, and it can be well argued that they also do not improve upon the original. Soloists: Perhaps more than any of Handel’s other oratorios, the composer created numerous alternate versions of arias to correspond to the singers at his disposal. The Watkins Shaw edition provides four scenarios for the allocation of the solos. The following descriptions are based upon all versions contained within that edition. The stylistic variety within each voice part could be enhanced by using more than four soloists. Soprano - range: c'-a'', tessitura: f'-f'', this is a sustained and lyric solo with some rapid coloratura writing; alto - range: a-e♭'', tessitura: c'-c'', this is a dramatic role with some aggressive coloratura and sustained passagework ideally suited to a countertenor; tenor - range: e-g', tessitura: e-g', this is a lyric solo with some florid coloratura passagework and long phrases; bass - range: (F#) G#-e', tessitura: dd', this is a declamatory solo with some rapid passagework, the role seems best suited for a bass baritone with the exception of “Behold, I tell you a mystery” and “The trumpet shall sound,” which are ideal for a lyric baritone. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Sibylla Rubens, Ingeborg Danz, James Taylor, Thomas Quastoff; Oregon Bach Festival Chorus and
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Orchestra; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in Silva Concert Hall, Eugene, Oregon. Hänssler: 98198. Margaret Marshall, Catherine Robbin, Saul Quarke, Charles Brett, Anthony Rolfe Johnson, Robert Hale; Monteverdi Choir, English Baroque Soloists; conducted by John Eliot Gardiner. Recorded in London, November 1982. Philips: 434297. Sylvia McNair, Anne Sophie von Otter, Michael Chance, Jerry Hadley, Robert Lloyd; Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, conducted by Neville Marriner. Philips: 470044. Lynne Dawson, Hilary Summers, John Mark Ainsley, Alastair Miles; Choir of King’s College, Cambridge; Brandenburg Consort; conducted by Stephen Cleobury. Brilliant Classics: 955336. Selected Bibliography:
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Van Camp, Leonard. Practical Guide for Performing, Singing, and Teaching Messiah. Dayton, OH: Roger Dean, 1994.
Samson, HWV 57 (1741) Duration: ca. 205 minutes281 Text: The text is an adaptation by John Hamilton of John Milton’s Samson Agonistes (1671) with interpolations of other poems. Performing Forces: voices: 2 soprano, alto, 3 tenor, and 2 bass soloists;282 SATB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, timpani, organ, strings, and continuo First Performance: 18 February 1743; Covent Garden, London; conducted by the composer.
Larsen, Jens Peter. Handel’s Messiah, Origins, Composition, Sources. London: Adam and Charles Black, 1957. Revised, New York: W. W. Norton, 1972. Dean, Winton. Handel’s Dramatic Oratorios and Masques, 323-325. London: Oxford University Press, 1959. Young, Percy M. The Oratorios of Handel, 98-116. London: Dennis Dobson, 1959. Shaw, Watkins. The Story of Handel’s Messiah: 17411784. London: Novello, 1963. ———. A Textual and Historical Companion to Handel’s Messiah. London: Novello, 1965. Tobin, John. Handel’s Messiah: A Critical Account of the Manuscript Sources and Printed Editions. London: Cassell, 1969. Burrows, Donald. “Handel’s Performances of Messiah: The Evidence of the Conducting Score.” Music and Letters, volume 56 (1975): 319. ———. “Handel and the Foundling Hospital.” Music and Letters, volume 58 (1977): 269. Larsen, Jens Peter. “Wandlungen der Auffassung von Händels Messias.” Göttinger Händel-Beiträge, volume 1 (1984): 7-20. Burrows, Donald. “The Autographs and Early Copies of Messiah: Some Further Thoughts.” Music and Letters, volume 66 (1985): 201. Gudger, William D. “Sketches and Drafts for Messiah.” American Choral Review, volume 27, number 2-3 (1985): 31-44. Moses, Don V. Face-to-Face with an Orchestra: A Handbook for Choral Conductors Performing Handel’s Messiah, Bach’s Magnificat, Vivaldi’s Gloria, and Other Works. Princeton, NJ: Prestige Publications, 1987. Burrows, Donald. Handel’s “Messiah.” Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1991. Luckett, Richard. Handel’s Messiah: A Celebration. London: Victor Gollancz, 1992.
Editions: Samson is available from Bärenreiter, Kalmus, and C. F. Peters. It is also found in the scholarly edition — G. F. Händels Werke: Ausgabe der Deutschen Händelgesellschaft, volume 10, edited by Friedrich W. Chrysander (Leipzig and Bergedorf bei Hamburg: 1858-1894, reprinted in 1965); and an entry in the Hallische Händel-Ausgabe im Auftrage der Georg Friedrich Händel-Gesellschaft is planned.
281 Recordings range from 159 to 215 minutes.
282 A number of the solo roles are not listed in many sources, but
Autograph: The composer’s manuscripts are in the British Library in London and the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge. Additional manuscript materials in other hands are in the Gerald Coke Collection in Bentley, England; Rowe Music Library, King’s College, Cambridge; the Central Public Library, Manchester; the Music Collection of the Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek Carl von Ossietzky, Hamburg; and Nanki Ongaku Bunko (Nanki Music Library), Tokyo. Notes: The score was composed in September and October of 1741 and revised in 1742. A new aria was added in 1745 and another, from the Occasional Oratorio, in 1754. The score identifies choruses of Philistines and Israelites. These designations are made in the libretto, but not the score. If two ensembles are used, they should be physically divided. Performance Issues: The choral parts include a number of vocally demanding passages, but there are considerable opportunities to recover between them. There are numerous brief passages wherein the choir is unaccompanied, but the vast majority of the choral passages are clearly doubled by the instruments. There is one movement score for SSATTB choir, which is homophonic. The trumpet and horn parts are exposed and quite difficult, but there is considerable recovery time between movements in which they appear. The flutes appear in only a brief portion of the score and would have been played by the oboists during
those reviewed have independent arias.
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Handel’s time. The string writing includes some rapid passagework throughout the section. There is a notated organ part in one movement that is quite simple. There is an additional soprano solo labeled “Virgin” that appears in duet with Dalila. It would be practical to assign this to the same soloist who portrays the Philistine Woman. There are also a few recitative passages assigned to a “Messenger,” which can be a tenor chorister. This is a monumental work with a number of very demanding sections, but Handel has provided practical balance with less challenging material. The work is well paced to avoid significant fatigue, but it remains a three-hour work. Soloists: Dalila (soprano) - range: c#'-a'', tessitura: e'-e'', this is a lyric solo with considerable florid passagework; Philistine Woman/Israelite Woman (soprano) - range: e'-a'', tessitura: f#'-f#'', this is a lyric solo with long phrases and some florid passagework, the role could be divided between two soloists, the parts are vocally similar; Micah (alto) - range: a-e♭'' (e''), tessitura: c'-c'', this is a declamatory solo with some long phrases; Samson (tenor) - range: d-a', tessitura: f-f', this is a dramatic declamatory role; Philistine (tenor) - range: c#-g' (a' optional), tessitura: f#-f#', this is a lyric solo with some florid passagework; Israelite (tenor) - range: d-g', tessitura: f-f', this is a lyric solo role; Manoah (bass) range: B♭-f', tessitura: d-d', this is a dramatic baritone role with extended melismatic passagework; Harapha (bass) - range: G-e', tessitura: B♭-d', this is a dramatic solo with some rapid coloratura. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: difficult. Selected Discography: Lynne Dawson, Lynda Russell, Matthew Vine, Jonathan Best, Thomas Randle, Mark Padmore, Michael George; The Sixteen, Symphony of Harmony and Invention; conducted by Harry Christophers. Recorded at St. Jude’s on the Hill, Hempstead Garden, England. Coro: 16008. Lynne Dawson, Donna Brown, Ruth Holton, Derek Lee Ragin, John Mark Ainsley, Neil Mackie, Richard Savage, Alastair Miles; Monteverdi Choir, English Baroque Soloists; conducted by John Eliot Gardiner. Recorded in Stadthalle, Göttingen, Germany, June 1989. Philips: 000942802. Selected Bibliography: Smith, William C. “Samson: The Earliest Editions and Handel’s Use of the Dead March. Musical Times (August 1938): 581-584. Myers, Robert Manson. Handel, Dryden, and Milton. London: Bowes and Bowes, 1956.
283 Lincoln, Stoddard, “The First Setting of Congreve’s Semele,” Music and Letters, volume 44, number 2 (April 1963): 104.
Dean, Winton. Handel’s Dramatic Oratorios and Masques, 326-364. London: Oxford University Press, 1959. Young, Percy M. The Oratorios of Handel, 117-128. London: Dennis Dobson, 1959. Stahura, Mark. “The Publishing Copy Text of Handel’s Samson.” Journal of Musicology, volume 4 (19851986): 207-216. Burrows, Donald. “Handel and English Recitative.” Symposien-Bericht Karlsruhe (1998-2000): 209-229.
Semele, HWV 58 (1743) Duration: ca. 170 minutes Text: The text is William Congreve’s libretto for the opera by John Eccles based upon Ovid’s Metamorphoses, book III, which was completed in 1707, but never produced.283 To adapt the text for an oratorio, Handel used additional passages from Alexander Pope’s “Summer: The Second Pastorale.” Performing Forces: voices: 2 soprano, 3 alto, 2 tenor, and 3 bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, timpani, strings, and continuo First Performance: 10 February 1744; Covent Garden, London; conducted by the composer Editions: Semele is available from Kalmus and Novello. It is also found in two scholarly editions — G. F. Händels Werke: Ausgabe der Deutschen Händelgesellschaft, volume 7, edited by Friedrich W. Chrysander (Leipzig and Bergedorf bei Hamburg: 1858-1894, reprinted in 1965); and an entry in the Hallische HändelAusgabe im Auftrage der Georg Friedrich HändelGesellschaft is planned. Autograph: The composer’s manuscripts are in the British Library in London and the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge. Additional manuscript materials in other hands are in the Central Public Library, Manchester; the Music Collection of the Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek Carl von Ossietzky, Hamburg; and the Library of Congress. Notes: This work was composed between 3 June and 4 July 1743. Six arias, some in Italian, were added for a second set of performances given in December 1744. Performance Issues: The choral material is dramatic, but quite practical. In many cases the orchestra accompanies the choir in highly ornamented versions of their material giving the effect of it being more difficult for the choir than it actually is. Much of the choral material is homophonic and syllabic. A larger choir is appropriate to balance the declamatory choral passages with a fairly thick orchestration. The orchestral writing is quite virtuosic, with considerable rapid
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passagework for all winds and strings. There are some exposed cello solos. The violin parts in particular will require strong players to maintain tempi. This is a work that features the soloists with the choir providing dramatic effect. A number of the soloists must be technically gifted, especially Athamus, Juno, Ino, and Jupiter, but this is truly a showcase for the title character. This work should only be programmed with this soloist as the lynchpin. Soloists: Iris (soprano) - range: f'b♭'', tessitura: g'-f'', this is a lyric solo with rapid coloratura; Semele (soprano) - range: c'-a'', tessitura: g'-g'', this is a virtuosic lyric role with considerable coloratura; Athamas (alto) - range: a-b♭', tessitura: c'-a', this is a lyric role with some ornamental passagework ideally a countertenor; Juno (alto) - range: a-e♭'' (f''), tessitura: d'-d'', this is a dramatic declamatory mezzosoprano role; Ino (alto) - range: b♭-e♭'', tessitura: d'b♭', this is a simple, although considerable, lyric role; Jupiter (tenor) - range: e-a', tessitura: f#-f#', this is a lyric role with extended melismatic passages; Apollo (tenor) - range: f-f#', tessitura: f-e', this is a brief simple recitative appropriate for a chorister; Cadmus (bass) - range: c-d', tessitura: c-d', this is a simple part; Somnus (bass) - range: A-d', tessitura: d-c', this is a lyric solo with some melismatic passagework; Priest (bass) - range: B♭-e♭', tessitura: c-c', this is a simple brief solo appropriate for a strong chorister – it is the first vocal entry of the oratorio. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: difficult. Selected Discography: Kathleen Battle, Sylvia McNair, Marilyn Horne, Michael Chance, John Aler, Samuel Ramey; Ambrosian Opera Chorus, English Baroque Orchestra; conducted by John Nelson. Recorded in Abbey Road Studios, May 1990. Deutsche Grammophon: 435782. Elisabeth Scholl, Julia Schmidt, Ralf Popken, Knut Schoch, Klaus Mertens; Junge Kantorei, Frankfurt Baroque Orchestra; conducted by Joachim Carlos Martini. Recorded 27 May 2007 in Kloster Eberbach, Rheingau, Germany. Naxos: 8570431-33. Selected Bibliography: Lawrence, J. T. “Handel’s Semele.” Musical Opinion (June 1900). Heuss, Alfred. “Das Semele-Problem bei Congreve und Händel.” Zeitschrift der internationalen Musikgesellschaft, volume 15 (1914). Squire, W. Barclay. “Handel’s Semele.” Musical Times (February 1925). Dean, Winton. Handel’s Dramatic Oratorios and Masques, 365-397. London: Oxford University Press, 1959. Hicks, Anthony. “Ravishing Semele.” Musical Times, volume 114 (1973): 275-280.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Leopold, Silke. “Semele von John Eccles und Georg Friedrich Händel.” Symposien-Bericht Karlsruhe (1986-1987): 29-38. Hurley, David Ross. “‘The Summer of 1743’: Some Handelian Self-Borrowings.” Göttinger Händel-Beiträge, volume 4 (1991): 174-193. ———. Handel’s Muse: Patterns of Creation in His Oratorios and Musical Dramas, 1743-1751. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2001.
Joseph [Joseph and His Brethren], HWV 59 (1743) Duration: ca. 165 minutes Text: The text was compiled by James Miller from the book of Genesis, chapter 41-44, and Apostolo Zeno’s Giuseppe. Performing Forces: voices: 4 soprano, 1 alto, 2 tenor, and 2 bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, bassoons, 2 trumpets, timpani, strings, and continuo (bassoon, cello, double bass, harpsichord, and organ) First Performance: 2 March 1744; Covent Garden, London; conducted by the composer Editions: Joseph and His Brethren is found in the scholarly editions — G. F. Händels Werke: Ausgabe der Deutschen Händelgesellschaft, volume 42, edited by Friedrich W. Chrysander (Leipzig and Bergedorf bei Hamburg: 1858-1894, reprinted in 1965); and an entry in the Hallische Händel-Ausgabe im Auftrage der Georg Friedrich Händel-Gesellschaft is planned. Autograph: The composer’s manuscripts are in the British Library in London and the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge. Additional manuscript materials in other hands are in the Gerald Coke Collection in Bentley, England; Rowe Music Library, King’s College, Cambridge; the Central Public Library, Manchester; and the Music Collection of the Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek Carl von Ossietzky, Hamburg. Notes: This work is referred to by two titles: Joseph is the name of the oratorio, but the libretto used the name, Joseph and His Brethren. The final chorus is from the Dettingen Anthem, HWV 265. Performance Issues: The choral writing is contrapuntally varied. The choral material is clearly doubled by the instruments. There are a number of vocal challenges for the choir, including rapid coloratura passages in multiple concurrent voices. The trumpets and timpani appear in only a couple of movements, and although logical members of the continuo group, the bassoons and organ are only specifically identified in the final chorus. That movement also includes the label “Cantus I, II” on the top choral line, but it is a single part throughout. The flutes appear in a single movement and would have been played by the oboists
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
in Handel’s time. The wind and brass parts are practical and offer adequate recovery time between passages. The string writing is idiomatic, but often quite challenging. There are some very rapid passages for all upper strings in unison that may prove troublesome for ensemble unity. In his conducting score, Handel created a number of versions and transpositions of solos to take advantage of the soloists at his disposal. He also added optional notes (lower for Joseph and higher for Phanor and Potifera) to exploit the vocal qualities of particular singers. The resulting published editions present a few roles that have a music multiple personality disorders. Rather than being an alto part with some high notes or a soprano part with some low notes, these roles shift between alto and soprano tessiture by movement. The roles are navigable by many good singers, but pacing and possible transpositions or ossia passages may need to be considered depending upon the singers employed. Absenath, Joseph, and Phanor are the most challenging roles. In addition to Reuben, Simeon and Judah can also be assigned to string choristers. Soloists: Benjamin (soprano) range: e'-g'', tessitura: g'-g'', this is a sustained lyric solo; Absenath (soprano) - range: c'-a'', tessitura: g'-g'', this is a large, virtuosic solo with some extended coloratura; Phanor (soprano284) - range: a♭-g'', tessitura: f'-d'', this is a declamatory solo; High Priest (soprano) - range: e'-a'', tessitura: g'-g'', this is a lyric soprano role labeled “alto” in some scores; Joseph (alto) range: (a♭) a-g'', tessitura: d'-d'', this is a substantial lyric role with some rapid passagework; Potiphera or Simeon (tenor) - range: d-g', tessitura: g-g', this is a declamatory solo with some rapid passagework; Judah (tenor) - range: d-g', tessitura: f-f', this is a lilting role with some extended passagework; Pharaoh (bass) range: G-e', tessitura: d-d', this is a dramatic solo with some rapid coloratura; Reuben (bass) - range: d-d♭', tessitura: f-b♭, this is a very simple part that appears only in recitative and is appropriate for a chorister. Choir: difficult; Orchestra: difficult. Selected Discography: Yvonne Kenny, Connor Burrowes, Catherine Denley, James Bowman, John Mark Ainsley, William Missin, Michael George; King’s Consort; conducted by Robert King. Hyperion: 67171. Selected Bibliography: Fiske, Roger. “Handel’s Joseph.” Music and Letters, volume 15 (October 1934): 301-305. Dean, Winton. Handel’s Dramatic Oratorios and Masques, 398-413. London: Oxford University Press, 1959.
284 Within the Chrysander edition, Phanor is labeled as both an alto and soprano in different movements. A high mezzo-soprano is ideal
Young, Percy M. The Oratorios of Handel, 129-147. London: Dennis Dobson, 1959. Siegmund-Schutze, Walther. “Händels Oratorium Joseph und seine Brüder — eine Wiederentdeckung.” Händel-Jahrbuch, volume 30 (1984): 81-93. Chisholm, Duncan. “New Sources for the Libretto of Handel’s Joseph.” Handel: Tercentenary Collection, edited by Stanley Sadie, 182-208. Ann Arbor, MI: UMI Research Press, 1987. Hurley, David Ross. “The Summer of 1743: Some Handelian Self-Borrowings.” Göttinger Händel-Beiträge, volume 4 (1991): 174-193.
Hercules, HWV 60 (1744) Duration: ca. 150 minutes Text: The text was written by clergyman Thomas Broughton, based upon Sophocles’s Trachiniae and Ovid’s Metamorphoses, book IX. Performing Forces: voices: 2 soprano, alto, tenor, and 2 bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes, 2 trumpet, timpani, strings, and continuo First Performance: 5 January 1745; King’s Theater, Haymarket, London; conducted by the composer. Editions: Hercules is available from Kalmus and Novello. It is also found in the scholarly edition — G. F. Händels Werke: Ausgabe der Deutschen Händelgesellschaft, volume 4, edited by Friedrich W. Chrysander (Leipzig and Bergedorf bei Hamburg: 1858-1894, reprinted in 1965); and an entry in the Hallische Händel-Ausgabe im Auftrage der Georg Friedrich Händel-Gesellschaft is planned. Autograph: The composer’s manuscript is in the British Library in London. Additional manuscript materials in other hands are in the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge; the Gerald Coke Collection in Bentley, England; the Central Public Library, Manchester; and the Music Collection of the Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek Carl von Ossietzky, Hamburg. Notes: Hercules was composed between 19 July and 17 August 1744. The score call for a Chorus of Trachinians and a Chorus of Oechalians. Performance Issues: The choral writing combines a variety of contrapuntal textures, but the majority of the choral material is homophonic and syllabic. There are some rapid melismatic figures for all choristers. The tessiture of each choral part are conservative, and all of the choral parts are clearly doubled by the accompaniment. The trumpets and horns appear in only a few movements and the parts are not very demanding. There are a few exposed cello solos. The string writing is idiomatic and presents the greatest challenges, but even the most rapid passages fall naturally, and should for navigating passages that appear to have been conceived for different soloists.
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come together with minimal rehearsal if an experienced string section is on hand. The score identifies the strings con ripieno and senza ripieno. There are some brief choral solos and recitative passages for various Oechalians that should be assigned to choristers. The herculean roles are ironically Dejanira and Iöle. They have the largest portion of solos and the most vocally challenging material. Soloists: Dejanira (soprano) - range: a-g'', tessitura: e'-e'', this is dramatic role with florid coloratura passages and broad melodic leaps; Iöle (soprano) - range: c'-a'', tessitura: f'-f'', this is a virtuosic role with considerable florid passagework; Lichas (alto) - range: b♭-e♭'', tessitura: e♭'-c'', this is a sustained lyric solo; Hyllus (tenor) - range: eg', tessitura: f-f', this is a lyric solo with some rapid passagework; Hercules (bass) - range: G-e♭', tessitura: d-d', this is a dramatic role with extended melismatic passages; Priest of Jupiter (bass) - range: d-d', tessitura: d-d', this is a set of brief recitatives appropriate for chorister. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Anne Sofie Von Otter, Lynne Dawson, David Daniels, Richard Croft, Gidon Saks; Les Musiciens du Louvre; conducted by Marc Minkowski. DG Archiv: 469532. Sarah Walker, Jennifer Smith, Catherine Denley, Anthony Rolfe Johnson, John Tomlinson; Monteverdi Choir, English Baroque Soloists; conducted by John Eliot Gardiner. DG Archiv: 4779112. In German: Doris Soffel, Hebe Dijkstra, Kari Lövaas, Eberhard Büchner, Hermann Christian Polster. Selected Bibliography: Dean, Winton. Handel’s Dramatic Oratorios and Masques, 414-433. London: Oxford University Press, 1959. Rackwitz, Werner. “Die Herakles-Gestalt bei Händel.” Festschrift zur Händel-Ehrung der Deutschen Demokratischen Republik 1959, 51-61. Leipzig: Deutscher Verlag für Musik, 1959. Hurley, David Ross. “Dejanira and the Physicians: Aspects of Hysteria in Handel’s Hercules.” Musical Quarterly, volume 80 (1996): 548-561. ———. “Handel’s Compositional Process.” The Cambridge Companion to Handel, edited by Donald Burrows, 122-144. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1997. Gilman, Todd S. “Handel’s Hercules and Its Semiosis.” Musical Quarterly, volume 81 (1997): 449-481. Hurley, David Ross. Handel’s Muse: Patterns of Creation in His Oratorios and Musical Dramas, 17431751. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2001.
Belshazzar, HWV 61 (1744) Duration: ca. 155 minutes
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Text: The text was produced by Charles Jennens based upon History I of Herodotus, Xenophon’s Cyropaedia, and the Bible (Daniel 5; Jeremiah 25; and Isaiah 13). Performing Forces: voices: soprano, 2 alto, 2 tenor, and 2 bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes, 2 trumpets, timpani, strings, and continuo First Performance: 27 March 1745; King’s Theater, Haymarket, London; conducted by the composer Editions: Belshazzar is available from Bärenreiter and C. F. Peters. It is also found in the scholarly edition — G. F. Händels Werke: Ausgabe der Deutschen Händelgesellschaft, volume 19, edited by Friedrich W. Chrysander (Leipzig and Bergedorf bei Hamburg: 1858-1894, reprinted in 1965); and an entry in the Hallische Händel-Ausgabe im Auftrage der Georg Friedrich Händel-Gesellschaft is planned. Autograph: The composer’s manuscripts are in the British Library in London and the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge. Additional manuscript materials in other hands are in the Gerald Coke Collection in Bentley, England; the Central Public Library, Manchester; St. Michael’s College Library, Tenbury Wells; the Music Collection of the Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek Carl von Ossietzky, Hamburg; and the Princeton University Library. Notes: This work was composed between 23 August and 23 October 1744. Revisions were made in 1751, and an aria was added in 1758. Performance Issues: There are movements for SSATTB choir, which are generally less contrapuntally complex than the four-part movements. There are choral solos for soprano and alto in the final two choruses. All of the choral parts have some vocally challenging passages including rapid melismatic passages in multiple concurrent voices, which may present challenges for rhythmic and harmonic clarity. The choral material is thoroughly doubled by the orchestra. The majority of this work is assigned to the soloists, so the duration of choral material is less daunting than the length of the total work might imply. The open portion of Act II includes the most challenging music for the total ensemble. A review of this section should be a helpful gage. The trumpet parts are practical, and adequate recovery time exists between movements in which they appear. There are some challenging passages for the strings, but much of the orchestral material is conservatively written. This is a text-heavy oratorio, and care will need to be given to the concerted portions to maintain clarity of the words. Soloists: Nitocris (soprano) - range: d'-a'', tessitura: f#'-f#'', this is a declamatory role with rapid coloratura passages; Cyrus (alto) - range: b♭-f'', tessitura: e♭'-e♭'', this is a declamatory role with some challenging melismatic passages ideal for a countertenor; Daniel (alto)
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
- range: a-e♭'', tessitura: d'-b', this is a lyric role with rapid coloratura passages ideal for a countertenor; Belshazzar (tenor) - range: d'-a♭', tessitura: f-f', this is a lyric role with rapid coloratura; Arioch (tenor) - range: f-f', tessitura: f-f', this is a brief and simple set of recitatives appropriate for a chorister; Gobrias (bass) range: G-f', tessitura: d-d', this is a dramatic baritone role with rapid melismatic passagework; Messenger (bass) - range: e♭-e♭', tessitura: f-c', this is a brief and simple set of recitatives appropriate for a chorister. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Arleen Auger, James Bowman, Catherine Robbin, Jane Coe, Julia Gooding, Anthony Rolfe Johnson, David Wilson-Johnson, Richard Wistreich; English Concert and Choir; conducted by Trevor Pinnock. Recorded in Henry Wood Hall in London, July 1990. DG Archiv: 477037. Simone Kermes, Markus Brutscher, Franz-Josef Selig, Patrik von Goethem, Christopher Robson; Kölner Kammerchor, Collegium Cartusianum; conducted by Peter Neumann. Recorded in Trinitatiskirchen, Köln, Germany, 2001. MDG: 3321079. Selected Bibliography: Dean, Winton. Handel’s Dramatic Oratorios and Masques, 434-459. London: Oxford University Press, 1959. Young, Percy M. The Oratorios of Handel, 129-147. London: Dennis Dobson, 1959. Stutzenberger, David. Belshazzar, and Oratorio by George Frideric Handel: An edition, Critical Report, and Performance Tape. University of Maryland, D. M. A. dissertation, 1980. Hurley, David Ross. “Handel’s Compositional Process.” The Cambridge Companion to Handel, edited by Donald Burrows, 122-144. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1997. ———. Handel’s Muse: Patterns of Creation in His Oratorios and Musical Dramas, 1743-1751. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2001.
Occasional Oratorio, HWV 62 (1746) Duration: ca. 145 minutes Text: The text is a compilation by Newburgh Hamilton of Milton’s paraphrases of the Psalms and Edmund Spenser’s The Faerie Queen, Hymn of Heavenly
285 The Hallische edition lists two sopranos and an alto among the soloists in the frontismaterial, but there are no parts for soprano II or alto. 286 David Daniels notes that the performing materials include trombone parts in some of the movements that were adapted from Israel in Egypt. There is no evidence that Handel intended there to
Beauty, and Tear of the Muses. There are also original texts by Thomas Morell. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, tenor, and bass soloists, 285 SSAATTBB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 3 trumpets, timpani, organ, strings (including 3 violin parts in some movements), and continuo (bassoon, cello, double bass, and harpsichord)286 First Performance: 14 February 1746; Covent Garden, London; conducted by the composer Editions: Occasional Oratorio is available from Bärenreiter. It is also found in two scholarly editions — G. F. Händels Werke: Ausgabe der Deutschen Händelgesellschaft, volume 43, edited by Friedrich W. Chrysander (Leipzig and Bergedorf bei Hamburg: 18581894, reprinted in 1965); and the Hallische HändelAusgabe im Auftrage der Georg Friedrich HändelGesellschaft, series 1, volume 23, edited by Merlin Channon. Autograph: The composer’s manuscripts are in the British Library in London and the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge. Additional manuscript materials in other hands are in the Gerald Coke Collection in Bentley, England; and the Music Collection of the Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek Carl von Ossietzky, Hamburg. Notes: The title of the work is because it was composed and performed by contemporaneous circumstances. It was written to boost the morale of the loyalists in the midst of the Scottish Rebellion The bass aria “The sword that’s drawn in virtue’s cause” is the only work known to have been performed outside of Europe during the composer’s lifetime: 18 March 1756, New York City Hall. Handel reused earlier material, especially from Athalia, HWV 52 and Israel in Egypt, HWV 54. It was in turn cannibalized to provide material for Judas Maccabaeus, HWV 63; Joshua, HWV 64; and revisions of Samson, HWV 57.287 Performance Issues: The choral writing includes homophonic and imitative passages. The choral parts are clearly doubled by the instruments. This includes doubling by the trumpets suggesting the use of a large choir. The choral parts are vocally demanding with some high tessiture for the sopranos. The choruses are mostly scored for SATB. The eight-part passages are syllabic and homophonic, but there are also sections where two SATB choirs are used. These are more contrapuntally complex, but the choirs sing in alternation. Physical separation of these groups would be be trombones in these movements in this later incarnation. In Orchestral Music: A Handbook, fourth edition, 161 (Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press, 2005). 287 Winton Dean, Handel’s Dramatic Oratorios and Masques, 460-461 (London: Oxford University Press, 1959).
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advantageous. Act III begins with two orchestral movements that have concertino and ripieno string parts. There are a number of exposed oboe solos. All of the instrumental parts are challenging. The trumpets have a significant presence in this work, which will present some endurance challenges. This is a very demanding composition for all participants. It is a particular tour de force for the soloists. The clumsiness of the libretto and the saber-rattling nature of the text has diminished the exposure of this work, which despite its derivative generation is a dramatically effective and musically inspiring composition. Soloists: soprano I range: b-a'', tessitura: e'-e'', this is a demanding solo with rapid coloratura and complex rhythms; tenor range: B(d)-a', tessitura: e-e', this is a declamatory solo with some broad melodic leaps and long phrases, movement 20 introduces the low B and has a lower tessitura than the other movements, it could be assigned to a baritone; bass - range: G-e', tessitura: d-d', this is a dramatic role with some extended coloratura passagework. Choir: difficult; Orchestra: difficult.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Performing Forces: voices: 2 soprano, alto, tenor, and 2 bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes,288 2 oboes, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 3 trumpets, timpani, organ, strings, and continuo (bassoon, cello, bass, organ, and harpsichord) First Performance: 1 April 1747; Covent Garden, London; conducted by Handel Editions: Judas Maccabeus is available from Kalmus, Luck’s, and C. F. Peters. It is also found in the scholarly edition — G. F. Händels Werke: Ausgabe der Deutschen Händelgesellschaft, volume 20, edited by Friedrich W. Chrysander (Leipzig and Bergedorf bei Hamburg: 1858-1894, reprinted in 1965); and an entry in the Hallische Händel-Ausgabe im Auftrage der Georg Friedrich Händel-Gesellschaft is planned.
Selected Discography:
Autograph: The composer’s manuscripts are in the British Library in London and the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge. Additional manuscript materials in other hands are in the Central Public Library, and the Music Collection of the Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek Carl von Ossietzky, Hamburg.
Lisa Milne, Susan Gritton, James Bowman, John Mark Ainsley, Michael George; King’s Consort; conducted by Robert King. Hyperion: 66961.
Notes: The score was written between 8 July and 11 August 1746. Additional material was added during the first performance run and in subsequent performances.
Selected Bibliography:
Performance Issues: The choral writing includes a variety of contrapuntal textures. All of the choral material is well supported by the orchestra. One movement has extended divisi for the sopranos, and another in Act I is scored ATB. Also in Act II are two brief choruses labeled Chorus of Youths (SSA) and Chorus of Virgins (SS), which are scored to accommodate small semichoirs. This is also a feature of Joshua, HWV 64. There are vocal challenges for all of the choral parts, but the choir has limited coloratura. The orchestral parts require solid professional players. The horn and trumpet parts have high tessiture, but ample breaks are provided. The flutes and horns appear in only a handful of movements. There is a solo at the beginning of Act III that is labeled Israelite of Israeli Priest. It is consistent with the description of Israelitish Man below, but could be assigned to another soloist for dramatic purposes. The largest roles are Judas Maccabeus, the Israelitish Woman, the Israelitish Man, and Simon. These require technically advanced soloists. Soloists: Isrealitish Woman (soprano) range: d'-a'', tessitura: f'-f'', this is a declamatory solo role with some ornamental passagework; Israelitish Man (soprano289) - range: c'-g'', tessitura: e'-e'', this is a declamatory solo role with some ornamental passagework well-suited to a mezzo-soprano for contrast of characters; Messenger (alto) - range: b-c'', tessitura: d'-b', this is a role of a few recitatives appropriate for a chorister; Judas Maccabeus (tenor) - range: d-a',
Myers, Robert Manson. Handel, Dryden, and Milton. London: Bowes and Bowes, 1956. Young, Percy M. The Oratorios of Handel, 148-153. London: Dennis Dobson, 1959. Dean, Winton. Handel’s Dramatic Oratorios and Masques, 460-463, 507-509. London: Oxford University Press, 1959. Richard, Joel. “Chant de guerre, chant de paix: Les oratorios de Haendel de 1746 à 1749.” Guerres et paix: la Grande-Bretagne au XVIIIe siècle, edited by PaulGabriel Boucé, volume 2: 303-310. Paris: Presses de la Sorbonne nouvelle, 1998. Channon, Merlin. “Preface” to Occasional Oratorio, xiv-xx, Hallische Händel-Ausgabe im Auftrage der Georg Friedrich Händel-Gesellschaft, series 1, volume 23. Kassel: Bärenreiter, 2009.
Judas Maccabeus, HWV 63 (1746) Duration: ca. 145 minutes Text: The text is by Thomas Morell, based upon I Maccabees from the Old Testament and Flavius Josephus’s Antiquities, XII. A Hebrew singing translation was prepared by Aharon Ashman, prepared for the Maccabiah Games in 1932. Levin Kipnis has created an original Hebrew text to be used with Handel’s score that is specifically conceived for Hanukkah.
288 Some parts are labeled traverse and other flute. One should determine if recorders are preferred in the latter instances.
289 This part is labeled for soprano in the score and for mezzosoprano or alto in the preface.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
tessitura: g-g', this is a dramatic solo with some rapid coloratura and numerous wide melodic leaps; Simon (bass) - range: G-e', tessitura: c-c', this is a dramatic and declamatory solo; Eupolemus (bass) - range: f-d', tessitura: f-d', this is a simple recitative appropriate for a chorister. Choir: medium difficult. Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Heather Harper, Jean Temperly, Patricia Clark, Alexander Young, John Shirley-Quirk, Christopher Keyte; Amor Artis Chorale, English Chamber Orchestra; conducted by Johannes Somary. Recorded in 1971. Alto: 2002. Emma Kirkby, Catherine Denley, James Bowman, Jamie MacDougall, Michael George, Simon Birchall; King’s Consort; conducted by Robert King. Recorded in March 1992. Hyperion: 66641/2. Selected Bibliography: Heuss, Alfred. “Das Textproblem von Händels Judas Maccabäus.” Händel-Jahrbuch (1928). Dean, Winton. Handel’s Dramatic Oratorios and Masques, 460-481. London: Oxford University Press, 1959. Young, Percy M. The Oratorios of Handel, 152-155. London: Dennis Dobson, 1959. Hudson, Frederick. “Das Concerto in Judas Maccabeus identifiziert.” Händel-Jahrbuch, volume 20 (1974): 119-133. Cosgrave, Peter W. “Affective Unities: The Esthetics of Music and Factional Instability in Eighteenth-Century England.” Eighteenth-Century Studies, volume 22 (1988): 133-155. Channon, Merlin. “Handel’s Early Performances of Judas Maccabeus: Some New Evidence and Interpretations.” Music and Letters, volume 77 (1996): 499-526. Schläder, Jürgen. “Der patriotische Held: Politische Moral und Gesellschaftsentwurf in Judas Maccabeus.” Symposien-Bericht Karlsruhe (1994-1997): 295-310. Richard, Joel. “Chant de guerre, chant de paix: Les oratorios de Haendel de 1746 à 1749.” Guerres et paix: la Grande-Bretagne au XVIIIe siècle, edited by PaulGabriel Boucé, volume 2: 303-310. Paris: Presses de la Sorbonne nouvelle, 1998. Smith, Ruth. “The Meaning of Morell’s Libretto of Judas Maccabeus.” Music and Letters, volume 79 (1998): 50-71.
Joshua, HWV 64 (1747) Duration: ca. 125 minutes
290 Bernd Baselt indicates that it may be the work of Thomas Morell (Verzeichnis der Werke Georg Friedrich Händels: Kleine Ausgabe, 86 [Leipzig: VEB Deutscher Verlag für Musik, 1986]).
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Text: The source of the text is unknown, but probably Thomas Morell.290 Performing Forces: voices: 2 soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, bassoon, 2 horns, 3 trumpets, timpani, strings, and continuo First Performance: 9 March 1748; Covent Garden, London; conducted by the composer Editions: Joshua is available from Kalmus, Luck’s, and C. F. Peters. It is also found in the scholarly edition — G. F. Händels Werke: Ausgabe der Deutschen Händelgesellschaft, volume 16, edited by Friedrich W. Chrysander (Leipzig and Bergedorf bei Hamburg: 1858-1894, reprinted in 1965); and an entry in the Hallische Händel-Ausgabe im Auftrage der Georg Friedrich Händel-Gesellschaft is planned. Autograph: The composer’s manuscripts are in the British Library in London and the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge. Additional manuscript materials in other hands are in the Gerald Coke Collection in Bentley, England; the Durham Cathedral Library; the Central Public Library, Manchester; St. Michael’s College Library, Tenbury Wells; the Music Collection of the Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek Carl von Ossietzky, Hamburg; and the Princeton University Library. Notes: The score was composed between 19 July and 19 August. Five numbers were added in 1754. Performance Issues: The choral writing is contrapuntally varied and clearly doubled by the orchestra with some instrumental ornamentation and rhythmic variation. There are passages that are vocally challenging for all of the choral parts. There is one brief movement for an SSA “Chorus of Youths” and another SS “Chorus of Virgins.” This is also a feature of Judas Maccabaeus, HWV 63. Semichoirs from the main ensemble can be used, although the former would be effectively sung by a children’s choir. There are a few very demanding passages for the orchestra. The most challenging movement is the chorus “Glory to God.” It includes vary rapid scalar figures in the violin II and bass line with some wind writing that presents particular pitch challenges. The trumpet III part appears in only one purely instrumental movement. It could be covered by one of the horns, which do not play in that movement. The horn I and trumpet I have exposed high passages, but reasonable recovery time between movements in which they play. The oboe I part and the strings have a significant amount of rapid passagework throughout the composition. The instrumental writing exposes all of the players to challenges. Seasoned players are needed throughout the orchestra.
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Soloists: Achsah (soprano) - range: d'-g'', tessitura: f#'-f#'', this is a virtuosic role with ornate coloratura; Angel (soprano) - range: g'-g'', tessitura: a'-f'', this is a simple declamatory role; Othniel (alto) - range: b-e'', tessitura: d'-b', this is a declamatory solo with some ornate figures; Joshua (tenor) - range: d-a', tessitura: ff', this is a challenging role with rapid coloratura; Caleb (bass) - range: G-e', tessitura: c-d', this is a lyric solo with extended melismatic passagework. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: difficult. Selected Discography: Emma Kirkby, James Bowman, Aidan Oliver, John Mark Ainsley, Michael George; Choir of New College, Oxford; The King’s Consort; conducted by Robert King. Recorded in 1990 in St. Joseph’s College, Mill Hill, London. Selected Bibliography: Dean, Winton. Handel’s Dramatic Oratorios and Masques, 498-510. London: Oxford University Press, 1959. Young, Percy M. The Oratorios of Handel, 160-164. London: Dennis Dobson, 1959. Smith, Ruth. “Handel’s Israelite Librettos and English Politics, 1732-52.” Göttinger Händel-Beiträge, volume 5 (1993): 195-215. Burrows, Donald. “Handel’s Last Musical Autograph.” Händel-Jahrbuch, volumes 40-41 (1994-1995): 155164. Richard, Joel. “Chant de guerre, chant de paix: Les oratorios de Haendel de 1746 à 1749.” Guerres et paix: la Grande-Bretagne au XVIIIe siècle, edited by PaulGabriel Boucé, volume 2: 303-310. Paris: Presses de la Sorbonne nouvelle, 1998. Rosand, Ellen. “Handel’s Oratorical Narrative.” Göttinger Händel-Beiträge, volume 8 (2000): 33-58.
Alexander Balus, HWV 65 (1747) Duration: ca. 155 minutes Text: The text is by Thomas Morell, based upon Maccabees, 1:10-11. Performing Forces: voices: 2 soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, timpani, harp, mandolin, strings, and continuo (bassoon, cello, bass, harpsichord, organ) First Performance: 23 March 1748; Covent Garden, London; conducted by the composer Editions: Alexander Balus is found in the scholarly edition — G. F. Händels Werke: Ausgabe der Deutschen Händelgesellschaft, volume 33, edited by Friedrich W. Chrysander (Leipzig and Bergedorf bei Hamburg: 1858-1894, reprinted in 1965); and an entry in the Hallische Händel-Ausgabe im Auftrage der Georg Friedrich Händel-Gesellschaft is planned.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Autograph: The composer’s manuscripts are in the British Library in London and the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge. Additional manuscript materials in other hands are in the Central Public Library, Manchester; the Music Collection of the Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek Carl von Ossietzky, Hamburg; and the Princeton University Library. Notes: The score was composed between 1 June and 4 July 1747. It was revised in 1754, incorporating some material from the masque Alceste, HWV 45. The choir is identified as “Chorus of Israelites” and “Chorus of Asiates” in alternating movements, but there are no passages for two choirs. There are three brief recitative passages for choristers: a messenger (soprano), another messenger (bass), and a sycophant (bass). Performance Issues: The choral writing is primarily homophonic. There are a few brief passages in close imitation, but these are vocally practical, and all of the choral material is clearly doubled by the orchestra. The final “Amen” is the most ornate of the choral movements. The movement “Triumph Hymen in the pair” is labeled for soloists and chorus. The composer appears to intend these solos for members of the choir, as they are not assigned to the characters. These brief passages are well within the abilities of amateur choristers. There are many florid and ornamented passages for the violins in unison that will present challenges to successful ensemble. The remaining orchestra parts are quite practical. The harp and mandolin appear in only one movement where they represent a lyre. This is an ideal oratorio for a less experienced choir with access to strong players and expert soloists. Soloists: Cleopatra (soprano) - range: e'-g'', tessitura: g'-g'', this is a dramatic solo with some ornate figures; Aspasia (soprano) - range: d'-a'', tessitura: e'-f#'', this is a lyric role with some rapid figurations; Alexander Balus (alto) - range: a-f#'', tessitura: d'-c', this is a sustained and declamatory solo; Jonathan (tenor) - range: d-a', tessitura: f-e', this is a challenging dramatic solo with long phrases and extended coloratura passagework; Ptolomee (bass) - range: G-f', tessitura: B♭-e♭', this is a dramatic solo with some rapid coloratura and broad melodic leaps. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Julianne Baird, D’Anna Fortunato, Jennifer Lane, Frederick Urrey, Peter Castaldi; Palmer Singers, Brewer Chamber Orchestra; conducted by Rudolph Palmer. Recorded in 1997 at SUNY Purchase, Purchase, NY. Newport Classic: 85625. Lynne Dawson, Claron McFadden, Catherine Denly, Charles Daniels, Michael George; Choir of New College, Oxford; Choir of the King’s Consort; King’s Consort; conducted by Robert King. Recorded in 1997. Hyperion: 67241.
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Selected Bibliography: Steglich, Rudolf. “Über Händels Alexander Balus.” Zeitschrift für Musik (February 1928). Dean, Winton. “Handel’s Alexander Balus.” Musical Times, volume 93, number 1314 (August, 1952): 351353. ———. Handel’s Dramatic Oratorios and Masques, 482-497. London: Oxford University Press, 1959. Young, Percy M. The Oratorios of Handel, 155-160. London: Dennis Dobson, 1959. Richard, Joel. “Chant de guerre, chant de paix: Les oratorios de Haendel de 1746 à 1749.” Guerres et paix: la Grande-Bretagne au XVIIIe siècle, edited by PaulGabriel Boucé, volume 2, 303-310. Paris: Presses de la Sorbonne nouvelle, 1998. Bachmann, Peter. “‘From Arabia’s Spicy Shores’ — Orient in Händels Textvorlagen.” Göttinger HändelBeiträge, volume 8 (2000): 1-14. Rosand, Ellen. “Handel’s Oratorical Narrative.” Göttinger Händel-Beiträge, volume 8 (2000): 33-58.
Susanna, HWV 66 (1748) Duration: ca. 178 minutes Text: The text is the story of “Susanna and the Elders” from the Apocrypha. The identity of the adapting author is unknown. Performing Forces: voices: 3 soprano, 1 mezzo-soprano or countertenor, 1 tenor, and 3 bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 3 oboes, bassoon, 2 trumpets, strings, and continuo (bassoon, cello, double bass, and keyboard291) First Performance: 10 February 1749; Covent Garden, London; conducted by the composer Editions: Susanna is available from Kalmus (K 01322). It is also found in two scholarly editions — G. F. Händels Werke: Ausgabe der Deutschen Händelgesellschaft, volume 1, edited by Friedrich W. Chrysander (Leipzig and Bergedorf bei Hamburg: 1858-1894, reprinted in 1965); and Hallische Händel-Ausgabe im Auftrage der Georg Friedrich Händel-Gesellschaft, series 1, volume 28, edited by Bernard Rose (Kassel: Bärenreiter, 1967). Autograph: The composer’s manuscripts are in the British Library in London and the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge. Additional manuscript materials in other hands are in the Central Public Library, Manchester; and the Music Collection of the Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek Carl von Ossietzky, Hamburg. Notes: The score was composed between 11 July and 24 August 1748. The work was abbreviated with an interpolation from Semele, HWV 58 in 1759. 291 Some period performances also utilize harpsichord, organ, and theorbo in the continuo group with great effect.
Performance Issues: The choral writing combines imitative and homophonic counterpoint with some sustained and harmonically rich movements. The choral material is well supported by the orchestra throughout the work with some doublings of vocal line occurring in different octaves in the orchestra. The choral parts include rapid melismatic passagework and dramatic changes of articulation and mood. The counterpoint is rich, and the singers will need to be well rehearsed to provide adequate clarity in the most complex sections of their music. The principal solo roles are Susanna, Joachim, and Chelsias. The orchestral writing includes rapid unison passagework between instruments and considerable ornamentation within sections. All of the instruments are treated idiomatically, and the scoring throughout is conceived to balance well with the singers. The violins are identified as solo and ripieno, primarily using solo strings to accompany arias. There are two independent viola parts in movement 10. In that movement, solo players may be employed. The trumpets appear in only the final chorus. The first part has a typically high tessitura, but neither part is particularly demanding. Soloists: Susanna (soprano) range: c#'-a'', tessitura: f#'-f#'', this is a lyric, coloratura role; Attendant (soprano) - range: d'-g'', tessitura: e'-e'', this is a simple lyrical role appropriate for a chorister; Daniel (soprano) - range: c'-g'', tessitura: f'-f'', this is a lyrical role with a number of recitative passages and two extended arias, it is ordinarily assigned to a sopranist countertenor, but could be effectively presented by a gifted boy soprano; Joachim (mezzosoprano) - range: b-e'', tessitura: d'-b', this is a critical role that is best assigned to a countertenor, it includes some rapid passagework and text-heavy declamations; 1st Elder (tenor) - range: d-a', tessitura: e-e', this role includes some coloratura writing; Chelsias (bass) range: G-e♭', tessitura: c-d', this is a powerful role with rapid passagework; 2nd Elder (bass) - range: F-e', tessitura: B-c', this is a dramatic role that includes some rapid melismatic passagework; Judge (bass) - range: d-c', tessitura: d-c', this is a brief recitative passage appropriate for a chorister. Choir: difficult; Orchestra: difficult. Selected Discography: Lorraine Hunt, Drew Minter, Jill Feldman, William Parker, Jeffrey Thomas, David Thomas; U. C. Berkeley Chamber Chorus; Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra; conducted by Nicholas McGegan. Recorded in 1992. Harmonia Mundi: 907030. Ruth Holton, Elisabeth von Magnus, Syste Buwalda, John Elwes, Tom Sol; Kölner Kammerchor, Collegium Cartusianum; conducted by Peter Neumann. Recorded 6 February 1999 in Stadthalle Wuppertal. MDG: 332 0945-2.
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Selected Bibliography: Heuss, Alfred. “Die Braut- und Hochzeitsarie in Händels Susanna.” Zeitschrift der internationalen Musikgesellschaft, volume 14 (1913). Dean, Winton. Handel’s Dramatic Oratorios and Masques, 535-555. London: Oxford University Press, 1959. Young, Percy M. The Oratorios of Handel, 165-180. London: Dennis Dobson, 1959. Zimmerman, Franklin. “Händels Parodie-Overtüre zu Susanna: eine neue Ansicht über die Entstehungsfrage.” Händel-Jahrbuch, volume 24 (1978): 19-30. Dunlap, Susanne. “Susanna and the Male Gaze: The Musical Iconography of a Baroque Heroine.” Women and Music, volume 2 (2001): 40-60. Hurley, David Ross. Handel’s Muse: Patterns of Creation in His Oratorios and Musical Dramas, 17431751. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2001.
Solomon, HWV 67 (1748) Duration: ca. 145 minutes Text: The author of the text is unknown. It is based upon II Chronicles (chapter 7) and I Kings (chapter 5) from the Old Testament and Flavius Josephus’s Antiquities, VIII:2-7. Performing Forces: voices: 4 soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; double SATB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, timpani, 2 organ,292 strings (including 2 viola parts), and continuo. First Performance: 17 March 1749; Covent Garden, London; conducted by Handel Editions: Solomon is available from Bärenreiter and Breitkopf und Härtel. It is also found in the scholarly edition — G. F. Händels Werke: Ausgabe der Deutschen Händelgesellschaft, volume 26, edited by Friedrich W. Chrysander (Leipzig and Bergedorf bei Hamburg: 1858-1894, reprinted in 1965); and an entry in the Hallische Händel-Ausgabe im Auftrage der Georg Friedrich Händel-Gesellschaft is planned. Autograph: The composer’s manuscripts are in the British Library in London and the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge. Additional manuscript materials in other hands are in the Central Public Library, Manchester; and the Music Collection of the Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek Carl von Ossietzky, Hamburg. Notes: This score was composed between 5 May and 13 June 1748. It was revised with five additional arias in 1759. The opening of Act III has become known as “The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba,” which is frequently excerpted for orchestra concerts. 292 The score includes two organ parts that are each at times beyond continuo.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Performance Issues: The choirs combine integrated passages with antiphonal material that would benefit from a physical division of the groups. Much of the choral material is homophonic or in close imitation, but there are some significant complexities that are amplified by the number of parts. Each of the choral parts includes passages that are vocally challenging. There is a fair amount of colla parte doubling by the orchestra, but there are many choral passages that are only reinforced harmonically by the accompaniment. The orchestration is quite rich and varied. Clarity between parts and between the singers and instruments will be particularly important. The orchestration accommodates a large choir. The brass parts are challenging, but used sparingly. Much of the violin writing is in unison. Soloists: Pharaoh’s Daughter/Queen (soprano) - range: d'-a'', tessitura: g'-g'', this is a lyric role with significant coloratura; Nicaule/Queen of Sheba (soprano) - range: d'-g'', tessitura: e'-e'', this is a dramatic role with some highly ornamented passages; First Woman (soprano) - range: c#'-g'', tessitura: d'-d'', this is a simple declamatory role; Second Woman (soprano) - range: c#'-g'', tessitura: d'-d'', this is a simple declamatory role; Solomon (alto) - range: a-f#'', tessitura: d'-d'', this is a declamatory role with some rapid ornamental figures ideal for a countertenor; Zadok (tenor) - range: d-a', tessitura: f-f', this is a dramatic solo with some extended passagework; Levite (bass) range: G-e♭', tessitura: c-c', this is a lyric and lilting solo. Choir: difficult; Orchestra: difficult. Selected Discography: Carolyn Watkinson, Nancy Argenta, Barbara Hendricks, Joan Rodgers, Della Jones, Anthony Rolfe Johnson, Stephen Varcoe; Monteverdi Choir, English Baroque Soloists; conducted by John Eliot Gardiner. Recorded June 1984 in London. Philips: 000667002. Ewa Wolak, Elisabeth Scholl, Knut Schoch, Nicola Wemyss, Matthias Vieweg; Junge Kantorei, Baroque Orchestra Franfurt; conducted by Joachim Carlos Martini. Recorded 30 May 2004 in Kloster Eberbach, Eltville am Rhein, Germany. Naxos: 8557574. Selected Bibliography: Heuss, Alfred. “Über Händels Salomo, inbesondere die Chöre.” Zeitschrift für Musik (June 1925). Dean, Winton. Handel’s Dramatic Oratorios and Masques, 511-534. London: Oxford University Press, 1959. Young, Percy M. The Oratorios of Handel, 165-180. London: Dennis Dobson, 1959. Webb, Ralph. “Views and Viewpoints: Handel’s Oratoios as Drama.” College Music Symposium, volume 23, number 2 (1983): 122-144.
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Derr, Ellwood. “Handel’s Procedures for Composing with Materials from Telemann’s Harmonischer Gottes-Dienst in Solomon.” Göttinger Händel-Beiträge, volume 1 (1984): 116-146. Cox, Howard. “Character Portraits of the Hebrew Kings in Handel’s Oratorios.” Göttinger Händel-Beiträge, volume 5 (1993): 216-223. Zywietz, Michael. “Die Vision vom Goldenen Zeitalter: Händels Solomon im Konntext der späten Oratorien.” Symposien-Bericht Karlsruhe (1994-1997): 311-322. Bachmann, Peter. “‘From Arabia’s Spicy Shores’ — Orient in Händels Textvorlagen.” Göttinger HändelBeiträge, volume 8 (2000): 1-14. Hurley, David Ross. Handel’s Muse: Patterns of Creation in His Oratorios and Musical Dramas, 17431751. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2001.
Theodora, HWV 68 (1749) Duration: ca. 165 minutes Text: The text is by Thomas Morell, based upon Robert Boyle’s The Martyrdom of Theodora and of Didymus, which was first published in 1687. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, 2 alto, 2 tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, timpani, strings, and continuo (bassoon, cello, double bass, and keyboard) First Performance: 16 March 1750; Covent Garden, London; conducted by the composer Editions: Theodora is available from Kalmus and Novello. It is also found in the scholarly edition — G. F. Händels Werke: Ausgabe der Deutschen Händelgesellschaft, volume 8, edited by Friedrich W. Chrysander (Leipzig and Bergedorf bei Hamburg: 1858-1894, reprinted in 1965); and an entry in the Hallische Händel-Ausgabe im Auftrage der Georg Friedrich Händel-Gesellschaft is planned. Autograph: The composer’s manuscript is in the British Library in London. Additional manuscript materials in other hands are in the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge; the Central Public Library, Manchester; and the Music Collection of the Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek Carl von Ossietzky, Hamburg. Notes: This work was composed between 28 June and 31 July 1749.293 Performance Issues: The choral writing is primarily syllabic and vocally conservative. There is colla parte doubling of the choral parts throughout the work, and even the passages in pervasive imitation are accessible to intermediate-level choirs. The brass and wind writing is idiomatic and practical. There are a number of 293 The cover of the Kalmus reprint displays 1730, but the correct dates are included in the preface.
movements that are challenging with extended unison passages that are quite challenging for the strings. The roles of Theodora, Didimus, Septimius, and Valens are quite challenging. The other roles could be assigned to advanced choristers. This is one of the most accessible of Handel’s oratorios. It is an excellent choice for choirs wishing to expand their experiences with these oratorios who have access to strong instrumentalists. Soloists: Theodora (soprano) - range: d'a♭'', tessitura: f'-f'', this is a sustained lyric solo; Didimus (alto) - range: b♭-e♭'', tessitura: d'-c'', this is a lyric solo with rapid coloratura; Irene (alto) - range: b-e'', tessitura: c'-c'', this is a sustained role with long phrases and some ornamental figures; Septimius (tenor) - range: c#-a', tessitura: f-f', this is a high lyric tenor role with rapid coloratura; Messenger (tenor) range: e-f#', tessitura: f-f', this is a very simple role of two brief recitatives ideal for a chorister; Valens (bass) - range: A-e', tessitura: d-d', this is a dramatic declamatory role with some rapid figures. Choir: medium easy to medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Sophie Daneman, Juliette Galstain, Daniel Taylor, Layrent Laars, Nathan Berg. Les Arts Florissants; conducted by William Christie. Recorded in May 2000 at IRCAM in Paris. Erato: 43181. Johanette Zomer, Sytse Buwalda, Helena Rasker, Knut Schoch, Tom Sol; Kölner Kammerchor, Collegium Cartusianum; conducted by Peter Neumann. MDG: 3321019-2. Christina Wieland, Diana Schmid, Franz Vizthum, Knut Schoch, Klaus Mertens; Junge Kantorei, Barockorchester Franfurt; conducted by Joachim Carlos Martini. Recorded 23 May 2010 in Kloster Eberbach, Eltville am Rhein, Germany. Naxos: 8572700-02. Selected Bibliography: Macfarren, George Alexander. “The Theodora of Handel.” Musical Times, volume 16, number 364 (June 1873): 103-106. Dean, Winton. Handel’s Dramatic Oratorios and Masques, 556-578. London: Oxford University Press, 1959. Young, Percy M. The Oratorios of Handel, 181-201. London: Dennis Dobson, 1959. Stenzl, Jurg. “‘Where Grace, and Truth, and Love Abound?’ Zu Rezeption und Geschichte von Händels Oratorium Theodora (1749).” Analysen: Beiträge zu einer Problemgeschichte des Kompoierens. Festschrift für Hans Heinrich Eggebrecht zum 65. Geburtstag, edited by Werner Breig, Reinhold Brinkmann, and Elmar Budde, 180-201. Wiesbaden: Franz Steiner, 1984.
372 Hill, Cecil. “Theodora and the 18th-Century Feminist Movement.” Kongreßbericht Stuttgart, volume 2 (1985): 49-54. ———. “The Composition of Handel’s Theodora: The Evidence of the Autograph.” Konferenzbericht Halle (1985): 153-158. ———. “The Composition of Handel’s Theodora: The Evidence of the Smith Copies.” Händel-Jahrbuch, volume 35 (1989): 136-145. Schröder, Dorothea. “‘A Sect, Rebellious to the Gods and Rome,’ Händels Oratorium Theodora und der Methodismus.” Göttinger Händel-Beiträge, volume 6 (1996): 101-114.
The Choice of Hercules, HWV 69 (1751) Duration: ca. 48 minutes Text: The text is an adaptation, probably by Thomas Morell, of Joseph Spence’s Polymetis (1747), which used Robert Lowth’s poem The Judgment of Hercules (1743) as its foundation. Performing Forces: voices: 2 soprano, mezzo-soprano (countertenor), and tenor soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, bassoon, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, strings, and continuo (bassoon, cello, double bass, harpsichord, and organ First Performance: 1 March 1751; Covent Garden, London; conducted by the composer Editions: The Choice of Hercules is available from Bärenreiter, Kalmus (the Siegmund-Schultze edition below), and Novello. It is also found in two scholarly editions — G. F. Händels Werke: Ausgabe der Deutschen Händelgesellschaft, volume 28, edited by Friedrich W. Chrysander (Leipzig and Bergedorf bei Hamburg: 1858-1894, reprinted in 1965); and Hallische Händel-Ausgabe im Auftrage der Georg Friedrich Händel-Gesellschaft, series 1, volume 31, edited by Walther Siegmund-Schultze (Kassel: Bärenreiter, 1963). Autograph: The composer’s manuscript is in the British Library in London. Additional manuscript materials in other hands are in the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge; the Central Public Library, Manchester; and the Music Collection of the Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek Carl von Ossietzky, Hamburg. Notes: This work was composed between 28 June and 5 July 1750 incorporating significant material from the masque Alceste, HWV 45. During Handel’s lifetime, it was performed between the acts of his Alexander’s Feast, in place of the original concerto, which served the same interludial purpose.
294 The role is identified as tenor; however, in the Hallische edition, the part is written in treble clef an octave higher than the range given here.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Performance Issues: There are occasions where Handel uses the convention of dotted-eighth sixteenth note to serve as a tripletized quarter and eighth. The choral movements are assigned to allegorical groups: Chorus of the Attendants of Pleasure (movements 5 and 9) and the Chorus of the Attendants of Virtue (movements 8, 15, and 17). The choral material is contrapuntally varied and well doubled by the orchestra. The choral parts are vocally challenging, requiring a choir of experienced singers. The orchestral writing is idiomatic and scored to accommodate a full choir. This is a rhythmically articulate score that will present some demands in establishing clean ensemble between the orchestra and choir. Soloists: Pleasure (soprano) - range: d'-g'', tessitura: f'-f'', this is a lyric and sustained role with some long phrases; Virtue (soprano) - range: a-f#'', tessitura: c'-c'', this is a lyrical role, which Handel has labeled for soprano; however, it seems better suited to a mezzo-soprano; Hercules (mezzo-soprano/countertenor) - range: b-d'', tessitura: c'-c'', this is a sustained and declamatory role; An Attendant on Pleasure (tenor294) - range: e-a', tessitura: f#-f#', this is a florid role with extended melismatic passagework. Choir: difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Alice Coote, Susan Gritton, Robin Blaze, Charles Daniels; The King’s Consort, conducted by Robert King. Recorded in March 2001 at St. Jude-on-the Hill, Hampstead Garden, London. Hyperion: CDA67298. Venceslava Hruba-Freiberger, Arleen Auger, Alaine Zaeppffel, Eberhard Büchner; Leipziger Universitätschor, Neues Bachisches Collegium Musicum Peizig, conducted by Max Pommer. Recorded in 1984. Capriccio: 10019. Heather Harper, Helen Watts, James Bowman, Robert Tear; Choir of King’s College Cambridge, Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, conducted by Philip Ledger. Virgin Classics: 562118. Selected Bibliography: Dean, Winton. “The Choice of Hercules.” The Listener, volume 49 (1953): 989. ———. Handel’s Dramatic Oratorios and Masques, 579-588. London: Oxford University Press, 1959. Rackwitz, Werner. “Die Herakles-Gestalt dei Händel.” Festschrift zur Händel-Ehrung der Deutschen Demokratischen Republik 1959: 51-61. Leipzig: Deutscher Verlag für Musik, 1959.
Jephtha, HWV 70 (1751) Duration: ca. 160 minutes
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Text: The text is by Thomas Morell, based upon Judges, chapter 9, and George Buchanan’s Jephthes sive Votum (1554). Performing Forces: voices: 2 soprano, 2 alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes,295 2 oboes, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, strings, and continuo First Performance: 26 February 1752; Covent Garden, London; conducted by the composer Editions: Jephtha is available from Kalmus and Novello. It is also found in the scholarly edition — G. F. Händels Werke: Ausgabe der Deutschen Händelgesellschaft, volume 44, edited by Friedrich W. Chrysander (Leipzig and Bergedorf bei Hamburg: 18581894, reprinted in 1965); and an entry in the Hallische Händel-Ausgabe im Auftrage der Georg Friedrich Händel-Gesellschaft is planned. For the bicentenary of the composer’s death, the 1885 facsimile edition was reprinted as — Georg Friedrich Händel, Jephtha: Ein Oratorium nach Worten von Thomas Morell. Faksimile-Wiedergabe der Originalhandschrift, edited by Friedrich Chrysander (Celle: Hermann Moeck, 1959). Autograph: The composer’s manuscripts are in the British Library in London and the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge. Additional manuscript materials in other hands are in the Central Public Library, Manchester; and the Music Collection of the Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek Carl von Ossietzky, Hamburg. Notes: This score was composed between 21 January and 30 August 1751. An aria from the opera Agrippina, HWV 6, and a quintet were added in 1756. Performance Issues: The choral writing includes some rapid melismatic passagework, but the bulk of the choral material is homophonic. In most cases the choral parts are clearly doubled by the orchestra, but there are a few imitative sections that are exposed. There is a movement labeled “Chorus of Boys,” which ideally would be just that, but can be sung by an SS subgroup of the choir. Another SATB movement is labeled “Chorus of Priests,” which could be a semichoir. The orchestration is rich. The instrumental parts are idiomatic, but all parts include challenging material. The trumpets and horns are provided with adequate recovery time between movements. A single flute can be used. The lion’s share of this work belongs to the soloists. The Angel is an easy role, which is missing in the personnel list. It must be a different singer from Iphis as the Angel sings about her. All of the other solo roles are virtuosic requiring expert singers. Soloists: Iphis (soprano) - range: c'-a'', tessitura: f'-g'', this is a lyric solo with extended coloratura passagework; Angel (soprano) - range: d'-g'', tessitura: f'-f'', this is a gentle lyric solo appropriate for an advanced chorister; 295 The score indicates flutes, but they are in unison.
Storgè (mezzo-soprano296) - range: b♭-f'', tessitura: bb', this is a dramatic role with long phrases and considerable coloratura; Hamor (alto) - range: b-e'', tessitura: e'-e'', this is a lyric role with some extended coloratura; Jephtha (tenor) - range: B-a', tessitura: f#f#', this is a lyric role with extended coloratura passages; Zebul (bass) - range: G-f', tessitura: d-d', this is a dramatic declamatory baritone role with some extended melismatic passagework. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Christiane Oelze, Julia Gooding, Catherine Denley, Axel Kohler, John Mark Ainsley, Michael George; RIASKammerchor, Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin; conducted by Marcus Creed. Recorded in June 1992 in Kirche zur frohen Botschaft, Berlin. Berlin Classics: 10572. Mona Julsrud, Elisabeth Jansson, Elisabeth Rapp, Marienne Lielland, James Gilchrist, Håvard Stenvold; Collegium Vocale Gent, Stavanger Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Fabio Biondi. Recorded in 2008 in Stavanger, Norway. Bis: 1864. Selected Bibliography: Dean, Winton. Handel’s Dramatic Oratorios and Masques, 589-624. London: Oxford University Press, 1959. Young, Percy M. The Oratorios of Handel, 181-201. London: Dennis Dobson, 1959. Gudger, William D. “Handel’s Last Composition and His Borrowings from Habermann (Part 2).” Current Musicology, volume 23 (1977): 28-45. Boetticher, Wolfgang. “Zum Problem eines Spätstils in Händels Oratorienschaffen.” Konferenzbericht Halle (1981): 95-103. Schläder, Jürgen. “Die biblische Oper Jephtha.” Kongreßbericht Stuttgart (1985), volume 2: 33-42. Ickstadt, Christine. “Prinzipien der Parodie in Händels Jephtha.” Göttinger Händel-Beiträge, volume 3 (1989): 268-272. Nott, Kenneth. “Heroick vertue…Handel and Morell’s Jephtha in the Light of Eighteenth-Century Biblical Commentary and Other Sources.” Music and Letters, volume 77 (1996): 194-208. Ruf, Wolfgang. “‘Whatever is, is right,’ Die Weltsicht in Händels Oratorium Jephtha.” Symposien-Bericht Karlsruhe (1994-1997): 323-332. Hurley, David Ross. Handel’s Muse: Patterns of Creation in His Oratorios and Musical Dramas, 17431751. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2001.
296 There are alternate versions of the arias assigned to Storgé for a soprano up a perfect fifth.
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The Triumph of Time and Truth, HWV 71 (1757) Duration: ca. 123 minutes Text: The text is by Thomas Morell based upon George Oldmixon’s 1737 translation of Pamphili’s Il trionfo del Tempo e della Verità. Performing Forces: voices: 2 soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes (optional), 2 oboes, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, timpani, strings, and continuo First Performance: 11 March 1757; Covent Garden, London; conducted by the composer Editions: The Triumph of Time and Truth is available from Kalmus. It is also found in the scholarly edition — G. F. Händels Werke: Ausgabe der Deutschen Händelgesellschaft, volume 20, edited by Friedrich W. Chrysander (Leipzig and Bergedorf bei Hamburg: 1858-1894, reprinted in 1965); and an entry in the Hallische Händel-Ausgabe im Auftrage der Georg Friedrich Händel-Gesellschaft is planned. Autograph: Manuscript materials in hands other than the composer’s are in the British Library in London; St. Michael’s College Library, Tenbury Wells; and the Music Collection of the Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek Carl von Ossietzky, Hamburg. Notes: This is primarily a reworking of Il trionfo del Tempo e della Veritá, HWV 46b (1739), which is in turn a reworking of Il trionfo del Tempo e del Disinganno, HWV 46a (1707). How fitting it is that nearing the end of his life, Handel would return to this subject that he first addressed fifty-one years earlier. Five arias were added in 1758. Performance Issues: The choral writing is vocally demanding, but well supported by the orchestra. There are some rapid contrapuntal passages for the choir. The beginning of Act II includes a section for SSSSAA soli from the choir. In the Chrysander edition there are passages labeled “Pleasure (soprano),” these should be assigned to the soprano portraying Deceit. Some others are just labeled “soprano” and one must exercise best judgment as dictated by the nature of the text. The trumpet I and horn I have high tessiture and appear in unison in passages where the horn is intended to play in octaves below the trumpet. The flutes appear only in one section and may be substituted with oboes. There is also one passage that calls for violin III, but this is also played by the violas. The orchestral writing is varied and challenging. The violins have some rapid passagework that is challenging for ensemble playing, and there are subtleties of intonation throughout the work Solid professional players are needed. Soloists: Beauty (soprano) - range: c'-a'', tessitura: f#'-f#'', this is a lyric solo with some coloratura; Deceit - range: b-a'', tessitura: f#'-f#'', this is a lyric
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
solo with rapid coloratura passages; Counsel or Truth (alto) - range: a-e'', tessitura: d'-d'', this is a lyric solo with some demanding melismatic passagework; Pleasure (tenor) - range: B-f#', tessitura: e-e', this is a lilting solo with long phrases that may be well suited to a lyric baritone; Time (bass) - range: B♭-e♭', tessitura: cc', this is a declamatory solo with some rapid passagework. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: difficult. Selected Discography: Emma Kirkby, Gillian Fisher, Charles Brett, Ian Partridge, Stephen Varcoe; London Handel Choir, London Handel Orchestra; conducted by Denys Darlow. Dyad: CDD22050. Selected Bibliography: Kimbell, David. “Aspekte von Händels Umarbeitungen und Revisionen eigener Werke.” Händel-Jahrbuch 23 (1977): 45-67. Boetticher, Wolfgang. “Zum Problem eines Spätstils in Händels Oratorienschaffen.” Konferenzbericht Halle (1981): 95-103. Knapp, J. Merrill. “Die drei Fassungen von Händels Il trionfo del Tempo.” Konferenzbericht Halle 1981, 8694. Cervantes, Xavier. “Illusion italienne et désillusion anglaise: un oratorio de Handel à la croisée des Chemins.” Études anglaises, volume 48 (1995): 2537. Schmidt, Roland Dieter. “Die drei Fassungen von Händels Oratorium Il trionfo del tempo/The Triumph of Time and Truth (HWV 46a, 46b, 71).” Göttinger Händel-Beitrage 7 (1998): 86-118.
Parnasso in festa, HWV 73 (1734) Duration: ca. 130 minutes Text: The author of this Italian text is unknown. An English version of the libretto was prepared by George Oldmixon. Performing Forces: voices: 4 soprano, 3 alto, and bass soloists; SSATB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, timpani, strings, and continuo First Performance: 13 March 1734; King’s Theater, Haymarket, London; conducted by the composer Editions: Parnasso in festa is found in the scholarly edition — G. F. Händels Werke: Ausgabe der Deutschen Händelgesellschaft, volume 54, edited by Friedrich W. Chrysander (Leipzig and Bergedorf bei Hamburg: 1858-1894, reprinted in 1965); and an entry in the Hallische Händel-Ausgabe im Auftrage der Georg Friedrich Händel-Gesellschaft is planned. Autograph: The composer’s manuscripts are in the British Library in London and the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge. Additional manuscript materials in other
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hands are in the Music Collection of the Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek Carl von Ossietzky, Hamburg. Notes: This composition is primarily a reworking of Athalia, HWV 52. Performance Issues: The choral numbers primarily utilize an ensemble of the soloists with added tenor parts. See comments for Athalia, HWV 52, above. Selected Discography: Carolyn Sampson, Lucy Crowe, Diana Moore, Rebecca Outram, Peter Harvey; The King’s Consort, conducted by Matthew Halls. Recorded in February 2008 at St. Jude-on-the Hill, Hampstead Garden, London. Hyperion: CDA67701. Selected Bibliography: Hicks, Anthony. “Handel and Il Parnasso in festa.” Musical Times, volume 112 (1971): 338-340. Hortchansky, Klaus. “Ein verkapptes Orpheus-Drama? Händels Hochzeit-Serenata Il Parnasso in Fest per gli Sponsali di Teti e Peleo für Prinzessin Anne und Prinz Wilhelm von Oranien (HWV 75).” Händel-Jahrbuch, volume 49 (2003): 127-146.
Alexander’s Feast, HWV 75 (1736) Duration: ca. 87 minutes Text: The text is John Dryden’s Ode for St. Cecilia’s Day (1697) with additional passages from Newburgh Hamilton’s The Power of Music. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, tenor, and bass soloists; SSATTBB choir; orchestra: 2 recorders, 2 oboes, 3 bassoons, 297 2 horns, 2 trumpets, timpani, strings, and continuo (bassoon, cello, double bass, and keyboard) First Performance: 19 February 1736; Covent Garden, London; conducted by the composer Editions: Alexander’s Feast is available from Bärenreiter and Kalmus. It is also found in two scholarly editions — G. F. Händels Werke: Ausgabe der Deutschen Händelgesellschaft, volume 12, edited by Friedrich W. Chrysander (Leipzig and Bergedorf bei Hamburg: 1858-1894, reprinted in 1965); and Hallische HändelAusgabe im Auftrage der Georg Friedrich HändelGesellschaft, series 1, volume 1, edited by Konrad Ameln (Kassel: Bärenreiter, 1957). Autograph: The composer’s manuscript is in the British Library in London. Additional manuscript materials in other hands are in the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge; the Royal College of Music, London; the 297 The bassoon III part appears only in movement 21 and is labeled “ripieno.” It is entirely practical to use only two bassoons throughout.
Gerald Coke Collection in Bentley, England; the Central Public Library, Manchester; the Durham Cathedral Library; the Music Collection of the Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek Carl von Ossietzky, Hamburg. Notes: The score is dated 17 January 1736. Additions were made for a performance in 1742 including a solo for which only the continuo part survives and a new duet that was revised in 1751. Mozart reorchestrated this work, adding 2 flutes, 2 clarinets, and rewriting portions of the trumpet parts. This version was premiered in Vienna in July 1790. It is catalogued as K. 591 and can be found in the Neue Mozart Ausgabe series 10, work group 28, part 1, volume 3. Performance Issues: Much of the choral writing is SATB, but there are numbers with seven discrete parts. There are solo passages interpolated into the choral numbers that could be sung by choristers or the featured soloists. Those passages are lightly accompanied, but the tutti choral parts are well doubled by the orchestra. The choral component combines homophonic and contrapuntal writing with the latter always well doubled by the orchestra. There are three violin parts in the beginning of the overture, but not after that. The scoring of the work allows for a full complement of strings and a large choral ensemble. The orchestral writing is idiomatic and includes florid passagework for all parts. There are numbers in which all treble instruments play ornamented unison material, which may require editing of parts to ensure uniform realization of the ornaments. There is a cello solo in movement 16 independent of the continuo part. The tessiture of the horn parts is quite high and may present some balance challenges. A number of instruments, including the recorders and trumpets, appear in only a few movements. In the case of the flutes, it would seem that the parts were to be played by oboists doubling on flute, except there is a transition in movement 25 that does not provide adequate time to switch instruments. Soloists: soprano - range: d'-b♭'', tessitura: a'-a'', this is a coloratura role with long phrases; tenor - range: e-a', tessitura: f-f', this is a lyric role with extended coloratura writing; bass - range: c-f', tessitura: f-d', this is a declamatory role for a baritone with flexibility in the top of the range. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Nancy Argenta, Ian Partridge, Michael George; The Sixteen and the Symphony of Harmony and Invention; conducted by Harry Christophers. Coro: 16028. Mozart orchestration: Lynne Dawson, John Mark Ainsley, William Hite, Alastair Miles; Handel and Haydn
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Society; conducted by Christopher Recorded in 1993. Arabesque: 6762.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Hogwood.
Selected Bibliography: Myers, Robert Manson. Handel, Dryden, and Milton. London: Bowes and Bowes, 1956. Dean, Winton. Handel’s Dramatic Oratorios and Masques, 270-273. London: Oxford University Press, 1959. ———. “An Unrecognized Handel Singer.” Carlo Arrigoni.” Musical Times, volume 118 (1977): 556558. Burrows, Donald. “Handel and Alexander’s Feast.” Musical Times, volume 123 (1982): 252. ———. “The Composition and First Performance of Handel’s Alexander’s Feast.” Music and Letters, volume 64 (1983): 206. Cosgrave, Peter W. “Affective Unities: The Esthetics of Music and Factional Instability in Eighteenth-Century England.” Eighteenth-Century Studies, volume 22 (1988): 133-155. Fleischhauer, Günther. “Zur Verwendung einiger musikalischer-rhetorischer Figuren in Händels Alexander’s Feast or the Power of Musick (HWV 75).” Konferenzbericht Halle (1985): 159-171. Smith, Ruth. “Timotheus, Alexander, Semele, and Handel.” Handel Institute Newsletter, volume 14, number 1 (2003): 1-4.
Ode for St. Cecilia’s Day, HWV 76 (1739) Duration: ca. 47 minutes Text: The text is “From harmony, from heav’nly harmony” by John Dryden (19 August 1631 – 12 May 1700). Performing Forces: voices: soprano and tenor soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: flute, 2 oboes, bassoon, 2 trumpets, timpani, organ, strings, and continuo298 First Performance: 22 November 1739; Lincoln’s Inn Fields, London; conducted by the composer Editions: Ode for St. Cecilia’s Day is available from Bärenreiter. It is also found in the scholarly edition — G. F. Händels Werke: Ausgabe der Deutschen Händelgesellschaft, volume 23, edited by Friedrich W. Chrysander (Leipzig and Bergedorf bei Hamburg: 1858-1894, reprinted in 1965); and an entry in the Hallische Händel-Ausgabe im Auftrage der Georg Friedrich Händel-Gesellschaft is planned. Autograph: The composer’s manuscript is in the British Library in London. Additional manuscript materials in other hands are in the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge; the Gerald Coke Collection in Bentley, England; the Central Public Library, Manchester; the Durham Cathedral Library; the Music Collection of 298 Some sources list lute, but it does not appear in the score.
the Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek Carl von Ossietzky, Hamburg; and the Princeton University Library. Notes: This work was composed between 15 and 24 September 1739. Mozart reorchestrated this work, adding 2 flutes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, and revising the trumpet parts. This version was premiered in Vienna in July 1790. It is catalogued as K. 592 and can be found in the Neue Mozart Ausgabe series 10, work group 28, part 1, volume 4. Performance Issues: This is a tour-de-force composition demonstrating in music the descriptions in Dryden’s poem. The choir has some vocally demanding sections, but much of their portion is syllabic, and all of the choral material is well supported by the orchestra. All of the orchestral material is challenging. The trumpet parts are quite demanding. There is an exposed and difficult cello solo, and all of the strings are presented with some rapid passagework. Handel’s placement of rests and use of various dotted figures will preset challenges for accurate ensemble cohesion. Soloists: soprano - range: d'-a'', tessitura: f#'-f#'', this is a lyric solo with considerable coloratura; tenor range: d-a', tessitura: f#-f#', this is a dramatic and articulate role with rapid coloratura passages. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: difficult. Selected Discography: Monika Frimmer, Eberhard Büchner; HändelFestspielorchester Halle; conducted by Christian Kluttig. Berlin Classics: 13992. Felicity Lott, Anthony Rolfe Johnson; English Concert and Choir; conducted by Trevor Pinnock. Archiv: 129902. Jill Gomez, Robert Tear; Choir of King’s College, Cambridge, English Chamber Orchestra; conducted by Philip Ledger. ASV: 512. Mozart orchestration: Lynne Dawson, John Mark Ainsley, Alastair Miles; Handel and Haydn Society; conducted by Christopher Hogwood. Recorded in 1993. Arabesque: 6762. Selected Bibliography: Myers, Robert Manson. Handel, Dryden, and Milton. London: Bowes and Bowes, 1956. Dean, Winton. Handel’s Dramatic Oratorios and Masques, 319. London: Oxford University Press, 1959. Heap, Harold E. Festival Odes for St. Cecilia’s Day in England from Their Inception to the Time of Handel. University of Illinois, D. M. A. dissertation, 1980. Ostergren, Eduardo A. A Conductor’s Study of George Frideric Handel’s Ode for Saint Cecilia’s Day. Indiana University, D. M. A. dissertation, 1980.
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Siegmund-Schultze, Walther. “Händels Caecilien-Ode (HWV 76): Ihre Stellung in seinem Gesamtwerk.” Kongreßbericht Stuttgart (1985), volume 2: 55-59. Cosgrave, Peter W. “Affective Unities: The Esthetics of Music and Factional Instability in Eighteenth-Century England.” Eighteenth-Century Studies, volume 22 (1988): 133-155.
Chandos Anthems (1717-1718) Selected Bibliography: Beeks, Graydon. “Handel’s Chandos Anthems: The ‘Extra’ Movements.” Musical Times, volume 119 (1978): 621-623. ———. The Chandos Anthems and Te Deum of George Frideric Handel (1685-1759). University of California, Berkeley, Ph. D. dissertation, 1981. ———. “Handel’s Chandos Anthems: More ‘Extra’ Movements.” Music and Letters, volume 62 (1981): 155-161. ———. “Zur Chronologie von Händels Chandos Anthems und Te Deum B-Dur.” Händel-Jahrbuch, volume 27 (1981): 89-105. ———. “Handel and Music for the Earl of Carnarvon.” Bach, Handel, Scarlatti: Tercentenary Essays, edited by Peter F. Williams, 1-20. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1985. ———. “Handel’s Chandos Anthems.” American Organist, volume 19, number 1 (1985): 93-96. ———. “The Chandos Anthems of Haym, Handel, and Pepusch.” Göttlinger Händel-Beiträge, volume 5 (1993): 161-193. ———. “Reconstructing a Lost Archive Set of the Chandos Anthems.” Georg Friedrich Händel: ein Lebensinhalt. Gedenkschrift für Bernd Baselt (1934-1993), edited by Klaus Hortansky and Kostanze Musketa, 151-165. Kassel: Bärenreiter, 1995. ———. “More Handel Anthems in American Libraries.” Newsletter of the American Handel Society, volume 12, number 1 (1997): 1, 6. Hendrie, Gerald. “Handel’s ‘Chandos’ and Associated Anthems: An Introductory Survey.” Bach, Handel, Scarlatti: Tercentenary Essays, edited by Peter F. Williams, 149-159. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1985. Johnstone, H. Diack. “The Chandos Anthems: The Authorship of No. 12.” Musical Times, 117 (1976): 601. Schröder, Dorothea. “Wiederentdeckt: der Kopie der Chandos-Anthems aus der ehemaligen Sammlung Cummings.” Göttinger Händel-Beiträge, volume 4 (1991): 94-107. Streatfield, Richard Alexander. Handel, Canons, and the Duke of Chandos. London: C. Whittingham, 1916.
1 — O Be Joyful, HWV 246 Duration: ca. 20 minutes Text: The text is Psalm 100:1-4 and the Doxology.
Performing Forces: voices: soprano, tenor, and bass soloists; STB choir; orchestra: oboe, 2 violins, and continuo (bassoon, cello, double bass, and organ) First Performance: Unknown, but probably 1717-1718 in Canons Park, St. Lawrence Whitchurch Editions: O Be Joyful is available from Carus Verlag, Plymouth Music, and Kalmus (A2630, a reprint of the Chrysander edition-see below). It is also found in two scholarly editions — G. F. Händels Werke: Ausgabe der Deutschen Händelgesellschaft, volume 34, page 1, edited by Friedrich W. Chrysander (Leipzig and Bergedorf bei Hamburg: 1858-1894, reprinted in 1965); and Hallische Händel-Ausgabe im Auftrage der Georg Friedrich Händel-Gesellschaft, series 3, volume 4, page 3, edited by Gerald Hendrie (Kassel: Bärenreiter, 1985). Autograph: The composer’s manuscript is in the British Library in London. Additional manuscript materials in other hands are in the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge; the Hereford Cathedral Library; the Thomas Coram Foundation, London; the Bodleian Library, Oxford; and the University of Chicago. Notes: This work is a reworking of the “Utrecht” Jubilate; it is also referred to as the “Chandos Jubilate.” Performance Issues: The choral writing includes rapid coloratura passagework for all voices. These are regularly alternated with sustained phrases preventing fatigue, but requiring vocal nimbleness. The choral material is harmonically reinforced by the orchestra, but there are extended sections in which the choral parts are not doubled by the instruments. The tessitura of the choral tenor part is fairly high. The choral bass and soprano parts have conservative ranges well within the abilities of moderately skilled choristers. There are passages in which the continuo part is separated for bassoon, cello, and bass. There are solos for the oboe and violin I. The labeling suggests multiple players on each part, although a single oboist throughout is customary. The oboe part is pervasive and presents a taxing part as a result. All of the instrumental parts are idiomatically written. Soloists: soprano range: c'-g'', tessitura: e'-c'', this is a lyric role with some coloratura passagework; tenor - range: a-a', tessitura: c'-g', this is a lyric solo with long phrases and rapid coloratura passagework; bass - range: G-e', tessitura: d-d', this is a lyric role with broad leaps and coloratura passagework. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Lynne Dawson, Ian Partridge, Michael George; The Sixteen Choir and Orchestra; conducted by Harry Christophers. Recorded: St. Jude’s Church, London, 1987. Chandos: 0554-7
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Selected Bibliography:
Selected Bibliography:
See the collective bibliography for the Chandos Anthems, above.
See the collective bibliography for the Chandos Anthems, above.
2— In the Lord Put I My Trust, HWV 247
3 — Have Mercy upon Me, O God, HWV 248
Duration: ca. 22 minutes Text: The text is taken from A New Version of the Psalms Fitted to the Tunes Used in Churches (1696) by Nahum Tate and Nicholas Brady. It uses Psalms 9:9; 11:1-2, 6-7; 12:5; and 13:6. Performing Forces: voices: tenor soloist; STB choir; orchestra: oboe, 2 violins, and continuo (bassoon, cello, double bass, and organ) First Performance: Unknown, but probably 1717-1718 in Canons Park, St. Lawrence Whitchurch Editions: In the Lord Put I My Trust is available from Novello, GIA, and Kalmus (A2632, a reprint of the Chrysander edition-see below). It is also found in two scholarly editions — G. F. Händels Werke: Ausgabe der Deutschen Händelgesellschaft, volume 34, page 3, edited by Friedrich W. Chrysander (Leipzig and Bergedorf bei Hamburg: 1858-1894, reprinted in 1965); and Hallische Händel-Ausgabe im Auftrage der Georg Friedrich Händel-Gesellschaft, series 3, volume 4, page 51, edited by Gerald Hendrie (Kassel: Bärenreiter, 1985). Autograph: The composer’s manuscript is in the British Library in London. Additional manuscript materials in other hands are in the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge; the Gerald Coke Collection in Bentley, England; the Music Collection of the Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek Carl von Ossietzky, Hamburg; and the University of Chicago. Performance Issues: The choral parts are harmonically well supported by the orchestra, but they are often not directly doubled. There are extended melismatic figures in all of the choral parts, which at times are the only parts performing the smallest division of the beat, so the singers must propel the tempo at these times. The tessitura of the choral tenor part is fairly high. The ranges and tessiture of the bass and soprano parts are modest. In the Sinfonia, notation includes extended tripletization in the violins, which should convey to the dotted-eighth/sixteenth figures as well. This should be clarified in the parts. The instrumental writing is idiomatic and very practical. In the arias, it may be prudent to consider using solo strings. Soloists: tenor - range: f-a', tessitura: g-g', this is a dramatic role with extended, rapid coloratura passages. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Ian Partridge; The Sixteen Choir and Orchestra; conducted by Harry Christophers. Recorded: St. Jude’s Church, London, 1987. Chandos: 0554-7
Duration: ca. 20 minutes Text: The text is Psalm 51:1-4, 8, and 10-13. Performing Forces: voices: soprano and tenor soloists; STB choir; orchestra: oboe, 2 violins, and continuo (bassoon, cello, double bass, and organ) First Performance: Unknown, but probably 1717-1718 in Canons Park, St. Lawrence Whitchurch Editions: Have Mercy upon Me is available from Masters Music and Kalmus (A2631, a reprint of the Chrysander edition-see below). It is also found in two scholarly editions — G. F. Händels Werke: Ausgabe der Deutschen Händelgesellschaft, volume 34, page 79, edited by Friedrich W. Chrysander (Leipzig and Bergedorf bei Hamburg: 1858-1894, reprinted in 1965); and Hallische Händel-Ausgabe im Auftrage der Georg Friedrich Händel-Gesellschaft, series 3, volume 4, page 103, edited by Gerald Hendrie (Kassel: Bärenreiter, 1985). Autograph: The composer’s manuscript is in the British Library in London. Additional manuscript materials in other hands are in the Thomas Coram Foundation, London; the Gerald Coke Collection in Bentley, England; the Music Collection of the Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek Carl von Ossietzky, Hamburg; Rutgers University; and the University of Chicago. Performance Issues: The choral parts are well supported by the orchestra. The tenor and bass choral parts have some sustained high singing. The soprano part is more conservative in pitch, but all of the choral parts have some very demanding coloratura passages requiring advanced choristers. There are passages in which the continuo part is separated for bassoon, cello, and bass. The instrumental parts are idiomatic and generally conservatively written. There are a few passages that are highly ornamented in one aria (no. 7) for which single players may be used. Soloists: soprano range: d'-g'', tessitura: f'-d'', this is a sustained lyric solo; tenor - range: d-g', tessitura: f-d', this is a lyric and tender role. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Lynne Dawson, Ian Partridge; The Sixteen Choir and Orchestra; conducted by Harry Christophers. Recorded: St. Jude’s Church, London, 1987. Chandos: 0554-7
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Selected Bibliography: See the collective bibliography for the Chandos Anthems, above.
4 — O Sing unto the Lord, HWV 249a (1712-1714) Duration: ca. 20 minutes Text: The text is Psalm 96:1-4, 6, 9, and 11. Performing Forces: voices: tenor and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: flute, 2 oboes, 2 trumpets, strings, and continuo First Performance: 26 September 1714; Chapel Royal; conducted by the composer Editions: O Sing unto the Lord is available from Kalmus, Novello, and Novato. It is also found in two scholarly editions — G. F. Händels Werke: Ausgabe der Deutschen Händelgesellschaft, volume 36, page 219, edited by Friedrich W. Chrysander (Leipzig and Bergedorf bei Hamburg: 1858-1894, reprinted in 1965); and Hallische Händel-Ausgabe im Auftrage der Georg Friedrich Händel-Gesellschaft, series 3, volume 9, page 49, edited by Gerald Hendrie (Kassel: Bärenreiter, 1992). Autograph: The composer’s manuscript is in the British Library in London. Notes: This version was written to take advantage of two specific soloists: Mr. Eilfort, tenor, and Mr. Baker, bass. Performance Issues: The choral material primarily syllabic and homophonic. All of the choral parts are vocally conservative and directly doubled by the instruments. There are exposed solos for flute and oboe. The orchestral writing is efficient and idiomatic. The majority of the work is assigned to the soloists who are sparsely accompanied. Soloists: tenor - range: g-c'', tessitura: b-a', this is a sustained, lyric role that may be best suited to a countertenor; bass - range: Ee', tessitura: G-d', this is a dramatic solo with long phrases and some coloratura. Choir: easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Bibliography: See the collective bibliography for the Chandos Anthems, above.
4 — O Sing unto the Lord, HWV 249b Duration: ca. 20 minutes Text: The text is from Psalms 93:4; 96:1, 3-4, 9, 11, and 13. Performing Forces: voices: soprano and tenor soloists; STB choir; orchestra: oboe, 2 violins, and continuo (bassoon, cello, double bass, and organ)
First Performance: Unknown, but probably 1717-1718 in Canons Park, St. Lawrence Whitchurch Editions: O Sing unto the Lord is available from G. Schirmer, Merseburger Verlag, Concordia, and Kalmus (A7087, the Grot, Elvers edition). It is also found in two scholarly editions — G. F. Händels Werke: Ausgabe der Deutschen Händelgesellschaft, volume 34, page 109, edited by Friedrich W. Chrysander (Leipzig and Bergedorf bei Hamburg: 1858-1894, reprinted in 1965); and Hallische Händel-Ausgabe im Auftrage der Georg Friedrich Händel-Gesellschaft, series 3, volume 4, page 141, edited by Gerald Hendrie (Kassel: Bärenreiter, 1985). Autograph: The composer’s manuscript is in the British Library in London. Additional manuscript materials in other hands are in the Thomas Coram Foundation, London; the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge; the Durham Cathedral Library; and the Music Collection of the Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek Carl von Ossietzky, Hamburg. Notes: There is an alternate aria in the manuscript, crossed out by the composer. It appears as an addendum to the Hendrie edition. Performance Issues: This is a flashy and effective work. The choral writing includes rapid coloratura writing, but the ranges and tessiture of the choral parts are conservative, and the choral material is well supported by the orchestra. There are passages in which the continuo part is separated for bassoon, cello, and bass. The orchestral writing is idiomatic and includes rapid passagework across the ensemble. Although well conceived for the players these sections may prove problematic for ensemble and maintenance of tempo with less-experienced groups. Soloists: soprano - range: f'-f'', tessitura: d'-g'', this is a lyric solo with some intricate passagework; tenor - range: e-a', tessitura: f-f', this is a solo with demanding coloratura passagework and long phrases. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Lynne Dawson, Ian Partridge; The Sixteen Choir and Orchestra; conducted by Harry Christophers. Recorded: St. Jude’s Church, London, 1988. Chandos: 0554-7 Selected Bibliography: See the collective bibliography for the Chandos Anthems, above.
5 — I Will Magnify Thee, O God, HWV 250a Duration: ca. 23 minutes Text: The text is from Psalms 144:15; 145:1-2, 4, 17, 1921.
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Performing Forces: voices: soprano and tenor soloists; STB choir; orchestra: oboe, 2 violins, and continuo (bassoon, cello, double bass, and organ) First Performance: Unknown, but probably 1717-1718 in Canons Park, St. Lawrence Whitchurch Editions: I Will Magnify Thee, O God, HWV 250a is available from Novado Music Press and Bärenreiter. It is also found in two scholarly editions — G. F. Händels Werke: Ausgabe der Deutschen Händelgesellschaft, volume 34, page 133, edited by Friedrich W. Chrysander (Leipzig and Bergedorf bei Hamburg: 1858-1894, reprinted in 1965); and Hallische HändelAusgabe im Auftrage der Georg Friedrich HändelGesellschaft, series 3, volume 5, page 3, edited by Gerald Hendrie (Kassel: Bärenreiter, 1987). Autograph: The composer’s manuscript is in the British Library in London. Additional manuscript materials in other hands are in the Bodleian Library, Oxford; the Gerald Coke Collection in Bentley, England; the Royal College of Music, London; the St. Michael’s College Library, Tenbury Wells; the Music Collection of the Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek Carl von Ossietzky, Hamburg; Rutgers University; and the University of Chicago. Performance Issues: The choral parts are harmonically well supported by the orchestra, but they are melodically independent, and in many cases the choristers have the smallest divisions of the beat, which requires them to move the tempo forward. There are extended coloratura passages for the choristers that demand experienced singers. There are passages in which the continuo part is separated for bassoon, cello, and bass. The string writing is flashy, but idiomatic and well within the abilities of intermediate players. The oboe part will require some stamina. Soloists: soprano range: d'-g'', tessitura: f#'-f#'', this is a lyric solo with some coloratura writing; tenor- range: e-a', tessitura: f#-e', this is a lyric solo with some extensive ornamented passagework. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Lynne Dawson, Ian Partridge; The Sixteen Choir and Orchestra; conducted by Harry Christophers. Recorded: St. Jude’s Church, London, 1988. Chandos: 0554-7
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Text: The text is from Psalms 89:14; 96:6, 9, 10; 145:1 and 21. Performing Forces: voices: alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: oboe, strings, and continuo First Performance: 5 January 1724; Chapel Royal; conducted by the composer Editions: I Will Magnify Thee, O God, HWV 250b is available from Kalmus. It is also found in two scholarly editions — G. F. Händels Werke: Ausgabe der Deutschen Händelgesellschaft, volume 34, page 169, edited by Friedrich W. Chrysander (Leipzig and Bergedorf bei Hamburg: 1858-1894, reprinted in 1965); and Hallische Händel-Ausgabe im Auftrage der Georg Friedrich Händel-Gesellschaft, series 3, volume 9, page 169, edited by Gerald Hendrie (Kassel: Bärenreiter, 1992). Autograph: The composer’s manuscript is in the British Library in London. Additional manuscript materials in other hands are in the University of Chicago; the Library of Congress; and the Mercer’s Hospital Collection, Trinity College Library, Dublin. Notes: This work is based upon four of the Chandos Anthems. Performance Issues: The choral movements are scored S[ATB]ATB with the bracketed parts being the soloists. The choral material is harmonically well supported by the orchestra, but it is not always directly doubled. There are some rapid melismatic passages for the choir that remain independent of the instruments. The final movement is the most challenging for the choir and orchestra. The orchestral writing is practical and idiomatic. There are some interesting part crossings for the violins that would benefit from antiphonal seating. The oboe part has a number of exposed solos. Soloists: alto - range: b-d'', tessitura: e'b', this is a lyric solo with some ornamental passagework; tenor - range: a-a', tessitura: d'-a', this is a high solo that appears only as part of the soli group in as single movement with the choir, it is never alone, but often appears a third higher than the tutti tenors; bass - range: A-f#', tessitura: g-d', this is a high baritone role with long phrases. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Bibliography:
Selected Bibliography: See the collective bibliography for the Chandos Anthems, above.
5 — I Will Magnify Thee, O God, HWV 250b (1722-1724?) Duration: ca. 23 minutes
See the collective bibliography for the Chandos Anthems, above.
6 — As Pants the Hart, HWV 251b Duration: ca. 20 minutes Text: The text is Psalm 42:1 and 3-7, as it appears in Divine Harmony: Or a New Collection of Select Anthems Used in Her Majesty’s Chappels Royal, Westminster Abbey, St. Paul’s Cathedral, Windsor, Both
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Universities, Eaton, and Most Cathedrals in Her Majesty’s Dominion, edited by J. Church. London, 1712. Performing Forces: voices: soprano and tenor soloists; STB choir; orchestra: oboe, bassoon, 2 violins, and continuo (cello, double bass, harpsichord,299 and organ) First Performance: Unknown, but probably 1717-1718 in Canons Park, St. Lawrence Whitchurch Editions: As Pants the Hart is available from Kalmus, Novello, and Novado. It is also found in two scholarly editions — G. F. Händels Werke: Ausgabe der Deutschen Händelgesellschaft, volume 34, page 207, edited by Friedrich W. Chrysander (Leipzig and Bergedorf bei Hamburg: 1858-1894, reprinted in 1965); and Hallische Händel-Ausgabe im Auftrage der Georg Friedrich Händel-Gesellschaft, series 3, volume 5, page 53, edited by Gerald Hendrie (Kassel: Bärenreiter, 1987). Autograph: The composer’s manuscript is in the British Library in London. Additional manuscript materials in other hands are in the Christ Church Library, Oxford; the Thomas Coram Foundation, London; the St. Michael’s College Library, Tenbury Wells; the Music Collection of the Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek Carl von Ossietzky, Hamburg; Rutgers University; and the University of Chicago. Performance Issues: The choral material is well supported by the orchestra. Handel uses the solo trio in all vocal ensemble passages that require significant independence from the accompaniment. The bassoon is treated as an obbligato instrument in some sections of this score. The orchestral writing is practical and well within the abilities of intermediate players. This is a score well conceived for an amateur choral organization seeking concerted repertoire. Soloist: soprano range: e'-f#'', tessitura: g'-e'', this is a lyric and solo; tenor - range: e-a', tessitura: a-f#', this is a sustained and lyrical role with some extended coloratura; bass range: B-e', tessitura: e-e', this is a declamatory solo that appears only in the context of a concerted trio that appears in one movement in alternation with the choir; it is appropriate for a chorister. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Lynne Dawson, Ian Partridge; The Sixteen Choir and Orchestra; conducted by Harry Christophers. Recorded: St. Jude’s Church, London, 1988. Chandos: 0554-7 Selected Bibliography: Burrows, Donald. “Handel’s As Pants the Hart.” Musical Times, volume 126 (1985): 113-116. 299 The Sinfonia includes two continuo lines from which Hendrie has determined the intention to use two keyboards, which his edition wisely suggests throughout the anthem.
White, Chris D. “Christ lag in Todesbanden: A Setting by Handel.” American Choral Review, volume 35, number 1 (1993): 1-2. See also the collective bibliography for the Chandos Anthems, above.
7 — My Song Shall Be Alway, HWV 252 Duration: ca. 21 minutes Text: The text is Psalm 89:1, 5-10, 12, 15-16, and 18. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: oboe, 2 violins, and continuo (bassoon, cello, double bass, and organ) Editions: My Song Shall Be Alway is available from Novello, Bärenreiter, and Merseburger. It is also found in two scholarly editions — G. F. Händels Werke: Ausgabe der Deutschen Händelgesellschaft, volume 35, page 1, edited by Friedrich W. Chrysander (Leipzig and Bergedorf bei Hamburg: 1858-1894, reprinted in 1965); and Hallische Händel-Ausgabe im Auftrage der Georg Friedrich Händel-Gesellschaft, series 3, volume 5, page 93, edited by Gerald Hendrie (Kassel: Bärenreiter, 1987). Autograph: The composer’s manuscript is in the British Library in London. Additional manuscript materials in other hands are in the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge; the Durham Cathedral Library; the St. Michael’s College Library, Tenbury Wells; the Music Collection of the Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek Carl von Ossietzky, Hamburg; Rutgers University; and the University of Chicago. Performance Issues: The choral material is harmonically well supported by the orchestra, but it is not directly doubled throughout the work. The choral altos have some very low pitches belying countertenors in the section. There are adequate ossia and tenor doublings to accommodate the score with a section for which these notes are unreasonable. There are passages in which the violin I part divides between a soloist and ripieno. The oboe part requires a solid player. The orchestra as a whole is idiomatically conceived and well within the abilities of intermediate players. Soloists: soprano - range: d'-g'', tessitura: f#'-f#'', this is a florid solo with some wide melodic leaps; alto range: g-b', tessitura: a-a', this is a lyric solo that appears in duet with the bass; tenor - range: f#-a', tessitura: g-e', this is a lyric solo with long sustained phrases; bass - range: A-e', tessitura: B-d', this is a declamatory solo with long phrases that appears in duet with the alto. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium easy.
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Selected Discography: Patrizia Kwella, James Bowman, Ian Partridge; The Sixteen Choir and Orchestra; conducted by Harry Christophers. Recorded: St. Jude’s Church, London, 1989. Chandos: 0554-7
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Soloists: soprano - range: e'-g#'', tessitura: g#'-e'', this is a lyric solo with rhythmic coloratura; tenor - range: e-b', tessitura: g-g', this is a demanding lyric solo with some intricate ornamental figurations. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult.
Selected Bibliography:
Selected Discography:
See the collective bibliography for the Chandos Anthems, above.
Patrizia Kwella, James Bowman, Ian Partridge; The Sixteen Choir and Orchestra; conducted by Harry Christophers. Recorded: St. Jude’s Church, London, 1989. Chandos: 0554-7
8 — O Come Let Us Sing unto the Lord, HWV 253 Duration: ca. 30 minutes Text: The text is from Psalms 95:1-3, 6-7; 96:6, 10; 97:10-12; 99:9; and 103:11. Performing Forces: voices: soprano and tenor soloists; STTB choir; orchestra: 2 recorders, 300 oboe, bassoon, 2 violins, and continuo First Performance: Unknown, but probably 1717-1718 in Canons Park, St. Lawrence Whitchurch Editions: O Come Let Us Sing unto the Lord is available from Novello. It is also found in two scholarly editions — G. F. Händels Werke: Ausgabe der Deutschen Händelgesellschaft, volume 35, page 41, edited by Friedrich W. Chrysander (Leipzig and Bergedorf bei Hamburg: 1858-1894, reprinted in 1965); and Hallische Händel-Ausgabe im Auftrage der Georg Friedrich Händel-Gesellschaft, series 3, volume 5, page 141, edited by Gerald Hendrie (Kassel: Bärenreiter, 1987). Autograph: The composer’s manuscript is in the British Library in London. Additional manuscript materials in other hands are in the Royal College of Music, London; the Central Public Library, Manchester; the Music Collection of the Staatsund Universitätsbibliothek Carl von Ossietzky, Hamburg; Rutgers University; and the University of Chicago. Performance Issues: The choral material is harmonically well supported by the orchestra, and direct doubling, though inconsistent, provides stability in the more complex sections of the work. A strong alto section is a necessity. The choral alto range is low, with exposed low e. The use of countertenors would be advantageous. This section also has the largest portion of coloratura passagework within the choir. The instrumental writing is idiomatic, but more demanding than in the majority of these anthems. There are some passages for the violins that would benefit from careful marking before rehearsal. It is likely that one of the recorder parts would have been played by the oboist who sits out in the one movement with recorder. 300The third movement is scored for flauto dolce I and II, violin I and II, tenor solo, and continuo. The instrument list in the Hallische
Selected Bibliography: See the collective bibliography for the Chandos Anthems, above.
9 — O Praise the Lord with One Consent, HWV 254 Duration: ca. 24 minutes Text: The text is taken from A New Version of the Psalms Fitted to the Tunes Used in Churches (1696) by Nahum Tate and Nicholas Brady. It uses Psalms 117:1-2; 135:1-3, 5; and 148:1-2. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, 2 tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: oboe, 2 violins, and continuo (bassoon, cello, double bass, and organ) Editions: O Praise the Lord with One Consent is available from Novello, Kalmus, and Serenissima. It is also found in two scholarly editions — G. F. Händels Werke: Ausgabe der Deutschen Händelgesellschaft, volume 35, page 98, edited by Friedrich W. Chrysander (Leipzig and Bergedorf bei Hamburg: 1858-1894, reprinted in 1965); and Hallische Händel-Ausgabe im Auftrage der Georg Friedrich Händel-Gesellschaft, series 3, volume 6, page 3, edited by Gerald Hendrie (Kassel: Bärenreiter, 1991). Autograph: The composer’s manuscript is in the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge. Additional manuscript materials in other hands are in the British Library in London; the Gerald Coke Collection in Bentley, England; the Durham Cathedral Library; the Hereford Cathedral Library; Gloucester Cathedral Library; Gresham College, London; the St. Michael’s College Library, Tenbury Wells; the Music Collection of the Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek Carl von Ossietzky, Hamburg; Rutgers University; and the University of Chicago. Notes: This work is the only entry among the eleven Chandos Anthems that does not have a Sinfonia. The opening chorus is based upon the hymn tune St. Anne, which is generally attributed to William Croft (16781727). It first appeared in the 1708 Supplement to New Händel-Ausgabe edition has left out the two flauti, which should be recorders if possible.
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Version of the Psalms as a setting of Psalm 42, “As pants the hart for cooling stream,” the text Handel uses in Chandos Anthem 6, HWV 251. Performance Issues: The choral parts include coloratura passagework that is harmonically supported, but not doubled by the instruments. The score includes a rich palette of contrapuntal textures including close imitation, and ornate fugal passages. The tessitura of the choral altos is low; it is especially well suited for countertenors. The instrumental parts are practically written and conservative in range. Soloists: soprano range: d'-a♭'', tessitura: g'-g'', this is a lilting, lyric solo with long phrases; tenor I - range: f-a♭', tessitura: g-g', this is a lyric solo with sustained phrases; tenor II range: g-a', tessitura: a-g', this is a lyric solo with some ornate passagework; bass - range: A-f', tessitura: B♭d', this is a powerful solo with long phrases. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Patrizia Kwella, James Bowman, Ian Partridge, Michael George; The Sixteen Choir and Orchestra; conducted by Harry Christophers. Recorded: St. Jude’s Church, London, 1989. Chandos: 0554-7 Selected Bibliography: See the collective bibliography for the Chandos Anthems, above.
10 — The Lord Is My Light, HWV 255 Duration: ca. 28 minutes
Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek Carl von Ossietzky, Hamburg; and the University of Chicago. Notes: The opening chorus was originally scored STTTB, but modern editions are often assigned SATTB because of the generally high tessitura of the tenor I part. This results in a low alto part best suited to countertenors. Performance Issues: The choral writing is accessible to less experienced singers and their parts are reinforced by the orchestra throughout most of the work, although some melismatic passagework in lower voices is not directly doubled. The basses have some exposed, high coloratura singing that requires mature, flexible voices. The instrumental writing is contrapuntally complex, but it is idiomatic and within the abilities of good amateur players. Soloists: soprano range: d'-g'', tessitura: f'-f'', this is a lilting, lyric solo; tenor I - range: f-a', tessitura: g-g', this is a declamatory solo with some rapid coloratura passagework; tenor II - range: g-a♭', tessitura: g-g', this is a dramatic solo with some ornamental figurations. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Lynne Dawson, Ian Partridge; The Sixteen Choir and Orchestra; conducted by Harry Christophers. Recorded: St. Jude’s Church, London, 1989. Chandos: 0554-7 Selected Bibliography: See the collective bibliography for the Chandos Anthems, above.
Text: The text is from Psalms 18:7, 14, 31; 27:1, 3, 4, 7; 28:8; 29:4, 9; 30:4; and 34:3.
11 — Let God Arise, HWV 256a
Performing Forces: voices: soprano and 2 tenor soloists; SATTB choir; orchestra: 2 recorders, oboe, 2 violins, and continuo (bassoon, cello, double bass, and organ)
Text: The text is from Psalms 68:1-4, 19, 35; and 76:6.
First Performance: Unknown, but probably 1717-1718 in Canons Park, St. Lawrence Whitchurch Editions: The Lord Is My Light is available from Kalmus. It is also found in two scholarly editions — G. F. Händels Werke: Ausgabe der Deutschen Händelgesellschaft, volume 35, page 151, edited by Friedrich W. Chrysander (Leipzig and Bergedorf bei Hamburg: 1858-1894, reprinted in 1965); and Hallische HändelAusgabe im Auftrage der Georg Friedrich HändelGesellschaft, series 3, volume 6, page 75, edited by Gerald Hendrie (Kassel: Bärenreiter, 1991). Autograph: The composer’s manuscript is in the British Library in London. Additional manuscript materials in other hands are in the Christ Church Library, Oxford; the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge; the Central Public Library, Manchester; the St. Michael’s College Library, Tenbury Wells; the Music Collection of the
Duration: ca. 21 minutes Performing Forces: voices: soprano and tenor soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: oboe, bassoon, 2 violins, and continuo (bassoon, cello, double bass, and organ) First Performance: Unknown, but probably 1717-1718 in Canons Park, St. Lawrence Whitchurch Editions: Let God Arise, HWV 256a is available from Novello, Kalmus, and Bärenreiter. It is also found in two scholarly editions — G. F. Händels Werke: Ausgabe der Deutschen Händelgesellschaft, volume 35, page 211, edited by Friedrich W. Chrysander (Leipzig and Bergedorf bei Hamburg: 1858-1894, reprinted in 1965); and Hallische Händel-Ausgabe im Auftrage der Georg Friedrich Händel-Gesellschaft, series 3, volume 6, page 163, edited by Gerald Hendrie (Kassel: Bärenreiter, 1991). Autograph: The composer’s manuscript is in the British Library in London. Additional manuscript materials in other hands are in the Royal College of Music, London; the St. Michael’s College Library, Tenbury
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Wells; the Music Collection of the Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek Carl von Ossietzky, Hamburg; Rutgers University; and the University of Chicago. Notes: Handel reused the Sinfonia as the first two movements of his Sonata, op. 5, no. 7 (HWV 402). Performance Issues: In the opening chorus, there are rapid repeating figures over thirds that are doubled by the orchestra, but require secure technique for the singers. There are a variety of vocal figures that are clearly conceived to exploit the technical abilities of an experienced choir. Movement 6 includes a contrapuntal four-part chorus against a sustained recitative accompaniment. The orchestral writing is flamboyant, but completely practical for the players. Soloists: soprano - range: e'-g'', tessitura: f'-f'', this lyric solo has coloratura passagework and long phrases; tenor range: d-a', tessitura: g-g', this role has broad leaps and rapid coloratura singing. Choir: difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Lynne Dawson, Ian Partridge; The Sixteen Choir and Orchestra; conducted by Harry Christophers. Recorded: St. Jude’s Church, London, 1989. Chandos: 0554-7. Selected Bibliography: See the collective bibliography for the Chandos Anthems, above.
11 — Let God Arise, HWV 256b (17221726?) Duration: ca. 13 minutes Text: The text is Psalm 68:1, 2, 4, and 35. Performing Forces: voices: alto and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: oboe, bassoon, strings, and continuo First Performance: 16 January 1726; Chapel Royal; conducted by the composer Editions: Let God Arise, HWV 256b is available from Bärenreiter. It is also found in two scholarly editions — G. F. Händels Werke: Ausgabe der Deutschen Händelgesellschaft, volume 35, page 263, edited by Friedrich W. Chrysander (Leipzig and Bergedorf bei Hamburg: 1858-1894, reprinted in 1965); and Hallische Händel-Ausgabe im Auftrage der Georg Friedrich Händel-Gesellschaft, series 3, volume 9, page 187, edited by Gerald Hendrie (Kassel: Bärenreiter, 1992). Autograph: The composer’s manuscript is in the British Library in London. Additional manuscript materials in other hands are in the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge; the Gerald Coke Collection in Bentley, England; the Central Public Library, Manchester; and Rutgers University.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Notes: This is believed to be the last anthem Handel composed for George I. He reused some material in the Chandos Anthem immediately above (HWV 256a). This work is briefer and presents fewer challenges to the choir. Performance Issues: The soloists appear with the choir in the principal choruses, sometimes doubling the choral parts and occasionally adding flourishes not assigned to the choir. Soloists capable of carrying against the full ensemble are recommended. The choral writing is much less demanding than in HWV 256a. The choral parts are clearly supported by the orchestra throughout the work and present fewer vocal demands. Soloists: alto - range: a-d'', tessitura: c'-c'', this is a lyric solo with some rapid passagework; bass range: c-f', tessitura: f-f', this is a powerful, high baritone solo with significant coloratura. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: James Bowman, Andrew Ashwin, Maciek O’Shea; Choir of the Chapel Royal; Musicians Extraordinary; conducted by Andrew Gant. Recorded 18-20 July 2005, Chapel Royal, St. James’s Place, London. Naxos: 8.557935. Selected Bibliography: See the collective bibliography for the Chandos Anthems, above.
Coronation Anthems (1727) Handel was naturalized as a British citizen by George I, who then commissioned these anthems for the coronation of his son, George II, and Queen Caroline. For their performance, Handel had at his disposal the choir of the Chapel Royal with additional singers and orchestra in excess of 150 players. Ideal performing forces would include harpsichord, organ, and theorbo among the continuo group along with bassoon, cello, and double bass. The scores indicate when organ is to be added. Collective Selected Bibliography: Streatfield, Richard Alexander. Handel, Canons, and the Duke of Chandos. London: C. Whittingham 1916. Burrows, Donald. “Handel and the 1727 Coronation.” Musical Times, volume 118 (1977): 469. Bense, Liselotte. “Die Ausprägung der Anthem-Form bei Händel unter besonderer Berücksichtigung seiner ‘Coronation Anthems.” Konferenzbericht Halle (1981): 47-57. Jordan, James. “Handel’s Coronation Anthems.” American Choral Review, volume 30, number 3 (Summer 1988): 3-8. Bense, Liselotte. “Händels Anthems für die Krönung Georgs II. Und seiner Gemahlin Königin Caroline in der Westminster-Abtei am 11. Oktober 1727.” Händel-Jahrbuch, volume 49 (2003): 307-326.
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Henze-Döhring, Sabine. “Händels Coronation Anthems.” Händel-Jahrbuch, volume 49 (2003): 105113.
1 — Zadok the Priest, HWV 258 Duration: ca. 6 minutes Text: The text is Kings 1:38-40. Performing Forces: voices: SSAATBB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes, 2 bassoons, 3 trumpets, timpani, strings (with 3 violin sections), and continuo First Performance: 11 October 1727; Westminster Abbey, London; conducted by the composer Editions: Zadok the Priest is available from G. Schirmer, Dover, Eulenberg, Arista, Novello, Schott, Belwin, Kalmus, and Novato. It is also found in the scholarly edition — G. F. Händels Werke: Ausgabe der Deutschen Händelgesellschaft, volume 14, edited by Friedrich W. Chrysander (Leipzig and Bergedorf bei Hamburg: 1858-1894, reprinted in 1965). It is the basis of the Kalmus edition, which includes a realization, some performance annotations, and corrected score and parts, prepared by Clark McAlister in 1986. An entry in the Hallische Händel-Ausgabe im Auftrage der Georg Friedrich Händel-Gesellschaft, series 3, volume 10, is planned. Autograph: The composer’s manuscript is in the British Library in London. Additional manuscript materials in other hands are in the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge; the Royal College of Music, London; the Central Public Library, Manchester; the Hereford Cathedral Library; the Music Collection of the Staatsund Universitätsbibliothek Carl von Ossietzky, Hamburg. Notes: The text for Zadok the Priest was first used for the coronation of King Edgar in 973. This text has been part of every successive British coronation since then, and Handel’s setting has been performed as part of all British coronations since its premiere. Performance Issues: The scoring of this work suggests the use of a large choir and an ample string section. The choral writing is primarily homophonic and syllabic with a few articulated melismatic passages in the concluding section. All of the vocal material is well supported by the instruments. The orchestral writing is idiomatic and well within the abilities of intermediate players with the exception of the trumpet I part, which has a high tessitura, but adequate breaks. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Choir of King’s College, Cambridge; conducted by David Willcocks. Recorded: King’s College Chapel, 1963. London: 455041. Choir of King’s College, Cambridge, Academy of Ancient Music; conducted by Stephen Cleobury.
Recorded: King’s College Chapel, 2001. EMI: B00005N6UE. The Sixteen; conducted by Harry Christophers. Recorded: St. Paul’s Church, Deptford, London, 2008. Coro 16066. Selected Bibliography: See the collective bibliography for the Coronation Anthems, above.
2 — Let Thy Hand Be Strengthened, HWV 259 Duration: ca. 9 minutes Text: The text is Psalm 89:13-14. Performing Forces: voices: SAATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes, bassoon (optional), strings, and continuo First Performance: 11 October 1727; Westminster Abbey, London; conducted by the composer Editions: Let Thy Hand Be Strengthened is available from Dover, Eulenberg, G. Schirmer, Kalmus, and Novello. It is also found in the scholarly edition — G. F. Händels Werke: Ausgabe der Deutschen Händelgesellschaft, volume 14, edited by Friedrich W. Chrysander (Leipzig and Bergedorf bei Hamburg: 18581894, reprinted in 1965). It is the basis of the Kalmus edition, which includes a realization, some performance annotations, and corrected score and parts, prepared by Clark McAlister in 1986. An entry in the Hallische Händel-Ausgabe im Auftrage der Georg Friedrich Händel-Gesellschaft, series 3, volume 10, is planned. Autograph: The composer’s manuscript is in the British Library in London. Additional manuscript materials in other hands are in the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge; the Royal College of Music, London; the Central Public Library, Manchester; the Hereford Cathedral Library; the Music Collection of the Staatsund Universitätsbibliothek Carl von Ossietzky, Hamburg. Notes: In the Kalmus edition, this is listed as Coronation Anthem IV. Performance Issues: This anthem requires the smallest group of performers of the set using a traditional string allotment, no brass, and fewer choral parts. The choral material is well supported by the instruments, There is denser polyphonic variety in this work than in the rest of the set that will demand attention to harmonic nuance and clarity of articulation throughout the work. The middle section in particular has much to offer the thoughtful performer. The instrumental parts are very practically written. Careful bowing will guarantee clear articulations. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium easy.
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Selected Discography: Choir of King’s College, Cambridge; conducted by David Willcocks. Recorded: King’s College Chapel, 1963. London: 455041. Choir of King’s College, Cambridge, Academy of Ancient Music; conducted by Stephen Cleobury. Recorded: King’s College Chapel, 2001. EMI: B00005N6UE. The Sixteen; conducted by Harry Christophers. Recorded: St. Paul’s Church, Deptford, London, 2008. Coro 16066. Selected Bibliography: See the collective bibliography for the Coronation Anthems, above.
3 — The King Shall Rejoice, HWV 260 Duration: ca. 12 minutes Text: The text is Psalm 21:1, 3, and 5. Performing Forces: voices: SAATBB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes, bassoon, 3 trumpets, timpani, strings (with 3 violin sections), and continuo First Performance: 11 October 1727; Westminster Abbey, London; conducted by the composer Editions: The King Shall Rejoice is available from Dover, Novato, Novello, Kalmus, G. Schirmer, and Eulenberg. It is also found in the scholarly edition — G. F. Händels Werke: Ausgabe der Deutschen Händelgesellschaft, volume 14, edited by Friedrich W. Chrysander (Leipzig and Bergedorf bei Hamburg: 18581894, reprinted in 1965). It is the basis of the Kalmus edition, which includes a realization, some performance annotations, and corrected score and parts, prepared by Clark McAlister in 1986. An entry in the Hallische Händel-Ausgabe im Auftrage der Georg Friedrich Händel-Gesellschaft, series 3, volume 10, is planned. Autograph: The composer’s manuscript is in the British Library in London. Additional manuscript materials in other hands are in the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge; the Royal College of Music, London; the Central Public Library, Manchester; the Hereford Cathedral Library; the Music Collection of the Staatsund Universitätsbibliothek Carl von Ossietzky, Hamburg. Notes: In the Kalmus edition, this is listed as Coronation Anthem II. The closing movement of this anthem was to commence at the moment the king was crowned. Performance Issues: There are numerous melismatic passages for inner voices. Decisions regarding “over dotting” should be made in advance and marked in the parts.301 Those in the Kalmus edition are consistent 301 “Over dotting” has also been referred to as “double dotting.”
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
and clear, although some additional cadential ornaments may still warrant addition. All of the vocal material is well supported by the instruments, and the instrumental writing is practically conceived. Some of the tempo changes and rapid figurations in new tempi will require careful preparation. The first trumpet has a high tessitura, and in the final movement it is very sustained. Handel uses repeated pitches in the same syllable for rearticulation. The brief silence required for this effect will need to be conveyed to the corresponding instruments. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Choir of King’s College, Cambridge; conducted by David Willcocks. Recorded: King’s College Chapel, 1963. London: 455041. Choir of King’s College, Cambridge, Academy of Ancient Music; conducted by Stephen Cleobury. Recorded: King’s College Chapel, 2001. EMI: B00005N6UE. The Sixteen; conducted by Harry Christophers. Recorded: St. Paul’s Church, Deptford, London in 2008. Coro 16066. Selected Bibliography: See the collective bibliography for the Coronation Anthems, above.
4 — My Heart Is Inditing, HWV 261 Duration: ca. 12 minutes Text: The text is Psalm 45:1, 9, 11; and Isaiah 49:23. Performing Forces: voices: SAATBB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes, bassoon (optional), 3 trumpets, timpani, strings (with 3 violin sections), and continuo First Performance: 11 October 1727; Westminster Abbey, London; conducted by the composer Editions: My Heart Is Inditing is available from Dover, Novato, Novello, Kalmus, G. Schirmer, and Eulenberg. It is also found in the scholarly edition — G. F. Händels Werke: Ausgabe der Deutschen Händelgesellschaft, volume 14, edited by Friedrich W. Chrysander (Leipzig and Bergedorf bei Hamburg: 18581894, reprinted in 1965). It is the basis of the Kalmus edition, which includes a realization, some performance annotations, and corrected score and parts, prepared by Clark McAlister in 1986.An entry in the Hallische Händel-Ausgabe im Auftrage der Georg Friedrich Händel-Gesellschaft, series 3, volume 10, is planned. Autograph: The composer’s manuscript is in the British Library in London. Additional manuscript materials in other hands are in the Fitzwilliam Museum,
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Cambridge; the Royal College of Music, London; the Central Public Library, Manchester; the Hereford Cathedral Library; the Music Collection of the Staatsund Universitätsbibliothek Carl von Ossietzky, Hamburg. Notes: In the Kalmus edition, this is listed as Coronation Anthem III. This text was also set by Henry Purcell for the coronation of James II and VI in 1685. Performance Issues: The orchestral writing contains more harmonic filigree than the other anthems in this set. The string writing is the most difficult. Careful thought should be given to bowings in these sections to meld ease of playing and textural clarity. There are passages within the vocal material that are labeled solo, soli, and tutti. Attention should be paid to these changes so that the accompaniment does not overpower reductions in vocal forces. All of the vocal material is well supported harmonically by the instruments, and there is considerable colla parte doubling. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Choir of King’s College, Cambridge; conducted by David Willcocks. Recorded: King’s College Chapel, 1963. London: 455041. Choir of King’s College, Cambridge, Academy of Ancient Music; conducted by Stephen Cleobury. Recorded: King’s College Chapel, 2001. EMI: B00005N6UE. The Sixteen; conducted by Harry Christophers. Recorded: St. Paul’s Church, Deptford, London, 2008. Coro 16066. Selected Bibliography: See the collective bibliography for the Coronation Anthems, above.
The Ways of Zion Do Mourn, “Funeral Anthem,” HWV 264 (1737) Duration: ca. 39 minutes Text: The text was compiled by Edward Willes from the Bible — Psalms 103:17; 112:6; Lamentations of Jeremiah 1:1, 4, 11; 2:10; Samuel II 1:19; Job 29:11, 12, 14; Ecclesiasticus 36:25; 44: 13-15; Daniel 12:3; Philippians 4:8; and Wisdom 5:16-17. Performing Forces: voices: SSATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes, bassoon, strings, and continuo bassoon, cello, bass, harpsichord, and organ) First Performance: 17 December 1737; Westminster Abbey, London; conducted by the composer Editions: The Ways of Zion Do Mourn is found in two scholarly editions — G. F. Händels Werke: Ausgabe der Deutschen Händelgesellschaft, volume 11, edited by Friedrich W. Chrysander (Leipzig and Bergedorf
bei Hamburg: 1858-1894, reprinted in 1965); and Hallische Händel-Ausgabe im Auftrage der Georg Friedrich Händel-Gesellschaft, series 3, volume 12, edited by Annette Landgraf. Autograph: The composer’s manuscript is in the British Library in London. Additional manuscript materials in other hands are in the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge; the Central Public Library, Manchester; and the Durham Cathedral Library. Notes: This work was composed for the funeral of Queen Caroline. It was completed on 12 December 1737. The music was reused in part I of Israel in Egypt, HWV 54. Wilhelmine Karoline was the daughter of the Margrave, Johann Friedrich von Brandenberg-Ansbach. She married her cousin, who became King George II of Great Britain. Caroline was very popular with her British subjects. In his funeral work, Handel drew upon German models and incorporated a number of German hymn tunes, including the anonymous Herr Jesu Christ, du höchstes Gut (1593) and Du Friedefürst, Herr Jesu Christ (1601) by Bartholomäus Gesius. Performance Issues: The score combines imitative and homophonic textures. Nearly all of the vocal material is clearly supported by the accompaniment. There are a number of passages that are notated as double-dotted figures with an inserted rest. These may require attention for accurate ensemble. There are no extended coloratura passages, and although some of the harmonic tensions will require sensitive treatment, the work is not overly challenging for the choir. The instrumental parts are idiomatic and within the ability of good amateur players. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Norma Burrowes, Charles Brett, Martin Hill, Stephen Varcoe; Monteverdi Choir and Orchestra; conducted by John Eliot Gardiner. Erato: 4697006. Selected Bibliography: Reich, Herbert. “Händels Chorbearbeitung einer Orgelfuge von J. Phil. Krieger.” Musik und Kirche, volume 36 (1966): 172-177. ———. “Händels Trauer-Hymne und die Musikalische Exequien von Schütz.” Musik und Kirche, volume 36 (1966): 74-78. Werner, Edwin. Georg Friedrich Händels ‘Trauer-Anthem’ HWV 264: Eine Studie mit Kritischer Ausgabe der Partitur im Rahmen der Hällischen Händel-Ausgabe. Martin-Luther-Universität, Ph. D. dissertation, 1981. Decker, Harold A. “Handel’s Funeral Anthem for Queen Caroline: A Neglected Masterpiece.” Five Centuries of Choral Music: Essays in Honor of Howard Swan,
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edited by Gordon Paine, 255-279. Stuyvesant, NY: Pendragon Press, 1988. Cowles, Robert. Funeral Anthem for Queen Caroline by George Frideric Handel: A History and Analysis. Indiana University, D. M. dissertation, 1990. Werner, Edwin. “Händels Funeral Anthem — eine englische Musik aus mitteldeutschen Tradition.” Georg Friedrich Händel: ein Lebensinhalt. Gedenkschrift für Bernd Baselt (1934-1993), edited by Klaus Hortansky and Kostanze Musketa, 59-76. Kassel: Bärenreiter, 1995. Landgraf, Annette. “Die Begräbniszeremonie für Queen Caroline.” Händel-Jahrbuch, volume 49 (2003): 115125. ———. “Preface” to The ways of Zion do mourn; Hallische Händel-Ausgabe im Auftrage der Georg Friedrich Händel-Gesellschaft, series 3, volume 12, xivxix. Kassel: Bärenreiter, 2004.
The King Shall Rejoice, “Dettingen Anthem,” HWV 265 (1743) Duration: ca. 14 minutes Text: The text is Psalms 20:5 and 21:1, 5-7. Performing Forces: voices: alto and bass soloists; SSATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes, bassoon, 3 trumpets, timpani, strings, and continuo First Performance: 27 November 1743; Chapel Royal Editions: The “Dettingen Anthem” is available in reprint from Kalmus. It is also found in two scholarly editions — G. F. Händels Werke: Ausgabe der Deutschen Händelgesellschaft, volume 36, page 111, edited by Friedrich W. Chrysander (Leipzig and Bergedorf bei Hamburg: 1858-1894, reprinted in 1965); and an entry in the Hallische Händel-Ausgabe im Auftrage der Georg Friedrich Händel-Gesellschaft, series 1, volume 13, is planned. Autograph: The composer’s manuscript is in the British Library in London. Additional manuscript materials in other hands are in the Gerald Coke Collection in Bentley, England; the Durham Cathedral Library; the Central Public Library, Manchester; the Music Collection of the Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek Carl von Ossietzky, Hamburg; Nanki Ongaku Bunko (Nanki Music Library), Tokyo; and Rutgers University. Notes: This score was composed to celebrate the victory at Dettingen. It was completed 3 August 1743. Performance Issues: The vocal writing is vocally challenging for the choir, but all of the choral material is well supported by the accompaniment. The soprano I part has a high tessitura that requires light, sustained singing at the top of the staff. There is a diversity of homophonic and imitative textures for the singers, and all parts have some rapid melismatic passagework. The trumpet I part has a predictably high tessitura.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Soloist: alto - range: a-b', tessitura: c'-a', this is a lilting and sustained solo; bass - range: B-e', tessitura: d-d', this is a lilting and lyric solo. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Christopher Tipping, Michael Pearce; Choir of Westminster Abbey, English Concert; conducted by Simon Preston. Recorded in 1983 in Henry Wood Hall, London. Arkiv: 410647-1. Selected Bibliography: Hurley, David Ross. “‘The Summer of 1743’: Some Handelian Self-Borrowings.” Göttinger Händel-Beiträge, volume 4 (1991): 174-193.
Te Deum in D, “Utrecht,” HWV 278 (1713) Duration: ca. 25 minutes Text: This is an anonymous hymn of thanksgiving in church use since the sixth century. It is usually sung during the Matins service. The apocryphal source of its genesis is that it was spontaneously sung by Ss. Ambrose and Augustine on the evening when Augustine was baptized. Performing Forces: voices: 2 soprano, 2 alto, tenor and bass soloists; SSAATTB choir; orchestra: flute, 2 oboes, bassoon, 2 trumpets, strings (violin I, II, and III, and viola), and continuo (bassoon, cello, bass, and organ) First Performance: 7 July 1713; St. Paul’s Cathedral, London Editions: The Utrecht Te Deum is available from Bärenreiter, Kalmus, Luck’s, Novello, and G. Schirmer. It is also found in two scholarly editions — G. F. Händels Werke: Ausgabe der Deutschen Händelgesellschaft, volume 31, page 2, edited by Friedrich W. Chrysander (Leipzig and Bergedorf bei Hamburg: 1858-1894, reprinted in 1965); and Hallische Händel-Ausgabe im Auftrage der Georg Friedrich Händel-Gesellschaft, series 3, volume 3, page 3, edited by Gerald Hendrie (Kassel: Bärenreiter, 1985). Autograph: The composer’s manuscript is in the British Library in London. Additional manuscript materials in other hands are in the Gerald Coke Collection in Bentley, England; the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge; the Durham Cathedral Library; and the Central Public Library, Manchester. Notes: This work, Te Deum zur Feier des Friedens von Utrecht, along with the “Utrecht” Jubilate, was composed to celebrate the Peace of Utrecht. Performance Issues: The choral writing combines homophonic and imitative textures. Much of the choral material is clearly doubled by the instruments. There are vocally demanding passages for all sections of the
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
choir. There are some unusually low passages for the tenors, but these are doubled by the basses. Most of the choral dispositions are SATB or SSATB, but movement 7 treats the ensemble as two choirs: SST and AATB. The orchestral writing is dramatic and varied with challenging portions for all players. There is an exposed oboe solo in movement 5 and another for flute in movement 6. An independent bassoon part only occurs in movement 7, but there it can be effectively employed in the continuo group throughout the work. The trumpet parts are typically high and demanding, but there are adequate breaks between movements in which they appear. Some recordings include timpani, but no part appears in the critical score. Soloists: soprano I - range: f#'-g'', tessitura: a'-f#'', this is a lyric role with some florid passagework; soprano II - range: d'-e'', tessitura: e'-e'', this is a lyric role with some florid passagework; alto I - range: e-c'', tessitura: c'-c'', this is a sustained lyric solo best suited for a countertenor; alto II - range: f#-a', tessitura: g'-g'', this is a sustained lyric solo best suited for a countertenor; tenor - range: e-g', tessitura: g-e'', this is a lyric role with some florid passagework; bass - range: A-d', tessitura: c-c', this is a lyric role with some florid passagework. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Emma Kirkby, Judith Nelson, Charles Brett, Roger Covey-Crump, Paul Elliott, David Thomas; Choir of Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford; Academy of Ancient Music; conducted by Simon Preston. Recorded: St. Jude’s, Hampstead, England, 1979. London: 455041. Selected Bibliography: Lincoln, Stoddard. “Handel’s Music for Queen Anne.” Musical Quarterly, volume 45 (1959): 191-207. Burrows, Donald. “Handel’s Peace Anthem.” Musical Times, volume 118 (1973): 1230-1232. ———. “Handel in England: Sacred Music.” Kongreßbericht Stuttgart (1985), volume 1: 213-217.
Jubilate in D, “Utrecht,” HWV 279 (1713) Duration: ca. 19 minutes Text: The text is Psalm 100:1-4 and the Doxology. Performing Forces: voices: 2 alto and bass soloists; SSAATTBB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes, 2 trumpets, strings (violin I, II, and III, and viola), and continuo (bassoon, cello, bass, and organ) First Performance: 7 July 1713; St. Paul’s Cathedral, London Editions: The Utrecht Jubilate is available from Kalmus. It is also found in two scholarly editions — G. F. Händels Werke: Ausgabe der Deutschen Händelgesellschaft, volume 31, page 46, edited by Friedrich W.
Chrysander (Leipzig and Bergedorf bei Hamburg: 1858-1894, reprinted in 1965); and Hallische HändelAusgabe im Auftrage der Georg Friedrich HändelGesellschaft, series 3, volume 4, edited by Gerald (Hendrie, Kassel: Bärenreiter, 1985). Autograph: The composer’s manuscript is in the British Library in London. Additional manuscript materials in other hands are in the Gerald Coke Collection in Bentley, England; the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge; the Durham Cathedral Library; and the Central Public Library, Manchester. Notes: This work, Jubilate zur Feier des Friedens von Utrecht, along with the “Utrecht” Jubilate, was composed to celebrate the Peace of Utrecht. Performance Issues: The choral writing combines pervasive imitation and homophonic textures. Most of the choral material is clearly doubled by the orchestra, but there are passages where the singers are not directly doubled by the instruments. There are vocally demanding passages for all of the choral parts. Most of the choral writing is SATB or SSATB. The only eightpart material is in simple, sustained block chords. The orchestral writing is idiomatic and less challenging overall than the companion Te Deum. Attention may need to be paid to harmonic nuances, but the string writing is within the ability of most amateur players. The oboes generally reinforce other parts. The trumpet parts are characteristically high, but ample breaks are provided. Some recordings employ timpani, but there is no part in the critical edition. Soloists: alto I - range: a-d'', tessitura: d'-c'', this is a lyric solo with considerable coloratura passagework; alto II - range: g-g', tessitura: g-g', this is a declamatory solo that appears in trio only; bass - range: B-e', tessitura: d-d', this is a lyric baritone solo with some rapid ornamental figures. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Emma Kirkby, Judith Nelson, Charles Brett, Roger Covey-Crump, Paul Elliott, David Thomas; Choir of Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford; Academy of Ancient Music; conducted by Simon Preston. Recorded: St. Jude’s, Hampstead, England, 1979. London: 455041. Selected Bibliography: Barber, Elinore. “Early Handel Prints and a Handel Manuscript in the Bach Institute’s Vault Collection.” Bach: The Quarterly Journal of the Riemenschneider Bach Institute, volume 16, number 2 (1985): 6-17. Also see Utrecht Te Deum above.
Te Deum in D, “Caroline,” HWV 280 (1714) Duration: ca. 17 minutes
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Text: This is an anonymous hymn of thanksgiving in church use since the sixth century. It is usually sung during the Matins service. The apocryphal source of its genesis is that it was spontaneously sung by Ss. Ambrose and Augustine on the evening when Augustine was baptized. Performing Forces: voices: 2 alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SAATB choir; orchestra: flute, 2 trumpets, and strings302 First Performance: The premiere may have been a performance given in the Chapel Royal, 26 September 1714 Editions: Te Deum in D, “Caroline,” HWV 280 is available in reprint miniature score from Kalmus. It is also found in the scholarly edition — G. F. Händels Werke: Ausgabe der Deutschen Händelgesellschaft, volume 37, page 1, edited by Friedrich W. Chrysander (Leipzig and Bergedorf bei Hamburg: 1858-1894, reprinted in 1965). Autograph: The composer’s manuscripts are in the British Library in London and the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge. Additional manuscript materials in other hands are in the British Library; the Bodleian Library, Oxford; and the Central Public Library, Manchester. Notes: A revision was produced between 1722 and 1726 that includes a new setting of the passage “Vouchsafe, O Lord.” Performance Issues: The choral writing is vocally conservative and generally syllabic. The continuo provides harmonic support at all times, but some of the choir’s passages are not directly supported by the other instruments. The instrumental writing is idiomatic and mostly within the abilities of typical amateur players, although some of the rhythmic material will require attention for good clarity. The trumpet I part has a high tessitura and is present much of the time. The two alto soloists are listed as alto/tenor parts. These are true mezzo ranges and may be effectively assigned to countertenors. Soloists: alto I - range: a-b', tessitura: c'-a'', with some florid coloratura; alto II - range: b♭d'', tessitura: c'-a', this is a lilting lyric solo; tenor range: a-g', tessitura: a-g', this is a simple declamatory solo suited to a chorister; bass - range: G-e', tessitura: c-c', this is a dramatic solo with some rapid passagework. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Mieke van der Sluis, Harry van Berne, Harry van der Kamp; Alsfelder Vokalensemble, Barockorchester Bremen; conducted by Wolfgang Helbich. Recorded
302 The New Grove works list suggests that later performances probably included two oboes.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
in August 1993 in St. Hedwig Kirche, Berlin. CPO: 999244. Selected Bibliography: Burrows, Donald. “Handel’s Last English Church Music.” American Choral Review, volume 27, number 23 (1985): 45-54.
Te Deum in B♭, “Chandos,” HWV 281 (c. 1718) Duration: ca. 36 minutes Text: This is an anonymous hymn of thanksgiving in church use since the sixth century. It is usually sung during the Matins service. The apocryphal source of its genesis is that it was spontaneously sung by Ss. Ambrose and Augustine on the evening when Augustine was baptized. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, 2 tenor, and bass soloists; STTTB choir; orchestra: flute, oboe, bassoon, strings, and continuo Editions: Te Deum in B♭, “Chandos,” HWV 281 is available in reprint miniature score from Kalmus. It is also found in the scholarly edition — G. F. Händels Werke: Ausgabe der Deutschen Händelgesellschaft, volume 37, page 25, edited by Friedrich W. Chrysander (Leipzig and Bergedorf bei Hamburg: 1858-1894, reprinted in 1965). Autograph: The composer’s manuscript is in the British Library in London. Additional manuscript materials in other hands are in the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge; the Central Public Library, Manchester; the Music Collection of the Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek Carl von Ossietzky, Hamburg; and Rutgers University. Performance Issues: The choral writing is practical and well supported by the orchestra. There are numerous passages for a single choral section that may be effectively assigned to soloists. The instrumental writing is idiomatic and within the abilities of most amateur players. Soloists: soprano - range: f'-f'', tessitura: f'-f'', this is a lilting lyric solo; tenor I - range: f#-a', tessitura: g-f', this is a lyric solo with some extended melismatic passages; tenor II - range: g-a', tessitura: d'-a', this is a lyric role with some melismatic passagework, in ensembles it is higher than tenor I; bass - range: Aa, tessitura: A-a, this is a minimal solo that appears in quintet. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium easy.
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Selected Discography: Vocalsoloisten Frankfurt, Drot-tningsholms Baroque Ensemble; conducted by Gerhard Jenemann. Arte Nova Classics: 88697303862-31. Selected Bibliography: Streatfield, Richard Alexander. Handel, Canons, and the Duke of Chandos. London: C. Whittingham 1916. Beeks, Graydon. The Chandos Anthems and Te Deum of George Grideric Handel (1685-1759). University of California, Berkeley, Ph. D. dissertation, 1981. ———. “Zur Chronologie von Händels Chandos Anthems un Te Deum B-Dur.” Händel-Jahrbuch, volume 27 (1981): 89-105.
Te Deum in A, HWV 282 (c. 1722-1726) Duration: ca. 19 minutes Text: This is an anonymous hymn of thanksgiving in church use since the sixth century. It is usually sung during the Matins service. The apocryphal source of its genesis is that it was spontaneously sung by Ss. Ambrose and Augustine on the evening when Augustine was baptized. Performing Forces: voices: alto, tenor, and bass soloists; 303 SAATBB or STTTBBB choir; orchestra: flute, oboe, bassoon, strings, and continuo Editions: Te Deum in A, HWV 282 is available in reprint miniature score from Kalmus. It is also found in the scholarly edition — G. F. Händels Werke: Ausgabe der Deutschen Händelgesellschaft, volume 37, page 109, edited by Friedrich W. Chrysander (Leipzig and Bergedorf bei Hamburg: 1858-1894, reprinted in 1965). Autograph: The composer’s manuscript is in the British Library in London. Additional manuscript materials in other hands are in the Gerald Coke Collection in Bentley, England; the Royal College of Music, London; the Central Public Library, Manchester; and Rutgers University. Notes: This work is based upon the “Chandos” Te Deum, HWV 281. Performance Issues: The score allows for an alto or high tenor solo and alto or tenor choristers on two of the seven lines. In the tutti passages there are lines assigned to soloists some of whom have independent interjections, but others serve to enrich the harmony. The vocal material is all well supported by the orchestra. This is a shorter work than its progenitor, and it is 303 The score identifies two bass soloists, but the second part always appears within tutti passages as an additional choral line. 304 David Daniels notes that the Kalmus edition appears to be a reprint of an old Bärenreiter edition with many added interpretive
a more favorable key for less-experienced string players. Soloists: alto - range: b-c'', tessitura: b-b', this is a lilting lyric solo and the largest; tenor - range: d'-g#', tessitura: d'-g', this is a brief sustained solo; bass I range: d-f#', tessitura: e-e', this is a brief high baritone solo with some rapid passagework. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Dorothee Mields, Ulrike Andersen, Mark Wilde, Chris Dixon; Alsfelder Vocal Ensemble, Concerto Polacco; conducted by Wolfgang Helbich. Naxos: 8554753. Selected Bibliography: Burrows, Donald. “Sir John Dolben’s Music Collection.” Musical Times, volume 120 (1979): 149-151.
Te Deum in D, “Dettingen,” HWV 283 (1743) Duration: ca. 35 minutes Text: This is an anonymous hymn of thanksgiving in church use since the sixth century. It is usually sung during the Matins service. The apocryphal source of its genesis is that it was spontaneously sung by Ss. Ambrose and Augustine on the evening when Augustine was baptized. Performing Forces: voices: 2 soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SSATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes, bassoon, 3 trumpets, timpani, strings, and continuo First Performance: 27 November 1743; Chapel Royal; conducted by the composer Editions: “Dettingen Te Deum” is available from Bärenreiter, Kalmus,304 Luck’s, Eulenberg, and C. F. Peters. It is also found in two scholarly editions — G. F. Händels Werke: Ausgabe der Deutschen Händelgesellschaft, volume 25, edited by Friedrich W. Chrysander (Leipzig and Bergedorf bei Hamburg: 18581894, reprinted in 1965); and an entry in the Hallische Händel-Ausgabe im Auftrage der Georg Friedrich Händel-Gesellschaft, series 3, volume 13, is planned. Autograph: The composer’s manuscript is in the British Library in London. Additional manuscript materials in other hands are in the Gerald Coke Collection in Bentley, England; the Durham Cathedral Library; the Central Public Library, Manchester; St. Paul’s Cathedral, London; Westminster Abbey Library; and the Harvard University Library.
markings (Orchestral Music: A Handbook, 4th edition, 161 [Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press, 2005]).
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Notes: The work was composed to celebrate the victory at Dettingen. The score was begun 17 July 1743 Performance Issues: The choral material is primarily homophonic with some coloratura figuration in each choral part. The choral parts are vocally challenging, and the scoring benefits from a large choral ensemble. The choral material is well supported by the orchestra. There is an ATB trio, three bass ariosi, and the remaining solo passages are brief solo interjections. The trumpet parts are exposed, but adequate time is provided for recovery. The orchestra parts are idiomatically written for advanced players. This is a dramatic and powerful work that shows off the breadth of a good symphonic choir. Soloists: soprano I - range: a'e'' tessitura: a'-e'', this is a simple sustained solo; soprano II - range: a'-e'', tessitura: a'-e'', this is a simple sustained solo; alto - range: b♭-b♭', tessitura: d'-b♭', this is a sustained lyric solo; tenor - range: f-g', tessitura: f-f', this is a sustained lyric solo; bass - range: Ae', tessitura: d-d', this is a lyric solo with some rapid ornamental figuration it is the largest role. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Dorothee Fries, Raimund Nolte, Thomas Cooley; Collegium vocale des Bach-Chores Siegen, TrompetenConsort “Friedemann Immer,” Hannoversche Hofkapelle; conducted by Ulrich Stötzel. Recorded in May 2001 in Martinikirche, Siegen, Germany. Haenssler: 98365. Dorothee Mields, Ulrike Andersen, Mark Wilde, Chris Dixon; Alsfelder Vocal Ensemble, Concerto Polacco; conducted by Wolfgang Helbich. Naxos: 8554753. Selected Bibliography: Upton, George. The Standard Oratorios, 155-158. Chicago: A. C. McClurg and Company, 1893. Pahlen, Kurt. The World of the Oratorio, translated by Judith Schaefer with additional English-language material by Thurston Dox, 151. Portland, OR: Amadeus Press, 1990.
HANSON, Howard (b. Wahoo, NE, 28 October 1896; d. Rochester, NY, 26 February 1981) In addition to possessing superior musical skills, Hanson was a master academic administrator and a significant voice in the development of music education in the twentieth century. He attended Luther College in Wahoo, receiving a diploma in 1911. He was a pupil of Percy Goetschius at the Institute of Musical Art (1914) and Northwestern University (BA 1916). As the first American recipient of the Rome Prize (1921) to establish a residency in Rome, Hanson continued his studies with Ottorino Respighi. He taught
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
composition and music theory at the College of the Pacific in California (1916-1919) and was made dean of the Conservatory of Fine Arts in 1919. From 1924 to 1964, Hanson served as the director of the Eastman School. Under his leadership, the school flourished. He also became involved with the administration of NASM, MENC, MTNA, and the National Music Council. In 1964, he founded the Institute of American Music of the Eastman School. As a conductor, he built the Eastman Philharmonia into a top-flight ensemble, with whom he made the premiere recordings of many American compositions. He was a frequent guest conductor throughout the United States and Europe. Teachers: Percy Goetschius, Peter Christian Lutkin, Arne Oldberg Students: Dominick Argento, Joseph Baber, Wayne Barlow, Jack Beeson, William Bergsma, Nathaniel Dett, Emma Lou Diemer, Anthony Donato, Earl George, Roger Hannay, Walter Hartley, Herbert Inch, Samuel Jones, Ulysses Kay, Kent Kennan, John LaMontaine, Martin Mailman, Peter Mennin, Louis Mennini, Robert Palmer, Burrill Phillips, Gardner Read, H. Owen Reed, Patrick Peter Sacco, Robert Stern, Robert Stevenson, Vladimir Ussachevsky, Robert Washburn, Clifton Williams Awards: Thirty-six honorary degrees, Pulitzer Prize (1944 for Symphony no. 4, “The Requiem,” op. 34), George Foster Peabody Award, Oliver Ditson Award, membership in the Institute of Arts and Letters (1935), and the Academy of the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters (1979). Principal Writing: Harmonic Materials of Modern Music (New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts, 1960). Principal Works: opera - Merry Mount op. 31 (1933); ballet - California Forest Play of 1920, op. 16 (1919); symphonies – no. 1 “The Nordic,” op. 21 (1922), no. 2 “The Romantic,” op. 30 (1930), no. 3, op. 33 (19378), no. 4 “The Requiem,” op. 34 (1944), no. 5 “Sinfonia sacra,” op. 43 (1954), no. 6 (1967), no. 7 “A Sea Symphony,” (1977); vocal - Hymn for the Pioneers (1938), Song of Democracy, op. 44 (1957), The Mystic Trumpeter (1970), Lumen in Christo (1974), New Land, New Covenant (1976). Selected Composer Bibliography: Royce, Edward. “Howard Hanson.” In American Composers on American Music: A Symposium, edited by Henry Cowell, 97. New York: Frederick Ungar Publishing, 1933 (revised, 1962). Alter, Martha. “American Compoers, XVI: Howard Hanson.” Modern Music, xviii/2 (January/February 1941): 84. “Hanson, Howard.” Current Biography Yearbook, ii (October 1941); xxvii (September 1966); obituary, lxii (April 1981). New York: H. W. Wilson Company.
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Watanabe, Ruth T. “Howard Hanson’s Manuscript Scores.” University of Rochester Library Bulletin, v/2 (1950): 21. ———. Music of Howard Hanson. Rochester: University of Rochester Press, 1966. Monroe, Robert C. Howard Hanson: American Music Educator. Florida State University, dissertation, 1970. Carmine, Albert Junior. The Choral Music of Howard Hanson. University of Texas, Dissertation, 1977. Gleason, Harold, and Walter Becker. “Howard Hanson.” Twentieth-Century American Composers, 2nd edition, Music Literature Outlines, series iv. Bloomington, IN: Frangiapani Press, 1981; 74.
(Living Presence): SRI-75007 [LP]; re-released as 434302-2 [ADD]. Seattle Symphony Orchestra and Chorale; conducted by Gerard Schwarz. Recorded on 15 and 18 February 1991. Delos: DE 3105 [DDD]. Selected Bibliography: Lieberson, Goddard. “Spring Fancies, 1937.” Modern Music, XIV/4 (May/June 1937): 220. Ewen, David. The Complete Book of Twentieth-Century Music, revised edition, 162. New York: Prentice-Hall, 1967.
The Lament for Beowulf, op. 25 (1925)
Three Songs from “Drum Taps,” op. 32 (1935)
Duration: ca. 19-20 minutes
Duration: ca. 16-18 minutes
Text: Beowulf as translated by William Morris and A. J. Wyatt
Text: Walt Whitman from “Drum Taps”
Performing Forces: voices: SATB choir; orchestra: 3 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 3 bassoons, 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, 2 timpanists (4 timpani each), percussion (1 player - snare drum, bass drum), harp, and strings
Performing Forces: voices: SATB choir; orchestra: 3 flutes, 3 oboes, 3 clarinets, 3 bassoons, 4 horn, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani (2 players), percussion (3 players - snare drum, tenor drum, bass drum, crash cymbal, suspended cymbal, gong, xylophone, glockenspiel, chimes), 2 harps, and strings
First Performance: May 1926; Ann Arbor May Festival, Ann Arbor, MI; conducted by the composer
First Performance: 1935 May Festival; Ann Arbor, MI; conducted by the composer
Edition: The Lament for Beowulf is published and distributed by Carl Fischer. The piano-vocal score is for sale; orchestral materials are available for rental.
Edition: Songs from “Drum Taps” was published by J. Fischer and Brother (6925-52) and then Belwin-Mills; it is distributed by Theodore Presser Company. The piano-vocal score is for sale; orchestral materials are available for rental.
Autograph: The composer’s manuscript is in the Sibley Library of the Eastman School of Music. Notes: Beowulf is dedicated to the Leeds Festival Chorus. Performance Issues: The choral writing is tonal with dissonances carefully prepared through melodic motion of independent parts. Terraced entrances are frequent with the imitation of parts being more rhythmic than pitch oriented. The vocal parts are consistently declamatory and rhythmically rigid. Much of the accompaniment is built from ostinato figures, which are constructed from nonfunctional seventh chords, or other extended tertian harmonies in various inversions. The string parts are energetic, but not difficult. The winds and brass are presented with no technical snares, but the powerful dynamic level required throughout most of the piece may expose limits of endurance. This composition has great rhythmic drive and power and is short enough to maintain a successful level of frenetic excitement. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium. Selected Discography: Eastman School of Music Chorus, Eastman-Rochester Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Hanson. Mercury
Autograph: A copy of the composer’s manuscript is in the special collections of the Sibley Library of the Eastman School of Music. As of August 1992 it had not been catalogued. Notes: This composition is dedicated to the composer’s mother and father. Compare with the setting by William Schuman (A Free Song). Performance Issues: This is a rhythmically charged and tonally oriented work. The metric drive of the piece is guaranteed by Hanson’s use of rhythmic and melodic ostinati juxtaposing varied divisions of the beat. The harmonic language is very static, exploiting quartalquintal relationships and pedal points. The choral writing is generally homophonic with occasional interplay between the men’s and women’s sections of the choir and substantial choral unisons. Hanson also gives the tune and text to one section of the choir while the remaining parts sing “ah” behind it. The most contrapuntal activity occurs in the third movement where there are a number of imitative textless phrases for the singers. There are divisi in all of the choral sections. The orchestration is very straightforward, presenting
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no ensemble challenges. The orchestra’s endurance, however, is tested. The players, particularly the brass, are asked to play at a full dynamic throughout most of the work. Two confident players are needed for the percussion parts, which have many exposed drum solos. The final eight measures require an additional percussionist to play the chime part. There are also very challenging gestures in all of the woodwinds in the final movement. This is a very exciting and dramatic work with a text well suited to many programs. It would make a fine companion piece to Vaughan Williams’s Dona Nobis Pacem or Delius’s Requiem. Soloist: baritone, range: c-e', tessitura: e-b, powerful and declamatory with sustained phrases. Choir: medium; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Eastman School of Music Chorus, Eastman-Rochester Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Hanson. Mercury: MG-50073 [LP], and Eastman-Rochester Achives: ERA-1010 [LP]. Selected Bibliography: [review], Musical America, lv/11 (1935), 24. Tuthill, Burnet C. “Howard Hanson.” The Musical Quarterly, xxii (1936): 146. Lieberson, Goddard. “Rochester’s Sixth Festival.” Modern Music, xiii/4 (May/June 1936): 50.
HARRIS, Roy [LeRoy] (b. near Chandler, OK, 12 February 1898; d. Santa Monica, CA, 1 October 1979) Harris received his early musical training from his mother. He was a student at the University of California, Berkeley (1919) and UCLA (1921). He studied privately (1924-1925) with Arthur Farwell (theory) and Modest Altschuler (orchestration). On the advice of Aaron Copland, Harris traveled to Paris where he was a pupil of Nadia Boulanger (1926-1928). He joined the summer faculty of the Juilliard School (1932) and then served on the faculties of Westminster Choir College (1934-1938), Princeton University (1938), Cornell University (1941-1943), Colorado College (1943-1948), the University of Utah (19481949), the George Peabody College for Teachers (1949-1951), Pennsylvania College for Women (1951-1956), Southern Illinois University (19561957), Indiana University (1957-1960), the InterAmerican University (1959-1961), UCLA (19611973), the University of the Pacific (1963-1964), and California State University, Los Angeles (1969-1976). 305 Harold Gleason and Walter Becker, “Roy Harris,” 20th-Century American Composers, Music Literature Outlines, series iv (Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press, revised 1981).
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Among his many pupils were George Lynn, Peter Schickele, and William Schuman. Harris was very active in the formation and administration of organizations for the promotion of new music and young composers. The most notable of these were the Composers’ Forum-Laboratory (1935), the Pittsburgh International Festival of Contemporary Music (1952), and the International Congress of Strings (1958). Harris’s music is often complex, using many imitative and developmental devices from the Baroque and Renaissance eras including fugue, quodlibet, variations, passacaglias, and sixteenth-century imitative processes. His works are characterized by broad gestures, a vastness of orchestration, use of folk materials, and expansive forms. He used a single-movement form in four of his symphonies and a number of chamber works.305 Teachers: Modest Altschuler, Arthur Bliss, Nadia Boulanger, Arthur Farwell, Rosario Scalero, Henry Schoenfeld Students: Charles Mills, Robert Palmer, Vincent Persichetti, H. Owen Reed, Peter Schikele, William Schuman, John Verrall Awards: Three Guggenheim Fellowships (1927, 1928, 1975), Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge Medal (1942), Naumburg Award (1956), several honorary degrees, membership in the Institute (1944) and Academy (1978) of the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters, Composer Laureate of the State of California in 1975. Principal Works: orchestral - Fifteen symphonies: no. 1, “Symphony 1933” (1933), no. 2 (1934), no. 3 (1938), no. 4, “Folk Song Symphony” (1940), no. 5, op. 55 (1942), no. 6, op. 60, “Gettysburg Address Symphony” (1944), no. 7 (1951), no. 8, “St. Francis” (1962), no. 9 (1962), no. 10, “Abraham Lincoln Symphony” (1965), no. 11 (1967), no. 12, “Pere Marquette” (1969), no. 13 (1969), no. 14 (1974), no. 15 (1978), Ode to Truth (1941), Acceleration (1941), Children’s Hour (1942), Memories of a Child’s Sunday (1945), Kentucky Spring (1949), Elegy and Dance (1958), Epilogue to Profiles in Courage: J. F. K. (1962); nine concertos; and many chamber and vocal pieces Selected Composer Bibliography: Farwell, Arthur. “Roy Harris.” The Musical Quarterly, xviii (1932): 117. Cowell, Henry. “Roy Harris.” In American Composers on American Music: A Symposium, edited by Henry Cowell, 64. New York: Frederick Ungar Publishing, 1933 (revised, 1962).
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Piston, Walter. “Roy Harris.” Modern Music, xii (19431945): 73. Harris, Roy. “Folk Song: American Big Business.” Modern Music, xviii (1940): 8. “Harris, Roy.” Current Biography Yearbook, i (August 1940); obituary, lx (November 1979). New York: H. W. Wilson Company. Slonimsky, Nicholas. “Roy Harris.” The Musical Quarterly, xxxiii (1947): 17. Plinkiewisch, Helen E. A Contribution to the Understanding of the Music of Charles Ives, Roy Harris, and Aaron Copland. Columbia University, dissertation, 1955. Brookhart, Charles E. The Choral Music of Aaron Copland, Roy Harris, and Randall Thompson. George Peabody College for Teachers, dissertation, 1960. Stehman, Dan. The Symphonies of Roy Harris: An Analysis of the Linear Materials and Related Works. University of Southern California. dissertation, 1973. Gleason, Harold, and Walter Becker. “Roy Harris.” Twentieth-Century American Composers, 2nd edition, Music Literature Outlines, series iv. Bloomington, IN: Frangiapani Press, 1981: 92. Stehman, Dan. Roy Harris: An American Musical Pioneer. Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1984. ———. “Harris, Roy.” In The New Grove Dictionary of American Music, edited by H. Wiley Hitchcock, ii: 331-337. 4 volumes. London: Macmillan, 1986. ———. Roy Harris: A Bio-Bibliography. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1991.
Symphony No. 4, Folk Song (1940) Duration: ca. 44 minutes Text: traditional folk songs as listed below in “notes” Performing Forces: voices: SATB choir; orchestra: 3 flutes, 3 oboes, 4 clarinets, 3 bassoons, 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion (7 players - snare drum, bass drum, Indian drum, tambourine, cymbals, gong, triangle, temple blocks, wood block, marimba, vibraphone, chimes), piano, and strings First Performance: 25 April 1940; American Spring Festival, Rochester, NY; Eastman School of Music Choir, Eastman-Rochester Orchestra; conducted by Howard Hanson. Edition: Symphony No. 4 is published and distributed by G. Schirmer. The piano-vocal score is for sale; orchestral materials are available for rental. Autograph: The full score is a facsimile of the composer’s manuscript. Notes: Harris has used traditional folk songs as the basis for each movement. They are as follows: 1. “The Girl I Left behind Me” 2. Western Cowboy: “O Bury Me Not on the Prairie”
3. Interlude: Dance Tunes for Strings and Percussion 4. Love Song: “I’m Goin’ Away for to Stay a Little While” 5. Interlude (2): Dance Tunes for Full Orchestra 6. Negro Fantasy: “De Trumpet Sounds It in My Soul” 7. Finale: “When Johnnie Comes Marching Home Again” Performance Issues: This is a very large work both in terms of duration and the number of performers, but it is written very idiomatically for all of the participants. The choral writing is either in unison or homophonic in four-part spelling of triads. A large choir is desirable because of the size of the orchestra; however, the orchestration is generally thin during the sung sections. The familiarity of the melodic material and accessibility of the writing make this an ideal work for an amateur choral society or large student ensemble. In the second and fourth movements the choral parts take turns singing isolated melodic lines, providing a good opportunity to work on unifying the sound between sections of the choir. It is also a good piece for developing internal rhythmic skills. The first movement has no tempo indication, but ca. 144 quarternotes-per-minute is appropriate for the original folk song. One issue that will consume rehearsal time is that Harris changes the level of division of the beat constantly. The accuracy of these changes must be maintained, since this is the feature, which keeps this piece from being square and unvital. Rhythmic clarity and strictness of beat are mandatory to success, although many triplets and sextuplets in the accompaniment seduce the ensemble into unwarranted rubati. The introduction of the sixth movement is the most contrapuntally complex section for the orchestra and may be difficult to integrate. This movement also has the most complex choral writing with divisi in the women’s parts and terraced entrances. With the likely exception of his Symphony No. 3, this is Harris’s most popular work. It contains many of his trademark devices including perpetually overlapping figures in the winds and extensive use of pedal point. However, there are none of the typical extended slow sections with prolonged tune spinning to provide a static tonal fabric behind slower melodic material. This work is more consistently direct than most of his other music, and therefore has excellent audience appeal. The “Negro Fantasy” utilizes a magnificent spiritual, but it is surely prudent to de-ethnicize the text. The style and content make it an ideal feature piece for a concert of Americana or of lighter works. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium. Selected Discography: American Festival Chorus and Orchestra; conducted by Vladimir Golschmann. Released in 1960. Vanguard: VRS-1064 [LP].
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Utah Chorale, Utah Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Maurice Abravanel. Recorded 6 May 1975. Angel: S-36091 [LP]. Selected Bibliography: Elwell, Herbert. “Harris’s Folk Song Symphony.” Modern Music xviii/2 (1940-1941): 113. Diether, Jack. “What the Real Roy Harris Sounds Like.” American Record Guide, xxvii (July 1961): 866.
HAYDN, Franz Joseph (b. Rohrau, Austria, 31 March 1732; d. Vienna, 31 May 1809) Haydn was the second of twelve children of a wheelwright and a former household cook. His family was musical, and there were professional musicians among the extended family. He became a soprano in the choir of St. Stephen’s Cathedral in Vienna, under the direction of Georg Reutter. As a teen he lived in the same building as the poet Metastasio and studied composition with Nicolò Porpora. He married Maria Anna Keller in 1760. The following year he was engaged as second Kapellmeister for Prince Paul Anton Esterházy. Paul Anton died in 1762, and was succeeded by Prince Nicolaus Esterházy. Haydn was elevated to first Kapellmeister in 1766. In the Esterházy court, he was responsible for producing two operatic performances and two formal concerts each week. Haydn received honors and gifts from most of the courts of Europe over the span of a prodigiously productive career during Nicolaus’s reign. When Nicolaus died in 1790, his successor, another Paul Anton, disbanded the Esterházy orchestra, granted Haydn an annuity, and freed him from the bulk of his duties. At this time, Haydn moved to Vienna. He was contracted by Johann Peter Salomon to perform a series of concerts in London. These concerts in 1791 and 1794 premiered Haydn’s twelve London Symphonies. In 1794, Paul Anton II died and was succeeded by Nicolaus II for whom Haydn again became Kapellmeister. It was during this time that he composed the last six masses, the second Te Deum, and the oratorios Die Schöpfung and Die Jahreszeiten. In 1802, Haydn resigned his post due to declining health. He continued to appear at concerts of his music through 27 March 1808, when he attended a performance of oratorios Die Schöpfung led by Salieri. Haydn was a friend and admirer of Mozart and teacher of Beethoven. He is credited with
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
solidifying the forms of the symphony and string quartet as they were practiced in the classical period, and he established the practice of treating functional harmony in four voices. His melodic invention was seemingly endless, and few composers have so skillfully combined imagination, humor, and intellect in their music. Teachers: Nicolò Porpora Students: Ludwig van Beethoven, Sigismond Neukomm Selected Composer Bibliography: Becker-Glauch, Irmgard. “Neue Forschungen zu Haydns Kirchenmusik.” Haydn Studien, volume 2, number 3 (1970): 167-241. Geiringer, Karl. Haydn: A Creative Life, 3rd edition, in collaboration with Irene Geiringer. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1982. Grave, Floyd K., and Margaret G. Grave. Franz Joseph Haydn: A Guide to Research. New York: Garland Publishing, 1990. Hoboken, Anthony von. Joseph Haydn: Thematischbibliographisches Werkverzeichnis. Mainz: B. Schotts Söhne, 1957, 1971, 1978. Hughes, Rosemary. Haydn, 5th edition. London: J. M. Dent and Sons, 1974. Landon, H. C. Robbins. Haydn: Chronicle and Works, five volumes. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1976-1980. Larsen, Jens Peter, and Georg Feder. The New Grove Haydn. New York: W. W. Norton, 1982. MacIntyre, Bruce C. The Viennese Concerted Mass of the Early Classical Period. Ann Arbor: UMI Research Press, 1986. Robbins Landon, H.C. and David Wyn Jones. Haydn: His Life and Music. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1988. Schenbeck, Lawrence. Joseph Haydn and the Classical Choral Tradition. Chapel Hill, NC: Hinshaw, 1996.
Haydn Oratorios Stabat Mater, Hob. XXbis (1767) Duration: ca. 80 minutes Text: The authorship of this text is highly disputed. It was removed from sanctioned use at the Council of Trent, and restored to the liturgical canon in 1727. The text addresses the “Seven Sorrows of the Virgin Mary.” It is used as the Sequence Hymn on the first Friday after Passion Sunday and on 15 September. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes [both doubling English horn], organ (continuo), and strings First Performance: 25 March 1768 (?), Vienna; Anna Maria Scheffstoss, soprano; Carl Friberth, tenor; conducted by Haydn
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Editions: Stabat Mater is in the critical edition Joseph Haydn: Werke, series 22, volume 1, edited by Marianne Helms and Fred Stoltzfus, published for the Haydn-Institut, Cologne, by G. Henle, Munich [HN 5532]. Other editions available for purchase include Breitkopf und Härtel, and Kalmus [6248]. There is an edition from Faber [F505007], edited by H. C. Robbins Landon, and distributed by G. Schirmer for which the orchestral materials are available for rental only.
Barbara Bonney, Elisabeth von Magnus, Herbert Lippert, Alastair Miles; Arnold Schoenberg Choir, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Recorded in 1994. Teldec: 4509-950852. Patricia Rozario, Catherine Robbin, Anthony Rolfe Johnson, Cornelius Hauptmann; English Concert Choir, English Concert; conducted by Trevor Pinnock. Archiv: 429 733-2AH.
Autograph: The autograph score is lost. Additional manuscript materials are in the Stadts-Archiv in Augsburg, the Preussischen Staatsbibliothek in Berlin (Mus. Ms. 9880), the Archives in Berchtesgaden, and the Benediktbeuern Monastery (182).
Selected Bibliography:
Notes: Haydn presents the text in fourteen movements. Performance Issues: The choral writing is mostly homophonic and the choral parts have fairly wide ranges. The vocal parts are not directly doubled but are clearly reinforced by the accompaniment. Haydn uses the quartet for the more contrapuntally complex vocal material. The final movement is a choral fugue. The vocal parts are all directly doubled by the orchestra here. It is entirely logical for the soloists to double the choir in that movement. The remainder of the choral portions are quite accessible to less-experienced choirs. The oboe parts are idiomatic and alternate with the English horn part only by movement. Given the pervasive double-reed sonority in the orchestration, a bassoon may be a positive addition to the continuo group. The string writing has considerable passagework. There are a number of ornamental figures that should be resolved in the parts before distribution. The slow tempi throughout this score abate much of the intricate violin writing. Haydn uses a lot of unison writing and twoand three-part counterpoint in the orchestra, allowing for a very small ensemble to be used. In fact this score would lend itself well to using solo players. This is an excellent choice if a strong instrumental ensemble, first-rate soloists, and limited choral resources are at hand. It is an ideal and underprogrammed work suitable for a penitential Good Friday program. Soloists: soprano - range: e'-b♭'', tessitura: a'-f'', this is a demanding solo role with florid coloratura writing and wide leaps; alto - range: b♭-f'', tessitura: d'-b', this is a lyric solo with florid passagework and broad leaps; tenor - range: e-b', tessitura: a-f ', this is a lyric solo with difficult coloratura passagework; bass - range: E♭-f ', tessitura: B♭-d', this is a declamatory solo with some melismatic passages and very wide leaps (up to a 14th). Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: difficult. Selected Discography: Krisztina Laki, Julia Hamari, Claes Hakon Ahnsjö, Richard Anlauf; Stuttgart Chamber Choir, Württemberg Chamber Orchestra; conducted by Frieder Bernius. Vox: 115843-2.
Becker-Glauch, Irmgard. “Neue Forschungen zu Haydns Kirchenmusik.” Haydn-Studien volumes 2/3 (May 1970): 199. Berkenstock, James Turner. The Smaller Sacred Compositions of Joseph Haydn, 125-141. Northwestern University, Ph.D. dissertation, 1975. Gruber, Gernot. “Musikalishe Rhetorik und barocke Bildlichkeit in Kompositionen des junge Haydn.” In Der junge Haydn, edited by Vera Schwarz, 168-191. Graz: Akademische Druck- und Verkaganstalt, 1972. Landon, H. C. Robbins. Haydn: Chronicle and Works, five volumes, volume 2, 234-236; volume 3, 58; volume 5, 268. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1976-1980. ———. “New Manuscript Sources of Works by Joseph Haydn, Johann Michael Haydn, and Their Austrian Contemporaries.” The Haydn Yearbook, volume 15 (1984): 199-213. Schenbeck, Lawrence. Joseph Haydn and the Classical Choral Tradition, 178-180, 441. Chapel Hill, NC: Hinshaw Music, 1996.
Die Sieben letzten Worte unseres Erlösers am Kreuze [The Seven Last Words of Christ], Hob. XX: 2 (1795-1796) Duration: ca. 55 minutes Text: The Bible provides the title passages. The basis of the additional text is by Joseph Friebert, who crafted his own choral adaptation of Haydn’s original instrumental composition. These texts were elaborated for Haydn’s own use by Baron van Swieten. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, 2 trombones, timpani, and strings First Performance: The first performance is believed to have been 26 March 1796, given as part of the Konzerts der Associierten Cavaliere bei Schwarzenberg. Editions: Die Sieben letzten Worte unseres Erlösers am Kreuze is in the critical edition Joseph Haydn: Werke, volume 28/2, edited by Hubert Unverricht, published for the Haydn-Institut, Cologne by G. Henle, Munich [HN 5822]. Another edition available for purchase is
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from Kalmus [6239]. Rental sets are available in editions from Bärenreiter [these match the Henle edition, BA 4655a], Breitkopf und Härtel [EB-1235], Novello [under the title, The Passion], G. Schirmer [in English, ED2302], and C. F. Peters [P1371]. The purely instrumental version is available from Bärenreiter. Autograph: The composer’s manuscript score is in the Nationalbibliothek Széchényi in Budapest. Notes: Haydn initially composed this as an instrumental work in 1789. Each movement was conceived as a sonata reflecting on each of the seven words uttered by Christ upon the cross. Joseph Friebert, a contemporary of Haydn, created a vocal arrangement of Haydn’s original. Then, in 1795-1796, Haydn created his own oratorio from his earlier work. There is some controversy regarding the chain of influence. Some sources claim that the first instrumental work derives its rhythms from the rhythm of the spoken words [see Ackermann cited below], whereas others suggest that Haydn sketched a vocal work during his initial composition. Some scholars believe that there is evidence that Friebert had access to these vocal sketches in drafting his adaptation [see Barrett-Ayres cited below]. Many scholars acknowledge that Haydn used Friebert’s score as a model in creating his own vocal score [see Unverricht cited below]. Performance Issues: One of the greatest challenges in performing this work is that it is comprised of a series of nine successive slow movements — the “Earthquake” being the only fast number, and it is reserved for the finale. The choral preparation must emphasize maintaining internal metric drive, and may therefore suggest the need for a mature choir. The choral parts alternate between homophony and imitative counterpoint. The orchestra doubles the choir in most of the concerted passages. Each movement is preceded by a brief chorale setting of the Biblical text that serves as the title of the movement. These incipits could be effectively sung by a separate quartet, which Rilling does in his recording listed below. There is also a very brief second solo part for a soprano. It is best suited for a chorister. The range is a'-f''. The orchestral writing is idiomatic throughout; particular attention must be paid to sudden changes in dynamics and clarity of articulation. The contrabassoon appears only in the second introduction. It is a fairly simple part. Although it occurs with two other bassoon parts, it would be possible to omit bassoon II in this movement if staffing required it. There are some important solos for cello concurrent with the cello section playing. These are not very technically demanding but require sensitive playing. There are considerable ornaments for the orchestra that will be best realized in the parts before distribution. Lawrence Schenbeck (cited below) suggests that this work functions best in an ecclesiastical setting with meditations between each section. It certainly
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
would benefit from reverberant acoustical setting. This is a very dramatic and expertly crafted work deserving of more frequent programming. Successful performances will require great attention to detail and a clear sense of dramatic momentum. Soloists: soprano - range: e♭'-a'', tessitura: a'-f '', this is the largest of the solo roles, it requires a lyrical voice; alto - range: a♭-d'', tessitura: c'-a', this is a sustained and lyrical solo; tenor - range: e-g', tessitura: a-f ', this is a sustained and lyrical solo; bass - range: E♭-e', tessitura: cc', this is a lyric role requiring clarity throughout the indicated range, the low E♭ is critical. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: difficult. Selected Discography: Inge Nielsen, Renata Burtscher, Margaretha Hintermeier, Anthony Rolfe Johnson, Robert Holl; Arnold Schoenberg Choir, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 229246458-2. Pamela Coburn, Ingeborg Danz, Uwe Heilmann, Andreas Schmidt; Bozena Harasimowicz-Haas, Elisabeth Graf, Ulrich Müller-Adam, Daniel Kaleta; Gächinger Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in the Kaiserdom in Speyer on 28 and 29 May 1991. Hänssler: 98.977. with string quartet: Benita Valente, Jan Digaetani, Jon Humphrey, Thomas Paul; Juilliard String Quartet. Sony: 44914. Selected Bibliography: Ackermann, Peter. “Struktur, Ausdruck, Program: Gedanken zu Joseph Haydns Instrumentalmusik über Die Sieben letzten Worte unseres Erlösers am Kreuze.” Studien zur Instrumentalmusik: Lothar Hoffmann—erbrecht zum 60. Geburtstag, edited by Anke Bingmann, Klaus Hortschansky, and Winfried Kirsch, 253-260. Tutzing: Hans Schneider, 1988. Barrett-Ayres, Reginald. “Haydn’s Seven Last Words.” The Musical Times, volume 108 (1967): 699-700. Berger, Melvin. Guide to Choral Masterpieces: A Listener’s Guide, 162-164. New York: Anchor Books, 1993. Drury, J. D. Haydn’s Seven Last Words: An Historical and Critical Study. University of Illinois, Ph.D. dissertation, 1975. Göllner, Theodor. “Die Sieben Worte am Kreuz,” bei Schütz und Haydn, vorgetragen am 13 Januar 1984. Munich: Bayerischen Akademie der Wissenschaft, 1986. Hailparn, Lydia. “Haydn: The Seven Last Words. A New Look at an Old Masterpiece.” The Music Review, volume 34 (1973): 1-21. Landon, H. C. Robbins. Haydn: Chronicle and Works, five volumes, volume 3, 615-621; volume 4, 180-183. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1976-1980.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Olleson, Edward. “Gottfried van Swieten, Patron of Haydn and Mozart.” Proceedings of the Royal Musical Association, volume 89 (1962-1963): 63-74. Pahlen, Kurt. The World of the Oratorio, translated by Judith Schaefer with additional English-language material by Thurston Dox, 164-165. Portland, OR: Amadeus Press, 1990. Riedel-Martiny, Anke. Die Oratorien Joseph Hayns: Ein Beitrag zum Problem der Textvertonung. University of Göttingen, Ph.D. dissertation, 1965. ———. “Das Verhältnis von Text und Musik in Haydns Oratorien.” Haydn-Studien, volume 1 (1965-1967): 205-240. Saam, Josef. “‘Die sieben Worte’ von Haydn-Friebert.” Humanistisches Gymnasium Passau (1956-1957): 7983. Sandberger, Adolf. “Zur Entstehungsgeschichte von Haydns Die Sieben letzten Worte unseres Erlösers am Kreuze.” Jahrbuch der Musikbibliothek Peters (1903), 47. Reprinted in Ausgewählte Aufsätze zur Musikgeschichte, volume 1 (Munich, 1921), 261; and Hildesheim: Georg Olms Verlag, 1973. Schenbeck, Lawrence. Joseph Haydn and the Classical Choral Tradition, 187-190, 440. Chapel Hill, NC: Hinshaw Music, 1996. Steigler, Lou Richard. An Analytical Study of Haydn’s “The Return of Tobias,” “The Seven Words of Christ,” and “The Creation.” Union Theological Seminary, Master’s thesis, 1956. Unverricht, Hubert. “Joseph Haydns Die Sieben Worte Christi am Kreuze in der Bearbeitung des Passauer Hofkapellmeisters Joseph Friebert.” Kirchenmusikalisches Jahrbuch, volume 65 (1981): 83-94. Upton, George P. The Standard Cantatas, 7th edition, 194-198. Chicago: A. C. McClurg and Company, 1899.
Il ritorno di Tobia [The Return of Tobias], Hob. XXI: 1 (1774-1775) Duration: ca. 110 minutes Text: The text is an adaptation of the “Book of Tobias” from the Apocrypha by Pietro Metastasio. Performing Forces: voices: 2 soprano, alto, tenor bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 English horns, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 2 trombones, timpani, strings, and continuo First Performance: 2 April 1775; Tonkünstler Society, Vienna; Magdalena Friberth, Sara; Carl Friberth, Tobia; Christian Specht, Tobit; Margarethe Spangler, Magdalena’s sister; Barbara Teyber, Anna and Azaria; conducted by Haydn Editions: Il ritorno di Tobia is in the critical edition Joseph Haydn: Werke, volume 28/1-2, edited by Ernst Fritz Schmid, published for the Haydn-Institut, Cologne by G. Henle, Munich [HN 5812/5815]. Other
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editions available for rental include Bärenreiter [matching the Henle edition. BA 4657]. Autograph: The autograph score has been lost. Modern authoritative editions have been based upon contemporary copies and manuscript fragments. Notes: This work was written for Vienna Tonkünstler Society. Its premiere was very successful and did much to establish Haydn’s reputation as a composer. Contemporary reviews were particularly praiseful of the “fiery choruses unheard since the oratorios of Handel.” Haydn therefore composed two additional choruses for a 1784 performance. Of these, “Svanisce in un momento” became a contrafactum motet with the text “Insanae et vanae cure.” This motet became very popular among Roman Catholic choirs of the time. Performance Issues: This is a tour de force for the soloists. The wide ranges, rapid text declamation, coloratura passagework, musical independence from the accompaniment, and broad leaps demand that all the soloists be expert singers. Some of the soloists also have improvised cadenzas. The choruses are few in number and are not musically difficult. The choral parts are clearly reinforced, though not always directly doubled by the orchestra. The tessitura of the choral soprano part is quite high, and includes high c''' in the finale. This may prove prohibitive with less-experienced choirs. The instrumental parts are idiomatically conceived, and require technical proficiency from all the players. The string parts are rhythmically intricate, but the size of the wind band suggests a full complement of strings. Although some wind parts occur sporadically, all eight woodwinds appear concurrently in movement 11b, eliminating the possibility of doubling parts. The trombones do not enter until 13b. Horns III and IV appear only in 13c, which does not utilize trumpets. Most of the recitatives are accompanied and have very rhythmic and crisply articulated interjections demanding ample rehearsal. The horn parts are sustained and demanding. They appear in all of the following transpositions within the oratorio: A, B, C, D, E♭, E, F. The trumpet parts are in C and D. There are optional cuts throughout the work and an alternate ending of the overture for concert performances as a stand-alone piece. All of the soloists must be capable of rapid declamation of the Italian text in the recitatives. Because some of the recitatives are secco, a keyboard will be required. A fortepiano would be the ideal choice. Soloists: Sara - range: a-b♭'', tessitura: e'-e'', this is a sustained lyric role with some rapid coloratura writing; Raffaelle - range: a#-c#''', tessitura: f' - f'', this is a florid coloratura role; Anna - range: g-a'', tessitura: d'-d'', this is demanding role exposed at both extremes of the range with some coloratura and sustained singing; Tobia - range: A-d'', tessitura: f#-f#', this is a florid coloratura part, one of the arias [6b] for this role has two vocal lines, a preferred and highly ornamented
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version and a simpler “original” version; Tobit - range: G-f ', tessitura: e-c', this is the least challenging role, but it does have rapid text declamation and broad melodic leaps. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: difficult. Selected Discography: Barbara Hendricks, Linda Zoghby, Della Jones, Phillip Langridge, Benjamin Luxon; Brighton Festival Chorus, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra; conducted by Antal Dorati. Recorded in 1979. Decca: 440 038-2DM3. Selected Bibliography: Edelmann, Bernd. “Haydns Il ritorno di Tobia und der Wandel des ‘Geschmacks’ in Wien nach 1780.” Tradition und Rezeption: Bericht über die Jahrestagung der Gesellschaft für Musikforschung (Köln 1982): 184-214. Feder, Georg, and Franz Hermann Franken. “Ein wiedergefundener Brief Haydns an Artaria & Co.” Haydn-Studien, volume 5 (1982-1985): 55-59. Geiringer, Karl. “The Cantatas and Oratorios of Haydn’s Youth.” Translated by H. B. Weiner. Musical Opinion, volume 61, number 726 (March 1938): 497-498. Landon, H. C. Robbins. Haydn: Chronicle and Works, five volumes, volume 2: 259-262. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1976-1980. Michel, Walter. “Die Tobias-Dramen bis zu Haydns Oratorium Il ritorno di Tobia.” Haydn-Studien, volume 5, number 3 (1984): 147-168. Pahlen, Kurt. The World of the Oratorio, translated by Judith Schaefer with additional English-language material by Thurston Dox, 163-164. Portland, OR: Amadeus Press, 1990. Riedel-Martiny, Anke. Die Oratorien Joseph Hayns: Ein Beitrag zum Problem der Textvertonung. University of Göttingen, Ph.D. dissertation, 1965. ———. “Das Verhältnis von Text und Musik in Haydns Oratorien.” Haydn-Studien, volume 1 (1965-1967): 205-240. Schenbeck, Lawrence. Joseph Haydn and the Classical Choral Tradition, 180-186, 439-440. Chapel Hill, NC: Hinshaw Music, 1996. Schmid, Ernst Fritz. “Haydns Oratorium Il ritorno di Tobia: seine Entstehung und seine Schicksale.” Archiv für Musikwissenschaft, volume 16 (1959): 292. ———. “Joseph Haydn und die vokale Zierpraxis seiner Zeit, dargestellt an einer Arie seines Tobias-Oratoriums.” Kongreß Budapest (1959): 117-130. ———. “Vorwort.” Joseph Haydn Werke, Jens Peter Larsen and Georg Feder, general editors, Il ritorno di Tobia, volume 28, number 1, vi-ix. Cologne: Joseph Haydn-Institut, Munich and Duisburg: G. Henle Verlag, 1963.
306 The solo trio portrays three angels: Gabriel, Raphael, and Uriel. The soprano and bass may also portray Adam and Eve, or these characters may be sung by two additional soloists.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Smither, Howard E. “Haydns ‘Il ritorno di Tobia’ und die Tradition des italienischen oratoriums.” Joseph Haydn: Tradition un Rezeption bericht über die Jahrestagung der Gesellschaft für Musikforschung, Köln 1982, edited by Georg Federm Heinrich Hüschen, and Ulrich Tank, 160-188. Regensburg: Gustav Bosse, 1985. ———. A History of the Oratorio, volume 3, 160-180. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1987. Steigler, Lou Richard. An Analytical Study of Haydn’s “The Return of Tobias,” “The Seven Words of Christ,” and “The Creation.” Union Theological Seminary, Master’s thesis, 1956.
Die Schöpfung [The Creation], Hob. XXI: 2 (1796-1798) Duration: ca. 109 minutes Text: The German text was written for the purpose of this oratorio by Gottfried, Baron von Swieten, based upon John Milton’s Paradise Lost. Performing Forces: voices: soprano [1 or 2], tenor, and bass [1 or 2] soloists;306 SATB choir; orchestra: 3 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones [alto, tenor, and bass], timpani, harpsichord or fortepiano (continuo), and strings First Performance: First semiprivate performance: 30 April 1798; Palace of Prince Joseph zu Schwarzenberg, Vienna; Christine Gerardi, soprano; Matthias Rathmayer, tenor; Ignaz Saal, bass; Antonio Salieri, fortepiano; conducted by Haydn First public performance: 19 March 1799; Tonkünstler Society, Burgtheater, Vienna; Teresa Saal, soprano; Matthias Rathmayer, tenor; Ignaz Saal, bass; Joseph Weigl, fortepiano; conducted by Haydn Editions: Die Schöpfung is in the critical edition Joseph Haydns Werke, volume 16/v, edited by Eusebius Mandyczewski; this is based upon the first edition but not manuscript materials. Other editions available for purchase include Kalmus [6236], Dover [score only, 26411-4], and Eulenburg [miniature score only, 955]. Rental sets include those from Breitkopf und Härtel [Mandyczewski edition], G. Schirmer [190], C. F. Peters [P66, a revised edition prepared by Nicholas Temperly is available from English dealers only], LawsonGould [text edited by Alice Parker and Robert Shaw using the Peters score, 51595], Novello, and Oxford University Press. The Oxford score, edited by A. Peter Brown, is based upon historic sources and includes
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
indications of instrumental doublings of large-scale performances led by Haydn.307 Autograph: The autograph score has been lost. Additional manuscript materials are in the British Museum in London, the Admont Benediktinerstift TürmArchiv in Austria, and the New York Public Library. Notes: This work has been published in German and English. Both languages sing well in this piece, and its storytelling effect is probably best served if it is performed in the language of the audience. Although three soloists are often used, the clarity of the storytelling is greatly enhanced if Adam and Eve are portrayed by additional soloists. Haydn used only three soloists in his own presentations of the work. The first performances involved approximately two hundred musicians. 308 There has been some speculation that there are elements of Freemason symbolism in this work and Die Jahreszeiten [see Hurwitz cited below]. Performance Issues: The choral writing combines homophonic and imitative textures. The choral material is well supported by the orchestra and is often directly doubled. Unlike Haydn’s earlier works, the trombones are not always relegated to doubling the choir. Although they sometimes fulfill this duty, they also have a considerable amount of independent material. The choral writing utilizes a wide vocal range in all parts. There are numerous rapid melismatic passages for the choir and brief sections of unaccompanied choral material. Recitatives are accompanied and secco. All of the orchestral parts are challenging, with rapid figurations, sudden dramatic dynamic contrasts, and varied articulations. The overture is the most challenging movement for the orchestra from an ensemble perspective. Varied dynamics throughout the ensemble and closely overlapping entrances make a precise reading difficult. Similar devices appear throughout the oratorio but with less concentration. The clarinet parts alternate between C and B♭. The horn parts appear in B♭-basso, C, D, E♭, F, A, and B♭-alto. The trumpet parts appear in B♭, C, and D. The string writing is quite demanding with rapid passagework, and more independence between string parts than in many of Haydn’s scores. In the final chorus, there is a solo quartet labeled SATB. The alto part is only a total of eight measures of singing, all on the staff. It can easily be assigned to Eve or a strong chorister. The variety of moods portrayed in this work demands a vocal ensemble capable of great expression and flexibility. The size of the wind section demands that a full string section be used. Likewise, this work is intended for a large chorus. Not only is this suggested by the orchestration, but it is also reflected in performances led by 307 These performances had as many as 9 flutes, 6 oboes, 6 clarinets, 7 bassoons [with contrabassoon], 6 horns, 4 trumpets, 5 trombones, 2 timpanists, keyboard, and strings.
the composer. Soloists: Gabriel, soprano - range: c'c''', tessitura: f'-g'', this is a lyric role with considerable coloratura passagework; Eve, soprano - range: d'-b♭'', tessitura: a'-f '', this is a lyric solo role with some passagework; Uriel, tenor - range: B-b', tessitura: f-f ', this is a lyric and sustained role requiring clarity in the lower range; Raphael, bass - range: F-f#', tessitura: B♭-d', this is a dramatic and powerful solo with sustained singing, broad melodic leaps, and some melismatic writing, some of the extreme pitches on the high end of the range have optional octave displacements, many performances substitute a low D at the end of movement 21; Adam, bass - range: G♭- f ', tessitura: cc', this is a lyric role requiring clarity in the low register. Choir: difficult; Orchestra: difficult. Selected Discography: Judith Blegen, Lucia Popp, Thomas Moser, Kurt Moll; Bavarian Radio Chorus, Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Leonard Bernstein. Recorded live in 1986. Deutsche Grammophon: 419 765-2GH2. Judith Blegen, Fredericka von Stade, Kenneth Riegel, Simon Estes; Westminster Choir, New York Philharmonic; conducted by Leonard Bernstein. Sony: SM2K47560. Helen Donath, Robert Tear, José Van Dam; Philharmonia Chorus, Philharmonia Orchestra; conducted by Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos. Recorded in 1977. Classics for Pleasure: CD-CFPD4444. Irmgaard Seefried, Richard Holm, Kim Borg; St. Hedwig’s Cathedral Choir, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra; conducted by Igor Markevitch. Recorded in the 1950s. Deutsche Grammophon: 437 380-2GX2. Trude Eipperle, Julius Patzak, Georg Hann; Vienna State Opera Chorus, Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra; conducted by Clemens Krauss. Broadcast performance from 1943. Preiser: 90104. Edith Mathis, Anne Murray, Francisco Araiza, José Van Dam; Vienna Singverein, Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra; conducted by Herbert von Karajan. Live performance from 1982. Krisztina Laki, Neil Mackie, Philippe Huttenlocher; Ghent Collegium Vocale, Petite Bande; conducted by Sigiswald Kuijken. Live performance from 1982. Accent: ACC58228/9D. Edith Mathis, Catherine Denley, Aldo Baldin, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau; Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Field Choir and Orchestra; conducted by Neville Marriner. Philips: 416 4492PH2. Edita Gruberova, Josef Protschka, Robert Holl; Arnold Schoenberg Choir, Vienna Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 229242682-2. 308 Peter A. Brown, Performing Haydn’s The Creation, 20-21 (Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1986).
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Margaret Marshall, Lucia Popp, Vinson Cole, Bernd Weikle, Gwynne Howell; Bavarian Radio Chorus, Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Rafael Kubelik. Recorded live in 1984. Orfeo: C 150852H. Lynne Dawson, Neil Rosenschein, John Cheek; Minnesota Chorale, St. Paul Chamber Orchestra; conducted by Joel Revzen. Albany: AR 005/6. Edith Mathis, Christoph Prégardien, Harald Stamm; Shin-yu Kai Chorus, Berlin Art School Chamber Choir, Pécs Chamber Choir, World Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Moshe Atzmon. Recorded live in 1990. BIS: BIS-CD493-494. Kathleen Battle, Gösta Winbergh, Kurt Moll; Stockholm Radio Choir, Stockholm Chamber Choir, Berlin Philharmonic; conducted by James Levine. Deutsche Grammophon: 427 629-2GH2. Gabriele Janowitz, Chrita Ludwig, Fritz Wunderlich, Werner Krenn, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Walter Berry; Vienna Singverein, Berlin Philharmonic; conducted by Herbert von Karajan. Deutsche Grammophon: 435 077-2GGA2. Norma Burrowes, Sylvia Greenberg, Rüdiger Wohlers, J. Norris, Siegmund Nimsgern; Chicago Symphony Chorus and Orchestra; conducted by George Solti. Decca: 430 473-2DM2. Lucia Popp, Francisco Araiza, Samuel Ramey, Olaf Bär; Vienna State Opera Chorus, Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra; conducted by Riccardo Muti. Recorded live in 1990. Sony: SLV46391. Lucia Popp, Helena Döse, Werner Hollweg, Benjamin Luxon, Kurt Moll; Brighton Festival Chorus, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra; conducted by Antal Dorati. Recorded in 1976. Decca: 443 027-2DF2. Christine Schäfer, Michael Schade, Andreas Schmidt; Gächinger Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in 1993. Hänssler: 98 938. Margaret Marschall, Horiana Branisteanu, Eric Tappy, Kurt Rydl, Philippe Huttenlocher; Suisse Romande Radio Chorus, Lausanne Pro Arts Chorus, Lausanne Chamber Orchestra; conducted by Armin Jordan. Recorded in 1981. Erato: 4509-95306-2. Ann Monoyios, Jörg Hering, Harry van der Kamp; Tolz Boys’ Choir, Tafelmusik; conducted by Bruno Weil. Recorded in 1993. Sony: SX2K57965. Ruth Ziesak, Herbert Lippert, René Pape, Anton Scharinger; Chicago Symphony Chorus and Orchestra; conducted by George Solti. Decca: 443 445-2DH2. Dawn Upshaw, Jon Humphrey, John Cheek; Atlanta Chamber Chorus, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Robert Shaw. Telarc: 80298. Selected Bibliography: Berger, Melvin. Guide to Choral Masterpieces: A Listener’s Guide, 165-168. New York: Anchor Books, 1993. Bernhardt, Reinhold. “Aus der Umwelt der Wiener Klassiker: freiherr Gottfried van Swieten (1734-
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
1803).” Der Bär: Jahrbuch von Breitkopf und Härtel, volume 6, number 9 (1929-1930): 74-166. Brown, A. Peter. Performing Haydn’s The Creation. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1986. ———. “Haydn’s Chaos: Genesis and Genre.” The Musical Quarterly, volume 73 (1989): 18-59. Chop, Max. Haydns Schöpfung. Leipzig: Reclam, 1912. Croll, Gerhard. “Mitteilungen über die ‘Schöpfung’ und die ‘Jahreszeiten’ aus dem Schwarzenberg-Archiv.” Haydn-Studien, volume 3 (1974): 85-92. Geiringer, Karl. “Haydn’s Sketches for The Creation.” translated by Manton Monroe Marble, The Musical Quarterly, volume 18 (1932): 299. Gerstenberg, Walter. Musikhandschriften von Palestrina bis Beethoven. Zürich: Atlantis, 1960. Gotwals, Vernon. “‘The Creation’ by Joseph Haydn.” American Guild of Organists Quarterly, volume 12, number 2 (April 1967): 47-60; and volume 12, number 3 (July 1967): 95-98. ———. “Haydn’s Creation Revisited: An Introductory Essay.” Studies in Music History: Essays for Oliver Strunk, edited by Harold Powers, 429-442. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1968. Hurwitz, Joachim. “Haydn and the Freemasons.” The Haydn Yearbook, volume 16 (1985). 5-98. Landon, H. C. Robbins. “Haydn’s ‘Creation.’” Essays on the Viennese Classical Style, 160-172. New York: MacMillan, 1970. ———. Haydn: Chronicle and Works, five volumes, volume 4, 118-119, 342-426. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1976-1980. Levarie, Siegmund. “The Closing Numbers of Die Schöpfung.” in Studies in Eighteenth-Century Music, edited by H. C. Robbins Landon, 315-322. London and New York: Oxford University Press, 1970. Lucas, James Arnold. A Conductor’s Analysis of The Creation by Franz Joseph Haydn. University of Iowa: D.M.A. dissertation, 1977. Moe, Orin, Jr. “The Origin and Libretto of Haydn’s Creation.” The Haydn Yearbook, volume 4 (1968): 148168. Olleson, Edward. “Gottfried van Swieten, Patron of Haydn and Mozart.” Proceedings of the Royal Musical Association, volume 89 (1962-1963): 63-74. ———. Gottfried, Baron van Swieten, and His Influence on Haydn and Mozart. Oxford University [Hertford College]: Ph.D. dissertation, 1967. ———. “The Origin and Libretto of Haydn’s ‘Creation.’” Haydn Yearbook, volume 4 (1968): 148-168. Pahlen, Kurt. The World of the Oratorio, translated by Judith Schaefer with additional English-language material by Thurston Dox, 165-172. Portland, OR: Amadeus Press, 1990. Ravizza, Victor. Joseph Haydn: Die Schöpfung, 2 volumes. Musich: Wilhelm Fink, 1981. Riedel-Martiny, Anke. Die Oratorien Joseph Hayns: Ein Beitrag zum Problem der Textvertonung. University of Göttingen, Ph.D. dissertation, 1965.
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———. “Das Verhältnis von Text und Musik in Haydns Oratorien.” Haydn-Studien, volume 1 (1965-1967): 205-240. Riemer, Otto. “Realistisches Oratorium: Zur Phänomenologie von Haydns ‘Schöpfung.’” Musica, volume 13 (1959): 283-286. Riethmüller, Albrecht. “Die Vorstellung des Chaos in der Musik zu Joseph Haydns Oratorium ‘Die Schöpfung.’” Convivium Cosmologicum; Interdisziplinäre Studien: Helmut Höln zum 70. Geburtstag, edited by Anastasios Giannarás, 185-195. Basel: Birkhäuser, 1973. Rosser, Julie Glenn. Haydn’s ‘Creation’: An Analysis and Appreciation. Eastman School of Music, Master’s thesis, 1946. Schenbeck, Lawrence. Joseph Haydn and the Classical Choral Tradition, 293-315, 438. Chapel Hill, NC: Hinshaw Music, 1996. Schenker, Heinrich. “Haydn: Die Schöpfung: die Vorstellung des Chaos.” Das Meisterwerk in der Musik, volume 2 (1926): 159. Schnürl, Karl. “Haydns ‘Schöpfung’ als Messe.” Studien zur Musikwissenschaft, volume 25 (1962): 463-474. Smither, Howard E. A History of the Oratorio, volume 3, 488-511. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1987. Steigler, Lou Richard. An Analytical Study of Haydn’s “The Return of Tobias,” “The Seven Words of Christ,” and “The Creation.” Union Theological Seminary, Master’s thesis, 1956. Stern, Martin. “Haydn’s Schöpfung.” Haydn-Studien, volume 1, number 3 (1966): 121-198. Temperley, Nicholas. “New Light on the Libretto of The Creation.” Music in Eighteenth-Century England, edited by Christopher Hogwood and R. Luckett, 189211. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1983. ———. “Haydn’s Tempos in The Creation.” Early Music, volume 19, numer 2 (May 1991): 235-245. ———. Haydn: The Creation (Cambridge Music Handbooks). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1991. Tovey, Donald Francis. “The Creation.” Essays in Musical Analysis, volume 5, 114-146. London: Oxford University Press, 1937. Upton, George. The Standard Oratorios, 162-170. Chicago: A. C. McClurg and Company, 1893. Walter, Horst. “Gottfried van Swietens handschriftliche Textbücher zu Schöpfung und Jahreszeiten.” HaydnStudien, volume 1 (1965-1967): 241-277.
Die Jahreszeiten [The Seasons], Hob. XXI: 3 (1799-1801)
309 The final movement is written for SSAATTBB choir.
two independent parts so two players can successfully cover the parts, but Haydn’s rustic “hunting horn” sonority will be enhanced with the extra players. 311 Lawrence Schenbeck, Joseph Haydn and the Classical Choral
310 The score uses two horns throughout; however, in movement 29, the score calls for four horns in D. The trumpets do not appear in this movement, and the trumpeters in Haydn’s time would have doubled on horn for the movement. The part does not divide beyond
Duration: ca. 134 minutes Text: The text was adapted into German, for the purpose of this oratorio, by Gottfried, Baron von Swieten, from original English poetry by James Thomson. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; 309 orchestra: 2 flutes [flute II doubling piccolo], 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 2 (4) horns, 310 2 trumpets, 3 trombones [alto, tenor, and bass], timpani, 2 percussionists, fortepiano, and strings First Performance: The premiere was given on 24 and 27 April, and 1 May 1801 in the Fürstlicher Schwarzenbergischer Saal in Vienna. A subsequent performance, which is sometimes listed as a premiere, was given on 29 May 1801 in the Redoutensaal in Vienna. Editions: Die Jahreszeiten is in the critical edition Joseph Haydns Werke, volume 16/vi-vii, edited by Eusebius Mandyczewski. Other editions available for purchase include Kalmus [English, German, and French, 6237], Dover [score only, 25022-9], Schott [Eulenburg miniature score], and Eulenburg [miniature score only, 987]. Rental sets include those from Breitkopf und Härtel [Mandyczewski edition, German and English, PB-4382], Lawson-Gould [edited by Robert Shaw, 51747], H. W. Gray, Kalmus, G. Schirmer [English, ED44], and C. F. Peters [Mandyczewski edition, German and English, P67]. G. Schirmer also has materials of the purely orchestral sections, edited by H. C. Robbins Landon. Autograph: The autograph score has been lost. Additional manuscript materials are in the Admont Benediktinerstift Türm-Archiv in Austria and the Archives of Breitkopf und Härtel. Notes: This oratorio is comprised of four potentially freestanding cantatas, each dedicated to a separate season. These are often performed independently. Lawrence Schenbeck suggests that this work may be more effective performing only one or two seasons at a time.311 There has been some speculation that there are elements of Freemason symbolism in this work and Die Schöpfung [see Hurwitz cited below]. Movement 4 is based upon the second movement of Haydn’s “Surprise Symphony.” The score calls for three soloists who have the following character assignments:
Tradition (Chapel Hill, NC: Hinshaw Music, 1996).
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Simon, a farmer Hanne, his daughter Lucas, a young countryman
bass soprano tenor
At times the chorus members portray country folk and hunters. In other instances they provide general commentary. Die Jahreszeiten is one of Haydn’s compositional swan songs. He produced no major works during the last eight years of his life. It is difficult not to imagine the composer addressing the concepts of decay and winter as metaphors for his own life view as he composed this great work. The texts given are the original German and those of the C. F. Peters English version, which is consistent with the majority of available English singing-translation scores. Performance Issues: The choral writing is very lyrical, and combines homophonic and imitative writing. Some of the choral parts are well reinforced by the orchestra, but others require a good amount of independence. There are a number of ornaments in the choir and orchestra that should be resolved in the parts. There are numerous divisi throughout the piece and some challenging florid passagework. Upon occasion, choral passages are labeled as girls, men, townfolk, etc. These passages are probably best relegated to semichoirs to reinforce the sense of them being subgroups. The choral writing is dramatic and exploits a broad range. It is best-suited to more mature choral ensembles. There are exposed solo passages in each of the wind sections, especially for flute I and oboe I. In some movements the clarinet parts are notated in C. The horns appear in B♭-basso, C-basso, D, E♭, F, and G. There are some exposed and difficult solo passages for horn, particularly movement 11. It is desirable that four horns be available for movement 29. (See the footnote attached to the horn listing under “Performing Forces.”) The trumpets appear in B♭, C, D. Their parts are not particularly difficult, mostly traditional tonic-dominant punctuations, except for the beginning of the final movement, which is quite exposed but not difficult on modern trumpet. The trombone parts are sustained and coloristic, rather than doubling the singers as in Haydn’s earlier choral works. The string writing is idiomatic but quite challenging, with rapid passagework in all parts. There are numerous figurations that will require attention to establish the style. In fact, considerable care must be taken to enforce the wide variety of articulations throughout the score. Recitatives are accompanied and secco. Either harpsichord or forte piano are appropriate for the continuo keyboard. There is a score indication asking that triangle and tambourine be played during the second half of movement 31; however, no part is given. This is a spectacular score, showing the composer at the very pinnacle of his career. Although it has been noted that acts may be excerpted, there is a wonderful architecture to the entire work. The wind writing demands a full string section and a large chorus. Performances of
Die Jahreszeiten under Haydn’s direction were enormous spectacles, with choirs in the hundreds and wind and brass parts doubled. Soloists: Hanne, soprano range: c'-b♭'', tessitura: a'-a'', this is a challenging, sustained, and lyric role with difficult coloratura writing and a high tessitura; Lucas, tenor - range: B-b', tessitura: f-f', this is a lyric solo role with some melismatic passagework; Simon, bass - range: F-f ' , tessitura: c-d', this is a strong and lyric solo role with some melismatic passagework and broad melodic leaps, the lowest second of the range appearing only in ensemble passages. Choir: difficult; Orchestra: difficult. Selected Discography: Krisztina Laki, Helmut Wildhaber, Peter Lika; Flanders Opera Chorus, Petite Bande; conducted by Sigiswald Kuijken. Virgin Classics: VCD7 59268-2. Angela Maria Blasi, Josef Protschka, Robert Holl; Arnold Schoenberg Choir, Vienna Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 229242699-2. Trude Eipperle, Julius Patzak, Georg Hann; Vienna State Opera Chorus, Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra; conducted by Clemens Krauss. Broadcast performance from 1942. Preiser: 93053. Arlene Augér, John Aler, Håkan Hagegard; Minnesota Chorale, St. Paul Chamber Orchestra; conducted by Joel Revzen. Koch Classics: 37065-2. Barbara Bonney, Anthony Rolfe Johnson, Andreas Schmidt; Monteverdi Choir, English Baroque Soloists; conducted by John Eliot Gardiner. Recorded in 1990. Archiv: 431 818-2AH2. Ruth Ziesak, Uwe Heilmann, René Pape; Chicago Symphony Chorus and Orchestra; conducted by George Solti. Recorded live in 1992. Decca: 436 840-2DH2. Annegeer Stumphius, Alexander Stevenson, Wolfgang Schöne; Gächinger Kantorei Stuttgart, BachCollegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Recorded in 1992. Hänssler: 98 982. Edith Mathis, Siegfried Jerusalem, Dietrich FischerDieskau; Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Field Choir and Orchestra; conducted by Neville Marriner. Philips: 438 715-2PM2. Gabriele Janowitz, Peter Schreier, Martti Talvela; Vienna Singverein, Vienna Symphony Orchesta; conducted by Karl Böhm. Recorded in 1967. Deutsche Grammophon: 437 940-2GX2. In English Heather Harper, Ryland Davies, John Shirley-Quirk; BBC Symphony Chorus and Orchestra; conducted by Colin Davis. Recorded in 1968. Philips: 434 1692PM2. Selected Bibliography: Berger, Melvin. Guide to Choral Masterpieces: A Listener’s Guide, 168-171. New York: Anchor Books, 1993.
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Bernhardt, Reinhold. “Aus der Umwelt der Wiener Klassiker: freiherr Gottfried van Swieten (17341803).” Der Bär: Jahrbuch von Breitkopf und Härtel, volume 6, number 9 (1929-1930): 74-166. Chop, Max. Joseph Haydn: Die Jahreszeiten. Oratorium. Geschichtlich, szenisch und musikalisch analysiert, mit zahlreichen Notenbespielen. Leipzig: Reclam, c.1916. Croll, Gerhard. “Mitteilungen über die ‘Schöpfung’ und die ‘Jahreszeiten’ aus dem Schwarzenberg-Archiv.” Haydn-Studien, volume 3 (1973-1974): 85-92. Feder, Georg. “Haydns Korrekturen zum Klavierauszug der Jahreszeiten.” Festschrift Georg von Dadelsen zum 60. Geburtstag, 101. Niehausen-Stuttgart: Hänssler, 1978. ———. “Die Jahreszeiten nach Thomson, in Musilk gesezt von Joseph Haydn.” Beiträge zur Geschichte des Oratoriums seit Händel: Festschrift Günther Massenkeil zum 60. Geburtstag, edited by Rainer Cadenbach and Helmut Loos, 185-201. Bonn: Voggenreiter, 1986. Friedlaender, Max. “Van Swieten und das Textbuck zu Haydns Jahreszeiten.” Jahrbuch der Musikbibliothek Peters (1909): 47. Gerstenberg, Walter. Musikhandschriften von Palestrina bis Beethoven. Zürich: Atlantis, 1960. Heartz, Daniel. “The Hunting Chorus in Haydn’s Jahreszeiten and the ‘Airs de chasse,’ in the Encyclopédie.” Eighteenth-Century Studies, volume 9 (1976): 523-529. Hurwitz, Joachim. “Haydn and the Freemasons.” The Haydn Yearbook, volume 16 (1985): 5-98. Landon, H. C. Robbins. Haydn: Chronicle and Works, five volumes, volume 5, 93-199. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1976-1980. Moe, Orin, Jr. “Structure in Haydn’s The Seasons.” The Haydn Yearbook, volume 9 (1975): 340-348. Olleson, Edward. “Gottfried van Swieten, Patron of Haydn and Mozart.” Proceedings of the Royal Musical Association, volume 89 (1962-1963): 63-74. ———. Gottfried, Baron van Swieten, and His Influence on Haydn and Mozart. Oxford University [Hertford College], Ph.D. dissertation, 1967. Pahlen, Kurt. The World of the Oratorio, translated by Judith Schaefer with additional English-language material by Thurston Dox, 172-176. Portland, OR: Amadeus Press, 1990. Pammler, Rudolf. “Eine Arie von Joseph Haydn im Unterricht.” Musik in der Schule, volume 8, number 6 (1957): 254-256. Riedel-Martiny, Anke. Die Oratorien Joseph Haydns: Ein Beitrag zum Problem der Textvertonung. University of Göttingen, Ph.D. dissertation, 1965. ———. “Das Verhältnis von Text und Musik in Haydns Oratorien.” Haydn-Studien, volume 1 (1965-1967): 205-240. Schenbeck, Lawrence. Joseph Haydn and the Classical Choral Tradition, 316-327, 440. Chapel Hill, NC: Hinshaw Music, 1996.
Schmidt, Leopold. “Joseph Haydn, Volkgesang und Volkslied.” Joseph Haydn und die Literatur seiner Zeit, edited by Herbert Zeman, 25-33. Eisenstadt: Institut für österreichische Kulturgeschichte, 1976. Schünemann, Georg. “Ein skizzenblatt Joseph Haydns.” Die Musik, volume 8, number 16 (1908-1909): 211222. Scott, Marion M. “Haydn’s ‘Seasons.’” The Listener, volume 48, number 1238 (20 November 1952): 865. Smither, Howard E. A History of the Oratorio, volume 3, 511-513. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1987. Tiersot, Julian. “Le Lied ‘Ein Mädchen, das auf Ehre hielt’ et ses prototypes français.” Zeitschrift der Internationalen Musikgesellschaft, volume 12 (19101911): 222-226. Tovey, Donald Francis. “The Seasons.” Essays in Musical Analysis, volume 5: 146-161. London: Oxford University Press, 1937. Upton, George. The Standard Oratorios, 170-176. Chicago: A. C. McClurg and Company, 1893. Walter, Horst. “Gottfried van Swietens handschriftliche Textbücher zu Schöpfung und Jahreszeiten.” HaydnStudien, volume 1 (1967): 241-277.
Haydn Masses No. 1, Mass in F Major [Missa Brevis, Jugendmesse], Hob. XXII: 1 (c. 1749) Duration: ca. 13 minutes Text: The text is taken from the Latin Roman Catholic eucharistic liturgy. Performing Forces: 1749 version voices: 2 soprano soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: organ and strings [no violas] 1805 version voices: 2 soprano soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: flute, 2 clarinets in C, 2 bassoons, 2 trumpets in B♭, timpani, organ, and strings [no violas] First Performance: It was probably in 1749; St. Stephen’s Cathedral, Vienna. Edition: Missa Brevis is in the critical edition Joseph Haydn: Werke, series 23, volume 1a, page 1, produced by the Haydn-Institut, Cologne, and edited by James Dack and Georg Feder. It is published by G. Henle, Munich. It is also in the critical edition Joseph Haydn: Kritische Gesamtausgabe, volume 23/1, page 1, edited by J. P. Larsen. Other editions available for purchase include Haydn-Mozart Presse, which is edited by Richard Moder and published by Doblinger. Autograph: The location of the autograph score is unknown. A score and set of parts in the hands of Johann Eissler and an anonymous copyist from 1805/1806, indicating Haydn’s reorchestration, with Haydn’s signature and corrections is in the Esterházy Archive in
406
Eisenstadt. Additional manuscript materials are in the Bibliothéque du Conservatoire Nationale in Brussels. Notes: This Mass was composed while Haydn was still a chorister at St. Stephen’s Cathedral in Vienna. It is believed that he may have written the two soprano roles to be sung by himself and his brother Michael. The wind and timpani parts were added by either Haydn or Heidenreich in 1805, when Haydn “rediscovered” this fruit of his youth. It was upon finding this score in 1805 that Haydn applied the 1749 date. The expanded orchestration was made to update the work to the orchestral standards of the early nineteenth century. Performance Issues: The choral writing is straightforward. Choral parts are doubled by the strings or reinforced by the continuo throughout the work. The choral rhythms are speechlike, and the ranges for the choir are modest. There is a single choral soprano part, but the score includes two soprano lines. One is for the soloist. Haydn treats these solos like those of a concerto grosso, exchanging parts with the chorus. The tutti passages for the sopranos differ only in the duration of terminal notes at points where the soloists have staggered entrances. It is advisable that the choristers use the durations of the soprano I part throughout. The solos pervade the Mass and require secure singers. In the expanded orchestration the clarinet parts are better suited to B♭ clarinet than to the A clarinet. The added wind and timpani parts are idiomatic and accessible to less-experienced players. The violin parts are doubled in all tutti passages allowing for a small vocal ensemble. The original orchestration would work very effectively with only two violins, cello, and doublebass. The organ part is continuo only. The only challenging instrumental parts are the violins, which have some challenging rhythms (especially in violin I) and moderate passagework. Soloists: soprano I - range: e'-b♭'', tessitura: a'-f '', this is a lyric solo requiring freedom at the top of the range, it should be remembered that this solo was originally intended for a boy soprano; soprano II - range: e'-g'', tessitura: f' -e'', this solo has a slightly lower tessitura than the soprano I part; some sources suggest that it could be sung by a mezzosoprano; however, it should be remembered that this solo was originally intended for a boy soprano. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Judith Nelson, Emma Kirkby; Christ Church Cathedral Choir, Academy of Ancient Music; Christopher Hogwood, organ; conducted by Simon Preston. London: 448 520-2 [ADD], or as boxed set 448 518-2. Selected Bibliography: Becker-Glauch, Irmgard. “Die Kirchenmusik des jungen Haydn.” In Der junge Haydn, edited by Vera Schwarz,
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
74-84. Graz: Akademische Druck- und Verkaganstalt, 1972. ———. “The Masses of Joseph Haydn.” In Haydnfest: Music Festival, September 22-October 11, 1975; International Musicological Conference, October 4-11, 1975 [festival bulletin], 32-37. Washington, DC: John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, 1975. Brand, Carl Maria. Die Messen von Joseph Haydn, 6-16. University of Berlin, Ph.D. dissertation, published in Würzburg in 1941. ———. “Revisionsbericht.” Joseph Haydn Gesamtausgabe, Jens Peter Larsen, general editor, Masses 1-4, volume 23, number 1: 331-404. Boston and Vienna: The Haydn Society, 1951. Gilbert, Nina. “Haydn’s First Mass: A Practical Introduction to His Style.” The Choral Journal, volume 25, number 9 (May 1985): 19-23. Gruber, Gernot. “Musikalishe Rhetorik und barocke Bildlichkeit in Kompositionen des junge Haydn.” In Der junge Haydn, edited by Vera Schwarz, 168-191. Graz: Akademische Druck- und Verkaganstalt, 1972. Landon, H. C. Robbins. Haydn: Chronicle and Works, five volumes, volume 1, 145-147. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1976-1980. McCaldin, Denis. “Haydn’s First and Last Work: The ‘Missa Brevis’ in F major.” The Music Review, volume 28 (1967): 165. Schenbeck, Lawrence. Joseph Haydn and the Classical Choral Tradition, 57-59, 433. Chapel Hill, NC: Hinshaw Music, 1996.
No. 2, Mass in D minor [Missa “Sunt bona mixta malis” a quattro voci alla capella], Hob. XXII: 2 (1768) Edition: Mass in D minor is in the critical edition Joseph Haydn: Werke, series 23, volume1b, page 105, produced by the Haydn-Institut, Cologne, and edited by James Dack and Marianne Helms. It is published by G. Henle, Munich. Autograph: An autograph fragment is in a private collection in Northern Ireland. The location of the remaining portion of the autograph score is unknown. There is a photocopy of this fragment in the British Library in London. Notes: This work was for chorus and organ; only the Kyrie and first movement of the Gloria have been found. The choral portion is quite easy. Selected Discography: Tolz Boys’ Choir, Archibudelli; conducted by Bruno Weil. Recorded in 1992-1993. Sony: SK53368. Selected Bibliography: Landon, H. C. Robbins. “A Lost Autograph Re-discovered: Missa ‘Sunt bona mixta malis,’ Joseph Haydn.” Haydn Yearbook, volume 4 (1968): 140-147, 228-235.
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———. Haydn: Chronicle and Works, five volumes, volume 2: 291-295. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1976-1980. Schenbeck, Lawrence. Joseph Haydn and the Classical Choral Tradition, 142-144, 437. Chapel Hill, NC: Hinshaw Music, 1996.
No. 3, Mass in G major [Rorate coeli desuper], Hob. XXII: 3 (c. 1749) Duration: ca. 8 minutes Text: The text is taken from the Latin Roman Catholic eucharistic liturgy. Performing Forces: voices: SATB choir; orchestra: organ [playing continuo] and two violins.312 First Performance: The premiere information is uncertain. Edition: Missa “Rorate coeli desuper” is in the critical edition, Joseph Haydn: Werke, series 23, volume 1a, page 207, produced by the Haydn-Institut, Cologne, and edited by James Dack and Georg Feder. It is published by G. Henle, Munich. Other editions available for purchase include Universal, edited by H. C. Robbins Landon. Autograph: The location of the autograph score is unknown. The manuscript upon which the Robbins Landon edition was made is in the Benediktinerstift Musikarchiv in Göttweig, Austria. Notes: Haydn’s authorship of this work had been uncertain. The manuscript was found in a Benedictine Abbey in Göttweig on 7 March 1957. An edition by H. C. Robbins Landon was published in that year, with a keyboard reduction prepared by Karl Heinz Füssl. Subsequent manuscript sources have surfaced in the hands of Georg Reutter Jr. (Haydn’s teacher at St. Stephen’s Cathedral) and the cathedral organist, Ferdinand Arbesser. H. C. Robbins Landon believes that Reutter may have passed the work off as his own, but Haydn’s catalogue of his own works verifies its authenticity. Landon also notes that this may be Haydn’s earliest known work.313 Performance Issues: The choral writing combines homophony with close imitation. The bass part is doubled by the continuo throughout, but the other choral parts are only harmonically reinforced by the continuo realization. This will require some musical independence from the choristers. The violin parts are frequently in unison with rapid, idiomatic scalar figures. These require secure technique from the violinists. This work would lend itself well to using two violinists, continuo group, and a small choir or vocal quartet. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium difficult.
312 Cello and/or doublebass should be used for the continuo part.
Selected Discography: Christ Church Cathedral Choir, Academy of Ancient Music; Christopher Hogwood, organ; conducted by Simon Preston. London: 448 519-2 [ADD], or as boxed set 448 518-2. Selected Bibliography: Becker-Glauch, Irmgard. “Neue Forschungen zu Haydns Kirchenmusik.” Haydn-Studien, volume 2 (19691970): 167-241. ———. “Die Kirchenmusik des jungen Haydn.” In Der junge Haydn, edited by Vera Schwarz, 74-84. Graz: Akademische Druck- und Verkaganstalt, 1972. Landon, H. C. Robbins. “Eine aufgefundene HaydnMesse.” Österreichische Musikzeitschrift, volume 12 (1957): 183-185. ———. “Problems of Authenticity in Eighteenth-Century Music.” Instrumental Music: A Conference at Isham Memorial Library, May 4, 1957, edited by David G. Hughes, 31-56. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1959. ———. “Haydniana.” The Haydn Yearbook, volume 4 (1968): 199-206. ———. Haydn: Chronicle and Works, five volumes, volume 1, 139-144. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1976-1980. “Music Hunters.” Time, volume 69 (8 April 1957): 61. Schenbeck, Lawrence. Joseph Haydn and the Classical Choral Tradition, 51-57, 434. Chapel Hill, NC: Hinshaw Music, 1996. Schenk, Erich. “Ist Göttweiger Rorate-Messe ein Werk Joseph Haydns?” Studien zur Musikwissenschaft, volume 24 (1960): 87-105.
No. 4, Mass in E♭ major [Missa in honorem BVM, Missa Sancti Josephi, Grosse Orgelmesse], Hob. XXII: 4 (c. 17681769) Duration: ca. 37 minutes Text: The text is taken from the Latin Roman Catholic eucharistic liturgy. Performing Forces: original — voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 English horns, bassoon, 2 horns in E♭, organ, and strings [no violas] revised (1777) — voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 English horns, bassoon, 2 horns in E♭, 2 trumpets in E♭, timpani, organ, and strings [no violas] First Performance: The premiere information is uncertain. 313 In the liner notes for Haydn: The Masses (London: 448 518-2).
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Edition: Grosse Orgelmesse is in the critical edition Joseph Haydn: Werke, series 23, volume 1b, page 1, produced by the Haydn-Institut, Cologne, and edited by James Dack and Marianne Helms. It is published by G. Henle, Munich. It is also in the critical edition Joseph Haydn: Kritische Gesamtausgabe, volume 23/1, page 24, edited by J. P. Larsen. Other editions available for purchase include Doblinger, edited by Alois Strassl. Autograph: An incomplete autograph score and a set of parts with Haydn’s corrections can be found in the Esterházy Archive in the Music Department of the Széchényi National Library in Budapest. Additional manuscript materials are in the Admont Benediktinerstift Türm-Archiv in Austria, the Stadts-Archiv in Augsburg, and the Bibliothéque du Conservatoire Nationale in Brussels. Notes: This work was written to feature Haydn as organist, and to introduce a new pair of English horns that he had just acquired for the Esterházy orchestra. Performance Issues: The choral writing combines homophony, close imitation, and fugal textures. The orchestra harmonically supports the choral parts. Direct doubling of the voices becomes more evident as the contrapuntal complexity increases. The choral basses must be able to project clearly down to [F]. There are a number of exposed low tutti passages for the basses. The sopranos often extend up to [a♭''], but the tessitura is not particularly high. The choral parts are accessible to choirs of moderate experience. As mentioned above, this work was composed, in part, to showcase two new English horns that had an extended lower range to [e♭]. The Doblinger edition provides ossia parts since this exceeds the range of modern English horns. These English horn parts are fairly involved and will require strong players. The horn parts have a fairly high tessitura and are quite sustained. The violin parts are technically involved, but not overly complicated rhythmically. The organist must be a strong player as there are exposed solos with very intricate rhythmic figurations throughout the work, especially in the Benedictus. The organ is to realize the continuo part wherever it does not have a concerted solo. The instrumental colors of the original orchestration are quite luxurious and, to this author, preferable to the later version. In this later orchestration, the trumpet and timpani merely reinforce harmonies sporadically in forte passages without adding anything to the contrapuntal fabric of the piece. This is an excellent work for a strong community chorus or university choir with access to small instrumental forces. The solos are appropriate for strong choristers. This work should only be selected if an appropriate organ is available. Soloists: soprano - range: a'-b♭'', tessitura: a'-g'', this is a lyrical solo appropriate to a lighter voice; alto - range: b♭-e♭'', tessitura: d'-c'', this is a sustained and lyrical
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
role; tenor - range: B-a♭', tessitura: f-f ' , this is a sustained and lyric solo with some coloratura writing and broad leaps; bass - range: G-e♭', tessitura: c-c', this is a lyric solo with a number of legato melodic leaps. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Judith Nelson, Carolyn Watkinson, Martyn Hill, David Thomas; Christ Church Cathedral Choir, Academy of Ancient Music; Christopher Hogwood, organ; conducted by Simon Preston. London: 448 521-2 [ADD], or as boxed set 448 518-2. Dorothea Röschmann, Bernarda Fink, Helmut Wildhaber, Klaus Mertens; Hugo Distler Chorus, Vienna Academy Orchestra; conducted by Martin Haselböck. Recorded in 1993. Novalis: 150 095-2. Selected Bibliography: Brand, Carl Maria. Die Messen von Joseph Haydn, 36. University of Berlin, Ph.D. dissertation, published in Würzburg in 1941. ———. “Revisionsbericht.” Joseph Haydn Gesamtausgabe, Jens Peter Larsen, general editor, Masses 1-4, volume 23, number 1: 331-404. Boston and Vienna: The Haydn Society, 1951. Feder, Georg. “A Newly Found Authentic Source for Joseph Haydn’s Missa in honorem B.V.M.,” Music in the Classic Period: Essays in Honor of Barry S. Brook, edited by Allan W. Atlas, 61-65. New York: Pendragon Press, 1985. Landon, H. C. Robbins. Haydn: Chronicle and Works, five volumes, volume 2: 243-244. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1976-1980. Schenbeck, Lawrence. Joseph Haydn and the Classical Choral Tradition, 140-142, 436. Chapel Hill, NC: Hinshaw Music, 1996.
No. 5, Mass in C major [Missa Cellensis in honorem Beatissimae Virginis Mariae, St. Cecilia Mass], Hob. XXII: 5 (1766) Duration: ca. 68 minutes Text: The text is taken from the Latin Roman Catholic eucharistic liturgy. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes, 2 bassoons, 2 trumpets in C, timpani, organ, and strings First Performance: The premiere information is uncertain. Edition: Missa Cellensis in honorem Beatissimae Virginis Mariae is in the critical edition Joseph Haydn: Werke, series 23, volume 1a, page 29, produced by the Haydn-Institut, Cologne, and edited by James Dack and Georg Feder. It is published by G. Henle, Munich. It is also in the critical edition Joseph Haydn:
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Kritische Gesamtausgabe, volume 23/1, page 105, edited by J. P. Larsen. Other editions available for purchase include Universal. Autograph: The autograph score is in the Biblioteca Centrala de Stat, Musikabteilung, in Bucharest. 314 Additional manuscript materials are in the Brno Landes-Museum, the Music Department of the Széchényi National Library in Budapest, and the Bibliothéque du Conservatoire Nationale in Brussels. A facsimile of the manuscript score of the Kyrie and Christe has been published in the Haydn Yearbook, volume 9 (1975), 308. Notes: At least the Kyrie and Christe of this Mass were composed in 1766 in celebration of Haydn’s promotion to the rank of Kapellmeister upon the death of Gregor Werner. The work may have been intended in the Italian style, with only these two movements. There are early manuscript copies of these two movements only, and the other movements among the materials in the Bucharest library are on a paper used by Haydn between 1769 and 1773. There was a fire in Eisenstadt in 1768, and these later manuscripts may be reconstructions by Haydn of lost material. The editors of the critical edition in Joseph Haydn: Werke believe that there is a stylistic change between these movements as well. This being the case, Haydn may have chosen to expand the work to correspond to Austrian convention. It was composed as a votive Mass in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary, specifically for the image of the Virgin at Mariazell in Styria. The work was probably later performed by the Cecilian Brotherhood in Vienna for the Feast of St. Cecilia, explaining the double nickname. Haydn’s Mass No. 8 is also known as Missa Cellensis. Performance Issues: The choral parts are well reinforced by the orchestra. The choristers must be capable of rapid melismatic articulation. Grace notes should be on the beat for their full value. The orchestration suggests the use of a medium to medium large choir. If a larger ensemble is used, great care must be given to the precision of rhythmic articulation. There are a number of fugal passages for the choir. The sopranos sometimes have a high tessitura, owing to the original use of boy trebles, which may become taxing for some mixed choirs. The trumpet parts are conservative and idiomatic. Often Haydn has the winds sustain long notes as pedals, which may require more experienced players to maintain intonation. The oboes have some particularly ornamented passages in the Laudamus and Credo movements. The bassoons mostly double the continuo, but have some independent sections that are sustained with a fairly high tessitura. The string parts are technically demanding with 314 This is according to the frontismaterial of the Henle edition; however, the Hoboken Varzeichnis lists the Music Department of the Széchényi National Library in Budapest.
rapid scalar figures and stylistic rhythmic figures. This is particularly true for the violins, which are often in unison. Care needs to be taken in bowing these parts for clarity and ease of execution. The orchestration is filled with stylistic gestures that may require extra attention in rehearsal and in the preparation of the orchestra parts. In any case, seasoned and technically secure players are required for this orchestra. Soloists: soprano - range: d-a'', tessitura: g'-g'', this is a florid and challenging solo role requiring vocal flexibility and clear coloratura singing; alto - range: a-e'', tessitura: c'-b', this is a sustained and lyric solo, but not difficult; tenor - range: e-a', tessitura: a-f ', this is a lyric solo requiring flexibility and long, sustained passages with some coloratura passages; bass - range: E-f', tessitura: B-d', this is a declamatory solo requiring a clear low E and numerous leaps of a tenth, appropriate for a large voice. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: difficult. Selected Discography: Judith Nelson, Margaret Cable, Martyn Hill, David Thomas; Christ Church Cathedral Choir, Academy of Ancient Music; Christopher Hogwood, organ; conducted by Simon Preston. London: 448 519-2 [ADD], or as boxed set 448 518-2. Brigitte Fournier, Bernarda Fink, Charles Daniels, Marcus Fink; Lisbon Gulbenkian Chorus and Orchestra; conducted by Michel Corboz. Recorded in 1993. FNAC: 592309. Maria Stader, Marga Höffgen, Richard Holm, Josef Greindl; Bavarian Radio Chorus and Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Eugen Jochum. Recorded live in 1958. Deutsche Grammophon: 437 383-2GX2. Selected Bibliography: Brand, Carl Maria. Die Messen von Joseph Haydn, 5199. University of Berlin, Ph.D. dissertation, published in Würzburg in 1941. ———. “Revisionsbericht.” Joseph Haydn Gesamtausgabe, Jens Peter Larsen, general editor, Masses 1-4, volume 23, number 1: 331-404. Boston and Vienna: The Haydn Society, 1951. Dack, James. “The Dating of Haydn’s Missa Cellensis in honorem Beatissimae Virginis Mariae: An Interim Discussion.” Haydn Yearbook, volume 13 (1982): 97112. “Haydn-Fund.” Musik und Gesellschaft, volume 19, number 11 (November 1969): 790. Landon, H. C. Robbins. “The Newly Discovered Autograph to Haydn’s Missa Cellensis of 1766.” Haydn Yearbook, volume 9 (1975): 306. ———. Haydn: Chronicle and Works, five volumes, volume 2: 228-232. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1976-1980.
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Schenbeck, Lawrence. Joseph Haydn and the Classical Choral Tradition, 133-142, 435. Chapel Hill, NC: Hinshaw Music, 1996. Webster, James. “Haydn’s Sacred Vocal Music and the Aesthetics of Salvation.” Haydn Studies, edited by Dean Sutcliffe, 35-69. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1998.
No. 6, Mass in G major [Missa Sancti Nicolai], Hob. XXII: 6 (1772?) Duration: ca. 28 minutes Text: The text is taken from the Latin Roman Catholic eucharistic liturgy. Performing Forces: original: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes, 2 horns in G, organ, and strings315 revision (1802): voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes, 2 horns in G, 2 trumpets in C, timpani, organ, and strings First Performance: The premiere information is uncertain. Edition: Missa Sancti Nicolai is in the critical edition Joseph Haydn: Werke, series 23, volume 1b, page 105, produced by the Haydn-Institut, Cologne, and edited by James Dack and Marianne Helms. It is published by G. Henle, Munich. It is also in the critical edition Joseph Haydn: Kritische Gesamtausgabe, volume 23/1, page 270, edited by J. P. Larsen. Other editions available for purchase include Faber, edited by H. C. Robbins Landon, and Kalmus. Autograph: The autograph score and original parts are in the Preussischen Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. A vocal score, in the hand of Johann Eißlers, with the 1802 revisions and a completed Dona nobis pacem is in the Bibliothèque Nationale Fonds du Conservatoire in Paris. Additional manuscript materials are in the Admont Benediktinerstift Türm-Archiv in Austria, the Stadts-Archiv in Augsburg, and the Bibliothéque du Conservatoire Nationale in Brussels. Notes: H. C. Robbins Landon believes that this work was composed as a “thank you” to Prince Esterházy for returning his court to Eisenstadt in response to such a request as implied by the “Farewell” Symphony. He also notes the apparent haste with which the score and parts were constructed.316 The Dona nobis pacem was not written out, but was to be improvised to the music 315 There seems to be some confusion regarding the instrumentation of this work, as different catalogs present conflicting information. The “original” instrumentation corresponds to Haydn’s 1772 manuscript. A revision was made, presumably under the composer’s supervision, that added and implied some additional doubling of these new parts by the oboe and horn in passages where
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
of the Kyrie. In the later 1802 version, Haydn provided a completed score for the Dona nobis pacem. This is sometimes referred to as Missa St. Josephi. Performance Issues: The choral writing is very straightforward and declamatory. Sections that involve complex vocal counterpoint are reserved for the solo quartet. The tessitura of the choral soprano part is fairly high. There is an odd passage for the choral basses in the Gloria. In measure 7 they have a low [E♭], and in measure 12, a high [g']. Measures 12 through 14 can logically be taken down an octave for the basses if the written part is vocally impractical. There is no other similar passage in the Mass. The violins often double each other in more intricate passages. There is considerable ornamentation in the violin parts that may be best addressed in the preparation of the orchestral materials. The oboe and horn parts are idiomatic and not particularly difficult. The organ part is a continuo realization throughout the work, with some important doublings of the choir. There is an independent viola part only in the Et incarnatus est and Benedictus movements. The choral parts are quite accessible to less-experienced ensembles, and the orchestral parts are well within the abilities of an average college group. This is an excellent work for a developing choral ensemble seeking an introduction to the concerted choral repertoire. Soloists: soprano range: e-b'', tessitura: g'-g'', this is a sustained and lyrical solo; alto - range: g-e♭'', tessitura: d'-c'', this is a declamatory and fairly easy solo part, appropriate for a chorister; tenor - range: d-g', tessitura: f-f ', this is a sustained and lyrical solo; bass - range: G-e', tessitura: B-c', this a declamatory solo that must be clear in the bottom of the indicated range. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Judith Nelson, Shirley Minty, Rogers Covey Crump, David Thomas; Christ Church Cathedral Choir, Academy of Ancient Music; Christopher Hogwood, organ; conducted by Simon Preston. London: 448 522-2 [ADD], or as boxed set 448 518-2. Elisabeth Thomann, R. Bahl, Kurt Equiluz; Vienna Academy Chamber Choir, Vienna State Opera Orchestra; conducted by G. Barati. Recorded in 1964. Philips: 46175-2. Agnes Giebel, Waldemar Kmentt, Gottlob Frick; Vienna Boys’ Choir, Vienna Cathedral Choir, Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Eugen Jochum. Tuxedo: 1025.
they did not already play. These choices are most clear in the Dack/Helms edition in the Joseph Haydn: Werke. 316 In liner notes for Haydn: The Masses (London: 448 518-2).
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Selected Bibliography: Brand, Carl Maria. Die Messen von Joseph Haydn, 100131. University of Berlin, Ph.D. dissertation, published in Würzburg in 1941. ———. “Revisionsbericht.” Joseph Haydn Gesamtausgabe, Jens Peter Larsen, general editor, Masses 1-4, volume 23, number 1: 331-404. Boston and Vienna: The Haydn Society, 1951. Landon, H. C. Robbins. Haydn: Chronicle and Works, five volumes, volume 2: 251-252. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1976-1980. McCaldin, Denis. “The Missa Sancti Nicolai: Haydn’s Long missa brevis.” Soundings, number 3 (1973): 717. Murányi, R. Á. “Ein unbekanntes Manuskript der Missa Sancti Nicolai von Haydn.” Studia Musicologica, volume 8 (1966): 291-295. Schenbeck, Lawrence. Joseph Haydn and the Classical Choral Tradition, 144-145, 437. Chapel Hill, NC: Hinshaw Music, 1996.
No. 7, Mass in B♭ major [Missa Brevis Sanctis Joannis de Deo, Kleine Orgelmesse], Hob. XXII: 7 (c. 1777) Duration: ca. 15 minutes Text: The text is taken from the Latin Roman Catholic eucharistic liturgy. Performing Forces: voices: soprano soloist; SATB choir; orchestra: organ and strings First Performance: The premiere information is uncertain. Edition: Kleine Orgelmesse is in the critical edition Joseph Haydn: Werke, series 23, volume 2, page 1, produced by the Haydn-Institut, Cologne, and edited by H. C. Robbins Landon. It is published by G. Henle, Munich. Other editions available for purchase include Bärenreiter, edited by H. C. Robbins Landon. Autograph: The autograph score is in the archives of the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde in Vienna. Additional manuscript materials are in the Library of the Slowak Akademie in Bratislava, the Stadts-Archiv in Augsburg, the Music Department of the Széchényi National Library in Budapest, the Brno Landes-Museum, the Cesky-Krumlov Archiv in Schwarzenberg, and the Esterházy Archive in Eisenstadt. Notes: This score is dedicated to St. John of God, the patron saint of the Hospitallers. They had been of assistance to Haydn during his youth. It was first performed in their small chapel in Eisenstadt. The diminutive organ loft led Haydn to score the work for two violins and continuo featuring the chapel’s small baroque organ, which led to its nickname.
Performance Issues: The choral writing is declamatory with few melismas. The choral pitches are well reinforced harmonically by the continuo. The choral parts are primarily homophonic or in close imitation. The imitative movements will require particular attention to text clarity. In the openings of the Gloria and Credo, Haydn ensures the brevity of his Missa Brevis by dividing the text between the sections of the choir, so that four different text phrases are being sung simultaneously. There is an extended and exposed organ solo in the Benedictus that is quite ornamented but not very difficult. The violin parts are accessible to players of moderate experience. This is a dramatically effective work that is suitable for two solo violins, a continuo group, and a small choir, or even a vocal quartet. Soloist: soprano - range: d'-a♭'', tessitura: f'-f'', this is a sustained and lyric solo. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Jennifer Smith; Choir of St. John’s College, Cambridge; Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Field; John Scott, organ; conducted by George Guest. London: 448 52232 [ADD], or as boxed set 448 518-2. Dorothea Röschmann, Bernarda Fink, Helmut Wildhaber, Klauss Mertens; Hugo Distler Chorus, Vienna Academy Orchestra; conducted by Martin Haselböck. Recorded in 1993. Novalis: 150 095-2. L. Kitchen; Haydn Society Chorus and Orchestra; conducted by D. McCaldin. Recorded live. Meridian: DUOCD89003. Lynda Russell; Winchester Cathedral Choir, Brandenburg Orchestra; conducted by David Hill. Hyperion: CDA66508. Tolz Boys’ Choir, Tafelmusik; conducted by Bruno Weil. Recorded in 1993. Sony: SK53368. Selected Bibliography: Beck, Hermann. “Alte Musikbestände der Hofkirche zu Würzburg.” Die Musikforschung, volume 18, number 1 (January-March 1964): 45-51. Brand, Carl Maria. Die Messen von Joseph Haydn, 131143. University of Berlin, Ph.D. dissertation, published in Würzburg in 1941. Landon H. C. Robbins, Karl Hainz Füssl, and Christa Landon. “Vorwort.” Joseph Haydn Werke, Jens Peter Larsen and Georg Feder, general editors, Messen Nr. 5-8, volume 23, number 2: vii-viii. Cologne: Joseph Haydn-Institut; Munich and Duisburg: G. Henle Verlag, 1958. Landon, H. C. Robbins. Haydn: Chronicle and Works, five volumes, volume 2: 554. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1976-1980. Schenbeck, Lawrence. Joseph Haydn and the Classical Choral Tradition, 145-147, 434. Chapel Hill, NC: Hinshaw Music, 1996.
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No. 8, Mass in C major [Missa Cellensis, Mariazeller Messe], Hob. XXII: 8 (1782) Duration: ca. 40 minutes Text: The text is taken from the Latin Roman Catholic eucharistic liturgy. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes, 2 bassoons, 2 trumpets, timpani, organ, and strings First Performance: The premiere information is uncertain. Edition: Mariazeller Messe is in the critical edition Joseph Haydn: Werke, series 23, volume 2, page 20, produced by the Haydn-Institut, Cologne, and edited by H. C. Robbins Landon. It is published by G. Henle, Munich. Other editions available for purchase include Bärenreiter and Kalmus. Autograph: The autograph score is in the Preussischen Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Additional manuscript materials are in the Admont Benediktinerstift Türm-Archiv in Austria and the Stadts-Archiv and Monastery Archive in Augsburg. Notes: This Mass was written for the pilgrimage church of Mariazell, under a commission from Liebe von Kreitzner, a retired military officer. Like Mass No. 5, also written for the Mariazeller church, it is known as Missa Cellensis as well. Performance Issues: The choral writing is declamatory. The choral pitches are clearly reinforced by the orchestra but their rhythms are not. The tessitura of the tutti sopranos is quite high, and this section must be capable of numerous appearances of a clear high [a'']. Much of the choral material is homophonic or in paired doubling. The score calls for two bassoons; however, there is an independent part only during the Gratias agimus tibi. This is labeled fagotti but contains no divisi. The doubling may be coloristic or just as likely owed to the convention of paired winds. A single player will suffice. In all other sections of the Mass, a single bassoon [fagotto] is offered as an optional member of the continuo group. The trumpet parts are typical tonic dominant fare. The oboe parts are idiomatic and quite practical. The string writing is the most challenging, but it is also accessible to players of moderate experience. There are four splendid fugal sections in this Mass that demonstrate Haydn’s mastery of counterpoint, the most substantial being the Dona nobis in the Agnus Dei where the bulk of rehearsal will be required. The others are the Amen of the Gloria and the Et vitam and Crucifixus in the Credo. In the Crucifixus, the fugue subject is an unusual melodic figure of the following scale degrees: tonic, major third, augmented fourth, augmented fifth. Haydn cleverly couches this provocative tune within traditional harmonies. The solo roles are quite
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
accessible to amateur singers, especially the alto and bass. The choral parts are appropriate for developing choirs if the tessitura of the sopranos will not be prohibitive. Soloists: soprano - range: c'-a'', tessitura: f' f'', this is a sustained and lyric solo with some coloratura passagework and long phrases; alto - range: f '-d'', tessitura: f' -b♭', this is a simple solo role that appears only in the context of a solo quartet; tenor - range: eg', tessitura: g-f', this is a sustained and lyric solo; bass - range: G-e♭', tessitura: B♭-d', this is a simple solo role that appears only in the context of a solo quartet. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Jennifer Smith, Helen Watts, Robert Tear, Benjamin Luxon; Choir of St. John’s College, Cambridge; Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Field; John Scott, organ; conducted by George Guest. London: 448 524-2 [ADD], or as boxed set 448 518-2. Selected Bibliography: Becker-Glauch, Irmgard. “The Masses of Joseph Haydn.” In Haydnfest: Music Festival, September 22October 11, 1975; International Musicological Conference, October 4-11, 1975 [festival bulletin]: 32-37. Washington, DC: John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, 1975. Brand, Carl Maria. Die Messen von Joseph Haydn, 143183. University of Berlin, Ph.D. dissertation, published in Würzburg in 1941. Landon H. C. Robbins, Karl Hainz Füssl, and Christa Landon. “Vorwort.” Joseph Haydn Werke, Jens Peter Larsen and Georg Feder, general editors, Messen Nr. 5-8, volume 23, number 2: vii-viii. Cologne: Joseph Haydn-Institut, Munich and Duisburg: G. Henle Verlag, 1958. Landon, H. C. Robbins. Haydn: Chronicle and Works, five volumes, volume 2: 555-560. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1976-1980. Schenbeck, Lawrence. Joseph Haydn and the Classical Choral Tradition, 148-149, 434. Chapel Hill, NC: Hinshaw Music, 1996. Schnerich, Alfred. “Haydns Maria Zeller Messe: Zur Errichtung des Haydn-Denkmals in Maria Zell.” Die Musik, volume 8, number 16, band 31 (1908-1909): 223-226.
No. 9, Mass in C major [Missa in tempore belli, Mass in Time of War, Paukenmesse, Kriegmesse], Hob. XXII: 9 (1796) Duration: ca. 45 minutes Text: The text is taken from the Latin Roman Catholic eucharistic liturgy. Performing Forces:
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Vienna version: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes, 2 bassoons, 2 trumpets in C, timpani, organ, and strings Eisenstadt version: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: flute, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets in C, timpani, organ, and strings First Performance: 26 December 1796; Church of the Piarists, Vienna. It was performed next for the Prince’s Name Day, 29 September 1797, Bergkirche, Eisenstadt. Edition: Missa in tempore belli is in the critical edition Joseph Haydn: Werke, series 23, volume 2, page 89, produced by the Haydn-Institut, Cologne, and edited by H. C. Robbins Landon. It is published by G. Henle, Munich. Other editions available for purchase include Bärenreiter, G. Schirmer, and Kalmus. Autograph: The autograph score is in the Music Department of the Széchényi National Library in Budapest. Additional manuscript materials are in the Library of the Slowak Akademie in Bratislava and the Brno Landes-Museum. Notes: The Paukenmesse, or “Timpani Mass,” refers to a prominent martial timpani solo in the Agnus Dei, which alluded to the Napoleonic invasion of western Austria. Performance Issues: The choral writing is highly rhythmic with numerous syncopations in faster sections. The choral parts are harmonically doubled throughout. As the complexity of the choral rhythms increases, so does the degree of rhythmic doubling from the instruments. The tessitura of the tutti sopranos is fairly high. The choral bass part extends to a low [E] but only once in an unexposed piano passage. All of the choral parts have long sustained phrases throughout the Mass. There is a prominent, high, and difficult obbligato cello solo in the Qui tollis requiring an expert player. It should be noted that this solo incorporates the old notational practice of using treble clef for the cello with the part to be played sounding an octave lower than notated amid passages in bass and tenor clef sounding at pitch. The oboe parts are quite accessible with some long, sustained passages. The trumpet parts are not difficult but are occasionally exposed particularly in the final chorus. The string parts are demanding with rapid passagework that is well conceived for the instruments, but none the less requires secure, experienced players. Many modern performances follow the Eisenstadt orchestration; however, with any edition the flute, clarinets, and horns may be successfully omitted. The clarinets double the oboes explicitly, except for the Et incarnatus est, which is the only passsage utilizing the horns. This horn part is for horn in C alto and is entirely negotiable by the trumpets, who do not have a part there. The flute only appears in the Qui tollis, doubling a melody given to the solo
cello. The dramatic spirit of this work suggests a substantial choral ensemble and appropriately sized string contingent. The use of the “optional” instruments discussed above would clearly add to the expansiveness of sound. Soloists: soprano - range: e'-a'', tessitura: g'g'', this is a florid and lilting role with long phrases and some coloratura; alto - range: b♭-f'', tessitura: e♭'-e♭'', this solo is appropriate for a mezzo-soprano, it is lyrical with some coloratura passagework; tenor - range: e-a', tessitura: a-f', this is a sustained solo with few exposed passages and some melismatic passagework; bass - range: G-e', tessitura: c-c', this is a lyric and sustained solo requiring clarity at both extremes of the indicated range. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: April Cantelo, Helen Watts, Robert Tear, Barry McDaniel; Choir of St. John’s College, Cambridge; Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Field; Stephen Cleobury, organ; conducted by George Guest. London: 448 524-2 [ADD], or as boxed set 448 518-2. M. Ritter, Simon Schnorr, Jörg Hering, B. Schillo; Tolz Boys’ Choir, Tafelmusik; conducted by Bruno Weil. Recorded in 1993. Sony/Vivarte: 66260. Nancy Argenta, Catherine Denley, Mark Padmore, Stephen Varcoe; Collegium Musicum 90; conducted by Richard Hickox. Chandos: CHAN633. Selected Bibliography: Beck, Hermann. “Alte Musikbestände der Hofkirche zu Würzburg.” Die Musikforschung, volume 18, number 1 (January-March 1964): 45-51. Brand, Carl Maria. Die Messen von Joseph Haydn, 217260. University of Berlin, Ph.D. dissertation, published in Würzburg in 1941. Chusid, Martin. “Some Observations on Liturgy, Text, and Structure in Haydn’s Late Masses.” Studies in Eighteenth-Century Music: A Tribute to Karl Geiringer on His Seventieth Birthday, 125-135. London: George Allen and Unwin, 1970. Jong, W. C. de. “De Paukenmesse van Joseph Haydn.” Ouverture, volume 4, number 9 (May 1970): 235-237. Landon H. C. Robbins, Karl Hainz Füssl, and Christa Landon. “Vorwort.” Joseph Haydn Werke, Jens Peter Larsen and Georg Feder, general editors, Messen Nr. 5-8, volume 23, number 2: vii-viii. Cologne: Joseph Haydn-Institut, Munich and Duisburg: G. Henle Verlag, 1958. Landon, H. C. Robbins. Haydn: Chronicle and Works, five volumes, volume 4: 162-180. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1976-1980. Schenbeck, Lawrence. Joseph Haydn and the Classical Choral Tradition, 270-271, 436. Chapel Hill, NC: Hinshaw Music, 1996. Schnerich, Alfred. “Die katholischen Glaubensätze bei den Wiener Klassikern.” Zeitschrift für Musikwissenschaft, volume 8 (1925-1926): 231-235.
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No. 10, Mass in B♭ major [Heiligmesse, Missa Sancti Bernardi von Offida, Missa St. Ofridi], Hob. XXII: 10 (1796) Duration: ca. 45 minutes Text: The text is taken from the Latin Roman Catholic eucharistic liturgy. Performing Forces: voices: 2 soprano, alto, tenor, and 2 bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes, 2 clarinets,317 2 bassoons, 2 trumpets in B♭, timpani, organ, and strings First Performance: September 1796; Bergkirche, Eisenstadt. Edition: Heiligmesse is in the critical edition Joseph Haydn: Werke, series 23, volume 2, page 166, produced by the Haydn-Institut, Cologne, and edited by H. C. Robbins Landon. It is published by G. Henle, Munich. Other editions available for purchase include Bärenreiter and C. F. Peters. Autograph: The autograph score is in the Universitätsbibliothek in Tübingen. Additional manuscript materials are in the Library of the Slowak Akademie and Stadt-Archiv in Bratislava and the Brno Landes-Museum. Notes: This Mass was first performed for the Feast of St. Bernardi of Offida who had been canonized the previous year. The Sanctus incorporates the hymn tune “Heilig, heilig, heilig” in the alto and tenor parts, leading to its nickname as the Heiligmesse. Performance Issues: The choral parts are harmonically reinforced by the accompaniment in homophonic passages. When imitative counterpoint is used, the instruments directly double the choir. There are a few brief divisi for the sopranos. At these points, the first soprano ascends to [b♭'']. A similar divisi for the choral basses includes a low [E♭]. All of the choral basses are asked to sing a high [f' ]. The Et incarnatus est uses six soloists in subsequent trios divided by gender. This is accompanied by a solo duet of cello and viola that is important but not difficult. The soloists appear as a quartet in the rest of the Mass. The soprano II and bass II solos are quite appropriate for choristers. In fact, all of the solos are accessible to developing singers. All solos occur in the context of ensemble singing. The clarinets, if used, double the oboes. These wind parts and the trumpets are quite accessible to moderately experienced players. The violin parts occasionally take on a moto perpetuo spirit in allegro sections. These will require the strongest players in the ensemble, but these parts are also within the grasp of an average 317 The Peters edition treats the clarinets as alternate to the oboes. The clarinet part does not appear in the manuscript of the full score,
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
college orchestra. This is a good work for less experienced choral ensembles. The general tessiture are not extreme and the choral and solo writing is not vocally demanding, although some soft sustained singing is required. Soloists: soprano I - range: g'-a♭'', tessitura: a'-f'', this is a sustained solo best suited to a lighter voice; soprano II - range: e♭'-e♭'', tessitura: f' -d'', this is a sustained solo that appears only in the context of a women’s trio; alto - range: c'-e♭'', tessitura: d-d'', this is a lyric solo; tenor - range: f-g', tessitura: a-f', this is a lyric solo; bass I - range: A-e♭', tessitura: B♭-g♭; bass
II - range: A♭-a♭, tessitura: B♭-g♭, this is a sustained solo that appears only in the context of a men’s trio. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: April Cantelo, Shirley Minty, Ian Partridge, Christopher Keyte; Choir of St. John’s College, Cambridge; Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Field; Jonathan Bielby, organ; conducted by George Guest. London: 448 521-2 [ADD], or as boxed set 448 518-2. Sylvia McNair, Delores Ziegler, Hans-Peter Blochwitz, Andreas Schmidt; Berlin RIAS Chamber Choir, Berlin Philharmonic; conducted by James Levine. 435 853-2GH. Patricia Wells, Gwendoline Killebrew, Michael Devlin, Alan Titus; Norman Scribner Choir; conducted by Leonard Bernstein. Recorded live in 1973. Sony: SM2K47563. Ruth Ziesak, Ingeborg Danz, Christoph Prégardien, Michel Brodard; Gächinger Kantorei Stuttgart, BachCollegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Hänssler: 98 981. Selected Bibliography: Beck, Hermann. “Alte Musikbestände der Hofkirche zu Würzburg.” Die Musikforschung, volume 18, number 1 (January-March 1964): 45-51. Brand, Carl Maria. Die Messen von Joseph Haydn, 261306. University of Berlin, Ph.D. dissertation, published in Würzburg in 1941. Chusid, Martin. “Some Observations on Liturgy, Text, and Structure in Haydn’s Late Masses.” Studies in Eighteenth-Century Music: A Tribute to Karl Geiringer on His Seventieth Birthday, 125-135. London: George Allen and Unwin, 1970. Landon H. C. Robbins, Karl Hainz Füssl, and Christa Landon. “Vorwort.” Joseph Haydn Werke, Jens Peter Larsen and Georg Feder, general editors, Messen Nr. 5-8, volume 23, number 2: vii-viii. Cologne: Joseph Haydn-Institut, Munich and Duisburg: G. Henle Verlag, 1958.
but there is a clarinet part in what may be Hadyn’s hand for passages of the Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, and Benedictus. This part appears on pages 240-241 in Joseph Haydn: Werke, series 23, volume 2.
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Landon, H. C. Robbins. Haydn: Chronicle and Works, five volumes, volume 4: 124-161. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1976-1980. Schenbeck, Lawrence. Joseph Haydn and the Classical Choral Tradition, 268-270, 436-437. Chapel Hill, NC: Hinshaw Music, 1996.
No. 11, Mass in D minor [Lord Nelson Mass, Imperial Mass, Coronation Mass, Missa in augustiis], Hob. XXII: 11 (1798) Duration: ca. 45 minutes Text: The text is taken from the Latin Roman Catholic eucharistic liturgy. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra:318 version 1 3 trumpets, timpani, organ, and strings; version 2 flute, 2 oboes, 2 bassoons, 3 trumpets, timpani, organ, and strings; version 3 - flute, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 3 trumpets, timpani, organ, and strings First Performance: 23 September 1798; Eisenstadt Editions: Lord Nelson Mass is in the critical edition Joseph Haydn: Werke, series 23, volume 3, page 1, produced by the Haydn-Institut, Cologne, and edited by Günter Thomas. It is published by G. Henle, Munich. Other editions available for purchase include version 1 — B. Schotts Söhne; version 2 — Breitkopf und Härtel and C. F. Peters; and version 3 — Bärenreiter. Autograph: The autograph score is in the Music Division of the Österreichischen Nationalbibliothek in Vienna. Additional manuscript materials are in the Library of the Slowak Akademie in Bratislava and the Brno Landes-Museum. Notes: This work, “Mass in a Time of Fear,” was given the nickname of “Nelson” from the time of its premiere. Admiral Horatio Nelson had recently scored a significant defeat of the French fleet. Performance Issues: The choral writing is predominantly homophonic and declamatory with some fugal imitation. The choral material is not directly doubled by the orchestra in homophonic sections in the original version. There is more reinforcement of the choral parts with the addition of the later wind and horn parts. Much of this doubling could be as effectively achieved in the organ realization of the continuo part. Some cuing of choral parts into the organ score will be beneficial. In the fugal passages there is much more direct doubling of the choral parts in the strings; however, 318 There are three different orchestrations for this mass. There is some disagreement as to the authorship of the altered versions. It is most likely that the wind parts of versions 2 and 3 are the product of one or more of Haydn’s students. The first used the organ to substitute for the absence of his Esterházy wind players, and the second
the string parts often contain significant ornamental passagework that may obscure this accompanimental support for less-experienced choristers. The obbligato organ parts play an important role in this work. It is not virtuosic but requires a secure player and careful attention to registration. The trumpet III has no independent parts, merely doubling the trumpet II in some passages. In fact, only two trumpets are listed in some movements, while three are asked to play in unison in other passages. The added wind parts are fairly easy and are within the abilities of most amateur players. The added horn parts are more involved and have a fairly high tessitura. The string parts are all quite challenging, especially the violins. There is exposed rapid passagework in all string parts, requiring an ensemble of experienced players. The choral parts are vocally challenging with a high tessitura for the sopranos. The original orchestration is preferable, especially if a good baroque-styled organ is available; however, with a larger and less secure choir, the wind parts will prove advantageous. Soloists: soprano - range: e'-b♭'', tessitura: a'-a'', this is the most extensive of the solos, it requires an accomplished singer with a fairly powerful voice capable of long coloratura passages; alto - range: b-d'', tessitura: d'-d'', this is a very sustained role; tenor - range: f#-a', tessitura: a-f', this is a smaller, declamatory role; bass - range: F-f', tessitura: A-a, this is a declamatory solo requiring a strong, sustained, and clear voice. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: difficult. Selected Discography: Sylvia Stahlman, Helen Watts, Wilfred Brown, Tom Krause; Christ Church Cathedral Choir, Academy of Ancient Music; Simon Preston, organ; conducted by David Willcocks. London: 448 525-2 [ADD], or as boxed set 448 518-2. Kathrin Graf, Verena Piller, Ernst Haefliger, Jakob Stämpfli; Berne Chamber Choir and Chamber Orchestra; conducted by Jörg Ewald Dähler. Claves: CD508108. Felicity Lott, Carolyn Watkinson, Maldwyn Davies, David Wilson-Johnson; English Concert Choir, English Concert; conducted by Trevor Pinnock. Archiv: 423 097-2AH. Sharon Baker, Pamela Dellal, Jeffrey Thomas, James Maddalena; Banchetto Musicale Chorus and Orchestra; conducted by Martin Pearlman. Arabesque: Z6560. Karine Rosat, Danielle Michel, Francis Bardot, Maurice Bourbon; Paris Franco-German Choir, J-F Gonzales Orchestra; conducted by Bernard Lallement. BNL: BNL 112759. replaces the organ with the resident wind players; in the third Haydn is believed to have added clarinets and horns to the orchestra. The Bärentreiter edition allows for performances of any of the three orchestrations. These three versions are also reflected in the critical edition Joseph Haydn: Werke.
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Judith Blegen, Gwendoline Killebrew, Kenneth Riegel, Simon Estes; Westminster Choir, New York Philharmonic; conducted by Leonard Bernstein. Recorded live in 1976. Sony: SM2K47563. Barbara Bonney, Anne Howells, Anthony Rolfe Johnson, Stephen Roberts; London Symphony Chorus, City of London Sinfonia; conducted by Richard Hickox. Recorded in 1984. Decca: 436 470-2DM.
———. Kritischer Bericht, from Joseph Haydn Werke, Jens Peter Larsen and Georg Feder, general editors, Messen Nr. 9-10, volume 23, number 3. Cologne: Joseph Haydn-Institut, Munich and Duisburg: G. Henle Verlag, 1971. Town, Stephen. “Joseph Haydn’s Missa in Angustiis: History, Analysis, and Performance Suggestions.” Sacred Music, volume 110, number 2 (1983): 5-10.
Selected Bibliography:
No. 12, Mass in B♭ major [Theresienmesse], Hob. XXII: 12 (1799)
Beck, Hermann. “Alte Musikbestände der Hofkirche zu Würzburg.” Die Musikforschung, volume 18, number 1 (January-March 1964): 45-51. Brand, Carl Maria. Die Messen von Joseph Haydn, 307353. University of Berlin, Ph.D. dissertation, published in Würzburg in 1941. Chusid, Martin. “Some Observations on Liturgy, Text, and Structure in Haydn’s Late Masses.” Studies in Eighteenth-Century Music: A Tribute to Karl Geiringer on His Seventieth Birthday, 125-135. London: George Allen and Unwin, 1970. Deutsch, Otto Erich. “Haydn und Nelson.” Österreichische Musikzeitschrift, volume 23 (1968): 13-17. Previously published in Die Musik, volume 24 (19311932): 436-440. ———. Admiral Nelson und Joseph Haydn: Ein britisch-österreichisches Gipfeltreffen, edited by Gitta Deutsch and Rudolf Klein. Vienna: Österreichischer Bundesverlag, 1982. Einstein, Alfred. “Haydn, Mozart, and English Sea-Heroes.” The Monthly Musical Record, volume 64, number 762 (December 1934): 217-218. Gerstenberg, Walter. Musikhandschriften von Palestrina bis Beethoven. Zürich: Atlantis, 1960. Landon, H. C. Robbins. Haydn: Chronicle and Works, five volumes, volume 4: 427-444. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1976-1980. Schenbeck, Lawrence. Joseph Haydn and the Classical Choral Tradition, 271-272, 435. Chapel Hill, NC: Hinshaw Music, 1996. Schmid, Ernst Fritz. “Bemerkungen zu Josef Haydns Nelson-Messe.” Neue Musik-Zeitung, volume 49, number 24 (1928): 770-775. Schnerich, Alfred. “Zur Erinnerung an die erste Aufführung der Nelson-Messe von Josef Haydn vor hundert Jahren (9 September 1898).” Der Kirchenchor, volume 28, number 11 (15 November 1898): 89-92. ———. “Die katholischen Glaubensätze bei den Wiener Klassikern.” Zeitschrift für Musikwissenschaft, volume 8 (1925-1926): 231-235. Thomas, Günter. “Vorwort.” Joseph Haydn Werke, Jens Peter Larsen and Georg Feder, general editors, Messen Nr. 9-10, volume 23, number 3: vi-ix. Cologne: Joseph Haydn-Institut, Munich and Duisburg: G. Henle Verlag, 1965. 319 There is an autograph with parts for two oboes and two horns added by students, but there are no current performing editions with these parts.
Duration: ca. 43 minutes Text: The text is taken from the Latin Roman Catholic eucharistic liturgy. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 clarinets, bassoon, 2 trumpets, timpani, organ, and strings319 First Performance: 8 September 1799; Bergkirche, Eisenstadt Edition: Theresienmesse is in the critical edition Joseph Haydn: Werke, series 23, volume 3, page 140, produced by the Haydn-Institut, Cologne, and edited by Günter Thomas. It is published by G. Henle, Munich. Other editions available for purchase include Bärenreiter and H. W. Gray. Autograph: The autograph score is in the Music Division of the Österreichischen Nationalbibliothek in Vienna. Additional manuscript materials are in the Admont Benediktinerstift Türm-Archiv in Austria, the Boston Public Library, the Brno Landes-Museum, and the Bibliothéque du Conservatoire Nationale in Brussels. Notes: Sometime following its premiere, Haydn presented a copy of the score to the Empress Marie Therese. It has come to be linked to her name ever since. Performance Issues: The choral writing is primarily homophonic with fugal passages. The choral parts are harmonically supported by the orchestra. The directness of the orchestral doubling of choral passages increase directly with their respective contrapuntal complexity. The choral parts are vocally demanding, especially the soprano part, which has a high and sometimes mercilessly static tessitura. The effect is splendid but may prove too taxing for less-experienced choristers. There are numerous passages with long sustained pitches that must remain free and vibrant. Haydn cleverly interspersed that solo quartet throughout this Mass, giving the choir regular breaks. The trumpet parts are tonic and dominant fare with no
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
particularly high passages. The bassoon part is sometimes different from the continuo line, but it is not difficult. The clarinet parts have some rapid scalar passages but are quite idiomatically written. The string writing is quite frenetic at times. The violin I part is particularly demanding, but all string parts require strong players. This is a spectacular Mass setting that is particularly energetic with long, driving sustained harmonies from the chorus and rhythmically charged accompaniment figures in the strings. It requires an ensemble (vocal and instrumental) capable of sustaining this vitality for the duration of the work. Soloists: soprano - range: f'-b'', tessitura: g'-g'', this solo requires some exposed coloratura passages; alto - range: b-f'', tessitura: f' -d'', the high range and tessitura of this solo lends itself best to a mezzo soprano; tenor - range: cg', tessitura: g-g', this is a sustained and fairly simple solo role; bass - range: F-e', tessitura: F-a, this is a declamatory solo mostly appearing in the context of a quartet. Choir: difficult; Orchestra: difficult. Selected Discography: Erna Spoorenberg, Bernadette Greevy, John Mitchinson, Tom Krause; Choir of St. John’s College, Cambridge; Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Field; Brian Runnett, organ; conducted by George Guest. London: 448 5222 [ADD], or as boxed set 448 518-2. Catrin Wyn-Davies, Eilyr Thomas, Andrew Yeats, Jeremy Huw Williams, Michael Slaney (organ); Pembrokeshire Youth Choir, Westward Chamber Orchestra; conducted by John S. Davies. Recorded live in 1992. Sain: SCDC2027. Valerie Girard, Marta Benackova, Kurt Azesberger, Peter Mikulás; Prague Chamber Choir, Prague Virtuosi; conducted by Johannes Moesus. Recorded in 1994. Discover International: DICD9202 16. Lucia Popp, Rosalind Elias, Robert Tear, Paul Hudson; London Symphony Chorus and Orchestra; conducted by Leonard Bernstein. Recorded live in 1979. Sony: SM2K47522. Selected Bibliography: Brand, Carl Maria Die Messen von Joseph Haydn, 354407. University of Berlin, Ph.D. dissertation, published in Würzburg in 1941. Chusid, Martin. “Some Observations on Liturgy, Text, and Structure in Haydn’s Late Masses.” Studies in Eighteenth-Century Music: A Tribute to Karl Geiringer on His Seventieth Birthday, 125-135. London: George Allen and Unwin, 1970. Hughes, Rosemary. “Two Haydn Masses.” The Musical Times, volume 91 (1950): 213-218. Landon, H. C. Robbins. Haydn: Chronicle and Works, five volumes, volume 4: 524-537. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1976-1980. Schenbeck, Lawrence. Joseph Haydn and the Classical Choral Tradition, 272-273, 433. Chapel Hill, NC: Hinshaw Music, 1996.
Schnerich, Alfred. “Das hundertjährige Jubiläum von Haydns Theresienmesse.” Der Kirchenchor, volume 29, number 11 (15 November 1899): 92-93, 101-102. Thomas, Günter. “Vorwort.” Joseph Haydn Werke, Jens Peter Larsen and Georg Feder, general editors, Messen Nr. 9-10, volume 23, number 3: vi-ix. Cologne: Joseph Haydn-Institut, Munich and Duisburg: G. Henle Verlag, 1965. ———. Kritischer Bericht, from Joseph Haydn Werke, Jens Peter Larsen and Georg Feder, general editors, Messen Nr. 9-10, volume 23, number 3. Cologne: Joseph Haydn-Institut; Munich and Duisburg: G. Henle Verlag, 1971. Webb, Brian Patrick. A Conductor’s Analysis of Haydn’s Theresienmesse. Indiana University, D.M.A. dissertation, 1977.
No. 13, Missa Solemnis in B♭ major [Schöpfungmesse or Creation Mass], Hob. XXII: 13 (1801) Duration: ca. 46 minutes Text: The text is taken from the Latin Roman Catholic eucharistic liturgy. Performing Forces: voices: soprano [1 or 2], alto, tenor [1 or 2], and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes, 2 clarinets in B♭, 2 bassoons, 2 horns in B♭, 2 trumpets in B♭, timpani, organ, and strings
The autograph score does not include trumpets, horn, or timpani; however, other manuscript materials support that they are authentic additions of the composer. First Performance: 13 September 1801; Bergekirche, Eisenstadt Edition: Schöpfungmesse is in the critical edition Joseph Haydn: Werke, series 23, volume 4, page 1, produced by the Haydn-Institut, Cologne, and edited by Irmgard Becker-Glauch. It is published by G. Henle, Munich. Other editions available for purchase include Kalmus. Note also the facsimile edition listed in the bibliography below under Virneisel. Autograph: The location of the autograph score had been unknown for many years. It was found in 1956 and placed in the Bayerischen Staatsbibliothek in Munich. A facsimile of the autograph score has been published with a foreword by Wilhelm Virneisel: Joseph Haydn. Messe B-dur (“Schöpfungsmesse”), Faksimile nach der im Eigentum der Bayerischen Staatsbibliothek befindlichen Urschrift (Munich-Duisburg: Joseph Haydn-Instituts Köln, 1957). Additional manuscript materials can be found in the Esterházy Archive in Eisenstadt, the Hofmusikkapelle Archive in Vienna, and in the Music Department of the National Museum in Prague.
418
Notes: The nickname of this symphony comes from Haydn’s parody of the “Adam and Eve” duet from his Die Schöpfung in the Qui tollis section for the first performance. Upon the request of Empress Marie Therese, he later replaced this passage with original music. Performance Issues: The choral writing is often quite declamatory. The choral parts are well supported, harmonically, by the orchestra, but direct doubling of the choral parts is reserved for passages that are contrapuntally involved. The tessitura and range of the choral sopranos are quite high, including a number of phrases reaching high [b♭'']. The choral alto and tenor parts are more vocally conservative, but the range of the choral basses is also quite broad. There are rapid coloratura passages for all of the choral parts. Some of these passages will require particular attention to secure a clear texture. The wind parts are idiomatic but more technically demanding than in most of Haydn’s other masses. There is considerable doubling between the clarinets and oboes. The bassoon part is, at times, independent from the continuo. The trumpet parts are also more demanding than in the majority of the masses, but they are not particularly demanding for valved instruments. There is an obbligato organ solo in the Et incarnatus est section, which requires some facility. The string parts are all quite demanding, especially the first violins. Each part has rapid scalar passages and ornamental figurations. Many of these ornaments should be annotated in the parts before rehearsal. The orchestration is quite brilliant and all forces are used in a fanfare-like manner throughout the Mass. Because of this a larger choir will be better suited to balance with the instrumental forces. This must be tempered by the need to maintain contrapuntal clarity and by the penetrating register in which the soprano part is frequently found. This is forceful and exciting work requiring a first-rate orchestra and a vocally strong and musically experienced choir. The solo quartet requires excellent singers. The additional soprano and tenor solos appear at measure 307 in the end of the Gloria. These are very brief and simple solos that should be reserved for choristers. Soloists: soprano I - range: b♭-a♭'', tessitura: g'-f'', this is the largest solo role, requiring a strong voice capable of some coloratura passagework; soprano II - range: a'f'', tessitura: a'-f'', this is a four-measure solo at the end of the gloria, suitable for a chorister; alto - range: ae♭'', tessitura: d'-d'', this is a lyric role wth some exposed coloratura passages; tenor I - range: c#-b♭', tessitura: g-f', this is a lyric and sustained role; tenor II range: a-f', tessitura: a-f', this is a four-measure solo at the end of the gloria, suitable for a chorister; bass range: A-e♭', tessitura: d-d', this is a lyrical role mostly singing in ensembles. Choir: difficult; Orchestra: difficult.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Selected Discography: April Cantelo, Helen Watts, Robert Tear, Forbes Robinson; Choir of St. John’s College, Cambridge; Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Field; conducted by George Guest. London: 448 520-2, or as boxed set 448 518-2. Selected Bibliography: Beck, Hermann. “Alte Musikbestände der Hofkirche zu Würzburg.” Die Musikforschung, volume 18, number 1 (January-March 1964): 45-51. Becker-Glauch, Irmgard. “Vorwort.” Joseph Haydn Werke, Jens Peter Larsen and Georg Feder, general editors, Messe Nr. 11, volume 23, number 4: vi-ix. Cologne: Joseph Haydn-Institut, Munich and Duisburg: G. Henle Verlag, 1967. ———. Kritischer Bericht, from Joseph Haydn Werke, Jens Peter Larsen and Georg Feder, general editors, Messe Nr. 11, volume 23, number 4. Cologne: Joseph Haydn-Institut; Munich and Duisburg: G. Henle Verlag, 1969. ———. “The Masses of Joseph Haydn.” In Haydnfest: Music Festival, September 22-October 11, 1975; International Musicological Conference, October 4-11, 1975 [festival bulletin]: 32-37. Washington, DC: John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, 1975. Brand, Carl Maria. Die Messen von Joseph Haydn, 407450. University of Berlin, Ph.D. dissertation, published in Würzburg in 1941. Chusid, Martin. “Some Observations on Liturgy, Text, and Structure in Haydn’s Late Masses.” Studies in Eighteenth-Century Music: A Tribute to Karl Geiringer on His Seventieth Birthday, 125-135. London: George Allen and Unwin, 1970. Landon, H. C. Robbins. Haydn: Chronicle and Works, five volumes, volume 5: 199-212. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1976-1980. Schenbeck, Lawrence. Joseph Haydn and the Classical Choral Tradition, 273-274, 432. Chapel Hill, NC: Hinshaw Music, 1996. Virneisel, Wilhelm. “Joseph Haydns Messe B-dur ‘Schöpfungs-Messe.’” Joseph Haydn: Messe B-dur Schöpfungs-Messe [facsimile edition]. Munich and Duisburg: G. Henle Verlag, 1967.
No. 14, Mass in B♭ major [Harmoniemesse], Hob. XXII: 14 (1802) Duration: ca. 48 minutes Text: The text is taken from the Latin Roman Catholic eucharistic liturgy. Performing Forces: voices: soprano [1 or 2], alto, tenor [1 or 2], and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: flute, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, timpani, organ, and strings First Performance: 8 September 1802; Bergkirche, Eisenstadt
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Edition: Harmoniemesse is in the critical edition Joseph Haydn: Werke, series 23, volume 5, page 1, produced by the Haydn-Institut, Cologne, and edited by Friedrich Lippmann. It is published by G. Henle, Munich. Other editions available for purchase include Bärenreiter, Kalmus, C. F. Peters, and G. Schirmer. Autograph: The autograph score is the Bibliothèque Nationale Fonds du Conservatoire in Paris. Additional manuscript materials are in Musikwissenschaft in Bonn (KB 29), the Library of the Slowak Akademie in Bratislava, the Esterházy Archive in Eisenstadt, the Brno Landes-Museum, and the Music Department of the Széchényi National Library in Budapest. Notes: This Mass uses the largest contingent of winds among Hadyn’s Mass settings. This is because his orchestra at Eisenstadt was at its fullest in the year of its composition. The nickname “Harmonie” is the German term for wind instruments. It was composed for the Name Day of the Princess. Performance Issues: The choral writing is the most contrapuntally and harmonically complex of Haydn’s Masses. The choral material is harmonically well supported by the orchestra but often not directly. The choir must be fairly independent. The choral parts lie well in the voices with moderate tessiture; however, there are wide ranges, broad leaps, and rhythmic complexities in each choral part. Much of the more complex choral writing is free counterpoint rather than pure fugal imitation. The additional soprano and tenor solos appear at measure 257 in the end of the Gloria. These are very brief and simple solos that should be reserved for choristers. The wind parts are idiomatically conceived. The flute and bassoon have the most intricate passagework. In many cases they double the first violins and continuo, respectively. There is a particularly exposed and rapid solo for the bassoon beginning in measure 103 of the Agnus Dei. The oboe and clarinet parts, while moving together, are more independent than in earlier works. The brass is used to reinforce tonic and dominant functions. There are a number of passages with sustained wind and brass pitches over rapid string figurations. The length and voicing of these notes may present some intonation difficulties. The string writing is rather virtuosic throughout the Mass. There are extended sections in which the violin parts are in unison. The breadth of the orchestration suggests the use of a larger choir. This vocal ensemble must be capable of rhythmic clarity. Both the orchestra and choir must maintain a high level of energy throughout this dynamic work. It requires an experienced chorus and very strong instrumental ensemble. Soloists: soprano I - range: d'-b♭'', tessitura: a'-f'', this is a lyric solo, including parallel coloratura duets with the alto soloist; soprano II range: g'-e♭'', tessitura: g'-e♭'', this is a four-measure solo at the end of the gloria, suitable for a chorister;
alto - range: a♭-e♭'', tessitura: d'-d'', this is a lyric solo, suitable for a mezzo-soprano, including parallel coloratura duets with the soprano soloist; tenor I - range: d-a♭', tessitura: g-f', this is a lyric and sustained solo with some coloratura; tenor II - range: g-e♭', tessitura: g-e♭', this is a four-measure solo at the end of the Gloria, suitable for a chorister; bass - range: E♭-e♭', tessitura: G-b♭, this is a declamatory solo with some sustained passages. Choir: difficult; Orchestra: difficult. Selected Discography: Erna Spoorenberg, Helen Greevy, Alexander Young, John Rouleau; Choir of St. John’s College, Cambridge; Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Field; Brian Runnett, organ; conducted by George Guest. London: 448 523-2 [ADD], or as boxed set 448 518-2. Lynda Russell, Catherine Wyn-Rogers, William Kendall, Michael George; Winchester Cathedral Choir, Brandenburg Orchestra; conducted by David Hill. Hyperion: CDA66508. Barbara Martig-Müller, Ria Bollen, Adalbert Kraus, Kurt Widmer; Mainz Bach Choir, South West German Radio Orchestra; conducted by D. Hellmann. Calig: CAL50490. Judith Blegen, Fredericka von Stade, Kenneth Riegel, Simon Estes; Westminster Choir, New York Philharmonic; conducted by Leonard Bernstein. Sony: SM2K47560. Selected Bibliography: Brand, Carl Maria. Die Messen von Joseph Haydn, 451510. University of Berlin, Ph.D. dissertation, published in Würzburg in 1941. Chusid, Martin. “Some Observations on Liturgy, Text, and Structure in Haydn’s Late Masses.” Studies in Eighteenth-Century Music: A Tribute to Karl Geiringer on His Seventieth Birthday, 125-135. London: George Allen and Unwin, 1970. Hughes, Rosemary. “Two Haydn Masses.” The Musical Times, volume 91 (1950): 213-218. Landon, H. C. Robbins. Haydn: Chronicle and Works, five volumes, volume 5: 242-251. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1976-1980. Lippmann, Friedrich. “Vorwort.” Joseph Haydn Werke, Jens Peter Larsen and Georg Feder, general editors, Messe Nr. 12, volume 23, number 5: vi-vii. Cologne: Joseph Haydn-Institut; Munich and Duisburg: G. Henle Verlag, 1966. ———. Kritischer Bericht, from Joseph Haydn Werke, Jens Peter Larsen and Georg Feder, general editors, Messe Nr. 12, volume 23, number 5. Cologne: Joseph Haydn-Institut; Munich and Duisburg: G. Henle Verlag, 1967. Schenbeck, Lawrence. Joseph Haydn and the Classical Choral Tradition, 275, 432. Chapel Hill, NC: Hinshaw Music, 1996.
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Webster, James. “Haydn’s Sacred Vocal Music and the Aesthetics of Salvation.” Haydn Studies, edited by Dean Sutcliffe, 35-69. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1998.
Haydn Te Deums Te Deum for Prince Nicolaus Esterházy, Hob. XXIIIc: 1 (1762?) Duration: ca. 12 minutes Text: This is an anonymous hymn of thanksgiving in church used since the sixth century. It is usually sung during the Matins service. The apochryphal source of its genesis is that it was spontaneously sung by Ss. Ambrose and Augustine on the evening when Augustine was baptised. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, and tenor soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones [alto, tenor, and bass], timpani, organ, and strings (no violas) First Performance: The first performance is unknown. It may have been composed to welcome the Prince in May of 1762, or for the wedding of Count Anton and Countess Erdödy in January of 1763.320 Edition: Te Deum for Prince Nicolaus Esterházy is available for purchase from the Haydn-Mozart Presse, which is edited by H. C. Robbins Landon and published by Doblinger (D.10.476). Autograph: The location of the autograph score is unknown. Modern editions have been derived from manuscript copies in the monasteries in Gottweig and Melk, the Janacek Museum in the Brno Landes-Museum, and the personal library of H. C. Robbins Landon. Additional manuscript materials are in the Fürstlich Oettingen-Wallersteinische Bibliothek, the Kremsmünster Benediktinerstift Musikarchiv, and the Lambach Benediktinerstift Musikarchiv. Notes: This is one of the earliest surviving liturgical compositions from this early point in Haydn’s career. Performance Issues: The choral writing is fairly declamatory and primarily homophonic. The choral alto, tenor, and bass parts are doubled, colla parte, by the trombones in all but nine measures. The sopranos are likewise well reinforced by the violins. The choral writing is direct and quite accessible to less-experienced ensembles. The sopranos have a somewhat high tessitura, reflecting the use of boy trebles. The tenor part has a modest range and low tessitura, making this an excellent work for younger choirs. There are a number of trills and other ornaments that will require careful attention. It is advised to realize these figures in the 320 Lawrence Schenbeck, Joseph Haydn and the Classical Choral Tradition, 109 (Chapel Hill, NC: Hinshaw Music, 1996).
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
parts before distribution. The trumpet and oboe parts are conservatively written. The latter are nearly always doubled by the violins. The violin parts have some rapid figurations, which are idiomatic and usually scalar. Much of the piece has the violins in unison. The orchestration allows for the use of a small ensemble. Soloists: soprano - range: f'-f'', tessitura: g'-e'', this is a small lyric solo appropriate for a chorister; alto range: c'-b♭', tessitura: c'-b♭', this is a small lyric solo appropriate for a chorister; bass - range: G-c', tessitura: c-c', this is a small lyric solo appropriate for a chorister. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Nancy Argenta, Catherine Denley, Mark Padmore, Stephen Varcoe; Collegium Musicum 90; conducted by Richard Hickox. Chandos: 633. Vienna Boys’ Choir, Chorus Viennensis, Vienna Chamber Orchestra; conducted by Ferdinand Grossman. Koch Classics: 365632. Selected Bibliography: Becker-Glauch, Irmgard. “Neue Forschungen zu Haydns Kirchenmusik.” Haydn Studien, volume 2, number 3 (1970): 192-194. Berkenstock, James Turner. The Smaller Sacred Compositions of Joseph Haydn, 118-125. Northwestern University, Ph.D. dissertation, 1975. Landon, H. C. Robbins. Haydn: Chronicle and Works, five volumes, volume 1: 494-495. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1976-1980. Schenbeck, Lawrence. Joseph Haydn and the Classical Choral Tradition, 107-109, 445-446. Chapel Hill, NC: Hinshaw Music, 1996.
Te Deum for Empress Maria Therese, Hob. XXIIIc: 2 (1800) Duration: ca. 12 minutes Text: This is an anonymous hymn of thanksgiving in church used since the sixth century. It is usually sung during the Matins service. The apochryphal source of its genesis is that it was spontaneously sung by Ss. Ambrose and Augustine on the evening when Augustine was baptised. Performing Forces: voices: SATB choir; orchestra: flute, 2 oboes, 2 bassoons, 3 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones [alto, tenor, and bass], timpani, organ, and strings. First Performance: The exact date of the premiere is uncertain, but it was probably in early autumn of 1800. Edition: Te Deum for the Empress Maria Therese is available for purchase from the Haydn-Mozart Presse,
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which is edited by H. C. Robbins Landon and published by Doblinger (D.10.000). Autograph: The location of the autograph score is unknown. Modern editions are derived from manuscript parts in the Esterházy Archives in Eisenstadt (primarily in the hand of Johann Elssler), the Hofburgkapelle, and an edition published in 1802 by Brietkopf und Härtel. Additional manuscript materials are in the Music Department of the Széchényi National Library in Budapest and the Donaueschinger Fürstlich. Notes: The Empress Marie Therese had requested a work from Haydn for many years; however, Nicolaus II of Esterházy would not allow others the service of his Kapellemeister. 321 Although the first published edition did not have trombone parts, H. C. Robbins Landon has logically inferred that those found in the Hofburgkapelle parts are original. Trombone would have been available to the Empress even though they were not in residence in his employer’s court. The composition begins with the Eighth Psalm Tone. Performance Issues: The majority of the choral writing is declamatory and homophonic. There is a brief double fugue in measures 140 through 169. It is this section that is the most musically and vocally challenging. It is also the one section with extended melismas. The alto, tenor, and bass parts are nearly doubled by the trombones. Passages wherein the trombones are absent provide doubling of the choral parts by the strings. The woodwind, trumpet, and horn parts are fairly simple. The trombone parts sit somewhat high but have been simplified from the choral parts they outline. The bulk of orchestral passagework is reserved for the strings. Much of this is in unison or parallel motion. The string writing is busy but lies practically for all the players. Particular care must be taken to ensure rhythmic clarity throughout the ensemble. This is an exuberant score showing Haydn at the height of his powers. The work requires a full choir and a large complement of strings. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: English Concert Choir, English Concert; conducted by Trevor Pinnock. Archiv: 423 097-2AH. Collegium Musicum 90; conducted by Richard Hickox. Chandos: 633. Namur Chamber Choir, La Petite Bande; conducted by Sigiswald Kuijken. Recorded in September 1994. Deutsche Harmonia Mundi: GD77337. Selected Bibliography: Becker-Glauch, Irmgard. “Joseph Haydns ‘Te Deum’ für die Kaiserin: eine Quellenstudie.” Colloquium amicorum: Joseph Schmidt-Görg (Bonn, 1967): 1-10. 321 H. C. Robbins Landon, “Preface” to the Doblinger edition of the score.
———. “Neue Forschungen zu Haydns Kirchenmusik.” Haydn Studien, volume 2, number 3 (1970): 192-194. Berkenstock, James Turner. The Smaller Sacred Compositions of Joseph Haydn, 118-125. Northwestern University, Ph.D. dissertation, 1975. Landon, H. C. Robbins. Haydn: Chronicle and Works, five volumes, volume 4: 604-615. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1976-1980. Schenbeck, Lawrence. Joseph Haydn and the Classical Choral Tradition, 216-217, 446. Chapel Hill, NC: Hinshaw Music, 1996. Webster, James. “Haydn’s Sacred Vocal Music and the Aesthetics of Salvation.” Haydn Studies, edited by Dean Sutcliffe, 35-69. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1998.
HENZE, Hans Werner (b. Gütersloh in Westfalia, Germany, 1 July 1926; d. Dresden, Germany, 27 October 2012) Henze studied with Wolfgang Fortner who introduced him to a variety of technical procedures, which were successively integrated into his compositional palette. He scored successes with a number of early operas. With time, the subjects of his works began to reflect his own Marxist ideologies. Concurrently, his music evidenced a gradual change of style involving monumental challenges to performers and listeners alike. From 1942 to 1944, he attended the Braunschweig Musikschule, and then was conscripted into the German army, serving one year on the Russian front. In 1946, he entered the Heidelberg Kirchenmusikalisches Institute and began his private studies with Fortner. He had additional studies in serialism with René Liebowitz in Darmstadt. In the 1950s he moved to Italy where he became a member of the Communist Party. His radical political beliefs have had a significant impact upon his artistic activities and upon the subjects of his compositions. In 1986 he was made International Chair of Compositional Studies at the University of London. A very prolific composer, Henze has combined virtually all of the techniques used in the twentieth century into his works with remarkably convincing results. His works often require nontraditional procedures in their performance, but they remain possible and have maintained an audience throughout the world with seeming disregard to their propogandistic qualities. Teachers: Wolfgang Fortner, René Leibowitz Student: Tona Scherchen
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Writings: Music and Politics: Collected Writings 195381 (Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1982). Principal Works: opera - Das Wundertheater (1948), Boulevard Solitude (1951), König Hirsch (19521955), Elegy for Young Lovers (1959-1961), The Brassarids (1965), The English Cat (1980-1983), Ödipus der Tyrann oder Der Vater vertreibt seinem Sohn und Schikt die Tochter in die Küche (1983), Des verratene Meer (1990); radio opera - Ein Landzart (1951), Das Ende einer Welt (1953); ballet - Ballet Variations (1949), Jack Pudding (1949), Rosa Silber (1950), Labyrinth (1951), Der Idiot (1952), Maratona (1956), Ondine (1956-1957), We Come to the River (1974-1976), Orpheus (1978); orchestral - seven Symphonies (1948, 1949, 1951, 1955, 1962, 1969, 1983-1984), two Piano Concertos (1950, 1967), Violin Concerto (1948), Symphonic Variations (1950), Ode to the West Wind for cello and orchestra (1954), Antifone (1960), Doppio Concerto for oboe, harp, and strings (1966), Doublebass Concerto (1967), Heliogabalus Imperator (1972), Cinque piccoli concerti (1980-1982), Sieben Liebeslieder for cello and orchestra (1984-1985), Allegro brillante (1989); chamber five String Quartets (1947, 1952, 1976, 1977, 1977), Woodwind Quintet (1952), Amicizia for clarinet, cello, and percussion (1976), Canzona for seven instruments (1982), Serenade for violin (1986); choral - five Madrigals (1947), Chorus of the Captured Trojans (1948), Cantata della Fiaba Estrema (1963), Choral Fantasy (1964); solo vocal - Whispers from Heavenly Death (1948), five Neapolitan Songs for baritone and orchestra (1956), Nocturnes and Arias (1957), Being Beauteous (1964), El Cimarrón (1970), Voices (1974), The King of Harlem (1980) Selected Composer Bibliography: Heyworth, Peter. “I can Imagine a Future…: Conversations with Hans Werner Henze.” The Observer (23 August 1970). Henderson, R. “Hans Werner Henze.” The Musical Times, volume 118 (1976): 566. Henze, Hans Werner. Music and Politics: Collected Writings 1953-81. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1982. Rickards, Guy. Hindemith, Hartmann, and Henze. London: Phaidon, 1995. Hans Werner Henze: ein Werkverzeichnis 1946-1996. Mainz: Schott, 1996.
Novæ de Infinito Laudes (1962) Duration: ca. 47 minutes Text: The text is taken from the Italian writings of Giordano Bruno. The score includes literal translations of the Latin text into English. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes (both doubling piccolo), 2 English horns, 2 bassoons, 2
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
trumpets in D, 2 trumpets in C, 2 bass trumpets in C, 4 trombones, 2 tubas, timpani, 2 lutes (amplified), 2 pianos, 4 cellos, 4 doublebasses. Members of the choral bass section are to play: crotale in G, tambourine, bells (probably meaning finger cymbals), and castanets. First Performance: 24 April 1963; Venice; 26th International Festival of Contemporary Music Edition: Novae de Infinito Laudes is published by Schotts. The piano-vocal score (5267) and miniature score (5028) are available for purchase; orchestral materials are available for rental. Notes: Novæ de Infinito Laudes was commissioned by the London Philharmonic Society. Using texts from eleven of Bruno’s dialogues, the work is divided into six movements. Performance Issues: The altos and sopranos each have six-part divisi, while the tenors and basses divide into three parts. There are two tenor and two bass solos for members of the choir. Henze uses harmonics marks for the male soloists, apparently to indicate falsetto. The score combines passages of free atonality, serialism, and tonality to create a diverse, and remarkably challenging, pitch fabric. The rhythmic language is less difficult, but varied divisions of the beat, frequent meter changes, and numerous fluctuations of tempi all contribute to the hazards for achieving a cohesive ensemble. Much of the choral material is atonal and densely written to heighten the sense of dissonance. The vocal material is not clearly supported by the accompaniment, but the opening pitches of most vocal passages are clearly doubled or immediately preceded by the accompaniment. The score is in C with the doublebasses and lutes sounding an octave lower than written and the piccolos an octave higher. The composer indicates that guitars may be substituted for the lutes. The polyphonic techniques Henze employs for the orchestra interweave melodic lines in a manner which diffuses entrances and often blurs the aural sense of meter. This combined with the disparate pitch relationships between parts will present great obstacles in achieving a sense of ensemble. Soloists: soprano - range: c'-c''', tessitura: g'-g'', this solo is vocally demanding and filled with awkward melodic leaps; alto - range: g-e'', tessitura: d'-d'', this role requires a dramatic voice capable of sustained singing in the upper range; tenor - range: B♭-a', tessitura: g-g', this is a lyric role with some awkward leaps, the B♭ occurs only once, the next lowest pitch is d; bass - range: Gf#', tessitura: d-d', this role requires vocal stamina and musical independence. Choir: very difficult; Orchestra: very difficult Selected Discography: Edda Moser, Ingrid Mayr, Werner Krenn, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau; ORF-Chöre Wien und Salzburg;
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ORF Symphonieorchester; conducted by Milan Horvat. Recorded Felsenreitschule on 1 August 1972, released in 2003. Orfeo: C609031B. Selected Bibliography: Eimert, H. “An Hans Werner Henze zur Zeit seiner Giordano-Bruno Kantate.” Melos, volume 30 (June 1963): 206-207. Thomas, E. “Absurdes Theatre und hymnischer Kantate; Berio und Henze auf der venezianischen Biennale.” neue Zeitschrift für Musik, volume 124, number 6 (1963): 240-241. Knessl, L. “Absurdes Musiktheatre und Manierismus in Venedig.” Melos, volume 30 (September 1963): 309310.
Die Muzen Siziliens [Muses of Sicily] (1966) Duration: ca. 28 minutes Text: The text is in Latin by Virgil. The title is taken from his Eclogue No. 4, the text of the first part is from Eclogue No. 9, the middle part from Eclogue No. 10, and the final part from Eclogue No. 6. Performing Forces: voices: SATB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes (flute II doubling piccolo), 2 oboes, 2 clarinets in B♭, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 2 trumpets in B ♭, 2 trombones, timpani, and 2 solo pianos First Performance: 20 September 1966; Berlin, Germany; Berlin Singakademie Edition: Die Muzen Siziliens is published by Schotts. The miniature score (5515) is available for purchase. Choral scores and orchestral materials are available for rental. Notes: Die Muzen Siziliens was commissioned by the Berlin Singakademie to commemorate their 175th anniversary. It is dedicated to them and their director, Mathieu Lange. Performance Issues: This work is conceived as a “concerto for voices and instruments,” the central element of which is the two pianos, requiring exceptionally virtuosic playing throughout the work. The remaining instrumental parts are demanding, but significantly less so than the pianos. Much of the wind writing is homophonic, with an abundance of articulation and dynamic indications. These chordal sections are often voiced at a disadvantage to good intonation. The vocal parts are somewhat diatonic in their conception, but the pitch sets shift frequently, creating significant dissonances and numerous cross relations. There is little reinforcement of the vocal parts from the accompaniment. The wind parts frequently reflect metric 322 F. Mark Daugherty and Susan Huneke Simon list this work as “difficult” in Secular Choral Music in Print, 414 (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Musicdata, 1987).
divisions, which are different from those of the remaining parts and which are also often at odds with the bar lines of the parts themselves. The final movement is written in a rapid tempo with frequently changing meters. The nonsymmetrical meters are inconsistent in their successive patterns of two- and three - beat divisions and the solo pianos are often conceived in a larger metric form that crosses bar lines within their implied beats. Choir: difficult; Orchestra: difficult.322 Selected Discography: Berlin RIAS Chamber Choir; members of the Berlin Philharmonic, Joseph Rollino, piano; conducted by Hans Werner Henze. Deutsche Grammophon: 4498702. Selected Bibliography: “New Works: New York.” Music Journal, volume 28 (January 1968): 82. Davis, P. G. “Chicago Symphony (Martinon).” HiFi / Musical America, volume 18 (February 1968): 10.
Das Floss der Medusa [The Raft of the Medusa] (1968) Duration: ca. 120 minutes Text: The libretto was written by Ernst Schnabel using an outline from the composer. The text is in German. Performing Forces: voices: soprano and baritone soloists; narrator; 16-part mixed choir, children’s choir; orchestra: 4 flutes (flute I and II doubling piccolo, flutes III and IV doubling alto flute), oboe, oboe d’amore, English horn, heckelphone, soprano clarinet in E♭, clarinet in B♭, alto clarinet in E♭ (or bassett
horn), bass clarinet in B♭, soprano saxophone in B♭, tenor saxophone in B♭, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 4 horns, 1 piccolo trumpet, 2 trumpets in C, bass trumpet in C, alto trombone, tenor trombone, bass trombone, alto ophicleide (may substitute baritone), bass ophicleide (may substitute four-valved trombone), bombardone (may substitute tuba in F), tenor Wagnertuba, bass tuba, contrabass tuba, timpani, percussion (8 players - vibraphone, marimba, chimes, snare drum, bass drum, 3 bongos, tambourine, wooden drum, 3 suspended cymbals, 5 tam-tams, 3 triangles, 3 steel plates, 2 temple blocks, woodblock, herd cowbells, shell chimes, guiro, maracas, bamboo strip), 2 harps, piano, electric organ, electric guitar, electric bass guitar, and strings (12 violins, 8 violas, 6 cellos, 4 doublebasses)
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First Performance: 9 December 1968 in a broadcast performance on the North German Radio Network from Hamburg; Edda Moser, soprano; Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, baritone; Charles Regnier, speaker; North German Radio Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by the composer. A concert performance scheduled for the same time was cancelled because the chorus refused to sing under a red banner installed on the stage at the composer’s request. Edition: Das Floss der Medusa is published by Schotts. The piano-vocal score (6719) and miniature score (6326) are available for purchase; orchestral materials are available through rental. Notes: The libretto is based upon a true story. King Louis XVIII of France sent a military unit to reclaim Senegal from the English. Just prior to arriving in Africa, the flagship, “Medusa,” struck a reef. Abandoning ship, the officers and passengers boarded the lifeboats and placed 150 soldiers, crew, women, and children upon a make-shift raft. In an attempt to secure the lifeboats, the commander ordered that the tow ropes to the raft be cut, leaving its passengers to drift at sea. The raft was eventually spotted and rescued by the “Argus.” Only fifteen passengers remained alive, of them only ten would survive. The oratorio features a soprano soloist who personifies Death, a baritone soloist named Jean-Charles a mulatto survivor, a narrator named Charon after the ferryman upon the mythological river Styx. There are two choirs: the “Chorus of the Living” and the “Chorus of the Dead” on opposing sides of the stage. As the drama unfolds, members from the side of the living cross over to the side of the dead. The work is arranged in seventeen sections, which are grouped into two larger parts. Das Floss der Medusa is dedicated to Che Guevara. Performance Issues: This score, notated in C, combines free-atonality with serialism. There are also a few diatonic passages. Some of the narrator’s part is specifically notated for rhythm and approximate pitch. There are very brief choral solos for an alto and a bass, and a longer solo for two children. There are Sprechstimme passages for the baritone soloist and all of the choral singers. Very little instrumental support is given to the vocal lines. In instances where melodic lines are doubled there are often parallel instrumental parts in seconds to the principal line. The strings divide to oneon-a-part in some sections. Henze uses harmonics notation in the baritone solos to indicate falsetto. All of the instrumental parts are technically demanding. The atonal pitch material combined with a vast orchestral fabric and rhythmic complexities creates a most difficult ensemble work. Some assignments of percussion parts to players are quite clear, but many are not. A 323 F. Mark Daugherty and Susan Huneke Simon list this work as “difficult” in Secular Choral Music in Print, 414 (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Musicdata, 1987).
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
prerehearsal sectional is advisable to sort out the percussion allocations. The shell chimes are to be strongly amplified. The first-choice instruments, where alternates are provided, should be utilized as the sonorities created in the score with the less-common instruments are quite spectacular. The choirs should be placed at, or near, the front of the stage for visual effect and to assist in balance. This is a remarkably moving and dramatic work exhibiting exceptional technical facility. It is also within the abilities of only the finest ensembles. Soloists: soprano - range: g#c#''', tessitura: g'-g'', this is a sustained role for a sweet and lyrical voice; baritone - range: G-f#' (g#' in falsetto), tessitura: f-e', this is vocally a very demanding role exploiting all of the range with many awkward leaps, it requires a singer capable of great expression and vocal stamina. Choir: very difficult; Orchestra: very difficult.323 Selected Discography: Edda Moser, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau; Charles Regnier, speaker; North German Radio Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Hans Werner Henze. Deutsche Grammophon: 0289 449 8712 6 GC. Selected Bibliography: Wagner, K. “Untergang bei der Ausreise: Henzes Floss der Medusa Kentert in Hamburg.” Melos, volume 36 (1969): 19. Schnabel, Ernst. Das Floss der Medusa: Text zum Oratorium von Hans Werner Henze: zum Untergang einer Uraufführung—Postscriptum. Munich: 1969. Foessel, K. “Nürnberg zeigt Henzes ‘Floss’ als theatralische Imagination.” Melos, volume 39 (1972): 232. Pahlen, Kurt. The World of the Oratorio, 182-183. Portland, OR: Amadeus Press, 1985.
HINDEMITH, Paul (b. Hanau, Germany, 16 November 1895; d. Frankfurt, 28 December 1963) Hindemith studied composition with Arnold Mendelssohn and Bernhard Sekles. He established a reputation for his virtuosity on the viola (he premiered a number of solo works, including Walton’s Viola Concerto) and as an important chamber musician. Hindemith left Germany in 1937 following pressure from the Nazi party, which forbade the performance of his works (most notably the cancellation of the premiere of Mathis der Mahler in 1933). He emigrated to the United States where he taught at Yale University and Tanglewood (where his students included Lukas Foss and Leonard Bernstein); he became a United States citizen in 1945. As the 1949-1950 Norton Professor of
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Poetry at Harvard University, he presented A Composer’s World. In 1953, he moved his permanent residence to Zürich while maintaining an international career. He mastered all of the orchestral instruments and wrote very practical sonatas and concertos for all of them. His music is always masterfully crafted and practical in its orchestration. His works are an ammalgamation of devices from throughout the history of Western music, which are combined in the shadow of Hindemith’s theories of harmony based upon his profound understanding of the acoustics of musical sound. Teachers: Arnold Mendelssohn, Bernhard Sekles Students: Samuel Adler, Necil Kâzim Akses, Violet Archer, Easley Blackwood, Howard Boatwright, Norman Dello Joio, Emma Lou Diemer, Paul Fetler, Lukas Foss, Bernhard Heiden, Ulysses Kay, Mel Powell, Gerhard Samuel, Harold Shapero, Claudio Spies, Josef Tal, Johannes Paul Thilman, Yehudi Wyner, James Yannatos Writings: The Craft of Musical Composition (1941), A Concentrated Course in Traditional Harmony, 2 volumes (1943, 1953), Elementary Training for Musicians (1946), J.S. Bach: Heritage and Obligation (1952), A Composer’s World: Horizons and Limitations (1952). Principal Works: opera - Mörder, Hoffnung der Frauen (1919), Das Nusch-Nuschi (1920), Sancta Susanna (1921), Cardillac, op. 39 (1926), Hin und Zurück (1927), Neues vom Tage (1928-1929), Mathis der Mahler (1933-1935), Die Harmonie der Welt (1956-1957), Das lange Weihnachtsmahl (1960); ballets - Der Dämon (1922), Nobilissima Visione (1938), Theme and Variations: The Four Temperaments (1940); orchestral - Cello Concerto (1916), Piano Concerto (1924), Mathis der Mahler Symphony (1934), Der Schwanendreher for viola and orchestra (1935), Cello Concert (1940), Symphony in E♭ (1940), Symphonic Metamorphosis of Themes by Carl Maria von Weber (1940-1943), Piano Concerto (1945), Symphonia Serena (1947), Clarinet Concerto (1947), Sinfonietta (1949), Horn Concerto (1949), Symphony in B♭ for Concert Band (1951), Pittsburgh Symphony (1958), Organ Concerto (1962-1963); chamber - six String Quartets (1919, 1921, 1922, 1923, 1943, 1946), two Violin Sonatas (1918), Viola Sonata (1919), Cello Sonata (1919), Kleine Kammermusik (1922-1927), Flute Sonata (1936), Oboe Sonata (1938), Bassoon Sonata (1938), Clarinet Sonata (1939), Horn Sonata (1939), Trumpet Sonata (1939), Harp Sonata (1939), Violin Sonata in C (1939), Viola Sonata in C (1939), Trombone Sonata (1941), English Horn Sonata (1941), Saxophone Sonata (1943), Cello Sonata (1948), Doublebass Sonata (1949), Tuba Sonata (1955); choral - When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom’d (1946), Apparebit Repentina Dies
(1947), twelve Madrigals (1958), Der Mainzer Umzug (1962), Mass (1963); vocal - Das Marienleben, op. 27 for soprano and piano (1922-1923); twelve Madrigals for choir (1958); as well as a number of significant educational works for developing musicians Selected Composer Bibliography: Kemp, Ian. Hindemith. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1970. Monroe, Robert C. Compositional Techniques in the Choral Works of Stravinsky, Hindemith, Honegger, and Britten. Northwestern University, dissertation, 1953. Skelton, Geoffrey. Paul Hindemith: The Man behind the Music. Taplinger Publishing Company, 1975. Kemp, Ian. “Paul Hindemith.” The New Grove Modern Masters, 229-282. New York: W.W. Norton, 1984. Neumeyer, David. The Music of Paul Hindemith. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1986. Noss, Luther. Paul Hindemith in the United States. Champaign-Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1989. Skelton, Geoffrey, editor and translator. Selected Letters of Paul Hindemith. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1995. Luttmann, Stephen. Paul Hindemith: A Guide to Research. New York: Routledge, 2005.
Der Lindberghflug (1928) See the entry under Kurt Weill with whom Hindemith collaborated in the original version.
Das Unaufhörliche [The Unceasing] (1931) Duration: ca. 85 minutes Text: The libretto, by Gottfried Benn, is in German. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, tenor, baritone, bass soloists; two-part boy’s choir, SATB choir; orchestra: piccolo, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets in B♭, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon (optional), 3 horns in F, 2 trumpets in C, 2 trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion (1 player - snare drum, suspended cymbal with triangle beater, crash cymbals), organ (optional), and strings First Performance: 21 November 1931; Berlin, Germany; conducted by Otto Klemperer Edition: Das Unaufhörliche is published by Schotts. The piano-vocal score (3258) is available for purchase; other materials are available through rental. Notes: The score is divided into three acts. Performance Issues: This score combines elements of modal and tonal music with quartal-quintal harmonic combinations. It is highly contrapuntal throughout the tutti sections. The choral writing intersperses homophonic and polyphonic textures. The vocal parts are
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harmonically supported by the orchestra, but they remain melodically and rhythmically independent of the accompaniment much of the time. The inner motion and chromatic language of the choir demand an ensemble of experienced singers. The movements for men’s and women’s choirs are less musically difficult for the singers. If separate ensembles are used in these movements, they need not be as accomplished. The composer notes that the boys’ choir may be reinforced with trumpets if needed. The writing for the boys’ choir is fairly diatonic with a true alto part. Hindemith suggests using a string section in proportion to the choral forces employed. There is an optional organ part in movements I, III, and XVIII, which reinforces the orchestra parts. There is no contrabassoon in the instrumentation list, but there is a composer’s note, which suggests doubling the doublebasses with contrabassoon as deemed appropriate. This appears to be the composer’s preference. The score states that a single player may cover the timpani and percussion parts; however, this is not possible in movement XVII. In that movement the suspended cymbal must be played simultaneously with a two-handed timpani part. This cymbal part can be entrusted to a member of the choir, as it is technically simple. The baritone solos may be sung by the bass soloist if necessary. All of the vocal solos are musically challenging. The orchestra parts are chromatic and often filled with rapid passage work. There are exposed solo passages for all of the principal woodwinds. Soloists: soprano - range: b-a'', tessitura: f'-e'', this is a sustained and lyric role; tenor - range: d-g#', tessitura: f-e', this role is lyric with some rapid text declamation; baritone - range: c-f#', tessitura: d-d', this role is sustained and requires a very powerful voice, in movement VIII it is accompanied by the full wind and brass; bass - range: F#-e', tessitura: f-d', this is a sustained role with nearly all of its singing within the listed tessitura. Choir: difficult; Orchestra: difficult.324 Selected Discography: Heather Frank, Rich Williams, David Stoffel, Douglas Starr; Symphonic Choir, Chorale, Women’s Glee Club, and Symphony Orchestra of Ohio State University; conducted by Maurice Casey. Century Advent Recordings: USR 6220 [LP]. Ulrike Sonntag, Robert Worle, Siegfried Lorenz, Arthur Korn; Berlin Radio Children’s Chorus, Chorus, and Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Lothar Zagrosek, recorded 3-8 February 1995. Wergo: WER 6603-2 [DDD]. This recording ends with an introductory reading by Gottfried Benn for a 1932 radio performance of the work.
324 F. Mark Daugherty and Susan Huneke Simon list this work as “difficult” in Secular Choral Music in Print, 426 (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Musicdata, 1987).
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Selected Bibliography: Reviews of the premiere: Pringsheim, Heinz. Allgemeine Musikzeitung (27 November 1931). Oboussier, Robert. Frankfurter Zeitung (25 November 1931). Schrenk, Walter. Deutsche Allgemeine Zeitung (23 November 1931). Other bibliographic resources: Benn, Gottfried. Aus dem Oratorium Das Unaufhörliche. Hamburg: Otto Rohse Presse, 1970. Fehn, A. C. Change and Permanence [Benn’s text for Das Unaufhörliche]. Berne, 1977. Heyworth, Peter. Otto Klemperer: His Life and Times, volume 1, 1885-1933: 383-384. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1983. Pahlen, Kurt. The World of the Oratorio, 184-85. Portland, OR: Amadeus Press, 1985. Skelton, Geoffrey, editor and translator. Selected Letters of Paul Hindemith, 63, 67, 68, 81, 168, 233. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1995.
Ite, angeli veloces Part I — Chant De Triomphe Du Roi David —Triumphgesang Davids [David’s Victory Song] (1955) Duration: ca. 25 minutes Text: Paul Claudel and Psalm 17. It is published to be sung in French or German. Performing Forces: voices: alto and tenor soloists; choir and audience; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, English horn, 2 clarinets in B♭, bass clarinet in B♭, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 4 horns in F, 2 trumpets in B♭, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion (3 players - snare drum, bass drum, suspended cymbal, crash cymbals), organ, and strings additional wind ensemble with a minimum of 5 instruments: horn in F, trumpet in B♭, trombone, and optional winds First Performance: 4 June 1955; Wuppertal, Germany; conducted by Hindemith Edition: Chant De Triomphe Du Roi David is published by Schotts as part of Ite, Angeli Veloces. All materials are available through rental. Notes: There are a number of unsettled issues in the score. The brass choir, which is labeled “fanfare,” is written as a keyboard part on a grand staff with no indication of the independent lines. The passages for the
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audience, labeled “peuple,” are intermittently scattered throughout the opening and closing sections of the piece. These groups return in the third cantata of the set, Cantique de l’Ésperance. Performance Issues: The choral writing is quite accessible for less-experienced choirs. Much of the choral writing is in octaves or with paired doubling of soprano with tenor and alto with bass. The vocal parts are clearly supported by the accompaniment. The passages for the audience are always doubled by the brass fanfares. The percussion parts are very easy. If one cymbal is mounted on the bass drum so that the crash cymbals and bass drum are played by one percussionist, then only two players are needed. There are some very unclear indications for the percussionists. In section 5 there is a part labeled “percussion” with no instrument listed. It seems likely that this is meant to be suspended cymbal; however, there are no suspended cymbal parts in the rest of the work. The other orchestra parts are all idiomatically written for the respective instruments. The upper winds and strings all have some rapid and fairly awkward chromatic passage work throughout the piece. The principal winds all have some exposed solo passages. The breadth of the orchestration suggests the use of a large choir. Hindemith’s expectations of the musical prowess of his audience to be capable of participating in the singing of this work are not to be found in traditional audiences today. A possibly effective treatment would be to assign the audience parts and fanfare to an antiphonal ensemble in the rear of the hall. Soloists: alto - range: b-f#'', tessitura: d'-c'', this is a lyric role with considerable sustained singing at the top of the range; tenor range: c#-g#', tessitura: f-e', this role is lyric and articulate. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium difficult. Discography: No commercial recording Selected Bibliography: Lüttwitz, H. von. “Das 109. Niederrheinische Musikfest.” Musica, volume 9 (July 1955): 318-319. Stephani, M. “Hindemiths Kantaten-Trilogie.” Musik und Leben, volume 8 (July-August 1955): 246-248. Schab, G. “Hindemith und Blacher uraufgeführt.” Musik und Leben, volume 8 (July-August 1955): 269. Schmidt, H. “Neue Chorwerke von Hindemith und Blacher.” Melos, volume 22 (July-August 1955): 230. Wörner, K. H. “Hindemith Claudel-Kantate.” Neue Zeitschrift für Musik, volume 116 (November 1955): 67-70. Skelton, Geoffrey, editor and translator. Selected Letters of Paul Hindemith, 216-220, 224, 228, 236-237. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1995.
Part II—Custos quid de nocte [Watchman, what of the night?] (1955) Duration: ca. 8 minutes
Text: The text is by Paul Claudel. It is published to be sung in French or German. Performing Forces: voices: tenor solo; choir; orchestra: flute, oboe, clarinet in B♭, bassoon, horn in F, trumpet in B♭, trombone, tuba, timpani, and strings First Performance: 4 June 1955; Wuppertal, Germany; conducted by Hindemith Edition: Castos, Quid De Nocte is published by Schotts as part of Ite, Angeli Veloces. All materials are available through rental. Notes: The title and apparent basis of Claudel’s text is taken from Isaiah, chapter 21. This second section of Ite, angeli veloces appears to be labeled for tenor and alto soloists in some sources; however, this portion of the work has only a tenor soloist. Performance Issues: The choral writing is very accessible and the choir sings for only thirteen measures. The instrumental parts are all exposed and quite chromatic, but they remain within the abilities of most collegiate-level players. This work is really a short cantata for tenor soloist and chamber orchestra with a brief obbligato choir passage. This is an excellent work to showcase a tenor soloist with a small instrumental ensemble. It is well-suited for performance with only a string quintet. Soloist: tenor - range: e-a♭', tessitura: a-f', this is a sustained and lyric role. Choir: easy; Orchestra: medium difficult. Discography: No commercial recording Selected Bibliography: Lüttwitz, H. von. “Das 109. Niederrheinische Musikfest.” Musica, volume 9 (July 1955): 318-319. Stephani, M. “Hindemiths Kantaten-Trilogie.” Musik und Leben, volume 8 (July-August 1955): 246-248. Schab, G. “Hindemith und Blacher uraufgeführt.” Musik und Leben, volume 8 (July-August 1955): 269. Schmidt, H. “Neue Chorwerke von Hindemith und Blacher.” Melos, volume 22 (July-August 1955): 230. Wörner, K. H. “Hindemith Claudel-Kantate.” Neue Zeitschrift für Musik, volume 116 (November 1955): 67-70. Skelton, Geoffrey, editor and translator. Selected Letters of Paul Hindemith, 216-220, 224, 228, 236-237. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1995.
Part III—Cantique de l’espérance [Canticle of Hope] (1953) Duration: ca. 25 minutes Text: The text is by Paul Claudel. It is published to be sung in French, German, or English. Performing Forces: voices: alto solo; choir and audience; orchestra: 2 flutes (flute II optionally doubling
428 piccolo), 2 oboes, English horn, 2 clarinets in B♭, bass clarinet in B♭, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 4 horns in F, 2 trumpets in B♭, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion (1 player - bass drum, cymbals), piano, and strings additional wind ensemble with a minimum of 5 instruments: horn in F, trumpet in B♭, trombone, and optional winds. First Performance: First complete performance of all three sections: 4 June 1955; Wuppertal, Germany; conducted by Hindemith. First United States Performance in English: 19 April 1958; Woolsey Hall, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut; conducted by Hindemith. This program also included Brahms’s Ein Deutsches Requiem, conducted by Howard Boatwright. This program was repeated the following day in Carnegie Hall. Edition: Cantique De L’Esperance is published by Schotts as part of Ite, Angeli Veloces. All materials are available through rental. Notes: The brass choir, which is labeled “fanfare” is written as a keyboard part on a grand staff with no indication of the independent lines. The passages for the audience, labeled “peuple,” are intermittently scattered throughout the opening and closing sections of the piece. Performance Issues: This is a straightforward and rhythmically charged work with homophonic motion from the entire ensemble throughout much of the score. As with the first cantata of this set, Chant de Triomphe du Roi David, the composer has written passages for audience singing, which are beyond the expected abilities of our contemporary audiences. It is therefore recommended that an antiphonal choir be given these few choral interjections. They should be placed with the brass band. The choral writing is diatonic and quite simple with most passages consisting of a single melody sung in octaves, or two levels of melodic material with paired doubling of the tenor with the soprano and the alto with the bass. The orchestral parts are generally within the grasp of moderately experienced amateur players. In the closing section the entire orchestra is in unison on some rapid chromatic passages, which may prove awkward for good ensemble and intonation for some groups. The score uses smaller notes for many of the parts, which appears to indicate that they are optional. If these parts are eliminated, the instrumentation becomes identical to the second cantata of the set, Custos quid de nocte, 325 George and Barbara Perkins and Phillip Leininger,
Benét’s Reader’s Encyclopedia of American Literature (New York: Harper Collins, 1991).
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
see above; however, the fanfare group and the audience parts are still in large notes. It should be observed that this same reduced orchestration does not seem to apply to the first cantata of the set. Soloist: alto range: d'-f#'', tessitura: g'-d'', this is a lyric and sustained role with some direct text declamation. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium difficult. Discography: No commercial recording Selected Bibliography: Lüttwitz, H. von. “Das 109. Niederrheinische Musikfest.” Musica, volume 9 (July 1955): 318-319. Stephani, M. “Hindemiths Kantaten-Trilogie.” Musik und Leben, volume 8 (July-August 1955): 246-248. Schab, G. “Hindemith und Blacher uraufgeführt.” Musik und Leben, volume 8 (July-August 1955): 269. Schmidt, H. “Neue Chorwerke von Hindemith und Blacher.” Melos, volume 22 (July-August 1955): 230. Wörner, K. H. “Hindemith Claudel-Kantate.” Neue Zeitschrift für Musik, volume 116 (November 1955): 67-70. Skelton, Geoffrey, editor and translator. Selected Letters of Paul Hindemith, 216-220, 224, 228, 236-237. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1995.
When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom’d (1946) Duration: ca. 65 minutes Text: Walt Whitman’s poem of the same title; it is one of four poems in Leaves of Grass dedicated to the memory of Abraham Lincoln; the other three of which are: “O Captain! My Captain!” “Hush’d be the Camps Today,” and “This Dust Was Once the Man.”325 Performing Forces: voices: mezzo-soprano and baritone soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: piccolo, flute, oboe, English horn, clarinet, bass clarinet, bassoon, contrabassoon, 3 horns, 2 trumpets, 2 trombones, tuba, timpani (3), percussion (3 players - snare drum, parade [tenor] drum, bass drum, cymbal, gong, triangle, glockenspiel, chimes), organ, army bugle in B♭, and strings First Performance: 14 May 1946; New York; Mona Paulee, George Burnson (later to be George London); Collegiate Chorale with orchestra; conducted by Robert Shaw Edition: When Lilacs… is published by B. Schott’s Söhne including a critical edition prepared by Charles Jacobs, which includes critical notes, nine pages of facsimile, and an excellent corrected score. It is in English and German. The German translation is by
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Hindemith. A standard piano-vocal score and study score are for sale; orchestral materials are available for rental. All materials are distributed by EuropeanAmerican Music. Autograph: Located in the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library at the Yale University Library, New Haven, CT. It is catalogued as “Music Deposit No. 7.” Sketches are held by the Hindemith-Institut, Frankfurt, Germany. Notes: Subtitled “A Requiem for Those We Love,” When Lilacs… was commissioned by Robert Shaw and the Collegiate Chorale in memory of Franklin D. Roosevelt and the Americans fallen in World War II. Compare this to Sessions’s setting of the same text. Hindemith had previously set Whitman’s texts: Three Hymns, op. 14 (no. 2 is “Sing on, there in the swamp”), and “Sing On,” from Nine English Songs. Upon receiving U.S. citizenship, he presented the manuscript of the latter to the judge presiding over his naturalization. Unlike Sessions, Hindemith divides the three sections of the poem into smaller movements. Performance Issues: The orchestral prelude introduces the theme of A-C-F-E over a C# pedal, which outlines the tonal centers to be used throughout the entire piece. The coda of X. includes an offstage bugle playing Taps. The orchestra is never “flashy,” but presents challenges to successful ensemble playing, including rapid chromatic passagework in the strings, isolated and varied rhythmic patterns with alternating single and double dotting, cross rhythms, and sudden silences. The instrumental textures are constantly shifting with melodic lines being passed between sections of the orchestra. The double bass requires a low C' extension. The string parts are quite challenging throughout, individually and in terms of ensemble, whereas the wind parts, though not technically demanding, require sensitive soft playing and intonation challenges within the section. The linear construction of the choral parts is so finely crafted that although Hindemith’s harmonic language is challenging, they should be practically learned. The chorus contains some contrapuntal writing and many unaccompanied passages. Rhythmic accuracy is of particular concern. Strong dynamic contrasts, including sustained, soft tutti sections are required throughout the entire work. Soloists: mezzo-soprano, range: c'-f#'', tessitura: e'-c'', the arioso movements are lyric and rhythmically facile; baritone, range: B♭-f', tessitura: e-e', this role is extensive, it requires firm control of sustained singing and exploits the top of the voice. Choir: medium; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Louise Parker, George London; Schola Cantorum of New York, New York Philharmonic; conducted by Hindemith. Columbia: MS-6573 [LP], reissued on
Odyssey: Y-33821 [LP]; re-released (July 1990) as CBS Masterworks (Portrait): MPK-45881 [ADD]. Burmeister, Leib; Berlin Radio Chorus and Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Koch. Recorded in 1966. Deutsche Gramophon: DG 2543 825 [LP]. Jan DeGaetani, William Stone; Atlanta Symphony and Chorus; conducted by Robert Shaw. Telarc: CD80132 [DDD]. Brigitte Fassbaender, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau; Vienna Symphony and State Opera Chorus; conducted by Wolfgang Sawallisch. Recorded live: 1 November 1983, in English. Orfeo: C-112851 [DDD]. Selected Bibliography: Mize, Lou Stem. A Study of Selected Choral Settings of Walt Whitman’s Poems. Florida State University, dissertation, 1967. Wannamaker, J. S. The Musical Settings of Walt Whitman. University of Minnesota, dissertation, 1975. Mussulman, John A. Dear People. . . Robert Shaw: A Biography, 64-7, 77, 107. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press, 1979.
HOLST, Gustav (b. Cheltenham, 21 September 1874; d. London, 25 May 1934). The son of a pianist, Holst learned the instrument from his father and began to compose while a student at the Cheltenham Grammar School where he was virtually self-taught in composition. At seventeen, he studied counterpoint for a few months at Oxford and entered the Royal College of Music in 1893. There he studied composition with Charles Villiers Stanford. In that same year he made the acquaintance of Ralph Vaughan Williams. The two became lifelong friends and regularly criticized each other’s sketches. While in London, Holst guest directed the Hammersmith Socialist Choir in the home of William Morris where he was introduced to Hindu philosophy and literature. This led to his later study of Sanskrit at University College in London. He worked for a number of years as an orchestral trombonist. Holst began teaching at James Allen’s Girls’ School in Dulwich (1903), continuing at St. Paul’s Girls’ School in Hammersmith (1903-1934), the Royal College of Music (19191925), University College at Reading (1919-1925), and he took over the music program at Morley College (1907-1924). He remained active in the direction of amateur music ensembles and hosted annual three-day festivals on Whitsunday in Thaxted. He led the English premieres of a number of Bach cantatas, and the first performance of Purcell’s The Fairy Queen since 1697. He suffered from ill health most of his life, but particularly after a fall from a podium in 1923. He was ordered to spend the entire year of 1924 at rest in the country. The works, which followed this hiatus are
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marked by a new sparseness and a keener awareness of his Hindu influences. He served as a visiting lecturer at Harvard in 1932, but fell ill the following March and had to return to England where he never truly recovered (although he was able to compose until his death). Like Vaughan Williams, Holst refused official titles of honor including knighthood. Holst’s music combines the contrapuntal elegance of Byrd and Weelkes (whose revivals he championed) with the harmonic palette of Stanford and Elgar. His music is imbued with a mystical sense, but is always direct in its approach to the listener. The last decade of his work is marked by an increased presence of Eastern philosophy.326 Teachers: William Rockstro, Charles Villiers Stanford Students: Arthur Bliss, Elliott Carter, Edmund Rubbra Awards: Fellowship of the Royal College of Music, the Gold Medal of the Royal Philharmonic Society (1930), and the Yale University Howland Memorial Prize for distinction in the Arts. Principal Works: operas - Savitri, op. 25 (1908), The Perfect Fool, op. 39 (1920-1921), At the Boar’s Head, op. 42 (1924), The Wandering Scholar, op. 50 (19291930); orchestral - Beni Mora: oriental suite in E minor, op. 29, no. 1 (1910, revised. 1912), St. Paul’s Suite, op. 29, no. 2 (1912-1913), The Planets, op. 32 (1914-1916), Egdon Heath, op. 47 (1927), A Moorside Suite (1928), Brook Green Suite (1933); band - Suite No. 1 in E♭, op. 28a (1909), Suite No. 2 in F, op. 28b (1911), Hammersmith, op. 52 (1930-1931); vocal The Mystic Trumpeter, op. 18 (1904, revised 1912), 3 Choral Hymns from the Rig Veda, op. 26 (1908-1910), The Cloud Messenger, op. 30 (1910, revised 1912), Dirge for 2 Veterans (1914), Ode to Death, op. 28 (1919), Seven Partsongs, op. 44 (1925-1926), and Choral Fantasia, op. 51 (1930). Selected Composer Bibliography: Krone, Max Thomas. The Choral Works of Gustav Holst. Northwestern University, dissertation, 1940. Boult, Sir Adrian. “Gustav Holst.” Royal College of Music Magazine, volume 70 (1974): 52. Holst, Imogen, and C. Matthews, eds. Gustav Holst: Collected Facsimile Edition of Autograph Manuscripts of the Published Works. 4 volumes. London: Faber, 1974-1983. Holst, Imogen. A Thematic Catalogue of Gustav Holst’s Music. London: Faber and Faber, 1974. ———. The Music of Gustav Holst, 3rd edition; and Holst’s Music Reconsidered. 1 volume. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1986.
326 Imogen Holst, The Music of Gustav Holst, 3rd edition; and Holst’s Music Reconsidered. 1 volume (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1986).
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
———. “Gustav Holst.” The New Grove TwentiethCentury English Masters, 145-174. New York: W.W. Norton, 1986. Short, Michael. Gustav Holst: The Man and His Music. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1990.
Hymn of Jesus, op. 37 (1917) Duration: ca. 20 minutes Text: Holst’s translation of the “dancing hymn” from The Apocryphal Acts of St. John Performing Forces: voices: double SATB choir, women’s SSA semi-choir; orchestra: 3 flutes (flute III doubling piccolo), 2 oboes, English horn, 2 clarinet, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, timpani, percussion (1 player - snare drum, bass drum, tambourine, cymbals), celeste, piano, organ, and strings First Performance: 25 March 1920; Queen’s Hall, London; Royal Philharmonic Society; conducted by the composer Edition: The Hymn of Jesus is published by Stainer and Bell and distributed by Galaxy. The piano-vocal and study scores are for sale; orchestral materials are available for rental. Autograph: An incomplete autograph full score is in the British Museum (Add. MS 57885). The original sketch (some words in another hand) is in the Edwin Evans collection of the Central Music Library, Westminster, London. There is an arrangement for strings, piano, and organ made by Jane Joseph (preparer of the piano-vocal edition), which has many details in the composer’s hand, in the British Museum (Add. MS 57886).327 Notes: This work is dedicated to Ralph Vaughan William. It was immediately heralded as a masterpiece and secured Holst’s unsought fame. In it, Holst quotes the plainchants “Pange lingua” and “Vexilla regis.” There is a footnote on the title page, which states: “I wish to express my thanks to Mr. G.[eorge] R. S. Mead, Mr. Clifford Bax, and Miss Jane Joseph [Holst’s former pupil] for kindly helping me to make my version of the words of this Hymn.” Here, the composer also states: The two choruses should be of fairly equal strength, and if possible, should be well separated. The semichorus should be placed above them and well apart. If too far from the orchestra, it can be supported by a soft harmonium.… The following instruments may be dispensed with: flute III, oboe II, bassoon II, horns III and IV, all 3 trombones, percussion celeste and organ. With performances by small choirs it may be found preferable to omit the trombones. In 327 Imogen Holst, A Thematic Catalogue of Gustav Holst’s Music (London: Faber and Faber, 1974).
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any case, either all three should be used or none. When there is no celesta, the part may be played on the piano, by using two pianists, excepting in one place in the Prelude where it must be omitted. When an orchestra is not available, the piano accompaniment will be greatly improved by the addition of the special ad lib. string parts (These are quite different from the orchestral string parts and must not be confused with the latter.). The organ is to be used whenever possible.
Performance Issues: The choir is given chant, which occurs either over sustained harmonies in the orchestra or independently from ostinato figures in the accompaniment, which are to be repeated until the chant is ended. The Prelude is in Latin using the traditional “Vexilla regis” and “Pange lingua” texts. The subsequent Hymn is in English. There are passages of terraced imitation, sung and spoken, which create the effect of glossolalia. The choral writing is tonal/modal and emphasizes triadic harmonies. Preparation of the vocal material should present few pitch or rhythm problems, but emphasis will need to be placed upon stylistic presentation of the plainchant portions and a freedom from the bar line in many of the traditionally notated sections. The singers must strive for a powerful symphonic sound and careful matching of timbre between the choirs. The frequent phrase exchanges between the two choirs will be most effective when these choirs are well distanced from each other. The trombones and English horn present the plainsong material at the opening of the piece. The composer notes that these players should seek the guidance of a singer experienced in such work to learn the proper nuances indigenous to chant. Holst has also indicated the slide positions for the trombones stating that these should eliminate “smears” between pitches and that the horns should be substituted for this passage if the trombonists cannot execute it cleanly. There are cued parts throughout the score to allow for the absence of the instruments listed as optional in “Notes” above. The complete orchestration is dense and powerful requiring a full string section and large choirs. The sonority of the complete ensemble is so dramatic that a large ensemble is far preferable to the optional reduced forces. The most significant performance problem is the integration of the large ensemble and coordination of music from four different areas within the performance space. Choir: medium; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: BBC Symphony and Chorus; conducted by Sir Adrian Boult. Released in 1962. London: CM 9324 [LP mono]. Re-released as London: 421381-2 LM2 [ADD]. 328 Imogen Holst, A Thematic Catalogue of Gustav Holst’s Music (London: Faber and Faber, 1974).
London Symphony Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Richard Hickox. Recorded in May 1991. Chandos: CHAN 8901 [DDD]. Selected Bibliography: Boyer, Daniel Royce. Gustav Holst’s “The Hymn of Jesus.” University of Texas at Austin, 1968. ———. “Holst’s The Hymn of Jesus: An Investigation into Mysticism in Music.” The Music Review, xxxvi (1975): 272.
First Choral Symphony, op. 41 (19231924) Duration: ca. 50-53 minutes Text: John Keats from Endymion and Ode to Apollo. Two passages are from Francis Beaumont and John Fletcher. Performing Forces: voices: soprano soloist; SATB choir; orchestra: 3 flutes (flute III doubling piccolo), 2 oboes, English horn, 2 clarinets, bass clarinet, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion (2 players - bass drum, tambourine, cymbals, gong, triangle, sleigh bells, xylophone, glockenspiel), celeste, harp, organ (ad lib.), and strings First Performance: 7 October 1925; Town Hall, Leeds; Dorothy Silk; Leeds Festival Chorus, London Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Albert Coates. Edition: First Choral Symphony is published by Novello and distributed by Theodore Presser Company. The piano-vocal and study scores are for sale; orchestral materials are for rental. Autograph: The full score is in the Parry Room Library of the Royal College of Music, London (MS 4237); sketches are in the British Library (Add. MS 47830); a partially autograph vocal score is in the British Museum (Add. MS 57893); and a partially autograph arrangement of the Scherzo for two pianos is in the Parry Room Library (MS 4562).328 Notes: This work was commissioned for the Leeds Festival. It is Holst’s longest choral work setting a variety of Keats’s poems, which were selected and arranged by the composer. The title, First Choral Symphony, is due to Holst’s intent to compose a “Second Choral Symphony” on texts of Meredith; however, this project was never completed. Each of the movements can be performed separately: the Scherzo may be with or without choir, and the first movement may be done with or without the prelude. The texts “Spirit here that reignest” and “Bards of Passion and Mirth” are from blank pages in the works of Beaumont and Fletcher.
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Holst sent a letter to W. G. Whittaker (19 March 1926) saying, “I think the work as a whole is the best thing I have written and, like you, I prefer the two middle movements.”
Performing Forces: voices: 2 SSA choirs; orchestra: 4 flutes (flute III doubling piccolo, flute IV doubling piccolo and alto flute in G329), 3 oboes (oboe III doubling bass oboe), English horn, 3 clarinets in B♭ and
Performance Issues: Much of the choral writing is chantlike, and the vocal rhythms imitate those of speech. Most of it is homophonic, in paired doubling, or close imitation. The choir sings throughout the work. Dissonances are approached logically and notated in an accessible manner. The rapid text declamation in “Folly’s Song” in the third movement presents the choir’s greatest challenge. A large choir is recommended, and the number of strings should be at the very least 8 first violins, 7 second violins, 6 violas, 5 cellos, and 3 double basses. One of the basses should have 5 strings or an extension. The score calls for divisi in all strings, and a pedal B from one of the double basses. There are unmeasured string solos, and many sections, which are metrically ambiguous, contrasted with odd-legged rhythmic ostinati, particularly 7/8. There is a freely repeated measure over an unmeasured solo immediately before #14. The density of orchestration is highly varied with rapid shifts between sparse textures and tutti writing. There are few distinctively difficult instrumental passages; the writing is practical and direct while maintaining a sense of mysticism. The third movement deserves special attention because of its speed. Soloist: soprano, range: c#'- b'', tessitura: f'- e'', the role is substantial requiring endurance, a control of long lines, and an awareness of the style of Anglican chant. This is an unusual work in terms of its musical variety, and one which would be accessible to most large choral societies. Choir: medium; Orchestra: medium.
A, bass clarinet in B♭, 3 bassoons, contrabassoon, 6 horns in F, 4 trumpets in C, 3 trombones, euphonium,330 bass tuba, 2 timpanists (6 drums), percussion (3 players331 - glockenspiel, tam-tam, chimes, xylophone, snare drum, bass drum, tambourine, cymbals, gong, triangle), celeste, 2 harps, organ, and strings. There are cues throughout the score that allow the elimination of flute IV, oboe III, bassoon III, contrabassoon, horns V and VI, trumpet IV, euphonium, and organ.
Selected Discography: Felicity Palmer, soprano; London Philharmonic Choir (prepared by John Alldis), London Philharmonic Orchestra; conducted by Sir Adrian Boult. Recorded in 1974, re-released in 1988. EMI: CDC 7 49638 2 [ADD]. Selected Bibliography: [review of the London premiere], The Musical Times (1 December 1925). Holst, Imogen, and C. Matthews, editors. Gustav Holst: Collected Facsimile Edition of Autograph Manuscripts of the Published Works, iv. 4 volumes. London: Faber, 1983.
The Planets, op. 32 (1914-1916) Duration: ca. 51 minutes Text: none 329 The score uses the British label of bass flute in G. 330 The score lists this as tenor tuba in B♭.
First Performance: Private performance: 29 September 1918, London, choir of St. Paul’s Girls’s School, New Queen’s Hall Orchestra; conducted by Adrian Boult. This performance was a gift to the composer from Balfour Gardiner. Performance of selected movements: 27 February 1919, London, Royal Philharmonic Society Concert, conducted by Adrian Boult; 22 November 1919, London; 10 October 1920, Birmingham. Public premiere: 15 November 1920; Queen’s Hall, London. Edition: The Planets is published by Curwen, Eulenberg, and G. Schirmer. The full score is available for purchase and orchestral materials are available through rental. Autograph: Curwen publishes a facsimile of the composer’s manuscript. This facsimile also includes a listing of Holst’s own tempi from recordings made under his baton. Notes: Holst portrayed the then-known planets of our solar system, excluding earth, through his musical interpretation of their astrological personifications as follows: I II III IV V VI VII
Mars, the Bringer of War Venus, the Bringer of Peace Mercury, the Winged Messenger Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity Saturn, the Bringer of Old Age Uranus, the Magician Neptune, the Mystic
Note that VII. Neptune, the Mystic is the only movement that uses a choir. Performance Issues: The choir is textless and is used as an orchestral effect. The score states that if at all possible, the choir should be placed outside of the concert hall, to be heard through a door, which is gradually 331 David Daniels recommends four percussionists in Daniels’ Orchestral Music, 5th edition (Lanham, MD: Roman & Littlefield, 2015).
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closed so that the choir truly fades away. Each performance space will require its own interpretation of these instructions. In any case, the two choirs should be quite small, totaling twelve to eighteen singers between them. The vocal material is shared between the choirs, which are usually set in imitation of each other. Both parts are clearly supported by the orchestra. The sonic effect of the voices in the score suggests the use of clear voices, especially in the soprano I parts. The orchestral parts are all quite demanding. The timpanists are given melodies between the players, so there must be two executants. Much of the difficulty in performing this work is the general challenge of any work for so large an ensemble. Holst writes very idiomatically for all the instruments, but there are perpetual exchanges of melodic material between sections of the orchestra, which present some challenges in synchronization. Movements III, IV, and VI are particularly rich with these musical “hand-offs.” The brass parts, especially horn I and trumpet I have some prominent sustained high playing, which requires strong players. The score exploits the relationships of two against three and three against four with overlapping subdivisions of each creating some temporal hazards. The breadth of the orchestration requires a large string section. Although there are compensations made for a reduced instrumentation, it is advisable to do the full version. The tempi are an important performance consideration. The tempi which Holst used are almost always considerably faster than any of the current commercial recordings. The composer’s tempi give the work a much different spirit from that heard in most contemporary performances. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: difficult. Selected Discography: London Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Gustav Holst, recorded between 1922 and 1924. Pearl: GEMM CD9417 [mono AAD]. Vienna State Opera Orchestra; conducted by Adrian Boult, recorded in 1960. MCA: MCAS2-9813A [ADD]. London Philharmonic Orchestra; conducted by Adrian Boult, recorded in 1978. Angel: CDM-69045 [ADD]. Boston Symphony Orchestra; conducted by William Steinberg. Deutsche Grammophon: 419475-4 GGA [ADD]. Philadelphia Orchestra; conducted by Eugene Ormandy. RCA Victor: 09026612702 [ADD]. London Philharmonic Orchestra; conducted by Bernard Haitink, recorded in 1970. Philips: 6500-072 [LP], rereleased as Philips: 420893-2 [ADD]. New York Philharmonic Orchestra; conducted by Leonard Bernstein, recorded in 1973. CBS: MYT 37226 [LP], re-released as CBS: MYK-37226 [ADD]. St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, Ronald Arnatt Chorale, Missouri Singers; conducted by Walter Susskind, recorded in 1974. Vox Unique: VU 9035 [ADD].
Concertgebouw Orchestra; conducted by Neville Marriner, recorded in 1978. Philips: 9500-425 [LP]. London Philharmonic Orchestra; conducted by George Solti, recorded in 1979. London: 425152-2 [LP], rereleased as London: 425152-2 LM [ADD]. London Philharmonic Orchestra; conducted by George Solti. London: 414567-2 LH [ADD]. Boston Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Seiji Ozawa, recorded in 1979. Philips: 416456-2 [LP], re-released as Philips: 416456-2 PH [ADD]. Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra; conducted by Herbert von Karajan. London: 417709-2 [ADD]. Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra; conducted by Herbert von Karajan. Deutsche Grammophon: 400028-2 [DDD]. Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra; conducted by Colin Davis. Philips: 422403-2 PH [DDD]. Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra; conducted by Zubin Mehta. London: 417677-2 LC [ADD]. New York Philharmonic Orchestra; conducted by Zubin Mehta. Teldec: 2292-46316-2 [DDD]. London Symphony Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by André Previn. Angel: CDC-47160 [DDD]. Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Brighton Festival Women’s Chorus; conducted by André Previn. Telarc: CD-80133 [DDD]. Montréal Symphony Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Charles Dutoit. London: 417553 [DDD]. Scottish National Orchestra, Women’s Voices of the Scottish National Orchestra Chorus; conducted by Alexander Gibson. Chandos: CD-8302 [DDD], also released as Musical Heritage Society: 416514L [DDD]. Toronto Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Andrew Davis. EMI: CDD-64300 [DDD]. Boston Pops, Tanglewood Chorus; conducted by John Williams. Philips: 420177-2 PH [DDD]. Philharmonia Orchestra; conducted by William Boughton. Nimbus: NI-5117 [DDD]. Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by James Levine. Deutsche Grammophon: 429 730-2 GH [DDD]. National Orchestra of France; conducted by Loren Maazel. CBS: MDK-44781 [DDD]. London Symphony Orchestra and chorus; conducted by Richard Hickox. IMP Classics: PCD 890 [DDD]. Dallas Symphony Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Eduardo Mata. Pro Arte: CDD-542 [DDD]. Hallé Orchestra and Hallé Women’s Chorus; conducted by James Loughran. EMC: CDB62811 [DDD]. London Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Geoffrey Simon. London: 31001 [DDD]. Royal Philharmonic Orchestra; conducted by James Judd. Denon: C)75076 [DDD]. Selected Bibliography: Shore, Bernard. Sixteen Symphonies. London: Longmans Press, 1949. Greene, Richard. Gustav Holst and a Rhetoric of Musical Character: Language and Method in Selected
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Orchestral Works, chapter 5. New York: Garland Publishing, 1994. ———. Holst: The Planets. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1995.
Honegger, Arthur. I am a Composer, translated by Wilson O. Clough. London: St. Martin’s Press, 1966. Feschotte, Jacques. Arthur Honegger. Paris, Éditions Sechers, 1966. Arthur Honegger Werkverzeichnis. Zurich: Schweizerisches Musik-Archiv, 1975.
HONEGGER, Arthur (b. Le Havre, 10
Le Roi David (1921)
March 1892; d. Paris, 27 November 1955) Honegger was an influential French-born composer who maintained dual citizenship in Switzerland because of his Swiss parentage. He was a member of the group of composers know as Les Six, which also included Auric, Durey, Milhaud, Poulenc, and Taillefer. Honegger studied in Switzerland with Kempter and Friederich Hegar, and then at the Paris Conservatory with André Gédalge and Charles-Marie Widor. His early music was marked by a fascination with imitating the sounds of the modern era through music, in works like Pacific 231, which imitates a locomotive. He later focused his attentions on absolute music and classical forms. In 1947, he came to the United States to teach at the Berkshire Music Festival, but his visit was abbreviated by illness. Teachers: André Gédalge, Vincent d’Indy, Charles Marie Widor Students: Leslie Bassett, Marcel Delannoy, William Flanagan, Karel Husa, Michel Perrault, Daniel Pinkham, Ned Rorem, Pedro Saenz, Lester Trimble, Iannis Xenakis Writings: Honegger wrote an autobiography, Je suis compositeur. Paris: Éditions du Conquistador, 1951. It has been translated into English by Wilson O. Clough as I am a Composer. London: St. Martin’s Press, 1966. Principal Works: operas - Antigone (1924-1927), Judith (1925), L’Aiglon (1935); oratorios- Le Roi David (1921), Cris du monde (1930), Nicolas de Flue (1940); ballets - Rose de métal (1928), Cantique des cantiques (1937), La Naissance des couleurs (1940); orchestral - five Symphonies (1929-1930, 1941, 1945-1946, 1946, 1950), Mouvement symphonique No. 1 “Pacific 231” (1923), Mouvement symphonique No. 2, “Rugby” (1928), Mouvement symphonique No. 3 (1932-1933); chamber - three String Quartets (1917, 1936, 1937), Danse de chèvre (1919), Prélude et Blues for four harps (1925), Sortilèges (for ondes martinot (1946); vocal - Cantique de Pâques (1918), Une Cantate de Noël (1941-1953) Selected Composer Bibliography: Tappolet, Willy. Arthur Honegger. Neuchâtel: La Baconnière, 1957. Landowski, Marcel. Honegger. Paris: Éditions du Seuil, 1957.
Duration: ca. 75 minutes Text: Le Roi David is a “Symphonic Psalm” in three parts after a drama of René Morax. It is based upon the story of King David as told in Samuel I and II, and Kings I and II in the Old Testament. It was originally composed with a French text, but the premiere concert used a German translation by Hans Reinhart. The E. C. Schirmer score includes singing translations in German and English, or only English, depending on the edition. Performing Forces: voices: narrator, Witch of Endor (female dramatic speaker), soprano, alto, and tenor soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: chamber orchestra version: 2 flutes, oboe, 2 clarinets in B♭, bassoon, horn in F, 2 trumpets in C, trombone, timpani (2 drums), percussion (1 player - gong and tam-tam), celeste, harmonium or organ, piano, and doublebass symphonic version: 2 flutes (flute II doubling piccolo), 2 oboes (oboe II doubling English horn), 2 clarinets in B♭ and A (clarinet II doubling bass clarinet in
B♭), 2 bassoons (bassoon II doubling contrabassoon), 4 horns in F, 2 trumpets in C, 3 trombones, tuba, percussion (4 players - tambourine, bass drum, crash cymbals, tam-tam), timpani, harp, celeste, organ (optional), and strings First Performance: as theater music: 11 June 1921; Théâtre Jorat; Mézières, Switzerland; conducted by the composer as a symphonic psalm: 2 December 1923; Winterthur, Switzerland; conducted by Ernst Wolters, in a German translation first staged performance: 21 October 1960; Paris, France; Paris Grand Opéra Edition: Le Roi David is published by E. C. Schirmer. The piano-vocal score (1665 French / German / English, or 2707 French / English), choral score (1666), narrator’s part (2707), and study score (1402) are available for purchase; orchestral materials are available through rental. Notes: An English singing translation is available. The score, originally written as functioning incidental music within a play by Morax for his own outdoor drama company, was begun 25 February and completed 28 April 1921. Two other composers turned down the
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commission. With only three months remaining before the first performance, Morax solicited Honegger on the recommendation of Ernest Ansermet. Honegger then revised the work into an entirely concerted “symphonic psalm” during the summer of 1923. The original seventeen-member chamber orchestra was dictated by the size of the orchestra pit. In later life, Honegger expressed a preference for this smaller orchestration. The libretto outlines the life of King David as described in the Old Testament. The work is in three acts. Performance Issues: The choral portions of this work are well written for accessibility to less-experienced singers. Honegger introduces a number of challenging pitch situations in a manner that allows them to be easily learned. The soli roles are somewhat chromatic, and the tenor and soprano sit fairly high in the voice; however, they are well within the grasp of many undergraduate singers. both versions: The orchestra parts are fairly idiomatic to their instruments. The string parts are particularly accessible, well within the abilities of an average student orchestra. The two oboe parts have a number of exposed, chromatic solo passages including some important solos on the English horn. The trombone I and horn I parts also have prominent solos, which are somewhat demanding. The most challenging orchestral parts are the two trumpets, which have many exposed passages. These players must also exchange fragments of a single melodic line between them, requiring players of similar timbre. There are a few spots that call for four percussionists; however, if players are limited, this number can be reduced to two if a cymbal is mounted onto the bass drum shell. symphonic version: There are some awkward passages for the harp. The organ and celeste overlap only on the first beats of two measures, allowing a single player to cover both parts if necessary. In the symphonic version, the organ part is entirely doubled by other instruments and is listed as optional, but its sonority contributes greatly to this orchestration. Soloists: soprano - range: e♭'-b♭''; tessitura: d''-g''; this role requires a lyric voice, which is asked to portray an angel, but must be able to project over the entire ensemble; contralto - range: b-e''; tessitura: e'-b'; this is a shorter solo role, which should timbrally contrast with the soprano soloist; tenor - range: c-a'; tessitura: f-f'; this is a lyric role, which requires a beautiful and sweet voice capable of sustained light singing in the upper range. The narrator must be capable of a powerful and dramatic presentation of this text. Because the narrator is asked to portray the voice of Samuel, a male voice should be used. The Witch of Endor, who appears in only one movement, is clearly a theatrical role and is often executed with lighting, costume, and minimal staging. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium easy to medium difficult.
Selected Discography: chamber version: Christiane Eda-Pierre, Jeannine Collard, Eric Tappy, Bernard Petel (David as a child); Simone Valere and Jean Desailly, speakers; Chorale Philippe Caillard (Philippe Caillard, chorus-master), Instrumental Ensemble; conducted by Charles Dutoit, recorded in 1973. Erato: 2292-45800-2 [ADD]. symphonic version: Janine Micheau, Jeannine Collard, Pierre Mollet; Jean Hervé, speaker; Brasseur Choir, French Radio Orchestra; conducted by Arthur Honegger. Westminster: WAL 204 [LP]. Pamela Coburn, Cornelia Kallisch, Hans Peter Blochwitz; Freiburg Collegium Musicum, Frankfurt Kantorei; conducted by Wolfgang Schäfer. Christophorus: CD-74523. Christiane Eda-Pierre, Martha Senn, Tibère Raffalli; Czech Philharmonic and Chorus; conducted by Serge Baudo. Supraphon: CO-1412/13 [DDD]. Susan Danco, de Montmolin, Hamel; Suisse Romande Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Ernest Ansermet. London: 425621-2 LM [ADD]. Natania Davrath, Jean Preston, Marvin Sorenson; Martial Singher and Madeleine Milhaud, speakers; Utah Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Maurice Abravanel. Vanguard Classics: OVC 4038 [ADD]. Brigitte Fournier, Felicity Palmer, John Elwes, Lambert Wilson, Yvette Théraulaz; Gulbenkian Symphony Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Michel Corboz. Cascavelle: VEL 1017 [DDD]. Ute Frühhaber, Mechthild Georg, Kay Immer, Will Quadflieg; Dortmund Instrumental Soloists and University Chorus; conducted by Willi Gundlach. Thorofon: CTH 2128 [DDD]. Selected Bibliography: Bass, Claude Leroy. Phrase Structure and Cadence Treatment in Stravinsky’s Symphony of Psalms and Honegger’s Le Roi David. University of Oklahoma, Master’s thesis, 1960. Meyland, Pierre. René Morax et Arthur Honegger au Théâtre du Jorat. Lausanne: Éditions du Cervin, 1966. Baker, H. A. “Arthur Honegger and King David.” Amor artis Bulletin, volume 7, number 1 (1968): 1, 10. Berger, Melvin. Guide to Choral Masterpieces: A Listener’s Guide, 177-178. New York: Anchor Books, 1993.
Jeanne d’Arc au bûcher (1935-1937) Duration: ca. 80 minutes Text: A setting of the story of Joan of Arc written by Paul Claudel; the text is in French. Performing Forces: voices: Joan of Arc (speaker), Brother Dominic (speaker), King of France (speaker),
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King of England (speaker), Regnault de Chartres (speaker), Guillaume de Flavy (speaker), Duke of Bedford (speaker), Duke of Burgundy (speaker), Jean de Luxembourg (speaker), Perrot (speaker), Mother of Barrels (speaker), Grinder Trusty (speaker), Priest (speaker), Asinus the Donkey (speaker), Harold III (speaker), the Seven Deadly Sins (7 speakers/dancers), Holy Virgin (soprano), St. Margaret (soprano), St. Catherine (alto), Porcus the Swine (tenor), peasant (tenor), peasant (bass), Harold I (tenor), Harold II (bass), a child’s voice; SATB choir and children’s choir; orchestra: 2 flutes (flute II doubling piccolo), 2 oboes, soprano clarinet in E♭, clarinet in B♭, bass clarinet, 3 alto-saxophones in E♭, 3 bassoons, contrabassoon, trumpet in D, 3 trumpets in C, 3 trombones, bass trombone or tuba, timpani, percussion (2 players), celeste, 2 pianos, Ondes Martenot, and strings First Performance: concert version: 12 May 1938; Basle, Switzerland; Chamber Orchestra of Basle, conducted by Paul Sacher; Ida Rubinstein played Joan. partially staged version: May 1939; Orléans, France; as part of the Jeanne d’Arc Festival. fully staged version: 13 June 1942; Zürich. Edition: Jeanne d’Arc au Bûcher is published by Salabert. Piano-vocal and choral scores are available for purchase; orchestral materials are available through rental. Autograph: The manuscript of the score is in the possession of the Paul Sacher Foundation in Basle, Switzerland. Notes: A musical composition based upon Claudel’s Jeanne d’Arc au Bûcher was suggested to Honegger by Ida Rubinstein in 1935. The score was completed 30 August 1938. Performance Issues: The score allows for this work to be performed with six solo singers and five speakers; however, the story could be made clearer if each role were done by a different person. The multiple parts for the male singers are all short and varied so that members of the choir could be used. The one exception is the character Porcus, which has a number of sustained high passages. The ranges of all the other tenor solos fall within the range of c#-e'. Dividing the parts one by one, creates fourteen spoken roles, and eleven sung roles. The score includes some rhythmic recitation for the choir. All of the reciters must be able to follow the score as their integration into the work must be somewhat independent. The choral writing is generally diatonic. It incorporates unison singing, four-part homophonic chorale style, and some imitative writing. There are a number of chromatic passages with contrary motion that will be difficult to make clear. The majority of the vocal pitch material is supported by the orchestra. The orchestral parts are idiomatic and wellconceived for balance. Much of the instrumental
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
writing is typical of theater music, which this is. The score integrates many popular dance figurations and effective polymetric elements. Soloists: Jeanne range: b-a', tessitura: b-a', this is primarily a spoken role, but she has one brief sung passage; Holy Virgin (soprano) - range: e'-b'', tessitura: d''-g'', this role requires a bright, pure voice; St. Margaret (soprano) range: e'-a'', tessitura: g'-f'', this is a lyric role; St. Catherine (alto) - range: g-e#'', tessitura: d'-c'', this is a lyric and diatonic role; tenor (Porcus the Swine, a voice, Harold I) - range: c#-b'', tessitura: g-g', this role must be capable of sustained singing in the upper range; bass (a voice, Harold II, a countryman) - range: G-e', tessitura: B♭-d, this role requires a contrast of timbres from character to character; child’s solo range: d'-d'', tessitura: d'-b', this is a brief, diatonic solo. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Frances Yeend, Martha Lipton, Robert Lloyd, K. Smith; Zorina, speaker; Temple University Choir, St. Peter’s Boy Choir, Philadelphia Orchestra; conducted by Eugene Ormandy. Columbia: SL 178 [LP]. C. Château, A-M Rodde, H. Brachet, P. Proenza, Z. Jankovsky, F. Loup; Czech Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Serge Baudo, recorded in 1974. Supraphon: 11 0557-2 [AAD]. Selected Bibliography: Berger, Melvin. Guide to Choral Masterpieces: A Listener’s Guide, 178-179. New York: Anchor Books, 1993.
HOVHANESS, Alan (b. Somerville, MA, 8 March 1911; d. Seattle, WA, 21 June 2000) Hovhaness began composing as a child. He studied with Frederick Converse at the New England Conservatory and Bohuslav Martinu at Tanglewood (1943). During the 1950s, Hovhaness enjoyed considerable success and traveled extensively. In 1977, he was elected to the American Institute of Arts and Letters. He is one of a very few American composers to devote his entire career solely to composition. At Tanglewood, his works were sharply criticized by Aaron Copland and Leonard Bernstein; he destroyed many works, and re-evaluated his compositional style, which had been a conservative combination of sixteenth-century counterpoint and eighteenth-century harmonic practice. He began to incorporate Armenian (the nationality of his father) folk music and elements of mysticism into his music. For the next thirty years, he adopted a gamut of non-Western musical devices. After the early 1970s, Hovhaness has returned to a more consistently Western style. These later works are lush, harmonically static, full of ostinati, and
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generally on a larger scale than his previous music. Hovhaness’s music is contrapuntally rich, while avoiding devices of development and traditional formal structures. A sense of a sequential musical unwinding is often achieved via the use of Indian rhythmic talas. Most of his music is instrumental with mystical, religious themes. Teachers: Frederick Converse, Bohuslav Martinu Student: Robert Washburn Principal Works: Hovhaness is one of the most prolific of modern composers. Among his 400+ works are: 11 operas, 4 ballets, 56 symphonies, 12 concerti for various instruments, and hundreds of other pieces.332 Selected Composer Bibliography: Daniel, Oliver. “Alan Hovhaness.” American Composers’ Alliance, ii/3 (1952): 3. Wade, James: “Alan Hovhaness: Pilgrimage to the Orient.” Musical America (September 1963): 56. “Hovhaness, Alan.” Current Biography Yearbook, xxvi (April 1965); New York: H. W. Wilson Company. Rosner, Albert. An Analytical Survey of the Music of Alan Hovhaness. University of Buffalo, dissertation, 1972. Cox, Dennis Keith. Aspects of the Compositional Styles of Three Selected Twentieth-Century American Composers of Choral Music: Alan Hovhaness, Ron Nelson, and Daniel Pinkham. University of Missouri at Kansas City, dissertation, 1978 ———. “Hovhaness, Alan.” In The New Grove Dictionary of American Music, edited by H. Wiley Hitchcock, ii: 431-434. 4 volumes. London: Macmillan, 1986.
Easter Cantata, no. 3 from Choral Triptych, op. 100 (1953) Duration: ca. 16 minutes Text: traditional texts adapted by the composer Performing Forces: voices: soprano soloist; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes, 2 horns, 3 trumpets, percussion (1 player – tam-tam), harp, celeste, and strings First Performance: 11 May 1955; Boston, MA; Boston University Chorus; conducted by the composer. Edition: Easter Cantata is published by American Music Publishers and distributed by G. Schirmer. The piano-vocal score and full score may be purchased; orchestral materials are available by rental. Autograph: The full score is a facsimile of the composer’s manuscript.
332 Albert Rosner, “Hovhaness, Alan,” in The New Grove Dictionary of American Music, edited by H. Wiley Hitchcock, ii: 431-4 (4 volumes) (London: Macmillan, 1986).
Notes: This is the third work of Choral Triptych; the other pieces are Ave Maria and The Beatitudes. Performance Issues: The score includes an errata list, which must be consulted. It should be acquired if not sent with the score. This work is almost exclusively diatonic and is approachable by virtually any amateur choir. The choral part represents only about 120 measures of the entire piece. The choral writing is mostly in a homophonic, block-chord style. Divisi are called for in all parts, but often there are only six different pitches with the alto I and soprano II doubling each other, and likewise bass I and tenor II. This is a simple and not very sophisticated work, which would be best presented in a church service rather than a concert. The orchestra parts are not demanding although special attention will be required to guarantee proper intonation of consecutive major and minor seconds in the strings in the final movement where crossing scalar passages create varied dissonances. In a concert situation it is advised to include the other works of op. 100. Soloist: soprano - range: e'- a'', tessitura: b'- g'', this is a very easy part. Almost no notes occur below the indicated tessitura. The part is slow and sustained and made up of diatonic scalar passages. Choir: easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: “Ave Maria” and “Easter Cantata” - Benita Valente; Bayerischer Rundfunk Singers; Bamberg Symphony; conducted by Alfredo Antonini. Released in 1968. CRI: CRI-221 [LP]. Selected Bibliography: Rogers, Harold. [review of the premiere], Christian Science Monitor (12 May 1955).
Magnificat, op. 157 (1958) Duration: ca. 28 minutes Text: Luke 1:46-55 in the Latin of the Vulgate Bible or in English adaptation by Hugh Ross Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, trombone, percussion (1 player tam-tam, bell in C), harp, and strings First Performance: 26 January 1959, Wichita Falls, TX; Charlyn Balabanis, Juanita Teal, David Dodds, David Beckwitt; Midwestern University Choir (prepared by William V. Boland), Wichita Falls Symphony; conducted by Erno Daniel
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Edition: Magnificat is published and distributed by C. F. Peters. The piano-vocal score (P6107) is for sale; orchestral materials are available for rental. Autograph: The full score is a facsimile of the composer’s manuscript. Notes: The composer has included the following comments in the full score: “The Magnificat for four solo voices—soprano, alto, tenor, and bass—chorus and orchestra, Opus 157, was composed in 1958. It was commissioned by the Koussevitsky Foundation in the Library of Congress and is dedicated to the memory of Serge and Natalie Koussevitsky. The music opens with a Celestial Fanfare, an introduction beginning with a murmuring passage in the basses, which rises to a climax and recedes again. The brass solo instruments—trombone, horn, and trumpet—sound a long melodic line of religious mood. I have tried to suggest the mystery, inspiration, and mysticism of early Christianity in this work.…The ‘Senza Misura’ passages are free rhythm rapid collision passages in strings, which cannot be performed by one player on the piano. The pianist must try to create a sound of confusion, mystery, sometimes rising to a thunderous climax.” Performance Issues: For a description of the performance techniques used in this piece, see “Notes” above. The “senza misura” passages are unmeasured ostinati. The vocal writing is modal and scalar with regular harmonic support in the accompaniment. The orchestral parts are very accessible, with the coordination of measured and unmeasured music presenting the only significant challenge to the ensemble. There are divisi in all of the choral parts. The strings also divide and there are solos for the principal players of each string section. A strong double bass section with good solo abilities is required. Soloists: soprano, range: d'-a'', tessitura: g'-f''; alto, range: g-c'', tessitura: c'-a'; tenor, range: f-g', tessitura: g-d'; bass, range: Ad', tessitura: f-c'; all of the solos are fairly short and slow, requiring control of long lyric phrases. Members of the choir should be considered for these solos. This work is attractive and quite accessible to a choir of limited experience while offering them contact with a number of modern compositional devices. The orchestra parts are within the reach of an average college or community orchestra, but some extra time might be needed to establish the sense of style demanded by a work of such temporal freedom. The premiere featured a sixty-five-member college choir, which seems to be an appropriate size considering the orchestration. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Audrey Nossman, Elizabeth Johnson, Thomas East, Richard Dales; University of Louisville Chorus, Louisville Orchestra; conducted by Robert Whitney. Released in 1961. Louisville Orchestra First Edition
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Records: LOU-61-4 [LP]; re-released on Poseidon: 1018. Selected Bibliography: [review of the premiere], Wichita Falls Times (27 January 1959). Underwood, W. L. [review of the premiere], Wichita Falls Record News (27 January 1959). Carapetyan, Caro M. [review of the premiere], Musical Courier (February 1959). Sabin, Robert. “Hovhaness Writes Unusual Magnificat.” Musical America (May 1959): 26. Kastendieck, Miles. “Magnificat Bow Is Magnificent.” New York Journal-American (27 January 1964). Dailey, William A. Techniques of Composition Used in Contemporary Works for Chorus and Orchestra on Religious Texts—as Important Representative Works of the Period from 1952 through 1962. The Following Works Will Be Considered: “Canticum Sacrum”— Stravinsky, “Prayers of Kierkegaard”—Barber, “Magnificat”—Hovhaness. Catholic University of America, dissertation, 1965.
Cantata: Praise the Lord with Psaltery, op. 222 (1968) Duration: ca. 21 minutes Text: Psalms 33:2-3, 146:1-2, and 150:3, 6 Performing Forces: voices: SATB choir; orchestra: 3 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, bass clarinet, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 4 or 5 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, percussion (tam-tam [as large as possible], chimes), harp, celeste, and strings First Performance: unable to determine Edition: Praise the Lord with Psaltery is published and distributed by C. F. Peters (P 66194). The piano-vocal score is for sale; orchestral materials are available by rental. Autograph: The full score is a facsimile of the composer’s manuscript. Performance Issues: The choral writing is generally polyphonic, while occasionally introducing choral unisons and paired doublings. The choir divides into eight parts. In the score, Hovhaness asks for a large string section. There are four-part divisi in all of the string parts. This is a fairly diatonic work with thick modally related triads moving between the strings. There are very simple polymetric instances in which measured ostinati repeat at a rate unequal to the length of the bar. There are a number of unmeasured ostinati, which are to be repeated freely within sustained sections. The scoring for horns is generally in unison and never divides into more than four parts. The freely repeated figures create a spectacular effect very similar to those in Hovhaness’s Magnificat. The orchestra parts are well within the grasp of moderately
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experienced college students or a skilled youth orchestra. The greatest limitations are the frequent twentypart string writing and facile passagework for the double basses. The choral writing is intelligent, sophisticated, and a good training piece for introducing twentieth-century techniques to developing choirs. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Discography: No commercial recording
HOWELLS, Herbert (b. Lydney, Gloucestershire, 17 October 1892; d. Oxford, 24 February 1983) Howells decided upon a career in composition at an early age beginning his studies with Herbert Brewer at the Gloucester Cathedral (1910-1912) and then entering the Royal College of Music on an open scholarship. There his teachers included Charles Villiers Stanford (composition) and Charles Wood (counterpoint). After a nearly fatal illness, Howells joined the composition faculty of the RCM in 1920, remaining there until 1972. From 1936 to 1962, he served as director of music at St. Paul’s Girls’ School, Hammersmith (succeeding Holst). He was also made the King Edward VII Professor of Music at London University in 1950. His music is in the modal and aurally mystical style of his associates, Holst and Vaughan Williams. However, his harmonic language is more expansive, and his counterpoint and metrical usage are more complex than that of his peers. Like Vaughan Williams, Howells was a professed agnostic. He stated that his many church compositions were “inspired by the buildings and people associated with the musical establishments for which they were composed.”333 Teachers: Charles Villiers Stanford, Charles Wood Students: Gordon Jacob, Verne Reynolds, Edwin Roxburgh Awards: Collard Life Fellow (Worshipful Company of Musicians), Carnegie Award (1916 for the Piano Quartet), Cobbett Prize (1918 for Phantasy String Quartet), Commander, Order of the British Empire (1953), and Companion of Honour (1972). Principal Works: orchestral - Piano Concerto, No. 1 (1913), Pastoral Rhapsody (1923), Piano Concerto, No. 2 (1924), Concerto for Strings (1939), Suite for Strings (1944), Music for a Prince (1949); band - Pageantry (1934), Triptych (1960); choral - three Carol Anthems (1918-1920), A Kent Yeoman’s Wooing Song 333 As quoted in Hugh Ottaway, “Howells, Herbert (Norman),” in The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, edited by Stanley Sadie, viii: 756-757 (20 volumes) (London: Macmillan, 1980).
(1933), Requiem (1936), 4 Anthems (1941), Collegium regale canticles (1944), Gloucester canticles (1946), Missa sabrinensis (1954), St. Paul’s canticles (1954), An English Mass (1956), Collegium Sancti Johannis Cantabrigiense canticles (1958), A Hymn for St. Cecilia (1961), Stabat Mater (1963), Take him, earth, for cherishing (Motet on the Death of President Kennedy, 1964), The Coventry Mass (1968), Winchester canticles (1968), The Fear of the Lord (1976); many songs, organ, and chamber works Selected Composer Bibliography: Finzi, Gerald. “Herbert Howells.” The Musical Times, xcv (1954): 180. Ottaway, Hugh. “Herbert Howells and the English Revival.” The Musical Times, cliii (1967): 897. Hodgson, Peter John. The Music of Herbert Howells. University of Colorado, dissertation, 1970. Palmer, Christopher. “Herbert Howells at 80: A Retrospect.” The Musical Times, cxiii (1972): 967. ———. Herbert Howells: A Study. London: Novello, 1978.
Hymnus Paradisi (1938) Duration: ca. 45-48 minutes Text: Requiem Mass, Psalms 23 and 121, Burial Service from the Book of Common Prayer, Salisbury Diurnal as translated by George Herbert Palmer Performing Forces: voices: soprano and tenor soloists, double SATB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes (optional flute III doubling piccolo), 2 oboes (optional oboe III doubling English horn), 2 clarinets (optional clarinet III doubling bass clarinet), 2 bassoons (optional bassoon III doubling contrabassoon), 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion (2 players - bass drum, cymbals), piano and celeste (optional with one player for both), organ, harp, and strings First Performance: September 1950; Gloucester Three Choirs Festival; conducted by the composer Edition: Hymnus Paradisi is published by Novello and distributed by Theodore Presser Company. The piano-vocal is for sale; orchestral materials are available for rental. Autograph: The full score is a facsimile of the composer’s manuscript. Notes: Hymnus Paradisi and Howells’s Requiem (1936, for eight-part a cappella Choir) were composed as a cathartic reaction to the death of the composer’s son, Michael Kendrick Howells. Many portions of the Requiem have been incorporated into the later work
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and it should be consulted in preparation for performance. The composer has arranged a variety of Latin and English liturgical and biblical texts. Of the work’s history the composer states: The requiem I call Hymnus Paradisi, for two solo voices, chorus, and orchestra, although first performed in 1950, was actually called into being much earlier. The sudden loss in 1935 of an only son, a loss essentially profound and, in its very nature, beyond argument, might naturally impel a composer, after a time, to seek release and consolation in language and terms most personal to him. Music may well have power beyond any other medium to offer that release and comfort. It did so in my case, and became a personal, private document. For text, I sought immemorial prose; but I used only two sentences from the Latin Requiem Mass, at the beginning and the end, knowing that one of them—“et lux perpetua luceat eis”—would govern the work—especially that one word “lux,” “light.” Light indeed touches all but one of the six movements. “Blessed are the dead” alone stands outside—and yet is inside of—that same light. Even the gravest verse of the 23rd Psalm reflects it: and the movement in which I combine the “Sanctus” and the words of the 121st Psalm—“I will lift up mine unto the hills”—blazes with it. For an ending I had to summon, if I could, an even more intense degree of the work’s pervasive radiance. I searched a long time for a verbal text that would serve my purpose; and for a long time I was baffled. Then my friend Sir Thomas Armstrong found what I had been looking for. Gratefully I still read again the letter in which Sir Thomas, in his beautiful handwriting, wrote out the text of “Holy is the true light,” found in the Salisbury Diurnal and again at the end of Robert Bridges’s The Spirit of Man. Hymnus Paradisi was finished in 1938. For 12 years it remained what I had always wished it to be—a personal, almost secret document. But in 1950 Ralph Vaughan Williams asked to see the work, and he insisted on my releasing it; and in September 1950 I conducted the first performance at the Three Choirs Festival in Gloucester. 334
functional, but nonetheless may present some trouble in rhythmic integration. The string parts are rhythmically complicated and much of the first violin part is exceptionally high. A large string section is required, and there are divisi in all string parts. There are important cello solos throughout. The final two movements will require the most preparation of the total ensemble. For the choir the second and fourth movements will present the greatest problems for pitch learning. Each line is melodically conceived, but the resulting harmonic fabric is very dense, with four to eight parts exercising rhythmic and text independence. Soloists: Soprano, range: d'-a'', tessitura: b'-g''; tenor, range: d-a', tessitura: g-g'; both roles demand a voice, which can carry over the entire ensemble. The solo writing is high, legato, and sustained. This is a magnificent and unusually beautiful work, which will require significant rehearsal time, a professional-level orchestra and an experienced choir. Choir: difficult; Orchestra: difficult. Selected Discography: Heather Harper, Robert Tear; The Bach Choir, Choir of King’s College, New Philharmonia Orchestra; conducted by Sir David Willcocks. Recorded in 1970. EMI: CDM 7 63372 2 [ADD]. Julie Kennard, John Mark Ainsley; Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and Choir; conducted by Vernon Handley. Hyperion: CDA 66488 [DDD]. Judith Siirila, Daniel Plaster; Estonian National Symphony Orchestra, Pacific Chorale; conducted by John Alexander. Bay Cities: BCD 1035 [DDD]. Selected Bibliography:
Performance Issues: This is a spectacular and most difficult score. The choir, orchestra, and solo parts are all challenging. The work is thoroughly contrapuntal with an aggressive independence of parts. This independence is so profound that the performers are provided with few points of aural reference in performance. The effect, however, is magnificent; and the occasional tutti sections become striking events. A large double choir is required in the second movement, which should be divided left and right. There are semichoir sections for various configurations throughout the piece, most notably a four-part women’s choir in the fourth movement. There are a number of a cappella passages, the more complex of which are provided with optional string doublings. Beyond the issue of dense textures and polyphony, the orchestra parts are not individually difficult with the exception of the harp and strings. The harp part has many rapid ostinato figures with some awkward pedal changes. These parts are fortunately more coloristic than
Jacques, Reginald. “Howells’s Hymnus Paradisi.” Music and Letters, xxxi (1952): 193. Foreman, Lewis. From Parry to Britten: British Music in Letters 1900-1945, 302. Portland, OR: Amadeus Press, 1987.
334 As quoted in Christopher Palmer: Notes for Herbert Howells’s
Orchestra; conducted by Sir David Willcocks. EMI CDM 7 63372 2, 1990.
Hymnus Paradisi. Performed by Heather Harper, Robert Tear; The Bach Choir, Choir of King’s College, and New Philharmonia
JANÁCEK, Leos (b. Hukvaldy, Moravia, 3 July 1854; d. Moravská Ostrava, 12 August 1928) Janácek was one of the most significant of all Czech composers. He distinguished himself from his native forebears with his attentiveness to the natural music of the Czech language, which may have been influenced by his interest in Moravian folk music. This sensitivity to language combined with a profound understanding of the dramatic process led him to create a remarkably rich repertoire, which is best distinguished in his operatic works. He was born into a musical family and
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
received his early musical education as a chorister at the Augustinian Queen’s Monastery. His further education was in Brno and Leipzig where his teachers included Oskar Paul, Leo Grill, and later Franz Krenn at the Vienna Conservatory. He returned to Brno where he was engaged as an organist and choirmaster. His music is marked by a distinctive use of dissonant harmonies and innovative rhythmic patterns, which are probably the result of logogenesis. Teachers: Leo Grill, Franz Krenn Students: Emerik Beran Writings: There have been posthumous publications of the studies: Folk Song and Folk Music (1955) and Music Theory Works, 2 volumes (1968, 1974). Principal Works: operas - Jenufa (1903), The Cunning Little Vixen (1923), The Makropolous Affair (1925), From the House of the Dead (1928); orchestral Taras Bulba (1915-1918), Sinfonietta (1926), Violin Concerto (1926); choral - Hospodine (1896), Amarus (1897), Na Soláni Carták (1911), Vecné evangelium (1914), and many part-songs and motets. Selected Composer Bibliography: Stedron, Bohumir. Leos Janacek: Letters and Reminiscences. Prague: Artia, 1955. Vogel, Jaroslav. Leos Janácek: Leben und Werk. Kassel: Hamlyn, 1958. Published in English as: Leos Janácek: His Life and Works, 2nd edition. London: Orbis, 1980. Hollander, Hans. Leos Janácek. London: John Calder, 1963. Horsbrugh, Ian. Leos Janácek: The Field That Prospered. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1981.
Msa Glagskaja [Glagolithic Mass] (1926) Duration: ca. 45 minutes335 Text: This is a setting of the Eastern Orthodox Mass in Old Church Slavonic, written in Glagolithic script. It is published in a Czech/German edition and a Latin/English edition. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 4 flutes (flutes I, II, and III doubling piccolo), 2 oboes, English horn, 3 clarinets in B♭ (clarinet III doubling bass clarinet in B♭), 3 bassoons (bassoon III doubling contrabassoon), 4 horns in F, 4 trumpets in F, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion (3 players - glockenspiel, snare drum, cymbals, tam-tam, triangle), 2 harps, celeste, organ, and strings
335 The score lists a duration of 45 minutes; however, the Masur recording is 37 minutes and 17 seconds with tempi comparable to those indicated in the score.
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First Performance: 5 December 1927; Brno; Brno Opera Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Jaroslav Kvapil Edition: Msa Glagskaja is published by Universal Edition. The choral/vocal score (9544 in German and Czech, and 9544A in Latin and English), full score (9541), and miniature score (13 366) are available for purchase; orchestral materials are available through rental. Autograph: The manuscript of the later authorized version and some early sketches are in the Janácek Archive in Prague. The manuscript of the original authorized version is in the Österreichische Nationalbibliothek in Vienna. An incomplete set of string and orchestra parts from the premiere are housed in the archive of the Brno State Philharmonic. Notes: This was the last concert work completed by Janacek. The score, which is dedicated to Archbishop Dr. Leopoldu Precanovi, was written between 5 August and 15 October 1926. A symphonic setting of these texts is particularly interesting since all music in the Eastern Orthodox Rite is, by tradition, a cappella. The composer saw the Glagolithic Mass as a nationalist undertaking, an expression of his culture and heritage.336 Although the score does not use any borrowed materials, the dramatic compositional style of this work is highly influenced by a sense of ethnic identity and Janacek’s operatic tendencies. Performance Issues: There are instances of whole-tone melodies, nontraditional scalar patterns and occasional polytonal sections. There are two-part divisi in all of the choral parts. Much of the vocal material is initially challenging because of the rather unique style of Janacek’s choral writing in this work. With some exposure, the choral writing becomes quite logical and accessible. Most of the vocal material is clearly supported by the accompaniment, and entrance pitches for singers are well prepared. The orchestral writing is practical, but is intended for secure players. There are many sections, which exploit the temporal juxtaposition of six against four and four against three. The brass parts are demanding and exposed. The trumpet I part is especially difficult with many important high passages. Trumpets I, II, and III have extended sections of unison playing. The horns and trombones have some endurance challenges as they play much of the time. The woodwinds have some very high passages for all of the players, most notably in movement VI, where the voicing of the winds will be problematic to successful intonation. The string parts are chromatic and rhythmically articulate, but are quite practical. This piece requires a skilled organist. The seventh movement is an unaccompanied organ solo with 336 Kurt Pahlen, The World of the Oratorio, 196 (Portland, OR: Amadeus Press, 1985).
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significant technical demands, for which a large romantic instrument is desirable. The organ has some exposed passages in other movements as well. The orchestration of this work demands a sizable choir to achieve a successful balance. This is an extraordinarily dramatic work, which will provide challenges to professional ensembles and yet provides the opportunity for an orchestra with moderate string proficiencies and strong brass and wind to successfully program a virtuoso symphonic choral work. Soloists: soprano range: g♭'-b♭'', tessitura: b'-g'', this is a sustained and powerful role; alto - range: a♭-d♭'', tessitura: d'-b', this role appears in only ten measures of the entire work; tenor - range: d♭-b', tessitura: d'-a', this role is the largest and most difficult of the four, it is a legitimate heldentenor part; bass - range: d♭-e', tessitura: a-d', this role is really a baritone part, it is sustained and remains within the tessitura almost exclusively, it appears in only twenty-five measures of the entire composition. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: difficult. Selected Discography: Moravian Mixed Chorus, Brno Radio Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Bakala. Urania: URLP 7072 [LP]. Brewer, Simpson, Dent, Roloff; Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Robert Shaw. Telarc: CD-80287 [DDD]. Lear, Rössel-Majdan, Haefliger, Crass; Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Rafael Kubelik. Deutsche Grammophon: 429182-2 GGA [ADD]. Palmer, Benacková, Lakes, Kotcherga; London Symphony Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Michael Tilson Thomas. Sony Classical: SK 47182 [DDD]. Czech Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Karl Ancerl. Supraphon Collection: 110609 [ADD]. Elisabeth Söderström, Drobková, Livora, Novak; Czech Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Charles Mackerras. Supraphon: 10 3575-2 [DDD]. Venceslava Hruba, Rosemarie Lang, John Mitchinson, Theo Adam; Czechoslovak Chorus of Prague, Gewandhaus Orchestra of Leipzig; conducted by Kurt Masur, recorded live in the Gewandhaus of Leipzig in January 1991. Philips: D 110358 [DDD]. Selected Bibliography: Vecerka, R. “K historii textu Janáckovy Hlaholské mse.” Sbornik praci filosofické fakulty brnenské university (1957): 64. Horsbrugh, Ian. Leos Janácek: The Field That Prospered, 8, 9, 24, 60, 62, 105, 157, 197, 213-221, 228, 246. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1981. Pahlen, Kurt. The World of the Oratorio, 195-198. Portland, OR: Amadeus Press, 1985.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Wingfield, Paul. Janácek: Glagolithic Mass. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1992. Berger, Melvin. Guide to Choral Masterpieces: A Listener’s Guide, 183-185. New York: Anchor Books, 1993.
Ridalka [Nursery Rhymes] (1925, revised 1927) Duration: ca. 15 minutes Text: The texts are traditional children’s nursery rhymes in Czech. The published score includes a singing translation in German. Performing Forces: voices: choir of 9 solo voices (SSAATTTBB); orchestra: ocarina, 2 flutes (flute II doubling piccolo), 2 clarinets in B♭ (both doubling soprano clarinet in E♭ and clarinet in A), 2 bassoons (bassoon II doubling contrabassoon), percussion (1 player - toy drum), piano, and doublebass
First Performance: original version: 26 October 1925; Brno, Czechoslovakia; female ensemble; Stanislav Krticka, clarinet; Jaroslav Kvapil, piano revised version: 25 April 1927; Brno, Czechoslovakia; Moravian Composers Club Edition: Rídalka is published by Universal Edition. The full score and piano-vocal score are available for purchase; orchestral materials are available through rental. Autograph: The manuscripts are housed in the Janácek Archive of the Moravian Museum of Brno. Notes: The orginal version of 1925 consisted of only eight songs, and was scored for three female voices, clarinet, and piano. The revised score of 1927 is divided into nineteen brief movements each conveying a single nursery rhyme. Performance Issues: The vocal parts are almost entirely unison, in a folk-song style. There are occasional divisi, but even sections labeled for two sopranos and two altos are generally a single melodic line. The movements assigned to the tenors feature two-part writing the most frequently. Movements 2, 9, and 19, are vocally polyphonic. The pitch material for the singers is chromatic and reflects the composer’s familiarity with a number of Czech folk-music scales. These pitch sets will prove troublesome in learning the vocal melodies. The vocal parts are harmonically supported by the accompaniment, but rarely doubled directly. The instrumentation varies from movement to movement. The percussion and flute parts are involved in only a few movements and are technically accessible to most undergraduate-level players. The piano is prominent throughout the work and is quite
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difficult in terms of cross-rhythmic material and rapid passage work. The two clarinet parts are very challenging, especially in some quick chromatic unison passages. The composer has indicated that the ocarina, used only in movements 1 and 10, may be substituted with an alto flute; being a very easy part, which anyone could play, justifies finding one. It must have these pitches, in this octave: g, a♭, c♭'. This is a delightful and varied composition, for small vocal and instrumental ensembles, which seems intended more for adult audiences than children. It is most effective if sung in the language of the audience. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult.
(1959), Inscriptions from Whitman (1963), and Stephen Crane Set (1967) Selected Composer Bibliography:
Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra; conducted by Charles Mackerras. London: 430375-2 LH2 [DDD]. chamber version (1925-1926): Caramoor Festival Orchestra; conducted by Julius Rudel. Phoenix: PHCD 109 [ADD].
Slonimsky, Nicholas. “Ulysses Kay.” American Composers’ Alliance Bulletin, vii/1 (1957): 3. Hadley, Richard Thomas. The Published Choral Music of Ulysses Simpson Kay—1943 to 1968. University of Iowa, dissertation, 1972 Baker, David N., Lida M. Belt, and Herman C. Hudson, editors. The Black Composer Speaks, 139-171. Metuchen, NJ: Scarecrow Press, 1978. James, Shaylor Lorenza. Contribution of Four Selected Twentieth-Century Afro-American Classical Composers: William Grant Still, Howard Swanson, Ulysses Kay, and Olly Wilson. Florida State University, dissertation, 1988. Hobson, Constance Tibbs, and Deborra A. Richardson. Ulysses Kay: A Bio-Bibliography. Westport, CT: Greensood Press, 1994.
Selected Bibliography:
Inscriptions from Whitman (1963)
Horsbrugh, Ian. Leos Janácek: The Field That Prospered, 117, 202-203. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1981.
Duration: ca. 25 minutes
KAY, Ulysses Simpson (b. Tucson, AZ,
Performing Forces: voices: SATB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion, harp, and strings
Discography:
7 January 1917; d. Englewood, NJ, 20 May 1995) Kay graduated from the University of Arizona, and received an MA in composition from the Eastman School. He did further study at Tanglewood and Yale with Paul Hindemith. Following service in the Second World War, Kay continued his studies at Columbia University. He served as a consultant for BMI and as a musical envoy for the U.S. State Department travelling to England, France, Italy, Yugoslavia, and the USSR. He joined the faculty of Lehman College, CUNY, in 1968, and was made Distinguished Professor of Music in 1972. His compositions are neoclassical and melodic, displaying elegant craftsmanship.337 Teacher: Paul Hindemith, Howard Hanson, Otto Luening, Bernard Rogers Principal Works: opera - The Boor (1955), The Juggler of Our Lady (1956), The Capitoline Venus (1971), Jubilee (1976), Frederick Douglass (1983); orchestral - Brief Elegy (1946), Fantasy Variations (1963), Umbrian Scene (1963), Markings (1966), Scherzi musicali (1968), Southern Harmony (1975), Chariots: Orchestral Rhapsody (1979); choral - Phoebus Arise
337 Virgil Thomson, American Music Since 1910, 155 (New York: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, 1971).
Text: Walt Whitman’s “O Swift Wind,” “On the Beach at Night,” “I Hear America Singing,” and “Poets to Come.”
First Performance: 1964, Women’s Chorus of Douglass College, New Jersey Oratorio Society Male Chorus of Atlantic City, New Jersey Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Kenneth Schermerhorn. Edition: Inscriptions from Whitman is published by Pembroke Music and distributed by Carl Fischer. The piano-vocal scores may be purchased; orchestral materials are available by rental. Autograph: The full score is a facsimile of the composer’s manuscript. Notes: This work was commissioned by the New Jersey Symphony and the New Jersey State Tercentenary Commission to commemorate the New Jersey Tercentenary. The score is in two movements. Performance Issues: This is a serial work, but Kay is very successful in his treatment of the vocal parts to facilitate their accessibility. He is not strict with his use of serial technique, allowing for deviations including motivic repetition and retrogression, and some use of incomplete statements of the row. Through the use of choral unisons, paired doublings, motivic imitation, and melodic inversion, he provides the singers
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numerous patterns and devices, which should prove useful in learning of their parts. However, this is still a very challenging work to sing. It requires an experienced choir and substantial rehearsal time. Choral pitches are generally supported by the harmony of the accompaniment, but these accompanimental pitches are not aurally conspicuous. The rhythms are straightforward and often imitative of dance music of the eighteenth century. The orchestral material is not very technically demanding, but the complexity of the pitch language demands an ensemble of reasonable musical sophistication. For no logical reason, both movements use a combination of rehearsal letters and numbers. A medium-sized choir will effectively balance the instrumental forces, and may be better suited to the melodic subtleties of the score than a large choir. This is a difficult and dissonant score, which is melodically elegant and consistently sensitive to the text. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Discography: No commercial recording Selected Bibliography: Herrema, R. “The Choral Works of Ulysses Kay.” Choral Journal, xi/4 (December 1970): 5. Hadley, Richard Thomas. The Published Choral Works of Ulysses Kay. University of Iowa, dissertation, 1972.
KODÁLY, Zoltán (b. Kecskemét, Hungary, 16 December 1882; d. Budapest, 6 March 1967) Kodály was an important composer, folk-song collector, and a highly influential figure in the development of music education in the twentieth century. He began composing as a child. He attended the University of Budapest where he studied composition with Hans Koessler. He received a Ph.D. in 1906 with the focus of his scholarship being Hungarian folk song. He established a strong friendship with his classmate Bartók. The two young composers undertook a series of landmark projects collecting eastern European folk music. In 1907, Kodály was appointed to the faculty of the Royal Academy of Music in Budapest. His Psalmus Hungaricus, which was composed to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the union of Buda and Pest brought him international attention as a composer. Beginning in the 1930s he dedicated much of his compositional work to pieces for student performances, especially children’s choir. He developed a series of educational methods which stressed the importance of singing in a complete education. Many of his teaching methods were centered around solmization. He received international honors including: the Gold medal of the Royal Philharmonic Society of London (1967), and honorary memberships in the Moscow Conservatory (1963) and the American Academy
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
of Arts and Sciences (1963). The International Kodály Society was founded in 1975. Teachers: Hans Koessler, Charles-Marie Widor Students: George Barati, Marcel Dick, Pál Járdányi, Pál Kadosa, Oedoen Partos, Alexander Raichev, Matyas Seiber, Tibor Serly, Josip Slavenski, Rezsö Sugár, Ferenc Szabó, Sándor Veress, John Verrall, Janos Viski Writings: Kodály published a number of volumes on folk music, including collaborative work with Bartok. An anthology of his writings has been published: The Selected Writing of Zoltán Kodály (London: Boosey and Hawkes, 1974). Principal Works: orchestral - Háry János Suite (1927), Dances from Galanta (1933), Peacock Variations (1939), Concerto for Orchestra (1940); choral - At the Martyr’s Grave (1945), The Music Makers: An Ode (1964); chamber - Cello Sonata (1909), two String Quartets (1909, 1918), and numerous works for students Selected Composer Bibliography: Dickinson, A. E. F. “Kodály’s Choral Music.” Tempo, number 15 (1946). Eösze, László. Zoltán Kodály: His Life and Work. Boston: Crescendo Publishing Company, 1962. Young, Percy M. Zoltán Kodály: A Hungarian Musician. London: Ernest Benn Limited, 1964. Stevens, Halsey. “The Choral Music of Zoltán Kodaly.” The Musical Quarterly, liv (1968): 147. Kodály, Zoltán. The Selected Writing of Zoltán Kodály. London: Boosey and Hawkes, 1974. Houlihan, Micheál, and Philip Tacka. Zoltán Kodály: A Guide to Research. New York: Routledge, 1998.
Psalmus Hungaricus, op. 13 (1923) Duration: ca. 23 minutes Text: The text is a Hungarian adaptation of the 55th Psalm written by Mihály Vég during the sixteenth century. The score also includes singing translations in English by Edward J. Dent, and in German by Bence Szabolcsi. Performing Forces: voices: tenor soloist; SATB choir and optional children’s choir; orchestra: 3 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets in A, 2 bassoons, 4 horns in F, 3 trumpets in C, 3 trombones, timpani, percussion (1 player - cymbals), harp, organ (optional), and strings First Performance: 19 November 1923; Budapest; in a concert of works commissioned to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the union of Buda and Pest. It was also performed with Honegger’s Le Roi David on 18 June 1926 as part of the Fourth Festival of the International Society for Contemporary Music in Zürich, Switzerland.
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Edition: Psalmus Hungaricus is published by Universal Edition. The piano-vocal score (8463), choral score (8463a), and miniature score (PH.233) are available for purchase; orchestral materials are available through rental. Autograph: The manuscript is in the possession of the Budapest Székesföváros Közönségének. Notes: Psalmus Hungaricus was one of three works commissioned for a concert celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of the union of Buda and Pest. The other pieces were Ernst von Dohnányi’s Festival Overture and Béla Bartok’s Five Dances. Kodály includes a section of unison pentatonic chant imitating ancient Magyar practices as musical hommage to the history of the city to which this piece is dedicated. This work was the first to draw international attention to the composer. Performance Issues: This work requires a large orchestra and chorus. There are divisi among all of the choral parts including the children’s choir, which in some sections becomes SSAA. The children’s choir exists for color only, as all of its material is doubled by the adult choir. While not necessary, the effect of the children’s voices contributes to the overall spirit of the piece. It was probably included by the composer because of the festival nature of the first performance and the celebratory nationalist character of the work. The score includes the following note on that subject: “It is strongly recommended to employ a children’s chorus (boy’s voices) for the passage 14 to 16, especially if the female voices are not sufficiently strong in the middle register to balance the men’s voices. When a very efficient children’s chorus is available, it may be employed to reinforce the sopranos and altos from 33 to 35 and from 36 to 40.” There are a number of a cappella sections. The choral writing is generally scalar or modal with chromatic inflections frequently repeated and supported by the harmonic environment. The vocal writing in general reflects Kodály’s intimate knowledge of choral music. Interestingly, the final passage for the choir, which is primarily comprised of chant in octaves, ends with the second basses on an AA. The choral textures are often dense, but melodically generated and accessible to singers of moderate experience. The orchestra must be an ensemble of experienced players. The instrumental writing is rhythmically complex with much cross-accented material between sections of the ensemble. The principal flute should have a low-B foot. The greatest contrapuntal complexities are to be found between divisi parts within single sections of the strings. Perhaps the greatest performance issue in this work is the choice of language. The work is so profoundly tied to the rhythm and stress of the Hungarian that it becomes difficult to 338 Kurt Pahlen, The World of the Oratorio, 205 (Portland, OR: Amadeus Press, 1985).
condone singing it in translation. Soloist: tenor range: c#-b', tessitura: e-f#', this is a heldentenor role also requiring great clarity of diction. Choir: difficult; Orchestra: difficult. Selected Discography: Krebs; Radio Berlin Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Rother. Urania: URLP 7014 [LP]. L Kozma; Brighton Festival Chorus; conducted by Istvan Kertész. London: 433080-2 LM [LP]. Komlóssy; London Symphony Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Istvan Kertész. London: 421810-2 LM2 [ADD]. Simándy; Hungarian State Orchestra, Buda mac paest Chorus; conducted by Antal Dorati. Hungaroton: HCD-11392 [ADD]. Simándy; Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra; conducted by Antal Dorati, recorded live on 16 December 1967. 8-Bis: CD-421/424 (mono/stereo) [ADD]. Selected Bibliography: Eösze, László. Zoltán Kodály: His Life and Work, 156160. Boston: Crescendo Publishing Company, 1962. Young, Percy M. Zoltán Kodály: A Hungarian Musician, 74-81. London: Ernest Benn Limited, 1964. Pahlen, Kurt. The World of the Oratorio, 198-199. Portland, OR: Amadeus Press, 1985. Berger, Melvin. Guide to Choral Masterpieces: A Listener’s Guide, 189-190. New York: Anchor Books, 1993.
Budavári Te Deum (1936) Duration: ca. 20 minutes Text: The text is the “Te Deum laudamus,” a fourth-century Ambrosian song of praise in Latin, which is one of the principal canticles of the Roman Catholic rite of Morning Prayer. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets in A, 2 bassoons, 4 horns in F, 3 trumpets in C, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, organ (optional), and strings First Performance: 11 September 1936;338 Budapest. Edition: Te Deum is published by Universal Edition. The piano-vocal score (10849), choral score (10849a), and miniature score (PH.276) are available for purchase; orchestral materials are available through rental. Notes: This work was composed to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the city of Buda being successfully defended from invading Turks. The work combines “the pentatonic modes of immemorial Pannonia
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with devotional ecclesiastical tropes set in freely modulating triadic harmonies.”339
Text: The text is in Latin and is taken from the Roman Catholic eucharistic liturgy.
Performance Issues: The solo passages are very brief; in fact, the bass and alto soloists sing in fewer than eight measures. The soprano solo is the most important, but still represents only two dozen measures of singing. The chorus has two-part divisi in each section. This work is scored for a very large chorus. The soprano and tenor sections have some very high sustained passages. All of the vocal parts are forceful and sustained, suggesting the use of a mature choir. The choral material is functionally tonal with some folkmusic-inspired modal inflections. The melodic material is triadic and scalar. The vocal passages are thoroughly supported by the accompaniment. There are a number of rapid chromatic passages for the woodwinds and the strings, which are fairly idiomatic. The brass section is engaged in fanfare-like material throughout most of the work. Stamina for the brass players must be a consideration in programming and rehearsal scheduling. Also of programming consideration is that for all of its grandeur and bombast, this work ends pianissimo. Soloists: soprano - range: c#'b♭'', tessitura: e'-e'', this is a declamatory solo with
Performing Forces: voices: SATB choir; orchestra: 3 flutes (flute III doubling piccolo), 2 oboes, 2 clarinets in B♭, 2 bassoons, 4 horns in F, 3 trumpets in C, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, organ (optional), and strings
broad melodic leaps; alto - range: d'-b♭', tessitura: d'b♭', this is a very brief solo; tenor - range: g#-b♭', tessitura: a-f', this is a declamatory solo with some sustained high singing; bass - range: c-b♭, tessitura: c-b♭, this is a brief solo. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Hungarian Radio Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by János Ferencsik. Hungaroton: MK-11397 [LP]. Jurinac, Wagner, Christ, Poell; Vienna Choir and Vienna Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Henry Swoboda. Westminster: WL 5001 [LP]. Selected Bibliography: Eösze, László. Zoltán Kodály: His Life and Work, 163166. Boston: Crescendo Publishing Company, 1962. Young, Percy M. Zoltán Kodály: A Hungarian Musician, 101-103. London: Ernest Benn Limited, 1964. Pahlen, Kurt. The World of the Oratorio, 200-201. Portland, OR: Amadeus Press, 1985. Berger, Melvin. Guide to Choral Masterpieces: A Listener’s Guide, 190-191. New York: Anchor Books, 1993.
Missa brevis (1944) Duration: ca. 32 minutes 339 Nicolas Slonimsky, Music Since 1900, 5th edition, 398 (New York: Schirmer Books, 1994).
First Performance: 11 February 1945; Budapest Edition: Missa Brevis is published by Boosey and Hawkes. The piano-vocal score (LCB 12), choral score (LCB 39), full score (FSB 56), and miniature score (HPS 702) are available for purchase; orchestral materials are available through rental. Notes: The score is dedicated “Coniugi et consorti carisimae in anniversario XXXV — Beloved spouses and companions upon the thirty-fifth anniversary.” Performance Issues: This entire mass is contrapuntally conceived and reveals Kodály’s appreciation for sixteenth-century imitative procedures, which are combined with a twentieth-century harmonic palette colored by the modal language of traditional Hungarian music. The work primarily uses a four-part choral texture, but there are two-part divisi for all sections of the choir. There are three-part soli for the sopranos. The uppermost of these parts goes up to c''' a number of times. The choral parts are thoroughly doubled by the orchestra throughout the work. There are divisi for all strings except the cellos. The doublebasses must be able to play down to CC#. The instrumental writing is conservative and well-conceived for the individual instruments. There is significant doubling between the sections of the orchestra and very little exposed playing for any single instrument. Flute I and bassoon I have the most prominent solo passages. All of the organ material is doubled within the orchestra, but its timbre greatly enhances the overall effect of the piece as the organ part is present throughout most of the work. If an organ is used, a strong player must be engaged. Also, because of the pervasive nature of the organ part, forethought must be given to the selection of registrations. A prerehearsal consultation with the organist is strongly recommended. The manner in which the choral parts are doubled by the orchestra is likely to create balance troubles. Care must be taken to combat the dense texture of the orchestra with unusually clear vocal articulations. It may also prove helpful to place the choir in front, or along the sides, of the orchestra in an attempt to separate the sounds of the two ensembles. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography:
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Hungarian Radio Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Ferencsik. Hungaroton: MK-11397 [LP]. Brighton Festival Chorus; conducted by L. Heltay. London: 433080-2 LM [LP]. with organ accompaniment: National Presbyterian Church Choir of Washington, DC; conducted by Schaefer. WCFM: WCFM 4 [LP]. This is the choir which gave the first performance of this work in the United States.340 Selected Bibliography: Seiber, Matyas. “Kodály: Missa Brevis.” Tempo, number 4 (1947): 3. Eösze, László. Zoltán Kodály: His Life and Work, 161163. Boston: Crescendo Publishing Company, 1962. Young, Percy M. Zoltán Kodály: A Hungarian Musician, 127-130. London: Ernest Benn Limited, 1964. Berger, Melvin. Guide to Choral Masterpieces: A Listener’s Guide, 191-192. New York: Anchor Books, 1993.
LAMBERT, Constant (b. London, 23 August 1905; d. London, 21 August 1951). Lambert was educated at Christ’s Hospital (19151922) and the Royal College of Music (1922-1926). At the latter, his teachers included Ralph Vaughan Williams and Reginald Morris. In 1926, his Romeo and Juliet was the first work of a British composer to be performed on a commission from Diaghilev and the Ballet Russe. The focus of his career became and remained conducting. He conducted the Camargo Society (1930-1931), Vic-Wells Ballet (1931-1947, artistic director 1949-1951). He also led performances of Puccini and Purcell at Sadler’s Wells and Covent Garden. He made over fifty radio broadcasts, championing the works of Liszt, Weill, Chabrier, Purcell, Satie, and Walton. As a cunning writer, Lambert contributed a regular column to the Nation and Athenaeum and the Sunday Referee. He also authored a book on music, Music Ho! A Study of Music in Decline (1934). Lambert’s music is distinguished by a unique blend of jazz and concert styles, which he molds into elegant forms with strong forward momentum. The most prominent influences in his music are Frederick Delius and Duke Ellington.341 Teachers: R. O. Morris, Ralph Vaughan Williams Principal Works: ballets - Romeo and Juliet (19241925), Pomona (1926), Tiresias (1937); orchestral The Bird Actors (1925), Champêtre (1926), Elegiac Blues (1927), Music for Orchestra (1927), Piano 340 Philip L. Miller, The Guide to Long-Playing Records: Choral Music, 128 (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1955).
Concerto (1930-1931), Aubade héroïque (1942); choral - Dirge from Cymbeline (1940); many chamber works and arrangements. Selected Composer Bibliography: Foss, Hugh. “Constant Lambert.” The Musical Times, xcii (1951): 449. Hansler, George E. Stylistic Characteristics and Trends in the Choral Music of Five Twentieth-Century Composers: A Study of the Choral Works of Benjamin Britten, Gerald Finzi, Constant Lambert, Michael Tippett, and William Walton. New York University, dissertation, 1957. Palmer, Christopher. “Constant Lambert — a Postscript.” Music and Letters, lii (1971): 173. Shead, Richard. Constant Lambert. London: Simon Publications of Butterworth Press, 1973. Crichton, Ronald. “Lambert, Constant.” In The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, edited by Stanley Sadie, ix: 394-96. 20 volumes. London: Macmillan, 1980.
The Rio Grande (1927) Duration: ca. 14-16 minutes Text: Sachereverell Sitwell from The Thirteenth Caesar and Other Poems Performing Forces: voices: SATB choir; orchestra: 2 trumpets in C, 2 cornets in A, 3 trombones, tuba, percussion (5 players - xylophone, keyboard glockenspiel, triangle, castanets, small cowbell, tambourine, snare drum [with brushes], tenor drum, Chinese tomtom, temple block, cymbals, suspended cymbal, bass drum, tam-tam, 3 timpani), and strings; solo pianist First Performance: 1928; BBC Broadcast; Hamilton Harty, piano; conducted by the composer Edition: The Rio Grande is published and distributed by Oxford University Press. The piano-vocal score, solo piano part, and study score are for sale; orchestral materials are available for rent. Autograph: Copies of the composer’s manuscript are in the possession of Oxford University Press and the BBC. Notes: The Rio Grande is dedicated to Angus Morrison. Lambert was an experienced conductor and skilled orchestrator. The performance indications (particularly the percussion parts) are more thorough than most works of this era. The score contains the following note from the composer:
341 Ronald Crichton, “Lambert, Constant,” in The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, edited by Stanley Sadie, ix: 39496 (20 volumes) (London: Macmillan, 1980).
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
“A large chorus is not necessary for this work and, indeed if more than a hundred voices are used I recommend subdividing the choir into semichorus, medium chorus, and tutti, using the whole choir only for the more strenuous sections. The chorus is only a part of the work and no more important than, say, the piano part and it is essential that the singers should have absolute rhythmic precision as the least lagging behind will ruin the ensemble. The chorus should aim at a rather more theatrical and pungent style of singing than is usual with most choral societies. All instructions concerning the method of playing the percussion instruments should be meticulously followed and a separate rehearsal of the cadenza is recommended. There is a special arrangement of the percussion part (without timpani) for 3 players, which may be used when absolutely necessary. When there are only 4 players this arrangement should be used with the addition of the timpani part. It is undesirable, though, that the original 5 player version should be used. The cornet parts should not be played by trumpets. Fibre mutes in the brass instruments will be found to yield better results than brass mutes.”
Of the work, Lyndon Jenkins writes: It was the success of The Rio Grande during 1928-29 that first gave Lambert a place alongside William Walton in the roster of up-and-coming English composers at that time. Composed in 1927 when he was just 22 and dedicated to the pianist Angus Morrison, this setting of a poem by Sacheverell Sitwell was heard from a BBC studio in 1928; the following year its first public performances in Manchester and London created quite a furore and brought Lambert overnight fame. At both the conductor of the Hallé Orchestra, Sir Hamilton Harty, surrendered the baton to the composer and despatched the important piano part brilliantly (as the famous old recording made at the time confirms). Nearly 20 years later Lambert conducted the work again for the gramophone: this time the soloists were the pianist sister [Hyla] of the conductor Hyam Greenbaum and Gladys Ripley, whose career was cut short by cancer two years afterwards when she was only 47. Although in later life Lambert was inclined to value others of his works, such as Summer’s Last Will and Testament and the Piano Concerto, above The Rio Grande, it has remained in musicians’ estimations the most significant of all his original works, and it has achieved the greatest popularity with the public.342
Performance Issues: This is a charming and remarkably well-crafted work, which is the epitome of the melding between the European elite and the jazz age. It is truly a piano concerto with chorus. The score requires intense reinforcement of rhythmic precision. All parts present some rhythmic difficulties, but there are certain repeated dance figures, which form the basis of most of the work. The harmonic language is tonal with occasional chromatic passages. The borrowed pitches are not used functionally (as in modulations or tonicizations), but instead are used to imitate jazz styles. There are frequent dissonances in the choir, which are always prepared effectively, but may present problems in intonation. The choral parts also exercise a good amount of rhythmic independence, 342 Lyndon Jenkins, notes for Constant Lambert Conducts. EMI Classics Great Recordings of the Century series, 1992. EMI: CDH 7 63911 2.
which may be prohibitive to the clarity of the text if this is not stressed. The first trumpet has a demanding and somewhat high part. It is important to use both cornets and trumpets as their timbres are contrasted in the score. All of the percussion parts need experienced players, since the parts call for a variety of playing methods on each instrument. The strings present no particular difficulties. Soloists: there is a twelvemeasure alto solo, range: d'- e'', tessitura: g'- d'', it is not difficult and requires a “torch-singer” style. The solo piano part is featured throughout in a bravura jazzlike role, which includes substantial, notated, cadenzas. It is an extremely demanding part requiring a first-rate player with a good understanding of the style of Gershwin and Porter. This piece has fallen into neglect despite its quality of composition and nostalgic charm. It would ideally be placed on a program of similar choral works or as a companion to another short piano-orchestra work such as Richard Addinsell’s Warsaw Concerto, or as a witty pairing with Beethoven’s Choral Fantasy. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Hamilton Harty, piano; St. Michael’s Singers, Hallé Orchestra; conducted by the composer. Columbia Masterworks: X52 [78]. Cristina Ortiz, piano; London Madrigal Singers, London Symphony Orchestra; conducted by André Previn. HMV: ASD 2990 [LP]. Kyla Greenbaum, piano; Gladys Ripley, contralto; BBC Chorus, Philharmonia Orchestra; conducted by the composer. Recorded: 13 January 1949. Columbia: CAX 10427-30 [78], DX 1591-2 [LP]; re-released as EMI: CDM 7 63911 2 [ADD mono]. S. Burgess, J. Gibbons; English Northern Philharmonia; conducted by David Lloyd-Jones. Hyperion: CDA 66565 [DDD]. Della Jones, Kathryn Scott; BBC Concert Orchestra and BBC Singers; conducted by Barry Wordsworth. Argo: 436118-2 ZH [DDD]. Selected Bibliography: McPhee, Colin. “Winter Chronicle New York.” Modern Music, VIII/3 (March/April 1931): 42. Mills, Charles. “Over the Air.” Modern Music, XVII/1 (November/ December 1940): 65. Foreman, Lewis. From Parry to Britten: British Music in Letters 1900-1945, 103, 303. Portland, OR: Amadeus Press, 1987.
Summer’s Last Will and Testament (19321935)
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Duration: ca. 53 minutes Text: Thomas Nashe, from the play of the same title (1593) Performing Forces: voices: baritone soloist; SATB choir; orchestra: 3 flutes (flute III doubling piccolo), 2 oboes, English horn, 2 clarinets, bass clarinet, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 4 horns, 3 trumpets in C, 2 Cornets in B♭, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion (3 players - snare drum, tenor drum, bass drum, tambourine, suspended cymbal, crash cymbal, gong, triangle, cowbell, rattle, xylophone), 2 harps, and strings First Performance: 29 January 1936; London; BBC Symphony Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by the composer
range: A-e', tessitura: e-c', lyric with long phrases. The solo is only in the final movement and involves only about three minutes of singing. Choir: medium; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: W. Shimmel, English Northern Philharmonia; conducted by David Lloyd-Jones. Hyperion: CDA 66565 [DDD]. Selected Bibliography: Copland, Aaron. “Scores and Records.” Modern Music (March/April 1938): 179. Cutler, Helen Miller. “Ann Arbor Celebrates FiftyEighth Anniversary of Its May Festival.” Musical America (June 1951): 34.
First performance in the United States: 6 May 1951; Ann Arbor, MI; University of Michigan Choral Union, Philadelphia Orchestra; conducted by Thor Johnson. Edition: Summer’s Last Will and Testament is published and distributed by Oxford University Press. The piano-vocal score is for sale; orchestral materials are available for rent. There was a limited edition score with illustrations by Michael Ayrton. Autograph: The full score is a facsimile of the composer’s manuscript. Performance Issues: This is a chromatic yet tonally oriented work. It is very well orchestrated, treating each instrument idiomatically; Lambert introduces many coloristic effects. There are many indications regarding the methods of playing various passages. The choral writing is generally homophonic with three-part divisi in the men’s parts and two-part divisi for the women. Only about a third of the work has singing. The choral parts are quite accessible; however, a large ensemble is required. Likewise, a full string section will be needed to balance the rest of the orchestra. As in Lambert’s Rio Grande, cornets and trumpets must be used as indicated. The full score is very difficult to read, but the parts have been commercially extracted. The score order is inconsistent throughout the work. Most of the percussion parts were added to the ink score in pencil. The reproduction of those lines is particularly unclear. The lack of clarity is compounded by some shorthand marking in these parts. There are prominent solos for the concertmaster, timpanist, and tuba player. All of the wind parts have intricate passagework. There are few challenges to good ensemble integration. The string writing is fairly conservative. The lowest string of each harp is to be tuned down to C. This work is ideal for a symphonic chorus as the focal work of an orchestra program. Soloist: baritone, 343 Niall O’Loughlin, “Lees, Benjamin,” in The New Grove Dictionary of American Music, edited by H. Wiley Hitchcock, iii: 25 (4 volumes) (London: Macmillan, 1986).
LEES, Benjamin (b. Harbin, China, 8 January 1924; d. Glen Cove, NY, 31 May 2010) As an infant, Lees moved with his family to the United States He studied at the University of Southern California (1945-1948) with Halsey Stevens, Ernst Kanitz, and Ingolf Dahl. This was followed by four years of private study with George Antheil. From 1954 to 1961, Lees devoted his full attention to composition, residing in various European cities under a series of grants. Since returning to the United States, he has taught at the Peabody Conservatory (1962-1964, 1966-1968), Queens College, CUNY (1964-1966), the Manhattan School (1972-1974), and the Juilliard School (1976-1977). Lees’s musical style is fairly conservative, having developed in reasonable seclusion. His music is modally chromatic and highly rhythmic, with frequent changes of meter, betraying the influence of Bartok and Prokofieff.343 Teachers: George Antheil, Ingolf Dahl, Ernest Kanitz, Halsey Stevens Awards: Fromm Foundation Award (1953), Guggenheim Fellowship (1954), NEA Award (1981). Principal Works: opera - The Oracle (1956); orchestral - four symphonies (1953, 1958, 1968, 1985), two piano concertos (1955, 1966), Violin Concerto (1958), Oboe Concerto (1963), Concerto for String Quartet and Orchestra (1964), Concerto for Woodwind Quintet and Orchestra (1976), Concerto for Brass Choir and Orchestra (1983), Portrait of Rodin (1984); vocal -
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Medea of Corinth (S, Mez, Bar, B, wind quintet and timpani) (1970), The Trumpet of the Swan, narrator and orchestra (1972); many songs and chamber pieces. Selected Composer Bibliography: Cooke, Derryck. “The Music of Benjamin Lees.” Tempo, no. 51 (1959): 20. O’Loughlin, Niall. “Lees, Benjamin.” In The New Grove Dictionary of American Music, edited by H. Wiley Hitchcock, iii: 25. 4 volumes. London: Macmillan, 1986.
Visions of Poets (1961) Duration: ca. 40 minutes Text: Walt Whitman Performing Forces: voices: soprano and tenor soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 3 flutes (flute III doubling piccolo), 3 oboes (oboe III doubling English horn), 3 clarinet (clarinet III doubling bass clarinet), 3 bassoons (bassoon III doubling contrabassoon), 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion (3 players - snare drum, tenor drum, bass drum, tambourine, cymbals, tam-tam, whip, triangle, woodblock, xylophone, glockenspiel), harp, celeste, and strings First Performance: 15 May 1962; Seattle Opera House; Seattle Symphony Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Milton Katims Edition: Visions of Poets is published and distributed by Boosey and Hawkes. Piano-vocal scores may be purchased; orchestral materials are available by rent. Autograph: The full score is a facsimile of the composer’s manuscript. Notes: Visions of Poets was commissioned by the Seattle Symphony Orchestra for the Formal Dedication of the Seattle Opera House. Performance Issues: This is a dramatic and challenging work. It is very chromatic with a pronounced emphasis upon half-step relationships. All of the frequent trills are of a semitone, and there is frequent exploitation of the cross-relation of major and minor thirds within triads. There are frequent metric changes and constant shifts in rhythmic stress. Lees establishes many polyrhythmic devices, which will prove difficult to execute. These relationships include 7 against 4, 5 against 4, and 5 against 3. The choral writing is strictly homophonic with clear doublings of the vocal parts in the orchestra. There are some peculiar enharmonic spellings in the solo and ensemble vocal parts, which should perhaps be noted for more efficient reading. There are divisi in all parts. Not only are the choral parts significantly simpler than the remainder of this work, but they represent only about ten minutes of music. Although there are many extreme dissonances in the choral portion, the preparation of the choir will not require a great amount of rehearsal. The
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
instrumental difficulties are mostly the awkward integration of rhythmically diverse material. There is an exposed and fairly high trumpet solo in the final movement. Soloists: soprano, range: c#'-b'', tessitura: g'-g'', sustained and powerful with long phrases; tenor, range: d-a', tessitura: a-f', lyric and sustained with broad melodic leaps. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: difficult. Discography: No commercial recording Selected Bibliography: Guzzo, Louis R. [review of premiere], Seattle Times (16 May 1962). Cooke, Derryck. “Benjamin Lees’s Visions of Poets.” Tempo, lxviii (1964): 25.
LIGETI, György (b. Dicsöszentmárton, Transylvania, 28 May 1923; Vienna, Austria,12 June 2006) Ligeti’s music is quite distinctive for its use of sonority as a structural element over motive through procedures, which he calls micropolyphony. He studied at the Kolozsvar Conservatory with Ferenc Farkas, and privately with Pál Kadosa. He continued his studies at the Budapest Academy of Music (1945-1949), studying again with Farkas, and with Lajos Bárdos, Pál Járdányi, and Sándor Veress. He taught at the Budapest Academy from 1950 until 1956 when he fled Hungary following the unsuccessful revolution of that year. He worked for North German Radio and taught at the Music School of Stockholm and the summer institute at Darmstadt until 1973 when he joined the faculty of the Hamburg Hochschule für Musik. His works are often quite experimental, but have achieved a broad audience, in part, because of the inclusion of the Kyrie from his Requiem into the soundtrack of the film 2001: A Space Odyssey. He has received many awards, including an honorary membership in the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters (1984) and the Grawemeyer Award (1986). Principal Works: opera - Le Grand Macabre (1977); orchestral - Apparitions (1959), Atmosphères (1961), Lontano (1967), Ramifications (1969), Piano Concerto (1988); chamber - two String Quartets (1954, 1968); keyboard - Hungarian Rock (1978), Passacaglia ungherese (1978); choral - Cantata for Youth (1949), Lux aeterna (1966), Drei Phantasien (1983) Selected Composer Bibliography: Nordwall, Ove. “György Ligeti.” Tempo, volume 88 (1969): 22. ———. György Ligeti: Eine Monographie. Mainz: B. Schotts Söhne, 1970. Griffiths, Paul. György Ligeti. London: 1983.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Soria, D. “György Ligeti: Distinguished and Unpredictable.” Musical America (September 1987).
Requiem (1963-1965) Duration: ca. 27 minutes Text: The text is from the Roman Catholic Mass for the Dead. Performing Forces: voices: soprano and mezzosoprano soloists, 2 SMATB choirs; orchestra: 3 flutes (flutes II and III doubling piccolo), 3 oboes (oboe III doubling English horn), 3 clarinets in B♭ (clarinet II doubling bass clarinet in B♭, clarinet III doubling contrabass clarinet in B♭, one of the clarinets doubling so-
prano clarinet in E♭), 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 4 horns in F, 3 trumpets in C, bass trumpet in E♭ or C, tenor trombone, “tenor-bass” trombone, contrabass trombone, tuba, percussion (3 players - glockenspiel, xylophone, snare drum, bass drum, tambourine, suspended cymbal, large tam-tam, whip), harp, harpsichord, celeste, and strings. The score suggests a minimum of 60 singers in choir I, but a preference for 80 to 100. This group has 20 independent parts in some passages with 4-part divisi in each choral section. A minimum of 120 singers is recommended for choir II. The minimum strings possible is 12-12-10-86. First Performance: 14 March 1965; Stockholm. It was also performed on 21 September 1968 in Warsaw as part of the 42nd Festival of the International Society for Contemporary Music. Edition: Requiem is published by Peters. The piano-vocal score (8152) and full score (P4841) are available for purchase only; orchestral materials are available through rental. Autograph: The full score is a facsimile of the composer’s manuscript. Notes: Requiem was commissioned by Swedish Radio. The full score is accompanied by a twenty-three page booklet of translations, page-by-page, of the indications in the score. There are additional performance indications in the front matter of the score, which greatly enhance the utility of the score. In this work, Ligeti has set portions of the Missa pro defunctis. Performance Issues: Kurt Pahlen writes of the Requiem, “It exceeds in difficulty of performance almost anything written for voices, instruments, and the perfecting of their combined effects.”344 The score is in C with octave displacements for doublebasses, piccolo, and contrabassoon, but not xylophone. The score 344 Kurt Pahlen lists 2 September 1936 as the premiere date in The World of the Oratorio, 200 (Portland, OR: Amadeus Press, 1985).
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also states that the glockenspiel sounds one octave higher than written, but the composer probably intended the normal two-octave transposition. The flute II must have a low-B foot. The bassoons and contrabassoon are asked to use mutes in the Kyrie – for this, the composer suggests the use of a handkerchief. The bass trumpet part is printed for both C and E♭ instruments. It will be necessary to acquire a mute for the bass trumpet. The double basses must be capable of playing down to BBB. The composer’s notes state that the barlines are for synchronization of parts, and are not meant to imply any metric organization. There are Sprechstimme parts, which combine approximate pitch and whispers. There are numerous rhythmic features, which present substantial challenges including as many as two changes of subdivision per player in a single measure, and compound subdivisions of the beat into 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 3, and 2 parts simultaneously from diverse sections of the ensemble. The pitch material is highly chromatic with craggy leaping melodic passages for all singers and players. There are also many dense tone-clusters with the constituents in a constant state of flux. The choral material for choir I is extremely difficult with numerous densely voiced passages and some tremendously difficult rhythms. The choir II writing is much less confounding and occupies only about five minutes of the work. That portion could be executed by a large collegiate or community chorus. Most of the choral material is doubled by the orchestra; however, the textures are often dense enough to render supporting lines indistinguishable. The individual orchestra parts are quite difficult due to extremes of range, sudden dynamic contrasts, and rapid, nonconventional leaps for all players. The literalness of some of Ligeti’s notation makes it difficult to discern some of the rhythms. It may be prudent to indicate the placement of beats within the measures of movement III in the instrumental parts to clarify the rhythmic organization of the score. The overall sonic effect of the score is tremendous, and although fiercely difficult, all of the indications are possible and reveal the composer’s remarkable understanding of the sounds and methods of the orchestral and choral palettes. The intensity of this score and the challenges presented within it demand that it be programmed with music of a much different style. Soloists: soprano range: b-d'''(optional e♭'''), tessitura: c'-b'', this role is filled with broad leaps, one exceeding two octaves, with little support from the accompaniment, this soloist must be capable of soft and sustained singing at the top of the range; mezzo-soprano - range: g-a'', tessitura: b-f'', this role is comprised of broad atonal leaps and sustained high singing. Choir: very difficult; Orchestra: very difficult.
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Selected Discography: Poli, Ericson; Hesse Radio Symphony Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Michael Gielen. Wergo: WER60045-50 [ADD]. Selected Bibliography: Salmanhaara, E. Das musikalishe Material und seine Behandlung in den Weihen “Apparitions”“Atmospheres,” “Aventures,” and “Requiem” von Gyorgy Ligeti. Helsinki and Regensberg, 1969.
Uhren und Wolken [Clocks and Clouds] (1972-73) Duration: ca. 13 minutes Text: The text is a collection of syllables chosen by the composer for their sound qualities. Performing Forces: voices: SSSSMMMMAAAA choir or soloists; orchestra: 5 flutes (flute I doubling alto flute; flutes 3, 4, and 5 doubling piccolo), 3 oboes, 5 clarinets in B♭ (clarinet V doubling bass clarinet in B♭), 4 bassoons (bassoon IV doubling contrabassoon), 2 trumpets, percussion (2 players - glockenspiel, vibraphone), 2 harps, celeste, 4 violas, 6 cellos, 4 doublebasses First Performance: 15 October 1973; Graz Edition: Uhren und Wolken is published by Schott. All materials are available through rental. Autograph: The full score is a copy of the composer’s manuscript. Notes: Uhern und Wolken is dedicated to the memory of Harold Kaufmann. It was composed for the “Musikprotokoll” program of the Steiermark studio of Austrian Radio in Graz. Performance Issues: The score is notated in C. Those instruments with octave transpositions (piccolo and doublebass, etc.) are indicated at traditional written pitch rather than in the sounding octave. There are quarter-tone passages for the singers and the instrumentalists. The singers are given nonsense syllables throughout, which are spelled in the International Phonetic Alphabet. There appears to be a numerological significance to the presence of thirteen vowel and thirteen consonant sounds in this text. The presence of twelve singers appears to be significant to the title as well. The composer suggests that for the balance to be successful, a large chorus may be placed behind the instruments, but if a small chorus is employed, it should be placed evenly with, or in front of, the instruments. For this configuration, Ligeti recommends placing the singers in the areas vacated by the violins who do not play in this work. One of the most significant challenges facing conductors of this work is the marginal legibility of the score. Not only is the
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
orchestration often dense and complex, but the manuscript is inconsistent and, at times, wholly illegible. The score requires the doublebass IV to have a fivestring instrument with the lowest string tuned to low BB. Each of the string players has an independent part. All of the instrumental parts are virtuosic. The strings, harp, flutes, oboes, and bassoons are asked to play some sections in harmonics. There are regularly occuring staggered entrances throughout the ensemble on uneven divisions of the beat. The instrumental pitch material often consists of rapid overlapping chromatic scales, creating dense clusters of vertical quarter and half steps. The pitch material of the choir begins as a unison, which is supported by the orchestra. Through a gradual unfolding of quarter-tone scales, the singers achieve a very dissonant tonal sonority. The beat is divided into 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10, 15, and 16 even parts with as many as five different divisions occuring simultaneously. The overall sonic effect is remarkable and dramatic with a great variety of colors and textures creating a very logical overall shape; however, the internal workings of the piece, which create this effect are fiercely difficult to achieve accurately. Choir: very difficult; Orchestra: very difficult. Discography: No commercial recording Selected Bibliography: Sandner, W. “Graz: Musikprotokoll beim ‘Steirer Herbst’ 1973.” Neue Zeitschrift für Musik, volume 134, number 12 (1973): 800-802. “Urauffuehrungen.” Schweizerische Musikzeitung, volume 113, number 6 (1973): 378. “First Performances.” The World of Music, volume 16, number 1 (1974): 69. Brunner, G. “Musikprotokoll 73.” Musica, volume 28, number 1 (1974): 69. Polaczek, D. “Reife Freuchte und saure Trauben beim Musikprotokoll in Graz.” Melos, volume 41, number 1 (1974): 38-42.
LISZT, Franz (b. Raiding, Hungary, 22 October 1811; d. Bayreuth, Germany, 31 July 1886) Liszt’s name has become synonymous with virtuoso. He began concertizing at age nine and was touring internationally three years later. He achieved the nineteenth-century equivalent of superstardom by the time he reached his early twenties. He lived in Paris from 1823 to 1835. During this time, he established close friendships with Berlioz, Chopin, Paganini, Eugène Délacroix, George Sand, and many other notable figures. He applied to the Paris Conservatory, but was rejected by the director Cherubini because he was a foreigner, so he studied composition privately. Liszt was a lover of women. He never married, but he did
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
have two long-term relationships, the first with Comtesse Marie d’Agoult who bore him three children, including Cosima who later married Hans von Bülow and then Wagner; and Princess Carolyn Sayn Wittgenstein. He took four minor orders in the Roman Catholic Church and received the tonsure, but was never ordained. Much of Liszt’s piano musc was composed to demonstrate his extraordinary talent as a performer, which has led to an undeserved trivialization of his compositions. He was an innovator of keyboard technique, but never at the expense of musical integrity. He also developed the orchestral tone poem, which began an entire genre of programmatic orchestral music. Many of the harmonic revolutions credited to Wagner are actually foreshadowed in the works of Liszt. As a choral composer, he demonstrates an unusual sensitivity for the voice. Teachers: Anton Reicha, Antonio Salieri Students: Conrad Ansorge, Jean Paul Ertel, Salomon Jadassohn, Émile Sauer, Giovanni Sgambati Writings: De la fondation Goethe à Weimar. Leipzig: 1851. Lohengrin et Tannhäuser de Richard Wagner. Leipzig: 1851. Frederick Chopin. Paris: 1852. Des bohemiens et de leur musique en Hongrie. Paris: 1859. Über John Fields Nocture. Leipzig: 1859. Robert Schumanns musikalisches Haus- und Lebensregeln. Leipzig: 1860. Other Principal Works: orchestral: Les Préludes (1856), Mazeppa (1858), Hamlet (1859), Mephisto Waltz (1860), A Faust Symphony (1853-1861); choral: Psalm 13 (1855), Hungarian Coronation Mass (1867), Psalm 116 (1871), Missa Choralis (1886); piano: Années de Pèlerinages (1848-1861), Études d’exécution Transcendante (1866), 20 Hungarian Rhapsodies (1851-1886), hundreds of other compositions and transcriptions for piano. Selected Composer Bibliography: Ramann, Lina. Franz Liszt als Künstler und Mensch, 3 volumes. Leipzig: Breitkopf and Härtel, 1880-1894. Woodward, Ralph. The Large Sacred Choral Works of Franz Liszt. University of Illinois, doctoral dissertation, 1964. Searle, Humphrey. The Music of Liszt, revised edition. New York: Dover Books, 1966. Raabe, Peter. Franz Liszt, revised by Felix Raabe, 2 volumes. Tutzing: Hans Schneider, 1968. Franz Liszt. The Man and His Music, edited by Alan Walker. New York: Tapplinger, 1970. Perényi, Eleanor. Liszt: The Artist as Romantic Hero. Boston: Little, Brown, 1974. Gut, Serge. Franz Liszt: Les éléments du language musical. Paris: Klincksieck, 1975.
Dömling, Wolfgang. Franz Liszt und seine Zeit. Laaber: Laaber-Verlag, 1985. Merrick, Paul. Revolution and Religion in the Music of Liszt. London: Cambridge University Press, 1987. Brookins, John Barton. Thematic and Motivic Metamorphosis in the Masses and Oratorios of Franz Liszt. Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Doctoral dissertation, 1988. Walker, Alan. Franz Liszt, Volume I: The Virtuoso Years, 1811-1847; Volume II: The Weimar Years, 1848-1861, Volume III: The Final Years, 1861-1886. London: MacMillan, and New York: Knopf, 1983, 1989, and 1996. New Light on Liszt and His Music: Essays in Honor of Alan Walker's 65th Birthday, edited by Michael Saffle and James Deaville. Stuyvesant, NY: Pendragon Press, 1997. The Liszt Companion, edited by Ben Arnold. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2002. Saffle, Michael. Franz Liszt: A Guide to Research, 2nd edition. New York: Routledge, 2004.
Die Legende von der heiligen Elisabeth, S. 2 (1857-1862) Duration: ca. 120 minutes Text: The original German text is by Otto Roquette. K. Abranyi prepared a Hungarian singing translation for the premiere. Performing Forces: voices: Elisabeth (soprano), Sophie (mezzo-soprano), child Ludwig (alto), tenor, adult Ludwig (baritone), Hungarian Magnate (baritone), Seneschall (baritone), and Hermann (bass) soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 3 flutes, 2 oboes, English horn, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani (3 drums), percussion (2 players: snare drum, cymbals, low bell in E), harp, harmonium or organ, and strings First Performance: 15 August 1865; Budapest; the First Hungarian Music Festival, conducted by the composer First German performance: 24 February 1866; Munich; conducted by Hans von Bülow For the 800th anniversary of the Wartburg: 28 August 1867; conducted by the composer Editions: A critical edition of Die Legende von der heiligen Elisabeth is available in the Neue-Liszt Ausgabe, series 16. Full scores and parts are available from Kalmus and C. F. Peters. Autograph: The location of the autograph score is unknown. Notes: The oratorio is based upon the story of Princess Elisabeth of Hungary (1207-1231) who was canonized in 1235. The score is dedicated to Ludwig II of Bavaria. Liszt was inpired to compose this work when he was examining the frescoes in the Wartburg Castle that portray the principal events in Elisabeth’s life.
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The score incorporates a number of Hungarian folk tunes and the Gregorian chant sung on Elisabeth’s name day. Performance Issues: The choral writing is mostly homophonic with divisi in all parts. The work was clearly intended for a large festival choir and symphonic string section. The significant majority of the vocal material is performed by the soloists of whom Elizabeth and the adult Ludwig have the lion’s share. The choral material is sometimes vocally demanding due to range and sustained singing in tutti passages. There are two solo lines in the final movement labeled Bishop of Hungary and Bishop of Germany. These may be performed as soli, or by members of the choir. The child Ludwig solo occurs very near the beginning of the work, so a young singer could exit the stage following his one line. The individual orchestral parts are idiomatic and well within the abilities of a good college ensemble. This work is dramatically conceived with a great variety of textures and rubati that require a strong sense of ensemble playing from the orchestra. Soloists: Elisabeth (soprano) - range: d'-a'', tessitura: f'-f'', this is a dramatic and sustained role requiring a strong voice; Sophie (mezzo-soprano) - range: d♭'-a♭'', tessitura: f'-f'', this is a lyric role that could also be sung by a soprano; child Ludwig (child alto) - range: f'-d'', tessitura: f'-d'', this is a very brief and simple solo; Kaiser Friedrich (bass) - range: A♭-e♭', tessitura: c-c', this is a brief declamatory role; adult “Landgraf” Ludwig (baritone) - range: B♭-f#', tessitura: d-d', this is declamatory and demanding role; Hungarian Magnate (baritone) - range: d-d', tessitura: f-d', this is a brief declamatory role appropriate for a chorister; Seneschall (baritone) - range: d-e♭', tessitura: g♭-d♭', this is a simple declamatory role. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: difficult. Selected Discography: Éva Andor, Erzsébet Komlóssy, Lajos Miller, György Bordás, Józef Gregor, Kolos Kovács, Turinic Dusan, Eugenia Kraicírova; Czechoslovak Radio Children’s Choir at Bratislava, Slovak Philharmonic Choir and Orchestra; conducted by János Ferencsik. Hungaroton: SLPX 11650-52 [LP]. Éva Marton; Hungarian State Orchestra; conducted by Arpád Joó. Hungaroton: HCD 12694-96-2. Selected Bibliography: Pohl, Richard. “‘Die Legende von der heiligen Elisabeth.” In Franz Liszt: Studien und Erinnerungen. Gesammelte Schriften über Musikund Musiker, ii: 345 Ralph Woodward indicates approximately 210 minutes in The Large Sacred Choral Works of Franz Liszt, 254 (University of Illinois, Doctoral dissertation, 1964).
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
331-348. Leipzig: Bernhard Schlicke, 1883. This is a review of an early performance. Woodward, Ralph: The Large Sacred Choral Works of Franz Liszt, 218-252. University of Illinois, doctoral dissertation, 1964. Palotai, Michael. Liszt’s Concept of Oratorio as Reflected in his Writings and in “Die Legende von der heiligen Elisabeth.” University of Southern California, doctoral dissertation, 1977. Reinisch, Frank. “Liszts Oratorium Die Legende von der heiligen Elisabeth—ein Gegenentwurf zu Tannhäuser und Lohengrin.” Liszt-Studien 3 (1986): 128-151. Walker, Alan. Franz Liszt, Volume II: The Weimar Years, 1848-1861, 153, 278, 283, 297, 351, 513, 552. London: MacMillan, and New York: Knopf, 1989. Pahlen, Kurt. The World of the Oratorio, translated by Judith Schaefer with additional English-language material by Thurston Dox, 206-207. Portland, OR: Amadeus Press, 1990. Legány, Dezsö. “Liszt in Hungary, 1848-1867.” In New Light on Liszt and His Music: Essays in Honor of Alan Walker’s 65th Birthday, edited by Michael Saffle and James Deaville, 3-15. Stuyvesant, NY: Pendragon Press, 1997. Smither, Howard E. A History of the Oratorio, Volume 4: The Oratorio in the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries, 203-226. Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina Press, 2000. Saffle, Michael. “Sacred Choral Works.” In The Liszt Companion, edited by Ben Arnold, 335-363. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2002.
Christus, S. 3 (1855-1872) Duration: ca. 165 minutes345 Text: The composer compiled the Latin libretto from the Bible, hymns, and Roman Catholic liturgical texts. Performing Forces: voices: orchestra: 2 piccolos, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, English horn, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani (4 drums), percussion (2 players: cymbals, bass drum), harp, organ,346 and strings First Performance: 29 May 1873; Protestant State Church, Weimar, Germany; conducted by the composer. The first section was performed by the Vienna Society of Friends of Music in 1871 with Bruckner playing the organ and Anton Rubinstein conducting. Editions: A critical edition of Christus is available in the Neue-Liszt Ausgabe, series 16. Full scores and parts for Christus are available for purchase from Kalmus and C. F. Peters. 346 The 13th movement indicates a harmonium rather than organ.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Autograph: The autograph score is in the British Museum in London, other manuscripts are in the Stiftung Weimarer Klassik, Goethe-Schiller Archive in Weimar, and the Hungarian National Library in Budapest. Notes: Portions of this work were composed over a span of about twenty years, but the majority of it was completed between 1866 and 1872. It is a telling of the life of Christ, with the baritone soloist assigned to the titular role, in fourteen scenes. Performance Issues: Much of the choral material is homophonic with two-part divisi occurring intermittently in all choral sections. This includes numerous unaccompanied six-part chorale passages (with allocation of divisi varying by passage) and extended chantlike passages for unison choir. Little of the choral writing is contrapuntal. All of the accompanied choral parts are harmonically well supported by the orchestra. All of the orchestra writing is conservative and idiomatic. None of the individual parts is difficult, although some brass passages are sustained with moderately high tessiture for the first trumpet and horn parts. This score is easily within the abilities of moderately experienced community and college choirs and orchestras. Despite the presence of eleven brass parts, this work is practical for modest-sized string sections. All of the solos are accessible to strong students and amateurs. The third act is by far the most challenging portion of the work. There are substantial solo-quartet passages in the third act that are more vocally demanding than most of the truly solo passages in the previous two acts. Soloists: soprano - range: b'-b♭'', tessitura: g'-e'', this role has very few exposed passages, but does play a critical part in quartet passages so that a chorister with a strong voice could be suitable; mezzo-soprano - range: b-f'', tessitura: f'-d'', this role has the longest exposed solo writing, it is lyrical; tenor range: f#-g', tessitura: a-e', this role has very few exposed passages, but does play a critical part in quartet passages so that a chorister with a strong voice could be suitable; bass - range: G#-e', tessitura: f-d', this is a lyric and sustained solo portraying Christ, the majority of the writing is recitative-like with minimal or no accompaniment. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Veronika Kincses, Klára Takács, János Nagy, Sándor Sólyom-Nagy, László Polgár; Nyiregyhaza Children’s Choir, Hungarian Radio and Television Chorus, Hungarian State Orchestra; conducted by Antal Doráti. Hungaroton: HCD 12831-33-2. Originally released on LP as SLPD 12831-34. Selected Bibliography: Ramann, Lina. Franz Liszts Oratorium Christus: Eine Studie als Beitrag zur zeit- und musikgeschichtlichen
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Stellung desselben mit Notenbeispielen und dem Text des Werkes, 3rd edition. Leipzig: C. F. Kahnt, 1880. Upton, George. The Standard Oratorios, 186-190. Chicago: A. C. McClurg and Company, 1893. Woodward, Ralph. The Large Sacred Choral Works of Franz Liszt, 253-297. University of Illinois, Doctoral dissertation, 1964. Orr, Nathaniel Leon. Liszt’s “Christus” and Its Significance for Nineteenth-Century Oratorio. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, doctoral dissertation, 1979. ———. “Liszt, ‘Christus,’ and the Transormation of the Oratorio.” In Journal of the American Liszt Society 9 (1981): 4-18. Riedel, Friedrich W. “Die Bedeutung des ‘Christus’ von Franz Liszt in der Geschichte des Messias-Oratoriums.” In Liszt-Studien 2 (1981): 153-162. Knotik, Cornelia. Musik und Religion im Zeitalter des Historismus: Franz Liszts Wende zum Oratorienschaffen als aesthetisches Problem, 38-80. Eisenstadt: Burgenländisches Landesmuseum, 1982. Niemöller, Klaus Wolfgang. “Das Oratorium ‘Christus’ von Franz Liszt: Ein Beitrag zu seinen konzeptionellen Grundlagen.” In Beträge zur Geschichte des Oratoriums seit Händel: Festschrift Günther Massenkiel zum 60. Geburtstag, edited by Rainer Cadenbach and Helmut Loos, 329-342. Bonn-Bad Godesberg: Voggenreiter, 1986. Wagner, Gottfried. “L’éthique Lisztienne: La notion de ‘caritas’ dans ‘Les béatitudes’ du ‘Christus’ (186266).” Revue musicale, cdv-cdvii (1987): 119-125. Walker, Alan. Franz Liszt, Volume II: The Weimar Years, 1848-1861, 297, 323. London: MacMillan, and New York: Knopf, 1989. Pahlen, Kurt. The World of the Oratorio, translated by Judith Schaefer with additional English-language material by Thurston Dox, 208-211. Portland, OR: Amadeus Press, 1990. Hamburger, Klára. “Program and Hungarian Idiom in the Sacred Music of Liszt.” In New Light on Liszt and His Music: Essays in Honor of Alan Walker's 65th Birthday, edited by Michael Saffle and James Deaville, 239-251. Stuyvesant, NY: Pendragon Press, 1997. Smither, Howard E. A History of the Oratorio, Volume 4: The Oratorio in the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries, 226-248. Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina Press, 2000. Saffle, Michael. “Sacred Choral Works.” In The Liszt Companion, edited by Ben Arnold, 335-363. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2002.
LOCKWOOD, Normand (b. New York, 19 March 1906; d. 9 March 2002) Lockwood’s father Samuel was head of the violin department at the University of Michigan, where his
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Uncle Albert, was head of piano studies. Lockwood studied composition in Rome with Ottorino Respighi (1924-1925), and in Paris with Nadia Boulanger (1925-1928), returning to Rome (1929-1932) as a fellow of the American Academy. He returned to the United States where he has taught at Oberlin Conservatory (1932-1943), Columbia University (1945-1953), Trinity University, San Antonio (1953-1955), and the University of Denver (1961-1975) with brief residencies at Yale University, Westminster Choir College, the University of Oregon, and the University of Hawaii. Teachers: Nadia Boulanger, Ottorino Respighi Student: Peter Mennin Awards: Swift Prize, 2 Guggenheim Fellowships (1943, 1944), an Alice M. Ditson commission (1945), National Institute of Arts and Letters award (1947), Colorado Council on the Arts and Humanities grant (1971), the Marjorie Peabody Waite Award (1981). Principal Works: opera - The Scarecrow (1945), Early Dawn (1961), The Wizards of Balizar (1962), The Hanging Judge (1964), Requiem for a Rich Young Man (1964); orchestral - A Year’s Chronicle (1934), two symphonies (1934, 1979), Oboe Concerto (1968), Organ Concerto (1973), Piano Concerto (1974), Panegyric (1979), Prayers and Fanfares (1982); vocal Out of the Cradle Endlessly Rocking (1938), The Birth of Moses (1947), Elegy for a Hero (1951), Children of God (1956), Light Out of Darkness (1957), Choreographic Cantata (1968), For the Time Being (1971), Mass for Children and Orchestra (1976), Donne’s Last Sermon (1978), A Child’s Christmas in Wales (1984). Selected Composer Bibliography: Lynn, George. “Normand Lockwood and Choral Music.” American Composers’ Alliance Bulletin, vi/4 (1957): 3. Sprenger, Curtis Donald. A Study of the Text-Music Relationships in the Choral Works of Jean Berger, Cecil Effinger, and Normand Lockwood. University of Northern Colorado, dissertation, 1969. Davis, Tony Max. A Study of Stylistic Characteristics in Selected Major Choral Works of Normand Lockwood. University of Missouri at Kansas City, dissertation, 1980. Porter, Susan J. “Lockwood, Normand.” In The New Grove Dictionary of American Music, edited by H. Wiley Hitchcock, iii: 96-97. 4 volumes. London: Macmillan, 1986. Norton, Kay. Normand Lockwood: His Life and Music. Metuchen, NJ: Scarecrow Press, 1993.
The Prairie (1952) 347 Telephone conversation with Broude Bros., Publishers
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Duration: ca. 25 minutes Text: Carl Sandburg Performing Forces: voices: SATB choir; orchestra: 3 flutes (flute III doubling piccolo), 2 oboes, English horn, 2 clarinets, bass clarinet, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 2 trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion, and strings First Performance: May 1953; sixtieth Annual May Festival, Ann Arbor, MI; University of Michigan Choirs, Philadelphia Orchestra; conducted by Thor Johnson. Edition: The Prairie is published as a special festival edition for the University Musical Society of the University of Michigan by Broude Brothers. The pianovocal score is for sale; orchestral materials are available for rental. Autograph: The piano-vocal score is a facsimile of the composer’s manuscript most of the text is set with a typewriter. Notes: The Prairie was commissioned by the University Musical Arts Society of the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor for their annual May Festival. Compare with the setting by Lukas Foss. The score is performed without pauses, but it is organized into ten sections. Performance Issues: There was no copy of the full score in the possession of the publisher when this entry was written; however, in the event of a scheduled performance, they have a blueprint master and will generate a score.347 For this reason, this entry is based upon the piano-vocal score. The work is diatonic with frequent key changes. The choral writing is conservative and generally homophonic. Lockwood at times establishes one vocal line (usually the basses) as a solo part while the remaining vocal parts accompany it. There is paired doubling between the tenor and sopranos, and the altos and basses. There is excellent rhythmic organization with most figures occurring on at least one and often more levels of augmentation. The score is also filled with hemiolas. There are frequent choral unisons and divisi in all parts. The movements are to be performed successively without pause. Most of the melodic material emulates folk song, which is appropriate for Sandburg’s text, and also fitting because of his lifelong association with folk music. The ensemble for which this piece was composed (University Choral Union) had about three-hundred members, but it would be appropriate for a moderate sized ensemble. The music is very accessible and would be well suited for an amateur choral society. A large and confident bass section is definitely in order since that section has the majority of the melodic material, and presents the greatest portion of the text. From the
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
piano-reduction, the accompaniment appears to be quite simple. It is an attractive piece, which would be well paired with a work like Roy Harris’s Folk Song Symphony. Choir: medium; Orchestra: apparently, medium. Discography: No commercial recording Selected Bibliography: Davis, Tony Max. A Study of Stylistic Characteristics in Selected Major Choral Works of Normand Lockwood. University of Missouri, dissertation, 1980.
MAHLER, Gustav (b. Kalischt, Bohemia, 7 July 1860; d. Vienna, 18 May 1911) Mahler was regarded as the greatest virtuoso conductor of his generation, and he was one of the most influential composers in the transition from the Romanticism of the nineteenth century into the Expressionism of the early twentieth century. Following his death, many of his works fell into neglect, only to be reintroduced in performances led by Dmitri Mitropolous and Leonard Bernstein during the 1950s and 1960s. Bernstein stated that Mahler had brought the development of the symphonic form to its logical conclusion. Mahler studied philosophy and history at the University of Vienna and music at the Vienna Conservatory with Robert Fuchs and Franz Krenn. He received his first conducting appointment in 1880 and gradually rose through the ranks of German, Austrian, Czech, and Hungarian opera houses, being appointed assistant to Nikisch in Leipzig in 1888, principal conductor in Hamburg in 1891, and music director of the Vienna State Opera from 1897 to 1907. He also served as director of the Vienna Philharmonic from 1898 to 1901. In Vienna he established an unprecedented level of quality in his productions. He became music director of the Metropolitan Opera in New York in 1907 and the New York Philharmonic in 1909. He resigned both posts in 1911 following disputes with the boards of directors, returning to Austria where he died of a heart attack. Even Mahler’s works without texts are given programmatic titles or inscriptions. He often incorporates musical themes, which recur in successive works almost as lifelong leitmotives. There is an element of autobiography in much of his music, which as a reflection of his generation includes remarkable contrasts between humor and despair. Teachers: Robert Fuchs, Franz Krenn Principal Works: orchestral - ten symphonies (18831888, 1887-1894, 1893-1896, 1899-1901, 1901-1902, 1903-1905, 1904-1906, 1906-1907, 1909-1910, unfinished f.p. 1960); vocal - Das klagende Lied (18781880), Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen (1883-1885), Das Knaben Wunderhorn (1892-1901), Rückert
Lieder (1901-1903), Kindertotenlieder (1901-1904), Das Lied von der Erde (1907-1909). Selected Composer Bibliography: Mahler, Alma. Gustav Mahler: Memories and Letters, translated by Basil Creighton. New York: Viking Press, 1946. Walter, Bruno. Gustav Mahler, translated by James Galston. New York: Greystone Press, 1941; reprinted New York: Vienna House, 1973. La Grange, Henry-Louis de. Mahler, volume I. Garden City, NY: Doubleday and Co., 1973. ———. Gustav Mahler: Vienna: The Years of Challenge (1897-1904). Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1995. Bauer-Lechner, Natalie. Recollections of Gustav Mahler. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1980. Cooke, Deryck. Gustav Mahler: An Introduction to His Music. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1980. Filler, Susan M. Gustav and Alma Mahler: A Guide to Research. New York: Garland Publishing, 1989. Kennedy, Michael. Mahler, revised. New York: Schirmer Books, 1990.
Das klagende Lied (1878-1880; rev 1888, 1893-1902) Duration: ca. 40 minutes Text: The text, in German, is by Mahler, derived from a fairy tale by Ludwig Bechstein. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, and tenor soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 3 flutes (flute III doubling piccolo), 3 oboes (oboe III doubling English horn), 3 clarinets in B♭ (clarinet III doubling bass clar-
inet in B♭), 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 4 horns in F, 4 trumpets in F, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion (3 players - bass drum, cymbals, tam-tam, triangle), 2 harps, and strings. Additional “distant orchestra”: piccolo, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 4 clarinets in B♭, 4 horns in F, 2 trumpets in F, timpani, percussion (2 players - cymbals, triangle).
First Performance: 17 February 1901; Vienna; Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus, conducted by the composer first performance of Waldmärchen: 26 November 1934; radio broadcast from Brno; conducted by Alfred Rosé Edition: Das klagende Lied is available in multiple editions. The piano-vocal score, full score, and orchestral materials are available from Kalmus (A5603) for purchase. The full score is available from Universal Edition (51 16814) for purchase. An edition of the “Waldmarchen” movement is available with optional piano reduction from Rolf Budde Musikverlag through rental; a study score of this edition is available for purchase from Belwin. The “Waldmarchen”
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movement is also available from Universal Edition and Kalmus, although Kalmus has only the full score and not the orchestral materials. Autograph: The autograph of the sketches and orchestral draft of the second movement are in the Stadts und Landesbibliothek, Vienna. Portions of the sketches for the final movement are in the collection of J. Bruck in New York. The copyist’s fair copies with autograph corrections and the autograph fair copy are in the Pierpont Morgan Library in New York. Notes: This cantata is a dramatic presentation of the tale of a young prince who murders his elder brother to gain direct succession to the throne. His crime comes back to haunt him when a shepherd makes a flute from one of the discarded bones of the murdered sibling. The flute miraculously sings the story revealing the crime. The score was originally conceived in three sections, but was revised, omitting the Waldmärchen portion. Most recent scholarship leans in favor of the belief that the composer’s preferred version was the original in three parts, although many performances have been given of the two-sectioned version. In its original form the work was arranged in three movements. Performance Issues: The tam-tam does not appear in the instrumentation list at the beginning of the score. The choral parts are directly supported by the orchestra throughout the score. There are some divisi for each of the sections of the choir. The choral writing is primarily homophonic, and it is tonally centered at all times. The breadth of the orchestration and the dramatic nature of the work demand a large choir. The orchestral parts are all somewhat technically challenging, especially the string parts, which have a lot of filigree work. The brass parts are virtuosic with demands of endurance, range, and flexibility for all of the players. The placement of the “distant orchestra” will be problematic in most halls. It is important that they be able to see the podium, and the size of the group prohibits their being placed offstage with a monitor. The temporal integration of this group with the onstage orchestra and choir will present some difficulties, which will be rewarded in the stunning aural effect. An important consideration in performing this work is whether to include the Waldmärchen movement, which adds twenty-eight minutes to the work. In the Waldmärchen movement, Mahler asks that the two harp parts have three players each. There is also a baritone solo in this movement. Soloists: soprano - range: b♭-b'', tessitura: g'-g'', very sustained with some prolonged passages in the upper part of the range; alto range: a-e'', tessitura: d'-a', this role should be sung by a voice significantly darker than that chosen for the soprano soloist; tenor - range: e-b♭', tessitura: a♭-f', this is a lyric and sustained role. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: difficult.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Selected Discography: Steingruber, Wagner, Majkut; Vienna Chamber Choir, Vienna Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Fekete. Mercury: MG 10102 [LP]. Harper, Procter, Hollweg; Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Netherlands Radio Chorus; conducted by Bernard Haitink. Philips: 420113-2 PH2 [ADD]. E. Lear, E. Söderström, G. Hoffman, S. Burrows, E. Haefliger, G. Nienstedt; London Symphony Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Pierre Boulez. Sony Classical: SK 45841 [DDD]. Zyliz-Gara, Reynolds, Kaposy; New Philharmonia Orchestra, Ambrosian Singers; conducted by Wyn Morris, recorded in 1967. Nimbus: NI-5084 [AAD]. Susan Dunn, Brigitte Fassbaender, Markus Baur, Werner Hollweg, Andreas Schmidt; Städtischer Musikverein Düsseldorf (Hartmut Schmidt, chorus-master), Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Riccardo Chailly. London: D101231 [DDD]. Selected Bibliography: Diether, Jack. “Mahler’s Klagende Lied: Genesis and Evolution.” Music Review, 29 (1968): 268-287. Mitchell, Donald. “Mahler’s Waldmärchen: The Unpublished First Part of ‘Das klagende Lied.’” Musical Times, 111 (1970): 375-379. Diether, Jack. foreword for Gustave Mahler: Waldmärchen/A Forest Legen (Das klagende Lied), I. Melville, NY: Belwin-Mills, 1973. La Grange, Henry-Louis de. Mahler, volume I, 729-738. Garden City, NY: Doubleday and Co., 1973. Stephan, Rudolf. “Vorwort und Revisionsbericht” for Gustav Mahler, Das Klagende Lied, volume 12 of the Kritische Gesamtausgabe. Vienna: Universal Edition, 1978. Zenk, Martin. “Mahlers Streichung des ‘Waldmärchen’ aus dem ‘Klagende Lied’: zum Verhältnis von philosophischer Erkenntnis und Interpretation.” Archiv für Musikwissenschaft, 38 (1981): 179-193. Fiske, Richard Allen. Mahler’s Klagende Lied: A Conductor’s Analysis of the Original Tripartite Manuscript and Its Bipartite Revisions. Indiana University, Doctor of Musical Arts project, 1983.
Symphony No. 2 (1884-1894, revised 1910, f.p. 1895) Duration: ca. 80 minutes Text: The German text is a compilation of “Uhrlicht” from Des Knaben Wunderhorn, “Aufersteh’n” by Friederich Klopstock, and “O glaube, mein Herz, o glaube” by Gustav Mahler. Performing Forces: voices: soprano and alto soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 4 flutes (flutes I, II, III, and IV doubling piccolo), 4 oboes (oboe III and IV
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
doubling English horn), 3 clarinets in B♭, A, and C (clarinet III doubling bass clarinet in B♭), 2 E♭ clarinets (one doubling clarinet in B♭ and A), 4 bassoons (bassoon IV doubling contrabassoon), 6 horns in F, 4 trumpets in F and C, 4 trombones, tuba, 2 timpanists (3 drums each), percussion (5 players - glockenspiel, 3 large chimes, snare drum, bass drum, cymbals, large and small tam-tams, triangle), 2 harp parts (several players/part if possible), organ, and strings. Offstage ensemble: 4 horns in F, 4 to 6 trumpets in F and C, timpani (one drum), percussion (bass drum, cymbals, triangle, switch). The composer states that one should utilize the largest contingent of strings possible. Some of the doublebasses must have a low CC. First Performance: 4 March 1895; Berlin (movements 1, 2, and 3); first complete performance: 13 December 1895; Berlin; conducted by the composer Editions: Symphony No. 2 is available in multiple editions. The choral score (2936), miniature score, and individual choral parts (2935A-D) are available for purchase from Universal Edition; the orchestral materials for this edition are available through rental. The full score is available for purchase from Dover (0-48625473-9). These full scores are identical, both being reprints of the original edition published by Josef Weinberger in Vienna in 1897. The full score and orchestral parts are available for purchase from Kalmus (A1686); a study score is also available from Kalmus (154). The second movement is available through rental in an arrangement for reduced orchestration by Erwin Stein from Boosey and Hawkes and Universal Edition. The third movement is available through rental for reduced orchestration from Boosey and Hawkes, as is the fifth movement from Carl Fischer. A facsimile of the fair-copy manuscript is published concurrently by New York: Kaplan Foundation, and London: Faber and Faber, 1986. The score is accompanied by relevent documents and annotations prepared by Edward Reilly. Autograph: The autograph fair copy of the entire score and the sketches of the “In ruhig fliessender Bewegung” are in the Pierpont Morgan Library in New York. The autograph fair copy of the “Urlicht” is in the British Library in London. The sketch of the original version of the “Allegro maestoso” is in the Jewish National and University Library in Jerusalem. Notes: There were two revised versions of this score published by Universal Edition following the composer’s death. Both make changes to the orchestration, but not to the composition. The work is divided into five movements with a five-minute pause indicated between movements I and II. Performance Issues: There are divisi for all of the sections of the choir. The orchestration demands that the choir be very large. The score includes a number of
BB♭’s for the second basses in the choir, which the composer notes may not be realistically audible. As with all of Mahler’s orchestral work, the score is filled with musical instructions. The Dover score includes a translation table for these indications. The choral writing is diatonic and well supported by the orchestra except for a brief a cappella passage at 31. The most significant choral issue is balancing the choir against the huge orchestral mass. The actual choral part is quite musically accessible to an amateur ensemble, but it requires vocal fortitude and numbers. The orchestration is thinned for the solo passages, especially the alto. All of the instrumental parts are technically demanding. The woodwinds have many involved chromatic passages. There is important solo material for all of the principal winds and brass. There is also a lengthy solo for violin. The clarinet I and E♭ clarinet I have some awkward exposed passages. All of the brass parts are demanding technically and a test of endurance, especially horns I, III, and V. The integration of the offstage material presents the usual logistical problems of pitch and time. The offstage group will probably need to tune slightly sharp. These offstage parts are as difficult as their onstage counterparts, except for endurance, and cannot be entrusted to lesser players. The harp parts are difficult and should be doubled if at all possible. The orchestra must remain buoyant and temporally fluid despite its size, which requires an experienced orchestra familiar with each other. This is an example of giant chamber music filled with musical nuances that must be expressed from the podium and sensitively executed. Soloists: soprano range: a♭-g♭'', tessitura: e'-e'', this is a very sustained role; alto - range: b♭-e'', tessitura: e'-b', this role is lyric, sustained, and lightly accompanied. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: difficult. Selected Discography: G. Bindernagel, E. Leisner; Berlin State Opera Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Oskar Fried, recorded in 1923. Pearl: GEMM CDS 9929 (mono) [AAD]. Rössl-Majdan; Vienna Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Otto Klemperer. Vox: PL 7010 [LP]. Leontyne Price, Brigitte Fassbaender; London Symphony Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Leopold Stokowski. Victrola: ALK2-5392 [LP]. Cundari, Forrester; New York Philharmonic Orchestra, Westminster Choir; conducted by Bruno Walter. CBS: M2K-42032 [AAD], also released as Odyssey: YT30848 and CBS: M3P-3-635. Donath, Finnilä; Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra and Choruses; conducted by John Barbirolli, recorded live on 19 June 1970. Arkadia: 719 [ADD]. J. Vincent, K. Ferrier; Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra; conducted by Otto Klemperer, recorded on 12 July 1951. Verona: 27062/63 (mono) [AAD].
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A. Finley, A. Hodgson; New Philharmonia Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Otto Klemperer, recorded live on 16 May 1971. Arkadia: 2 CDHP 590 [ADD]. Schwarzkopf, Rössl-Majdan; Philharmonia Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Otto Klemperer. Angel: CDM-69662 [ADD]. Selig, Zareska; Orchestra Nationale de Paris and chorus; conducted by Schuricht, recorded live on 20 February 1958. Melodram: CD 27504 (mono) [AAD]. B. Sills, F. Kopleff; Utah Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Maurice Abravanel, recorded in 1967. Vanguard Classics: OVC 4004 [ADD]. M. Coertse, L. West; Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra of London, Vienna Academy Chorus; conducted by Hermann Scherchen. MCA Classics: MCAD2-99833 [AAD]. Mathis, Procter; Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Rafael Kubelik. Deutsche Grammophon: 413149-4 GW. E. Ameling, A. Heynis; Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra; conducted by Bernard Haitink. Philips: 420234-2. Sheila Armstrong, Janet Baker; London Symphony Orchestra, Edinburgh Festival Chorus; conducted by Leonard Bernstein. CBS: M2K-42195. Barbara Hendricks, Christa Ludwig; New York Philharmonic Orchestra, Westminster Choir; conducted by Leonard Bernstein. Deutsche Grammophon: 4233952 GH 2 [DDD]. Harper, Watts, Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Georg Solti. London: 421161-4 LJ2. Harper, Watts, London Symphony Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Georg Solti. London: 425005-2 LM2 [ADD]. Buchanan, Zakai; Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Georg Solti. London: 410202-2 LH2 [DDD]. Cotrubas, Ludwig; Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, Vienna State Opera Chorus; conducted by Zubin Mehta. London: 414538-2 LH2 [ADD]. Neblett, Horne; Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Claudio Abbado. Deutsche Grammophon: 427262-2 GGA2 [ADD]. Plowright, Fassbaender; Philharmonia Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Giuseppe Sinopoli. Deutsche Grammophon: 415959-2 GH2 [DDD]. Greenberg, Quivar; Israel Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Zubin Mehta, recorded live at Masada on 18 October 1988. Pickwick: PWK 1136 [DDD]. Kiri Te Kanawa, Marilyn Horne; Boston Symphony Orchestra, Tanglewood Festival Chorus; conducted by Seiji Ozawa. Philips: 420824-2 PH2 [DDD]. Arlene Augér, Janet Baker; City of Birmingham Symphony and Chorus; conducted by Simon Rattle. Angel: CDCB-47962 [DDD]. Kathleen Battle, Maureen Forrester; St. Louis Symphony and Chorus; conducted by Leonard Slatkin. Telarc: CD-80081/82 [DDD].
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
F. Lott, J. Hamari; Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Mariss Jansons. Chandos: CHAN 8838/39 [DDD]. Eva Martón, Jessye Norman; Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, Vienna State Opera Chorus; conducted by Loren Maazel. CBS: M2K-38667 [DDD]. Benita Valente, Maureen Forrester; London Symphony Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by G. Kaplan. MCA Classics: MCAD-11011 [DDD]. This recording is accompanied by a booklet containing translations of texts from ninety letters in which Mahler discusses the second symphony. Sylvia McNair, Jard van Nes; Dallas Symphony Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Eduardo Mata, recorded in September 1989. Pro Arte: CDD 479 [DDD]. Selected Bibliography: Nodnagel, Ernst Otto. “Gustav Mahlers zweite Sinfonie: technische Analyse mit 25 Notenbeispielen.” Die Musik, 2 (1903): 337-353. Casella, Alfredo. “Gustav Mahler et sa deuxième symphonie.” Revue Société Internationale de Musique, 6 (1910): 238-250. Specht, Richard. Gustav Mahler: Symphonie II c-moll (thematische Analyse). Vienna: Universal Edition, 1916. Grant, William Parks. “Mahler’s Second Symphony.” Chord and Discord, 2 (1958): 76-85. La Grange, Henry-Louis de. Mahler, volume I, 780-794. Garden City, NY: Doubleday and Co., 1973. Danzinger, Gustav. Die zweite Symphonie von Gustav Mahler. University of Vienna, Ph.D. dissertation, 1976. Stephan, Rudolf. Mahler II. Symphonie c-moll: Meisterwerke der Musik: Werkmonographien zur Musikgeschichten, 21. München: Wilhelm Fink, 1979. Hefling, Stephen E. The Making of Mahler’s “Todtenfeier”: A Documentary and Analytical Study. Yale University, Ph.D. dissertation, 1985. Floros, Constantin. “Symphonie No. 2.” In Gustav Mahler: The Symphonies, translated by Vernon Wicker, 52-82. Portland, OR: Amadeus Press, 1993.
Symphony No. 3 (1895-1896, f.p. 1902) Duration: ca. 94 minutes Text: The text is a compilation of “Nachtwandrers Lied” from Also Sprach Zarathustra by Friedrich Nietzsche; and Des Knaben Wunderhorn. Performing Forces: voices: alto soloist; women’s SSMMAA choir and boys’ choir “in a high gallery”; orchestra: 4 flutes (flutes I, II, III, and IV doubling piccolo), 4 oboes (oboe IV doubling English horn), 3 clarinets in B♭ and A (clarinet III doubling bass clarinet in B♭), 2 clarinets in E♭ (E♭ clarinet II doubling
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
clarinet in B♭ and A), 4 bassoons (bassoon IV doubling contrabassoon), 8 horns in F, 4 trumpets in F and B♭, 4 trombones, tuba, 2 timpanists (3 drums each), percussion (5 players - 2 glockenspiels, snare drum, bass drum, tambourine, suspended cymbal, 2 pairs of crash cymbals, tam-tam, triangle), 2 harps, and strings. In the distance: flugelhorn in B♭, several snare drums. In a high gallery (with the boy choir): 4 tuned bells (c', d', f', and g'). reduced orchestration: 3 flutes, 3 oboes, 3 clarinets, 3 bassoons, 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, 2 timpanists, percussion (4 players - 2 glockenspiels, snare drum, bass drum, tambourine, suspended cymbal, 2 pair of crash cymbals, tam-tam, triangle), 2 harps and strings. Benjamin Britten’s re-orchestration: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 1 trombone, percussion, harp, and strings. First Performance: 9 March 1897; Berlin (movements I, II, and VI); first complete performance: 9 June 1902; Krefeld; conducted by the composer Edition: Symphony No. 3 is available in multiple editions. The choral score (02942) is available for purchase from Universal Edition; the orchestral materials for this edition are available through rental. The full score is available for purchase from Dover (0-48626166-2). These full scores are identical. Another reprint is available from Kalmus (A2399) for which the full score and orchestral parts are available for purchase, as is a companion study score (449). A reduced orchestration is available for rental from Universal Edition of which a study score may be purchased (950). The second and third movements have also been transcribed for a reduced orchestra by Benjamin Britten, which are available through rental from Boosey and Hawkes. Autograph: The autograph fair copy and most sketches are in the Pierpont Morgan Library in New York. The piano-vocal draft is in the Library of Congress in Washington, DC. Notes: The score is subtitled Ein Sommermorgentraum, “a summer morning dream.” There was originally a movement VII, subtitled Was mir das Kind erzählt [What the child tells me], which was deleted in June 1896 and may have become the final movement of Symphony No. 4.348 Performance Issues: The boy choir is written in one and two parts. It has broad leaps, but is tuneful and well supported by the accompaniment. Although the boys are to be placed in a distant gallery, much of their crucial pitch cues come from the chimes, which are placed with them. The choral writing is sustained and 348 Henry-Louis de La Grange, Mahler, volume I, 797 (Garden City, NY: Doubleday and Co., 1973).
diatonic throughout. The choral movement is only between four and five minutes in length. It is scored so that a choir of medium size could be used successfully. There is a prominent violin solo for the concert master. The strings are asked to play col legno in some passages. In movement IV, Mahler asks that only doublebasses with a low CC play. As in Symphony No. 2, Mahler indicates that there be a long pause following Part I. The score indicates that the glockenspiel sound an octave higher than written, but it is really two octaves higher. The composer indicates that, if possible, the clarinet I part be doubled throughout the score, and the clarinets in E♭ be doubled in movement V. He also suggests adding 2 more high trumpets, and using cornet in E♭ for the trumpet I part in a passage in movement I. The orchestral writing is virtuosic much of the time with involved rapid passagework for all of the winds, especially the clarinet I and clarinet in E♭ I. The brass writing is often sustained and high. Strong players must be used through the section. The trumpet I is very difficult, especially at the end of movement I. The string section must be very large to achieve the indicated sonorities and to balance the rest of the orchestra. The final movement requires controlled intensity at a very slow tempo and subdued dynamic level. While the choral portions of this composition are accessible to most amateur choirs, the orchestral writing is demanding of the finest symphonic ensembles. Soloist: alto - range: a-f'', tessitura: e'-e'', this role is musically simple, it is very sustained and tender and may be successfully sung by a dramatic soprano. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: very difficult. Selected Discography: Krebs; New York Philharmonic Orchestra; conducted by Dmitri Mitropoulos, recorded live in Carnegie Hall on 15 April 1956. Arkadia: 557 [AAD]. Rössl-Majdan; Vienna Philharmonic; conducted by Adler. SPA 20/1/2 [LP]. C. Krooskos; Utah Symphony Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Maurice Abravanel, recorded in 1969. Vanguard Classics: OVC 4005/6 [ADD]. L. West; Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, St. Hedwig’s Cathedral Choir; conducted by John Barbirolli, recorded live on 8 March 1969. Arkadia: 719 [ADD]. Procter; London Symphony Orchestra, Ambrosian Singers, Wandsworth School Boys’ Choir; conducted by Jascha Horenstein. Unicorn-Kanchana: UKCD2006/07 [ADD]. Martha Lipton; New York Philharmonic Orchestra, Schola Cantorum, Boys’ Choir; conducted by Leonard Bernstein. CBS: M2K-42196. Christa Ludwig; New York Philharmonic Orchestra, New York Choral Artists, Brooklyn Boys’ Choir;
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conducted by Leonard Bernstein. Deutsche Grammophon: 427328-2 GH2 [DDD]. Maureen Forrester; Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra and Netherlands Radio Women’s Chorus; conducted by Bernard Haitink. Philips: 420113-2 PH2 [ADD]. Janet Baker; London Symphony Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Michael Tilson Thomas. CBS: M2K44553 [DDD]. Agnes Baltsa; Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Loren Maazel. CBS: M2K-42403 [DDD]. Jessye Norman; Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, State Opera Chorus, Vienna Boys Choir; conducted by Claudio Abbado. Deutsche Grammophon: 410715-2 GH2 [DDD]. Helen Watts; London Symphony Orchestra, Ambrosian Singers, Wandsworth School Boys’ Choir; conducted by Georg Solti. London: 414254-2 LM2 [ADD]. Dernesch; Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, Glen Ellyn Children’s Chorus; conducted by Georg Solti. London: 414268-2 LH2 [DDD]. Christa Ludwig; Czech Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Vaclav Neumann. Supraphon: C37-7288/89 [DDD]. Marilyn Horne; Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by James Levine. RCA: RCD2-1757 [DDD]. Soffel; Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra, Chorus; conducted by Eliahu Inbal. Denon: C37-7828/9 [DDD]. A. Gjevang; Danish National Radio Symphony Orchestra and Choir; conducted by L. Segerstam. Chandos: CHAN 8970/71 [DDD]. Selected Bibliography: Nodnagel, Ernst Otto. Gustav Mahlers III. Symphonie; Analyse. Darmstadt: Editions Rother, 1904. Specht, Richard. Gustav Mahler: Symphonie III d-moll (thematische Analyse. Vienna: Universal Edition, 1919. La Grange, Henry-Louis de. Mahler, volume I, 795-811. Garden City, NY: Doubleday and Co., 1973. Franklin, Peter. “The Gestation of Mahler’s Third Symphony.” Music and Letters, 58 (1977): 439-446. Werck, Isabelle. La symphonie de la terre et du ciel: 7 variations sur la troisième symphonie de Gustav Mahler. Lyon: Éditions à Coeur Joie, 1985. Floros, Constantin. “Symphonie No. 3.” In Gustav Mahler: The Symphonies, translated by Vernon Wicker, 83-108. Portland, OR: Amadeus Press, 1993. Franklin, Peter. Mahler: Symphony No. 3. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1991.
Symphony No. 8 (1906-1907) Duration: ca. 90 minutes Text: The text is a combination of “Veni creator spiritus,” a traditonal ninth-century Latin hymn; and the final scene from Faust by Goethe, which is in German.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Performing Forces: voices: 3 soprano, 2 alto, tenor, baritone, and bass soloists; boy choir, 2 large SSAATTBB choirs; orchestra: 2 piccolos (several per part with piccolo I doubling flute V), 4 flutes, 4 oboes, English horn, soprano clarinet in E♭ (doubled throughout), 3 clarinets in B♭ and A, bass clarinet in B♭ and A, 4 bassoons, contrabassoon, 8 horns in F, 4
trumpets in F and B♭, 4 trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion (3 players - glockenspiel, “deep” bells [A and A♭], bass drum, crash cymbals, suspended cymbal, tam-tam, triangle), 2 harps (several players per part), celeste, harmonium, piano, organ, mandolin (several players), strings. Off-stage instruments: 4 trumpets in F (the composer recommends several players on the trumpet I part), 3 trombones. reduced orchestration: 3 flutes, 3 oboes, 3 clarinets, 3 bassoons, 4 horns in F, 4 trumpets in F and B♭, 4 trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion (3 players - glockenspiel, “deep” bells [A and A♭], bass drum, crash cymbals, suspended cymbal, tam-tam, triangle), harp, celeste, harmonium, piano, organ, mandolin, strings. First Performance: 12 September 1910; Exposition Concert Hall, Munich; conducted by the composer Edition: Symphony No. 8 is available in multiple editions. The piano-vocal score (2660) and individual choral parts (2661A-D) are available for purchase from Universal Edition; the orchestral materials for this edition are available through rental. The full score is available for purchase from Izdatel’stvo Muzyka, which has been reprinted with English notes by Dover (0-486-26022-4). The reduced orchestration is available through rental from Universal Edition, of which a study score may be purchased (3000). Autograph: The autograph fair copy is in the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek in Munich. Notes: Mahler dedicated the score to “My beloved wife, Alma Maria.” This work has been nicknamed the “Symphony of a Thousand,” and there were in fact, 1,003 performers involved in its premiere. The score is divided into two large parts, the first being the “Veni Creator Spiritus” and the second, the conclusion of Goethe’s Faust as adapted by the composer. The soloists are assigned characters from Faust. The singer who portrays the “Mater gloriosa” is the only soloist who does not appear in Part I of the symphony. Hers is also the shortest role in Part II. Performance Issues: The boy choir is written in one and two parts with a range of a-f'' and frequent melodic leaps. The melodic contours are well supported by the accompaniment. The two mixed choirs have two-part divisi in each section. The choral writing is generally diatonic, with scalar and triadic melodic material. Mahler combines block chordal textures with
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
traditional imitative procedures to foster a varied choral palette. In the most dense choral passages, the two choirs double each other. The choral parts are accessible to most amateur singers, although the tessiture of the first soprano and first tenor parts are consistently high and quite vocally taxing. Of greatest importance for the success of the choral contingent of this work is the formation of a truly enormous vocal ensemble with a substantial core of trained singers. The score indicates that when large choirs and string sections are employed, the principal woodwind parts should be doubled. The boy choir should also be large if possible. The brass parts are sustained, high, and difficult, especially the trumpet I. There are numerous exposed solos for the horn I. The woodwinds have a number of challenging passages, especially the oboe I, clarinet I, and the clarinet in E♭ I. The string writing is technically challenging throughout the score. The most difficult performance issues are balance and musical fluidity from this enormous ensemble. Soloists: soprano 1 / Magna Peccatrix - range: a-c''', tessitura: a'c''', this is a vocally demanding role with sustained singing at the top of the range; soprano 2 / Una pœnitentium - range: c'-c''', tessitura: a'-c''', this is a vocally demanding role with sustained singing at the top of the range; soprano / Mater gloriosa - range: b♭'-b♭'',
tessitura: b♭'-b♭'', this is a very sustained and brief role; alto 1 / Mulier Samaritana - range: b-g'', tessitura: e'e'', this is a lyric role, which moves freely throughout the range; alto 2 / Maria Ægyptiaca - range: a-g'', tessitura: e'-e'', this is a lyric role, which moves freely throughout the range; tenor / Doctor Marianus - range: e-b', tessitura: a-a', almost all of this role remains within the listed tessitura, it is a true heldentenor part; baritone / Pater ecstaticus - range: A♭-g', tessitura: ee', this is a lyric role requiring flexibility and endurance in the top of the range; bass / Pater profundus range: C-g', tessitura: d-d', this is a powerful and sustained role, the entire range falls between A♭ and g' except for a single passage at 32 in movement I. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: difficult. Selected Discography: Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra, Westminster Choir; conducted by Leopold Stokowski, recorded live in Carnegie Hall on 6 April 1950. Arkadia: CDGI 761.1 [ADD]. Vienna Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Hermann Scherchen. Columbia: SL 164 [LP]. Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Rafael Kubelik. Deutsche Grammophon: 419433-2 GH [ADD]. London Symphony Orchestra, Leeds Festival Chorus; conducted by Leonard Bernstein. CBS: M3K-42199. Price, Blegen, Zeumer, Schmidt, Baltsa, Riegel, Prey, van Dam; Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, Vienna State Opera Chorus, Vienna Boys Choir; conducted by
Leonard Berstein, recorded at the Salzburg Festival in 1975. Deutsche Grammophon: 435102-2 GH2 [ADD]. Heather Harper, Lucia Popp, Arlene Augér, Yvonne Minton, Heather Watts, René Kollo, John ShirleyQuirk, Martti Talvela; Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Vienna State Opera Chorus, Vienna Boys Choir; conducted by Georg Solti, recorded in 1971. London: 414493-2 LH2 [ADD]. Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Choruses; conducted by Bernard Haitink. Philips: 420543-2 PH2 [ADD]. London Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus, Tiffin School Boys’ Choir; conducted by Klauss Tennstedt. Angel: CDCB-47625 [DDD]. Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, Choruses; conducted by Loren Maazel. Sony Classical: S2K-45754 [DDD]. Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Choruses; conducted by Robert Shaw. Telarc: CD-80267 [DDD]. Czech Philharmonic Orchestra and Choruses; conducted by Vaclav Neumann. Supraphon: C37-7307/08 [DDD]. Boston Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Seiji Ozawa. Philips: 410607-2 PH2 [DDD]. Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra, Choruses; conducted by Eliahu Inbal. Denon: CO-1564/65 [DDD]. Selected Bibliography: Specht, Richard. Gustav Mahler: Symphonie VIII Bb-dur (thematische Analyse): mit einer Einleitung, biographischen Date und dem Porträt Mahlers. Vienna: Universal Edition, 1912. Engel, Gabriel. “Mahler’s Eighth: The Hymn to Eros.” Chord and Discord, 2 (1950): 12-32. Cooke, Deryck. “The Word and the Deed: Mahler and His Eighth Symphony.” In Vindications: Essays on Romantic Music. London: Cambridge University Press, 1982. Breig, Werner, herausgegeben. Schütz-Jahrbuch, band 4/5. Kassel: Bärenreiter, 1983. This volume contains four essays on various aspects of this symphony — Frieheim Krummacher, “Fragen zu Mahlers VIII. Symphonie”; Adolf Nowak, “Mahlers Hymnus”; Rudolf Stephan, “Zu Mahlers Komposition der Schlussszene von Goethes Faust”; and Stefan Strohm, “Die Idee der absoluten Musik aus ihr (angesprochenes) Programm.” Floros, Constantin. “Symphonie No. 8.” In Gustav Mahler: The Symphonies, translated by Vernon Wicker, 213-240. Portland, OR: Amadeus Press, 1993. Berger, Melvin. Guide to Choral Masterpieces: A Listener’s Guide, 194-197. New York: Anchor Books, 1993.
MARTIN, Frank (b. Geneva, 15 September 1890; d. Naarden, Netherlands, 21 November 1974)
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Martin has come to be regarded as one of the most important Swiss composers. He was a student of Joseph Lauber, Hans Huber, and Frederic Klose. He traveled through Europe in the early 1920s, returning to Switzerland in 1926 where he taught at the JaquesDalcroze Institute (1927-1938). He founded his own school, the Technicum Moderne de Musique (19331939). He also taught at the Cologne Hochschule für Musik (1950-1955). He was president of the Association of Swiss Composers (1942-1946), after which he settled in the Netherlands. His works explore a number of procedures, all with confidence and assiduous technical mastery. Teachers: Hans Huber, Josef Lauber Student: Karlheinz Stockhausen Writings: Responsabilité du compositeur. Geneva: 1966. Un compositeur médite sur son art. Neuchâtel: 1977. Principal Works: operas - Der Sturm (1954), Monsieur de Pourceaugnac (1962); orchestral - two piano concertos (1934, 1969), Rythmes (1926), Symphony with Jazz Instruments (1937), Petite symphonie concertante (1945), Les Quatre Éléments (1964), Erasmi monumentum (1969), Polyptique (1973); vocal - Les Dithyrambes (1918), Mass for double choir (1922), Psaumes de Genève (1958), Le Mystère de la Nativité (1929-1959), Pilate (1964), Requiem (1972) Selected Composer Bibliography: Klein, Rudolf. Frank Martin: sein Leben und Werk. Vienna: 1960. Tappolet, Willy. “Frank Martin und die religiöse Musik.” Schweizerische Musikzeitung/Revue Musicale Suisse, c (1960): 278. Martin, Frank. Un Compositeur médite sur son art. Neuchâtel: A la Baconnière, 1977. King, Charles W. Frank Martin: A Bio-Bibliography. New York: Greenwood Press, 1990.
Le Vin Herbé (1938-1941) Duration: ca. 93 minutes Text: The text, taken from three chapters of the Roman de Tristan et Iseult by Joseph Bédier, is in French. The score includes a German singing translation prepared by Rudolf Binding. Performing Forces: voices: 3 solo sopranos, 3 solo altos, 3 solo tenors, 3 solo basses; orchestra: 2 solo violins, 2 solo violas, 2 solo cellos, doublebass, and piano First Performance: first complete performance: 28 March 1942; Zürich; Züricher Madrigalchor; Robert Blum, conductor part I premiered separately: 16 April 1940; Zürich; by same forces
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
staged premiere: 15 August 1948; Salzburg; Ferenc Fricsay, conductor; in German as Der Zaubertrank Edition: Le Vin Herbé is published by Universal Edition. The choral-vocal score (11311) is available for purchase; orchestra materials are available through rental. Autograph: The Martin Archive is in the possession of the Paul Sacher Foundation in Basle, Switzerland. Notes: This work is based upon the legend of Tristan and Iseult. Performance Issues: This work is intended to be sung by a chamber ensemble of twelve singers, each of whom has some solo singing. The roles labeled Tristan (tenor 2), and Iseult (soprano 2), are the most pervasive. The ensemble writing is entirely homophonic with numerous passages of unison singing, or two-part writing in parallel octaves. The harmonic material is functionally tonal, but quite chromatic. The melodic configurations are scalar or triadic throughout; however, they are consistently exploring chromatic variants over often static pedal figures in the accompaniment. All of the vocal material is clearly supported by the accompaniment. The instrumental writing is idiomatic and conservative. This is an attractive work, which is accessible to many ensembles and provides solo opportunities for all of the singers and players. It is a concert-length work on a secular theme, which involves only twenty musicians. Soloists: Only the following two roles have enough exposed singing to warrant description here. Iseult (soprano): range: c'b♭'', tessitura: g'-g'', this is a lyrical role with some very sustained high passages; Tristan (tenor): range: d-b', tessitura: g-g', this role is declamatory and somewhat dramatic. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Chamber Ensemble; Frank Martin, piano; conducted by Victor Desarzens, recorded September 1961. Westminster: XWN2232/ WST232 [LP]. Selected Bibliography: Martin, Frank. “A propos du ‘Vin Herbé.’” Schweizerische Musikzeitung. Revue Musicale Suisse, 82 (March 1942): 73-75. Daniel, Oliver. “Antiquity Updated.” Saturday Review, 45 (March 1962): 39. Frankenstein, Alfred. “Le Vin herbé: What Debussy Planned Now Consummately Achieved.” High Fidelity, 12 (May 1962): 66. Cremers, Adrienne. De legende vom Tristan en Isolde bej Richard Wagner en Frank Martin. University of Leide, Ph.D. dissertation, 1963. Tupper, Janet Eloise. Stylistic Analysis of Selected Works by Frank Martin. Indiana University, Ph.D. dissertation, 1964.
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Gugliemo, Ecoardo. “Le Vin herbé.” Accademia musicale Chigiana, Siena, Estate musicale Chigiana (21 August 1986).
In terra pax (1944) Duration: 45 minutes Text: The text is a French translation of portions of the Revelations of St. John, and the Lord’s Prayer and Beatitudes from the Gospel of St. Matthew, as organized by the composer. The score includes a German singing translation by Romana Segantini. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, baritone, and bass soloists; 2 SATB choirs; orchestra: 2 flutes (flute II doubling piccolo), 2 oboes (oboe II doubling English horn), 2 clarinets in B♭ (clarinet II doubling bass clarinet in B♭), 2 bassoons, 4 horns in F, 2 trumpets in B♭, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion, celeste, 2 pianos, and strings First Performance: 7 May 1945; Geneva, Switzerland; Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, conducted by Ernest Ansermet for a radio performance on Radio Genève first concert performance: 31 May 1945; Geneva, Switzerland; Madeleine Dubuis, Nelly Grétillat, Ernst Haefliger, Paul Sandoz, Fernando Corena; Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, conducted by Ernest Ansermet Edition: In terra pax is published by Universal Edition. The piano-vocal score (11984) and choral score (11985) are available for purchase; orchestra materials are available through rental. Autograph: The Martin Archive is in the possession of the Paul Sacher Foundation in Basle, Switzerland. The piano-vocal score is a facsimile of the composer’s fair copy. Notes: In terra pax was commissioned by Radio Genève to be broadcast on armistice day. The texts were chosen in reaction to World War II, which was taking place around Martin’s native Switzerland. The composition is derived from a number of historic models. The organization of recitatives, arias, and choruses is reflective of the classical era. The baritone soloist serves the equivalent role of Evangelist and the choir often functions like the critical turba of Baroque oratorios. He also initiates sections of antiphonal chant between the two choirs harkening back to medieval liturgical practices. Performance Issues: The baritone solos are written in the tenor-treble clef. The choral writing features paired doubling, in octaves, between the men’s and women’s parts. There is also a significant amount of unison singing for the choir. The harmonic material of the choir is chromatic, with an emphasis on parallel fourths and hidden-fourth relationships. The final movement has a line labeled mezzo-sopranos with the
note “a chorus of young girls.” The choral parts are written to be accessible to amateur choirs. The orchestral parts are conservatively written and well within the abilities of most amateur orchestras. The level of chromaticism in this work is the only potential snare for inexperienced ensembles. This score provides church choirs with a good twentieth-century selection for use as a Good Friday Passion setting, which is both musically accessible to less-experienced ensembles and of high musical integrity. Soloists: soprano range: e♭'-b'', tessitura: g'-g'', this is a lyric and often parlando solo; alto - range: g-f#'', tessitura: g'-e'', this is a lyric role, the solo in section VIII alternates between phrases at the top of the range, and phrases at the bottom of the range; tenor - range: f#-b', tessitura: a-g', this is a sustained and lyric role; baritone - range: B♭-f', tessitura: e-c', this is a declamatory and powerful role; bass - range: G♭-f', tessitura: f-d', this role must be a strong and dark voice, it is interesting that Martin labels this solo bass, as its tessitura is consistently higher than that of the baritone soloist, there is only one G♭ and it is in an ensemble section. Choir: easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Ursula Buckel, Marga Höffgen, Ernst Haefliger, Pierre Mollet, Jakob Stämpfli; L’Orchestre de la Suisse Romande; Ernest Ansermet, conductor; recorded 20-23 October 1963. Communauté de Travail: CT64-12, Decca: SXL6098/ LXT6098, London: OS25847/Ol5847, and Decca: DPA593-4[LP]. N. Okada, B. Baileys, R. Marcais, P. Huttenlocher, M. Brodard; Gulbenkian Foundation Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by M. Corboz, recorded in 1990. Cascavelle: VEL 1014 [ADD/DDD]. Selected Bibliography: Paychère, Albert. “In terra pax, oratorio breve de Frank Martin.” Schweizerische Musikzeitung. Revue Musicale Suisse, 85 (1945): 272-273. Martin, Frank. “In terra pax.” In Alte und neue Muzik — Das Basler Kammerorchester unter Leitung von Paul Sacher 1926-1951. Zürich: Atlantis, 1952. Pahlen, Kurt. The World of the Oratorio, 213-215. Portland, OR: Amadeus Press, 1985. Shigihara, Susanne. “In terra pax Anmerkungen zu Frank Martins Oratorium.” Beiträge zur Geschichte des Oratoriums seit Händel, Festschrift Günther Massenkeil zum 60. Geburtstag, 514-532. Bonn: Voggenreiter Verlag, 1986.
Golgotha (1945-1948) Duration: ca. 85 minutes Text: The text is an arrangement, by the composer, of French translations of selections from the Confessions of St. Augustine and the four Gospels of the New
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Testament. The score includes a German singing translation. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, baritone, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes (flute II doubling piccolo), 2 oboes (oboe I doubling oboe d’amore [optional] and oboe II doubling English horn), 2 clarinets in B♭, 2 bassoons, 4 horns in F, 2 trumpets in B♭, 3 trombones, timpani, percussion, organ, piano, and strings.
First Performance: 29 April 1949; Geneva, Switzerland; Renée Defraiteur, Nelly Grétillat, Ernst Haefliger, H. B. Etcheverry, Heinz Rehfuss; Société de Chant Sacré, Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, conducted by Samuel Baud-Bovy. Edition: Golgotha is published by Universal Edition. The piano-vocal score (11949) and individual choral parts (11950A-D) are available for purchase; orchestra materials are available through rental. Autograph: The Martin Archive is in the possession of the Paul Sacher Foundation in Basle, Switzerland. The piano-vocal score is a facsimile of the composer’s fair copy. Notes: This work has many neo-Baroque features. As in its predecessor, In terra pax, Martin has used five soloists, in this case the bass sings the Evangelist role and the baritone portrays Christ. The score is dated 8 June 1948, Amsterdam. Performance Issues: There are two-part divisi for each male section of the choir and three-part divisi for the women’s sections. The score indicates that some brief passages be sung by a few members of their section of the choir. There are some solo notes for Jesus, which are labeled with a harmonic circle in a range not consistent with the use of falsetto (for example, two measures before 5 in section IV). The choral writing uses quite a bit of unison singing. Much of the choral writing is in homophonic four-, eight-, or ten-part block chord writing. In the broad divisi sections, Martin doubles the men and women in parallel octaves. The harmonic material is based upon relationships of perfect fifths and fourths in chromatic successions. The vocal pitches, both solo and choral, are well supported by the orchestra. The instrumental writing is conservative and well within the ability of most amateur orchestras. The choral writing is accessible to large church choirs. This work is well conceived for use as a Passion service for Good Friday or Palm Sunday. The second section, “Les Rameaux,” is in fact a telling of the procession over the palms into Jerusalem. Soloists: soprano - range: c#'-b'', tessitura: g'-f'', this is a lyric role with few vocal demands; alto range: g-f#'', tessitura: d'-d', this role is dramatic and exploits the upper range; tenor - range: d-b', tessitura: g-g', this is a lyric and sustained role; Jesus (baritone)
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
- range: A-f', tessitura: d-d', a dramatic and lyrical role; bass - range: G-f', tessitura: d-d', this role is declamatory and forceful. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Walli Staempfli, Marie-Lise Montmollin, Eric Tappy, Pierre Mollet, Philippe Huttenlocher; André Luy, organ; Symphony Orchestra and Chorus of Lausanne; Robert Faller, conductor; recorded November 1968. Erato: STU70407/98 and Musical Heritage Society: MHS1337/38 [LP]. Martina von Bargen, Margit Hungerbühler, Friedhelm Decker, Joachim Gebhardt, Martin Blasius; Chor der Erlöserkirche of Bad Homburg, Offenbacher Kammerorchester, Frankfurter Bläservereinigung; Hayko Siemens, conductor; recorded 1 April 1988. Vengo 3544002/3 [LP]. Selected Bibliography: Martin, Frank. “Golgotha.” Schweizerische Muzikzeitung, Revue Musicale Suisse, volume 90 (1950): 205209. Baud-Bovy, Samuel. “Sur le Gogotha de Frank Martin.” Schweizerische Muzikzeitung, Revue musicale suisse, volume 90 (1950): 252-255. Cowell, Henry. “Current Chronicle.” Musical Quarterly, volume 38 (1952): 291-294. Rochester, Mark. Frank Martin at Golgotha: Frank Martin’s Compositional Technique as Shown by his Passion Oratorio, “Golgotha.” University of Wales, Master’s of Music thesis, 1976. Hutcheson, Robert Joseph Jr. Twentieth-Century Passion Settings: An Analytic Study of Max Baumann’s “Passion,” Op. 63; Frank Martin’s “Golgotha;” Krzysztof Penderecki’s “St. Luke Passion;” and Ernest Pepping’s “Passionsbericht des Mattäus.” Washington University of St. Louis, Missouri, Ph.D. thesis, 1976. Pahlen, Kurt. The World of the Oratorio, 215-217. Portland, OR: Amadeus Press, 1985. Melroy, Marcia. Frank Martin’s “Golgotha.” University of Illinois, Doctor of Musical Arts dissertation, 1988.
MENDELSSOHN-BARTHOLDY, Felix (b. Hamburg, Germany, 3 February 1809; d. Leipzig, 4 November 1847) Mendelssohn’s grandfather was the Jewish philosopher, Moses Mendelssohn. The composer’s father, Abraham, was a prominent banker, who upon converting to Protestantism, added Bartholdy to the family name. Mendelssohn was a prodigy in music, literature, and painting, and his family’s largess allowed him to cultivate these gifts through expert tutelage in piano, violin, and composition and social contacts with
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Goethe who is said to have developed a close friendship with the boy genius sixty years his junior. Mendelssohn’s influence on the course of Western Art music cannot be overestimated. In 1829, he conducted the first performance of Bach’s St. Matthew Passion since the composer’s death. This concert and many other efforts on Mendelssohn’s part led to the revival of Bach’s music, and thereby the beginning of the entire nineteenth-century movement to collect, study, and publish the music of previous generations. In 1835 he was made music director of the Gewandhaus Orchestra where he established an exceptionally high level of performance. Mendelssohn was also an educational reformer. As the founding director of the Conservatory in Leipzig, he established pedagogies and a curriculum that have become the model for professional music schools throughout the world. Mendelssohn was an important figure in the development of romanticism in the generation following Beethoven. His music is highly refined and classically proportioned. His works were also significantly shaped by his study of the works of Bach, whose contrapuntal devices he integrated into his own music. Mendelssohn’s large choral works became the model for subsequent nineteenth-century oratorios. Teachers: Carl Friedrich Zelter Students: Friedrich Marpurg, Gustav Nottebohm, Carl Reinecke, William Rockstro, August Schäffer, Richard Wüerst Other Principal Works: orchestral: twelve string symphonies (1821-1823), Symphony No. 1 (1824), Symphony No. 2 (1840), Symphony No. 3 (1830-1842), Symphony No. 4 (1833), Symphony No. 5 (18301832), Hebrides Overture (1830), Die erste Walpurgisnacht (incidental music, 1831), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (incidental music, overture 1826, remainder 1843), Violin Concerto in E minor (1844), Piano Concerto No. 1 (1832), Piano Concerto No. 2 (1837); chamber music: two piano trios, six string quartets, three piano quartets, two string quintets, a String Octet, and many works for solo instruments; piano — Caprissio (1825), Lieder ohne Wörte, eight books (1834-1843) numerous songs and part-songs.
Kaufman, Schima. Mendelssohn: A Second Elijah. New York: Thomas Y. Crowell Co., 1934. Petitpierre, Jacques. The Romance of the Mendelssohns, translated by G. Micholet-Coté. London: Dennis Dobson, 1947. Werner, Eric. Mendelssohn: A New Image of the Composer and His Age, translated by Dika Newlin. London: Free Press of Glencoe, 1963. Marek, George R. Gentle Genius: The Story of Felix Mendelssohn. New York: Thomas Y. Crowell Co., 1972. Moshansky, Mozelle. Mendelssohn: His Life and Times. Neptune City, NJ: Paganiniana Publications, 1982. Todd, R. Larry. Mendelssohn’s Musical Education: A Study and Edition of His Exercises in Composition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1983. Köhler, Karl-Heinz. “Mendelssohn.” In The New Grove Early Romantic Masters 2: 197-301. New York: W. W. Norton, 1985. Felix Mendelssohn: A Life in Letters, edited by Rudolf Elvers, translated by Craig Tomlinson. New York: Fromm International, 1986. Mendelssohn and His World, edited by R. Larry Todd. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1991. Schuhmacher, Gerhard. “Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdys Oratorien-Triptychon.” Musik und Kirche, lxvii (1997): 247-251. Cooper, John Michael. Felix Mendelssohn: A Guide to Research. New York: Routledge, 2001. Klein, Hans-Günter. Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy: Autographe und Abschriften. Munich: G. Henle, 2003.
Christus, op. 97 (unfinished) Duration: ca. 21 minutes Text: The text is by J. F. von Bunsen, based upon the Gospels of Matthew, Luke, and John, and the book of Numbers. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, tenor, and 2 bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets (B♭), 2 bassoons, 2 horns (B♭ basso, E♭), 2 trumpets (E♭), 3 trombones (alto, tenor, and bass), timpani (2 drums), and strings
First Performance: 2 November 1854, Leipzig; first U.S. performance: Boston, 7 May 1874 Selected Composer Bibliography: Letters of Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy from 1833 to 1847, compiled by Julius Rietz, translated by Lady Wallace. Boston: Oliver Ditson and Co., n.d. Devrient, Eduard. My Recollections of Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy, and His Letters to Me, translated by Natalia MacFarren. London: Richard Bentley, 1869. Reprinted: New York: Vienna House, 1972. Polko, Elise. Reminiscences of Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy: A Social and Artistic Biography, translated by Lady Wallace. London: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1869.
Editions: Christus is published in the critical edition F. Mendelssohn-Bartholdy: Werke: kritisch durchgesehene Ausgabe, edited by Julius Rietz, series 13, volume 3. Full scores and parts for fragments of Mendelssohn’s unfinished oratorio, Christus, have been edited by Larry Todd, and are published by Breitkopf and Härtel and Carus-Verlag (edited by R. Larry Todd, 1994). The first edition was published by Breitkopf and Härtel in full and piano-vocal score, neither with text in 1852. That same year the London publisher, Ewer, issued a
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piano-vocal score with English text prepared by William Bartholomew. A companion full score followed in 1860. Autograph: The composer’s manuscript fragment is in the Bibliotheka Jagiellonska in Krakau. Notes: The title of the work, which was left as a fragment of a larger planned oratorio, was applied posthumously by Mendelssohn’s friend Ignaz Moscheles. Movement 3 incorporates the hymn tune “Wie schön leuchtet der Morgentstern,” which was composed by Philip Nicolai in 1599. It is used in Bach cantatas 1, 36, 37, 49, 61, and 172. Any of these would make an interesting advent-concert pairing with this work if only the first three movements are used. Performance Issues: The choral writing is primarily syllabic, and it is well set for the voices. The score alternates homophonic passages with fairly complex imitative counterpoint. Most of the vocal material is clearly doubled by the orchestra. It is otherwise harmonically well supported. The instrumental parts are conservatively written and are idiomatic throughout the orchestra. There are two cello parts in movement 2. The string writing is the most challenging, and it is within the ability of most amateur orchestras. This work contains some lovely music, but the lack of textual continuity makes it problematic in concert performance. In some ways the individual movements are more programmable than the whole work. Soloists: soprano - range: f#'-d'', tessitura: f#'-d'', this is a brief and simple recitative; tenor - range: f-a', tessitura: gg', this is a lyric role; bass I - range: d-e', tessitura: f#d', this is a lyric role that appears only in a brief trio; bass II - range: G-d', tessitura: B-c', this is a lyric role that appears only in a brief trio. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Christoph Pregardien, Johannes Happel, Cornelius Hauptmann; Stuttgart Chamber Choir; Bamberg Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Frieder Bernius. Carus-Verlag: 83.105/00. Selected Bibliography: Upton, George. The Standard Oratorios, 229-233. Chicago: A. C. McClurg and Company, 1893. Kaufman, Schima. Mendelssohn: A Second Elijah, 305. New York: Thomas Y. Crowell Co., 1934. Köhler, Karl-Heinz. “Mendelssohn.” In The New Grove Early Romantic Masters 2, 231. New York: W. W. Norton, 1985. Pahlen, Kurt. The World of the Oratorio, translated by Judith Schaefer with additional English-language
349 This may be substituted with a tuba.
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material by Thurston Dox, 239-240. Portland, OR: Amadeus Press, 1990.
Elijah, op. 70 (1846) Duration: ca. 131 minutes Text: The text, based upon I Kings, xvii-xix, was written for this work by Julius Schubring. The singing English translation was prepared by William Bartholomew. Performing Forces: voices: Widow (soprano), Young Boy (soprano), Angel (alto), Ahab (tenor), Obadiah (tenor), Elijah (baritone); Angel trio (SSA), double quartet, SATB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets (C, B♭, A), 4 horns (C, D, E♭, E, F, G, A, B♭), 3 trombones (alto, tenor, and bass), ophicleïde, 349 timpani (2 drums), organ, and strings First Performance: 26 August 1846, Birmingham, England, conducted by Mendelssohn Editions: Elijah is published in the critical edition F. Mendelssohn-Bartholdy: Werke: kritisch durchgesehene Ausgabe, edited by Julius Rietz, series 13, volume 2. Another scholarly edition, prepared by R. Larry Todd (1994), is published by Carus. Full scores and parts for Elijah are available for purchase from Breitkopf and Härtel, C. F. Peters, G. Schirmer, and Kalmus. The first edition was published simultaneously by Simrock and Ewer in 1847, including a piano-vocal score and choral and solo parts. Autograph: The composer’s manuscript is in part 22 of the Mendelssohn Autograph Collection of the Berlin Stadtsbibliothek. Notes: The score is dated 11 August 1846 on the last page. Performance Issues: The choral writing is exquisite. It shows Mendelssohn’s intense study of the works of Bach. The choral material is well supported by the orchestra. One of the outstanding features of this work is how well it sings in both German and English. Robert Shaw recorded a verion with his own singing English translation as he felt the prosody of the English to be lacking in some sections. This is an eminently well informed, but minority view. The choir is given a wide range of homophonic and imitative textures. There are divisi for all the choral sections. All of the vocal material has an innate lyricism that helps to ensure that the singers will not be overly fatigued in spite of the work’s significant duration. Solos are labeled with character names and with voice parts. Those labeled with the latter are generally intended to be members of the double quartet, although not all of these assignments are clear in the score. There are performances in which some of these sections are assigned to the principal soloists. Also some
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performances will concentrate all of the solos for four or five singers. Using fifteen discrete voices for these parts not only obeys the composer’s indications, but it helps to better communicate the drama. Some of these appear only in small ensembles. Only those with exposed solo passages are evaluated below. This also suggests the use of a large choir for contrast. This is also consistent with the oratorio practice of the time. The instrumental writing is fairly conservative, but always effective. As an experienced conductor, Mendelssohn scored this work to support the singers and to be practical. There should be few balance issues between singers and the orchestra. Extra attention to bowing and string articulations will help to dispel the homogeneity of those parts. This is rightfully considered one of the masterworks of the choral-orchestral repertoire. It became the model for many lesser works throughout the nineteenth century. Soloists: Widow (soprano) - range: e'-g'', tessitura: f'-f'', this is a sustained lyric role; Young Boy (soprano) - range: g'-a'', tessitura: g'-g'', this is a brief and simple solo for, which a boy should be used; soprano I - range: d#'-a#'', tessitura: f'-f'', this is a lyric and expressive role; soprano II - range: c'-g'', tessitura: e'-e'', this is a simple solo; Angel (alto) - range: b-d'', tessitura: c'-c'', this is a simple declamatory solo; alto - range: b-f#'', tessitura: d'-c'', this is a lyric role with long phrases; Ahab (tenor) - range: g-f'', tessitura: g-f', this is a simple declamatory solo; Obadiah (tenor) - range: d-a♭', tessitura: g-g', this is a lyric evangelist-like role; tenor range: e♭-a♭', tessitura: g-g', this is a sustained and lyric solo; Elijah (baritone) - range: A-f', tessitura: dd', this is a dramatic solo role combining declamatory and gently lyric passages. Choir: difficult; Orchestra: difficult. Selected Discography: Helen Donathm Jard van Nes, Donald George, Alastair Miles; Rundfunkchor Leipzig; Israel Philharmonic Orchestra; conducted by Kurt Masur. Teldec: 903173131-2. Christine Schäfer, Cornelia Kallisch, Michael Schade, Wolfgang Schöne; Gächinger Kantorei Stuttgart; Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmut Rilling, recorded 3-7 July 1994 in the Liederhalle in Stuttgart. Hänssler: CD 98928. Linda Finney, Rosalind Plowright, Arthur Davies, Willard White; London Symphony Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Richard Hickox. Chandos: CHAN8774. Selected Bibliography: Edwards, F. G. The History of Mendelssohn’s Oratorio “Elijah.” London: Novello, Ewer, and Co., 1896. Upton, George. The Standard Oratorios, 218-229. Chicago: A. C. McClurg and Company, 1893. Armstrong, Thomas. Mendelssohn’s Elijah. London: Oxford University Press, 1931.
Mintz, Donald. “Mendelssohn’s Elijah Reconsidered.” Studies in Romanticism, iii (1963): 1-9. Werner, Eric. Mendelssohn: A New Image of the Composer and His Age, translated by Dika Newlin, 457472. London: Free Press of Glencoe, 1963. Werner, Jack. Mendelssohn’s “Elijah.” London: Chappell, 1965. Ellison, Ross Wesley. Overall Unity and Contrast in Mendelssohn’s Elijah. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Doctoral dissertation, 1978. ———. “Mendelssohn’s Elijah: Dramatic Climax of a Creative Career.” American Choral Review, xx (1980): 3-9. Felix Mendelssohn: A Life in Letters, edited by Rudolf Elvers, translated by Craig Tomlinson, 277, 283. New York: Fromm International, 1986. Pahlen, Kurt. The World of the Oratorio, translated by Judith Schaefer with additional English-language material by Thurston Dox, 227-239. Portland, OR: Amadeus Press, 1990. Rothfahl, Wolfgang. “Zu den ‘Chorälen’ in Mendelssohns Elias.” Musik in Gottesdienst, xliv (1990): 247251. Jahn, Otto. “Elijah, Johann Sebastian Bach, and the New Covenant: On the Aria ‘Es ist genug’ in Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy’s Oratorio Elijah,” translated by Susan Gillespie in Mendelssohn and His World, edited by R. Larry Todd, 121-136. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1991. Staehlin, Martin. “On Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy’s Oratorio Elijah,” translated by Susan Gillespie in Mendelssohn and His World, edited by R. Larry Todd, 364-381. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1991. Berger, Melvin. Guide to Choral Masterpieces: A Listener’s Guide, 207-211. New York: Anchor Books, 1993. Riemer, Erich. “Regenwunder und Witwenszene: Zur Szenengestaltung in Mendelssohns ‘Elias.’” Die Musikforschung, xlix (1996): 152-171. Smither, Howard E. A History of the Oratorio, volume 4: The Oratorio in the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries, 166-184. Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina Press, 2000.
Die erste Walpurgisnacht, op. 60 (18301831, revised 1842-1843) Duration: ca. 35 minutes Text: The text is a poem by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. Performing Forces: voices: alto, tenor, baritone, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets (A, B♭, C), 2 bassoons, 2 horns (C, D, E), 2 trumpets (D, E), 3 trombones (alto, tenor, and
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bass), timpani (2 drums), percussion (2 players — bass drum, cymbals), and strings First Performance: 10 January 1833, Berlin; revised version premiered 2 February 1843 Editions: Die erste Walpurgisnacht is published in the critical edition F. Mendelssohn-Bartholdy: Werke: kritisch durchgesehene Ausgabe, edited by Julius Rietz, series 15. Full scores and parts are available for purchase from Breitkopf and Härtel, C. F. Peters, G. Schirmer, and Kalmus. The first edition, consisting of a full score, piano-vocal score, and parts, was published concurrently by Kistner and Ewer in 1844. Autograph: The composer’s manuscript is in part 19 (S. 67) of the Mendelssohn Autograph Collection of the Berlin Stadtsbibliothek. Notes: The dating of composition varies among sources. Those given above seem the most credible. Schima Kaufman states that the original version was composed in Milan and Paris between 1831 and 1832.350 Performance Issues: There are divisi in all of the choral parts. At times the sections of the choir are labeled as particular groups of people (druids, folk, etc.). It is not evident if the composer anticipated different choral groups being used. Likewise, a number of solos are marked “tutti,” which appears to mean that they are doubling the corresponding choral parts, but the markings are ambiguous. The choral parts are very clearly supported by the accompaniment. They are nearly entirely syllabic with some very sustained passages and dramatic gestures. There is an appearance of 2/4 and 6/8 in movement 6 that may require some clarification. At the beginning of the movement it appears that the eighth is constant, but later in the movement these meters are concurrent to quarter and dotted quarter must be treated as equals between the meters. This is a bright and varied score that uses the orchestra to great effect. The instrumental parts are idiomatic, but require skilled players throughout the orchestra. The string parts are particularly challenging. The variety of contrapuntal textures and varied voicings within the score add challenges for a cohesive performance. In the hands of a good ensemble, this can be a very effective and dramatic work. Soloists: alto (Old woman of the People) - range: a-d'', tessitura: c'-c'', this is a declamatory solo; tenor (Druid and a Christian) - range: e-a', tessitura: a-g', this is a sustained and lyric role; baritone (unnamed and Priest) - range: B-f', tessitura: e-e', this is a lyic and sustained solo; bass (Druid)range: G-d', tessitura: A-c', this is a declamatory solo that must be clear at the bottom of the range. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: difficult. 350 Schima Kaufman, Mendelssohn: A Second Elijah, 193 (New York: Thomas Y. Crowell Co., 1934).
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Selected Discography: Annelies Burmeister, Eberhard Buchner, Siegfried Lorenz, Siegfried Vogel; Leipzig Radio Chorus, Gewandhaus Orchestra; conducted by Kurt Masur, recorded in 1973. Berlin Classics: 2057. Selected Bibliography: Werner, Eric. Mendelssohn: A New Image of the Composer and His Age, translated by Dika Newlin, 200205. London: Free Press of Glencoe, 1963. Szeskus, Reinhard. “Die erste Walpurgisnacht, Op. 60, von Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy.” Beitrage zur Musikwissenschaft, xvii (1975): 171-180. Dahlhaus, Carl. “‘Hoch symbolisch intoniert’: Zu Mendelssohns Erster Walpurgisnacht.” Österreichische Musikzeitschrift, xxxvi (1981): 290-297. Seaton, Douglass. “The Romantic Mendelssohn: The Composition of Die erste Walpurgisnacht.” The Musical Quarterly, lxviii (1982): 398-410. Melhorn, Catherine Rose. Mendelssohn’s Die erste Walpurgisnacht. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, doctoral dissertation, 1983. Felix Mendelssohn: A Life in Letters, edited by Rudolf Elvers, translated by Craig Tomlinson, 273, 275. New York: Fromm International, 1986. Retallack, Diane Johnson. A Conductor’s Study for Performance of Mendelssohn’s Die erste Walpurgisnacht. Indiana University, doctoral dissertation, 1987. Pahlen, Kurt. The World of the Oratorio, translated by Judith Schaefer with additional English-language material by Thurston Dox, 226. Portland, OR: Ama-deus Press, 1990. Berger, Melvin. Guide to Choral Masterpieces: A Listener’s Guide, 201-207. New York: Anchor Books, 1993. Hellmundt, Christoph. “Mendelssohns Arbeit an seiner Kantate Die erster Walpurgisnacht: Zu einer bisher wenig beachteten Quelle.” In Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy: Kongreß-Bericht Berlin 1994, edited by Christian Mart Schmidt, 76-112. Wiesbaden: Breitkopf and Härtel, 1997.
Hymn, op. 96 (1840) Duration: ca. 14 minutes Text: The text is Psalm 13. Performing Forces: voices: mezzo-soprano soloists, SATB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets (B♭), 2 bassoons, 2 horns (E♭), 2 trumpets (E♭), timpani (2 drums), and strings
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
First Performance: 5 January 1843, the first three movements were performed with organ accompaniment 12 December 1840 Editions: Hymn is published in the critical edition F. Mendelssohn-Bartholdy: Werke: kritisch durchgesehene Ausgabe, edited by Julius Rietz, series 14, volume A3 and B. Autograph: The autograph score is in the British Museum (Add. MS. 31801). Notes: The score is dated Leipzig: 14 December 1840, and the final chorus is dated 5 January 1843. The work was composed for Dr. C. Broadley. Performance Issues: The choral writing is primarily freely contrapuntal, but most of the vocal material is clearly doubled by the orchestra. The soloist and choir generally sing in response to each other. The scoring of movement 2 is unusual. The first verse of this hymn is presented by the soloist, accompanied by two clarinets, two viola parts, and cello. The orchestral parts are straightforward and well conceived for the instruments. In the final movement the orchestra doubles the choral fugue exclusively. Some of the octave doubling in the orchestra may present intonation problems for less-experienced ensembles. Soloists: mezzo-soprano - range: b♭-e♭'', tessitura: d'-d'', this is a sustained lyric role that is prominent throughout the first three movement of the score. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Chamber Choir of Europe, Württembergische Philharmonie Reutlingen; conducted by Nocol Matt. Brilliant Classics: 99997. Selected Bibliography: Brodbeck, David. “Some Notes on an Anthem by Mendelssohn.” In Mendelssohn and His World, edited by R. Larry Todd, 43-64. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1991.
Lauda Sion, op. 73 (1846) Duration: ca. 29 minutes Text: The text, by Thomas Aquinas, is the sequence hymn for the Feast of Corpus Christi. It is in Latin. The score includes a singing German translation as well. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets (C, B♭), 2 bassoons, 2 horns (C, D, 351 The English music critic, Henry Chorley, who accompanied Mendelssohn on the trip that included this premiere, wrote of the performance in his Modern German Music (1854): “It is a pity that those who commissioned such a composer to write such a work had
E♭), 2 trumpets (B♭, C, E♭) 3 trombones (alto, tenor, and bass), timpani (2 drums), and strings. First Performance: 11 June 1846, Church of St. Martin, Liège, France351 Editions: Lauda Sion is published in the critical edition: F. Mendelssohn-Bartholdy: Werke: kritisch durchgesehene Ausgabe, edited by Julius Rietz, series 14, volume A3. Another scholarly edition has been prepared by R. Larry Todd (1996) and published by Carus Verlag. The first edition was published in 1848 in London by Ewer as a piano-vocal score in Latin and English. In 1849, Schott published the work as a piano-vocal score and a full score in two printings, one in German and Latin, the other in German, Latin, and English. Autograph: The location of this manuscript is unknown. Notes: The score is dated 10 February 1846. Performance Issues: The choral material alternates homophonic choral writing with various imitative contrapuntal devices. All of the choral passages are clearly supported by the accompaniment. In the Rietz edition the soprano solo is in soprano clef, and the tenor is in tenor clef, which is to be expected; however, the alto solo is also in soprano clef throughout the work. There is a lovely lyric trio for oboe and two clarinets in movement 6 that will require secure players. The string writing includes some intricate writing, but overall, this is a conservative orchestra score for this composer. The scoring allows the use of a large choral ensemble and full complement of strings, although a moderate-sized group will also work well. Soloists: soprano - range: d'-a'', tessitura: a'-f'', this is a declamatory and lyric solo and the most sizeable role; alto range: b-e'', tessitura: d'-c'', this is a lyric solo role; tenor - range: g-a', tessitura: a-f', this is a lyric solo role; bass - range: G-d', tessitura: c-a, this is a lyric solo role. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Ruth Ziesak, Helene Schneiderman, Jan Kobow, Christoph Pregardien, Gotthold Schwarz, Adolph Seidel; Stuttgart Chamber Choir; Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Frieder Bernius. Carus-Verlag: 83.202/00. Nathalie Stutzmann, Guillaume Tourmiaire; Gulbenkian Choir and Orchestra of Lisbon; conducted by Michel Corboz. Apex: 2564-61692-2.
so entirely miscalculated their means of presenting it even respectably.” Quoted in George P. Upton, The Standard Cantatas, 7th edition, 265 (Chicago: A. C. McClurg and Company, 1899).
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Chamber Choir of Europe, Württembergische Philharmonie Reutlingen; conducted by Nocol Matt. Brilliant Classics: 99997. Selected Bibliography: Linden, Albert van der. “Un Fragment inédit du ‘Lauda Sion” de F. Mendelssohn.” Acta musicologica, xxvi (1954): 48-64. ———. “A propos du ‘Lauda Sion’ de Mendelssohn.” Revue Belge de musicologie, xvii (1963): 124-125. Werner, Eric. Mendelssohn: A New Image of the Composer and His Age, translated by Dika Newlin, 446450. London: Free Press of Glencoe, 1963.
Lobgesang See: Symphony No. 2
St. Paul, op. 36 (1834-1836) Duration: ca. 130 minutes Text: The text, based upon The Acts of the Apostles, was written for this work by Julius Schubring. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and 2 bass soloists, SATB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets (A, B♭, C), 2 bassoons, serpent, 4 horns (B♭ basso, C, D, E♭, E, F, G, A, B♭ alto), 2 trumpets (C, D, E♭, F, B), 3 trombones (alto, tenor, and bass), timpani (3), organ, and strings
The score calls for unison “contrafagotto e serpente,” part, which has been transcribed in the contemporary orchestral sets for two players on contrabassoon and tuba respectively. First Performance: 22 May 1836; Düsseldorf; Rhenish Music Festival, conducted by Mendelssohn Editions: St. Paul is published in the critical edition F. Mendelssohn-Bartholdy: Werke: kritisch durchgesehene Ausgabe, edited by Julius Rietz, series 13, volume 1. Another scholarly edition, prepared by R. Larry Todd, has been published by Carus Verlag. Full scores and parts for St. Paul are available for purchase from Breitkopf and Härtel, H. W. Gray, C. F. Peters, and Kalmus. The editions published by Simrock and Novello in 1836 were approved by Mendelssohn, who also prepared the piano-vocal score. The English text for the Novello edition was prepared by W. Ball. Autograph: The composer’s manuscript is in part 19 (S. 1) of the Mendelssohn Autograph Collection of the Berlin Stadtsbibliothek. Notes: This oratorio uses the following Lutheran chorales: Allein Gott in der Höh’ sei Her’ und Dank [movement 2], the Lutheran adaptation of “Gloria in excelsis,” a plainsong for Easter (1539); Wer nur den lieben Gott [movement 8, on the text Dir Herr, dir will ich mich ergeben] by Georg Neumark (1640 or 1657);
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
and Wachet auf! Ruft was die stimme [overture and movement 15] by Philipp Nicolai (1599). Act I is dated 8 April 1836, and Act II is dated 18 April. Performance Issues: While most critics attribute much of the style of Mendelssohn’s oratorio style to his study of the oratorios of Handel, it is my opinion that this work is as much the fruit of his prolonged study of the choral works of J. S. Bach. The use of chorales, certain instrumental obbliggati, cantus firmus techniques, and recitative writing all betray his affinity for the baroque master. The choral writing is linear, combining homophonic choral exclamations with fugal imitation. All of the choral writing is clearly doubled by the orchestra, and it is sensitively written to accommodate good amateur choirs. None of the parts is particularly vocally taxing, and all of them are musically clear. The choir must be capable of expressing a variety of moods. The organ part does add color to the orchestration, but all its material is covered by the rest of the orchestra if an instrument is not available. There is an extended florid cello solo in movement 39. Throughout the score, the choir and the tenor soloists portray different people; although this is listed in the score, it is not always clear to the ear. This should be considered when preparing the program. This is an eminently practical score. All of the parts are thoughtfully written from the singers’ and players’ perspectives so that there are no technical or musical snares in the score. This work is performed far less frequently than Elijah, but it is deserving of equal attention. Soloists: soprano 1 - range: d'-a'', tessitura: f'-f'', this is a declamatory solo role that functions as a narrator; alto - range: a-d'', tessitura: d'-b', this is a sustained and lyric solo role; tenor (Ananias, Stephen, and Barnabas) - range: d-g#', tessitura: f#-f#', this is a lyric solo with some sustained passages; bass (St. Paul) - range: A-d', tessitura: B-d', this is a sustained and placid solo role. There are two additional bass solo parts (False Witnesses) that can most effectively be assigned to choristers; number 1 - range: e-e', tessitura: e-c'; number 2 - range: d#-c', tessitura: d#-c'. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Helen Donath, Hanna Schwarz, Werner Hollweg, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau; Chor des Städtischen Musikvereins zu Düsseldorf; Düsseldorfer Symphoniker; conducted by Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos. EMI: 0077776400525. Susan Gritton, Jean Rigby, Barry Banks, Peter ColemanWright; BBC National Chorus and Orchestra of Wales; conducted by Richard Hickox. Chandos: CHAN9882. Juliane Banse, Ingeborg Danz, Michael Schade, Adreas Schmidt; Gächinger Kantorei Stuttgart, Prague Chamber Chorus; Czech Philharmonic; conducted by Helmuth Rilling, recorded in November 1994 in Rudolfinum Dvorak Hall, Prague. Hänssler: CD 98926.
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Melanie Diener, Annette Markert, James Taylor, Matthias Görne; La Chapelle Royale, Collegium Vocale Ghent; Orchestre des Champs-Élysées; conducted by Phillippe Herreweghe. Harmonia Mundi: HMC9015584/85. Selected Bibliography: Jahn, Otto. Über Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdys Oratorium “Paulus.” Kiel: n.p., 1842. Reprinted in Jahn: Gesammelte Aufsätze über Musik, 13-39. Leipzig: Breitkopf and Härtel, 1866. Upton, George. The Standard Oratorios, 208-213. Chicago: A. C. McClurg and Company, 1893. Kaufman, Schima. Mendelssohn: A Second Elijah, 198, 233, 241, 248, 268, 269, 284, 309. New York: Thomas Y. Crowell Co., 1934. Werner, Eric. Mendelssohn: A New Image of the Composer and His Age, translated by Dika Newlin, 287294. London: Free Press of Glencoe, 1963. Felix Mendelssohn: A Life in Letters, edited by Rudolf Elvers, translated by Craig Tomlinson, 198, 201, 203, 206, 223, 228, 232, 268. New York: Fromm International, 1986. Reimer, Erich. “Textanlage und Szenengestaltung in Mendelssohns Paulus.” Archiv für Musikwissenschaft, xlvi (1989): 42-69. Pahlen, Kurt. The World of the Oratorio, translated by Judith Schaefer with additional English-language material by Thurston Dox, 219-224. Portland, OR: Amadeus Press, 1990. Reimer, Erich. “Mendelssohns ‘edler Gesang’: Zur Kompositionsweise der Sologesänge im ‘Paulus.’” Archiv für Musikwissenschaft, l (1993): 44-70. Berger, Melvin. Guide to Choral Masterpieces: A Listener’s Guide, 199-201. New York: Anchor Books, 1993. Mercer-Taylor, Peter. “Rethinking Mendelssohn’s Historicism: A Lesson from St. Paul.” Journal of Musicology, xv (1997): 208-229. Reichwald, Siegwart. The Musical Genesis of Felix Mendelssohn’s Paulus. Florida State University, doctoral dissertation, 1998. Smither, Howard E. A History of the Oratorio, volume 4: The Oratorio in the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries, 152-166. Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina Press, 2000.
bassoons, 4 horns (F), 2 trumpets (C), 3 trombones (alto, tenor, and bass), organ, and strings First Performance: 22 December 1837 Editions: Psalm 42 is published in the critical edition F. Mendelssohn-Bartholdy: Werke: kritisch durchgesehene Ausgabe, edited by Julius Rietz, series 14, volume A1. Another scholarly edition has been prepared by Günter Graulich (1980) and published by Carus Verlag. The first edition of choral parts and a pianovocal score prepared by the composer was published by Breitkopf and Härtel in German, and by Novello in English in 1838. The full score was published by Breitkopf and Härtel the following year. Autograph: The composer’s manuscript is in part 19 (S. 15) of the Mendelssohn Autograph Collection of the Berlin Stadtsbibliothek. Notes: The score is dated 22 December 1837. Performance Issues: The choral writing is practical. Some of it is quite contrapuntal, but there is clear support in the accompaniment. The text declamation and melodic contours sing very well. The male quartet in movement 6 is entirely appropriate for members of the choir. There are soprano divisi in movement 3. The instrumental writing is very practically conceived for the players. The strings have the most challenging material. The organ part is implied as a continuo instrument. The score indicates when it does and does not play, but there are no figures in the full score. There is an important exposed oboe solo in movement 2 and a cello divisi in movement 6. This is a varied and effective score that takes advantage of contrasting vocal and instrumental sonorities. Soloists: soprano - range: d'-a'', tessitura: f'-f'', this is a significant role that is lyrical with some melismatic writing. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography:
Psalm 42, Wie der Hirsch schreit, op. 42 (1837)
Ruth Ziesak, Helene Schneiderman, Jan Kobow, Christoph Pregardien, Gotthold Schwarz, Adolph Seidel; Stuttgart Chamber Choir; Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Frieder Bernius. Carus-Verlag: 83.202/00. Nathalie Stutzmann, Guillaume Tourmiaire; Gulbenkian Choir and Orchestra of Lisbon; conducted by Michel Corboz. Apex: 2564-61692-2. Chamber Choir of Europe, Württembergische Philharmonie Reutlingen; conducted by Nocol Matt. Brilliant Classics: 99997.
Duration: ca. 21 minutes
Selected Bibliography:
Text: The text is from the book of Psalms in the Bible. It is in German.
Robinson, Daniel Vehe. An Analysis of the Psalms for Chorus and Orchestra by Felix Mendelssohn. Stanford University, doctoral dissertation, 1976. Dinglinger, Wolfgang. Studien zu den Psalmen mit Orchester von Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy. Berlin:
Performing Forces: voices: soprano soloist; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets (B♭), 2
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Schriftenreihe zur Musikwissenschaft an den Berliner Hochschulen un Universituten, 1993.
Psalm 95, Kommt, laßt uns anbeten, op. 46 (1839, revised 1841) Duration: ca. 23 minutes Text: The text is from the book of Psalms in the Bible. It is in German. Performing Forces: voices: 2 soprano and tenor soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets (B♭), 2 bassoons, 2 horns (C, E♭), 2 trumpets (C, E♭), 3 trombones (alto, tenor, and bass), and strings
First Performance: unknown Editions: Psalm 95 is published in the critical edition F. Mendelssohn-Bartholdy: Werke: kritisch durchgesehene Ausgabe, edited by Julius Rietz, series 14, volume A1. Another scholarly edition has been prepared by R. Larry Todd (1990) for Carus Verlag. The first edition full score, piano-vocal score, and parts were published by Kistner in 1842. That same year, Novello published an English version piano-vocal score. Autograph: The composer’s manuscript is in part 19 (S. 36) of the Mendelssohn Autograph Collection of the Berlin Stadtsbibliothek. Notes: The score is dated 11 April 1839 with a revision dated 3 July 1841. Performance Issues: The choral writing is generally syllabic with some sustained passages. The accompaniment provides clear support for the voices, but they are often contrapuntally independent of the instruments. The choral textures integrate imitative counterpoint and homophonic writing. In fact, the contrapuntal sophistication of the choral parts often exceeds that of the orchestra, which is more ostinato driven. The tenor solo in movement 4 is not indicated, but appears unlabeled in the score. The most complex orchestral material is in the final movement, and it is more practical than it first appears. This is an excellent work for a strong choir with limited orchestral resources. Soloists: soprano I - range: e♭'-a♭'', tessitura: f'-f'', this is a lyric and articulate role; soprano II range: e♭'-f'', tessitura: f'-d'', this is a lyric solo appropriate for a soprano or mezzo-soprano; tenor - range: d-f', tessitura: g-d', this is a lyric and sustained role. Choir: difficult; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Nathalie Stutzmann, Guillaume Tourmiaire; Gulbenkian Choir and Orchestra of Lisbon; conducted by Michel Corboz. Apex: 2564-61692-2. Chamber Choir of Europe, Württembergische Philharmonie Reutlingen; conducted by Nocol Matt. Brilliant Classics: 99997.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Selected Bibliography: Robinson, Daniel Vehe. An Analysis of the Psalms for Chorus and Orchestra by Felix Mendelssohn. Stanford University, doctoral dissertation, 1976. Felix Mendelssohn: A Life in Letters, edited by Rudolf Elvers, translated by Craig Tomlinson, 130. New York: Fromm International, 1986. Dinglinger, Wolfgang. “Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy: Der 95. Psalm op. 46: ‘…vom dem nur ein Stück mir ans Herz gewachsen war.’” Mendelssohn-Studien, vii (1990): 269-286. Dinglinger, Wolfgang. Studien zu den Psalmen mit Orchester von Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy. Berlin: Schriftenreihe zur Musikwissenschaft an den Berliner Hochschulen un Universituten, 1993.
Psalm 98, Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied, op. 91 (1843) Duration: ca. 7 minutes Text: The text is from the book of Psalms in the Bible. It is in German. Performing Forces: voices: two SATB choirs; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets (C), 2 bassoons, 2 horns (D), 2 trumpets (C), 3 trombones (alto, tenor, and bass) timpani (2 drums), harp, organ, and strings First Performance: 1 January 1844, Berlin Editions: Psalm 98 is published in the critical edition F. Mendelssohn-Bartholdy: Werke: kritisch durchgesehene Ausgabe, edited by Julius Rietz, series 14, volume A1. Another scholarly edition, prepared by R. Larry Todd (1990), is published by Carus Verlag. This work was published posthumously. The first edition, consisting of a full score, piano-vocal score, and parts, was issued by Kistner in 1851. That same year, Novello produced an English version of the piano-vocal score with text by W. Bartholomew. Autograph: The location of this manuscript is unknown Notes: This work was composed for the choir of the Berlin Cathedral. The score is dated 27 December 1843. Performance Issues: The choral material combines homophonic and imitative writing. The opening movement alternates call-and-response material between the two choirs with more holistic passages. Some sections are labeled “solo” that are treated like a concertato group. The first movement ends in B minor, and the second movement begins, instruments only, in G major, so a peregrination of pitch center in the a cappella section will not be evident. The orchestral writing is practical and fairly simple. The harp part is important and exposed, and the organ part is fully realized and necessary. Choir: difficult; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography:
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Nathalie Stutzmann, Guillaume Tourmiaire; Gulbenkian Choir and Orchestra of Lisbon; conducted by Michel Corboz. Apex: 2564-61692-2. Chamber Choir of Europe, Württembergische Philharmonie Reutlingen; conducted by Nocol Matt. Brilliant Classics: 99997. Selected Bibliography: Robinson, Daniel Vehe. An Analysis of the Psalms for Chorus and Orchestra by Felix Mendelssohn. Stanford University, doctoral dissertation, 1976. Dinglinger, Wolfgang. “Ein neues Lied: Der preußische Generalmusikdirektor und eine königliche Auftragskomposition.” Mendelssohn-Studien, v (1982): 99111. ———. Studien zu den Psalmen mit Orchester von Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy. Berlin: Schriftenreihe zur Musikwissenschaft an den Berliner Hochschulen un Universituten, 1993.
Psalm 114, Da Israel aus Aegypten zog, op. 51 (1839) Duration: ca. 13 minutes Text: The text is from the book of Psalms in the Bible. It is in German. Performing Forces: voices: SSAATTBB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets (C), 2 bassoons, 4 horns (C, G), 2 trumpets (C), 3 trombones (alto, tenor, and bass), timpani (2 drums), and strings First Performance: unknown Editions: Psalm 114 is published in the critical edition F. Mendelssohn-Bartholdy: Werke: kritisch durchgesehene Ausgabe, edited by Julius Rietz, series 14, volume A1. Another scholarly edition, prepared by Oswald Bill (1982), is published by Carus Verlag. The first edition was produced by Breitkopf and Härtel (piano-vocal score and parts) and Novello (English piano-vocal score) in 1841. In both cases, the pianovocal score was prepared by the composer.
the bassoons and strings. The brass scoring suggests the use of a full complement of strings and a sizable choral ensemble. There are immediate and dramatic contrasts of tone and dynamics, particularly for the choir. The choir must be a flexible and expressive ensemble capable of navigating some rhythmically articulate passages at a very low dynamic level. Choir: difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra and Choir; conducted by Riccardo Chailly, recorded live 2-3 September 2005 at the Gewandhaus in Leipzig. DVD — EuroArts: 2054668. Ruth Ziesak, Helene Schneiderman, Jan Kobow, Christoph Pregardien, Gotthold Schwarz, Adolph Seidel; Stuttgart Chamber Choir; Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Frieder Bernius. Carus-Verlag: 83.202/00. Nathalie Stutzmann, Guillaume Tourmiaire; Gulbenkian Choir and Orchestra of Lisbon; conducted by Michel Corboz. Apex: 2564-61692-2. Chamber Choir of Europe, Württembergische Philharmonie Reutlingen; conducted by Nocol Matt. Brilliant Classics: 99997. Selected Bibliography: Robinson, Daniel Vehe. An Analysis of the Psalms for Chorus and Orchestra by Felix Mendelssohn. Stanford University, doctoral dissertation, 1976. Dinglinger, Wolfgang. “‘…der letzte Schluß will mir nicht so recht werden’: Anmerkungen zum 114. Psalm von Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy.” In Professor Rudolph Stephan zum 3. April 1985 von seiner Schulern, 77-80. Berlin: n.p., 1985. ———. Studien zu den Psalmen mit Orchester von Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy. Berlin: Schriftenreihe zur Musikwissenschaft an den Berliner Hochschulen und Universituten, 1993.
Psalm 115, Non nobis Domine [Nicht unserm namen, Herr], op. 31 (1830)
Autograph: The location of this manuscript is unknown.
Duration: ca. 16 minutes
Notes: The score is dated Horchheim, 9 August 1839— 23 September 1840 and is dedicated to the painter, J. W. Schirmer. The work is organized as a single movement with clearly defined musical subsections.
Text: The text is from the book of Psalms; it is set here in German.
Performance Issues: The vocal parts integrate homophonic, block-chord sections with complex imitative counterpoint. Much of the choral material is clearly supported by the orchestra, but some passages require choral independence. There are also some brief a cappella passages in eight parts. There is some significant passagework for much of the orchestra, but primarily 352 The score does not indicate basso, but the range certainly suggests it.
Performing Forces: voices: soprano, tenor, and baritone soloists; SSAATTBB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes 2 oboes, 2 clarinets (B♭), 2 bassoons, 2 horns (B♭ basso, C basso),352 and strings First Performance: 15 November 1830; Frankfurt, Germany
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Editions: Psalm 115 is published in the critical edition F. Mendelssohn-Bartholdy: Werke: kritisch durchgesehene Ausgabe, edited by Julius Rietz, series 14, volume A1. Another scholarly edition, prepared by R. Larry Todd (1994), is published by Carus Verlag. The first edition was published by Simrock. A concurrent edition with English text by W. Bartholomew was published by Hedgley. Autograph: An early manuscript copy of the score is in the Berlin Stadtsbibliothek (ms. 30372). Notes: The score is dated 15 November 1830—19 May 1835. Performance Issues: The choral material features some complex contrapuntal writing, which includes some intricate melismatic passagework. Movement 4 begins with an eight-part a cappella chorale and moves to a four-part choral texture when the orchestra enters. While the choral material is quite consistently supported harmonically by the orchestra, direct doubling is not as evident as in some of Mendelssohn’s other choral-orchestral works. The orchestral writing is idiomatic, but it does include some rhythmically and contrapuntally complex sections that may require attention in rehearsal. Soloists: soprano - range: f'-g'', tessitura: g'-f'', this is a simple lyric solo; tenor - range: f-g', tessitura: g-f', this is a fairly easy lyric solo; baritone - range: B♭-e♭', tessitura: c-d', this is a lyric solo with some sustained passages. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Ruth Ziesak, Sabine Ritterbusch, Christoph Pregardien, Gotthold Schwarz, Michael Volle; Stuttgart Chamber Choir; Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra, Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Frieder Bernius. Carus-Verlag: 83.204/00. Nathalie Stutzmann, Guillaume Tourniaire; Gulbenkian Choir and Orchestra of Lisbon; conducted by Michel Corboz. Apex: 2564-61692-2. Chamber Choir of Europe, Württembergische Philharmonie Reutlingen; conducted by Nocol Matt. Brilliant Classics: 99997. Selected Bibliography: Werner, Eric. Mendelssohn: A New Image of the Composer and His Age, translated by Dika Newlin, 206208. London: Free Press of Glencoe, 1963. Robinson, Daniel Vehe. An Analysis of the Psalms for Chorus and Orchestra by Felix Mendelssohn. Stanford University, doctoral dissertation, 1976. Dinglinger, Wolfgang. Studien zu den Psalmen mit Orchester von Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy. Berlin:
353 Roger Fiske, preface to the Eulenberg edition of the score, 1980.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Schriftenreihe zur Musikwis-senschaft an den Berliner Hochschulen und Universituten, 1993.
Symphony No. 2, Lobgesang [“Song of Praise”], op. 52 (1840) Duration: Entire work: Symphonic movements: Choral portion: Shortened choral version:
ca. 70 minutes ca. 26 minutes ca. 44 minutes ca. 37 minutes
Text: The text is from Martin Luther’s translation of the Bible. The English text is a singing translation of that text. Performing Forces: voices: 2 soprano and tenor soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, timpani (2 drums), organ, and strings First Performance: 25 June 1840; St. Thomaskirche, Leipzig; conducted by the composer British premiere: (in English) 23 September 1840; Birmingham; conducted by the composer Revised version: 3 December 1840, Leipzing, conducted by the composer Editions: Symphony No. 2 is published in the critical edition F. Mendelssohn-Bartholdy: Werke: kritisch durchgesehene Ausgabe, edited by Julius Rietz, series 14, volume A2; additional scholarly editions include one edited by Douglass Seaton (1989), published by Carus Verlag, and another published by Breitkopf and Härtel, edited by Wulf Konold (1998). The opening orchestral symphony movements are published by Breitkopf and Härtel and Kalmus. The Lobgesang cantata is published independently and is available from Breitkopf and Härtel, G. Schirmer, H. W. Gray, and Kalmus. The first edition, consisting of a pianovocal score, full score, and parts, was published by Breitkopf and Härtel and Novello in 1841. The pianovocal score included a two-piano arrangement of the symphonic portion made by the composer. Autograph: The composer’s manuscript is in part 19 (S. 36) of the Mendelssohn Autograph Collection of the Berlin Stadtsbibliothek. Notes: This work was composed as part of the quatercentenary celebration of Gutenberg’s printing press. There is well-founded supposition that Mendelssohn began the symphony with no intentions of this purpose nor the inclusion of a choral finale, but that when the occasion arose, he built upon a symphony he had begun in 1838.353 The revised version is dated Leipzig, 27 November 1840. It is dedicated to Frederic Augustus, Duke of Saxony. The score is organized as a
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
symphony followed by a cantata. It may be performed in its entirety, or with either half as a stand-alone work. Performance Issues: The choral writing intersperses homophonic and contrapuntal passages. Imitative passages are often quite complex, but logically conceived for effective learning. The choral parts are vocally demanding with long sustained passages and exploitation of the full ranges of the choristers. They are, however, sensitively written for the singers. Throughout the work, attention will need to be applied to clarity of diction. The nature of the counterpoint and the specific orchestral doubling of the choral parts are inclined to muddy the text. A mature and experienced choir is a necessity. The orchestra provides considerable support of the vocal material, but not all of the choral pitches are directly doubled. The orchestration requires a full complement of strings and large symphonic choral ensemble. The string writing is idiomatic, but contains considerable ornamental passagework. Likewise, there are considerable exposed passages for the brass, some of which are challenging. To ensure effective balance, the brass section must be capable of sensitive dynamic control. The organ part appears only in the choral portion of the work. It is fully notated, and although a performance can be given without organ, its color and reinforcement of certain contrapuntal elements suggests that it is not optional. The score makes considerable use of ostinati, particularly as accompanimental figures. This is an effective and melodically rich score that was once a part of the standard repertoire. It has some quaint features reflective of the tastes of the nineteenth century, and there are some structural deficiencies related to overall cohesion; however, it is a work that flatters the orchestra and singers that deserves more contemporary performances. Soloists: soprano I - range: e♭'-b♭'', tessitura: g'-g'', this is a lyric solo that must be able to penetrate the entire ensemble; soprano II - range: d'-f'', tessitura: f-f'', this is a declamatory role that appears only in duet; tenor - range: c-a♭', tessitura: g-g', this is a sustained and lyric solo with some long phrases. Choir: difficult; Orchestra: difficult. Selected Discography: Elisabeth Connell, Karita Mattila, Hans Peter Blochwitz; London Symphony Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Claudio Abbado. Deautsche Grammophon: 4231432. Cynthia Haymon, Alison Hagley, Peter Straka; Leslie Pearson, organ; Philharmonia Chorus and Orchestra; conducted by Walter Weller. Chandos: CHAN10224X. Anne Schwanewilms, Petra-Maria Schnitzer, Peter Seiffert; Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra and Choir; conducted by Riccardo Chailly, recorded live 2-3 September 2005 at the Gewandhaus in Leipzig. DVD — EuroArts: 2054668.
Selected Bibliography: Upton, George. The Standard Oratorios, 213-218. Chicago: A. C. McClurg and Company, 1893. Norris, James Weldon. Mendelssohn’s Lobgesang opus 52: An Analysis for Performance. Indiana University, doctoral dissertation, 1974. Felix Mendelssohn: A Life in Letters, edited by Rudolf Elvers, translated by Craig Tomlinson, 254, 255. New York: Fromm International, 1986. Kapp, Reinhard. “Lobgesang.” In Neue Musik un Tradition: Festschrift Rudolf Stephan, edited by Joseh Kuckertz, Helga de la Motte-Haber, Christian Martin Schmidt, and Wilhelm Seidel, 239-249. Laaber: Laaber, 1990. Pahlen, Kurt. The World of the Oratorio, translated by Judith Schaefer with additional English-language material by Thurston Dox, 224-226. Portland, OR: Amadeus Press, 1990. Town, Stephen. “Mendelssohn’s ‘Lobgesang’: A Fusion of Forms and Textures.” Choral Journal, xxxiii (1992): 19-26. Steinbeck, Wolfram. “Der Idee der Vokalsymphonie: Zu Mendelssohns Lobgesang” Archiv für Musikwissenschaft, liii (1996): 222-233.
Tu es Petrus, op. 111 (1827) Duration: ca. 6 minutes Text: This Latin text is from the New Testament of the Bible. It is the quote attributed to Jesus, “You are Peter, and upon this rock I shall build my church.” Performing Forces: voices: SSATB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 horns (D), 2 trumpets (D), 3 trombones (alto, tenor, and bass), timpani (2 drums), and strings First Performance: 14 November 1827 Editions: Tu es Petrus is published in the critical edition F. Mendelssohn-Bartholdy: Werke: kritisch durchgesehene Ausgabe, edited by Julius Rietz, series 14, volume A3. Other scholarly editions those prepared by Brian W. Pritchard (1976) for Harmonia and John Michael Cooper (1996) for Carus Verlag. Tu es Petrus was published posthumously. The first edition was produced concurrently by Simrock and Ewer as a piano-vocal score in 1868. Autograph: The composer’s manuscript is in part 47 of the Mendelssohn Autograph Collection of the Berlin Stadtsbibliothek. Notes: The score is dated 14 November 1827—6 December 1827. Performance Issues: This work is composed in the style of a renaissance polyphonic motet with orchestral accompaniment. The choral parts have some very long, sustained phrases and considerable melismatic writing. The orchestra doubles the choir some of the time,
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at others it provides some contrapuntal enrichments or subtle pitch grounding. A smaller string section is entirely suitable for this work. The score is written in 4/2. The frequency of double whole notes in the accompaniment may be distracting to inexperienced players. Choir: difficult; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Chamber Choir of Europe, Württembergische Philharmonie Reutlingen; conducted by Nocol Matt. Brilliant Classics: 99997.
MENNIN, Peter (b. Erie, PA, 17 May 1923; d. New York, 17 June 1983) Mennin was the brother of the composer, Louis Mennini. After brief study with Normand Lockwood at the Oberlin Conservatory and subsequent military service, he attended the Eastman School (BMus and MMus 1945, and PhD 1947) where he studied composition with Howard Hanson and Bernard Rogers. He taught composition at the Juilliard School (1947-1958), served as director of the Peabody Conservatory (19581962), and was president of the Juilliard School (19621983). His compositional style is contrapuntal, rhythmic, and exhibits a keen sense for large formal organization.354 Teachers: Howard Hanson, Normand Lockwood, Bernard Rogers Students: Jack Behrens, Charles Bestor, Jacob Druckman, Richard Danielpour, Karl Korte, Claire Polin Awards: Joseph Bearns Prize (1945), Gershwin Memorial Award (1945), National Institute of Arts and Letters award (1946), two Guggenheim Fellowships (1949, 1957), Naumburg Award (1952), membership in National Institute of Arts and Letters (1965) Principal Works: Symphony no. 1 (1941), Symphony no. 2 (1944), Symphony no. 3 (1946), Symphony no. 4, “The Cycle” (1948), Symphony no. 5 (1950), Symphony no. 6 (1953), Symphony no. 7, “Variation-Symphony” (1963), Symphony no. 8 (1973), Symphony no. 9 (1981), Flute Concertino (1944), Concertato “Moby Dick” (1952), Cello Concerto (1956), Piano Concerto (1958), Flute Concerto (1983), Voices for voice, piano, percussion, harp, and harpsichord (1975), and Reflections of Emily for boy choir, harp, piano, and percussion (1978). Selected Composer Bibliography: Hendl, Walter. “Music of Peter Mennin.” The Juilliard Review, i/2 (1954): 18. 354 Joseph Machlis, Introduction to Contemporary Music, 527-530 (New York: W.W. Norton, 1961).
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
“Mennin, Peter.” Current Biography Yearbook, xxv (November 1964); obituary, lxvim (August 1983); New York: H. W. Wilson Company. Mayer, M. “Peter Mennin of Juilliard.” New York Times (28 September 1969): 17. Owens, D. “Composer: Peter Mennin: An Interview.” Christian Science Monitor (29 and 30 July 1981). Ayers, Mary Jane Bowles. The Major Choral Works of Peter Mennin. University of Miami, dissertation, 1982. [obituary], New York Times (18 June 1983). Simmons, Walter G. “Mennin, Peter.” In The New Grove Dictionary of American Music, edited by H. Wiley Hitchcock, iii: 208-209. 4 volumes. London: Macmillan, 1986.
Symphony No. 4, The Cycle (1948) Duration: ca. 23 minutes Text: by the composer Performing Forces: voices: SATB choir; orchestra: 3 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion (2 players - snare drum, bass drum, cymbals), and strings. There is a concert reduction of the full score for two pianos. First Performance: 18 March 1949; New York; Collegiate Chorale and Orchestra; conducted by Robert Shaw Edition: The Cycle is published and distributed by Carl Fischer. The piano-vocal score (3647) and is available for purchase; orchestral and two-piano performance sets are available for rental (RCO-M42). Autograph: The full score is a facsimile of the composer’s manuscript. Notes: This work was commissioned by the Collegiate Chorale and conductor Robert Shaw. The work is a three-movement symphony (fast, slow, fast). The choir sings throughout most of the piece, but the orchestra’s most interesting and difficult music occurs in the nonvocal interludes. Mennin’s text is concerned with the cycle of time and the earth’s action of continually reclaiming itself from past destruction. Performance Issues: Mennin’s rhythmic language creates multimetric groupings, which cross the bars in varied configurations. He clarifies these with beaming, dotted inner-barlines, or square brackets over groupings. One curious problem for the singers is the occurrence of two syllables assigned to a single note. The vocal writing is diatonic and always rhythmically simple. The majority of the choir’s music is homophonic with many of the polyphonic passages still
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
resembling chordal writing, but with a displacement of the text between parts. There are brief a cappella passages, which are cued in the orchestra in case support is required. The second movement has frequent changes of meter, which are not particularly evident due to a slow tempo. The third movement is the most challenging for the singers and orchestra because of the quantity and speed of the music. The woodwind writing includes some intricate unison passage work, which demands good facility and a well coordinated wind section. This work is accessible to a choir of limited experience, but the orchestration requires that the choir be fairly large. The orchestra parts are within the grasp of an ensemble of moderate ability. The solemnity of the text and heaviness of this score suggest that it be programmed with dissimilar works, such as Beethoven’s Choral Fantasia, or a liturgical composition. Choir: medium; Orchestra: medium difficult.
of the parts require rapid passagework and rhythmic flexibility. The first trumpet demands a player capable of clean entrances at the top of the range. The string parts are well within the range of an amateur ensemble. Soloists: Neither solo role is substantial nor difficult. Soprano, range: d'- a'', tessitura: g'- e'', rhythmical and diatonic, consistently legato; tenor, range: e- a', tessitura: a- f', sustained and lyric, in the manner of a recitative. This is an ideal piece to be used as a Christmas or Advent (although the birth of Christ occurs in the eighth movement) cantata within a church setting. The music is attractive, varied, and well written. The solos and choruses are well within the ability of a moderate church music program, and the accompanying ensemble is small enough to be within the fiscal and space confines of many such churches. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium easy.
Selected Discography:
Discography: No commercial recording
Camerata Singers and Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Abraham Kaplan. Released in 1974. Desto: DC7149 [LP]; re-released as Phoenix: PHCD-107 [AAD].
Selected Bibliography:
Christmas Story (1949)
Smith, Cecila. “For Christmas and All Seasons.” Musical America, lxx (December 1950): 28. [review], Notes, viii/4 (1951): 747-748.
Duration: ca. 24-25 minutes
Cantata de virtute: Pied Piper of Hamelin (1969)
Text: Bible
Duration: ca. 40 minutes
Performing Forces: voices: soprano and tenor soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 trumpets in C, 2 trombones, timpani, and strings.
Text: Robert Browning, Psalm 117, and two thirteenthcentury poems, which are adaptations of the Missa pro defunctis.
Also arranged for two pianos. First Performance: 24 December 1949; American Broadcasting Network; Collegiate Chorale; conducted by Robert Shaw. Edition: The Christmas Story is published and distributed by Carl Fischer. The piano-vocal score may be purchased (3700); orchestral materials are available for rental (RCO-M38). Autograph: The full score is a facsimile of the composer’s manuscript. Notes: This work was commissioned by the Protestant Radio Commission. Performance Issues: The first movement is a cappella and filled with alternating meters, which include a shift in the value of the beat between the quarter note and dotted quarter. There is a broad variety of contrapuntal styles including strict homophony and diverse method of imitation. The vocal writing is scalar and generally diatonic, with the majority of accidentals reflecting a migration of the tonic. The harmonic language is functionally triadic. Virtually all of the choral lines are supported by the accompaniment. The brass parts are well paced between playing and resting. All
Performing Forces: voices: narrator, tenor and bass soloists; SSAATTBB choir; children’s choir; orchestra: 4 flutes, 3 oboes, 3 clarinets, 3 bassoons, 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion (4 players - 2 snare drums, tenor drum, bass drum, suspended cymbal, crash cymbals, hand cymbals, tamtam, bells), and strings First Performance: 2 May 1969; Annual May Festival, Cincinnati, OH. Edition: Cantata de Virtute is published and distributed by Carl Fischer. The piano-vocal score is for sale; orchestral materials are available on rental (RCO-M36). Autograph: The full score is a facsimile of the composer’s manuscript. The original autograph is in the possession of Carl Fischer, Inc. Notes: This work was commissioned for the Cincinnati May Festival. Mennin combines Browning’s poem with liturgical Latin texts. The tenor soloists portrays the Mayor of Hamelin, and the bass plays the part of the Pied Piper. The score is in four sections, which are to be performed without pause. Performance Issues: This is an atonal composition, which combines free atonality with serial procedures.
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The serial treatment utilizes more than one row; these are integrated with elements of whole-tone and chromatic scales. One of the most dramatic features of the piece is its conclusion in E♭ major, the first stable harmony in the entire work. The children’s choir is divided into two soprano parts of equal range, and at [R] they divided into four-part harmony. They must be capable of executing atonal passages without support from the orchestra. There are also divisi in each of the choral parts and a division into two choirs. The choral writing is contrapuntally complex and very dissonant, with particular emphasis upon tritone and augmented octaves. There are a variety of choral textures, which include paired doubling, some imitation, and occasionally ten independent parts. The narrator must occasionally speak in rhythm. Nearly half of the choral part is for speaking choir. For them, Mennin indicates high, medium, and low, within the range of each part. He also uses glissandi for the speaking voices and laughter with approximated pitches and rhythms. At [W] choir II and the children’s choir are to clap, cheer, and whistle freely as choir I sings a Latin prayer in unison. The orchestration is varied with demands put upon all of the players, exploiting extremities of range, glissandi in all sections and complex passagework. The pitch language and rhythmic complexity necessitate an orchestra of professional players. Soloists: Mayor - tenor, range: d-a'; tessitura: f#-f#', declamatory and requiring vocal flexibility; Pied Piper - bass, range: A#-f'; tessitura: e-d', must be flexible and capable of rapid melismas. The composer lists the role of the Pied Piper for bass; however, it seems better suited for a lyric baritone. To balance with the ensemble, the narration will require amplification. Choir: difficult; Orchestra: difficult. Discography: No commercial recording
MENOTTI, Gian Carlo (b. Cadegli-
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
His works combine the essence of contemporary theater with the melodic vocal style of Puccini and the orchestration of Mussorgsky.355 Teacher: Rosario Scalero Students: George Rochberg, Ned Rrem, George Walker Award: New York Critics’ Circle Award and the Pulitzer Prize (1950 for The Consul), and a Kennedy Center Honor for lifetime achievement in the arts. Principal Works: opera - Amelia Goes to the Ball (1936), The Old Maid and the Thief (1939), Sebastian (1944), The Medium (1945), The Telephone (1946), The Consul (1949), Amahl and the Night Visitors (1951), The Saint of Bleeker Street (1954), Maria Golovin (1958), Help, Help, the Globolinks! (1968), The Hero (1976), La loca (1979), The Boy Who Grew Too Fast (1982); ballet - Sebastian (1944), Errand into the Maze (1947); orchestral - Piano Concerto (1945), Apocalypse (1951), Violin Concerto (1952), Triplo Concerto a tre (1976), Doublebass Concerto (1983); choral - The Unicorn, the Gorgan and the Manticore, or The Three Sundays of a Poet (1956), Landscapes and Remembrances (1976), and Muero porque no muero (1982) Selected Composer Bibliography: Tricoire, Robert. Gian Carlo Menotti: l’homme et son oeuvre. Paris: Seghers, 1966. Gruen, John. Menotti: A Biography. New York: Macmillan, 1978. “Menotti, Gian Carlo.” Current Biography Yearbook, viii (December 1947); lx (January, 1979). New York: H. W. Wilson Company. Ardoin, John. The Stages of Menotti. Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1985. Archibald, Bruce. “Menotti, Gian Carlo.” In The New Grove Dictionary of American Music, edited by H. Wiley Hitchcock, iii: 209-212. 4 volumes. London: Macmillan, 1986.
The Death of the Bishop of Brindisi (1963)
ano, Italy, 7 July 1911; d. Monte Carlo, Monaco, 1 February 2007)
Duration: ca. 30 minutes
Menotti was first taught music by his mother. He had already composed two operas before entering the Milan Conservatory (1924-1927). Upon Arturo Toscanini’s recommendation, he entered the Curtis Institute (1927-1934) where he studied composition with Rosario Scalero. It was there that he established a lifelong companionship with fellow student Samuel Barber. A gifted writer, he authored most of his own librettos, as well as the libretto for Barber’s Vanessa.
Performing Forces: voices: mezzo-soprano and baritone soloists; SATB choir, children’s choir; orchestra: 2 flutes (flute II doubling alto flute), 2 oboes, 2 clarinets (clarinet II doubling bass clarinet), 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion (3 players - bass drum, snare drum, suspended cymbal, gong, triangle, anvil, xylophone,
355 John Ardoin, The Stages of Menotti (Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1985).
Text: Menotti
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
bells, chimes), harp, 2 pianos (piano II doubling celeste), and strings First Performance: 18 May 1963; Rosalind Elias, Richard Cross; Cincinnati May Festival Chorus and Orchestra; conducted by Thomas Schippers First Staged Performance: 11 January 1968; University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM Edition: The Death of the Bishop of Brindisi is published and distributed by G. C. Schirmer. Piano-vocal scores may be purchased; orchestral materials are available by rental. Autograph: A copy of the manuscript is in the possession of G. Schirmer. Notes: The mezzo-soprano plays the role of a Nun, the baritone portrays the bishop, and the choirs represent townspeople and children. There have been many staged and semistaged productions of this work. However, the composer has stated that he regards it strictly as a concert piece. The composer derived his text from a passage in Adolf Waas’s History of the Crusades. It takes place just prior to the Fifth Crusade (1218-1221) with what was known as the Children’s Crusade in, which children from Germany and France traveled to the Holy Land. At Brindisi, they had to sail across the Mediterranean Sea. The bishop of Brindisi intervened in an attempt to stop their futile journey. The children who did sail either died at sea or were sold as slaves upon their arrival on the southern shore.356 The story is told through a series of flashbacks by the bishop from his deathbed. Performance Issues: There may be a missing measure in the vocal score immediately preceding rehearsal #15. The composer lists two players for the percussion parts, but four are necessary. The SATB choir sings only twice in the piece: the first time for forty-four measures and the second time portraying townspeople for thirty-four measures. The children’s choir sings throughout the work, usually in two parts, which move in parallel thirds and sixths or in pervasive imitation at the unison. There is a section of three-part divisi in parallel motion at the fifth and octave. Menotti uses ostinati to create a sonic fabric behind solo materials. He also imitates Gregorian chant in his accompaniments to create the historic and dramatic backdrop of the story. The score is very operatic in its conception and content. The choral writing for the mixed choir is strictly homophonic and triadic. The one challenge is an alternation between 8/8, 9/8, and 12/8 in a fairly fast tempo with the quarter or dotted quarter designated as the beat while the eighth remains constant. The orchestra parts are not notably difficult with the 356 Will and Ariel Durant, The Story of Civilization. 11 volumes (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1975).
exception of the two piano parts, which are technically difficult and which present challenges to ensemble integration. There are some polyrhythmic passages including an overlap of divisions of 2, 3, and 4, and 4 against 5. There is a storm scene between rehearsal #40 and 45, which is difficult because of its speed. Soloists: mezzo-soprano, range: b♭'-e♭'', tessitura: e'-c''; baritone, range: A-f', tessitura: g-d'; both roles are declamatory and very dramatic. The bishop’s role is particularly demanding with consistent exploitation of the upper range and requires the need for endurance. The Death of the Bishop of Brindisi is a very effective piece of music drama, which by the composer’s nature seems to demand some degree of staging. Choir: medium; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Lili Chookasian, George London; New England Conservatory Chorus, Catholic Memorial High School Glee Club, St. Joseph’s High School Glee Club, Boston Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Erich Leinsdorf. Released in 1965. RCA: SC-2785 [LP]. Selected Bibliography: Humphreys, Henry. [review of the premiere], The Cincinnati Enquirer (20 May 1963): 33. Hixon, Donald L. Gian Carlo Menotti: A Bio-Bibliography, 128-130. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2000.
MESSAGER, André (b. Montluçon, 30 December 1853; d. Paris, 24 February 1929) Messager studied at the Paris Conservatory. He was organist at St. Sulpice in Paris and became an important conductor in France. His posts include music director of the Opéra-Comique (1898-1903), where he led the premiere of Debussy’s Pelléas et Mélisande, which is dedicated to him; manager of the Grand Opera Syndicate at Covent Garden (1901-1907); conductor of the Concerts Lamoureux (1905); music director of the Paris Opéra (1907-1914); and conductor of the Société des Concerts du Conservatoire (19081919). He also conducted the 1924 season of Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes. His music was primarily written for the theater. Teachers: Gabriel Fauré, Eugène Gigout, Camille SaintSaëns Other Principal Works: opera: Scaramouche (1891), Madame Chrysanthème (1893), Véronique (1898),
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Béatrice (1914), Monsieur Beaucaire (1919); ballet: Les deux pigeons (1886), Le Chevalier aux fleurs (1897) Selected Composer Bibliography: Février, Henri. André Messager, mon Maître, mon ami. Paris: Amiot-Dumont, 1948. Augé-Laribé, Michel. André Messager, musicien de théâtre. Paris: La Colombe, 1951.
Messe des pêcheurs de Villerville (18811882) See entry under Gabriel Fauré.
MONTEVERDI, Claudio (b. Cremona, (baptized) 15 May 1567 – d. Venice, 29 November 1643) One of the most transformative composers in Western history, Monteverdi was a chorister in the Cathedral in Cremona where he studied with Ingegneri. In 1583, he entered the service of the Duke of Mantua as a singer and viol player. His travels with the Duke allowed him to hear the first operas produced by the Florentine Camera, and in 1607 he produced La favola d’Orfeo, which was the first opera accompanied by full orchestra. That same year, his wife died. In 1613, Monteverdi was appointed maestro di cappella at St. Mark’s in Venice. There he produced extraordinary sacred works and in later years more operas. His music became widespread throughout Europe, and he was visited by numerous composers, including Heinrich Schütz. Many of Monteverdi’s works were lost as the region was swept by battles and the plague. In 1632, he took holy orders. His nine books of madrigals, which span more than forty years, demonstrate a remarkable transition from the imitative a cappella works of the late renaissance to concerted dramatic works. His harmonic developments, transformation of early opera into a form recognizable today, innovations in accompaniment, and structural unity set the stage for the baroque era. Teachers: Marc Antonio Ingegneri Students: Giulio Cesare Bianchi Principal Works: opera - La favola d’Orfeo (1607), Il Ritorno d’Ulisse in patria (1641), L’incoronazione di Poppea (1642); vocal - 4 masses, Madrigali: book I (1587), book II (1590), book III (1592), book IV (1603), book V (1605), book VI (1614), book VII (1619), book VIII (1638), book IX (post. 1651) Selected Composer Bibliography: 357 Claudio Monteverdi: Vespro della Beata Vergine (1610), edited by Jeffrey E. Kurtzman, vii (Oxford: University Press, 1999).
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Redlich, Hans: Claudio Monteverdi. Leben und Werk (1949), translated by Kathleen Dale. London: Oxford University Press, 1952. Paoli, Domenico de’. Monteverdi. Milan: Ruscone, 1979. Arnold, Denis. “Claudio Monteverdi,” with works list by Elsie M. Arnold. In The New Grove Italian Baroque Masters. New York, W. W. Norton, 1984. Fabbri, Paolo. Monteverdi. Turin: E.D.T. Edizione di Torino, 1985. Adams, K. Gary, and Dyke Kiel. Claudio Monteverdi: A Guide to Research. New York: Garland, 1989. The Letters of Claudio Monteverdi, translated and introduced by Denis Stevens. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1995. The Cambridge Companion to Monteverdi, edited by John Whenham and Richard Wistreich. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2007.
Vespro della beata vergine, SV 206 (1610) Duration: ca. 66 minutes Text: Roman Catholic liturgy and the Psalms Performing Forces: voices: 2 soprano, 4 tenor, and 2 bass soloists; two SSATB choirs; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 recorders, 3 cornettos, 1 large cornetto, 3 trombones, bass trombone, 2 violins, 2 violas, and continuo (lute, harpsichord, organ, cello, and double bass) Monteverdi’s original publication does not clearly label which instruments are used to double vocal parts within specific movements. There were generally accepted practices, and some clues are provided in the continuo volume and others from the fully concerted movements, but performers would have had significant liberty to make a variety of decisions in some portion of the work. Jeffrey Kurtzman’s edition provides well-conceived assignments, which correspond to the accompanying set of parts. Likewise, the parts include period instruments and contemporary substitutions as follows:357 Monteverdi’s orchestra Fifare Flauti Cornettos Large cornetto Tenor trombones Trombone doppio Violini da brazzo Viuola da brazzo Bass viuola da brazzo Contrabasso da gamba
Modern equivalent Transverse flutes Recorders Trumpets in D Trumpet in B♭ Tenor trombones Bass trombone Violins Viola and Cello Cello Double bass
First Performance: There is much supposition regarding possible first performances of this work; however,
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these is no concrete evidence supporting the work having been performed during the composer’s lifetime. Editions: Vespro della beata vergine is available in three editions from Universal Editions: the first executed by Hans Redlich in 1949 and revised in 1952; the second edited by Walter Goehr in 1956; and the third by Jürgen Jürgens in 1977. The last is listed as a “practical urtext” edition. Other editions include one edited by Gottfried Wolters, published by Möseler Verlag in 1966; and another edited by Clifford Bartlett, published by King’s Music in 1986. The best scholarly edition is that prepared by Jeffrey E. Kurtzman, which was published by Oxford University Press in 1999 as Claudio Monteverdi: Vespro della Beata Vergine (1610). Autograph: A manuscript copy of the Mass, in the hand of a copyist, is in the Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Cappella Sistina MS 107. The main primary source remains the printed seven part books and the bassus generalis volume published by the composer in Venice in 1610. Notes: Monteverdi published Vespro della Beata Vergine da concerto in 1610. The volume is dedicated to Pope Paul V. It contains a variety of sacred works including multiple settings of texts used at Vespers, a setting of the mass, and a number of motets. The original use of these works is unknown. There is speculation that the volume may have served as a demonstration of Monteverdi’s mastery of a number of liturgical music styles as he anticipated pursuing new employment. The actual Vespers music may have been written for the inauguration of a new order of knighthood in honor of Christ the Redeemer. This chivalric order was created by Monteverdi’s employer, Vincenzo Gonzaga. On 25 May 1608, Gonzaga made his son Francesco, recently wed to Margherita of Savoy, the first member of the Mantuan Order of the Redentore. Vespers were sung on this occasion, but clear evidence that Monteverdi’s work was used is supposition.358 The amalgamated work is published as follows: Missa in illo tempore SSATTB and continuo Domine ad adiuvandum concerted SSATTB Dixit Dominus SSATTB and continuo Nigra sum Tenor solo and continuo Laudate pueri Dominum SSAATTBB and continuo Pulchra es 2 sopranos and continuo Laetatus sum SSATTB and continuo Duo Seraphim 3 sopranos and continuo Nisi Dominus 2 SATTB choirs and continuo Audi Coelum SSATTB and continuo Lauda Jerusalem SSSATBB and contino 358 Iain Fenlon, “The Monteverdi Vespers: Suggested Answers to Some Fundamental Questions,” Early Music, volume 5, number 3 (1977), 383.
Sonata sopra Sancta Maria Instruments with vocal incipits Ave Maris stella 2 SATB choirs and continuo 5-part instrumental ritornelli Magnificat Concerted SSATTBB Magnificat Concerted SSATTB Performance Issues: The fully concerted movements are a tour de force combining sustained homophonic choral singing with rapid figurations for all of the voices and instruments. The remarkable variety of vocal and instrumental combinations is an important feature of this work, which has come to be performed in its entirety over selected movements. If one is to program it as a liturgical enterprise, there are inherent challenges regarding the choice of antiphons and pitch-center connections between them and the movements. There are passages of harmonic chant and significant contrapuntal variety within the imitative passages. All vocal parts are demanding, as are the instrumental parts. The cornetto and continuo parts present the greatest technical challenges for the players. All of the vocal solos include some rapid melismatic writing and potentially a wide range of articulations. Some ensemble movements are labeled for solo voices, and those passages are included in the following ranges for soloists. Singular passages of extreme range in ensemble sections are shown in square brackets [ ]. The Kurtzmann edition includes alternate transpositions of some movements. All ranges are based upon original keys. Soloists: soprano (cantus) - range: b-a'', tessitura: g'-e'', this is a lyric solo with some long phrases; soprano (sextus) - range: c'-a'', tessitura: e'-d'', this is a lyric part with some long phrases; tenor (altus) - range: c-g', tessitura: a-g', this is a sustained part with some very high passages; tenor (tenor) - range: [A] cg', tessitura: g-e', this is a very expressive role with some rapid passagework; tenor (quintus) - range: [A] c-a', tessitura: g-e', this is a sustained and lyric colo; tenor (septimus) - range: g-a', tessitura: g-g', this is a part that provides harmonic enhancement in ensemble movements; bass (bassus) - range: E-d', tessitura: A-a, this is a sustained role with long phrases; bass (octavus) - range: G-d', tessitura: A-a, this is a part that provides harmonic enhancement in ensemble movements. Choir: difficult; Orchestra: difficult. Selected Discography: Taverner Consort; conducted by Andrew Parrott. Recorded December 1982 in Temple Church, London, and August 1983 and March 1984 in All Saint’s, Tooting, London. Angel: 886396. Apollo’s Fire; conducted by Jeanette Sorrell. Recorded November 1998 in St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Cleveland Heights, OH. Avie: 2206.
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The King’s Consort; conducted by Robert King. Hyperion: 67531. La Petite Bande; conducted by Sigiswald Kuijken. Recorded November 2007 in Predikherenkirk, Leuven, Belgium. Challenge Classics: 72311. Choir of New College Oxford, Charivari Agréable (KahMing Ng, director); conducted by Edward Higginbottom. Recorded July 2009 in St. Michael’s Church, Summerton, Oxford. Novum: 1382. Selected Bibliography: Arnold, Denis. Monteverdi Church Music, BBC Music Guides. London: BBC, 1982. Bonta, Stephen. “Liturgical Problems in Monteverdi’s Marian Vespers.” Journal of the American Musicological Society, volume 20 (1967): 87-106. Fenlon, Iain. “The Monteverdi Vespers: Suggested Answers to Some Fundamental Questions.” Early Music, volume 5, number 3 (1977): 380-387. Kurtzman, Jeffrey G. The Monteverdi Vespers of 1610 and Their Relationship with Italian Sacred Music of the Early Seventeenth Century. University of Illinois, dissertation, 1970. ———. “Some Historical Perspectives on the Monteverdi Vespers.” Analecta musicological, volume 15 (1975): 29-86. ———. Essays on the Monteverdi Mass and Vespers of 1610, Rice University Studies, volume 64, number 4. Houston: Rice University, 1978. ———. The Monteverdi Vespers of 1610: Music, Context, Performance. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1999. Parrott, Andrew. “Transposition in Monteverdi’s Vespers of 1610: An ‘Aberration’ Defended.” Early Music, volume 12 (1984): 490-516. Stevens, Denis. “Where Are the Vespers of Yesteryear?” Musical Quarterly, volume 47 (1961): 315-330. Whenham, John. Monteverdi: Vespers (1610). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1997.
MOZART, Wolfgang Amadeus (b. 27 January 1756, Salzburg, Austria; d. 5 December 1791, Vienna) Mozart’s name has become synonymous with child prodigy. He was educated by his father, Leopold (1719-1787), a prominent violinist and composer. Wolfgang was “displayed” throughout Europe as a wunderkind of keyboard, violin, and composition. He was appointed Konzertmeister by Archbishop Schrattenbach of Salzburg in 1769. Schrattenbach was succeeded by Archbishop Colloredo in 1771. The music for masses in Salzburg during Mozart’s time consisted regularly of a Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Epistle Sonata, Offertory Anthem, Motet, Sanctus, and Agnus Dei. The reforms of the Enlightenment, which were particularly evident during the archiepiscopacy of Hieronymous
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Colloredo, demanded that this music would not exceed a combined time of 45 minutes. Mozart traveled extensively throughout his service to the archbishops, but moved to Vienna in 1773. He returned to Colloredo’s service from 1779 to 1781, and then returned to Vienna permanently. Nearly all of Mozart’s liturgical music, the lion’s share of his choral output, was written during his two Salzburg appointments. In Vienna, Mozart directed his energies almost exclusively into secular endeavors, particularly opera. In 1782, he married Costanze Weber. He joined the Freemasons in 1784. Despite his astounding productivity, he struggled to earn enough to support his family. He often resorted to borrowing money from friends. He was given the title of Kammermusicus in 1787, which had a nominal salary. The final four years of his life were perhaps the richest in the history of Western music, culminating with the unfinished Requiem. Mozart is regarded as one of the supreme melodists. Although more of a musical perfecter than innovator, his operas transcended the genre as it was known. He surely did more to humanize characters and to control dramatic time on the stage than any previous composer. Mozart’s death has become one of the great mysteries of the musical world. His demise has been attributed to renal failure set into place by a childhood fever, poisoning by a jealous husband or rival composer, and most recently trichinosis. What we do know is that the Requiem he was composing in his last days became his own. Teachers: Carl Friedrich Abel, Johann Christian Bach, Padre Martini, Leopold Mozart Students: Thomas Attwood, Johann Nepomuk Hummel, Barbara Ployer, Franz Xaver Süssmayr
Selected Composer Bibliography: The Mozart Handbook, edited by Louis Biancolli. Cleveland, OH: The World Publishing Company, 1954. Fellerer, Karl Gustav. Mozarts Kirchenmusik. Salzburg, Austria: Schäffer, 1955. Deutsch, Otto Erich. Mozart: A Documentary Biography, translated by Eric Blom, Peter Branscombe, and Jeremy Noble. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 1965. Köchel, Ludwig Ritter von. Chronologisch-thematisches Verzeichnis sämtlicher Tonwerke Wolfgang Amadé Mozarts, 7th edition, edited by Franz Giegling, Alexander Weinmann, and Gerd Sievers. Wiesbaden: Breitkopf und Härtel, 1965. The Mozart Companion, edited by H. C. Robbins Landon and Donald Mitchell, 2nd edition. London:
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Oxford University Press, 1965; available as a reprint, Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1981. Hildesheimer, Wolfgang. Mozart, translated by Marian Faber. New York: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 1982 [originally published in 1977 in German]. Anderson, Emily. The Letters of Mozart and His Family, 3rd edition. New York: W. W. Norton, 1985. Kupferberg, Herbert. Amadeus: A Mozart Mosaic. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1986. Tyson, Alan. Mozart: Studies of the Autograph Scores. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1987. Landon, H. C. Robbins. 1791: Mozart’s Last Year. New York: Schirmer Books, 1988. Hastings, Baird. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: A Guide to Research. New York: Garland Publishing, 1989. Landon, H. C. Robbins. Mozart’s Golden Years: 17811791. New York Schirmer Books, 1989. The Mozart Compendium: A Guide to Mozart’s Life and Music, edited by H. C. Robbins Landon. New York: Schirmer Books, 1990. Eisen, Cliff. New Mozart Documents: A Supplement to O. E. Deutsch’s Documentary Biography. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 1991. Landon, H. C. Robbins. Mozart and Vienna. New York: Schirmer Books, 1991. Perspectives on Mozart Performance, edited by R. Larry Todd and Peter Williams. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1991. Stafford, William. The Mozart Myths: A Critical Reassessment. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 1991. Landon, H. C. Robbins. The Mozart Essays. New York: Thames and Hudson, 1995. On Mozart, edited by James M. Morris. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1995. Solomon, Maynard. Mozart: A Life. New York: Harper Collins, 1995. Dimond, Peter. A Mozart Diary: A Chronological Reconstruction of the Composer’s Life, 1761-1791. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1997. Halliwell, Ruth. The Mozart Family: Four Lives in a Social Context. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1998. Gutman, Robert W. Mozart: A Cultural Biography. New York: Harcourt Brace, 1999.
Mozart Oratorios and Cantatas Betulia liberata, K. 118 / 74c (1771) Duration: ca. 145 minutes Text: The text is by Pietro Metastasio. It is based upon the story of Judith and Holofernes from the apocryphal book of Judith, and was originally written for an oratorio by Georg Reutter in 1734.
359 H. C. Robbins Landon, The Mozart Essays, 167 (London: Thames and Hudson, 1995).
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Performing Forces: voices: 3 soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, strings, and continuo First Performance: The first performance is unknown, but it is likely to have not been performed during the composer’s lifetime.359 Edition: Betulia liberata is published in a critical edition in Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Neue Ausgabe sämtlicher Werke, published by Bärenreiter, series 1, work group 4, volume 4, edited by Luigi Ferdinando Tagliavini. Other editions available for purchase include Bärenreiter. The overture is published independently by Breitkopf und Härtel and Kalmus. Autograph: Manuscript materials for the first act are in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Those for the second act are in the Westdeutsche Staatsbibliothek in Warburg, with additional manuscript materials (Mus. Ms. 15051), and in the Preußicher Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: This work was composed in the summer of 1771 in Salzburg. It is believed to have been commissioned in March of that year in Padua, by Sgr. Don Giuseppe Ximenes, Prince of Aragon, but it was not performed there. In addition to Reutter’s setting (see “Text” preceding), this text was also set by Jommeli (1743), Kozeluch, Gassmann, and many others. When Mozart’s setting was not performed in Padua, another setting by Giuseppe Callegari was performed in its stead. Performance Issues: The choral writing is homophonic and very accessible. The choral parts are clearly reinforced by the orchestra. Movements 4 and 6 are identical and involve minimal choral singing (seventeen measures each). With the exceptions of those following movements 4 and 11, all of the recitatives are secco. The ensemble recitatives do include frequent interjections by the respective characters but are very straightforward. Care will need to be taken in coaching them to avoid monotony, especially with non-Italian speakers. The woodwind writing is conservative and accessible to intermediate players. With the exception of the overture, only two horns are used. Likewise, the trumpets only appear in the overture. The two main horn parts are sustained and sometimes exposed. The horn parts appear in A, B♭, D, E♭, F, and G. The string writing, particularly the violins, is filled with syncopations and ornaments that will require experienced players to guarantee unified playing. The ornamentation in the work will require some consideration, and the parts should have the ornaments realized before distribution. This is an interesting work, because it betrays some of Mozart’s youth. He is clearly developing a sense of dramatic composition but has yet to achieve
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the fluidity present in his later operas. This is clearly a work for the soloists and not the choir. The choral passages are much like those of “townsfolk” choruses from contemporary staged works. Soloists: Amital (soprano) - range: c'-a'', tessitura: g'-g'', this is a lilting and lyric solo role with some very sustained and rapid coloratura passages; Cabri (soprano) - range: d'-a♭'', tessitura: g'-g'', this is a lyric role with some wide melodic leaps; Carmi (soprano) - range: c'-g♭'', tessitura: f' - f'', this is a declamatory and fairly simple role; Giuditta (alto) - range: g-d'', tessitura: c'-c'', this is a dramatic role with some challenging coloratura writing; Ozia (tenor) - range: f-b', tessitura: g-g', this is a lyric role with considerable rapid coloratura passages; Achior (bass) - range: G-d', tessitura: d-d', this is a declamatory and forthright role. Choir: easy; Orchestra: difficult. Selected Discography: Ernesto Palacio, Gloria Banditelli, Lynda Russell, Petteri Salomaa, Caterina Trogu Röhrich, Sabina Macculi; Padua Centro Musica Antica Choir, Venice and Padua Chamber Orchestra; conducted by Peter Maag. Denon: CO-79945/6. Peter Schreier, Hanna Schwartz, Illena Cotrubas, Walter Berry, Gabriele Fuchs, Margarita Zimmermann; Salzburg Chamber Choir, Salzburg Mozarteum Orchestra; conducted by Leopold Hager. Selected Bibliography: Deutsch, Otto Erich. Mozart: A Documentary Biography, translated by Eric Blom, Peter Branscombe, and Jeremy Noble: 154, 271, 441. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 1965. Jahn, Otto. The Life of Mozart, translated by Pauline D. Townsend [originally published in 1891], volume 1: 197. New York: Cooper Square Publishers, 1970. Angermüller, R. “Mozart und Metastasio.” Mitteilungen der Internationalen Stiftung Mozarteum, volume 26 (1978): 12. Keys, Ivor. Mozart: His Music in His Life, 71. New York: Holmes and Meier, 1980. Anderson, Emily. The Letters of Mozart and His Family, 3rd edition, 97, 185 n. 2, 881 n. 4. New York: W. W. Norton, 1985. Tyson, Alan. Mozart: Studies of the Autograph Scores, 333 n. 5. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1987. Marty, Jean-Pierre. The Tempo Indications of Mozart, 2, 12, 23, 27, 29, 39, 42, 55, 56, 63, 68, 74, 95, 149, 231. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1988. The Mozart Compendium: A Guide to Mozart’s Life and Music, edited by H. C. Robbins Landon, 321, 322. New York: Schirmer Books, 1990. Knepler, Georg. Wolfgang Amadé Mozart, translated by J. Bradford Robinson, 23, 269. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1994. Originally published in German, Berlin: Henschel Verlag, 1991.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Solomon, Maynard. Mozart: A Life, 82, 592 n. 29. New York: Harper Collins, 1995. Gutman, Robert W. Mozart: A Cultural Biography, 132, 290, 292-294, 296, 299n, 306, 327, 500n, 645, 651n, 750, 755. New York: Harcourt Brace, 1999.
Davidde Penitente, K. 469 (1785) Duration: ca. 47 minutes Text: The text is a free paraphrase from the Psalms of David in Italian. It is from an unknown source but has been attributed to Lorenzo da Ponte. Performing Forces: voices: 2 soprano and tenor soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 1 flute, 2 oboes, 1 clarinet, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones (alto, tenor, and bass), timpani, and strings First Performance: 13 and 15 March 1785; Burgtheater, Vienna, sponsored by the Tonkünster-Societät. The soloists were Caterina Cavalieri, Elisabeth Distler, and Valentin Adamsberger. The concert was to have been conducted by Salieri; however, Mozart directed instead. Edition: Davidde Penitente is published in a critical edition in Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Neue Ausgabe sämtlicher Werke, published by Bärenreiter, series 1, work group 4, volume 3, edited by Monika Holl. Other editions available for purchase include Bärenreiter, Breitkopf und Härtel, and Kalmus. Autograph: Portions of the autograph score are in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin and the Bibliotheka Jagiellonska in Krakow. Additional manuscript materials are in the Nationalbibliothek in Vienna (Mus. Hs. 15558). Notes: This work was composed in February and March of 1785 in Vienna. Movements 1-5, 7, 9, and 10 are a contrafactum of the Kyrie and Gloria of Mozart’s Great Mass in C minor (K. 427 / 417a), composed in 1783. Movements 6, 8, and the cadenza of movement 10 were composed in Vienna in March 1785. Performance Issues: The choral writing is imitative but well reinforced by the orchestra. It is conceived for mature and vocally adept singers. All of the choral parts have wide ranges and some coloratura passagework, and the sopranos have some sustained passages at the top of the staff. The alto, tenor, and bass choral parts are doubled by their titularly respective trombone parts throughout the work. The ranges, rapid figurations, and melodic leaps of these parts make these trombone parts quite difficult. With a smaller choir, balance between the choir and trombone may become a concern. In movement 7, Mozart cleverly weaves the trombone doubling through both choirs. The orchestral writing is idiomatic, but quite contrapuntally and rhythmically varied. There are some brief passages
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wherein the doublebasses are independent of the cellos. The flute appears only in movements 6 and 8, and the clarinet is present in movement 6 only. Since movement 6 uses only solo winds, a bassoonist or oboist could play the clarinet part, which is not very difficult. The flute requires a separate player as both oboe and bassoons appear with it in movement 8. Soloists: soprano I - range: a♭-c''' , tessitura: g'-g'', this is a lyric role with some coloratura passagework including rapid figures beginning on c'''; soprano II - range: ab♭'', tessitura: f'- f'', this is a lyric and sustained role with very wide melodic leaps and some coloratura passages; tenor - range: c-g', tessitura: f-g', this is a lyric role with some florid passages. Choir: difficult; Orchestra: difficult. Selected Discography: Krisztina Laki, Nicole Fallien, Hans-Peter Blochwitz; Netherlands Chamber Choir, Petite Bande; conducted by Sigiswald Kuijken. Deutsche Harmonia Mundi: GD77045. Margaret Marshall, Iris Vermillion, Hans-Peter Blochwitz; South German Radio Chorus, Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Neville Marriner. Philips: 422 522-PME6. Selected Bibliography: Upton, George P. The Standard Cantatas, seventh edition, 198-200. Chicago: A. C. McClurg and Company, 1899. Deutsch, Otto Erich. Mozart: A Documentary Biography, translated by Eric Blom, Peter Branscombe, and Jeremy Noble; 219, 236, 240, 540. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 1965. Jahn, Otto. The Life of Mozart, translated by Pauline D. Townsend [originally published in 1891], volume 2, 399. New York: Cooper Square Publishers, 1970. Keys, Ivor. Mozart: His Music in His Life, 159, 174. New York: Holmes and Meier, 1980. Geiringer, Karl. “Church Music.” In The Mozart Companion, edited by H. C. Robbins Landon and Donald Mitchell, second edition, 372. London: Oxford University Press, 1965; available as a reprint, Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1981. Anderson, Emily. The Letters of Mozart and His Family, 3rd edition, 884 n. 1, 887 n. 1. New York: W. W. Norton, 1985. Tyson, Alan. Mozart: Studies of the Autograph Scores, 26, 151, 350 n. 13. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1987. Marty, Jean-Pierre. The Tempo Indications of Mozart, 17, 31, 34, 59, 84, 218, 219, 233. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1988.
360 According to the NMA preface; however, Köchel lists the location as the Preussischer Staatsbibliothek in Berline, Ludwig Ritter von Köchel, (Chronologisch-thematisches Verzeichnis
The Mozart Compendium: A Guide to Mozart’s Life and Music, edited by H. C. Robbins Landon, 216, 312, 322. New York: Schirmer Books, 1990. Eisen, Cliff. New Mozart Documents: A Supplement to O. E. Deutsch’s Documentary Biography, 58, 60, 66. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 1991. Solomon, Maynard. Mozart: A Life, 271, 282. New York: Harper Collins, 1995. Gutman, Robert W. Mozart: A Cultural Biography, 648n, 651. New York: Harcourt Brace, 1999.
Mozart Masonic Works Grabmusik, “Wo bin ich, bittrer Schmerz,” K. 42 / 35a (1767 and 1772) Duration: ca. 12 minutes Text: The text is probably by an unidentified Salzburg poet. Performing Forces: voices: soprano and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes, 2 horns, strings, and continuo (the score indicates organ and bassoon ad libitum for the continuo part). First Performance: The original portion was first performed 7 April 1767; Salzburg Cathedral Edition: Grabmusik is published in a critical edition in Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Neue Ausgabe sämtlicher Werke, published by Bärenreiter, series 1, work group 4, volume 4, page 1, edited by Franz Giegling. Other editions available for purchase include Breitkopf und Härtel (1480). Autograph: The manuscript score is in the Österreichischen Nationalbibliothek in Vienna.360 Notes: This work was composed in 1767 in Salzburg. The final recitative and chorus were added in 1772. It is clearly modeled after baroque funereal works. As in a number of Bach’s cantatas, the soprano soloist portrays an angel, and the bass portrays “the soul.” Performance Issues: The choral writing is primarily homophonic, and it is well reinforced by the orchestra throughout. The orchestral writing is accessible to less-experienced players. The horns appear in the original movements only, and the oboes appear in the final movement only. The horn parts will require secure players. The scoring is suitable to using solo strings; although, if this is done, two violas will be required as there are two viola parts in movement 4. The recitatives are all secco with sustained figures making organ the most suitable keyboard choice for this part. This would be a fine choice for a less-experienced church choir wishing to feature two strong soloists in a sämtlicher Tonwerke Wolfgang Amadé Mozarts, 7th edition, edited by Franz Giegling, Alexander Weinmann, and Gerd Sievers, 54 [Wiesbaden: Breitkopf und Härtel, 1965]).
488 concerted cantata. Soloists: soprano - range: d'-b♭'', tessitura: a'-f'', this is a sustained and lyric role; bass range: A-f#', tessitura: d-d', this is a lyric role with broad melodic leaps. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Edith Wiens, Thomas Hampson; Concentus Vocalis, Vienna Academy Orchestra; conducted by Martin Haselböck. Novalis: 150 068-2. Mária Zádori, Klaus Mertens; Savaria Vocal Ensemble, Capella Savaria; conducted by Pál Németh. Harmonia Mundi: HMP 390 3015. Sylvia McNair, Thomas Hampson; Arnold Schoenberg Choir, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Recorded in 1991. Teldec: 450998928-2. Ann Murray, Stephen Varcoe; South German Radio Chorus, Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Neville Marriner. Philips: 422 522-PME6. Selected Bibliography: Deutsch, Otto Erich. Mozart: A Documentary Biography, translated by Eric Blom, Peter Branscombe, and Jeremy Noble; 75, 101. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 1965. Jahn, Otto. The Life of Mozart, translated by Pauline D. Townsend [originally published in 1891], volume 1, 56. New York: Cooper Square Publishers, 1970. Keys, Ivor. Mozart: His Music in His Life, 57. New York: Holmes and Meier, 1980. Marty, Jean-Pierre. The Tempo Indications of Mozart, 12, 27, 30, 40, 83, 234. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1988. The Mozart Compendium: A Guide to Mozart’s Life and Music, edited by H. C. Robbins Landon, 321, 322. New York: Schirmer Books, 1990. Solomon, Maynard. Mozart: A Life, 69, 532 n. 13. New York: Harper Collins, 1995.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Giegling. Other editions available for purchase include Breitkopf und Härtel and Kalmus. Autograph: The location of the autograph is unknown. Additional manuscript materials are in the Masonic Archive in Stockholm, and the Kirchen-Ministerial Bibliothek in Celle, the Clementinum University Library in Prahue, and the Stadtsbibliothek in Leipzig (III, 5, 23). Notes: This work was completed on 20 April 1785 in Vienna. Compare with Mozart’s later Masonic work Laut verkünde unsre Freude [above]. It is built around a cantus firmus of the first Psalm Tone. Performance Issues: The choir appears in twenty-one measures of this cantata. The choral writing is homophonic and well reinforced by the orchestra. The soloist doubles the first tenor part. There are two viola parts. The full score contains an original piano part that serves as a reduction but also contains some independent figurations. There are a number of ornaments that should be realized in the parts before distribution. The orchestra parts are idiomatically conceived, and Mozart clearly intended this work to be playable by less-experienced “lodge-member” musicians. There is a fermata in measure 37 that probably indicates a vocal cadenza. There is a commentary on this measure in the kritische Bericht of the NMA. The soloist sings an aria that connects into the chorus through a brief, accompanied recitative. Soloist: tenor - range: e♭-a♭', tessitura: g-g', this is a very sustained lyric role. Choir: easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography:
Duration: ca. 7 minutes
Kurt Equiluz, Franz Ellmar, Kurt Rapf (continuo); Vienna Volksoper Chorus and Orchestra; conducted by Peter Maag. Vox: 0015. Werner Krenn; Edinburgh Festival Chorus, London Symphony Orchestra; conducted by István Kertész. Decca: 425 722-2DM. Peter Schreier; Leipzig Radio Chorus, Staatskapelle Dresden; conducted by Peter Schreier. Philips: 422 522-PME6. Christoph Prégardien; Chorus Viennensis, Vienna Academy Orchestra; conducted by Martin Haselböck. Recorded in 1991. Novalis: 150 081-2.
Text: The text is by Franz Petran.
Selected Bibliography:
Performing Forces: voices: tenor soloist; TTB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes, clarinet; 2 horns, piano, and strings
Upton, George P. The Standard Cantatas, 7th edition, 276-279. Chicago: A. C. McClurg and Company, 1899. Deutsch, Otto Erich. Mozart: A Documentary Biography, translated by Eric Blom, Peter Branscombe, and Jeremy Noble; 255. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 1965. Jahn, Otto. The Life of Mozart, translated by Pauline D. Townsend [originally published in 1891], volume 2, 407. New York: Cooper Square Publishers, 1970.
Die Maurerfreude, K. 471 (1785)
First Performance: 20 April 1785; “Zur gekrönten Hoffnung” Lodge; Vienna Edition: Die Maurerfreude is published in a critical edition in Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Neue Ausgabe sämtlicher Werke, published by Bärenreiter, series 1, work group 4, volume 4, page 35, edited by Franz
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Nettl, Paul. Mozart and Masonry. New York: Da Capo Press, 1970. Keys, Ivor. Mozart: His Music in His Life, 177, 195, 232. New York: Holmes and Meier, 1980. Engel, Hans. “The Smaller Orchestral Works.” In The Mozart Companion, edited by H. C. Robbins Landon and Donald Mitchell, 2nd edition, 153-155. London: Oxford University Press, 1965; available as a reprint, Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1981. Landon, H. C. Robbins. Mozart and the Masons: New Light on the Lodge “Crowned Hope.” London: Thames and Hudson, 1982. Marty, Jean-Pierre. The Tempo Indications of Mozart, 23, 59, 91, 170, 237. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1988. The Mozart Compendium: A Guide to Mozart’s Life and Music, edited by H. C. Robbins Landon, 40, 132, 133, 134, 216, 322. New York: Schirmer Books, 1990. Knepler, Georg. Wolfgang Amadé Mozart, translated by J. Bradford Robinson, 24, 142-147. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1994. Originally published in German, Berlin: Henschel Verlag, 1991. Solomon, Maynard. Mozart: A Life, 321-322. New York: Harper Collins, 1995. Gutman, Robert W. Mozart: A Cultural Biography, 646. New York: Harcourt Brace, 1999.
Laut verkünde unsre Freude, “Kleinen Freimaurer-Kantate,” K. 623 (1791) Duration: ca.14 minutes Text: According to the NMA, the text is by Emanuel Schikaneder. Earlier sources suggested the author to be Johann Georg Karl Ludwig Giesecke. Performing Forces: voices: 2 tenor and bass soloists; TTB choir; orchestra: flute, 2 oboes, 2 horns, and strings First Performance: 18 November 1791; neugekrönten Hoffnung” Lodge, Vienna
“Zur
Edition: Laut verkünde unsre Freude is published in a critical edition in Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Neue Ausgabe sämtlicher Werke, published by Bärenreiter, series 1, work group 4, volume 4, page 65, edited by Franz Giegling. Other editions available for purchase include Breitkopf und Härtel (1357). Autograph: The manuscript score is in the possession of the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde in Vienna. Notes: This work was completed on 15 November 1791 in Vienna. Performance Issues: This is a more complex composition than Mozart’s other Masonic cantata, Die Maurerfreude, composed six years earlier [see below]. The chorus remains homophonic and quite easy. It is well reinforced by the accompaniment. The opening and closing choruses are virtually identical, and each
encompasses fewer than thirty chorally sung measures. The orchestral writing is idiomatic and brightly orchestrated. This is an excellent work for a less-experienced men’s choir. The solos require experienced vocalists. The tenor I choral part is fairly high, but the entire work has a “glee-club” quality that is suitable for younger voices. Soloists: tenor I - range: e-b', tessitura: g-g', this is a lyric and sustained role; tenor II - range: e♭-a', tessitura: a-f ', this is a lyric role
with some rapid figurations; bass - range: B♭-e', tessitura: c-c', this is a lyric role with some rapid figurations. Choir: easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Kurt Equiluz, Rudolph Resen, Leo Hoppe, Kurt Rapf (continuo); Vienna Volksoper Chorus and Orchestra; conducted by Peter Maag. Vox: 0015. Werner Krenn, Tom Krause; Edinburgh Festival Chorus, London Symphony Orchestra; conducted by István Kertész. Decca: 425 722-2DM. Jane Bryden, Mary Westerbrook-Geha, William Hite, William Bastian, William Sharp, Stephen Richardson; Boston Early Music Festival Chorus and Orchestra; conducted by Andrew Parrott. Denon: CO-77152. Hans-Peter Blochwitz, Andreas Schmidt; Leipzig Radio Chorus, Staatskapelle Dresden; conducted by Peter Schreier. Philips: 422 522-PME6. Christoph Prégardien, Helmut Wildhaber; Chorus Viennensis, Vienna Academy Orchestra; conducted by Martin Haselböck. Recorded in 1991. Novalis: 150 081-2. Selected Bibliography: Deutsch, Otto Erich. Mozart: A Documentary Biography, translated by Eric Blom, Peter Branscombe, and Jeremy Noble; 309, 413, 440, 465, 512. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 1965. Jahn, Otto. The Life of Mozart, translated by Pauline D. Townsend [originally published in 1891], volume 2, 408. New York: Cooper Square Publishers, 1970. Keys, Ivor. Mozart: His Music in His Life, 230. New York: Holmes and Meier, 1980. Landon, H. C. Robbins. Mozart and the Masons: New Light on the Lodge “Crowned Hope.” London: Thames and Hudson, 1982. Tyson, Alan. Mozart: Studies of the Autograph Scores, 17, 252. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1987. Marty, Jean-Pierre. The Tempo Indications of Mozart, 28, 35, 41, 62. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1988. The Mozart Compendium: A Guide to Mozart’s Life and Music, edited by H. C. Robbins Landon, 133, 165, 234, 314, 321, 322. New York: Schirmer Books, 1990. Eisen, Cliff. New Mozart Documents: A Supplement to O. E. Deutsch’s Documentary Biography, 112. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 1991.
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Knepler, Georg. Wolfgang Amadé Mozart, translated by J. Bradford Robinson, 140. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1994. Originally published in German, Berlin: Henschel Verlag, 1991. Solomon, Maynard. Mozart: A Life, 329, 476, 481, 490, 587 n. 22. New York: Harper Collins, 1995.
Mozart Masses and Requiem Missa Brevis in G major, K. 49 / 47d (1768) Duration: ca. 18 minutes Text: The text is taken from the Latin Roman Catholic eucharistic liturgy. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: organ and strings First Performance: It was probably in Vienna in 1768. Edition: Missa Brevis in G major is published in a critical edition in Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Neue Ausgabe sämtlicher Werke, published by Bärenreiter, series 1, work group 1, part 1, volume 1, page 3, edited by Walter Senn. Other editions available for purchase include Bärenreiter, Breitkopf, and Kalmus. Autograph: The autograph full score and manuscript materials are in the Music Collection of the Staatsbibliothek Preussischer Kulturbesitz in Berlin (Mus. Ms. 15055). Additional sketches are in the collection of the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde in Vienna. Notes: This work is dated “Vienna, 1768.” Performance Issues: The vocal parts are well reinforced by the accompaniment throughout this mass. The choral writing is mostly homophonic or places a single part in imitation with the three remaining vocal lines. The few truly imitative passages are brief and directly doubled by the strings. The solo parts appear as interjections within choral movements with the exception of a solo quartet for the Benedictus and a bass solo for the “Et in spiritum” portion of the Credo. The choral writing is direct and employs conservative ranges for all voices, which makes this an excellent work for amateur and developing student choirs. The low tessiture of the men’s parts are particularly suitable for younger choirs. The organ part is basso continuo. The string writing is very idiomatic and practical for less-experienced players. There are numerous occurrences of seconds and sevenths between the violin parts. These are all conservatively prepared but may prove challenging for intonation if inexperienced players are used. Soloists: soprano - range: c'-g'', tessitura: g'-d'', this is a lyrical and mostly syllabic solo role suitable for a chorister; alto - range: b-b', tessitura: d'-a', this is a lyric solo role appropriate for a chorister; tenor range: g-f', tessitura: a-d'; bass - range: G-c', tessitura:
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
c-c', this is the largest of solos, it is lyrical and syllabic, and appropriate for a strong chorister. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Edith Mathis, Rosemarie Lang, Uwe Heilmann, JanHendrick Rootering; Leipzig Radio Chorus and Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Herbert Kegel. Philips: 422 519-2PME9. Thomas Rieger, Florian Mock, Gerhard Werlitz, Ulrich Streckmann; Augsburg Cathedral Boys’ Choir, Collegium Aureum; conducted by Reinhard Kammler. Deutsche Harmonia Mundi: RD77090. Selected Bibliography: Jahn, Otto. The Life of Mozart, translated by Pauline D. Townsend [originally published in 1891], volume 1, 96. New York: Cooper Square Publishers, 1970. Keys, Ivor. Mozart: His Music in His Life, 59. New York: Holmes and Meier, 1980. Geiringer, Karl. “Church Music.” In The Mozart Companion, edited by H. C. Robbins Landon and Donald Mitchell, 2nd edition, 362. London: Oxford University Press, 1965; available as a reprint, Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1981. Anderson, Emily. The Letters of Mozart and His Family, 3rd edition, 95 n. 5. New York: W. W. Norton, 1985. Marty, Jean-Pierre. The Tempo Indications of Mozart, 8, 12, 15, 25, 29, 68, 73, 97, 103, 110, 189, 203. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1988. The Mozart Compendium: A Guide to Mozart’s Life and Music, edited by H. C. Robbins Landon, 310, 312, 349, 426. New York: Schirmer Books, 1990. Knepler, Georg. Wolfgang Amadé Mozart, translated by J. Bradford Robinson, 26. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1994. Originally published in German, Berlin: Henschel Verlag, 1991.
Missa Brevis in D minor, K. 65 / 61a (1769) Duration: ca. 15 minutes Text: The text is taken from the Latin Roman Catholic eucharistic liturgy. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 3 trombones, organ, and strings [no violas] First Performance: 5 February 1769; Collegiate Church, Salzburg Edition: Missa Brevis in D minor is published in a critical edition in Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Neue Ausgabe sämtlicher Werke, published by Bärenreiter, series 1, work group 1, part 1, volume 1, page 159, edited by Walter Senn. Other editions available for purchase include Breitkopf and Kalmus. Autograph: The autograph full score and other manuscript materials in the Music Collection of the
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Staatsbibliothek Preussischer Kulturbesitz in Berlin (Mus. Ms. 15056). Additional manuscript materials are in the Bayerischen Staatsbibliothek in Munich (Mus. Ms. 1561), the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde in Vienna, and the Stadts-Archiv in Augsburg. Notes: This work is dated “Salzburg, 14 January 1769.” Performance Issues: The choral writing is mostly homophonic with the alto, tenor, and bass parts doubled by the trombones. The soprano part is not directly doubled by the orchestra, but it is well reinforced by the continuo part. Some earlier traditions would have extended the colla parte doubling to include the sopranos with a cornetto. While this is clearly not indicated in this score, it would be a viable addition using trumpet with modern instrument groups. The string parts are idiomatic with some interesting offbeat figures that will require some rhythmic stability. They are otherwise well-suited to moderately experienced players. The trombone parts may prove challenging to intonation and balance as they have a fairly high tessitura. The vocal solos are brief interjections within movements. Soloists: soprano - range: e'-f '', tessitura: f' -d'', this is a brief declamatory solo appropriate for a chorister; alto - range: a-b♭', tessitura: d'-a', this is a brief declamatory solo appropriate for a chorister; tenor range: g-f', tessitura: g-d', this is a brief declamatory solo appropriate for a chorister; bass - range: F-b♭, tessitura: d-a, this is a brief declamatory solo appropriate for a chorister, the low F and a low G can be effectively sung up an octave rendering the range c-b♭. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Helen Donath, Annette Markert, Uwe Heilmann, Andreas Schmidt; Leipzig Radio Chorus and Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Herbert Kegel. Philips: 422 519-2PME9. Carol Malone, Gabriele Schreckenbach, Karl Markus, Walton Groenroos; Berlin St. Hedwig’s Cathedral Choir, Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Roland Bader. Koch Schwann: 313021. Michael Ellenrieder, Michael Hofmeister, Gerhard Werlitz, Ulrich Streckmann; Augsburg Cathedral Boys’ Choir, Collegium Aureum; conducted by Reinhard Kammler. Deutsche Harmonia Mundi: RD77090. Selected Bibliography: Deutsch, Otto Erich. Mozart: A Documentary Biography, translated by Eric Blom, Peter Branscombe, and Jeremy Noble; 86. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 1965. Jahn, Otto. The Life of Mozart, translated by Pauline D. Townsend [originally published in 1891], volume 1: 99. New York: Cooper Square Publishers, 1970. 361 The flutes appear only in the Gloria, where there are no oboes. Clearly Mozart anticipated the use of doublers on these parts.
Keys, Ivor. Mozart: His Music in His Life, 61-62. New York: Holmes and Meier, 1980. Anderson, Emily. The Letters of Mozart and His Family, 3rd edition, 95 n. 2, n. 5. New York: W. W. Norton, 1985. Tyson, Alan. Mozart: Studies of the Autograph Scores, 333 n. 5. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1987. Marty, Jean-Pierre. The Tempo Indications of Mozart, 2, 12, 25, 68, 70, 73, 75, 134. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1988. The Mozart Compendium: A Guide to Mozart’s Life and Music, edited by H. C. Robbins Landon, 310, 312, 349, 426. New York: Schirmer Books, 1990. Knepler, Georg. Wolfgang Amadé Mozart, translated by J. Bradford Robinson, 26. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1994. Originally published in German, Berlin: Henschel Verlag, 1991.
Mass in C major (Dominicus Mass), K. 66 (1769) Duration: ca. 41 minutes Text: The text is taken from the Latin Roman Catholic eucharistic liturgy. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes,361 2 oboes, 2 horns, 4 trumpets, timpani, organ, and strings First Performance: 15 October 1769; St. Peter’s Church, Salzburg. A second performance occurred in late 1773 at the Jesuit Church “Am Hof” in Vienna, under the direction of Leopold Mozart. Edition: Mass in C major is published in a critical edition in Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Neue Ausgabe sämtlicher Werke, published by Bärenreiter, series 1, work group 1, part 1, volume 1, page 185, edited by Walter Senn. Other editions available for purchase include Bärenreiter, Breitkopf, and Kalmus. Autograph: The manuscript of the full score is in the Music Collection of the Staatsbibliothek Preussischer Kulturbesitz in Berlin. Additional manuscript materials are in the Domchorarchiv of St. Peter’s in Salzburg, the Preussischer Staatsbibliothek in Berlin (Mus. Ms. 15057), and the Bayerischen Staatsbibliothek in Munich (Mus. Ms. 1560). Notes: This work is dated “Salzburg, October 1769.” It was composed for the first Mass celebrated by Cajetan Hagenauer, who was known as Father Dominicus. It is sometimes referred to as the “Pater Dominicus” Mass. The flute and oboe parts were probably doubled by a single pair of players.
492
Performance Issues: The choral writing is generally homophonic with some paired doubling between the men and women. Although the choral parts are not directly doubled, the harmonic structure is clearly outlined by the orchestra. There are also a few fugal sections for the chorus. These are clearly doubled by the orchestra. The choral sopranos have some sustained high passages, and all parts have some leaps of challenging intervals. The choir must be somewhat musically independent. The oboe and flute parts are idiomatic and quite sustained but not technically difficult. The horn parts are high and exposed, especially for modern instruments. The string parts are exposed and rhythmically active. While the parts are scalar or triadic, the changes of direction and tempi will require secure players. The density of the brass writing suggests a medium-sized string section and choir. There are some ornaments in the strings and voices that should be worked out in the parts before rehearsal. Some of the voicings in the orchestra may present difficulties in intonation with open octaves, fifths, and fourths in the brass and winds. Soloists: soprano range: c'-g'', tessitura: c'-c'', this is a lyrical role with some sustained passages and some demanding coloratura writing; alto - range: b-c'', tessitura: c'-a', this is a lyrical role mostly in the context of ensemble singing; tenor - range: d-g', tessitura: f-f' , this is a lyrical and sustained solo role; bass - range: F-d', tessitura: B-b, this is a declamatory solo role appropriate for a chorister, appearing alone in only four measures, the remaining part of which is within solo quartets. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: difficult. Selected Discography: Edith Mathis, Rosemarie Lang, Uwe Heilmann, JanHendrick Rootering; Leipzig Radio Chorus and Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Herbert Kegel. Philips: 422 519-2PME9. Charlotte Margiono, Elisabeth von Magnus, Uwe Heilmann, Gilles Cachemaille; Arnold Schoenberg Choir, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Recorded in 1990. Teldec: 2292-464692. Patricia Wise, Mihoko Aoyama, Peter Baillie, Hartmut Müller; Salzburg Radio Chorus, Salzburg Mozarteum Chorus, Salzburg Camerata Academica; conducted by Ernst Hinreiner. Schwann Koch: 316182.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Geiringer, Karl. “Church Music.” In The Mozart Companion, edited by H. C. Robbins Landon and Donald Mitchell, 2nd edition, 363. London: Oxford University Press, 1965; available as a reprint, Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1981. Anderson, Emily. The Letters of Mozart and His Family, 3rd edition, 52 n. 5, 95 n. 5, 237 n. 2, 430 n. 1, 547 n. 4. New York: W. W. Norton, 1985. MacIntyre, Bruce Campbell. The Viennese Concerted Mass of the Early Classic Period, 113. City University of New York, Ph.D. Dissertation, 1984. Reprinted with revisions, Ann Arbor, MI: UMI Research Press, 1986. Tyson, Alan. Mozart: Studies of the Autograph Scores, 333 n. 5. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1987. Marty, Jean-Pierre. The Tempo Indications of Mozart, 2, 4, 5, 8, 29, 33, 37, 66, 70, 71, 72, 73, 75, 89, 94, 101, 115, 134, 184. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1988. The Mozart Compendium: A Guide to Mozart’s Life and Music, edited by H. C. Robbins Landon, 87, 310, 313, 349. New York: Schirmer Books, 1990.
Missa Brevis in C major, K. 115 (only Sanctus remains) Notes: H. C. Robbins Landon attributes this work to Leopold Mozart. Mozart composed five works entitled Missa Brevis in C major. They are K. 115, which exists only as a fragment; “The Sparrow Mass,” K. 220; “The Credo Mass,” K. 257; “The Spaur Mass,” K. 258; and “The Organ Solo Mass,” K. 259.
Missa Brevis in F major, K. 116 (fragment only) Notes: H. C. Robbins Landon attributes this work to Leopold Mozart. Mozart composed two works he entitled Missa Brevis in F major. They are K. 116, which exists in fragments only, and K. 192.
Mass in C minor (Missa Solemnis, Waisenhaus, or “Orphanage” Mass), K. 139 / 47a (1771)
Selected Bibliography:
Duration: ca. 45 minutes
Deutsch, Otto Erich. Mozart: A Documentary Biography, translated by Eric Blom, Peter Branscombe, and Jeremy Noble; 93, 94, 146. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 1965. Jahn, Otto. The Life of Mozart, translated by Pauline D. Townsend [originally published in 1891], volume 1, 101. New York: Cooper Square Publishers, 1970. Keys, Ivor. Mozart: His Music in His Life, 62, 86. New York: Holmes and Meier, 1980.
Text: The text is taken from the Latin Roman Catholic eucharistic liturgy. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes, 4 trumpets, 3 trombones, timpani, organ, and strings First Performance: 7 December 1768, for the opening of the Orphanage Church, Rennweg, Vienna
493
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Edition: Mass in C minor is published in a critical edition in Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Neue Ausgabe sämtlicher Werke, published by Bärenreiter, series 1, work group 1, part 1, volume 1, page 37, edited by Walter Senn. Other editions available for purchase include Breitkopf. Autograph: The autograph full score and additional manuscript materials are in the Music Collection of the Staatsbibliothek Preussischer Kulturbesitz in Berlin (Mus. Ms. 15060). Notes: This work was composed between the autumn of 1768 and the middle of 1769. Performance Issues: The choral writing is entirely homophonic with two exceptions: the “Cum sancto spiritu” in the Gloria, and the “Amen” of the Credo, both of which are fugal. The choral parts are doubled throughout the mass. The trombones are mostly colla parte, doubling the alto, tenor, and bass. The soprano pitches are doubled by various winds. The vocal demands on the choral singers are few. Their ranges are conservative and they present no technical challenges. There are some brief low spots for the basses that may require editing if a younger choir is used. Most of the orchestral parts are within the abilities of moderately experienced players. The string parts, scalar figures, and traditional ornamental patterns lie well for the players. The trombone parts will require secure players. The tenor and alto parts sit fairly high and may therefore present some intonation and balance issues. The trumpet parts are fairly exposed and require clean sporadic entrances. If a fairly dependable solo vocal quartet is available, this is an excellent work for an inexperienced choir to encounter a concerted eighteenth-century mass that uses a reasonably full orchestration. It is also a good choice for an established orchestra to feature a fairly inexperienced choir on its program. Soloists: soprano - range: c'-g'', tessitura: f' -f '', this is a lyrical and somewhat rhythmic part, the largest of the solo roles in this work; alto range: b♭-c', tessitura: d'-a', this is a lyrical solo role well suited for a mezzo-soprano; tenor - range: f-g', tessitura: a-d', this is a lyrical and declamatory solo role; bass - range: c-d', tessitura: d-c', this is a lyric and syllabic role. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Celina Lindsey Gabriele Schreckenbach, Werner Hollweg, Walton Groenroos; Berlin RIAS Chamber Chorus, Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra; Marcus Creed. Caprice: 10 808. Celestina Casapietra, Annelies Burmeister, Peter Schreier, Hermann Christian Polster. Leipzig Radio
362 The Breitkopf edition includes colla parte trombone parts for the choral material.
Chorus and Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Herbert Kegel. Philips: 422 519-2PME9. Barbara Bonney, Jadwiga Rappé, Josef Protschka, Håkan Hagegard; Arnold Schoenberg Choir, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 2292-44180-2. Gundula Janowitz, Frederica von Stade, Wieslaw Ochman, Kurt Moll; Vienna State Opera Chorus, Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra; conducted by Claudio Abbado. Deutsche Grammophon: 427 255-2GGA. Selected Bibliography: Jahn, Otto. The Life of Mozart, translated by Pauline D. Townsend [originally published in 1891], volume 1, 247, 253. New York: Cooper Square Publishers, 1970. Keys, Ivor. Mozart: His Music in His Life, 60, 62. New York: Holmes and Meier, 1980. Geiringer, Karl. “Church Music” in The Mozart Companion, edited by H. C. Robbins Landon and Donald Mitchell, 2nd edition, 364. London: Oxford University Press, 1965; available as a reprint, Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1981. Anderson, Emily. The Letters of Mozart and His Family, 3rd edition, 94 n. 1, 95 n. 2. New York: W. W. Norton, 1985. MacIntyre, Bruce Campbell. The Viennese Concerted Mass of the Early Classic Period, 82, 88, 100, 113, 198, 202, 445, 773 n.12. City University of New York, Ph.D. Dissertation, 1984. Reprinted with revisions, Ann Arbor, MI: UMI Research Press, 1986. Tyson, Alan. Mozart: Studies of the Autograph Scores, 96, 99, 224, 336 n. 2. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1987. Marty, Jean-Pierre. The Tempo Indications of Mozart, 5, 12, 27, 42, 44, 45, 68, 71, 72, 73, 83, 156. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1988. The Mozart Compendium: A Guide to Mozart’s Life and Music, edited by H. C. Robbins Landon, 84, 87, 310, 312. New York: Schirmer Books, 1990. Solomon, Maynard. Mozart: A Life, 75, 542 n. 33. New York: Harper Collins, 1995.
Missa Brevis in G major, K. 140 / Anh. C1. 12 (c. 1773) Duration: ca. 15 minutes Text: The text is taken from the Latin Roman Catholic eucharistic liturgy. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: organ and strings [no violas]362 First Performance: The premiere is unknown but was probably in Salzburg in the early 1700s.
494
Edition: Missa brevis in G major is published in a critical edition in Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Neue Ausgabe sämtlicher Werke, published by Bärenreiter, series 1, work group 1, part 1, volume 1, page 285, edited by Walter Senn. Other editions available for purchase include Bärenreiter and Breitkopf. Autograph: There are thirteen choral parts with completions and corrections in Mozart’s hand in the Heilig Kreuz Cloister in Augsburg, Germany. There are additional parts from the same period in entirely different hands, which are housed in the same collection in Augsburg and in the Chapter House in Kremsmünster. Modern editions have been derived from these materials. Notes: This work was composed in Salzburg around 1773. It was considered to be of dubious attribution at the time that the sixth edition of Köchel catalogue was compiled, but it is now believed to be an authentic composition of Mozart’s. Performance Issues: The choral parts are generally homophonic with some rhythmic variations between parts to enrich the choral texture. The vocal parts are not consistently doubled by the strings, but the harmonic language is clearly reinforced by the continuo. The choral singers will need to be fairly independent. More contrapuntally complex passages for the voices are assigned to the soloists. The solos mostly appear as brief interjections within choral fabric of each movement. The score seems to be emulating a concerto grosso style of concertato and ripieno voices. If performers are willing to overlook this effect, this score can be very convincingly executed by four solo singers, 3 solo strings, and organ. In measures 33-39 of the Benedictus, it would be logical for the men’s parts to be solo, as these lines are set antiphonally with the women’s solo parts in this passage; however, this is not indicated in the NMA edition. The string parts are very conservatively written, allowing for less-experienced players to be used. Soloists: soprano range: d'-g'', tessitura: g'-e'', this is a lyrical solo with few technically challenges, it is the largest of the solo roles; alto - range: a'-a', tessitura: d'-a', this is a lyric solo appropriate for a chorister; tenor - range: e-f#', tessitura: a-d', this is a lyric solo appropriate for a chorister; bass - range: G-e', tessitura: G-g, this is a declamatory solo appropriate for a chorister. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Helen Donath, Annette Markert, Uwe Heilmann, Andreas Schmidt; Leipzig Radio Chorus and Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Herbert Kegel. Philips: 422 519-2PME9.
363 The modern trombone parts were originally for bass trumpets in C. The tradition in Salzburg of colla parte trombones would
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Selected Bibliography: Marty, Jean-Pierre. The Tempo Indications of Mozart, 19, 20, 27, 29, 39, 53, 68, 80, 86, 90. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1988. The Mozart Compendium: A Guide to Mozart’s Life and Music, edited by H. C. Robbins Landon, 311, 313, 352. New York: Schirmer Books, 1990.
Mass in C major (Missa in honorem Sanctissimae Trinitas, Trinity Mass), K. 167 (1773) Duration: ca. 31 minutes Text: The text is taken from the Latin Roman Catholic eucharistic liturgy. Performing Forces: voices: SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes, 2 trumpets, 2 trombones, 363 timpani, organ, and strings [no violas] First Performance: The exact performance data are unknown; however, one can assume them to be Salzburg in 1773. Edition: Mass in C major is published in a critical edition in Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Neue Ausgabe sämtlicher Werke, published by Bärenreiter, series 1, work group 1, part 1, volume 2, page 3, edited by Walter Senn. Other editions available for purchase include Bärenreiter, Breitkopf und Härtel, and Kalmus. Autograph: The composer’s autograph score and additional manuscript materials are in the Preussischer Staatsbibliothek in Berlin (Mus. Ms. 15062). Notes: This work is dated “Salzburg, June 1773.” Performance Issues: The choral writing thoroughly integrates homophonic and contrapuntal textures. There are rapid melismatic passages for all of the choral parts. There are also occasional dissonances for the choristers that are approached by leap and doubled nowhere in the orchestra. The Kyrie presents the greatest musical and vocal challenges to the singers. The remainder of the mass is more declamatory and less chromatic than this opening movement. The brass and oboe parts are straightforward and conservative, well within the abilities of intermediate players. The string writing is quite practical. Rapid figurations are within basic scale patterns. There are some ornaments that should be realized in the parts before distribution. This is an excellent work for stronger choirs who wish to perform a concerted classical mass with limited orchestral rehearsal time. Choir: difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography:
suggest that three trombones [alto, tenor, and bass] might be used to double the alto, tenor, and bass choral parts.
495
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Leipzig Radio Chorus and Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Herbert Kegel. Philips: 422 519-2PME9. Vienna Boys’ Choir, Viennensis Chorus, Vienna Chamber Orchestra; conducted by Hans Gillesberger. RCA: GD86724. Vienna Academy Chamber Chorus, Vienna Volksoper Orchestra; conducted by Ferdinand Grossmann. Vox: 0013. Selected Bibliography: Jahn, Otto. The Life of Mozart, translated by Pauline D. Townsend [originally published in 1891], volume 1, 144, 255. New York: Cooper Square Publishers, 1970. Keys, Ivor. Mozart: His Music in His Life, 82-83. New York: Holmes and Meier, 1980. Geiringer, Karl. “Church Music.” In The Mozart Companion, edited by H. C. Robbins Landon and Donald Mitchell, 2nd edition, 366. London: Oxford University Press, 1965; available as a reprint, Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1981. MacIntyre, Bruce Campbell. The Viennese Concerted Mass of the Early Classic Period, 114. City University of New York, Ph.D. Dissertation, 1984. Reprinted with revisions, Ann Arbor, MI: UMI Research Press, 1986. Tyson, Alan. Mozart: Studies of the Autograph Scores, 19, 343 n. 46. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1987. Marty, Jean-Pierre. The Tempo Indications of Mozart, 2, 19, 20, 33, 40, 55, 68, 74, 81. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1988. The Mozart Compendium: A Guide to Mozart’s Life and Music, edited by H. C. Robbins Landon, 97, 311, 313. New York: Schirmer Books, 1990. Gutman, Robert W. Mozart: A Cultural Biography, 310. New York: Harcourt Brace, 1999.
Missa Brevis in F major (“Little Credo”), K. 192 / 186f (1774)
edited by Walter Senn. Other editions available for purchase include Bärenreiter, Breitkopf und Härtel, Kalmus, and G. Schirmer. Autograph: The composer’s autograph score and other manuscript materials are in the Österreichischen Nationalbibliothek in Vienna (Mus. Hs. 17044 and 618). Additional manuscript materials are in the Instituto Musicale in Florence. Notes: This work is dated “Salzburg, 24 June 1774.” The Credo contains a fugue built on the same four-note theme as the Jupiter Symphony. Mozart composed two works he entitled Missa Brevis in F major. They are K. 116, which exists in fragments only; and K. 192. Performance Issues: The choral writing is contrapuntal with considerable close imitation. The trombones play, colla parte, with the choral alto, tenor, and bass parts. The choral parts are melismatic with fairly intricate melodic figurations. The “Gloria” requires a chanted intonation line as it begins with “Et in terra pax ....” The solos appear intermittently throughout the work. The solo quartet presents the entire “Benedictus” movement. The choral parts are vocally challenging, requiring clear rhythmic articulation. The instrumental writing is idiomatic and technically practical. Care must be taken to clarify some ornaments and dotted figures. The trombone parts are quite involved because of the intricacies of choral writing they double. Many modern performances do not include the brass, but the color these parts provides greatly enriches the timbre of the ensemble, and it adds some welcome reinforcement in certain passages. Soloists: soprano - range: d'-g'', tessitura: f'- f'', this is a lyric solo role; alto - range: a-e♭'', tessitura: c'-c'', this is a lyric solo role; tenor - range: d-g', tessitura: f-f ', this is a lyric solo role; bass - range: D-c', tessitura: G-g, this is a declamatory role requiring a true bass. Choir: difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult.
Duration: ca. 25 minutes Text: The text is taken from the Latin Roman Catholic eucharistic liturgy. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 trumpets, 3 trombones [alto, tenor, and bass],364 organ (continuo), and strings [no violas] First Performance: The premiere information is uncertain, but it was probably in Salzburg in 1774. Edition: Missa Brevis in F major is published in a critical edition in Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Neue Ausgabe sämtlicher Werke, published by Bärenreiter, series 1, work group 1, part 1, volume 2, page 75, 364 The trumpet and trombone parts appear in the NMA but not in other editions.
Selected Discography: Celestina Casapietra, Annelies Burmeister, Peter Schreier, Hermann Christian Polster. Leipzig Radio Chorus and Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Herbert Kegel. Philips: 422 519-2PME9. Dominik Wolff, Michael Hofmeister, Gerhard Werlitz, Ulrich Streckmann; Augsburg Cathedral Boys’ Choir, Collegium Aureum; conducted by Reinhard Kammler. Deutsche Harmonia Mundi: RD77090. Ruth Holton, Charles Brett, Andrew Tusa, Henry Wickham; Winchester College Chapel Choir, Amadi Orchestra; conducted by Julian Smith. Proudsound: PROUCD128.
496
Elizabeth Thomann, Germaine de Brandt, Werner Krenn, Karl Vengebaner; Vienna Academy Chamber Chorus, Vienna Volksoper Orchestra; conducted by Ferdinand Grossmann. Vox: 0015. Selected Bibliography: Deutsch, Otto Erich. Mozart: A Documentary Biography, translated by Eric Blom, Peter Branscombe, and Jeremy Noble; 151, 461. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 1965. Jahn, Otto. The Life of Mozart, translated by Pauline D. Townsend [originally published in 1891], volume 1, 147, 257. New York: Cooper Square Publishers, 1970. Keys, Ivor. Mozart: His Music in His Life, 88, 103. New York: Holmes and Meier, 1980. Geiringer, Karl. “Church Music.” In The Mozart Companion, edited by H. C. Robbins Landon and Donald Mitchell, 2nd edition, 366. London: Oxford University Press, 1965; available as a reprint, Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1981. Anderson, Emily. The Letters of Mozart and His Family, 3rd edition, 262 n. 2, 337 n. 4, 378 n. 2. New York: W. W. Norton, 1985. Marty, Jean-Pierre. The Tempo Indications of Mozart, 2, 6, 68, 69, 74. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1988. The Mozart Compendium: A Guide to Mozart’s Life and Music, edited by H. C. Robbins Landon, 208, 311, 313. New York: Schirmer Books, 1990. Solomon, Maynard. Mozart: A Life, 103, 109. New York: Harper Collins, 1995.
Missa Brevis in D major, K. 194 / 186h (1774) Duration: ca. 22 minutes Text: The text is taken from the Latin Roman Catholic eucharistic liturgy. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 3 trombones [alto, tenor, and bass],365 organ, and strings [no violas] First Performance: The premiere information is uncertain, but it was probably in Salzburg in 1774. Edition: Missa Brevis in D major is published in a critical edition in Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Neue Ausgabe sämtlicher Werke, published by Bärenreiter, series 1, work group 1, part 1, volume 2, page 121, edited by Walter Senn. Other editions available for purchase include Bärenreiter, Breitkopf und Härtel, and Kalmus.
365 The trombones appear in the NMA edition, reflecting the Salzburg tradition of Mozart’s time; however, not every edition includes the trombones.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Autograph: The composer’s autograph score and other manuscript materials are in the Österreichischen Nationalbibliothek in Vienna (Mus. Hs. 18975). Additional manuscript materials are in the Preussischer Staatsbibliothek in Berlin (Mus. Ms. 15063). Notes: This work is dated “Salzburg, 8 August 1774.” Performance Issues: The choral parts are a holistic blend of homophonic and imitative writing. Contrapuntal devices include pervasive imitation, paired imitation, and fugue. There are some surprising harmonic turns and unusual melodic leaps in the choral parts that will require careful attention. (See the alto part at the beginning of the “Agnus Dei” for a good example.) The trombones double the choral altos, tenors, and basses, colla parte. The choral soprano part is well reinforced by the violins. The solos are interspersed throughout the mass and could be effectively assigned to various choristers rather than a solo quartet. The vocal writing for the soloists is no more technically demanding than that for the choir, and in fact it is often a restatement of identical material. The trombone parts are appropriately challenging. The string writing is idiomatic but fairly rhythmic and ornamented. Soloists: soprano - range: e'-f#'', tessitura: g'-e'', this is a florid solo role appropriate for a chorister; alto - range: bc#'', tessitura: d'-b', this is a sustained solo role appropriate for a chorister; tenor - range: e-f#', tessitura: ge', this is a lyric solo role appropriate for a chorister; bass - range: F#-d', tessitura: c#-b, this is a declamatory solo role appropriate for a chorister. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Thomas Rieger, Florian Mock, Gerhard Werlitz, Ulrich Streckmann; Augsburg Cathedral Boys’ Choir, Collegium Aureum; conducted by Reinhard Kammler. Deutsche Harmonia Mundi: RD77090. Mitsuko Shirai, Rosemarie Lang, Aldo Baldin, Hermann Christian Polster; Leipzig Radio Chorus and Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Herbert Kegel. Philips: 422 519-2PME9. Carolyn Dill Smith, Marianna Busching, Gene Tucker, Peter Fay; St. Thomas More Cathedral Choir and Orchestra; conducted by Haig Mardirosian. Centaur: CRC 2074. Selected Bibliography: Deutsch, Otto Erich. Mozart: A Documentary Biography, translated by Eric Blom, Peter Branscombe, and Jeremy Noble; 9, 151, 461. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 1965.
497
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Jahn, Otto. The Life of Mozart, translated by Pauline D. Townsend [originally published in 1891], volume 1, 147, 260. New York: Cooper Square Publishers, 1970. Keys, Ivor. Mozart: His Music in His Life, 88. New York: Holmes and Meier, 1980. Geiringer, Karl. “Church Music.” In The Mozart Companion, edited by H. C. Robbins Landon and Donald Mitchell, 2nd edition, 366. London: Oxford University Press, 1965; available as a reprint, Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1981. Anderson, Emily. The Letters of Mozart and His Family, 3rd edition, 252 n. 2. New York: W. W. Norton, 1985. Tyson, Alan. Mozart: Studies of the Autograph Scores, 170, 344 n. 8. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1987. Marty, Jean-Pierre. The Tempo Indications of Mozart, 8, 27, 28, 69, 74, 81. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1988. The Mozart Compendium: A Guide to Mozart’s Life and Music, edited by H. C. Robbins Landon, 53, 208, 311, 313. New York: Schirmer Books, 1990. Eisen, Cliff. New Mozart Documents: A Supplement to O. E. Deutsch’s Documentary Biography, 41. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 1991. Solomon, Maynard. Mozart: A Life, 103, 109. New York: Harper Collins, 1995.
Missa Brevis in C major [Spatzenmesse “Sparrow Mass”], K. 220 / 196b (1775) Duration: ca. 20 minutes Text: The text is taken from the Latin Roman Catholic eucharistic liturgy. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 trumpets, 3 trombones [alto, tenor, and bass], 366 timpani, organ (continuo), and strings [no violas] First Performance: The premiere information is uncertain, but it was probably in Salzburg in 1775. Edition: Missa Brevis in C major is published in a critical edition in Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Neue Ausgabe sämtlicher Werke, published by Bärenreiter, series 1, work group 1, part 1, volume 2, page 163, edited by Walter Senn. Other editions available for purchase include Breitkopf und Härtel and Kalmus. Autograph: The autograph score has been lost. There are some early performance materials, in manuscript, in the Domchorarchiv in Salzburg. Additional manuscript materials are in the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde in Vienna.
Notes: This work was composed in 1775 or 1776. It is nicknamed “The Sparrow” because of the chirping figures in the violin parts. Mozart composed five works entitled Missa Brevis in C major. They are K. 115, which exists only as a fragment; “The Sparrow Mass,” K. 220; “The Credo Mass,” K. 257; “The Spaur Mass,” K. 258; and “The Organ Solo Mass,” K. 259. Performance Issues: The choral writing integrates homophonic and imitative procedures. There are some fairly florid melismatic passages for the choristers. The tessitura of the choral soprano part is rather high, reflecting the intention of using boy trebles. The trombones double the choral altos, tenors, and basses, colla parte. The solos are interspersed throughout the mass, with the exception of the “Benedictus,” which is for quartet only. The vocal writing for the soloists is no more technically demanding than that for the choir. The trombone parts are quite challenging, given the need for sensitivity in doubling the singers, and the requisite articulation and range issues. Many modern performances omit the trombones, but their color is a most desirable attribute in this repertoire. The other orchestral parts are quite conservative. Much of the violin material is in unison or parallel intervals. This is a good work for a reasonably experienced choir that has limited orchestral resources. Soloists: soprano range: d'-g'', tessitura: f'- f'', this is a lyric solo role with some florid passages, appropriate for a chorister; alto - range: b-b', tessitura: d'-a', this is a declamatory solo role appropriate for a chorister; tenor - range: df' , tessitura: g-e', this is a lyric solo role appropriate for a chorister; bass - range: G-d', tessitura: c-b, this is a declamatory solo role appropriate for a chorister. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Ruth Holton, Charles Brett, Andrew Tusa, Henry Wickham; Winchester College Chapel Choir, Amadi Orchestra; conducted by Julian Smith. Proudsound: PROUCD128. Thomas Rieger, Florian Mock, Gerhard Werlitz, Ulrich Streckmann; Augsburg Cathedral Boys’ Choir, Collegium Aureum; conducted by Reinhard Kammler. Deutsche Harmonia Mundi: RD77090. Edith Mathis, Tatiana Troyanos, Horst Laubenthal, Kieth Engen; Regensburg Cathedral Choir, Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Rafael Kubelik. Deutsche Grammophon: 419 060-2GGA. Peter Jelosits, Gerhard Eder; Vienna Boys’ Choir, Chorus Viennensis, Vienna Academy Orchestra; conducted by Uwe Christian Harrer. Philips: 422 10-2 PME9. Selected Bibliography:
366 The trombones appear in the NMA edition, reflecting the Salzburg tradition of Mozart’s time; however, not every edition includes the trombones.
498
Jahn, Otto. The Life of Mozart, translated by Pauline D. Townsend [originally published in 1891], volume 1, 247. New York: Cooper Square Publishers, 1970. Keys, Ivor. Mozart: His Music in His Life, 93, 103. New York: Holmes and Meier, 1980. Geiringer, Karl. “Church Music.” In The Mozart Companion, edited by H. C. Robbins Landon and Donald Mitchell, 2nd edition, 373. London: Oxford University Press, 1965; available as a reprint, Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1981. Anderson, Emily. The Letters of Mozart and His Family, third edition, 337 n. 4, 378 n. 2. New York: W. W. Norton, 1985. Tyson, Alan. Mozart: Studies of the Autograph Scores, 173, 345 n. 15. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1987. Marty, Jean-Pierre. The Tempo Indications of Mozart, 8, 9, 27, 31, 69, 74, 81. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1988. The Mozart Compendium: A Guide to Mozart’s Life and Music, edited by H. C. Robbins Landon, 311, 313. New York: Schirmer Books, 1990.
Mass in C major (“Credo Mass”), K. 257 (1775-1777)367 Duration: ca. 30 minutes Text: The text is taken from the Latin Roman Catholic eucharistic liturgy. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones [alto, tenor, and bass], timpani, organ (continuo), and strings [no violas] First Performance: 17 November 1776; Brixen, for the installation of Salzburg Canon, Ignaz Joseph, Count Spaur as bishop. Edition: Mass in C major is published in a critical edition in Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Neue Ausgabe sämtlicher Werke, published by Bärenreiter, series 1, work group 1, part 1, volume 3, page 3, edited by Walter Senn. Other editions available for purchase include Breitkopf und Härtel. Autograph: The autograph sketches are in the collection of the Staatsbibliothek Preussischer Kulturbesitz in Berlin. Additional manuscript materials are in the Instituto Musicale in Florence, Österreichische Nationalbibliothek in Vienna, the Stadts-Archiv in Augsburg, the Preussischer Staatsbibliothek in Berlin (Mus. Ms. 15065), and the National Museum in Prague.
367 David Daniels lists this as a “Mass” (Daniels’ Orchestral Music, 5th edition, 362), as does the NMA, but the New Grove Mozart lists it as a “Missa Brevis.”
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Notes: Mozart composed five works entitled Missa Brevis in C major. They are K. 115, which exists only as a fragment; “The Sparrow Mass,” K. 220; “The Credo Mass,” K. 257; “The Spaur Mass,” K. 258; and “The Organ Solo Mass,” K. 259. This work was composed between 1775 and 1777 in Salzburg. This work was probably sung at the installation ceremony of Salzburg Canon, Ignaz Joseph, Count Spaur as bishop of Brixen. It was long believed that K. 258 was used for this purpose, accounting for its nickname; however, current dating suggests that K. 258 was not completed prior to this service. The nickname “Credo” refers to the interjection of the word credo throughout that movement. Performance Issues: The choral altos, tenors, and basses are doubled much of the time by their eponymous trombones. The choral soprano part is less conspicuously supported by the orchestra, but it is still clearly reinforced. The choral writing is mostly homophonic, or in close imitation. The choral parts are primarily syllabic and quite declamatory. The solos appear almost exclusively as a quartet and are scattered intermittently throughout the work. The oboe parts are quite sustained and have some prolonged passages in parallel octaves, which may provide some intonation problems. The trumpet and timpani parts are quite simple. The trombone parts are sustained and articulate, requiring sensitive players. The violin parts are rhythmic with some rapid, intricate passagework in both parts. Soloists: soprano - range: e'-g'', tessitura: a'-f '', this is a lyric solo role; alto - range: g-c'', tessitura: c'-a', this is a sustained and lyric role; tenor range: c-f', tessitura: g-e', this is a lyric solo role; bass - range: F-f', tessitura: A-a, this is a declamatory solo role. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Angela Maria Blasi, Elisabeth von Magnus, Deon van der Valt, Herbert Lippert, Alastair Miles; Arnold Schoenberg Choir, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Recorded in 1991. Teldec: 4509-95993-2. Helen Donath, Gillian Knight, Ryland Davies, Clifford Grant; John Alldis Choir, London Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Colin Davis. Philips: 422 5192PME9. Christiane Oelze, Barbara Hölzl, Andreas Schulist, Joachim Gebhardt; Munich Motet Choir, Munich Residenz Orchestra; conducted by Hans Rudolf Zöbeley. Calig: CAL 50872. Selected Bibliography:
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Reichert, G. “Mozarts ‘Credo-Messen’ und ihrer Vorläufer.” Mozart Jahrbuch (1955): 117. Deutsch, Otto Erich. Mozart: A Documentary Biography, translated by Eric Blom, Peter Branscombe, and Jeremy Noble; 464. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 1965. Jahn, Otto. The Life of Mozart, translated by Pauline D. Townsend [originally published in 1891], volume 1, 153. New York: Cooper Square Publishers, 1970. Keys, Ivor. Mozart: His Music in His Life, 94. New York: Holmes and Meier, 1980. Geiringer, Karl. “Church Music.” In The Mozart Companion, edited by H. C. Robbins Landon and Donald Mitchell, 2nd edition, 367. London: Oxford University Press, 1965; available as a reprint, Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1981. MacIntyre, Bruce Campbell. The Viennese Concerted Mass of the Early Classic Period, 115, 205, 362. City University of New York, Ph.D. dissertation, 1984. Reprinted with revisions, Ann Arbor, MI: UMI Research Press, 1986. Tyson, Alan. Mozart: Studies of the Autograph Scores, 163-165, 172, 174, 345 nn. 15 and 20. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1987. Marty, Jean-Pierre. The Tempo Indications of Mozart, 32, 44, 45, 67, 69, 71, 76, 85, 159, 162, 167, 168, 236. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1988. The Mozart Compendium: A Guide to Mozart’s Life and Music, edited by H. C. Robbins Landon, 184, 311, 313, 349. New York: Schirmer Books, 1990. Knepler, Georg. Wolfgang Amadé Mozart, translated by J. Bradford Robinson, 25. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1994. Originally published in German, Berlin: Henschel Verlag, 1991. Gutman, Robert W. Mozart: A Cultural Biography, 358, 359. New York: Harcourt Brace, 1999.
Mass in C major (Piccolominimesse, or Spaur Mass), K. 258 (1775-1777)368 Duration: ca. 17 minutes Text: The text is taken from the Latin Roman Catholic eucharistic liturgy. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones [alto, tenor, and bass], timpani, organ (continuo), and strings [no violas] First Performance: This work was probably first performed in December of 1776 or January of 1777 in Salzburg. Edition: Mass in C major is published in a critical edition in Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Neue Ausgabe sämtlicher Werke, published by Bärenreiter, series 1, 368 David Daniels lists this as a “Mass” (Daniels’ Orchestral Music, 5th edition, 363), as does the NMA, but the New Grove Mozart lists it as a “Missa Brevis.”
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work group 1, part 1, volume 3, page 115, edited by Walter Senn. Other editions available for purchase include Kalmus. Autograph: The autograph score and manuscript materials are in the collection of the Staatsbibliothek Preussischer Kulturbesitz in Berlin (Mus. Ms. 15066). Additional manuscript materials are in the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde and the Österreichische Nationalbibliothek in Vienna (Mus. Hs. 433), the StadtsArchiv in Augsburg, the Instituto Musicale in Florence, and the National Museum in Prague. Notes: Mozart composed five works entitled Missa Brevis in C major. They are K. 115, which exists only as a fragment; “The Sparrow Mass,” K. 220; “The Credo Mass,” K. 257; “The Spaur Mass,” K. 258; and “The Organ Solo Mass,” K. 259. This work was composed between 1775 and 1777 in Salzburg. The nickname, Spaur, refers to Salzburg Canon, Ignaz Joseph, Count Spaur. It had been believed to be the mass used for Spaur’s installation as Bishop of Brixen, but current dating suggests that the work sung for this ceremony was actually K. 257. Likewise, Piccolomini was long thought to be a courtly acknowledgment of the Piccolomini family of Siena, Italy. It is now believed to be an adaptation of “piccolo,” referring to the work’s brevity. Performance Issues: The trombones do not appear in all listings of this work, but they serve a colla parte role in this score, as was the Salzburg tradition in Mozart’s time. There is some scholarly discrepancy regarding the use of oboes in this piece. The oboes are present in the NMA edition. Much of the choral writing is declamatory, but there are extended melismatic passages in imitation that are vocally demanding. These rapid choral figures are doubled by the trombones, making these parts particularly difficult. The choral soprano tessitura is fairly high. The solos are interspersed, usually as a quartet, throughout the work. The oboe parts are quite practical and well within the ability of intermediate players. The violin parts are idiomatic but technically demanding. There are a number of somewhat tricky ornaments that should be resolved in the parts before distribution. There is a subtle element of internal counterpoint in this mass that makes it somewhat more challenging for the performers than its companion works. In an effective performance this will manifest itself in strong forward-moving drive. Soloists: soprano - range: e'-g'', tessitura: g'-f '', this is a lyric solo suitable for a chorister; alto - range: g-d'', tessitura: c'-b', this is a lyric solo suitable for a chorister; tenor - range: c-f ', tessitura: f-e', this is a lyric solo suitable for a chorister; bass - range: G-e', tessitura: B♭-d', this is a lyric solo suitable for a chorister.
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Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Regina Schudel, Ulla Groenewold, Peter Maus, Berthold Possemeyer; Berlin RIAS Chamber Chorus and Sinfonietta; conducted by Uwe Gronostay. Koch Schwann: 313021. Michael Ellenrieder, Benno Graser, Gerhard Werlitz, Ulrich Streckmann; Augsburg Cathedral Boys’ Choir, Collegium Aureum; conducted by Reinhard Kammler. Deutsche Harmonia Mundi: RD77090. Mitsuko Shirai, Marga Schiml, Peter Schreier, Hermann Christian Polster; Leipzig Radio Chorus and Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Herbert Kegel. Philips: 422 519-2PME9. Felicity Palmer, Margaret Cable, Philip Langridge, Stephen Roberts; St. John’s College Choir, Wren Orchestra; conducted by George Guest. Decca: 430 1612DM. Selected Bibliography: Deutsch, Otto Erich. Mozart: A Documentary Biography, translated by Eric Blom, Peter Branscombe, and Jeremy Noble; 464. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 1965. Jahn, Otto. The Life of Mozart, translated by Pauline D. Townsend [originally published in 1891], volume 1, 153. New York: Cooper Square Publishers, 1970. Keys, Ivor. Mozart: His Music in His Life, 94. New York: Holmes and Meier, 1980. Geiringer, Karl. “Church Music.” In The Mozart Companion, edited by H. C. Robbins Landon and Donald Mitchell, 2nd edition, 367. London: Oxford University Press, 1965; available as a reprint, Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1981. MacIntyre, Bruce Campbell. The Viennese Concerted Mass of the Early Classic Period, 205, 445. City University of New York, Ph.D. dissertation, 1984. Reprinted with revisions, Ann Arbor, MI: UMI Research Press, 1986. Tyson, Alan. “The Dates of Mozart’s Missa brevis K. 258 and Missa longa K. 262 (246a): An Investigation into His Klein-Querformat Papers.” Mozart: Studies of the Autograph Scores, 162-176. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1987. Marty, Jean-Pierre. The Tempo Indications of Mozart, 6, 26, 69, 74, 84, 85. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1988. The Mozart Compendium: A Guide to Mozart’s Life and Music, edited by H. C. Robbins Landon, 311, 313. New York: Schirmer Books, 1990. Solomon, Maynard. Mozart: A Life, 103, 545 n. 14. New York: Harper Collins, 1995.
369 The NMA lists this as a “Mass,” but the New Grove Mozart and David Daniels list this as a “Missa Brevis.”
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Mass in C major (Missa Brevis, Organ Solo Mass), K. 259 (1775-1777)369 Duration: ca. 14 minutes Text: The text is taken from the Latin Roman Catholic eucharistic liturgy. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones [alto, tenor, and bass], timpani, organ (continuo), and strings [no violas] First Performance: The premiere information is unknown, but it was probably in 1776 or 1777 in Salzburg. Edition: Missa Brevis in C major is published in a critical edition in Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Neue Ausgabe sämtlicher Werke, published by Bärenreiter, series 1, work group 1, part 1, volume 3, page 195, edited by Walter Senn. Other editions available for purchase include Breitkopf und Hartel (654). Autograph: The autograph score and manuscript materials are in the collection of the Staatsbibliothek Preussischer Kulturbesitz in Berlin (Mus. Ms. 15067). Additional manuscript materials are in the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde and the Österreichische Nationalbibliothek in Vienna (Mus. Hs. 2639a), the Instituto Musicale in Florence, and the National Museum in Prague. Notes: Mozart composed five works entitled Missa Brevis in C major. They are K. 115, which exists only as a fragment; “The Sparrow Mass,” K. 220; “The Credo Mass,” K. 257; “The Spaur Mass,” K. 258; and “The Organ Solo Mass,” K. 259. This work was composed between 1775 and 1777 in Salzburg. It takes its nickname from the written-out organ part in the “Benedictus.” Performance Issues: The choral alto, tenor, and soprano parts are doubled by the trombones. The choral writing is very declamatory. It could be used effectively as a tone-building work. The ranges for the choristers are more conservative than in many of Mozart’s masses, which also simplifies the trombone parts. The “Credo” movement must have a chanted intonation, as the score text begins with “Patrem.” The oboe parts are quite accessible to intermediate players. The trumpet parts are quite easy, though they are sometimes sustained. The string writing is quite challenging, with some very aggressive violin passages. Strong violinists will be needed. This is an ideal work for a developing choir, capable of an athletic sound, who has access to excellent violinists. Soloists: soprano range: d'-g'', tessitura: g'-f'', this is a lyric solo role; alto - range: a-c'', tessitura: d'-b', this is a lyric solo
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
role; tenor - range: e-f', tessitura: a-e', this is a lyric solo role; bass - range: G-c', tessitura: G-g, this is a declamatory solo role. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Dominik Wolff, Michael Hofmeister, Gerhard Werlitz, Ulrich Streckmann; Augsburg Cathedral Boys’ Choir, Collegium Aureum; conducted by Reinhard Kammler. Deutsche Harmonia Mundi: RD77090. Celestina Casapietra, Annelies Burmeister, Peter Schreier, Hermann Christian Polster. Leipzig Radio Chorus and Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Herbert Kegel. Philips: 422 519-2PME9. Eiko Katanosaka, Elfriede Jahn, Kurt Equiluz, Leo Hoppe; Vienna Chamber Choir, Vienna Volksoper Orchestra; conducted by Hans Gillesberger. Vox: 0013. Selected Bibliography: Deutsch, Otto Erich. Mozart: A Documentary Biography, translated by Eric Blom, Peter Branscombe, and Jeremy Noble; 464. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 1965. Jahn, Otto. The Life of Mozart, translated by Pauline D. Townsend [originally published in 1891], volume 1, 153. New York: Cooper Square Publishers, 1970. Keys, Ivor. Mozart: His Music in His Life, 94. New York: Holmes and Meier, 1980. Geiringer, Karl. “Church Music.” In The Mozart Companion, edited by H. C. Robbins Landon and Donald Mitchell, 2nd edition, 367. London: Oxford University Press, 1965; available as a reprint, Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1981. Anderson, Emily. The Letters of Mozart and His Family, 3rd edition, 266 n. 1, 541 n. 1. New York: W. W. Norton, 1985. MacIntyre, Bruce Campbell. The Viennese Concerted Mass of the Early Classic Period, 711 n. 4. City University of New York, Ph.D. dissertation, 1984. Reprinted with revisions, Ann Arbor, MI: UMI Research Press, 1986. Tyson, Alan. Mozart: Studies of the Autograph Scores, 163, 165, 172, 174, 345 nn. 15 and 20. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1987. Marty, Jean-Pierre. The Tempo Indications of Mozart, 6, 8, 9, 28, 31, 35, 69, 70, 72, 74, 76, 84, 100, 154. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1988. The Mozart Compendium: A Guide to Mozart’s Life and Music, edited by H. C. Robbins Landon, 311, 313, 320, 349. New York: Schirmer Books, 1990. Knepler, Georg. Wolfgang Amadé Mozart, translated by J. Bradford Robinson, 25. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1994. Originally published in German, Berlin: Henschel Verlag, 1991. 370 The trombones appear in the NMA edition, reflecting the Salzburg tradition of Mozart’s time; however, not every edition includes the trombones.
Gutman, Robert W. Mozart: A Cultural Biography, 358, 359, 731. New York: Harcourt Brace, 1999.
Mass in C major [Longa], K. 262 / 246a (c. 1776) Duration: ca. 30 minutes Text: The text is taken from the Latin Roman Catholic eucharistic liturgy. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones [alto, tenor, and bass],370 organ (continuo), and strings [no violas] First Performance: The premiere information is unknown, but it was probably in 1776 in Salzburg. Edition: Mass in C major is published in a critical edition in Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Neue Ausgabe sämtlicher Werke, published by Bärenreiter, series 1, work group 1, part 1, volume 2, page 197, edited by Walter Senn. Other editions available for purchase include Breitkopf und Härtel. Autograph: The autograph score is in the Biblioteka Jagiellonska in Kraków, Poland. Additional manuscript materials are in the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde in Vienna, the Stadts-Archiv in Augsburg, and the Preussischer Staatsbibliothek in Berlin (Mus. Ms. 15068). Notes: This work is believed to have been composed in Salzburg in 1776. Performance Issues: The choral writing is quite declamatory, and much of it is homophonic; however, there are some very intricate imitative sections. The trombones double the choral alto, tenor, and bass parts throughout the mass. The soloists appear intermittently throughout the work. The oboe parts have some very sustained passages. The trumpet and horn parts play much of the time but are not technically demanding. The presence of seven brass instruments in this mass suggests the suitability of the work to a larger choir. It also indicates the need for a full complement of strings. The string writing is fairly florid and will require solid players to effect good ensemble playing. There are a number of extended sections for the orchestra alone. This is one of the more difficult of Mozart’s masses for singers and instrumentalists. It requires a secure choral ensemble and a technically grounded orchestra. Soloists: soprano - range: c'-g'', tessitura: g'-f'', this is a lyric solo role and the largest of the four; alto - range: b-c'', tessitura: d'-a', this is a fairly direct lyric solo; tenor - range: c-f', tessitura: g-
502
e', this is a lyric solo; bass - range: G-d', tessitura: Gg, this is a declamatory solo role. Choir: difficult; Orchestra: difficult.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Mass in B♭ major (Missa Brevis), K. 275 / 272b (1777) 371
Selected Discography:
Duration: ca. 20 minutes
Regina Schudel, Ulla Groenewold, Peter Maus, Berthold Possemeyer; Berlin RIAS Chamber Chorus and Sinfonietta; conducted by Uwe Gronostay. Koch Schwann: 313021. Mitsuko Shirai, Marga Schiml, Armin Ude, Hermann Christian Polster; Leipzig Radio Chorus and Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Herbert Kegel. Philips: 422 519-2PME9. Phillipe Cieslewicz, Charlotte Müller, Carl Günther, Christian Immler; Tolz Boys’ Choir, European Baroque Soloists; conducted by Gerhard SchmidtGaden. Sony: SK46493.
Text: The text is taken from the Latin Roman Catholic eucharistic liturgy.
Selected Bibliography: Deutsch, Otto Erich. Mozart: A Documentary Biography, translated by Eric Blom, Peter Branscombe, and Jeremy Noble; 156. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 1965. Jahn, Otto. The Life of Mozart, translated by Pauline D. Townsend [originally published in 1891], volume 1, 153, 263. New York: Cooper Square Publishers, 1970. Keys, Ivor. Mozart: His Music in His Life, 93-94. New York: Holmes and Meier, 1980. Geiringer, Karl. “Church Music.” In The Mozart Companion, edited by H. C. Robbins Landon and Donald Mitchell, 2nd edition, 367. London: Oxford University Press, 1965; available as a reprint, Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1981. Anderson, Emily. The Letters of Mozart and His Family, 3rd edition, 541 n. 2. New York: W. W. Norton, 1985. MacIntyre, Bruce Campbell. The Viennese Concerted Mass of the Early Classic Period, 114, 445. City University of New York, Ph.D. dissertation, 1984. Reprinted with revisions, Ann Arbor, MI: UMI Research Press, 1986. Tyson, Alan. “The Dates of Mozart’s Missa brevis K. 258 and Missa longa K. 262 (246a): An Investigation into His Klein-Querformat Papers.” Mozart: Studies of the Autograph Scores, 162-176. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1987. Marty, Jean-Pierre. The Tempo Indications of Mozart, 8, 9, 31, 69, 74, 81. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1988. The Mozart Compendium: A Guide to Mozart’s Life and Music, edited by H. C. Robbins Landon, 214, 311, 313. New York: Schirmer Books, 1990. Solomon, Maynard. Mozart: A Life, 103, 104, 545 n. 14. New York: Harper Collins, 1995. Gutman, Robert W. Mozart: A Cultural Biography, 358. New York: Harcourt Brace, 1999.
371 The NMA list this as a “Mass,” but the New Grove Mozart and David Daniels list this as a “Missa Brevis.”
Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 3 trombones [alto, tenor, and bass], organ, and strings [no violas] First Performance: 23 September 1777; Salzburg Cathedral. There was a second performance 21 December 1777; St. Peter’s Church, Salzburg, featuring the castrato, Francesco Ceccarelli, as soprano soloist. A second version was prepared, probably following Mozart’s death, for a performance in Munich. This version is devoid of trombones. Edition: Missa Brevis in B♭ major is published in a critical edition in Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Neue Ausgabe sämtlicher Werke, published by Bärenreiter, series 1, work group 1, part 1, volume 4, page 3, edited by Monika Holl. Other editions available for purchase include Breitkopf und Härtel, Kalmus, and C. F. Peters. Autograph: The original autograph score has been lost. The NMA edition has been derived from performance materials found in the Staatsbibliothek in Augsburg, the Bayerischen Staatsbibliothek in Munich, Österreichische Nationalbibliothek in Vienna (Mus. Hs. 19227), and the Archives of the Salzburg Cathedral. Notes: This work is believed to have been completed in Salzburg just prior to 23 September 1777. It had been a tradition in Salzburg for trombones to have been used colla parte with choral altos, tenors, and basses. Independent parts have not been found, but Mozart’s other works and the habit of this musical establishment have led to their inclusion in modern editions. Performance Issues: The choral writing is mostly homophonic with intermittent brief imitative passages in paired doubling between the men and women and a few truly fugal sections (notably the beginning of the Sanctus). The majority of the choir’s material is doubled by the trombones throughout the mass. There are few melismas in the composition. The Benedictus, until the “hosanna in excelsis,” is a soprano solo. The trombone parts are appropriately challenging and will require solid players for both execution and restraint in maintaining a proper balance with the choristers. The string writing is idiomatic and accessible to intermediate players. This is a good introductory work for an inexperienced choir to encounter a concerted
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
classical mass. The choral writing is quite accessible and well reinforced by the accompaniment. There are some vocal and instrumental ornaments that need to be worked out in the parts. The instrumental writing is very appropriate for solo strings. The organ part is continuo only. Salzburg tradition would double this bass line with cello, doublebass, and bassoon. Soloists: soprano - range: d'-g'', tessitura: f'-f '', this is a fairly simple lyric solo but the most demanding of the four; alto - range: b♭-c'', tessitura: c'-a', this is a lyric and sustained solo, appropriate for a chorister; tenor range: c-g', tessitura: f-f', this is a lyric and sustained solo, appropriate for a chorister; bass - range: F-c', tessitura: A-a, this is a declamatory and forthright solo role, appropriate for a chorister. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Ruth Holton, Charles Brett, Andrew Tusa, Henry Wickham; Winchester College Chapel Choir, Amadi Orchestra; conducted by Julian Smith. Proudsound: PROUCD128. Thomas Rieger, Florian Mock, Gerhard Werlitz, Ulrich Streckmann; Augsburg Cathedral Boys’ Choir, Collegium Aureum; conducted by Reinhard Kammler. Deutsche Harmonia Mundi: RD77090. Mitsuko Shirai, Rosemarie Lang, Aldo Baldin, Hermann Christian Polster; Leipzig Radio Chorus and Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Herbert Kegel. Philips: 422 519-2PME9. Selected Bibliography: Deutsch, Otto Erich. Mozart: A Documentary Biography, translated by Eric Blom, Peter Branscombe, and Jeremy Noble; 169, 398. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 1965. Jahn, Otto. The Life of Mozart, translated by Pauline D. Townsend [originally published in 1891], volume 1, 153, 261. New York: Cooper Square Publishers, 1970. Keys, Ivor. Mozart: His Music in His Life, 99. New York: Holmes and Meier, 1980. Geiringer, Karl. “Church Music.” In The Mozart Companion, edited by H. C. Robbins Landon and Donald Mitchell, 2nd edition, 367. London: Oxford University Press, 1965; available as a reprint, Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1981. Anderson, Emily. The Letters of Mozart and His Family, 3rd edition, 431 n. 2, 663 n. 7, 667 n. 1, 748 n. 4, 842 n. 4, 965 n. 1, 966. New York: W. W. Norton, 1985. MacIntyre, Bruce Campbell. The Viennese Concerted Mass of the Early Classic Period, 205. City University of New York, Ph.D. dissertation, 1984. Reprinted with revisions, Ann Arbor, MI: UMI Research Press, 1986. Marty, Jean-Pierre. The Tempo Indications of Mozart, 28, 31, 69, 74, 84, 235. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1988.
The Mozart Compendium: A Guide to Mozart’s Life and Music, edited by H. C. Robbins Landon, 311, 313. New York: Schirmer Books, 1990. Solomon, Maynard. Mozart: A Life, 103, 104, 122, 230. New York: Harper Collins, 1995. Gutman, Robert W. Mozart: A Cultural Biography, 247n, 251-252, 331-332, 343, 358, 359, 522, 741n. New York: Harcourt Brace, 1999.
Mass in C major (Krönungs-Messe, Coronation Mass), K. 317 (1779) Duration: ca. 24 minutes Text: The text is taken from the Latin Roman Catholic eucharistic liturgy. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes, bassoon (continuo), 2 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones [alto, tenor, and bass], timpani, organ (continuo), and strings [no violas] First Performance: Salzburg Cathedral; probably late March or early April 1779; the soprano soloist was Maria Magdalena Lipp, wife of Michael Haydn. Edition: Mass in C major is published in a critical edition in Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Neue Ausgabe sämtlicher Werke, published by Bärenreiter, series 1, work group 1, part 1, volume 4, page 57, edited by Monika Holl. Other editions available for purchase include Bärenreiter, Breitkopf und Härtel, and Kalmus. Autograph: The autograph score is in the Biblioteka Jagiellonska in Kraków, Poland. Additional manuscript materials are in the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde in Vienna (11527), the Stadts-Archiv in Augsburg, and the Preussischer Staatsbibliothek in Berlin (Mus. Ms. 15070). Notes: This work is dated “23 March 1779,” presumably in Salzburg. It is nicknamed “Krönungs-Messe”[“Coronation Mass”], because it was performed at the coronation of Leopold II in Prague in 1791, under the direction of Antonio Salieri. Performance Issues: The choral writing is mostly homophonic and declamatory. There are some melismatic passages and intermittent points of imitation. The tessitura of the choral sopranos is fairly high. The trombones double the choral alto, tenor, and bass parts throughout the mass. The solo vocal parts are more independent, but still well reinforced harmonically. These solos appear interspersed throughout the work. The orchestration suggests a large vocal ensemble and a full complement of strings. The violin parts require facility, with rapid, albeit idiomatic, passagework functioning as harmonic filigree behind the choral parts. Rapid changes of tutti dynamics are critical in this work. The oboe parts are sustained and exposed. The trombone parts are taxing, especially the alto part.
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The other brass parts are quite idiomatic of the period. There are some offbeat pickup figures in the violins in the “Gloria” that may prove challenging for unison execution. The string writing requires solid players. This is a triumphant and dramatic work that is well within the abilities of intermediate-level choral ensembles with access to experienced orchestral players. Soloists: soprano - range: c'-g'', tessitura: f' -f '', this is a lyric solo; alto - range: g-c'', tessitura: d'-b', this is a lyric solo; tenor - range: c-g', tessitura: f-f ', this is a lyric solo; bass - range: F#-d', tessitura: c-c', this is a declamatory solo. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Sylvia McNair, Delores Ziegler, Hans-Peter Blochwitz, Andreas Schmidt; Berlin RIAS Chamber Choir, Berlin Philharmonic; conducted by James Levine. 435 853-2GH. Barbara Bonney, Anne Howells, Anthony Rolfe Johnson, Stephen Roberts; London Symphony Chorus, City of London Sinfonia; conducted by Richard Hickox. Recorded in 1984. Decca: 436 470-2DM. Edith Wiens, Bernarda Fink, Werner Hollweg, Thomas Hampson; Concentus Vocalis, Vienna Academy Orchestra; conducted by Martin Haselböck. Novalis: 150 068-2. Edith Mathis, Norma Procter, Donald Grobe, John Shirley-Quirk; Bavarian Radio Chorus, Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Rafael Kubelik. Deutsche Grammophon: 419 060-2GGA. Ileana Cotrubas, Helen Watts, Robert Tear, John ShirleyQuirk; Oxford Schola Cantorum, Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Field; conducted by Neville Marriner. Recorded in 1971. Decca: 417 472-2DM. Ursula Buckel, Helen McKinnon, Hermann Winkler, Eduard Wollitz, Franz Lehrndorfer (organ); Stuttgart Gedächtniskirche Choir, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Intecord: INT820 506. Joan Rodgers, Elisabeth von Magnus, Josef Protschka, Lázló Polgár; Vienna Hofburgkapella Schola, Arnold Schoenberg Choir, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 229243354-2. Emma Kirkby, Catherine Robbin, John Mark Ainsley, Michael George; Winchester Cathedral Choir, Academy of Ancient Music; conducted by Christopher Hogwood. Recorded in 1990. L’Oiseau Lyre: 436 585-2OH. Kathleen Battle, Trudeliese Schmidt, Gösta Winbergh, Ferruccio Furlanetto; Vienna Singverein, Vienna Philharmonic; conducted by Herbert von Karajan. Laser disc, recorded live in 1985. Sony: SLV46382. Selected Bibliography: Pfannhauser, Karl. “Mozarts Krönungsmesse.” Mitteilungen der Internationalen Stiftung Mozarteum, volume 11 (1963): 3-11.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Deutsch, Otto Erich. Mozart: A Documentary Biography, translated by Eric Blom, Peter Branscombe, and Jeremy Noble; 368, 464. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 1965. Jahn, Otto. The Life of Mozart, translated by Pauline D. Townsend [originally published in 1891], volume 1, 267; volume 2, 93. New York: Cooper Square Publishers, 1970. Keys, Ivor. Mozart: His Music in His Life, 118. New York: Holmes and Meier, 1980. Geiringer, Karl. “Church Music.” In The Mozart Companion, edited by H. C. Robbins Landon and Donald Mitchell, 2nd edition, 368, 373. London: Oxford University Press, 1965; available as a reprint, Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1981. Anderson, Emily. The Letters of Mozart and His Family, 3rd edition, 663 n. 6, 748 n. 4, 798 n. 6, 842 n. 4, 941 n. 2, 950 n. 4. New York: W. W. Norton, 1985. MacIntyre, Bruce Campbell. The Viennese Concerted Mass of the Early Classic Period, 100, 115, 152, 232, 525. City University of New York, Ph.D. dissertation, 1984. Reprinted with revisions, Ann Arbor, MI: UMI Research Press, 1986. Tyson, Alan. Mozart: Studies of the Autograph Scores, 24, 166, 172. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1987. Marty, Jean-Pierre. The Tempo Indications of Mozart, 6, 28, 32, 47, 71, 76, 85, 86, 88, 92, 120, 152, 166, 233. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1988. The Mozart Compendium: A Guide to Mozart’s Life and Music, edited by H. C. Robbins Landon, 184, 214, 311, 313, 320. New York: Schirmer Books, 1990. Knepler, Georg. Wolfgang Amadé Mozart, translated by J. Bradford Robinson, 25. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1994. Originally published in German, Berlin: Henschel Verlag, 1991. Berger, Melvin. Guide to Choral Masterpieces: A Listener’s Guide, 274-276. New York: Anchor Books, 1993. Solomon, Maynard. Mozart: A Life, 122, 225, 230. New York: Harper Collins, 1995. Gutman, Robert W. Mozart: A Cultural Biography, 479480, 497n, 522, 731, 741n. New York: Harcourt Brace, 1999.
Mass in C major (Missa solemnis, Aulica Mass), K. 337 (1780) Duration: ca. 22 minutes Text: The text is taken from the Latin Roman Catholic eucharistic liturgy. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes, 2 bassoons, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones [alto, tenor, and bass], timpani, organ (continuo), and strings [no violas]
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
First Performance: It was probably on 13 November 1780, Salzburg Cathedral. Edition: Mass in C major is published in a critical edition in Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Neue Ausgabe sämtlicher Werke, published by Bärenreiter, series 1, work group 1, part 1, volume 4, page 193, edited by Monika Holl. Other editions available for purchase include Bärenreiter and Kalmus. Autograph: The manuscript score is in the Österreichische Nationalbibliothek in Vienna (Mus. Hs. 18975). Additional manuscript materials are in the Österreichische Nationalbibliothek in Vienna (Mus. Hs. 430), the Preussischer Staatsbibliothek in Berlin (Mus. Ms. 15071), and the Stadts-Archiv in Augsburg. Notes: This work is dated “Salzburg, March 1780.” Performance Issues: Following Salzburg tradition, the trombones double the choral alto, tenor, and bass parts, but in this piece they do so intermittently, avoiding softer passages where Mozart aligns the strings with the choral pitches. They also have a number of independent passages. The choral parts are mostly syllabic and very declamatory; however, there are some extended melismas in a fugal texture in the “Benedictus.” The tessitura of the choral sopranos is high, reflecting the original use of boy trebles. The oboe parts are quite easy. The bassoons are mostly in unison, doubling the continuo part, but there are some simple divisi. The trombone parts are sustained and will be a challenge to endurance. The violin parts are reasonably facile, but the writing is quite idiomatic, and often the firsts and seconds are in unison. There are numerous ornaments that will need to be resolved in the parts. This is a striking and very effective work that shows off a good choir to great advantage. It is less often performed than its somewhat flashier companion of the previous year, K. 317. Soloists: soprano - range: c'-g'', tessitura: f ' -f'', this is a sustained solo role with some very demanding coloratura passagework; alto range: d'-c'', tessitura: e'-b', this is a simple lyric role, appropriate for a chorister; tenor - range: g-g', tessitura: b-f', this is a lyric solo role; bass - range: G-b♭, tessitura: c-g, this is a simple declamatory solo role, appropriate for a chorister. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Mitsuko Shirai, Rosemarie Lang, Aldo Baldin, Hermann Christian Polster; Leipzig Radio Chorus and Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Herbert Kegel. Philips: 422 519-2PME9. Christiane Oelze, Barbara Hölzl, Andreas Schulist, Joachim Gebhardt; Munich Motet Choir, Munich Residenz Orchestra; conducted by Hans Rudolf Zöbeley. Calig: CAL 50872. Barbara Bonney, Elisabeth von Magnus, Uwe Heilmann, Gilles Cachemaille; Arnold Schoenberg Choir,
Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Recorded in 1992. Teldec: 4509-959932 and 4509-90494-2. Selected Bibliography: Deutsch, Otto Erich. Mozart: A Documentary Biography, translated by Eric Blom, Peter Branscombe, and Jeremy Noble; 464. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 1965. Jahn, Otto. The Life of Mozart, translated by Pauline D. Townsend [originally published in 1891], volume 2, 93. New York: Cooper Square Publishers, 1970. Keys, Ivor. Mozart: His Music in His Life, 119. New York: Holmes and Meier, 1980. Geiringer, Karl. “Church Music.” In The Mozart Companion, edited by H. C. Robbins Landon and Donald Mitchell, 2nd edition, 368. London: Oxford University Press, 1965; available as a reprint, Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1981. Anderson, Emily. The Letters of Mozart and His Family, 3rd edition, 663 n. 6, 748 n. 4, 798 n. 6, 842 n. 4. New York: W. W. Norton, 1985. MacIntyre, Bruce Campbell. The Viennese Concerted Mass of the Early Classic Period, 115, 232, 515, 711 n. 47. City University of New York, Ph.D. dissertation, 1984. Reprinted with revisions, Ann Arbor, MI: UMI Research Press, 1986. Tyson, Alan. Mozart: Studies of the Autograph Scores, 24. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1987. Marty, Jean-Pierre. The Tempo Indications of Mozart, 3, 28, 31, 70, 71, 76, 87, 102, 145, 154. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1988. The Mozart Compendium: A Guide to Mozart’s Life and Music, edited by H. C. Robbins Landon, 53, 311, 313, 320, 348. New York: Schirmer Books, 1990. Knepler, Georg. Wolfgang Amadé Mozart, translated by J. Bradford Robinson, 26. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1994. Originally published in German, Berlin: Henschel Verlag, 1991. Solomon, Maynard. Mozart: A Life, 225, 230. New York: Harper Collins, 1995.
Mass in C minor (The Great), K. 427 / 417a (1782-1783) Duration: There are three editions in current use with the following performance times: Alois Schmitt edition H. C. Robbins Landon edition Holl and Köhler edition
ca. 75 minutes ca. 60 minutes ca. 55 minutes
Text: The text is taken from the Latin Roman Catholic eucharistic liturgy. Performing Forces: The three principal editions are orchestrated as follows: Alois Schmitt edition — voices: soprano, mezzosoprano, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir;
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orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, 4 trombones, timpani, organ, and strings H. C. Robbins Landon edition — voices: 2 sopranos, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: flute, 2 oboes, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, timpani, organ, and strings Holl and Köhler edition — voices: 2 sopranos, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: flute, 2 oboes, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones (alto tenor, and bass), timpani, organ, and strings First Performance: 26 October 1783; St. Peter’s, Salzburg Edition: The Great Mass in C minor is published in a critical edition in Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Neue Ausgabe sämtlicher Werke, published by Bärenreiter, series 1, work group 1, part 1, volume 5, edited by Monika Holl and Karl-Heinz Köhler. Holl and Köhler have also edited a facsimile edition published by Bärenreiter in 1983 (ISBN: 3-7618-0622-1). Other editions available for purchase include the following: The Alois Schmitt edition is published by Breitkopf und Härtel and Kalmus. The H. C. Robbins Landon edition is published by C. F. Peters. The Holl and Köhler edition is published by Bärenreiter. Autograph: The autograph fragments were in the Staatsbibliothek in Berlin but were lost during the Second World War. Some fragments are in the Bibliothèque Nationale Fonds du Conservatoire in Paris (Ms. 241). Notes: This work was unfinished upon its premiere in 1783. The score is dated 1783, presumably in Vienna. It was composed as a thank offering for Mozart’s marriage to Costanza Weber. It is believed that she was the soprano soloist in the first performance. Portions of the music from this mass service were reused as contrafacta in Mozart’s Davidde Penitente [see above]. This is not a complete liturgical mass, without the Agnus Dei, and with the Credo containing only the Credo in unum Deum and Et incarnatus est passages. There have been several attempts to reconstruct, or complete it, to create a viable performing edition; the above-mentioned editions do so as follows: The Alois Schmitt edition (1901) includes substitutions for the absent movements from other works of Mozart; K. 139, 262, 322, 333, 337; and from a work wrongfully attributed to Mozart, K. Anh. 21, which is by Ernst Eberlin. Schmitt also constructs the Agnus Dei from musical material derived from the original Kyrie. The H. C. Robbins Landon edition (1956) reconstructs the extant movements only. The edition of Monika Holl, in collaboration with Karl-Heinz Köhler (1987) is a reconstruction of the
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
original movements. The Hosanna of this edition was completed by Hellmut Eder. The original score is presented in the Holl/Köhler edition. In the Hosanna in excelsis passage of the Sanctus and Benedictus, Mozart left a blank group of four staves, indicating his intent to compose a second choir part. Performance Issues: These performance comments are based upon the Holl/Köhler edition. The trombones, in addition to some independent passages, double the choral alto, tenor, and bass parts. The choral soprano parts are also doubled by various instruments. The choral writing is vocally demanding with broad ranges, wide melodic leaps, and challenging passagework. The orchestra of the Credo movements are not completed enough for a full concerted performance. The orchestral writing is demanding and virtuosic, requiring experienced players throughout the ensemble. The breadth of orchestration and the conception of the double chorus numbers suggests a large chorus and full complement of strings. The trombone parts are particularly rigorous and may provide some balance difficulties. The entire score is an exercise in contrapuntal virtuosity that will require careful attention in rehearsal to guarantee clarity in performance. Soloists: soprano I - range: a♭-c''', tessitura: g'-g'', this is a lyric role with some coloratura passagework including rapid figures beginning on c'''; soprano II - range: ab♭'', tessitura: f'- f'', this is a lyric and sustained role with very wide melodic leaps and some coloratura passages; tenor - range: c-g', tessitura: f-g', this is a lyric role with some florid passages; bass - range: F-e', tessitura: B-c', this is the smallest role, it contains rapid passagework, but nearly all of the part is with ensemble textures. Choir: difficult; Orchestra: difficult. Selected Discography: Margaret Marshall, Felicity Palmer, Anthony Rolfe Johnson, Gwynne Howell; Academy of St. Martin-inthe-Field Choir and Orchestra; conducted by Neville Marriner. Recorded in 1979. Philips: 420 891-2PSL. Kiri te Kanawa, Anne Sofie von Otter, Anthony Rolfe Johnson, Robert Lloyd; Academy of St. Martin-in-theField Choir and Orchestra; conducted by Neville Marriner. Recorded in 1993. Philips: 438 999-2PH. Audrey Michael, Bernarda Fink, Mark Tucker, Michel Brodard; Lausanne Vocal Ensemble, Lausanne Instrumental Ensemble; conducted by Michel Corboz. Cascavelle: VEL 1011. Barbara Schlick, Monika Frimmer, Christoph Prégardien, Klaus Mertens; Cologne Chamber Choir, Collegium Carthusianum; conducted by Peter Neumann. Recorded in 1989. Virgin Classics: VER5 61167-2. Patricia Wise, Mihoko Aoyama, Peter Baillie, Hartmut Müller; Salzburg Radio Chorus, Salzburg Mozarteum Chorus, Salzburg Camerata Academica; conducted by Ernst Hinreiner. Schwann Koch: 316182.
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Sylvia McNair, Diana Montague, Anthony Rolfe-Johnson, Cornelius Hauptmann; Monteverdi Choir, English Baroque Soloists; conducted by John Eliot Gardiner [Schmitt/Gardiner edition]. Philips: 422 519-2PME9. Barbara Bonney, Anne Sophie von Otter, Anthony Rolfe-Johnson, Alastair Miles; Monteverdi Choir, English Baroque Soloists; conducted by John Eliot Gardiner [Schmitt/Gardiner edition]. Recorded love in 1991. Video Cassette. Philips: 070 150-3PHE. Arlene Augér, Fredericka von Stade, Frank Lopardo, Cornelius Hauptmann; Bavarian Radio Chorus, Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Leonard Bernstein. Deutsche Grammophon: Recorded live. 431 791-2GH. Christiane Oelze, Jennifer Larmore, Scot Weir, Peter Kooy; Collegium Vocale, Chapelle Royale Choir, Champs Elysées Orchestra; conducted by Philippe Herreweghe. Harmonia Mundi: HMC90 1393. Christiane Oelze, Ibolya Verebics, Scot Weir, Oliver Widmer; Gächinger Kantorei Stuttgart, BachCollegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling [edition completed by Eder]. Hänssler: 98 979. Arlene Augér, Lynne Dawson, John Mark Ainsley, David Thomas; Westminster Cathedral Boys’ Choir, Academy of Ancient Music Choir, Academy of Ancient Music; conducted by Christopher Hogwood [edited by Richard Maunder]. L’Oiseau-Lyre: 425 5282OH. Edith Wiens, Felicity Lott, Laurence Dale, Robert Lloyd; London Philharmonic Chorus and Orchestra; conducted by Franz Welser-Möst [edited by H. C. Robbins Landon]. Recorded in 1987. EMI Eminence: TC-EMX2120. Selected Bibliography: Lewicki, Edward. “Über Mozarts grosse c-Moll-Messe und die Endgestaltung ihrer Ergänzung.” Mozart Jahrbuch, i (1923): 69. Deutsch, Otto Erich. Mozart: A Documentary Biography, translated by Eric Blom, Peter Branscombe, and Jeremy Noble; 219, 240, 307, 464. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 1965. Jahn, Otto. The Life of Mozart, translated by Pauline D. Townsend [originally published in 1891], volume 2, 315, 395. New York: Cooper Square Publishers, 1970. Keys, Ivor. Mozart: His Music in His Life, 30, 146, 149, 157-158, 174. New York: Holmes and Meier, 1980. Geiringer, Karl. “Church Music.” In The Mozart Companion, edited by H. C. Robbins Landon and Donald Mitchell, 2nd edition, 371. London: Oxford University Press, 1965; available as a reprint, Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1981. Anderson, Emily. The Letters of Mozart and His Family, 3rd edition, 834 n. 1. New York: W. W. Norton, 1985. 372 Contemporary editions provide alternate parts for clarinet.
MacIntyre, Bruce Campbell. The Viennese Concerted Mass of the Early Classic Period, 5, 112, 219, 322, 325, 346. City University of New York, Ph.D. dissertation, 1984. Reprinted with revisions, Ann Arbor, MI: UMI Research Press, 1986. Tyson, Alan. Mozart: Studies of the Autograph Scores, 26, 78, 84, 96, 99, 101, 102, 227, 277, 340 n. 9, 344 n. 3. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1987. Marty, Jean-Pierre. The Tempo Indications of Mozart, 1, 3, 26, 63, 70, 71, 75, 81, 107, 112, 134, 141, 149, 156, 236. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1988. The Mozart Compendium: A Guide to Mozart’s Life and Music, edited by H. C. Robbins Landon, 140, 173, 178, 216, 310, 312, 314, 415, 321, 322, 340, 349. New York: Schirmer Books, 1990. Pahlen, Kurt. The World of the Oratorio, translated by Judith Schaefer with additional English-language material by Thurston Dox, 243-245. Portland, OR: Amadeus Press, 1990. Eisen, Cliff. New Mozart Documents: A Supplement to O. E. Deutsch’s Documentary Biography, 60. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 1991. Knepler, Georg. Wolfgang Amadé Mozart, translated by J. Bradford Robinson, 25. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1994. Originally published in German, Berlin: Henschel Verlag, 1991. Berger, Melvin. Guide to Choral Masterpieces: A Listener’s Guide, 225-226. New York: Anchor Books, 1993. Solomon, Maynard. Mozart: A Life, 122, 269-272, 296297, 531 n. 6. New York: Harper Collins, 1995.
Requiem, K. 626 (1791) Duration: Franz Süssmayr edition Franz Beyer edition Richard Maunder edition
ca. 55 minutes ca. 55 minutes ca. 44 minutes
Text: The text is taken from the Latin Roman Catholic Mass for the Dead. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 bassett horns in F, 372 2 bassoons, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones [alto, tenor, and bass], timpani, organ (continuo), and strings First Performance: Mozart’s fragmentary score is believed to have been sung in the context of a Requiem Mass for him on 10 December 1791 in St. Michael’s Church in Vienna.373 The Süssmayr version was first performed as a benefit concert for Mozart’s widow and children, organized by Baron Gottfried von Swieten, on 2 January 1793 in the Jahn-Sall in Vienna. It was subsequently performed as a work of Count
373 Christoph Wolff, Mozart’s Requiem: Historical and Analytical Studies, Documents, and Score, translated by Mary Whittall, 4 (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1994).
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Walsegg (see “Notes” below) on 14 February 1793 in the Neuklosterkirche in Wiener Neustadt. Edition: Requiem is published in a critical edition in Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Neue Ausgabe sämtlicher Werke, published by Bärenreiter, series 1, work group 1, volumes 1 and 2, edited by Leopold Nowak. This edition includes three scores: Mozart’s fragmented original and the versions of Eybler and Süssmayr. A facsimile of the autograph sketches was published in Vienna by Gesellschaft für Graphische Industrie in 1913. Other editions available for purchase include the following: The Franz Süssmayr edition is published by Bärenreiter, Breitkopf und Härtel, Dover, C. F. Peters, and Kalmus. The Franz Beyer edition is published by Eulenburg and Kunzelmann. There are some differences between these two publications. The Richard Maunder edition is published by Oxford University Press. Autograph: The autograph fragments are in the Österreichische Nationalbibliothek in Vienna (Mus. Hs. 17561). Notes: This work was commissioned by “The Grey Messenger,” an emissary of Franz Walsegg-Stuppach (1763-1827). Walsegg was in the habit of “buying” new works and passing them off as his own. His intention was to use this Requiem Mass as a memorial for his wife who had died 14 February 1791. Although Mozart died before completing the Requiem, he had discussed its completion with his friend and student, Franz Xavier Süssmayr (1766-1803). Upon Mozart’s death, his widow, Costanze, wished to have the work completed so that she could collect the remaining payment of Walsegg’s commission. She initially assigned the task to another of her husband’s friends, Joseph Leopold Eybler (1765-1846). Eybler was unable to complete this assignment, which was then turned over to Süssmayr. Süssmayr’s version was performed on the second anniversary of the Countess Walsegg’s death. For a complete account of the provenance of the composition, see either Christoph Wolff’s or Richard Maunder’s text list in the “Selected Bibliography” below. The “Kyrie” is a double fugue, for which the first theme is the same as that of the chorus “And with his stripes we are healed” from Handel’s Messiah, which Mozart had reorchestrated in 1789. Mozart’s last addition to the score ended with measure 8 of the “Lachrimosa,” which Süssmayr indicates by following with a subito piano in measure 9. Performance Issues: The speckled history of this work has led to a variety of editions and completions. The performance information is based upon the Süssmayr score, since it is the most widely available and most frequently used. The Breitkopf und Härtel score
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
(reprinted by Dover) indicates, which portions are Mozart’s and which are Süssmayr’s. One musical issue that has fostered subsequent editions is that Mozart completed the “Introitus and Kyrie” with very dense, for him, orchestration. Süssmayr’s orchestration continues in like fashion throughout the entire score. The choral writing combines homophonic writing with rich contrapuntal textures. There are some extended melismatic passages for the choir. The alto, tenor, and bass choral parts are doubled, colla parte, by the trombones in much of the score. The choral soprano part is also well reinforced by the orchestra. The wind writing is sustained and presents few technical challenges. The generally low tessitura of the orchestra can lead some harmonies to become unclear. The trombone parts are fairly challenging and may provide some balance difficulties with the choir. The string writing is very idiomatic, but it includes some rapid passagework, precise articulations, and rhythmic intricacies that require secure players. This work can be successfully performed with a small ensemble; however, the dramatic spectrum of the score may be best served with a full complement of strings and a sizable choir. Likewise, this work is often performed credibly by younger choirs. This is one of the few choral works composed by Mozart in the last decade of his life. It reflects a life in the opera theater and a technique recently informed in baroque counterpoint through a series of commissions to expand the orchestration of a number of Handel’s choral works. It therefore requires a broader variety of timbres, dramatic gestures, and articulations than in his earlier works. Soloists: soprano - range: e♭'-a'', tessitura: g'-f'', this is a lyric solo with some exposed sustained figures; alto - range: a-d'', tessitura: d'-b♭', this is a lyric and sustained solo role; tenor - range: f-a♭', tessitura: a-f', this is a lyric and sustained solo role; bass - range: F-e♭', tessitura: A-c', this is a sustained and stentorian solo role requiring a clear low F. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult.
Selected Discography: This listing includes editions prepared for specific recording projects as well as those more readily available for general performance. Franz Süssmayr edition Barbara Bonney, Anne Sofie von Otter, Hans-Peter Blochwitz, Willard White; Monteverdi Choir, English Baroque Soloists; conducted by John Eliot Gardiner. Philips: 420 197-2PH. Barbara Bonney, Anne Sophie von Otter, Anthony Rolfe-Johnson, Alastair Miles; Monteverdi Choir, English Baroque Soloists; conducted by John Eliot
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Gardiner. Recorded love in 1991. Video Cassette. Philips: 070 150-3PHE. Jane Bryden, Mary Westerbrook-Geha, William Hite, William Bastian, William Sharp, Stephen Richardson; Boston Early Music Festival Chorus and Orchestra; conducted by Andrew Parrott. Denon: CO-77152. Yvonne Kenny, Sarah Walker, William Kendall, David Wilson-Johnson; St. John’s College Choir, English Chamber Orchestra; conducted by George Guest. Chandos: CHAN8574. Sheila Armstrong, Janet Baker, Nicolai Gedda, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau; John Alldis Choir, English Chamber Orchestra; conducted by Daniel Barenboim. EMI: CZS7 62892-2. Wilma Lipp, Hilda Rössl-Majdan, Anton Dermota, Walter Berry; Vienna Singverein, Berlin Philharmonic; conducted by Herbert von Karajan. Recorded in 1961. Deutsche Grammophon: 439 412-2GCL. Elisabeth Grümmer, Gertrude Pitzinger, Helmut Krebs, Hans Hotter; Berlin St. Hedwig’s Cathedral Choir, Berlin RIAS Choir and Orchestra; conducted by Ferenc Fricsay. Recorded in 1951. Deutsche Grammophon: 445 400-2GDO. Franz Beyer edition Marie McLaughlin, Maria Ewing, Jerry Hadley, Cornelius Hauptmann; Bavarian Radio Chorus, Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Leonard Bernstein. Recorded live in 1988. Deutsche Grammophon: 427 353-2 GH. Also available on video cassette: 072 143-3GH. Catherine Dubosc, Ewa Podles, Guy de Mey, Michel Brodard; Lausanne Vocal Ensemble, Lausanne Instrumental Ensemble; conducted by Michel Corboz. Cascavelle: VEL 1012. Ilena Cotrubas, Helen Watts, Robert Tear, John ShirleyQuirk; Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Field Choir and Orchestra; conducted by Neville Marriner. Decca: 4443 009-2DF2. Arlene Augér, Delores Ziegler, Jerry Hadley, Tom Krause; Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Robert Shaw. Recorded in 1986. Telarc: CD80128. Rachel Yakar, Ortrun Wenkel, Kurt Equiluz, Robert Holl; Vienna State Opera Chorus, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 2292-42911-2. Richard Maunder edition Emma Kirkby, Carolyn Watkinson, Anthony Rolfe Johnson, David Thomas; Westminster Cathedral Boys’ Choir, Academy of Ancient Music Choir, Academy of Ancient Music; conducted by Christopher Hogwood. L’Oiseau-Lyre: 411712-2OH. Levin Edition Christiane Oelze, Ingeborg Danz, Scot Weir, Andreas Schmidt; Gächinger Kantorei Stuttgart, BachCollegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Hänssler: 98 979. Druce Edition
Nancy Argenta, Catherine Robbin, John Mark Ainsley, Alastair Miles; London Schütz Choir, Schütz Consort, English Chamber Players; conducted by Roger Norrington. EMI: CDC7 54525-2. Robbins Landon Edition Gundula Janowitz, Julia Bernheimer, Martyn Hill, David Thomas; Hanover Band Choir, Hanover Band; conducted by Roy Goodman. Nimbus: NI5421. Selected Bibliography: Upton, George. The Standard Oratorios, 236-244. Chicago: A. C. Mc-Clurg and Company, 1893. Deutsch, Otto Erich. Mozart: A Documentary Biography, translated by Eric Blom, Peter Branscombe, and Jeremy Noble; 312, 415, 425-427, 430, 432, 439, 467, 468, 481, 488, 494-496, 500, 501, 509-512, 515, 525, 536, 537, 551-555. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 1965. Robertson, Alec. Requiem: Music of Mourning and Consolation, 64-74. New York: Frederick A. Praeger, 1967. Jahn, Otto. The Life of Mozart, translated by Pauline D. Townsend [originally published in 1891], volume 3, 361. New York: Cooper Square Publishers, 1970. Keys, Ivor. Mozart: His Music in His Life, 26, 28, 56, 62, 166, 221, 230-232. New York: Holmes and Meier, 1980. Geiringer, Karl. “Church Music.” In The Mozart Companion, edited by H. C. Robbins Landon and Donald Mitchell, 2nd edition, 361, 372. London: Oxford University Press, 1965; available as a reprint, Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1981. Anderson, Emily. The Letters of Mozart and His Family, 3rd edition, 929 n. 2, 976-977. New York: W. W. Norton, 1985. Tyson, Alan. Mozart: Studies of the Autograph Scores, 11, 17, 26, 35, 252-253, 261, 340 n. 9. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1987. Marty, Jean-Pierre. The Tempo Indications of Mozart, xi, 4, 14, 26, 27, 28, 32, 45, 67, 69, 72, 111, 112, 119, 165, 204, 205, 206. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1988. Maunder, Richard. Mozart’s Requiem: On Preparing a New Edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988. Pahlen, Kurt. The World of the Oratorio, translated by Judith Schaefer with additional English-language material by Thurston Dox, 246-252. Portland, OR: Amadeus Press, 1990. Eisen, Cliff. New Mozart Documents: A Supplement to O. E. Deutsch’s Documentary Biography, 119. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 1991. Knepler, Georg. Wolfgang Amadé Mozart, translated by J. Bradford Robinson, 58, 65, 80, 140, 153, 306. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1994. Originally published in German, Berlin: Henschel Verlag, 1991. Berger, Melvin. Guide to Choral Masterpieces: A Listener’s Guide, 228-230. New York: Anchor Books, 1993.
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Wolff, Christoph. Mozart’s Requiem: Historical and Analytical Studies, Documents, and Score, translated by Mary Whittall. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1994. Landon, H. C. Robbins. The Mozart Essays, 191-205. New York: Thames and Hudson, 1995. Solomon, Maynard. Mozart: A Life, xv, 269, 475, 476, 481, 483, 485, 489-491, 493, 498, 499, 501, 502, 503, 523, 524, 586 nn. 5-8, 587 nn. 31 and 33, 592 n. 29. New York: Harper Collins, 1995. Gutman, Robert W. Mozart: A Cultural Biography, 30, 57, 77n, 627n, 651n, 717, 728, 733, 743, 746-755. New York: Harcourt Brace, 1999.
Mozart Litanies Litaniae laurentanae in B♭ major, K. 109 / 74e (1771) Duration: ca. 10 minutes Text: The texts are from a Roman Catholic Litany Service. See “Notes” below for a listing of the specific texts Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 3 trombones [alto, tenor, and bass], 374 organ (continuo), and strings [no violas] First Performance: The premiere data are unknown, but it is likely to have been Salzburg in 1771. Edition: Litaniae laurentanae in B♭ major is published in a critical edition in Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Neue Ausgabe sämtlicher Werke, published by Bärenreiter, series 1, work group 2, volume 1, page 3, edited by Hellmut Federhofer and Renate Federhofer Königs. Other editions available for purchase include Kalmus. Autograph: The composer’s autograph full score is in the Deutschen Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Additional manuscript materials are in the Preussischer Staatsbibliothek in Berlin (Mus. Ms. 15095). Notes: This work was completed in May 1771 in Salzburg. It is also known as the Litaniae de beata virgine. Performance Issues: The choral alto, tenor, and bass parts are double, colla parte, by the trombones. The choral soprano part is also well reinforced by the violins in many passages. The choral writing is declamatory and primarily homophonic. The more imitative vocal passages are assigned to the solo quartet. The choral parts are not very vocally demanding. The trombone parts are less difficult than in many of the other colla parte assignments among Mozart’s choral oeuvre. The violin parts are quite intricately 374 The trombones appear in the NMA edition, reflecting the Salzburg tradition of Mozart’s time; however, not every edition includes the trombones.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
ornamented in the “Kyrie” movement but become less technically challenging in the ensuing movements. Soloists soprano - range: e'-g'', tessitura: f' -f '', this is a lyric solo role; alto - range: b♭-c'', tessitura: d'-b', this is a lyric solo role; tenor - range: g-f', tessitura: g-e', this is a lyric solo role; bass - range: B♭-d', tessitura: c-c', this is a declamatory solo role. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Mitsuko Shirai, Heidi Riess, Eberhard Büchner, Hermann Christian Polster; Leipzig Radio Chorus and Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Herbert Kegel. Philips: 422 520-2PME5. Eva Mei, Elisabeth von Magnus, Kurt Azesberger, Deon van der Walt, Gilles Cachemaille; Arnold Schoenberg Choir, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Recorded in 1990. Teldec: 450996147-2. Ursula Buckel, Maureen Lehane, Richard van Vrooman, Eduard Wollitz; Tolz Boys’ Choir, Collegium Aureum; conducted by Rolf Reinhardt. Deutsche Harmonia Mundi: VD77580. Selected Bibliography: Rosenthal, K. A. “Mozart’s Sacramental Litanies and Their Forerunners.” Musical Quarterly, xvii (1941): 433. Federhofer-Königs, Renate. “Mozarts Lauretanische Litaneien KV 109 (74e) und 195 (186d).” MozartJahrbuch (1967): 111-120. Jahn, Otto. The Life of Mozart, translated by Pauline D. Townsend [originally published in 1891], volume 1: 134, 269. New York: Cooper Square Publishers, 1970. Keys, Ivor. Mozart: His Music in His Life, 68, 72. New York: Holmes and Meier, 1980. Geiringer, Karl. “Church Music.” In The Mozart Companion, edited by H. C. Robbins Landon and Donald Mitchell, 2nd edition, 364. London: Oxford University Press, 1965; available as a reprint, Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1981. Marty, Jean-Pierre. The Tempo Indications of Mozart, 5, 30, 68, 70, 81, 153. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1988. The Mozart Compendium: A Guide to Mozart’s Life and Music, edited by H. C. Robbins Landon, 178, 207, 317, 320. New York: Schirmer Books, 1990. Knepler, Georg. Wolfgang Amadé Mozart, translated by J. Bradford Robinson, 74. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1994. Originally published in German, Berlin: Henschel Verlag, 1991. Solomon, Maynard. Mozart: A Life, 82. New York: Harper Collins, 1995.
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Gutman, Robert W. Mozart: A Cultural Biography, 291. New York: Harcourt Brace, 1999.
Litaniae de venerabili altaris sacramento in B♭ major, K. 125 (1772) Duration: ca. 42 minutes Text: The texts are from a Roman Catholic Litany Service. See “Notes” below for a listing of the specific texts. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones [alto, tenor, and bass],375 organ (continuo), and strings First Performance: The exact premiere data are unknown; however, it is reasonable to assume 1772 in Salzburg. Edition: Litaniae de venerabili altaris sacramento in B♭ major is published in a critical edition in Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Neue Ausgabe sämtlicher Werke, published by Bärenreiter, series 1, work group 2, volume 1, page 23, edited by Hellmut Federhofer and Renate Federhofer Königs. Other editions available for purchase include Bärenreiter, H. W. Gray, and Kalmus. Autograph: The composer’s manuscript of the full score is in the Preussischen Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Additional original performance materials are in the Domchorarchiv in Salzburg. Notes: This work was completed in March 1772 in Salzburg. There is an autograph of a nine-measure setting of the “Viaticum” that Mozart discarded from this composition. The “Pignus” section was also abbreviated for a subsequent performance. Performance Issues: The choral writing is generally declamatory, but there are some extended imitative sections. The choral alto, tenor, and bass parts are doubled by the trombones throughout the work, and the choral soprano part is often supported by the violins or winds. The choral parts are vocally demanding, especially the sopranos. The flute and oboe parts are quite accessible to intermediate-level players. The horn and trumpet parts have some very sustained passages. There are extended sections of rapid passagework for the violins, requiring experienced players. The orchestration, particularly the breadth of brass throughout the mass, makes this an ideal work for a larger choir and a full string section. There are many ornamental figures that should be resolved in the parts before distribution. Soloists: soprano - range: c'-a'', tessitura: g'-g'', this is a 375 The trombones appear in the NMA edition, reflecting the Salzburg tradition of Mozart’s time; however, not every edition includes the trombones.
lyric solo with some very florid coloratura; alto range: c'-d'', tessitura: d'-c'', this is a lyric role appropriate for a chorister; tenor - range: e♭-a♭', tessitura: f f' , this is a lyric and sustained solo with some intricate passagework; bass - range: B♭-d', tessitura: c-c', this is a lyric role with some florid melismatic passages. Choir: medium difficult. Orchestra: difficult. Selected Discography: Mitsuko Shirai, Heidi Riess, Eberhard Büchner, Hermann Christian Polster; Leipzig Radio Chorus and Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Herbert Kegel. Philips: 422 520-2PME5. Barbara Bonney, Elisabeth von Magnus, Uwe Heilmann, Gilles Cachemaille; Arnold Schoenberg Choir, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Recorded in 1992. Teldec: 4509-95993-2. Selected Bibliography: Rosenthal, K. A. “Mozart’s Sacramental Litanies and Their Forerunners.” Musical Quarterly, xvii (1941): 433. Deutsch, Otto Erich. Mozart: A Documentary Biography, translated by Eric Blom, Peter Branscombe, and Jeremy Noble; 150, 441. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 1965. Jahn, Otto. The Life of Mozart, translated by Pauline D. Townsend [originally published in 1891], volume 1, 139, 271. New York: Cooper Square Publishers, 1970. Keys, Ivor. Mozart: His Music in His Life, 79, 89. New York: Holmes and Meier, 1980. Geiringer, Karl. “Church Music.” In The Mozart Companion, edited by H. C. Robbins Landon and Donald Mitchell, 2nd edition, 364, 365. London: Oxford University Press, 1965; available as a reprint, Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1981. Anderson, Emily. The Letters of Mozart and His Family, 3rd edition, 250 n. 1, 253 n. 1, 555 n. 3. New York: W. W. Norton, 1985. Tyson, Alan. Mozart: Studies of the Autograph Scores, 11, 100, 224. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1987. Marty, Jean-Pierre. The Tempo Indications of Mozart, 2, 5, 7, 30, 68, 71, 102. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1988. The Mozart Compendium: A Guide to Mozart’s Life and Music, edited by H. C. Robbins Landon, 86, 317, 320, 337, 349. New York: Schirmer Books, 1990. Gutman, Robert W. Mozart: A Cultural Biography, 282n, 343, 750. New York: Harcourt Brace, 1999. Solomon, Maynard. Mozart: A Life, 82, 109, 592 n. 29. New York: Harper Collins, 1995.
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Litaniae laurentanae in D major, K. 195 / 186d (1774) Duration: ca. 28 minutes Text: The texts are from a Roman Catholic Litany Service. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes, 2 horns, 3 trombones [alto, tenor, and bass],376 organ (continuo), and strings First Performance: The premiere data are unknown, but it is likely to have been Salzburg in 1774. Edition: Litaniae laurentanae in D major is published in a critical edition in Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Neue Ausgabe sämtlicher Werke, published by Bärenreiter, series 1, work group 2, volume 1, page 135, edited by Hellmut Federhofer and Renate Federhofer Königs. Other editions available for purchase include Breitkopf und Härtel and Kalmus. Autograph: The composer’s autograph full score is in the Deutschen Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Additional manuscript materials are in the Preussischer Staatsbibliothek in Berlin (Mus. Ms 15094). Notes: This work was completed in 1774 in Salzburg. Performance Issues: The choral alto, tenor, and bass are doubled, colla parte, by the trombones. Much of the choral soprano part is doubled by the violins. There are many ornaments that should be realized in the parts before distribution. The choral writing is a mixture of homophonic and imitative passages. The choral parts are vocally challenging although not because of range. There are melismatic figures that will require specific attention to guarantee rhythmic clarity, which will, likewise, affect the trombones. The horn and oboe parts are conservatively written. The string writing is rhythmic and varied. A full complement of strings is recommended, given the solidity of the brass and wind parts. All players must be capable of frequent, dramatic dynamic changes. Soloists: soprano - range: ab'', tessitura: f' -g'', this is a difficult solo role with florid coloratura passages, exposed at both extremes of the range; alto - range: g-d'', tessitura: d'-b', this is a lyric solo role with some florid passages; tenor - range: B-a', tessitura: e-g', this is a lyric solo role with rapid coloratura; bass - range: D-d', tessitura: G-g, this is a solo role requiring a real bass with clear articulation. Choir: difficult; Orchestra: difficult. Selected Discography: Rosmarie Hofmann, Edith Wiens, Ruth Binder, Jan Thompson, Stephen Kramp; Lugano Radio and 376 The trombones appear in the NMA edition, reflecting the Salzburg tradition of Mozart’s time; however, not every edition includes the trombones.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Television Chorus and Orchestra; conducted by Edwin Loehrer. Accord: 20101-2. Ilena Cotrubas, Helen Watts, Robert Tear, John ShirleyQuirk; Oxford Schola Cantorum, Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Field; conducted by Neville Marriner. Decca: 417 472-2DM. Renata Frank-Reinecke, Annelies Burmeister, Eberhard Büchner, Hermann Christian Polster; Leipzig Radio Chorus and Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Herbert Kegel. Philips: 422 520-2PME5. Selected Bibliography: Rosenthal, K. A. “Mozart’s Sacramental Litanies and Their Forerunners.” Musical Quarterly, xvii (1941): 433. Federhofer-Königs, Renate. “Mozarts Lauretanische Litaneien KV 109 (74e) und 195 (186d).” MozartJahrbuch (1967): 111-120. Jahn, Otto. The Life of Mozart, translated by Pauline D. Townsend [originally published in 1891], volume 1, 147, 269. New York: Cooper Square Publishers, 1970. Keys, Ivor. Mozart: His Music in His Life, 88. New York: Holmes and Meier, 1980. Marty, Jean-Pierre. The Tempo Indications of Mozart, 2, 6, 31, 68, 76, 151. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1988. The Mozart Compendium: A Guide to Mozart’s Life and Music, edited by H. C. Robbins Landon, 317, 320. New York: Schirmer Books, 1990. Gutman, Robert W. Mozart: A Cultural Biography, 331. New York: Harcourt Brace, 1999.
Litaniae de venerabili altaris sacramento in E♭ major, K. 243 (1776) Duration: ca. 34 minutes Text: The texts are from a Roman Catholic Litany Service. See “Notes” below for a listing of the specific texts. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 3 trombones [alto, tenor, and bass], organ (continuo), and strings First Performance: The exact premiere information is unknown. It was likely first performed in Salzburg in 1776. Edition: Litaniae de venerabili altaris sacramento in E♭ major is published in a critical edition in Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Neue Ausgabe sämtlicher Werke, published by Bärenreiter, series 1, work group 2, volume 1, page 251, edited by Hellmut Federhofer and Renate Federhofer Königs. Other editions available
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
for purchase include Breitkopf und Härtel and Kalmus. Autograph: The composer’s manuscript of the full score is in the Preussischen Staatsbibliothek in Berlin along with additional manuscript materials (Mus. Ms 15097). Other manuscript materials are in the Österreichische Nationalbibliothek in Vienna (Mus. Hs. 17327). Notes: This work is dated “Salzburg, March of 1776.” Some sources suggest that the Kyrie was composed in late 1774 or early 1775. Performance Issues: The choral alto, tenor, and bass parts are double, colla parte, by the trombones. Much of the choral soprano part is present in the violins. The texture of the choral writing is primarily contrapuntal with paired doubling, pervasic imitation, and free counterpoint appearing throughout the work. The bassoons appear only in movements 5, 6, and 7. Both flutes appear only in movement 6, which does not use oboes. Movement 9 begins with a duet for solo flute and solo oboe. This section is the most challenging for the winds. The horn has some sustained passages but is not particularly difficult. The trombone parts are contrapuntally complex and feature some fairly high passages. The orchestration suggests the use of a full complement of strings. If a reduced string section is used, it must be noted that there are some divisi for the violas. There are some technically involved passages for the violins. This is an elegant work that prominently features the soprano soloist in a variety of styles. The work should only be programmed if a suitable soloist is available. Soloists: soprano - range: ab♭'', tessitura: g'-f'', this is a lyric solo with some very sustained passages [especially movement 7] and some intricate coloratura; alto - range: g-c'', tessitura: b-g', this is a fairly simple lyric solo; tenor - range: d-a', tessitura: f-f ', this is a florid solo with extended coloratura passages; bass - range: G-a, tessitura: G-a, this is a simple solo appropriate for a chorister. Choir: difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult.
Margaret Marshall, Margaret Cable, Wynford Evans, Stephen Roberts; St. John’s College Choir, Wrenn Orchestra; conducted by George Guest. Decca: 430 1582DM. Selected Bibliography: Rosenthal, K. A. “Mozart’s Sacramental Litanies and Their Forerunners.” Musical Quarterly, xvii (1941): 433. Deutsch, Otto Erich. Mozart: A Documentary Biography, translated by Eric Blom, Peter Branscombe, and Jeremy Noble; 156, 175, 185, 214, 441. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 1965. Jahn, Otto. The Life of Mozart, translated by Pauline D. Townsend [originally published in 1891], volume 1, 153, 273. New York: Cooper Square Publishers, 1970. Keys, Ivor. Mozart: His Music in His Life, 94. New York: Holmes and Meier, 1980. Geiringer, Karl. “Church Music.” In The Mozart Companion, edited by H. C. Robbins Landon and Donald Mitchell, 2nd edition, 369. London: Oxford University Press, 1965; available as a reprint, Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1981. Anderson, Emily. The Letters of Mozart and His Family, 3rd edition, 266 n. 3, 379 n. 1, 526 n. 1, 555 n. 3. New York: W. W. Norton, 1985. Tyson, Alan. Mozart: Studies of the Autograph Scores, 19-20, 24. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1987. Marty, Jean-Pierre. The Tempo Indications of Mozart, 1, 2, 19, 33, 40, 55, 63, 75, 81, 139, 149. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1988. The Mozart Compendium: A Guide to Mozart’s Life and Music, edited by H. C. Robbins Landon, 317, 320. New York: Schirmer Books, 1990. Solomon, Maynard. Mozart: A Life, 103, 225, 531 n. 6, 592 n. 29. New York: Harper Collins, 1995. Gutman, Robert W. Mozart: A Cultural Biography, 750. New York: Harcourt Brace, 1999.
Mozart Vespers Selected Discography:
Vesperae de dominica, K. 321 (1779)
Angela Maria Blasi, Elisabeth von Magnus, Deon van der Walt, Herbert Lippert, Alastair Miles; Arnold Schoenberg Choir, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Recorded in 1991. Teldec: 4509-95993-2. Renata Frank-Reinecke, Annelies Burmeister, Eberhard Büchner, Hermann Christian Polster; Leipzig Radio Chorus and Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Herbert Kegel. Philips: 422 520-2PME5. Rosmarie Hofmann, Edith Wiens, Ruth Binder, Jan Thompson, Stephen Kramp; Lugano Radio and Television Chorus and Orchestra; conducted by Edwin Loehrer. Accord: 20101-2.
Duration: ca. 35 minutes Text: This service is a setting of six texts from the Roman Catholic rite of Vespers, comprised of the following: Dixit Dominus: Psalm 110, Confitebor tibi Domine: Psalm 118, Beatus vir: Psalm 112, Laudaute pueri: Psalm 113, Laudaute Dominum: Psalm 148, Magnificat: Luke 1:46-55. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: bassoon (continuo), 2 trumpets, 3 trombones [alto, tenor, and bass], timpani, organ, and strings [no violas]
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First Performance: 1779; Salzburg Cathedral. The soprano soloist was Maria Magdalena Lipp, wife of Michael Haydn. Edition: Vesperae de dominica is published in a critical edition in Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Neue Ausgabe sämtlicher Werke, published by Bärenreiter, series 1, work group 2, volume 2, page 33, edited by Karl Gustav Fellerer and Felix Schroeder. Other editions available for purchase include Bärenreiter, Breitkopf, and Kalmus. Autograph: A manuscript score is in Bibliothèque Nationale Fonds du Conservatoire in Paris (cat. 187, nr. 1893). The original performance materials are preserved in the Archives of the Salzburg Cathedral. Additional manuscript materials are in the Preussischen Staatsbibliothek in Berlin (Mus. Ms. 15098), and the Österreichische Nationalbibliothek in Vienna (Mus. Hs. 14587). Notes: This work was composed in Salzburg in 1779. Compare with Vesperae solennes de confessor, K. 339 [below]. Performance Issues: The choral alto, tenor, and bass parts are doubled throughout the work by the trombones. The choral writing combines direct imitation, homophonic passages, and free counterpoint. The tessitura of the choral soprano part is somewhat high. This part is also not as clearly reinforced by the accompaniment than the other choral lines. The choir must be capable of rapid text declamation. This doubling must be seen as a source of reinforcement and safety and not an excuse for musical dependence. The choir and orchestra need to be particularly attentive to rhythmic precision in this contrapuntally varied work. The orchestral parts all require experienced players. The brass parts are high and exposed. The trombones must execute some challenging coloratura passages. The violin parts are rhythmically complex, often alternating between unison passages and parallel thirds, sixths, or octaves in rapid passagework. The organ part serves as continuo in most movements. It is written out in movement 5, but is a fairly easy, manuals-only part. Soloists: soprano - range: e'-a'', tessitura: g'-g'', this is a lyric and sustained solo role with some challenging melismatic passages in movement 5; alto - range: b♭c'', tessitura: c'-a', this is a lyric and declamatory role; tenor - range: c-g', tessitura: f-f ', this is a lyric role; bass - range: G-c', tessitura: c-c', this is a lyric role with some declamatory passages. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: difficult. Selected Discography: Barbara Bonney, Elisabeth von Magnus, Uwe Heilmann, Gilles Cachemaille; Arnold Schoenberg Choir, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 2292-46469-2.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Carolyn Dill Smith, Marianna Busching, Gene Tucker, Peter Fay; St. Thomas More Cathedral Choir and Orchestra; conducted by Haig Mardirosian. Centaur: CRC 2074. Mitsuko Shirai, Heidi Riess, Eberhard Büchner, Hermann Christian Polster; Leipzig Radio Chorus and Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Herbert Kegel. Philips: 422 520-2PME5. Lynne Dawson, David James, Rogers Covey-Crump, Paul Hillier; King’s College Choir, Cambridge Classical Players; conducted by Stephen Cleobury. EMI: CDC7 49672-2. Margaret Marshall, Margaret Cable, Wynford Evans, Stephen Roberts; St, John’s College Choir, Wrenn Orchestra; conducted by George Guest. Decca: 430 1622DM. Selected Bibliography: Jahn, Otto. The Life of Mozart, translated by Pauline D. Townsend [originally published in 1891], volume 2, 94, 97. New York: Cooper Square Publishers, 1970. Keys, Ivor. Mozart: His Music in His Life, 119-120. New York: Holmes and Meier, 1980. Geiringer, Karl. “Church Music.” In The Mozart Companion, edited by H. C. Robbins Landon and Donald Mitchell, 2nd edition, 369. London: Oxford University Press, 1965; available as a reprint, Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1981. Anderson, Emily. The Letters of Mozart and His Family, 3rd edition, 842 n. 5. New York: W. W. Norton, 1985. Tyson, Alan. Mozart: Studies of the Autograph Scores, 24. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1987. Marty, Jean-Pierre. The Tempo Indications of Mozart, 4, 69, 71, 75, 100, 110, 203. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1988. The Mozart Compendium: A Guide to Mozart’s Life and Music, edited by H. C. Robbins Landon, 214, 316, 320, 349. New York: Schirmer Books, 1990. Solomon, Maynard. Mozart: A Life, 225. New York: Harper Collins, 1995. Gutman, Robert W. Mozart: A Cultural Biography, 479, 497n. New York: Harcourt Brace, 1999.
Vesperae solennes de confessore, K. 339 (1780) Duration: ca. 26 minutes Text: This service is a setting of six texts from the Roman Catholic rite of Vespers, comprised of the following: Dixit Dominus: Psalm 110, Confitebor tibi Domine: Psalm 118, Beatus vir: Psalm 112, Laudaute pueri: Psalm 113, Laudaute Dominum: Psalm 148, Magnificat: Luke 1:46-55. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: bassoon, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones [alto, tenor, and bass], timpani, organ (continuo), and strings [no violas]
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
First Performance: Salzburg Cathedral. The soprano soloist was Maria Magdalena Lipp, wife of Michael Haydn. Edition: Vesperae solennes de confessore is published in a critical edition in Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Neue Ausgabe sämtlicher Werke, published by Bärenreiter, series 1, work group 2, volume 2, page 101, edited by Karl Gustav Fellerer and Felix Schroeder. Other editions available for purchase include Bärenreiter, Breitkopf, and Kalmus. Autograph: The original manuscript was lost in the war. Current editions are based upon later copies and original orchestral parts, some of which are contained in the Stadtarchiv in Augsburg. Additional manuscript materials are in the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde in Vienna (I/28359), and the Preussischen Staatsbibliothek in Berlin (Mus. Ms. 15099). Notes: This work was composed in Salzburg in 1780. Compare with Vesperae de dominica, K. 321 [above]. Performance Issues: The choral alto, tenor, and bass parts are doubled throughout the work by the trombones, with the exception of movement 5. The choral writing is contrapuntally conceived, and fluidly integrates homophonic and imitative passages. Some of the choral soprano parts are vocally challenging. Synchopated entrances in fugal sections may prove troublesome in rehearsal. Some of the text is rapidly declaimed by the choir, but the rhythms are quite logogenic. There are numerous ornaments in the orchestra parts that should be realized in the parts before distribution. The bassoon appears in the continuo in all but movement 5, where it has an independent part. The orchestral parts are idiomatic, but quite challenging. The trombone parts are logically difficult and may present difficulties in establishing an effective balance with the choir. The violin parts are quite technically involved and include rapid chromatic passages in parallel octaves. This is a lovely and effective work that requires an ensemble of secure singers and instrumentalists. Soloists: soprano - range: d'-g'', tessitura: f'- f'', this is a lyric and sustained role with some exposed coloratura passages; alto - range: b-d'', tessitura: d'-b', this is a lyric and declamatory role; tenor - range: f#g', tessitura: a-f', this is a lyric role; bass - range: Ge♭', tessitura: A-a, this is a declamatory role. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: difficult. Selected Discography: Ursula Buckel, Helen McKinnon, Hermann Winkler, Eduard Wollitz, Franz Lehrndorfer (organ); Stuttgart Gedächtniskirche Choir, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Intecord: INT820 506. Joan Rodgers, Elisabeth von Magnus, Josef Protschka, Lázló Polgár; Vienna Hofburgkapella Schola, Arnold Schoenberg Choir, Vienna Concentus Musicus;
conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 229243354-2. Emma Kirkby, Catherine Robbin, John Mark Ainsley, Michael George; Winchester Cathedral Choir, Academy of Ancient Music; conducted by Christopher Hogwood. Recorded in 1990. L’Oiseau Lyre: 436 585-2OH. Kiri te Kanawa, Elizabeth Bainbridge, Ryland Davies, Gwynne Howell; London Symphony Chorus and Orchestra; conducted by Colin Davis. Philips: 422 5202PME5. Edda Moser, Julia Hamari, Nicolai Gedda, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau; Bavarian Radio Chorus, Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Eugen Jochum. Recorded in 1976. EMI: CZS7 67862-2. Felicity Palmer, Margaret Cable, Philip Langridge, Stephen Roberts; St. John’s College Choir, Wrenn Orchestra; conducted by George Guest. Decca: 430 1572DM. Edith Mathis, Jadwiga Rappé, Hans-Peter Blochwitz, Thomas Quasthoff; Leipzig Radio Chorus, Staatskapelle Dresden; conducted by Peter Schreier. Philips: 426 275-2PH. Selected Bibliography: Jahn, Otto. The Life of Mozart, translated by Pauline D. Townsend [originally published in 1891], volume 2, 94, 97. New York: Cooper Square Publishers, 1970. Keys, Ivor. Mozart: His Music in His Life, 120. New York: Holmes and Meier, 1980. Geiringer, Karl. “Church Music.” In The Mozart Companion, edited by H. C. Robbins Landon and Donald Mitchell, 2nd edition, 369. London: Oxford University Press, 1965; available as a reprint, Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1981. Anderson, Emily. The Letters of Mozart and His Family, 3rd edition, 842 n. 5. New York: W. W. Norton, 1985. Tyson, Alan. Mozart: Studies of the Autograph Scores, 24. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1987. Marty, Jean-Pierre. The Tempo Indications of Mozart, 3, 45, 69, 76, 82, 205. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1988. The Mozart Compendium: A Guide to Mozart’s Life and Music, edited by H. C. Robbins Landon, 214, 316, 320. New York: Schirmer Books, 1990. Berger, Melvin. Guide to Choral Masterpieces: A Listener’s Guide, 219-224. New York: Anchor Books, 1993. Solomon, Maynard. Mozart: A Life, 225. New York: Harper Collins, 1995. Gutman, Robert W. Mozart: A Cultural Biography, 479, 497n. New York: Harcourt Brace, 1999.
Mozart Smaller Liturgical Works Alma dei creatoris, K. 277 / K. 272a (1777) Duration: ca. 5 minutes
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Text: The text is an offertory to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, and tenor soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: bassoon (continuo), 3 trombones [alto, tenor, and bass], organ (continuo), and strings First Performance: The premiere information is uncertain, but it was probably in Salzburg in 1777. Edition: Alma dei creatoris is published in a critical edition in Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Neue Ausgabe sämtlicher Werke, published by Bärenreiter, series 1, work group 3, page 223, edited by Hellmut Federhofer. Other editions available for purchase include Kalmus and Peters. Autograph: The location of the autograph is unknown. Manuscript materials, in the hand of Leopold Mozart, are in the Domchorarchiv in Salzburg. Notes: This work was probably composed during the summer or autumn of 1777 in Salzburg. Performance Issues: The choral writing is primarily syllabic and homophonic. There is one brief section of paired doubling, which is the only moment of choral imitation. The choral alto, tenor, and bass parts are doubled, colla parte, by the trombones. The choral soprano part is supported by the violins. The string writing is quite easy. The most challenging part is the alto trombone because of its high tessitura. Soloists: soprano - range: e'-g'', tessitura: f' - f'', this is an easy lyric solo appropriate for a chorister; alto - range: c'-c'', tessitura: c'-b♭', this is an easy lyric solo appropriate for a chorister; tenor - range: e-f', tessitura: f-e', this is an easy lyric solo appropriate for a chorister. Choir: easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Charlotte Margioni, Elisabeth von Magnus, Christoph Prégardien; Arnold Schoenberg Choir, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 4509-96147-2. Ursula Reinhardt-Kiss, Annelies Burmeister, Eberhard Büchner; Leipzig Radio Chorus and Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Herbert Kegel. Philips: 422 520-2PME8(1). Selected Bibliography: Jahn, Otto. The Life of Mozart, translated by Pauline D. Townsend [originally published in 1891], volume 1, 281. New York: Cooper Square Publishers, 1970. Keys, Ivor. Mozart: His Music in His Life, 99. New York: Holmes and Meier, 1980. 377 Ron Jeffers, Translations and Annotations of Choral Repertoire, Volume I: Sacred Latin Texts, 105 (Corvallis, OR: Earthsongs, 1988).
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Marty, Jean-Pierre. The Tempo Indications of Mozart, 69. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1988. The Mozart Compendium: A Guide to Mozart’s Life and Music, edited by H. C. Robbins Landon, 319. New York: Schirmer Books, 1990.
Ave Verum Corpus, K. 618 (1791) Duration: ca. 4 minutes Text: This text has been attributed to Pope Innocent III or IV. It is sung during the Benediction of the Offertory of the Mass. It is associated with the Feast of Corpus Christi.377 Performing Forces: voices: SATB choir; orchestra: organ (continuo) and strings First Performance: The first performance is unknown, but it probably occurred in Baden in 1791. Edition: Ave Verum Corpus is published in a critical edition in Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Neue Ausgabe sämtlicher Werke, published by Bärenreiter, series 1, work group 3, page 261, edited by Hellmut Federhofer. Other editions available for purchase include Bärenreiter, Breitkopf und Härtel, and Kalmus. Autograph: The autograph score is in the Österreichische Nationalbibliothek in Vienna (Mus. HS. 18975). Notes: This work was composed on 17 and 18 January 1791 in Baden bei Wien. It was written as a gift for Anton Stoll, a local choir director in Baden who had become a friend of the composer. It is unusual in that nearly all of Mozart’s sacred works were written under commission or responsibility of employment. It and the Requiem represent the majority of the sacred output in his later years. Performance Issues: This is a very forthright work. The choral writing is mostly homophonic with some simple imitation. The strings either double or clearly reinforce the choral parts. This has rightfully become one of Mozart’s most performed works. With the Requiem, it shows a block choral style of composition that is quite different from his earlier choral works. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: easy. Selected Discography: Regensberg Cathedral Chorus, Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Rafael Kubelik. Deutsche Grammophon: 419 060-2GGA. Christ Church Cathedral Choir, Oxford; conducted by Francis Grier. ASV: CDQS6019.
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
King’s College Choir, Cambridge Classical Players; conducted by Stephen Cleobury. EMI: CDZ7 628522. St. Stephen’s College Choir; conducted by George Guest. Decca: 425 8512DWO. Netherlands Chamber Choir, Petite Bande; conducted by Sigiswald Kuijken. Deutsche Harmonia Mundi: GD77045. Vienna Boys’ Choir, Vienna Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Helmuth Froschauer. RCA: GD86535. Tolz Boys’ Choir, European Baroque Soloists; conducted by Gerhard Schmidt-Gaden. Sony: SK46493. London Symphony Chorus and Orchestra; conducted by Colin Davis. Recorded in 1971. Philips: 412-8732PH. Bavarian Radio Chorus and Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Leonard Bernstein. Video, recorded live. Deutsche Grammophon: 072 185-3GH. Schütz Consort, London Classical Players; conducted by Roger Norrington. EMI: CDC7 54525-2. Arnold Schoenberg Choir, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 450998928-2. Vienna Singverein, Vienna Philharmonic; conducted by Herbert von Karajan. Laser disc, recorded live in 1985. Sony: SLV46382. Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Field Choir and Orchestra; conducted by Neville Marriner. Recorded in 1993. Philips: 438 999-2PH. Lausanne Vocal Ensemble, Lausanne Instrumental Ensemble; conducted by Michel Corboz. Cascavelle: VEL 1011. Selected Bibliography: Deutsch, Otto Erich. Mozart: A Documentary Biography, translated by Eric Blom, Peter Branscombe, and Jeremy Noble; 397. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 1965. Keys, Ivor. Mozart: His Music in His Life, 99, 221. New York: Holmes and Meier, 1980. The Mozart Companion, edited by H. C. Robbins Landon and Donald Mitchell, second edition, 277, 372. London: Oxford University Press, 1965; available as a reprint, Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1981. Anderson, Emily. The Letters of Mozart and His Family, 3rd edition, 950 n. 2. New York: W. W. Norton, 1985. Tyson, Alan. Mozart: Studies of the Autograph Scores, 21, 26, 345 n. 18, 354 n. 24. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1987. Marty, Jean-Pierre. The Tempo Indications of Mozart, 14. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1988. The Mozart Compendium: A Guide to Mozart’s Life and Music, edited by H. C. Robbins Landon, 53, 173, 216, 235, 317, 319. New York: Schirmer Books, 1990. Pahlen, Kurt. The World of the Oratorio, translated by Judith Schaefer with additional English-language 378 Ludwig Ritter von Köchel, Chronologisch-thematisches Verzeichnis sämtlicher Tonwerke Wolfgang Amadé Mozarts, 7th
material by Thurston Dox, 252. Portland, OR: Amadeus Press, 1990. Knepler, Georg. Wolfgang Amadé Mozart, translated by J. Bradford Robinson, 142, 153. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1994. Originally published in German, Berlin: Henschel Verlag, 1991. Berger, Melvin. Guide to Choral Masterpieces: A Listener’s Guide, 227. New York: Anchor Books, 1993. Solomon, Maynard. Mozart: A Life, 475, 481. New York: Harper Collins, 1995. Gutman, Robert W. Mozart: A Cultural Biography, 741. New York: Harcourt Brace, 1999.
Benedictus sit deus, K. 117 / 66a (1768) Duration: ca. 12 minutes Text: The text is an offertory for Trinity Sunday. Performing Forces: voices: soprano soloist; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, timpani, organ, and strings First Performance: Some sources list 7 December 1768, Orphanage Church, Vienna, as a probable premiere; however, the Köchel Verzeichnis lists the likely time of composition as September or October 1769.378 Edition: Benedictus sit deus is published in a critical edition in Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Neue Ausgabe sämtlicher Werke, published by Bärenreiter, series 1, work group 3, page 25, edited by Hellmut Federhofer. Other editions available for purchase include Kalmus. Autograph: The original manuscript score is in the Deutschen Staatsbibliothek in Berlin, which also has additional manuscript materials (Mus. Ms. 15087). Original manuscript materials, in the hand of Leopold Mozart, are in the Benediktinerstift of St. Peter’s in Salzburg. Notes: This work is believed to have been composed in October or November 1768 in Vienna. If the first performance date is correct, this offertory was composed for the same service as the “Waisenhaus Mass,” K. 139. If this is not the case, it was likely intended to be used in conjunction with the “Domenicus Mass,” K. 66, of the following year. Performance Issues: This is an almost entirely diatonic composition. The choral writing is farily declamatory. Although the choral parts are always harmonically supported by the accompaniment, they are not thoroughly doubled. The wind parts are not technically challenging. The horn and trumpet do not appear in simultaneous movements. The string parts are idiomatic and quite active. Soloists: soprano - range: c'-g'', tessitura: f' - f'', this is a lyric solo with some intricate
edition, edited by Franz Giegling, Alexander Weinmann, and Gerd Sievers, 92 (Wiesbaden: Breitkopf und Härtel, 1965).
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coloratura. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Dagmar Schellenberger-Ernst; Leipzig Radio Chorus and Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Herbert Kegel. Philips: 422 520 2PME5. Barbara Bonney, Arnold Schoenberg Choir, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 4509-96147-2. Selected Bibliography: Jahn, Otto. The Life of Mozart, translated by Pauline D. Townsend [originally published in 1891], volume 1, 277. New York: Cooper Square Publishers, 1970. Keys, Ivor. Mozart: His Music in His Life, 60. New York: Holmes and Meier, 1980. Anderson, Emily. The Letters of Mozart and His Family, 3rd edition, 94 n. 2, 153 n. 5. New York: W. W. Norton, 1985. Tyson, Alan. Mozart: Studies of the Autograph Scores, 333 n. 5. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1987. Marty, Jean-Pierre. The Tempo Indications of Mozart, 39, 68, 117. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1988. The Mozart Compendium: A Guide to Mozart’s Life and Music, edited by H. C. Robbins Landon, 317, 318. New York: Schirmer Books, 1990.
Dixit et Magnificat, K. 193 / 186g (1774) Duration: ca. 11 minutes Text: These are the Dixit Dominus and the Magnificat texts, taken from Psalm 110 and Luke 1:46-55, respectively. Performing Forces: voices: soprano,tenor, and bass soloists; 379 SATB choir; orchestra: bassoon (continuo), 2 trumpets, 3 trombones [alto, tenor, and bass], timpani, organ (continuo), and strings [no violas] First Performance: The exact premiere information is not currently known; however, it was likely performed in Salzburg in 1774. Edition: Dixit et Magnificat is published in a critical edition in Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Neue Ausgabe sämtlicher Werke, published by Bärenreiter, series 1, volume 2, part 2, page 1, edited by Karl Gustav Fellerer and Felix Schroeder. Other editions available for purchase include G. Schirmer. Autograph: The autograph score is in the collection of the Nationalbibliothek in Vienna (Mus. Hs. 18975).
379 Many citations indicate SATB soloists; however, there is no alto solo in the score.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Notes: This work was completed in July 1774 in Salzburg. It is likely that this work was composed to be used as a portion of the Vespers service. Performance Issues: The trombones double the alto, tenor, and bass choral parts. The choral soprano part is less conspicuously doubled. In an earlier tradition, the part would have been doubled by a cornetto. The choral writing combines direct imitation, paired doubling, and homophonic writing, often all within a few measures. The choral parts are primarily scalar or triadic and are vocally accessible to intermediate choirs. The brass writing is fairly high and requires significant control. Experienced players will be needed. The string writing is idiomatic and within the ability of intermediate players. This is a good concerted liturgical work appropriate for a larger church choir with access to secure orchestral musicians. Soloists: soprano range: g'-f'', tessitura: g'-e'', this is a brief declamatory solo role appropriate for a chorister; tenor - range: ef' , tessitura: f-e', this is a brief declamatory solo role appropriate for a chorister; bass - range: A-a; tessitura: A-a, this is a brief declamatory solo role appropriate for a chorister. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Mitsuko Shirai, Eberhard Büchner, Hermann Christian Polster; Leipzig Radio Chorus and Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Herbert Kegel. Philips: 422 5202PME5. Selected Bibliography: Jahn, Otto. The Life of Mozart, translated by Pauline D. Townsend [originally published in 1891], volume 1, 147, 245. New York: Cooper Square Publishers, 1970. Keys, Ivor. Mozart: His Music in His Life, 88, 119. New York: Holmes and Meier, 1980. Tyson, Alan. Mozart: Studies of the Autograph Scores, 170. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1987. Marty, Jean-Pierre. The Tempo Indications of Mozart, 74, 193. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1988. The Mozart Compendium: A Guide to Mozart’s Life and Music, edited by H. C. Robbins Landon, 53, 316, 320. New York: Schirmer Books, 1990.
Inter natos mulierum, K. 72 / 74f (1771) Duration: ca. 6 minutes Text: The text is based upon the Vulgate Bible, Matthew, 11:11.
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Performing Forces: voices: SATB choir; orchestra: 3 trombones [alto, tenor, and bass], organ (continuo), and strings [no violas] First Performance: The date and place of the premiere are unknown; however, the work was composed for the Feast of John the Baptist. Edition: Inter natos mulierum is published in a critical edition in Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Neue Ausgabe sämtlicher Werke, published by Bärenreiter, series 1, work group 3, page 104, edited by Hellmut Federhofer. Other editions available for purchase include Bärenreiter and Breitkopf und Härtel. Autograph: The location of the autograph score in unknown. Original manuscript materials, in the hand of Leopold Mozart, are in the Domchorarchiv in Salzburg. Other manuscript materials are in the Preussischer Staatsbibliothek in Berlin (Mus. Ms 15086) and the Österreichische Nationalbibliothek in Vienna (Mus. Hs. 436). Notes: This work was probably completed in May or June 1771 in Salzburg. It was composed for the Feast St. John the Baptist. Performance Issues: The choral writing is declamatory, interspersing homophonic passages with sections of close imitation. The alto, tenor, and trombone parts are doubled by the trombones, and much of the soprano part is doubled by the violins. The piece requires rapid text declamation. The trombone parts are high and quite articulate. The string writing is idiomatic but somewhat challenging. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Tallis Chamber Choir, English Chamber Orchestra; conducted by Philip Simms. Novalis: 150 064-2. Berlin RIAS Chamber Chorus, Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra; Marcus Creed. Caprice: 10 808. Leipzig Radio Chorus and Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Herbert Kegel. Philips: 422 520-2PME5. Tolz Boys’ Choir, European Baroque Soloists; conducted by Gerhard Schmidt- Gaden. Sony: SK46493. Arnold Schoenberg Choir, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 450996147-2. Selected Bibliography: Jahn, Otto. The Life of Mozart, translated by Pauline D. Townsend [originally published in 1891], volume 1, 58. New York: Cooper Square Publishers, 1970. Keys, Ivor. Mozart: His Music in His Life, 72. New York: Holmes and Meier, 1980.
380 This dating is from the NMA. Earlier sources, including the Köchel Verzeichnis, list its composition as likely to be between
Marty, Jean-Pierre. The Tempo Indications of Mozart, 70, 72. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1988. The Mozart Compendium: A Guide to Mozart’s Life and Music, edited by H. C. Robbins Landon, 180, 318. New York: Schirmer Books, 1990.
Kyrie in D minor, K. 341 /368a (17871791) Duration: ca. 6 minutes Text: The text is taken from the Latin Roman Catholic eucharistic liturgy. Performing Forces: voices: SATB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, timpani, organ, and strings Edition: Kyrie is published in a critical edition in Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Neue Ausgabe sämtlicher Werke, published by Bärenreiter, series 1, work group 1, part 1, volume 6, page 84, edited by Monika Holl. Other editions available for purchase include Bärenreiter and Lucks. Autograph: No autograph survives. Modern editions have been based upon manuscript copies in the hands of Johann Anton André and August Eberhard Müller, which are in the Preussischer Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: This work was composed between 1787 and 1791 in Vienna. 380 H. C. Robbins Landon believes it to have been composed in 1791. Performance Issues: There are some interesting chromatic passages in the work that may prove challenging in establishing good intonation. The string writing presents some interesting appogiaturi that may require some attention in rehearsal. These sometimes sound a half-step below the choral parts, and then resolve up to the choir’s pitches. The choral writing is nearly all homophonic with limited melismas. The ranges are appropriate for less-experienced choirs. The orchestral writing is idiomatic. The brass parts are quite simple and not very high. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Gächinger Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Hänssler: 98 979. London Symphony Chorus and Orchestra; conducted by Colin Davis. Recorded in 1971. Philips: 412-8732PH. Monteverdi Choir, English Baroque Soloists; conducted by John Eliot Gardiner. Philips: 420 197-2PH.
November 1780 and March 1781 in Munich. If either of these earlier dates is correct, Munich becomes the logical location, because of the use of clarinets, which were not available in Salzburg.
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Cologne Chamber Choir, Collegium Carthusianum; conducted by Peter Neumann. Recorded in 1989. Virgin Classics: VER5 61167-2. Selected Bibliography: Jahn, Otto. The Life of Mozart, translated by Pauline D. Townsend [originally published in 1891], volume 2, 166. New York: Cooper Square Publishers, 1970. Keys, Ivor. Mozart: His Music in His Life, 133. New York: Holmes and Meier, 1980. The Mozart Companion, edited by H. C. Robbins Landon and Donald Mitchell, 2nd edition, 255, 370. London: Oxford University Press, 1965; available as a reprint, Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1981. Tyson, Alan. Mozart: Studies of the Autograph Scores, 27, 342 n. 34. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1987. Marty, Jean-Pierre. The Tempo Indications of Mozart, 32, 85. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1988. The Mozart Compendium: A Guide to Mozart’s Life and Music, edited by H. C. Robbins Landon, 216, 235, 310, 312, 313. New York: Schirmer Books, 1990. Solomon, Maynard. Mozart: A Life, 237, 557 n. 67. New York: Harper Collins, 1995.
Misericordias domini, K. 222 / 205a (1775) Duration: ca. 6 minutes Text: The text is from Psalm 89. It is traditionally sung for the third Nocturn of Matins, leading into Midnight Mass beginning Christmas day. Performing Forces: voices: SATB choir; orchestra: organ (continuo) and strings. First Performance: The premiere is unknown but it was probably in Salzburg in 1775. Edition: Misericordias domini is published in a critical edition in Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Neue Ausgabe sämtlicher Werke, published by Bärenreiter, series 1, work group 3, page 182, edited by Hellmut Federhofer. Other editions available for purchase include Bärenreiter and Kalmus. Autograph: The location of the autograph is unknown. It was thought to have been in the private library of Padre Martini. Manuscript materials, in the hand of Leopold Mozart, are in the Stadtarchive in Augsburg. Additional manuscript materials are in the Bibliothèque Nationale Fonds du Conservatoire in Paris, and the Naples Conservatory. Notes: This work was composed in January or February 1775 in Munich, where Mozart hoped to acquire a post. He based the work on a theme of the Salzburg composer, Johann Ernst Eberlin (1702-1762), and later sent the composition to Padre Martini for his approval.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Performance Issues: The choral material alternates between passages of pervasive imitation and homophony. The homophonic sections are reinforced by the continuo, and the polyphonic sections are doubled, colla parte, by the strings. The counterpoint suggests an awareness of sixteenth-century contrapuntal practice. The manuscript material do not clearly indicate the presence of a viola part, but the NMA has provided one paralleling the altos. This is logical because the other choral parts are thoroughly doubled. The string writing is very accessible to intermediate players. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Leipzig Radio Chorus and Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Herbert Kegel. Philips: 422 520-2PME5. Berlin RIAS Chamber Chorus, Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra; Marcus Creed. Caprice: 10 808. Philippe Caillard Chorale, Vienna Baroque Ensemble; conducted by Theodore Guschlbauer. Erato: 450995362-2. Selected Bibliography: Deutsch, Otto Erich. Mozart: A Documentary Biography, translated by Eric Blom, Peter Branscombe, and Jeremy Noble; 151. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 1965. Jahn, Otto. The Life of Mozart, translated by Pauline D. Townsend [originally published in 1891], volume 1, 278. New York: Cooper Square Publishers, 1970. Keys, Ivor. Mozart: His Music in His Life, 91, 103. New York: Holmes and Meier, 1980. Geiringer, Karl. “Church Music.” In The Mozart Companion, edited by H. C. Robbins Landon and Donald Mitchell, 2nd edition, 369, 371. London: Oxford University Press, 1965; available as a reprint, Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1981. Anderson, Emily. The Letters of Mozart and His Family, 3rd edition, 266 n. 1, 378 n. 2, 402 n. 2, 418 n. 1, 432 n. 5, 466 n. 3. New York: W. W. Norton, 1985. Marty, Jean-Pierre. The Tempo Indications of Mozart, 69. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1988. The Mozart Compendium: A Guide to Mozart’s Life and Music, edited by H. C. Robbins Landon, 48, 214, 319. New York: Schirmer Books, 1990. Eisen, Cliff. New Mozart Documents: A Supplement to O. E. Deutsch’s Documentary Biography, 42, 181. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 1991. Solomon, Maynard. Mozart: A Life, 103, 112. New York: Harper Collins, 1995. Gutman, Robert W. Mozart: A Cultural Biography, 343, 357, 731. New York: Harcourt Brace, 1999.
Regina coeli in C major, K. 108 / 74d (1771) Duration: ca. 15 minutes Text: This text first appears in chant manuscripts from around 1200. It is one of the four Marian Antiphons which are sung at the conclusion of compline. The
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Regina coeli is used for this purpose throughout the Easter season. Performing Forces: voices: soprano soloist; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, timpani, organ (continuo), and strings First Performance: The premiere information is uncertain, but it was probably in Salzburg in 1771. Edition: Regina coeli is published in a critical edition in Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Neue Ausgabe sämtlicher Werke, published by Bärenreiter, series 1, work group 3, page 74, edited by Hellmut Federhofer. Other editions available for purchase include Breitkopf und Härtel. Autograph: The autograph score and other manuscript materials are in the Deutschen Staatsbibliothek in Berlin (Mus. Ms. 15106). Notes: This work was composed in May 1771 in Salzburg. Performance Issues: The choral writing is primarily homophonic and syllabic. There is minimal imitation in movement 2. None of the choral parts is vocally challenging, and all of the choral material is clearly reinforced by the orchestra. The flutes and oboes do not appear in concurrent movements. The brass writing is typical tonic/dominant fare of the period. The string writing is mostly scalar figurations. The brass parts suggest a full choir and a complement of strings. This is an excellent work for an intermediate-level choir and orchestra to feature a good soprano soloist. Soloist: soprano - range: b-b'', tessitura: f' - f'', this is a lyric solo with some very florid, scalar coloratura. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Dagmar Schellenberger-Ernst; Leipzig Radio Chorus and Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Herbert Kegel. Philips: 422 520-2PME5. Charlotte Margiono; Arnold Schoenberg Choir, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Recorded in 1990. Teldec: 4509-96147-2. Emma Kirkby; Westminster Cathedral Boys’ Choir, Academy of Ancient Music Choir, Academy of Ancient Music; conducted by Christopher Hogwood. L’Oiseau-Lyre: 411832-2OH. Selected Bibliography: Jahn, Otto. The Life of Mozart, translated by Pauline D. Townsend [originally published in 1891], volume 1, 134, 276. New York: Cooper Square Publishers, 1970. Keys, Ivor. Mozart: His Music in His Life, 72, 79. New York: Holmes and Meier, 1980. Tyson, Alan. Mozart: Studies of the Autograph Scores, 11, 96, 101, 224. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1987.
Marty, Jean-Pierre. The Tempo Indications of Mozart, 5, 56, 78, 94, 104, 184. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1988. The Mozart Compendium: A Guide to Mozart’s Life and Music, edited by H. C. Robbins Landon, 208, 318. New York: Schirmer Books, 1990. Solomon, Maynard. Mozart: A Life, 82. New York: Harper Collins, 1995. Gutman, Robert W. Mozart: A Cultural Biography, 291, 481n. New York: Harcourt Brace, 1999.
Regina coeli in B♭ major, K. 127 (1772) Duration: ca. 15 minutes Text: This text first appears in chant manuscripts from around 1200. It is one of the four Marian Antiphons which are sung at the conclusion of compline. The Regina coeli is used for this purpose throughout the Easter season. Performing Forces: voices: soprano soloist; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 horns, organ (continuo), and strings First Performance: The premiere information is uncertain, but it was probably in Salzburg in 1772. Edition: Regina coeli is published in a critical edition in Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Neue Ausgabe sämtlicher Werke, published by Bärenreiter, series 1, work group 3, page 120, edited by Hellmut Federhofer. Other editions available for purchase include Breitkopf und Härtel. Autograph: The autograph was lost in the war in 1945. An early manuscript copy, from Salzburg, is in the Benediktinerstift in Lambach. Additional manuscript materials are in the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde in Vienna. Notes: This work was composed in May 1772 in Salzburg. Performance Issues: Much of the choral writing is independent of the accompaniment. Mozart combines homophonic passages with close imitation and free counterpoint. The choral parts have numerous melismatic figurations. The score indicates that the bass line may be doubled with bassoon, ad libitum. The flutes and oboes do not appear in concurrent movements. The horn parts are quite sustained, and the first horn part is very high. It is especially difficult for modern horn. The string writing is quite virtuosic. Soloist: soprano - range: c'-b♭'', tessitura: g'-a'', this is a lyric solo with some very florid, scalar coloratura and broad melodic leaps. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: difficult. Selected Discography: Emma Kirkby; Westminster Cathedral Boys’ Choir, Academy of Ancient Music Choir, Academy of
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Ancient Music; conducted by Christopher Hogwood. L’Oiseau-Lyre: 411832-2OH. Barbara Bonney; Arnold Schoenberg Choir, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Recorded in 1990. Teldec: 4509-98928-2. Isabella Nawe; Leipzig Radio Chorus and Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Herbert Kegel. Philips: 422 520-2PME5. Juliane Banse; Munich Motet Choir, Munich Residenz Orchestra; conducted by Hans Rudolf Zöbeley. Calig: CAL 50901. Mária Zádori; Savaria Vocal Ensemble, Capella Savaria; conducted by Pál Németh. Harmonia Mundi: HMP 390 3015. Selected Bibliography: Jahn, Otto. The Life of Mozart, translated by Pauline D. Townsend [originally published in 1891], volume 1, 139, 276. New York: Cooper Square Publishers, 1970. Keys, Ivor. Mozart: His Music in His Life, 79. New York: Holmes and Meier, 1980. Geiringer, Karl. “Church Music.” In The Mozart Companion, edited by H. C. Robbins Landon and Donald Mitchell, 2nd edition, 365. London: Oxford University Press, 1965; available as a reprint, Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1981. Anderson, Emily. The Letters of Mozart and His Family, 3rd edition, 526 n. 3. New York: W. W. Norton, 1985. Tyson, Alan: Mozart: Studies of the Autograph Scores, 146. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1987. Marty, Jean-Pierre. The Tempo Indications of Mozart, 5, 30, 70, 90, 141. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1988. The Mozart Compendium: A Guide to Mozart’s Life and Music, edited by H. C. Robbins Landon, 208, 318. New York: Schirmer Books, 1990. Solomon, Maynard. Mozart: A Life, 82. New York: Harper Collins, 1995.
Regina coeli in C major, K. 276 / 321b (c. 1779) Duration: ca. 7 minutes Text: This text first appears in chant manuscripts from around 1200. It is one of the four Marian Antiphons which are sung at the conclusion of compline. The Regina coeli is used for this purpose throughout the Easter season. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes, 2 trumpets in C, timpani, organ (continuo), and strings [no violas] First Performance: The premiere information is uncertain, but it was probably in Salzburg around 1779. Edition: Regina coeli is published in a critical edition in Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Neue Ausgabe sämtlicher
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Werke, published by Bärenreiter, series 1, work group 3, page 243, edited by Hellmut Federhofer. Autograph: Location of the composer’s manuscript is unknown. Other manuscript materials are in the Österreichische Nationalbibliothek in Vienna (Mus. Hs 616), the Preussischer Staatsbibliothek in Berlin (Mus. Ms. 15108), and the Stadts-Archiv in Augsburg. Notes: This work is believed to have been composed around 1779 in Salzburg. Performance Issues: The choral writing combines declamatory passages with rapid scalar melismas. The choral material is well reinforced by the orchestra. The solos are interspersed between choral sections. The choral parts are more vocally demanding than the solos. Clearly Mozart’s concern was the contrast in textures between single voices and an ensemble. The trumpet parts are conservatively written. The strings parts are active but quite practical. There are some extended syncopated figures for the violins. Soloists: soprano - range: e'-g'', tessitura: g'-f '', this is a simple solo role appropriate for a chorister; alto - range: a-c'', tessitura: e'-b', this is a simple solo role appropriate for a chorister; tenor - range: c-f', tessitura: e-e', this is a simple solo role appropriate for a chorister; bass range: G-b, tessitura: c-g, this is a simple solo role appropriate for a chorister. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Barbara Bonney, Elisabeth von Magnus, Uwe Heilmann, Gilles Cachemaille; Arnold Schoenberg Choir, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Recorded in 1992. Teldec: 4509-90494-2. Ursula Reinhardt-Kiss, Annelies Burmeister, Eberhard Büchner, Hermann Christian Polster; Leipzig Radio Chorus and Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Herbert Kegel. Philips: 422 520-2PME5. Phillipe Cieslewicz, Charlotte Müller, Carl Günther, Christian Immler; Tolz Boys’ Choir, European Baroque Soloists; conducted by Gerhard SchmidtGaden. Sony: SK46493. Christiane Oelze, Barbara Hölzl, Andreas Schulist, Joachim Gebhardt; Munich Motet Choir, Munich Residenz Orchestra; conducted by Hans Rudolf Zöbeley. Calig: CAL 50872. Selected Bibliography: Jahn, Otto. The Life of Mozart, translated by Pauline D. Townsend [originally published in 1891], volume 1, 276. New York: Cooper Square Publishers, 1970. Keys, Ivor. Mozart: His Music in His Life, 119. New York: Holmes and Meier, 1980. Marty, Jean-Pierre. The Tempo Indications of Mozart, 69. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1988. The Mozart Compendium: A Guide to Mozart’s Life and Music, edited by H. C. Robbins Landon, 214, 319. New York: Schirmer Books, 1990.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
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Sancta Maria, mater Dei, K. 273 (1777)
Mitchell, 2nd edition, 369. London: Oxford University Press, 1965; available as a reprint, Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1981. Tyson, Alan. Mozart: Studies of the Autograph Scores, 166, 172. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1987. Marty, Jean-Pierre. The Tempo Indications of Mozart, 70. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1988. The Mozart Compendium: A Guide to Mozart’s Life and Music, edited by H. C. Robbins Landon, 319. New York: Schirmer Books, 1990.
Duration: ca. 4 minutes Text: This text is a gradual for the Feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Performing Forces: voices: SATB choir; orchestra: organ (continuo) and strings First Performance: The premiere was probably 12 September 1777 in Salzburg. Edition: Sancta Maria is published in a critical edition in Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Neue Ausgabe sämtlicher Werke, published by Bärenreiter, series 1, work group 3, page 234, edited by Hellmut Federhofer. Other editions available for purchase include Bärenreiter and Kalmus. Autograph: The autograph score and other manuscript materials are in the Preussischen Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. Notes: This work is dated “Salzburg, 9 September 1777.” It was composed for the Feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary (12 September). It was written immediately prior to Mozart’s dismissal by Archbishop Colloredo from service in Salzburg. Mozart left for Paris with his mother. She died in Paris, and he was unable to secure a post, having to return to Salzburg where his father had arranged another position for him. Performance Issues: The choral writing is mostly homophonic with some internal contrapuntal gestures and ornaments. There are some interesting harmonic turns throughout the piece. The choral parts are all outlined by the strings, which present the choral material with florid ornamentation. There are a number of ornaments that should be worked out in the parts before distribution. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Leipzig Radio Chorus and Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Herbert Kegel. Philips: 422 520-2PME5. Berlin RIAS Chamber Chorus, Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra; Marcus Creed. Caprice: 10 808. Vienna Volksoper Chorus and Orchestra; conducted by Peter Maag. Vox: 0015. Arnold Schoenberg Choir, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 450996147-2. Selected Bibliography: Jahn, Otto. The Life of Mozart, translated by Pauline D. Townsend [originally published in 1891], volume 1, 153, 281. New York: Cooper Square Publishers, 1970. Keys, Ivor. Mozart: His Music in His Life, 99. New York: Holmes and Meier, 1980. Geiringer, Karl. “Church Music.” In The Mozart Companion, edited by H. C. Robbins Landon and Donald
Scande coeli limina (Offertorium in festo St. Benedicti), K. 34 (1766 or 1767) Duration: ca. 5 minutes Text: This text is an offertory for the feast of St. Benedict. Performing Forces: voices: soprano soloist; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 trumpets, timpani, organ (continuo), and strings [no violas] First Performance: The premiere information is uncertain, but it was probably in the late 1760s. Edition: Scande coeli limina is published in a critical edition in Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Neue Ausgabe sämtlicher Werke, published by Bärenreiter, series 1, work group 3, page 3, edited by Hellmut Federhofer. Other editions available for purchase include Breitkopf und Härtel. Autograph: The location of the autograph score is unknown. The NMA edition is based upon manuscript copies in St. Peter’s in Salzburg, the Bayerischen Staatsbibliothek, and the Westdeutschen Bibliothek in Marburg/Lahn. Notes: This work was completed in late 1766 or early 1767 in the Kloster Seeon, Bavaria. It was composed for the feast of St. Benedict, and it is Mozart’s earliest surviving liturgical composition. It is in two sections, a soprano aria followed by a chorus. Performance Issues: The choral writing is declamatory. Mozart alternates between homophonic and imitative writing. While the choral parts are not always doubled, entrances are, and the harmonic center is always evident in the orchestra. This work would be suitable for solo strings, and even a solo quartet in place of the choir. The orchestra parts are all within the grasp of intermediate-level players. The first trumpet part will require a more seasoned player as it has some moderately high sustained figures that must be well controlled. Soloist: soprano - range: f#'-g'', tessitura: g'f' ' , this is a lyric solo, well reinforced by the strings. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography:
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Dagmar Schellenberger-Ernst; Leipzig Radio Chorus and Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Herbert Kegel. Philips: 422 520-2PME5. Sylvia McNair; Arnold Schoenberg Choir, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 4509-98928-2. Selected Bibliography: Jahn, Otto. The Life of Mozart, translated by Pauline D. Townsend [originally published in 1891], volume 1, 58. New York: Cooper Square Publishers, 1970. Keys, Ivor. Mozart: His Music in His Life, 54. New York: Holmes and Meier, 1980. Marty, Jean-Pierre. The Tempo Indications of Mozart, 38, 83. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1988. The Mozart Compendium: A Guide to Mozart’s Life and Music, edited by H. C. Robbins Landon, 318. New York: Schirmer Books, 1990. Solomon, Maynard. Mozart: A Life, 541 n. 2. New York: Harper Collins, 1995.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
f'-g'', tessitura: b♭'-f'', this is a lyric solo appropriate for a chorister. Choir: easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Arnold Schoenberg Choir, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Recorded in 1991. Teldec: 4509-98928-2. Monika Frimmer; Leipzig Radio Chorus and Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Peter Schreier. Philips: 422 545-2PME3. Selected Bibliography: Münster, Robert. “Tantum ergerl, KV 142 und KV 197.” Acta Mozartiana, volume 10 (1963): 56-61; and volume 12 (1965): 9. Jahn, Otto. The Life of Mozart, translated by Pauline D. Townsend [originally published in 1891], volume 1, 277. New York: Cooper Square Publishers, 1970. Marty, Jean-Pierre. The Tempo Indications of Mozart, 31. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1988.
Tantum ergo in B♭ major, K. 142 / Anh. C3. 04; 186d (1772)
Tantum ergo in D major, K. 197 / Anh. 186e / Anh. C 3.05 (1772)
Duration: ca. 5 minutes
Duration: ca. 4 minutes
Text: This is a portion of the Pange lingua, which was written by Thomas Aquinas (c. 1264) for the Feast of Corpus Christi.
Text: This is a portion of the Pange lingua, which was written by Thomas Aquinas (c. 1264) for the Feast of Corpus Christi.
Performing Forces: voices: soprano soloist; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 trumpets, organ, and strings
Performing Forces: voices: SATB choir; orchestra: 2 trumpets, timpani, organ, and strings
First Performance: The premiere is unknown, but it was probably in Salzburg in 1772.
First Performance: The premiere is unknown, but it was probably in Salzburg in 1772.
Edition: Tantum ergo is published in a critical edition in Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Neue Ausgabe sämtlicher Werke, published by Bärenreiter, series 1, work group 3, page 270, edited by Hellmut Federhofer. Other editions available for purchase include Bärenreiter and Kalmus.
Edition: Tantum ergo is published in a critical edition in Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Neue Ausgabe sämtlicher Werke, published by Bärenreiter, series 1, work group 3, page 276, edited by Hellmut Federhofer. Other editions available for purchase include Bärenreiter and Kalmus.
Autograph: A contemporary copy of the voice parts is in the Benediktinerstift of St. Veit bei Neumark in Bavaria. Additional manuscript materials are in the Preussischen Staatsbibliothek in Berlin (Mus. Ms. 15115), the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde in Vienna (I 28353), and the Mozarteum in Salzburg.
Autograph: A contemporary copy of the voice parts is in the Benediktinerstift of St. Veit bei Neumark in Bavaria. Additional manuscript materials are in the Preussischen Staatsbibliothek in Berlin (Mus. Ms. 15115), and the Domchorarchiv of St. Peter’s in Salzburg.
Notes: This is an arrangement by Mozart of a work by Friedrich Zachau, for which Mozart composed the “Amen.” It was completed in 1772 in Salzburg.
Notes: This work is believed to have been composed in Salzburg in 1772. There are suspicions regarding the authenticity of this piece as a work of Mozart.
Performance Issues: This is a straightforward and brief compositon. The first half is comprised of a series of short phrases uttered by the soloist and concluded by the choir. The second half is an extended choral “Amen.” The choral parts are directly doubled by the orchestra. The tessitura of the choral sopranos is somewhat high. The string writing is somewhat involved but idiomatic and practical. Soloists: soprano - range:
Performance Issues: The choral writing is homophonic and clearly supported harmonically by the accompaniment. The body of the text is treated strophically with identical music used for two verses, and a conclusory “Amen” coda. The tessitura of the sopranos is fairly high. There is some exposed but idiomatical passagework for the violins. Choir: easy; Orchestra: medium easy.
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Selected Discography: Arnold Schoenberg Choir, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Recorded in 1990. Teldec: 4509-98928-2. Leipzig Radio Chorus and Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Peter Schreier. Philips: 422 545-2PME3. St. Thomas More Cathedral Choir and Orchestra; conducted by Haig Mardirosian. Centaur: CRC 2074. Selected Bibliography: Münster, Robert. “Tantum ergerl, KV 142 und KV 197.” Acta Mozartiana, volume 10 (1963): 56-61; and volume 12 (1965): 9. Jahn, Otto. The Life of Mozart, translated by Pauline D. Townsend [originally published in 1891], volume 1, 277. New York: Cooper Square Publishers, 1970. Marty, Jean-Pierre. The Tempo Indications of Mozart, 69. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1988. The Mozart Compendium: A Guide to Mozart’s Life and Music, edited by H. C. Robbins Landon, 318. New York: Schirmer Books, 1990.
Te Deum laudamus, K. 141 / 66b (1769) Duration: ca. 11 minutes Text: This is an anonymous hymn of thanksgiving in church use since the sixth century. It is usually sung during the Matins service. The apochryphal source of its genesis is that it was spontaneously sung by Ss. Ambrose and Augustine on the evening when Augustine was baptized. Performing Forces: voices: SATB choir; orchestra: 4 trumpets in C, timpani, organ, and strings [no violas] First Performance: The premiere is unknown, but given the absence of violas, it was surely intended for the Salzburg Cathedral. Edition: Te Deum laudamus is published in a critical edition in Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Neue Ausgabe sämtlicher Werke, published by Bärenreiter, series 1, work group 3, page 43, edited by Hellmut Federhofer. Other editions available for purchase include Bärenreiter, Kalmus, Breitkopf und Härtel, and C. F. Peters.381 Autograph: The location of the autograph score is unknown. Fragments of the original performance materials, with changes in the hand of Leopold Mozart, survive in the Archives of the Salzburg Cathedral. Additional manuscript materials are in the Mozarteum in Salzburg, and the Clementinum University Library in Prague. 381 David Daniels indicates in his Orchestral Music: A Handbook, 3rd edition, 294, that the trumpet parts are in the hand of Leopold Mozart and are labeled 2 clarini and 2 trombe. The Bärenreiter edition includes these. The Peters and Breitkopf und Härtel sets are for strings and organ only. The Kalmus edition divides these trumpet
Notes: This work was probably completed at the end of 1769 in Salzburg. It is based very closely upon a similar setting of this text by Michael Haydn. Performance Issues: The choral writing is generally homophonic and within comfortable vocal ranges for all of the parts. The style is very declamatory, which is used to great effect through a number of syncopated figures. There is an imitative section (measures 143189) that is not doubled by the orchestra and will require the most attention in rehearsal. The brass writing is triumphant and quite accessible. The violins have some rapid scalar passagework. The more intricate the passage, the more likely that it is to be in unison between the two violin parts. The piece is sectionalized without pause. Each section introduces a new tempo. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Leipzig Radio Chorus and Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Herbert Kegel. Philips: 422 520-2PME5. Tolz Boys’ Choir, European Baroque Soloists; conducted by Gerhard Schmidt- Gaden. Sony: SK46493. Arnold Schoenberg Choir, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Recorded in 1990. Teldec: 4509-96147-2. Selected Bibliography: Jahn, Otto. The Life of Mozart, translated by Pauline D. Townsend [originally published in 1891], volume 1, 278. New York: Cooper Square Publishers, 1970. Marty, Jean-Pierre. The Tempo Indications of Mozart, 5, 68, 73, 83. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1988. The Mozart Compendium: A Guide to Mozart’s Life and Music, edited by H. C. Robbins Landon, 86, 317, 318. New York: Schirmer Books, 1990.
Veni sancte spiritus, K. 47 (1768) Duration: ca. 4 minutes Text: This text is the sequence for the first week of Pentecost. It is from the late twelfth century. It has been ascribed to a number of authors. Stephan Langton is the most likely.382 Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes, 2 horns in C, 2 trumpets in C, timpani, organ, and strings First Performance: The premiere is unknown, but it may have been for Pentecost Sunday 1768 in Vienna.
parts among oboes, bassoon, and trumpets for which there is no scholarly substantiation. 382 Ron Jeffers, Translations and Annotations of Choral Repertoire, Volume I: Sacred Latin Texts, 238 (Corvallis, OR: Earthsongs, 1988).
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Edition: Veni sancte spiritus is published in a critical edition in Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Neue Ausgabe sämtlicher Werke, published by Bärenreiter, series 1, work group 3, page 12, edited by Hellmut Federhofer. Other editions available for purchase include Kalmus.
The Mozart Compendium: A Guide to Mozart’s Life and Music, edited by H. C. Robbins Landon, 317, 318. New York: Schirmer Books, 1990. Gutman, Robert W. Mozart: A Cultural Biography, 247. New York: Harcourt Brace, 1999.
Autograph: The location of the autograph score is unknown. The NMA edition is based upon manuscript copies in St. Peter’s in Salzburg (1776) and the Benedictine Priory in Mariazell (VI/89). Additional manuscript materials are in the Mozarteum I Salzburg, the Preussischen Staatsbibliothek in Berlin (Mus. Ms. 15111), the Domchorarchiv of St. Peter’s in Salzburg, and the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde in Vienna.
Venite populi (Offertorium de venerabili sacramento), K. 260 / 248a (1776)
Notes: This work was probably composed in autumn of 1768, likely around Whitsunday, in Vienna. Performance Issues: The choral parts are declamatory and primarily homophonic, with an intermingling of imitative passages. All of the choral material is clearly doubled by the orchestra. The solos are brief interjections. This is a very accessible and triumphant work lending itself well to the beginning of a concert. Soloists: soprano - range: g'-d'', tessitura: g'-d'', this is a very simple declamatory solo part best suited to a chorister; alto - range: e'-b', tessitura: e'-b', this is a very simple declamatory solo part best suited to a chorister; tenor - range: a-e♭', tessitura: a-e♭', this is a very simple declamatory solo part best suited to a chorister; bass - range: g-b, tessitura: g-b, this is a very simple declamatory solo part best suited to a chorister. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Dagmar Schellenberger-Ernst, Rosemarie Lang, Ralph Eschrig, René Pape; Leipzig Radio Chorus and Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Herbert Kegel. Philips: 422 520-2PME5. Charlotte Margiono, Elisabeth von Magnus, Christoph Prégardien, Thomas Hampson; Arnold Schoenberg Choir, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Recorded in 1991. Teldec: 450998928-2. Selected Bibliography: Jahn, Otto. The Life of Mozart, translated by Pauline D. Townsend [originally published in 1891], volume 1, 97. New York: Cooper Square Publishers, 1970. Keys, Ivor. Mozart: His Music in His Life, 59. New York: Holmes and Meier, 1980. Geiringer, Karl. “Church Music.” In The Mozart Companion, edited by H. C. Robbins Landon and Donald Mitchell, 2nd edition, 363. London: Oxford University Press, 1965; available as a reprint, Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1981. Marty, Jean-Pierre. The Tempo Indications of Mozart, 73, 92, 171. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1988.
Duration: ca. 5 minutes Text: The text is a eucharistic offertory for the elevation of the sacrament. Performing Forces: voices: 2 SATB choirs; orchestra: bassoon (continuo), 3 trombones [alto, tenor, and bass], organ (continuo), and strings [no violas] First Performance: The premiere information is uncertain, but it was probably in Salzburg in 1776. Edition: Venite populi is published in a critical edition in Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Neue Ausgabe sämtlicher Werke, published by Bärenreiter, series 1, volume 3, page 199, edited by Hellmut Federhofer. Other editions available for purchase include Bärenreiter. Autograph: The autograph score is in the Österreichische Nationalbibliothek in Vienna (Mus. Hs 18975). Original manuscript materials, in the hand of Leopold Mozart, are in the Domchorarchiv in Salzburg. Additional manuscript materials are in the Preussischen Staatsbibliothek in Berlin (Mus. Ms. 15089). Notes: This work was probably composed in June 1776 in Salzburg. Performance Issues: The trombones double the alto, tenor, and bass of choir one. If two choirs were to be combined for a performance, the less-secure ensemble should be assigned that part, as it requires less musical independence. There is some doubling of choir two, but it is not as conspicuous nor as pervasive. The choral writing is fairly syllabic, and the counterpoint is appropriately complex, although each vocal part is fairly direct. The instrumental writing is quite conservative. The trombone parts are the most challenging. The string writing is within the abilities of intermediate-level players. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Leipzig Radio Chorus and Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Herbert Kegel. Philips: 422 520-2PME5. Tolz Boys’ Choir, European Baroque Soloists; conducted by Gerhard Schmidt-Gaden. Sony: SK46493. Arnold Schoenberg Choir, Vienna Concentus Musicus; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Recorded in 1990. Teldec: 4509-96147-2.
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
NIELSEN, Carl (b. Sortelung, Denmark, 9 June 1865; d. Copenhagen, 3 October 1931) Nielsen is the most celebrated of all twentieth-century Danish composers. He studied composition privately with Orla Rosenhoff, and was a student at the Royal Conservatory in Copenhagen where he studied music theory with Rosenhoff and J.P.E. Hartmann and music history with Niels Gade. Having learned to play the violin and cornet as a child, he played in a variety of bands and orchestras including the Royal Chapel Orchestra of Copenhagen (1889-1905). He also conducted at the Royal Theater (1908-1914) and the Musikforeningen (1915-1927). His works, while tonally centered, are highly experimental with significant explorations of dissonance and attempts toward musical expressionism. His works only entered the standard repertory years after his death. Teachers: Johann Peter Emilius Hartmann, Orla Rosenhoff Student: Knud Jeppesen Writings: Levende musik (Copenhagen: Edition Wilhelm Hansen, 1925; in English translation as Living Music) (London: Edition Wilhelm Hansen, 1953). Min fynske barndom (Copenhagen: Edition Wilhelm Hansen, 1927); in English translation by Reginald Spink, as My Childhood (London: Edition Wilhelm Hansen, 1955). Principal Works: opera - Saul og David, op. 25 (1901), Maskarade, op. 39 (1906); orchestral - six Symphonies (op. 7, 1892; op. 16, 1902; op. 27, 1911; op. 29, 1916; op. 50, 1922; op. 116, 1926), Violin Concerto, op. 33 (1911), Flute Concerto, op. 119 (1926), Clarinet Concerto, op. 57 (1928); vocal - Hyldest til Holberg, op. 102 (1922), Hymne til Kunsten, op. 141 (1929), many songs, and occasional cantatas. Selected Composer Bibliography: Simpson, Robert. Carl Nielsen: Symphonist 1865-1931. London: J. M. Dent and Sons, 1952. Nielsen, Carl. Levende musik. Copenhagen: Edition Wilhelm Hansen, 1925; in English translation as Living Music. London: Edition Wilhelm Hansen, 1953. ———. Min fynske barndom. Copenhagen: Edition Wilhelm Hansen, 1927; in English translation by Reginald Spink, as My Childhood. London: 1955. Sørensen, Søren. “The Choral Works.” Translated by Ruth Bantzen, in Carl Nielsen: Centenary Essays, Jürgen Balzer, editor. London: Dennis Dobson, 1966; originally published in Danish by Nyt Nordisk Forlag, 1965. Miller, Mina F. Carl Nielsen: A Guide to Research. New York: Garland Publishing, 1987.
Hymnus Amoris, op. 12 (1896) Duration: ca. 25 minutes Text: At Nielsen’s request, the text was initially written by Axel Olrik in Danish and translated into Latin by Johan Ludvig Heiberg. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, tenor, baritone, and bass soloists; children’s choir (optional), SATB choir; orchestra: 3 flutes (flute III doubling piccolo), 3 oboes (oboe III doubling English horn), 2 clarinets in A, 2 bassoons, 4 horns in F, 3 trumpets in C, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion (2 players - glockenspiel, triangle), and strings First Performance: 27 April 1897; Copenhagen Edition: Hymnus Amoris is published by Wilhelm Hansen Musik-Forlag. The piano-vocal score is available for purchase; orchestral materials are available through rental. A reprint of the Hansen edition is available for purchase from Kalmus. Notes: The inspiration for Hymnus amoris came from a Titian painting of a man murdering his lover out of jealousy. Nielsen saw this painting in Padua while honeymooning in 1891. He chose to set a Latin text to signify the “monumental and universal nature of the theme: Love’s power over our lives.” The text is divided into “Childhood,” “Youth,” “Manhood,” and “Old Age.” The children’s choir is used to portray youth. Nielsen indicates that a women’s subsection of the choir may sing this section. The women of the choir also represent the mother in a dialogue with the child, which reinforces the advantage of using a children’s choir. The “Manhood” portion is sung by the men of the choir, and in the conclusion of the work, the choirs combine to represent a choir of angels with the children (SSAA), and a choir of mankind (AATB). The three male soloists serve as a trio portraying old age. The full score includes a forward by the composer, and Olrik’s original Danish text paired with the Latin translation used in the score and also a German translation. Performance Issues: The use of a children’s choir is imperative in creating a clear sense of the text. The children’s voices serve as children and angels, while the adult singers portray mankind, allowing the sometimes simultaneous roles to be clearly perceived. There are passages assigned to the children, which are a cappella in four parts. All of the vocal writing is tonally centered and follows common-practice voiceleading procedures. With the exception of the previously mentioned unaccompanied passages, the choral material is very clearly supported by the accompaniment. Nielsen uses a variety of choral textures, usually maintaining three or four levels of rhythmic activity for the singers. Much of the work is heavily orchestrated, so a large choir is preferable. The orchestra parts are accessible to players of moderate experience.
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The brass parts have some fairly sustained playing. There are some peculiar harmonic notations for the viola, which use bass clef with the C string tuned down to A. The players are asked to tune down to A and back up to C during the performance. Nielsen’s methods of overlapping levels of melodic material may present some challenges in achieving clarity between the parts. Soloists: soprano - range: c'-b♭'', tessitura: g'g'', this is the most substantial of the solo roles, it is quite sustained and dramatic; tenor - range: e-g', tessitura: f-f', this role is sustained and lyric; baritone range: A-d', tessitura: c-c', this is a brief solo in an ensemble texture; bass - range: G#-c', tessitura: B-a, this is a brief solo in an ensemble texture. Choir: medium easy, Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: I. Nielsen, P. Elming, A. Elkrog, P. Hoyer, J. Ditlevsen; Danish National Radio Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, Copenhagen Boys’ Choir; conducted by Leif Segerstam. Chandos: 8853 [DDD]. Selected Bibliography: Doctor, David Reinhardt. Choral Music in Denmark 1900-1960: Repertory and Stylistic Trends. University of Minnesota, Ph.D. dissertation, 1976. Krenek, Thomas Bradley. An Examination and Analysis of the Choral Music of Carl Nielsen. University of Cincinnati, Doctor of Musical Arts dissertation, 1984, part I. Christiansen, Cheryl Ann. An Analysis of Carl Nielsen’s Choral-Symphonic Works: Fynsk forar, opus 42; Hymnus amoris, opus 12; and Søvnen, opus 18. University of Texas at Austin, Master’s of Music thesis, 1996.
Søvnen, op. 18 [Sleep] (1904) Duration: ca. 20 minutes Text: The text by Johannes Jørgensen is in Danish and was written at the request of the composer. The score includes a German singing translation prepared by C. Rocholl. Performing Forces: voices: SATB choir; orchestra: 3 flutes (flute III doubling picolo), 2 oboes, 2 clarinets in A, 2 bassoons, 4 horns in F, 3 trumpets in C, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion (1 player - glockenspiel), and strings First Performance: 21 March 1905 Edition: Søvnen is published by Wilhelm Hansen Musik-Forlag (number 1288). The piano-vocal score is available for purchase, all other materials are available through rental.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Notes: This work is tripartite with the first and third sections portraying the calm and restfulness of sleep interrupted by the nightmare of the second section. Performance Issues: Nielsen uses a variety of choral textures, including some imitative procedures. The largest portions utilize homophonic block-chord writing and paired doubling. These pairings are usually tenor with bass and soprano with alto. These divisions make this an unusually suitable work to select for a program in which a men’s choir and a women’s choir are to be combined shortly before a joint performance. There are two-part divisi for each section of the choir. The harmonic language of this work is functionally tonal throughout. The vocal harmonies are triadic with scalar and triadic melodic motion. There are some interesting passages, which have an element of polytonality with opposed tonal centers in the treble and bass registers. Some of these are spelled with chromatic cross relations. The choral parts are very lyrically conceived and are readily accessible to less-experienced ensembles. All of the vocal material is well supported by the orchestra. The instrumental parts are very idiomatic and conservatively written. The choral and orchestral parts are appropriate for average community ensembles. Choir: medium easy, Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Inga Nielsen, Poul Elming, Arne Elkrog, Per Høyer, Jorgen Ditlevsen; Danish National Radio Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, Copenhagen Boys’ Choir; conducted by Leif Segerstam. Chandos: 8853 [DDD]. selections: Aksel Schiøtz, tenor; orchestra; HMV X 6612 [78]. Selected Bibliography: Doctor, David Reinhardt. Choral Music in Denmark 1900-1960: Repertory and Stylistic Trends. University of Minnesota, Ph.D. dissertation, 1976. Krenek, Thomas Bradley. An Examination and Analysis of the Choral Music of Carl Nielsen. University of Cincinnati, Doctor of Musical Arts dissertation, 1984, part II. Christiansen, Cheryl Ann. An Analysis of Carl Nielsen’s Choral-Symphonic Works: Fynsk forar, opus 42; Hymnus amoris, opus 12; and Søvnen, opus 18. University of Texas at Austin, Master’s of Music thesis, 1996.
Fynsk Foraar, op. 42 [Springtime in Funen] (1921) Duration: ca. 18 minutes Text: The text by Aage Bernsten is in Danish (see under “Notes” below). The Hansen edition distributed outside of Denmark is published with singing translations in English (by C. Rocholl) and German (by K. Tindall), but without the original Danish.
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Performing Forces: voices: soprano, tenor, and baritone soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes (flute II doubling piccolo), 2 oboes, 2 clarinets in A and B ♭, 2 bassoons, 4 horns in F, 2 trumpets in C, timpani, percussion, and strings First Performance: 8 July 1922; Danish Choral Society Edition: Fynsk Foraar is published by Wilhelm Hansen Musik-Forlag. All materials are available through rental. Notes: Funen is the name of Nielsen’s native island. The poet was also a native of Funen. The text was the firstplace winner of a poetry contest on the theme of Danish life. Nielsen chose to set it to music a few years later. The work is divided into four movements with the first serving as an introduction and the remaining three presenting scenes from rural Danish. Performance Issues: The choral writing is entirely in homophonic, block-chord style. The rhythms are very logogenic. The rhythmic similarities of Danish to German and English make the singing translations read fairly well. The pitch material of the choir is functionally tonal and generally diatonic. The a cappella movement is quite short and musically very accessible even to inexperienced choirs, with narrow ranges for each part. There are two brief solos for a boy and girl in movement II, each is about eight measures long with a range from e' to e''. This movement also has very brief passages, which are labeled “girls” and “boys,” which would be most effectively sung by a children’s group, but which could be sung by members of the adult choir if necessary. There are minimal divisi for the sopranos and a four-part movement for the men, but no divisi for the altos. The orchestral writing is very accessible and quite conservative. It appears to be a score which the composer envisioned being played by provincial community orchestras, and it is well conceived for such use. This is a charming and lighthearted secular work, which is within the means of most ensembles and which could provide a useful contrast to many other symphonic choral works on a larger program. Soloists: soprano - range: b-a'', tessitura: a'-f'', this is a lyric and scalar role with sustained passages in the upper range; tenor - range: e-g#', tessitura: f#-e', this role is lilting and folksong like; baritone - range: A-e♭', tessitura: d-b, this role is a light and lyric baritone part, which is notated in treble clef with the obvious intention of sounding down an octave. Choir: easy, Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: I. Nielsen, P. Elming, A. Elkrog, P. Hoyer, J. Ditlevsen; Danish National Radio Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, Copenhagen Boys’ Choir; conducted by Leif Segerstam. Chandos: 8853 [DDD]. Selected Bibliography:
Schousboe, Torben. “Samtale med Emil Telmanyi.” Dansk Musik Tidsskrift 40:4 (May 1965): 95-100. Krenek, Thomas Bradley. An Examination and Analysis of the Choral Music of Carl Nielsen. University of Cincinnati, Doctor of Musical Arts dissertation, 1984, part III. Christiansen, Cheryl Ann. An Analysis of Carl Nielsen’s Choral-Symphonic Works: Fynsk forar, opus 42; Hymnus amoris, opus 12; and Søvnen, opus 18. University of Texas at Austin, Master’s of Music thesis, 1996.
ORFF, Carl (b. Munich, 10 July 1895; d. Munich, 29 March 1982) Orff was an innovative composer of remarkable pieces of musical theater, and a highly influential figure in music education. The “O Fortuna” movement from his Carmina Burana has become one of the most recognized themes in all Western music. Orff attended the Munich Academy of Music where he studied with Anton Beer-Walbrunn and Hermann Zilcher. Following World War I, he had additional studies with Heinrich Kaminski. In 1924, with Dorothee Günther, he founded the Günther School where he began his lifelong devotion to the musical education of youth. He developed a collection of “Orff instruments,” which were based upon various Asian and African percussion models. These instruments were designed to be easily played with satisfying musical results. Integrating the teaching of Émile Jaques-Dalcroze, he compiled a body of original compositions entitled Schulwerk (1930-1935). Orff’s large-scale compositions borrowed heavily from Greek theater and medieval music, both of which were tempered by contemporary musical processes to create highly dramatic works of musical pageantry in the form of operas and scenic oratorios. Teachers: Anton Beer-Walbrunn, Heinrich Kaminski, Hermann Zilcher Student: Heinrich Sutermeister Principal Works: Carmina Burana (1937), Der Mond (1938), Die Kluge (1942), Catulli Carmina (1943), Die Bernauerin (1945), Antigonæ (1948), Trionfo di Afrodite (1951), Œdipus der Tyrann (1958), Prometheus (1967), Rota (1972) Selected Composer Bibliography: Wagner, Wieland, and Wolfgang E. Schäfer. Carl Orff zum 60. Geburstage. Bayreuth, Germany: Bayreuther Festspiel, 1955. Carl Orff, ein Bericht in Wort und Bild, 2nd edition. Mainz: B. Schotts Söhne, 1960. Liess, Andreas. Carl Orff, translated to English by Adelheid and Herbert Parkin. London: Calder and Boyars, 1966.
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Carl Orff: sein Leben und sein Werk in Wort, Bild, und Noten, edited by H. W. Schmidt. Cologne: 1971.
Carmina Burana, (1935-1936)
cantiones
profanae
Duration: ca. 65 minutes Text: Selected by Orff from the Benedictbeuren Collection, the texts are in Latin and Middle High German. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, tenor, baritone soloists; choir, semichoir, unison children’s choir; orchestra: 3 flutes (flutes II and III doubling piccolo), 3 oboes (oboe III doubling English horn), clarinet in E♭
and B♭, 2 clarinets in A and B♭, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 4 horns, 3 trumpets in B♭ and C, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani (5 and 1 timp-piccolo), celeste, 2 pianos, percussion (5 players - 3 glockenspiels, xylophone, castanets, rattle or maraca, sleigh bells, triangle, 2 crotales (no pitch indicated), 4 cymbals (suspended and crash), tamtam, 3 bells (f, c', f'), chimes, tambourine, 2 snare drums, and bass drum), and strings
First Performance: 8 June 1937; Frankfurt am Main, Germany Edition: Carmina Burana is published by Schotts. The piano-vocal score (2877), miniature score (4425), full score (4920), and choral parts are available for purchase; orchestral materials are available through rental. Notes: The texts are from a collection of manuscripts in the Beuren monastery. They focus on the activities of the Goliards who were bacchanalian poets in the Middle Ages. This is the first of three works, which the composer would later group together as Trionfi — Trittico Teatrale. It would be useful to compare this work with Stravinsky’s Svadebka (all) and Honegger’s Le Roi David (XXIII) as part of the score study. Performance Issues: The main choir should be large and capable of rhythmic precision. Ranges of all choral parts extend fairly high, and there are two-part divisi for each choral section. There are also extended sections which move in parallel diatonic triads. The score is primarily diatonic with much paired doubling between the men’s and women’s parts. The vocal material is thoroughly supported by the orchestra. The singers must be well prepared to execute rapid changes of tempo and dynamics. The children’s choir parts are quite easily learned. There are some passages where the children’s choir is in unison with the soprano soloist, or the adult choir, which suggests placing them on stage; however, they only sing in movements XV and XXII. The nature of the score would allow them to enter the stage between movements XIV and XV. The scoring suggests a large symphonic choir. There are a few movements which are labeled for small choir. These movements are, conveniently, the more difficult
to learn, so a subgroup of stronger singers can be assigned these parts. In movement XX it is advisable to assign this stronger small choir to the choir II parts. The most difficult choral movement is XIX, which is for six-part men’s choir, a cappella, and this is written in parallel triadic motion throughout. The orchestral parts are generally accessible to moderately experienced players. There is a solo for bassoon I in movement XII, which is high and quite difficult. Movement VI is an orchestral dance, which has frequent meter changes with exchanges between diverse instruments on the downbeats of new meters, which can create some temporal hesitation. The two piano parts are very prominent and require secure players. The piano material frequently doubles the woodwinds, which may be considered when selecting the placement of the pianos on stage. The percussion parts require experienced players. Especially important are the timpanist, and the presence of at least one strong mallet player. soloists: soprano - range: d'-d''', tessitura: a'-a'', this is a coquettish role, which must be effortless at the top of the range; tenor - range: c'-d'', tessitura: c'-d'', this role is sometimes given to countertenors, but the drama of the singer portraying a dying swan on a spit is best served with a tenor; baritone - range: B-a' (b' in falsetto), tessitura: e-g'', this role must have a falsetto that carries over a moderate accompaniment, endurance in the high range, and a strong stage presence. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Elfride Trötschel, Paul Kuen, Hans Braun and Karl Hoppe; Bavarian Radio Chorus and Orchestra; conducted by Eugen Jochum. Decca: DL 9706 [LP]. Giebel, Cordes, Kuen; Cologne Radio Symphony Orchestra, West German Radio Chorus; conducted by Wolfgang Sawallisch, recorded in 1956. Angel: CDM-64237 [ADD]. Söderström, Bäckelin, Svanholm; Stockholm Philharmonic and Chorus; conducted by Schmidt-Isserstedt, recorded live 26 November 1954. 8 Bis: CD-421/424 [AAD]. June Anderson, Philip Creech, Bernd Weikl; Chicago Symphony and Chorus; conducted by James Levine. Deutsche Grammophon: 415136-2 GH [DDD]. Armstrong, English, Allen; London Symphony and Chorus, St. Clement Danes Boys’ Choir; conducted by André Previn. Angel: CDC-47411 [DDD]. Sheila Armstrong, John Graham Hall, Rayner Cook; Hallé Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Maurice Handford. Angel: CDB-62005 [ADD]. Auger, Van Kesteren, Summers; Philharmonia Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Riccardo Muti. Angel: CDC-47100 [DDD]. Judith Blegen, Kenneth Riegel, Peter Binder; Cleveland Orchestra and Chorus (Robert Page, chorus-master); conducted by Michael Tilson Thomas. CBS: MK33172 [ADD].
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Judith Blegen, William Brown, Håkan Hagegård; Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Robert Shaw. Telarc: CD-80056 [DDD]. Norma Burrowes, Louis Devos, John Shirley-Quirk; Royal Philharmonic, Brighton Festival Chorus; conducted by Antal Dorati. London: 417714-2 LM [ADD]. Sylvia Greenberg, James Bowman, Stephen Roberts; Berlin Radio Symphony and Chorus; conducted by Riccardo Chailly. London: 411702-2 LH [DDD]. Edita Gruberova, John Aler, Thomas Hampson; Berlin Philharmonic, Shinyukai choir, Berlin Cathedral Boys’ Choir; conducted by Seiji Ozawa. Philips: 422363-2 PH [DDD]. Janice Harsanyi, Rudolf Petrak, Harve Presnell; Philadelphia Orchestra and Rutgers University Chorus; conducted by Eugene Ormandy. CBS: MYK-37217 [ADD]. Barbara Hendricks, John Aler, Håkan Hagegård; London Symphony and Chorus; conducted by Riccardo Muti. RCA: RCD1-4550 [DDD]. Janowitz, Stolze, Fischer-Dieskau; German Opera Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Eugen Jochum. Deutsche Grammophon: 423886-2 GGA [ADD]. Barbara Hendricks, Michael Chance, Jeffrey Black; London Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus, St. Alban’s Cathedral Choristers; conducted by Franz Welser-Möst. Angel: CDC-54054 [DDD]. Evelyn Mandac, Stanley Kolk, Sherrill Milnes; Boston Symphony and New England Conservatory Chorus; conducted by Seiji Ozawa. RCA: 6533-2-RG [ADD]. Popp, Unger, Wolansky, Noble; New Philharmonia Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Frühbeck de Burgos. Angel: CDM-69060 [CD]. Subrtova, Tománek, Srubar; Czech Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Smetácek. Supraphon Gems: 2SUP-0025 [ADD]. Jenisová, Dolezal, Kusnjer; Czechoslovak Radio Symphony Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by S. Guzenhauser. Naxos: 8.550196 [DDD]. Walmsley-Clark, Hall, Maxwell; London Symphony and Chorus, Southend Boys’ Choir; conducted by Richard Hickox. MCA Classics: MCAD-25964 [DDD]. Bareva, Kamenov, Yanukov; Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by G. Robev. Forlane: UCD-16556 [DDD]. Casapietra, Hiestermann, Stryczek; Leipzig Radio Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Herbert Kegel. Philips: 420713-2 [DDD]. Regina Klepper, Ulrich Ress, James Taylor, Dietrich Henschel; München Motettenchor, Residenzorchester München; conducted by Hans Rudolf Zobeley. Caligari: CAL 50938 [DDD]. Lisa Griffiths, Ulrich Ress, Thomas Mohr; Kinderchor Frankfurt, Kinderchor des Goethegymnasium, Figuralchor Frankfurt, Frankfurt Singakademie, Frankfurt
Kantorei; conducted by Muhai Tang, recorded 3 October 1993 in the Grosser Saal of the Alte Oper, Frankfurt. Wergo: WER 6275-2 [DDD]. with synthesized orchestra: Deis, Cody, Pedrotti; Jeffrey Reid Baker, synthesizers; New York Choral Society; conducted by Robert DeCormier. Newport Classics: NCD-60052 [DDD].
383 Orff indicates “legni” in the list of instruments, which can be used to indicate wood blocks or wooden sticks; however, he does
not include the term within the score, except to describe types of beaters.
Selected Bibliography: Schadewaldt, Wolfgang. “Carl Orff Trionfi, die Idee des Werks”; Ruppel, K. H. “Trionfi, zur Geschichte ihrer Entstehung und Erneuerung durch Carl Orff”; and “Carl Orff, Trionfi, Werk und Wirkung.” Booklet published in French, English, and German, with the complete recording of Trionfi by Deutsche Grammophon in 1957. Schadewaldt, Wolfgang. “Carl Orff—Trionfi.” In Hellas und Hesperin. Zurich: Artemis Verlag, 1960. Pahlen, Kurt. The World of the Oratorio, 253-255. Portland, OR: Amadeus Press, 1985. Berger, Melvin. Guide to Choral Masterpieces: A Listener’s Guide, 232-233. New York: Anchor Books, 1993.
Catulli Carmina, ludi scaenici (1942) Duration: ca. 45 minutes Text: The texts are chosen from the Latin writings of Catullus. Performing Forces: voices: soprano and tenor soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 4 pianos; timpani (4 drums), percussion (10-12 players - xylophone, tenor troughxylophone [may be substituted by marimba], 2 glockenspiels, metalophone [may be subsituted by vibraphone with the motor off], lithophone [optional], wooden sticks or wood blocks,383 maracas, 3 tambourines, triangle, bass drum, crotales, crash cymbals, suspended cymbals, tam-tam), and castanets played by a dancer First Performance: 6 November 1943; Leipzig, Germany Edition: Catulli Carmina is published by Schotts. The piano-vocal score (3990), miniature score (4565), and choral parts are available for purchase; orchestral materials are available through rental. Notes: Catulli Carmina is a musico-theatric work in which the soloists represent Catullus and Clodia (Lesbia) who caution the younger people, represented by the chorus, about the perils of love. Lesbia becomes unfaithful and Catullus is left folorn, yet their younger audience is not turned away from their amorous pursuits. The courtship of Catullus and Lesbia is to be pantomimed by two dancers. The composer
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envisioned this work to be performed with the chorus and orchestra in the pit and the soloists and dancers on stage. This is the second of three works, which the composer would later group together as Trionfi — Trittico Teatrale. Performance Issues: This work was conceived of in theatrical terms and is best presented in this fashion. As music for pantomime it could be an effective and dramatic score. As absolute music it is limited. The vocal parts are very easily learned, featuring straightforward rhythms and a narrow pitch palette. The chorus often intones a single pitch for pages of the score. Melodic material is diatonic and most figures are treated as ostinati. The legitimate challenge for the singers is the tessitura of certain sections, lending itself to inevitable vocal fatigue. The sections labeled Acts I, II, and III are unaccompanied, but are fairly static in the sense of pitch centricity. There is a brief section at [47] where a portion of the basses are asked to sing an exposed pedal D. The instrumental parts, including the pianos, are quite accessible to less-experienced players. This is a very practical work for a collaborative effort between collegiate or community music and dance programs, although some institutions may take exception to the forthright sexuality of the text. Soloists: soprano - range: f#'-b''; tessitura: a'-e''; this is a minor vocal role of only a dozen measures, but the singer must be capable of a pianissimo high bnatural; tenor - range: d-a'; tessitura: a-g'; this role is chant like with some soft sustained high notes, which would be best in a strong falsetto, it is more of a dramatic effort than a musical one. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Elisabeth Roon, Hans Loeffler; Vienna Chamber Choir; Walter Kamper, Eduard Mrazek, Michael Gielen, and Walter Klein, pianists; conducted by Heinrich Hollreiser, recorded in 1954. Vox: PL 8640 [LP]. S. Crowder, P. Bologna; Choral Guild of Atlanta; conducted by W. Noll. Newport Classics: NCD 60118 [DDD]. E. Stoyanove, K. Kaludov; Bulgarian Radio and Television Symphony Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by M. Milkov, recorded live in Sofia in 1988. Forlane: UCD 16610 [DDD]. Regina Klepper, Ulrich Ress, James Taylor, Dietrich Henschel; München Motettenchor, Residenzorchester München; conducted by Hans Rudolf Zobeley. Caligari: CAL 50938 [DDD]. Lisa Griffiths, Thomas Dewald; Figuralchor Frankfurt, Frankfurt Singakademie, Frankfurt Kantorei; Alois Ickstadt, Elisabeth Kramer, Karl Rarichs, and Fritz Walter-Lindquist, pianists; conducted by Wolfgang Schäfer, recorded 3 October 1993 in the Grosser Saal
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
of the Alte Oper, Frankfurt. Wergo: WER 6275-2 [DDD]; also released as Koch Schwann: 314 021. Selected Bibliography: Schadewaldt, Wolfgang. “Carl Orff Trionfi, die Idee des Werks”; Ruppel, K. H. “Trionfi, zur Geschichte ihrer Entstehung und Erneuerung durch Carl Orff”; and “Carl Orff, Trionfi, Werk und Wirkung.” Booklet published in French, English, and German, with the complete recording of Trionfi by Deutsche Grammophon in 1957. Schadewaldt, Wolfgang. “Carl Orff—Trionfi.” In Hellas und Hesperin. Zurich: Artemis Verlag, 1960. Pahlen, Kurt. The World of the Oratorio, 255. Portland, OR: Amadeus Press, 1985.
Trionfo di Afrodite: Concerto scenico (1950-1951) Duration: ca. 45 minutes Text: Taken from the writings of Catullus, Sappho, and Euripides, the texts are in Latin and Greek. Performing Forces: voices: 1 or 2 soprano, 1 or 2 tenor, and bass soloists; soprano choir, tenor choir, large choir, and dancing choir; orchestra: 3 flutes (flute III doubling piccolo ), 3 oboes (oboes II and III doubling English horn), clarinet in E♭, 2 clarinets in B♭, 3 bassoons (bassoon III doubling contrabassoon), 6 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, 2 tubas, percussion (11 players - 6 timpani, 3 glockenspiels, xylophone, marimba, tenor trough-xylophone [marimba is the closest substitute], chimes, tambourine, snare drum with snare, snare drum without snare, 2 bass drums, 4 maracas, 4 wood blocks, castanets, crash cymbals, 2 suspended cymbals, tam-tam, triangle), 2 harps, 3 pianos, 3 guitars, and strings First Performance: concert performance: 13 February 1953; Teatro La Scala; Milan, Italy. staged performance: 10 March 1953; Stuttgart. Edition: Trionfo di Afrodite is published by Schotts. The piano-vocal score (4306) is available for purchase; orchestral materials are available through rental. Notes: This is the third of three works, which the composer would later group together as Trionfi — Trittico Teatrale. Like its companion pieces, it was intended to be performed as a scenic drama. Performance Issues: This work is scored for an enormous ensemble. The choral writing is more adventurous than in Orff’s Catulli Carmina, but he maintains his use of diatonic pitches, ostinati, unison singing, and parallel motion of like triads to keep the musical material within the grasp of amateur singers. Although Orff often pairs the sopranos and tenors in octaves, and likewise the altos and basses, there are sections where this pattern is altered with chromatic
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cross-relations, which may prove difficult to tune. Two harps are necessary for the proper effect. At times the score has each harp playing the same material, but using a contrasting technique. Both harp parts require strong players. The composer suggests 12-14 players for violin I, 12-14 for violin II, 12 for viola, 12 for cello, and 8 doublebasses; this is surely for sound mass alone. The string parts are very simple, and represent only a portion of the work’s total duration. The principal challenge in successfully presenting this work is the coordination of its many disparate elements, as well as the potential difficulties confronted by theatrical situations. This is a remarkably modern interpretation of the classical theater of Ancient Greece and Rome. The directness of the text toward sexual issues may present nonmusical obstacles toward a successful performance as well. Soloists: soprano - range: g-b♭''; tessitura: g'-g''; this role requires vocal agility and dynamic control at the top of the staff, it includes numerous leaps in excess of an octave; tenor - range: B♭-c♭''; tessitura: c'-g'; this is a high, florid, and very ornamented role; bass - range: G-e', tessitura: c-c'; this is a declamatory and powerful role. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Annelies Kupper, Richard Holm; Bavarian Radio Chorus and Orchestra; conducted by Eugen Jochum. Deutsche Grammophon: LPM 18485 [LP]. Susan Roberts, Thomas Dewald, Ulrich Ress; Figuralchor Frankfurt, Frankfurt Singakademie, Frankfurt Kantorei, Cäcilienchor; conducted by Muhai Tang, recorded 3 October 1993 in the Grosser Saal of the Alte Oper, Frankfurt. Wergo: WER 6275-2 [DDD]. Selected Bibliography: Schadewaldt, Wolfgang. “Carl Orff Trionfi, die Idee des Werks”; Ruppel, K. H. “Trionfi, zur Geschichte ihrer Entstehung und Erneuerung durch Carl Orff”; and “Carl Orff, Trionfi, Werk und Wirkung.” Booklet published in French, English, and German, with the complete recording of Trionfi by Deutsche Grammophon in 1957. Schadewaldt, Wolfgang. “Carl Orff—Trionfi.” In Hellas und Hesperin. Zurich: Artemis Verlag, 1960. Pahlen, Kurt. The World of the Oratorio, 255. Portland, OR: Amadeus Press, 1985.
Die Sänger der Vorwelt (1955) Duration: ca. 11 minutes Text: The text, by Friedrich Schiller, is in German. Performing Forces: voices: ST choir; orchestra: timpani, percussion (9 players - glockenspiel, xylophone, marimba, 5 crotales [written: c'', e'', g'', c''', e'''], bass drum, tambourine, crash cymbals, suspended cymbal,
triangle), 2 harps, 2 pianos (or more if available), and doublebasses. First Performance: 3 August 1956; Stuttgart, Germany; as part of the XIV Deutscher Sänger-Bund Festival; Philharmonischer Choir; conducted by Fritz Mende. Edition: Die Sänger der Vorwelt is published by Schotts. The piano-vocal score (4367), full score (4699), and choral parts are available for purchase; orchestral materials are available through rental. The full score and performance materials are combined with Nänie und Dithyrambe, under the single title Dithyrambe. This score was newly revised in 1981. Notes: Die Sänger der Vorwelt was commissioned by the Deutscher Sänger-Bund for their 1956 festival in Stuttgart. Performance Issues: The vocal writing is exclusively homophonic from beginning to end. The soprano and tenor parts are identical except for the octave transposition throughout. These parts are in unison and twoor three-part divisi. The ranges are appropriate for the use of altos and basses on the lower divisions. The vocal parts are well-supported by the accompaniment, and often directly doubled. The harp part is very prominent and could be executed by a single player, but the sonority of the two players in unison is desirable. There must be two pianists and two instruments despite a fair quantity of doubling between the two parts. The doublebass part is very simple, as are the percussion parts. There are numerous meter and tempo changes, which are logical and may be executed with little difficulty. The harp and piano parts are the foundation of the orchestra, so secure players are crucial; however, this is an entirely white-note work, so many of the usual technical difficulties are abated. This is a very accessible work, which displays a strong connection with Orff’s educational works. Choir: easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Regina Klepper, Ulrich Ress, James Taylor, Dietrich Henschel; München Motettenchor, Residenzorchester München; conducted by Hans Rudolf Zobeley. Calig: CAL 50938 [DDD]. Selected Bibliography: Liess, Andreas. Carl Orff, translated to English by Adelheid and Herbert Parkin, 136-137. London: Calder and Boyars, 1966.
Nänie und Dithyrambe (1956) Duration: ca. 7 minutes and 4 minutes, respectively Text: The text, by Friedrich Schiller, is in German. Performing Forces: voices: SATB choir; orchestra: 6 flutes, 3 trombones (optional), timpani, percussion (7 players - glockenspiel, vibraphone, xylophone,
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marimba, crotale [written: c'], dobaci [Japanese temple bell in c'], bass drum, tambourine, crash cymbals, suspended cymbal, large tam-tam, castatnets), 2 harps, 4 pianos (16 hands). First Performance: 4 December 1956; Bremen, Germany; Philharmonische Gesellschaft Bremen; conducted by Hellmut Schnackenburg Edition: Nänie und Dithyrambe is published by Schotts. The choral parts (4939) and full score are available for purchase; orchestral materials are available through rental. The full score and performance materials are combined with Die Sänger der Vorwelt, under the single title, Dithyrambe. This score was newly revised in 1981. Notes: The score is dedicated to the Philharmonische Gesellschaft Bremen. Schiller’s Nänie has also been set for choir and orchestra by Johannes Brahms (op. 82, 1881). Orff’s setting is very minimalist in the true sense of the term. The writing is very sparse. During the first minute of the score only the pitch c has been heard. The treatment of the text is original and quite dramatically effective. There is a good English poetic translation of Dithyrambe in The Fischer-Dieskau Book of Lieder.384 Performance Issues: The score calls for a dobaci on c', which is generally as low as they are made. Some performances have substituted gong for the dobaci, but a better solution is to find a large brake drum of the correct pitch set on a nondamping ring with the open side up. Strike the brake drum on the outside of the rim with a large padded stick. It should be noted that this sound occurs three times in four measures near the end of the Nänie movement. Throughout the two movements there are only six measures of polyphonic writing for the voices, in fact nearly all of the vocal material is in unison. In the few passages with vocal harmonies, the sopranos and altos are doubled an octave lower by the men’s voices. There are some unexpected chromaticisms in the vocal melodies, which are set against pedal points in the accompaniment. The vocal writing is very rhythmic, but with significant repetition of most rhythmic figures. The six flutes are in unison throughout, and are often doubled by the pianos. The four pianists are playing two identical fourhand piano parts. These parts are only moderately challenging; however, the integration with the flutes will present some difficulties in controlling the tempo. This is a very dramatic and musically accessible work. It is well-suited to include dancers. Choir: easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography:
384 Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, The Fischer-Dieskau Book of Lieder, George Bird and Richard Stokes, translators, 190-191 (New York: Limelight Books, 1984).
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Regina Klepper, Ulrich Ress, James Taylor, Dietrich Henschel; München Motettenchor, Residenzorchester München; conducted by Hans Rudolf Zobeley. Caligari: CAL 50938 [DDD]. Selected Bibliography: Liess, Andreas. Carl Orff, translated to English by Adelheid and Herbert Parkin, 137-140. London: Calder and Boyars, 1966.
PAINE, John Knowles (b. Portland, Maine, 9 January 1839; d. Cambridge, Massachusetts, 25 April 1906) Paine’s father owned a music store and conducted the town band. Paine studied in Berlin from 1858 to 1861. Upon his return to the United States he joined the faculty of Harvard University. In 1875, he was appointed Professor of Music at Harvard, becoming the first to hold this title at any American university. Paine’s music is solid and representative of the finest mainstream American concert music of the era, although much of it appears self-consciously serious to modern ears. His best works still have much to offer, but it is as a teacher that he made his most important contributions to American music. Teachers: Hermann Krotzschmar, Wilhelm Wieprecht Students: John Alden Carpenter, Frederick Converse, Arthur Foote, Edward Burlingame Hill, Hugo Leichtentritt, Daniel Gregory Mason, Carl Ruggles Writings: The History of Music to the Death of Schubert (Boston: Ditson, 1907). Other Principal Works: orchestral - Symphony No. 1 (1875), Symphony No. 2 (1879); choral - Mass (1865), St. Peter (1870-1872), Centennial Hymn (1876), Columbus March and Hymn (1893), Hymn of the West (1903). Selected Composer Bibliography: Schmidt, John C. The Life and Works of John Knowles Paine. Ann Arbor, MI: UMI Research Press, 1980.
The Nativity, op. 38 (1883) Duration: ca. 30 minutes Text: The text is taken from On the Morning of Christ’s Nativity (1629) by John Milton. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2
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oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, harp, organ, and strings First Performance: 2 May 1883; Boston; Emma Thursby, Mathilde Phillipps, George W. Want, Myron W. Whitney; Boston Handel and Haydn Society; conducted by the composer Editions: The Nativity was originally published by Arthur Schmidt in 1883 with a revised edition appearing in 1903. A critical edition, prepared by John C. Schmidt, has been published in Recent Researches in American Music, volume 46, by A-R Editions. Autograph: The composer’s manuscript is in the Houghton Library of Harvard University (MS Mus 57.29). This collection also includes the original copyist’s score and original parts (fMS Mus 57.30). Notes: The Nativity was composed for the sixth triennial festival of the Boston Handel and Hayden Society. Paine selected eleven of the twenty-seven stanzas of Milton’s poem. A comparison of the third movement with the finale of Vaughan Williams’s Hodie, which is a setting of the same text, is well worth the effort. Performance Issues: The choral writing balances primarily homophonic sections with some pervasive imitation. There are some passages in which individual sections of the choir are treated as solos. All of the choral material is clearly supported by the orchestra and is not vocally difficult. There are significant sections scored for the full ensemble for which a large string section and symphonic choir are needed. The individual instrumental parts are idiomatic and not difficult, but they require good control of quiet tutti playing. The density of scoring and the occasional layering of textures will require attention to guarantee clarity. Soloists: soprano - range: e'-b♭'' (c'''), tessitura: g'-g'', this is a sustained solo with significant sections sung over the entire orchestra and choir; alto - range: c'-e♭'', tessitura: d'-d'', this is a lyric solo with some florid melismatic passages; tenor - range: e♭-a♭', tessitura: g-f', this is a lyric solo with some florid melismatic passages; bass - range: A♭-e♭', tessitura: c-c', this is a lyric solo with some florid melismatic passages. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Discography: No commercial recording Selected Bibliography: Schmidt, John C. “Introduction” and “Critical Report” from Recent Researches in American Music. Volume 46, John Knowles Paine, The Nativity, Opus 39. Middleton, WI: A-R Editions, Inc., 2004.
PARKER, Horatio (Auburndale, Massachusetts, 15 September 1863; d. Cedarhurst, New York, 19 December 1919) Parker began his musical studies with his mother. After studying with Chadwick and Emery in Boston, he went to Munich to study with Rheinberger. Upon his return to the United States, he settled in New York where he taught in a number of schools including the National Conservatory of Music during the period when it was being led by Dvorak. He served as organist of Trinity Church in Boston from 1893 to 1902. In 1894, Parker joined the music faculty of Yale University. He became Dean of the School of Music there in 1904 and held that post until his death. He founded the New Haven Symphony Orchestra in 1895 and served as its music director until 1918. Parker’s music is solidly in the German tradition. He was a gifted teacher of technique and structure, and he provided a traditional grounding for his students, many of whom were the most creative of their generation. Teachers: George Whitefield Chadwick, Stephen Emery, Joseph Rheinberger Students: Seth Bingham, Charles Ives, Douglas Moore, Quincy Porter, Roger Sessions, David Stanley Smith Other Principal Works: opera - Mona (1912), Fairyland (1914); orchestral - Symphony in C major (1885), A Northern Ballad (1899), Organ Concerto (1902); choral - King Trojan (1885), The Holy Child (1893), The Legend of St. Christopher (1897), Song of the Times (1911), Morven and the Grail (1915) Selected Composer Bibliography: Chadwick, George. Horatio Parker. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1921. Kearns, W. Horatio Parker 1863-1919: A Study of His Life and Music. University of Illinois, dissertation, 1965.
Hora Novissima, op. 30 (1892) Duration: ca. 62 minutes Text: The text is from De Contemptu Mundi by Bernard de Morlaix and is in Latin. The composer included a singing English translation prepared by his mother, Isabella G. Parker. Performing Forces: voices - soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra - 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets (A), 2 bassoons, 4 horns (F), 2 trumpets (D), 3 trombones, tuba, timpani (2 drums), percussion (2 players — bass drum, cymbals), harp, organ, and strings First Performance: 3 May 1893; Church of the Holy Trinity, New York; Mrs. Theodore J. Toedt, Miss Ruth Thompson, Mr. S. Fischer Miller, Mr. Ericksson Bushnell; Mr. Will C Macfarlane, organist; Church
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Choral Society of New York; conducted by the composer Editions: Hora Novissima has been published by H. W. Gray, Novello and Ewer, and Kalmus. Da Capo Press has published a reprint of the 1900 Novello edition with introductory notes by H. Wiley Hitchcock. Autograph: The composer’s manuscript score is in the Library of Congress. Notes: The full title of the work is Hora Novissima: The Rhythm of Bernard De Morlaix on the Celestial Country. It was composed for the Church Choral Society of New York. Of this composition, H. Wiley Hitchcock writes: “Hora Novissima came directly out of Parker’s experience, during visits to Britain between 1890 and 1892, of the English choral festivals in such cities as Leeds and Birmingham. However, he also brought to it his solid training in Munich in the 1880s under Josef Rheinberger and his knowledge of works like Dvorák’s Stabat Mater and the operas and other works of Rossini and Verdi. The result is a composition of undeniable eclecticism—but one intergrated by technical devices such as cyclic themes and also by a consistent atmosphere of German-American hymnic grandeur, solidity, and dignity.”385 Performance Issues: The majority of the choral material is homophonic and syllabic. There are some freely contrapuntal sections. The choir is clearly supported by the accompaniment with the exception of the a cappella movement. Some of the harmonic language is interesting in its use of mediant relationships and occasionally provocative chromaticisms; however, the part writing is quite conservative with fairly static melodic motion. The effect is a monumental sound and fairly unmemorable tunes. The sonic quality of the work is consistently appealing if not always inspiring. The choral parts are vocally accessible and easily taught. The a cappella movement betrays a study of Brahms in its integration of renaissance counterpoint and nineteenth-century harmonic practice. The orchestral writing is idiomatic and solidly arranged. It is a very practically scored composition that will flatter the ensemble. Movement 3 has an extended section of alternating 3/4 and 4/4 measures that were clearly intended to be in 7/4, but lacked the notational practice to write it as such. There is an exposed and important cello quintet in movement 7. Soloists: soprano range: c#'-b♭'', tessitura: f'-f'', this is a sustained lyric solo with some very long phrases; alto - range: a-e'', tessitura: c'-c'', this is a very sustained solo with some wide melodic leaps; tenor - range: d-a', tessitura: g-g', this is a sustained and lyric solo; bass - range: A-e', tessitura: c-c', this is a sustained and lyric solo. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. 385 H. Wiley Hitchcock, “Introduction: to Horatio W. Parker’s Hora Novissima” (New York: Da Capo Press, 1972).
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Selected Discography: American Recording Society: ARS-0335 [LP], released in 1953. Desto: D-413-14/DST-6413-14 [LP mono], released in 1965. Abendmusik Chorus, Nebraska Wesleyan University Choir, Nebraska Chamber Orchestra; conducted by John Levick, recorded in 1994. Albany Records Troy: 125. Selected Bibliography: “Amusements: The Church Choral Society” [review of the premiere]. New York Times (4 May 1893). Reprinted in Source Readings in American Choral Music: Composers’ Writings, Interviews, and Reviews, edited by David P. DeVenney; Monographs and Bibliographies in American Music, number 15, 84-86. Missoula, MT: College Music Society, 1995. Dox, Thurston. American Oratorios and Cantatas: A Catalogue of Works Written in the United States from Colonial Times to 1985, volume 1, 144-147. Metuchen, NJ: Scarecrow Press, 1986. Pahlen, Kurt. The World of the Oratorio, translated by Judith Schaefer with additional English-language material by Thurston Dox, 260-262. Portland, OR: Amadeus Press, 1990. Smither, Howard E. A History of the Oratorio. Volume 4: The Oratorio in the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries, 493-506. Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina Press, 2000.
PENDERECKI, Krsysztof (b. Debica, Poland, 23 November 1933) Penderecki is one of the most innovative and acclaimed of all living composers. He attended Jagellonian University in Krakow and the State Higher School of Music. His teachers included Artur Malawski, Skolyszewski, and Wiechiwicz. In 1959 he won all three composition prizes in the Warsaw Autumn Festival. He joined the faculty of the State Higher School of Music in 1958, remaining there after it became the Academy of Music, and serving as Rector (1972-1987). Additional teaching posts have included the Essen Folkwang Hochschule and Yale University. In his music, he has sought innovative sound resources, which were often achieved using extended techniques for which he developed specialized notational procedures. He received early international recognition with his Threnody to the Victims of Hiroshima (1960). Penderecki has received numerous awards, including the Herder Prize (1977), the Grand
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Medal of Paris (1982), the Sibelius Prize (1983), and memberships in the Royal Academy of Music in London (1975), the Royal Academy of Music in Stockholm (1975), and the East Geman Academy of Arts (1975). Teachers: Artur Malawski, Skolyszewski, Stanislaw Wiechowicz Principal Works: opera - Paradise Lost (1978), Die schwarze Maske (1986), Ubu Rex (1991); orchestral - Anaklasis (1960), Threnody to the Victims of Hiroshima (1960), Polymorphia (1961), Fluorescences (1962), De natura sonoris, no. 1 (1966), De natura sonoris, no. 2 (1968), Symphony no. 1 (1973), Violin Concerto (1976), Christmas Symphony (1980); other choral - Psalms of David (1958), Stabat Mater (1962), De profundis (1977), Te Deum (1980), Agnus Dei (1981), Polish Requiem (1984), Song of the Cherubim (1987) Selected Composer Bibliography: Linthicum, David Howell. Penderecki’s Notation: A Critical Evaluation. University of Illinois, Doctor of Musical Arts thesis, 1972. Erhardt, Ludwik. Spotkania a Krzysztofem Pendereckim. Krakow: Polskie Wydawnictwo Muzyczne, 1975. Felder, David, and Mark Schneider. “Conversations with Krzysztof Penderecki.” The Composer, volume 7 (1976-1977): 8-20. Robinson, Ray. Krsysztof Penderecki: A Guide to His Works. Princeton, New Jersey: Prestige Publications, 1983. Schwinger, Wolfram. Penderecki: Begegnungen, Lebensdaten, Werkkomentare. Stuttgart: Deutsche Verlagsantalt, 1979. Published in English translation by William Mann as Krzysztof Penderecki: His Life and Work. London: Schott, 1989.
Wymiary czasu i ciszy [Dimensions of Time and Silence] (1960) Duration: ca. 15 minutes Text: According to Slonimsky, 386 this work is an attempt to create a musical equivalent to the visual artwork of Paul Klee. He also states that the text is syllables derived from the Latin palindromic square: SATOR AREPO TENET OPERA
386 Nicolas Slonimsky, Music since 1900, 5th edition, 689 (New York: Schirmer Books, 1994).
ROTAS “Creative thirst keeps labor turning.” However, the composer removed the section which contained this Latin text in his revision of the score for a 1961 performance. The remaining text is an agglomeration of vocal sounds. Performing Forces: voices: a choir of 40 solo voices: 10 sopranos, 10 altos, 10 tenors, and 10 basses; orchestra: percussion (7 players - glockenspiel, vibraphone, xylorimba, chimes, 2 snare drums, 2 bongos, 6 tom-toms, 4 timpani, 3 wood drums, 4 cymbals [graduated], gong, tam-tam, triangle, 3 cowbells, claves, 2 metal blocks, 4 glasses), harp, celeste, piano, and strings (6 violins, 4 violas, 4 cellos, and 2 doublebasses) First Performance: 18 September 1960; Warsaw, Poland; Krakow Philharmonic Chorus and Orchestra; conducted by Andrzej Markowski. The concert also included the premiere of Boguslaw Schaeffer’s Tertium datur, as part of the Fourth International Festival of Contemporary Music, “The Warsaw Autumn.” Edition: Wymiary czasu i ciszy is published as Dimensions der Zeit und der Stille by Moeck (5005) and copublished by Polskie. The full score is available for purchase; performance materials are available through rental. Autograph: The published score is derived from the composer’s manuscript. Notes: The published edition of the score omits the Latin “magic square” shown above, which is also known as the Cirencester word square, that was written as an a cappella choral section near the end of the work. This same text was used as an illustration by Anton Webern in a lecture, which was not published until 1960.387 At the time of composition, Penderecki was not familiar with Webern’s association to the text. It might prove interesting to consider restoring this passage for performance. Performance Issues: The score includes quarter-tone writing, sections of indeterminate pitch and rhythm, with many of these elements conveyed through graphic notation. Players and singers are asked to make the highest and lowest possible pitches they can. String players are also directed to play on the tailpiece, between the bridge and tailpiece, to strike the strings with the palm of the hand, and to strike the body of their instruments with their bows and fingers. The singers have only a few pitched moments. In these they are to sing random pitches within a cluster, or to sing a melodic contour of indefinite pitch. The 387 Anton Webern, The Path to the New Music, edited by Willi Reich, 56-58 (London and Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania: Theodore Presser, 1963).
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majority of the choral “singing” involves the rhythmic pronunciation of various consonants and occasional whistling. The design of the vocal parts makes them much less difficult than most of Penderecki’s symphonic-choral works. Although, while the independent parts are very accessible, the interplay between these parts and the overall function within the score will demand careful rehearsal. The score is in C. The composer indicates that the doublebasses sound an octave lower, and the xylorimba, celeste, and glockenspiel an octave higher than written; however, the notation for the glockenspiel suggests that it is to follow traditional notational practice, sounding two octaves higher than written. Each of the string parts is for a solo player. There are a number of intricate melodic passages outlined note-by-note between disparate instruments. The pianist must play inside the piano with a variety of percussion beaters. The passages which utilize the interior of the piano are of indefinite pitch. Sectional rehearsals of the percussion with harp and piano will be necessary before the first tutti rehearsal in order to clarify a number of the unusual techniques employed, and to coordinate instrument assignments and the interplay between the percussionists. Some sources catalogue this work with four percussionists; however, it cannot be done with fewer than seven, each of whom must be a savvy and independent player. While presenting numerous ensemble problems, this work is an excellent point of entry for less-experienced ensembles to explore the devices and notations of the important body of Polish avant-garde repertoire. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult.
Selected Discography: Warsaw National Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Andrzej Markowski, recorded in 1972. Disco: M 0781 [LP]. Re-released as Muza: PNCD 017 A [AAD]. Selected Bibliography: Schwinger, Wolfram. Krzysztof Penderecki: His Life and Work. Translated by William Mann, 194-197. London: Schott, 1989.
Cantata in honorem Almae Matris Universitatis Iagellonicae: sescentos abhinc annos fundatae [Cantata in honor of my alma mater, the Jagellone University, 600 years after its foundation] (1964) Duration: ca. 6 minutes Text: The text is in Latin, taken from the University’s charter.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Performing Forces: voices: 2 SATB choirs; orchestra: contrabassoon, 4 horns in F, 4 trumpets in B♭, 3 trombones, tuba. 2 timpanists, percussion (2 players chimes, bongos, 2 tom-toms, bass drum, 2 cymbals [graduated], tam-tam, gong, triangle, rattle), piano, organ, 6 doublebasses First Performance: 10 May 1964; Warsaw, Poland; Warsaw Philharmonic Chorus and Orchestra; conducted by Witold Rowicki Edition: Cantata in honorem Almae Matris Universitatis Iagellonicae is published by Polskie. The full score is available for purchase; performance materials are available through rental. Autograph: The published score is derived from the composer’s manuscript. Notes: This piece was written to commemorate the 600th anniversary of the Jagellonian University of Krakow. In his sketches Penderecki nicknamed it the “drumstroke” cantata because of the recurrent drumbeat figure. Performance Issues: This work is the most musically conservative of Penderecki’s works for choir and orchestra in that it is thoroughly notated. The notation is primarily traditional. Temporal organization is based upon clear metrical foundations. Pitches are also notated specifically. The choir uses repeated consonant sounds as a percussive effect. Much of the choral work is rhythmically spoken text or speech sounds. In passages where the choir sings, each part repeats a single pitch for the duration of the phrase so that a single section of the choir must find only six or seven successive pitches in the entire work, and the first of these is a unison D, which is clearly prepared in the opening bars of the orchestra. In subsequent entrances the choral pitches are not supported, nor introduced by the orchestra. The harmonic material of the second choral entrance includes eleven discrete pitches with the remaining combinatorial pitch being sounded by most of the orchestral instruments in unison. Some members of the choir are also asked to whistle. There are a number of freely repeating pizzicato passages for the doublebasses, which are of indeterminate rhythm. Each of the doublebasses must be able to play down to CC. The pianist is directed to play within the piano with an assortment of percussion beaters. Although not labeled so, the full score is in C. This score presents significantly fewer problems of time integration and ensemble than the other Penderecki scores presented here; however, more traditionally vertical construction of this score presents many more challenges for intonation. Choir: difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult to difficult.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Selected Discography: Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus of Krakow; conducted by Jerzy Katlewicz. Polish Nagrania: SXL 1151 [LP]. Selected Bibliography: Schwinger, Wolfram. Krzysztof Penderecki: His Life and Work. Translated by William Mann, 32-34. London: Schott, 1989.
Passio Et Mors Domini Nostri Iesu Christi Secundum Lucam [Passion According to St. Luke] (1963-1966) Duration: ca. 80 minutes Text: This Latin text is taken from the Gospel of St. Luke, chapters 22 and 23; Gospel of St. John; Lamentations of Jeremiah; Psalms; and the Roman Catholic Passion Liturgy. Performing Forces: voices: speaker, soprano, baritone, and bass soloists; three SATB choirs, SA children’s choir; orchestra: 4 flutes (flutes I and II doubling piccolo, flute IV doubling alto flute), bass clarinet in B♭, 2 alto saxophones in E♭, 3 bassoons, contrabassoon, 6 horns in F, 4 trumpets in B♭, 4 trombones, tuba, percussion (5 players - vibraphone, chimes, timpani [4 drums], snare drum, 2 bongos, 6 tom toms, bass drum, 4 woodblocks, guiro, claves, whip, ratchet, 4 graduated cymbals, large tam-tam, medium tam-tam, chinese gong, javanese gong), harp, harmonium, organ, piano, and strings (24 violins, 10 violas, 10 cellos, 8 doublebasses) First Performance: 30 March 1966; Münster Cathedral, Münster, Germany; Stefania Woytowicz, Andrzej Hiolski, Bernard Ladysz, Rudolf Jürgen Bartsch; Cologne Radio Chorus (Herbert Schernue, chorusmaster), Tölzer Boys Choir (Gerhard Schmidt, chorusmaster), Cologne Radio Orchestra; conducted by Henryk Czyz Edition: Passio et Mors Domini Nostri Iesu Christi Secundum Lucam is published by Moeck (5028); it is copublished with Polskie. The full score is available for purchase; performance materials are available through rental. “Two Choruses from Passio et Mors Domini Nostri Iesu Christi Secundum Lucam” containing the “In Pulverem Mortis” and “Miserere” for three-part choir a cappella is also available for purchase from Moeck. Autograph: The published score is a facsimile of the composer’s manuscript. Notes: Passio et Mors Domini Nostri Iesu Christi Secundum Lucam was commissioned to commemorate the 700th anniversary of the Münster Cathedral. The score includes a subtle hommage to J. S. Bach
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through a number of statements of his musical motto B-A-C-H, first in retrograde in the organ on the first page of the score, and lastly at the beginning of the final section in the baritone solo. It is a dramatic and fiercely atonal work, which closes with a climactic cadence to E major on the text “In manus tuas commendo spiritum meum: Domine, Deus Veritatis” (Into your hands I commend my spirit: Lord, God of truth). Performance Issues: This is a remarkably expressive and innovative composition, which is accessible only to the most advanced vocal and instrumental ensembles. The score, written in sounding pitch, very effectively integrates traditional notation with modern graphic symbology where nontraditional techniques are employed. Much of the pitch material is serially conceived. The choral pitches are sometimes supported by the accompanying instruments, but there are substantial a cappella sections. The voicing of harmonies within each choir is helpful to the performers, but at times all twelve discrete pitches are being sounded by the singers simultaneously. Additionally there are portions which call for pitch divisions in quarter tones. Penderecki’s orchestrational palette is rich and he often creates orchestral arpeggios of great rhythmic complexity. There are passages in which the composer requests a degree of rhythmic freedom within the section. In sections, which are devoid of a conspicuous pulse, numerous entrances are entirely dependent upon cues or carefully guided patterns of chance. At times the singers employ Sprechstimme. There are divisi within each choral part, at times yielding fortyeight independent vocal parts. The numbers of strings are critical as divisi are indicated by player number. In some sections orchestra members are asked to play the highest or lowest possible sounds on their instruments. There are a number of aleatoric devices including random tone clusters, nonpitched “scat” singing, free repetition of musical figures, and nonspecific notational devices. Some nontraditional notational symbols, which are used within the score do not appear in the explanatory table in the front materials. The pianist is asked to play inside the piano with percussion mallets. The organ part includes a glissando from diminished pressure, requiring an instrument which can sound with the blower turned off. The singing soloists occasionally recite text. Soloists: narrator, the narrator’s entrances are nonprecise and there are no rhythmic recitations, but the complexity of the score surrounding that text make this much more accessible to a person with musical training; soprano, range: b♭-c''', tessitura: c'-e'', these solos are very florid and riddled with pitch challenges, the soprano must have flexibility and wide dynamic control throughout the entire range; baritone, range: A♭-b♭', tessitura: c-c', this role requires a declamatory and flexible voice; bass, range: F-e', tessitura: B-b, this part requires a clear, focused,
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and lyrical voice capable of wide leaps. Choir: very difficult; Orchestra: very difficult. Selected Discography: Stefania Woytowicz, Andrzej Hiolski, Bernard Ladysz, Leszek Herdegen; Krakow Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Henryk Czyz, recorded in 1966. Polish Gramophone: SXL 0325/6 [LP]. Rereleased as Muza: PNCD 017 A [AAD]. Stefania Woytowicz, Andrzej Hiolski, Bernard Ladysz, Leszek Herdegen; Cologne Radio Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Henryk Czyz. RCA: VICS-6015 [LP]. Selected Bibliography: Hutcheson, Robert Joseph Jr. Twentieth-Century Passion Settings: An Analytic Study of Max Baumann’s “Passion,” Op. 63; Frank Martin’s “Golgotha;” Krzysztof Penderecki’s “St. Luke Passion;” and Ernest Pepping’s “Passionsbericht des Mattäus.” Washington University of St. Louis, Missouri, Ph.D. thesis, 1976. Pahlen, Kurt. The World of the Oratorio, 266-267. Portland, OR: Amadeus Press, 1985. Schwinger, Wolfram. Krzysztof Penderecki: His Life and Work, translated by William Mann, 200-214. London: Schott, 1989.
Dies Irae (1967) Duration: ca. 22 minutes Text: The text is taken from Revelation of St. John the Divine, the Psalms, I Corinthians, and poems of Louis Aragon, “Auschwitz;” Broniewski, “Bodies;” Ròzewich, and “A Pigtail;” and Paul Valery, “Le Cimitière riarin;” translated into Latin by Tytus Gorski. Additional texts are extracted from The Eumenides of Aeschylus in Greek. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, tenor/baritone, and bass soloists; choir; orchestra: 4 flutes (flutes I and II doubling piccolo), 3 oboes, 2 alto saxophones in E♭, baritone saxophone in E♭, 3 bassoons, contrabassoon, 6 horns in F, 4 trumpets in B♭, 4 trombones, 2 tubas, percussion (8 players - 6 timpani, chimes, 2 bongos, 2 military drums, field drum, bass drum, 6 cymbals, 2 chinese gongs, javanese gong, 2 tam-tams, ratchet, guiro, whip, metal block [anvil], siren, iron chains, and thunder sheet), harmonium, piano, 10 cellos, 8 doublebasses (no violins or violas)
First Performance: concert premiere: 14 April 1967; Krakow, Poland. Its official premiere was 6 April 1967; 388 Oswiecim (Auschwitz), Poland; Delfina Ambroziak, soprano; Wieslaw Ochman, tenor; Bernard Ladysz, bass; Krakow Philharmonic Orchestra 388 Nicolas Slonimsky lists 17 April for this premiere in Music since 1900, 5th edition. The 16th is indicated in the published score.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
and Chorus, conducted by Krzysztof Missona; for the unveiling of the International Monument to Victims of Fascism on the sight of the Nazi concentration camps Edition: Dies Irae is published by Moeck (5043) and copublished by Polskie. The full score is available for purchase; performance materials are available through rental. Autograph: The published score is derived from the composer’s manuscript. Notes: This work is dedicated to the memory of those exterminated by the Nazis in Auschwitz. Penderecki also composed a setting of this text in his Polish Requiem (1980-1984). Performance Issues: The entire full score is written in sounding pitch. The entire composition is unmetered and written in a amalgamation of graphic and traditional notations. Some of the pitch material is serially generated, but the score includes so many clusters and free-pitch passages that this becomes an inconspicuous feature. The overall effect of this work is as a sound composition of great dramatic effect requiring careful attention to timbre and dynamics. There are numerous aleatoric devices including free repetition, free rhythm, indications of approximate pitch, absence of meter, and imprecise notation. Players are asked to engage in a number of extended techniques. There are string divisi by chair. The lack of metrical organization within this score requires substantial rehearsal time in order to coordinate complex, but unrhythmed interplay between diverse sections of the orchestra. There are six-part divisi within each section of the choir. Much of the choral material is a cappella, and in those sections with orchestra, little of the choral material is in anyway supported by the accompaniment. Despite the quantity of imprecisely notated passages for the choir, this score remains accessible to only the most advanced ensembles. The composer’s exploitation of the upper ranges in the choral parts will require cautious rehearsal planning for the singers. The vocal solos are all difficult, exposed, and relatively short. The composer calls for a “lastra” among the percussion instruments, by which, given the notation, he must mean a thundersheet. Soloists: soprano - range: c'-d♭''', tessitura: g'-f#'', this role requires vocal flexibility to accommodate very broad and awkward leaps; tenor - range: c-a', tessitura: g-a♭', this role is declamatory and triumphant; bass - range: F-e', tessitura: c#b♭, filled with awkward leaps and a number of quartertone pitch indications. Choir: very difficult, Orchestra: very difficult. Selected Discography:
Slonimsky is also the source for the performance in Krakow, which is not noted in the score.
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Stefania Woytowicz, Wieslaw Ochman, Bernard Ladysz; Krakow Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus, conducted by Henryk Czyz. Philips 839/701 LY [LP]. Re-released as Muza: PNCD 021 [AAD]. Szwajgier, Jankowski, Mroz; Polish Radio and Television Symphony Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by S. Kawalla. Conifer: CDCF 185 [DDD]. Selected Bibliography: Marinelli, C. “Review of K. Penderecki: Dies Irae.” La Revue internationale de la musique. Volume 2 (1967): 436. Schwinger, Wolfram. Krzysztof Penderecki: His Life and Work. Translated by William Mann, 214-217. London: Schott, 1989.
Utrenja Part I—Grablegung Christi [The Entombment of Christ] (1969-1971) Duration: ca. 50 minutes Text: This is a setting of a traditional liturgical text in old Slavonic. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, mezzo-soprano, tenor, bass, and basso profundo soloists; double choir; orchestra: 4 flutes (flutes I and II doubling piccolo, flute IV doubling alto flute in G), 3 oboes, 3 clarinets in B♭ (clarinet III doubling soprano clarinet in E♭), bass clarinet in B♭, 2 alto saxophones in E♭, 2 baritone saxophones in E♭, 3 bassoons, contrabassoon, 6 horns in F, 4 trumpets in C, 4 trombones, 2 tubas, timpani, percussion (6 players - vibraphone, marimba, chimes, wood bells, 389 snare drum, 2 bongos, 4 tom-toms, large wood-plate drum, 4 cymbals, 2 [Chinese] gongs, Javanese gong, 2 tam-tams, 2 triangles, 2 rattles, guiro, claves, slapstick, Chinese wood blocks), piano, organ, bass guitar, and strings (24 violins, 10 violas, 10 cellos, 8 doublebasses) First Performance: 8 April 1970; Cathedral of Altenburg, Germany; Stefania Woytowicz, Krystyna Szczepanska, Louis Devos, Bernard Ladysz, Boris Carmeli; North German Radio Choir of Hamburg (Helmut Franz, chorus-master), West German Radio Choir of Cologne (Herbert Schernus, chorus-master), Radio Symphony Orchestra of Cologne; conducted by Andrzej Markowski Edition: Grablegung Christi is published by Schotts in a coedition with Polskie. The miniature score (6314) is available for purchase; performance materials are available through rental.
389 The wood bells are available on rental from the publisher, B. Schott’s Söhne, Mainz.
Autograph: The published score is derived from the composer’s manuscript. Notes: The score is dedicated to Eugene Ormandy. The work is divided into five untitled movements. Performance Issues: The score is written in C. The composer uses a number of graphic devices to introduce elements of indeterminacy. Players and singers are asked to execute their highest and lowest possible pitches; rapid, unmeasured repetitions of single sounds; passages of indeterminate pitch; and unmeasured free repetion of melodic passages. String players are asked to play between the bridge and tailpiece. Some sections of the score use quarter-tones. Penderecki indicates that the two choirs should be placed as far from each other as possible. At times the choirs share the same material, which may be rhythmically active, so that this spatial separation will present aural incongruities, which appear to be an intended musical effect. Individual sections of each choir are subdivided into as many as twelve parts. The harmonic material of both the choirs and orchestra include dense, often specifically notated, clusters, which often include all twelve discrete pitches. Every instrumental part is technically demanding in terms of facility and range. Each brass part involves sustained playing at the upper and lower extremities of playing range. There are extended a cappella sections, including the entire third movement. The choir is directed to whisper and speak text, to whistle, and to percussively repeat consonant sounds in and out of rhythm. Soloists: soprano range: b♭-c''', tessitura: g'-a'', this part requires rapid articulation, wide melodic leaps, and the ability to sustain prolonged pitches at the top of the range; mezzosoprano - range: g#-a'', tessitura: d'-d'', this part exploits the entire range and requires frequent, awkward melodic leaps; tenor - range: c-e''(optional c''), tessitura: d'-a', this soloist must be capable of sustained singing in the uppermost range; bass - range: G-f#', tessitura: d-d', this solo includes sustained passages in the bottom of the range; basso profundo - range: C#d', tessitura: D-d, this soloist must be able to project clearly below the staff. Choir: very difficult; Orchestra: very difficult. Selected Discography: Delfina Ambroziak, Krystyna Szczepanska, Kazimierz Pustelak, Adam Denysenko, Boris Carmeli; Warsaw National Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus, Pioneer Choir; conducted by Andrzej Markowski, recorded in 1973. Polish Gramophone SXL 0889 [LP]. Rereleased as Muza: PNCD-018 [AAD]. Stefania Woytowicz, Kerstin Meyer, Seth McCoy, Bernard Ladyz, Peter Lagger; Temple University Chorus (Robert Page, chorus-master), Philadelphia Orchestra;
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conducted by Eugene Ormandy. RCA: LSC 3180 [LP].
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Notes: The score was commissioned by West German Radio in Cologne.
Performance Issues: This score uses a wide variety of graphic notational devices including indications for highest and lowest possible pitches, free repetition, quickest possible repetition, and indeterminate pitches. There are some additional graphic indications for extended instrumental techniques including playing between the bridge and the tailpiece, slapping the brass mouthpieces, blowing through wind instruments without phonating, overblowing, and arpeggiating the harmonic sequence. There are some uses of quartertone notation which are clearly explained in an opening table; however, there are a number of graphic figures in the score which are not defined within the score and which are not in broad use. The full score uses Italian for instrumental labels and instructions, which are not graphically indicated, but the Slavonic text is written in the Cyrillic alphabet. The score suggests that the two mixed choirs be placed as far from each other as possible. Each mixed choir divides to SSSAAATTTBBB, and the children’s choir is divided to SSSSAAAA. Each of these divisions at some point has an independent percussion part, which is sometimes integrated with a simultaneously sung passage. If possible, the chorus members may be at their best advantage with music stands. If this is not practical, the percussion assignments may be given to alternating members of the choir, with the nonplaying singers holding the score. Much of the choral writing is spoken, or of unspecified pitch, but there are some passages with dense pitch clusters that are not clearly supported by the instruments. All of the instrumental parts are quite difficult in terms of extreme range, extended techniques, and most of all, the integration of the independent parts into the whole score. It is crucial that there be sectional rehearsals of each section of the orchestra with the conductor before the entire ensemble meets, as there are numerous organization decisions which must be made within each section. Also, Penderecki has treated the sections of the orchestra as integrated units which have unified musical figures that are more in synchrony with each other than with the rest of the orchestra. The layout of the percussion section should be carefully planned and a detailed list of player assignments throughout the score should be made and distributed before the first sectional rehearsal. This is a remarkable score, which through its use of high-pitch percussion and broad sonic spectrum, creates a very dramatic musical depiction of the resurrection. It is fiercely difficult and remains within the abilities of only the finest ensembles, but is very deserving of more frequent performances than it receives. It would be an interesting pairing with a baroque Easter work or Beethoven’s Christus am Oelberge. Soloists: soprano - range: b♭-c''', tessitura: a'-a'', this role combines very sustained passages with
390 There is a solo role for a child soprano, which is not indicated
391 The wooden bells are available for rent from the publishers.
Selected Bibliography: Schwinger, Wolfram. Krzysztof Penderecki: His Life and Work. Translated by William Mann, 217-224. London: Schott, 1989.
Part II — Auferstehung Christi [The Resurrection of Christ] (1970-1971) Duration: ca. 36 minutes Text: This is a setting of a traditional liturgical text in old Slavonic. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and 2 bass soloists;390 2 mixed choirs and boys’ choir; orchestra: 4 flutes (flutes I and II doubling piccolo, flute IV doubling alto flute in G), 4 oboes (oboe IV doubling English horn), 4 clarinets in B♭ (clarinet III doubling soprano clarinet in E♭, clarinet IV doubling bass clarinet in B♭), 3 bassoons, contrabassoon, 6 horns in F, 4 trumpets in C (trumpet IV doubling trumpet in D), 4 trombones, 2 tubas, timpani, percussion (10 players - glockenspiel, chimes, small bells, sanctus bells, bells [small ship’s or school], plate bells, crotales, xylophone, bass xylophone [or second marimba], marimba, 2 bongos, 4 tom-toms, bass drum, large woodplate drum, 6 cymbals, 2 gongs, 2 tam-tams, 2 triangles, 2 claves, 2 hyoshigi [Japanese concussion blocks], wooden bells,391 glass chimes, piece of railway rail, thunder sheet), celeste, harmonium, piano, and strings (24 violins, 10 violas, 10 cellos, and 8 double basses). Members of the choirs are also asked to play hyoshigi, rattles, wooden bells, and small bells. First Performance: 28 May 1971, Münster Cathedral, Germany; Stefania Woytowicz, Krystyna Szczepanska, Louis Devos, Bernard Ladysz, Boris Carmeli; Cologne Radio Chorus (Herbert Schernue, chorusmaster), North German Radio Chorus of Hamburg (Helmut Franz, chorus-master), Tölzer Boys Choir (Gerhard Schmidt, chorus-master), Cologne Radio Orchestra; conducted by Andrzej Markowski. Edition: Auferstehung Christi is published by Schotts in a coedition with Polskie. All materials are available through rental. Autograph: The published score is a facsimile of the composer’s manuscript.
in the front of the score.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
rapidly articulated figures containing broad melodic leaps; alto - range: g-a', tessitura: b-d'', this is a sustained role with exposed passages at both extremes of the range; tenor - range: g'-e'', tessitura: g'-e'', most of this role is sustained and requires a strong and clear falsetto; baritone - range: A-c'', tessitura: b-g', this role has extended passages in the highest range which must be in a strong falsetto; basso profundo - range: C-d', tessitura: G-g, this is a very sustained role, which requires a clear pedal C; child soprano - range: e''-g#'', this role is fairly brief, exposed, and very sustained. There is little support for providing the starting pitch for the soloist. Choir: very difficult, Orchestra: very difficult. Selected Discography: Stefania Woytowicz, Krystyna Szczepanska, Kazimierz Pustelak, Bernard Ladysz, Peter Lagger; Warsaw National Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus, Pioneer Choir; conducted by Andrzej Markowski, recorded in 1973. Polish Gramophone SXL 0890 [LP]. Rereleased as Muza: PNCD-018 [AAD]. Stefania Woytowicz, Kerstin Meyer, Seth McCoy, Bernard Ladyz, Peter Lagger; Temple University Chorus (Robert Page, chorus-master), Philadelphia Orchestra; conducted by Eugene Ormandy. RCA: LSC 3180 [LP]. Selected Bibliography: Schwinger, Wolfram. Krzysztof Penderecki: His Life and Work. Translated by William Mann, 217-224. London: Schott, 1989.
Kosmogonia (1970) Duration: ca. 17 minutes Text: Taken from Copernicus, Lucretius, the Book of Genesis, Sophocles, Ovid, Leonardo da Vinci, Giordano Bruno, Yuri Gagarin, and John Glenn; the text is in Greek, Latin, Italian, Russian, and English. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, tenor, and bass soloists; 20-part mixed choir; orchestra: 4 flutes (flutes I and II doubling piccolo), 4 oboes, 3 clarinets in B♭, bass clarinet in B♭, 2 alto saxophones in E♭, baritone saxophone in E♭, 3 bassoons, contrabassoon, 6 horns in F, 4 trumpets in C (trumpet I doubling trumpet in D), 4 trombones, 2 tubas, timpani, percussion (9 players - glockenspiel, chimes [2 sets], snare drum, 2 bongos, 4 tom-toms, bass drum, 4 cymbals [graduated], 2 tam-tams, 2 gongs [Chinese?], Javanese gong, cowbells [listed as cencerros], claves, rattle, wooden wind chimes, glass wind chimes, slapstick, flexatone, thunder sheet), harp, celeste, harmonium, piano, organ, bass guitar, and strings (24 violins, 10 violas, 10 cellos, 8 doublebasses)
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First Performance: 24 October 1970; United Nations, New York; Joanna Neal, Robert Nagy, Bernard Ladysz; Rutgers University Choir (F. Austin Walter, chorus-master), Los Angeles Philharmonic; conducted by Zubin Mehta Edition: Kosmogonia is published by Schotts in a coedition with Polskie. The miniature score (6324) is available for purchase; performance materials are available through rental. Autograph: The published score is derived from the composer’s manuscript. Notes: The work is in two parts; the first, Arche (beginning), describes the foundations of the universe; the second, Apeiron (infinity), praises the genius of man and the exploration of space. It was commissioned by the Secretary General of the United Nations to commemorate that body’s twenty-fifth anniversary. Performance Issues: This is a fiercely difficult score which incorporates a broad selection of avant-garde techniques. Each instrument and voice part is presented with significant technical challenges, and the pitch material for the choir is in no way supported by the orchestra. The overall effect of the score is a stunning array of musical sounds, the coordination of which is within the ability of only the finest ensembles. The score is in C with the traditional one- and two-octave transpositions for the contrabassoons, doublebasses and mallet percussion. At 22, trumpet I is instructed to return from D to B♭ trumpet, but surely the composer intended this to be a return to trumpet in C. The score uses quarter-tone notation and various graphic-notation devices to indicate approximations of pitch and rhythm and freedom of tempo. The pianist must play inside the piano with an assortment of percussion beaters. Most sections of the orchestra are occasionally assigned consecutive semitones to produce clusters within each instrumental choir. The choir has numerous entrances on specifically notated dense pitch clusters, which are often not clearly prepared by the accompaniment. Members of the choir are also asked to whistle sustained pitches with semitone clusters. The choir is also used percussively through rhythmic repetition of consonant sounds. In fully-notated melodic passages the choir is often responsible for electing the syllabification of prolonged melismas. All of the instrumention labels are Italian abbreviations, but the instrumentation tables are in German and English causing the less common orchestral instruments to be difficult to identify on first reading of the score. The most difficult examples include “cht” for bass guitar, “vtr” for glass wind chimes, “cpc” for wood wind chimes, “cpl” for glockenspiel, “cpn” for chimes, “frs” for rattle, “fxf” for flexatone, and “lst” for thunder sheet. Soloists: soprano - range: b-c'''; tessitura: d'-a'', this role moves repeatedly throughout the entire range, the singer must be capable of very wide
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melodic leaps; alto - range: e-g''; tessitura: b-e'', this is a sustained melodically awkward role; tenor - range: d-b♭'; tessitura: d'-a', this is a short but very sustained solo; bass - range: G-f'; tessitura: d-e', this role requires a flexible and declamatory singer. Choir: very difficult; Orchestra: very difficult.392 Selected Discography: Stefania Woytowicz, Kazimierz Pustelak, Bernard Ladysz; Choir and Orchestra of the National Polish Philharmonic; conducted by Andrzej Markowski. Philips: 6500/683 [LP]. Selected Bibliography: Schwinger, Wolfram. Krzysztof Penderecki: His Life and Work. Translated by William Mann, 224-225. London: Schott, 1989.
Canticum Canticorum Salomonis [Song of Songs] (1971-1972) Duration: ca. 17 minutes Text: The text is taken from the Latin translation of the Song of Solomon found in the Old Testament of the Bible. Performing Forces: voices: SSSSAAAATTTTBBBB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes (flute II doubling alto flute in G), 2 oboes, English horn, soprano clarinet in E♭, bass clarinet in B♭, bassoon, horn in F, trumpet in B♭, 2 trombones, percussion (7 players - celeste, glockenspiel, chimes, vibraphone, marimba, 4 wooden drums, 2 bongos, 5 tom-toms, 6 graduated cymbals, gong, 2 tam-tams, 2 triangles, 4 crotales [no pitches specified], 4 wood blocks, 2 metal blocks, claves, whip, 3 conch shells, musical saw), harp, harmonium, guitar, and strings (9 violins, 4 violas, 3 cellos, and 1 doublebass). It also provides the option of using two dancers. First Performance: 5 June 1973; Lisbon, Portugal; NCRV Vocal Ensemble, Percussion Ensemble of Strasbourg, Orchestra of the Gulbenkian Foundation; conducted by Werner Andreas Albert393 Edition: Canticum Canticorum Salomonis is published by Schotts in a coedition with Polskie; the full score is available for purchase (PWM 7604); all other materials are available through rental. Autograph: The published score is derived from the composer’s manuscript. Performance Issues: The score is written in C with the traditional octave transpositions. There are indications for approximate pitches, improvised pitches, quarter 392 F. Mark Daugherty and Susan Huneke Simon list this work as “difficult” in Secular Choral Music in Print, 763 (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Musicdata, 1987).
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
tones, rapid unmeasured repetitions, and the highest and lowest possible notes from respective voices and instruments. There are a number of choral effects, which include notated breathing, whistling, laughter, speaking, and the use of falsetto. There is no music in this score which is metrically organized in a measured sense, although there are some note groupings, which are set into repetition. Much of the ensemble nature of the work is the integration of temporally free and independent events. the pitch material for the choir is exceptionally dense, often containing all twelve discrete pitches at once. Some of the vocal parts involve the rapid repetition of consonant sounds. If the conch shells are unavailable, the composer has indicated that each may be replaced with two ocarinas. The instrumental parts are written with great freedom, but the material presented to each player is difficult by itself, and more so in the context of its neighbors. There are numerous dense clusters in the extreme ranges. The choral material is not supported by the orchestra in any fashion. The overall arrangement of this work is, in many ways, the most free of the Penderecki scores surveyed here; however, he has created a series of melodic lines which travel through the ensemble in an apparently uninterrupted flow while the other parts are involved in temporally nonspecific passages. Choir: very difficult; Orchestra: very difficult. Selected Discography: Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus of Krakow; conducted by Jerzy Katlewicz. Polish Nagrania: SXL 1151 [LP]. Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Krzysztof Penderecki. EMI Electrola: C 065-02484 [LP]. Selected Bibliography: Schwinger, Wolfram. Krzysztof Penderecki: His Life and Work. Translated by William Mann, 226. London: Schott, 1989.
PERGOLESI, Giovanni Battista (b. Iesi, Italy; 4 January 1710; d. Pozzuoli, Italy, 16 March 1736) Pergolesi is believed to have suffered from ill health throughout his childhood. He entered the Conservatorio dei Poveri di Gésu Cristo in Naples where he studied violin with Domenico de Matteis and composition with Durante, Greco, and Vinci. In 1732, he became maestro di cappella to Prince Fernando Colonna Stigliano, and two years later, he was named deputy maestro di cappella of Naples, and then entered the 393 Nicholas Slonimsky states that the premiere was led by the composer (Music since 1900, 5th edition, 852 [New York: Schirmer Books, 1994]).
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
service of the Duke of Maddaloni. He produced a number of operas during his brief career, which was cut short by tuberculosis. He is widely remembered for the Stabat Mater and the intermezzo opera buffa, La Serva padrona, which was initially interpolated with his opera seria, Il prigioneri superbo. Based upon these two works alone, it is evident that Pergolesi possessed a remarkable melodic gift and sense of dramatic timing. Teachers: Francesco Durante, Gaetano Greco, Francesco Santi, Leonardo Vinci Principal Works: operas - Salustia (1732), Lo frate ‘nnamorato (1732), Il prigionero superbo (1733), La serva padrona (1733), L’Olimpiade (1735), Il Flaminio (1735); choir - Mass in F (1732), Dixit Dominus (1732), Salve Regina (1736), Stabat Mater (1736) Selected Composer Bibliography: Paymer, Marvin E. Giovanni Battista Pergolesi, 17101736: A Thematic Catalogue of the Opera Omnia. New York: Pendragon Press, 1977. Studi Pergolesiani, edited by Francesco Degrada. Florence: La Nuova Editrice, Sandicci, 1986. Published in the United States as Pergolesi Studies from Pendragon Press. Studi Pergolesiani 2, edited by Francesco Degrada. Florence: La Nuova Editrice, Sandicci, 1988. Paymer, Marvin E. and Hermine W. Williams. Giovanni Battista Pergolesi: A Guide to Research. New York: Garland, 1989.
Stabat Mater (1736) Duration: ca. 38 minutes Text: The text, attributed to a Franciscan friar, Jacopone da Todi, is a thirteenth-century sacred poem describing the suffering of the Virgin Mary at the crucifixion of her son. Performing Forces: voices: soprano and alto soloists; SA choir possible (see “Performance Issues” below); orchestra: strings and continuo First Performance: It was probably first performed on Good Friday, 30 March 1736; Confraternità dei Cavalieri di San Luigi di Palazzo. Editions: Opera Omnia di Giovanni Battista Pergolesi, 1710-1736, volume 26, page 1, edited by Filippo Caffarelli (Rome: Gli Amici della Musica da Camera, 1941). This keyboard reduction includes small facsimile plates of the complete full score. It is also published by Eulenberg (edited by Alfred Einstein and available in reprint from Dover), and Ricordi (as Antologia Classica Musicale, Anno IX, 1858, no. 1). Vocal scores are available from G. Schirmer, Novello, and Kalmus. Orchestral parts are available for purchase
from Luck’s Music. There is also a curious arrangement for SATB choir published by Belwin. Autograph: The composer’s manuscript is in the library of the Naples Conservatory. Notes: This work was composed for Confraternità dei Cavalieri di San Luigi di Palazzo during the final weeks of the composer’s life as he was dying of tuberculosis. Performance Issues: This work is written for two solo singers and chamber orchestra; however, it has become a staple of the concerted repertoire for women’s choirs. When presented as a choral work, the arias are presented as solos, and a number of scenarios alternating soloists and choir have been employed. There are textural changes in a number of movements that provide logical contrasts for solo and tutti singing. There are significant discrepancies between various editions in movement 8, “Fac ut ardeat cor meum,” and the final measures of the concluding “Amen.” These include different barring in 4/2 and 2/2, and some rhythmic discrepancies that result in “missing measures” in some editions, which may be vestiges of a number of adaptations made by other composers during the eighteenth century. If the orchestral materials are from a different edition than the vocal scores, these differences must be reconciled prior to rehearsal. There is a preponderance of suspensions and retardations that will benefit from careful attention. The ranges provided below represent the entirety of the work for each part. The work can be effectively performed using solo strings. The vocal parts are well supported by the accompaniment throughout, and all vocal and instrumental parts are well conceived. Soloists: soprano - range: e♭'-b♭'', tessitura: g'-g'', this is a lyric role with some rapid figurations and long phrases; alto - range: b♭'-f', tessitura: c'-c'', this is a very sustained lyric role. Choir: easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Eva Mei, Sylvia McNair, Marjana Liposek, Elisabeth von Magnus; Arnold Schoenberg Choir, Concentus Musicus Wien; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec Das Alte Werk: 76989. Emma Kirkby, James Bowman; The Academy of Ancient Music; conducted by Christopher Hogwood. Decca: 425-692-2. Concerto Vocale; conducted by René Jacons. Harmonia Mundi: 1951119. Barbara Bonney, Andreas Scholl; Les Talens Lyriques; conducted by Christope Rousset. Recorded in L’Église de Notre Dame du Liban, Paris on 24-26 February 1999. Decca: 466134. Elin Manahan Thomas, Robin Blaze; Florilegium Musicum. Recorded in St. John the Evangelist Church,
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Upper Norwood, England, on 23-25 September 2009. Channel Classics: 29810. Selected Bibliography: Williams, Hermine H. “The Stabat Mater Dolorosa: A Comparison of Settings by Alessandro Scarlatti and Giovanni Battista Pergolesi.” Studi Pergolesiani 2, 144-154, edited by Francesco Degrada. Florence: Vuova Italia, 1988. Degrada, Francesco. “Lo Stabat Mater di Pergolesi e la parafrasi Tilge Höchster meine Sünden di Johann Sebastian Bach.” Studi Pergolesiani 2, 174, edited by Degrada. Florence: Vuova Italia, 1988. Will, Richard. “Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater and the Politics of Feminine Virtue.” Musical Quarterly (2005), volume 87: 570-614.
PERSICHETTI, Vincent (b. Philadelphia, PA, 6 June 1915; d. Philadelphia, PA 14 August 1987). At the age five, Persichetti entered the Combs Conservatory (BMus 1936) studying composition with Russell King Miller. After his graduation, he chaired the theory/composition department at Combs while attending the Philadelphia Conservatory (MMus 1941, DMus 1945). There he studied piano with Olga Samaroff and composition with Paul Nordoff. He also studied conducting with Fritz Reiner at the Curtis Institute. He served as head of the theory/composition department of the Philadelphia Conservatory (19411947), he then joined the faculty of Juilliard (19471987). While at Juilliard, he chaired the composition department (1963-1970) and in 1970 he chaired the literature and materials department. His compositional style is eclectic in its acceptance of all contemporary techniques. Persichetti was a very prolific composer who tried to use all of the techniques available to him. Each piece shows an unwavering commitment to quality and musical sincerity.394 This same lack of musical prejudice is evidenced by the quantity of his instructional music and works for congregational church use. Teachers: Roy Harris, Russell King Miller, Paul Nordoff Students: Jack Behrens, Charles Bestor, Leo Brouwer, Lou Calabro, Richard Danielpour, Jacob Druckman, Paavo Heininen, Karl Korte, Hall Overton, Thomas Pasatieri, Claire Polin, Einojuhani Rautavaara, Steve Reich, Marga Richter, Peter Schikele, Conrad Susa
394 Walter Simmons, “Persichetti, Vincent,” in The New Grove Dictionary of American Music, edited by H. Wiley Hitchcock, iii: 539-541 (4 volumes) (London: Macmillan, 1986).
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Awards: Three Guggenheim Fellowships, an award from the National Institute of Arts and Letters, 2 awards from the National Foundation on Arts and Humanities, membership in the Institute of the American Academy and the Institute of Arts and Letters (1965). Writings: Twentieth-Century Harmony (New York: W.W. Norton, 1961), and with Flora R. Schreiber, William Schuman (New York: G. Schirmer, 1954). Principal Works: opera - The Sibyl: Parable XX, op. 135 (1976); orchestral - nine symphonies, Fables, op. 23 (1943), The Hollow Men, op. 25 (1944), Fairy Tale, op. 48 (1950), Piano Concerto, op. 90 (1962), Introit, op. 96 (1964), Night Dances, op. 114 (1970), A Lincoln Address, op. 124 (1972), English Horn Concerto, op. 137 (1977); band - Pageant, op. 59 (1953), O Cool Is the Valley, op. 118 (1971); choral - Spring Cantata, op. 94 (1963), Winter Cantata, op. 97 (1964), Celebrations for choir and wind ensemble, op. 103 (1966); and twenty-four “Parables” for various solos instruments and ensembles. Selected Composer Bibliography: Evett, Robert. “The Music of Vincent Persichetti.” Juilliard Review, ii/2 (1955): 15. Schuman, William. “The Compleat Musician.” The Musical Quarterly, xlvii (1961): 379. Barnhard, Jack Richard. The Choral Music of Vincent Persichetti: A Descriptive Analysis. Florida State University, dissertation, 1974. Simmons, Walter. “A Persichetti Perspective.” American Record Guide, xl/6 (1977): 6. Ashiazawa, Theodore Fumio. The Choral Music of Vincent Persichetti. University of Washington, dissertation, 1977. Barham, Terry Joe. A Macroanalytic View of the Choral Music of Vincent Persichetti. University of Oklahoma, dissertation, 1981. Shackleford, Ruth. “Conversation with Vincent Persichetti.” Perspectives in New Music, xx/1-2 (19811982): 104-134. Simmons, Walter. “Persichetti, Vincent.” In The New Grove Dictionary of American Music, edited by H. Wiley Hitchcock, iii: 539-541. 4 volumes. London: Macmillan, 1986.
Stabat Mater, op. 92 (1963) Duration: ca. 28 minutes Text: Jacopone da Todi, with a singing English translation by Persichetti
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Performing Forces: voices: SATB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, and strings First Performance: 1 May 1964; Carnegie Hall, New York; Collegiate Chorale; conducted by Abraham Kaplan Edition: Stabat Mater is published by Elkan-Vogl and distributed by Theodore Presser Company. The piano-vocal score is for sale; orchestral materials are available for rent. Autograph: The composer’s manuscript is in the possession of Theodore Presser Company. Notes: This works was commissioned by the Collegiate Chorale, Abraham Kaplan, conductor. Performance Issues: This is a tonally oriented work, which features regular exploitation of simultaneous presentations of the major and minor versions of the same triad. The choral writing is primarily homophonic with frequent octave doublings between the tenor and soprano, and the bass and alto. There are some unison canonic portions between the male and female voices. The choral pitches are consistently supported in the accompaniment although there are some interesting enharmonic spellings for the singers, which do not simplify their parts in any way. Some of the harmonic language is extended beyond traditional function; however, conventional voice-leading is maintained whereby dissonances are carefully and logically approached. The vocal parts are rich with melismatic passages. It is apparent that the work was initially composed with the Latin text, but the prosody of Persichetti’s translation is very well suited to the music. The orchestration is diverse with many fine coloristic combinations. The individual parts should be accessible to players of moderate experience. There are some prominent and technically challenging solos for the principal oboe and clarinet. The orchestration allows for a small to medium choir of experienced singers. This is an excellently crafted setting of this text, which should be considered as a focal work within a Good Friday service or program. Choir: medium; Orchestra: medium difficult. Discography: No commercial recording Selected Bibliography: Weisgall, Hugo. “Current Chronicle: New York.” The Musical Quarterly, l (1964): 379.
The Creation, op. 111 (1969) Duration: ca. 60 minutes Text: Persichetti from mythology, poetry, the Bible, and scientific sources Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and baritone soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: piccolo, 2
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flutes, 2 oboes, English horn, 2 clarinets, bass clarinet, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 3 trumpets in C, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion (3 players - bass drum, snare drum, tenor drum, 2 timbales, large suspended cymbal, medium suspended cymbal, suspended sizzle cymbal, tam-tam, triangle, wood block, crotales (B♭, E, A), xylophone), and strings First Performance: 17 April 1970; Alice Tully Hall, New York; ensembles of the Juilliard School of Music; conducted by the composer Edition: The Creation is published by Elkan-Vogel and distributed by Theodore Presser Company. Piano-vocal scores may be purchased; orchestral materials are available by rental Autograph: The manuscript is in the possession of Theodore Presser Company. The full score is a facsimile of that manuscript. Notes: This work was commissioned by the Juilliard School. Performance Issues: This is an erudite undertaking in terms of music and text. The compositional textures are complex and varied exploiting secundal harmonies, notated accelerandi, unusual subdivisions, crossrhythms, and spiky melodic lines. There are three-part divisi in all choral parts. The choral writing is homophonic and the part-writing emulates tonal practice while not using actual functional harmonies. Persichetti places nontriadic pitch sets within a framework of traditional part-writing procedures and tonal voicings. The first entrance of the choir is a tone-cluster containing all twelve discrete pitches. There are many subsequent tone-clusters, which are approached via traditional part-writing procedures. The orchestral writing is idiomatic for each instrument; it is, however, rhythmically challenging and nearly all parts have exposed solo passages. The horns and oboes are particularly exposed, and there is some rapid passagework for the piccolo, flutes, clarinets, bassoons, and trumpets. Persichetti uses orchestration to clarify an often dense contrapuntal texture. There is a prolonged quartet for the soloists in the sixth movement. The text, which combines concepts from science and the mythologies of numerous cultures, is at once dated and timely. It is certainly an inviting work to coordinate with academic programs exploring the history of myth. The pitch language and the rhythmic complexity make this work accessible to only the most experienced choirs. The orchestral textures are dense enough to require significant rehearsal time even for experienced ensembles. The integration of choir and orchestra will also need more practice than would usually be allocated for a work of this length. Soloists: soprano, range: c#'-b'', tessitura: e'-e'', powerful with sustained phrases and awkward leaps; alto, range: f-e'', tessitura: b♭-f', lyric with broad melodic leaps; tenor,
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range: c-a', tessitura: a-f', lyric and sustained; baritone, range: B♭-e', tessitura: e-b, dramatic and articulate. Choir: difficult; Orchestra: difficult. Discography: No commercial recording Selected Bibliography: Ericson, Raymond. [review of premiere], New York Times (18 April 1970).
POULENC, Francis (b. Paris, 7 January 1899; d. Paris, 30 December 1963) Poulenc was a gifted pianist and one of the greatest composers of French mélodies. Born into a wealthy family, he was first educated in music by his mother. Upon the encouragement of Satie, Poulenc became involved with the concerts of the Nouveaux Jeunes, which led to his being named a member of Les Six, with Auric, Durey, Honegger, Milhaud, and Taillefer. After service in the military, he studied composition with Charles Koechlin (1921-1924). His aptitude for song composition can be attributed to the same gift in his teacher, and his longtime association as accompanist to the French singer, Pierre Bernac. His music is always cosmopolitan, using classical forms, extended tertian harmonies, and flavorings from cabaret music. Teacher: Charles Koechlin Writings: Emmanuel Chabrier (Paris: La Palatine, 1961); Moi et mes amis (Paris: La Palatine, 1963; published in English translation by James Harding as: My Friends and Myself [London: Dennis Dobson, 1978]); Journal de mes Mélodies (Paris: Éditions Bernard Grasset, 1964; published in English translation byWinifred Radford as: Diary of My Songs [London: Victor Gollancz, 1985]). Principal Works: opera - Les Mamelles de Tirésias (1944), Dialogues des Carmelites (1956), La Voix humaine (1958); orchestral - Concerto for 2 Pianos (1932), Concerto for Organ (1938), Sinfonietta (1947), Piano Concerto (1949); chamber - Suite française (1935), Violin Sonata (1943), Cello Sonata (1948), Flute Sonata (1957), Oboe Sonata (1962), Clarinet Sonata (1962); vocal - Mass in G (1937), Figure humaine (1943), Un Soir de neige (1944), Sept répons des ténèbres (1961), and many motets and songs Selected Composer Bibliography: Poulenc, Francis. Moi et mes amis. Paris: La Palatine, 1963; published in English translation by James Harding as: My Friends and Myself. London: Dennis Dobson, 1978.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Daniel, Keith W. Francis Poulenc: His Artistic Development and Musical Style. Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Press, 1982. Poulenc, Francis. Journal de mes Mélodies. Paris: Éditions Bernard Grasset, 1964; published in English translation byWinifred Radford as: Diary of My Songs. London: Victor Gollancz, 1985. Keck, George R. Francis Poulenc: A Bio-Bibliography. New York: Greenwood Press, 1990. Mellers, Wilfrid. Francis Poulenc. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1993. Ramezani, M., and T. Vilbert. Francis Poulenc: 18991963. Catalogue des œuvres. Paris: Salabert, 1993. Schmidt, Carl B. The Music of Francis Poulenc (18991963): A Catalogue. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1995.
Sécheresses (The Droughts) (1937) Duration: ca. 18 minutes Text: The text is in French by Edward James. Two of the four poems are from James’s Trois Secheresses, which appeared in Minotaur with illustrations by Salvador Dali. There has been an English singing translation made by Doda Conrad for Robert Shaw. Performing Forces: voices: SATB choir; orchestra: piccolo, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, English horn, 2 clarinets in B♭, 2 bassoons, 4 horns in F, 2 trumpets in C, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion (3 players - military [snare] drum, bass drum, tambourine, suspended cymbal, tam-tam), celeste, harp, and strings First Performance: May 1938; Concerts Colonne, Paris; Chanteurs de Lyons; conducted by Paul Paray Edition: Sécheresses is published by Durand. The piano-vocal score, full score, and choral parts are available for purchase; orchestral materials are available through rental. Autograph: The composer’s manuscripts are in the archives of the publisher, Durand. Notes: The score is dedicated to Yvonne Marchessa de Casa Fuerte and was written for the Chanteurs de Lyon. Performance Issues: The style of this work is much different from that of Poulenc’s better-known Stabat Mater and Gloria. The anguish and tragedy of these despair-ridden texts are effectively conveyed in this ascerbic and dramatic setting. Of Poulenc’s three symphonic choral works, this is the most challenging for the choir, but it is also more like his serious song settings than the two sacred works. Much of the pitch material is derived from an interplay between minor and major seconds and nonfunctional melodic uses of the tritone. The choral writing is exclusively homophonic. The vocal textures are varied through the use of one, two, or four parts. There are a few brief divisi for each choral section. The harmonic language is created
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
through traditional part motion, but the resulting chords are often quite dissonant and difficult to tune. Fortunately, the harmonic tempo is slow, with single chords persisting for measures at a time. Many of the most concentrated harmonies are supported by the orchestra, but at times a single vocal line will be placed a minor second from the accompanying instruments. There are a number of a cappella passages for the choir, which are generally more traditionally diatonic than the accompanied passages. The percussion section divides into three parts in measures 332 and 333, this can be effectively played by two executants. Much of the varied orchestral textures are derived from simultaneous use of staccato and legato playing between sections. Poulenc also frequently exchanges notes of a single melodic line between instruments in a hocketlike manner. Beyond these ensemble challenges there are few elements in the score of great technical difficulty, making this an excellent work for introducing a good college or community orchestra to the cosmopolitan style of French music in the 1930s; however, a strong choir is a necessity. Choir: difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Alexander Carpentier; Maitrise de la Sainte-Chapelle, Choeurs de Radio France, Nouvel Orchestra Philharmonique de Radio France; conducted by Georges Prêtre, recorded 22-23 October 1983 in the Salle Wagram, Paris. EMI: CDM 7 64279 2 [DDD]. Selected Bibliography: Flanner, Janet. “Letter from Paris.” New Yorker, volume 29 (21 November 1953): 187-92. Fauré, G. “Francis Poulenc: Sécheresses.” Musiciens français contemporains. Volume 2 (1956): 122. Cutler, Helen Miller. “Freshened Repertoire Marks 66th Ann Arbor May Festival.” Musical America volume 79 (June 1959): 2-5. Daniel, Keith W. Francis Poulenc: His Artistic Development and Musical Style, 358. Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Press, 1982. Keck, George R. Francis Poulenc: A Bio-Bibliography, 33-34. New York: Greenwood Press, 1990. Mellers, Wilfrid. Francis Poulenc, 77-79. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1993. Schmidt, Carl B. The Music of Francis Poulenc (18991963): A Catalogue, 272-76. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1995.
Stabat Mater (1950) Duration: ca. 35 minutes Text: The text is in Latin from the Roman Catholic liturgy. Performing Forces: voices: soprano soloist; SATBB choir; orchestra: piccolo, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, English horn, 2 clarinets in B♭, bass clarinet in B♭, 3 bassoons,
4 horns in F, 3 trumpets in C, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, 2 harps, and strings First Performance: private performance: November 1950; London; Poulenc at the piano for the staff of the BBC first public performance: 13 June 1951; Musical Festival of Strasbourg, France; Geneviève Moizan, soprano; The Choirs of Saint-Guillaume and Municipal Orchestra of Strasbourg; conducted by Fritz Münch Edition: Stabat Mater is published by Salabert. The piano-vocal score, choral parts, and miniature score are available for purchase; orchestral materials are available through rental. Autograph: The manuscript of the piano-vocal score is in a private collection. The manuscript of the full score is in the archives of the publisher, Salabert. Notes: Stabat Mater is dedicated to the memory of Christian Bérard. Performance Issues: The basses and baritones have divisi, which yield three-part bass writing for the choir in movements III, VII, and IX, as indicated above. The choral writing is almost entirely homophonic, and although the harmonic language embraces some nonfunctional sevenths and ninths, the overall pitch conception is obedient to functional tonality. The vocal writing is well-conceived for singing, and the choral material is clearly supported by the orchestra with the exception of a cappella passages in movements III, VIII, XI, and XII. These unaccompanied passages are harmonically conservative and well prepared by the preceding orchestral music. The orchestration is typical of cosmopolitan French music of this era, although less “flashy” than Poulenc’s Gloria, which is surely due to the subject of the text. The brilliance of the Gloria has eclipsed this moving and impeccably wellcrafted work. It is an excellent concert work, and is also well-suited for use in a symphonic lenten program. The choral writing is accessible to a strong church choir. The orchestration requires a substantial choral contingent, with a strong male foundation. The orchestration is suitable for a reduced string section if space within a liturgical space is limited. Soloist: soprano - range: b-c♭''', tessitura: f'-f'', this is a delicate and lyrical solo for a clear and penetrating soprano voice. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Regina Crespin; conducted by Georges Prêtre. Angel: S 36121 [LP], also released as HMV: ALP 2034. Michèle LaGrange; Choeur et Orchestre National de Lyon; conducted by Serge Baudo, recorded in 1985. Harmonia Mundi: HMC 405149 [LP], re-released as HMC 90519 [ADD].
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Jacqueline Brumaire; conducted by Louis Frémaux. Westminster: XWN1842 [LP], re-released as Westminster: W9618. Kathleen Battle; Boston Symphony Orchestra, Tanglewood Festival Chorus; conducted by Seiji Ozawa. Deutsche Grammophon: 427304 [DDD]. Gabriela Benacková; Czech Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Libor Pesek. Supraphon: CO1090 [DDD]. Selected Bibliography: Poulenc, Francis. “Tributes to Christian Bérard [dedicatee].” Ballet (April 1949): 30-31. Barraud, Henry. “Contrasting Modern Opera Hold Parisian Stages.” Musical America, volume 71 (October 1951): 6. ———. “French Religious Music: Precursors and Innovators.” Musical America, volume 72 (February 1952): 26. Ebensberger, Gary Lee. The Motets of Francis Poulenc. University of Texas, Doctor of Musical Arts dissertation, 1970. Daniel, Keith W. Francis Poulenc: His Artistic Development and Musical Style, 362. Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Press, 1982. Keck, George R. Francis Poulenc: A Bio-Bibliography. New York: Greenwood Press, 1990. Mellers, Wilfrid. Francis Poulenc, 140-146. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1993. Schmidt, Carl B. The Music of Francis Poulenc (18991963): A Catalogue, 406-412. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1995.
Gloria (1959) Duration: ca. 24 minutes Text: The text of the Gloria is from the Ordinary of the Mass. It is in Latin with an optional singing English translation. Performing Forces: voices: soprano soloist; choir; orchestra: piccolo, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, English horn, 2 clarinets in B♭, bass clarinet in B♭, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 4 horns in F, 3 trumpets in C, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, harp, and strings First Performance: 20 January 1961; Boston, MA; Adele Addison, soprano; Boston Symphony Orchestra and Pro Musica Chorus; conducted by Charles Munch. European premiere: 14 February 1961; Paris; Rosanna Carteri, soprano; l’Orchestre National and the Choirs of the R.T.F.; conducted by Georges Prêtre Edition: Gloria is published by Salabert. The piano-vocal score and choral parts are available for purchase; orchestral materials are available through rental. Autograph: The composer’s manuscript of the full score is in the Library of Congress in Washington, DC.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Notes: Gloria was commissioned by the Koussevitsky Foundation and is dedicated to the memory of Serge and Natalie Koussevitsky. Performance Issues: The choral writing is vocally conceived. The harmonic material is diatonic and reflects common-practice part-writing techniques. Poulenc’s harmonic palette incorporates ninth and eleventh chords, but is always treated through traditional horizontal procedures. Much of the choral work is in fourpart block homophonic writing. Imitative procedures for the choir are limited to two independent layers at a time. In those passages, the composer uses imitation between paired choral parts. The orchestration is typical of cosmopolitan French music of the first half of the twentieth century. It is colorful and very effective. All of the instrumental parts are idiomatically conceived. There are sections of exposed and intricate passagework for all parts, especially the winds and brass. Movements I and IV will require particular attention in coördinating these intertwining, disparate parts. All four horns and trumpets I and II require strong players as they have many exposed passages with rapid articulation and frequent melodic leaps. The tessitura of trumpet I remains in the top fourth of the staff and therefore becomes rather taxing. The harp is an integral part of the score, and care must be taken for it to be heard. Placement of that instrument must be carefully considered. If a large section is used, the string parts are accessible to a less-experienced section, as the string writing is not technically demanding, but there are some very high, exposed passages. The pitch language is fairly diatonic for the orchestra as well as the chorus, and the orchestra clearly supports the choir throughout. There are divisi in all of the string sections, which are clearly assigned. All transposing instruments use only accidentals and no key signature, including the clarinets. Soloist: range: e'a'', tessitura: c''-g'', this role requires a clear and penetrating voice capable of carrying over the entire ensemble in sustained passages. The narrow compass listed for the tessitura actually represents the range of over half this role. It dwells almost exclusively in the passaggio. Choir: medium easy to medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Rosanna Carteri; l’Orchestre National and the Choirs of the R.T.F.; conducted by Georges Prêtre. Angel: 35953 [LP], re-released as Angel: CDC 47723 [AAD]. Sylvia Greenberg; Suisse Romande Radio Choir, Lausanne Pro Arte Choir, Orchestre Suisse Romande; conducted by Jésus López-Cobos, recorded in 1982. Argo: ZRDL 1010 [ADD]. Judith Blegen; New York Philharmonic Orchestra, Westminster Choir; conducted by Leonard Bernstein. CBS: MK-44710 [ADD].
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Kathleen Battle; Boston Symphony Orchestra, Tanglewood Festival Chorus; conducted by Seiji Ozawa. Deutsche Grammophon: 427304 [DDD]. Donna Deam; City of London Sinfonia, Cambridge Singers; conducted by John Rutter. Collegium: COLCD-108 [DDD]. Selected Bibliography: Durgin, Cyrus. “Poulenc Premiere.” Musical America, volume 81 (March 1961): 24. Kolodin, Irving. “Music to My Ears: Poulenc’s Gloria.” Saturday Review, volume 44 (22 April 1961): 30. “Carter, Foss, and Poulenc Works Get Music Critics Circle Awards.” New York Times (19 April 1961): 34. Sabin, Robert. “Unashamed Beauty.” Musical America, volume 81 (August 1961): 47-48. Valante, Harry Robert. A Survey of French Choral Music of the 20th Century with a Performance and Interpretive Analysis of Selected Works. Columbia University, Ed.D dissertation, 1968. Daniel, Keith W. Francis Poulenc: His Artistic Development and Musical Style, 363. Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Press, 1982. Keck, George R. Francis Poulenc: A Bio-Bibliography, 32. New York: Greenwood Press, 1990. Mellers, Wilfrid. Francis Poulenc, 146-150. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1993. Berger, Melvin. Guide to Choral Masterpieces: A Listener’s Guide, 238-241. New York: Anchor Books, 1993. Schmidt, Carl B. The Music of Francis Poulenc (18991963): A Catalogue, 486-94. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1995.
Teachers: Reinhold Glière, Anatoli Liadov, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, Joseph Wihtol Principal Works: operas - Love for Three Oranges (1921), The Fiery Angel (1919), Semyon Kotko (1939), War and Peace (1952); ballets - Romeo and Juliet (1936), Cinderella (1944), A Tale of the Stone Flower (1950); film scores - Lt. Kijé (1933), Alexander Nevsky (1938), Ivan the Terrible (1945); orchestral - seven symphonies (1916, 1924, 1928, 1930, 1944, 1947, 1952), five piano concertos (1912, 1913, 1921, 1931 [left hand alone], 1932), two violin concertos (1917, 1935), Sinfonia Concertante for cello and orchestra (1952), Scythian Suite (1914), Peter and the Wolf (1936) A Summer Day (1941), A Summer Night (1950); piano - nine sonatas (1909, 1912, 1917, 1917, 1923, 1940, 1942, 1944, 1947), Toccata (1912), Visions fugitives (1917) Selected Composer Bibliography: Seroff, Victor. Sergei Prokofiev: A Soviet Tragedy. London: Frewin, 1969. Blok, Vladimir, editor. Sergei Prokofiev: Materials, Articles, Interviews. Moscow: Progress Publishers, 1978. Sergei Prokofiev. Autobiografiya, ed. M. G. Kozlova Moscow: Sovetskii kompositor, 1973. Published in English as Prokofiev by Prokofiev: A Composer’s Memoir, edited by David H. Appel and translated by Guy Daniels. New York: Doubleday, 1979. McAllister, Rita. “Sergei Prokofiev.” The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, edited by Stanley Sadie. London: MacMillan, 1980. Robinson, Harlow. Sergei Prokofiev. New York: Viking, 1987.
PROKOFIEV, Sergei (b. Sontsovka, Russia, 27 April 1891; d. Moscow, March 1953)
5
Prokofiev was one of the most important and innovative of all modern Russian composers. As a youth, he studied composition with Reinhold Glière, and at the age of thirteen entered the St. Petersburg Conservatory where he was a pupil of Anatoli Liadov, and later Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. Upon graduation, he was awarded the Anton Rubinstein Prize. In 1918, Prokofiev left Russia for the United States, and in 1920, settled in Paris where he became associated with Sergei Diaghilev and the Ballets Russes. He returned to Russia a number of times for concert appearances, and in 1933 chose to remain in his homeland. His return to Russia coincided with a number of “reforms” in Soviet music, which often made Prokofiev’s music the subject of criticism as formalistic music not serving the needs of the state. The one outlet, which proved to be satisfactory for his music within the Soviet regime was that written for films. Prokofiev’s death preceded that of Stalin by only a few hours.
Cantata on the 20th Anniversary of October Revolution, op. 74 (1937) Duration: The work is divided into ten large sections; however, the duration of the entire work is unavailable. Text: Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels, Vladimir Ilyich Lenin, and Joseph Stalin. Performing Forces: voices: 2 SATB choirs; orchestra: standard orchestra, military band, accordions, and percussion. This work was Prokofiev’s most blatant attempt at social realism in his music, incorporating real sirens and gunshots. The orchestration was conceived for an ensemble of over five hundred musicians. First Performance: 5 April 1966; Moscow
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Edition: Currently no commercial editions of this score have been published. Autograph: The manuscript is in the Russian Archives of Literature and Art in Moscow. Notes: This work was determined to be ideologically and musically inadequate by the Soviet government, and therefore withdrawn from its intended first performance. At its premiere, twenty-nine years later, the portions on texts of Stalin were deleted in keeping with the then current policy of de-Stalinizing Soviet Art. This first performance was a musical success: It may have been naive on Prokofiev’s part to set texts of such fundamental ideological importance, but he responded to their drama with music, which is both haunting and emotionally stirring, comparable with his best of that time. The build-up of its ten large sections is evidence, once more, of the composer’s sure sense of dramatic effect and the direct appeal of his creative ideas…it is surely only the somewhat unexportable nature of its subject that has prevented its international recognition.395 Selected Discography: RSFSR Russian Choirs, Moscow Philharmonic; conducted by Kirill Kondrashian. Melodiya: SR 40129 [LP].
Songs of Our Days [Pesni nashikh dney], op. 77 (1937) Duration: ca. 25-30 minutes Text: The text, in Russian, is from several sources listed below under “Notes.” Performing Forces: voices: mezzo-soprano and baritone soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 B♭ clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns in F, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, percussion (4 players - snare drum, bass drum, tambourine, cymbals, triangle, woodblock), harp, and strings First Performance: 5 January 1938; Moscow Edition: Songs of Our Days is published and distributed in the United States by Belwin Mills. Autograph: The manuscript is in the Russian Archives of Literature and Art in Moscow. Notes: This work is divided into nine sections. Performance Issues: The full-score is notated in C. The harmonic material is diatonic and firmly grounded in common-practice techniques built around folklike melodies. The choral parts are diatonic melodies sung by soli sections of the choir, in pairs, or in choral unisons, with occasional four-part writing in a purely 395 Rita McAllister, “Sergei Prokofiev,” in The New Grove Russian Masters 2, 149 (New York: W. W. Norton, 1986).
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
homophonic texture. The brass have some sustained playing, but within a practical range for most players. The flute I part has some rapid triadic arpeggios. This is a tuneful and musically accessible work well within the abilities of most amateur ensembles. Soloists: mezzo-soprano - range: d'-f'', tessitura, d'-d'', this is a melodic, and vocally easy solo role, which occurs in only two of the movements; baritone - range: c-g', tessitura, g-e', this role is diatonically melodic and declamatory, it appears throughout the work. Choir: easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Discography: No commercial recording Selected Bibliography: Robinson, Harlow. Sergei Prokofiev, 339, 341, 352. New York: Viking, 1987.
Alexander Nevsky, op. 78 (1938-1939) Duration: ca. 38 minutes Text: Written by Stikhi V. Lugovskoi and Prokofiev, the text is in Russian. Performing Forces: voices: mezzo-soprano solo; choir (SATTBBB); orchestra: piccolo, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, English horn, 2 clarinets in B♭ and A, bass clarinet in B♭, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, tenor saxophone in B♭, 4 horns in F, 3 trumpets in B♭, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion (7 players - glockenspiel, chimes, xylophone, snare drum, bass drum, tambourine, cymbals, tam-tam, triangle, wood block, maracas), harp, and strings. First Performance: 17 May 1939; Moscow; V. Gagarina; conducted by the composer Edition: Alexander Nevsky is widely available; publishers include: Mez Kniga, Kalmus (6380), Dover (in Four Orchestral Works 20279-8) all of whom produce the full score for purchase. Kalmus, MCA, Éditions Chant du Monde, and Staff Music (714) have piano vocal scores for purchase. Orchestral materials may be purchased from Kalmus. It is no longer under United States copyright. Autograph: The manuscript is in the Russian Archives of Literature and Art in Moscow. Notes: This work is based on the music for Eisenstein’s film of the same name, which was produced in 1938, and was completed in concert form on 7 February 1939. The film took place in thirteenth-century Russia. There are several brass fanfares played offstage by players who must at other times play onstage. The orchestra predominates in this piece, and many of its parts are technically demanding.
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Performance Issues: Movements III and V are in Latin with V containing the text of III with elaborations. The sopranos do not sing much, but their tessitura is very high. The full-score is notated in C with the traditional octave displacements. The choral writing is primarily homophonic in two and three-part textures. The harmonic language is triadic and mostly following the principals of functional tonality with occasional dissonances, which though not of the common practice period are none-the-less traditionally prepared and resolved. The vocal material is clearly reinforced by the accompaniment throughout the score. There are a number of offstage passages for the brass, which are intended for the same players as are onstage, so their access in and out must be considered. The bass clarinet has a sounding low C. If this note is unavailable, the composer has suggested covering it with the contrabassoon. The “Battle on the Ice” movement is the largest and most difficult for the orchestra. It has a wide variety of textures and extensive passagework for the woodwinds and strings. Throughout the cantata, the vast majority of the most active passages for the strings are in unison and built upon traditional scale patterns. The brass section has some prolonged passages of sustained playing, but recovery time is provided by well-placed tacets. The breadth of the orchestration demands a large symphonic chorus. If the string players are capable of the intricate passages of movement V, this work will be within the ability of a good college or community orchestra. The choral sections are quite accessible to a large community chorus. Soloist: mezzo-soprano - range: c'-e♭'', tessitura: d'-d'', this is a dramatic and fairly brief role, it is quiet and sustained. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Jennie Tourel; Westminster Choir, Philadelphia Orchestra; conducted by Eugene Ormandy. Columbia: ML 4347 [LP]. Iriarte; Vienna State Opera Chorus and Orchestra; conducted by Rossi. Vanguard: VRS 451 [LP]. Lili Chookasian; New York Philharmonic; conducted by Thomas Schippers. Odyssey: YT-31014 [LP]. Rosalind Elias; Chicago Symphony; conducted by Fritz Reiner. (in English) RCA: 5605-2-RC [ADD]. Elena Obraztsova; London Symphony and Chorus; conducted by Claudio Abbado. Deutsche Grammophon: 419603-2 GH [ADD] also released as 435151-2 GX3. Claudine Carlson; St. Louis Symphony; conducted by Leonard Slatkin. Vox: CT-2182 [ADD]. Linda Finnie; Scottish National Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Neeme Järvi. Chandos: CHAN-8584 [DDD]. Irina Arkhipova; Cleveland Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Riccardo Chailly. London: 410 164-2 LH [DDD].
Christine Cairns; Los Angeles Philharmonic and Master Chorale; conducted by André Previn. Telarc: CD80143 [DDD]. Smetchuk; Danish National Radio Symphony Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Dmitri Kitaenko. Chandos: CHAN 9001 [DDD]. Jard van Nes; Montréal Symphony Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Charles Dutoit. London: 430506-2 LH [DDD]. Selected Bibliography: Swallow, Norman. Eisenstein: A Documentary Portrait. New York: Dutton, 1977. Berger, Melvin. Guide to Choral Masterpieces: A Listener’s Guide, 242-246. New York: Anchor Books, 1993.
Zdravitsa [Hail to Stalin], op. 85 (1937) Duration: ca. 15 minutes Text: The text, probably authored by a committee to honor Stalin, is in Russian. Performing Forces: voices: SATB choir; orchestra: piccolo, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, English horn, 2 clarinets in B♭, bass clarinet in B♭, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 3 trumpets in B♭, 4 horns in F, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion (4 players - glockenspiel, xylophone, snare drum, wooden drum, bass drum, tambourine, cymbals, tam-tam, triangle), harp, piano, and strings First Performance: 21 December 1939; Moscow Edition: Zdravitsa is published and distributed in the United States by Belwin Mills. Autograph: The manuscript is in the Russian Archives of Literature and Art in Moscow. Notes: This work was written to commemorate Joseph Stalin’s sixtieth birthday. This is an attractive and well-crafted score, which has a bold and celebratory quality. The specific nature of the text renders it obsolete for modern concert use. If a suitable alternate text could be inserted, this could become a viable symphonic choral work for less experienced ensembles. Performance Issues: The full-score is written in C with the English horn notated in alto clef. The harmonic language is in the diatonic/modal cast of the bulk of Prokofiev’s middle and late works. The choral parts are thoroughly doubled by the orchestra. The choral material is primarily homophonic with some paired doubling. In the end of the work, portions of a single melodic line are exchanged between sections of the choir. The harmonic material for the choir is almost exclusively diatonic. Some metric interest is introduced wherein fairly square phrases are truncated by a single beat. The instrumental parts are well within the abilities of amateur ensembles. The principal winds have some rapid passage work, which follows
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traditional scales and arpeggios. The flute I part has a number of brief exposed solos. If the timpanist doubles some battery percussion parts, the number of percussionists may be reduced by one. The percussion section will need one experienced mallet player, as there are a number of fairly rapid exposed passages in the xylophone part. A second mallet player is needed for the glockenspiel part, which occurs in the final pages of the score; however, this part is not as difficult. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Choral Ensemble of Russia, National Orchestra of the USSR; conducted by Evgeny Svetlanov. Melodiya: 33SM-02147/8 [LP]. Selected Bibliography: McAllister, Rita. “Sergei Prokofiev.” The New Grove Russian Masters 2, edited by Stanley Sadie, 151. New York: W.W. Norton, 1986.
Ballad of a Boy Who Remained Unknown [Ballada o mal’chike ostavshemya neizvestnïm], op. 93 (1944) Text: The text is in Russian by Pavel Antokol’sky. Performing Forces: soprano and tenor soloists, choir and orchestra First Performance: 21 February 1944; Moscow Notes: This work was written as a memorial oratorio during the Second World War. It appears in all of the major works lists for Prokofiev; however, there appears to be no published edition of it currently available. The listings create the impression that this was a large-scale composition. With the significant changes in the artistic culture of Russia, perhaps a revival of this work can be mounted in the reasonable future. Harlow Robinson describes it as “an intensely patriotic work.”396
Ivan the Terrible, op. 116 1961)
(1942-1945;
Duration: ca. 65 minutes Text: The narrator’s text is by Serge Eisentstein and the sung text is by Stikhi V. Lugovskoi. All texts are in Russian. Performing Forces: voices: narrator, contralto and “Fyedor” - baritone soloists; children’s choir (optional), SATB choir; orchestra: piccolo, 2 flutes (flute II doubling piccolo II), 2 oboes, English horn, soprano
396 Robinson, Harlow, Sergei Prokofiev: A Biography (New York: Viking, 1987).
clarinet in E♭, 3 clarinets in B♭ (clarinet I also plays clarinet in A), bass clarinet in B♭, alto saxophone in E♭, tenor saxophone in B♭, 3 bassoons, contrabassoon, 4 horns in F, 5 trumpets in B♭, 3 trombones, 2 tubas, percussion (5 players - timpani, xylophone, glockenspiel, Russian bells, snare drum, wooden tom-tom, bass drum, tambourine, cymbals, tam-tam, triangle, and whip), 2 psalteries (optional), 2 harps, piano, and strings First Performance: 23 March 1961; The Great Hall of the Tchaikovsky Conservatory, Moscow; conducted by Abram Stasevich premiere outside of the Soviet Union: 29 March 1968; Saint Louis, Missouri; Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Abram Stasevich Edition: Ivan the Terrible, as arranged in oratorio form by Abram Stasevich, was published by Soviet Composers of Moscow in 1972. The full score is available for purchase; parts are available through rental. This edition is now available from Kalmus. Autograph: The manuscript is in the Russian Archives of Literature and Art in Moscow. Notes: Because of the success achieved from converting Prokofiev’s score for Serge Eisenstein’s film Alexander Nevsky into a concert oratorio, Abram Stasevich derived this concert version of Ivan the Terrible in 1961 from the score which Prokofiev had composed in 1942 and 1945 for another of Eisenstein’s films, this one in two parts. The first film was premiered in 1946, and the second was not released until 1958, five years after Prokofiev’s death and ten after Eisenstein’s. The delay of this second release is due to its being banned by Stalin. This censorship demoralized Eisenstein who died two years later, having worked on no further projects. This controversy dissuaded Prokofiev from developing a concert work from the film score. Stasevich had been the conductor for the recording of Prokofiev’s music for the film. When the film was restored to acceptance during the Kruschev era, Stasevich proceeded to assemble an oratorio incorporating narration and music from the film, as well as music composed for but not included in the film. The choral text for the oratorio was written for Stasevich by Lugovsky who had been the librettist who collaborated with Prokofiev on Alexander Nevsky. In Ivan the Terrible, Prokofiev utilizes a number of traditional melodies including the hymn “God Preserve Thy People,”, which is featured prominently in Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture. Performance Issues: This score is dramatic and exhibits a wide variety of orchestral textures, using each
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instrument to good and accessible effect. It requires endurance from the brass, especially the trumpets who have substantial sustained passages and a good deal of high playing with repeated tonguing patterns. The size of the wind and brass sections, coupled with the generally high tessitura of the upper woodwinds, requires a fairly large string section for there to be an adequate balance. The overall score is practical and presents few substantial technical difficulties for the instrumentalists. The violin parts have extended sections of rapid accompanimental figures employing numerous mode shifts in high-pitched sections, which may elicit some intonation problems. The E♭ clarinet part is somewhat virtuosic and often exposed. The psaltery parts are cued to the harp parts throughout. To cover all parts, the timpanist must be included as one of the five percussionists, and will need to cover some other percussion instruments. The choral parts are generally homophonic with some paired doublings between sections in two-part counterpoint. They are chromatic, but clearly tonal centric. Most choral passages are well supported and often directly doubled by the orchestra. The few passages that are a cappella are carefully prepared, often including foreshadowings of the choral material in the preceding instrumental sections. The men of the chorus have some short sections of rhythmically spoken text. Although the score calls for a single narrator, spoken passages are labeled for a narrator and the character “Ivan.” Soloists: The narrator’s part is cued to general places in the score, but is not rhythmically notated, nor specifically aligned with musical gestures, contralto - range: a-f'', tessitura: e'-a', this role is slow and sustained throughout; baritone - range: e♭-f', tessitura: a♭-e♭', this role has only one solo of about three minutes length, which is declamatory and folklike. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: difficult.
Selected Discography: Levko, Makarenko; USSR Symphony and Chorus; conducted by Abram Stasevich. Chant du Monde: LDC278390 [LP]. Claudia Carlson, Samuel Timberlake; Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Leonard Slatkin, originally recorded in 1979. Vox: CDX 5021 [ADD]. Zorova, Stanchev, Morgounov; Rousse Philharmonic Orchestra, Danube Sounds Choir; conducted by A. Naydenov. Forlane: UCD-16530 [CD]. performing version adapted by Christopher Palmer: L. Finnie, N. Storojev; Philharmonia Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Neeme Järvi. Chandos: CHAN 8977 [DDD].
Selected Bibliography: Szneerson, Grigori. “List z Moskwy.” Ruch Muzyczny, volume 5, number 10 (1961): 19. “Oratoriya: Ivan Groznyy.” Sovetskaya Muzyka, volume 25 (May 1961): 129-130.
Flourish, Our Mighty Land [Rastsvetay, moguchiy kray], op. 114 (1947) Duration: ca. 5 minutes Text: The original Russian text was the poem Rastsvetay, moguchiy kray by Yevgeny Dolmatovsky. A later edition substitutes a text by A. Mashistov. Performing Forces: voices: SATB choir; orchestra: piccolo, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, English horn, 2 clarinets in B♭, bass clarinet in B♭, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 4 horns in F, 3 trumpets in B♭, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion (4 players - snare drum, bass drum, tambourine, cymbals, triangle, castanets), harp, piano, and strings
First Performance: 12 November 1947; Moscow; Russian Federal S.S.R. Choir (A.S. Stepanov, chorusmaster), State Symphony Orchestra; conducted by N.P. Anosov. Edition: Flourish, Our Mighty Land is published and distributed in the United States by Belwin Mills. Autograph: The first edition of 1947 was a facsimile of the composer’s manuscript. The manuscript is in the Russian Archives of Literature and Art in Moscow. Notes: This work was composed for the thirtieth anniversary of the October Revolution. Performance Issues: The full-score is written in C. This work is basically a fanfare for choir and orchestra. The harmonic material is diatonic with some chromatic inflections evocative of Russian folk song. The choral texture is homophonic throughout. There are two-part divisi for each section of the choir, and there are two eight-measure a cappella passages. The orchestral writing is well within the grasp of most amateur ensembles with the possible exception of the brass parts, which are sustained and rhythmically concise. The principal trumpet part has a particularly high tessitura. Choir: easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Discography: No commercial recording Selected Bibliography: Robinson, Harlow. Sergei Prokofiev, 458, 461. New York: Viking, 1987.
On Guard for Peace [Na strazhe mira], op. 124 (1950) Duration: ca. 30 minutes
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Text: The text is in Russian by Samuel Marshak. Performing Forces: voices: narrator, contralto and boy alto soloists; SSAA boy’s choir, SATB choir; orchestra: piccolo, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, English horn, soprano clarinet in E♭, 2 clarinets in B♭, bass clarinet in B♭, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 4 horns in F, 3 trumpets in B♭, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion (5 players - glockenspiel, xylophone, snare drum, bass drum, tambourine, wooden drum, cymbals, tam-tam, triangle), harp, celeste, piano, and strings First Performance: 19 December 1950; Moscow; conducted by Samuil Samosud Edition: On Guard for Peace is published and distributed in the United States by Belwin Mills. Autograph: The manuscript is in the Russian Archives of Literature and Art in Moscow. Notes: The work is divided into ten movements. Performance Issues: This score is more chromatic than the other propogandistic choral-orchestral works of Prokofiev. It is also more technically demanding than his other contributions to this repertoire. The orchestration demands a large adult choir. The boy choir is accompanied in a lighter fashion. The narrator must be musically literate as much of the spoken material is rhythmically notated. The choral writing is homophonic often with paired doubling between the soprano and tenor, and the bass and alto parts. There are two-part divisi for each of the choral sections. While somewhat chromatic, the choral material is still scalar and triadic in conception and well reinforced by the accompanying instruments. All of the orchestral parts are technically challenging. There are numerous virtuosic passages for each of the wind players. The final movement is the most challenging in terms of ensemble as there are some awkward three against four figures between the winds and strings, as well as some rapid chromatic passagework doubled between varied pairs of instruments from disparate sections of the orchestra. The harp, celeste, and piano players must be very strong players. These three instruments play a prominent role throughout the entire oratorio, and each part is technically quite difficult. A single mallet player can cover both the xylophone and glockenspiel parts. The string writing is idiomatic and the least difficult of the instrumental choirs. The brass parts are quite sustained, but breaks are provided with some regularity. If only three percussionists are available, the timpani part allows that player to cover the few spots which require four players. This work is ideal for a strong orchestra that wishes to feature a large amateur choir with limited experience. Soloists: contralto - range: a-f'', tessitura: e'-d'', this role suggests a dramatic voice capable of wide melodic leaps; boy alto range: c'-d'', tessitura: e'-c'', this is an accessible role
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
containing two solos. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: difficult. Selected Discography: Dolukhanova, Talanov; USSR Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Samuil Samosud. Vanguard: VRS 6003 [LP]. Selected Bibliography: Robinson, Harlow. Sergei Prokofiev, 487, 491. New York: Viking, 1987.
PUCCINI, Giacomo (b. Lucca, Italy, 22 December 1858; d. Brussels, 29 November 1924) Puccini was a fifth-generation church-music composer. This family tradition was reflected in his training, but Ponchielli recognized his potential as a composer of theatrical music. His first two operas were unsuccessful, but the faithful patronage of Boito and Ricordi led him to score his first critical success with Manon Lescaut. This was followed by a string of works that have become standards of opera houses worldwide. Puccini is the archetype of the verismo style combining the best vocal treatments of the bel canto with psychologically compelling characters, rich chromatic harmonies, and exotic orchestrations. Teachers: Carlo Angeloni, Antonio Bazzini, Fortunato Magi, Amilcare Ponchielli Writings: The Letters of Giacomo Puccini, edited by Giuseppe Adami and translated by Ena Makin. Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott, 1931. Other Principal Works: opera - Le Villi (1884), Edgar (1889), Manon Lescaut (1893), La Bohème (1896), Tosca (1900), Madama Butterfly (1904), La Fanciulla del West (1910), La Rondine (1917), Il Trittico (1918), Turandot (unfinished, completed by Alfano, 1926); choral - Requiem (1905). Selected Composer Bibliography: Carner, Mosco. Puccini: A Critical Biography. New York: Alfred Knopf, 1959. Weaver, William. Puccini: The Man and His Music. New York: E. P. Dutton, 1977. Greenfield, Howard. Puccini. London: Robert Hale, 1980. Puccini, Simonetta, and William Weaver. The Puccini Companion. New York: W. W. Norton, 1994. Wilson, Conrad. Giacomo Puccini. London: Phaidon Press, 1997. Fairtile, Linda. Giacomo Puccini: A Guide to Research. New York: Routledge, 1999.
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Budden, Julian. Puccini: His Life and Works. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2002.
Messa a 4 Voci [known as Messa di Gloria] (1880) Duration: ca. 43 minutes Text: The text is from the Roman Catholic eucharistic liturgy. Performing Forces: voices - tenor, baritone, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra - piccolo, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, ophicleide, 397 timpani (2 drums), harp, and strings First Performance: 25 January 1880; Lucca, Italy. The next performance was 12 July 1952 as part of the Grant Park concert series in Chicago with the Swedish Choral Club conducted by Alfredo Antonini. The first twentieth-century performance in Europe was 23 December 1952 in Naples performed by the Orchestra e Coro Scarlatti di Napoli.398 Editions: Belwin-Mills publishes a piano-vocal score. A newer edition is now published by Ricordi. CarusVerlag publishes a new edition prepared by Dieter Schickling (Carus 40.645). Full scores and parts are available for rental. Autograph: The composer’s manuscript is in the Museo di Casa Puccini in Torre del Lago Puccini. Notes: This work was completed as the equivalent of a final examination piece for Puccini’s training at the conservatory in Lucca. The score incorporates a motet and Credo composed in 1878. Portions of this mass reappear in Puccini’s opera Edgar. Also, the Agnus Dei reappears as the “Madrigale” in Manon Lescaut.399 Performance Issues: The “Gloria” is by far the largest movement in this mass, and it is a good litmus test of the overall performability of the entire work. The choral writing combines homophonic and polyphonic textures. The counterpoint is a bit stiff obviously complying with the expectations of the composer’s teachers. The vocal parts are clearly supported by the orchestra. The tessitura of the sopranos is fairly high. It appears to have been intended for boys. There are some vocally florid passages for the choristers, particularly the tenors. There are extended unison passages for the basses and sopranos. There are some very interesting uses of chromaticism and clever imitative procedures many of which are a bit “Victorian” in sound but simultaneously show the promise of the distinctive compositional voice to come. There is a 397 Contemporary performances use tuba. 398 The first performance dates are conflated in the preface to the piano-vocal score, which indicates the premiere as 12 July 1880.
tenor/bass duet in the “Agnus Dei” for which either the baritone or bass may be used. If it is the former, the indicated range should be d-e♭'. A single bass soloist is often used. The orchestration is fairly conservative and all of the parts are practically conceived. The timbral palette is less rich than in later works, but it is a sonorously pleasing score. Soloists: tenor - range: e♭b♭', tessitura: g-g', this is a lyric and sustained solo, it is the largest of the solo roles; baritone - range: e♭-f',
tessitura: g-e♭', this is a light, sustained lyric role that could also be appropriate for a tenor; bass - range: Fe♭', tessitura: c-c', this is a rhythmic and declamatory solo. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: The 23 December 1952 modern European premiere was recorded on LP. It was released as Colosseum: CLPS1053. José Carreras, Hermann Prey; Ambrosian Singers, Philharmonia Orchestra, conducted by Claudio Scimone. Erato: 4509-96367-2. Philippe Huttenlocher, William Johns; Gulbenkian Choir and Orchestra; conducted by Michel Corboz. Erato: 0630-12818-2. Roberto Alagna, Thomas Hampson; London Symphony Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Antonio Pappano. EMI: CDC5 57159-2. Selected Bibliography: Puccini, Simonetta, and William Weaver. The Puccini Companion, 55-56, 65-66, 105, 282-284, 296, 336. New York: W. W. Norton, 1994.
RACHMANINOV, Sergei (b. Semyonovo, 1 April 1873; d. Beverly Hills, CA, 28 March 1943) In addition to being one of the most celebrated piano virtuosos of the modern era, Rachmaninov was also a gifted conductor. Although he composed in all genres, as a composer he is best remembered for his piano works and symphonies. He attended the Moscow Conservatory (1885-1891) where he studied counterpoint with Sergei Taneyev and harmony with Anton Arensky. Following the unsuccessful premiere of his first symphony, he became despondent and attempted to overcome his depression and resulting creative block through hypnosis. This treatment was followed immediately by the composition of his Second Piano Concerto, which remains one of his most popular works. 399 Preface to the piano-vocal score. Milan: Ricordi, 2006.
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He toured the United States in 1909 as soloist in his own works. Following the 1917 Revolution in Russia, Rachmaninov left Russia, touring the United States and Europe regularly as a pianist and conductor. In 1939, he settled permanently in the United States, becoming a citizen shortly before his death. His music combines the techniques of the late Russian Romantics with a certain sensitivity to indigenous Russian modes and a personal rhapsodic style, which is clearly identifiable in all of his works. Teachers: Anton Arensky, Sergei Taneyev Principal Works: operas - Aleko (1892), Francesca da Rimini (1900); orchestral - three symphonies (1895, 1908, 1936), 4 Piano Concertos (1891, 1901, 1909, 1926), The Isle of the Dead (1909), Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini for piano and orchestra (1934), Symphonic Dances (1940); vocal - Liturgy of St. Chrysostom (1910), Vespers (1915), Russian Songs for men’s chorus and orchestra (1926), and many songs and motets Selected Composer Bibliography: Serroff, Victor. Rachmaninov. London: Cassell and Co., Ltd., 1951. Bertensson, Sergei, and Jay Leyda. Sergei Rachmaninov: A Lifetime in Music. New York: New York University Press, 1956. Piggott, Patrick. Rachmaninov Orchestral Music. London: BBC, 1974. Norris, Geoffrey. Rakhmaninov. London: J. M. Dent and Sons, 1976. Threfall, Robert and Geoffrey Norris. A Catalogue of the Compositions of Sergei Rachmaninov. London: Scolar Press, 1982. Palmieri, Robert. Sergei Vasil’evich Rachmaninov: A Guide to Research. New York: Garland Publishing, 1985. Martyn, Barrie. Rachmaninov: Composer, Pianist, Conductor. Aldershot, England: Scolar Press, 1990.
Vesna [Spring], op. 20 (1902) Duration: ca. 15 minutes Text: The text is a poem by Nikolai A. Nekrasov. The published edition of this score also includes a singing German translation prepared by Vladimir Shumikov. There is also a literal English translation by Andrew Huth among the front matter. Performing Forces: voices: baritone soloist; SATB choir; orchestra: 3 flutes (flute III doubling piccolo), 2 oboes, English horn, 2 clarinets in A, bass clarinet in B♭, 2 bassoons, 4 horns in E, 3 trumpets in A, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani (3 drums), percussion (3 players 400 Robert Threfall and Geoffrey Norris list the premiere date as 11 March 1902 in A Catalogue of the Compositions of Sergei Rachmaninov.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
- bass drum, cymbals, tam-tam, triangle), harp, and strings First Performance: 24 March 1902;400 Moscow; Alexander Vasileyvich Smirnov, soloist; Moscow Philharmonic Society; conducted by Alexander Ziloti Edition: Vesna is published as Der Frühling by Kalmus (5446). The piano-vocal score, full score, and orchestral parts are available for purchase; orchestral materials are also available through rental. It is also published as Spring Cantata by Boosey and Hawkes, study score (HPS 1250); all materials are available through rental. The Boosey and Hawkes materials are a reproduction of the original Gutheil edition. Notes: This score is dedicated to Nikita S. Morozov and was first published under the auspices of Serge and Natalie Koussevitsky. The text for this work is somewhat peculiar. The chorus sings of the coming of spring, followed by a narrative from the soloist recounting an act of infidelity by his wife and his growing desire throughout the winter to murder her. The coming of spring breaks the murderous spell, and he wishes to forgive her as his love is awakened by spring. Performance Issues: This score requires a large orchestra and chorus. The choir has much unison and twopart singing, much of which is full and declamatory with some divisi in all parts. The pitch material of the choir is well supported by the accompanying orchestration; however, they are at times rhythmically at odds with the orchestra and must be articulate and independent in their execution of rhythms. There is a section of the work for textless chorus, which serves as part of the accompaniment for the soloist. The choral material is very accessible, making this an excellent choice for a moderately skilled symphonic choir. There are divisi in all of the string parts, including a three-part division for violin I. There is significant chromatic passagework for all of the woodwinds, involving rapid unison playing throughout the section. The passages for oboe I are the most exposed. The brass scoring is mostly in block harmonic motion, giving shape to the more fluid wind and string parts. This work is brilliantly scored with demanding, soloistic passages for all members of the orchestra. Rich orchestral textures are achieved through the juxtaposition of diverse simultaneous divisions of the beat using the same harmonic material. Achieving clarity between these contrasting rhythms will demand experienced, secure players, or a significant amount of careful rehearsal. Soloist: range: B-g'; tessitura: d-d'; this is a declamatory solo, which represents about a third of the work’s length. The singer must be able to
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
project clearly over a sizable ensemble. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: difficult. Selected Discography: John Shaw; Cathedral Choir of St. Ambrose, John McCarthy, choirmaster; New Philharmonia Orchestra; conducted by Igor Buketoff, recorded in 1968. RCA: LSC-3051 [LP]. Jorma Hynninen; Danish National Radio Symphony Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Dmitri Kitaenko. Chandos: CHAN 8966 [DDD]. Arnold Voketaitis; St. Louis Symphony Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Leonard Slatkin, recorded in 1980. Vox: CD3X 3002 [ADD]. Selected Bibliography: Rubinstein, Arthur. My Young Years, 479. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1973. Martyn, Barrie. Rachmaninov: Composer, Pianist, Conductor, 136-140. Aldershot, England: Scolar Press, 1990.
Kolokola [The Bells], op. 35 (1913) Duration: ca. 35 minutes Text: The text is a Russian translation by Konstantin Balmont of Edgar Allan Poe’s poem, “The Bells.” There is a singing English retranslation by Fanny S. Copeland. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, tenor, and baritone soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: piccolo, 3 flutes, 3 oboes, English horn, 3 clarinets in B♭ and A, bass clarinet in B♭ and A, 3 bassoons, contrabassoon, 6 horns in F, 3 trumpets in B♭, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion (5 players - glockenspiel, chimes, snare drum, bass drum, tambourine, cymbals, tamtam, triangle), harp, celeste, piano, organ (optional), and strings. The score indicates the use of an upright piano. First Performance: 13 December 1913;401 St. Petersburg, Russia; A. D. Aleksandrov, E. I. Popova, P. Z. Andreyev; Mariinsky Theatre Chorus; conducted by Rachmaninov. Edition: The Bells is published by Boosey and Hawkes. The piano-vocal score is available for purchase; all other materials are available through rental. This edition is also available for purchase from Kalmus. Autograph: Autographs of Rachmaninov’s corrections to the first edition are in the archives of Boosey and Hawkes in London.
401 Robert Threfall and Geoffrey Norris list the premiere date as 30 November 1913 in A Catalogue of the Compositions of Sergei Rachmaninov.
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Notes: The score was completed 9 August 1913. In this work, Rachmaninov uses the Gregorian chant tune of the “Dies Irae,” which also appears in a number of his other compositions, including Isle of the Dead, Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, and the Symphonic Dances. The work is caste in a traditional symphonic form of four movements. Performance Issues: There are a number of published variants of this score. The original edition published by Gutheil in 1920 serves as the basis of all full scores. The 1920 piano-vocal score, prepared by Aleksandr Goldenweiser, deviates from the full score in a number of places, notably movement I at 18; movement III at 63-64, 71-73, and 88; and movement IV from 116 to 117. For an English performance in 1936, significant rewriting was done to the choral parts. Rachmaninov made additional changes to the vocal parts in the 1936 piano-vocal edition, copies of which are in the Boosey and Hawkes archives. Some later piano-vocal editions were exact duplicates of the original version. A 1967 edition of the full-score, from Muzyka, which is also a copy of the original edition, includes annotations explaining the choral variants in the various piano-vocal editions, but not the composer’s changes of 1936. In any case, it is important to compare the full score and piano-vocal scores before rehearsals begin to sort out discrepancies at the rehearsal numbers listed above. The current edition from Boosey and Hawkes presents both versions clearly; however, the simplified version includes a singing text in Russian and English, while the foot-noted original version is in Russian only. The choral writing is well supported by the accompaniment of the orchestra. There are three-part divisi for each section of the choir. The individual orchestral parts are quite difficult. There is intricate passagework for the strings and woodwinds, and a substantial amount of playing for the brass, especially the horns. Clarinets I and II have numerous exposed and awkward passages. The percussion parts are written for five players, but it is possible to cover all of the instruments with four. The harp, celeste, and piano parts are integral to the score and fairly difficult. These three instruments would be at their best advantage placed near each other. The size of the orchestra, and the breadth of Rachmaninov’s orchestral palette demand that a large choir be utilized. The greatest choral challenge is sheer force. This is an ideal work for a large festival chorus. Soloists: soprano - range: e'-a'', tessitura: a'-f'', this is a sustained and lyric role; tenor range: a♭-a♭', tessitura: a♭-a♭', this role is declamatory and uses its one-octave range evenly; baritone - range: B-f', tessitura: e-e', this role is lyric and has a
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somewhat high tessitura. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: difficult. Selected Discography: Moscucci, Anthony, Malfatti; Rachmaninov Chorus and Orchestra; conducted by Rachmilovich. Rachmaninov Society: RS 8 [LP]. Marianna Christos, Walter Planté, Arnold Voketaitis; St. Louis Symphony Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Leonard Slatkin, recorded in 1980. Vox: CD3X 3002 [ADD]. Mikhailova, Larin; Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, Bolshoi Theater Chorus; conducted by Dmitri Kitaenko. Melodiya: MCD-116 [DDD]. Elena Ustinova, Kurt Westi, Jorma Hynninen; Danish National Radio Symphony Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Dmitri Kitaenko. Chandos: CHAN 8966 [DDD]. Suzanne Murphy, Keith Lewis, David Wilson-Johnson; Scottish National Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Neeme Järvi. Chandos: CHAN-8476 [DDD]. G. Pisarenko, A. Maslennikov, S. Yakovenko; USSR Symphony, Yurlov Choir; conducted by Yevgeni Svetlanov. Mobile Fidelity / Melodiya: MFCD-900 [ADD]. Troitskaya, Karczykowski, Krause; Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Vladimir Ashkenazy. London: 414455-2 LH [DDD]. Alexandrina Pendachanska, Kaludi Kaludov, Sergei Leiferkus; Choral Arts Society of Philadelphia (Seán Deibler, chorus-master), Philadelphia Orchestra; conducted by Charles Dutoit, recorded in Memorial Hall, Philadelphia during January 1992. London: D 105682 [DDD]. Selected Bibliography: Waldo, Fullerton. “Rachmaninov’s The Bells.” Outlook, volume 124 (25 February 1920): 318-319. Hull, Robert. “Rachmaninov’s The Bells.” Monthly Musical Record (October 1936): 171-172. Calvocoressi, Michel Dmitri. “The Bells.” The Listener, volume 17 (3 February 1937): 244. Leonard, Richard A. A History of Russian Music, 227230. New York, MacMillan, 1957. Evans, Mary Garrettson. Music and Edgar Allen Poe: A Bibliographic Study. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins Press, 1939; reprinted New York: Greenwood Press, 1968. Martyn, Barrie. Rachmaninov: Composer, Pianist, Conductor, 241-248. Aldershot, England: Scolar Press, 1990. Berger, Melvin. Guide to Choral Masterpieces: A Listener’s Guide, 255-257. New York: Anchor Books, 1993.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
RAVEL, Maurice (b. Cibourne, BassesPyrénées, France, 7 March 1875; d. Paris, 28 December 1937) Ravel first attended the Paris Conservatory as a pianist and began composing when he had completed those studies in 1895. He returned two years later to pursue an education in composition for which his teacher was Gabriél Fauré. He also studied counterpoint and orchestration with André Gédalge. He made four successive attempts to win the Grand Prix de Rome, which were each unsuccessful. His elimination in the preliminary rounds, in 1905, became a cause célèbre, which brought about a resignation from Dubois as director of the conservatory. Ravel dedicated himself solely to composition, making occasional performance tours in his own music. His works combine many of the exotic elements found in the works of Debussy, with whom he is often paired, with a keen appreciation of Classical and Baroque forms. His works all exhibit impeccable craftsmanship and a remarkable sensitivity to instrumental timbres. Most of his orchestral works were first composed as piano solos. In his final years he suffered from increasing paralysis and aphasia, completing his final works through an amanuensis. Teachers: Gabriel Fauré, André Gédalge Students: George Gershwin, René Leibowitz, RolandManuel, Manuel Rosenthal, Adolfo Salazar, Germaine Tailleferre, Ralph Vaughan Williams Principal Works: opera - L’Heure espagnole (1909), L’Enfant et les Sortilèges (1925); ballets - Ma Mère l’Oye (1911), Daphnis et Chloé (1912), Le Tombeau de Couperin (1920), La Valse (1920), Boléro (1928); orchestral - Pavane pour une infant défunte (1910), Alborado del gracioso (1919), Tzigane (1924), Piano Concerto in D for Left Hand Alone (1930), Piano Concerto in G (1931); chamber - Introduction and Allegro (1905); vocal - Trois poèmes de Stéphane Mallarmé (1913), Chansons madécasses (1926), Don Quichotte à Dulcinée (1933); and many songs and piano solos. Selected Composer Bibliography: Roland-Manuel. Maurice Ravel, translated into English by Cynthia Jolly. London: Dennis Dobson, 1947. Goss, Madeleine. Bolero: The Life of Maurice Ravel. New York: Henry Holt and Co., 1940. Demuth, Norman. Ravel. London: J.M. Dent and Sons, 1947. Seroff, Victor I. Maurice Ravel. New York: Henry Holt and Company, 1953. Jankélévitch, Vladimir. Ravel, translated by Margaret Crosland. London: John Calder, 1959. Myers, Rollo H. Ravel: Life and Works. London: Gerald Duckworth and Co., 1960.
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Orenstein, Arbie. Ravel: Man and Musician. New York: Columbia University Press, 1975. Nichols, Roger. Ravel Remembered. New York: W. W. Norton, 1987. Orenstein, Arbie, editor. A Ravel Reader: Correspondence, Articles, Interviews. New York: Columbia University Press, 1990. Zank, Stephen. Maurice Ravel: A Guide to Research. New York: Routledge, 2005.
Daphnis et Chloe (1909-12) Duration: ca. 50 minutes Text: none Performing Forces: voices: SATB choir; orchestra: piccolo, 2 flutes in C, alto flute in G, 2 oboes, English horn, soprano clarinet in E♭, 2 clarinets in B♭ and A, bass clarinet in B♭, 3 bassoons, contrabassoon, 4 horns in F, 4 trumpets, in C, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion (8 players - glockenspiel, xylophone, crotales, snare drum, tenor drum, bass drum, tambourine, cymbals, tam-tam, triangle, castanets, wind machine), celeste, 2 harps, and strings; onstage (in the ballet): piccolo, soprano clarinet in E♭; offstage: horn in F, trumpet in C First Performance: entire ballet: 8 June 1912; Théâtre Chatelet, Paris; Ballets Russes; conducted by Pierre Monteux; produced by Serge Diaghilev; choreographed by Michel Fokine; scenery and costumes by Leon Bakst premiere of Suite No. 1: 2 April 1911; Colonne Orchestra; conducted by Gabriel Pierné Edition: Daphnis et Chloe is published by Durand and Kalmus. The full score is available for purchase, and orchestral materials are available through rental. The full score is also available for purchase from Dover. Autograph: The manuscript of the piano score, which was completed in 1910, is in the private collection of Madame Alexander Taverne. The manuscript of the full score is in the archives of Durand and Company. Notes: There are instrumental cues provided in the orchestra parts if a chorus is unavailable; however, these cues do not appear in the full score. Directions to integrate the music with the staging are found throughout the score. There were two orchestral suites made from the complete score. They appeared as follows: Suite No. 1 (1911) Nocturne Interlude Danse guerrière
ca. 12 minutes
Suite No. 2 (1913) Lever du Jour Pantomime
ca. 18 minutes
Danse générale Performance Issues: Ravel uses a textless chorus as an orchestral color for his instrumentation of this ballet score, an idea which was probably inspired by Debussy’s use of the women’s choir in Nocturnes. In the score, he indicates mouths closed (humming), and mouths open; however, for the latter, he has not indicated a choice of vowels, so these must be decided in rehearsal preparation. It is advisable to vary them according to the musical context, both for timbral variety and to prevent vocal fatigue. The score indicates that the choir be placed behind the staging. In a concert situation, traditional seating is entirely appropriate. The vocal material is derived from nonfunctional tertian relationships and quartal-quintal combinations. While the vocal material is harmonically supported by the orchestra most of the time, it is generally rhythmically independent. Some passages are unaccompanied, for which orchestral alternatives are provided. There are two-part divisi for each section of the choir. The size of the wind and brass sections requires a large contingent of string players. There are also divisi for all of the string parts. The general percussion parts are not very difficult, but eight players are needed in the final sections of the work. The glockenspiel player must be skilled as there are some four-mallet passages for the glockenspiel. All of the brass parts are demanding in terms of endurance. The trumpet I and horn I are particularly exposed with some challenging solo passages. The flutes, oboes, and clarinets all have numerous extended virtuosic passages combining arpeggiations and chromatic passagework. The flutes also have significant exposed sections, which require slow beautiful playing. All of the string writing is very idiomatic and exceptionally challenging technically. Ravel achieves many shimmering sonic effects through brilliant orchestral gestures, which are the amalgamation of numerous detailed figures. The two harp parts are quite independent and must be done by two players. The timbral effect of the chorus is probably most effective with a large vocal ensemble. The chorus must be musically independent and the orchestra flexible and virtuosic. Choir: difficult; Orchestra: very difficult. Selected Discography: There was an Aeolian Pianola Roll made of the entire piano reduction by the composer. It is TL22514/8TL22548/9. complete ballet Orchestre de Paris; conducted by Jean Martinon, recorded in 1975. VSM: 2C 165-02583/7 [LP]. Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Motet Choir of Geneva (Jacques Horneffer, chorus-master); conducted by Ernest Ansermet, recorded in Victoria Hall, Geneva in 1953. Decca: LXT2775 [LP], released in the United States as London: LL693.
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Orchestre du Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, Choeur et Maîtrise de la Radio et Télévision Française; conducted by Désiré-Emile Inghelbrecht, recorded in 1954. Ducretet-Thomson: 320C015 [LP]. Boston Symphony Orchestra, Chorus of the New England Conservatory and Alumni (Robert Shaw, chorus-master, assisted by Lorna Cooke de Varon); conducted by Charles Munch, recorded in 1955. RCAVictor: LSC 1893 [LP]. London Symphony Orchestra, Chorus of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden (Douglas Robinson, chorus-master); conducted by Pierre Monteux, recorded in 1959. Decca: SXL2312 [LP], released in the United States as London: CS6248. second version Boston Symphony Orchestra, Chorus of the New England Conservatory (Lorna Cooke de Varon, chorus-master); conducted by Charles Munch, recorded in 1961. RCA-Victor: LSC 2568 [LP]. Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Chorus of Romande Radio, Lausanne (André Charlet, chorus-master); conducted by Ernest Ansermet, recorded in Victoria Hall, Geneva in 1965. Decca: SXL6204 [LP], released in the United States as London: CS6456, re-released in 1984 as Decca: 414046-2 [ADD]. excerpts Orchestre de la Société des Concerts du Conservatoire; conducted by Charles Munch, recorded in 1949. Decca: GAG 1584/6 [78], released in the United States as London: set LA225. Suite No. 1 L’Orchestre de la Société des Concerts du Conservatoire; conducted by Piero Coppola, recorded in Paris in 1934. Victor: 11882 [78]. San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, San Francisco Municipal Choir; conducted by Pierre Monteux, recorded in 1947. RCA-Victor: 119683/4 [78], re-released as RCA-Camden: CAL 156 [LP]. Philadelphia Orchestra; conducted by Eugene Ormandy. Columbia: ML 4316 [LP]. Boston Symphony Orchestra, Chorus of the New England Conservatory and Alumni (Robert Shaw, chorus-master, assisted by Lorna Cooke de Varon); conducted by Charles Munch, recorded in 1955. RCAVictrola: VICS 1271 [LP]. Suite No.2 Orchestre des Concerts Straram; conducted by Philippe Gaubert, recorded in 1930. Columbia: 67827/8D [78]. Concertgebouw Orchestra; conducted by Willem Mengelberg, recorded on 6 October 1938. Released in 1977 as Educational Media: RR506 [LP]. Boston Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Serge Koussevitsky, recorded in 1929. Victor: 7143/4 [78]. Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra; conducted by Wilhelm Furtwängler, recorded on 20 and 22 March 1944. Released in 1985 as Melodiya: 459490008 [LP]. Boston Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Serge Koussevitsky, recorded in 1946. Victor: 118747/8 [78]. second version
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Boston Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Serge Koussevitsky, recorded privately in 1948. Released in 1975 as SID: 711 [LP]. third version N.B.C. Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Arturo Toscanini, recorded in Carnegie Hall, New York on 21 November 1949. RCA: LM 1043 [LP]. Philadelphia Orchestra; conducted by Eugene Ormandy. Columbia: ML 4316 [LP]. Boston Symphony Orchestra, Chorus of the New England Conservatory and Alumni (Robert Shaw, chorus-master, assisted by Lorna Cooke de Varon); conducted by Charles Munch, recorded in 1955. RCAVictrola: VICS 1271 [LP]. Detroit Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Paul Paray, recorded between 1956 and 1962. Philips: 6768230 [LP]. Chicago Symphony Orchesta; conducted by Jean Martinon, recorded in 1965. RCA-Victrola: LSC2806 [LP]. Selected Bibliography: reviews of the premiere: Vuillemin, Louis. “Daphnis et Chloé.” In Comœdia (10 June 1912). Carraud, Gaston. “Daphnis et Chloé.” In La Liberté (11 June 1912). Lalo, Pierre. “Daphnis et Chloé.” In Le Temps (11 June 1912). other sources: “Composer and Impressario, M. Maurice Ravel versus M. Diaghilev.” In Comœdia (18 June 1914). Haskell, Arnold. Diaghileff: His Artistic and Private Life, 167, 194, 218-219, 320. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1935. Reprinted as New York: DaCapo Press, 1978. Orenstein, Arbie. Ravel: Man and Musician, 60-61, 6970, 177-179, 215-216, 231-232, 261-262. New York: Columbia University Press, 1975. ———, editor. A Ravel Reader: Correspondence, Articles, Interviews, 147-148, 217-218, 574-581, 586. New York: Columbia University Press, 1990.
RIEGGER, Wallingford (b. Albany, GA, 29 April 1885; d. New York, 2 April 1961). Born into a musical family, Riegger was a member of the first graduating class of the Institute of Musical Art (1907). There he studied cello with Alvin Schroeder and composition with Percy Goetschius. He then spent three years at the Berlin Hochschule für Musik, studying cello with Robert Haussman and Anton Hekking, and composition with Max Bruch and Edgar Stillman-Kelley. He became principal cellist of the St. Paul Orchestra (1911-1914), returning to Germany in 1914 as assistant conductor at the Stadttheater of Würzburg and then in Königsberg. Upon the United
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
States entry into the First World War he returned to his homeland. Riegger then taught at Drake University (1919-1922), the Institute of Musical Art (1925-1926), and Ithaca College (1926-1928). In 1928, he returned to New York where he would remain for the rest of his life, supporting himself through editing and commercial arrangements of folk songs and carols under pseudonyms. Although his teaching career was brief, his student legacy includes Henry Brant, Michael Colgrass, Morton Feldman, and Elie Siegmeister. He became a part of the New York avant-garde with Henry Cowell, Carl Ruggles, Carlos Salzédo, Edgar Varèse, and Charles Ives. He was active in the administration of the Central Music Committee of Yaddo, the League of Composers, and the Pan American Association of Composers. His music is highly contrapuntal, often combining a fairly simple twelve-tone technique with terse free atonality.402 Teachers: Max Bruch, Percy Goetschius, Edgar Stillman-Kelley Students: Robert Ashley, Henry Brant, Morton Feldman, George Gershwin, Hall Overton, Elie Siegmeister, Alan Stout, David Ward-Steinman Awards: Paderewski Prize (1922), Coolidge Prize (1924), Alice Ditson Fund award (1946), New York Critics’ Circle Award (1948 for Symphony no. 3), Naumberg Recording Award Principal Works: dance - Evocation (1932), The Cry (1935), With My Red Fires (1936), Four Chromatic Eccentricities (1936), Machine Ballet (1938), Pilgrim’s Progress (1941); orchestral - four symphonies (1944, 1945, 1946-1947, 1956), Dichotomy (19311932), Music for Orchestra (1952), Variations for Piano and Orchestra (1952-1953), Variations for Two Pianos and Orchestra (1952-1954), Dance Rhythms (1954), Quintuple Jazz (1959); vocal - La belle dame sans merci (1921-1924), Who can revoke? (1948, text by C. R. Harris), and The Dying of the Light (1954) Selected Composer Bibliography: Riegger, Wallingford. “Materials and Musical Creation.” In American Composers on American Music: A Symposium, edited by Henry Cowell, 180. New York: Frederick Ungar Publishing, 1933 (revised 1962). Cowell, Henry. “Wallingford Riegger.” Musical America, lxviii/14 (1948): 9. Carter, Elliott. “Wallingford Riegger.” American Composers’ Alliance Bulletin, ii/1 (1952): 3. “Wallingford Riegger: List of Works and Discography.” American Composers’ Alliance Bulletin, ix/3 (1960): 19. 402 Harold Gleason and Walter Becker, “Wallingford Riegger,” 20th-Century American Composers, Music Literature Outlines, series iv (Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press, revised 1981).
Ardoin, John. “Wallingford Riegger Dies at 75.” Musical America (May 1961): 65. Gatwood, Dwight D. Jr. Wallingford Riegger: A Biography and Analysis of Selected Works. George Peabody College for Teachers, dissertation, 1970. Rosenfeld, Paul. Discoveries of a Music Critic, 344. New York: Harcourt and Brace, 1936, revised 1972. Savage, Newell Gene. Structure and Cadence in the Music of Wallingford Riegger. Stanford University: Dissertation, 1972. Gleason, Harold, and Walter Becker. “Wallingford Riegger.” Twentieth-Century American Composers. Music Literature Outlines, series iv: 148-157. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, revised 1981. Spackman, Stephen. Wallingford Riegger: Two Essays in Musical Biography. Brooklyn, NY, Institute for Studies in American Music, monograph, xvii: 1982.
Cantata, In Certainty of Song, op. 46 (1950) Duration: ca. 21 minutes Text: Catherine R. Harris Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and baritone soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, horn, trumpet, trombone, percussion (1 player - timpani, snare drum, bass drum, cymbals), and strings First Performance: 23 April 1952; Northwestern University, Chicago, IL; Northwestern University Ensembles; conducted by George Howerton Edition: In Certainty of Song is published and distributed by Peer International. Piano-vocal scores may be purchased; all materials are available by rental. Autograph: The full score is a facsimile of the composer’s manuscript. Notes: This work is in six movements, which may be played without pause. Performance Issues: This is a tonal work with diatonic melodies and functional harmonies. However, Lowens describes the fluent use of the twelve-tone method. The single winds and a delicate orchestration allow for a small string section (as small as three violins I, three violins II, two viola, two cellos, and one double bass) and a small to medium-sized choir. Much of the choral writing is unison or paired doubling at the octave between the soprano with tenor, and alto with bass. In some sections the composer has notated only two parts with basses and altos on the bottom and soprano and tenor on the top. There are occasional sections of pervasive imitation and rhythmic speaking. The beginning pitches of each choral passage are anticipated by
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the accompaniment, and the orchestra continually supports the harmonies of the vocal parts. In contrapuntally complex sections each melodic line of the choir is doubled in the orchestra. There are divisi in all sections and some hummed and spoken passages. There is an optional piano part to reinforce the cellos and basses (movement III, from D to K). There are also optional instrumental cues to double vocal parts in the same movement. The orchestra parts are very accessible for amateur players. All of the instruments are treated conservatively and the orchestration is generally sparse. Soloists: soprano, range: f'-b♭'', tessitura f'-f'', speechlike with some high sustained vocalises; alto, range: c'-a', tessitura c'-a', only sings in three measures; tenor, range: c-f', tessitura f-d', sustained and gentle; bass, range: A♭-e♭', tessitura e-b, lyrical and rhythmically involved. Each soloist has freely spoken sections. This is an ideal introduction to twentieth-century music for inexperienced ensembles. The small orchestra makes the programming of this work reasonably affordable. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Discography: No commercial recording Selected Bibliography: [review] Musical Courier, cxliv (1 December 1951): 34. Lowens, Irving. [review of the score] Notes, ix (19511952): 325-326. Goldman, Richard F. “Current Chronicle.” Music Quarterly, xxxviii (1952): 438.
RIMSKY-KORSAKOV, Nikolai (b. Tikhvin, Russia, 18 March 1844; d. Liubensk, Russia, 21 June 1908) Rimsky-Korsakov was born into an affluent family. He embarked on a naval career, but was impressed upon hearing the nationalist compositions of Glinka. He soon established a friendship with Balakirev and began to compose orchestral music ignorant of the fundamental nomenclature of music theory. Despite his technical shortcomings at the time, he was hired as a professor of composition at the St. Petersburg Conservatory in 1871. He served in this capacity with great distinction until his death. Balakirev, Borodin, Cui, and Mussorgsky, Rimsky-Korsakov were the “Mighty Five.” These were the composers who embodied the new Russian nationalist style in music. RimskyKorsakov compiled, edited, and even orchestrated works left behind upon Mussorgsky’s death. Likewise, he revised Mussorgsky’s Boris Godunov and completed Borodin’s Prince Igor. It is as an orchestrator that Rimsky-Korsakov most distinguished himself. His Principles of Orchestration is still regarded as one of the most important treatises on the subject. His works are marked by brilliant use of orchestral colors
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
and an informed practicality from a player’s perspective. The rich orchestral palette of twentieth-century Russian music is cast in his shadow. Teachers: primarily self-taught Students: Anton Arensky, Alexander Glazunov, Mikhail Gnessin, Alexander Gretchaninov, Mikhail Ippolitov-Ivanov, Vasili Kalafati, Nikolai Kazanly, Ivan Kryzhanovsky, Anatoli Liadov, Witold Maliszewski, Nikolai Miaskovsky, Sergei Prokofiev, Ottorino Respighi, Solomon Rosowsky, Mart Saar, Lazare Saminsky, Nikolai Alexandrovich Sokolov, Maximillian Steinberg, Igor Stravinsky, Nikolai Tcherepnin, Joseph Wihtol Writings: Principles of Orchestration: With Musical Examples Drawn from His Own Works, edited by Maximilian Steinberg, translated by Edward Agate, two volumes bound as one (Editions Russe de Musique, 1922; reprinted, New York: Dover, 1964). Other Principal Works: opera: May Night (18781879), Snow Maiden (1880-1881), Mlada (18891890), Mozart and Salieri (1897), The Tsar’s Bride (1898), The Legend of Tsar Saltan (1899-1900), Tale of the Invisible City of Ktzeh (1903-1904), The Golden Cockerel (1906-1907); orchestral: Symphony No. 1 (1861-1865, 1884), Symphony No. 2 (1868), Symphony No. 3 (1873-1874), Sadko (1867), Sheherazade (1888), Russian Easter Overture (1888); choral: Song of Oleg the Wise (1899), From Homer (1901) Selected Composer Bibliography: Abraham, Gerald. Rimsky-Korsakov: A Short Biography. London: AMS Press, 1949. Seaman, Gerald. Nikolai Andreevich Rimsky-Korsakov: A Guide for Research. New York: Garland, 1988.
Alexey, the Man of God [Stikh ob Alexeye Bozh’yem cheloveke] op. 20 (1878) Duration: ca. 5 minutes Text: Unknown, perhaps it is by the composer. Performing Forces: voices: AATTBB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets (A), 2 bassoons, 2 horns (D, E), 2 trumpets (E), 3 trombones, timpani, and strings First Performance: 22 January 1894, St. Petersburg, conducted by the composer as part of the “Third Russian Symphonic Concert” Editions: This work was originally published by Beliaiev. It appears in N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov’s Complete Works, volume 24. Full scores and parts for Alexey, the Man of God are available in a pairing with Slava from Belwin-Mills (K 5234). Autograph: The location of the composer’s manuscript is unknown.
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Notes: This work is an adaptation of a folk tune the composer heard while working on the score of the opera The Maid of Pskov in 1877. It was being sung by pilgrims visiting the Pechersk Monastery. Performance Issues: The choral writing is homophonic with conservative ranges in all parts. The choral parts are clearly doubled by the orchestra. The orchestral writing is idiomatic and well within the abilities of an amateur ensemble. This is a work that allows lessaccomplished ensembles to sound their very best. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: No commercial recording Selected Bibliography: The editor’s notes for the Collected Works are published in English translation by Olga Browning as a foreword to the Belwin-Mills score.
Slava [“Glory”], op. 21 (1879-1880) Duration: ca. 5 minutes Text: The text is taken from a Russian folk song. Performing Forces: voices: SSATTB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets (B♭), 2 bassoons, 4 horns (F), 2 cornets (B♭), 2 trumpets (F), 3 trombones, tuba, timpani (2 drums), and strings
First Performance: 22 January 1894, St. Petersburg, conducted by the composer as part of the “Third Russian Symphonic Concert” Editions: This work was first published by A. Bitner and reissued by M. P. Beliaiev. It appears in N. A. RimskyKorsakov’s Complete Works, volume 24. Full scores and parts for Slava are available in a pairing with Alexey, the Man of God from Belwin-Mills (K 5234). Autograph: The composer’s manuscript is in the M. P. Beliaiev Collection (No. I[3]) in the Saltyon-Shchedrin State Public Library in St. Petersburg. Notes: The score is an arrangement of a popular Russian folk song. It is dedicated to Ie. S. Azeiev. Performance Issues: This work juxtaposes flashy, bombastic passages with judiciously conceived choral sections. The choral writing is practical and primarily homophonic and doubled by the orchestra, although there are some a cappella passages. There are some three-part divisi for the sopranos and tenors. All of the writing is practical, and the scoring is masterful. The brass parts require assured players. This is a 403 Ruth Watanabe, “Rogers, Bernard,” in The New Grove Dictionary of American Music, edited by H. Wiley Hitchcock, iv: 7475 (4 volumes) (London: Macmillan, 1986).
particularly flattering composition for an orchestra with stronger wind and brass players than the string section. It is well suited to a large choral ensemble. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: No commercial recording Selected Bibliography: The editor’s notes for the Collected Works are published in English translation by Olga Browning as a foreword to the Belwin-Mills score.
ROGERS, Bernard (b. New York, 4 February 1893; d. Rochester, NY, 24 May 1968) Rogers began composing in 1909, and between 1915 and 1918 studied music theory with Hans van den Berg and composition with Arthur Farwell. At the Institute of Musical Art (1919-1920), he was a composition student of Percy Goetschius. He moved to Cleveland where he studied with Ernst Bloch (19201922). On a Guggenheim Fellowship (1927-1929), he studied in London with Frank Bridge, and in Paris with Nadia Boulanger. He had been in the service of an architectural firm, and later did editorial work for Musical America (1915-1922, 1923-1925) and the Cleveland Commercial (1920-1923). He taught at the Hartt School of Music (1926-1927), and then at the Eastman School (1929-1967). At Eastman, he was chairman of the composition department, and taught composition and orchestration. His many distinguished pupils include Dominick Argento, Wayne Barlow, David Diamond, Peter Mennin, Burrill Phillips, Robert Stern, Vladimir Ussachevsky, and Robert Ward. Rogers’s music shows the influence of his love for poetry (notably Whitman) and Japanese prints. He was one of America’s most skillful orchestrators with an acute sense of instrumental color, textural variety.403 Teachers: Ernest Bloch, Nadia Boulanger, Frank Bridge, Arthur Farwell, Percy Goetschius Students: Dominick Argento, Joseph Baber, Wayne Barlow, Jack Beeson, William Bergsma, Gordon Binkerd, Nathaniel Dett, Emma Lou Diemer, Anthony Donato, William Flanagan, Kenneth Gaburo, Earl George, Roger Hannay, Walter Hartley, Samuel Jones, Ulysses Kay, Kent Kennan, Gail Kubik, John LaMontaine, Martin Mailman, Salvatore Martirano, Peter Mennin, Louis Mennini, Robert Palmer, Burrill Phillips, Gardner Read, H. Owen Reed, Patrick Peter Sacco, Robert Stern, Vladimir Ussachevsky, Robert
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Ward, Robert Washburn, John Weinzweig, Clifton Williams Awards: Pulitzer Travel Scholarship (1918), two Guggenheim Fellowships (1927, 1928), David Bishpam Medal (1931), Alice M. Ditson Award (1946), two honorary doctorates, Lillian B. Fairchild Award (1963), elected to the National Institute of Arts and Letters (1947) Principal Works: operas - Dierdre (1922), The Marriage of Aude (1931), The Warrior (1944), The Veil (1950), The Nightingale (1954); orchestral - Symphony, no.1, “Adonais,” (1926), Symphony, no. 2 (1928), Symphony, no. 3 “On a Thanksgiving Song,” (1936), Symphony, no. 4 (1940), Symphony, no. 5, “Africa,” (1959), To the Fallen (1918), Fuji in Sunset Glow (1925), 3 Japanese Dances (1933), Colors of War (1939), The Silver World (1949), Colors of Youth (1951), New Japanese Dances (1961), Apparitions (1967); choral - The Light of Man (1964), Dirge for Two Veterans (1967). Selected Composer Bibliography: Hanson, Howard. “Bernard Rogers.” Modern Music, xviii (1941): 259. Diamond, David. “Bernard Rogers.” The Musical Quarterly, xxxiii (1947): 207. ———. “Bernard Rogers.” Proceedings of the National Institute of Arts and Letters, second series, xix (1968): 119. Dersnah, Susan Jane. Orchestration in the Orchestral Works of Bernard Rogers. Eastman School of Music at the University of Rochester: Dissertation, 1975. Intili, Dominic Joseph. Text-Music Relationships in the Large Choral Works of Bernard Rogers. Case Western Reserve University, dissertation, 1977. Gleason, Harold, and Walter Becker. “Bernard Rogers.” Twentieth-Century American Composers. Music Literature Outlines, series iv, 158-64. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, revised 1981. Watanabe, Ruth. “Bernard Rogers.” In The New Grove Dictionary of American Music, edited by H. Wiley Hitchcock, iv: 74-75. 4 volumes. London: Macmillan, 1986.
The Passion (1942) Duration: ca. 65 minutes 404 Text: Charles Rodda Performing Forces: voices: tenor and baritone soloists, incidental solos from the choir; SATB choir; orchestra: 3 flutes (flute III doubling piccolo), 3 oboes (oboe III doubling English horn), 3 clarinets (clarinet III doubling bass clarinet), 3 bassoons (bassoon III 404 Margaret K. Farish (Orchestra Music in Print [Philadelphia: Musicdata, 1979]) lists a duration of 45 minutes, but the score indicates ca. 65 minutes.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
doubling contrabassoon), 4 horns, 3 trumpets in C, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion (4 players - snare drum, tenor drum, bass drum, small oriental drum [or tom-tom piccolo pitched acutely], tambourine, triangle, tam-tam, large gong, small gong, suspended cymbal, large crash cymbals, glockenspiel, xylophone, 1 chime - g'), piano (doubling celeste), harp, and strings First Performance: 12 May 1944; Annual May Music Festival, Cincinnati, OH; Cincinnati Symphony and Chorus; conducted by Eugene Goosens. Edition: The Passion is published from manuscript by Elkan-Vogl and distributed by Theodore Presser Company. Piano-vocal scores may be purchased; orchestral materials are available by rental. Autograph: The full score is a facsimile of the composer’s manuscript. The original autograph is in the special collections of the Sibley Library of the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY. Notes: The Passion is dedicated to Anne, Betty, and Charles. Machlis describes The Passion as Rogers’s most important work: “an impressive, deeply felt version of the last hours and death of Christ.”405 Performance Issues: This is a remarkably complex composition with constantly changing meters, plentiful chromaticism, and highly involved contrapuntal and orchestrational textures. The vocal writing is tonally conceived and clearly supported by the accompaniment. The choral passages are generally homophonic or in paired doublings with divisi in all parts. Vocal dissonances are cautiously prepared by step or cued by other parts. The vocal rhythms are derived from the natural text declamation, but the prosody of the text is often at odds with the implied stress of the indicated meters. There is an unmeasured recitative for the baritone soloist. At times the men’s section is divided to portray the Scribes and Money Changers, the Priests, the Pharisees, Elders, and the Disciples. There are also a variety of women’s semichoirs. Rogers gives thorough indications regarding articulation and quality of sound. His indications for octave transpositions are unusual: one octave higher marked - 18, and two octaves higher - 28. All of the instrumental parts have difficult passage work. The string writing is particularly challenging with divisi, cross-rhythms within the sections, and rapid chromatic passagework. Virtually every wind player has conspicuous solo sections. The percussion parts are detailed in the manner of playing and prominent throughout the piece. There are a number of changes made to the full score in the composer’s hand, which should be checked against the parts. The score order of the piano, harp, and percussion is inconsistent. 405 Joseph Machlis, Introduction to Contemporary Music, 547 (New York: W.W. Norton, 1961).
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Some of the double basses must have an extension to C'. The list of percussion instruments at the beginning of the score is incomplete; however, the listing above is accurate. The timpanist must be adjacent to the percussion section. The opening page of the score lists the two principal solo roles as Pilate and Jesus; however, the latter role is labeled “The Voice” throughout the score. Some confusion may arise in that there is one soloist labeled “The Voice,” two labeled “a Voice,” and two labeled “a Man.” The latter pairs are distinguished only by a difference of clef. The various choral and string divisi, as well as the depth of the general orchestration, require a large choir and string section. This is a profound and impeccably crafted composition, which is within the ability of a choir of medium experience, but the level of the orchestra parts demands an ensemble of professional players. This is probably the most sophisticated setting of the Passion story in English. Soloists: Pilate - tenor, range: d#-f#', tessitura: a-f', declamatory with rapid articulation; Jesus - baritone, range: A-f', tessitura: e-d', this is a large role requiring power and textual clarity. Incidental solos: soprano, range: d'-b'', tessitura: f'-f''; a Young Voice - soprano, range: b♭'-g#'', tessitura: c#''-g#''; a voice - soprano, range: f#'', tessitura: f#''; alto, range: d'-f'', tessitura: f'-c''; a Woman, range: c#'-f#'', tessi-
tura: d'-b''; a Man - tenor, range: d♭-a', tessitura: b-e'; a Man - baritone, range: c-e', tessitura: g-c'; a Voice baritone, range: g-c', tessitura: g-c'. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: difficult. Discography: No commercial recording Selected Bibliography: Leighton, Mary. [review of the premiere], Cincinnati Enquirer (13 May 1944): 18. Bruno, Anthony. “Rogers’s Passion at Juilliard.” Musical America, lxix (March 1949): 7.
Letter from Pete (1947) Duration: ca. 24 minutes Text: Walt Whitman Performing Forces: voices: soprano and tenor soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion (3 players - bass drum, snare drum, tenor drum, triangle, cymbals, tam-tam), harp, and strings. Also arranged for chamber orchestra: flute, clarinet, horn, trumpet, trombone, percussion (1 or 2 players406 - timpani, snare drum, bass drum, triangle, cymbals, tam-tam), piano, and strings. 406 Where there are two percussion parts, the composer has indicated, which part may be omitted.
First Performance: unable to determine Edition: A Letter from Pete is published by Southern Music Publishing and distributed by Peer International. Piano-vocal scores may be purchased; orchestral materials are available by rental. Autograph: The full scores are facsimiles of the composer’s manuscripts. Notes: The score is subtitled “A Cantata of the Civil War on a Poem by Whitman.” Throughout this work, the orchestra imitates military drum cadences. The two orchestrations contain the same music, but the reduction is available for ensembles of limited size. Performance Issues: The choral writing is very conservative, exploiting pervasive imitation and melodic motion by step or third. There are divisi in each choral section. The size of the choir is variable and the choice of orchestration should reflect the choir’s size. At some points, the score calls for only a few members of each section to sing and there are limited a cappella passages. The choir must sometimes sing pitches in opposition to those in the orchestra. Dissonances are frequent and well prepared. As with the bulk of Rogers’s music, the most striking characteristics of this work are the rhythmic vitality and the orchestration. The instruments are effectively used for their color and yet the writing remains very practical for each instrument. The most challenging instrumental passage is the ten measures following rehearsal number 45. Soloists: soprano, range: f#'-a'', tessitura: b'-f''; tenor, range: f-g', tessitura: b-e', sustained and lyrical; both solo roles are minimal and would well be assigned to members of the choir. This work requires an experienced choir. Although the part-writing is impeccable, beginning pitches of choral sections are often difficult to find and have limited conformation in the accompaniment. The orchestra parts are less difficult and could be performed by an ensemble of moderate ability. The instrumental writing will present limited rehearsal challenges. The freed-up orchestra rehearsal time will be needed for extra tutti rehearsals to give the choir a chance to find their pitches. It is well advised that a piano cue the choral pitches at the first tutti rehearsal. This is a fine piece deserving of the extra preparation time needed for a successful performance. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium. Discography: No commercial recording Selected Bibliography: [review of the score], Notes, x/4 (September 1953): 680. Flanagan, William. “New Cantata and Suite by Bernard Rogers.” Musical America, lxxiii (15 December 1953): 24.
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The Prophet Isaiah (1950) Duration: ca. 32 minutes Text: The book of Isaiah from the Bible Performing Forces: voices: 2 soprano, tenor, and bass choral soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 3 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion (3 players - bass drum, tenor drum, triangle, cymbals, suspended cymbal, small gong, small tam-tam, xylophone, glockenspiel), piano, harp, and strings First Performance: unable to determine Edition: The Prophet Isaiah is published by Southern Music Publishing and distributed by Peer International. Piano-vocal scores may be purchased; orchestral materials are available by rental. Autograph: The full score is a facsimile of the composer’s manuscript. A photocopy of the manuscript is in the Sibley Library of the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY. Notes: This is a through-composed work with many contrasting sections. Performance Issues: This is a very sophisticated and complex work. It is tonal and presents few rhythmic challenges, but it contains varied and complex textures, which will require substantial rehearsal time to coordinate. The choral writing is vocally demanding, but musically accessible with scalar melodies and pitch support from the orchestra. There are divisi in all of the choral parts and small groups are called for from within the choir. The instrumental writing is very complex with numerous details regarding methods of playing. Rogers was one of this century’s most gifted orchestrators, and this is reflected throughout the piece through his knowledgeable treatment of individual instruments and his coloristic use of instrumental sounds within the ensemble. A large string section is required to balance with the rest of the ensemble and to accommodate a variety of divisi. Soloists: soprano I, range: e'-g#'', tessitura: g'-e'', at rehearsal number 10 she is asked to sing slightly sharp; soprano II, range: g#'-a'', tessitura: a'-f#''; tenor, range: f#-d', tessitura: f#-d'; bass, range: A♭-f'; tessitura: d-
e♭'. The solos are minimal and appropriate for members of the ensemble. The bass and soprano I parts are larger than the other two roles. The orchestra part is substantially more difficult than the choral part, making this an ideal work for a collaboration between a community chorus and professional orchestra. It is particularly appropriate for the Advent and Christmas
407 James Holmes, “Rorem, Ned,” in The New Grove Dictionary of American Music, edited by H. Wiley Hitchcock, iv: 87-90 (4 volumes) (London: Macmillan, 1986).
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
seasons. Although it is quite difficult for the performers, it is a beautiful work, which is accessible to general audiences. Choir: medium; Orchestra: medium difficult. Discography: No commercial recording Selected Bibliography: Smith, Cecil. [review of the score], Musical America, lxxxii (July 1962): 31.
ROREM, Ned (b. Richmond, IN, 23 October 1923) Rorem had early music theory training (1938-1939) with Leo Sowerby. He attended the Curtis Institute (1943), and the Juilliard School (BS 1946, MS 1948). He studied privately with Virgil Thomson, for whom he was a copyist. It is Thomson whom he claims as his primary influence. He also studied with Arthur Honegger (1950) in France, living in Paris and Morocco for eight years. Returning to the United States in 1958, Rorem held occasional teaching posts: the University of Buffalo (1959-1960), the University of Utah (1965-1966), and the Curtis Institute (19801986). Among composers, Rorem is one of the most prolific essayists, and like his mentor Thomson, Rorem has been entwined with words, becoming a most prolific song composer. Even his instrumental works are often comprised of brief movements, which depend on short epigrammatic titles. 407 His music is tuneful and diatonic with a cosmopolitan quality not unlike that of Poulenc.408 The songs vary from terse and biting to sublime and elegant. Teachers: Aaron Copland, Arthur Honegger, Gian Carlo Menotti, Alfred Noelte, Rosario Scalero, Leo Sowerby, Virgil Thomson, Bernard Wagenaar Awards: Fulbright scholarship (1950), two Guggenheim Fellowships (1956, 1978), Pulitzer Prize (1976 for Air Music), Grammy Award (1977 for String Symphony), American Guild of Organists Musician of the Year (1977), elected to the Institute of the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters (1979) Principal Writings: The Paris Diaries (New York: George Braziller, 1966), The New York Diaries (New York: George Braziller, 1967), Music from Inside Out (New York: George Braziller, 1967), Music and People (New York: George Braziller, 1969), Critical Affairs: A Composer’s Journal (New York: George Braziller, 1970), Pure Contraption (New York: George Braziller, 1973), The Final Diary (New York: George Braziller, 1974), An Absolute Gift (New York: 408 Joseph Machlis, Introduction to Contemporary Music, 561 (New York: W.W. Norton, 1961).
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Simon and Schuster, 1978), Setting the Tone: Essays and a Diary (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1983), and The Nantucket Diary of Ned Rorem, 1973-1985 (San Francisco: North Point Press, 1987) Principal Works: opera - A Childhood (1952), The Robbers (1956), Miss Julie (1964-1965), Three Sisters who are not Sisters (1968), Bertha (1968), Fables (1970), Hearing (1976); orchestral - three symphonies (1950, 1956, 1957-1958), two piano concertos (1948, 1950), Eagles (1958), Pilgrims (1958), Lions (1963), Water Music (1966), Air Music (1974), Organ Concerto (1984), Violin Concerto (1984); choral - A Sermon on Miracles (1947), Laudemus tempus actum (1964), An American Oratorio (1983), A Whitman Cantata (1983); and over four hundred songs Selected Composer Bibliography: Anderson, G. “The Music of Ned Rorem.” Music Journal, xxi/4 (1963): 34, 71. Rivers, Earl G. The Significance of Melodic Procedures in the Choral Works of Ned Rorem. University of Cincinnati: Dissertation, 1976. Griffiths, Richard Lyle. Ned Rorem: Music for Chorus and Orchestra. University of Washington, dissertation, 1979. Davis, Deborah. “An Interview about Choral Music with Ned Rorem.” The Musical Quarterly, lxviii (1982): 390. Holmes, James. “Rorem, Ned.” In The New Grove Dictionary of American Music, edited by H. Wiley Hitchcock, iv: 87-90. 4 volumes. London: Macmillan, 1986. McDonald, Arlys L., and Donald L. Hixon. Ned Rorem: A Bio-Bibliography. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1989.
The Poet’s Requiem (1954-1955) Duration: ca. 22-28 minutes
Edition: The Poet’s Requiem is published and distributed by Boosey and Hawkes. The piano-vocal score is for sale; orchestral materials may be rented. Autograph: A copy of the manuscript is in the possession of Boosey and Hawkes. Notes: This work is in eight movements. Performance Issues: This is a very effective setting of a fine collection of texts. It is an eloquent nonsectarian tribute to the beloved passed. The harmonic language is mostly functional tertian with some influence from early twentieth-century French music, exploring parallel octaves and fifths and unresolved pedal tones. The choral writing exploits elements of pervasive imitation and motivic development. Rorem neatly contrasts the contrapuntal sections with passages of unison choral singing. There are numerous melismas, and all choral parts are melodically and vocally conceived. The vocal pitches are consistently doubled in the accompaniment except for an a cappella section in the final movement. The fifth movement contains no singing, but there is text for a man to read over the orchestra. The orchestral writing is pianistic in conception with spiky leaping accompanimental chords and chord voicing reflective of keyboard music. There is difficult passagework for all of the wind and string players, while the brass parts are quite conservative. Soloist: soprano, range: d'-c'''; tessitura: g'-g'', powerful and very dramatic. There are some incidental solos for members of the choir: tenor, range: d-a', tessitura: a-e', sustained and lyric; baritone, range: d-d', tessitura: f#-b, lyric. This is a fine work for an experienced small choir. The orchestration is thin and also allows for a small string section. Rorem uses many contrapuntal devices reminiscent of Renaissance music. It may be ideally programmed opposite a large sixteenth-century work. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium.
Text: Franz Kafka, Rainer Maria Rilke, Jean Cocteau, Stéphane Mallarmé, Sigmund Freud, Paul Goodman, and André Gide, as collected and translated by Paul Goodman in Dead of Spring (1950)
Discography: No commercial recording
Performing Forces: voices: soprano soloist; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets in A, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, trumpet in C, trombone, timpani (3), percussion (2 players - snare drum, large gong, cymbals, triangle), piano, harp, and strings
Text: Janet Flanner from her “Letters from Paris,” which appeared in The New Yorker between 1945 and 1965 under the name Genêt, and were published as the collection in Paris Journal by Athenaeum in 1965409
First Performance: 15 February 1957; Town Hall, New York; Ellen Faull; The American Concert Choir and Orchestra; conducted by Margaret Hillis
409 George and Barbara Perkins and Phillip Leininger, Benét’s Reader’s Encyclopedia of American Literature (New York: Harper Collins, 1991).
Letters from Paris (1966) Duration: ca. 22-25 minutes
Performing Forces: voices: SATB choir; orchestra: flute (doubling piccolo), oboe (doubling English horn), clarinet in B♭ and A (doubling E♭ alto saxophone), bassoon, horn, trumpet, trombone, timpani, percussion (players - snare drum, tenor drum, bass drum, triangle, cymbals, 2 bongos, castanets, anvil,
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tam-tam, ratchet, police whistle, chimes, xylophone, vibraphone, glockenspiel), harp, harmonium, celeste, piano, and strings First Performance: 25 April 1966; Hill Auditorium, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor; University of Michigan Ensembles; conducted by Thomas Hilbish Edition: Letters from Paris is published and distributed by Boosey and Hawkes. The piano-vocal score is for sale; orchestral materials are available for rent. Autograph: The full score is a facsimile of the composer’s manuscript. Notes: Rorem includes the following notes in the score: “Janet Flanner’s letters from Paris, signed Genêt, first appeared in The New Yorker between 1945 and 1965. In 1966 they were collected in Paris Journal from which my friend Robert Phelps extracted the following fragments expressly for me to set to music. The nine texts, in choice and organization, are close to my heart, not only for their clean nostalgic style, but for their subject of a place and periods I inhabited long ago.” The Koussevitsky Foundation in the Library of Congress commissioned the music, which was begun 3 March 1966 in Salt Lake City. The orchestration…was completed on 30 July of that same year. Letters from Paris is dedicated to the memory of Serge and Natalie Koussevitsky. Performance Issues: This piece is a virtual song cycle for choir. The choral writing is melodic in all parts with a balance between homophonic textures and paired imitation. Rorem has obviously made text declamation the most important feature of his setting. Both the prosody of the text and its inflection are carefully outlined by the rhythm and melodic contour of each vocal part. The vocal pitches are clearly supported by the accompaniment although there are some a cappella passages. The orchestra’s part is very pianistic and completely accompanimental. In fact most of the instrumental role of the second movement is a piano solo. The piano part is consistently challenging and calls for limited playing from the inside of the piano. These inner-piano ventures are very clearly explained in the score. The tempo of the fourth movement is notated as a half-note equaling 44; however, the rhythmic content of the movement will be better served with the quarter-note receiving the beat. That same movement has some difficult rhapsodic passages for the clarinets and strings. Throughout the composition, there are some very difficult flourishes for piccolo, flute, bassoon, and mallets. There are frequent cross-rhythms and unusual divisions of the beat including 7, 9, 10, 12 and 13. This is a witty and charming piece, which poignantly presents a variety of sentimental and provocative texts. The transparency of the orchestration and the lightness of the vocal scoring make this an ideal piece for a small choir of experienced singers. There are some four-part divisi in the
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
string parts, which would require strong players throughout the section if a reduced string section were used. The pianistic qualities of the score cause the solo woodwind parts to be very difficult. However, there are only limited challenges to ensemble cohesion. Choir: medium; Orchestra: medium difficult. Discography: No commercial recording
ROSSINI, Gioachino (b. Pesaro, Italy, 29 February 1792; d. Paris, 13 November 1868) Rossini was born into a musical family. His father was a trumpeter, and his mother a singer. He was apprenticed to a blacksmith. His talent was soon recognized, and he became a student the Liceo Musicale in Bologna. He began composing and received a commission for an opera in 1810. Between 1812 and 1829, he composed over thirty operas, many of them great successes. Rossini had a great dramatic gift that allowed him to bring humor into tragedies and melancholy into comedies. His lyricism and melodic sensitivity were without equal during his career. He received a number of posts in Italy, then Vienna, and finally Paris with an interlude in Bologna. In Paris, he was to receive a series of commissions that were curtailed when the fall of Charles X nullified the contract. He composed no opera during the last forty years of his life, but he lived royaly off of the enormous body of work he had already produced. Rossini enjoyed the company of the intelligentsia of Europe. He also enjoyed the company and work of the great chefs. To this day, à la Rossini refers to a preparation with tomatoes and cream. Rossini is best known to today’s audiences through Il Barbiere Siviglia and the overtures of many of his other operas. Full productions of his operas reveal his true genius musically and dramatically. Teachers: Stanislao Mattei Other Principal Works: opera: La scala di seta (1812), Il Signor Bruschino (1812), Tancredi (1812-1813), L’Italiana in Algeri (1813), Il Turco in Italia (1814), Elisabetta, regina d’Inghilterra (1815), Il Barbiere Siviglia (1816), La Cenerentola (1816-1817), La gazza ladra (1817), Armida (1817), Semiramide (1822-1823), Il viaggio a Reims (1825), Guillaume Tell (1828-1829); and a number of cantatas, masses, and chamber music Selected Composer Bibliography: Weinstock, Herbert. Rossini: A Biography. New York: Alfred Knopf, 1968; reprinted, New York: Limelight Editions, 1987. Osborne, Richard. Rossini. London: Oxford University Press, 1986.
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Kendall, Alan. Gioachino Rossini: The Reluctant Hero. London: V. Gollancz, 1992. Gallo, Denise P. Gioachino Rossini: A Guide to Research. New York: Routledge, 2002.
Petite Messe Solennelle (1869)
Mirella Freni, Lucia Valentini-Terrani, Luciano Pavarotti, Ruggero Raimondi; Leone Magiera (Piano), Vittoria Rosetta (Harmonium); Milan Teatro alla Scala Chorus; conducted by Romano Gandolfi, recorded December 1970 in Kingsway Hall, London, England. Decca: 455023-2.
Duration: ca. 80 minutes
Selected Bibliography:
Text: The text is from the Roman Catholic eucharistic liturgy.
Ambros, A. W. “Die Messe solennelle von Rossini.” Bunte Blätter (Leipzing, 1872), volume 1: 81-92.
Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 pianos and harmonium or full orchestra
Stabat Mater (1831-1832, final version 1841)
First Performance: 12 February 1869; Théâtre Italien, Paris
Duration: ca. 61 minutes
Editions: A newly edited piano-harmonium score is published by Ricordi. Complete performing materials for all versions are available for rental from Ricordi. Autograph: The composer’s manuscript is in a private collection in Paris. Notes: The score is organized into fourteen sections. Performance Issues: The choir is primarily homophonic and well supported by the accompaniment; however, there are some a cappella passages including some with fugal material. There are some divisi in each part. Movement 12 is a cappella, and movement 7 is the most contrapuntally complex for the singers and accompaniment. The second piano part merely reinforces the first part in critical sections. The first piano part has some challenging material and requires a strong player. There are some rhythmically complex sections and extended passages in octaves for the left hand. The harmonium part is less demanding. Rossini uses a series of numerical symbols to indicate the registration of the harmonium. These are not consistent from maker to maker, so some research will need to be undertaken to clarify his intent. Soloists: soprano range: b-g'', tessitura: f'-f'', this is a sustained and lyric role; alto - range: a♭-d'', tessitura: b-b', this is a sustained role with some rapid coloratura passagework; tenor - range: e-a', tessitura: g-g', this is a lyric role with long phrases; bass - range: F-e' (f'), tessitura: Ac#', this is a lyric solo role with florid melismatic passages. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Cecilia Gasdia, Bernarda Fink, Vincenzo la Scola, Luciano Sgrizzi, Philippe Corboz and Francesco Ellero d’Artegna; Ensemble Vocal de Lausanne; conducted by Michel Corboz. Erato: 3948-28173-2. 410 Ron Jeffers, Translations and Annotations of Choral Repertoire, Volume I: Sacred Latin Texts, 200-207 (Corvallis, OR: Earthsongs, 1988).
Text: The authorship of this text is highly disputed. It has been attributed to Jacopone da Todi who died in 1306. It was removed from sanctioned use at the Council of Trent, and restored to the liturgical canon in 1727. The text addresses the “Seven Sorrows of the Virgin Mary.” It is used as the Sequence Hymn on the first Friday after Passion Sunday and on 15 September.410 Performing Forces: voices: 2 soprano, tenor, and bass soloists, SATB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets (B♭), 2 bassoons, 4 horns (A, G, E♭, E), 2 trumpets in (A, B♭) 3 trombones, timpani, and strings
First Performance: The original version was premiered in Madrid on Good Friday 1833. The final version was given its first performance 7 January 1842, Salle Ventadour, Théâtre Italien, Paris. Editions: Full scores and parts for Stabat Mater are available for purchase from Ricordi, Schott, G. Schirmer, and Kalmus. Autograph: The composer’s manuscripts of the vocal score of the first version and the vocal score and full score of the second version are in the British Library in London. Notes: The original score was inscribed “Stabat Mater, composed especially for H. E. Don Francisco Fernandez Varella, Knight of the Grand Cross of the Order of Charles III, Archdeacon of Madrid, General Commissar of the Crusade, dedicated to him by Gioacchino Rossini—Paris 26th March 1832.” Rossini had composed the first six movements, leaving the remainder in the hands of Giovanni Tadolini. This is the version premiered in Madrid. Following the death of Varella, the manuscript was sold by his estate to the publisher Aulagnier. Rossini engaged in a legal battle to allow him to complete the work with his own music and have it published by Troupenas who was paying a
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commission for the new version of the work. This is the score that was premiered in Paris and remains in the repertoire. Within a year of this premiere, this score had been performed in twenty-nine cities throughout Europe.411 Performance Issues: The choir is scored for soprano I and II, but the voicing is clearly for a traditional SATB choir. Much of the choral material is doubled by the soloists, but the true solo passages are much more demanding, requiring highly skilled singers. The choral parts are quite accessible to inexperienced singers. Movements 5 and 9 are a cappella. The finale is the most demanding movement for the singers. It is more contrapuntally conceived, but the choral parts are well supported by the accompaniment. The orchestral writing is consistent with that of the composer’s operas in terms of dramatic effect and technique. It is idiomatically conceived, but quite challenging for the players. Some of the brass writing may prove difficult to balance with modern instruments that are of a larger bore than those in use in Rossini’s time. This is an ideal work for a good orchestra and professional soloists to perform with an amateur choral society. The key scheme is built around an assortment of then progressive relationships, especially thirds. Soloists: soprano I - range: c'-c''', tessitura: g'-g'', this is a demanding role with declamatory sections and significant coloratura; soprano II - range: b-g#'', tessitura: d'-e'', this is a demanding role with declamatory sections and significant coloratura; tenor - range: e♭-d♭'', tessitura: g-g', this is a sustained role requiring odd pitch leaps and the ability to be heard over the full force of the orchestra; bass - range: F-f', tessitura: A-d', this is a lyric role with broad melodic leaps and control and clarity at the extremities of the range. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: difficult. Selected Discography: Helen Donath, Josef Protschka, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau; Bayerischen Rundfunks Choir and Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Wolfgang Sawallisch, recorded in 1982 and 1983. EMI Classics: 7243 5 65845 2. Pilar Lorengar, Yvonne Minton, Luciano Pavarotti, Hans Sotin; London Symphony Chorus and Orchestra; conducted by Istvan Kertesz, recorded March 1971 in Kingsway Hall, London, England. Decca: 455023-2. Selected Bibliography: Adam, Adolphe. “Rossini: Le Stabat Mater.” In Derniers souvenirs d’un musicien, 249-275. Paris: Michel Lévy Freres, 1859. Upton, George. The Standard Oratorios, 253-257. Chicago: A. C. McClurg and Company, 1893. 411 Luiano Tomelleri, “Foreword” to Stabat Mater by Gioacchino Rossini (London: Ernst Eulenberg, 1957).
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Collita, Carlo. Il Palazzo dell’Archiginnasio e l’antico studio Bolognese: con il Teatro Anatomico, le Funzioni dell’Anatomia; prima esecuzione dello Stabat Mater di Rossini. Bologna: Stampa Officina Grafica Bolognese, 1975. Tomelleri, Luiano. “Foreword” to Stabat Mater by Gioacchino Rossini. London: Ernst Eulenberg, 1957. Burchi, Guido. “Una cadenza inedita per il soprano nello Stabat Mater di Rossini.” In Nuova rivista musicale italiana, volume 17, number 1 (January-March 1983), 36-42. Faravelli, Danilo. “Stabat Mater: poesia e musica.” Rivista internazionale di musica sacra, volume 4, number 1 (January-March 1983): 9-43. Spada, Marco. “Francesco Rangone e la Narrazione sullo Stabat Mater a Bologna con altri documenti.” Bullettino del Centro Rossiniano di Studi, volume 19 (1989): 5-46. Pahlen, Kurt. The World of the Oratorio, translated by Judith Schaefer with additional English-language material by Thurston Dox, 278-280. Portland, OR: Amadeus Press, 1990. Kirsch, Winfried. “Gioacchino Rossinis Stabat Mater. Versuch einer Exegese.” Kirchenmusikalisches Jahrbuch, volume 73 (1990): 71-96. Berger, Melvin. Guide to Choral Masterpieces: A Listener’s Guide, 259-260. New York: Anchor Books, 1993. Collisana, Amalia. “Umorismo di Rossini.” Rivista italiana di musicologia, volume 33, number 2 (1998): 301-349.
RUBBRA, Edmund (b. Northampton, 23 May 1901; d. Gerrards’ Cross, 13 February 1986) Rubbra gave a concert of Cyril Scott’s piano music as a youth. This caught Scott’s attention, and he invited Rubbra to be his pupil in piano and composition. He attended Reading University (1920-1921) and then entered the Royal College of Music (1921-1925). There his teachers were Gustav Holst (composition), Evlyn Howard-Jones (piano), and R. O. Morris (counterpoint and harmony). Rubbra taught at Oxford University (1947-1968) and the Guildhall School of Music (19611986). He also served as a critic of new music for the Monthly Musical Record. His music is melodically conceived using motivic germs, which generate complete movements through a organic process of development. The majority of his works are throughcomposed using a harmonic language and
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
contrapuntal devices similar to those of Holst and Vaughan Williams.412 Teachers: Gustav Holst, R. O. Morris, Ralph Vaughan Williams Students: Armin Schibler, Peter Sculthorpe Awards: Collard Fellowship (1938), Cobbett Medal (1955), Commander, Order of the British Empire (1960), two honorary doctorates, Fellow of Worcester College, Oxford; Fellow of the Guildhall School of Music, Member of the Royal College of Music Principal Works: orchestral - Symphony No. 1, op. 44 (1935-1937), Symphony No. 2, op. 45 (1937), Symphony No. 3, op. 49 (1939), Improvisation on Virginal Pieces by Giles Farnaby, op. 50 (1939), Symphony No. 4, op. 53 (1941), Soliloquy, op. 57 (1943-1944), Symphony No. 5, op. 63 (1947-1948), Viola Concerto, op. 75 (1952), Symphony No. 6, op. 80 (1950), Piano Concerto, op. 85 (1956), Symphony No. 7, op. 88 (1957), Violin Concerto, op. 103 (1959), Symphony No. 8, op. 132 (1966-1968), Symphony No. 9, “Sinfonia Sacra,” op. 140 (1971), Symphony No. 10, “Sinfonia da Camera,” op. 145 (1974), Symphony No. 11, op. 153 (1978-1979); choral - The Dark Night of the Soul, op. 41/1 (1935), The Morning Watch, op. 55 (1941), Missa cantuariensis, op. 59 (1945), Missa in honorem Sancti Dominici, op. 66 (1948), Festival Gloria, op. 94 (1957), Cantata di camera, op. 111 (1961), Nocte surgentes, op. 123 (1964); and many chamber works Selected Composer Bibliography: Mellers, Wilfrid H. “Rubbra and the Dominant Seventh.” The Music Review, iv (1943): 145. Evans, Edwin. “Edmund Rubbra.” The Musical Times, lxxxvi (1945): 41, 75. Ottaway, Hugh. “Edmund Rubbra and His Recent Works.” The Musical Times, cvii (1966): 765. Lyne, Gregory Kent. Edmund Rubbra: The Man and His Choral Works. University of Northern Colorado, dissertation, 1976. Lamb, Andrew. “Rubbra, Edmund.” In The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, edited by Stanley Sadie, xvi: 292-294. 20 volumes. London: Macmillan, 1980.
Inscape, op. 122 (1964-1965) Duration: ca. 20 minutes Text: Gerard Manley Hopkins Performing Forces: voices: SATB choir; orchestra: harp (optionally substituted by piano), and strings. 412 Andrew Lamb, “Rubbra, Edmund,” in The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, edited by Stanley Sadie, xvi: 292-294 (20 volumes) (London: Macmillan, 1980).
First Performance: 1965; Stroud Festival for the Arts. Edition: Inscape is published by Lengneck and distributed by Theodore Presser Company. The piano-vocal score is for sale; orchestral materials are available for rental. Autograph: The full score is a facsimile of the composer’s manuscript. Notes: Inscape was composed for the Stroud Festival of Religious Drama and the Arts in 1965. Performance Issues: This is a tonal work obeying the traditional part-writing procedures of the commonpractice period. The contrapuntal treatment of the inner voices of the strings creates a modal flavor, which is easily associated with the works of Ralph Vaughan Williams. The choral writing is linear in conception and mostly homophonic with occasional divisi in all parts. There are some passages of paired imitation, but in general, imitative processes are left to the instruments. There are many unusual harmonies in the voices, which are the result of clear and logical stepwise motion. The majority of the vocal pitches is well defined in the accompaniment. The delicacy and constituency of the orchestration suggest the use of a small choir and reduced strings. One minor problem in the preparation of this piece involves the apparent absence of a true full score. The substitution is a copy of the engraved piano-vocal score, which has been “enlightened” with numerous handwritten cues and additional notes. This score adequately presents all of the necessary information, but in a less than ideal format. This is an exceptionally well-crafted score, which betrays an apparent influence from the music of Brahm’s as well as its English contemporaries. Choir: medium; Orchestra: medium easy. Discography: No commercial recording
Advent Cantata, op. 136 (1968) Duration: ca. 22 minutes Text: Unidentified English and Latin Texts Performing Forces: voices: baritone soloist; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, bells, harp, and strings First Performance: unable to determine Edition: Advent Cantata is published by Lengnick and distributed by Theodore Presser Company. The piano-vocal score is for sale; orchestral materials are available for rental.
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Autograph: The full score is a facsimile of the composer’s manuscript.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
volumes 1-4, Opera Choruses (1995), European Sacred Music (1996).
Notes: The arrangement of the text divides this singlemovement work into four sections. The opening section is labeled “recitative.” The next section is labeled “aria.” Both of the sections are in English. The middle portion is a setting of an acrostic Latin poem. As each of its seven stanzas begins on the successive letter of the alphabet, the starting pitch of each climbs diatonically from a to g. The final chorale is again in English.
Selected Composer Bibliography:
Performance Issues: This is a chromatic modal piece. The choral writing is melodically scalar with nonfunctionally triadic and harmonies. Most of the choral sections are homophonic with occasional contrapuntal exchanges in the inner voices and a few passages of pervasive imitation. The singers have many unisons and some paired doublings. There are many unusual harmonies, which are approached by step. There are divisi in all choral and string parts. The score contains many unusual enharmonic spellings causing ordinary triads to become visually unrecognizable. The orchestral writing is very conservative and idiomatic for each instrument. There are many octave doublings in the winds, which may present intonation problems. The orchestra parts are accessible to amateur players of moderate experience. This is an excellent work for use within an advent service. Soloist: baritone, range: B♭e', tessitura: c#-c#', declamatory with long phrases, must be capable of powerful singing at the extremes of the indicated range. Choir: medium; Orchestra: medium.
Text: The Latin text is from the Ordinary of the Mass.
Discography: No commercial recording
RUTTER, John (b. London, 24 September 1945) Rutter attended Clare College in Cambridge where he later served as Director of Music (1975 to 1979). He subsequently formed the Cambridge Singers, a professional choir with whom he has made many recordings. He has had a distinguished career as an arranger, including a four-volume collaboration with Sir David Willcocks, Carols for Choirs. He has had an international career as a clinician and guest conductor. He was made an Honorary Fellow of Westminster Choir College, in 1996 he was given a Lambeth Doctorate from the Archibishop of Canterbruy, and in 2007 he was awarded CBE. Teachers: David Willcocks Principal Works: orchestral – The Beatles Concerto (1977); choral – Psalmfest (1993), Mass for Children (2003), The Gift of Life: Six Canticles of Creation (2015), Visions (2016); editor – Carols for Choirs,
Westermeyer, Paul. “John Rutter: Popular Romantic.” Christian Century 111, no. 35 (7 December 1994): 1158. www.johnrutter.com (accessed 28 August 2019).
Gloria (1974) Duration: ca. 17 minutes Performing Forces: voices: SATB choir; orchestra: full orchestra version: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets in B♭, 2 bassoons, 4 horns in F, 3 trumpets in C, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani (3 or 4), percussion (2 players – glockenspiel, xylophone, crash cymbals, suspended cymbal, snare drum), harp, and strings brass version: 4 trumpets in C, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion (2 players – glockenspiel, xylophone, crash cymbals, suspended cymbal, snare drum), and organ First Performance: Brass version: 5 May 1974, Omaha, Nebraska; The Voices of Mel Olson, conducted by the composer. Orchestra version: 3 May 1988, Dallas, TX, conducted by the composer. Edition: Gloria is published by Oxford University Press. The full score and performance materials are available for hire through C. F. Peters. Notes: Gloria was commissioned by the Voices of Mel Olson. Performance Issues: This is a flashy and practically conceived score. The choral parts are well supported by the accompaniment. The choral writing is generally homophonic. There are two-part divisi in each choral part. The middle movement incorporates some secundal harmonies, but these are approached scalarly. The scoring supports a large vocal ensemble, and a choir with vocal surety and vitality will best serve this work. The brass version is very idiomatically written. It requires solid players throughout. The full orchestra version remains a brass feature with much of the wind and string writing replacing the organ. The wind writing is idiomatic and not technically demanding; however, movement II has some rhythmically intricate passagework passed between players, which may require extra attention in rehearsal. The string writing throughout is quite easy, well within the ability of most amateur players. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Cambridge Singers, London Sinfonia; conducted by the composer. Collegium: COLCD 114.
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Requiem (1985)
Duration: ca. 7 minutes
Duration: ca. 37 minutes
Text: This is an anonymous hymn of thanksgiving in church used since the sixth century. It is usually sung during the Matins service. The apochryphal source of its genesis is that it was spontaneously sung by Ss. Ambrose and Augustine on the evening when Augustine was baptised.
Text: The text is from the traditional Roman Catholic Mass for the Dead and selections from the Burial Service in the Book of Common Prayer. Performing Forces: voices: 2 soprano solos, SATB choir; orchestra: version I - flute, oboe, timpani (3), glockenspiel, harp, cello, and organ. Version II – 2 flutes, oboe, 2 clarinets in B♭, bassoon, 2 horns in F, timpani (3), glockenspiel, harp, and strings First Performance: 13 October 1985, Lovers’ Lane United Methodist Church, choirmaster, Allen Pote, Dallas, Texas; conducted by the composer. Movements 1, 2, 4, and 7 were first performed on 14 March 1985, Fremont Presbyterian Church, choirmaster, Mel Olson, Sacramento, California; conducted by the composer. Edition: Requiem was published by Hinshaw. Choral scores are now available from Oxford University Press. The full score and performance materials are available for hire through C. F. Peters. Notes: The Lord Is My Shepherd was originally written in 1976 as a separate anthem. Performance Issues: The choral writing is very practically written with significant homophonic wiritng and simple imitation. There are occasional choral divisi, and all parts are well supported by the accompaniment. The vocal rhythms are logogenic. The alto part has a fairly low tessitura. The orchestral writing is idiomatic and very effectively scored. There is some rapid passagework for all winds. In movement 6 there is an extended oboe solo that will require a solid player. The harp part is frequently exposed and critical. The string parts are well within the abilities of most amateur players. In the full score, the composer notes (2004) that he has made minor changes that appear in the full score and parts, but are not reflected in earlier editions of the vocal scores, but they remain fully compatible for performance. Soloist: soprano range: c'-a'', tessitura: f'-f'', this is a simple lyric role appropriate for a child treble. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Orchestra – Caroline Ashton, Donna Deam; Cambridge Singers, City of London Sinfonia; conducted by the composer. Recorded in 1986. Collegium: CSCD 504. Chamber ensemble – Elin Manahan Thomas; choir of Clare College, Cambridge, members of the City of London Sinfonia; conducted by Timothy Brown. recorded in 2002. Naxos: 8.557130.
Te Deum (1988)
Performing Forces: voices: SATB choir; orchestra: full orchestra version: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets in B♭, 2 bassoons, 4 horns in F, 3 trumpets in B♭, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani (3), percussion (1 player – snare drum and crash cymbals), harp, and strings. The parts for horns III and IV are cued in the bassoons and therefore may be eliminated. First Performance: 1988, Canterbury Cathedral, for centenary celebration of the Guild of Church Musicians Edition: Te Deum was published by Oxford University Press. The full score and performance materials are available for hire through C. F. Peters. Notes: This work was written for the centenary celebration of the Guild of Church Musicians. Performance Issues: This is a rhythmic and syncopated work filled with hemiolas. The choral writing is homophonic or unison with some brief unaccompanied passages. The vocal parts are well supported by the accompaniment. The orchestra parts are quite practical. There is some rapid passagework, but it falls well on the respective instruments. The brass parts are the most technically demanding, but still quite accessible to intermediate players. The scoring supports a large choir. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Patricia Forbes, soprano; Cambridge Singers, London Sinfonia; conducted by the composer. Collegium: COLCD 114
Magnificat (1990) Duration: ca. 37 minutes Text: The text is in Latin from the Gospel of Luke, chapter 1 with interpolations including the anonymous fifteenth-century poem “Of a Rose, a Lovely Rose,” an antiphon from the Feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and passages from the Roman Catholic Mass. In this setting, the singing English translation of the Magnificat text is from the 1662 Book of Common Prayer. Performing Forces: voices: SATB choir; orchestra: full orchestra version: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets in B♭, 2 bassoons, 4 horns in F, 2 trumpets in B♭, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani (3 or 4), percussion (2 players – glockenspiel, snare drum, crash cymbals, suspended cymbal, tambourine, bongos), harp, and strings
576 chamber orchestra version: flute, oboe, clarinet in B♭, bassoon, horns in F, timpani (3 or 4), percussion (1 or 2 players – glockenspiel, snare drum, crash cymbals, suspended cymbal, tambourine, bongos), organ, harp, and strings (2 2 2 1 1) First Performance: 26 May 1990, Carnegie Hall, as part of the Mid-America Production Concert Series; Maria Alsatti, soprano; participating choirs, Manhattan Chamber Orchestra, conducted by the composer Edition: Magnificat was published by Hinshaw. Choral scores are now available from Oxford University Press. The full score and performance materials are available for hire through C. F. Peters. Notes: The score includes a singing English translation prepared by the composer. Performance Issues: This is a bright and energetic score. The choral parts include some two-part divisi. The choral writing is generally homophonic with some simple imitation and paired doubling. It is declamatory with text-driven rhythms. The choral parts are harmonically supported by the accompaniment, but this score requires more rhythmic independence for the singers than Rutter’s other scores reviewed in this volume. The orchestration aligns with a large choir. There are many passages for which significant vocal power is desired. The instrumental writing is idiomatic, and the scoring is very practical. There are some passages with simultaneous parallel and contrary motion for the winds that will require some attention for accurate tuning. The string writing is within the abilities of most amateur players, and the wind and brass writing suggest the use of a full complement of strings. Soloist: soprano - range: c'-a♭'', tessitura: e♭'e♭'', this is sustained lyric role that appears in a number of movements. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult.
Selected Discography: Orchestra: Patricia Forbes, soprano; Cambridge Singers, London Sinfonia; conducted by the composer. Collegium: COLCD 114. Chamber ensemble: Choirs of St. Albans Cathedral, Ensemble DeChorum; conducted by Andrew Lucas. Naxos: 8.572653.
SAINT-SAËNS, Camille (b. Paris, 9 October 1835; d. Algiers, 16 December 1921)
413 Although copies of the Schirmer piano-vocal score are plentiful in many American choral libraries, its text does not appear in
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Saint-Saëns was a child prodigy raised by his great aunt. He began to perform as a pianist when he was five and to compose at six. He studied at the Paris Conservatory. He served as organist at the Madeleine in Paris from 1857 to 1876. He quickly became one of the most influential musicians of his generation. He toured all over the world as a pianist and to conduct his own works. Saint-Saëns’s music is distinguished by its remarkably taut counterpoint and elegant melodies. He combined German technical refinement and French sensibility and harmonic traditions establishing the foundations upon which the next generation would build its music and the walls that the subsequent generation would tear down. His works have never ceased being relevant and popular. Teachers: Fromental Halévy Students: Gabriel Fauré, Eugène Gigout, Fromental Halévy, André Messager Writings: Harmonie et mélodie (Paris: 1885); Problèmes et mystères (Paris: 1894); Portraits et souvenirs (Paris: 1899); École buissonnière: Notes et souvenirs (Paris: 1913); Notice sur Le Timbre d’argent (Brussels: 1914); On the Execution of Music, and Principally the Ancient Music (San Francisco: 1915); Au courant de la vie (Paris: 1916); Les idées de M. Vincent d’Indy (Paris: 1919) Other Principal Works: opera: Samson et Dalila (1877), Ascanio (1890), Déjanir (1911); orchestral: Symphony No. 1 (1853), Symphony No. 2 (1859), Symphony No. 3 (1886), Piano Concerto No. 1 (1858), Piano Concerto No. 2 (1868), Piano Concerto No. 3 (1869), Piano Concerto No. 4 (1875), Piano Concerto No. 5 (1896), Danse macabre (1874), Le Carnaval des animaux (1886); choral: Le déluge (1875), Requiem (1878), The Promised Land (1913). Selected Composer Bibliography: Baumann, Émile. Les grandes formess de la musique: L’œuvre de Camille Sanit-Saëns. Paris: Ollendorff, 1905. Flynn, Timothy S. Camille Saint-Saëns: A Guide to Research. New York: Routledge, 2003.
Oratorio de Noël (1858), op. 12 Duration: ca. 35 minutes Text: The text is a telling of the Christmas story in Latin. The G. Schirmer edition only includes a singing English translation by N. H. Dole.413
the Kalmus or Durand full scores, so it will need to be transcribed into those materials if it is used.
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Performing Forces: voices: soprano, mezzo-soprano, alto, tenor, and baritone soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: harp, organ, and strings First Performance: First performed in 1858 and published in 1863 Editions: Full scores and parts for Oratorio de Noël are available for purchase from Durand, G. Schirmer, and Kalmus. Autograph: The location of the composer’s manuscript is unknown. Notes: The opening page of the score is labeled “In the style of J. S. Bach.” This is not a neobaroque work, but the composer clearly imagined it as a French spin on Bach’s church cantata form, including an overture, varied arrangements of soloists and choir, and a closing chorale. Performance Issues: The choral writing is homophonic and well doubled by the orchestra. Movement 6 requires the most independence for the singers, but this is very practically composed. The bulk of the score is assigned to the soloists, and their parts are within the abilities of good choristers. The string writing is idiomatic and generally simple. The more rhythmic passages are in unified rhythm and utilize ostinati. The composer indicates some solo passages for strings, suggesting a full complement; however, with a competent organist, this is a very practical work for a modest church-choir program using a string quintet, an organist, and a secure harpist. The harp writing is practical and well conceived for the instrument. Soloists: soprano - range: e'-c''', tessitura: g'-g'', this is lyric role with some coloratura passages; mezzo soprano range: b-f#'', tessitura: e'-e'', this is a lyric and sustained solo part; alto - range: a-d'', tessitura: c#'-b', this is the simplest of the solo parts, it is lyrical; tenor range: f-a', tessitura: g-e', this is a declamatory solo part; baritone - range: A-f', tessitura: d-d', this is a lyric solo part with some coloratura writing. Choir: easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Logumkloster Vocal Ensemble; conducted by SvenIngvart Mikkelsen. Classico: 253. Verena Schweizer, Edith Wiens, Helena Jungwirth, Friedreich Melzer, Kurt Widmer; Mainz Collegium; conducted by Diethard Hellmann, recorded in the Christuskirche in Mainz Germany in 1976. Profil – Edition Günter Hänssler: 5023. Ute Selbig, Elisabeth Wilke, Annette Markert, Armin Ude, Egbert Junghanns; Dresden Kreuz Choir, Dresden Philharmonic; conducted by Martin Flamig, recorded in 1987. Capriccio: PRSACD 9057. Selected Bibliography: Upton, George. The Standard Oratorios, 269-270. Chicago: A. C. McClurg and Company, 1893.
Vierne, Louis. “La musique religieuse de Saint-Saëns.” Le guide du concert, volume 3 (1922): 37-39. Bernier, Conrad. “Emile Baumann et l’œuvre Camille Saint-Saëns.” Georgetown University French Review, volume 1 (1937): 3-17. Music, David W. “Camille Saint-Saëns’s Christmas Oratorio: Description, Accessibility, Comparison.” In The Choral Journal (December 1998): 49-53. Smither, Howard E. A History of the Oratorio, Volume 4: The Oratorio in the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries, 565-572. Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina Press, 2000.
SCHOENBERG, Arnold (b. Vienna, 13 September 1874; d. Los Angeles, 13 July 1951) As a composer, theorist, painter, and pedagogue Schoenberg was one of the most significant intellectual figures of the twentieth century. His development of the twelve-tone system of composition exercised a remarkable influence upon the succeeding generations of composers. Schoenberg studied counterpoint with his future brother-in-law, Alexander Zemlinsky. He established a reputation as a composer of promise through early works, which continued the tonal Romantic traditions of Wagner and Strauss, the latter of whom help Schoenberg secure his first teaching engagement. Schoenberg gained the support of Mahler in 1903. At this time, he and Zemlinsky established a concert series for new music, and Schoenberg developed æsthetic ties to the Expressionist movement. He attracted a circle of like-minded pupils who included Alban Berg and Anton Webern. During the second decade of the twentieth century, Schoenberg began to explore new venues of pitch organization, which traversed free atonality and reached an apex in the Suite for Piano (1921-1923), which is the first work to be systematically organized via Schoenberg’s twelvenote serial method. In 1925, he joined the faculty of the Prussian Arts Academy, but was dismissed from that post by the Nazis due to his Jewish heritage, and was forced to flee. In 1933, in Paris, Schoenberg reconverted to Judaism out of empathy for those now being persecuted in his homeland. The Schoenberg family settled in the United States. For one year, Schoenberg taught at the Malkin Conservatory in Boston, then moving to California, he taught at the University of Southern California (1935-1936) and the University of California at Los Angeles (1936-1944). In addition to a highly original body of music, Schoenberg produced a series of texts elucidating the processes of musical composition, which expose his profound understanding of the inner workings of the music of the common practice period. Teachers: Alexander von Zemlinsky
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Students: Hans Apostel, Alban Berg, Marc Blitzstein, John Cage, Hanns Eisler, Roberto Gerhard, Lou Harrison, Richard Hoffmann, Earl Kim, René Leibowitz, Dika Newlin, Roger Nixon, Paul Pisk, Miroslav Ponc, David Raksin, Leonard Ratner, Leonard Rosenman, Hermann Scherchen, Nikos Skalkottas, Erwin Stein, Leonard Stein, Eduard Steuermann, Gerald Strang, Ben Weber, Anton Webern, Egon Wellesz, Adolph Weiss Writings: Harmonielehre (Vienna: Universal Edition, 1911; translated into English as Theory of Harmony [Berkeley: University of California Press, 1978]); Models for Beginners in Composition (New York: 1942); Style and Idea: Selected Writings of Arnold Schoenberg, edited by Leonard Stein with translations by Leo Black (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1975); Structural Functions of Harmony (New York: W.W. Norton, 1954); Preliminary Exercises in Counterpoint (London: Faber and Faber,1963); Fundamentals of Music Composition (London: Faber and Faber, 1967) Principal Works: stage works - Erwartung, op. 17 (1909), Die glückliche Hand, op. 18 (1913), Von Heute auf Morgen, op. 32 (1929), Moses und Aron (1930-1932, 1951); orchestral - Pelleas und Melisande, op. 5 (1903), Kammersymphonie, op. 9 (1906), Five Pieces for Orchestra, op. 16 (1916), Variations, op. 31 (1928), Violin Concerto, op. 36 (1936); chamber - four numbered string quartets (op. 7, 1905; op. 10, 1908; op. 30, 1927; op. 37, 1936), Verklärte Nacht, op. 4 (1899), Die eiserne Brigade (1916), Serenade, op. 24 (1923), Ode to Napoleon (1942); choral - Friede auf Erden, op. 13 (1907), Dreimal Tausend Jahre, op. 50a (1949); solo vocal - Das Buch der hängenden Gärten, op. 15 (1909), Pierrot Lunaire, op. 21 (1912) Selected Composer Bibliography: Rufer, Josef. The Works of Arnold Schoenberg: A Catalogue of His Compositions, Writings, and Paintings, translated by Dika Newlin. New York: Free Press of Glencoe, 1963. Schoenberg, Arnold. Style and Idea: Selected Writings of Arnold Schoenberg, edited by Leonard Stein with translations by Leo Black. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1975. ———. Arnold Schoenberg: Letters, selected and edited by Erwin Stein with translations by Eithne Wilkins and Ernst Kaiser. London: Faber and Faber, 1964; reissued as Berkeley: University of California Press, 1987.
Gurrelieder (1900-1911) Duration: ca. 130 minutes Text: The text is taken from the poetry of Jens Peter Jacobsen, translated from Danish to German by Robert Franz Arnold.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Performing Forces: voices: speaker, Tove—soprano, Waldtaube—mezzo-soprano or alto, Waldemar— tenor, Klauss-Narr—tenor, and Bauer—bass soloists; 3 TTBB men’s choirs and SSAATTBB choir; orchestra: 8 flutes (flutes I, II, III, and IV doubling piccolo), 5 oboes (oboes IV and V doubling English horn), 7 clarinets in A (clarinets IV and V doubling bass clarinet in B♭, and clarinets VI and VII doubling soprano
clarinet in E♭), 3 bassoons, 2 contrabassoons, 10 horns in F (horns VII, VIII, IX, and X doubling Wagner tubas), 7 trumpets in F, B♭, and C, bass trumpet in E♭, 1 alto trombone, 4 tenor trombones, bass trombone, contrabass trombone, tuba, percussion (6 players - 6 timpani, glockenspiel, xylophone, large field drum, snare drum, bass drum, cymbals, tam-tam, triangle, ratchet, large chains), 4 harps, celeste, and strings (20 1st violins, 20 2nd violins, 16 violas, 16 cellos, and 12 doublebasses) Reduced Instrumental Scoring: 3 or 4 flutes, 3 oboes, 4 clarinets, 3 bassoons, 4 to 6 horns, 3 or 4 trumpets, 3 or 4 trombones, tuba, percussion, 2 harps, celeste, harmonium, piano, and strings
First Performance: 23 February 1913; Vienna; Vienna Philharmonic and Philharmonic Chorus, conducted by Franz Schreker Edition: Gurrelieder was originally published by Universal Edition. For both the original and reduced orchestrations, some of these materials are now distributed by Belmont, including a full score (BEL 1005) and a piano-reduction score (UE 3696), which are available for purchase. Performance materials are available from Belmont through rental. Full scores (UE 6300), piano-vocal scores (3696), and choral parts (3699A-H) are available for purchase from Universal Edition. The “Lied der Waldtaube” movement is available separately in three different reduced orchestrations, including one by Erwin Stein, all of which are available through rental from Universal Edition. Autograph: The manuscript of the draft score of Gurrelieder is in the Schoenberg Institute at the University of Southern California. The manuscript of the full score is in the possession of Universal Edition in Vienna. This manuscript was published by Universal Edition in Facsimile in 1912. The manuscript was later marked with a number of alterations in scoring, and the eradication of a measure (the third bar after rehearsal number 109). The engraved score, published in 1920 reflects these and other changes. It should be noted that a piano-vocal score prepared by Alban Berg for publication concurrent with the facsimile score still contains the measure struck from the later version. Notes: This score includes the first notated orchestral trombone glissando, and the first use of chains in an
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
orchestral percussion section.414 This is Schoenberg’s first score, which calls for spoken passages of approximate pitch, which he would later refine in his melodrama, Pierrot Lunaire. Performance Issues: This is a brilliantly scored, chromatic, yet tonally secure composition following the musical traditions of Mahler and Richard Strauss. Like these models, the shear size and complexity of the instrumental forces presents unusual challenges to successful ensemble playing. The instrumental parts are technically demanding throughout the sections of the orchestra, but the greater challenge is dealing with the overall complexity of the orchestration. Expressive elements of time and dynamics require a very responsive orchestra. Generally, the scoring is well conceived in relation to the solo vocal parts, so that the balance between soloists and the orchestra should not be problematic. There is significant interplay of timbres within this score that will demand attention in rehearsal. The sonorities are rich and demand a suppleness of sound from the players, especially in the string parts. The bass trumpet can be played on euphonium, and the contrabass trombone could be doubled by a smaller bore tuba; however, all four harp parts must be present in the full version. There are string divisi by stand; although the score does not specify a number of doublebasses, there are passages for four doublebass soloists and a two-part division of the remaining players that suggests a minimum of ten players. Similar numbered divisi suggest that the composer envisioned a mixed choir of forty-eight sopranos, forty-eight altos, forty tenors, and forty basses. There is no indication to suggest sizes for the men’s choirs, but groups of sixteen singers or more in each seems appropriate. The men’s choirs do not enter until midway into the third act, and the mixed choir appears prominently only during the last six minutes of the score. The pitch material for the choirs is generally diatonic and well supported by the accompaniment. The choral singers must be capable of carrying over the large instrumental forces, but their parts are not otherwise demanding. Soloists: Speaker, this role requires a musically trained performer, all rhythms are specific and approximate pitches are indicated; Tove, range: b-b'', tessitura: f'-f'', this role is dramatic and requires a rich and powerful voice, there is only one b'' for which an optional pitch is offered, but a'' appears a number of times; Waldtaube, range: a-g#'', tessitura: f'-e'', this is a lyric and sustained role, although the tessitura is similar to that of Tove, Schoenberg’s indication of a different vocal fach suggests that he desired a clear timbral difference between these two voices; Waldemar, range: B♭-b', tessitura: f-f', this is a dramatic heldentenor role requiring a large vocal presence throughout the range while remaining capable of clear 414 Nicolas Slonimsky, Music since 1900, 5th edition, 138 (New York: Schirmer Books, 1994).
pianissimo singing; Klaus-Narr, range: d-b', tessitura: g-e', this role calls for a clear and facile voice; Bauer, range: G#-g', tessitura: f-d', this role is sustained and lyric. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: very difficult. Selected Discography: Semser (Tove), Tangeman (Waldtaube), Lewis (Waldemar), Riley (Speaker); New Symphony Society of Paris Chorus and Orchestra; conducted by Réné Liebowitz. Haydn Society: HSL 100 [LP]. Vreeland (Tove), Bampton (Waldtaube), Althouse (Waldemar), Robovsky (Speaker); Philadelphia Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Leopold Stokowski. Victor: LCT 6012 [LP]. Jesse Norman (Tove), Tatiana Troyanos (Waldtaube), James McCracken (Waldemar), Werner Klemperer (Speaker); Boston Symphony and Tanglewood Chorus; conducted by Seiji Ozawa. Philips: 412511-2 PH 2 [ADD]. Inge Borkh (Tove), Hertha Töpper (Waldtaube), Herbert Schachtschneider (Waldemar), Lorenz Fehenberger (Klauss-Narr), Kieth Engen (Bauer), Hans Herbert Fiedler (Speaker); Bayerischen Rundfunks Chorus and Orchestra; conducted by Rafael Kubelik. Deutsche Grammaphon: D 293657 [ADD]. This is a live recording originally made in 1965 and remastered to compact disc. Deborah Voigt (Tove), Jennifer Larmore (Waldtaube), Thomas Moser (Waldemar), Bernd Weikl (KlaussNarr), Kenneth Riegel (Bauer), Klaus Maria Brandauer (Speaker); choirs from Dresden, Leipzig, and Prague; Dresden Staatskappelle; conducted by Giuseppe Sinopoli. Teldec: 2160000 [DDD]. Lied der Waldtaube, only: Martha Lipton; New York Philharmonic; conducted by Leopold Stokowski. Columbia: ML 2140 [LP]. Selected Bibliography: Berg, Alban. Arnold Schönberg: Gurreleider Führer. Grosse Ausgabe Vienna, 1913; kleine Ausgabe 1914. Nachod, H. “The Very First Performance of Schoenberg’s Gurrelieder.” Music Survey, volume 3, number 3 (1950): 38. Pahlen, Kurt. The World of the Oratorio, 286-289. Portland, OR: Amadeus Press, 1985. Berger, Melvin. Guide to Choral Masterpieces: A Listener’s Guide, 264-267. New York: Anchor Books, 1993.
Die Jakobsleiter (1917-1922) Duration: ca. 60 minutes Text: The text in German is by Schoenberg based upon the biblical tale of Jacob’s dream of a heavenly ladder.
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Performing Forces: voices: “Die Seele/The Soul”— high soprano, “Die Sterbende/He who is dying”— high soprano (speaking in a low voice), “Der Mönch/The Monk”—tenor (speaking), “Ein Aufrührerischer/One who is rebellious”—tenor (speaking), “Ein Berufener/One who is called”—tenor, “Ein Ringender/One who is struggling”—baritone (speaking), “Der Auserwählte/He who is chosen”—baritone, “Gabriel”—baritone (singing and speaking), soloists; SSMMAATTBarBarBB choir; orchestra: piccolo, 3 flutes (flute III doubling piccolo II), 3 oboes, English horn, clarinet in E♭, 3 clarinets in B♭, bass clarinet in B♭, 3 bassoons, contrabassoon, 3 trumpets in B♭, 4 horns in F, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion (3 players - glockenspiel, xylophone, 2 cymbals, tamtam, large side drum, triangle, wind machine), harp, celeste, piano, and strings. 2 additional subgroups near the main orchestra: {H1: high soprano; harmonium, 6 solo violins}, {H2: 3 oboes, English horn, clarinet in B♭, bass clarinet in B♭, 3 trumpets in B♭, mandolin, celeste, harp, harmonium, 5 solo violins}. 2 additional subgroups offstage: {F1: “The Soul,” 3 trumpets in B♭, 2 horns in F, harmonium, 6 solo violins}, {F2: 3 sopranos; 2 horns, 2 trombones, harmonium, 6 solo violins}. First Performance: 16 June 1961; Vienna; given as part of the 35th Festival of the International Society for Contemporary Music. Edition: Jakobsleiter is published by Universal Edition, full score (UE 13356). All materials are available through rental from Belmont. Autograph: Schoenberg’s manuscript of the draft score through measure 685, the manuscript of the complete text, and other sketch materials are in the Schoenberg Institute at the University of Southern California. Notes: Jakobsleiter, though begun in 1915, was left incomplete at Schoenberg’s death. He had written to his former pupil, Karl Rankl (1898-1968), requesting that Rankl prepare a score based upon the detailed instructions included throughout the draft materials. Rankl later gave this letter to Schoenberg’s widow who arranged for the score to be prepared for performance by another of the composer’s pupils, Winfried Zillig (1905-1963), following the composer’s extensive instructions. Schoenberg authored the text between 1915 and 1917, completing it 26 May 1917. The published score is entirely at sounding pitch, including the piccolo and double basses, which are indicated in their sounding octaves; however, the glockenspiel is printed at written pitch, sounding two octaves higher. Performance Issues: A significant logistical issue is that the score calls for a second, distant orchestra and chorus. In a letter to Winfried Zillig in 1944,
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Schoenberg suggested that these groups be placed in a sound-proof place and broadcast into select locations in the performance space through loudspeakers. The score states that the Sprechstimme parts, although spoken in quality, must remain true to the indicated pitches. The individual instrumental parts are well written for each instrument. Some of the glockenspiel passages are particularly difficult. The rhythmic material is not overly complex; however, although this is not a serial composition, it is functionally atonal and presents a wide variety of pitch challenges for both the singers and instrumentalists. The score explores the many parameters of sevenths and ninths, which are often spelled in ways that make them more difficult to perform accurately. The choral writing utilizes a variety of contrapuntal textures. While the solo vocal parts are often clearly supported by the accompaniment, the choral singers are required to be more independent of the instruments. There are sections of choral Sprechstimme, which maintain a high level of pitch complexity. The only choral divisi occur at the choir’s initial entrance (p. 6 of the full score). The range of the choral bass II part extends down to BB. Soloists: “Die Seele/The soul,” range: a-f''', tessitura: d'-b'', this is a very sustained and ethereal, textless solo role; “Die Sterbende/He who is dying,” this is a Sprechstimme role utilizing the lower register of the soprano voice, range: e-f#''; “Der Mönch/The Monk,” this is a Sprechstimme role, range: G#-a'; “Ein Aufrührerischer/One who is rebellious,” this is a Sprechstimme role, range: d-b'; “Ein Berufener/One who is called,” range: c-c'', tessitura: g-g', this is a sustained and lyrical role; “Ein Ringender/One who is struggling,” this is a Sprechstimme role, range: G-f'; “Der Auserwählte/He who is chosen,” range: G-a♭', tessitura: d-d', this role requires broad melodic leaps and rapid articulation and control of sustained singing; “Gabriel,” range: F-f', tessitura: e-d', this role combines sung passages with Sprechstimme, and requires an articulate, declamatory, and clear voice. Choir: very difficult; Orchestra: very difficult. Selected Discography: Ortrun Wenkel, Mady Mesple, Siegmund Nimsgern, Kenneth Bowen, Ian Partridge, Paul Hudson, John Shirley-Quirk, Anthony Rolfe-Johnson; BBC Singers, BBC Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Pierre Boulez. SONY: SMK 48462 [ADD]. Selected Bibliography: Pauli, H. “Zu Schönbergs ‘Jakobsleiter.’” Schweizerische Musikzeitung, volume 102 (1962): 350. Wörner, K. H. “Schönbergs Oratorium ‘Die Jakobsleiter,’: Musik zwischen Theologie und Weltanschauung.” Schweizerische Musikzeitung, volume 105 (1965): 250, 333. Pahlen, Kurt: The World of the Oratorio, 289. Portland, OR: Amadeus Press, 1985.
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Kol Nidre, op. 39 (1938) Duration: ca. 15 minutes Text: The text is an English translation and adaptation of the traditional Jewish prayer of atonement from the celebration of Yom Kippur. Performing Forces: voices: Rabbi/speaker; SATB choir (6 to 8 sopranos, 6 altos, 6 tenors, 6 basses); orchestra: 2 flutes (flute II doubling piccolo), oboe, E♭ soprano clarinet, clarinet in A, bass clarinet in B♭, bassoon, 2 horns in F, 2 trumpets in B♭, 2 trombones, tuba, percussion (3 players - timpani, xylophone, tenor drum, bass drum, suspended cymbal, crash cymbals, tam-tam, flexatone, and a bell), and strings (6 to 9 violins I, 3 to 5 violins II, 3 to 4 violas, 3 to 4 cellos, and 2 to 3 basses)
Edition: Kol Nidre is published by Boelke-Bomart. The study score (B19177) and full score (B19175) are available for purchase; orchestral materials are available through rental. The full score is included in the series Arnold Schönberg: Sämtliche Werke, Abteilung V, Chorwerk II, Reihe A, Band 19; edited by Josef Rufer and Christian Martin Schmidt (Vienna: Universal Edition/Mainz: B Schotts Söhne, 1975). Autograph: The location of the fair copy blue-print score is unknown. The draft manuscript is held by the Schoenberg Institute at the University of Southern California. Notes: This score is written with transposed parts, an unusual feature among Schoenberg’s published works. The work was written for Rabbi Dr. Jakob Sonderling. At Sonderling’s suggestion, Schoenberg added an introductory passage to the traditional prayer. Schoenberg used a number of traditional cantillations of this prayer as sources of motivic material. Performance Issues: This is a tonally rooted, though very chromatic score. Much of the chromatic material seems to be inspired by Jewish cantillation with a conspicuous interplay of major and minor thirds. The choral parts combine unison singing, paired doubling, and some free four-part counterpoint. In all cases they are well supported by the orchestra, follow traditional voice leading principles, and are rhythmically conservative. This is a very expressive score with much of the choral writing in a declamatory style. The orchestral parts are highly chromatic throughout. Although this is a tonally centered work, there are frequent shifts in the tonal center with numerous cross-related chromatic scalar passages, which will demand significant attention in securing good intonation. The rhythmic language for the orchestra is much more complex than that for the singers with intricate interplay between disparate sections of the ensemble. Schoenberg also exploits staggered entrances within the beat, and there is significant interplay between three- and four-part
divisions of the beat. All of the instrumental parts are idiomatically written. The trumpet I part requires dynamic control at the top of the staff, and the horn I has some awkward and exposed solo passages. The woodwinds have a great amount of unison playing of rapid chromatic figures interspersed with sustained harmonies, which are often voiced at a disadvantage for accurate intonation between the respective instruments. There are four-part divisi for the violas, cellos, and the doublebasses; five-part divisi for the violins I; and two-part divisi for the violins II. The subtleties of the string parts and their dispensation will require careful preparation of the bowings before rehearsal. A separate string sectional is advisable. Soloist: Rabbi/speaker - This role combines free narration and male Sprechstimme requiring an expressive speaker who is musically literate. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Hans Jaray, narrator; Academic Chamber Choir, Vienna Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Hans Swarowsky. Columbia: ML 4664 [LP]. John Shirley-Quirk, narrator; BBC Singers, BBC Chorus, BBC Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Pierre Boulez. CBS: M 35882 [LP]; re-released as Sony: S2K 44571 [ADD]. Selected Bibliography: Schmidt, Christian Martin, editor. “Chorwerke II.” Kritischer Bericht from Arnold Schönberg: Sämtliche Werke, division 5, part B, volume 19: 1-39. Mainz: B. Schtt’s Söhne, 1977.
Survivor from Warsaw, op. 46 (1947) Duration: ca. 11 minutes Text: The speaker’s text by Schoenberg is in English with additional exclamations in German. The men’s choir closes the work with a traditional Hebrew prayer. Performing Forces: voices: speaker and TTBB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes (each flute doubling piccolo), 2 oboes, 2 clarinets in B♭, 2 bassoons, 4 horns in F, 3 trumpets in B♭, 3 trombones, tuba, percussion (5 players - timpani, bells, chimes, xylophone, military drum, bass drum, tambourine, cymbals, tam-tam, triangle, castanets), harp, and strings
First Performance: 4 November 1948; Albuquerque, NM; Albuquerque Civic Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Kurt Frederick Edition: A Survivor from Warsaw is published in multiple editions. Boelke-Bomart publishes a piano-vocal score and choral parts, which are available for purchase. A miniature score may be purchased from Philharmonia (53 478). Both publishers produce an edition
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revised by Jacques-Louis Monod in 1979. Orchestral materials are available through rental from Schotts. The full score is included in the series Arnold Schönberg: Sämtliche Werke, Abteilung V, Chorwerk II, Reihe A, Band 19; edited by Josef Rufer and Christian Martin Schmidt (Vienna: Universal Edition/Mainz: B Schotts Söhne, 1975). Autograph: The manuscript of A Survivor from Warsaw is in the Library of Congress. The Schoenberg Institute at the University of Southern California is in possession of a reproduction of this manuscript, which contains a number of corrections in the composer’s hand. The institute also possesses the manuscript of the row chart. Notes: This work about the Holocaust is dramatized by shouts in German representing Nazi exterminators counting Warsaw Jews being sent to the gas chambers. It concludes with a traditional chanted Hebrew prayer. The score bears the inscription “For the Koussevitsky Music Foundation. Dedicated to the Memory of Natalie Koussevitsky.” The score is written at sounding pitch, including the piccolos and doublebasses, but not the bells and xylophone. Performance Issues: This is a serial composition of great dramatic content and effect, executed with subtlety and sensitivity. Schoenberg suggests ten violins I, ten violins II, six violas, six cellos, and six double basses. There are solo passages for three first violins, three violas, three cellos, and three doublebasses. Individual instrumental parts are well conceived and accessible to college-level players. Some of the solo string passages are exposed and more difficult than the tutti writing. Rhythmic integration between sections of the orchestra will require attention in rehearsal, especially in the closing choral section. Farish415 indicates that only four percussionists are needed, which is possible, but will cause some awkward transitions and doublings for the players, who must cover six instruments simultaneously in measures 79 and 80. This can be reasonably executed by five players. Schoenberg employs some extended instrumental techniques including flutter tonguing, playing on the bridge with the bow and playing col legno, string players are also asked to beat the string with the wood of the bow. There is a great deal of rubato and rhythmic flexibility indicated throughout the score. Much of this flexibility is the result of give and take between the speaker and the orchestra. The chorus portion of this work is brief (eighteen measures) and in unison. Pitch stability for the singers is greatly aided by the first trombone, which doubles the choir completely. The Hebrew text is phonetically transliterated in the score and quite accessible. Soloist: speaker, this role requires a person of musical training who can portray a number of 415 Margaret K. Farish, Orchestral Music in Print (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Musicdata, 1979).
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
characters and have a strong vocal presence. The speaker’s part is indicated with precise rhythms and specific relative pitches including accidentals and ledger lines; however, they are all written around a single-line staff rather than the conventional five-lined staff of the other parts. The speaker also has freely recited text. The role includes a first-person narrative in English and a portrayal of a concentration-camp sergeant in German. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: difficult. Selected Discography: Hans Jaray, narrator; Academic Chamber Choir, Vienna Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Swarowsky. Columbia: ML 4664 [LP]. John Horton, narrator; Festival Singers of Toronto (Elmer Iseler, chorus-master), CBC Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Robert Craft. Columbia: M2S679 [LP]. Gunther Reich, narrator; BBC Singers, BBC Chorus, BBC Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Pierre Boulez. CBS: M 35882 [LP]; re-released as Sony: S2K 44571 [ADD]. Selected Bibliography: Craft, Robert. Notes for the recording The Music of Arnold Schoenberg, volume 1. New York: Columbia, 1963. Schmidt, Christian Martin. “Schönbergs Kantate ‘Ein Überlebender aus Warschaw.’” Archiv für Musikwissenschaft, volume 33 (1976): 174. ———. editor. “Chorwerke II.” Kritischer Bericht from Arnold Schönberg: Sämtliche Werke, division 5, part B, volume 19: 60-81. Mainz: B. Schtt’s Söhne, 1977.
Moderne Psalm, op. 50c (1950) Duration: ca. 7 minutes Text: The text, in German, is by the composer. It is the first in a series of sacred poems written by him. Performing Forces: voices: speaking voice; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes (flute II doubling piccolo), 2 oboes (oboe II doubling English horn), soprano clarinet in E♭, clarinet in B♭ or A; bass clarinet in B♭, 2 bassoons, 2 horns in F, 2 trumpets in C, trombone, percussion (1 player - bells, bass drum, tam-tam), and strings (8 violins, 4 violas, 4 cellos, and 4 doublebasses). Edition: Moderne Psalm is published by Schotts and Belmont; all materials are available through rental. The full score is included in the series, Arnold Schönberg: Sämtliche Werke, Abteilung V, Chorwerk II, Reihe A, Band 19; edited by Josef Rufer and Christian
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Martin Schmidt (Vienna: Universal Edition/Mainz: B. Schotts Söhne, 1975). Autograph: The manuscript is in the Schoenberg Institute at the University of Southern California. Notes: This composition was left incomplete upon the composer’s death, but is included here because performing materials of the completed first seven minutes of the score have been made available. The score is published at sounding pitch for all instruments including the glockenspiel, but excepting the doublebasses, which are to sound an octave below the notated pitch. Performance Issues: This is a serially conceived composition, which is organized to exploit some tonal implications through pitch repetition and the outlining of triadic structures within the row itself. There is consistent support of the vocal parts within the orchestra; however, there are often cross-related pitches in other instruments sounding concurrently. The individual orchestral parts are well written for their respective instruments, and are not technically demanding. The strings are often divided, and most of the string players must be capable of covering an independent part. All of the doublebasses are expected to play down to pedal CC. Soloist: The speaker is asked to approximate pitches placed around a single staff line. This, compiled with specific rhythms, requires a musically experienced executant for this role. Choir: difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: John Shirley-Quirk, narrator; BBC Singers, BBC Chorus, BBC Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Pierre Boulez. CBS: M 35882 [LP]; re-released as Sony: S2K 44571 [ADD]. Gunther Reich, narrator; Slovak Philharmonic Choir (Pavol Prochazka, chorus-master), Southwest German Radio Orchestra; conducted by Michael Gielen, recorded in Munster Schwarzach on 1 July 1988. Wergo: WER 60185-50 [DDD]. Selected Bibliography: Schmidt, Christian Martin, editor. “Chorwerke II.” Kritischer Bericht from Arnold Schönberg: Sämtliche Werke, division 5, part B, volume 19: 111-134. Mainz: B. Schott’s Söhne, 1977.
SCHUBERT, Franz (b. Himmelpfortgrund, [Vienna], 31 January 1797; d. Vienna, 19 November 1828) Schubert’s father was a poor schoolmaster. Schubert was a boy soprano in the imperial chapel and studied composition with Salieri until his voice changed. He 416 This date is assumed because Schubert sent a “thank-you” note to the librettist on 16 October 1827 upon the receipt of his part of the commission, which was 100 florins.
then served as his father’s assistant, continuing to write large quantities of music. In 1817, Schubert quit his teaching position and moved to Vienna. He quickly became part of a circle of musicians and other intellectuals including the poet Mayrhofer and the singer Michael Vogl. The latter became Schubert’s principal interpreter, and the group held fairly regular soirées, but Schubert continued to struggle financially. He suffered with health troubles throughout the last five years of his life. Schubert is credited with establishing the genre of romantic Lieder, to which he contributed over six hundred significant works. There are some poems that he set as many as six times. He is perhaps the fastest composer to have lived having completed as many as five songs in a single day. Schubert was truly a master of every genre in which he composed. Late in his short life, he took counterpoint lessons with Sechter. His later works demonstrate the profound effect that these lessons and his friendship with Beethoven had upon his musical style. His final orchestral works and songs serve as a transition between Beethoven and the generation of Schumann and Mendelssohn, and his harmonic inventiveness opened the door for the chromatic explorations of the late nineteenth century. Teachers: Antonio Salieri, Simon Sechter Other Principal Works: opera: Alfonso und Estrella (1821-1822), Fierrabras (1823); orchestral: Symphony No. 1 (1813), Symphony No. 2 (1814-1815), Symphony No. 3 (1815), Symphony No. 4 (1816), Symphony No. 5 (1816), Symphony No. 6 (1818), Symphony No. 7 (1822, unfinished), Symphony No. 9 (1825); chamber music: fifteen string quartets, Piano Quintet (1819), Arpeggione Sonata (1824); vocal: hundreds of songs and part songs Selected Composer Bibliography: Deutsch, Otto Erich. Franz Schubert Thematisches Verzeichnis seiner Werke in chronologischer Folge. Kassel: Bärenreiter, 1978. Jaskulsky, Hans. Die lateinischen Messen Franz Schuberts. Mainz: Schott 1986. Jahrmärker, Manuela. “Von der litugischen Funktion zum persönlichen Bekenntnis Die Kirchenmusik.” Schubert Handbuch, edited by Walther Dürr and Andreas Krause: 345-378. Kassel: Bärenreiter, 1997. Stanley, Glenn. “Schubert’s Religious and Choral Music: Toward a Statement of Faith.” In The Cambridge Companion to Schubert, edited by Christopher H. Gibbs, 207-223. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1997.
Deutsche Messe, D. 872 (1827)416
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Duration: ca. 25 minutes Text: The text is the ordinary of the eucharistic liturgy in a German adaptation. An additional movement is a setting of a sacred poem by Johann Philipp Neumann. Performing Forces: voices: SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes, 2 clarinets (B♭), 2 bassoons, 2 horns (E♭, F, G,
B♭, C), 2 trumpets (B♭), 3 trombones, and timpani (2 drums). The score includes an organ reduction for church use without the windband.
First Performance: The first performance of this work is uncertain. Editions: Full scores and parts for the Deutsche Messe are available from Kalmus, Schott, Carus, and Breitkopf and Härtel. Version A appears in Franz Schubert: Neue Ausgabe sämtlicher Werke, part 1, volume 6. Version B appears in Schubert Werke (reprinted by Dover) part 13, volume 2, page 325; and in a modern critical edition in Franz Schubert: Neue Ausgabe sämtlicher Werke, part 1, volume 6.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Text: This text is from the book of Daniel. It is used as an antiphon for Vespers in the Ambrosian tradition and is part of the Proper for the Feast of St. Stephen. Performing Forces: voices: SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes, 2 clarinets (C), 2 trumpets (C), 3 trombones (alto, tenor, and bass), timpani (2 drums), strings, and organ First Performance: 8 September 1825; Church of St. Ulrich, Vienna Editions: Benedictus es Domino appears in the Schubert Werke (reprinted by Dover) part 14, page 29; and in a modern critical edition in Franz Schubert: Neue Ausgabe sämtlicher Werke, part 1, volume 8. Autograph: The composer’s full score is in the Männergesang-Verein in Vienna. Notes: The score is dated 15 April 1815. It is sometimes listed as op. 150.
Performance Issues: This is a simple and logogenic work. All of the vocal parts are clearly doubled by the winds, and most of the setting is syllabic. All of the vocal ranges are conservative, as are the wind parts. Everything is lyrical, and the score uses folklike dance rhythms throughout. The pitch material is triadic and scalar with an ear toward congregational use. Choir: easy, Orchestra: easy.
Performance Issues: The choral parts are clearly doubled by the orchestra. The score opens with a rhythmic, but purely homophonic, setting of the opening text, which is followed by an extended and highly contrapuntal “Alleluia” that comprises the majority of the work. This alleluia section, which also features thorough doubling of the choir by the instruments, is quite syncopated and frenetically joyful. If the choral parts weren’t so well reinforced in the accompaniment, the choral part would be evaluated as “medium difficult,” but with the doubling, only the articulation and rhythm present much challenge, as the parts are not very demanding vocally. Likewise, the instrumental parts are all idiomatic and well within the abilities of a good amateur ensemble. The organ plays a continuo part and could be left out. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium easy.
Selected Discography:
Selected Discography:
Elmar Schloter (organ); Chor und Symphonie-Orchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks (Josef Schmidhuber, choirmaster); conducted by Wolfgang Sawallisch. EMI: 86011. Previously released as EMI: CDC 7 474072.
Elmar Schloter (organ); Chor und Symphonie-Orchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks (Josef Schmidhuber, choirmaster); conducted by Wolfgang Sawallisch. EMI: 86011.
Autograph: The first version with additional materials in the hand of the composer’s brother, Ferdinand, including a full set of parts transcribed in 1839, are in the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde in Vienna. Notes: The score includes an appended hymn, Das Gebet des Herrn, on a text by Neumann.
Selected Bibliography: Deutsch, Otto. “Über Schuberts sogenannte ‘Deutsche Messe.’” In Musica Divina II. Vienna, 1914. Burkhart, Franz. “Franz Schuberts ‘Deutsche Messe.’” In Osterreichische Musikzeitschrift, volume 31 (1976): 565-573.
Graduale: Benedictus es, Domino, D. 184 (1815) Duration: ca. 5 minutes
Kyrie in D, D. 31 (1812) Duration: ca. 4 minutes Text: The text is the first section of the ordinary from the Roman Catholic eucharistic liturgy. Performing Forces: voices: SATB choir; orchestra: flute, 2 oboes, 2 bassoons, 2 trumpets (D), timpani (2 drums), strings, and organ First Performance: unknown Editions: Kyrie appears in Schubert Werke (reprinted by Dover) part 14, page 175; and in a modern critical edition in Franz Schubert: Neue Ausgabe sämtlicher Werke, part 1, volume 5.
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Autograph: The composer’s manuscript is in the Stadtsbibliothek in Vienna (MH 21/c).
some attention for accuracy and unity of articulation. Choir: easy; Orchestra: medium difficult.
Notes: The score is labeled 25 September 1812.
Selected Discography:
Performance Issues: The choral writing is syllabic and sustained. The choral parts are harmonically well reinforced by the orchestra, but there is little direct doubling. There are considerable melodic leaps for the singers, and the tessitura of the women’s parts is a bit high. The instrumental parts include some articulate passages, which are mostly in unison between sections of the orchestra. There are some exposed scalar solo passages for the oboe I part. The organ is a continuo part and can be omitted. This is a charming juvenile work that resembles some of the early choral works of Mozart. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium easy.
Lucia Popp, Brigitte Fassbaender, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau; Chor und Symphonie-Orchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks (Josef Schmidhuber, choirmaster); conducted by Wolfgang Sawallisch. EMI: 86011.
Selected Discography: Lucia Popp, Adolf Dallapozza, Elmar Schloter (organ); Chor und Symphonie-Orchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks (Josef Schmidhuber, choirmaster); conducted by Wolfgang Sawallisch. EMI: 86011.
Selected Bibliography: Stringham, Ronald S. The Masses of Franz Schubert, 148-162. Cornell University, dissertation, 1964.
Kyrie in D, D. 49 (1813) Duration: ca. 5 minutes Text: The text is the first section of the ordinary from the Roman Catholic eucharistic liturgy. Performing Forces: voices SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes, 2 bassoons, 2 trumpets (D), timpani (2 drums), and strings First Performance: unknown Editions: Kyrie appears in Schubert Werke (reprinted by Dover) part 14, page 189; and in a modern critical edition in Franz Schubert: Neue Ausgabe sämtlicher Werke, part 1, volume 5. Autograph: The composer’s manuscript is in the Stadtsbibliothek in Vienna (MH 22/c). Notes: The manuscript is labeled that the score was completed 15 April 1815. Performance Issues: The choir and the wind parts are quite simply written with the latter doubling the former throughout. There are intermittent passages for a solo quartet that are entirely appropriate for choristers. These are simple, but do contain the only imitative portions of the score. The string parts are filled with rapid scalar and arpeggiated passages that will require
Selected Bibliography: Stringham, Ronald S. The Masses of Franz Schubert, 148-162. Cornell University, dissertation, 1964.
Kyrie in F, D. 66 (1813) Duration: ca. 6 minutes Text: The text is the first section of the ordinary from the Roman Catholic eucharistic liturgy. Performing Forces: voices: SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes, 2 bassoons, 2 trumpets (F), timpani (2 drums), strings, and organ First Performance: unknown
Editions: Kyrie appears in Schubert Werke (reprinted by Dover) part 14, page 203; and in a modern critical edition in Franz Schubert: Neue Ausgabe sämtlicher Werke, part 1, volume 8. Autograph: The composer’s manuscript is in the Stadtsbibliothek in Vienna (MH 23/c). Notes: The score is labeled 12 May 1813. Performance Issues: The choral parts are fairly syllabic and well supported by the accompaniment. There are dramatic dynamic shifts throughout the entire score, but particularly for the singers. The score is in three distinct musical sections that correspond with the three lines of text. In the last of these, there is a sustained fugue for the choral parts, which are doubled by the winds, against which, Schubert has placed an energetic countermelody in the upper strings. This is the section that will require the most attention in rehearsal. The organ is a continuo part and can be omitted. All of the instrumental parts are idiomatic and should be well within the range of experienced amateur players. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Elmar Schloter (organ); Chor und Symphonie-Orchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks (Josef Schmidhuber, choirmaster); conducted by Wolfgang Sawallisch. EMI: 86011. Selected Bibliography:
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Stringham, Ronald S. The Masses of Franz Schubert, 148-162. Cornell University, dissertation, 1964.
Magnificat, D. 486 (1815) Duration: ca. 9 minutes Text: The text from the New Testament is Luke, chapter 1. Performing Forces: voices: Soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes, 2 bassoons, 2 trumpets, timpani, organ, and strings First Performance: unknown Editions: Magnificat appears in Schubert Werke (reprinted by Dover) part 14, page 77; and in a modern critical edition in Franz Schubert: Neue Ausgabe sämtlicher Werke, part 1, volume 8, in an edition prepared by Marja von Bargen and Salome Reiser. A full score and parts of the latter are published by Carus (70.053/01). Autograph: The Bargen/Reiser edition is derived from seven manuscript sources. It is believed that the autograph is lost; however, two copies attributed to the composer were recorded to be in private collections prior to World War II. An early manuscript copy is in the Scriptorium in Beverly Hills, California. Notes: The score is dated 25 September 1815.417 Performance Issues: The choral writing is declamatory and syllabic. The vocal parts are well doubled by the winds while the string parts provide a more energized quality to the accompaniment. The choral material is homophonic with some contrasted parts in close imitation. The orchestral parts are idiomatically written and within the abilities of moderately skilled players. The string parts will require rhythmically independent players, but the parts present no significant technical challenges. The soloists appear as a quartet. All of these parts are appropriate for choristers, although the soprano part is more vocally challenging that the others. Soloists: soprano - range: c'-b♭'', tessitura: f'-g'', this is simple declamatory role requiring clarity across the range; alto - range: b-e♭'', tessitura: c'-c'', this is a
simple declamatory role; tenor - range: c-g♭', tessitura: f-f', this is a simple declamatory role; bass - range: A♭d', tessitura: B♭-b♭, this is a simple declamatory role Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium easy.
Selected Discography: Sheila Armstrong, Hanna Schaer, Alejandro Ramirez, Philippe Huttenlocher; Ensemble Vocal de Lausanne; Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne; conducted by
417 Deviations of this date abound due to misreadings of Schubert’s handwriting.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Michel Corboz, recorded in Crissier, Switzerland, in November 1978. Erato: 4509-96961-2. Christiane Oelze, Elisabeth von Magnus, Herbert Lippert, Gerald Finley; Arnold Schoenberg Choir, Concentus musicus Wien; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 3984-26094-2. Lucia Popp, Brigitte Fassbaender, Adolf Dallapozza, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Elmar Schloter (organ); Chor und Symphonie-Orchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks (Josef Schmidhuber, choirmaster); conducted by Wolfgang Sawallisch. EMI: 86011. Marietta Zumbült, Elisabeth Graf, Jan Kobow, Albrecht Pohl; Knabenchor Hannover; L’Arco Baroque Orchestra; conducted by Heinz Hennig. Ars Musici: CD1075. Selected Bibliography: Reiser, Salome. “Foreword” to Franz Schubert: Magnificat. Stuttgart: Carus Verlag, 1996.
Mass No. 1 in F, D. 105 (1814) Duration: ca. 48 minutes Text: The text is from the Roman Catholic eucharistic liturgy. Performing Forces: voices: 2 soprano, alto, 2 tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes, 2 clarinets (B♭, C), 2 bassoons, 2 horns (F, B ♭), 2 trumpets (C, F), 3 trombones, timpani (2 drums), organ, and strings First Performance: 16 October 1814; for the centenary celebration of the church in Leichtental; Therese Grob was a soprano soloist. Editions: Full scores and parts for Mass No. 1 in F are available for purchase from Breitkopf and Härtel, H. W. Gray, and Kalmus. It appears in Schubert Werke (reprinted by Dover) part 13, volume 1, page 1; and in a modern critical edition in Franz Schubert: Neue Ausgabe sämtlicher Werke, part 1, volume 1. Autograph: The composer’s manuscript, with some passages in his brother Ferdinand’s hand, is in the Stadtsbibliothek in Vienna (MH 13). Notes: There is an alternate and more elaborate “Dona nobis pacem” movement, which is included in the Breitkopf and Härtel edition and its reprints. Performance Issues: The choral material is consistently well supported by the orchestra. Most of the choral writing is syllabic and homophonic. The closing section of the “Gloria” has some rapid melismatic passages and some very sustained phrases. This is the most challenging portion of the work for the choir and the orchestra. The soloists have some discrete
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
submovements, but they primarily interject passages as a textural juxtaposition to the full choir. There is an SATB solo quartet with the exception of the “Benedictus,” which is scored for SSTT. All of the solos are appropriate for choristers. The orchestration is simple despite some rapid arpeggios and scales throughout the winds and strings. The scoring is suitable for solo strings or a small complement. Likewise a smaller choral ensemble is well suited for this work. The organ part is purely a continuo instrument. Soloists: soprano I - range: e'-a'', tessitura: a'-f'', this is a lyric solo; soprano II - range: f'-g'', tessitura: a'-f'', this is a declamatory solo; alto - range: b♭-b♭', tessitura: b♭-b♭', this is a simple lyric solo; tenor I - range: c-g', tessitura: g-f', this is a simple declamatory solo; tenor II - range: cg', tessitura: g-f', this is a simple declamatory solo; bass - range: F#-e♭', tessitura: B♭-b♭, this is a declamatory role. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Lucia Popp, Brigitte Fassbaender, Adolf Dallapozza, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Elmar Schloter (organ); Chor und Symphonie-Orchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks (Josef Schmidhuber, choirmaster); conducted by Wolfgang Sawallisch. EMI: 86011. Selected Bibliography: Prout, Ebenezer. “Franz Schubert’s Masses.” Monthly Musical Record, volume 1, number 1 (1871): 2-6, 1316. Stringham, Ronald S. The Masses of Franz Schubert, 162-199. Cornell University, dissertation, 1964.
Mass No. 2 in G, D. 167 (1815) Duration: ca. 22 minutes Text: The text is from the Roman Catholic eucharistic liturgy. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: organ and strings First Performance: This mass was first performed in Prague in 1846 at the church of St. Veit under the direction of Robert Führer who attempted to pass the work off as his own.418 Editions: Full scores and parts for Mass No. 2 in G are available for purchase from Breitkopf and Härtel; H. W. Gray; Roger Dean, edited by Elmer Thomas (piano-vocal score: CS865, full score: PP199, organ part: PP200, and string parts: PP198); and Kalmus. It appears in Schubert Werke (reprinted by Dover) part 13, 418 Kurt Pahlen, The World of the Oratorio, translated by Judith Schaefer with additional English-language material by Thurston Dox, 291 (Portland, OR: Amadeus Press, 1990).
volume 1, page 121; and in a modern critical edition in Franz Schubert: Neue Ausgabe sämtlicher Werke, part 1, volume 1. Autograph: The composer’s manuscript, with some materials in his brother Ferdinand’s hand, is in the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde in Vienna (A 203). Notes: The full score is dated 2 March 1815. Performance Issues: The choral parts are clearly reinforced by the accompaniment. The choral writing is primarily syllabic and well suited to amateur singers. It is mostly homophonic with some limited imitation in close succession. The most vocally complicated section is the “Sanctus.” The solo parts are integrated into the choral passages to create textural contrast. The exception is the “Benedictus,” which is for solo trio (STB). The string writing is accessible and very practical. This score lends itself well to a solo string quintet and small choir. Soloists: soprano - range: d'-a'', tessitura: g'-e'', this is a sustained and lyrical solo appropriate for a chorister; tenor - range: d-g', tessitura: f-e', this is a simple lyrical solo appropriate for a chorister; bass - range: e-b, tessitura: e-b, this is a simple declamatory solo appropriate for a chorister. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Lucia Popp, Adolf Dallapozza, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Elmar Schloter (organ); Chor und SymphonieOrchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks (Josef Schmidhuber, choirmaster); conducted by Wolfgang Sawallisch. EMI: 86011. Previously released as EMI: CDC 7 474072. Barbara Bonney, Jorge Pita, Andreas Schmidt; Vienna State Opera Concert Chorus; Chamber Orchestra of Europe; conducted by Claudio Abbado, recorded in the Grosser Saal, Musikverein in Vienna in 1990. Deutsche Grammophon: 435486-2. Selected Bibliography: Prout, Ebenezer. “Franz Schubert’s Masses.” Monthly Musical Record, volume 1, number 2 (1871): 26-29. Spiro, Friedrich. “Zu Schubert’s G-dur-Messe.” In Zeitschrift der International Musikgeschichten, volume 5 (1903/1904): 51-54. Stringham, Ronald S. The Masses of Franz Schubert, 200-220. Cornell University, dissertation, 1964. Berger, Melvin. Guide to Choral Masterpieces: A Listener’s Guide, 270-271. New York: Anchor Books, 1993.
Mass No. 3 in B♭, D. 324 (1815) Duration: ca. 30 minutes
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Text: The text is from the Roman Catholic eucharistic liturgy.
Stringham, Ronald S. The Masses of Franz Schubert, 220-236. Cornell University, dissertation, 1964.
Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes, 2 bassoons, 2 trumpets (B♭), timpani (2 drums), organ, and strings
Mass No. 4 in C, D. 452 (1816)
First Performance: unknown Editions: Full scores and parts for Mass No. 3 in B ♭ are available for purchase from Breitkopf and Härtel, H. W. Gray, and Kalmus. It appears in Schubert Werke (reprinted by Dover) part 13, volume 1, page 157; and in a modern critical edition in Franz Schubert: Neue Ausgabe sämtlicher Werke, part 1, volume 2. Autograph: An incomplete manuscript with portions in two unknown hands is in the Perabo Collection of the British Library in London (Ms 41632). Notes: The score is dated 11 November 1815. It is sometimes listed as op. 141. Performance Issues: The choral material is primarily syllabic, and all of the vocal parts are well supported by the accompaniment. The orchestration is light, and the use of solo strings or a small section is advisable. There are some rapid figurations in the violin parts that are very practical, but may present some intonation challenges when these parts are in octaves. A smaller choral ensemble is also appropriate. The organ serves only as a continuo instrument. The solos generally appear as interjections within the choral material. These parts are within the abilities of good choristers. This is an excellent work for a good church choir with limited instrumental resources. Soloists: soprano - range: e'a'', tessitura: g-e♭'', this is a sustained and lyric solo; alto - range: d♭'-e'', tessitura: f-c'', this is a declamatory solo role best suited to a mezzo-soprano; tenor range: f-a' (b♭'), tessitura: g-f', this is a sustained and lyric solo; bass - range: A♭-e', tessitura: c-c', this is a declamatory solo. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Lucia Popp, Brigitte Fassbaender, Adolf Dallapozza, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Elmar Schloter (organ); Chor und Symphonie-Orchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks (Josef Schmidhuber, choirmaster); conducted by Wolfgang Sawallisch. EMI: 86011. Selected Bibliography: Prout, Ebenezer. “Franz Schubert’s Masses.” Monthly Musical Record, volume 1, number 3 (1871): 39-43.
Duration: ca. 26 minutes Text: The text is from the Roman Catholic eucharistic liturgy. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes or clarinets (C), 2 trumpets (C), timpani (2 drums), organ, and strings (without violas)419 First Performance: 8 September 1823; the church in Lichtenthal Editions: Full scores and parts for Mass No. 4 in C are available for purchase from Breitkopf and Härtel, G. Schirmer, and Kalmus. It appears in Schubert Werke (reprinted by Dover) part 13, volume 1, page 209; and in a modern critical edition in Franz Schubert: Neue Ausgabe sämtlicher Werke, part 1, volume 2. Autograph: The autograph score is in the Whittall Collection of the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. A portion of the Benedictus is lost. Notes: This is the only mass of Schubert’s to be published during his lifetime. The score is dedicated to the composer’s friend Michael Holzer. Holzer was the choirmaster of the Lichtenthal Church and is believed to have effected the work’s publication.420 There is a second setting of the “Benedictus” that requires the use of the wind parts and is somewhat more complicated than the first setting. Performance Issues: This is a very simple setting of the mass that is practical for most church choirs. The use of two violins and continuo as the sole accompaniment is completely serviceable, as is the use of solo singers throughout. The organ is a continuo part, but the ad libitum wind and timpani are rhythmicized realizations of the figured bass. If they are not used, the organist may want to mimick their rhythms and voicing. The vocal writing is nearly all syllabic and vocally conservative. This is an attractive work that would be an excellent choice of repertoire for a less-experienced choir wishing to incorporate a small instrumental ensemble into its programming. Soloists: soprano range: e'-b♭'', tessitura: g'-g'', this is a lyric solo; alto range: b♭-e♭'', tessitura: d'-d'', this is a declamatory solo best suited to a mezzo-soprano; tenor - range: da', tessitura: g-f', this is a simple lyric solo; bass range: F-d', tessitura: B♭-b♭, this is a declamatory solo requiring clarity at the bottom of the range. Choir: easy; Orchestra: easy.
419 The score indicates that the oboe, clarinet, trumpet, and timpani
420 Ernst Hilmar, Franz Schubert in His Time, 110 (Portland, OR:
parts are all optional.
Amadeus Press, 1988).
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Selected Discography: Lucia Popp, Brigitte Fassbaender, Adolf Dallapozza, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Elmar Schloter (organ); Chor und Symphonie-Orchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks (Josef Schmidhuber, choirmaster); conducted by Wolfgang Sawallisch. EMI: 86011. Teresa Seidl, Liliana Bizineche, Algirdas Janutas, Benno Schollum; Kauna State Choir (Nomeda Kazlauskaite, choirmaster), Lithuanian Chamber Orchestra; conducted by Yehudi Menuhin. Apex: 2564-60304-2. Selected Bibliography: Prout, Ebenezer. “Franz Schubert’s Masses.” Monthly Musical Record, volume 1, number 4 (1871): 69-72, 84-87. Stringham, Ronald S. The Masses of Franz Schubert, 236-245. Cornell University, dissertation, 1964.
Mass No. 5 in A♭, “Missa Solemnis,” D. 678 (1819-1822) Duration: ca. 48 minutes Text: The text is from the Roman Catholic eucharistic liturgy. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: flute, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets (A, B♭, C), 2 bassoons, 2 horns (C, E♭, E, F), 2 trumpets (B♭, C, E), 3 trombones, timpani (2 drums), organ, and strings
First Performance: unknown Editions: Full scores and parts for Mass No. 5 in A♭ are available for purchase from Breitkopf and Härtel, H. W. Gray, and Kalmus. Version A appears in a modern critical edition in Franz Schubert: Neue Ausgabe sämtlicher Werke, part 1, volume 3. Version B appears in Schubert Werke (reprinted by Dover) part 13, volume 2, page 1; and in a modern critical edition in Franz Schubert: Neue Ausgabe sämtlicher Werke, part 1, volume 3. Autograph: There is an assortment of manuscript materials of this work, including sketches and the first version in the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde in Vienna (A 204). Additional materials are in the Stadtsbibliothek in Vienna (MH 24/c). It appears that most of the manuscript materials of the second version have been lost. Notes: There are alternate versions of the “Cum sancto Spirito” and “Osanna.” One of the many remarkable features of this work is Schubert’s radical exploitation of key relationships between movements. Performance Issues: There are divisi in all of the choral parts. The choral writing incorporates homophonic and freely imitative passages. All of the choral
material, which is primarily syllabic, is clearly supported by the accompaniment. Solo passages are integrated into the ensemble movements to provide textural contrast. In the “Benedictus,” the solo quartet actually sings in opposition to the choir, requiring soloists capable of balancing with the ensemble. Unlike the earlier masses, this work is not suitable for solo strings. In fact, this mass requires, at minimum, a medium-sized string section and choir. There are exposed passages for all of the wind parts, some of which are at minimal dynamics. The vocal and instrumental writing is idiomatic, but the intermittent use of some instruments for orchestrational color makes their entrances less intuitive than in Schubert’s earlier works. The organ is treated as a continuo part. Some of the contrapuntal writing is quite complex, and in certain passages quite densely voiced requiring extra attention to the clarity of the individual parts as well as for diction. This is a challenging and dramatic work. There are some extreme dynamic shifts that will provide great effect if followed with accuracy and control. Extra attention to textural clarity in the choral rehearsals is of great importance. Marking the instrumental parts to correspond with the natural text stresses of the vocal lines they double will help to integrate the couterpoint between the voices and instruments. Soloists: soprano - range: f#'-a'', tessitura: a'-g'', this is a lyric solo with some sustained passages; alto - range: b♭-e'', tessitura:
e'-c'', this is a lyric solo; tenor - range: e♭-a♭', tessitura: g-g', this is a lyric and sustain solo; bass - range: F#d', tessitura: B-b, this is a sustained solo role. Choir: difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Marietta Zumbült, Elisabeth Graf, Jan Kobow, Albrecht Pohl; Knabenchor Hannover; L’Arco Baroque Orchestra; conducted by Heinz Hennig. Ars Musici: CD1075. Teresa Seidl, Liliana Bizineche, Algirdas Janutas, Benno Schollum; Kauna State Choir (Nomeda Kazlauskaite, choirmaster), Lithuanian Chamber Orchestra; conducted by Yehudi Menuhin. Apex: 2564-60304-2. Helen Donath, Brigitte Fassbaender, Francisco Araiza, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau; Chor und Symphonie-Orchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks (Josef Schmidhuber, choirmaster); conducted by Wolfgang Sawallisch. EMI: 86011. Donna Brown, Monica Groop, James Taylor, Michael Volle; Oregon Bach Festival Choir and Chamber Orchestra; conducted by Helmuth Rilling. Hänssler: CD98120. Selected Bibliography: Prout, Ebenezer. “Franz Schubert’s Masses.” Monthly Musical Record, volume 1, number 5 (1871): 53-57. Stringham, Ronald S. The Masses of Franz Schubert, 246-287. Cornell University, dissertation, 1964.
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Berger, Melvin. Guide to Choral Masterpieces: A Listener’s Guide, 272-274. New York: Anchor Books, 1993.
Mass No. 6 in E♭, D. 950 (1828) Duration: ca. 58 minutes Text: The text is from the Roman Catholic eucharistic liturgy. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, 2 tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes, 2 clarinets (B♭), 2 bassoons, 2 horns (E♭), 2 trumpets (C, E♭), 3 trombones, timpani (2 drums), and strings First Performance: 4 October 1829; Holy Trinity Church in Alser (a suburb of Vienna), conducted by the composer’s brother, Ferdinand. Editions: Full scores and parts for Mass No. 6 in E♭ are available for purchase from Breitkopf and Härtel, H. W. Gray, C. F. Peters, and Kalmus. It appears in Schubert Werke (reprinted by Dover) part 13, volume 2, page 167; and in a modern critical edition in Franz Schubert: Neue Ausgabe sämtlicher Werke, part 1, volume 4. Autograph: The composer’s finished score is in the Stadtsbibliothek in Vienna (MH 174/c). There are manuscript sketches in the Stadtsbibliothek in Berlin (Ms. Schubert 5). Notes: Some musicological sources indicate the presence of paraphrases of the music of J. S. Bach, especially the C-minor fugue from the first book of the Well-Tempered Clavier, as signs of heightened introspection on the part of the composer. While such selfreflection may or may not be a contributing factor in this work, Schubert was engaged in lessons with Simon Sechter with whom he was exploring assorted contrapuntal processes. There is an intensification of imitative devices in Schubert’s music at the end of his life, which is a clear reflection of these new studies. Such an undertaking probably also led him to a renewed examination of emblematic works of Bach. Performance Issues: The choral parts are clearly supported by the accompaniment, but there are more additional accompanimental figures appearing concurrently. The choristers have many articulate and rapid text declamations on sustained pitches, as well as long melismatic passages. There are a number of passages in which the instruments articulate a repeated pitch in rapid succession. Schubert also utilizes a significant number of ostinato figures throughout the score. Of Schubert’s masses, this is the only one that does not call for an organ part. The soloists appear less frequently in this work than in the other masses. These passages are quite appropriate for choristers. The orchestral writing is idiomatic. Some of the orchestral
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
parts foreshadow choral entrances by a few beats. Although the actual choral parts are doubled by other instruments, these melodic anticipations may prompt some false starts. This score utilizes extreme dynamic contrasts that require seasoned players and a choral ensemble capable of confident control at extremes of range and volume. The choral parts are actually more vocally demanding than the solo passages. The density of the wind scoring suggests the use of a full complement of strings and a sizable choral ensemble. This score is significantly marked with accents and other articulation symbols. It is a clever amalgamation of early eighteenth-century contrapuntal devices and early romantic harmonic language and orchestration. Soloists: soprano - range: e♭'-g'' (b♭''), tessitura: g'-f'', this is a simple declamatory solo, the optional high note is really critical to match the melodic contour of other imitating parts; alto - range: b♭-e♭'', tessitura: d'-
c'', this is a sustained lyric solo; tenor I - range: e♭-a♭', tessitura: g-f', this is a sustained lyric solo; tenor II range: e-g♭', tessitura: f-f', this is a brief declamatory solo; bass - range: F-b♭, tessitura: B♭-a♭, this is a simple declamatory role. Choir: difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Helen Donath, Brigitte Fassbaender, Francisco Araiza, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau; Chor und Symphonie-Orchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks (Josef Schmidhuber, choirmaster); conducted by Wolfgang Sawallisch. EMI: 86011. Luba Orgonasova, Birgit Remmert, Deon van der Walt, Wolfgang Holzmair; Arnold Schoenberg Choir, Chamber Orchestra of Europe; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec: 0630-13163-2. Audrey Michael, Brigitte Balleys, Aldo Baldin, Christophe Homberger, Michel Brodard; Chœur de Chambre Romand, Chœur Pro Arte de Lausanne (André Charlet, director), Orchestre de la Suisse Romande; conducted by Armin Jordan. Recorded in May 1987 in Victoria Hall, Geneva. Erato: ECD 75387. Karita Mattila, Mariana Lipovsek, Jerry Hadley, Robert Holl; Vienna State Opera Concert Chorus, Vienna Philharmonic; conducted by Claudio Abbado. Deutsche Grammophon: 423088-2. Selected Bibliography: Pfannhauser, Karl. “Zur Es-Dur-Messe von Franz Schubert.” Neue Zeitschrift für Musik, volume 119 (1958): 435. Stringham, Ronald S. The Masses of Franz Schubert, 288-366. Cornell University, dissertation, 1964. Berger, Melvin. Guide to Choral Masterpieces: A Listener’s Guide, 274-276. New York: Anchor Books, 1993.
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Offertorium: Intende voci in B♭, D. 963 (1828) Duration: ca. 4 minutes Text: Psalm 5:3-4a, which is the offertory for the Friday of the third Passion Sunday. Performing Forces: voices: tenor soloist; SATB choir; orchestra: oboe, 2 clarinets (B♭), 2 bassoons, 2 horns (B♭), 3 trombones (alto, tenor, and bass), and strings First Performance: 19 June 1890; Stadttheater, Eisenach Editions: Intende voci appears in Schubert Werke (reprinted by Dover) part 21, page 277; and in a modern critical edition in Franz Schubert: Neue Ausgabe sämtlicher Werke, part 1, volume 8. Autograph: The composer’s manuscript is in the Stadtsbibliothek in Berlin (Ms. Schubert 14). A second version is in the Osterreichische Nationalbibliothek in Vienna (MHs. 19488). Performance Issues: The choral material is harmonically supported by the orchestra. The vocal parts are all well conceived for the singers and present no vocal challenges. The orchestration is conservative and all of the parts with the exception of the oboe are quite easy. There is a significant oboe solo throughout this work that requires lyrical and sustained playing. Soloist: tenor — range: d-g', tessitura: g-f', this is a very sustained solo. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Peter Schreier; Chor und Symphonie-Orchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks (Josef Schmidhuber, choirmaster); conducted by Wolfgang Sawallisch. EMI: 86011.
Performance Issues: The choral parts are principally syllabic. Most of the vocal writing is homophonic or in close imitation, and all of the vocal material is clearly doubled by the orchestra. There is a little echo figure in the opening line that becomes a repeated motive throughout the work. Care should be given to highlight this syncopated figure as it propels the work forward. The organ is a continuo part with figures in the score. The orchestra parts are all easy. This is a good score for a small orchestra and choir as an introduction to the concerted choral genre. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: easy. Selected Discography: Elmar Schloter (organ); Chor und Symphonie-Orchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks (Josef Schmidhuber, choirmaster); conducted by Wolfgang Sawallisch. EMI: 86011. Ensemble Vocal de Lausanne; Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne; conducted by Michel Corboz, recorded in Crissier, Switzerland, in November 1978. Erato: 450996961-2.
Stabat Mater in G minor [“The Little”], D. 175 (1815) Duration: ca. 7 minutes Text: The authorship of this text is highly disputed. It has been attributed to Jacopone da Todi, who died in 1306. It was removed from sanctioned use at the Council of Trent, and restored to the liturgical canon in 1727. The text addresses the “Seven Sorrows of the Virgin Mary.” It is used as the Sequence Hymn on the first Friday after Passion Sunday and on 15 September.
Offertorium: Tres sunt, D. 181 (1815)
Performing Forces: voices: SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes, 2 clarinets (B♭), 2 bassoons, 3 trombones, organ, and strings
Duration: ca. 4 minutes
First Performance: unknown
Text: The text is from I John 5:7-8.
Editions: Full scores and parts for Stabat Mater in G minor are available for purchase from Breitkopf and Härtel and Kalmus. It appears in Schubert Werke (reprinted by Dover) part 14, page 101; and in a modern critical edition in Franz Schubert: Neue Ausgabe sämtlicher Werke, part 1, volume 8.
Performing Forces: voices: SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes, 2 clarinets (C), 2 bassoons, 3 trombones (alto, tenor, and bass), strings, and organ First Performance: unknown Editions: Tres sunt appears in Schubert Werke (reprinted by Dover) part 14, page 23; and in a modern critical edition in Franz Schubert: Neue Ausgabe sämtlicher Werke, part 1, volume 8. Autograph: The manuscript score is in Conservatory Collection of the Bibliotheque Nationale in Paris (Ms. 274). Notes: The score is labeled 10 April 1815.
Autograph: The manuscript score is in the Stadtsbibliothek in Vienna (MH 15/c). Notes: The score is dated 4 April 1815. It is a setting of only the first stanza of the poem. Performance Issues: This is a brief, simple, and very practical setting of the Stabat Mater. The choral writing is homophonic and syllabic. The vocal parts are generally doubled by the instruments. In the few
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passages where this doubling is not absolute, there is still thorough harmonic support in the accompaniment. The vocal parts are clearly conceived to be within the abilities of small provincial church choirs. The orchestral parts are all accessible to less-experienced players with none having any technical passagework. The organ part is continuo only, and it could be eliminated if necessary. This work is well suited for a small choral ensemble and a one-on-a-part orchestra. Choir: easy; Orchestra: easy. Selected Discography: Elmar Schloter (organ); Chor und Symphonie-Orchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks (Josef Schmidhuber, choirmaster); conducted by Wolfgang Sawallisch. EMI: 86011. Previously released as EMI Classics: 7243 5 65845 2.
Stabat Mater in F, D. 383 (1816) Duration: ca. 38 minutes
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
A smaller string section and choir will work well in this piece if desired. Soloists: soprano - range: f'-b♭'', tessitura: g'-g'', this is a lyric solo with sustained passages at the top of the range; tenor - range: d-a', tessitura: f-f', this is a lyric solo; bass - range: G-e', tessitura: d-d', this is a lyric solo with some coloratura and sustained passages at the bottom of the range. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Sheila Armstrong, Alejandro Ramirez, Philippe Huttenlocher; Ensemble Vocal de Lausanne; Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne; conducted by Michel Corboz, recorded in Crissier, Switzerland, in November 1978. Erato: 4509-96961-2. Helen Donath, Josef Protschka, Dietrich FischerDieskau; Chor und Symphonie-Orchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks (Josef Schmidhuber, choirmaster); conducted by Wolfgang Sawallisch. EMI: 86011. Previously released as EMI Classics: 7243 5 65845 2.
Text: This is a setting of F. G. Klopstock’s German translation of the traditional Latin sequence hymn. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 bassoons, 2 horns (E♭, F, G), 3 trombones, and strings First Performance: 24 March 1833; Vienna Editions: Full scores and parts for Stabat Mater in F minor are available for purchase from Breitkopf and Härtel and Kalmus. It appears in Schubert Werke (reprinted by Dover) part 14, page 109; and in a modern critical edition in Franz Schubert: Neue Ausgabe sämtlicher Werke, part 1, volume 7. Autograph: The manuscript score is in the Stadtsbibliothek in Vienna (MH 16/c). Notes: This setting of the Klopstock translation is broken into twelve movements in the model of some earlier settings of the original Latin, such as the Pergolesi. The score is dated 28 February 1816. Performance Issues: The vocal writing is generally syllabic and the choral textures are primarily homophonic and well supported by the orchestra. Movements 7 and 12 are complex four-voice fugues in which the choral parts are doubled colla parte by the oboe and trombones, much in the manner of many of Bach’s cantatas. These two movements are considerably more challenging for the choir than the rest of the composition. All of the parts are vocally conservative and quite easily learned with the exception of the two movements mentioned above. The instrumental writing is fairly simple and very idiomatic. There is exposed melodic material in all of the principal wind parts. There are some active accompanimental figures in the violins and some rhythmically delicate passages for the orchestra that will require some attention in rehearsal.
Selected Bibliography: Hirschberg, L. “Franz Schuberts deutsches ‘Stabat Mater.’” Deutsches Musikerzeitung, volume 59 (1928): 388-390.
Tantum Ergo in C, D. 460 (1816) Duration: ca. 2 minutes Text: This text is a portion of the Pange lingua hymn by Thomas Aquinas, which was written c. 1264 at the request of Pope Urban IV for use in the newly established Feast of Corpus Christi. Performing Forces: voices: soprano soloist; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes, 2 trumpets (C), timpani (2 drums), organ, and strings (no violas) First Performance: unknown Editions: Tantum Ergo appears in Schubert Werke (reprinted by Dover) part 14, page 39; and in a modern critical edition in Franz Schubert: Neue Ausgabe sämtlicher Werke, part 1, volume 8. Autograph: The composer’s manuscript score is in the Whittall Collection of the Library of Congress in Washington, DC. Notes: The score is labeled August 1816 and is dedicated to Michael Holzer, the choirmaster of the Lichtenthal Church. He is also the dedicatee of Schubert’s Mass in C (D. 452) of the same year. Performance Issues: The choral writing is homophonic and syllabic. All of the vocal material is clearly doubled by the instruments. It is entirely appropriate for a small church choir of limited experience. Solo string
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
parts will work well. The violin parts contain a lot of 16th-note figurations in parallel thirds and sixths. These are idiomatic, but will require precise ensemble playing. The wind and brass parts are quite conservative, remaining within the abilities of most amateur players. The organ part is continuo only, but should not be excluded given the light orchestration of this work. Soloist: soprano - range: g'-g'', tessitura: g'-g'', this is a simple four-measure solo for a chorister. Choir: very easy; Orchestra: easy. Selected Discography: Erika Rüggeberg, Elmar Schloter (organ); Chor und Symphonie-Orchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks (Josef Schmidhuber, choirmaster); conducted by Wolfgang Sawallisch. EMI: 86011.
Tantum Ergo in C, op. 45, D. 739 (1814) Duration: ca. 5 minutes Text: This text is a portion of the Pange lingua hymn by Thomas Aquinas, which was written c. 1264 at the request of Pope Urban IV for use in the newly established Feast of Corpus Christi. Performing Forces: voices: SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes or 2 clarinets (C), 2 trumpets (C), timpani (2 drums), organ, and strings (no violas) First Performance: 8 September 1825; Church of St. Ulrich, Vienna Editions: Tantum Ergo appears in Schubert Werke (reprinted by Dover) part 14, page 37; and in a modern critical edition in Franz Schubert: Neue Ausgabe sämtlicher Werke, part 1, volume 8. Autograph: The composer’s manuscript has been lost. Performance Issues: The choral writing is homophonic and syllabic. All of the vocal material is reinforced by the accompaniment. The opening phrase is accompanied by continuo only, which necessitates the use of the organ. This is a good work for a small choir of limited experience, and the use of solo strings is quite appropriate. This is a lovely and expressive miniature setting of this text in which all of the parts are quite simple. Choir: very easy; Orchestra: very easy. Selected Discography: Elmar Schloter (organ); Chor und Symphonie-Orchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks (Josef Schmidhuber, choirmaster); conducted by Wolfgang Sawallisch. EMI: 86011.
Tantum Ergo in D, D. 750 (1822) Duration: ca. 4 minutes Text: This text is a portion of the Pange lingua hymn by Thomas Aquinas, which was written c. 1264 at the
request of Pope Urban IV for use in the newly established Feast of Corpus Christi. Performing Forces: voices: SATB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 bassoons, 2 trumpets (D), 2 trombones, timpani (2 drums), organ, and strings First Performance: unknown Editions: Tantum Ergo appears in Schubert Werke (reprinted by Dover) part 14, page 43; and in a modern critical edition in Franz Schubert: Neue Ausgabe sämtlicher Werke, part 1, volume 5. Autograph: The first draft of the manuscript is in the Conservatory Collection of the Bibliothek Nationale in Paris (Ms. 301). Notes: The score is labeled 20 March 1822. It divides the text in half, treating it as a two-verse strophic work. Performance Issues: The choral material is entirely syllabic and homophonic. It is harmonically supported by the orchestra, but is less clearly doubled than in Schubert’s two other settings of this text. The choir has some fairly rapid text declamations and precise rhythmic figures. The orchestration calls for multiple string players, and the score has a significant number of rhythmic complexities including offbeat playing and concurrent dotting at differing beat values that will require some attention in rehearsal. The organ is a continuo part and can be left out if necessary. This is an attractive and energetic work that would be a fine short work to fill out a concert program. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Elmar Schloter (organ); Chor und Symphonie-Orchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks (Josef Schmidhuber, choirmaster); conducted by Wolfgang Sawallisch. EMI: 86011.
Tantum Ergo in E♭, D. 962 (1828) Duration: ca. 6 minutes Text: This text is a portion of the Pange lingua hymn by Thomas Aquinas, which was written c. 1264 at the request of Pope Urban IV for use in the newly established Feast of Corpus Christi. Performing Forces: voices: SATB quartet, SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes, 2 clarinets (B♭), 2 bassoons, 2 horns (E♭), 2 trumpets [clarini] (E♭) 3 trombones (alto, tenor, and bass), timpani (2 drums) and strings First Performance: 19 June 1890; Stadttheater, Eisenach Editions: Tantum Ergo appears as a sketch in Schubert Werke (reprinted by Dover) part 14, page 227. A complete score appears in the 1897 supplement: part 21,
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page 269. It is also published in a modern critical edition in Franz Schubert: Neue Ausgabe sämtlicher Werke, part 1, volume 8. Autograph: A draft manuscript is in the Stadtsbibliothek in Vienna (MH 178/c). A second version manuscript is in the Österreichesches National Bibliothek in Vienna (MHs. 19488). Notes: Like the previous setting, this one also divides the text in half, treating it as a two-verse strophic work. Performance Issues: The score alternates sections of solo quartet and full choir. In each case the vocal writing is in a homophonic four-part chorale texture. The vocal material is harmonically well supported by the orchestra, which utilizes ostinato accompanimental figures throughout much of the string writing. All of the winds have leading melodic material. The instrumental parts are idiomatic and conservatively rendered. The orchestration suggests a medium to large choir and a full complement of strings. This is a harmonically progressive composition that uses some unusual third relationships that may be less intuitively read by most singers. These harmonic experiments are accomplished through conservative part writing, so it is not difficult to learn. The score features independent doublebass parts that include numerous low E♭s. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Lucia Popp, Brigitte Fassbaender, Adolf Dallapozza, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau; Chor und Symphonie-Orchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks (Josef Schmidhuber, choirmaster); conducted by Wolfgang Sawallisch. EMI: 86011. Barbara Bonney, Dalia Schaechter, Jorge Pita, Andreas Schmidt; Vienna State Opera Concert Chorus; Chamber Orchestra of Europe; conducted by Claudio Abbado, recorded in the Grosser Saal, Musikverein in Vienna in 1990. Deutsche Grammophon: 435486-2.
SCHULLER, Gunther (b. New York, 22 November 1925; d. Boston, 21 June 2015) Schuller attended the St. Thomas Choir School (19381944). He played horn in the New York City Ballet orchestra (1943). He then was principal horn in the Cincinnati Symphony (1943-1945) and the Metropolitan Opera (1945-1959). He gave up the horn in 1962 to dedicate more of his time to composition. He taught horn at the Manhattan School (1950-1963), and was professor of composition at Yale University (1964421 Norbert Carnovale, Gunther Schuller: A Bio-Bibliography (New York: Greenwood Press, 1987).
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
1967). From 1967 to 1977, he served as president of the New England Conservatory. He was also on the composition faculty of Tanglewood, where he was artistic codirector (1969-1974) and artistic director (1974-1984). He has since dedicated himself to composing, lecturing, and conducting. He is the founder of publishing companies: Margun Music (1975), Gunmar Music (1979); and the recording company, GM Recordings (1980); all of which are dedicated to the dissemination of American music. He has lectured and written on early jazz music, and prepared scholarly editions of the music of Joplin (including the orchestration of Treemonisha). His writings include: Horn Technique (London and New York: Oxford University Press, 1962), Early Jazz: Its Roots and Musical Development (London and New York: Oxford University Press, 1968), and Musings: The Musical Worlds of Gunther Schuller (London and New York: Oxford University Press, 1986). Schuller’s musical output is vast and diverse. He used most of the techniques common in the twentieth century (free atonality, serialism, and combinatoriality), as well as devices from modern jazz. He also attempted to use elements from the visual arts as technical models for his music.421 Students: Brian Fennelly, Barbara Kolb, William Thomas McKinley, Phillip Rhodes, Lewis Spratlan, Irwin Swack, Judith Weir, Yehuda Yannay Awards: Three Grammy Awards (1973, 1976, 1985), membership in the Institute (1967) and Academy (1980) of the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters, Rodgers and Hammerstein Award (1971), seven honorary degrees, a Letter of Distinction from American Music Center (1985), and a MacArthur Foundation Award (1991) Principal Works: opera - The Visitation (1966), The Fisherman and his Wife (1970); ballet - Variants (1960); orchestral - two horn concertos (1944, 1976), Cello Concerto (1945), Symphonic Tribute to Duke Ellington (1955), Contours (1958), Spectra (1958), Seven Studies on Themes of Paul Klee (1959), Contrasts (1960), 2 piano concertos (1962, 1981), Threnos (1963), Doublebass Concerto (1968), Shapes and Designs (1969), Four Soundscapes (1974), Violin Concerto (1975-1976), Trumpet Concerto (1979), Alto Saxophone Concerto (1983), Farbenspiel (1985), Viola Concerto (1985), Bassoon Concerto (1985); vocal - O Lamb of God (1941), Meditations (1960), Poems of Time and Eternity (1972) Selected Composer Bibliography: Rich, Alan. “Gunther Schuller.” HiFi/Musical America, xxvi/4 (1976): 6.
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Battisti, Frank. “Gunther Schuller and His Many Worlds of Music: An Interview.” The Instrumentalist, xxxii/11 (1978): 38. Hasse, John Edward. “An Interview with Gunther Schuller.” Jazz Studies, i (1982): 39. Tassel, Janet. “Gunther Schuller: Composer, Conductor and Musical Conscience.” Ovation, vi/10 (1985): 23. Clarkson, Austin. “Schuller, Gunther.” In The New Grove Dictionary of American Music, edited by H. Wiley Hitchcock, iv: 164-166. 4 volumes. London: Macmillan, 1986. Carnovale, Norbert. Gunther Schuller: A Bio-Bibliography. New York: Greenwood Press, 1987.
The Power within Us (1971) Duration: ca. 25 minutes Text: H. Long translation of “La relación de Alvar Nuñez Cabeza de Vaca” Performing Forces: voices: narrator, baritone soloist; SATB choir; orchestra: 3 flutes (flute III doubling piccolo), 3 oboes (oboe III doubling English horn), 3 bassoons (bassoon III doubling contrabassoon), 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion (5 players - vibraphone, celeste, triangle, glockenspiel, chimes, sizzle cymbal, suspended cymbal, guiro, claves, bass drum, 3 tom-toms, marimba, medium gong, large tam-tam, maracas, castanets), harp, piano, organ (pedals only), and strings First Performance: 11 March 1972; Atlanta, GA; Larry Bogue, baritone, John D. Burke, narrator; Georgia Senior High School All-State Chorus and Orchestra; conducted by Schuller Edition: The Power within Us is published by Associated Music Publishers and distributed by G. Schirmer. The piano-vocal score is for sale; orchestral materials are available for rental. Autograph: Copies of the manuscript are at the Library of Congress, and the American Music Center. Notes: The Power within Us is composed in a single movement. In the text, Nuñez Cabeza de Vaca describes his remarkable experiences on a failed sixteenth-century expedition to the New World. He was one of four who survived from an expedition of 580. These four survivors spent eight years among the Indians healing the sick through prayer and an apparent supernatural inner strength, which was summoned by their hardship. It is also a story about overcoming prejudice. The concluding text describes his realizations upon re-entering European culture: “If one lives where all suffer and starve, one acts on one’s own impulse to help, but where plenty abounds we surrender our generosity. The power of maintaining life in others lives within each of us to render life and happiness, and from each of us does it recede when unused.”
Performance Issues: The choral parts are difficult, but logically written and supported by the accompaniment. The pitch language of this work betrays Schuller’s involvement with jazz. He has combined the harmonic language of jazz from the 1950s and 1960s (ninth, eleventh, and thirteenth chords) with the quartal/quintal and chromatic melodic languages of concert music of the same era. The choir must execute frequent leaps, tight dissonant clusters, and numerous glissandi. They must also perform Sprechstimme with approximate pitches (measures 349-367). The organ part occurs only in measures 503-521 and could be deemed optional, since its pitches are doubled by other instruments although not always in the correct octave. All instrumental parts are notated at sounding pitch. A large choir and string section are suggested since there are substantial divisi. These include a five-part division in violin I, four-part in Violin II, four-part in the violas and cellos; the double basses have a divisi for six solo players. All of the choral parts have three-part divisi. The percussion parts demand experienced players familiar with a broad range of playing techniques. There are sections of free repetition of ostinato patterns in the voices and the orchestra (note measures 116-119). The harpist is asked to retune during the works to effect certain rapid scalar passages. The indications for articulation are thoroughly labeled and always clear. The orchestration is diverse and coloristically conceived. The individual instrumental parts are not excessively difficult, but the integration of parts is quite intricate. There are a number of extended techniques for singers and players, which may require explanation, but which should present no significant challenge to the performers. Soloist: baritone, range: F#-f', tessitura: f-d'; this role is declamatory including some Sprechstimme; it is full of large and awkward leaps. The lowest fourth of the range is used in only one phrase, which is sparsely accompanied and marked piano. The narrator, who speaks throughout most of the piece, is occasionally asked to speak in rhythm and to integrate his reading with certain musical events. The fact that this work was composed for a festival of high school students should not lead one to believe that it is an easily performed piece. The Power within Us is a most sophisticated work requiring strong musical skills by all involved. The patchwork quality of the instrumentation demands a sensitivity for ensemble playing. This moving narrative becomes almost a theatrical work in the tradition of the Baroque cantata. It is very effectively written with great variety and excellent dramatic momentum. Choir: difficult; Orchestra: difficult. Discography: No commercial recording
SCHUMAN, William (b. New York, 4 August 1910; d. 15 February 1992)
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Schuman began his musical career writing popular songs and playing in dance bands. Upon hearing his first symphony concert in 1930 (the New York Philharmonic under Toscanini), he immediately decided to pursue a career in music. He studied harmony with Max Persin, and counterpoint with Charles Haubiel. In 1933, he entered Columbia Teacher’s College (BS 1935, MA 1937). He studied at Juilliard School during the summers with Bernard Wagenaar and Adolf Schmid and then privately with Roy Harris (19361938). He attended the Mozarteum in Salzburg during the summer of 1935, returning to teach at Sarah Lawrence College (1935-1945). In 1945, Schuman was appointed consultant to G. Schirmer publishers. He simultaneously was made president of the Juilliard School (1945-1962), and then president of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (1962-1969). He retired in 1969 to dedicate himself fully to composition. He was elected to the Institute (1946) and the Academy (1973) of the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters. Columbia University established the William Schuman Award in his honor (1981). Schuman’s music is melodically conceived and firmly rooted in diatonicism. He has a fine sense of musical architecture sometimes overlapping layers of varied melodic material to create a constantly changing sonic fabric. His harmonic language is triadic and often static with some added pitches and frequently using triads, which simultaneously contain major and minor thirds.422 Teachers: Roy Harris, Charles Haubiel, Max Persin, Adolf Scmid, Bernard Wagenaar Students: Seymour Shifrin Awards: Two Guggenheim Fellowships (1939, 1940), the first New York Critics’ Circle Award (1941 for Symphony no. 3), the first Pulitzer Prize in music (1943 for A Free Song) and another special Pulitzer Prize for lifetime achievement, the first Brandeis University Creative Arts Award in music (1957), a Kennedy Center Award (1989), and over twenty-five honorary degrees.423 Principal Writings: Schuman’s pedagogical views are expressed in the Juilliard Report (New York: W.W. Norton, 1953). Principal Works: opera - The Mighty Casey (19511953); ballet - Undertow (1945), Night Journey (1947), Judith (1950); orchestral - ten symphonies: no. 1 (1935), no. 2 (1937), no. 3 (1941), no. 4 (1941), no. 5, “Symphony for Strings” (1943), no. 6 (1948), no. 7 (1960), no. 8 (1962), no. 9, “Le fosse ardeantine” (1968), no. 10, “American Muse” (1975); Piano 422 Harold Gleason and Walter Becker, “William Schuman,” Twentieth-Century American Composers, Music Literature Outlines, series iv, 170-184 (Bloomington: Indiana University Press, revised, 1981).
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Concerto (1938), American Festival Overture (1939), Circus Overture (1944), Violin Concerto (1947), Credendum (1955), New England Triptych (1956), In Praise of Shahn (1969), Voyage for Orchestra (1972); vocal - Pioneers (1937), Requiescat (1942), Truth Shall Deliver (1946), The Young Dead Soldiers (1975), Time to the Old (1979), On Freedom’s Ground (1985) Selected Composer Bibliography: Bernstein, Leonard. “William Schuman.” Modern Music, xix (1942): 97. Broder, Nathan. “The Music of William Schuman.” The Musical Quarterly, xxxi (1945): 17. Schreiber, Flora R., and Vincent Persichetti. William Schuman. New York: G. Schirmer, 1954. Eyer, Ronald. “William Schuman: A Profile.” Musical America (September 1962): 26. “Schuman, William (Howard).” Current Biography Yearbook, iii (January 1942); xxiii, (December 1962). New York: H. W. Wilson Company. Griffin, Malcolm Joseph. Style and Dimension in the Choral Works of William Schuman. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, dissertation, 1972. Rouse, C. William Schuman: Documentary. New York: Boosey and Hawkes, 1980. Gleason, Harold, and Walter Becker. “William Schuman.” Twentieth-Century American Composers. Music Literature Outlines, series iv: 170-184. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, revised, 1981. Hall, David. “A Bio-Discography of William Schuman.” Ovation, vi (1985), vii, p. 4 and viii, p. 18. Lambert, Bruce. “William Schuman Is Dead at 81; Noted Composer Headed Juilliard.” New York Times (16 February 1992), 48-L.
This Is Our Time (Secular Cantata no. 1) (1940) Duration: ca. 30 minutes Text: Genevieve Taggard Performing Forces: voices: SATB choir; orchestra: 3 flutes, 3 oboes, 3 clarinets, 2 or 3 bassoons, 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion, piano, and strings First Performance: 4 July 1940; Lewisohn Stadium, New York; People’s Philharmonic Choral Society [a workers’ ensemble]; conducted by Alexander Smallens Edition: This Is Our Time is published and distributed by Boosey and Hawkes. The piano-vocal scores is
423 Bruce Lambert, “William Schuman Is Dead at 81; Noted Composer Headed Juilliard,” New York Times (16 February 1992), 48L.
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(reduction by Paul Weissleder) for sale; orchestral materials are available for rental. Autograph: There is a holograph in pencil in the Library of Congress (M1522. S 392 T5). Notes: This work is written for a workers’ chorus, and the text and music reflect this intent. The poetry addresses the needs and aspirations of the working class with many socialist undertones. The music is logically very accessible with frequent choral unisons. Performance Issues: This is an easily accessed work for performers of limited skill and experience. The vocal writing employs frequent choral unisons and paired doublings. The rhythms are reflective of the natural text declamation. Work is for four-part men’s choir and Questions for four-part women’s choir. The orchestra parts are generally within the abilities of amateur players. The brass parts should be covered by secure players. There are prominent solos for flute and English horn. This is an example of American “socialist realism,” which could be effectively programmed in association with some work or industry related event or anniversary. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Discography: No commercial recording Selected Bibliography: Strauss, Noel. [review of the premiere], New York Times (5 July 1940). “New Schuman Work Heard.” Musical America, lx (July 1940): 27.
A Free Song (Secular Cantata no. 2) (1942)
Notes: This work received the very first Pulitzer prize in music. Compare with Howard Hanson’s setting of the same text. Performance Issues: This is a very approachable score for singers and players alike. It presents no great demands upon any of the parts. The choral writing is reminiscent of the socialist choral music of the 1930s. However, Schuman’s score is much more technically intricate than most of those populist works. He utilizes some interesting effects, including overlapping repetition of a single word or phrase in close imitation between four parts in three octaves and the exploitation of choral unisons. This work is very accessible for amateur choirs and would be a good vehicle with which to introduce some basic twentieth-century techniques including ostinati, and some unusual rhythmic figures. The harmonic language is diatonic with occasional shifts of mode and explorations of quartal/quintal harmonies. The orchestra parts are suitable for a student or amateur ensemble. There is an oboe and English horn duet at the end of the first movement, which is not difficult, but is exposed. The orchestral introduction to the second movement is very contrapuntal and opens with a quartet for clarinets. This work is vitally rhythmic in the tradition of American concert music of that era. It is filled with displaced downbeats, accent shifts, and rapidly varying articulations. Soloist: baritone, range: d-f#', tessitura: g-e'; this solo is only eleven measures long and should be given to a member of the choir (probably a tenor). It is very sustained, but low in dynamic level and thinly accompanied. Choir: easy to medium easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Discography: No commercial recording
Duration: ca. 22 minutes
Selected Bibliography:
Text: adaptations of Walt Whitman’s “Drum Taps”
[review of the premiere]. Boston Daily Globe (27 March 1943). “Schuman Wins First Pulitzer Prize in Music.” Musical America, lxiii (May 1943): 25. McGlinchee, Claire. “American Literature in American Music.” The Musical Quarterly, xxxi (1945): 108. Mize, Lou Stem. A Study of Selected Choral Settings of Walt Whitman’s Poems. Florida State University, dissertation, 1967. Wannamaker, John Samuel. The Musical Settings of Walt Whitman. University of Minnesota, dissertation, 1975.
Performing Forces: voices: baritone soloist (minor); SATB choir; orchestra: 3 flutes, 5 oboes, 4 clarinets, 4 bassoons, 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion, and strings. The composer lists the following instruments as “optional but very desirable”: oboe III, clarinet III, bassoon III, and contrabassoon. There is an arrangement of the orchestra part for two pianos. First Performance: 26 March 1943; Boston, MA; Boston Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Serge Koussevitsky Edition: A Free Song is published and distributed by G. Schirmer. The piano-vocal scores are for sale; orchestral materials are available for rental. Autograph: There is a holograph ink score in the Library of Congress.
SCHUMANN, Robert (b. Zwickau, Germany, 8 June 1810; d. Endenich, Germany, 29 July 1856) Schumann studied law at the Universities of Leipzig and Heidelberg. He met the celebrated piano virtuoso, Clara Wieck, and soon after, became a pupil of her father, living in their home. He permanently injured his
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hand with a stretching device of his own design. He wrote music criticism, eventually founding the Neue Zeitschrift für Musik, which he edited for a decade. He wrote under the names of Florestan and Eusebius, allowing these voices to disagree with each other in print. He also established an intellectual circle called the Davidsbündler, which included Mendelssohn in its membership. Mendelssohn hired Schumann for the faculty of the Leipzig Conservatory in 1843. Clara and Robert were married in 1840 over the objections of her father. The first year of their marriage yielded an exceptional outpouring of new music. Schumann suffered from insomnia, depression, and he heard things that weren’t there. His mental health began to deteriorate rapidly in 1850, and in 1854 he threw himself into the Rhine. He voluntarily committed himself to a sanitorium where he spent his final years. Schumann was a critical figure in the development of romanticism in music. His orchestral music has been unduly criticized for being ineffectively scored for successful balance, but when played with period small-bore brass instruments, these works are innately functional. Schumann was one of the most imaginative artists of his era, and he produced a body of exceptionally expressive and original music. Clara edited a critical edition of his complete works, which were published in thirty-four volumes by Breitkopf and Härtel with a supplementary volume prepared by Johannes Brahms, one of Schumann’s closest friends and steadfast pupils. Teachers: Heinrich Dorn, Friedrich Wieck Students: Johannes Brahms, Gustav Nottebohm, Carl Reinecke Writings: Schumann’s articles in the Neue Zeitschrift für Musik were collected in four volumes as Gesammelte Schriften über Musik und Musiker (Leipzig: Breitkopf and Härtel, 1854). Other Principal Works: orchestral: Symphony No. 1 (1841), Symphony No. 2 (1845-1846), Symphony No. 3 (1850), Symphony No. 4 (1841), Manfred (incidental music, 1848-1849), Piano Concerto (1845), Concertstücke for 4 horns (1849), Cello Concerto (1850); chamber music: three string quartets, piano quintet, three piano trios, two violin sonatas; piano: Papillons (1829-1831), Carnaval (1834-1835), Davidsbündlertänze (1837), Kinderscenen (1838), Albumblätter (1832-1845); vocal: Liederkreis (1840), Dichterliebe (1840), Frauenliebe und Leben (1840), many others Selected Composer Bibliography: Abraham, Gerald, editor. Schumann: A Symposium. London: Oxford University Press, 1952. Walker, Alan, editor. Robert Schumann: The Man and His Music. London: Barry and Jenkins, 1972. McCorkle, Margit. Robert Schumann: Thematic-Bibliographical Catalogue of the Works. Mainz: Schott, 2003.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Das Paradies und die Peri, op. 50 (1843) Duration: ca. 105 minutes Text: The text is “Lalla Rookh” by Thomas Moore, which was translated into German by Emil Flechsig. Performing Forces: voices: Peri (soprano), mezzosoprano, alto, tenor I, tenor II (Jüngling), and baritone (Gazna) soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: piccolo, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, ophicleide, timpani, percussion (2 players: triangle, cymbals, bass drum), and strings First Performance: 4 December 1843; Gewandhaus in Leipzig; conducted by the composer Editions: Das Paradies und die Peri was published in Robert Schumann: Werke, edited by Clara Schumann and Johannes Brahms, series 9, volume 1. Edwin Kalmus published a study score of that edition (468). It also appears in a new critical edition, Robert Schumann: Neue Ausgabe sämtlicher Werke published by the Robert-Schumann-Gesellschaft in Düsseldorf, series 4, volume 2, part 1. Autograph: The composer’s manuscript is in the Prussian Collection of the Stadtsbibliothek in Berlin (Ms auto, Schumann 2). Notes: This is a large oratorio in three acts. Performance Issues: There is a brief solo quartet from the choir. There are divisi in all choral parts, as well as some semichoirs identified as groups of characters including a number of SSAA sections. Likewise, the soloists are labeled with proper names in some movements and by voice type in others; however, there is nothing in the score to indicate if these should in fact be different singers with the exception of the Jüngling, which is labeled “tenor II.” The choral writing is mostly homophonic, and all of the choral material is clearly reinforced by the orchestra. The orchestration is inconsistent. Intonation and balance will present some difficulties, as will the balance between the choir and instruments. Small-bore instruments were intended at the time, and this may lead to control issues on modern instruments. The individual parts include some very challenging passages. The ophicleide part should be played by tuba. The piccolo appears in only a brief section of the work, but it requires an independent player as both flutes appear with it. Soloists: soprano (Peri) - range: c#'-c''', tessitura: f'a'', this is a difficult solo requiring a powerful voice with some very sustained passages at the very top of the range; mezzo soprano - range: b-g'', tessitura: e'-e'', this is a lyric role; alto (Angel) - range: c#'-f'', tessitura: e'-d'', this is a simple lyric solo; tenor I - range: c-a', tessitura: f-f', this is a challenging declamatory role; tenor II (Jüngling) - range: d#-g♭', tessitura: f-f', this is
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
a simple lyric solo; baritone (Gazna and Der Mann) range: A-e', tessitura: c-c', this is a fairly simple declamatory role. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: difficult. Selected Discography: Edda Moser, Regina Marheineke, Brigitte Fassbaender, Nicolai Gedda, Alva Tripp, Günter Wewel; Chor des Städtischen Musikvereins Düsseldorf (Hartmut Schmidt, choirmaster), Düsseldorf Symphoniker; conducted by Henryk Czyz, recorded 20-23 August 1973 in the Rheinhalle in Düsseldorf. EMI: 1C 193—30 187/88Q [LP]. Constanze Backes, Barbara Bonney, Alexandra Coku, Donna Deam, Bernarda Fink, Jacqueline Connell, Christoph Prégardien, William Dazeley, Gerald Finley, Carnelius Hauptmann; Monteverdi Choir, Hanover Boys’ Choir; Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique; conducted by John Eliot Gardiner. Archiv: 028945766027. Simone Kermes, Kathaina Wollitz, Almut Cechova, Melinda Paulsen, Julio Fernandez, Thomas Dewald, Eike Wilm Schulte; Sing-Akademie zu Berlin, Pforzheim Wind Ensemble; conducted by Joshard Daus, recorded live 15 February 2001 in Die Glocke, Bremen, Arte Nova: 878170. Selected Bibliography: Upton, George. The Standard Oratorios, 273-279. Chicago: A. C. McClurg and Company, 1893. Horton, John. “The Choral Works.” In Schumann: A Symposium, edited by Gerald Abraham, 283-286. London: Oxford University Press, 1952. Dohm, Jürgen. “Robert Schumann: Das Paradies und die Peri.” English translations by Geoffrey Watkins, liner notes to the recording above. Halsey, Louis. “The Choral Music.” In Robert Schumann: The Man and His Music, edited by Alan Walker, 28, 149, 325, 351, 372-377. London: Barry and Jenkins, 1972. Pahlen, Kurt. The World of the Oratorio, translated by Judith Schaefer with additional English-language material by Thurston Dox, 297-300. Portland, OR: Amadeus Press, 1990. Smither, Howard E. A History of the Oratorio. Volume 4: The Oratorio in the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries, 184-199. Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina Press, 2000.
Szenen aus Goethes Faust, WoO 3 (18441853)424 Duration: ca. 104 minutes Text: The text is from Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s Faust. 424 The oratorio was composed between 1847 and 1850. The overture was composed in 1853.
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Performing Forces: voices: Gretchen (soprano), Sorge (soprano), Marthe (alto), Ariel (tenor), Pater Ecstaticus (tenor), Dr. Marianus (tenor or baritone), Faust (baritone), Böse Geist (bass), Mephistofeles (bass), Pater Profundis (bass), and Pater Seraphicus (bass) soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets (B♭), 2 bassoons, 4 horns (2 valved and 2 Waldhorns), 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, timpani, harp, and strings First Performance: The third section, “Fausts Verklärung” was performed separately in 1849 in Dresden, Leipzig, and Weimar. Franz Liszt conducted the third of these concerts. The complete work was premiered 13 January 1862, Cologne, Germany. Editions: Szenen aus Goethes Faust was published in Robert Schumann: Werke, edited by Clara Schumann and Johannes Brahms, series 9, volume 7. Performance materials for the overture are available from the Fleischer Collection.425 Edwin F. Kalmus publishes a study score (476). It also appears in a new critical edition, Robert Schumann: Neue Ausgabe sämtlicher Werke, published by the Robert-Schumann-Gesellschaft in Düsseldorf, series 4, volume 2, part 3. Autograph: The composer’s manuscript is in the Prussian Collection of the Stadtsbibliothek in Berlin (Ms. Auto. Schumann 3,1 and 3,2). Notes: The score is a concert drama in which Schumann has created a virtual opera without staging. This may present some challenges in proffering a meaningful performance for audiences not aware of which character is speaking at any given time. For this reason a full libretto is advised as part of the concert program. Performance Issues: The score indicates placement of characters relative to one another on the stage. Although the logistics of each venue may limit adherence to these suggestions, they do provide some clarity to the drama. Also, throughout the work, some semichoirs are labeled as specific groups, including a choir of heavenly boys. If a small musically secure children’s choir were available, this would also help to keep the drama on track. The choral writing in Acts I and II is conservative and accessible to less-experienced singers. Much of the choral material is conspicuously doubled by the orchestra. None of these parts is vocally demanding. The choir is a more integral part of Act III. The final chorus is scored for two SATB choirs and a solo SSATB quintet. For this, Schumann does not indicate which soloists are assigned to each part. Movement 4 includes a sextet from the choir, which is juxtaposed against the remaining choir. There are two soprano solos in Act III, movement 4 that may be sung by Gretchen and either Sorge or Marthe. Additional solos presumably from the choir appear 425 David Daniels, Orchestral Music: A Handbook, 3rd edition, 371 (Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press, 1996).
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throughout the final Act representing assorted characters in the afterlife. The roles of the Profundis, Seraphicus, and the Böse Geist could be sung by the same soloist as Mephistofeles. The same can be done with Ariel and Ecstaticus, although the effect of separate characters is desirable. Faust and Mephistofeles must be sung by different soloists as they have dialogue in one scene. The orchestral writing is imaginative and colorful, but will require attention to achieve balance. Some of the voicings of sustained harmonies in the winds and brass may also prove troublesome for accurate intonation. Soloists: Gretchen (soprano) - range: d'-b♭'', tessitura: f'-f'', this is a prominent lyric and expressive role; Sorge (soprano) - range: d♭'-a♭'', tessitura: f'-f'', this is a lyric role; Marthe (alto) - range: g'c'', tessitura: g'-c'', this is a minor lyric role appropriate for a chorister; Ariel (tenor) - range: f-b♭', tessitura: gg', this is a declamatory role with crisp melodic leaps; Pater Ecstaticus (tenor) - range: f-a', tessitura: g-g', this is a lyric and sustained role; Dr. Marianus (tenor or baritone) - range: A-g', tessitura: d-d', this is a declamatory role; Faust (baritone) - range: F#-g', tessitura: ff', this is a demanding role with wide melodic leaps and sustained passages that are best suited to a “Verdi” baritone; Mephistofeles (bass) - range: A♭-f', tessitura: c-d', this is a small role requiring a powerful voice; Böse Geist (bass) - range: A-f', tessitura: d-d', this is a declamatory but not overly challenging role; Pater Profundis (bass) - range: B♭-e♭', tessitura: d-d', this is a sustained and simple role; Pater Seraphicus (bass) range: B♭-e♭', tessitura: d-d', this is a sustained and simple role. Choir: difficult; Orchestra: difficult. Selected Discography: Edith Mathis, Lou Ann Wyckoff, Charlotte Barthold, Brigitte Fassbaender, Norma Procter, Werner Krenn, Hermann Prey, Franz Crass; Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra and Choir; conducted by Erich Leinsdorf, recorded live on 21 May 1971 in Hercules Hall, Munich, Germany. Released on CD 1 May 2002. Melodram: 40054. Edith Mathis, Elisabeth Robinson, Frances Gregory, Ameral Gunson, Lesley Reid, Anne Collins, Stuart Burrows, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Brian Rayner Cook, Gwynne Howell, Richard Van Allan; BBC Symphony Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Pierre Boulez, recorded live in London on 7 March 1973. Released on CD in 2005. Opera d’Oro: 1427. Karita Mattila, Barbara Bonney, Brigitte PoschnerKlebel, Susan Graham, Iris Vermillion, Endrik Wottrich, Hans-Peter Blochwitz, Bryn Terfel, Jan-Hendrik Rootering, Harry Peeters; Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Claudio Abbado. Sony: CD 66 308 2. Selected Bibliography:
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Pahlen, Kurt. The World of the Oratorio, translated by Judith Schaefer with additional English-language material by Thurston Dox, 302-304. Portland, OR: Amadeus Press, 1990.
Requiem für Mignon, op. 98b (1849) Duration: ca. 12 minutes Text: The text is taken from Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s novel Wilhelm Meister. It is a poem on the death of the character Mignon. Performing Forces: voices: 2 soprano, 2 alto, and baritone soloists; SATTBB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets (B♭), 2 bassoons, 2 horns (E - valved parts), 2 trumpets (F), 3 trombones, timpani, harp, and strings First Performance: 21 November 1850; Düsseldorf Editions: Requiem für Mignon was published in Robert Schumann: Werke, edited by Clara Schumann and Johannes Brahms, series 9, volume 3. Full scores and parts are available for purchase from Breitkopf and Härtel and Kalmus. Kalmus also produces a study score (#1126), which also contains Nachtlied, op. 108. It also appears in a new critical edition, Robert Schumann: Neue Ausgabe sämtlicher Werke published by the Robert-Schumann-Gesellschaft in Düsseldorf, series 4, volume 2, part 4. Autograph: The composer’s manuscript is in the Universitätsbibliothek in Bonn. Additional materials are in private collections. Notes: Version A of this composition utilizes piano accompaniment. This work is through-composed in six brief sections. Performance Issues: The choral writing is homophonic and chordal throughout. The choral parts are thoroughly doubled by the orchestra. The solos are fully interpolated into the choir. The orchestration is conservative in that the individual parts are not difficult; however, transparency in the scoring may present challenges for balance and pitch within the orchestra. This same feature ensures that the choir will not be overpowered by the orchestra. Soloists: soprano I range: f'-f'', tessitura: g'-f'', this is an easy and lyric solo role; soprano II - range: d♭'-f'', tessitura: f'-e♭'', this is a simple part that appears in ensemble only; alto I range: b-a', tessitura: d'-a', this is an easy and lyric solo role; alto II - range: b-a', tessitura: d'-a', this is a simple part that appears in ensemble only; baritone - range: de', tessitura: d-e', this is a simple part that appears in ensemble only. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Brigitte Poschner-Klebel, Barbara Bonney, Margaretha Hintermeier, Dalia Schaechter, Jorge Pita, Andreas
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Schmidt; Vienna State Opera Concert Chorus; Chamber Orchestra of Europe; conducted by Claudio Abbado, recorded in the Grosser Saal, Musikverein in Vienna in 1990. Deutsche Grammophon: 435486-2. Brigitte Lindner, Andrea Andonian, Mechthild Georg, Monika Weichhold, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau; Düsseldorf Städtischer Musikvereins Chorus, Düsseldorf Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Bernhard Klee, recorded in July 1983 in the Tonhalle in Düsseldorf, re-released on CD in 2006 as EMI 50900. Selected Bibliography: Horton, John. “The Choral Works.” In Schumann: A Symposium, edited by Gerald Abraham, 297. London: Oxford University Press, 1952. Halsey, Louis. “The Choral Music.” In Robert Schumann: The Man and His Music, edited by Alan Walker, 379-383. London: Barry and Jenkins, 1972.
Nachtlied, op. 108 (1849) Duration: ca. 9 minutes Text: The text is by Friedrich Hebbel. Performing Forces: voices: SSAATTBB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets (B♭), 2 bassoons, 2 horns (D), 2 trumpets (D), bass trombone, timpani (2 drums), and strings (with 2 cello parts) First Performance: 13 March 1851; Düsseldorf Editions: Nachtlied was published in Robert Schumann: Werke, edited by Clara Schumann and Johannes Brahms, series 9, volume 3. Full scores and parts are available for purchase from Breitkopf and Härtel and Kalmus. Kalmus also produces a study score (#1126), which also contains Requiem für Mignon, op. 98b. It also appears in a new critical edition, Robert Schumann: Neue Ausgabe sämtlicher Werke published by the Robert-Schumann-Gesellschaft in Düsseldorf, series 4, volume 2, part 4. Autograph: The composer’s manuscript is in the Bibliothèque Nationale in Paris (Ms. 323). Notes: This is a brief, but dramatically effective secular romantic composition that would be effective as a complement to works like Brahms’s Nänie or Schicksalslied. Performance Issues: The eight-part choral writing implies the use of a larger ensemble. The orchestra harmonically supports the choir throughout the score, but this is not accomplished through clear direct doubling. The orchestral writing is very sustained with gradual shifts of orchestrational color, but little rhythmic drive. The rhythmic clarity of the work must be generated by the choir on top of a field of instrumental
sound. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Monteverdi Choir; Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique; conducted by John Eliot Gardiner. Released in 1999. Archiv: 028945766027. Selected Bibliography: Horton, John. “The Choral Works.” In Schumann: A Symposium, edited by Gerald Abraham, 297-299. London: Oxford University Press, 1952. Halsey, Louis. “The Choral Music.” In Robert Schumann: The Man and His Music, edited by Alan Walker, 383-385. London: Barry and Jenkins, 1972.
Mass, op. 147 (1852-1853) Duration: ca. 42 minutes Text: The text is from the Roman Catholic eucharistic liturgy. Performing Forces: voices: soprano and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets (B♭), 2 bassoons, 2 horns (C, E♭), 2 trumpets (C, E♭), 3 trombones (alto, tenor, and bass), timpani, organ, and strings First Performance: 3 March 1853; Geislerschen Saal, Düsseldorf; Allgemeinen Musikvereins; conducted by the composer, as part of a Schumann benefit concert Editions: Mass was published in Robert Schumann: Werke, edited by Clara Schumann and Johannes Brahms, series 9, volume 9. Full scores and parts are available for purchase from Breitkopf and Härtel and Kalmus. Kalmus produces a miniature score (#474). It also appears in a new critical edition, Robert Schumann: Neue Ausgabe sämtlicher Werke published by the Robert-Schumann-Gesellschaft in Düsseldorf, series 4, volume 3, part 2. Autograph: The composer’s manuscript is in the Prussian Collection of the Stadtsbibliothek in Berlin (Ms. Auto. Schumann 6). Performance Issues: Some of the choral writing is contrapuntally complex. There are extended passages of pervasive imitation. Much of this choral material is directly doubled by the orchestra. The density of the scoring suggests the use of a large choral ensemble. The Gloria is rhythmically detailed, requiring an articulate and flexible choir. The orchestration is often thickly scored. There are extended passages wherein the brass and winds are quite sustained. This is a melodically attractive work that is particularly well conceived from a vocal perspective. Some attention will need to be applied to establish good balances between the choir and orchestra and between sections of the orchestra. Soloists: soprano - range: d'-f'', tessitura: f'-
602 e♭'', this is a lyric role within the abilities of a good student soloist; bass - range: f-d', tessitura: f-d', this is a brief and simple solo part. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Mitsuko Shirai, Peter Seiffert, Jan-Hendrick Rootering; Dusselforf Städtischer Musikvereins Chorus, Berlin Philharmonic; conducted by Wolfgang Sawallisch, recorded in the Philharmonie in Berlin in September 1987 and re-released on CD in 2004 as EMI: 85819 and in 2006 as EMI: 50900. Selected Bibliography: Horton, John. “The Choral Works.” In Schumann: A Symposium, edited by Gerald Abraham, 294-295. London: Oxford University Press, 1952.
Requiem, op. 148 (1852) Duration: ca. 43 minutes Text: The text is from the Roman Catholic liturgy of the Mass for the Dead. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists, SATB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 horns (E♭, F) 2 trumpets (F), 3 trombones, timpani, and strings First Performance: 19 November 1864; Domkirche in Königsberg; Musikalischen Akademie; conducted by Heinrich Laudien Editions: Requiem was published in Robert Schumann: Werke, edited by Clara Schumann and Johannes Brahms, series 9, volume 9. Full scores and parts are available for purchase from Breitkopf and Härtel and Kalmus. A study score is published by Kalmus (475). It also appears in a new critical edition, Robert Schumann: Neue Ausgabe sämtlicher Werke published by the Robert-Schumann-Gesellschaft in Düsseldorf, series 4, volume 3, part 3. Autograph: The composer’s manuscript is in the Prussian Collection of the Stadtsbibliothek in Berlin (Ms. Auto. Schumann 5). Notes: This is a wonderful and underperformed setting of the Requiem Mass. 426 The harmonic language is rich and expressive and the vocal writing is delicate and very effective. Performance Issues: The choral writing is very practical combining homophonic and imitative passages, all of which are well supported by the orchestra. The most complex choral writing appears in the sixth movement, which has more extended pervasive imitation 426 Kurt Pahlen states that “At the time of its composition, Schumann was no longer capable of sustained concentration, so passages of great nobility are placed next to banalities” (The World of the
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
and varied articulation between parts. All of the solo parts should be well within the abilities of strong choristers. The ranges of each solo part are more conservative than the parallel choral part. The orchestral writing is idiomatic for all instruments. Care will need to be taken to ensure good balance within the orchestra as well as between the instruments and voices. The composer has judiciously used light scoring for all solo vocal passages. The brass and wind writing suggests the use of a large string section and choir. Soloists: soprano - range: d♭'-g'', tessitura: e'-e'', this is a lyric solo with some sustained passages; alto - range: b♭-e'', tessitura: e'-b', this is a lyric and sometimes declamatory role; tenor - range: e♭-f#', tessitura: a-e', this is a simple role that appears only in the context of the solo quartet; bass - range: G♭-b, tessitura: A-a, this is a simple role that appears only in the context of the solo quartet. Choir: medium difficult, Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Helen Donath, Doris Soffel, Nicolai Gedda, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau; Düsseldorf Städtischer Musikvereins Chorus, Düsseldorf Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Bernhard Klee, recorded in July 1983 in the Tonhalle in Düsseldorf, re-released on CD in 2004 as EMI: 85819; and 2006 as EMI 50900. Selected Bibliography: Horton, John. “The Choral Works.” In Schumann: A Symposium, edited by Gerald Abraham, 295. London: Oxford University Press, 1952.
SCRIABIN, Alexander (b. Moscow, 6 January 1872; d. Moscow, 27 April 1915) Scriabin’s father was a lawyer and his mother was a very fine pianist who died when he was a baby. Scriabin was raised by his aunt. He attended the Moscow Conservatory graduating with a gold medal in piano, but never completing the diploma in composition because he failed a required exam in fugue. Scriabin toured as a performer of his own compositions sometimes in duo-piano concerts with his wife, Vera Isakovich. One of his early champions was Serge Koussevitsky; another was Modeste Altschuler. Scriabin’s music is exciting, colorful, and an historic anomaly. He developed a remarkably rich harmonic language using 4ths and 2nds in a manner that had no forebears, nor any disciples. His most celebrated
Oratorio, translated by Judith Schaefer with additional English-language material by Thurston Dox, 305 [Portland, OR: Amadeus Press, 1990]).
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
harmonic device was his “mystery chord: C, F#, B♭, E, A, and D. Teachers: Anton Arensky, Sergei Taneyev Other Principal Works: orchestral: Symphony No. 1 (1890-1891), Symphony No. 2 (1897-1903), Symphony No. 3, Divine Poem (1903), Symphony No. 4, Poem of Ecstasy (1907-1908), Symphony No. 5, Prometheus—Poem of Fire (1909-1910), Piano Concerto (1897-1898); piano: 10 sonatas, 24 Études, 85 Préludes.
movement for four first-violin, three second-violin, three viola, and two cello parts. This is an interesting and attractive composition that has such a limited choral component that one may wish to program a more extensive choral work for the same program. Soloists: mezzo-soprano - range: b-g#'', tessitura: d'-d'', this is a declamatory role with considerable passages in parallel with the tenor; tenor - range: c#-b', tessitura: f#-f#', this is a lyric solo that may be sung with only a high g#'. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium difficult.
Selected Composer Bibliography:
Selected Discography:
Bowers, Faubion. Scriabin: A Biography of the Russian Composer, 1871-1915, two volumes. Tokyo and Palo Alto: Kondasha International, 1969. Vordi, Luigi. Alexander Scriabin: Bibliography. New York: The Scriabin Society of America, n.d. Sato, Taiichi, and Farhan Malik. Alexander Scriabin: Discography. New York: The Scriabin Society of America, 1996.
Stefania Toczyska, Michael Myers; Westminster Choir, Philadelphia Orchestra; conducted by Riccardo Muti. Brilliant Classics: 92744. Ludmila Legostayeva, Anatoly Orfenov; USSR Radio Large Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Nikolay Golovanov. Boheme Music: CDBMR 907081. Brigitte Balleys, Sergei Larin; Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Vladimir Ashkenazy. Decca: 460299-2.
Symphony No. 1, op. 26 (1899-1900) Duration: ca. 51 minutes Text: The text, in praise of art, is by the composer. Performing Forces: voices: mezzo-soprano and tenor soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 3 flutes, 2 oboes, 3 clarinets (B♭, A), 2 bassoons, 4 horns (F), 3 trumpets (B♭), 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, harp, and strings
First Performance: 29 March 1901, Moscow Editions: Full scores and parts for Symphony No. 1 are available for purchase from M. P. Belaieff and Kalmus. The vocal portion has singing texts in Russian, French, and German. Notes: The text that Scriabin wrote for this symphony calls for all to bow down to the greatness of art. Performance Issues: The singers appear in only the sixth (final) movement, and the choral portion is only about four or five minutes of music. The choral material begins as SSATBB, but with the exception of twelve measures it is scored for SATB. The choral parts are fairly simple and clearly doubled by the orchestra. The bass part must be able to clearly project at the bottom of the staff. The orchestral parts are quite accessible to moderately experienced players. Despite Scriabin’s progressive harmonic practices, the orchestration is surprisingly conservative with extensive passages using all of the instruments in block choirs. Some of the voicings may require attention to intonation. The winds and brass scoring is suggestive of a large string contingent. This is reinforced by the occurrence of string divisi at the end of the first
Selected Bibliography: Bowers, Faubion. Scriabin: A Biography of the Russian Composer, 1871-1915, volume one, 267-275. Tokyo and Palo Alto: Kondasha International, 1969.
Symphony No. 5, Prométhée, le poème du feu, op. 60 [“Prometheus, The Poem of Fire”] (1908-1910) Duration: ca. 21 minutes Text: The choir is given a series of nonsense syllables. Performing Forces: voices: SATB choir; orchestra: piccolo, 3 flutes, 3 oboes, English horn, 3 clarinets (B♭), bass clarinet (B♭), 3 bassoons, contrabassoon, 8
horns (F), 5 trumpets (B♭), 3 trombones, tuba, timpani (3 drums), percussion (4 players — bass drum, triangle, cymbals, tam-tam, glockenspiel, chimes), celesta, 2 harps, piano, and strings
First Performance: 15 March 1911; Moscow; composer as pianist; conducted by Serge Koussevitsky Editions: This work was originally published by Edition Russe de Musique in 1911. Full scores and parts are available for purchase from Boosey and Hawkes and Kalmus. A study score is also available from Dover. Notes: This score has the unusual feature of a “color organ” part, which can be left out. This was a device constructed by Alexander Moser that would project colored lights in synchrony with the musical score. This “keyboard” part appears at the top of the score. The first performance of this work with lights was a
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concert of the Russian Symphony Society of New York, conducted by Modest Altschuler in Carnegie Hall.427 Performance Issues: The choir appears in a brief section near the end of the score. The part is static, sustained, and quite easy. The choral parts are doubled in the orchestra. The original score indicated that the glockenspiel [campanelli] part sounds an octave higher than written. While it is true that traditional glockenspiel parts sound two octaves above written, this part should be read an octave lower. The part actually requires two players. The score has a “campane” for which the composer intended chimes. The two parts are integrated on a grand staff and the bass-clef portions are the chimes part. A number of octave decisions will need to be made prior to rehearsal as neither part corresponds to the ranges of the instruments. Likewise, there is a part labeled “cassa,” which must mean bass drum. The piano part is virtuosic and important. The player must be very strong and have a broad reach. To balance appropriately, the string section must be large. There are a number of string divisi. A moderate-sized choir will be sufficient as it is used for color and appears in a subdued passage for the orchestra. Choir: easy; Orchestra: very difficult. Selected Discography: Dmitri Alexeev, piano; Choral Arts Society of Philadelphia (Sean Deibler, chorusmaster), Philadelphia Orchestra; conducted by Riccardo Muti, recorded in 1990. Aquarius: AQVR 145-2. Anatol Ugorski, piano; Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Pierre Boulez. Deutsche Grammophon: 437 850-2. Alexander Toradze, piano; Kirov Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Valery Gergiev. Philips: 446715-2. Selected Bibliography: Bowers, Faubion. Scriabin: A Biography of the Russian Composer, 1871-1915, volume two, 211-231. Tokyo and Palo Alto: Kondasha International, 1969.
SESSIONS, Roger (b. Brooklyn, 28 December 1896; d. Princeton, NJ, 16 March 1985) Sessions spent his youth between Hadley, MA, and New York. He entered Harvard in 1914 (BMus 1917) where he studied composition with Horatio Parker. In 1919, he began private study with Ernst Bloch. Sessions joined the faculty of Smith College (1917-1921) 427 A description of the concepts behind the use of this device and Scriabin’s theories of synesthesia appears in Faubion Bowers’s preface to the Dover score. 428 Harold Gleason and Walter Becker, “Roger Sessions,” Twentieth-Century American Composers. Music Literature Outlines,
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
where he taught music theory. He then became Bloch’s assistant at the Cleveland Institute of Music. A series of fellowships allowed him to study throughout Europe (Berlin, Florence, Paris, and Rome) from 1926 to 1933. In 1933, he began to teach at the Dalcroze School and the New School for Social Research. Two years later, he joined the faculty of Princeton University (1935-1944, and 1953-1965 as the Conant Professor of Music). From 1959 to 1965, he served as codirector, with Milton Babbitt, of the ColumbiaPrinceton Electronic Music Center in New York. He taught at the University of California, Berkeley (19441953, and 1966-1967 as Bloch Professor of Music). He was the Norton Professor at Harvard (1968-1969) at which time he authored Questions about Music. He continued his academic career until his death through a parttime appointment at Juilliard.428 Sessions’s music is very complex, exhibiting an affection for intricate textures, multifold contrapuntal techniques, and jagged yet precisely planned formal structures. The majority of his pieces are freely atonal, although there are eloquent passages of harmonic stability. Sessions’s works are dramatic, often rhapsodic, with powerful tutti passages and spiky rhythms.429 Awards: Two Guggenheim Fellowships (1926, 1927), Rome Prize (1928), Carnegie Foundation Award (1931), elected to the National Institute of Arts and Letters (1938), New York Critics’ Circle Award (1950, for Second Symphony), elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters (1953, Gold Medal in 1961), Brandeis Creative Arts Medal (1958), honorary life member of ISCM (1959), elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (1961), Akademie der Kuenste (1961), MacDowell Medal (1968), the first Pulitzer Prize for lifetime achievement (1974), and another Pulitzer Prize (1982, for Concerto for Orchestra). Principal Works: opera - The Trial of Lucullus (1947), Montezuma (1947-1963); incidental music - The Black Maskers (1923); orchestral - Symphony No. 1 (1926-1927), Symphony No. 2 (1944-1946), Symphony No. 3 (1957), Symphony No. 4 (1958), Symphony No. 5 (1964), Symphony No. 6 (1966), Symphony No. 7 (1966-1967), Symphony No. 8 (1968), Symphony No. 9 (1975-1978), Violin Concerto (1930-1935), Piano Concerto (1955-1956), Divertimento (1959-1960), Rhapsody for Orchestra (1970), Concerto for Violin, Cello, and Orchestra (1970-1971), Concertino for Chamber Orchestra (1971-1972), Concerto for Orchestra (1981); vocal Turn, O Libertad (1944), Idyll of Theocritus (1954), series iv, 170-84 (Bloomington: Indiana University Press, revised 1981). 429 John Harbison and Andrea Olmstead, “Roger Sessions,” The New Grove Twentieth-Century American Masters, 81-101 (New York: W.W. Norton, 1986).
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Mass for Unison Choir (1955), Psalm cxl (1963), Three Choruses on Biblical Texts (1971-1972). Selected Composer Bibliography: Slonimsky, Nicholas. “Roger Sessions.” In American Composers on American Music: A Symposium, edited by Henry Cowell, 75. New York: Frederick Ungar Publishing, 1933 (revised 1962). Sessions, Roger. Questions about Music. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1970. ———. Sessions on Music: Collected Essays, edited by Edward T. Cone. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1979. “Sessions, Roger.” Current Biography Yearbook, xxxvi (January 1975); obituary, xlvi (May 1985). New York: H. W. Wilson Company. Gleason, Harold, and Walter Becker. “Roger Sessions.” Twentieth-Century American Composers. Music Literature Outlines, series iv: 185-195. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, revised 1981. “In Memoriam Roger Sessions (1896-1985).” Perspectives in New Music, xxiii/2 (1985): 110. Olmstead, Andrea. Roger Sessions and His Music. Ann Arbor, MI: UMI Research Press, 1985. “An Appreciation: Roger Sessions, 1896-1985.” Kent Quarterly, v/2 (1986). Harbison, John, and Andrea Olmstead. “Roger Sessions.” The New Grove Twentieth-Century American Masters, 81-101. New York: W.W. Norton, 1986.
When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom’d (1964-1970) Duration: ca. 45 minutes Text: Walt Whitman’s poem of the same title; it is one of four poems in Leaves of Grass that are dedicated to the memory of Abraham Lincoln; the other three of which are: “O Captain! My Captain!” “Hush’d be the Camps Today,” and “This Dust Was Once the Man.”430 Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, and baritone soloists, SATB choir; orchestra: piccolo, 2 flutes (flute II doubling alto flute), 2 oboes, English horn, E♭ clarinets, 2 clarinets, bass clarinets, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, percussion (timpani, vibraphone, xylophone, marimba), and strings First Performance: 23 May 1971, Berkeley, CA; Helene Joseph, Stephanie Friedman, Allen Shearer; University of California Choirs and Orchestra; conducted by Michael Senturia. 430 George and Barbara Perkins and Phillip Leininger, Benét’s Reader’s Encyclopedia of American Literature (New York: Harper Collins, 1991).
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Edition: When Lilacs. . . is published by Merion and distributed by Theodore Presser Company. The pianovocal score (facsimile of the composer’s manuscript) is for sale; orchestral materials are available for rental. Autograph: Sketches and manuscript are in the Princeton University Library. The piano-vocal score and rental full score are both facsimiles of the composer’s manuscript. Notes: This work was commissioned by the University of California to commemorate its centennial in 1964; it is dedicated “To the memory of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy.” Compare with Hindemith’s setting of the same text. Three elements of the poem are of particular significance: lilacs, representing spring; the star, symbolizing Lincoln; and the hermit thrush, representing the American countryside. Performance Issues: All vocal and instrumental parts are musically very difficult. Sessions has indicated strict metrical modulations and performance markings. There are choral notes written in the manner of string harmonics, for which no explanation is given. The score contains very complex cross-rhythms. The orchestra usually doubles the choral parts, but these doublings frequently do not occur in accompaniment of the piano-vocal score. It is interesting that the piano-vocal score is a facsimile of the composer’s manuscript containing many orchestral labels. Unfortunately, it is a copy of a manuscript executed in free-hand. The vocal parts and rehearsal accompaniment are of such complexity that the clearest of editions would be likely to present frustration to the performers. Use of this edition results in futility, and the ability of the rehearsal accompanist to double the choral parts, which are lacking in this reduction, is greatly inhibited. The horn and trumpet parts are consistently demanding, requiring endurance and fine control of the high range. The double bass part is unusually active with much fast passagework. The piccolo and flute writing in measures 297-315 needs particular attention. There are some additional optional passages if the singers require additional support. Measure 474 to the end (m. 600) is riddled with ensemble problems, including complex passages from offstage winds. Soloists: All of the soloists are required to exploit the extremes of their ranges frequently. The solos are consistently angular and rhythmically erratic. Soprano, range: b♭-b'', tessitura: e'-e''; alto, range: g♭-g'', tessitura: b-d'; baritone, range: A-g', tessitura: d-d'. Mr. Sessions has constructed a very personal and dramatic work of great technical and emotional power. It is, however, fiercely difficult
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throughout for all performers, instrumental and vocal; and should only be considered if premiere ensembles are to be involved and a great deal of rehearsal time is available. It is a work deserving high-quality performances, but it does not invite them. Choir: difficult; Orchestra: difficult. Selected Discography: Esther Hinds, Florence Quivar, Dominic Cossa; Boston Symphony, and Tanglewood Chorus; conducted by Seiji Ozawa. First released in 1978. New World: NW-296-2 [AAD]. Selected Bibliography: Hamilton, David. “Music.” The Nation (19 April 1975). Kerner, Leighton. “Sessions Blooms in Chicago.” The Village Voice (16 February 1976). Porter, Andrew. “An American Requiem.” New Yorker, liii (16 May 1977): 17. Henahan, Donald. “A Soothing Sessions Leads off Contemporaries at Tanglewood.” New York Times (15 August 1977). Porter, Andrew. “Sessions’s Passionate and Profound Lilacs.” HiFi, xxviii/2 (1978): 17. Swan, Annalyn. “Sessions: When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom’d.” Time (26 June 1978). Gorelick, Brian. Movements and Shapes in the Choral Music of Roger Sessions. University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana, dissertation, 1985.
SHOSTAKOVICH, Dmitri (b. St. Petersburg, 25 September 1906; d. Moscow, 9 August 1975) Shotakovich was the most celebrated Russian composer of the Soviet era. He produced an enormous body of works in virtually every genre, which have been quickly assimilated into the standard repertoire. He received his early music instruction from his mother. In 1919, he enrolled in the Petrograd Conservatory where he studied composition with Maximilian Steinberg. He graduated in piano in 1923 and composition in 1925. His graduation project was his Symphony No. 1, which was premiered by the Leningrad Philharmonic the following year to great public acclaim. His compositional career was plagued by official criticism for its worldly subject matter and progressive technical procedures, causing him to fall in and out of favor with the Soviet regime. At his peaks, he received numerous honors including: three Orders of Lenin, Hero of Socialist Labor, and Order of the October Revolution. Outside of the Soviet Union he was also heralded with an honorary membership in the American Institute of the Arts, and honorary doctorates from Oxford and Northwestern Universities. As the restrictions upon the arts in the Soviet Union
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
relaxed, even Shostakovich’s most controversial works were restored to the repertoire. Writings: Following Shostakovich’s death his memoirs were published in the west as Testimony: The Memoirs of Dmitri Shostakovich, Volkov, Solomon, editor (New York: Harper and Rowe, 1979). The authenticity of this text was the subject of some controversy, particularly in the Soviet Union, as it explores the composer’s inner struggles by his creative incompatibility with the musical ideals of his government. Principal Works: opera - The Nose, op. 15 (1928), Lady Macbeth of the Mtensk, op. 29 (1932), Moskva, Cheryomushki, op. 105 (1958); ballets - The Age of Gold, op. 22 (1930), Bolt, op. 27 (1931); orchestral fifteen Symphonies (no. 1 - op. 10, 1925; no. 2 - “To October,” op. 14, 1927; no. 3 - “The First of May,” op. 20, 1929; no. 4 - op. 43, 1936; no. 5 - op. 47, 1937; no. 6 - op. 54, 1939; no. 7 - “Lenningrad,” op. 60, 1941; no. 8 - op. 65, 1943; no. 9 - op. 70, 1945; no. 10 - op. 93, 1953; no. 11 - “The Year 1905,” op. 103, 1957; no. 12 - “The Year 1917,” op. 112, 1961; no. 13 - “Babi Yar,” op. 113, 1962; no. 14 - op. 135, 1969; no. 15 op. 141, 1971), two piano Concertos (op. 35, 1933; op. 102, 1957), two Violin Concertos (op. 77, 1948; op. 129, 1967), two Cello Concertos (op. 107, 1959; op. 126, 1966), Festive Overture, op. 96 (1954), October, op. 131 (1967); chamber - fifteen String Quartets (no. 1 - op. 49, 1938; no. 2 - op. 68, 1944; no. 3 - op. 73, 1946; no. 4 - op. 83, 1949; no. 5 - op. 92, 1952; no. 6 - op. 101, 1956; no. 7 - op. 108, 1960; no. 8 - op. 110, 1960; no. 9 - op. 117, 1964; no. 10 - op. 118, 1964; no. 11 - op. 122, 1966; no. 12 - op. 133, 1968; no. 13 - op. 138, 1970; no. 14 - op. 142, 1973; no. 15 - op. 144, 1974); piano - two Sonatas (op. 12, 1926; op. 61, 1943), twenty-four Preludes and Fugues, op. 87 (1951); choral - Ten Poems, op. 88 (1951), Loyalty, op. 136 (1970); and numerous songs and film scores Selected Composer Bibliography: Blokker, Roy, and Peter Reddaway. The Music of Shostakovich: The Symphonies. London: Tantivy Press, 1979. Volkov, Solomon, editor. Testimony: The Memoirs of Dmitri Shostakovich. New York: Harper and Rowe, 1979. Shostakovich, Dmitri. Dmitri Shostakovich: About Himself and His Time, edited by L. Grigoryev and Y. Platek. Moscow: Progress, 1980. Sollertinsky, Dmitri and Ludmilla. Pages from the Life of Dmitri Shostakovich. New York: Hale, 1981. MacDonald, Malcolm. Dmitri Shostakovich: A Complete Catalogue, 2nd edition. London: Boosey and Hawkes, 1985. MacDonald, Ian. The New Shostakovich. Boston: Northeastern University Press, 1990.
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Hulme, Derek C. Dmitri Shostakovich: A Catalogue, Bibliography, and Discography, 3rd edition. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press 2002.
Symphony No. 2, op. 14 (1927) Duration: ca. 20 minutes Text: The text is the poem “To October” by Alexander Bezymensky. It is in Russian. Singing translations have been published in German and English. Performing Forces: voices: SATB choir; orchestra: piccolo, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets in B♭, 2 bassoons,
4 horns in F, 3 trumpets in B♭, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion (4 players - glockenspiel, snare drum, bass drum, cymbals, triangle, factory whistle in F#), and strings. The composer provides low-brass cues for the four whistle blasts in the event that a facory whistle is unattainable.
First Performance: 5 and 6 November 1927; Leningrad Philharmonic Bolshoi Hall; Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra, Academy Capella Choir; conducted by Nikolai Malko; as part of a festival commemorating the tenth anniversary of the 1917 Revolution. Edition: Symphony No. 2 is published by Mezhdunaradnaja Kniga. The full score is available for purchase in the first volume of the collected works. Performance materials are available through rental. This score is reprinted by Kalmus (A2038), miniature score (1457); all materials are available for purchase and orchestral materials are also available through rental. Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the Russian edition materials have come under the proprietorship of the Russian Authors Society for whom G. Schirmer serves as the U.S. agent. Autograph: The manuscript is in the Russian Archives of Literature and Art in Moscow. Notes: This work is subtitled To October—A Symphonic Dedication, and inscribed “Proletarians of the World, Unite.” It was commissioned by the Soviet Government to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the October Revolution of 1917. Performance Issues: The choir appears in the final third of the work. The choral passages are homophonically written with occasional two-part divisions for each section of the choir. The choral material is harmonically supported by the accompaniment of the orchestra, but this rarely includes direct doubling. The choral writing is scalar and diatonic. The orchestration requires a large choral ensemble. The factory whistle sounds at 69 and between 86 and 89. It is probably not important that it be in f#, although that is the pitch center of the work when it sounds. The score is filled with devices of compositional virtuosity including a nine-
part chromatic canon at the seventh, and polyrhythms combining simultaneous beat divisions of 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6. The orchestral writing is quite virtuosic for all parts. The woodwinds and strings have a great deal of rapid chromatic passagework, which is not only a challenge to the coordination of the ensemble, but quite technically difficult in isolation. The tessitura of the brass parts is consistently high. The principal trumpet has significant passages above the staff throughout the work. The score begins with the nine-part canon, which is an orchestral tour de force, which will prove tricky to even the finest ensembles. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: difficult. Selected Discography: Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra, Krupskaya Institute Chorus (Ivan Poltavtsev, chorus-master); conducted by Igor Blazhkov, recorded in 1964. Melodiya: D 017953-4 [LP mono]. Reissued in the United States as Angel Melodiya: SR 40099. Slovák Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Ladislav Slovák, recorded in July 1967. Supraphon: SUA 10958 [LP mono]. Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus (John McCarthy, chorus-master; Igor Buketoff, chorus-director); conducted by Morton Gould, recorded in 1968. RCA Victor: LSC 3044 [LP mono]. Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, RSFSR Academic Russian Chorus (Alexander Yurlov, chorus-master); conducted by Kirill Kondrashian, recorded in 1972. Melodiya: CM 03625-6 [LP]. Reissued in the United States as Angel Melodiya: SR 40236. London Philharmonic Orchestra and Choir (John Alldis, chorus-master); conducted by Bernard Haitink, recorded in 1981. Decca: SXDL 7535 [digital LP], reissued as Decca: 421 131-2DH [DDD]. USSR Ministry of Culture Symphony Orchestra, Yurlov Republican Russian Choir (Rozaliya Peregudova (chorus-master); conducted by Gennadi Rozhdestvensky, recorded in 1984. Melodiya: A10 00119 002 [LP], reissued as Olympia: OCD 200 [ADD]. Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Brighton Festival Chorus (Laszlo Heltay, chorus-master); conducted by Vladimir Ashkenazy, recorded in January 1989. London: D 103303 [DDD]. London Symphony Orchestra and London Voices; conducted by Mstislav Rostropovich. Teldec: 1156264 [DDD]. Selected Bibliography: Lawson, Peter. “Shostakovich’s Second Symphony.” Tempo, no. 91 (winter 1969-1970): 14-17. Sabinina, Marina. Shostakovich Sinfonist: Dramaturgiya, estetika, stil. Moscow: Muzyka, 1976. Ottaway, Hugh. Shostakovich Symphonies. London: BBC, 1978.
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Symphony No. 3, op. 20 (1929) Duration: ca. 30 minutes Text: The finale of this work features a choral setting of a poem by Semyon Kirsanov. It is in Russian. Performing Forces: voices: SATB choir; orchestra: piccolo, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets in B♭, 2 bassoons,
4 horns in F, 2 trumpets in B♭, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion (3 players - glockenspiel, xylophone, snare drum, bass drum, cymbals, gong, triangle), and strings
First Performance: private concert: 21 January 1930; Moscow-Narva House of Culture, Leningrad; Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra, Academy Capella Choir; conducted by Alexander Gauk official premiere: 6 November 1931; Leningrad; conducted by Alexander Gauk United States premiere: 30 December 1932; Philadelphia; Philadelphia Orchestra; conducted by Leopold Stokowski. This performance did not include the choral finale. Edition: Symphony No. 3 is published by Mezhdunaradnaja Kniga. The full score is available for purchase in the first volume of the collected works. Performance materials are available through rental. This score is reprinted by Kalmus (A2032); all materials are available for purchase and orchestral materials are also available through rental. Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the Russian edition materials have come under the proprietorship of the Russian Authors Society for whom G. Schirmer serves as the U.S. agent. Autograph: The manuscript is in the Russian Archives of Literature and Art in Moscow. Notes: This work, which is subtitled “The First of May,” celebrates the annual Day of International Labor. Performance Issues: The choir appears only in the final quarter of the work. The choral material is melodically diatonic and scalar and is harmonically supported by the orchestra. The choral passages are exclusively in two-part textures.When all four sections of the choir sing together, the men’s parts double the women’s parts an octave lower. The string writing is idiomatic and lies well on the respective instruments. There is significant virtuosic passagework for all of the woodwinds. The tessitura of the trumpets is consistently high, especially the principal part. The score has a number of passages that feature rapid unison playing from the entire orchestra. There are also a number of quick syncopated homophonic sections, which will
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
demand careful attention for accurate ensemble playing. Some performances have deleted the final section so as to avoid the chorus. If this were done, the work would conclude immediately before 98, which is on a B♭ (the work ends in E♭); however, the choral material is so accessible that the deletion of the final section is difficult to justify. Choir: easy; Orchestra: difficult. Selected Discography: Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra, Krupskaya Institute Chorus (Ivan Poltavtsev, chorus-master); conducted by Igor Blazhkov, recorded in 1964. Melodiya: D 017953-4 [LP mono]. Reissued in the United States as Angel Melodiya: SR 40099. Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus (John McCarthy, chorus-master; Igor Buketoff, chorus-director); conducted by Morton Gould, recorded in 1968. RCA Victor: LSC 3044 [LP mono]. Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, RSFSR Academic Russian Chorus (Alexander Yurlov, chorus-master); conducted by Kirill Kondrashian, recorded in 1972. Melodiya: CM 03625-6 [LP]. Reissued in the United States as Angel Melodiya: SR 40236. London Philharmonic Orchestra and Choir (John Alldis, chorus-master); conducted by Bernard Haitink, recorded in 1981. Decca: SXDL 7535 digital LP], reissued as Decca: 421 131-2DH [DDD]. USSR Ministry of Culture Symphony Orchestra, Yurlov Republican Russian Choir (Rozaliya Peregudova (chorus-master); conducted by Gennadi Rozhdestvensky, recorded in 1984. Melodiya: A10 00119 002 [LP], reissued as Olympia: OCD 200 [ADD]. London Symphony Orchestra and London Voices; conducted by Mstislav Rostropovich. Teldec: 1156264 [DDD]. Selected Bibliography: Calvocoressi, Michel Dmitri. “The First of May.” The Listener, volume 15 (19 February 1936): 373. Sabinina, Marina. Shostakovich Sinfonist: Dramaturgiya, estetika, stil. Moscow: Muzyka, 1976. Ottaway, Hugh. Shostakovich Symphonies. London: BBC, 1978.
The Song of the Forests [Pesn’ o lesakh], op. 81 (1949) Duration: ca. 33 minutes Text: The text by Yevgeni Dolmatovsky is in Russian. A singing English translation has been prepared by Leo E. Christiansen. Performing Forces: voices: tenor and bass soloists; SSAA boys’ choir and SATB choir; orchestra: 3 flutes (flute III doubling piccolo), 2 oboes, English horn, 3 clarinets in B♭ and A, 2 bassoons, 4 horns in F, 3 trumpets in B♭, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion (4 players - glockenspiel, snare drum,
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cymbals, triangle), 2 harps, and strings. The final movement has parts for an additional 6 trumpets in B♭ and 6 trombones. First Performance: 15 November 1949; Vladimir Ivanovsky, Ivan Titov; Leningrad Philharmonic Bolshoi Hall, Leningrad; Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra, Academy Choir; conducted by Yevgeni Mravinsky. Edition: The Song of the Forests is published with a German text by Hinrichsen (P-4607) as Das Lied von den Walden. The piano-vocal score is available for purchase; orchestral materials are available through rental. An English singing translation is available as a piano-vocal score from Leeds Music. The full score is published in Russian by Muzgiz (no. 20914), and by Muzyka (full score - no. 11680, piano-vocal score no. 11786). Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the Russian edition materials have come under the proprietorship of the Russian Authors Society for whom G. Schirmer serves as the U.S. agent. Autograph: The manuscript is in the Russian Archives of Literature and Art in Moscow. Notes: The text is written to proclaim a Soviet project of reforestation. It was awarded the Stalin Prize in 1950. The score was completed 15 August 1949. Performance Issues: The straightforward qualities of this score are, in part, a reaction to the 1948 Soviet decree against formalism in music. Nonetheless, it is an attractive and impeccably well-crafted composition. There are two-part divisi for the top three sections of the choir. The basses have a three-part division in the first movement, which includes a pedal C in the bottom part. Much of the choral singing is in unison or doubled two-part harmony. The remaining choral passages are homophonic in large block chords. All of the choral parts, for adults and children, are thoroughly reinforced by the orchestra. The orchestral parts are all written for strong players. There are numerous passages, which are technically demanding for each section of the orchestra. The flute I part has some prominent solo passages. In the finale, the twelve extra brass players are two-on-a-part. The presence of two harps in the score is for balance as there is only one part, which they are to double. The final movement is quite bombastic and will require attention in order to achieve a musically satisfying balance. Because of this movement a large chorus and large children’s chorus are mandatory. Soloists: tenor -range: f#-a', tessitura: f#-f', this role occurs in only two movements, it is declamatory and requires a voice capable of being heard over a large ensemble; bass -range: A-d', tessitura: cc', this role appears throughout the work and requires a singer capable of being heard within a dense orchestral texture. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium difficult.
Selected Discography: Vitali Kilchevsky, Ivan Petrov; Moscow Philharmonic and Bolshoi Theater choirs and orchestras; conducted by Yevgeni Mravinsky, recorded in 1950. Recorded on 78s, this was re-released in the United States as Colosseum: CRLP 118 [LP]. Vladimir Ivanovsky, Ivan Petrov; Moscow State Choral School Boys’ Choir (Yuli Ulanov, chorus-master), RSFSR Academic Russian Choir, Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra; conducted by Alexander Yurlov, recorded in 1968. Melodiya: CM 02699-700 [LP]. Released in the United States as Angel Melodiya: SR 40214 [LP]; re-released as Russian Disc: RD CD 11 048 [ADD]. Aleksei Maslennikov, Alexander Vedernikov; Moscow State Choral School Boys’ Choir (Alexander Sveshnikov, chorus-master), Large Choir of Central Television and All-Union Radio (Klavdi Ptitsa, chorusmaster), USSR Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Yevgeni Svetlanov, recorded 25 September 1978. Melodiya: C10 12415-6 [LP]. Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Brighton Festival Chorus (Laszlo Heltay, chorus-master), New London Children’s Choir (Ronald Corp, chorus-master); conducted by Vladimir Ashkenazy, recorded in January 1989. London: D 103303 [DDD]. Selected Bibliography: Dolmatovsky, Yevgeni: “Music Fills Him to the Brim.” In Dmitri Shostakovich: Articles and Materials, 75. Moscow: 1976.
The Sun Shines o’er Our Country [nad rodinoy nashey solntse siyayet], op. 90 (1952) Duration: ca. 14 minutes Text: The text by Yevgeni Dolmatovsky is in Russian. Performing Forces: voices: SAA boys’ choir and SATB choir; orchestra: piccolo, 2 flutes, 3 oboes, 3 clarinets in B♭, 2 bassoons, 4 horns in F, 3 trumpets in B♭, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion (3 players - glockenspiel, snare drum, cymbals, tam-tam, triangle), 2 harps, and strings. The score calls for an additional band of 3 trumpets in B♭ and 3 trombones. First Performance: 6 November 1952; Large Hall of the Moscow Conservatory. Edition: The full-score of The Sun Shines o’er Our Country is published in Russian by Muzgiz (no. 20914), and by Muzyka (full score - no. 11680, pianovocal score - no. 11786). Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the Russian edition materials have come under the proprietorship of the Russian Authors
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Society for whom G. Schirmer serves as the U.S. agent.
text of the first movement, was first published in the Literaturnaya Gazeta, 19 September 1961.
Autograph: The manuscript is in the possession of State Central Glinka Museum of Culture in Moscow.
Performing Forces: voices: bass soloist; choir of bass voices; orchestra: piccolo, 2 flutes, 3 oboes (oboe III doubling English horn), 3 clarinets in B ♭ and A (clar-
Notes: The score was completed on 29 October 1952. Performance Issues: Like Songs of the Forests, this score reflects Shostakovich’s compliance with the 1948 Soviet decree against formalism in concert music, which remained dogmatically in effect until 1953 when Stalin died. There are two-part divisi for all of the choral parts and a brief section wherein the soprano part of the boy choir divides into two parts. All of the choral writing is either in unison or homophonic in large block chords. The choral parts are clearly supported by the accompanying instruments. The pitch material is diatonic throughout the work. The glockenspiel part is exposed and rather difficult. The presence of two harps in the score is for balance as there is only one part, which they double. The players in the brass band must play some long and highly exposed arpeggiated fanfares punctuated by short bursts from the entire orchestra. The orchestra must make rapid and dramatic changes in dynamics. The principal brass section must be rhythmically concise and capable of clear articulations. There are a number of rapid unison passages between all of the winds and strings, which will present some ensemble difficulties. This is a straightforward score best suited for a large symphonic choir. It is accessible to less-experienced vocal ensembles, but the orchestra is presented with a number of difficult passages for effective ensemble playing. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: RSFSR Russian Choirs, Moscow Philharmonic; conducted by Kirill Kondrashian. Melodiya: SR 40129 [LP]. Yurlov Russian Choir, USSR Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Konstantin Ivanov. Russian Disc: RD CD 11 048 [ADD].
inet III doubling soprano clarinet in E♭ and bass clarinet in B♭), 3 bassoons (bassoon III doubling
contrabassoon), 4 horns in F, 3 trumpets in B♭, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion (5 players - glockenspiel. xylophone, chime, snare drum, bass drum, tambourine, cymbals, tam-tam, triangle, rattle, castanets, whip, wood block), 2 to 4 harps, celeste, piano, and strings. Shostakovich recommended a chorus of 40 to 100 bass voices, 16 to 20 violins I, 14 to 18 violins II, 12 to 16 violas, 12 to 16 cellos, and 10 to 14 doublebasses (indicating five-string doublebasses). First Performance: 18 and 20 December 1962; Moscow Conservatory Bolshoi Hall; Vitali Gromadsky; basses of the Republican State and Gnessin Institute Choirs, Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra; conducted by Kirill Kondrashian. Edition: Symphony No. 13 was initially engraved for publication by Muzyka in 1967, but its release was supressed by the Soviet government. The original version with a transliterated text is published by Leeds Music. The revised version is available for purchase from Kalmus (no. 528). Sikorski publishes an edition of the revised version with Russian and German texts. Muzyka publishes a revised edition from the Collected Works, which is available for purchase (full score - no. 10280, piano-vocal score - no. 11688). Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the Russian edition materials have come under the proprietorship of the Russian Authors Society for whom G. Schirmer serves as the U.S. agent. David Daniels lists the current publishing source as MCA.431 Autograph: The manuscript is in the possession of the Shostakovich family.
Duration: ca. 60 minutes
Notes: Shostakovich initially composed the first movement as a “symphonic poem” and then chose to use it as the beginning of a symphony. This is the first of his symphonies to use voices throughout. “Babi Yar” is a memorial to the Jews who were exterminated by the Nazis in 1941 at Babi Yar in Kiev. It came under some governmental criticism for isolating the plight of the Jews specifically when so many Russians of various backgrounds had died during the war.
Text: The text by Yevgeny Yevtushenko is in Russian. The texts of movements 2, 3 and 5 were chosen from his collection A Wave of the Hand; number 4 was penned at the composer’s request; and “Babi Yar,” the
Performance Issues: This score is metrically straightforward, and while it is chromatically dissonant, the pitch material is generated along the lines of the common practice period. The choir is entirely in unison
Selected Bibliography: Shostakovich, Dmitri. Dmitri Shostakovich about Himself and His Time, 140. Moscow: 1980.
Symphony No. 13, “Babi Yar”, op. 113 (1962)
431 David Daniels, Orchestral Music: A Handbook, 3rd edition (Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press, 1996).
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with the exception of the final sung note of the third movement, which breaks into a three-note chord with the bottom pitch being pedal C. With the exception of this spot, the range of the choir is F# to e'. The choral writing is folklike, being diatonically melodic and rhythmically simple. The vocal parts are not doubled by the orchestra, but the harmonic structure of the vocal line is always supported by the accompaniment. The chimes use the old-fashioned bass-clef notation. The orchestra parts are all technically demanding. The brass parts will present a challenge to the players’ endurance. All four players of the horn section are featured prominently throughout the score. There is significant chromatic passagework for all of the woodwinds. The score calls for five-stringed basses, but a low CC extension is all that is required. The choral sections of this composition are well within the abilities of amateur choirs and men’s glee clubs; however, the orchestral demands require a strong and experienced ensemble. This work would provide an opportunity for a professional orchestra to feature an amateur men’s vocal ensemble. It is important to have at the very least, sixty singers. Soloist: bass - range: G-e'; tessitura: f-d', this role is featured prominently throughout the symphony, it requires a declamatory and dramatic voice. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: difficult. Selected Discography: revised version: Vitali Gromadsky; RSFSR Academic Russian Choir (Alexander Yurlov, chorus-master), Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra; conducted by Kirill Kondrashian, recorded 20 November 1965. Ruggero Raimondi; Rome RAI Symphony Orchestra and Male Chorus (Gianni Lazzari, chorus-master); conducted by Riccardo Muti, recorded 31 January 1970. Memories: HR 4101 [LP]. Artur Eizen; RSFSR Academic Russian Choir (Alexander Yurlov, chorus-master), Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra; conducted by Kirill Kondrashian, recorded in 1971. Melodiya: CM 02905-6 [LP]. Released in the United States as Angel Melodiya: SR 40212. original version: Tom Krause; Male Chorus of the Mendelssohn Club (Robert Page, chorus-master), Philadelphia Orchestra; conducted by Eugene Ormandy, recorded in January 1970. RCA Red Seal: LSC 3162 [LP]. Dimitre Petkov; Male Voice of the London Symphony Chorus (Richard Hickox, chorus-master), London Symphony Orchestra; conducted by André Previn, recorded 5 and 6 July 1979. HMV: ASD 3911 [LP]. John Shirley-Quirk; Bavarian Radio Male Chorus and Symphony; conducted by Kirill Kondrashian, recorded December 1980. Philips: LP 6514 120 [digital LP]. Marius Rintzler; Male Voice of the Concertgebouw Orchestra Chorus, Concertgebouw Orchestra; conducted by Bernard Haitink. Decca: 414 410-1DH2 [digital LP].
Anatoli Safiulin; Basses of the Yurlov Republican Russian Choir (Stanisleav Gusev, chorus director; Veniamin Kapitonov and Vladimir Sorokin, chorusmasters), Ministry of Culture Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Gennadi Rozhdestvensky. Melodiya: A10 00285 000 [digita LP], re-released as Olympia: OCD 132 [DDD]. This recording includes a twentytwo minute interview, in Russian, with Yevtushenko. Nikita Storojev; Men of the CBSO Chorus, City of Birmingham Choir, and the University of Warwick Chorus, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Okko Kamu, recorded 9 and 10 January 1987. Chandos: CHAN 8540 [DDD]. Nicola Ghiuselev; Men of the Choral Arts Society of Washington, National Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Mstislav Rostropovich, recorded in the Kennedy Center, Washington, DC, in January 1988. Erato: ECD 75529 [DDD]. Sergei Leiferkus; Men of the New York Choral Artists (Joseph Flummerfelt, chorus-master), New York Philharmonic; conducted by Kurt Masur, recorded in Avery Fisher Hall, New York, in January 1993. Teldec: D 145139 [DDD]. This “live” recording also includes a recording of the text recited by the author, Yevgeny Yevtushenko. Film Soundtrack: Testimony Motion Picture Soundtrack. John ShirleyQuirk; The Golden Age Singers, London Philharmonic Orchestra; conducted by Rudolf Barshai, recorded in 1987. Released on CD by Virgin: V2536 [DDD]. This recording includes an abbreviated version of the first movement, sung in English. Selected Bibliography: Ordzhonokidze, Givi. “Symphony No. 13.” In Dmitri Shostakovich, edited by Vasilievich Danilevich. Moscow: Sovetskii Kompozitor, 1967. Vishnevskaya, Galina. Galina: A Russian Story, translated by Guy Daniels, 349-361. London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1975. Sabinina, Marina. Shostakovich Sinfonist: Dramaturgiya, estetika, stil. Moscow: Muzyka, 1976. Ottaway, Hugh. Shostakovich Symphonies. London: BBC, 1978. Shostakovich, Dmitri. Dmitri Shostakovich: About Himself and His Time, edited by L. Grigoryev and Y. Platek. Moscow: Progress, 1980.
The Execution of Stepan Razin [Kazn’ Stepana Razina], op. 119 (1964) Duration: ca. 30 minutes Text: The text, from The Bratsk Hydro-electric Power Station by Yevgeny Yevtushenko, is in Russian. Performing Forces: voices: bass soloist; SATB choir; orchestra: piccolo, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, English horn, soprano clarinet in E♭, 2 clarinets in B♭ and A, bass
612 clarinet in B♭, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 4 horns in F, 3 trumpets in B♭, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion (4 players - chimes, xylophone, snare drum, bass drum, tambourine, cymbals, tam-tam, triangle, whip) , 2 harps, celeste, piano, and strings (20 violins I, 18 violins II, 16 violas, 14 cellos, and 12 doublebasses). Shostakovich indicated that there must be at least two harp players. The score also indicates the need for five-stringed doublebasses, but a fourstringed instrument with a low CC extension is all that is needed. First Performance: 28 December 1964; Moscow Conservatory Bolshoi Hall; Vitali Gromadsky; RSFSR Academic Russian Choir, Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra; conducted by Kirill Kondrashian. This concert was repeated 10 January 1965 in the Minsk Philharmonic Concert Hall. Edition: The Execution of Stepan Razin is published by MCA with a singing English translation made by Harold Heiberg. Sikorski published an edition with a German singing translation. The piano-vocal score, prepared by Carl A. Rosenthal, is available for purchase; orchestral materials are available through rental. The score is also available as part of the Collected Works from Muzyka (full score - no. 11680, piano-vocal score - no. 11786). Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the Russian edition materials have come under the proprietorship of the Russian Authors Society for whom G. Schirmer serves as the U.S. agent.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
not project successfully within this large orchestra. The design of the work requires a very large chorus. This is another work, among the many by Soviet composers, which is suitable for a large amateur vocal ensemble, but which requires a professional-level orchestra. Unlike many of those other works, this benefits from a text which is suitable for use outside the realm of political propoganda. Soloist: bass - range: cf', tessitura: a-d', this is a powerful and declamatory role, which remains within the listed perfect-fourth tessitura throughout most of the work. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: difficult. Selected Discography: premiere performance: Vitali Gromadsky; RSFSR Academic Russian Choir (Alexander Yurlov, chorus-master), Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra; conducted by Kirill Kondrashian. Melodiya: D 016471-2 [LP]. Released in the United States as Angel Melodiya: SR 40000. Bohus Hanák; Slovák Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Ladislav Slovák, recorded in 1968. Supraphon: SUA 10958 [LP]. Siegfried Vogel; Leipzig Radio Symphony Orchestra and Choir; conducted by Herbert Kegel, recorded in 1973. Philips Universo: 6585 012 [LP]. Selected Bibliography: Shlifshteyn, Semyon. “The Execution of Stepan Razin and the traditions of Mussorgsky.” In Dmitri Shostakovich, edited by Vasilievich Danilevich. Moscow: Sovetskii Kompozitor, 1967.
Autograph: The manuscript is in the Russian Archives of Literature and Art in Moscow. Notes: Stepan Razin was a Russian dissident from Volga who rose up against the Czar in the seventeenth century. This score was awarded the Glinka State Prize in 1968. Performance Issues: The indication of five-string doublebasses is to guarantee that a low CC be available. Shostakovich doubled the single harp part to ensure that it would be audible within this large orchestral palette. While this is more chromatic than most of Shostakovich’s symphonic choral works, the vocal material is tuneful with its melodic material being triadic and/or scalar. There are a number of large choral glissandi between a sixth and an octave wide in parallel block harmonies. All of the choral material is supported by the accompanying instruments. Most of the choral writing is in two-part harmonies doubled in octaves between the men and women. The individual orchestral parts present some technical challenges within each section. The greatest challenges are in achieving overall ensemble. There are many sections, which require short explosive gestures from the entire ensemble within a varied rhythmic scheme. The celeste has a number of important passages, which may
SIEGMEISTER, Elie (b. New York, 15 January 1909; d. Manhasset, NY, 10 March 1991) Siegmeister attended Columbia College (BA 1927) where he studied composition with Seth Bingham. He studied counterpoint privately with Wallingford Riegger. He studied composition with Nadia Boulanger in Paris (1927-1931), and conducting with Arthur Stoessel in New York (1935-1938). Siegmeister has served on the faculties of Brooklyn College (1934), the New School for Social Research (1937-1938), the University of Minnesota (1948), and Hofstra University (1949-1976). He was active in the organization and administration of many artistic organizations including ASCAP, the American Composers’ Alliance, the American Ballad Singers, Council of Creative Artists, Libraries and Museums, the Black Music Colloquium, and the American Music Center. His music employs qualities of jazz and quotations of folk music combined with an acute awareness of melodic line. He creatively uses ostinati and songlike tunes to create very accessible yet sophisticated works. It is of
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
primary importance that his music be relative to social issues and for consumption by the populace.432
xylophone, glockenspiel, tambourine), piano, and strings
Awards: Ford Foundation (1971), National Endowment for the Arts (1974, 1980), American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters (1978), Library of Congress (1983), United States Information Agency (1985)
large orchestra: 2 flutes (flute II doubling piccolo), 2 oboes, 2 clarinets (clarinet II doubling alto saxophone), 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, percussion (2 Players - 2 timpani, snare drum, large tom-tom, 2 cymbals, wood block, 2 bongos, cowbell, xylophone, glockenspiel, tambourine), piano, and strings
Principal Writings: The New Music Lover’s Handbook (Irvington-on-Hudson, NY: 1973), Work and Sing (New York: 1944), Invitation to Music (Irvington-onHudson, NY: 1961), Harmony and Melody (19651966) Principal Works: opera - Darling Corie (1952), Miranda and the Dark Young Man (1955), The Mermaid in Lock no. 7 (1958), The Plough and the Stars (19631969), Night of the Moonspell (1976), The Marquesa of O (1982), Angel Levine (1984-1985), The Lady of the Lake (1985); orchestral - 6 symphonies (1947, 1950, 1957, 1967-1970, 1971-1975, 1983), American Holiday (1933), Abraham Lincoln Walks at Midnight (1937), Prairie Legend (1944), Wilderness Road (1944), Lonesome Hollow (1946), From My Window (1949), Clarinet Concerto (1956), Flute Concerto (1960), Shadows and Light (1975), Violin Concerto (1977-1983), Fantasies in Line and Color (1981); vocal - John Henry (1935), Johnny Appleseed (1940), A Tooth for Paul Revere (1945), The New Colossus (1949), American Folk Song Choral Series (1953), The Face of War (1966), Songs of Experience (1966), A Cycle of Cities (1974), Cantata for FDR (1981) Selected Composer Bibliography: Rothstein, E. “Music: Works by Siegmeister.” New York Times (17 January 1984). Mandel, Alan. “Siegmeister, Elie.” In The New Grove Dictionary of American Music, edited by H. Wiley Hitchcock, iv: 224-225. 4 volumes. London: Macmillan, 1986.
I Have a Dream (1967) Duration: ca. 25 minutes Text: Edward Mabley, based on Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I have a dream. . .” speech, which crowned a major march on Washington, DC, that he led in 1963. Performing Forces: voices: narrator and baritone soloist; SATB chorus; there are two orchestrations depending upon the size of the choir: small orchestra: flute (doubling piccolo), oboe, 2 clarinet (clarinet II doubling alto saxophone), bassoon, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, tenor trombone, bass trombone, percussion (1 Player - 2 timpani, snare drum, large tom-tom, 2 cymbals, wood block, 2 bongos, cowbell, 432 Nicholas Slonimsky, Baker’s Biographical Dictionary of Musicians, 8th edition (New York: Schirmer Books, 1991).
First Performance: 16 April 1967; Temple Beth Sholom, Long Beach, NY; William Warfield, narrator; Cantor Solomon Mendelson, baritone; Ronim Choir and Cornerstone Baptist Church Choir; conducted by Herbert Beattie Edition: I Have a Dream is published by MCA Music and distributed by Theodore Presser Company. The piano-vocal score (14781-049) is available for purchase; orchestral materials are available for rental. Autograph: There is a photocopy of the holograph in the American Music Center (M1533. 3. S5 I2). Notes: I Have a Dream was commissioned by the Men’s Club of Temple Beth Sholom, Long Beach, NY. Performance Issues: The composer requests that whenever possible, the two solo roles should be performed by people of differing races. The work is tonally conceived, although it uses many nonfunctional seventh and ninth harmonies and imposed dissonances of diminished and augmented octaves. The choral writing is mostly homophonic with brief elements of imitation. The fifth movement begins with an unaccompanied and very chromatic fugue. With the exception of this section, the pitches of the choir are consistently doubled in the orchestra. The choral parts have a combination of rhythmic speaking and sung passages in movements 3 and 8. In movement 9, narrator’s text is set in rhythm. Soloist: baritone, range: c-f#', tessitura: g-e', the role demands a powerful and dramatic voice. Choir: medium; Orchestra: medium. Discography: No commercial recording
STARER, Robert (b. Vienna, 8 January 1924; d. Kingston, NY, 22 April 2001) Starer began his musical studies at the Vienna Conservatory (1937). He continued his education at the Jerusalem Conservatory where his teachers were Oedoen Partos, Solomon Rosowsky, and Josef Tal. He entered Juilliard in 1947 where he studied with Frederick Jacobi. In 1948, he studied with Copland at
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Tanglewood. The following year, he joined the faculty of Juilliard (1949-1974) and later taught at Brooklyn College, CUNY (1963-1991). Starer’s music is a unique combination of Arabic scales, jazz rhythms, and very complex contrapuntal procedures. His use of chromaticisms and modality reflect his dedication to the Jewish musical culture of his youth.433 Awards: Two Guggenheim Fellowships (1957, 1963), a Fulbright grant (1964), three NEA grants (1976, 1978, 1983), and an award from the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters (1979) Principal Works: opera - The Intruder (1956), Pantagleize (1967), Apollonia (1978); ballets - The Story of Esther (1960), The Dybbuk (1960), Samson Agonistes (1961), Phaedra (1962), The Touch (1967), Holy Jungle (1974); orchestral - three Symphonies (1950, 1951, 1969), three Piano Concertos (1947, 1953, 1972), Journals of a Songmaker (1975), Violin Concerto (1979-1980), Hudson Valley Suite (1984), Serenade (1984); vocal - Joseph and his Brothers (1966), Sabbath Eve Service (1968), The People, Yes (1976), Anna Margherita’s Will (1979), Transformations (1980), and Voices of Brooklyn (1980-1984). His writings include Rhythmic Training for Musicians (New York: MCA Books, 1969). Selected Composer Bibliography: Dreier, Robert. “Robert Starer.” HiFi/Musical America, xxxiii/10 (1983): 10. Lewis-Griffith, Dorothy. “Starer, Robert.” In The New Grove Dictionary of American Music, edited by H. Wiley Hitchcock. London: Macmillan, 1986.
Ariel (Visions of Isaiah) (1959) Duration: ca. 27 minutes Text: Isaiah as arranged by the composer Performing Forces: voices: soprano and baritone soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes (flute II doubling piccolo), 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, tenor trombone, bass trombone, percussion (2 players - timpani [2], snare drum, tenor drum, bass drum, tambourine, crash cymbals, large suspended cymbal, large tam-tam, triangle, wood block), celeste, and strings First Performance: 15 May 1960; Town Hall, New York; Interracial Fellowship Choir; conducted by Harold Aks. Edition: Ariel is published by MCA and distributed by Theodore Presser Company. The piano-vocal score is for sale; orchestral materials are available for rental. 433 Dorothy Lewis-Griffith, “Starer, Robert,” in The New Grove Dictionary of American Music, edited by H. Wiley Hitchcock (London: Macmillan, 1986).
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Autograph: The full score is a facsimile of the composer’s manuscript. Notes: This work was commissioned by the Interracial Fellowship Chorus, Harold Aks, conductor. Ariel means “Lion of God,” which is a symbolic name for Jerusalem. Performance Issues: This is a highly chromatic work, which follows the traditions of functional harmony. Much of the choral writing is homophonic with extended passages of unison singing and some paired doubling. There are two extended sections for two soprano parts. The vocal rhythms reflect the inherent rhythm of the text, and the vocal pitches are very clearly supported by the accompaniment. The score has many vocal dissonances, many of which are approached by step, but some of which occur on entrances. There is a particularly evident exploitation of the tritone. Starer uses some passages of rhythmically notated choral speaking, the first of which is for “and thy speech shall whisper out of the dust.” There are occasional spoken passages for the baritone soloist, some of which are said over the entire ensemble. The orchestration is very pianistic in voicing and gesture. The individual orchestral parts are of moderate difficulty with few exceptional challenges to ensemble integration. The clarinet part has some difficult solos in the final movement. The choral parts present substantial pitch difficulties, suggesting the need for an advanced vocal ensemble. The transparent orchestration would allow for a small string section and a fairly small choir. The fifth movement features an SATB semichoir of solo voices or a quarter of the full choir. This group and the remaining singers are set against each other. Soloists: soprano, range: f'-g'', tessitura: a'-f'', lyric and sustained; baritone, range: c-e', tessitura: e-c', powerful, declamatory, and very rhythmic. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium. Selected Discography: Roberta Peters, J. Patrick; Camerata Orchestra and Singers; conducted by Abraham Kaplan. Recorded in 1972. CRI: CD 612 [ADD].
STEVENS, Halsey (b. Scott, NY, 3 December 1908; d. Long Beach, CA, 20 January 1989) Stevens attended Syracuse University (BMus 1931, MMus 1937) where he was a composition student of William Berwald. He also studied with Ernst Bloch at the University of California, Berkeley (1944). He had
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a long and successful teaching career, including appointments at Syracuse University (1935-1937), Dakota Wesleyan University (1937-1941), Bradley Polytechnic Institute (1941-1946), University of the Redlands (1946-1947), and from 1948, the University of Southern California where he was professor emeritus until his death in 1989. He was also a guest faculty member at Yale University (1960-1961) and Williams College (1970). Stevens is the recipient of two Guggenheim Fellowships (1964, 1971). His music is neoclassical and tonal with great rhythmic vitality and a good sense of orchestrational color. He was one of the most important authorities on Bartok, whose music has had a significant influence on Stevens’s work. This can be heard in his striking rhythms and the modal chromaticisms of his melodic writing.434 Principal Writing: The Life and Music of Béla Bartók (New York: 1953, revised, 1964). Principal Works: orchestral - three symphonies (19451946), A Green Mountain Overture (1948), Triskelion (1953), Sinfonia Breve (1957), Cello Concerto (1964), Threnos: in memoriam Quincy Porter (1968), Viola Concerto (1975); choral - When I am dead, my dearest (1938), Go lovely rose (1942), Like as the culver on the bared bough (1954), Weepe o mine eyes (1959), The Way of Jehovah (1963), The Amphisbaena (1972), Songs from the Paiute (1976) Selected Composer Bibliography: Pisk, P. “The Music of Halsey Stevens.” American Composers’ Alliance Bulletin, iv/2 (1954): 2. Somerville, Thomas. “Some Aspects of the Choral Music of Halsey Stevens.” Choral Journal (January 1974): 9. Murphy, James Lawson. The Choral Music of Halsey Stevens. Texas Technical University, dissertation, 1980. Vanderkoy, P. A. A Survey of the Choral Music of Halsey Stevens. Ball State University, dissertation, 1981.
A Testament of Life (1959) Duration: ca. 23-24 minutes Text: Bible Performing Forces: voices: tenor and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 3 trumpets in C, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion (3 players - snare drum, bass drum, tambourine, crash cymbals, suspended cymbals, triangle, xylophone), piano, harp, and strings First Performance: unable to determine
434 Nicholas Slonimsky, Baker’s Biographical Dictionary of Musicians, 8th edition (New York: Schirmer Books, 1991).
Edition: A Testament of Life is published and distributed by Mark Foster. The piano-vocal score is for sale; orchestral materials are available for rent. Autograph: The full score is a facsimile of the composer’s manuscript. Notes: This work was commissioned by the Almand Memorial Fund of Stetson University in memory of Claude M. Almand. Performance Issues: This is a very accessible composition for inexperienced performers. There are frequent short anacruses in the orchestra juxtaposed with long sustained accompanimental harmonies. The vocal writing is much more conservative than its instrumental counterpart. Most of the choral passages are homophonic with only minor imitative statements. The vocal parts are almost exclusively diatonic, and there are many choral unisons. The few strong dissonances for the singers are clearly reinforced by the orchestra. There are some simple metric modulations. The orchestra parts are generally quite easy. Stevens is careful to use very thin scoring so that a small vocal ensemble, or a young one, would be well suited to this piece. The choral portion of this piece is well within the ability of most amateur vocal ensembles and might be a good introduction to the choral orchestral repertoire for high school ensembles. The orchestra parts are accessible to a strong high school group. Soloists: tenor, range: c-a', tessitura: a-e', sustained and lyric; bass, range: E-e', tessitura: e-d', powerful and sustained. Choir: easy; Orchestra: easy to medium. Discography: No commercial recording
STRAUSS, Richard (b. Munich, Germany, 11 June 1864; d. GarmischPartenkirchen, Germany, 8 September 1949) Strauss was the son of the celebrated hornist and composer Franz Strauss for whom he composed his first horn concerto, which the father never performed. A child prodigy, Strauss did not attend music school. By the time he was twenty, he had secured a professional conducting post and had received performances of his orchestral music in Munich and New York. Strauss was introduced to the music and ideas of Wagner and Liszt by the poet Alexander Ritter. He began to compose tone poems in the tradition of Liszt and quickly
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established himself as the leading composer of his generation. He produced his first opera in 1894 and had become chief conductor of the Munich Court Theater by 1896. He established a partnership with librettist Hugo Hofmannsthal that resulted in a series of musically and psychologically remarkable operas. Strauss was appointed to the conducting staff of Berlin Royal Opera in 1898, becoming general director in 1908, a post he left in 1918 to become codirector with Franz Schalk of the Vienna Stadstoper from 1919 to 1924. He also played an important role in establishing the Salzburg Festival. The Nazis appointed him president of the newly formed Reichsmusikkammer in 1933 from which he resigned in 1935. By establishing a working relationship with Stefan Zweig, he entered into a conflict with the party. He was officially cleared of any collaborations in 1948. He completed his final composition, Vier letzte Lieder, that year. Strauss possessed a remarkable orchestral technique and a natural dramatic sense. His tone poems brought the form to its zenith at the turn of the twentieth century. His operas while maintaining vocal lyricism explored the Freudian depths of their subject matter whether in the symbolic implications of Salome’s necrophilia or the portrayal of incidents in the composer’s own marriage, as in Intermezzo. Like Mahler, Strauss was an international celebrity as both composer and conductor, particularly leading performances of his own works of which a number of recordings survive. Writings: Strauss edited and revised Berlioz’s Grande Traité d’Instrumentation et d’orchestration modernes to reflect changes in instruments during the nineteenth century. A number of compilations of his correspondence with colleagues including Hoffmansthal, Zweig, Romain Rolland, Clemens Krauss, and others have been published. Other Principal Works: opera - Salome (1903-1905), Elektra (1906-1908), Der Rosenkavalier (1909-1910), Ariadne auf Naxos (1911-1912), Die Fraue ohne Schatten (1914-1918), Intermezzo (1918-1923), Arabella (1929-1932), Die schweigsame Frau (19331934), Capriccio (1940-1941); orchestral - Horn Concerto No. 1 (1882-1883), Burleske (1885-1886), Macbeth (1886-1888), Don Juan (1888-1889), Tod und Verklärung (1888-1889), Till Eulenspiegels lustige Streiche (1894-1895), Also sprach Zarathustra (1895-1896), Don Quixote (1896-1897), Ein Heldenleben (1897-1898), Symphonia domestica (19021903), Eine Alpensinfonie (1911-1915), Horn Concerto No. 2 (1942), Metamorphosen (1945), Oboe Concerto (1945-1946) Selected Composer Bibliography: Del Mar, Norman. Richard Strauss, in three volumes. Philadelphia: Chilton Book Company; 1962, 1969, and 1972. Kennedy, Michael. Richard Strauss, 2nd edition. London: Oxford University Press, 1983.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Wilhelm, Kurt. Richard Strauss persönlich. Hamburg: Kindler Verlag, 1984. Published in English, translated by Mary Whittall, as Richard Straus: An Intimate Portrait. London: Thames and Hudson, 1989.
Wanderers Sturmlied [“Wanderer’s Storm Song”] (1884) Duration: ca. 16 minutes Text: The text is a German poem by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. Performing Forces: voices: SSATBB choir; orchestra: piccolo, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets (B♭), 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 4 horns (F), 2 trumpets (D), 3 trombones, timpani, and strings First Performance: 8 March 1887; Cologne; conducted by the composer Editions: Full scores and parts for Wanderers Sturmlied are available for purchase from Kalmus and Universal Edition. A critical edition appears on page 1 in volume 30 of the Richard Strauss Edition published by Verlag Dr. Richard Strauss. Autograph: The composer’s manuscript is in the Prussian Library of the Stadtsbibliothek in Berlin (Ms. Auto. R. Strauss 9). Another autograph score is in the British Library in London (49/7). Additional manuscript materials can be found in the Bayerischen Stadtsbibliothek in Munich. The London score is dated and the Berlin is not, which may suggest that the British copy is the original. Notes: The score is dated 22 May 1885 in Munich. It is dedicated to “Herrn Professor Dr. Franz Wüllner in Verehrung und Dankbarkeit.” Performance Issues: This score presents an interesting mixture of rich late nineteenth-century orchestration and harmonic practices with significant elements of imitative counterpoint. Strauss uses fugal procedures and pervasive imitation in a manner clearly influenced by Brahms and, to a lesser extent, Bruckner. The choral writing is primarily syllabic, and the choral parts are fairly consistently doubled by the orchestra. The passages that are a cappella or lacking in rhythmic doubling are all homophonic. The thickness of the orchestration and the complexity of the counterpoint may make it difficult for the singers to identify their own parts as being doubled, but the support is there. Because of the imitative nature of the score, the soprano parts frequently cross, and parts should be assigned to accommodate equal tessiture. The tessitura of the bass I part is quite high, and all of the vocal parts are physically demanding. The orchestral writing is already masterful at this early point in Strauss’s career. He does call for pianissimo dynamics from the entire ensemble, which will require seasoned players. The voicing of the brass and winds suggests a large
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symphonic choir and substantial string section. The parts are quite idiomatically written, but require an expert orchestra. There are particularly tricky passages for the violas and cellos. Although demanding of the choir and orchestra, this is an impressive and exciting work that deserves more performances. Choir: difficult; Orchestra: difficult. Selected Discography: Wiener Akademie-Kammer-chor, Wiener Symphoniker; conducted by Henry Swoboda. Westminster WN 18075 [LP]. Dresdener Philharmonic Chorus and Orchestra; conducted by Michel Plasson. EMI (7243 56572 2). Münchner Motettenchor; Münchner Symphoniker; conducted by Hayko Siemens. ARTE NOVA Classics 74321 72107 2. Selected Bibliography: Del Mar, Norman. Richard Strauss, in three volumes, I: 31-35, II: 46, 352, 360, 370. Philadelphia: Chilton Book Company; 1962, 1969, and 1972.
Taillefer, op. 52 (1903) Duration: ca. 16 minutes Text: The text is a ballad by Johann Ludwig Uhland. Performing Forces: voices: Williams’s sister (soprano), Taillefer (tenor), and William the Conqueror (baritone) soloists; SSAATTBB choir; orchestra: 2 piccolos, 4 flutes, 4 oboes, 2 English horns, 2 clarinets (in D), 4 clarinets (A, B♭), bass clarinet (B♭), 4 bassoons, contrabassoon, 8 horns (D♭, D, E, F), 6 trumpets (B♭, D♭, D, E♭, E, F), 4 trombones, 2 tubas, timpani (4 drums), percussion (6 players — 2 small snare drums [military], 2 large snare drums [rühr], bass drum, triangle, cymbals, glockenspiel), and strings (24, 24, 16, 14, 12)
First Performance: 26 October 1903; Emma RückbeilHiller, Emil Pinks, Rudolf von Milde; conducted by Richard Strauss Editions: Full scores and parts for Taillefer were published by Fürstner in 1903. A critical edition appears on page 57 in volume 30 of the Richard Strauss Edition published by Verlag Dr. Richard Strauss. This new edition includes an English singing translation by Paul England. Autograph: The composer’s manuscript is in the Richard Strauss Archive in the Bayerischen Stadtsbibliothek in Munich. Notes: Taillefer is a musical portrayal of the Battle of Hastings and William the Conqueror’s compatriot, the warrior and trouvère Taillefer. The score is dedicated to the Philosophy Faculty of the University of Heidelberg. It was completed in Charlotenburg, 2 May 1903.
Performance Issues: The title character should be pronounced in the French manner [tie-uh-fay] to properly serve the rhyme. The choral writing is generally syllabic and homophonic. The majority of the score uses four-part choral writing, divisi are harmonic rather than contrapuntal. There is very little direct doubling of the choir by the orchestra, but the choral parts are not musically difficult, and the often more melodic orchestral material does provide clear harmonic support. There are some brief three-part divisi in all parts but the basses. The choral tessituras are fairly high, and the vocal writing for the choir is quite operatic. A very large choral ensemble is required to balance the exceptionally large orchestra. The orchestral parts are all challenging with rapid passagework, demanding ranges, and rhythmic complexity. The orchestration is quite heavy-handed, which may present some balance issues with the singers. The soloists’ parts are not difficult, but singers must be selected to carry over the orchestra. This is an orchestral tour de force that requires 143 instrumentalists if one follows the string indications in the score, which are reasonable in balance with the other parts. This is a much briefer work that uses its forces in the manner of Schoenberg’s Gurrelieder. Soloists: William’s sister (soprano) - range: a'g#'', tessitura: a'-g#', this is a simple, declamatory role; Taillefer (tenor) - range: e-b♭', tessitura: g-g', this is a sustained and lyrical role; William the Conqueror (baritone) - range: B-f', tessitura: d-d', this is a declamatory and straightforward solo role. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: very difficult. Selected Discography: Maria Cebotari, Walter Ludwig, Hans Hotter, The Rudolf Lamy Choir, Symphony Orchestra of Radio Berlin; conducted by Arthur Rother, recorded in 1944. Released on LP by Urania (UR 7042) and reissued on on CD, Preisser 90222. Johan Botha, Michael Volle; Dresdener Philharmonic Chorus and Orchestra; conducted by Michel Plasson. EMI (7243 56572 2). Elisabeth-Maria Wachutka, Gerhard Siegel, Hans-Peter Scheidegger; Münchner Motetten Chor; Münchner Symphoniker; conducted by Hayko Siemens. ARTE NOVA Classics 74321 72107 2. Selected Bibliography: Del Mar, Norman. Richard Strauss, in three volumes, I: 182, 183; II: 363-366, 368, 375; III: 250, 338, 348. Philadelphia: Chilton Book Company; 1962, 1969, and 1972.
STRAVINSKY, Igor (b. Oranienbaum, Russia, 17 June 1882; d. New York, 6 April 1971)
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Stravinsky is the most celebrated composer of the twentieth century. The frequent changes in the character of his works perpetually reset the stylistic direction of music in the modern era. Stravinsky’s father was a bass in the St. Petersburg Opera. Igor studied piano and harmony privately while he attended St. Petersburg University as a law student. He later became a private pupil of Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. His Fireworks attracted the attention of Sergei Diaghilev who contracted Stravinsky as a staff arranger for his Ballets Russes in Paris. When Liadov failed to submit a score for a proposed ballet, The Firebird, the commission was given to Stravinsky. The Firebird (1910) was an immediate success and was followed by Pétrouchka (1911) and the Rite of Spring (1913). The celebrated scandal created by the premiere of the latter is one of the most significant events in the history of Western music. With these three ballets, Stravinsky had established himself as one of the most progressive and recognized composers of the time. Following World War I, Stravinsky, who had weathered the war in Switzerland, could not return to his homeland, where his family’s estate had been seized by the Soviets. During this time, he began to explore methods of producing works for smaller ensembles and with sparser orchestration. He also began to explore elements of American jazz and European Baroque music in some of his works. During the 1920s and 1930s he integrated the structures, tonal centricities, and melodic features of the Classical period with the odd-legged rhythms and unresolved dissonances of the Modern era in a style, which came to be known as neo-Classicism. Upon the advent of World War II, Stravinsky settled in the United States, living in New York and California, becoming a citizen in 1945. In the United States he established a fruitful collaborative relationship with the choreographer, George Balanchine. He later befriended the conductor and composer, Robert Craft, with whom he published numerous interviews, and who conducted many of Stravinsky’s late works. Stravinsky had been outspoken against serialism until Schoenberg’s death, at which time, he began composing works which used various serial methods. In 1962, Stravinsky toured the Soviet Union where he was warmly received. Upon his death in New York, his remains were flown to Venice where he is buried in the Greek section of the cemetery island of San Michele next to his second wife, Vera (1893-1982), and near Diaghilev. Writings: Chroniques de ma vie (Paris: 1936; revised and translated into English as: An Autobiography. New York: W.W. Norton, 1975); The Poetics of Music (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1947); With Robert Craft: Conversations with Igor Stravinsky (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1959); Memories and Commentaries (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1960); Dialogues and a Diary (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1961); Expositions and Developments (New
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1962); Themes and Episodes (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1966); Retrospectives and Conclusions (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1969). Principal Works: operas - Le Rossignol (1914), Renard (1916), Mavra (1922), Œdipus Rex (1927), The Rake’s Progress (1951); ballets - The Firebird (1910), Pétrouchka (1911), Le Sacre du printemps [Rite of Spring] (1913), L’Histoire du soldat (1918), Pulcinella (1920), Les Noces (1923), Apollon Musagète (1928), Le Baiser de la fée (1928), Jeu des cartes (1937), Orpheus (1947), Agon (1957); orchestral Fireworks, op. 4 (1908), Symphonies of Wind Instruments (1920), Dumbarton Oaks (1938), Symphony in C (1940), Circus Polka (1942), Scherzo à la russe (1944), Symphony in 3 Movements (1945), Ebony Concerto (1945), Variations: Aldous Huxley, In Memoriam (1964); chamber - Ragtime (1918), Octet for Wind Instruments (1923); piano - Sonata (1924), Serenade in A (1925), Concerto for 2 Solo Pianos (1935), Sonata for 2 Pianos (1944); vocal - Zvezdoliki [King of the Stars] (1912), Pribaoutki (1914), Pater Noster (1926), Symphony of Psalms (1930), Credo (1932), Perséphone (1933), Ave Maria (1934), Babel (1944), In Memoriam Dylan Thomas (1954), Canticum Sacrum (1956), Threni (1958), A Sermon, a Narrative, and a Prayer (1962), Elegy for J.F.K. (1964), Abraham and Isaac (1964), Introitus: T.S. Eliot in Memoriam (1965), Requiem Canticles (1966), The Owl and the Pussycat (1966) Teachers: Vasili Kalafati, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov Students: Robert Stevenson Selected Composer Bibliography: Sutherland, Donald A. Stravinsky’s Major Choral Works. University of Michigan, Master’s of Arts thesis, 1961. Dale, Troy Lee Jr. A Study of Igor Stravinsky as a Choral Composer. Texas A. and M. University, Master’s of Music Education thesis, 1965. Harlow, Barbara Jean. A Stylistic Analysis of the Choral Treatment of Igor Stravinsky. California State University, Fullerton, Master’s of Arts thesis, 1970. Craft, Robert. Stravinsky: Chronicle of a Friendship, 1948/1971. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1972. Stravinsky, Vera, and Robert Craft. Stravinsky: In Pictures and Documents. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1978. White, Eric Walter. Stravinsky: The Composer and His Works. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1966; revised and enlarged 2nd edition, 1979. Heintze, James R. Igor Stravinsky: An International Bibliography of Theses and Dissertations, 1925-78, Detroit Studies in Music Bibliography, Number 61. Warren, MI: Harmonic Park Press, 1988. Taruskin, Richard. Stravinsky and the Russian Traditions: A Biography of the Works through Mavra, 2
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volumes. Berkeley: Univeristy of California Press, 1996. Walsh, Stephen. Stravinsky: A Creative Spring: Russia and France 1882-1934. Berkeley: Univeristy of California Press, 2003.
Svadebka—Les Noces [The Wedding] (1914-1917, orchestrated 1921-1923) Duration: ca. 35 minutes Text: Stravinsky derived these texts from traditional Russian folktales. The French version was prepared by C. F. Ramuz. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, mezzo-soprano, tenor and bass soloists; 8-part mixed choir; orchestra: 4 pianos, percussion (5 players - timpani, xylophone, 1 bell [pitched b'], tambourine, triangle, 2 cymbals, 2 side drums, 2 drums, bass drum, crotales [c# and b]). First Performance: 13 June 1923; Théâtre de la Gaieté Lyrique, Paris; Russian Ballet; conducted by Ernest Ansermet Edition: Svadebka is published by J. & W. Chester Ltd. and available in reprint from Kalmus. The piano-vocal score, choral parts, full score, and instrumental parts are available for purchase. This score contains singing texts for Russian and French. Autograph: The J. & W. Chester Ltd., 1917 version was in the possession of Stiftung Rychenberg, Winterthur. The Stravinsky Archive is in the possession of the Paul Sacher Foundation in Basle, Switzerland. Notes: The score is dedicated to Serge Diaghilev. Svadebka was scored for full orchestra and singers in 1917, but Stravinsky was not satisfied with this combination, so he scored the 1923 version, which is the accepted final instrumentation. There is a certain element of primitivism in this score that reflects not only the rustic setting of the text, but also developments in music in Europe at this time. Works, which would follow in the wake of Svadebka include Orff’s Carmina Burana and Anteil’s Ballet Mechanique. Performance Issues: This work is theatrical in conception, but works very well as a concert piece. Although the 1923 score is the composer’s preferred version, there has been renewed interest in the 1917 version for full orchestra, which has resulted in some performances and at least one recording (see Hungaraton: HCD-12989, below). In preparing for a performance of this work, an investigation into the original version may be helpful in determining some articulation choices. The choice of language is also an important issue to resolve. Robert Craft states that because the work is so deeply rooted in the traditions of Russian 435 Robert Craft, “Svadebka: An Introduction,” Stravinsky: Glimpses of a Life, 335-357 (New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1992).
folk music, and so logogenic from its original Russian text, that this is the only satisfactory language for performance;435 however, in the composer’s own recording English was used so that it remained in the vernacular of the principal audience. The score is very rhythmic with frequent changes of meter, including the value of the beat unit. The pitch material for the singers is modally inflected, but diatonic. The accompaniment is generally supportive of the vocal harmonies, although there are a significant number of passages wherein the choir and orchestra are in seconds with each other. The vocal rhythms are speech driven, and much of the vocal material is quite comfortable from a singer’s perspective. The singers must articulate rapid passages much more often than sustaining prolonged harmonies. At rehearsal 50, there is a brief solo for a “basso profundo from the choir” with a range of F to f. The percussion parts are technically quite accessible, but integrating them into the score will require some attention. The score is quite clear in assigning instruments to players. All four piano parts are quite challenging. Four instruments are required. A number of rehearsals should be planned with the pianists alone. The articulate nature of the score and the sonority of the instrumental contingent suggest the use of a small choral ensemble of sixteen to twenty-four members. Soloists: soprano - range: e'-b'', tessitura: b'-g'', much of this role is folklike with a narrow and sustained tessitura; mezzo-soprano - range: a-f#'', tessitura: e'-e'', this is an articulate role with little sustained singing; tenor - range: c-a', tessitura: f-f', this is a declamatory role with many sustained high passages; bass - range: A-f#' (g' in falsetto), tessitura: d-d', this role has a number of falsetto passages and is generally declamatory. Choir: difficult; Orchestra: difficult. Selected Discography: Steingruber, Kenney, Wagner, Waechter; Vienna Chamber Choir; conducted by Rossi. Vanguard: VRS 452 [LP]. Addison, Okerson, Price, Burrows; Concert Choir; conducted by Margaret Hillis. Vox: PL 8630 [LP]. Mildred Allen, Regina Sarfaty, Loren Driscoll, Robert Oliver; American Concert Choir (Margaret Hillis, chorus-master); Columbia Percussion Ensemble; Samuel Barber, Aaron Copland, Lukas Foss, and Roger Sessions, pianists; (English) conducted by Igor Stravinsky, recorded in Hollywood, California on 21 December 1959. Sony Classical—Stravinsky Edition, volume 1: SM3K 46291 [ADD]. Ablaberdyeva, Ivanova, Martinov, Saflulin; Amadinda Percussion Ensemble, Savaria Symphony, Slovak Philharmonic Chorus (Russian); conducted by Eötvös. Hungaroton: HCD-12989 [DDD] Both 1917 and 1923 versions.
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Jacqueline Brumaire, Denise Scharley, Jacques Pottier, José Van Dam; Orchestra and Chorus of the Théâtre Nationale Opera ; Geneviève Joy, Ina Marika, Jacques Delécluze, and Michel Quéval, pianists; (French) conducted by Pierre Boulez. Nonesuch: H-71133 [LP]. Mory, Parker, Mitchison, Hudson; English Bach Festival Orchestra and Chorus (Russian); conducted by Leonard Bernstein. DG: 423251-2 GC [ADD]. Quercia, Cooper, Capelle, Marinov; Strasbourg Percussion Ensemble Contemporaine; conducted by Hayrabedian. Pierre Vernay: PV-787032 [DDD]. Selected Bibliography: Lindlar, H. “Christ-kultische Elemente in Stravinskys Bauernhochzeit.” Melos, volume 25 (1958): 63. Stravinsky, Igor, and Robert Craft. “Svadebka (Les Noces): An Instrumentation.” Retrospectives and Conclusions, 117-122. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1969. Imbrie, Andrew. “One Measure of Eternity.” Perspectives in New Music, volume 9, number 2 - volume 10, number 1 (1971): 51. Nijinska, Bronislava. Création des “Noces.” Gontcharov and Larionov, editors. Paris: T. Loguine, 1971. Jackson, Isaiah Allen. Changes: A Study of Stravinsky’s Successive Re-Orchestrations of Firebird and Les Noces. Juilliard School of Music, Ph.D. dissertation, 1973. Craft, Robert. “Stravinsky’s Svadebka.” Prejudices in Disguise, 243. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1974. ———. “Svadebka: An Introduction.” Stravinsky: Glimpses of a Life, 335-357. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1992. Stravinsky, Vera, and Robert Craft. Stravinsky: In Pictures and Documents, 144-166. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1978. White, Eric Walter. Stravinsky: The Composer and His Works, 250-261. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1966; revised and enlarged 2nd edition, 1979. Weinstock, Stephen Jay. “The Evolution of Les Noces.” Dance Magazine, volume 15, number 4 (1981): 70. ———. Independence Versus Interdependence in Stravinsky’s Theatrical Collaborations: The Evolution of the Original Production of The Wedding. University of California, Berkeley, Ph.D. dissertation, 1982. Newby, David L. Referential Pitch Structures in Igor Stravinsky’s Les Noces. Indiana University, Master’s of Music thesis, 1984. Jones, David, L. Igor Stravinsky’s Les Noces: A Comparative Study of the 1917, 1919, and 1923 Versions. University of Western Ontario, Master’s of Arts thesis, 1987.
Œdipus Rex (1926-1927) Duration: ca. 50 minutes Text: The text is an adaptation of Sophocles made by Stravinsky and Jean Cocteau translated into Latin by Jean Daniélou. The narration is to be given in the
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
vernacular of the audience. There is a complete English translation prepared by E.E. Cummings. Performing Forces: voices: soloists: Œdipus - tenor, Jocasta - mezzo-sopano, Creon - bass-baritone, Tiresias - bass, Shepherd - tenor, Messenger - baritone, narrator; men’s choir; orchestra: 3 flutes (flute III doubling piccolo), oboes, English horn, 3 clarinets in B♭ and A (clarinet III doubling E♭ soprano clarinet), 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 4 horns in F, 4 trumpets in C, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion (2 players snare drum, bass drum, tambourine, cymbals), piano, harp, and strings First Performance: 30 May 1927; Théâtre Sarah-Bernhardt, Paris; Ballets Russes, conducted by the composer. Edition: Œdipus Rex was first published by Editions Russe, it is now available from Boosey and Hawkes. The piano-vocal score, choral score, and miniature score are available for purchase; orchestral materials are available through rental. Autograph: The full score is with Boosey and Hawkes and the vocal manuscript is in the Library of Congress. The Stravinsky Archive is in the possession of the Paul Sacher Foundation in Basle, Switzerland. Notes: The piano-vocal score was completed 14 March 1927, and the full score 10 May. Written as a twentieth-anniversary gift to the Diaghilev Ballet, it was revised in 1948. The initial performances of Œdipus Rex did not meet with much critical success, but the passage of time and successive performances have proven it to be one of the most significant symphonic works for men’s choir. In Dialogues, Stravinsky indicates that the narrator was Cocteau’s idea, and that he felt that it presents problems of continuity. Œdipus Rex is subtitled, an “Opera-Oratorio in Two Acts after Sophocles.” It was premiered as a concert work, but was first performed as an opera nine months later in Vienna on 23 February 1928. Stravinsky, in his Dialogues, suggests that the work is more successful when staged. The score also indicates that the roles of Creon and the Messenger may be sung by the same person. Performance Issues: This is one of the first of Stravinsky’s “neo-classical” works. The harmonic language is very similar to that of his Symphony of Psalms; however, here the texture of the vocal writing is less contrapuntally complex. The choral parts are divided in various ways, the largest being TTBB. The choral material is well conceived for the voices, and in general the pitch material is clearly supported by the orchestra, but there are some brief a cappella passages. Much of the choral writing is homophonic, written in unison, octaves, or thirds. The few imitative sections are in two-part counterpoint. Virtually all of the instrumental parts have exposed soloistic passages. While there is
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
some intricate passagework for the strings, especially the cellos and basses, it is idiomatically conceived and lies well on the instruments. Much of the writing for the woodwinds is more technically demanding and less idiomatic. There are difficult passages for all of the brass, but those for the principal horn are particularly treacherous. The trumpets have a number of fanfares, which remain very high in their range. Although the percussion parts are nominal and do not require technically skilled players, the timpanist must be experienced as there are frequent and difficult pitch changes and a number of highly exposed passages. Among many divisi for the strings, there are parts for four solo cello players accompanied by a fifth line for the remaining cellists. Soloists: Œdipus - range: e♭-a', tessitura: a-f', this is a difficult, lyrical, and declamatory role, which could be effectively performed by a young singer; Jocasta - range: a-a'', tessitura: e'-e'', this role suggests a powerful voice capable of sustained power in the lower range; Creon - range: A♭-f', tessitura: c-c', this role requires a powerful voice capable of sustaining long lines; Tiresias - range: F#-d', tessitura: A-a, this role is slow and declamatory, but not vocally challenging; the Shepherd - range: e-g', tessitura: g-f', the accompaniment of this solo is very light suggesting a more delicate voice than the other roles, it is quite chromatic with some awkward leaps; the Messenger - range: A-e', tessitura: f-d', this role is fairly short, but requires a singer who is musically independent as much of the solo is not directly supported by the accompaniment. Choir: moderately difficult; Orchestra: difficult. Selected Discography: Martha Mödl, Peter Pears, Heinz Rehfuss; Jean Cocteau, speaker; Cologne Radio Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Igor Stravinsky. Columbia: ML 4644 [LP]. Shirley Verrett. George Shirley, Loren Driscoll, Donald Gramm, Chester Watson, John Reardon; John Westbrook, narrator; Chorus and Orchestra of the Opera Society of Washington, DC; conducted by Igor Stravinsky, recorded in Washington on 20 January 1961. Sony Classical—Stravinsky Edition, volume 10: SM2K 46 300 [ADD]. Jesse Norman, Thomas Moser, Siegmund Nimsgern, Peter Bracht; Bavarian Radio Symphony and Chorus; conducted by Colin Davis. Orfeo: C-071831 [DDD]. videotape Felicity Palmer, Neil Rosenheim, Claudio Desderi, Anton Scharinger; Jean Rochefort, speaker; Columbia Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Robert Craft. Produced in 1984, RM Arts Home Vision [VHS].
436 For reference, it should be noted that the numbering of the Vulgate psalter differs from that used in most other editions. The numbering in the King James Bible is Psalms 39, 40, and 150.
Selected Bibliography: Cocteau, Jean. “La collaboration Œdipus rex.” La revue musicale, number 212 (1952): 51 [special issue]. Weissmann, J. S. Review of I. Stravinsky: Œdipus Rex. The Music Review, volume 13 (1952). Mellers, Wilfred. “Stravinsky’s Œdipus as 20th-century Hero.” Musical Quarterly, volume 48 (1962): 300. Zinar, Ruth E. Greek Tragedy in the Theatre Pieces of Stravinsky and Milhaud. New York University, Ph.D. dissertation, 1968. Dick, William Joe. An Analysis of the Rhythmic Construction of Stravinsky’s Œdipus Rex. University of Texas, Master’s of Music thesis, 1968. Newman, Elaine Waxgiser. Hero and Anti-Hero: The Œdipus Tyrannus of Sophocles in Twentieth-Century Music. Case Western Reserve, Ph.D. dissertation, 1973. Hirsbrunner, T. “Ritual und Spiel in Igor Stravinskys Œdipus Rex.” Schweizerische Musikzeitung, volume 117 (1974). Armanini, Ronald. A Study of Jean Cocteau’s Collaboration with Igor Stravinsky in the Composition of Œdipus Rex. Long Island University, Master’s of Arts thesis, 1977. Hansen, M. “Igor Stravinskys ‘Œdipus Rex.’” Musik und Gesellschaft, volume 28 (1978): 329. Stravinsky, Vera, and Robert Craft. Stravinsky: In Pictures and Documents, 264-272. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1978. White, Eric Walter. Stravinsky: The Composer and His Works, 327-339. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1966; revised and enlarged 2nd edition, 1979. Möller, Dieter. Jean Cocteau und Igor Stravinsky: Untersuchunger zur Ästhetik und zu Œdipus Rex. Hamburg: Musikalienhandlung Wagner, 1981. Vinay, G. “Da ‘Œdipus’ a ‘Œdipus rex’ e ritorno: un itinerario metrico.” Rivista italiana di musicologia, volume 17 (1982). Craft, Robert. “Œdipus Rex, Perséphone, Zvezdoliki.” Stravinsky: Glimpses of a Life, 383-395. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1992. Walsh, Stephen. Stravinsky: Œdipus rex. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1994.
Symphony of Psalms (1930) Duration: ca. 23 minutes Text: The text is taken from the Book of Psalms in the Vulgate (Latin) Bible. I Psalm 38, verses 13 and 14 II Psalm 39, verses 2, 3, and 4 III Psalm 150, all436
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The composer has insisted that it only be sung in Latin. Performing Forces: voices: SATB choir; orchestra: 5 flutes (flute V doubling piccolo), 4 oboes, English horn, 3 bassoons, contrabassoon, 4 horns in F, trumpet in D, 4 trumpets in C, 2 tenor trombones, bass trombone, tuba, timpani, percussion (1 player - bass drum), harp, 2 pianos, cellos, and doublebasses. The composer has indicated that he would prefer the use of children’s voices for the soprano and alto parts. First Performance: actual first performance: 13 December 1930; Brussels. intended first performance: 19 December 1930; Boston; Boston Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Serge Koussevitsky. Since this work was commissioned to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the Boston Symphony, they were supposed to give the premiere, but illness postponed Koussevitsky’s performance by a week. Edition: Symphony of Psalms is published by Boosey and Hawkes. The piano-vocal score (LCB 13), full score (FSB 102), and miniature score (HPS 637) are available for purchase; orchestral materials are available through rental. Autograph: The Stravinsky Archive is in the possession of the Paul Sacher Foundation in Basle, Switzerland. Notes: The score is inscribed “This symphony, composed to the glory of God, is dedicated to the Boston Symphony Orchestra on the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of its existence.” Performance Issues: This work is tonally centered and utilizes an assortment of traditional imitative techniques including canon and fugue. The choral writing is generally diatonic and aurally accessible. There are no divisi for the singers. Each section of the choir has exposed melodic material. For the tenors this is often in the upper range. There are a number of ostinato sections in which the sopranos sing in the passaggio range for a prolonged period of time, which will begin to wreak havoc with the intonation. The choral material is reinforced by the accompaniment. It is not always doubled directly, but there is conspicuous harmonic support. The exception to this is the reoccurring a cappella “alleluia” motto in the last movement, which stands on its own. The orchestral writing is melodically conceived and idiomatic, and all players have integral and exposed passages. The large fugue in the second movement will require careful attention to maintain clarity between parts. The orchestration of this work and the voicing of the harmonies within the score present numerous challenges to intonation. The brass parts are all articulate and technically demanding. The horns I and III have some very high passages, as do the trumpet I and trumpet in D. The strongest of the trumpeters should be given the D part, as it is the most difficult and the most prominent. The final movement between 3 and 20 is where the greatest challenges to ensemble cohesion occur. There are
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
interplays between duple and triple divisions of the beat, frequent changes of meter, displaced downbeats, and nonconcurrent, overlapping jagged melodic passages, which are of varied hierarchical importance. This is a very effective work, which is within the abilities of most collegiate choral ensembles, although the soprano part can be fatiguing for young adult singers. The orchestra’s role is within the abilities of collegiate ensembles if secure players can be found for all of the wind parts. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: difficult. Selected Discography: Radiodiffusion Chorus, National Orchestra; conducted by Jascha Horenstein. Angel: 35101 [LP]. London Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Ernest Ansermet. London: LL 889 [LP]. St. Hedwig’s Cathedral Chorus, RIAS Chorus and Orchestra; conducted by Ferenc Fricsay. Decca: DL 7526 [LP]. Festival Singers of Toronto (Elmer Iseler, chorus-master), CBC Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Igor Stravinsky, recorded in Toronto, Canada, on 2-3 December 1962. Sony Classical—Stravinsky Edition, volume 4: SM2K 46 294 [ADD]. New York Philharmonic Orchestra, Westminster Choir; conducted by Leonard Bernstein. CBS: MK-44710 [ADD]. Berlin Radio Symphony and Chorus (Ernst Senff, chorus-master); conducted by Riccardo Chailly, recorded in Jesus Christus Kirche, Berlin during February 1984. London: 14 078-1 [digital LP]. Selected Bibliography: Mattei, Otto. Igor Stravinsky’s Symphony of Psalms: An Analytical Study. Eastman School of Music: Master’s of Music thesis, 1948. Bass, Claude Leroy. Phrase Structure and Cadence Treatment in Stravinsky’s Symphony of Psalms and Honegger’s Le Roi David. University of Oklahoma, Master’s of Music thesis, 1960. Toplis, Gloria H. Igor Stravinsky’s Symphony of Psalms (III): An Analytical Study. King’s College, Master’s of Music thesis, 1975. Stravinsky, Vera, and Robert Craft. Stravinsky: In Pictures and Documents, 294-298. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1978. Chamberlain, Bruce B. Igor Stravinsky’s Symphony of Psalms: An Analysis for Performance. Indiana University, Doctor of Musical Arts dissertation, 1979. White, Eric Walter. Stravinsky: The Composer and His Works, 359-367. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1966; revised and enlarged 2nd edition, 1979. Berger, Samuel Max. A Conductor’s Guide to Stravinsky’s Symphony of Psalms. Central Washington University, Master’s of Music thesis, 1980. Berger, Melvin. Guide to Choral Masterpieces: A Listener’s Guide, 280-284. New York: Anchor Books, 1993.
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Persephone (1933-1934) Duration: ca. 56 minutes
conducted by Igor Stravinsky, recorded in Hollywood, California on 4-7 May 1966. Sony Classical—Stravinsky Edition, volume 10: SM2K 46 300 [ADD].
Text: The text by André Gide is in French.
Selected Bibliography:
Performing Forces: voices: tenor soloist (Eumolpus), narrator (Persephone); SATB choir, children’s choir; orchestra: 3 flutes, 3 oboes, 3 clarinets in B♭, 3 bassoons, 4 horns in F, 4 trumpets in C, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion (1 player - xylophone), 2 harps, piano, and strings
Stravinsky, Igor, and Robert Craft. “Perséphone (letters from André Gide).” Memories and Commentaries, 144-153. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1960. Stravinsky, Vera, and Robert Craft: Stravinsky: In Pictures and Documents, 313-319. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1978. White, Eric Walter. Stravinsky: The Composer and His Works, 374-388. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1966; revised and enlarged second edition, 1979. Truman, Philip A. Stravinsky’s Approach to Opera. Université de Bruxelles, doctoral thesis, 1982. Craft, Robert. “Persephone: The Evolution of the Libretto.” Appendix B in Stravinsky: Selected Correspondence, volume 3, 475-507. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1984. ———. “Œdipus Rex, Perséphone, Zvezdoliki.” Stravinsky: Glimpses of a Life, 383-395. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1992. Slonimsky, Nicolas. Music Since 1900, 5th edition, 370371. New York: Schirmer Books, 1994.
First Performance: 30 April 1934; Théâtre National de l’Opéra, Paris; Ballets Ida Rubinstein; conducted by the composer with Ida Rubinstein dancing and speaking the lead role. This program also contained the premiere of Jacques Ibert’s Diane de Poitiers. Edition: Persephone was first published by Édition Russe de Musique. It is now available from Boosey and Hawkes. The piano-vocal score and miniature score are available for purchase; orchestral materials are available through rental. Autograph: The full score is in the possession of Victori Ocampo, Buenos Aires. The Stravinsky Archive is in the possession of the Paul Sacher Foundation in Basle, Switzerland. Notes: The score was completed in Paris on 24 January 1934 and revised in 1949. Performance Issues: The narrator, who portrays the title character, should be musically literate so that spoken passages will coördinate with concurrent musical passages in the score. The choral writing is triadic and homophonic. All of the vocal material is harmonically supported by the orchestra. The instrumental writing is some of Stravinsky’s most conservative. The score uses functional tonal harmonies throughout. There are few metrical changes and the rhythmic material is quite straightforward. This work, while seldom performed, is an excellent example of neoclassicism, which serendipitously utilizes a classical subject in its texts. The score is well within the abilities of most amateur choral ensembles and many less-experienced orchestras. Much of the success of a performance is dependent upon the tenor soloist and the narrator. It is also a good introductory piece for conservative audiences to Stravinsky’s symphonic choral music. Soloist: tenor - range: e-b', tessitura: g-f', this role is very lyrical and pervades most of the work. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Vera Zorina, Michele Molese; Ithaca College Concert Choir, The Texas Boys Choir of Fort Worth, Gregg Smith Singers, Columbia Symphony Orchestra; 437 Berger, Melvin, Guide to Choral Masterpieces: A Listener’s Guide, 285 (New York: Anchor Books, 1993).
Mass (1944-1948) Duration: ca. 16 minutes Text: The text is taken from the Roman Catholic Eucharistic Rite. Performing Forces: voices: men and boys choir; orchestra: 2 oboes, English horn, 2 bassoons, 2 trumpets in C, and 3 trombones First Performance: 27 October 1948; Teatro alla Scala, Milan, Italy; conducted by Ernest Ansermet Edition: Mass is published by Boosey and Hawkes. The piano-vocal score (LCB 17), full score (FSB 54), and miniature score (HPS 655) are available for purchase; orchestral materials are available through rental. Autograph: The Stravinsky Archive is in the possession of the Paul Sacher Foundation in Basle, Switzerland. Notes: “The immediate impulse to compose the Mass came in 1948, when Stravinsky picked up a used copy of some Mozart Masses in a bookshop on Los Angeles, where he was then living, and decided to ‘write a Mass of [his] own, but a real one.’”437 Performance Issues: The score indicates that children’s voices are to be used for the soprano and alto parts of
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the choir. It should be noted that the premiere recording of this work, which was conducted by the composer uses adult women in these parts. This recording also includes some pitches altered from those in the published score. There are occasional two-part divisi for each section of the choir. The instrumental parts present few significant technical challenges to the players. The “Gloria” is the most rhythmically involved movement with some quintuple divisions of the beat. The primary performance issue for the instrumentalists is clarity of rhythm and intonation within nontraditional harmonic structures. The composer integrates many elements of early music in this score including the contrast between solo and tutti passages. There are soprano and alto passages throughout the “Gloria” which are labeled “preferably a solo voice.” In the “Sanctus” there are passages strictly labeled as solos for soprano, alto, two tenors, and a bass. All of these solos are conservative in range, well within the average compass of each voice type. Each solo part is melismatic and chromatically challenging, but throughout the work each solo line moves almost exclusively in scalar patterns of minor and major seconds. Most of the work employs contrapuntal devices derived from Renaissance music including treatment of voices in pairs, cadential figurations, and imitative procedures. Many of the voice relationships within pairs of voices resemble species counterpoint; however, the pitch material of the combined pairs is in no way obedient to Palestrinian models. The individual vocal parts are logical and vocally accessible, but the harmonies generated from these simultaneous melodic events are often aurally challenging due to a preponderance of minor seconds and major sevenths between voices. The most difficult entrance pitches for the voices are generally cued by the instruments just before the singers must enter. There is also considerable doubling of the pitch centers of the vocal lines within the instrumental parts; however, there are extended a cappella passages for the singers, especially in the “Agnus Dei,” in which there are only two beats of overlapping sound between the voices and instruments. The greatest challenge to the singers is intonation with cross relations compounding the difficulties of already demanding harmonic material. This work is less metrically complex than many of Stravinsky’s works, and most of the rhythmic material is direct, although agogic and metric stresses are often at odds with the natural accents within the text. It should be noted that in the “Credo” there are more syllables than notes for the word “visibilium” in the eighth measure. This movement is contrapuntally different from the others in that the voices move homophonically in block chords declaiming the articles of faith. Choir: difficult, Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Addison, Okerson, Price, Burrows; Concert Choir; conducted by Margaret Hillis. Vox: PL 8630 [LP].
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Gregg Smith Singers, Columbia Symphony Winds and Brass; conducted by Igor Stravinsky, recorded in Hollywood, California, on 5 June 1960. Sony Classical— Stravinsky Edition, volume 11: SM2K 46 301 [ADD]. Selected Bibliography: Moses, Don V. A Conductor’s Analysis of the Mass (1948) by Stravinsky; A Conductor’s Analysis of the Mass (1963) by Hindemith. Indiana University, Doctor of Music dissertation, 1968. Dehning, William John. A Study and Performance of Mass and Cantata by Igor Stravinsky. University of Southern California, Doctor of Musical Arts dissertation, 1971. Rower, Dennis D. Annotated Program Notes for Mass (1948) by Igor Stravinsky. Bowling Green University, Master’s of Music thesis, 1974. Agawa, Victor. Igor Stravinsky: Mass (1948). An Analysis of Some Aspects of Structure as Revealed by Pitch Organization. King’s College, Master’s of Music thesis, 1978. White, Eric Walter. Stravinsky: The Composer and His Works, 446-450. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1966; revised and enlarged 2nd edition, 1979. Vantine, Bruce Lynn. Four Twentieth-Century Masses: An Analytical Comparison of Style and Compositional Technique, 159-253. University of Illinois, Doctor of Musical Arts dissertation, 1982.
Cantata (1951-1952) Duration: ca. 30 minutes Text: The text is a collection of anonymous lyrics of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, in English. Performing Forces: voices: soprano and tenor soloists; women’s choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 oboes (oboe II doubling English horn), and cello First Performance: 11 November 1952; Los Angeles, California; Los Angeles Chamber Symphony; conducted by Stravinsky Edition: Cantata is published by Boosey and Hawkes. The piano-vocal score and miniature score are available for purchase; instrumental materials are available through rental. Autograph: The Stravinsky Archive is in the possession of the Paul Sacher Foundation in Basle, Switzerland. Notes: The score is inscribed: “This Cantata is dedicated to the Los Angeles Symphony Society, which performed it under my direction and for the first time on November 11th, 1952.” A great deal of attention has been paid to the serial features of this work. Written in the year following Schoenberg’s death, it is often described as Stravinky’s first foray into serial music. In the Ricecar II of Cantata, Stravinsky has incorporated a number of pitch ordering procedures, which are as firmly rooted in baroque counterpoint as they are in
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
the serialization of pitch. Using a variety of canonic procedures with hexachordal sets and frequent pitch repetition, Stravinsky’s methods do more to emphasize pitch centers than generate tonal equity. The text of “A Lyke-Wake Dirge” is also used by Benjamin Britten in his Serenade for Tenor, Horn, and Strings. Performance Issues: The instrumental parts require musically independent players. Both oboe parts are particularly difficult because they are taxing to the player’s endurance. The music for the nine verses sung by the choir is virtually the same. The last verse has some rhythmic alterations in it. There are written divisi for both sections of the choir, but the choral harmonies do not exceed three pitches at a time. The brevity of the choral passages combined with diatonic motion and substantial repetition make this a work well within the grasp of most women’s choirs. Stravinsky has left the difficult vocal work for the soloists. Soloist: soprano - range: c'-g'', tessitura: e'-c'', the generally low tessitura of this role suggests the use of a mezzo-soprano soloist; tenor - range: e-a♭', tessitura: g-e', this role is very sustained and demands subtle intonation adjustments to make cross-relations clear, the repetition of pitch material and scalar writing makes this musically accessible, but the repeated emphasis of the narrow tessitura makes it vocally fatiguing especially to younger singers. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: difficult. Selected Discography: Jennie Tourel, Hugh Cuenod; Concert Choir, Philadelphia Chamber Ensemble. Columbia: ML 4899 [LP]. Adrienne Albert, Alexander Young; Gregg Smith Singers, Columbia Chamber Ensemble; conducted by Igor Stravinsky, recorded in Hollywood, California, between 27 November 1965 and 10 February 1966. Sony Classical—Stravinsky Edition, volume 11: SM2K 46 301 [ADD]. Selected Bibliography: Lindar, H. “Igor Stravinsky: Cantata.” Tempo, number 27 (1953): 29. Cowell, Henry. “Current Chronicle.” Musical Quarterly, volume 39 (1953): 251. Mason, C. “Serial Procedures in Ricercar II of Stravinsky’s Cantata.” Tempo, numbers 61-62 (1962). Schechter, John M. An Analysis of the Stravinsky Cantata: The Craft within the Suite. Indiana University, Master’s of Music thesis, 1970. Dehning, William John. A Study and Performance of Mass and Cantata by Igor Stravinsky. University of Southern California, Doctor of Musical Arts dissertation, 1971. Hatfield, Robert Benjamin. A Conductor’s Analysis of Laud to the Nativity by Ottorino Respighi and Cantata by Igor Stravinsky, 89-142. Southwestern Baptist Seminary, Master’s of Church Music thesis, 1973.
Beres, Albert T. An Analysis of Igor Stravinsky’s Cantata for Soprano, Tenor, Female Chorus, and a Small Instrumental Ensemble. Eastern Michigan University, Master’s of Arts thesis, 1977. Brantley, John Paul. The Serial Choral Music of Igor Stravinsky. University of Iowa, Ph.D. dissertation, 1978. White, Eric Walter. Stravinsky: The Composer and His Works, 468-472. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1966; revised and enlarged 2nd edition, 1979.
Canticum Sacrum ad honorem Sancti Marci Nominis (1955) Duration: ca. 17 minutes Text: The text is from the Vulgate (Latin) Bible. Performing Forces: voices: tenor and baritone soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: flute, 2 oboes, English horn, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 3 trumpets in C, bass trumpet in C, 2 tenor trombones, bass trombone, contrabass trombone, harp, organ, violas, and doublebasses First Performance: 13 September 1956; St. Mark’s Cathedral, Venice; conducted by the composer Edition: Canticum Sacrum is published by Boosey and Hawkes. The piano-vocal score, choral parts, full score, and miniature score are available for purchase; orchestral materials are available through rental. Autograph: The full score is in the collection of Signora Adriana Panni, Accademia Filarmonica, Rome; the piano reduction is in the Library of Congress. The Stravinsky Archive is in the possession of the Paul Sacher Foundation in Basle, Switzerland. Notes: The score is dedicated “To the City of Venice, in praise of its Patron Siant, the Blessed Mark, Apostle.” Movements II, III, and IV are strictly serial. Movements I and V are palindromes of each other. Performance Issues: The score is notated at sounding pitch except for the doublebasses, contrabass trombone, and bass trumpet, all of which sound an octave lower than written. If necessary, the contrabass trombone could be covered by a tuba, and the bass trumpet by a baritone horn. The choral writing uses a lot of paired doubling with occasional canonic treatments, but it is primarily homophonic. Throughout this work, Stravinsky integrates serial pitch material with the contrapuntal devices of the late Renaissance and early Baroque periods as established in Venice. The choral parts are well-related to each other and are generally independent of the instruments. There are a number of spots where optional string parts have been provided to assist a section of the choir if necessary. Much of the vocal material is transparently accompanied. Although the pitch material is challenging, the organization of the row and its arrangement between parts
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helps to keep this material accessible. There is a threepart divisi for solo doublebasses, so that three players is the minimum. The second movement, which features the principal tenor solo, is the most difficult; it includes the doublebass trio, which is all in harmonics, and a very difficult duet for flute and English horn. Outside of this movement, the instrumental parts are not particularly difficult. In the 6/4 sections of movements I and V, the rhythms are notated so that the placement of the beats within some measures is difficult to discern. It is advisable to mark the parts here to simplify the rehearsal of these movements. Soloists: tenor - range: d#-g#', tessitura: f-e'', this role is rhythmic and articulate with wide leaps; baritone - range: B♭-e', tessitura: e-d', this is a lyrical part with many passages alternating half- and whole-step relationships. Choir: difficult; Orchestra: difficult. Selected Discography: Richard Robinson, Howard Chitjian; Los Angeles Festival Symphony Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Igor Stravinsky, recorded in Hollywood, California, on 19 June 1957. Sony Classical—Stravinsky Edition, volume 11: SM2K 46 301 [ADD]. Selected Bibliography: Craft, Robert. “A Concert for St. Mark.” The Score, number 18 (1956): 35. Stern, A. “Igor Stravinsky’s Canticum Sacrum ad honorem S. Marci nominis,” Tempo, number 40 (1956): 3. Weissmann, J. S. “Current Chronicle.” Musical Quarterly, volume 43 (1957): 104. Dailey, William Albert. Techniques of Composition Used in Contemporary Works for Chorus and Orchestra on Religious Texts—As Important Representative Works of the Period from 1952 to 1962. Catholic University of America, Ph.D dissertation, 1965. Loeftelholz, K. von. “Igor Stravinskys Canticum Sacrum.” Neue Zeitschrift für Musik, Jahrgang 128 (1968): 168. Tykac, Phyllis Dianne. Stravinsky and the Pursuit of Unity: A Study of Five Works from the Fifth Decade. California State University at Northridge, Master’s of Arts thesis, 1969. Cook, Joseph Thomas. A Conductor’s Study of Igor Stravinsky’s Canticum Sacrum, Introitus: T.S. Eliot in memoriam, and Requiem Canticles. Indiana University, Doctor of Music dissertation, 1976. Stravinsky, Vera, and Robert Craft. Stravinsky: In Pictures and Documents, 430-435. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1978. Brantley, John Paul. The Serial Choral Music of Igor Stravinsky. University of Iowa, Ph.D. dissertation, 1978. White, Eric Walter. Stravinsky: The Composer and His Works, 481-482. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1966; revised and enlarged 2nd edition, 1979.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Berger, Melvin. Guide to Choral Masterpieces: A Listener’s Guide, 286-290. New York: Anchor Books, 1993.
Threni (1957-1958) Duration: ca. 35 minutes Text: This Latin text is from the Vulgate Bible - The Lamentations of Jeremiah - Chapter I: parts of verses 1, 2, 5, 11, 20; Chapter III: verses 1-6, 16-27, 34-36, 40-45, 49-66*; Chapter V: verses 1,19, 21. * In verse 59 “Judica Judicium meum” is omitted. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, contralto, 2 tenor, bass and basso-profundo soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, English horn, 2 clarinets in B♭ and A (clarinet II doubling alto clarinet in F), bass clarinet in B♭, sarrusophone, 4 horns in F, contralto bugle in B♭, alto trombone, tenor trombone, bass trombone, tuba, timpani, harp, celeste, piano, and strings First Performance: 23 September 1958; Sala della Scuola Grande di San Rocco, Venice; conducted by the composer; given as the first concert of the International Festival of Contemporary Music in Venice. Edition: Threni is published by Boosey and Hawkes. The piano-vocal score (VSB 97) and miniature score (HPS 637) are available for purchase; orchestral materials are available through rental. Autograph: The Stravinsky Archive is in the possession of the Paul Sacher Foundation in Basle, Switzerland. Notes: Threni is Stravinsky’s first wholly serial composition. It was commissioned by, and is dedicated to, North German Radio Performance Issues: The alto clarinet in F is probably intended for basset horn; if a modern alto clarinet is used, the part will need to be transposed for the E♭ instrument. The sarrusophone part can be best doubled on contrabassoon; optionally, it could be covered by a bass saxophone, which would require that the part be transcribed for a treble-clef B♭ transposition. Two measures of the “Sensus Spei” section calls for a solo alto and solo bass from the choir to join the solo quintet. The solo roles all have fairly low tessiture, which makes possible the compelling idea of using an allmale quintet with countertenors singing the alto and soprano roles, which fall well within the range of most falsettists. The most contrapuntally complex vocal writing is reserved for the soloists. Much of the choral writing is in unison, or in four-part, turba-like, proclamations of the headings of each text sung by the soloists. The instrumental accompaniment does not directly support the choral parts, but there are clear interconnections between the instruments and voices. The instrumental writing is technically conservative,
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
but there are a number of complicated metric combinations which will require careful attention. A large portion of the solo vocal material is unaccompanied, or accompanied only with occasional interjections from the trombones. Many of these vocal passages are unbarred, but delineated by implied metrical indications that are constantly in a state of flux. The orchestra must have a strong solo cellist and doublebassist. The horn quartet has a number of exposed passages for each player in the extremes of their ranges. Much of the organization of this composition is influenced by medieval and renaissance models, but with the introduction of atonal pitch sets in the place of church modes. If a strong quintet is available, this piece provides a good introduction of Stravinsky’s later works to developing choral ensembles. Soloists: soprano range: c'-f'', tessitura: e'-d'', this is a lyric role with very little high singing; alto - range: f#-e♭'', tessitura: b-a', this role is lyric with some awkward melodic leaps; tenor I - range: c-a♭', tessitura: f-f', this is the largest of the solo roles, it is sustained; tenor II - range: c-g', tessitura: f-d', this is the smallest of the solo roles and is usually featured within ensemble sections; bass range: G-d#', tessitura: B-b, this is a sustained role; basso profundo - range: E♭-b, tessitura: G-e, this is a prominent part of the piece, the singer must be able to make clear leaps between b♭ and E♭. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography:
Brantley, John Paul. The Serial Choral Music of Igor Stravinsky. University of Iowa, Ph.D. dissertation, 1978. White, Eric Walter. Stravinsky: the Composer and his Works, 497-504. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1966; revised and enlarged 2nd edition, 1979. Cowen, Graeme M. Igor Stravinsky’s Threni: A Conductor’s Study for Performance. Indiana University, Doctor of Music dissertation, 1981. Hogan, Clare. “‘Threni’: Stravinsky’s Debt to Krenek.” Tempo, number 141 (1982): 22. ———. An Examination of Stravinsky’s Contribution to Serialism in Light of the Theories, Music, and Personality of Ernst Krenek, with Particular Reference to the Connection between Lamentatio Jeremiæ and Threni. University of Keele: Master’s of Arts thesis, 1982. Waters, William Jerome. An Analysis of Igor Stravinsky’s Threni Based on Edward T. Cone’s Principles of Stratification, Interlock, and Synthesis. Flordia State University, Master’s of Music thesis, 1984. Berger, Melvin. Guide to Choral Masterpieces: A Listener’s Guide, 290-296. New York: Anchor Books, 1993.
A Sermon, a Narrative, and a Prayer (19601961) Duration: ca. 16 minutes Text: Taken from St. Paul’s Epistles, The Acts of the Apostles [Authorized Version]; and a prayer by Thomas Dekker; the text is in English.
Bethany Beardslee, Beatrice Krebs, William Lewis, James Wainner, Mac Morgan, Robert Oliver; Schola Cantorum (Hugh Ross, chorus-master), Columbia Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Igor Stravinsky, recorded in New York on 5 and 6 January 1959. Sony Classical—Stravinsky Edition, volume 11: SM2K 46 301 [ADD].
Performing Forces: voices: alto and tenor soloists; speaker; choir; orchestra: flute in C, alto flute in G, 2 oboes, clarinet in B♭, bass clarinet in B♭, 2 bassoons,
Selected Bibliography:
First Performance: 23 February 1962; Basle, Switzerland; Basler Kammerorchester; conducted by Paul Sacher.
Pauli, H. “On Stravinsky’s Threni.” Tempo, number 49 (1958): 16. Weismann, J. S. “Current Chronicle: Italy.” Musical Quarterly, volume 45 (1959): 104. Tykac, Phyllis Dianne. Stravinsky and the Pursuit of Unity: A Study of Five Works from the Fifth Decade. California State University at Northridge, Master’s of Arts thesis, 1969. Klimisch, Sister Mary Jane. The Music of the Lamentations: Historical and Analytical Aspects, 118-140. Washington University, Ph.D. dissertation, 1971. Dhont, J. “Lineaire Intervalstructuren in Stravinsky’s ‘Threni.’” Mens en mélodie, volume 32 (1977): 403. Stravinsky, Vera, and Robert Craft. Stravinsky: In Pictures and Documents, 443-454. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1978.
4 horns in F, 3 trumpets in B♭, 2 tenor trombones, bass trombone, tuba, percussion (3 players - 3 tam-tams), harp, piano, and strings (8-7-6-5-4)
Edition: A Sermon, a Narrative, and a Prayer is published by Boosey and Hawkes. The piano-vocal score (LCB 124) and miniature score (HPS 133) are available for purchase; orchestral materials are available through rental. Autograph: The Stravinsky Archive is in the possession of the Paul Sacher Foundation in Basle, Switzerland. Notes: The Prayer movement is inscribed with “In memoriam Reverend James McLane (†1960).” A Sermon, a Narrative, and a Prayer was commissioned by, and is dedicated to, Paul Sacher. The score was completed 31 January 1961. Performance Issues: This is a serial work. See Stravinsky’s In Memoriam Dylan Thomas for his treatment of a very similar tone row. The score is notated entirely
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in sounding pitches, including the doublebasses. There is a three-measure solo for a bass from the choir, beginning at measure 61. There are two-part divisi for each section of the choir. There are also short Sprechstimme figures for the choir. The vocal material is atonally conceived, but conservatively executed so that it remains fairly accessible. The choir sings in the first and third movements and their pitch material is not supported by the accompaniment. The instrumental writing is quite transparent with only three or four instrumental parts sounding simultaneously. There are frequent meter changes, which also involve a change of the primary beat value. Rhythmic material includes three against four, five against four, six against four, and seven against four. These shifts of subdivision and beat value, compounded by rapidly shifting instrumentation, create significant challenges for entrances and a cohesive sense of ensemble playing and singing. The individual instrumental parts are not overly difficult. There are some challenging figures for the two flutists and the two clarinetists. The piano and harp parts are quite idiomatic, and within the abilities of most undergraduate players. The tam-tam parts could probably be played by a single player, but the rhythms between instruments and their overall size may make the use of three individual players more practical. Soloists: alto - range: g-e'', tessitura: d'-c'', this role is atonal, but with a traditional vocal contour; tenor range: d-a', tessitura: f-f', this is a sustained and lyric role. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: difficult. Selected Discography: Shirley Verrett, Loren Driscoll, John Horton; CBC Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Igor Stravinsky, recorded in Toronto, Canada, on 29 April 1962. Sony Classical—Stravinsky Edition, volume 11: SM2K 46 301 [ADD]. Selected Bibliography: Mason, C. “Stravinsky’s New Work.” Tempo, number 54 (1960): 2. Clifton, T. “Types of Symmetrical Relations in Stravinsky’s ‘A Sermon, a Narrative and a Prayer.’” Perspectives in New Music, volume 9, number 1 (1970): 96. Brantley, John Paul. The Serial Choral Music of Igor Stravinsky. University of Iowa, Ph.D. dissertation, 1978. Starnes, Erwin Stanley Jr. A Conductor’s Study of Igor Stravinsky’s Babel and A Sermon, a Narrative and a Prayer, with a Survey of His Serial Procedures through the Latter. Indiana University, Doctor of Music dissertation, 1978. White, Eric Walter. Stravinsky: The Composer and His Works, 510-516. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1966; revised and enlarged 2nd edition, 1979. Nelson, John Douglas. Serial Techniques and Analysis of Selected Compositions Published after 1960 by Igor Stravinsky. San Diego State University, Master’s of Arts thesis, 1984.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Introitus: T. S. Eliot in Memoriam (1965) Duration: ca. 4 minutes Text: The text is extracted from the Latin Missa pro defunctis. Performing Forces: voices: TB choir; orchestra: 2 timpanists, percussion (2 players - 2 tam-tams), harp, piano, solo viola, and solo doublebass First Performance: 17 April 1965; Chicago; Chicago Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Robert Craft. Edition: Introitus is published by Boosey and Hawkes. The full score and study score (HPS 780) are available for purchase; instrumental materials are available through rental. Autograph: The Stravinsky Archive is in the possession of the Paul Sacher Foundation in Basle, Switzerland. Notes: This score is written entirely at sounding pitch, including the doublebass part. Performance Issues: This is a serial composition, which uses minimal forces to great dramatic effect. The individual instrumental parts are not technically challenging and the slow tempo and conservative rhythmic material minimize ensemble difficulties. The pitch changes for the timpanists are somewhat perilous. There are numerous chromatic changes for both players, many of which must be executed in a brief amount of time. These players must have a strong sense of relative pitch. Because of the time constraints and minimalist scoring, timpani with mechanical pitch gauges are advisable. Although the pitch material of the choir is not doubled by the instruments, the composer is sympathetic in his juxtaposition of concurrent statements of the tone row, so that minimal interference is presented to the singers. With the exception of some rhythmically spoken passages, half of the vocal material is in unison and the other half in two-part homophony. These homophonic sections are written in an aurally accessible manner allowing amateur singers to successfully comprehend a serial work. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Gregg Smith Singers, Columbia Chamber Ensemble; conducted by Igor Stravinsky, recorded in New York, on 9 February 1966. Sony Classical—Stravinsky Edition, volume 11: SM2K 46 301 [ADD]. Selected Bibliography: Stravinsky, Igor, and Robert Craft. “Program Notes: Introitus: T.S. Eliot in Memoriam.” Themes and Episodes, 62-63. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1966. Cook, Joseph Thomas. A Conductor’s Study of Igor Stravinsky’s Canticum Sacrum, Introitus: T.S. Eliot in memoriam, and Requiem Canticles. Indiana University, Doctor of Music dissertation, 1976.
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Brantley, John Paul. The Serial Choral Music of Igor Stravinsky. University of Iowa, Ph.D. dissertation, 1978. White, Eric Walter. Stravinsky: The Composer and His Works, 538-539. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1966; revised and enlarged 2nd edition, 1979. Nelson, John Douglas. Serial Techniques and Analysis of Selected Compositions Published after 1960 by Igor Stravinsky. San Diego State University, Master’s of Arts thesis, 1984.
Requiem Canticles (1965-66) Duration: ca. 15 minutes Text: The text is taken from the Latin Mass for the Dead. Performing Forces: voices: alto and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 3 flutes (flute III doubling piccolo), alto flute in G, 2 bassoons, 4 horns in F, 2 trumpets in C, 3 trombones, 2 timpanists, percussion (2 players - xylophone, vibraphone, bells), harp, celeste, piano, and strings First Performance: 8 October 1966; Princeton University; Princeton, New Jersey; conducted by Robert Craft. Edition: Requiem Canticles is published by Boosey and Hawkes. The piano-vocal score (LCB 124), choral parts (LCB 71), full score (FSB 328), and miniature score (HPS 825) are available for purchase; orchestral materials are available through rental. Autograph: The Stravinsky Archive is in the possession of the Paul Sacher Foundation in Basle, Switzerland. Notes: The score is dedicated “To the memory of Helen Buchanan Seeger.” The entire score is written at sounding pitch, including doublebass, with the exception of the piccolo, which sounds an octave higher than written. Performance Issues: This score suggests a profound influence from the works of Webern. Although a fairly complete orchestra is required, rarely does the composer employ more than two families of instruments at the same time. This scoring allows for a chambersized string section. There are concertato solo parts for each principal string player; however, there are two doublebass soloists whose solo playing never concurs with the very few passages marked tutti. The few divisi indicated for these solos are open fifths easily executed as double stops by a single player, allowing for only one double bass player in the orchestra. The score is serially conceived, but not strict in its execution. It is filled with meter changes and a spartan scoring that causes there to be entrances for instruments in nearly every measure. In addition to regularly altering the meter, Stravinsky frequently displaces the downbeat, further concealing a sense of metric order. There are
exposed layerings of beat divisions, including 6 against 5 against 4, and 10 against 8 against 6 against 4 against 3. Despite the complexity of these relationships, the rhythmic material is highly ordered, requiring great precision of ensemble throughout the work. The choral pitches are often supported by the orchestra, but in some sustained passages the vocal and instrumental pitches are in dissonant opposition to each other. The choral passages are brief and fairly vocally logical within each part. The choir is given some rhythmically-spoken passages, and one movement features a quartet from the choir singing homophonically with all the pitches doubled in the horns while the remaining chorus members speak an unrhythmed text against it. While presenting substantial pitch challenges to the choral singers, this score remains accessible to many choirs because of the brief choral passages and sensitive voice leading. All of the orchestral parts are musically and technically challenging and, above all else, exposed. Strong players are required on all instrumental parts and the integration of sporadic instrumental passages will require attention in rehearsal. Soloists: alto - range: a-c#'', tessitura: d'-a', although only two minutes long, this role is rhythmically complex and exceptionally difficult in terms of pitch; bass - range: d-f', tessitura: g-c', this role is only about one minute long and though challenging in pitch content is somewhat supported by the accompaniment and cast in a clear ABA' form. Choir: difficult; Orchestra: very difficult. Selected Discography: Linda Anderson, Elaine Bonazzi, Charles Bressler, Donald Gramm; The Ithaca College Concert Choir (Gregg Smith, chorus-master), Columbia Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Robert Craft, under the supervision of Igor Stravinsky, recorded in New York on 11 October 1966. Sony Classical—Stravinsky Edition, volume 12: SM2K 46 302 [ADD]. Selected Bibliography: Cook, Joseph Thomas. A Conductor’s Study of Igor Stravinsky’s Canticum Sacrum, Introitus: T.S. Eliot in memoriam, and Requiem Canticles. Indiana University, Doctor of Music dissertation, 1976. Chance, Van Darnell Jr. The Use of Borrowed Musical Materials in Benjamin Britten’s War Requiem and Igor Stravinsky’s Requiem Canticles. University of Tennessee at Knoxville, Master’s of Arts thesis, 1978. Stravinsky, Vera, and Robert Craft. Stravinsky: In Pictures and Documents, 476-482. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1978. Brantley, John Paul. The Serial Choral Music of Igor Stravinsky. University of Iowa, Ph.D. dissertation, 1978. White, Eric Walter. Stravinsky: The Composer and His Works, 539-542. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1966; revised and enlarged 2nd edition, 1979.
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Don, Gary William. An Analysis of Stravinsky’s Requiem Canticles. University of Washington, Master’s of Arts thesis, 1982. Craft, Robert. “On the Chronology of the Requiem Canticles.” Appendix G in Stravinsky: Selected Correspondence, volume 2, 467-470. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1984.
TCHAIKOVSKY, Piotr Ilyich (b. Votkinsk, Russia, 7 May 1840; d. St. Petersburg, 6 November 1893) Tchaikovsky initially studied law and then attended the St. Petersburg Conservatory. He later joined the faculty of the Moscow Conservatory. In 1877 he married one of his pupils from whom he separated after only nine weeks. This was surely the result of his homosexuality, but it led him to a near mental breakdown. He received significant patronage from Nadezhda von Meck, who was also the principal patroness of the Moscow Conservatory, which allowed him to live comfortably and dedicate all of his energies to composition. This arrangement was suddenly ended in 1890, which significantly hurt Tchaikovsky, but he was quite fiscally independent as his career had flourished under her sponsorship. Tchaikovsky traveled extensively as a composer and conductor. He led the inaugural concert in Carnegie Hall as part of his one trip to the United States. Tchaikovsky’s music is marked by an exceptional melodic gift. He is matched only by Mozart, and perhaps Gershwin, in his ability to produce important music filled with memorable tunes that have become part of our everyday musical vocabulary. While his music is distinctly Russian to modern listeners, those composers at the center of the nationalist movement perceived his music to be cosmopolitan and even Germanic. The technical refinement of his works led them to be the most performed of all Russian composers during his lifetime, and their lyricism and melodic fluency has kept them at the heart of the standard repertory. Teachers: Anton Rubinstein, Nikolai Zaremba Students: Nikolai Klenovsky, Sergei Taneyev Writings: Tchaikovsky did not publish prose, but a number of diaries and correspondence have been published in English translations. Some of these are listed below under “Composer Bibliography.” Other Principal Works: opera: Eugene Onegin (18771878), Queen of Spades (1890); ballet: Swan Lake (1875-1876), Sleeping Beauty (1888-1889), Nutcracker (1891-1892); orchestral: Symphony No. 1 (1866), Symphony No. 2 (1872), Symphony No. 3 (1875), Symphony No. 4 (1877-1878), Symphony No. 5 (1888), Symphony No. 6 (1893), Piano Concerto
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
No. 1 (1874-1875), Piano Concerto No. 2 (18791880), Violin Concerto (1878), Romeo and Juliet (1869), 1812 Overture (1880), Serenade (1880), Manfred Symphony (1885), Hamlet (1888) Tchaikovsky’s complete works were published in a critical edition overseen by Boris Asafiev. This set was reprinted by Edwin F. Kalmus. This edition contains a number of significant textual changes reflecting Soviet will. A new authoritative monument has been begun by Muzyka and Schott, which will be more true to the composer’s original; however, only the first few scores of this project have yet come to print. Selected Composer Bibliography: Tchaikovsky, Piotr Ilyich. The Diaries of Tchaikovsky, translated and annotated by Wladimir Lakond. New York: W. W. Norton, 1945. ———. Letters to His Family: An Autobiography, published in an English translation by Galina von Meck. London: 1981; reprinted, New York: Cooper Square Press, 2000. Abraham, Gerald, editor. The Music of Tchaikovsky. New York: W. W. Norton, 1946. Warrack, John. Tchaikovsky. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1973. Orlova, Alexandra. Tchaikovsky: A Self Portrait. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1990. Brown, David. Tchaikovsky: A Biographical and Critical Study, 4 volumes. New York: W. W. Norton, 1978-1991. Poznansky, Alexander. Tchaikovsky: The Quest for the Inner Man. New York: Schirmer Books, 1991. Kearney, Leslie. Tchaikovsky and His World. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1998. Poznansky, Alexander. Tchaikovsky through Others’ Eyes. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1999. Poznansky, Alexander, and Brett Langston. The Tchaikovsky Handbook: A Guide to the Man and His Music, 2 volumes. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2002. Brown, David. Tchaikovsky: The Man and His Music. London: Pegasus Books, 2007. www.tchaikovsky-research.net provides a thorough and up-to-date Discography and well-annotated notes on all of Tchaikovsky’s works including English translation of notes from important Russian sources.
K radosti [“Ode to Joy”], TH 66 (1865) Duration: ca. 28 minutes Text: The text is Friedrich Schiller’s “An die Freude,” used in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, translated into Russian by Konstantin Axakov and others. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: piccolo, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets (B♭, A), 2 bassoons, 4 horns
(E, F, G), 2 trumpets (C, E♭, E), 3 trombones, tuba,
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timpani (2 drums), percussion (3 players — bass drum, triangle, cymbals), and strings First Performance: 10 January 1866;438 St. Petersburg; possibly conducted by Anton Rubinstein Editions: A critical edition of K radosti is published in Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Polnoye sobraniye sichiyeni, volume 27, page 3. A new critical edition, P.I. Chaykovsky: Nonoye polnoye sobraniye sochineniy, volume 33, page 3, is published by Muzyka and Schott. Notes: This work was composed as a graduation exercise. Plagued by nerves, Tchaikovsky did not attend the premiere, which was negatively reviewed by Cesar Cui who represented “the Five.” In spite of the mixed reception of this work, Tchaikovsky was granted a silver medal upon his graduation. Performance Issues: The choral writing combines homophonic textures and close imitation, Some of the choral material is clearly doubled by the orchestra, but there are some extended a cappella passages and additional sections wherein the accompaniment and vocal parts are quite independent. All of the vocal material is practically written, so it is easily taught and presents no significant vocal challenges to the choir or the soloists. There are divisi for all sections of the choir. The brass scoring requires the use of a symphonic chorus and a full complement of strings. There is significant doubling of the choir by the full brass section, which may present some challenges to good balance. This is a student work, and it betrays this in a number of ways including less varied and imaginative orchestration than one would expect from Tchaikovsky and a number of “stiff” contrapuntal exercises. All of the instrumental parts are practical and idiomatic, but balance will be the primary challenge throughout the orchestra. It is nonetheless an attractive and beautifully melodic composition. Later is his life Tchaikovsky expressed concern that this work not be published for fear of comparisons with Beethoven’s setting of the same text. While it is not a work in the same league as the Beethoven, it is an attractive and practical composition that would be a good showpiece for a large choir. Soloists: soprano - range: d'-a♭'', tessitura: b'f#'', this is a simple lyric solo; alto - range: a♭-d'', tessitura: d'-b', this is a sustained lyric role; tenor - range: g-a', tessitura: a-f', this is a lyric role, it is the largest of the solo, but not considerably; bass - range: G-e♭', tessitura: B-c', this is a declamatory solo part. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium easy.
438 Some sources will indicate 24 April, which is the old-Russian calendar system. 439 Three players should be sufficient. There is one measure just after rehearsal number 56 that presents an awkward switch to cymbals for one of the other players.
Selected Discography: Alia Arkadov, Ludmila Shemechuk, Aleksandr Nauomenko, Dmitri Kharitonov; Geoffrey Mitchell Chorus, London Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Derek Gleason, recorded in 1993. Pickwick: 30366 00122. Ludmila Belobragina, Ludmila Simonova, Yuri Elnikov, Evgenii Vladimirov; USSR Radio and Television Symphony Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Yuri Simonov, recorded in 1979. Citadel: CDT 88138. Selected Bibliography: Abraham, Gerald. “Religious and Other Choral Music.” In The Music of Tchaikovsky, edited by the author, 230-231. New York: W. W. Norton, 1946. Warrack, John. Tchaikovsky, 44, 45. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1973. Orlova, Alexandra. Tchaikovsky: A Self Portrait, 13. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1990. Brown, David. Tchaikovsky: A Biographical and Critical Study, 4 volumes; I: 83-86, 89, 95, 127, 130, 146, 169 250-251; II: 52; III: 215. New York: W. W. Norton, 1978-1991.
Cantata for the Opening of the Polytechnic Exhibition, TH 67 (1872) Duration: ca. 32 minutes Text: The text is by Yakov Petrovich Polonsky. Performing Forces: voices: tenor soloist; SATB choir; orchestra: piccolo, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets (B ♭, A), 2 bassoons, 4 horns (F), 2 trumpets (D, E), 3 trombones, tuba, timpani (3 drums), percussion (4 players 439 — snare drum, bass drum, triangle, and cymbals), and strings First Performance: 12 June 1872;440 Moscow; as the opening of the Polytechnic Exhibition; Aleksandr Dodonov, tenor; conducted by Karl Davydov Editions: A critical edition of this cantata under the title, Cantata to Commemorate the Bicentenary of the Birth of Peter the Great, is published in Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Polnoye sobraniye sichiyeni, volume 27, page 189. A new critical edition, P.I. Chaykovsky: Nonoye polnoye sobraniye sochineniy, volume 33, page 85, is being published by Muzyka and Schott. Edwin F. Kalmus publishes full scores (no. 586) and parts for this work under the title, Cantata for the Opening of the Moscow Poytichnic Exposition.
440 Some sources will indicate 31 May, which is the old-Russian calendar system.
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Notes: Soviet editions of this work called it “Cantata to Commemorate the Bicentenary of the Birth of Peter the Great.” Performance Issues: The choral writing is primarily homophonic, although there are some very interesting sections utilizing a variety of imitative procedures reminiscent of the works of Mendelssohn. There are some divisi throughout the choir and some sustained fortissimo sections. The choral material is generally clearly doubled by the orchestra, but there are some a cappella passages. All of the winds have some challenging material. There are particularly exposed and extended passages with intricate passagework for the flutes and clarinet I. The brass and string writing is idiomatic and very playable. There are some rapidly articulate fanfares for the brass that may require attention to unify articulations. This is a colorfully orchestrated work that is generally sensitive to issues of balance for the soloist, but there are some significant bombastic sections with full brass and percussion that demand a large choir and full string section, which is reflective of the venue for, which it was composed. This is a powerful and impressive celebratory work for a vocally athletic choir and skilled orchestra. Soloists: tenor - range: e-a', tessitura: f-f', this is a substantial lyric role with long sustained phrases. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Lev Kuznetsov; USSR Radio and Television Symphony Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by V. Kozhukar, recorded in 1982. Regis: 1182. Selected Bibliography: Orlova, Alexandra. Tchaikovsky: A Self Portrait, 158. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1990. Brown, David. Tchaikovsky: A Biographical and Critical Study, 4 volumes; I: 248, 250-251, 253; II: 46, 52; III: 215. New York: W. W. Norton, 1978-1991.
Cantata in Celebration of the Golden Jubilee of Osip Petrov, TH 68 (1875) Duration: ca. 4 minutes Text: The text is by Nikolai Nekrasov. Performing Forces: voices: tenor soloist, 441 SATB choir; orchestra: piccolo, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets (A), 2 bassoons, 4 horns (F), 2 trumpets (D), 3 trombones, tuba, timpani (2 drums), and strings First Performance: 6 May 1876, 442 St. Petersburg Conservatory; conducted by Karl Davydov 441 According to the critical edition, the autograph indicates that a soprano may be substituted for the soloist. 442 Some sources will indicate 24 April, which is the old-Russian calendar system.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Editions: A critical edition of this cantata is published in Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Polnoye sobraniye sichiyeni, volume 27, page 341. A new critical edition, P.I. Chaykovsky: Nonoye polnoye sobraniye sochineniy, volume 33, page 151, is published by Muzyka and Schott. Notes: Osip Afanasevich Petrov was a celebrated bass in the Marinskii Opera. This work was commissioned by the Russian Music Society to celebrate his fiftieth year as a performer. Performance Issues: The choral writing is mostly homophonic and quite simple. The orchestration is quite playable and fairly static. This is a practical and cheerful work that could be a good concert opener for a large choir and community orchestra. Soloists: tenor range: e-f#', tessitura: a-f#', this is a lyric role for powerful voice. Choir: easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Discography: No commercial recording Selected Bibliography: Brown, David. Tchaikovsky: A Biographical annd Critical Study, 4 volumes; II: 52. New York: W. W. Norton, 1978-1991.
Moskva [“Moscow” or “Coronation Cantata”], TH 69 (1883) Duration: ca. 22 minutes Text: Apollon N. Maikov Performing Forces: voices: mezzo-soprano and baritone soloists, SATB choir; orchestra: 3 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets (A), 2 bassoons, 4 horns (F), 2 trumpets (D), 3 trombones, tuba, timpani (3 drums), harp, and strings First Performance: 27 May 1883; 443 Moscow in the Granovitskii Palace; Elizaveta Lavrovskaia, Ivan Mel’nikov; conducted by Eduard Nápravnik Editions: A critical edition of Moskva is published in Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Polnoye sobraniye sichiyeni, volume 27, page 361. A new critical edition, P.I. Chaykovsky: Nonoye polnoye sobraniye sochineniy, volume 33, page 161, is published by Muzyka and Schott. Notes: This work was commissioned as part of the coronation festivities for Alexander III. Performance Issues: The choral writing is almost entirely homophonic and quite simple, although much of it is loosely accompanied. There are divisi throughout the choir. The orchestral writing is quite challenging. There are rapid and complex passages throughout the 443 Some sources will indicate 15 May, which is the old-Russian calendar system.
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
orchestra. The brass writing is more judicious than in Tchaikovsky’s earlier cantatas, but the most fully orchestrated passages still require a large choral group. This is an excellent work for a large community choir and a strong professional orchestra. Contemporary performance might benefit from a new text. Soloists: mezzo-soprano - range: a♭-g'', tessitura: e♭'-e♭'', this is lyric role with a folklike vocal line; baritone - range: B-f#', tessitura: B-b, this is a declamatory role functioning as a narrator with recitative-like parts. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: difficult. Selected Discography: Nina Derbina, Alexander Polyakov; USSR Radio and Television Symphony Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Gennadi Cherkassov. Recorded in 1982. Regis: 1182. Svetlana Furdui, Vassily Gerelo; Dallas Symphony Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Andrew Litton, recorded in 1995. Delos: DE 3196. Olga Teriuchkova, Boris Statsenko; Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Mikhail Jurowski, recorded in 1997. Koch Schwann: 3 65532. Malin Fritz, Jung-Hack Seo; Russian Chamber Chorus of New York, American Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Leon Botstein, recorded live in 1997. Town Hall: THCD 53. Selected Bibliography: Davidova and Protopopov. Muzikal’noye naslediye Chaykovskovo, 347-349. Moscow: 1958. Orlova, Alexandra. Tchaikovsky: A Self Portrait, 246247, 250-251, 258. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1990. Brown, David. Tchaikovsky: A Biographical and Critical Study, 4 volumes; III: 175, 214-218, 223, 266; IV: 267. New York: W. W. Norton, 1978-1991.
THOMPSON, Randall (b. New York, 21 April 1899; d. Boston, MA, 9 July 1984)
Leonard Bernstein, Lukas Foss, Leo Kraft, and Ivan Tcherepnin. Thompson conducted an investigation of collegiate music programs under the auspices of the Association of American Colleges, which produced the book College Music (1935). His many honors include two Guggenheim Fellowships (1929, 1930), a fellowship from the American Academy in Rome, Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge Award for Service to Chamber Music (1941), medals from the Signet Society and Glee Club of Harvard, four honorary doctorates, elected to the National Institute of Arts and Letters (1938); he was named “Cavaliere ufficiale al merito della Repubblica Italiana” by the Italian Government (1958), and laureate of the Contemporary Composers Festival at the University of Bridgeport (1983). Thompson’s compositional output is marked by a large quantity of fine choral works. They show a keen understanding of the singing voice and a respect for the techniques of previous centuries. He has a masterful control of imitative counterpoint and vocal color.444 Teachers: Ernest Bloch, Archibald T. Davison, Edward Burlingame Hill, Walter Spalding Students: Samuel Adler, Leonard Bernstein, Lukas Foss, Hershy Kay, Leo Kraft, Kirk Mechem, Ronald Perera, Juan Orrego-Salas, Frederic Rzewski, Allen Sapp, Claudio Spies Principal Works: opera - Solomon and Balkis: The Butterfly That Stamped (1942), The Nativity According to St. Luke (1961); orchestral - three Symphonies (1929, 1931, 1947-1949), A Trip to Nahant (1953-1954); choral - Five Odes of Horace (1924), Pueri hebraeorum (1928), Americana (1932),Tarantella (1937), The Last Words of David (1949), Requiem (1957-1958), Frostiana (1959), The Best of Rooms (1963), The Passion According to St. Luke (19641965), A Psalm of Thanksgiving (1967), A Hymn for Scholars and Pupils (1973), A Concord Cantata (1975), and Five Love Songs (1978). Thompson’s most performed work is the a cappella “Alleluia” (1940), which was commissioned for the opening ceremonies of the Tanglewood Festival. Selected Composer Bibliography:
Thompson attended Harvard University (BA 1920, MA 1922) where he studied with Archibald T. Davison, Edward Burlingame Hill, Walter Spalding, and Ernest Bloch. He continued his studies at the Eastman School (1929-1933). He taught at Wellesley College (1927-1929, 1936-1937), the University of California, Berkeley (1937-1939), the Curtis Institute (19391941), the University of Virginia (1941-1946), Princeton University (1946-1948), and Harvard University (1948-1965). His pupils include Samuel Adler,
Porter, Quincy. “American Composers, XVIII, Randall Thompson.” Modern Music, volume 19 (1942): 237. Porter, Quincy, James Haar, Alfred Mann, and Randall Thompson. “The Choral Music of Randall Thompson.” American Choral Review, volume 16, number 4 (1974): 1-61. McGilvray, B. W. The Choral Music of Randall Thompson: An American Eclectic. University of Missouri, Kansas City, dissertation, 1979.
444 Harold Gleason and Walter Becker, “Randall Thompson,” Twentieth-Century American Composers, Music Literature
Outlines, series 4, 196-202 (Bloomington: Indiana University Press, revised 1981).
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Thompson, Randall. “On Choral Composition: Essays and Reflections.” Edited by D. F. Urrows, American Choral Review, volume 22, number 2 (1980), entire issue. Gleason, Harold, and Walter Becker. “Randall Thompson.” Twentieth-Century American Composers. Music Literature Outlines, series 4, 196-202. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, revised 1981. Benser, Caroline Cepin, and David Francis Urrows. Randall Thompson: A Bio-Bibliography. New York: Greenwood Press, 1991.
Americana (1932) Duration: ca. 24 minutes Text: from the “Americana” feature of The American Mercury, which was a collection of unusual excerpts culled from publications from throughout the country. Performing Forces: voices: SATB Choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets in C, percussion (1 player - timpani, bass drum, cymbals, tam-tam, xylophone), harp, and strings First Performance: piano-vocal: 3 April 1932; French Institute, New York, NY; The A Cappella Singers of New York, conducted by the composer. This was the final work on a concert of contemporary music sponsored by the League of Composers. orchestral: (concert) 7 and 9 March 1941; Pittsburgh, PA; Bach Choir and the Pittsburgh Symphony, conducted by Fritz Reiner. The first actual performance with orchestra was as a special radio broadcast by the Los Angeles Symphony under the direction of Alfred Wallenstein.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
dramatic verve and with precise ensemble rubati. There are divisi in all parts. The accompaniment consistently supports the melodic and harmonic material of the voices. The accompaniment is sparse and puts few demands upon the players beyond coordinating within an ensemble, which is full of tempo changes. However, in the final movement, Thompson creates a series of displaced downbeats; and in the fourth movement, he interjects some interesting polymetric devices to heighten the emotional instability associated with the execution. This is an ideal work for a small chorus and chamber orchestra. It is musically accessible to choirs of limited experience, but it is interpretively sophisticated. This makes it a good work for training a choir to react to subtleties of text, tempo, and nuance. With sufficient rehearsal time, this could provide a fine learning experience for a developing choir. It is a very witty work, which would be appropriate on a program of light yet substantial works like those of Constant Lambert. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium. Selected Discography: No. 3 only: Randolph Singers; conducted by David Randolph. Released in 1950. Concert Hall: CHC-52 [LP]. University of Michigan Choir and Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Thomas Hilbish. Recorded in 1977. New World: NW-219 [LP]. Selected Bibliography: Forbes, Eliot. “The Music of Randall Thompson.” The Musical Quarterly, xxxv (1949): 12.
The Passion According to St. Luke (19641965)
Edition: Americana is published and distributed by E. C. Schirmer. The piano-vocal score is for sale; orchestral materials are available for rental.
Duration: ca. 92 minutes
Autograph: A copy of the composer’s manuscript appears to be in the special collections of the Harvard University Library.
Performing Forces: voices: tenor and baritone soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes (flute II doubling piccolo), 2 oboes (oboe II doubling English horn), 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 2 trumpets in C, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion (3 players - bass drum, cymbals, triangle, tenor drum, large wooden mallet), and strings
Notes: Americana was commissioned by the League of Composers and later orchestrated at the request of Alfred Wallenstein. This is a piece filled with humor and irony. Performance Issues: The orchestra score and parts have rehearsal numbers, which correspond to the first measure of each page of the piano-vocal score. The vocal writing frequently utilizes choral unisons and homophonic writing, with some imitative passages in the second and last movements. The orchestration is quite transparent, allowing for a small vocal ensemble. Although this work is tonal and rhythmically concise, it demands an experienced choir because of the subtleties of texture and the need for clarity in inner voices. The singers are required to execute their material with
Text: The Gospel According to St. Luke; chapters: 19, 22, and 23.
First Performance: 28 March 1965; Symphony Hall, Boston, MA; Boston Handel and Haydn Society; conducted by Edward Gilday Edition: The Passion According to St. Luke is published and distributed by E. C. Schirmer. The piano-vocal score is for sale; orchestral materials are available for rental. Autograph: The full score is a facsimile of the composer’s manuscript.
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Notes: This work was composed in honor of the sesquicentennial of the Boston Handel and Haydn Society. It is comprised of ten scenes, which are organized into two parts. An intermission should divide these sections. The baritone soloist portrays Jesus, and the tenor portrays Peter and Pilate. Performance Issues: The choir functions as the narrator and represents crowds. The choral writing is generally homophonic in a tertian harmonic language comprised mostly of nonfunctional seventh and ninth chords. Thompson uses choral unisons and frequent paired doublings between the sopranos and tenors, and the altos and basses. Much of Thompson’s vocal music is strictly diatonic, a feature which he exploits to great effect in his shorter works, but one which seems less successful in a work of this length. Six tenors and six basses are to sing the text of the apostles, which is scored for four-part male choir. This is a dramatically conceived work involving many elements of theater, but there are a number of extended instrumental passages, which seem to have no significance to the surrounding texts. The orchestra parts are very conservatively written and well within the grasp of moderately experienced players. There are a number of small choral solos: a Maid - soprano (range: e'-f#''), first Owner - mezzo (range: e'-c#''), first Disciple tenor (range: f#-f#'), second Malefactor - tenor (range: c-f'), second Owner - baritone (range: e-c#'), John baritone (range: B-b♭), a Man - baritone (range: c#d#'), first Malefactor - baritone (range: g-e♭'), Another Man - bass (range: F#-c#'), Roman Centurion - bass (d-g), second Disciple - bass (range: f#-a). Principal Soloists: Peter/Pilate - tenor, range: d-b♭', tessitura: gf', this role is fairly small and would be best served by a bright voice; Jesus - baritone, range: G#-f'', tessitura: c-c', this is a role of substantial size, requiring endurance and a lyrical voice with fine text declamation. This work is in the mold of the Crucifixions of Maunder and Stainer. This is probably Thompson’s longest work, and it suffers from a lack of musical variety, which cannot sustain interest over such a long time in a concert situation. There are many lovely sections within the piece, but in this case the sum is weaker than its parts. However, this is a much better crafted work than many of the compositions featured in contemporary Passion services and would be well suited to such use. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Discography: No commercial recording Selected Bibliography: Rogers, Harold. [review of the premiere], Christian Science Monitor (1 April 1965). [review], Notes, xxiv/2 (December 1967).
The Testament of Freedom (1943) Duration: ca. 24 minutes Text: The text is taken from the writings of Thomas Jefferson. Performing Forces: voices: TTBB men’s chorus; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets [written in C in the full score], 2 bassoons, 4 horns in F, 3 trumpets in C, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani (3 drums; 32", 29", 26" are best), percussion (2 players—snare drum, bass drum, cymbals), and strings concert band version: piccolo, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 bassoons, 3 clarinets in B♭, alto clarinet in E♭, bass clarinet in B♭, 2 alto saxophones in E♭, tenor saxophone in B♭, baritone saxophone in E♭ (listed as “bass saxophone” in the score’s front matter), 3 trumpets in B♭, 4 horns in F, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion (2 players—snare drum, cymbals, and bass drum), and doublebass First Performance: 13 April 1943; Cabell Hall, the University of Virginia, Charlottesville; Virginia Glee Club, the composer at the piano; conducted by Dr. Stephen D. Tuttle. This concert was broadcast nationally by the Columbia Broadcasting System and rebroadcast through the Armed Forces Network. orchestra version: 6 April 1945; Boston, MA. concert band version: 22 October 1960; Kresge Auditorium, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA; Massachusetts Institute of Technology Glee Club and Concert Band; conducted by the composer. Edition: The Testament of Freedom is published by E. C. Schirmer. The piano-vocal score for men’s chorus (E.C.S. 1410), mixed chorus (E.C.S. 3017), full score (E.C.S. 1410), band score (E.C.S. 1424), and miniature score are available for purchase; performance materials are available through rental. Autograph: The manuscripts of the full score, piano vocal score and over two hundred other items related to the work are in the University of Virginia’s Special Collections in the Alderman Library. Notes: The Testament of Freedom was written to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the birth of Thomas Jefferson. It is inscribed: “To the University of Virginia Glee Club, in memory of the Father of the University.” The first performance was given with piano accompaniment; the orchestration being written the following year. John Corley transcribed the work for men’s chorus and concert band under the guidance of the composer, instrumentation and first performance information is given above.
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Performance Issues: The performance issues below are based on the orchestral version; however, the band version is well within the grasp of a good high school wind ensemble. Although choral scores are published for SATB choir, this work was clearly conceived as a TTBB composition and functions within the orchestral setting best in the men’s-choir version. The transcription is well conceived and with single or few players per part it will balance well with a full men’s choir. A larger symphonic band will present a challenge for such balance. All of the parts are well written for each instrument. Some ornamental writing in the clarinets will challenge less experienced players because of the frequency of register shifts. The choral writing is conservative and well written for younger voices. The vocal parts are diatonic and tonally centered. Although written for TTBB choir, much of the choral writing is in two parts. These are conceived homophonically or in pervasive imitation. The tessitura of the tenor I part in the final movement is fairly high, and quite sustained. The horn and trumpet parts require clear rhythmic articulation. The individual instrumental parts are well within the means of a good youth or college orchestra, making this an ideal work for student performance. The orchestration is typical of tonal American music written during the Second World War. The text is set in a declamatory fashion and the vocal parts will be easily learned by inexperienced ensembles. The accessibility of the musical material in this work should not dissuade conductors from programming it. In the years following the Second World War, Testament of Freedom was subject to significant criticism because of its unabashed attractiveness to the general public. The score is strong and well-crafted, and it provides a quality work for programs with an American patriotic focus. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium easy.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Berger, Melvin. Guide to Choral Masterpieces: A Listener’s Guide, 306-308. New York: Anchor Books, 1993.
TIPPETT, Michael Kemp (b. London, 2 January 1905; d. London, 8 January 1998) Tippett studied at the Royal College of Music (composition with Charles Wood, conducting with Adrian Boult and Malcolm Sargent). In 1930, he studied counterpoint and fugue with Reginald Morris. The influence of Renaissance and Baroque models is evident throughout much of his music. Tippett served as a schoolmaster and conductor of a Choral Society. From 1940-1951, he was music director of Morley College, and from 1971-1974 he was director of the Bath Festival. He was jailed in 1943 for failure to comply with the regulations of his conscientious objection to military service. His commitment to peace has remained a focal point of his career.445 Awards: Commander, Order of the Order of the British Empire (1959), knighthood (1966), and Companion of Honour in (1979). Teacher: Charles Wood Student: Armin Schibler
Eastman-Rochester Chorus and Orchestra; conducted by Howard Hanson. Mercury: MG 40000 [LP].
Principal Works: operas - The Village Opera (1929), Robin Hood (1934), Robert of Sicily (1938), The Midsummer Marriage (1952), King Priam (1961), The Knot Garden (1970), The Ice Break (1976); instrumental - four symphonies (1945, 1957, 1972, 1977); three piano sonatas (1937, 1962, 1973); four string quartets (1935, 1942, 1946, 1978), Concerto for Double String Orchestra (1939); Concerto for Piano and Orchestra (1955); Concerto for Orchestra (1963); Concerto for Violin, Viola, Cello and Orchestra (1979); choral - Crown of the Year (1958), Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis for Choir and Organ (1961), The Mask of Time (1984)
Selected Bibliography:
Selected Composer Bibliography:
Downes, Olin. “New Trends in Composition: Thompson’s ‘Testament of Freedom’ seen as an Expression of Our National Tradition and Spirit.” New York Times (22 April 1945), x: 4. Brookhart, Charles Edward. The Choral Music of Aaron Copland, Roy Harris, and Randall Thompson. George Peabody College for Teachers, Ph.D. dissertation, 1960. Stanley, Hildegard Jo. The Major Choral Works of Randall Thompson with Particular Emphasis on Analyses of the “Testament of Freedom.” Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Master’s of Church Music thesis, 1962.
Hansler, George E. Stylistic Characteristics and Trends in the Choral Music of Five Twentieth-Century Composers: A Study of the Choral Works of Benjamin Britten, Gerald Finzi, Constant Lambert, Michael Tippett, and William Walton. New York University, dissertation, 1957. Tippett, Michael. Moving into Aquarius. St. Albans, England: Paladin, 1974. “Tippett, Sir Michael Kemp.” Current Biography Yearbook, xxxv (September 1974). New York: H. W. Wilson Company. Matthews, David. Michael Tippett - An Introductory Study. London: Faber and Faber, 1980.
Selected Discography:
445 Meirion Bowen, Michael Tippett (London: Robson, 1982).
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Bowen, Meirion (ed.). Music of the Angels - Essays and Sketchbooks of Michael Tippett. London: Eulenberg, 1980. ———. Michael Tippett. London: Robson, 1982. Kemp, Ian. “Michael Tippett.” The New Grove Twentieth-Century English Masters, 201-236. New York: W.W. Norton, 1986. Theil, Gordon. Michael Tippett: A Bio-Bibliography. New York: Greenwood Press, 1989. Whittall, Arnold. The Music of Britten and Tippett: Studies in Themes and Techniques, 2nd edition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1990.
A Child of Our Time (1939-1941) Duration: ca. 65-70 minutes Text: Tippett and traditional spirituals, see “Notes” below Performing Forces: voices: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, English horn, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, timpani, percussion (1 player - cymbals), and strings First Performance: 19 March 1944; Adelphi Theater, London; Joan Cross, Margaret McArthur, Peter Pears, Roderick Lloyd; London Region Civil Defense Choir, Morley College Choir, London Philharmonic Orchestra; conducted by Walter Goehr. Edition: A Child of Our Time is published by Schott and distributed by European-American Music. The pianovocal score (#10065) and study-score (#10899) are available for sale; orchestral materials are available for rental. Autograph: The ink score is held in possession of the composer; a pencil copy is in the British Library (Add. MS 61754). Notes: Tippett asked his friend T.S. Eliot to author the text, but under Eliot’s advice and guidance, he wrote it himself. The work was composed in reaction to the monstrous Krystallsnacht and the particular plight of Herschel Feibel Grynspan whose desperate assassination of German diplomat Ernst von Rath led to the Nazi pogroms of November 1938 in the Jewish Ghettos of Germany. Tippett describes the work as a Passion of a man, rather than a God. 446 Instead of the chorales of Bach’s tradition, Tippett used AfricanAmerican spirituals. These spirituals are published separately as Five Negro Spirituals (1958) for unaccompanied choir (Schott # 10585).
446 Gordon Theil, Michael Tippett: A Bio-Bibliography (New York: Greenwood Press, 1989).
Performance Issues: Tippett’s work is a provocative amalgamation of styles ranging from Handelian counterpoint to jazz-influenced harmonies and rhythms. The five spirituals (“Steal Away”; “Nobody Knows the Trouble I’ve Seen, Lord”; “Go Down, Moses”; “O, By and By”; and “Deep River”) are the choral highlights of the piece, creating a complex web of solo and choral passages. No. 11 is written for double choir. The orchestra writing is very approachable; only the trumpet parts present a significant challenge. They are high and sustained, but there is adequate recovery time between difficult passages (see nos. 18-21). Contrapuntally complex choral passages are generally doubled by instrumental lines. Narrative sections are vocally difficult in terms of pitch learning (see nos. 1, 13, 19, and 26). Soloists: The solo roles are all demanding, especially that of the soprano, who must have a strong low register and control of a soft high b♭''. Soprano, range: e'-b♭'', tessitura: g'-g'', very dramatic with sustained forte passages; Alto, range: b♭f'', tessitura: e'-c'', lyric, not very demanding, but requiring a flexible top range; Tenor, range: c-b♭', tessitura: e-g', declamatory, requiring power and clarity throughout the entire range; Bass, range: B-e', tessitura: c-c', legato and narrative in quality, although rhythmically complex, particularly in no. 28. Choir: difficult; Orchestra: difficult. Selected Discography: Elsie Morison, Pamela Bowden, Richard Lewis, Richard Standen; Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and Choir; conducted by John Pritchard. Recorded March 1957. Argo: ZDA 19-20 [LP], re-released as London (British Collection): 425158-2 LM [ADD]. Jessye Norman, Dame Janet Baker, Richard Cassilly, John Shirley-Quirk; BBC Singers, Choral Society, and Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Colin Davis. Philips: 420 075-2 [ADD]. Sheila Armstrong, Felicity Palmer, Philip Langridge, John Shirley-Quirk; Brighton Festival Chorus, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra; conducted by André Previn. MCA Classics: MCAD-6202 [DDD], re-released as RPO Records: RPO 7012 [DDD]. Selected Bibliography: Amis, John. “New Choral Work by Michael Tippett.” The Musical Times, lxxxv (1944): 41. Evans, Edwin. “A Child of Our Time.” The Musical Times, lxxxv (April 1944): 124. Long, N. G. “A Child of Our Time; a Critical Analysis of Michael Tippett’s Oratorio.” The Music Review, viii (1947): 120.
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Amis, John. “A Child of Our Time.” The Listener, xliv (1951): 436. Cowell, Henry. “Review of M. Tippett: A Child of Our Time.” The Musical Quarterly, xxxviii (1952): 443. Mason, Colin. “Tippett and his Oratorio.” The Listener, xxxviii (1955): 129. Tippett, Michael. “A Child of Our Time: Michael Tippett.” In The Composer’s Point of View: Essays on Twentieth-Century Choral Music by Those Who Wrote It, edited by Robert Stephan Hines, 111-122. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1963. Foreman, Lewis. From Parry to Britten: British Music in Letters 1900-1945, 255, 256. Portland, OR: Amadeus Press, 1987.
Vision of St. Augustine (1963-1965) Duration: ca. 35 minutes Text: The Bible and St. Augustine (Tippett uses St. Augustine’s vision of eternity as described in his Confessions as the focal point of the work.) Performing Forces: voices: baritone soloist, SATB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes (both doubling piccolo), oboe, English horn, clarinet, bass clarinet, bassoon, contrabassoon, 4 horns, 2 trumpets (trumpet II doubling piccolo trumpet in D), 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion (5 players - xylophone/marimba, tenor drum, snare drum, tambourine, bass drum, tamtam, glockenspiel, cymbals, chimes, whip, 2 wood blocks, temple blocks, metal sheet), harp, celeste, piano, and strings First Performance: 19 January 1966, Royal Festival Hall, London; Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, BBC Symphony and Chorus; conducted by Tippett Edition: The Vision of St. Augustine is published by Schott and distributed by European-American Music. The piano-vocal score (#10898) and study score (#10897) are for sale; orchestral materials are available for rental. Autograph: Both manuscripts are in the British Library: ink (Add. MS 61792) and pencil (Add. MS 61791). Notes: This work was commissioned by the BBC and is dedicated to the memory of Tippett’s parents. The text is based upon two visions of St. Augustine. All bible quotations are printed in italics to distinguish them from Augustine’s own words and the hymn of St. Ambrose. Performance Issues: Nearly all of this piece is in Latin, with a few passages in Greek and only the final phrase (which is spoken in rhythm) is in English. The choral parts often outline dense tone clusters and are rhythmically independent and very complex. The choir is divided into two to eight parts. Tippett aligns the parts into opposing groups in rhythmic counterpoint. There are frequent melismas of great complexity, and regular
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
repetitions of a single vowel sound at a given pitch on successive staccato sixteenth notes. Vocal lines are not consistently reinforced in the accompaniment and in fact are often dissonantly opposed to the instrumental parts. There are numerous glissandi for the voices and strings. All of the instrumental parts are ridden with intricate passagework and formidable rhythms. Of especial difficulty are the flutes, clarinets, mallets, and harp parts. Between [78] and [83], there is a prominent and challenging horn quartet. The integration of the ensemble is an issue of legitimate concern. The score has constant changes in meter and tempo. It also exploits the interplay between diverse and independently complicated rhythms. The orchestration is fairly thin throughout, suggesting a small choir. This composition includes many unusual vocal sounds based upon vowel repetition and vocal pulses, which appear in no other works in this study. The rhythmic and pitch complexities of the choral parts, as well as the physical demands on the voices, limit the performance of this work to the most elite of choirs. It is a dramatic and musically provocative piece, which is unfortunately beyond the means of most ensembles. Soloist: baritone, range: A♭-f#', tessitura: g-e', this is a very demanding role, both musically and vocally. It is rhythmic, melodically jagged, and requires vocal stamina. There is a three-measure soprano solo, range: d♭'-b♭''. Choir: difficult; Orchestra: difficult. Selected Discography: John Shirley-Quirk; London Symphony Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Tippett. Recorded at Walthamstow Town Hall, June 1971. RCA: Red Seal RL 89498 [LP]. Selected Bibliography: Rubbra, Edmund. “The Vision of St. Augustine.” The Listener, lxxvi (1966): 74. Mellers, Wilfrid. “Tippett’s Vision.” New Statesman, lxxi (28 January 1966): 138. Lambert, J. W. “Tippett’s Vision Premiere.” Christian Science Monitor (2 February 1966). Souster, Tim. “Michael Tippett’s Vision.” The Musical Times, cvii (1966): 20. Warrack, John. “The Vision of St. Augustine.” The Musical Times, cvii (1966): 228-229. Kemp, Ian. “Michael Tippett.” The New Grove Twentieth-Century English Masters. New York: W.W. Norton, 1986. 218, 226-228.
Shires Suite (1965-1970) Duration: ca. 20 minutes Text: various, see below Performing Forces: voices: SATB choir; orchestra: 3 flutes (flutes II and III doubling piccolo), 2 oboes, English horn, 2 clarinets, bass clarinet, 2 bassoons,
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
contrabassoon, 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion (5 players – tam-tam, chimes, claves, iron bar, glockenspiel, xylophone, bongos, castanets, trap set, wood blocks, whip, tambourine, sleigh bells, rattle, cymbals, suspended cymbal, metal plates, bass drum, military drum), harp, piano, celeste, electric guitar, and strings First Performance: 8 July 1970; Cheltenham Town Hall; Schola Cantorum of Oxford, Leicestershire Schools Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Tippett. Edition: Shires Suite is published by Schott and distributed by European-American Music. There are separate piano-reduction editions of the Prologue #10911 and Epilogue #10912; and a piano-vocal score of the Cantata #10852, all of which are for sale; orchestral materials may be rental. Autograph: The ink score of Interludes I and II, and Cantata are in the British Library (Add. MS 61793). The manuscripts of the Prologue and Epilogue are lost. Notes: The following is extracted from the composer’s notes in the full score: “The Shires Suite has been written for the Leicestershire Schools Senior Orchestra over the past few years: Prologue and Epilogue 1965; Interlude II 1969; Interlude I and Cantata 1970. The members of the orchestra (which changes annually as the older members leave school) playing on the same instruments as professional use, can produce an astonishing virtuosity. School choirs of the same age group, on the other hand, cannot produce a comparable quality of sound as they have not the necessary adult chest resonance. The singing in the Shires Suite was therefore always intended to be reasonably easy, and based on well-known canons. The orchestra was put clearly first.” Performance Issues: This work is composed very knowledgeably for student ensembles. A number of special considerations have been made to accommodate young players of varied abilities. As the composer explains: Violins can be used to play suitable portions of the viola part. There is no essential need for viola colour. The opening bar to the Cantata (for piano) is only to be played when the Cantata is performed separately (to give the choir a pitch note). The tiny hunting horns are single note instruments, which sound at the pitch written. With the chorus megaphones, that is to say, loud-hailers, the effect is momentarily also visual. The same goes for figure 26 where the pop-pop can be done with the finger in the cheek (or actual corks and bottles), and the clinks with real drinking glasses. The ff crash can be metal trays of cutlery dropped. The loud laughter must continue ff and suddenly cease. The extended horn part in Interlude II is written under the system that the whole group of horns present produces the single part by combination, according to abilities. In the same way, the violin parts are not so much to be thought of as
divided first and second, but divided between those who can bow at speed and those who can’t. With professional players this system of obtaining virtuosity from young performers does not apply, but the score and parts are nevertheless left as originally written. The choral writing is very accessible with canonic writing and many unisons. Some of the alto parts are unusually high, but the exchange of parts in these sections is practical. Most of the orchestra parts could be mastered by a typical municipal youth orchestra, but there are some very difficult polyrhythms in the first interlude, which are aided by the slow tempo, but which require the execution of some awkward arrangements of 12 against 16. That is by far the most difficult movement and could be logically left out if above the level of the ensemble. Much of the Cantata is a cappella and the remainder very lightly accompanied. The Cantata movement is a very witty arrangement of three independent canons. The choir must divide into six parts. This work should not be the victim of prejudice from professional ensembles because of its supposed technical accessibility. It is excellent music and is actually quite challenging. The presentation of a wide selection of traditional canons and the inclusion of well-conceived musical humor is delightfully refreshing. Of the wide array of quality Gebrauchsmusik written in this century, this is the most notable for mixed choir and orchestra in English. Choir: easy to medium easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Leicestershire Schools Symphony Orchestra and Chorale; conducted by Peter Fletcher. Recorded at De Montfort Hall, Leicester, April 1980. Unicorn: UNS 267 [LP]. Selected Bibliography: Oliver, Michael. “Tippett: Shires Suite.” Gramophone, lix (June 1981): 44. Freed, Richard. “Tippett: Shires Suite.” Stereo Review, xlvii (April 1982): 100-101.
VAUGHAN WILLIAMS, Ralph (b. Down Ampney, Gloucestershire, 12 October 1872; d. London, 26 August 1958) Vaughan Williams received his early training in piano, figured bass, and harmony from his aunt. He attended Charterhouse preparatory school where he took up the viola. He then enrolled in the Royal College of Music (1892-1894) and Trinity College, Cambridge (BMus 1894, BA in Music Theory 1895). He then returned to the RCM for an additional year’s study. During this six-year period, RVW’s composition teachers included Alan Gray, Charles Wood, Hubert Parry, and
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Charles Villiers Stanford. He received additional tutelage from Max Bruch in Berlin (1897) and Maurice Ravel (1908). He met Holst at the RCM in 1895, the two composers collegially criticized each other’s sketches regularly until Holst’s death in 1934. RVW taught composition at the RCM (1915-1940), conducted the Leith Hill Festival (1905-1953), and was director of the London Bach Choir (1920-1928). He wrote extensively on issues of musical nationalism, history, and current trends. He also did substantial work in folk-song research collecting and cataloguing over eight hundred; and he edited Jacobean and Elizabethan music, all of this helped to crystalize the “English” quality in his music. RVW served as editor for the English Hymnal (1906) for which he composed a number of original hymns and made adaptations of about forty folk songs. This constant connection with religious themes was, for Vaughan Williams, a recognition of his history and the aspirations of his culture. For this he had profound respect while remaining an agnostic throughout his adult life. His music is personal and distinctive combining the regal quality of Elgar with native folk song and an orchestration reflecting the influence of Ravel and Delius. He was politically outspoken and involved in many public issues. This sense of community involvement and sincere concern for his fellowman can be heard in his works, which speak directly to the listener.447 Awards: The Order of Merit (1935), Cobbett Medal (1930), Gold Medal of the Royal Philharmonic Society (1930), Collard Life Fellow (1934, succeeding Elgar), Shakespeare Prize (1937), and the Albert Medal of the Royal Society of Arts (1955). He also refused numerous official titles and knighthood.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
(1904), Norfolk Rhapsody (1906), The Wasps (1909), Fantasia on a Theme of Thomas Tallis (1910), English Folk Song Suite (band - 1923), Fantasia on Greensleeves (1934), Five Variants on “Dives and Lazarus” (1939), Concerto Grosso for String (1950); choral - Five Mystical Songs (1911), Mass in G (19201921), Benedicite (1929), Choral Songs in Time of War (1940), A Vision of Aeroplanes (1955), and many songs and chamber works Selected Composer Bibliography: Kimmel, William. “Vaughan Williams’s Choice of Words.” Music and Letters, xix (1938): 132. “Vaughan William, Ralph.” Current Biography Yearbook, xiv (December 1953); obituary, xix (November 1958), New York: H. W. Wilson Company. Willetts, Pamela J. “The Vaughan Williams Collection.” British Museum Quarterly, xxiv (1961): 3. Day, James. Vaughan Williams. London: J. M. Dent, 1961. Ottaway, Hugh. Vaughan Williams. London: Novello, 1966. Kennedy, Michael. A Catalogue of the Works of Ralph Vaughan Williams. London: Oxford University Press, 1982. Vaughan Williams, Ursula. R. V. W.: A Biography revised. London: Oxford University Press, 1985. Ottaway, Hugh. “Ralph Vaughan Williams.” The New Grove Twentieth-Century English Masters, 97-144. New York: W.W. Norton, 1986. Vaughan Williams, Ralph. National Music and Other Essays, 2nd edition. London: Oxford University Press, 1987. Butterworth, Neil. Ralph Vaughan Williams: A Guide to Research. New York: Garland Publishing, 1990.
Teachers: Max Bruch, Francis Edward Gladstone, C. H. H. Parry, Maurice Ravel, Charles Villiers Stanford, Charles Wood
A Sea Symphony (1903-1909, rev. 1924)
Students: Arthur Bliss, Constant Lambert, Elizabeth Maconchy, Edmund Rubbra
Text: Walt Whitman, specific poems are listed under “Notes.”
Principal Works: opera - Hugh the Drover (19101914), Sir John in Love (1925-1929), Riders to the Sea (1925-1932), The Poisoned Kiss (1927-1929), The Pilgrims’ Progress (1925-1936, 1944-1951); film scores - The 49th Parallel (1940-1941), The Loves of Joanna Golden (1946), Scott of the Antarctic (19471948), The England of Elizabeth (1955), The Vision of William Blake (1957); orchestral - nine Symphonies: Sea Symphony (1906-1909), London Symphony (1911-1914), Pastoral Symphony (1916-1921), No. 4 in F Minor (1931-1935), No. 5 in D Major (19381943), No. 6 in E Minor (1944-1947), Sinfonia Antartica (1949-1952), No. 8 in D Minor (19531955), No. 9 in E Minor (1956-1958); In Fen Country
Performing Forces: voices: soprano and baritone soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 3 flutes (flute II doubling piccolo, flute III is optional), 2 oboes (oboe II is optional), English horn, 2 clarinets in A, clarinet in E♭ (optional), bass clarinet (optional), 2 bassoons, contrabassoon (optional), 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, 1 tuba, timpani, percussion (3 or 4 players - bass drum, snare drum, triangle, suspended cymbal, crash cymbals), 2 harps (harp II is optional), organ (optional), and strings
447 Ursula Vaughan Williams, R.V.W.: A Biography, revised (London: Oxford University Press, 1985).
Duration: ca. 60-67 minutes
First Performance: 12 October 1910; Town Hall, Leeds; Cecily Gleeson-White, soprano; Campbell
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
McInnes, baritone; Edward Bairstow, organ; Leeds Festival Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by the composer Edition: The 1909 version of A Sea Symphony was published by Breitkopf and Härtel. The 1924 edition is published by Stainer and Bell. Piano-vocal, choral, and study scores may be purchased; the full score, orchestral materials, and choral scores are available for rental. Autograph: The composer’s manuscripts of A Sea Symphony are in the British Library (Add. MSS. 50361, 50362-3, 50364, 50365, 50366). Notes: This work is in four movements. Performance Issues: The trumpet parts are in F. When reduced forces are to be utilized, there are cues throughout the score to ensure the presence of all of the pitches. In the event that a bass clarinet is unavailable, there is a special part written out for the bassoon II. Virtually all of the instrumental parts are technically demanding with particularly fierce passagework in the woodwinds. Although the composer has authorized an optional reduction of parts, this should be considered undesirable. Not only would the orchestrational palette be diminished, but not all of the optional instruments’ inner melodic lines are doubled elsewhere. Therefore, such a reduction impinges upon the counterpoint as well as the timbre of the work. The orchestration owes much to Ravel’s influence. The work was begun before his tutelage with the French master, and completed shortly after RVW returned to England. There is a good deal of imitative counterpoint in the vocal parts. Here, paired imitation is the norm with a regular variation of the pairings of vocal parts. Cross-rhythms are abundant in this work with many simutaneous divisions of the beat occurring throughout. The choral writing is well conceived for the voices, particularly the manner in which the text has been rhythmically interpreted. The choral harmonies are generally tertian and dissonances are achieved through step-wise motion. There are divisions in all choral parts. There are also sections for semichorus, which is intended to be a section of the principal choir. The breadth of the orchestration and the quantity of sustained singing required from the choir suggest a very large vocal ensemble. The clarity of diction will prove to be problematic due to the contrapuntal overlapping of text and the neccesary size of the choir. The quantity of singing will prove a challenge to vocal endurance and also presents a large portion of music to be learned by the choir. This is a massive work of the highest quality. It is within the grasp of only the finest symphonic ensembles, but is deserving of frequent hearings. Soloists: soprano, range: a-b'', tessitura: g'g'', very sustained and dramatic, requiring clarity in the low register and freedom in the top; baritone, range: B-f', tessitura: d-d', this role is declamatory with sustained singing in the upper range, a resonant and
powerful voice is needed. The accompaniment is generally thinner under the soprano than it is for the baritone. Choir: difficult; Orchestra: difficult. Selected Discography: Yvonne Kenny, Brian Rayner-Cook; London Symphony Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Bryden Thomson. Chandos: CHAN 8764 [DDD]. This recording is also included in a boxed set of all nine of VaughanWilliams symphonies as Chandos: CHAN 9087-91 [DDD]. Sheila Armstrong, John Carol Case; London Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Sir Adrian Boult. Angel: CDM-64016 [ADD]. This recording is also included in a boxed set of all nine of VaughanWilliams symphonies as Angel: CDM-63098 [ADD]. Dame Isobel Baillie, John Ewen Cameron; London Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Sir Adrian Boult. Recorded in the early 1950s. Decca: LXT 2907/8 [LP]; re-released as London: 425658-2 LM [ADD mono]. Helen Bickers, Randi Blooding; Communauté Française de Belgique Youth Orchestra, The Choral Guild of Atlanta; conducted by W. Noll. Newport Classics: NCD 60134 [DDD]. Heather Harper, John Shirley-Quirk; London Symphony Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by André Previn. RCA: 60580-2-RG [ADD]. Felicity Lott, Jonathan Summers; London Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Bernard Haitink. Angel: CDC-49911 [DDD]. Joan Rodgers, William Shimell; Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Vernon Handley. Angel: CDM-69867 [DDD]. Smoryakova, Vasiliev; USSR Ministry of Culture Symphony Orchestra and Leningrad Choruses; conducted by Gennady Rozhdestvensky. Recorded live 30 April 1988 in Leningrad Philharmonic Grand Hall. Melodiya: SUCD 10-00234 [DDD]. Selected Bibliography: Abraham, Gerald. “Vaughan Williams and His Symphonies: 1. The Sea Symphony.” The Musical Standard, xxvii (20 February 1926): 56. Blom, Eric. “Vaughan Willams: A Sea Symphony.” The Music Teacher, viii/11 (November 1930): 661-662. Brian, Havergal. “The Music of Ralph Vaughan Williams.” Musical Opinion, lxiii/752 (May 1940): 345346; and lxiii/753 (June 1940): 391. Goddard, Scott. “Vaughan Williams’ Sea Symphony.” The Listener, liii (3 February 1955): 217. Hurd, Michael. “Vaughan Williams’ Sea Symphony.” Music in Education, xxix/311 (January/February 1965): 27-28; and xxix/312 (March/April 1965): 8384. Sutton, W. “Music and the Sea.” Musical Opinion, xciv (June 1971): 445-446.
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Clarke, F. R. “The Structure of Vaughan Williams’ Sea Symphony.” The Music Review, xxxiv/1 (1973): 5861. Hurd, Michael. The Ordeal of Ivor Gurney. London: Oxford University Press, 1978. Foreman, Lewis. From Parry to Britten: British Music in Letters 1900-1945, 2, 41-42, 43, 86, 280. Portland, OR: Amadeus Press, 1987.
Sancta Civitas (1923-1925)
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
rehearsals to clarify beat divisions between parts. The distant trumpet solo requires a strong player. It is high and very sustained. A large vocal ensemble is necessary because of the many divisions called for in the score. The complex interplay between these choirs calls for an experiences vocal contingent. Soloists: tenor, range: b-a', tessitura: b-a', simple and only five measures long; baritone, range: B-f', tessitura: g-d', articulate and powerful. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium.
Duration: ca. 31-32 minutes
Selected Discography:
Text: Authorized version of The Revelation of St. John: XVIII, XXI, and XXII; and Taverner’s Bible.
San Francisco Bach Choir; conducted by H. Mueller. Mercury: MLR 7049 [LP]. Ian Partridge, Tenor, John Shirley-Quirk, baritone; King’s College Choir, Bach Choir, London Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Sir David Willcocks. Recorded 1968, re-released 1989. EMI: CDM 7 69949 2 [ADD].
Performing Forces: voices: tenor and baritone soloists; SATB choir, semi-choir, distant choir; orchestra: 4 flutes, 2 oboes, English horn, 3 clarinets, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion (snare drum, bass drum cymbals), harp, piano, organ, and strings First Performance: 7 May 1926; Sheldonian Theater, Oxford; Arthur Cranmer, Trefor Jones; Oxford Bach Choir, Oxford Orchestral Society; conducted by Hugh P. Allan Edition: Sancta Civitas was published by J. Curwen and Sons (London, 1925), and reissued by Faber Music (London, 1975). It is distributed by Educational Music. The piano-vocal score (prepared by Havergal Brian) is for sale; orchestral materials are available for rental. Autograph: The ink manuscript is in the British Library (Add. MS #50445-45); a preliminary score is in the Bodleian Library. Notes: This is Vaughan Williams’s first oratorio. It is a remarkably fiery work, full of spicy dissonances and biting rhythms.448 In the score composer states: The semichorus should sit behind the full chorus and consist of about 20 singers (6. 6. 4. 4.). The distant choir should if possible be out of sight and must have a special conductor. It should consist of boys’ voices if possible. The distant trumpet must be placed with the distant choir. Performance Issues: This is a very dramatic work. The harmonic language is diatonic with frequent modal inclinations. The choral writing is contrapuntally complex, combining the harmonic language of Stanford and Delius with imitative procedure from the renaissance. There are divisi in the soprano parts of all three choirs, and all of the parts of the full choir occasionally divide. The vocal pitches are consistently supported by the accompaniment. The orchestra parts are well within the abilities of a moderately experienced amateur ensemble. The string parts may require sectional 448 James Day, Vaughan Williams (London: J. M. Dent, 1961).
Selected Bibliography: Fox-Strangways, Arthur Henry. “Sancta Civitas: Ralph Vaughan Williams.” The British Musician, xxi (October 1927), 165-167.
Five Tudor Portraits (1935) Duration: ca. 42 minutes Text: John Skelton Performing Forces: voices: alto/mezzo-soprano and baritone soloists, SATB choir; orchestra: 3 flutes (flute III doubling piccolo), 2 oboes (oboe II doubling English horn), 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion (3 Players - cymbal, snare drum, bass drum, triangle, xylophone), harp, and strings. The composer notes that the following parts may, if unavoidable, be omitted: flute II, oboe II, contrabassoon, horns III and IV, tuba, percussion II. The harp part should be played on piano rather than omitted. There is an arrangement of the orchestra for piano and strings. First Performance: 25 September 1936; St. Andrew’s Hall, Norwich; Astra Desmond, Roy Henderson; Festival Chorus, London Philharmonic Orchestra; conducted by the composer Edition: Five Tudor Portraits is published and distributed by Oxford University Press. The study score and piano-vocal score are available for purchase; orchestral materials are available for rental. Autograph: British Library (50455, 50456, and 50457); this includes sketches for an incomplete sixth movement, “Margery Wentworth.”
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Notes: Each movement may be performed separately.
Dona Nobis Pacem (1936)
Performance Issues: The choral writing incorporates unisons, paired imitation, and free counterpoint. There are divisi in all choral sections. The vocal lines move by scale or triadic leap. Most of the vocal material is supported by the accompaniment. The fourth movement is for women’s choir, and the third movement is for men’s choir and includes Latin text. This is a chromatic work with many modal leanings. Vaughan Williams adds to the rhythmic momentum by using hemiolas, displaced downbeats, polymeters, and accent shifts. The score calls for two percussion players, but three are required for a few passages if everything is to be played. All of the orchestra parts are individually challenging with solos for all principal players. There is some especially intricate passagework in the winds and rapid fanfare between the winds and brass. The orchestration demands a large choir. The choral parts are well within the ability of a choir of moderate experience, but the orchestra writing requires a professional-level ensemble. Soloists: mezzo-soprano, range: b-f''; tessitura: f'-e♭'', lyric and articulate; bari-
Duration: ca. 36 minutes
tone, range: B♭-f'; tessitura: g-d', rhythmic and light. Choir: medium; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Bach Choir; New Philharmonia Orchestra; conducted by Sir David Willcocks. EMI: SLS 5082 [LP]. Also found in Set - soloists including: Dame Janet Baker, Sheila Armstrong, Heather Harper, Helen Watts, Richard Lewis, Ian Partridge, and John Shirley-Quirk; various choirs and orchestras; conductors including: Sir Adrian Boult, Sir David Willcocks, and Meredith Davies. HMV: SLS-5082 [7 LP’s]. Pittsburgh Mendelssohn Choir, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra; conducted by William Steinberg. Capitol: P 8218 [LP]. Selected Bibliography: Frank, Alan. “Reincarnating Skelton.” The Listener, xvii (20 January 1937): 141-142. Howes, Frank. “Five Tudor Portraits.” The Listener, xxiv (15 August 1940): 249. Colles, Henry Hope. “Five Tudor Portraits.” In Essays and Lectures, 104-106. London: Oxford University Press, 1945. Dorian, Frederick. “Five Tudor Portraits.” The Musical Quarterly, xxxix/3 (July 1953): 432-435. Yaqub, Hanan. “Five Tudor Portraits” by Ralph Vaughan Williams: Introduction to the Poetry and the Music. University of Southern California, dissertation, 1988.
449 Michael Kennedy, A Catalogue of the Works of Ralph Vaughan Williams (London: Oxford University Press, 1985).
Text: The Bible, John Bright’s Angel of Death Speech given in the House of Commons 23 February 1855 during the Crimean War, Walt Whitman’s Drum Taps Performing Forces: voices: soprano and baritone soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 3 flutes (flute III doubling piccolo), 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 4 horns, 4 trumpet (trumpets III and IV optional), 4 trombones (trombones III and IV optional), tuba, timpani, percussion (4 players - snare drum, tenor drum, triangle, tambourine, cymbals, bass drum, tam-tam, glockenspiel, chimes), harp, organ (optional), and strings. There is an optional version of the orchestra for piano and strings. First Performance: 2 October 1936; Huddersfield Town Hall, England; R. Flynn, Roy Henderson; Huddersfield Choral Society, Hallé Orchestra; conducted by Albert Coates Edition: Dona Nobis Pacem is published and distributed by Oxford University Press. The study score and piano-vocal score are for sale; orchestral materials are available for rental. Autograph: The ink manuscript is in the British Library (Add. MS #50453). Notes: Dona Nobis Pacem is an antiwar piece composed in reaction to the anticipated Second World War. Vaughan Williams was fond of Whitman and used his texts in a number of works, including A Sea Symphony, Toward the Unknown Region, and Three Nocturnes.449 It was commissioned to commemorate the centenary of the Huddersfield Choral Society. Performance Issues: This is a chromatic and rhythmically-charged composition. Vaughan Williams exploits parallel motion at the fourth or fifth. Crossrhythms are featured throughout the piece, including 8, 7, 4 and 2 against 3, and 7 against 4. Most of the choral writing is homophonic with occasional sections of internal imitation. The choral material is consistently supported by the accompaniment. There are brief divisi in all vocal parts. The orchestral writing is challenging for all players. The principal brass parts are consistently high, and all of the brass parts have unison sections and require great stamina. The orchestration demands a large string section and a large choir. The choral parts are not particularly difficult, but the orchestra portion is very sophisticated, requiring an ensemble of professional players. The principal
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challenges to the instrumental ensemble are the constant interplay of inner rhythms and the demands put upon the endurance of the brass players. Soloists: soprano, range: c'-a♭'', tessitura: c''-g'', requiring rhythmic clarity and sustained control of the upper range; baritone, range: c-e', tessitura: g-c', requires a powerful voice, which is articulate and capable of sustained phrases. Choir: medium; Orchestra: difficult. Selected Discography: Set - soloists including: Dame Janet Baker, Sheila Armstrong, Heather Harper, Helen Watts, Richard Lewis, Ian Partridge, and John Shirley-Quirk; various choirs and orchestras; conductors including: Sir Adrian Boult, Sir David Willcocks, and Meredith Davies. HMV: SLS-5082 [7 LP’s]. Renée Flynn, Roy Henderson; BBC Symphony and Chorus; conducted by Vaughan Williams. Recording of a live radio broadcast, November 1936. Pearl: GEMM CD-9342 [AAD mono]. Utah Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Maurice Abravanel. Vanguard 71159 [LP]. London Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Sir Adrian Boult. EMI: CDM 769820.2 [AAD]. Wiens, Brian Rayner-Cook; London Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Bryden Thompson. Chandos: CHAN-8590 [DDD]. Selected Bibliography: Terry, Sir Richard. “Dona nobis pacem.” The Listener, xvi (1936): 879. Baker, Norma. Concerning the Dona Nobis Pacem of Ralph Vaughan Williams and the War Requiem of Benjamin Britten. University of Southern California, thesis, 1969. Kranovsky, Paul Joseph. Ralph Vaughan Williams’s “Don Nobis Pacem” a Conductor’s Analysis. Indiana University, dissertation, 1984. Foreman, Lewis. From Parry to Britten: British Music in Letters 1900-1945, 153, 206, 220. Portland, OR: Amadeus Press, 1987.
Serenade to Music (1938) Duration: ca. 14-15 minutes Text: Shakespeare from The Merchant of Venice; Act V, scene 1 Performing Forces: voices: 16 soloists: 4 each of SATB;450 orchestra: 2 flutes, oboe, English horn, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion (1 player - bass drum, triangle), harp, and strings
450 The composer notes in the score that the work may be performed by four soloists and choir, or by a choir singing all of the parts.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Orchestral version: 2 flutes, oboe, English horn, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion (1 player - bass drum, triangle), harp, solo violin, and strings. First Performance: 5 October 1938; Royal Albert Hall, London; Stiles Allen, Dame Isobel Baillie, Elsie Suddaby, Eva Turner, Margaret Balfour, Muriel Brunskill, Astra Desmond, Mary Jarred, Parry Jones, Heddle Nash, Frank Titterson, Walter Widdop, Norman Allen, Robert Easton, Roy Henderson, Harold Williams; BBC Symphony Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Queen’s Hall Orchestra; conducted by Sir Henry Wood Premiere of Orchestral version: 10 February 1940; Queen’s Hall, London; London Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Sir Henry Wood Edition: A Serenade to Music is published by Oxford University Press. The piano-vocal score and study score are for sale; the full score and orchestral materials are available for rental. Autograph: The composer’s manuscript is in the possession of the Royal Academy of Music in London. Notes: A Serenade to Music was composed in honor of Sir Henry Woods’s golden jubilee as a conductor. It was composed with voices of the soloists listed above for the premiere in mind. Their initials appear throughout the full score indicating their intended passages. Performance Issues: In general, the individual instrumental parts are not technically demanding; however, the solo violin part requires fluid and accurate playing in very high registers. The harp part is also technically challenging and an integral part of the score. The cello and viola parts may prove difficult to integrate rhythmically with the remaining parts. The most challenging aspect of the piece for the orchestra is balance and clarity of inner contrapuntal parts. The entire ensemble must be capable of very soft sustained playing. This work is frequently performed with four soloists and choir; this vocal commentary will address that configuration. The tutti passages generaly assigned to the choir are divided differently throughout the work, the greatest number of parts being twelve (SSSAAATTTBBB). The choral writing is strictly homophonic, and despite modal inclinations, Vaughan Williams wholly honors common-practice part-writing rules. The basses must be capable of sustained singing of D. The choral parts are very accessible to amateur vocal ensemble. Much of the harmonic material is dense, but doubled between male and female section of the choir and elsewise reinforced by the
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
orchestra. The quality of choral sound will prove to be of greater issue than the learning of notes. Soloists: soprano, range: f'-a'', tessitura: d''-a'', lyric and sustained, must be capable of very soft singing in the top of the range; alto, range: a-f'', tessitura: e♭'-c'', declamatory, but must be capable of legato singing in the upper passages; tenor, range: e♭-a', tessitura: a-g', florid with long sustained phrases; bass, range: A ♭-e', tessitura: d-d', must be capable of articulate singing in the lower range. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium to medium difficult. Selected Discography: Stiles Allen, Dame Isobel Baillie, Elsie Suddaby, Eva Turner, Margaret Balfour, Muriel Brunskill, Astra Desmond, Mary Jarred, Parry Jones, Heddle Nash, Frank Titterson, Walter Widdop, Norman Allen, Robert Easton, Roy Henderson, Harold Williams; BBC Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Henry Wood. Recorded 15 October 1938, one week after the premiere, by those who first performed it. Columbia: LX 757/8 [78’s]; re-released as Pearl: GEMM CD-9342 [AAD mono]. English Chamber Orchestra, Corydon Singers; conducted by Matthew Best. Hyperion: CDA 66420 [DDD]. Norma Burrowes, Sheila Armstrong, Susan Longfield, Marie Hayward, Alfreda Hodgson, Gloria Jennings, Shirley Minty, Meriel Dickinson, Ian Partridge, Wynford Evans, Kenneth Bowen, Bernard Dickerson, Richard Angas, John Carol Case, John Noble, Christopher Keyte; London Philharmonic Orchestra; conducted by Sir Adrian Boult. Angel (British Composers): CDM-66420 [ADD], and EMI: CDC 7 47218 2 [ADD]. Royal Festival Chorus and Orchestra; conducted by Sir Adrian Boult. HMV: DA 7040/1 [78s]. BBC Singers and BBC Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Sir Charles Groves. BBC: CD 580 [DDD]. Soloists, London Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Sir Malcolm Sargent. Angel: S.35564 [LP]. Royal Liverpool Philharmonic; conducted by Vernon Handley. Angel (Classics for Pleasure): CDM 64034 [DDD]. Schola Cantorum, New York Philharmonic Orchestra; conducted by Leonard Bernstein. Columbia: MS 7177 [LP]. Mary Shearer, Karen Williams, Carlotta Wilsen, Andrea Matthewa, Karen Brunssen, Trudy Weaver, Melissa Thorburn, Virginia Dupuy, Grayson Hirst, Marcus Haddock, Frederick Urrey, Ronald Naldi, Thomas Stallone, Stephen Owen, Nickolas Karousatos, Herbert Eckoff; New York Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra; conducted by K. Klein. Vox Unique: VU 9023 [DDD]. Arranged for four soloists, chorus, and orchestra:
Norma Burrowes, Alfreda Hodgson, Ian Partridge, Richard Angas; London Philharmonic Orchestra; conducted by Sir Adrian Boult. Angel: CDM-63098 [ADD]. Elsie Morrison, Marjorie Thomas, Duncan Robertson, Trevor Anthony; London Symphony Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Sir Malcolm Sargent. Angel: CDM-63382 [ADD]. Orchestra only: New York Virtuosi Chamber Symphony; conducted by L. William Kuyper. ASV: DCA-655 [DDD]. London Philharmonic Orchestra; conducted by Vernon Handley. Chandos: CD-8330 [DDD]. Northern Sinfonia; conducted by Richard Hickox. Angel: DS 38129 [LP]. Selected Bibliography: Manning, Rosemary. “Vaughan Williams.” In From Holst to Britten: A Study of Modern Choral Music, 2036. London: Workers’ Music Association, 1946. Sackerville-West, Edward, and Desmond Shawe-Taylor. The Record Guide, 359-361. London: Collins, 1951. Warburton, Annie Osborn. “Serenade to Music” and “Toward the Unknown Region.” The Music Teacher, li (October 1972): 22-23. Gammond, Peter, and Burnett James. Music on Record 4, 206-209. London: Hutchinson, 1963; reprinted Westport, CT: Greenwood press, 1978.
An Oxford Elegy (1949) Duration: ca. 25 minutes Text: Matthew Arnold, from “The Scholar Gypsy” and “Thirsis” Performing Forces: voices: speaker; small SATB choir; orchestra: flute, oboe, English horn, 2 clarinets, bassoon, horn, and strings. There is an arrangement of the orchestra for piano and strings, prepared by Denis Williams. First Performance: private: 20 November 1949; The White Gates, Dorking; Stueart Wilson, speaker; Tudor Singers, Schwiller String Quartet, Michael Mulliner, piano; conducted by Vaughan Williams. public: 19 June 1952; Queen’s College, Oxford; Stuart Wilson, speaker; Eglesfield Musical Society, Chamber Orchestra; conducted by Bernard Rose. Edition: Oxford Elegy is published and distributed by Oxford University Press. The study score and pianovocal score are for sale; orchestral materials are available for rental.
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Autograph: Some materials are in the British Library (Add. MSS 50473, 50474, and 50475). A manuscript full score is in the Bodleian Library. Performance Issues: The score is rhythmically varied with numerous cross-relations and a variety of borrowed divisions. Half of the choir’s music is textless, either hummed or on prescribed vowels. It is quite reminiscent of RVW’s Flos Campi. The sections with text are strictly homophonic, while those without text are more contrapuntal. The choral writing is tuneful and logically conceived, but it is not conspicuously supported by the accompaniment. The string parts are rhythmically varied with rapid chromatic passagework. The wind parts are less challenging, but still require players of experience. The narrator speaks throughout most of the work. Choir: medium; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selectged Discography: Set - soloists including: Dame Janet Baker, Sheila Armstrong, Heather Harper, Helen Watts, Richard Lewis, Ian Partridge, and John Shirley-Quirk; various choirs and orchestras; conductors including: Sir Adrian Boult, Sir David Willcocks, and Meredith Davies. HMV: SLS-5082 [7 LP’s]. King’s College Choir, Jacques Orchestra; conducted by Sir David Willcocks. Angel: S 36590. Jack May, narrator; Christ Church Cathedral Choir, English String Orchestra; conducted by Stephen Darlington. Recorded at Leominster Priory, 12-14 January 1989. Nimbus: NI 5166 [DDD].
The Sons of Light (1950) Duration: ca. 25 minutes Text: Ursula Wood (soon to be Mrs. Vaughan Williams) Performing Forces: voices: SATB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 oboes (oboe II doubling English horn), 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion (2 players bass drum, snare drum, suspended cymbal, gong, triangle, xylophone, glockenspiel), celeste, harp, and strings
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Autograph: The ink manuscript is in the British Library (Add. MS #50471-72); manuscripts of Sun, Moon, Stars, and Man, which is a selection of four songs from The Sons of Light are in the British Library (Add. MS #50478) and the Library of Congress. Notes: Sons of Light was commissioned by the Schools Music Association. It is dedicated to Bernard Shore who was “His Majesty’s Staff Inspector in Music, Ministry of Education.” The composer notes that the alternate orchestration is “for emergency use,” and that the tuba is essential but may be replaced by euphonium with some necessary octave shifts. There is a special piano-part, which should be added to cover missing instruments if the reduced orchestration is used. Performance Issues: There are numerous cues within the orchestra to cover missing parts if the ensemble is reduced. Use of these should be clarified before rehearsal. The vocal writing is scalar and homophonic. Much of the choral parts are in unison. The vocal rhythms are reflective of the inherent rhythm of the text. The choir’s music is quite easy and clearly supported in the accompaniment. There are a series of cuts made in the full-score between [18] and [23], and between [29] and [30]; be sure that the parts agree with these changes. The orchestra parts are not individually difficult, but a variety of inner rhythms and heavy scoring will require an experienced ensemble, or a lot of rehearsal time to achieve clarity in performance. The brass parts are a challenge to endurance and the mallets parts are very active. There are frequent, fullbrass doublings of the choir, and many tutti passages at full dynamics demanding a large vocal ensemble. This is an attractive and exciting work, which would be a rewarding piece for an inexperienced choir with strong orchestral resources. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Bach Choir, London Philharmonic Orchestra; conducted by Sir David Willcocks. Lyrita: SRCS 125 [LP]. Selected Bibliography
alternate orchestration: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 3 clarinets, 3 saxophones (optional), 2 bassoon, 2 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, celeste (optional), percussion (optional), piano, and strings
Martin, William R. “The Choral Music of Vaughan Williams.” Repertoire (October 1951): 15-22.
Arranged for piano and strings by Arnold Foster
Duration: ca. 50-55 minutes
First Performance: 6 May 1951; Royal Albert Hall, London; Schools Music Association massed choirs (1,150 voices); conducted by Sir Adrian Boult Edition: The Sons of Light is published and distributed by Oxford University Press. The study score and piano-vocal score are for sale; orchestral materials are available for rental.
Hodie (1953-1954) Text: The text is a compilation of verses from the Gospels of Matthew, Luke and John; the Book of Common Prayer; the Vespers for Christmas Day; William Ballet; William Drummond; Thomas Hardy; George Herbert; Martin Luther as translated by Miles Coverdale; John Milton’s Hymn of the Morning of Christ’s Nativity; and Ursula Vaughan Williams.
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Performing Forces: voices: soprano, tenor, and baritone soloists; SATB choir, children’s choir; orchestra: 3 flutes (flute III doubling piccolo, flute II is optional), 2 oboes (Oboe II is optional), English horn, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon (optional), 4 horns (horns III and IV are optional), 3 trumpets (trumpet III is optional), 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion (4 players - snare drum, tenor drum, bass drum, cymbals, suspended cymbal, triangle, glockenspiel, chimes), celeste, harp (optional), piano, organ (optional), and strings First Performance: 8 September 1954; Worcester Cathedral; Evans, E. Greene, Gordon Clinton, Three Choirs Festival Chorus, London Symphony; conducted by Vaughan Williams. Edition: Hodie is published and distributed by Oxford University Press. The study score and piano-vocal score are for sale; orchestral materials are available for rental. Autograph: The ink manuscript is in the British Library (Add. MS # 50477). Notes: Hodie is dedicated to Herbert Howells: “Dear Herbert, I find that in this cantata I have inadvertently cribbed a phrase from your beautiful ‘Hymnus Paradisi.’ Your passage seems so germane to my context that I have decided to keep it (RVW).” Performance Issues: The treble choir should be separated from the adult choir. Vaughan Williams has indicated that the organ is optional; however, the treble choir is intended to be accompanied by organ (string cues are provided). The choral and orchestral parts require very precise rhythmic articulation, particularly in the first and last movements, which are riddled with hemiolas and bi-rhythmic elements. There are occasional divisi in all choral parts except for the alto part, which only divides in SA sections and chorales. In III, the composer has set textless women’s choral music to the syllable “er.” A British dialect should be remembered, or better yet, [u] should be substituted. The orchestration is unusually practical, allowing for a variety of combinations of instruments as can be seen in the listing above. The score is full of doublings, including almost constant support of the choral parts in the orchestra. There are also considerable cues. Most of the orchestra parts are quite accessible. The first horn and first trumpet parts demand flexible and sustained playing in the high range in XIV and XVI. The tuba part is substantial and requires melodic, legato playing throughout its range. The harp and piano parts are demanding throughout the work. Soloists: Soprano, range: c'-g'', tessitura: g'-f'', must be able to maintain smoothness throughout the middle of the voice and have a strong low range, a lyric mezzosoprano could be well suited to the role; Tenor, range: d♭-a♭', tessitura: g-g', requires control of coloratura
writing and exceptionally long phrases, notably in XII; Baritone, range: d♭-f#', tessitura: e-d', consistently lyric, must have a free and beautiful upper range. Choir: medium; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Set - soloists including: Dame Janet Baker, Sheila Armstrong, Heather Harper, Helen Watts, Richard Lewis, Ian Partridge, and John Shirley-Quirk; various choirs and orchestras; conductors including: Sir Adrian Boult, Sir David Willcocks, and Meredith Davies. HMV: SLS-5082 [7 LP’s]. Dame Janet Baker, Richard Lewis, John Shirley-Quirk; London Bach Choir, Choristers of Westminster Abbey, London Symphony Orchestra; Sir David Willcocks. Angel: S-36297 [LP], EMI: CDM 769872.2 [AAD].
Selected Bibliography: Butler, E. “Hodie: This Day by Vaughan Williams.” The Church Musician, xii (September 1970): 18-20.
Epithalamion (1957) Duration: ca. 37 minutes Text: Edmund Spenser’s Epithalamion, as selected by Ursula Vaughan Williams Performing Forces: voices: baritone soloist; SATB choir; small orchestra: flute (doubling piccolo), piano, and strings First Performance: 30 September 1957; Royal Festival Hall, London; Gordon Clinton, baritone; Goldsmiths’ Choral Union Cantata Singers, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra; conducted by Richard Austin Edition: Epithalamion is published and distributed by Oxford University Press. The study score and pianovocal score are for sale; orchestral materials are available for rental. Autograph: The ink manuscript is in the British Library (Add. MS 50479) Notes: This work is an adaptation of Vaughan Williams’s masque The Bridal Day (1938). Performance Issues: This piece evidences the influence of folk songs and Tudor church music. The choral writing is mostly homophonic with some paired doublings. It incorporates renaissance dance rhythms and modal melodic material. This work is more consistently diatonic than most of Vaughan Williams’s music. There are brief divisi in all choral parts. The flute part is prominent and virtuosic, but very idiomatic to the instrument. The piano and string parts are conservative and lightly scored. Soloist: baritone, range:
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d-f', tessitura: f-d'. The accompanying textures and lilting dance rhythms suggest a light and lyric voice. All of the vocal material is tuneful and easily learned. The only challenge to an inexperienced choir is the quantity of music for them (about thirty-five minutes). The scoring is ideal for a small choir and a chamber orchestra of twelve players. The scoring of this work makes it an ideal companion to Bliss’s Pastoral: Lie Strewn the White Flocks. Choir: easy to medium; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Bach Choir, London Philharmonic Orchestra; conducted by Sir David Willcocks. EMI: CDC 7477692 [AAD].
VERDI, Giuseppe (b. Le Roncole, Italy, 9 October 1813; d. Milan, 27 January 1901) Verdi’s father ran a tavern. He had uneven early musical training. A local patron, Antonio Barezzi, sent him to Milan for formal study, but he was unable to pass the entrance exam to the conservatory. He undertook private instruction with Vincenzo Lavigna, and in a few years passed the exam to hold the post of maestro di musica in Busseto. In 1836, he married his patron’s daughter. They lost two children in infancy, and she died in 1840. Pouring himself into his work, he scored his first operatic success with Nabucco. This was followed by a string of successful operas, and Verdi quickly became the most celebrated Italian opera composer of his generation. Verdi was a strong believer in Italian independence from Austria, and many of his works can be seen as a metaphorical commentary on the politics of the time. He was frequently embroiled with the censors over the subtext of his libretti. Likewise, Verdi lived with the singer Giuseppina Strepponi for a decade before they were married, and La traviata is the composer’s response to social critics of that relationship. Verdi became an important national figure in the founding of unified Italy and was even nominated to the Italian senate. Verdi’s works are filled with memorable tunes, but of equal importance they are eminently singable. He possessed a remarkable theatrical sense for communicating directly to his audiences. Some critics have unduly described his accompaniments as simplistic. He was a master of supporting his singers without making them compete with their accompaniments. His later works demonstrate that he remained in touch with the harmonic developments of the late nineteenth century.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
1847), Luisa Miller (1849), Stiffelio (1950), Rigoletto (1850-1851), Il trovatore (1851-1852), La traviata (1853), Les Vêpres siciliennes (1854), Simone Boccanegra (1856-1857), Un ballo in maschera (18571858), La forza del destino (1861), Don Carlos (1866), Aida (1870), Otello (1884-1886), Falstaff (1889-1893) Selected Composer Bibliography: Weaver, William. Verdi: A Documentary Study. London: Thames and Hudson, 1977. Budden, Julian. Verdi. London: J. M. Dent and Sons, 1985. Reprinted under same title in the Master Musicians series, New York: Vintage, 1987. Osborne, Charles. Verdi: A Life in the Theatre. London: George Wiedenfeld and Nicolson, 1987. Reprinted, New York: Fromm International Publishing Corporation, 1989. Phillips-Matz, Mary Jane. Verdi: A Biography. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1993. Harwood, Gregory. Giuseppe Verdi: A Guide to Research. New York: Routledge, 1998.
Messa da Requiem (1873-1874) Duration: ca. 84 minutes Text: The text is from the Roman Catholic liturgy of the Mass for the Dead. Performing Forces: voices: soprano, mezzo-soprano, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 3 flutes (flute III doubling piccolo), 2 oboes, 3 clarinets (A, B♭, C), 4 bassoons, 4 horns (C, E♭, E, F, A♭, A, B♭), 4 trumpets (C, E♭), 3 trombones, tuba, timpani (3 drums), percussion (1 player — bass drum), and strings. An additional group of 4 off-stage trumpets (E♭) is required. First Performance: 22 May 1874; San Marco, Milan to commemorate the first anniversary of the death of Alessandro Manzoni; Teresa Stolz, Maria Waldmann, Giuseppe Capponi, Ormondo Maini; conducted by the composer. Final version: 12 May 1875; Royal Albert Hall, London. Editions: A critical edition of Messa da Requiem is published by Ricordi and the University of Chicago as part of The Works of Giuseppe Verdi, series III, volume 1. Full scores and parts are available for purchase from Ricordi, Kalmus, C. F. Peters, and G. Schirmer. There is a facsimile edition of the manuscript as well.
Teacher: Vincenzo Lavigna
Autograph: The composer’s manuscript full score is in the Museo Teatrale alla Scala in Milan. Additional manuscript materials are in the archives of Villa Verdi in Busseto, Italy.
Other Principal Works: opera: Nabucco (1841), I Lombardi (1842), Ernani (1843), Macbeth (1846-
Notes: When Gioacchino Rossini died in 1868, Verdi initiated a Requiem project for which a different
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composer would compose each section. Although the work was completed in time, rancor among the contributors and conductor prevented the proposed concert. The “Libera me” movement was composed in 1869 as Verdi’s contribution to this composition by committee. Four years later, Alessandro Manzoni, the great Italian poet and national hero, died. Verdi had idolized Manzoni and embarked on this work as a memorial tribute to him. He utilized his earlier “Libera me” movement. The premier was probably Verdi’s first appearance as a conductor. He led another performance a few days later in the Teatro alla Scala. The mezzo-soprano solo in the “Liber scriptus” section was added shortly after the premiere. This version was premiered the following year, and that has remained the definitive version since.451 Performance Issues: The choral material is generally well supported by the orchestra. There are some a cappella passages. All of the choral writing demonstrates a keen awareness of the singing voice. Much of the score is expectedly operatic, but very singable even by ambitious amateur ensembles. Some of the tenor and soprano passages will present vocal challenges to such ensembles. There are divisi for all of the choral parts. The tunefulness and logic of the counterpoint make this remarkably easy to teach to choirs, allowing for more time to rehearse timbre and pacing. There are some passages where it is nearly impossible to effectively balance the choir and orchestra. A large symphonic chorus is necessary, and clever pacement of the singers with respect to the orchestra may alleviate some of these challenges. The “Sanctus” is scored for a double chorus, which may further affect placement decisions. There is one passage in which the piccolo exceeds the bottom of the standard range of the instrument, which reflects Verdi’s familiarity with the instruments of an Italian maker whose products had an extened foot. These notes can just be left out with no detrimental effect. The general orchestral writing is dramatic and practical. Great care must be given to adhere to the dynamics indicated in the score. The brass parts may be troublesome to balance. The use of smallbore trombones will help in this regard. There is some florid passagework for each of the principal winds. All of the solo parts are vocally difficult. The women have some significant pairings, so the selection of soloists should include a consideration of how these two voices complement each other. Soloists: soprano range: b-c''', tessitura: g'-g'', this is a sustained and lyric role that must me able to balance against the full ensemble and sing the top of the range at a very low dynamic; mezzo-soprano - range: g-a♭'', tessitura: f'-f'', this is a dramatic and sustained role; tenor - range: cb♭', tessitura: g-g', this is a lyric solo role; bass - range: 451 Kurt Pahlen, The World of the Oratorio, translated by Judith Schaefer with additional English-language material by Thurston Dox, 320-321 (Portland, OR: Amadeus Press, 1990).
G-e', tessitura: c-c', this is a powerful declamatory solo. Choir: difficult; Orchestra: difficult. Selected Discography: Maud Cunitz, Elisabeth Hongen, Walther Ludwig, Josef Greindl; Bavarian Radio Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Eugen Jochum, recorded in 1950. Rereleased on CD as Orfeo d’Or: 195892. Herva Nelli, Fedora Barbieri, Giuseppe di Stefano, Cesare Siepi; Robert Shaw Chorale, NBC Symphony; conducted by Arturo Toscanini. Live broadcast, 27 January 1951, Carnegie Hall, New York. Re-released on CD as RCA: 60299-2-RG. Leonie Rysanek, Christa Ludwig, Giuseppe Zampieri, Cesare Siepi; Singverein der Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde; Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra; conducted by Herbert von Karajan. EMI: 0724356688025. Leontyne Price, Janet Baker, Veriano Luchetti, José Van Dam; Chicago Symphony Orchestar and Chorus; conducted by Georg Solti. RCA: 62318. Susan Dunn, Diane Curry, Jerry Hadley, Paul Plishka; Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Robert Shaw; recorded in 1987. Telarc: 80152. Selected Bibliography: Upton, George. The Standard Oratorios, 303-308. Chicago: A. C. McClurg and Company, 1893. Tovey, Francis. “Requiem in Memory of Manzoni.” In Essays in Musical Analysis, volume 5, 195-209. London: Oxford University Press, 1937. Robertson, Alec. Requiem: Music of Mourning and Consolation, 96-110. New York: Frederick A. Praeger, 1967. Rosen, David. “Verdi’s ‘Liber scriptus’ Rewritten.” In Musical Quarterly, volume 55 (1969): 151-169. Greene, David B. “Giuseppe Verdi’s Dies irae.” In Response in Worship, Music, the Arts, volume 11 (1971): 77-88. Rosen, David. The Genesis of Verdi’s Requiem. University of California at Berkeley, doctoral dissertation, 1976. Martin, George. “Verdi, Manzoni, and the Requiem.” In Aspects of Verdi, 31-58. New York: Limelight Editions, 1988. Rosen, David. “The Operatic Origins of Verdi’s ‘Lacrymosa.’” In Studi verdiani, volume 5 (1988-1989): 6584. Pahlen, Kurt. The World of the Oratorio, translated by Judith Schaefer with additional English-language material by Thurston Dox, 320-325. Portland, OR: Amadeus Press, 1990. Rosen, David. “Critical Commentary” for Messa da Requiem in The Works of Giuseppe Verdi, series III, volume 1. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1990.
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Roeder, John. “Pitch and Rhythmic Dramaturgy in Verdi’s Lux æterna.” In 19th Century Music, volume 14, number 2 (1990): 169-185. Berger, Melvin. Guide to Choral Masterpieces: A Listener’s Guide, 325-328. New York: Anchor Books, 1993. Phillips-Matz, Mary Jane. Verdi: A Biography, 601-615, 622, 624-625, 648-649. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1993. Rosen, David. Verdi: Requiem [from the series, Cambridge Music Handbooks]. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1995. ———. “Reprise as Resolution in Verdi’s Messa da Requiem.” In Theory and Practice, volume 19 (1994). Roeder, John. “Formal Functions of Hypermeter in the ‘Dies irae’ of Verdi’s Requiem.” In Theory and Practice, volume 19 (1994).
Stabat Mater (1895-1897) Duration: ca. 12 minutes Text: The authorship of this text is highly disputed. It was removed from sanctioned use at the Council of Trent, and restored to the liturgical canon in 1727. The text addresses the “Seven Sorrows of the Virgin Mary.” It is used as the Sequence Hymn on the first Friday after Passion Sunday and on 15 September.452 Performing Forces: voices: SATB choir; orchestra: 3 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets (B♭), 4 bassoons, 4 horns (C), 3 trumpets (C), 4 trombones, timpani (2 drums), percussion (1 player — bass drum), harp, and strings First Performance: 7 April 1898; Paris Opéra; Société des Concerts, conducted by Paul Taffenel. First complete performance of Quattro Pezzi Sacri: 26 May 1898; Turin; conducted by Arturo Toscanini. Editions: Full scores and parts for Stabat Mater are available for purchase from Ricordi, Kalmus, and C. F. Peters. Notes: This is the second of the Quattro Pezzi Sacri. These pieces, while composed independently and using different performing forces, utilize some common melodic material. They are frequently presented as a group in concerts. Each functions well as a free-standing composition. The Ave Maria and Laudi alla Vergine Maria are not discussed in detail here because they are unaccompanied. In preparation for the premiere of the complete set, Toscanini met with the composer. Accounts of that meeting indicate that the composer recommended a choir of 120 rather than the 200 originally planned for the concert. 453
452 Ron Jeffers, Translations and Annotations of Choral Repertoire, Volume I: Sacred Latin Texts, 200-207 (Corvallis, OR: Earthsongs, 1988).
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Performance Issues: The choral writing is generally homophonic with occasional imitative passages. The choral material is well supported by the orchestra. There are a number of unison passages for the choir or for a section of the choir. For the latter, soloists could be used. There are divisi for all choral sections except the sopranos. There are complex and rapid passages for all of the instruments, and the choir and orchestra are expected to span a broad dynamic range. The score demands a choir of mature voices capable of powerful sustained singing interjected with sotto voce passages at the extremes of traditional ranges. The entire ensemble must be flexible and expressive. This is a dramatic and very effective brief setting of this text that deserves more performances from first-rate ensembles. Choir: difficult; Orchestra: difficult. Selected Discography: Helen Donath, Josef Protschka, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau; Bayerischen Rundfunks Choir and Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Wolfgang Sawallisch, recorded in 1982 and 1983. EMI Classics: 7243 5 65845 2. Selected Bibliography: Berger, Melvin. Guide to Choral Masterpieces: A Listener’s Guide, 328-332. New York: Anchor Books, 1993. Phillips-Matz, Mary Jane. Verdi: A Biography, 737-738. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1993.
Te Deum (1895-1897) Duration: ca. 15 minutes Text: This is an anonymous hymn of thanksgiving in church use since the sixth century. It is usually sung during the Matins service. Performing Forces: voices: soprano soloist; double SATB choir; orchestra: 3 flutes, 2 oboes, English horn, 2 clarinets (B♭), bass clarinet (B♭), 4 bassoons, 4 horns (E♭), 3 trumpets (E♭), 4 trombones, timpani (2 drums), percussion (1 player — bass drum), harp, and strings
First Performance: 7 April 1898; Paris Opéra; Société des Concerts, conducted by Paul Taffenel Editions: Full scores and parts for Te Deum are available for purchase from Ricordi, Kalmus, and C. F. Peters. Notes: See “Notes” above for Verdi’s Stabat Mater. Performance Issues: The score begins with an a cappella section that includes an incipit of chant. There are additional unaccompanied passages for eight-part 453 Mary Jane Phillips-Matz, Verdi: A Biography, 747 (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1993).
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choir. Much of the choral material is freely contrapuntal and often quite independent of the accompaniment. The choral writing is vocally demanding for the entire choir, but especially the sopranos and tenors who maintain high tessiture. There are challenging passages for much of the orchestra as well. The scoring requires a large choir and full string section. This is an impressive setting, which might in fact make an effective companion to the Bruckner setting of the same text. It is an excellent showpiece for a skilled choir and strong orchestra. Soloists: soprano - range: e'-b'', tessitura: e''-b'', this is a very brief, simple solo for a chorister, all but the e'' is in unison with the section. Choir: difficult; Orchestra: difficult.
was buried there in a pauper’s grave in the Spettaler Gottesacher. In his 500+ concerti, he did much to establish the form and to promote a number of instruments in solo roles including the cello and mandolin. Vivaldi claimed to have composed ninety-four operas of which only twenty one survive. Teacher: Arcangelo Corelli Student: Johann Georg Pisendel Principal Works: opera — Orlando furioso (1727), La fida ninfa (1732), l’Olimpiade (1734); orchestral — L’estro armonico, op. 3 (1711); La stravaganza, op. 4 (c. 1714); Il cimento dell’armonico,454 op. 8 (1725)
Selected Discography: Robert Shaw Chorale, NBC Symphony; conducted by Arturo Toscanini. Live broadcast, 14 March 1954, Carnegie Hall, New York. Re-released on CD as RCA: 60299-2-RG. Selected Bibliography: Berger, Melvin. Guide to Choral Masterpieces: A Listener’s Guide, 328-332. New York: Anchor Books, 1993. Phillips-Matz, Mary Jane. Verdi: A Biography, 733-735. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1993.
VIVALDI, Antonio (Venice, 4 March 1678 – Venice, 27/28 July 1741) Vivaldi’s father was a violinist in the orchestra of St. Mark’s Cathedral in Venice and was Antonio’s violin teacher. Vivaldi was ordained as a priest in 1703. During that year, he began teaching violin at the Ospedale della Pietà, an orphanage in Venice. He performed as a concert soloist and conductor, and he was known throughout Europe for his compositions. Bach transcribed ten of his string concerti as keyboard concerti and solos. From 1718 to 1722, he was maestro di cappella for Prince Philipp of Hessen-Darmstadt in Mantua. He composed operas for Mantua, Venice, Milan, and Rome. The papacy forbade a performance of one of his operas in Ferrara because he was a priest who did not say Mass and was reputed to be romantically involved with a woman — actually women — the singer Anna Giraud and her sister Paolina. Vivaldi denied these claims, but maintained the sisters’ company. He was named maestro di cappella to the Duke of Lorraine in 1735. Throughout his concert and opera career, Vivaldi continued to teach at the Ospedale and to compose music for chapel services there. Vivaldi left Venice in 1741 and died that year in Vienna and 454 This includes Le quattro stagione (the Four Seasons).
Selected Composer Bibliography: Kolneder, Walter. Antonio Vivaldi: His Life and Work, translated by Bill Hopkins. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1970. Ryom, Peter. Table de concordances des oeuvres. Copenhagen: Engstrøm and Sødring, 1973. ———. Répertoire des oeuvres d’Antonio Vivaldi: Les compositions instrumentales. Copenhagen: Engstrøm and Sødring, 1986. Talbot, Michael. “Antonio Vivaldi,” with works list and bibliography by Peter Ryom. In The New Grove Italian Baroque Masters. New York: W. W. Norton, 1984. ———. Antonio Vivaldi: A Guide to Research. New York: Garland, 1988.
Beatus vir, RV 597 1730s)
(late 1720s–early
Duration: ca. 25 minutes Text: The Latin text is taken from Psalm 112 (Vulgate 111). Performing Forces: voices: 2 soprano, tenor, and 2 bass soloists; 455 2 SATB choir; orchestra I: 2 oboes, strings, organ, and continuo; orchestra II: 2 oboes, strings and continuo First Performance: Unknown, but probably in the Ospedale dela Pietà in Venice Editions: Beatus vir, RV 597 appears in the critical score Nuova edizione critica delle opere di Antonio Vivaldi, edited by Michael Talbot under the auspices of the Instituto Italiano Antonio Vivaldi and published by Ricordi. It is also published in an edition by Renato Fasano by Universal (906).
455 The cover and title page of the score list two sopranos, alto, tenor, and bass soloist; however, what is listed here matches the score itself.
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Autograph: The composer’s manuscript is in the Biblioteca Nazionale Universitaria in Turin, Italy. Notes: This work uses a sustained eleven-measure chorus as a ritornello between a series of solos, duets, and choruses. Performance Issues: The choral writing is quite texturally varied with sustained chordal material and fugal writing with rapid melismatic passages. The choral material is vocally challenging, but well supported by the orchestra. It requires mature and experienced singers. Movement VII is an exquisite sustained ATB chorus that will require more attention to detail than may be initially evident. The orchestral writing is well conceived for the instruments, but it includes some challenging passagework and rapid unison ornaments that will require solid, experienced players. There are some very high passages for oboe I that are in unison with the violins. Soloists: soprano I - range: e'-f'', tessitura: e'-f'', this is a lyric solo with substantial coloratura paired with the other soprano solo in antiphonal duet and in solo with obbligato organ; soprano II - range: e'-f'', tessitura: e'-f'', this is a lyric solo with substantial coloratura paired with the other soprano solo in antiphonal duet; tenor - range: c-f', tessitura: e-e', this is a lyric solo with florid coloratura, this role would be best suited to a lyric baritone; bass I - range: F-e', tessitura: A-a, this is a declamatory role with wide melodic leaps and long phrases that appears in unison and imitation with the bass II; bass II - range: F-d', tessitura: A-a, this is a declamatory role with wide melodic leaps and long phrases that appears in unison and imitation with the bass I. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Helen Groves, Paul Agnew; Ex Cathedra; conducted by Jeffrey Skidmore. Recorded in 1991 in the Oratory, Birmingham, England. Alto: 1176. Susan Gritton, Catrin Wyn-Davies, Neal Davies, Michael George; King’s Consort; conducted by Robert King. Hyperion: CDA66789. Selected Bibliography: Talbot, Michael. “Critical Notes” for Beatus vir, RV 597, 133-142. Milan: Ricordi, 2003.
Beatus vir, RV 598 (c. 1715) Duration: ca. 8 minutes Text: The Latin text is taken from Psalm 112 (Vulgate 111). Performing Forces: voices: 2 soprano and alto soloists, SATB choir; orchestra: strings and continuo. First Performance: Unknown, but probably in the Ospedale dela Pietà in Venice
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Editions: Beatus vir, RV 598 appears in the critical score Nuova edizione critica delle opere di Antonio Vivaldi, edited by Michael Talbot under the auspices of the Instituto Italiano Antonio Vivaldi and published by Ricordi. It is also published by Universal, edited by Karl Heinz Füssl, and in the critical edition Le opere di Antonio Vivaldi, edited by G. F. Malipiero, et al. Autograph: The composer’s manuscript is in the Biblioteca Nazionale Universitaria in Turin, Italy. Notes: This setting is in one movement. Michael Talbot notes that it is by far the longest single movement Vivaldi composed. The resulting ritornello structure provides opportunities for varying the constituency of the continuo group by section. Performance Issues: The choral writing is mostly syllabic and often homophonic. All of the choral material is clearly doubled by the strings. This majority of this work is assigned to the soloists. The string writing is generally easy, although there are passages in octaves that present intonation challenges. Soloists: soprano I - range: f#'-g'', tessitura: a'-g'', this is a lyric solo in duet with soprano II; soprano II - range: f'-f'', tessitura: g'-e♭'', this is a lyric solo in duet with soprano II; alto - range: c#'-f'', tessitura: d'-d'', this is the largest solo, it is a lyric role for mezzo-soprano. Choir: easy; Orchestra: easy. Selected Discography: Susan Gritton, Catrin Wyn-Davies, Catherine Denley; King’s Consort; conducted by Robert King. Hyperion: CDA66789. Selected Bibliography: Fort, Robert E. An Analysis of Thirteen Vesper Psalms of Antonio Vivaldi Contained in the Foà-Giordano Collection with Appendix Containing Photocopies of the Manuscripts. Union Theological Seminary, dissertation, 1971. Whittemore, Joan M. Revision of Music Performed at the Venetian Ospedali in the Eighteenth Century. University of Illinois, dissertation, 1986. Talbot, Michael. “Critical Notes” for Beatus vir, RV 598, 79-83. Milan: Ricordi, 2003.
Beatus vir, RV 795 (1739) Duration: ca. 25 minutes Text: The Latin text is taken from Psalm 112 (Vulgate 111). Performing Forces: voices: soprano and 3 alto soloists, SATB choir; orchestra: strings and continuo First Performance: It is likely that this work was written for Easter Sunday, 29 March 1739, at the Ospedale dela Pietà in Venice.
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Editions: Beatus vir, RV 795 appears in the critical score Nuova edizione critica delle opere di Antonio Vivaldi, edited by Michael Talbot under the auspices of the Instituto Italiano Antonio Vivaldi and published by Ricordi. Autograph: There are fragments of the composer’s manuscript in the Fondo Esposti at the Conservatorio di Musica, “Benedetto Marcello,” in Venice. A complete score in the hand of a copyist and listed as a work of Baldassare Galuppi is in the Sächsische Landesbibliothek in Dresden. The fragments in Venice were rediscovered by Michael Talbot in 1982, and the complete score in the hand of a copyist was found in by Peter Ryom in 1992. Notes: This composition is a reworking of the Beatus vir, RV 597 for single choir and orchestra and a different disposition of soloists. Performance Issues: There are divisi for the choral sopranos and altos. The choral writing includes some vocally demanding melismatic passagework in the final movement, but the rest of the choral material is simple sustained chordal singing. The vocal material is well supported by the orchestra. There is a violin solo in one movement that is ornate and exposed. The string writing is idiomatic, but includes some challenging passagework that requires experienced players. Soloists: soprano - range: c'-f'', tessitura: e'-e'', this is a lyric solo with considerable coloratura passagework; alto I - range: c'-c'', tessitura: c'-c'', this is a lyric solo with rapid coloratura passagework; alto II - range: c'd'', tessitura: c'-c'', this is a lyric solo with some florid passagework; alto III - range: f-c'', tessitura: g-g', this is a lyric solo with rapid coloratura passagework. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: The King’s Consort; conducted by Robert King. Hyperion: CDA66809. Selected Bibliography: Talbot, Michael. “Critical Notes” for Beatus vir, RV 795, 129-139. Milan: Ricordi, 1995.
Credidi propter quod locutus sum, RV 605 Duration: ca. 7 minutes Text: The Latin text is taken from Psalm 116 (Vulgate 115). Performing Forces: voices: SATTB choir; orchestra: strings and continuo First Performance: Unknown Editions: Credidi propter quod locutus sum, RV 605 appears in the critical score Nuova edizione critica delle opere di Antonio Vivaldi, edited by Michael Talbot
under the auspices of the Instituto Italiano Antonio Vivaldi and published by Ricordi. Autograph: The composer’s manuscript is in the Biblioteca Nazionale Universitaria in Turin, Italy. Notes: This work may have been intended for the festival of St. Lorenzo in Damaso (10 August) for the eponymous church in Rome or for the church of St. Lorenzo in Venice. Performance Issues: The choral writing is a combination of pervasive imitation and homophony. The vocal parts are doubled by the instruments throughout the work. This composition is heavily influenced by earlier polyphonic styles, and attention will need to be paid to nuances of dissonance and release. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: easy. Selected Discography: King’s Consort; conducted by Robert King. Hyperion: CDA66789. Selected Bibliography: Talbot, Michael. “Critical Notes” for Credidi propter quod locutus sum, RV 605, 67-72. Milan: Ricordi, 1994.
Credo, RV 591 (mid-1710s) Duration: ca. 11 minutes Text: The Latin text is one section of the ordinary of the Roman Catholic eucharistic liturgy. Performing Forces: voices: SATB choir; orchestra: continuo and strings First Performance: Unknown, but probably in the Ospedale dela Pietà in Venice Editions: Credo, RV 591 appears in the critical score Nuova edizione critica delle opere di Antonio Vivaldi, edited by Michael Talbot under the auspices of the Instituto Italiano Antonio Vivaldi and published by Ricordi. It is also published by Universal, edited by Renato Fasano, and by Kalmus, edited by Clayton Westermann, and it appears in the critical edition Le opere di Antonio Vivaldi, edited by G. F. Malipiero et al. Autograph: The composer’s manuscript is in the Biblioteca Nazionale Universitaria in Turin, Italy. Notes: This work provides an ideal companion for either of Vivaldi’s settings of the Gloria, RV 588 and RV 589 [qv]. These works are also for a single four-part choir and orchestra. Performance Issues: This work is well conceived for a less-experienced choir that has access to quality string players. The vocal material is mostly homophonic, and even in the imitative movements, it is primarily syllabic. The choral lines are clearly supported by the
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
accompaniment throughout. The string writing is very practically written and sounds more difficult than it is. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Ernst Senff Chor; Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra; conducted by Carlo Naria Giulini. Sony. King’s Consort; conducted by Robert King. Hyperion: CDA66769. Selected Bibliography: Casella, Alfredo. “Le composizioni sacre e vocali di Antonio Vivaldi.” Antonio Vivaldi: Note e documenti sulla vita e sulle opere, 15-22. Siena: Accademia Musicale Chigiana, 1939. Talbot, Michael. “Critical Notes” for Credo, RV 591, 8085. Milan: Ricordi, 2003.
Dixit Dominus, RV 594 1720s or early 1730s)
(probably late
Duration: ca. 23 minutes Text: This Latin text is from Psalm 110 (Vulgate 109). Performing Forces: voices: 2 soprano, alto,456 tenor, and bass soloists; 2 SATB choirs; orchestra I: 2 oboes, 2 trumpets, strings, and continuo; orchestra II: strings, and continuo
solo with significant coloratura, in parallel passages in duet with soprano II, it is the higher part; soprano II range: d'-f#'', tessitura: e'-e'', this is a lyric solo with significant coloratura, in parallel passages in duet with soprano II, it is the higher part; alto - range: b-c'', tessitura: b-b', this is a sustained lyric solo with some rapid passagework; tenor - range: c-e', tessitura: e-c', this is a lyric solo with rapid coloratura that appears in duet with the bass; bass - range: G-c', tessitura: B-b, this is a lyric solo with rapid coloratura that appears in duet with the tenor. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Emanuela Galli, Monique Zanetti, Ian Honeyman, Mario Cecchetti; Ensemble Pian&Forte; Ensemble Vocale il canto di Orfeo; conducted by Francesco Fanna. Recorded in the Chiesa di San Carlo a Vigevano, Pavia, Italy, May 2006. Stradivarius: 33812. Susan Gritton, Lisa Milne, Catherine Denley, Lynton Atkinson, David Wilson-Johnson; King’s Consort; conducted by Robert King. Hyperion: CDA66769. Selected Bibliography: Talbot, Michael. “Critical Notes” for Dixit Dominus, RV 594, 154-163. Milan: Ricordi, 2002.
First Performance: Unknown, this work may have been intended for the festival of St. Lorenzo in Damaso (10 August) for the eponymous church in Rome or for the church of St. Lorenzo in Venice.457
Dixit Dominus, RV 595
Editions: Dixit Dominus, RV 594 appears in the critical score Nuova edizione critica delle opere di Antonio Vivaldi, edited by Michael Talbot under the auspices of the Instituto Italiano Antonio Vivaldi and published by Ricordi.
Performing Forces: voices: 2 soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SSATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes, trumpet, strings, and continuo
Autograph: The composer’s manuscript is in the Biblioteca Nazionale Universitaria in Turin, Italy. Notes: This work effectively reprises the musical material of the opening movement in the final movement. Performance Issues: The choirs are aligned with the two orchestras, as are the soprano soloists. Placement of the singers to accentuate the antiphonal effects of the score will be important. The choral material is well supported by the instruments. There are vocally challenging passages for all singers requiring choirs with secure vocal technique and flexibility. The instrumental writing is idiomatic, but technically challenging, requiring the use of experienced players. Soloists: soprano I - range: d'-g'', tessitura: f#'-f#'', this is a lyric 456 The cover and title page omit mention of an alto solo, but movement IV is a contralto aria. 457 Michael Talbot, “Critical Notes” for Dixit Dominus, RV 594, 154 (Milan: Ricordi, 2002).
Duration: ca. 24 minutes Text: This Latin text is from Psalm 110 (Vulgate 109).
First Performance: Unknown, but probably in the Ospedale dela Pietà in Venice Editions: Dixit Dominus, RV 595 appears in the critical score Nuova edizione critica delle opere di Antonio Vivaldi, edited by Michael Talbot under the auspices of the Instituto Italiano Antonio Vivaldi and published Ricordi. Autograph: A collection of manuscript parts in various hands (none the composer) is in the music archive of the Czech Museum of Music in the Narodní Museum in Prague. Notes: This is one of three known settings of this text by Vivaldi. In this work, Vivaldi borrows elements from other works, including an anonymous Dixit Dominus in his library as well as a work from Antonio Lotti.458 458 Michael Talbot, “Critical Notes” for Dixit Dominus, RV 595, 172 (Milan: Ricordi, 1993).
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Performance Issues: Much of the choral writing is homophonic, but there are extended passages of choral coloratura. Movement VII features the choir singing rapid melismatic passages in full unison, as a result the choir must be technically strong and capable of clear rapid unison singing. All of the instrumental parts include technically demanding passages. There are exposed solos for the trumpet that extend over a wide range. Overall, the choral and orchestral writing is consistent and flattering to the ensemble, but it will expose technical deficiencies in less-polished groups. Soloists: soprano I - range: c'-a'', tessitura: e'-e'', this is a lyric solo that appears above soprano II in duets, it includes significant coloratura passages; soprano II range: e'-f'', tessitura: g'-e'', this is a lyric solo that appears below soprano I in duets; alto - range: b-f#'', tessitura: e'-e'', this is a lyric solo with some highly ornamented figures; tenor - range: a-f#', tessitura: a-e', this is a simple lyric solo that appears only in duet and trio; bass - range: A-d', tessitura: B-b, this is a simple lyric solo that appears only in duet and trio. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Carmella Apollonio, Elisabetta Andreani, Oldrich Vlcek; Prague Chamber Choir, Virtuosi di Praga; conducted by Francesco Fanna. Koch Discover International. Michele Deboer, Jane Archibald, Anita Krause, Peter Mahon, Giles Tomkins, Nils Brown; Aradia Ensemble; conducted by Kevin Mallon. Recorded in Grace Church on the Hill, Toronto, September 2003. Naxos: 8557445. Emanuela Galli, Monique Zanetti, Furio Zanasi, Ian Honeyman, Mario Cecchetti; Ensemble Pian&Forte; Ensemble Vocale iL canto di Orfeo; conducted by Francesco Fanna. Recorded in the Chiesa di San Carlo a Vigevano, Pavia, Italy, May 2006. Stradivarius: 33812. Susan Gritton, Catrin Wyn-Davies, Catherine Denley, Charles Daniels, Michael George; King’s Consort; conducted by Robert King. Hyperion: CDA66789. Selected Bibliography: Talbot, Michael. “Critical Notes” for Dixit Dominus, RV 595, 170-180. Milan: Ricordi, 1993.
Dixit Dominus, RV 807 Duration: ca. 21 minutes Text: This Latin text is from Psalm 110 (Vulgate 109). Performing Forces: voices: 2 soprano, alto, and 2 tenor soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes, trumpet, strings, and continuo First Performance: Unknown, but probably in the Ospedale dela Pietà in Venice
Editions: Dixit Dominus, RV 807 appears in the critical score Nuova edizione critica delle opere di Antonio Vivaldi, edited by Michael Talbot under the auspices of the Instituto Italiano Antonio Vivaldi and published by Ricordi. Autograph: A manuscript is in the Sächsische Landesbibliothek — Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek Dresden. Notes: This composition was identified as a work of Vivaldi in 2005 by Australian scholar Janice Stockigt. It was found with a handful of other previously unknown works by Vivaldi in a collection of manuscripts from the copyist Giuseppe Baldan that he had sent to the Saxon Hofkapelle attributed to Baldassare Galuppi. Performance Issues: The choral writing is supported by the orchestra. There are a significant variety of contrapuntal textures given to the choir including homophonic writing and rich fugal passages. There are numerous melismatic passages for the choir, which are not doubled by the strings. There are a number of brief solos within the choral numbers that could be assigned to choristers. Some of the choral tenor material is surprisingly low. The string writing is idiomatic, but technically sophisticated requiring seasoned players. This work requires an experienced choir and very strong soloists. Soloists: soprano I - range: d'-a'', tessitura: e'f#'', this is a lyric solo with substantial coloratura passagework; soprano II - range: e'-e'', tessitura: e'-e'', this is a lyric solo that appears in duets with soprano I; altorange: b-d'', tessitura: c-c', this is a rich solo with significant coloratura and long phrases; tenor I - range: cg', tessitura: g-e', this is a lyric solo with rapid melismatic passagework, in duet with the other tenor it is the higher part; tenor II- range: f#-g', tessitura: g-e', this is a lyric solo with rapid melismatic passagework, in duet with the other tenor it is the lower part. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Alessandra Gardidi, Cristina Paolucci, Gloria Banditelli, Mario Cecchetti, Paolo Macedonio; Coro Canticum Novum, Accademia Barocca Hermans; conducted by Fabio Ciofini. Recorded in Chiesa di Sant’Agostino, July 2007. La Bottega Discantica: 169. Selected Bibliography: Stockigt, Janice, and Michael Talbot. “Two More New Vivaldi Finds in Dresden.” Eighteenth-Century Music, volume 3, number 1 (2006). Talbot, Michael. “Critical Notes” for Dixit Dominus, RV 807, 162-171. Milan: Ricordi, 2006.
Domine ad adjuvandum me festina, RV 593 Duration: ca. 8 minutes Text: This Latin text is taken from Psalm 69, verse 2 with the Gloria Patri.
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Performing Forces: voices: soprano soloist; 2 SATB choirs; orchestra I: 2 oboes, strings, and continuo; orchestra II: strings and continuo First Performance: Unknown, but probably in the Ospedale dela Pietà in Venice Editions: RV 593 appears in the critical edition Nuova edizione critica delle opere di Antonio Vivaldi, edited by Instituto Italiano Antonio Vivaldi. Autograph: The composer’s manuscript is in the Biblioteca Nazionale Universitaria in Turin, Italy. Notes: This work is divided into three movements. Performance Issues: In the opening movement, the choral writing is primarily homophonic and declamatory with the vocal material well supported by the instruments, but not directly doubled in all parts. In that movement the choirs pass musical material back and forth, for which a physical division of the choirs and orchestras would be beneficial to a successful antiphonal effect. In the final movement the choirs and orchestras are unified, but with fugal material. All of the choral parts include rapid declamation of text and florid melismas. The orchestral writing is idiomatic, but requires technically secure players. The oboe parts double the two violin parts of orchestra I, but do not appear in the middle movement. Soloist: soprano range: c'-f#'', tessitura: e'-e'', this is a lyrical and sustained solo with some florid ornaments. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Discography: Tunde Frankó Budapest Madrigal Choir; Hungarian State Orchestra; conducted by Ferenc Szekeres. Recorded in March 2003 in the Hungaroton Studios. Hungaroton: 32182. Susan Gritton; King’s Consort; conducted by Robert King. Hyperion: CDA66789. Selected Bibliography: Fort, Robert Edwin. An Analysis of Thirteen Vesper Psalms of Antonio Vivaldi Contained in the FoàGiordano Manuscripts. Union Theological Seminary: dissertation, 1971.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
First Performance: Unknown Editions: Jubilate, o amoeni chori, RV 639/639a and Gloria, RV 588 appear in the critical score Nuova edizione critica delle opere di Antonio Vivaldi, edited by Michael Talbot under the auspices of the Instituto Italiano Antonio Vivaldi and published by Ricordi. It is published as Introduction and Gloria, edited by Clayton Westermann, by Kalmus. Autograph: The composer’s manuscript is in the Biblioteca Nazionale Universitaria in Turin, Italy. Notes: This work can pair with Jubilate, o amoeni chori, RV 639/639a, which is an introduction and interpolation of a set of arias for alto intended to expand this work. The alternate version is an adaptation for soprano soloist that is moderately revised. Performance Issues: There are two soprano arias. The second aria matches the tessitura of the soprano II part of the duet, and the first aria is a better match for the soprano I. The choral material is primarily in pervasive imitation. The vocal parts are well supported by the instruments, and the choral parts are not technically demanding. This is a work that would be well suited to an intermediate-level choir with professional soloists. The oboe I has an exposed solo with some rapid passagework. The orchestral writing includes two independent viola parts and some rich textures, but the string writing is within the abilities of most amateur groups. Soloists: soprano I - range: c'-a'', tessitura: a'-f#'', this is a lyric solo in duet with the other soprano and a coloratura aria; soprano II - range: d'f#'', tessitura: d'-d'', this is a lyric solo in duet with the other soprano and a coloratura aria; alto459 - range: d'f'' (d'-g'' in RV 639a), tessitura: e'-e'', this is a significant lyric solo with long phrases and rapid passagework; tenor - range: f#-f#', tessitura: f#-f#', this is a declamatory solo. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Bibliography: Talbot, Michael. “Critical Notes” for Jubilate, o amoeni chori, RV 639/639a and Gloria, RV 588, 160-170. Milan: Ricordi, 1990.
Gloria, RV 589 (c. 1715)
Gloria, RV 588 (after 1715)
Duration: ca. 27 minutes
Duration: ca. 35 minutes when paired with RV 639
Text: The Latin text is one section of the ordinary of the Roman Catholic eucharistic liturgy.
Text: The Latin text is one section of the ordinary of the Roman Catholic eucharistic liturgy. Performing Forces: voices: 2 soprano, alto, and tenor soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes, trumpet, strings, and continuo 459 Based upon the use of Jubilate, o amoeni chori, RV 639/639a.
Performing Forces: voices: 2 soprano and alto soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: oboe, trumpet, continuo, and strings
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
First Performance: Unknown, but probably in 1715 in the Ospedale dela Pietà in Venice Editions: Gloria is available in an edition prepared Elmer Thomas from Roger Dean Publishing (pianovocal score: CC96, full score: PP129, parts: PP128, and a continuo realization: PP127; this edition also includes an optional “accompaniment” cassette, as well as an organ transcription of the accompaniment PP135; all are available for purchase); an edition prepared by Clayton Westermann is published by Kalmus (piano-vocal score, full score, and parts) all available for purchase. Walton publishes an edition by Mason Martens, and Ricordi publishes an edition made by Gian Francesco Malipiero and a subsequent arrangement by Alfredo Casella. N.B. The Ricordi/Casella edition does not correspond with any other edition, so it is impractical to use it with materials from other publishers. The score contains no explanations as to why some measures have been removed. There are also some minor errors in the Kalmus edition, particularly in the continuo realization. Autograph: The composer’s manuscript is in the Biblioteca Nazionale Universitaria in Turin, Italy–Tome 1, ff. 90v-129r. Notes: The work is organized into twelve movements. Performance Issues: The choral writing is very practical and accessible to young choirs. Often the vocal lines are directly double by the instruments, although often in inversions. At all times, the harmonies of the choral parts are clearly supported by the accompaniment. The instrumental parts are idiomatic and will play well with amateur ensembles. The trumpet part has a high tessitura requiring a solid player, but it appears in only movements 1, 11, and 12, so there is adequate recovery time. The oboe appears only in those three movements and movement 6 throughout, which it has an exposed solo. Soloist: soprano I - range: f'f#'', tessitura: g'-e'', this is a lyric solo accessible to intermediate-level singers; soprano II - range: e'-f'', tessitura: f#'-d'', this is a lyric solo that appears only in the duet, often in thirds below the other soprano; alto - range: b♭-b', tessitura: d'-a', this is a simple declamatory solo appropriate for a chorister. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Deborah Norman, Sarah Fox, Michael Chance; Choir of King’s College, Cambridge; Academy of Ancient Music; conducted by Stephen Cleobury. Recorded in King’s College Chapel, 2001. EMI: 57265. Nancy Argenta, Ingrid Attrot, Catherine Denley; The English Consort; conducted by Trevor Pinnock. Archiv: 1078865. Recorded in St. John’s, Smith Square London, February 1987. Eva Mei, Sylvia McNair, Marjana Liposek, Elisabeth von Magnus; Arnold Schoenberg Choir, Concentus
Musicus Wien; conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec Das Alte Werk: 76989. Teresa Berganza, Valentini Terrani; New Philharmonia Chorus and Orchestra; conducted by Riccardo Muti. Recorded 1976-1977. EMI: 18755. Alessandra Gardidi, Cristina Paolucci, Gloria Banditelli, Mario Cecchetti, Paolo Macedonio; Coro Canticum Novum, Accademia Barocca Hermans; conducted by Fabio Ciofini. Recorded in Chiesa di Sant’Agostino, July 2007. La Bottega Discantica: 169. Emily Van Evera, Nancy Argenta, Alison Place, Catherinne King, Margaret Cable; Taverner Choir and Taverner Players; conducted by Andrew Parrott. This recording utilizes women on the men’s parts in an attempt to duplicate the ensemble Vivaldi had at his disposal. Virgin: 3647992 Selected Bibliography: Casella, Alfredo. “Le composizioni sacre e vocali di Antonio Vivaldi.” Antonio Vivaldi: Note e documenti sulla vita e sulle opere, 15-22. Siena: Accademia Musicale Chigiana, 1939. Moses, Don V. Face-to-Face with an Orchestra: A Handbook for Choral Conductors Performing Handel’s Messiah, Bach’s Magnificat, Vivaldi’s Gloria, and Other Works. Princeton, NJ: Prestige Publications, 1987.
In exitu Israel, RV 604 (c. 1739) Duration: ca. 4 minutes Text: The Latin text is taken from Psalm 114 (Vulgate 113). Performing Forces: voices: SATB choir; orchestra: strings and continuo First Performance: It is likely that this work was written for Easter Sunday, 29 March 1739, at the Ospedale dela Pietà in Venice. Editions: In exitu Israel, RV 604 appears in the critical score Nuova edizione critica delle opere di Antonio Vivaldi, edited by Michael Talbot under the auspices of the Instituto Italiano Antonio Vivaldi and published by Ricordi. Autograph: The composer’s manuscripts are in the Biblioteca Nazionale Universitaria in Turin, Italy, and the library of the Conservatorio di Musica Benedetto Marcello in Venice. Notes: It is likely that Vivaldi composed this work with Beatus vir, RV 597a and Confitebor tibi, Domine, RV 789, all for the Easter celebration of 1739. This setting, while effective for liturgical use, is less well suited for a concert environment. Performance Issues: The choir is set in block-chords with a rapid declamation of the psalm text. It is musically very easy for the singers. The only challenge is
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the speed of text declamation. The string writing is equally practical. Choir: easy; Orchestra: easy. Selected Discography: Taverner Choir and Taverner Players; conducted by Andrew Parrott. Virgin: 2320162. Taverner Choir and Taverner Players; conducted by Andrew Parrott. This recording utilizes women on the men’s parts in an attempt to duplicate the ensemble Vivaldi had at his disposal. Virgin: 3647992. The King’s Consort; conducted by Robert King. Hyperion: CDA66809. Selected Bibliography: Talbot, Michael. “Critical Notes” for In exitu Israel, RV 604, 51-54. Milan: Ricordi, 1990.
Jubilate, o amoeni chori, RV 639/639a (after 1715) Duration: ca. 35 minutes when paired with RV 588 Text: The author is anonymous. Performing Forces: voices: alto soloist; orchestra: strings and continuo Editions: Jubilate, o amoeni chori, RV 639/639a and Gloria, RV 588 appear in the critical score Nuova edizione critica delle opere di Antonio Vivaldi, edited by Michael Talbot under the auspices of the Instituto Italiano Antonio Vivaldi and published by Ricordi. It is published as Introduction and Gloria, edited by Clayton Westermann, by Kalmus. Autograph: The composer’s manuscript is in the Biblioteca Nazionale Universitaria in Turin, Italy. Notes: This work was written as an introduction to RV 588 [qv]. It includes a set of interpolated solos with the Gloria as well as the introductory aria. There is an arrangement, RV 639a, that substitutes a soprano for the alto soloist. Performance Issues: See Gloria, RV 588 above for ensemble information. Soloist: alto- range: d'-f'' (d'-g'' in RV 639a), tessitura: e'-e'', this is a significant lyric solo with long phrases and rapid passagework. Selected Bibliography: Talbot, Michael. “Critical Notes” for Jubilate, o amoeni chori, RV 639/639a and Gloria, RV 588, 160-170. Milan: Ricordi, 1990.
Juditha triumphans devicta Holofernis barbarie, RV 644 (1716) Duration: ca. 145 minutes
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Text: The libretto is by Jacopo Cassetti and is loosely based upon the Book of Judith from the Apocrypha of the Bible. Performing Forces: voices: soprano and 4 alto soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 treble recorders in F, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets in B♭, soprano chalumeau in B♭, 2 trumpets in D, timpani, viola d’amore, 5 violas da gamba (2 soprano, 2 tenor, 1 bass), mandolin, 4 theorbos, organ, and strings First Performance: November 1716, Venice Editions: Juditha triumphans devicta Holofernes barbarie, RV 644 appears in the critical score Nuova edizione critica delle opere di Antonio Vivaldi, edited by Michael Talbot under the auspices of the Instituto Italiano Antonio Vivaldi and published by Ricordi. It was also published in 1971 in an edition prepared by Alberto Zedda. A facsimile of the score was published in Siena in 1948. Autograph: The composer’s manuscript is in the Biblioteca Nazionale Universitaria in Turin, Italy. Notes: This is the only extant oratorio of the four Vivaldi is known to have composed. It was reintroduced to the public after it was acquired for the Biblioteca Nazionale Universitaria in Turin in 1926. The first modern performance took place in Siena in 1941. Performance Issues: The choral writing is primarily syllabic, although there are some very rapid melismas in the opening chorus. The choir appears in only a few movements and is always well supported by the instruments. The vast majority of the score is for the soloists and string. The wide array of other instruments is used intermittently for distinctive color. The clarinet parts are written in C, and the choir of violas da gamba appears as a group in two consecutive movements where it is referred to as a choir of English viols. The trumpet parts are challenging, but appear in only a few movements. This is a spectacular work that requires very experienced instrumentalists and skilled soloists, but for which many amateur choirs are adequate. Soloists: Vagaus (soprano) - range: c'-g'', tessitura: f'-f'', this is a substantial lyric role with considerable coloratura passagework; Judith (alto) - range: c'-e♭'', tessitura: d'd'', this is a substantial lyric role with considerable coloratura passagework; Holofernes (alto) - range: c'-e'', tessitura: d'-d'', this is a substantial lyric role with considerable coloratura passagework; Abra (alto) - range: d'-e'', tessitura: d'-d'', this is a lyric role with some florid passagework; Ozias (alto) - range: c'-d'', tessitura: d'-d'', this is a lyric role with some florid passagework. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: difficult. Selected Discography: Maria Jose Trullu, Tiziana Carraro, Magdalena Kozena; Academia Montis Regalis; conducted by Alessandro
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
de Marchi. Recorded at the Instituto di Musica Antica Academia Monti in October 2000. Opus 111: 30314. Sarah Connolly, Ann Murray, Jean Rigby, Susan Bickley, Maria Cristina Kiehr; The King’s Consort; conducted by Robert King. Hyperion: CDA67281.
Selected Discography:
Selected Bibliography:
Everett, Paul. “Critical Notes” for Kyrie, RV 587, 63-69. Milan: Ricordi, 2002.
Talbot, Michael. “Introduction” and “Critical Notes” for Juditha triumphans devicta Holofernes barbarie, RV 644, xvii-xl and 299-314. Milan: Ricordi, 2008.
Kyrie, RV 587 (late 1720s-early 1730s)
King’s Consort; conducted by Robert King. Hyperion: CDA66769. Selected Bibliography:
Laetatus sum, RV 607 (possibly 1717) Duration: ca. 3 minutes
Duration: ca. 12 minutes
Text: The Latin text is a setting of Psalm 122 (Vulgate 121).
Text: The Latin text is one section of the ordinary of the Roman Catholic eucharistic liturgy.
Performing Forces: voices: SATB choir; orchestra: strings and continuo
Performing Forces: voices: 2 soprano and 2 alto soloists (all optional); 2 SATB choirs; orchestra: 2 string orchestras, each with continuo
First Performance: Unknown, but probably around 1717 in the Ospedale dela Pietà in Venice
First Performance: unknown Editions: Kyrie, RV 587 appears in the critical score Nuova edizione critica delle opere di Antonio Vivaldi, edited by Paul Everett under the auspices of the Instituto Italiano Antonio Vivaldi and published by Ricordi. It is also published by Carus, edited by Walter Kolneder; Eulenberg, edited by Jürgen Braun; Kalmus, edited by Clayton Westermann; and Universal, edited by Karl Heinz Füssl; and appears in the critical edition Le opere di Antonio Vivaldi, edited by G. F. Malipiero et al. Autograph: The composer’s manuscript is in the Biblioteca Nazionale Universitaria in Turin, Italy. Notes: This work is organized into three sections with the full choirs presenting the Kyrie text in sections I and III and two SA pairs presenting the Christe. This middle section of the work could be for soloists, semichoirs, or the entire sections. Performance Issues: The choral writing includes some exquisite and striking dissonances that are exposed at times. Most of the choral material is doubled by the orchestra, but there are passages wherein the choir is independent of the accompaniment. The choirs and orchestras are treated antiphonally at times, and should be physically separated to clarify this effect. The string writing is practical and within the ability of most amateurs. Soloists: soprano I - range: f'-f'', tessitura: f'-f'', this is a lyric solo with some florid melismatic passagework; soprano II - range: e'-f'', tessitura: f'-f'', this is a lyric solo with some florid melismatic passagework; alto I - range: b-d'', tessitura: d'-c'', this is a lyric solo with some florid melismatic passagework; alto II - range: c'-d'', tessitura: d'-c'', this is a lyric solo with some florid melismatic passagework. Choir: medium difficult; Orchestra: medium easy.
Editions: Laetatus sum, RV 607 appears in the critical score Nuova edizione critica delle opere di Antonio Vivaldi, edited by Michael Talbot under the auspices of the Instituto Italiano Antonio Vivaldi and published by Ricordi. It is also published by Carus-Verlag (40.013/01), edited by Wolfgang Horn. Autograph: The composer’s manuscript is in the Biblioteca Nazionale Universitaria in Turin, Italy. Notes: This setting, while effective for liturgical use, is less well suited for a concert environment. Performance Issues: The choir is set in block-chords with a rapid declamation of the psalm text. It is musically very easy for the singers with some simple slow melismas. The violins play an obbligato melody in unison on top of the rest of the ensemble that is fairly rapid, but idiomatic. A solo violinist could be used effectively with a smaller choir. Choir: very easy; Orchestra: easy. Selected Discography: Emily Van Evera, Nancy Argenta, Alison Place, Catherinne King, Margaret Cable; Taverner Choir and Taverner Players; conducted by Andrew Parrott. This recording utilizes women on the men’s parts in an attempt to duplicate the ensemble Vivaldi had at his disposal. Virgin: 3647992. Selected Bibliography: Talbot, Michael. “Critical Notes” for Laudate Dominum omnes gentes, RV 606, 42-43. Milan: Ricordi, 1991.
Lauda Jerusalem, RV 609 (1739) Duration: ca. 7 minutes Text: The Latin text is from Psalm 147.
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Performing Forces: voices: 2 soprano soloists; 2 SATB choirs; orchestra: 2 string orchestras, each with continuo First Performance: The Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, 2 July 1739 in the Ospedale dela Pietà in Venice Editions: Lauda Jerusalem, RV 609 appears in the critical score Nuova edizione critica delle opere di Antonio Vivaldi, edited by Michael Talbot under the auspices of the Instituto Italiano Antonio Vivaldi and published by Ricordi. It is also published by Eulenberg, edited by Jürgen Braun, and Ricordi, edited by Francesco Degrada, the latter appearing in the critical edition, Le opere di Antonio Vivaldi, edited by G. F. Malipiero et al. Autograph: The composer’s manuscript is in the Biblioteca Nazionale Universitaria in Turin, Italy. Notes: The manuscript indicates the names of soloists: Margarita and Giulietta for soprano I and Fortunata and Chiaretta for soprano II. The score is marked “à 2” indicating that these were to be sung by two soloists in unison, which explains why some sources list four soprano soloists. Performance Issues: The choirs, soloists, and orchestras are often in imitation by the measure or entire passage. The groups should be physically separated to accommodate this effect. The choral parts include some pervasive imitation. They are primarily syllabic and well doubled by the strings throughout. The string writing is direct and primarily colla parte with the choirs. All of the orchestra parts are accessible to most amateur players. Soloists: soprano I - range: e'-a'', tessitura: g'-g'', this is a significant lyric solo; soprano II - range: e'-a'', tessitura: g'-g'', this is a significant lyric solo. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: easy.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Editions: Laudate Dominum omnes gentes, RV 606 appears in the critical score Nuova edizione critica delle opere di Antonio Vivaldi, edited by Michael Talbot under the auspices of the Instituto Italiano Antonio Vivaldi and published by Ricordi. Autograph: The composer’s manuscript is in the Biblioteca Nazionale Universitaria in Turin, Italy. Notes: There are two settings of this text by Vivaldi: RV 606 in D minor, and RV 614 in F major. The authenticity of the latter is in question, and it is not reviewed here. This setting, while effective for liturgical use, is less well suited for a concert environment. Performance Issues: The choir is set in block-chords with a rapid declamation of the psalm text. It is musically very easy for the singers with some simple slow melismas. The violins play an obbligato melody in unison on top of the rest of the ensemble. A solo violinist could be used effectively with a smaller choir. Choir: easy; Orchestra: easy. Selected Discography: Emily Van Evera, Nancy Argenta, Alison Place, Catherinne King, Margaret Cable; Taverner Choir and Taverner Players; conducted by Andrew Parrott. This recording utilizes women on the men’s parts in an attempt to duplicate the ensemble Vivaldi had at his disposal. Virgin: 3647992. The King’s Consort; conducted by Robert King. Hyperion: CDA66809. Selected Bibliography: Talbot, Michael. “Critical Notes” for Laudate Dominum omnes gentes, RV 606, 26-27. Milan: Ricordi, 1990.
Laudate pueri Dominum, RV 602/602a (c. 1717)
Selected Discography:
Duration: ca. 20 minutes
Susan Gritton, Lisa Milne; King’s Consort; conducted by Robert King. Hyperion: CDA66769.
Text: The Latin text is from Psalm 113 (Vulgate 112).
Selected Bibliography: Talbot, Michael. “Critical Notes” for Lauda Jerusalem, RV 609, 60-68. Milan: Ricordi, 2004.
Laudate Dominum omnes gentes, RV 606 (possibly 1717) Duration: ca. 3 minutes Text: The Latin text is Psalm 117 (Vulgate 116). Performing Forces: voices: SATB choir; orchestra: strings and continuo First Performance: Unknown, but probably around 1717 in the Ospedale dela Pietà in Venice
Performing Forces: voices: 2 soprano soloist; SATB choir; orchestra: oboe (or flute), two string orchestras each with continuo First Performance: Unknown, but probably in the Ospedale dela Pietà in Venice Editions: Laudate pueri Dominum, RV 602/602a appears in the critical score Nuova edizione critica delle opere di Antonio Vivaldi, edited by Michael Talbot under the auspices of the Instituto Italiano Antonio Vivaldi and published by Ricordi. Autograph: The composer’s manuscript is in the Biblioteca Nazionale Universitaria in Turin, Italy. Notes: There are five compositions of this title in the current catalog of Vivaldi’s works: RV 600 in C minor for soprano, strings, and continuo; RV601 in G major
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
for soprano, flute, 2 oboes, strings and continuo; and three works with choir. RV 602 in A major for 2 soprano soloists, SATB choir, oboe, 2 string orchestras, and continuo was composed around 1717; it was reworked in the 1720s as RV 602a with 2 soprano soloists, 2 SATB choirs and flute rather than oboe; and it was completely revised as RV 603 [qv] in the 1730s for 1 soprano soloist, 2 choirs, flute, and two string orchestras. Performance Issues: This work treats the two string choirs and the soloists antiphonally. The groups and soloists should be well matched and placed in the performance to best exploit the dialog effect. The choir has only brief passages within the work, which is a feature for the soloists. The choral writing is homophonic and clearly doubled by the instruments. The oboe solo in movement VII A and the alternate flute solo in VII B are exposed and florid requiring adept players in either iteration. The string writing is idiomatic and sensitively balanced with the vocal parts. The string parts are similar to those in most of Vivaldi’s concerto accompaniments and will require experienced players throughout. The continuo parts were probably intended for organ. Having one of these parts realized on organ and the other on harpsichord may provide additional separation between the ensembles. Soloists: soprano I - range: e'-g#'', tessitura: g#'-f#'', this is a challenging lyric solo with significant coloratura writing; soprano II - range: d'-g#'', tessitura: g#'f#'', this is a challenging lyric solo with significant coloratura writing. Choir: easy; Orchestra: medium difficult. Selected Bibliography: Talbot, Michael. “Critical Notes” for Laudate pueri Dominum RV 602/602a, 126-135. Milan: Ricordi, 1995.
Magnificat, RV 610/611 (c. late 1720s) The original work is RV 610, which has two versions. RV 610a has some passages for double choir; RV 610b can be performed with SATB choir throughout and does not require oboes, but can utilize two trumpets. Later, Vivaldi composed five arias to display the talents of specific singers, which resulted in RV 611. Three of these arias serve as substitutes to existing movements and two are additions.460 Duration:
RV 610 RV 611
ca. 15 minutes ca. 22 minutes
Text: The Latin text is from the Bible: Luke, chapter 1. Performing Forces:
460 David Daniels, Orchestral Music: A Handbook, 4th edition, 410 (Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press, 2005).
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Graulich edition, RV 610 and RV 611 voices: 2 soprano, alto, and tenor soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes, continuo, and strings Landon edition, RV 610 only voices: 2 soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes, 2 bassoons, cornetto, 3 trombones, continuo, and strings Malipiero edition, RV 610 and RV 611 voices: 2 soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes, continuo, and strings461 Westermann edition, RV 610 and RV 611 voices: 2 soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 oboes, continuo, and strings First Performance: Unknown, but probably in the late 1720s in the Ospedale dela Pietà in Venice Editions: Magnificat, RV 610/611 appears in the critical score Nuova edizione critica delle opere di Antonio Vivaldi, edited by Michael Talbot under the auspices of the Instituto Italiano Antonio Vivaldi and published by Ricordi. It is also published by Carus, edited by Günter Graulich; Kalmus, edited by Clayton Westermann; Ricordi, edited by Gian Francesco Malipiero; and Universal, edited by H. C. Robbins Landon. Both versions appear in the critical edition Le opere di Antonio Vivaldi, edited by G. F. Malipiero et al., and Nuova edizione critica delle opere di Antonio Vivaldi, edited by Instituto Italiano Antonio Vivaldi. Autograph: The composer’s manuscripts of both versions are in the Biblioteca Nazionale Universitaria in Turin, Italy – Tome V. ff 89-113. Additional manuscript materials are in the library of the Conservatorio di Musica Benedetto Marcello in Venice, and the Music Archives in Prague Castle. Notes: The Westermann edition includes solos for alternate assignment. Performance Issues: The choral writing is accessible to amateur ensembles and is well reinforced by the accompaniment. The score indicates primo and secondo choro for two continuo groups. When possible alternating between organ and harpsichord and cello and bassoon is recommended. The two oboes appear only in movement 8. There are numerous tutti passages for the violins. Solo players are viable throughout the score. Soloists: soprano I - range: f'-g'', tessitura: f'-f'', this is a simple lyric solo with some long phrases; soprano II - range: e'-f'', tessitura: f'-d'', this is a simple solo that appears only in a duet primarily in thirds with soprano I; alto - range: c'-d'', tessitura: d'-b♭', this is a simple sustained solo; tenor - range: f-g', tessitura: ff'; bass - range: B♭-d', tessitura: c-c', this is a simple declamatory solo. The alternate solo movements are much more florid and vocally challenging than those 461 If the RV 611 version is performed, the oboes are not required.
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in RV 610 for which choristers are ideal nominees. Choir: easy; Orchestra: medium easy.
Selected Discography: RV 610: Helen Groves, Paul Agnew; Ex Cathedra; conducted by Jeffrey Skidmore. Recorded in 1991 in the Oratory, Birmingham, England. Alto: 1176. Deborah Norman, Sarah Fox, Michael Chance, Jonathan Lemalu; Choir of King’s College, Cambridge; Academy of Ancient Music; conducted by Stephen Cleobury. Recorded in King’s College Chapel, 2001. EMI: 57265. RV 610a: Susan Gritton, Lisa Milne, Catherine Denley, Lynton Atkinson; King’s Consort; conducted by Robert King. Hyperion: CDA66769. RV 611: Teresa Berganza, Valentini Terrani; New Philharmonia Chorus and Orchestra; conducted by Riccardo Muti. Recorded 1976-1977. EMI: 18755. Emily Van Evera, Nancy Argenta, Alison Place, Catherinne King, Margaret Cable; Taverner Choir and Taverner Players; conducted by Andrew Parrott. This recording utilizes women on the men’s parts in an attempt to duplicate the ensemble Vivaldi had at his disposal. Virgin: 3647992. Selected Bibliography: Whittemore, Joan M. Revision of Music Performed at the Venetian Ospedali in the Eighteenth Century. University of Illinois, dissertation, 1986. Talbot, Michael. “Critical Notes” for Magnificat, RV 610/611, 115-130. Milan: Ricordi, 1999.
WALTON, William (b. Oldham, 29 March 1902; d. Ischia, Italy, 8 March 1983) Walton was the son of a choirmaster and a singer. He was a chorister at Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford (1912-1918). He was admitted as a special undergraduate student at Christ Church in 1918, but failed to complete a required exam for his degree. In 1918, he became a companion to Osbert, Sacheverell, and Edith Sitwell, touring England and Italy with them (19201930). This allowed him free time for composition and introduced him to many aspects of European culture. His first commercial success in music came from film composition, which he began in 1934. His later 462 Carolyn J. Smith, William Walton: A Bio-Bibliography (Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1988).
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
works were all commissioned pieces. In 1948, he married Susana Gil and moved to Ischia, Italy. Walton maintained a busy schedule of guest conducting appearances and performances of his works throughout the world. His music is characterized by a balance between spiky rhythms, broad melodic leaps, and biting dissonances and an Elgar-like melancholy filled with lush and languid passages.462 Awards: Seven honorary doctorates, the Gold Medal of the Royal Philharmonic Society (1947), knighthood (1951), Order of Merit (1967), Benjamin Franklin Medal (1972), and the Ivor Novello Award (1982), honorary member of the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters (1978) Teachers: Ernest Ansermet, Ferruccio Busoni, Edward J. Dent Principal Works: operas - Troilus and Cressida (19481954, revised 1972-1976), The Bear (1967); film scores - As You Like It (1930), Major Barbara (1940), Next of Kin (1941), The Foreman Went to France (1941), The First of the Few (1942), Went the Day Well? (1942), Henry V (1944), Hamlet (1947), Richard III (1955), The Battle of Britain (1969), Three Sisters (1970); orchestral - Symphony No. 1 (19311935), Symphony No. 2 (1959-1960), Façade (1921, many revisions), Portsmouth Point (1925), Viola Concerto (1928-1929), Crown Imperial (1937, revised 1963), Violin Concerto (1938-1939, revised 1943), Scapino (1940, revised 1950), Orb and Sceptre (1953), Cello Concerto (1956), Variations on a Theme of Hindemith (1962-1963), Capriccio Burlesco (1968), Façade 2 (1979); choral - In Honour of the City of London (1937), Set Me as a Seal Upon Thy Heart (1938), Coronation Te Deum (1952-1953), Gloria (1960), Missa Brevis (1966), Cantico del Sol (1973-1974), and Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis (1975) Selected Composer Bibliography: “Walton, Sir William.” Current Biography Yearbook, i (March 1940); obituary, xliv (May 1983). New York: H. W. Wilson Company. Hansler, George E. Stylistic Characteristics and Trends in the Choral Music of Five Twentieth-Century Composers: A Study of the Choral Works of Benjamin Britten, Gerald Finzi, Constant Lambert, Michael Tippett, and William Walton. New York University, dissertation, 1957. Craggs, Stewart R. William Walton: A Thematic Catalogue of His Musical Works. London: Oxford University Press, 1977. Fulton, W. K. Selected Choral Works of William Walton. Texas Technical College, dissertation, 1981.
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Tierney, Niel. William Walton: His Life and Music. London: Robert Hale, 1984. Ottaway, Hugh. “William Walton.” The New Grove Twentieth-Century English Masters, 175-200. New York: W.W. Norton, 1986. Smith, Carolyn J. William Walton: A Bio-Bibliography. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1988. Kennedy, Michael. Portrait of Walton. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1989.
Belshazzar’s Feast (1929-1931) Duration: ca. 35 minutes Text: After the Bible (Daniel, and Psalms 81 and 137) by Sir Osbert Sitwell Performing Forces: voices: baritone soloist; SSAATTBB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, English horn (only if no saxophone is available), 3 clarinets (clarinet II doubling E♭ clarinet, clarinet III doubling bass clarinet), alto saxophone, 2 bassoons, contrabassoons, 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani (4), percussion (4 players - snare drum, tenor drum, triangle, tambourine, castanets, cymbals, bass drum, gong, xylophone, glockenspiel, wood block, slapsticks, anvil), 2 harps, piano (ad lib.), organ, and strings; two brass bands (optional): one to the conductor’s left and one to the conductor’s right, each consisting of 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, and a tuba First Performance: 8 October 1931; Leeds Town Hall; Dennis Noble; Leeds Festival Chorus, London Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Sir Malcolm Sargent Edition: Belshazzar’s Feast is published and distributed by Oxford University Press. The full score and pianovocal score are for sale; orchestral materials are available for rental. Autograph: The composer had been unable to trace, and it has remained lost since his death. Notes: The presence of the additional brass forces was suggested to the composer by Sir Thomas Beecham, who was preparing a performance of the Berlioz Requiem at the time. It was commissioned by the BBC, and is dedicated to Lord Berners. Most of the research for Sitwell’s preparation of the text was done by Lady Christabel Aberconway. The composer made changes in the scoring between #74 and #77 between the first performance and the London premiere. Portions of the revisions can be found in manuscripts in the Walton Trust.463 Performance Issues: This is a highly chromatic work, which is tonally founded and achieves dissonance through logical voice-leading procedures. Harmonic 463 Stewart R. Craggs, William Walton: A Thematic Catalogue of His Musical Works (London: Oxford University Press, 1977).
stability is enhanced by regular use of pedal point. The choral writing is contrapuntally varied and keenly balances long melodic phrases with sections of choral recitative. There are optional cues for instruments to double the choir in some of the a cappella sections if pitch stability becomes a problem. Walton maintains a high tessitura and dynamic level in all of the choral parts. It is therefore a very physically demanding work for the singers. The choir has some phrases, which are almost hocketed between sections of the group. Since a large choir is needed, care must be taken to guarantee that such sections do not slow down. The orchestral parts are individually difficult, but the greater challenge is the integration of the ensemble. There are intricately entwined motives between displaced sections of the orchestra. This is made more complicated by the addition of the antiphonal brass bands. There is some elaborate passagework for the winds and upper strings, some in unison and some contrapuntally diverse. The score also calls for a variety of timbral effects from the instruments, which may present some problems in balance and clarity. The physical separation of the brass bands on either side of the audience is quite crucial to the overall effect of the piece. This is a magnificently exciting work requiring a large and experienced vocal ensemble, a fine orchestra, and much rehearsal time to coordinate them. Soloist: baritone, range: B♭-f', tessitura: f-d', this role requires a large voice with great clarity. There is an unaccompanied recitative between [14] and [15]. Choir: difficult; Orchestra: difficult. Selected Discography: Dennis Noble; Huddersfield Choral Society and Brass Bands, Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra; conducted by Walton. Recorded in 1943. Victor: Set 974 [78]; EMI -The HMV Treasury: ED 29 0715 1 [LP mono]. Unlisted soloist and ensemble; conducted by Sir Adrian Boult. Nixa: NLP904. Donald Bell; Philharmonia Choir and Orchestra; conducted by Walton. Recorded in 1959. Columbia: CX1679 [LP mono], SAX 2319 [LP stereo]. Benjamin Luxon; Choirs of Salisbury, Winchester, and Chichester Cathedrals; London Philharmonic Orchestra; conducted by George Solti. London: 26525 [LP]. Benjamin Luxon; Royal Philharmonic and Chorus; conducted by André Previn. MCA Classics: MCAD-6187 [DDD], and RPO Records: RPO 7013 [DDD]. Sherrill Milnes; Scottish National Orchestra and Chorus, Scottish Festival Brass Bands; conducted by Alexander Gibson. Recorded in 1977. Chandos: CHAN 6547 [ADD/DDD].
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John Shirley-Quirk; London Symphony Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by André Previn. Angel: CDC47624 [ADD]. Thomas Allen; St. Louis Symphony Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Leonard Slatkin. RCA (Red Seal): 60813-2 [DDD]. G. Howell; Bach Choir, Philharmonia Orchestra; conducted by Sir David Willcocks. Recorded in February 1990. Chandos: CHAN-8760 [DDD]. William Stone; Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Robert Shaw. Telarc: CD-80181 [DDD]. Selected Bibliography: [review of the premiere] anon. Yorkshire Post (9 October 1931): 5. Cardus, Neville. [review of the premiere], Manchester Guardian (10 October 1931): 13. Elliot, J. H. [review], Sackbut, xii (1932): 84-86. McNaught, William. [review], The Musical Times, lxxiii (1932): 68. [review], Boston Evening Transcript (30 March 1933): 13. Hughes, Spike. Second Movement, continuing the autobiography of Spike Hughes. London: Museum Press, 1951. Foreman, Lewis. From Parry to Britten: British Music in Letters 1900-1945, 151, 152, 158, 189, 208, 280. Portland, OR: Amadeus Press, 1987.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
at Duke University, where he remained an emeritus faculty member since his retirement in 1987. Ward’s music is fairly conservative with an excellent affinity for text and the stage. His works are tonal and rhythmically strong at times incorporating folk song and dance music in quotation and as models.464 Teachers: Aaron Copland, Frederick Jacobi, Bernard Rogers Student: Donald Lybbert Awards: MacDowell Colony Fellowship (1938), Alice M. Ditson Fellowship (1944), grant from the American Academy of Arts and Letters (1946), Pulitzer Prize and New York Critics’ Circle Award (both in 1962 for The Crucible), elected to the National Institute of Arts and Letters (1967) Principal Works: opera - He Who Gets Slapped (1955), The Crucible (1961), The Lady from Colorado (1964), Abelard and Heloise (1981), Minutes till Midnight (1978-1982); orchestral - five symphonies: no. 1 (1941), no. 2 (1947), no. 3 (1950), no. 4 (1958), no. 5, “Canticles of America” (1976), Jubilation (1948), Euphony (1954), Piano Concerto (1968), Sonic Structure (1981), Saxophone Concerto (1984, revised 1987), Festival Triptych (1986), Dialogue on the Tides of Time (1987); vocal - Epithalamion (1937), Fatal Interview (1937), Sacred Songs for Pantheists (1951), Let the Words Go Forth (1965). Selected Composer Bibliography:
WARD, Robert (b. Cleveland, OH, 13 September 1917; d. Durham, NC, 3 April 2013) Ward attended the Eastman School (1935-1939) where he studied composition with Bernard Rogers, Howard Hanson, and Edward Royce. He undertook graduate work at Juilliard (1939-1942), studying composition with Frederick Jacobi, conducting with Arthur Stoessel and Edgar Schenkman, and orchestration with Bernard Wagenaar. During the summer of 1941, he was a composition student of Aaron Copland at Tanglewood. Following service as a bandleader in the Second World War, he turned to teaching. He taught composition at Juilliard (1946-1956) and Columbia University (1946-1948). He also served as music director of the Third Street Music Settlement (19521955) and was managing editor of Galaxy Music (1956-1967). Ward then succeeded Louis Mennini to become the second Chancellor of the North Carolina School of the Arts (1967-1975). He remained at NCSA as a composition instructor until 1979 when he was appointed Mary Duke Biddle professor of Music 464 Kenneth Kreitner, Robert Ward: A Bio-Bibliography (New York: Greenwood Press, 1988).
Stambler, Bernard. “Robert Ward.” American Composers’ Alliance Bulletin, iv/4 (1955): 3. “Ward, Robert (Eugene).” Current Biography Yearbook, xxiv (July 1963). New York: H. W. Wilson Company. Fleming, Shirley. “Robert Ward.” HiFi/Musical America, xxxii/5 (1982): 2. Kreitner, Kenneth. Robert Ward: A Bio-Bibliography. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1988.
Earth Shall Be Fair (1960) Duration: ca. 26 minutes Text: “Turn Back O Man,” by Clifford Bax and Psalms selected by John Dexter. Performing Forces: voices: SATB choir, SATB youth choir, children’s choir or soprano soloist; orchestra: 2 flutes (flute II doubling piccolo), 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 2 trombones, timpani, percussion (1 player - snare drum, cymbals, suspended cymbal, tam-tam, chimes), and strings First Performance: with organ: 20 November 1960; KRNT Theater, Des Moines, IA; Des Moines Council
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of Churches Choirs; Robert Speed, organ; conducted by Robert Ward with orchestra: 28 July 1963; Brevard Music Center, Brevard, NC; Transylvania Chamber Orchestra, Transylvania Chorus and Choral Ensemble; conducted by David Buttolph Edition: Earth Shall Be Fair is published by Highgate Press and distributed by Galaxy Music/E. C. Schirmer. The organ-vocal score is for sale; orchestral materials are available for rental. Autograph: Sketches are housed in the Robert Ward Archive at Duke University, Durham, NC. The autograph score is in the possession of the composer. Notes: This was commissioned by and dedicated to the Des Moines Council of Churches. The work is organized into five sections, the last of which uses a hymn tune by Louis Bourgeois (c. 1510-c. 1561). Performance Issues: This score offers an unusual configuration of singers for a work of this length. It is well written for the abilities of the three age groups represented by the choirs. Much of the choral material is common to both the adult and youth choirs. Although a soprano soloist may be substituted for the children’s choir, it seems inappropriate for a piece written to celebrate a multigenerational ensemble. This is a tonal and mostly diatonic composition in which the choral pitches are carefully prepared by the accompaniment. The choral writing is mostly homophonic with scalar motion dominating each part. The harmonies of the choir are consistently supported in the orchestra. The opening of the second movement features the youth choir in a section which is full of changing meters emphasizing a variety of beat groupings. In the fifth movement, there are a number of a cappella passages for the adult choir, which are based upon Bourgeois’s hymn. Ward’s harmonization is somewhat challenging, and the unaccompanied opening of the movement in F minor immediately following a movement in E major may present some difficulties. This last movement and the opening of the second movement will require the greatest amount of rehearsal time. The organization of the score allows for most of the preparation of each choir to take place independently. The orchestral writing is conservative and arranged to balance well with the voices. In the third movement the horns have some exposed and sustained playing and first violins have some fairly high passagework, both of which will need to be considered when assigning parts. The orchestral portion of this piece is quite accessible to an average community orchestra, and the choral parts are well within the grasp of a community choir or large church music program. The text is familiar and the music tuneful and skillfully arranged. It is a work which would be very effective as the focus of a church music festival for a church
with choirs of different ages. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Discography: No commercial recording Selected Bibliography: Boulware, Jane. “Premiere Performance of Cantata Here.” Des Moines Tribune (19 November 1960). Dwight, Ogden. “3,000 Hear Premiere of Cantata.” Des Moines Register (21 November 1960).
Sweet Freedom’s Song: A New England Chronicle (1965) Duration: ca. 40 minutes Text: Compiled by Robert and Mary (the composer’s wife) Ward from William Bradford’s Of Plimouth Plantation; traditional Thanksgiving hymns of Henry Alford, Anna Barbauld, and Leonard Bacon; William Tyler Page’s “Epitaph of an Unknown Soldier of the Revolution”; James Russell Lowell’s “Ode on the Hundredth Anniversary of the Fight at Concord Bridge”; and Samuel Francis Smith’s America, verse III. Performing Forces: voices: narrator, soprano and baritone soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, 2 trombones, timpani, percussion (1 player - snare drum, cymbals, suspended cymbal, glockenspiel, celeste; the timpanist also plays bass drum and cymbals), and strings First Performance: 4 December 1965; Cary Hall, Lexington, MA; Lexington Choral Society; conducted by Allan Lannom Edition: It is published by Highgate Press and distributed by Galaxy Music/E. C. Schirmer. The piano-vocal score is for sale; orchestral materials are available for rental. Autograph: Sketches are housed in the Robert Ward Archive at Duke University, Durham, NC. The autograph score is in the Library of Congress (M1533. 3. W37 S92). Notes: Sweet Freedom’s Song was commissioned by and dedicated to the Lexington Choral Society to commemorate their twenty-fifth anniversary. The work is divided into eight movements as follows: Prelude orchestra 1. It Was a Great Design choir (William Bradford) 2. O, Lord God of My Salvation soprano (Psalm 88) 3. Come, Ye Thankful People, Come choir (Henry Alford, Anna Barbauld, Leonard Bacon, and William Bradford) 4. Ballad of Boston Bay choir (Robert and Mary Ward)
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5. Damnation to the Stamp Act double choir (colonial broadsides and speeches; British views are given to one choir, colonial to the other) 6. Epitaphs baritone, choir (William Tyler Page, James Russell Lowell) 7. Let Music Swell the Breeze choir (Samuel Francis Smith’s America, verse III) There are two versions of the narration, and the composer notes that it may be performed without narration if the narrative material is included in the program notes. Performance Issues: A distracting feature of the full score is that all stems which hang do so on the right side of the noteheads. There is also much inconsistency in the beaming of the vocal parts. The choral writing is diatonic, scalar, and generally doubled in the accompaniment. Many of the choral passages are homophonic including frequent choral unisons, although there are some well-executed imitative sections including a delightful fugue in the third movement. There are a number of a cappella passages including the entire fourth movement and some which feature only the men. Much of the melodic material is tuneful and often folklike. The narration is placed between movements so that integration between the speaker and the music is not a concern. The orchestra parts present few balance problems, and there are no significant rhythmic challenges. However, the strings and woodwinds are both given some occasional intricate and rapid passagework throughout the score. These parts require experienced players. Soloists: soprano, range: d'-b♭'', tessitura: g'-e♭'', a control of long phrases is required, the orchestration allows for a small voice to be used; baritone, range: B-g', tessitura: e-d', written in the treble clef, it is declamatory and light. This is a patriotic work particularly suitable for the Thanksgiving season. The choral part is appropriate for an amateur or college group of moderate experience. Considering the parts listed above, the accompaniment is within the range of an average community orchestra. Choir: easy to medium easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Discography: No commercial recording Selected Bibliography: Shertzer, Jim. “Ward’s Music Finds Place in Bicentennial.” Winston-Salem [NC] Journal (14 March 1976). Carr, Genie. “Both Objectivity and Subjectivity.” Winston-Salem [NC] Sentinel (1 April 1976).
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
WEBERN, Anton (b. Vienna, 3 December 1883; d. Mittersill, Austria, 15 September 1945) Webern’s interpretation of the serial techniques developed by his teacher Schoenberg created a body of highly organized miniature masterworks, which became the intellectual models for many academic composers of the post-World War II generation. Webern’s early musical education came from his mother and Edwin Komauer. He matriculated at the University of Vienna where his teachers included Guido Adler, Hermann Graedener, and Karel Navrátil. He completed a Ph.D. in musicology in 1906. Webern began his association with Schoenberg as a private composition pupil in 1904. From 1908 to 1938, Webern held various conducting posts in Austria, Czechoslovakia, and Germany. During World War II, Webern supported himself by teaching privately and working as an arranger. He had just been offered a rewarding position, following the end of the war, to resume as conductor for Austrian Radio (a position he held from 1927 to 1938), when he was accidentally shot by an American soldier while stepping out on his son-inlaw’s front porch to smoke a cigar. Webern’s music is typified by a sparse use of often large musical resources, creating works of literal minimalism, which are the result of assiduous organizational procedures combining serialism with intricate contrapuntal devices and a careful arrangement of timbral combinations. Writings: The Path to the New Music, edited by Willi Reich, 56-58 (London and Bryn-Mawr, Pennsylvania: Theodore Presser, 1963). Teacher: Arnold Schoenberg Students: Frederick Dorian, Arnold Elston, Karl Amadeus Hartmann, René Leibowitz, Humphrey Searle, Stefan Wolpe Principal Works: orchestral - Passacaglia, op. 1 (1908), Six Orchestral Pieces, op. 6 (1909), Five Orchestral Pieces, op. 10 (1913), Symphony, op. 21 (1928), Variations, op. 30 (1940); chamber - 6 Bagatelles for String Quartet, op. 9 (1913), Concerto for 9 Instruments, op. 24 (1934), String Quartet, op. 28 (1938), vocal - Entflieht auf leichten Kähnen, op. 2 (1908), Five Sacred Songs, op. 15 (1922), Five Canons, op. 16 (1924), and numerous songs Selected Composer Bibliography: Webern, Anton. Letters to Hildegard Jone and Josef Humplik, edited by Josef Polnauer. Vienna: Universal Edition, 1959. In an English translation by Cornelius Cardew, Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania: Theodore Presser, 1967. McKenzie, Wallace. “Webern’s Technique of Choral Composition.” Anton Webern Perspectives, edited by
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Demar Irvine. Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1966. Moldenhauer, Hans. Anton Webern: A Chronicle of His Life and Work. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1979. Roman, Zoltan. Anton Webern: An Annotated Bibliography. Detroit, MI: Information Coördinators, 1983. Bailey, Kathryn. The Twelve-Note Music of Anton Webern: Old Forms in a New Language. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1991.
Das Augenlicht [The Light of the Eye], op. 26 (1935)
but will be less troublesome than in a larger orchestration. The instrumental writing requires independence, but is within the abilities of moderately experienced players. The choral passages are in no way supported by the accompaniment, with vocal lines either a cappella, or musically independent of the orchestra. Even starting pitches of choral sections must be discerned through pitch relations. Most of the choral material is in two-part polyphony or four-part homophony. The choir must also be capable of rhythmic independence, as at times it is cross-metric with the orchestra. Choir: difficult; Orchestra: medium difficult.
Duration: ca. 10 minutes
Selected Discography:
Text: The text is by Hildegard Jone, from her Viæ inviæ, and is in German. The score includes a singing English translation by Eric Smith.
John Alldis Choir (John Alldis, chorus-master), London Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Pierre Boulez, recorded in Banking Town Hall, London during 2-4 June 1969. Sony Classical: SM 3K 45 845 [ADD].
Performing Forces: voices: SATB choir orchestra: flute, oboe, clarinet in B♭, Alto saxophone in E♭, horn in F, trumpet in C, trombone, percussion (2 players timpani, glockenspiel, xylophone, suspended cymbal), celeste, harp, mandolin, 8 violins, 4 violas, 4 cellos First Performance: 17 June 1938; London; the BBC Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, conducted by Hermann Scherchen; as part of the 16th Festival of the International Society for Contemporary Music. Edition: Das Augenlicht is published by Universal Edition. The orchestral materials were first published in 1956, but a piano-vocal edition, prepared by Ludwig Zenk was first published by Universal Eidition in 1938. A study score is available for purchase from Philharmonia (427), performance materials are available through rental from Schotts. Autograph: The Webern Archive is in the possession of the Paul Sacher Foundation in Basle, Switzerland. Notes: Webern was less dogmatic in his application of twelve-tone techniques to this work, nonetheless, it is serially conceived. In the opening section of the choral writing, the name B-A-C-H is spelled musically within the row as stated in the soprano part and then in reverse in the tenor part four measures later. The score is notated at sounding pitch throughout. It is inscribed “meiner Tochter Amalie Waller.” Performance Issues: The greatest challenge in performing this piece is pitch accuracy. The orchestration is Spartan with considerable doubling between parts. Webern employs orthodox contrapuntal techniques throughout, including strict rhythmic canon, homophonic chorale writing, pervasive imitation, and simultaneous statements in prime and inverted forms. The small orchestra leaves many solo instrumental passages exposed. A single player could cover all of the percussion parts with the proper stage setup. There is some intricate interplay between instruments, especially among the brass, which will require attention
Selected Bibliography: Smith, Eric. “Foreword” to Anton Webern’s Das Augenlicht. Vienna: Universal Edition, 1956. Immel, Ralph Conrad, Jr. The Relationship between the Text and the Music in Anton Webern’s “Das Augenlicht.” University of Texas, Master’s of Music thesis, 1966. Miller, D. Douglas. An Analysis for Performance of Anton Webern’s Choral Works with Opus Numbers. Indiana University, Doctor of Music thesis, 1973.
Erste Kantate, op. 29 (1938-1939) Duration: ca. 8 minutes Text: The German text is by Hildegard Jone. The text of movement I is taken from Blitz und Donner, found in Enthülle Form; movement II is from Fons hortorum; and movement II fromVerwandlung der chariten. The score includes a singing English translation by Eric Smith. Performing Forces: voices: soprano soloist; choir; orchestra: flute, oboe, clarinet in B♭, bass clarinet in B♭, horn in F, trumpet in C, trombone, timpani, percussion (2 players - glockenspiel, bass drum, cymbals, tamtam, triangle), harp, mandolin, celeste, and strings (with no doublebasses) First Performance: 2 February 1947; London; Emelie Hooke; BBC Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Karl Rankl Edition: Erste Cantata is published by Universal Edition under the Philharmonia line. The piano reduction (UE 12197) and miniature score (PH. 447) are available for purchase; performance materials are available through rental. Autograph: The Webern Archive is in the possession of the Paul Sacher Foundation in Basle, Switzerland.
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Notes: The second half of the tone row upon which the piece is composed is the retrograde inversion of the first half.
from the Das Feldpostpäcken cycle III Alle Glocken from the Mohnkopf cycle IV Der Wind from the Das Feldpostpäcken cycle V Freundselig ist das Wort from the Freundseligkeit cycle VI Das Neueborene from the Alltag cycle
Performance Issues: Webern has organized his serial material in the vocal parts to create a sense of triadic motion; however, the choir may often be singing four consecutive chromatic pitches simultaneously. This does allow the singers to make some aural sense of this extremely dense musical fabric. Vocal dissonances are also tempered by octave separations. The choral passages in the first movement are all a cappella with no direct pitch preparation from the orchestra. In the third movement there is ample instrumental doubling of the choral parts. All of the parts sound as written in the score including the glockenspiel. The independent instrumental parts are not particularly difficult, but the interweaving of independent parts, and overall transparency of the score presents substantial difficulties in achieving ensemble and balance. All of the instrumental parts are disjunct with only a few notes at a time, which contribute to a large melodic line formed by the interplay of disparate instrumental parts. Soloist: soprano - range: c'-b'', tessitura: d'-f#'', this solo exploits the entire range with broad leaps and disjunct melodic lines, it is musically very difficult. Choir: difficult; Orchestra: difficult. Selected Discography: Halina Lukomska; John Alldis Choir (John Alldis, chorus-master), London Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Pierre Boulez, recorded in Banking Town Hall, London on 3 June 1969. Sony Classical: SM 3K 45 845 [ADD]. Selected Bibliography: Jone, Hildegard. “Eine Kantate.” Die Reihe 2 (1955), 1415. Rochberg, George. “Webern’s Search for Harmonic Identity.” Journal of Music Theory, volume 6, number 1 (Spring 1962): 109-122. Miller, D. Douglas. An Analysis for Performance of Anton Webern’s Choral Works with Opus Numbers. Indiana University, Doctor of Music thesis, 1973. Konold, Wolf. “Anton Webern: Erste Kantate, op. 29.” Weltliche Kantaten in 20 Jahrhundert, 120-123. Zürich: Möseler, 1975.
Zweite Kantate, op. 31 (1941-1943) Duration: ca. 16 minutes Text: The German text is by Hildegard Jone. The score includes a singing English translation by Eric Smith. The sources from Jone’s work for the texts by movement are: I Strahl und Klang from the Licht und Lied cycle II Die Stille um den Bienenkorb
Performing Forces: voices: soprano and bass soloists; choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets in B♭, bassoon, alto saxophone E♭, horn in F, trumpet in C, trombone, tuba, percussion (1 player - glockenspiel, bells), harp, celeste, and strings
First Performance: 23 June 1950; Brussels; festival of the International Society for Contemporary Music; Ilona Steingruber, Otto Wiener; NIR Chamber Orchestra and Chorus; conducted by Herbert Häfners Edition: Zweite Cantata is published by Universal Edition. The piano reduction (UE 11885), choral score (UE 11996), and miniature score (PH. 466) are available for purchase; performance materials are available through rental. Autograph: The Webern Archive is in the possession of the Paul Sacher Foundation in Basle, Switzerland. Notes: Webern divided this cantata into two sections, each of which contains all forty-eight permutations of its fundamental tone row stated a single time. This is the last composition, which he completed. The work is in six movements, and the original order of composition was IV - V - VI - I - II - III. Performance Issues: The organization of the tone-row creates a number of triadic formulations, which aid the singers in accessing the pitch material. All of the parts sound as written in the score including the glockenspiel and doublebasses. The choral passages in movement V are unaccompanied, but brief. The final movement is comprised of thorough doubling between the vocal and instrumental parts, and in movement III the choral parts are doubled throughout, but the solo is not. The final movement is modeled on medieval polyphony and has as many as four different meters, sharing the same beat value, occuring simultaneously, so that there are nonconcurrent downbeats between parts. The instrumental parts are somewhat technically demanding; more importantly, they require great control of dynamics and articulations. Some of the harp notation is impractical and must be enharmonically respelled. As with much of Webern’s orchestral music, the greatest challenge lies in the integration of widely diverse instruments providing two or three notes to a melodic line within a sparse musical texture. There are frequent changes of meter and tempo, which compound the difficulties in achieving cohesive ensemble.
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Soloists: soprano - range: b♭-c#''', tessitura: f#'-g'', this is a disjunct solo with broad leaps, the singer must be capable of pianissimo singing on c#'''; bass - range: Gg', tessitura: B-e', this role requires a singer who can make a legato phrase from a set a wide melodic leaps. Choir: very difficult; Orchestra: very difficult. Selected Discography: Halina Lukomska, Barry McDaniel; John Alldis Choir (John Alldis, chorus-master), London Symphony Orchestra; conducted by Pierre Boulez, recorded in Walthamstow, London on 28 May 1969. Sony Classical: SM 3K 45 845 [ADD]. Selected Bibliography: Smith, Eric. “Foreword” to Anton Webern’s Zweite Cantata. Vienna: Universal Edition, 1956. Castiglioni, Niccolo. “Sul rapporto tra parole e musici nella Seconda Cantata di Webern.” Incontri Musicali, number 3 (August 1959): 112-127. Spinner, Leopold. “Anton Weberns Kantate Nr. 2, Opus 31. Die Formprinzipalen der kanonische Darstellung (Analyse des vierten Satzes).” Schweizerische Musikzeitung, volume 101, number 5 (1961): 303-308. Miller, D. Douglas. An Analysis for Performance of Anton Webern’s Choral Works with Opus Numbers. Indiana University, Doctor of Music thesis, 1973.
WEILL, Kurt (b. Dessau, Germany, 2 March 1900; d. New York, 3 April 1950) Weill’s work in developing the genre of musical theater in the twentieth century has produced a diverse body of dramatic pieces reflecting a wide range of styles, which often combine elements of Western-classical music with jazz and other popular-music styles. Weill attended the Berlin Hochschule für Musik (1918-1919), studying counterpoint with Friedrich Koch and composition with Engelbert Humperdinck. He then studied at the Prussian Academy of Arts (1920-1923) with Ferruccio Busoni and Busoni’s protegé, Philipp Jarnach. Weill achieved early success writing satirical and politically motivated works for theater. In a number of these socially progressive projects he worked with the librettist, Berthold Brecht. Fleeing the Nazis, Weill settled in the United States in 1935, becoming a citizen in 1943. In the United States, Weill engaged in a successful career writing works of substance for Hollywood films and the stages of Broadway. Weill’s wife, Lotte Lenya, was the star of many of his staged works in Europe and the United States. His music is marked by a natural assimilation of popular music styles, an unusual sensitivity to 465 The score indicates ca. 21 minutes; however, the Atherton recording is 18 minutes 38 seconds.
language, and a focus upon themes of human dignity and the struggle against social injustice. Principal Works: operas/musicals - Der Protagonist (1925), Die Dreigroschenoper (1928), Aufstieg und Fall der Stadt Mahagonny (1929), Happy End (1929), Der Jasager (1930), Die Bürgschaft (1931), Der Silbersee (1933), Johnny Johnson (1936), Knickerbocker Holiday (1938), Lady in the Dark (1940), One Touch of Venus (1943), The Firebrand of Florence (1944), Street Scene (1946), Love Life (1947), Down in the Valley (1948), Lost in the Stars (1949); ballet - Die sieben Todsünden der Kleinbürger (1933); film scores - You and Me (1938), Where Do We Go from Here? (1944), Salute to France (1944); orchestral Symphony No. 1, Berliner Sinfonie (1921), Sinfonia sacra (1922), Symphony No. 2, Pariser Sinfonie (1933); vocal - Der Neue Orpheus (1925), Vom Tod im Wald (1927), Song of the Railroads (1938), Kiddush (1946) Selected Composer Bibliography: Sanders, Ronald. The Days Grow Short: The Life and Music of Kurt Weill. New York: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, 1980; reprinted, New York: Limelight Editions, 1985. Jarman, Douglas. Kurt Weill: An Illustrated Biography. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1982. Drew, David. Kurt Weill: A Handbook. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1987. Schebera, Jürgen. Kurt Weill: An Illustrated Life, translated by Caroline Murphy. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1995. Weill, Kurt, and Lotte Lenya. Speak Low (When You Speak of Love): The Letters of Kurt Weill and Lotte Lenya, edited and translated by Lys Symonette and Kim H. Kowalke. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1996.
Das Berliner Requiem (1928) Duration: ca. 21 minutes465 Text: The text is a compilation of poems, in German, by Bertold Brecht, selected and organized for this purpose by Brecht and Weill. Performing Forces: voices: tenor and baritone soloists; TBarB men’s choir; orchestra: 2 clarinets in B♭, 2 bassoons, 2 alto saxophones in E♭ (saxophone II doubling tenor saxophone in B♭), 2 horns in F, 2 trumpets in B♭, 2 trombones, tuba (optional), timpani, percussion (1 player—snare drum, suspended cymbal), guitar, and organ or harmonium. The composer indicates
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that this work may be sung by tenor, baritone, and bass soloists alone. First Performance: 22 May 1929; as a Frankfurt Radio broadcast; Hans Grahl (tenor), Johannes Willy (baritone), Jean Stern (bass), Reinhold Merten (organ); Frankfurt Radio Orchestra; conducted by Ludwig Rottenberg Edition: Das Berliner Requiem is published by Universal Edition. The piano-vocal score (UE 09786), choral parts (UE 13429A-C), and study score (UE 16630) are available for purchase; performance materials are available through rental. Autograph: All but a few fragments of the original manuscript have been lost. A fair copy of the score with some missing pages survives. Notes: This work was commissioned by ReichsRundfunkgesellschaft and is dedicated to Frankfurt Radio. It was originally conceived for three male voices and wind band. Some time following the premiere, Weill adapted the score to include two soloists and male choir. Due to the disappearance of the manuscript materials, the transformation is not fully clear. Additional fragments of the revised full score have also been lost. A contemporary performing edition has been prepared for Universal Edition by David Drew (see above). The original, seven-movement version included a bass solo, “Vom tod im Wald,” which served as the opening movement. This work was conceived during the celebrations commemorating the tenth anniversary of the end of WWI. The strong antiwar sentiments caused the radio officials to postpone its premiere broadcast. The premiere was not broadcast in Berlin, but only in southern Germany. Performance Issues: With the exception of the first eight measures of movement IV, and a melismatic cadential extension at the close of movement II, all of the vocal ensemble writing is in block-chord homophonic style. The entire work is text driven, in terms of meaning and rhythm. All of the vocal rhythms are logogenic, reflecting the prosody of the naturally spoken text. Because of this, it is difficult to justify performing this work in translation, yet the directness of the text’s presentation suggests a need for it to be clearly understood by the audience. The harmonic language is often quite dissonant, but the voice leading reflects tonal traditions. Generally, less conventional harmonic sequences are repeated a number of times. The pitch material for the singers is always clearly supported by the instrumental accompaniment. The score indicates that the trombone part in movement III may be played on tuba if available; however, it should be noted that this part stays on the staff, so a smaller tuba or a euphonium should be employed. The percussion part is fairly inconsequential: a two-beat snare drum roll and two strikes on a suspended cymbal in movement IV. This may be covered by a member of the choir, but not
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
the timpanist. The instrumental parts are accessible to players of moderate experience. The guitar part consists of strummed chords, which are notated without tablature. The second movement is choir accompanied by guitar alone. The guitar and banjo parts can be played by the same person as they appear in different movements. The organ parts would be most effective on a reed organ, or an instrument akin to a Hammond B-3. Soloists: tenor - range: d-g', tessitura: f#-e', this is a lyric role with some sustained singing; baritone range: A-e♭', tessitura: f-d', this is a speechlike solo, which stays almost exclusively within the indicated tessitura. Choir: easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Philip Langridge, Benjamin Luxon, Michael Rippon; London Sinfonietta; conducted by David Atherton, recorded in 1975. Polygram: D 172783 [ADD]. Ensemble Musique Oblique; conducted by Philippe Herreweghe, recorded in 1992. Harmonia Mundi: 901422 [DDD]. Selected Bibliography: Weill, Kurt. “Notiz zum Berliner Requiem.” Der deutsche Rundfunk 7 (17 May 1929). Drew, David. “Foreword” and “Revisionsbericht” to Kurt Weill: Das Berliner Requiem, revised. Vienna: Universal Edition, 1976. ———. Kurt Weill: A Handbook, 207-211. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1987. Schebera, Jürgen. Kurt Weill: An Illustrated Life, translated by Caroline Murphy, 128-129, 131-132. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1995.
Der Lindberghflug (1929) Duration: ca. 40 minutes Text: The text for Der Lindberghflug was written specifically for this work by Bertold Brecht. It is in German with some amusing American proper nouns. Performing Forces: voices: tenor (Lindbergh), baritone, and bass soloists; SATB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 clarinets in B♭, 2 bassoons, 2 trumpets in B♭, 2 trombones, percussion, piano, and strings First Performance: radio broadcast: 28 July 1929; Kurhaus, Baden-Baden; Betty Mergler, Josef Witt, Johannes Willy, Oskar Kalman; Hugo Holles Madrigal Society, Frankfurt Radio Orchestra; directed by Ernst Hardt and conducted by Hermann Scherchen; on the final concert of the Musiktage; with Hindemith listed as cocomposer. first public concert: 5 December 1929; Krolloper, Berlin; Erik Wirl; Preußische Staatskapelle (Karl Rankl, chorus-master); conducted by Otto Klemperer; with Hindemith’s contributions withdrawn, and Weill listed as sole composer.
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
United States premiere: 4 April 1931; Philadelphia Orchestra; conducted by Leopold Stokowski. This was in an English translation made by George Antheil. Edition: The revised version of Der Flug des Lindberghs is available as Ozeanflug from Universal Edition. The 1930 score is now available in reprint from Universal Editioin (U.E. 9938). All materials are available through rental. An authoritative reference score of the original version is being prepared by Rudolf Stephan in Paul Hindemith’s, Sämtliche Werke, Band 1, 6, Szenische Versuche (Mainz: B. Schott Söhne, 1982). Autograph: The manuscript of the sections of the original score composed by Weill are in the Universal Edition Archive. The portions composed by Hindemith are in the possession of the Paul Hindemith Institute. Notes: Commissioned by Deutsche Kammermusik, Baden-Baden, Weill originally composed this work with Paul Hindemith from a radio score under the title Der Lindberghflug. This was premiered in Baden-Baden on 28 July 1929. Weill rescored the piece, making it entirely his own. This version was premiered in Berlin on 5 December 1929. He revised the score again in 1930, changing its title to Der Flug des Lindberghs. Weill later retitled the work Der Ozeanflug in protest of Lindbergh’s public expressions of neutrality toward Nazi Germany. Neither Hindemith nor Weill sought to have the original version published; it will appear in print for the first time as part of the Hindemith Collected Works. The work is in fifteen sections centered around the first transatlantic flight with the choir personifying fog, a storm, and the plane’s engines, all of which converse with the pilot. Performance Issues: This is an interesting work of social realism. It is quite accessible to less-experienced performers. The soloists have the most challenging pitch language, which remains tonal, but with some imaginative uses of chromaticism. The entire composition is pervaded with a cosmopolitan assimilation of American jazz elements similar to the music in the Brecht/Weill operas Mahagonny and Die Dreigroschenoper. It is important that the instrumentalists and soloists be able to perform in this style. The choral portions are less conspicuously jazz-based. The score uses many ostinati in the orchestra and choir. The choral writing is comprised primarily of unison singing and homophonic block-chord motion. The vocal parts are very clearly supported by the accompaniment, except for movement X, which is a cappella. The orchestration is fairly exposed similar to a theater orchestra. The instrumental writing remains very practical for the players and for achieving successful ensemble. Soloist: tenor - range: c-a♭', tessitura: f-d', this is a lyric role with some rapid text declamation; baritone range: A-f', tessitura: e-c', this is a declamatory role with sustained singing in the upper range; bass - range:
A-c', tessitura: d-a, this is a lyric and fairly brief role. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium easy. Selected Discography: Shellac recordings of the original version from Cologne Radio: ensembles of Cologne Radio; conducted by Hermann Scherchen, recorded 18 March 1930. University Chorus and Academic Orchestra Association of Göttingen; conducted by Hermann Fuchs, recorded in 1978. Thorofon: MTH 118 [LP]. Pro Musica of Cologne, Cologne Radio Orchesta; conducted by Jan Latham-König, recorded in 1990. Capriccio: 10250 [DDD]. Selected Bibliography: Einstein, Alfred. Review of the concert premiere, Berliner Tageblatt (6 December 1929). Urban, Erich. Review of the concert premiere, Berliner Zeittung am Mittag (6 December 1929). Kowalke, Kim H. “Der Lindberghflug: Kurt Weill’s Musical Tribute to Lindbergh.” Missouri Historical Society Bulletin (April 1977). Stephan, Rudolf. “Kritische Bericht” for Paul Hindemith: Sämtliche Werke, Band 1, 6, Szenische Versuche. Mainz: B. Schott Söhne, 1982. Heyworth, Peter. Otto Klemperer: His Life and Times, volume 1: 1885-1933, 292-297. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1983. Drew, David. Kurt Weill: A Handbook. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1987: 212-217. Schebera, Jürgen. Kurt Weill: An Illustrated Life, translated by Caroline Murphy. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1995; 132-138, 140, 143, 239.
WILLAN, Healey (b. Balham, England, 12 October 1880; d. Toronto, 16 February 1968) Willan attended St. Saviour’s Choir School in Eastbourne, England (1888-1895) singing under the direction of Walter Hay Sangster. He served as organist in a number of London-area churches studying organ privately with William Stevenson Hoyte and piano with Evelyn Howard-Jones, and became a Fellow of the Royal College of Organists in 1899. In 1913, he emigrated to Canada to head the theory department of the Toronto Conservatory of Music, and in 1914 became a lecturer and examiner for the University of Toronto where he also acted as music director of the Hart House Theatre (1919-1925). He became precentor of the Church of St. Mary Magdalene in 1921, remaining there until his death. Willan was vice-principal of the Toronto Conservatory (1920-1936), and professor (1936-1950) and University Organist (1932-1964) at the University of Toronto. He was one of the most
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influential church musicians in North America, encouraging the expansion of the role of plainsong in Anglican worship and promoting the reintroduction of Renaissance music to church use. Willan’s music is historically retrospective combining nineteenthcentury harmonic practice with sixteenth- and eighteenth-century counterpoint. He was a prominent authority in English plainchant and Latin church music. This he used to great effect in his hundreds of works for church use. His later orchestral music is in the mold of Wagner and Bruckner.466 Awards: Honorary membership in the Canadian League of Composers (1955), Lambeth Doctorate from the Archbishop of Canterbury (1956), Canadian Council Medal (1961), FRSCM (1963), FRHCM (1965), Companion of the Order of Canada (1967, first musician so honored), and in his centenary year became the first Canadian musician to be depicted on a Canadian postage stamp. Principal Works: opera - The Order of Good Cheer (1928), Transit through Fire (1942), Dierdre (1945); orchestral - Symphony no. 1 (1936), Symphony no. 2 (1941), Piano Concerto (1944), Royce Hall Suite (1949), Incidental Music for sixteen plays; choral - An Apostrophe to the Heavenly Hosts (1921), The Mystery of Bethlehem (1923), Six Motets (1924), Gloria Deo per immensa saecula (1950), The Story of Bethlehem (1955); works for church use - Red Carol Book (1930), 13 Introits for the Church Year (1950), Carols for the Seasons (1959), Canadian Psalter (1963), Introits, Graduals, and Responses [Lutheran] (1967), fourteen settings of the Missa Brevis (19281963), ten settings of the Communion Service, thirtyfive fauxbourdon settings of Canticles, fifteen full settings of Canticles, many hymns, anthems, and plainsong arrangements; numerous songs and pieces for organ Selected Composer Bibliography: Ridout, Godfrey. “Healey Willan.” Canadian Music Journal, iii (1959): 4. Marwick, William. The Sacred Choral Music of Healey Willan. Michigan State University, dissertation, 1970. Telschow, Frederick H. The Sacred Music of Healey Willan. Eastman School of Music of the University of Rochester, dissertation, 1970. Bryant, Giles. Healey Willan Catalogue. Ottawa: National Library of Canada, 1972. ———. “Healey Willan.” In The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, edited by Stanley Sadie, xx: 428-430. 20 volumes. London: Macmillan, 1980. Musical Canada [entire issue devoted to Willan], xlii (Spring 1980).
466 Frederick Robert Charles Clarke, Healey Willan (Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1983).
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Clarke, Frederick Robert Charles. Healey Willan. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1983.
Coronation Suite, op. 57 (1952-1953) Duration: ca. 27 minutes Text: John Milton, James Edward Ward, Liturgical (Veni sponsa Christi, Psalm 45, II John) Performing Forces: voices: SSATB choir; orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion (3 players - snare drum, bass drum, cymbals and chimes), harp, and strings First Performance: 2 June 1953; CBC broadcast for the coronation of Elizabeth II, Toronto Edition: Coronation Suite is published and distributed by Berandol Music. The piano-vocal score is for sale; orchestral materials are available for rental. A separate octavo score of “Come Ready Lyre” is published by Clark and Cruickshank, and of “Ring Out, Ye Crystall Spheres” is published separately by BMI Canada. Both are distributed by Berandol. Autograph: The full score distributed by the publisher is a facsimile of the manuscript. Notes: Coronation Suite is in written in five sections. Compare the setting of Milton’s “Ring Out Ye Crystall Spheres” to that in Ralph Vaughan Williams’s Hodie. Performance Issues: A significant problem for the preparation of this piece is that the score is very difficult to read. It is also unfortunate that the two a cappella movements do not occur in the full score. The choral writing is diatonic and scalar. There is a good balance between polyphonic and homophonic writing. Willan uses a melodic language, which is tonal, while borrowing occasional chromaticisms, which lean toward modality. Each section of the choir must sustain passages of unison singing in a sectional solo. The final twenty-four measures of the work demand a large choir to balance with the orchestra. All sections of the choir have divisi and speechlike rhythms. There are some remarkable choral harmonies, which are executed through practical linear movement. The vocal writing is eloquent and very approachable by choirs of moderate experience, and the orchestra part is playable by a college-level orchestra. The orchestration reflects the composer’s experience as an organist: dynamic contrast is guaranteed by consistent expansions or reductions of players in response to the level of volume desired. Sections of the orchestra are engaged as if a stop were being pulled, or a section of the
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
orchestra will enter diagonally in the score much like the effect of an organ’s crescendo pedal. The result can be completely effective, but explaining this feature of the score could be helpful in establishing a good dynamic balance. The string writing is fairly thick and represents the majority of the orchestra material. The individual instrumental parts are fairly conservative with the greatest demands falling upon the strings, about whom the composer appears to have had the best knowledge. The winds generally double melodic lines from the strings. Occasionally there are glissando-like passages, which create polyrhythms including seven against three, and ten against nine.
Most of the rhythmic material is straightforward and the harmonic language is triadic and functionally conceived. One notable characteristic of the orchestral writing is that although the texture changes regularly,there are virtually no silences. This is a grandiose and triumphant work, which calls for a large and vibrant ensemble. It is an ideal piece for celebratory programs. Choir: medium easy; Orchestra: medium. Discography: No commercial recording
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
TEXT SOURCES
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Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Adler, Hugo Chayim (1898-1955), a cantor and composer, he was born in Antwerp. He served as cantor at Mannheim (1921-1939). Escaping the Nazis, he emigrated to Worcester, Massachusetts, where he became a cantor and reformed the music of the services. In Europe, he studied composition with Ernst Toch. There he developed an ethically based cantata form modeled upon those of Brect and Hindemith. He is the father of the composer Samuel Adler. His cantatas include Licht und Volk (1931), Balak und Bileam (1934), Akedah (1938), Parable of Persecution (1946), Behold the Jew (1943), and Jona (1943). [found in: Adler: The Binding] Abranyi, Kornel von (1822-1903) was a composer, pianist, and a very successful writer about music. He was an avid follower of Wagner and Liszt, becoming a friend of the latter. He also produced some Hungarian translations of Italian operas. [found in: Liszt: Die Legende von der heiligen Elisabeth] Acworth, Harry was a British civil servant in India. He served as the president of the Bombay Anthropological Society and published English translations of a number of Indian poems, particularly from Marathi. In retirement, he was a neighbor of Edward Elgar for whom he provided libretti. [found in: Elgar: Caractacus] African-American Spirituals [found in: Delius: Appalachia, Dett: The Ordering of Moses, Tippett: A Child of Our Time] Aggadah (see Midrash) [found in: Adler: The Binding] Agricola, Johann (1492-1566), whose real name was Johann Schneider, was known as Magister Islebins. Born in Eisleben, he was one of the founders of German Protestantism. He studied in Wittenberg and Leipzig. He was sent to Frankfurt by Luther to introduce Protestantism. He held a chair at Wittenburg and later served as a court preacher in Berlin. A prolific author, he is best known for his German proverbs (1528-1529). [found in: J.S. Bach, BWV 177, 185] Ainsworth Psalter Translation prepared by English separatist, Henry Ainsworth (1571-1623?). He was a clergyman and scholar of rabbinical and Oriental studies. He joined the Brownists in Amsterdam (1593). His work was focused upon the Old Testament. This was the Psalter brought to Plymouth by the Pilgrims. [found in: Finney: Pilgrim Psalms] Akenside, Mark (1721-1770), an English poet and physician, he was physician to the queen (1761). He studied theology at the University of Edinburgh, but abandoned this for medicine. His works include Pleasures of the Imagination (1744) and Hymn to the Naiads (1746). [found in: Finney: Still Are New Worlds] Alberus, Erasmus (c.1500-1553), Lutheran reformer and poet, he was a close associate of Martin Luther and the author of many hymn texts [found in: Buxtehude, BuxWV 10, 51] Albinus, Johann Georg (1624-1697) 467 was a school teacher and theologian. He studied theology at the
University of Leipzig, where he also worked on his poetry. He became rector of the Cathedral School in Naumburg. He penned many church songs, many of which reflect a Jesuit spirit. [found in: J.S. Bach, BWV 27] Alford, Henry (1810-1871), an English clergyman and poet, he was born in London and became a Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge. In 1857, he was made dean of Canterbury. He was the first editor of the Contemporary Review (1866-1870). Among his many hymn texts is “Come Ye Thankful People, Come.” [found in: Ward: Sweet Freedom’s Song] Alma dei creatoris is an offertory to the Blessed Virgin Mary. [found in: Mozart — Alma dei creatoris, K. 277 / K. 272a.] American Mercury, The: Literary magazine founded in 1924, under the sponsorship of Alfred A. Knopf. It was an offshoot of Smart Set (1900-1930). The American Mercury had as its initial editor, George Jean Nathan and H. L. Mencken. Its contributors included William Faulkner, Sinclair Lewis, Vachel Lindsay, Edgar Lee Masters, Margaret Mead, Louis Mumford, and Carl Sandburg. A regular section, “Americana,” was a collection of outrageous aspects of popular culture arranged geographically. In later years it became a placard of right-wing propaganda. [found in: Thompson: Americana] Antolsky, Pavel (1896-1978) was a Soviet Russian poet. He studied at Moscow University, and in 1943 joined the Communist Party. His works include the poetry collections: The Son (1943), and The Ocean (1950); and the book, The Strength of Vietnam (1960). [found in: Prokofiev: Ballad of a Boy Who Remained Unknown]. Apocrypha are noncanonical books eliminated from the Bible in the second and third centuries C.E.; [found in: J.S. Bach, BWV 179/1 (Ecclesiasticus 1:28), BWV: 106/2 (Ecclesiasticus 14:17), BWV: 120a/2 (Ecclesiasticus 50:22); Handel: Susanna (Susanna and the Elders); Haydn — Il ritorno di Tobis] The Apocryphal Acts of St. John, about St. John the Evangelist who is also known as John the Divine. One of the twelve original apostles of Christ, he is the author of the Fourth Gospel. He is said to have taken the Virgin Mary to Ephesus after the crucifixion. At Domitian he escaped unharmed from a cauldron of boiling oil. He was banished to the Isle of Patmos where he authored the Book of Revelation. [found in: Holst: Hymn of Jesus] Aquinas, Thomas (1225-1274) was an Italian philosopher and theologian. He was educated at Monte-Cassino and the University of Naples. Opposing the wishes of his family, he became a Dominican friar. He was a prodigy of Albertus Magnus. His work attempts to combine Aristotelian philosophy with Christian doctrine and forms the foundation of much of contemporary Roman Catholic teaching. His best-known work is the Summa Theologiae (1266-1273) which remained unfinished at his death. [found in: Buxtehude: BuxWV 91; Mendelssohn: Lauda
467 This death date is from Literatur Lexicon: Autoren und Werke deutscher Sprache, 15 volumes, edited by Walther Killy (Munich:
Bertelsmann Lexikon Verlag, 1988). It is listed as 1679 in The Lutheran Hymnal (Saint Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1941).
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Sion; Mozart: Tantum ergo in B♭ major, K. 142 / Anh. C3. 04; 186d; Tantum ergo in D major, K. 197; Schubert: Tantum Ergo in C (D. 460), Tantum Ergo in C (D. 739),
Tantum Ergo in D (D. 750), Tantum Ergo in E♭ (D. 962)] Arnold, Matthew (1822-1888), English poet and critic. Son of Thomas Arnold, he was born in Laleham and educated at Winchester, Rugby, and then Balliol College, Oxford. From 1851 to 1886, he served as lay inspector of schools. He was appointed professor of poetry at Oxford in 1857. He gained fame not only for his many volumes of poetry and criticism, but also for his application of modern literary criticisms toward scripture. [found in: Sowerby: Canticle of the Sun (translator of St. Francis of Assisi); Vaughan Williams: Oxford Elegy] Arnold, Robert Franz (1872-1938) was an Austrian scholar of literary history. He studied at the Universities of Berlin and Vienna, and then served on the faculty at the University of Vienna (1906-1936). He was a guest scholar at Stanford University in 1936, and for the last two years of his life served as president of the GoetheGesellschaft. [found in: Schoenberg: Gurrelieder] Auden, W(ystan) H(ugh) (1907-1973), born in York, 21 February, he was schooled at St. Edmund’s School, Grayshott; Gresham’s School, Holt; and Christ Church College (exhibitioner), Oxford (1925-1928). He traveled through Europe, Iceland, and China in the 1930s. He emigrated to the United States in 1939 with Peter Pears and Benjamin Britten, becoming a citizen in 1946. He held many teaching posts in the United States and England. He received numerous awards including the Pulitzer (1948), Bollingen Prize (1954), and membership in the Academy of the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters (1954). A prolific writer, his works include Look, Stranger! (1936), The Double Man (1941), The Age of Anxiety: A Baroque Eclogue (1948), About the House (1965), and Collected Poems, ed. Edward Mendelson (1976). [found in: Britten: Spring Symphony] Augustine, St. Aurelius Augustinus (354-430) was one of the most significant leaders of the early Christian church. He was born in what is now Tunisia, studied in Carthage, and then taught in Rome and Milan. In 386, he converted to Christianity and was baptized, with his son, by St. Ambrose. He returned to northern Africa and became Bishop of Hippo in 396, a position he retained for the remainder of his life. He was a prolific author of philosopical works, which have had a profound influence upon the majority of philosophers and theologians since his time. His principal works areThe Confessions (400), which is an autobiographical spiritual odyssey, and The City of God (412427), a twenty-two book study of the spiritual history and destiny of mankind. [found in: Martin – Golgotha; Tippett: Vision of St. Augustine] Ave Verum Corpus: This text has been attributed to Pope Innocent III or IV. It is sung during the Benediction of the Offertory of the Mass. It is associated with the Feast 468 Ron Jeffers, Translations and Annotations of Choral Repertoire, Volume I: Sacred Latin Texts, 105 (Corvallis, OR: Earthsongs, 1988).
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of Corpus Christi.468 [found in: Mozart — Ave Verum Corpus, K. 618] Avenarius, Matthäus (1625-1692), author of German hymn texts. [found in: J.S. Bach, BWV 128] Bacon, Leonard (1802-1881), an American Congregational minister, he was a founder and editor of The Independent. He was a leader in the antislavery movement and author of Slavery Discussed in Occasional Essays (1846) and The Genesis of New England Churches (1874). [found in: Ward: Sweet Freedom’s Song] Baldwin, James (1924-1987), a black author and activist, he was born and raised in Harlem. As a teen he became a Pentecostal minister and preached in many Harlem churches. With the help of his teachers he began to explore the written word. He became a voice of the civil rights movement and seminal figure in African-American literature. Central topics in his writings are the social injustice toward blacks and coming to grips with his homosexuality. His works include Go Tell It on the Mountain (1953), Notes of a Native Son (1955), Giovanni’s Room (1956), Nobody Knows My Name (1961), Another Country (1962), The Fire Next Time (1963), and Just above My Head (1979). [found in: Amram: A Year in Our Land] Ballet, William (16th cent.), a minor poet about whom little is known, he is remembered almost exclusively for his lullaby. [found in: Vaughan Williams: Hodie] Balmont, Konstantin (1867-1943) was a Russian essayist, poet, and translator. A prominent member of the Russina Symbolist movement, his works are often marked by exotic themes. [found in: Rachmaninov: Kolokola (translator of Poe’s text of The Bells into Russian)] Barbauld, Anna (1743-1825), a British poet who married a dissenting minister in 1774. She published Miscellaneous Poems in Prose in 1773 with her brother John Aiken. Her other writings include Poems (1773), Early Lessons for Children, Hymns in Prose for Children, and Evenings at Home (a series begun in 1792). [found in: Ward: Sweet Freedom’s Song] Barbier, Henri-Auguste (1805-1889) was a Paris-born poet and satirist. [found in: Berlioz: Vox Populi] Barbour, John (c. 1316-1396) was a Scottish poet, theologian, and scholar. He is regarded as the “father of Scottish history and poetry.” He was educated in Oxford and Paris, served as Archdeacon in Aberdeen, and was a clerk under King Robert II of Scotland. His writings include The Bruce (1375), which is an epic poem on the life of Robert the Bruce. [found in: Copland: Canticle of Freedom] Barnefield, Richard (1574-1627), an English poet [found in: Britten: Spring Symphony] Bartholomew, William was an English chemist and violinist who provided English translations for many of Mendelssohn’s compositions. [found in: Mendelssohn: Elijah] Bax, Clifford (1886-1962), an English poet and playwright, he was the brother of the composer Arnold Bax. His
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works include The Poetasters of Ispahan (1912), Midsummer Madness (1924), Pretty Witty Nell (1932), The Rose without a Thorn (1932), The House of Borgia (1935), and Ideas and People (1936). [found in: Ward: Earth Shall Be Fair] The Beatitudes are also known as “The Sermon on the Mount,” an address attributed to Jesus Christ and recorded in the Gospel of Matthew, 5:3-11. [found in: Martin: In terra pax] Beatus vir: Psalm 112, it is part of Sunday Vespers [found in: Mozart — Vesperae de dominica, K. 321, Vesperae solennes de confessore, K. 339] Beaumont, Francis (1584-1616), an Elizabethan English dramatist, he was educated at Broadgates Hall (now Pembroke College), Oxford. He became associated with a group of writers who met regularly at the Mermaid Tavern including Ben Jonson and John Fletcher. With the latter he coauthored virtually all of his theatrical works, these were compiled in two folios (1647 and 1679) containing eighty-seven works. Among them are The Woman Hater (1607), The Knight of the Burning Pestle (1609). He is buried in Westminster Abbey. [found in: Britten: Spring Symphony; Holst: First Choral Symphony] Bechstein, Ludwig (1801-1860) was German poet, novelist, and collector of folktales. He was librarian of the Ducal Library in Meiningen and later served as its archivist. His works include Die Haimonskinder (1830), Faustus (1833), Das Tolle Jahr (1833), and Fahrten eines Musikanten (1836-1837). [found in: Mahler: Das klagende Lied] Becker, Cornelius (1561-1604) studied theology at the University of Leipzig. He became the rector of the Nikolai Church in Leipzig, and in 1602 was made professor of theology at the university. His principal literary work consists of verse paraphrases of the Psalms, many of which are contained in his Psalter Davids Gesangweis, published in 1602. [found in: J.S. Bach, BWV 85, 104] Bédier, Charles Marie Joseph (1864-1938) was a French scholar of medieval literature. His works include Les Fabliaux (1893), Roman de Tristan et Iseult (1900), and Les Légendes épiques (1908-1913). [found in: Martin: Le Vin herbé] Behm, Martin (1557-1622), born in Lauban in Silesia, he worked as a private tutor in Vienna, then studied in Strassburg. Upon the death of his father, he returned to Lauban where he was made assistant pastor. Upon the resignation of the chief pastor, the church left the post vacant for two years and then promoted Behm to the post, which he held for thirty-six years. He was a prolific author and produced texts for over 480 hymns. [found in: J.S. Bach, BWV 58, 118] Belloc, Louise (1796-1881) is also cited as Louise Swanton-Belloc. She was an Irish-born writer who translated numerous English texts into French. [found in: Berlioz: Tristia] Benedicite, a hymn often called “Psalm Benedicite” or “Song of the Three Children.” It is part of a Greek addition to the third chapter of the Book of Daniel, which was
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
based upon Psalm 148. [found in: Foulds: World Requiem] Benedictbeuren Monastery This monastery was a prominent place of learning in the middle ages. It became the repository for a body of twelfth- and thirteenth-century secular poetry written by the Goliard scholars and students there, which have come to be known as the Carmina Burana, or “Songs of Beuren.” These texts reached a much broader audience through their use in Carl Orff’s work of the same name. [found in: Orff: Carmina Burana] Benét, Stephen Vincent (1886-1950), American poet, playwright, novelist, and editor; he is best known for The Devil and Daniel Webster (1937) and John Brown’s Body (1928) for which he received the 1929 Pulitzer prize. [found in: Dello Joio: Song of Affirmation] Benn, Gottfried (1886-1956), a German expressionist writer and physician, Benn was the only prominent author in Germany to openly support the Nazi party. He later broke from them and was expelled from the Reichsschrifttumskammer. [found in: Hindemith: Das Unaufhörliche] Beowulf An Old English epic poem, it is the oldest in English or any of the Teutonic languages. Its authorship is unknown, but it surely predates the arrival of the Saxons to England. It has been modified since the arrival of Christianity to the British Isles. The present form is thought to date from the eighth century. The story takes place in Denmark or Sweden, and is concerned with Beowulf who kills the Grendel, a creature which is half human and half monster. Grendel’s mother attempts to avenge her son’s death and is also slain by Beowulf. Eventually, the hero becomes king, but is killed fifty years later by another dragon. [found in: Hanson: Lament for Beowulf] Béranger, Pierre-Jean de (1780-1857) was a popular Parisian poet whose works were politically charged enough to land him in prison twice in the 1820s. [found in: Berlioz: Le Cinq Mai] Bernsten, Aage (1885-1952) was a Danish physician and poet from the Funen region. He attended the University of Copenhagen. His father was a Danish politician who introduced Carl Nielsen to Copenhagen society in 1883. [found in: Nielsen: Fynsk Foraar] Bezymensky, Alexander (1898-1973) was a poet and prominent figure in Soviet Russian literature. He studied at the Kiev Commercial Institute. Having joined the Communist Party in 1916, he served on the first Central Committee of the Russian Communist Youth. His works are dedicated to the furtherance of Soviet political ideals. He was never censured by the government. His works include October Dawns (1920), The Smell of Life (1924), Tragic Night (1930), and Angry Lines (1949). [found in: Shostakovich: Symphony No. 2] Bible from biblia, the latinization of the Greek meaning books, it refers to the collection of principal sacred writings of the Jews (Old Testament) and Christians (New Testament). The Old Testament was authored in Hebrew and Aramaic, and the New Testament in Greek.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
There have been numerous translations including Vulgate (translated into Latin by St. Jerome, c. 384-404, the edition sanctioned by the Roman Catholic Church.), Wyclif’s Bible (earliest complete English translation [from Vulgate], c. 1384), Tyndale’s Bible (influential English translation to incorporate original Greek manuscripts, 1525-1535), Coverdale’s Bible (first complete printed edition in English, 1535), Geneva Bible (versified English Bible, 1560), Douai Bible (English translation for Roman Catholics, 1582-1609), and Authorized of King James’s Bible (still in current use in England, 16971711). Later efforts of modern scholarship include Revised Version (1881-1895), Revised Standard Version (1946-1952), New English Bible (1970), Jerusalem Bible (1966), New International Version (1978), and Revised English Bible (1989). [found in: Adler: The Binding, Behold Your God; J.S. Bach: Genesis: 21:22 BWV 71/4, 32:26 BWV 157/1; Deuteronomy: 33:25 BWV 71/4; Samuel: 19:35 BWV 71/2; Isaiah: 11:1-4 BWV 243a/D, 38:1 BWV 106/2, 41:10 BWV 153/3, 228; 43:1 BWV 228, 54:10 BWV 58/2, 55:10 BWV 18/2, 58:7 BWV 39/1, 60:6 BWV 65/1; Jeremiah: 5:3 BWV 102/1, 10:6 BWV 110/3, 16:16 BWV 88/1, 17:9 BWV 176/1, 23:41 BWV 28/3; Lamentations: 1:12 BWV 46/1; Micah: 6:8 BWV 45/1; Hosea: 11:8 BWV 89/1; St. Matthew: 2:1 BWV 228.v/2, 2:2 BWV 228.v/3, 2:3 BWV 228.v/6, 2:4 BWV 228.v/8, 2:7 BWV 228.vi/2, 2:9 BWV 228.vi/5, 2:12 BWV 228.vi/7, 5:7 BWV164/2, 5:22 BWV 170/2, 6:31 BWV 187/4, 7:12 BWV 24/3, 7:22 BWV 45/4, 8:26 BWV 81/4, 11:28 BWV 113/6, 20:14 BWV 144/1, various BWV 244; St. Mark: 9:24 BWV 109/1, 16:16 BWV 37/1, 16:19 BWV 43/4; St. Luke: 1:46-48 BWV 10/1, 1:54 BWV 10/5, 1:46-55 BWV 243, 243a, 2:1-6 BWV 228.i/2, 2:7 BWV 228.i/6, 2:8 BWV 228.ii/2, 2:10 BWV 228.ii/4, 2:12 BWV 228.ii/7, 2:13 BWV 228.ii/11, 2:14 BWV 228.ii/12, 110/5, 191/1, 197a/1; 2:15 BWV 228.iii/2, 3, 2:16 BWV 228.iii/7, 2:20 BWV 228.iii/11, 2:21 BWV 228.iv/2, 2:29, 30 BWV 83/2, 125, 2:49 BWV 32/2, 154/5, 5:10 BWV 88/4, 10:27 BWV 77/1, 13:5 BWV 46/4, 17:15 BWV 17/4, 18:31 BWV 22/1, 159/1; 23:43 BWV 106/3 24:29, BWV 6/1 24:36, BWV 158/1, 24:50 BWV 11/2, 24:52 BWV 11/9; St. John: 3:16 BWV 174/3, 3:18 BWV 68/5, 10:3 BWV 175/1, 10:6 BWV 175/5, 10:11 BWV 85/1, 14:23 BWV 59/1, 74/1, 172/2; 14:28 BWV 74/4, 16:2 BWV 44/1, 183/1; 16:5 BWV 166/1, 16:7 BWV 108/1, 16:13 BWV 108/4, 16:20 BWV 103/1, 16:23 BWV 86/1, 16:24 BWV 87/1, 16:33 BWV 87/5, 20:19 BWV 67/6, 42/2, various BWV 245; Acts of the Apostles: 1:9 BWV 11/5, 1:10 BWV 11/10, 1:12 BWV 11/9, 14:22 BWV 12/3 BWV 146/2, 17:28 BWV 106/2; Romans: 2:4 BWV 102/4, 7:24 BWV 48/1, 8:1 BWV 74/6, 8:1, 2, 9, 10, 11 BWV 227, 8:26, 27 BWV 226, 10:9 BWV 145/2; II Timothy: 2:8 BWV 67/1; Hebrews: 13:5 BWV 56/2, 13:16 BWV 39/4; James: 1:12 BWV 57/1; I John: 3:1 BWV 64/1, 3:8 BWV 40/1; Revelation: 2:10 BWV 49/5, 3:20 BWV 61/4, 5:12 BWV 21/11, 12:10 BWV 50, 14:13 BWV 60/4, 22:20 BWV 106/2; Beach: Festival Jubilate (Psalm 100); Böhm: Passion nach dem Evangelisten Johannes; Brahms: Eine
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deutsches Requiem, Psalm 13, Triumphlied; Brubeck: Light in the Wilderness; Bruch: Moses; Bruckner: Psalm 112, Psalm 146, Psalm 150; Buxtehude: Isaiah: 43/1-3 BuxWV 34, I 53/4-5 BuxWV 31; St. Matthew 22/17, 21 BuxWV 54; Colossians 3/17 BuxWV 4; Philippians 1/23 BuxWV 46, 47; Ecclesiasticus 3/20 BuxWV 55; Romans 8:9 BuxWV 77; Carissimi: Judges 11:28-40 Jephthe, Book of Jonah Jonas; Charpentier: I Kings, 3: 1-28 Judicium Salomonis, H. 422; Creston: Isaiah’s Prophecy; Dett: The Ordering of Moses; Dvorak: Psalm 149; Elgar: The Apostles, The Kingdom, The Light of Life; Foulds: World Requiem; Handel: Messiah, Alexander Balus, Solomon; Coronation Anthem: 1 — Zadok the priest, The ways of Zion do mourn, “Funeral Anthem”; Hovhaness: Praise the Lord with Psaltery; Howells: Hymnus Paradisi; Martin: Golgotha; Liszt: Christus; Mendelssohn: Christus, Elijah, Hymn (Psalm 13), Psalm 42, Psalm 95, Psalm 98, Psalm 114, Psalm 115, St. Paul, Symphony No. 2, Tu es Petrus; Mennin: Cantata de Virtute, Christmas Story; Mozart: Psalm 110: Dixit et Magnificat, K. 193/186g, Vesperae de dominica, K. 321, Vesperae solennes de confessore, K. 339, Psalm 112: Vesperae de dominica, K. 321, Vesperae solennes de confessore, K. 339, Psalm 113: Vesperae de dominica, K. 321, Vesperae solennes de confessore, K. 339, Psalm 118: Vesperae de dominica, K. 321, Vesperae solennes de confessore, K. 339, Psalm 148: Vesperae de dominica, K. 321, Vesperae solennes de confessore, K. 339; Matthew 11:11: Inter natos mulierum, K. 72/74f; Penderecki: Passio et Mors Domini Nostri Iesu Christi Secundum Lucam, Kosmogonia, Canticum Canticorum Salomonis; Rogers: The Prophet Isaiah; Schoenberg: Jakobsleiter; Starer: Ariel; Schubert: Graduale: Benedictus es, Domino, Offerto-
rium: Intende voci in B♭, Offertorium: Tres sunt. Stevens: Testament of Life; Stravinsky: Canticum Sacrum, A Sermon, a Narrative, and a Prayer; Thompson: The Passion According to St. Luke; Tippett: The Vision of St. Augustine; Vaughan William: Dona Nobis Pacem, Hodie, Sancta Civitas; Walton: Belshazzar’s Feast; Willan: Coronation Suite] (See also Psalms and Apocrypha.) Bienemann, Kaspar (1540-1591), also known as Melissander, he was educated at Jena and Tübingen. He was sent by Maximillian II as a translator to an embassy in Greece. He held subsequent posts as professor in Lauingen, abbot in Lahr, and General Superintendent of Pfalz, Neuburg. He was then appointed tutor to Crown Prince Friedrich Wilhelm of Sachsen Weimar, and finally General Superintendent at Altenburg. [found in: J.S. Bach, BWV 73, 156] Binyon, (Robert) Lawrence (1869-1943), English poet and art critic whose style is reminiscent of Wordsworth and Arnold, worked in the British Museum from his graduation from Oxford until 1933, after which he was the Norton professor of poetry at Harvard University. Portions of “For the Fallen” appear on war memorials throughout Great Britain. [found in: Elgar: The Spirit of England] Birken, Sigismund von (1626-1681) was a German poet and novelist. He is the author of a number of hymn texts
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including two used in Bach’s St. John Passion. [found in: Bach: BWV 245; Buxtehude: BuxWV 112] Blake, William (1757-1827), an English poet, engraver, and painter, he was born in London. In 1771, he apprenticed as an engraver and studied art at the Royal Academy School. He began his career making illustrations for magazines. He believed that he was regularly visited by members of the spirit world. He illustrated and engraved editions of many works including Edward Young’s Night Thoughts (1797), Robert Blair’s The Grave (1808), and the Book of Job (1826), as well as his own writings. Among his poetical works are Poetical Sketches (1783), Songs of Innocence (1789), Songs of Experience (1794); and the mystical writings: Book of Thel (1789), The Marriage of Heaven and Hell (1791), The French Revolution (1791), and The Song of Los (1795). [found in: Britten: Spring Symphony] Blunden, Edmund Charles (1896-1974), an English poet and critic, he was born in London and educated at Christ’s Hospital and Queen’s College, Oxford. He has taught in Tokyo (1924-1927), University of Hong Kong (19531966), and Oxford (1966-1968). He has edited the works of many significant English poets and has authored books on Leigh Hunt, Lamb, and John Keats. His own poetry is inspired by the English countryside and includes Pastorals (1916), The Waggoner and Other Poems (1920), and the prose works: The Bonadventure (1922) and Undertones of War (1928). [found in: Finzi: For St. Cecilia] Boie,469 Nikolaus the Younger (1501-1542) was a reformation theologian and religious poet [found in: Buxtehude: BuxWV 86] Book of Common Prayer The book of official liturgy for the Church of England, it was first issued in 1549 with a series of revisions including the 1662 reissue following the restoration. An Alternative Services Book (1980) provided updated liturgies and services in contemporary English. In the United States, the Episcopal Church adopted revisions in 1928 (including Coverdale’s translation of the Psalter) and 1979. [found in: Howells: Hymnus Paradisi; Vaughan Williams: Hodie] Book of Tobias is one of the apochryphal texts eliminated from the Bible in the second and third centuries C. E.; [found in: Haydn — Il ritorno di Tobia] Bourgeois, Louis (c.1510-c.1561), a Parisian by birth, he was director of music in Geneva from 1541 to 1557, and is responsible for producing the musical settings of the Geneva Psalter. After disputes with church authorities in Geneva, he returned to Paris in 1561. After that date, nothing is known of him. [found in J.S. Bach, BWV 13] Bowring, John (1792-1872), a British diplomat and linguist. Following his schooling, he worked in a merchant’s office where he gained a knowledge of two hundred languages. In 1824, he became editor of Westminster Review. He travelled widely and prepared numerous international trade agreements. He served in parliament (1835-1849) where he campaigned for free trade. He was made British consul in Hong Kong (1849), 469 Spelled Nicholas Boye in some sources.
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
and in 1854 he was knighted and made Hong Kong’s governor. He published numerous volumes of his translations of eastern European poetry. [found in: Cowell: The Creator (translator of Derzhavin)] Bradford, William (1590-1657), a founder of the Pilgrim Colony in Plymouth, Massachusetts. Born in Austerfield, England, he joined the Brownists (a separatist movement) in 1606 and moved to Amsterdam and then Leiden seeking religious freedom. He sailed with the Pilgrims in 1620 and signed the Mayflower Compact that same year. He was elected Governor of the Plymouth Colony thirty times between 1621 and 1656. He is the author of History of Plimoth Plantation (1651). [found in: Ward: Sweet Freedom’s Song] Brandenburg, Margrave Albrecht von (1490-1545), a descendant of the ruling family of Anhalt, he served as archbishop of Magdeburg, archbishop and elector of Mainz, and cardinal. He was responsible for publishing indulgences used to fund the building of St. Peter’s in Rome, within an area of Germany. He was appointed subcommissioner to Tetzel, to whom Luther delivered his 95 theses. [found in: J.S. Bach, BWV 72, 111, 144] Brecht, Bertold (1898-1956) was a poet and the most significant German playwright of the twentieth century. He studied philosophy and medicine. His early works helped to shape the expressionist movement, which he gradually imbued with elements of Marxism. He viewed his works as the theater of the people. He fled the Nazis and settled in Hollywood in 1941. In 1946, he was brought before the Senate subcommittee on un-American activities where he denied having membership in the Communist Party. He was offered his own theater company in East Germany, which he accepted in 1948. There he continued his experiments in drama. His works include Mann ist Mann (1926), Mahagonny (1927, opera with Weill), Die Dreigroschenoper (1928, opera with Weill), Mother Courage (1941), Der Aufhaltsame Aufstieg der Arturo Ui (1948). [found in: Weill: Das Berliner Requiem, Der Lindberghflug] Bright, John (1811-1889), a radical British statesman and orator, he denounced the Crimean War (1854). Bright was considered to be one of the most eloquent speakers of his era. [found in: Vaughan Williams: Dona Nobis Pacem] Brockes, Barthold Heinrich (1680-1747), a German poet of religious verse and nature poems, he also translated English works into German, including Thomson’s Seasons. His verse setting of the Passion was used by Handel. [found in: J.S. Bach, BWV 245; Handel: Brockes Passion, HWV 48] Broughton, Thomas (1704-1774) was an English clergyman and author. He attended Eton and Cambridge where he received B.A. and an M.A. He was a prolific writer; his works include the two volume Historical Dictionary of All Religions from the Creation of the World to the Present Times.) [found in: Handel: Hercules]
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Browning, Robert (1812-1889), an English poet, he was born in Camberwell and briefly attended University College in London, and then travelled abroad. He married Elizabeth Barrett in 1846 and the two settled in Italy. Following her death in 1861, he moved back to London. He established new methods of writing narratives, which outmoded the epic and pastoral. His principal works include Paracelsus (1835), Men and Women (1855), Dramatis Personae (1864), The Ring and the Book (1868-1869), Fifine at the Fair (1872), The Inn Album (1875), Pacchiarotto (1876), and Aslondo (1889). [found in: Mennin: Cantata de Virtute] Bruno, Giordano (1548-1600) Originally ordained a Roman Catholic priest, Bruno grew to doubt the teachings of the church and fled to the Calvanist city of Geneva, revoking his holy orders. He taught and wrote in France, England, and Germany. He was invited to Venice by Giovanni Mocenigo who turned him over to church authorities. He was imprisoned, refused to recant, and was burned at the stake 17 February 1600 in the Campo dei Fiori in Rome where a statute now memorializes his martyrdom. [found in: Henze: Novae de Infinito Laudes; Penderecki: Kosmogonia] Buchanan, George (1506-1582) was a Scottish humanist and historian. He graduated form St. Andrew’s Univeristy and received an M.A. from the Scots College in Paris. He became sympathetic to the reformation and spent some time in prison and in flight. He was one of the great intellects of his time. [found in: Handel: Jephtha] Bulthaupt, Heinrich (1849-1905) was a librarian in Bremen. He produced opera and oratorio libretti and authored a multivolume work on dramaturgy. [found in: Bruch: Achilleus, Das Feuerkreuz] Bunsen, J. F. von was a baron and theological writer. [found in: Mendelssohn: Christus] Burmeister, Franz Joachim (1633-1672), author of German hymn texts. [found in: J.S. Bach, BWV 60] Camus, Albert (1913-1960), a French author, he was born in Algeria where he studied philosophy between bouts of ill-health. After moving to Paris, he was active in the resistance during World War II. His work is existential and explores some of the inequities of human existence. In 1957, Camus was awarded the Nobel prize for literature. His works include L’Étranger (1942), Le Mythe de Sisyphe (1942, trans. 1955), La Peste (1947), Actuelles I (1950), L’Homme révolté (1951, trans. 1953), Actuelles II (1953), and La Chute (1956). [found in: Finney: Still Are New Worlds] Capel-Cure, Edward was a fellow at Merton College, Oxford and Rector of the Church of St. George in Bloomsbury. He published sermons and other religious writings. [found in: Elgar: The Light of Life] Capricornus, Samuel (1628-1665), born Samuel Friederich Bockshorn, he became Kapellmeister in Stuttgart, among his works is the Jubilus Bernhardi of 1660. [found in: Buxtehude: BuxWV 57] Carroll, Lewis, born Charles Dodgson (1832-1898), English author and mathematician, he attended Rugby and Christ Church Colleges, Oxford. He joined the
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mathematics faculty of Christ Church in 1855. He was also an important early amateur photographer. He authored Euclid and His Modern Rivals (1879). His fictional works emphasize fantasy and word games, and many feature a character modeled on Alice Liddell, the daughter of Christ Church’s Dean. They include Alice’s Adventure in Wonderland (1865), Phantasmagoria and other poems (1869), Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Found There (1871), The Hunting of the Snark (1876), Rhyme? and Reason? (1883), and Sylvie and Bruno (1889 and 1893). [found in: Adler: A Whole Bunch of Fun; Del Tredici: Pop-Pourri] Carryl, Guy Wetmore (1873-1904), American poet, novelist, children’s writer, and humorist; he was the son of stockbroker/children’s author Charles Edward Carryl. Guy Wetmore is best known for his parodies of traditional children’s tales, which include Fables for the Frivolous (1898), Mother Goose for Grown-Ups (1900), and Grimm Tales Made Gay (1902). [found in: Siegmeister: This is Our Land] Cassetti, Jacopo (?) is remembered as the librettist of Vivaldi’s Juditha. He is thought to have been from Monselice in the Veneto region of Italy [found in: Vivaldi: Juditha triumphans devicta Holofernes barbarie, RV 644] Catullus, Gaius Valerius (c.84-c.54 BC) was a Roman lyric poet. He is best known for his love verses to the married Roman “Lesbia.” [found in: Orff: Catulli Carmina, Trionfo di Afrodite] Clare, John (1793-1864), English poet. He was born to and lived in poverty. He was primarily self-taught, and attracted attention with a number of self-published collections, including Proposal for Publishing a Collection of Trifles in Verse (1817), Poems Descriptive of Rural Life (1820), Village Minstrel (1821), The Shepherd’s Calendar (1827), and Rural Muse (1835). In 1837, he was committed to an insane asylum, where he remained until his death. [found in: Britten: Spring Symphony] Clairvaux, Bernard de (1090-1153) see Leuven, Arnulf de. Claudel, Paul (1868-1955) was a French essayist, playwright, and poet. His work is characterized by a strong Roman Catholic predilection. His works include L’Annonce fait à Marie (1892), Partage de Midi (1905), Le Soulier de Satin (1921), Cinq Grandes Odes (1922), Christophe Colombe (1930, opera with Milhaud). [found in: Hindemith: Triumphsgesang, Custos quid de nocte, and Cantique de l’espérance; Honegger: Jeanne d’Arc au Bûcher] Clauder, Johann Christian (1701-1779), was a Leipzig schoolmaster. [found in: J.S. Bach, BWV 215] Cocteau, Jean (1889-1963), a French poet, playwright, artist, and filmmaker; had a spectacular and multifaceted career. His associations included Les Six, Stravinsky, Diaghilev, de Chirico, and Picasso. His works are dramatic and reflect his affiliations with the Surrealist and Dadaist movements. His principal works include novels: La Lampe d’Alladin (1909), Le Grand Ecart (1923), Les Enfant terribles (1929); plays: Les Mariés de la Tour
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Eiffel (1921), Orphée (1926), L’Aigle à deux têtes (1946); films: Le sang du poète (1932), La Belle et la bête (1945), Orphée (1949), and Le Testament d’Orphée (1960). [found in: Rorem: Poet’s Requiem; Stravinsky: Œdipus Rex] Colinde are a genre of Rumanian folktales and folk songs on themes surrounding Christmas. [found in: Bartok: Cantata Profana] Confitebor tibi Domine Psalm 118, used in Sunday Vespers. [found in: Mozart — Vesperae de dominica, K. 321, Vesperae solennes de confessore, K. 339] Congreve, William (1670-1729) was an English playwright and poet raised in Ireland. He was educated at Kilkenny College and Trinity College. He was a lifelong friend of Jonathan Swift and a protégé of John Dryden. [found in: Handel: Semele] Copernicus, Nicolas (1473-1543) was a Polish astronomer. The nephew of the bishop of Ermeland, he was educated in science at the University of Krakow, in canon law in Bologna, and in medicine in Padua, and was made doctor of canon law at Ferrara. A diverse intellect, and public official, he proved that the earth revolved around the sun in his De Revolutionibus (1530), for which he is considered to be the founder of modern astronomy. [found in: Penderecki: Kosmogonia] Coverdale, Miles (1488-1568), English biblical scholar and Protestant activist, he was educated at Cambridge, after which he was ordained a Roman Catholic priest in 1514, but later converted to Protestantism. As a religious refugee in Zürich, he published an English translation of the Bible, which was dedicated to Henry VIII. The Psalter of that Bible was used in the Book of Common Prayer. [found in: Vaughan Williams: Hodie] Cowley, Abraham (1618-1667), an English poet, he was schooled at Westminster School, Trinity College at Cambridge, and Oxford. During the British Civil War, he served as correspondent for the Queen. His best known work is Davideis. [found in: U. Kay: Phoebus Arise] Crozier, Eric (1914-1994), an English author and producer of opera and television, he frequently collaborated with Britten. He served as librettist for that composer’s Albert Herring (1947), Let’s Make an Opera (1949), Billy Budd (with E. M. Forster, 1951). He wrote the libretto to Lennox Berkeley’s Ruth (1956) and cotranslated Smetana’s The Bartered Bride (with Joan Cross, 1943). Crozier produced the first performances of Britten’s Peter Grimes (1945) and The Rape of Lucretia (1946). He is also the author of the narration for Britten’s The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra (1946). [found in: Britten: St. Nicolas] Cummings, E[dward] E[stlin] (1894-1962) was an American poet. He was educated at Harvard and served as an ambulance driver in France during World War I. At this time, he was mistakenly imprisoned, the experience of which became the basis of his novel The Enormous Room (1922). He attained great success as a poet of short verse, which gained celebrity for its expressive spirit and its use of visual arrangements of characters using a typewriter. [found in: Stravinsky: Œdipus Rex (translator)]
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Cüppers, J. see Hellmuth, Friedrich. Daniélou, Jean (1905-1974) was a Roman Catholic bishop, cardinal, and a Jesuit patristic scholar. He was the author of many religious studies, including Bible and Liturgy (1950) and Theology of Judeo-Christianity (1958). He served as an expert councel at the Vatican II. [found in: Stravinsky: Œdipus Rex (translator)] Dekker, Thomas (c.1570-c.1541) was a British playwright. Among his works are The Bachelor’s Banquet (1603), The Wonderful Year (1603, pamphlet), The Honest Whore, parts I and II (1604, 1607), Westward Ho! (1607), The Witch of Edmonton (1623). [found in: Stravinsky: A Sermon, a Narrative, and a Prayer] Denicke, David (1603-1680) studied in Wittenburg. He worked in civil service in Hildesheim and Hannover where he wrote sacred song texts and compiled songbooks. See also Justus Gesenius. [found in: J.S. Bach, BWV 39, 77, 153] Derzhavin, Gavril Romanovich (1743-1816), Russian poet and aristocrat, his works are almost exclusively lyrical and charged with imagination. He is regarded as one of Russia’s greatest poets. He was made Secretary of State in 1791, Imperial Treasurer in 1800, and Minister of Justice in 1802. [found in: Cowell: The Creator] Deschamps, Emile (1791-1871) was a French poet born in Bourges. He founded the journal La Muse Moraliste with Victor Hugo. [found in: Berlioz: Romeo et Juliette] Dexter, John (2 August 1925-1923 March 1990), was an English theater and film director. [found in: Ward: Earth Shall Be Fair] Dixit Dominus: Psalm 110, part of Sunday Vespers; [found in: Mozart — Dixit et Magnificat, K. 193 / 186g; Vesperae de dominica, K. 321; Vesperae solennes de confessore, K. 339] Dolmatovsky, Yevgeni (1915-1994) was a popular Soviet Russian poet. He studied at the Gorky Literary Institute and, in 1934, joined the Communist Party. He attacked the anti-Stalin movement even after Stalin’s death. He won the Stalin Prize in 1949. His works are direct and traditionally metric. [found in: Shostakovich: The Song of the Forests; Prokofiev: Songs of Our Days, Flourish, Our Mighty Land] Donne, John (c. 1572-1631), Anglican priest and poet, he was born Roman Catholic, a denomination he would later attack in his writings. He attended Hart Hall, Oxford, and later graduated from Cambridge. His works are diverse, reflecting his varied career as a court poet and then priest. He authored some of the most eloquent love poems in the English language, numerous tracts examining moral and religious issues, and a number of extant sermons. His works include Songs and Sonnets, six Satires, Of the Progress of the Soul (begun 1601, published 1633), Divine Poems (1607), Pseudo-Martyr (1610), An Anatomy of the World (1611), Anniversarie (1611), La Corona, and A Cycle of Holy Sonnets (1618). [found in: Finney: Still Are New Worlds] Dos Passos, John (1896-1970), an American novelist, poet, and playwright; he was born in Chicago and educated at Harvard. His incorporation of montage techniques and
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
the social and political content of his writing made him a prominent influence among American writers. His works include Manhattan Transfer (1925), The Garbage Man (1926), Facing the Chair: Story of the Americanization of Two Foreignborn Workmen (1927), U. S. A. Trilogy: 42nd Parallel (1930), Nineteen Nineteen (1931), and Big Money (1936), Adventures of a Young Man (1939), and Number One (1943). [found in: Amram: A Year in Our Land] Drummond, William (1585-1649), a Scottish poet, he was educated in Edinburgh, Bourges, and Paris. He was closely associated with Ben Jonson and deeply opposed to the National Covenant. His works include Tears on the Death of Moeliades (1613), Forth Feasting (1617), Flowers of Sion (1623), A Cypress Grove (1630), and History of the Five Jameses. [found in: U. Kay: Phoebus Arise; Vaughan Williams: Hodie] Dryden, John (1631-1700) was a poet, translator, and critic who was named England’s first Poet Laureate. He graduated from Trinity College, Cambridge. He wrote a number of occasional poems in praise of public figures. He made popular translations of Virgil, Ovid, and Homer and was a playwright and the author of numerous volumes of verse. [found in: Handel: Alexander’s Feast, Ode for St. Cecilia’s Day] “Easter Hymn” [found in: J.S. Bach, BWV 66] Eastern Orthodox Liturgy the various Orthodox Christian rites, primarily centered in eastern Europe, which split from Roman Catholicism in 1054. These religious sects accept only the doctrines of the seven Ecumenical Councils (325-787). [found in: Janacek: Msa Glagskaja; Penderecki: Untrenja] Eastman, Philip D. (1909-1986), an American author and illustrator of children’s literature, including Sam and the Firefly (1958); cartoonist, and filmmaker, he was a collaborator with Dr. Seuss. [found in: Adler: A Whole Bunch of Fun] Eber, Paul (1511-1569), born in Franconia, he was a German Protestant theologian. He served as Philip Melanchthon’s secretary and soon became a disciple of Martin Luther. He wrote numerous hymns, essays, and a revision of the Old Testament. [found in: J.S. Bach, BWV 16, 28, 127, 130, 243a; Buxtehude: BuxWV 3] Ebert, Jakob (1549-1615), author of German hymn texts. [found in: J.S. Bach, BWV 67, 116; Buxtehude: BuxWV 21] Eilmar, Georg Christian (1665-1715), was pastor of St. Mary’s Church in Mühlhausen who is believed to have invited Bach to that city. [found in: J.S. Bach, BWV 71] Eisenstein, Serge Mikhailovich (1898-1948) was a great Russian filmmaker. He was initially trained as a scenery painter, but established his fame as the director of Soviet propaganda films. His works include The Battleship Potemkin (1925), Ten Days That Shook the World (1928), Alexander Nevsky (1938), and Ivan the Terrible (1944). [found in: Prokofiev: Ivan the Terrible] Engels, Friedrich (1820-1895) was a German-born socialist reformer. He spent a portion of his life in England where he wrote Conditions of the Working Classes in
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England in 1844 (1845). He met Karl Marx in 1844, and assisted him in writing The Communist Manifesto (1848). Following Marx’s death, Engels dedicated his remaining years to editing and translating Marx’s work. [found in: Prokofiev: Cantata on the 20th Anniversary of the October Revolution] Erben, Karel Jaromir (1811-1870) was a Czech poet, writer, and historian. He wrote many poems and song lyrics based upon Czech folklore. [found in: Dvorak: Svatební kosile] Euripides (c.484-406 BC) was a great Greek playwright. Of eighty works that survive only eighteen are complete. Among them are Alcestis, Andromache, Electra, Iphigenia in Aulis, Iphigenia in Tauris, Medea, and Orestes. [found in: Orff: Trionfo di Afrodite] Fabricius, David (1564-1617), born in Essen, he was a German astronomer and clergyman. He discovered the first variable star, Mira, in 1586. He served congregations in Resterhaave and Osteel. He was murdered in the latter. [found in: J.S. Bach, BWV 42] Farjeon, Eleanor (1881-1965), an English author, she specialized in children’s literature. There is an annual children’s book award given in her honor. Her works include Nursery Rhymes of London Town (1916), Martin Pippin in the Apple Orchard (1921), and The Little Bookroom (1955). [found in: Adler: A Whole Bunch of Fun] Ferrand, Humbert was a lawyer and a devout Roman Catholic. He was a friend of Berlioz for whom he provided poetry. [found in: Berlioz: La révolution grecque, scène héroïque] Flanner, Janet (1892-1978), an American writer, she served as the Paris correspondent to The New Yorker. These correspondences were compiled into two volumes under the title of Paris Journal (1965 and 1971). She is one of a very few women to be awarded the French Legion of Honor. Her other writings include The Cubical City (1926), American in Paris (1940), Men and Monuments (1957), and a translation of Colette’s Claudine à l’école (1930). [found in: Rorem: Paris Letters] Fleming, Paul (1609-1640), born in Hartenstein, he was the first German poet to use sonnet form. He is best known for his Geistliches und weltliche Poemata, published in 1642. [found in: J.S. Bach, BWV 13, 44, 97] Fletcher, John (1579-1625), an English Elizabethan dramatist, he attended Benet (now Corpus) College, Cambridge. He became associated with a group of writers who met regularly at the Mermaid Tavern, including Ben Jonson and Francis Beaumont. With the latter he coauthored many of his theatrical works; these were compiled in two folios (1647 and 1679) containing eighty-seven works. Among them are The Woman Hater (1607), The Knight of the Burning Pestle (1609). His other collaborators included Massinger, Rowley, and Shakespeare. Notable among his own plays are The Faithful Shepherdess, The Humorous Lieutenant (1619), and Rule a Wife and Have a Wife (1624). He died of the plague. [found in: Bliss: Pastoral; Britten: Spring Symphony; Holst: First Choral Symphony]
684 Fontenelle, Bernard la Bouvier de (1657-1757), a French author, he supported the movement away from classical models in French literature. He served as secretary and later president of the Académie des Sciences. His writings include Histoire des oracles (1867) and Entretiens sur la pluralité des mondes (1868). [found in: Finney: Still Are New Worlds] St. Francis of Assisi (1181-1226), an Italian religious figure, he was born Giovanni Bernadone. Following his conversion in 1205 he founded the Franciscan monastic order and the Poor Clares, the Franciscan order for women. Based upon early monastic sects, they were founded upon the principles of chastity, obedience, and, most importantly, poverty. His writings include sermons, hymns, treatises, and Canticle of the Sun. [found in: Beach: Canticle of the Sun; Sowerby: Canticle of the Sun] Franck, Johann (1618-1677) was born to a patrician family. He held a number of political posts in Guben, including Burgermeister. He befriended Paul Gerhardt and became a Christian mystic. His work has become best known through its association with the tunes of Johann Crüger, especially Jesu, meine Freude. [found in: J.S. Bach, BWV 64, 81, 180, 227; Buxtehude: BuxWV 60] Franck, Michael (1609-1667), author of German hymn texts. [found in: J.S. Bach, BWV 26] Franck, Salomo (1659-1725), a writer of song texts and cantata libretti, he began his education in Jura. He then studied theology in Jena. He worked for the consistory and as a librarian in Weimar. He provided cantata texts for Telemann and J. S. Bach. For the latter he is believed to have written over twenty libretti between 1714 and 1717. [found in: J.S. Bach, BWV 12, 21?, 31, 70, 72?, 80, 132, 152, 155, 161, 164, 165, 168, 172, 182, 185, 186, 186a, 208] Freud, Sigmund (1856-1939), an Austrian neurologist, he is the founder of psychoanalysis. He studied medicine in Vienna and served as a neurology specialist at the Vienna General Hospital. There, with Joseph Breuer, he began to treat hysteria with hypnosis. He later developed a number of theories regarding the subconscious, its manifestation in dreams, and its connections with sexuality. His principal writings are The Interpretation of Dreams (1900), The Psychopathology of Everyday Life (1904), Three Essays on the Theory of Sexuality (1905), Totem and Tabu (1913), Beyond the Pleasure Principle (1919-1920), Ego and Id (1923), The Future of an Illusion (on religion, 1927), and Why War? (with Albert Einstein, 1933). [found in: Rorem: Poet’s Requiem] Freystein, Johann Burckhard (1671-1718), born in Wiessenfels, he studied mathematics, law, philosophy, and architecture at the University of Leipzig. He later completed a law degree in Jena, after which he practiced law in Dresden where he also held a series of official administrative posts. [found in: J.S. Bach, BWV 115] Friebert [Friberth], Joseph (fl. 18th century) was Kapellmeister in Neukomm. He had adapted Haydn’s string 470 Jens Peter Larsen and Georg Feder, The New Grove Haydn, 67 (New York: W. W. Norton, 1982).
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
music of the Seven Last Words into a choral work with text underlay. This choral setting, which Haydn apparently heard in 1795, served as the foundation of Haydn’s own choral adaptation of the work;470 [found in: Haydn, Die Sieben letzten Worte unseres Erlösers am Kreuz] Fritsch, Ahasverus (1629-1701) attended Gymnasium in Halle, and then studied law at the University of Leipzig. He worked as a jurist and then as consistory president in Schwarzburg. His song texts focus on the theme of the love of Jesus. [found in: J.S. Bach, BWV 57, 123] Füger, Kaspar (1521-1592), the elder (his son bearing the same name), he was court preacher in Dresden. He published a number of works from 1564 to his death. [found in: J.S. Bach, BWV 40, 110] Gagarin, Yuri (1934-1968) was the Soviet cosmonaut who became the first man to travel into space in 1961. He was killed while flying in a training exercise. [found in: Penderecki: Kosmogonia] Gandonnière, Almire worked with Berlioz to adapt Nerval’s French translation of Goethe’s Faust. [found in: Berlioz: La Damnation de Faust] Gay, John (1685-1732) was an English poet, playwright, and a founder of the Scriblerus Club. He is best known as the author of The Beggar’s Opera. [found in: Handel: Acis and Galatea, HWV 49] Geibel, Emanuel (1815-1884) was a German poet. He produced many German translations of Greek, Italian, and Spanish poems. He was a founder of the Munich School. [found in: Bruch: Schön Ellen] Gerhardt, Paul (1607-1676), born in Gräfenheinichen, he was a prolific German hymnwriter. He was an assistant pastor at St. Nicholas in Berlin, and later was pastor in Lübben. [found in: J.S. Bach, BWV 32, 40, 65, 74, 92, 103, 108, 153, 159, 176, 183, 194, 228, 248; Buxtehude: BuxWV 109] Gesenius, Justus (1601-1673) studied in Helmstedt. He was associate minister in Jena, and then pastor in Braunschweig. He wrote extensively on the catechism, and became inspector of catecumens in Calenberg and Hannover, and assessor of consistories. See also David Denicke. [found in: J.S. Bach, BWV 77] Gide, André (1869-1951), a French diarist and novelist, he became France’s most prominent man of letters. His writings have included essays, biographies, criticism, memoirs, and translations. He received the 1947 Nobel prize for literature and was a founder of the magazine La Nouvelle Française. His principal writings are L’Immoraliste (1902), Les Caves du Vatican (1914), La Symphonie Pastorale (1919), Les Faux Monnayeurs (1925), Journals (1889-1949), and Si le Grain ne meurt (an autobiography, 1926). [found in: Rorem: Poet’s Requiem; Stravinsky: Persephone] Giesecke, Johann Georg Karl Ludwig (1761-1833) was a poet, translator, and librettist in Vienna. He was a fellow Freemason with Mozart. He played the First Slave in the premiere of Die Zauberflöte, and may have contributed
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
to its libretto; [found in: Mozart — Laut verkünde unsre Freude.] Gigas, Johannes (1514-1581) the Latin variant of his birth name, Johannes Heune, he was born in Nordhausen. Educated in Wittenberg and Leipzig, he was a minister, author of hymn texts, and a writer of modern Latin poetry. [found in: J.S. Bach, BWV 114] Glenn, John (b. 1921), an astronaut and politician, he was the first American to orbit the earth in 1962. He became a U.S. senator representing Ohio in 1975. Of some musical interest, he was a grand-prize winner on the 1950s television program “The $64,000 Question” with popular music as his topic. [found in: Penderecki: Kosmogonia] Goethe, Johann Wolfgang von (1749-1832) is considered to be one of the greatest writers in the history of the German Language. He was a playwright, poet, scientist, and court official. At his father’s insistence, he studied law at the University of Leipzig (1765-1768) and Strasbourg (1770). He served as councillor to the Duke of Weimar (1776-1786). He published significant studies in human anatomy and botany. He established a friendship with Schiller with whom he maintained an important correspondence, and near whom he is buried. His large literary output includes many fine poems and the following larger works: Egmont (1788), Wilhelm Meisters Lehrjahre (1796), Wilhelm Meisters Wanderjahre (1821-1829), and a two-part adaptation of Marlowe’s Faust (1808, 1832). [found in: Beethoven: Meerestille und Gluckliche Fahrt; Berlioz: La Damnation de Faust, Huit scènes du Faust, Lélio ou le Retour à la vie; Brahms: Alto Rhapsody, Gesang der Parzen, Rinaldo; Mahler: Symphony No. 8; Mendelssohn: Die erste Walpurgisnacht; Schumann: Requiem für Mignon, Szenen von Goethes Faust; Strauss: Wanderers Sturmlied] Goodman, Paul (1911-1972), an American author, he first gained an audience through New Directions. He wrote in many fields sometimes reflective of his experience as a psychoanalyst. His works include: non-fiction: Communitas (1947), Gestalt Therapy (1951); novels: The Grand Piano (1949), The Dead of Spring (1950), The Empire City (1959), Making Do (1963); plays: Faustina (1949), The Young Disciple (1955), and The Cave at Machpelah. [found in: Rorem: Poet’s Requiem] Gottsched, Johann Christoph (1700-1766), born in Judithenkirch, he was a professor at the University of Leipzig, teaching philosophy, poetry, logic, and metaphysics. He founded the Leipzig school of acting and dramatic criticism. [found in: J.S. Bach, BWV 198] Graff, Wilhelm Paul (1845-1904) was a German poet and book vendor. [found in: Bruch: Odysseus] Graumann (Gramann), Johann (1487-1541), after studies at the University of Leipzig, he was appointed rector of St. Thomas School in Leipzig. He encountered Luther as the secretary of Eck at a formal debate with Luther and Carlstadt. He left Leipzig for Wittenburg where he joined the Reformation movement. He was a preacher in Würzburg and Nürnberg, and later became pastor of the Alstadt church in Königsberg. He publicly opposed the Anabaptists and Swenckfeldians, and helped in the organization
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of evangelical schools. [found in: J.S. Bach, BWV 17, 28, 29, 51, 167, 225] Grünwald, Georg (d. 1530), author of German hymn texts. [found in: J.S. Bach, BWV 86] Hackenburg, Albert (1852-1912) was a German theologian. He was the leader of the Evangelical Church in Germany from 1908 to 1912. [found in: Bruch: Gustav Adolf] Hardy, Thomas (1840-1928), an English writer, he was the son of a stonemason, and initially pursued a career as an architect. A prolific novelist, he turned to poetry and drama in reaction to criticisms of the bleak outlook of his novels. His works include: novels: Under the Greenwood Tree (1873), Far from the Madding Crowd (1874), The Return of the Native (1878), Tess of the D’Urbervilles (1891), Jude the Obscure (1895); poetry: Wessex Poems (1898), Winter Words (1928); drama: The Dynasts (1904-1908). [found in: Vaughan Williams: Hodie] Harris, Catherine R. [found in: Riegger: In Certainty of Song] Harvey, Gabriel (1545-1630), an English poet noted as one of the first to utilize hexameter. The son of a rope maker, he was educated at Christ Church, Cambridge, and was a fellow at Pembroke Hall. A curmudgeon, much of his efforts were spent attacking his contemporaries; however, he remained on friendly terms with Edmund Spencer. [found in: Finney: Still Are New Worlds] Hebbel, Friedrich (1813-1863) was a German playwright. He is best known for his Nibelungen trilogy (1855-1860). [found in: Schumann: Nachtlied] Hebrew Liturgy [found in: Bernstein: Kaddish Symphony] Heermann, Johann (1585-1647) born in Raudten, he is considered by many to be the most important sacred German poet between Luther and Paul Gerhardt. He developed early, was widely educated in Raudten, Wohlau, and Breslau, where he became a tutor. He was later appointed as diaconus in Oder, where he soon rose to the position of pastor. He was beset by misfortune: illness, maladies of throat and eye, the death of his son, and acts of violence during times of religious unrest. He wrote over four hundred hymns and much Latin poetry. He was crowned poet laureate. [found in: J.S. Bach, BWV 5, 13, 24, 25, 41, 45, 71, 89, 107, 136, 148, 163, 171, 190, 194, 199; Buxtehude: BuxWV 112] Heiberg, Johan Ludvig (1854-1928) was a Danish classical scholar. He taught philology at the University of Copenhagen (1896-1925) and edited many works from Greek antiquity, especially in the fields of mathematics and medicine. [found in: Nielsen: Hymnus Amoris] Heineccius, Johann Michaelis (1674-1722), was the pastor of the Liebfrauenkirche in Halle who is believed to have invited Bach to apply for the position of organist at that church. He is also the first person to study seals scientifically. He wrote Hundertjähriges Denckmahl der Reformation, which was published in Halle in 1718. [found in: J.S. Bach, BWV 63] Helbig, Johann Friederich (1662-1721), he studied theology in Fulda and Würzburg, and wrote sermons and performed the duties of clergy though he was not formally ordained. Bach used texts from his Auffmunterung zur
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Andacht, published in Eisenach in 1720. [found in: J.S. Bach, BWV 47] Hellmuth, Friedrich (1879-1919) was a German writer. He used the pseudonym J. Küppers (sometimes printed as Cüppers). [found in: Bruch: Arminius] Helmbold, Ludwig (1532-1598), was the author of Latin lyrics and hymn texts. Born in Mühlhausen, he was educated in Leipzig and Erfurt. He taught briefly in Mühlhausen, then taught poetry in Erfurt. He was a Calvinist, but his work with the composers Johann Eccard and Johann von Burgh led him to adopt Lutheran doctrine. [found in: J.S. Bach, BWV 73, 79, 165, 184a; Buxtehude: BuxWV 81] Henrici, Christian Friedrich [see: Picander] Herberger, Valerius (1562-1627), the son of a Meistersinger, he taught Latin, and wrote hymn texts and moral essays. [found in: J.S. Bach, BWV 95] Herbert, George (1593-1632), an Anglican priest and religious poet. He was the brother of Lord Herbert of Cherbury and is closely associated with John Donne. He was educated at Westminster and Trinity College, Cambridge, being made a fellow of the latter in 1614. His early adulthood was spent involved with parliament and the court of James VI. He took holy orders in 1630 and led a short but agressive career as a parish priest. His sacred poetry is contained in The Temple, Sacred Poems and Private Ejaculations, which was published immediately after his death. [found in: Vaughan Williams: Hodie] Herbert of Cherbury, Lord (1583-1648), Born Edward Herbert, he was an English soldier, diplomat, and philosopher; he was the brother of George Herbert. Educated at Oxford, he served in the army of the Prince of Orange (1614), and he was ambassador to France (1619-1624). At the outbreak of the English Civil War, Herbert was a royalist, but soon sided with parliament. His writing uses a Platonic basis to argue for the existence of God. He has come to be called the “Father of English Deism.” His works include De Veritate (1624), De Religione Gentilium (1645), and Life of Henry VIII (pub. 1649). [found in: U. Kay: Phoebus Arise] Herman, Nikolaus (1500-1561), was an organist, cantor, and publisher. He made many important translations during the earlier years of the Reformation, including a German translation of the Latin sequence hymns. [found in: J.S. Bach, BWV 31, 67, 95, 145, 151] Herrick, Robert (1591-1674), an English poet and clergyman, he was the son of a goldsmith, and educated at Trinity Hall, Cambridge. He was deprived of his parish during the English Civil War from 1647 to 1662 for his royalist views. During this time he published his poetical works as Hesperides: or the Works both Humane and Divine of Robert Herrick Esq. (1648), the wealth of which represented pagan rather than clerical life. [found in: Britten: Spring Symphony] Hölderlin, Friedrich (1770-1843) was a great German poet. His philosophy teachers included Hegel and Schelling. He was encouraged by Klopstock and Schiller. He established his reputation with the novel Hyperion (1799). He was debilitated by mental illness throughout
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
the second half of his life. [found in: Brahms: Schicksalslied] Holmes, Oliver Wendell (1841-1935) was an American jurist. His great legal work was The Common Law (1881). He served as associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court for 30 years. [found in: Beach: The Chambered Nautilus.] Homburg, Ernst Christoph (1605-1681), remembered as a poet and translator, studied in Jura, and worked as a jurist and legal writer. He was a prolific author of sacred and secular song texts. [found in: J.S. Bach, BWV 85, Buxtehude: BuxWV 58, 62, 66] Homer (eighth century BCE) was a blind epic poet to whom authorship of the Iliad and the Odyssey is attributed. [found in: Bruch: Achilleus and Odysseus] Hood, Thomas (1799-1845), and English humorist and poet with his brother-in-law, J. H. Reynolds, he wrote Odes and Addresses to Great People (1825). His annuals and magazines included Comic Annual (1830-1842), Gem (1829-), and Hood’s Magazine (1844-). His other works include Eugene Aram’s Dream (1829), Tylney Hall (1834), Song of the Shirt (1843), The Bridge of Sighs (1844). [found in: U. Kay: Phoebus Arise] Hopkins, Gerard Manley (1844-1889), an English poet, he studied at Bailliol College, Oxford, where he formed a lifelong friendship with Robert Bridges and was led into the Roman Catholic church in 1866. He became a Jesuit novice in 1868 and was ordained a priest in 1877. He taught at Stoneyhurst School and then was the chair of Greek at University College, Dublin. None of his poems was published during his lifetime, but they were brought out in complete edition by Bridges in 1918. [found in: Rubbra: Inscape] Huber, Franz Xavier (1760-1810) was a Viennese poet and librettist. [found in: Beethoven: Chistus am Oelberge] Hubert, Konrad (1507-1577), was a Lutheran theologian, preacher, and song text writer. He studied in Heidelberg and at the University of Basel, and traveled to England as a private secretary. He compiled a large collection of lyrics while living in Strassburg. [found in: J.S. Bach, BWV 33] Humphreys, Samuel (c. 1698-1738), was an English poet best known as the librettist for a number of Handels compostions. He received some financial support from the Duke of Chandos. [found in: Handel: Deborah, Esther, and Athalia] Hunold, Christian Friedrich (1680-1721), a German author who used the pen name, Menantes, his works include Der Verliebte und Galante Welt, Der Europäischen Höfe Liebes- und Heldengeschichte, Satirischer Roman, and rhetoric textbooks. [found in: J.S. Bach, BWV 134a, 204] Inter natos mulierum: The text is based upon the Vulgate Bible, Matthew 11:11. [found in: Mozart — Inter natos mulierum, K. 72 / 74f.] Isakovskogo, M. (1900-1973) was a Soviet Russian poet and journalist. After joining the Communist Party in 1918, he worked as a journalist in Smolensk (1921-1931) and then moved to Moscow in 1931. He won the Stalin
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Prize in 1942 and 1948. His works had a broad following throughout the Soviet Union. He wrote little after 1953. [found in: Prokofiev: Songs of Our Days] Jacobsen, Jens Peter (1847-1885) was a Danish novelist and poet whose works combine elements of naturalism and impressionism. His works include Fru Marie Grubbe (1876), Niels Lyhne (1880), and translations of Dickens into Danish. [found in: Schoenberg: Gurrelieder] Jacopone da Todi (c. 1230-1306), an Italian religious poet and Franciscan monk, he is believed to be the author of the Stabat Mater, Laude, and numerous Latin hymns. He was imprisoned (1298-1303) for his satirization of Pope Boniface VIII. [found in: Persichetti: Stabat Mater] Jahn, Martin (c.1620-1682), author of German hymn texts. [found in: J.S. Bach, BWV 147, 154] James, Edward (1907-1984) was a French poet and journalist whose work appeared in the journal Minotaur. [found in: Poulenc: Sécheresses] Jefferson, Thomas (1743-1826) was the third president of the United States, and one of that nation’s greatest intellects. He was elected to the House of Burgesses in 1769, participated in the first Continental Congress in 1774, and drafted the Declaration of Independence in 1776. He was governor of Virginia (1779-1781), congressman (17811784), a delegate and then minister to France (1784-89), and was appointed first secretary of state by Washington (1789-1794). After a brief retirement, he was called to become vice president in 1797, and was elected president (1801-1809). He helped to draft the constitution of the state of Virginia, oversaw the Louisiana Purchase, and founded the University of Virginia. [found in: Thompson: Testament of Freedom] Jennens, Charles (1700-1773) was a wealthy patron of the arts. He attended Balliol College, was ineligible for public office, and spent his life in bachelorhood. He was a close friend of Handel. [found in: Handel: Saul, Israel and Egypt (?), L’Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato, Messiah, Belshazzar] Jewish Liturgy is based upon recitations from the Torah and Psalms of the Old Testament of the Bible combined with a series of traditional Hebrew prayers, which vary in age from the time of King Solomon to the present day. [found in: Ernest Bloch: Avodath Hakodesh; Schoenberg: Kol Nidre] Jonas, Justus (1493-1555), a professor of theology at the University of Wittenburg, he was a friend and associate of Martin Luther in the German Reformation. [found in: J.S. Bach, BWV 178] Jone, Hildegard (1891-1963) was a poet and artist, born in Sarajevo, who is best remembered for her contributions of texts to the works of her close friend, Anton Webern. He husband was the sculptor Josef Humplik. Her works include Ring, mein Bewurstein (1918) and Anima. Gedicht des Gottesjahr (1948). [found in: Webern: Das Augenlicht, Erste Kantate, Zweite Kantate] Jonson, Ben (1572-1637), an English playwright, he was educated at Westminster School. He was associated with Dryden and Shakespeare, the latter of whom appeared in some of Jonson’s early plays. His best known works are:
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Cynthia’s Revels (1603), Volpone (1606), The Silent Woman (1609), The Alchemist (1610), and Bartholomew Fair (1614). [found in: Bliss: Pastoral] Jørgensen, Johannes (1866-1956) was a Danish poet and novelist who spent most of his life in Assisi, Italy. He converted to Roman Catholicism in 1896. His works include biographies of St. Francis of Assisi (1907), St. Catherine of Siena (1915), St. Birgitta (1941-1943), and an autobiography (1916-1928). [found in: Nielsen: Søvnen] Kabir (c. 1450-1518), a Hindu philosopher and poet, he believed in the admission of all castes and denounced the worship of idols. His writings in Hindi have been widely read by Hindus and Muslims. There is a Sikh religion called Kabirpanthi, which is based upon his teachings. [found in: Foulds: World Requiem] Kafka, Franz (1883-1924), a Jewish Austrian novelist, he was born and educated in Prague. His works portray man as a helpless figure in an irrationally bureaucratic world. During his life, he published the short stories “Der Heizer” (“The Boilerman,” 1913), “Betrachtungen” (“Meditations,” 1913), and “Die Verwandlung” (“Metamorphosis,” 1916). His three unfinished novels were published posthumously by Max Brod; they are Prozess (The Trial), Das Scloss (The Castle), and Amerika. [found in: Rorem: Poet’s Requiem] Keats, John (1795-1821), an English romantic poet, he was associated with Leigh Hunt, Percy Byshe Shelley, and Lord Byron. His works include Endymion (1818) and Lamia and Other Poems (1820). [found in: Holst: First Choral Symphony] Kepler Johann (1571-1630), a German astronomer and mathematician, he was born in Württemberg. He is the founder of modern astronomy, his efforts being the foundation of Isaac Newton’s work. His findings and theories were published in Mysterium cosmographicum (1596), Astronomia nova (1609), and Harmonice mundi (1619). [found in: Finney: Still Are New Worlds] Kerouac, Jack (1922-1969), an American novelist, he has become a cult hero and coined the term the “Beat Generation.” He was closely associated with Allen Ginsburg and Gary Snyder. His second novel, On the Road (1957), which tells of a cross-country trip of self-exploration, has became the touchstone of the American counterculture of the 1960s. His other novels include The Town and the City (1950), The Dharma Bums (1958), Doctor Sax (1959), and Big Sur (1962). [found in: Amram: A Year in Our Land] Keymann, Christian (1607-1662), author of German hymn texts. [found in: J.S. Bach, BWV 40, 70, 124, 154, 157] Kindermann, Balthasar (1636-1706) was the son of a weapons smith. He attended the University of Wittenberg where he studied poetry and completed a master’s degree in theology. He served as a minister and school director in Magdeburg. He wrote a wide variey of poetry and plays. [found in: Buxtehude: BuxWV 104]
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King, Martin Luther Jr. (1929-1968) American clergyman and civil rights leader, he achieved national recognition for his leadership of the Alabama bus boycott and the establishment of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (1957). He led a major march on Washington (1963), which was crowned by his “I have a dream. . .” speech. In 1964, he was awarded the Kennedy peace prize and the Nobel peace prize. He was assassinated by James Earl Ray in Memphis, TN. [found in: Flagello: Passion of Martin Luther King; Siegmeister: I Have a Dream] Kirsanov, Semyon (1906-1972) was an avant-garde Soviet Russian poet. He studied at the Odessa Institute for Public Education, after which he began working with Mayakovsky in Moscow. His experimental techniques brought about attacks for formalism. He won the Stalin Prize in 1950. His works include A Poet’s Poem (1939), The Sky above the Homeland (1947), The Seven Days of the Week (1956), and Quests (1967). [found in: Shostakovich: Symphony No. 3] Klopstock, Friederich (1724-1803) was a German poet of religious works, which include Der Messias (1773) and Die deutsches Gelehrtenrepublik (1774). [found in: Mahler: Symphony No. 2] Des Knaben Wunderhorn (The Boy’s Wonderful Horn, volume I, 1805; volume II, 1808; volume III, 1818) is a collection of German folk songs edited by Clemens Brentano and Achim von Arnim. [found in: Mahler: Symphony No. 2, Symphony No. 3] Knauer, Johann Oswald (fl. 1720) He wrote Gott-geheiligtes Singen und Spielen, published in Gotha in 1720. [found in: J.S. Bach, BWV 69, 69a, 77?] Knoll, Christoph (1563-1621), author of German hymn texts. [found in: J.S. Bach, BWV 161] Kolrose, Johann (d. 1558), author of German hymn texts. [found in: J.S. Bach, BWV 37, 147a] Kotzebue, August von (1761-1819), born in Weimar, he was a playwright and poet. After 1811, he lived in Estonia. He was assassinated in Mannheim. [found in: Beethoven: Die Ruinen von Athen, König Stephan] Kreuziger (Cruciger), Elisabeth (c. 1500-1535), author of German hymn texts. [found in: J.S. Bach, BWV 22, 96, 132, 164] Kuffner, Christoph, This name is sometimes given as the possible author of the text of Beethoven’s Choral Fantasy; however, no confident attribution can be made. [found in: Beethoven: Fantasia in C minor] Küppers, J. see Hellmuth, Friedrich. Lafont, Pierre-Chéri (1797-1873) abandoned a naval career as a physician’s assistant to pursue acting and singing. He worked primarily in Vaudeville as a performer and director. [found in: Berlioz: L’Imperiale] Lamentations of Jeremiah is a book from the Old Testament of the Bible. Attributed to the prophet Jeremiah, its five poetic sections lament the misery of the destruction of Jerusalem and pray for its restoration through the mercy of God. [found in: Penderecki: Passio et Mors Domini Nostri Iesu Christi Secundum Lucam; Stravinsky: Threni]
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Lebedev-Kumach, V. (1898-1949) was an immensely popular Soviet Russian poet who joined the Communist Party in 1940. He began his career writing prorevolutionary poems in newspapers. He worked for the journal Krokodil (1922-1934), after which he concentrated on nationalist song lyrics. His best known work, “Song of My Homeland,” sold over twenty million copies. [found in: Prokofiev: Songs of Our Days] Legouvé, Ernest (1807-1903) was a prolific French dramatist. He was the son of the poet Gariel Legouvé. He was a leading figure in the Académie Français and received the highest level of the Legion d’Honneur. [found in: Berlioz: Tristia] Lehms, Georg Christian (1684-1717), educated at Leipzig University, he worked as a councilor and librarian in Darmstadt. He wrote Gottgefälliges Kirchen-Opffer, published in Darmstadt in 1711, and compiled bibliographies of German poets and a catalogue of speeches given by women. [found in: J.S. Bach, BWV 13, 16, 32, 35, 54, 57, 110, 151, 170, 199] Lenin, Vladimir Ilyich (1870-1924) was a Russian revolutionary and the first leader of the Soviet Union. After studying the works of Karl Marx, he spent the years of 1894 to 1917 organizing opposition to Czarist rule, which reached fruition in the “October Revolution.” He is regarded as the founder of the Soviet Union. [found in: Prokofiev: Cantata on the 20th Anniversary of the October Revolution] Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) was a great Renaissance painter, scientist, engineer, inventor, and architect. He is credited with developing oil painting and modern hydraulic irrigation. His detailed studies of anatomy and mechanics were far ahead of his time and remain of great interest to this day. He is best known for his paintings of the Mona Lisa, The Last Supper, and The Virgin on the Rocks. [found in: Penderecki: Kosmogonia] Leuven, Arnulf de (c.1200-1250) was the abbot of the Cistercian Abbey in Villers-la-Vills, France. He is believed to be the author of Salve mundi salutare, also called the Rhythmica oratio of St. Bernard, which has also been attributed to Bernard de Clairvaux; however, Clairvaux died two centuries before the earliest surviving copies were produced. It includes the text Membra nostri, which was adapted in German by Paul Gerhardt as the hymn text “O Sacred Head Now Wounded.” [found in: Buxtehude: BuxWV 75] Li Tai Po (c. 700-762), one of China’s greatest poets, he was a member of the group “the Eight Immortals of the Wine Cup.” He is believed to have drowned while intoxicatedly attempting to embrace the moon’s reflection. [found in: Bliss: Morning Heroes] Lincoln, Abraham (1809-1865) was the sixteenth president of the United States. Famed for his honest ways and humble background, he distinguished himself in public life as a gifted orator, first achieving national attention for his debates with Stephen A. Douglas in 1854. He was elected president in 1860 as the victor of a four-way race. During his first year in office, South Carolina seceded from the Union and the Civil War began. He was
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
assassinated shortly before the war’s end by John Wilkes Booth. His best known speeches are The Emancipation Proclamation (1862) and The Gettysburg Address (1863). [found in: Diamond: This Sacred Ground] Lingg, Hermann (1820-1905) was a German poet and playwright. [found in: Bruch: Salamis.] Liscow, Salomo (1640-1689), author of German hymn texts. [found in: J.S. Bach: BWV 68, Buxtehude: BuxWV 9] Liturgical Texts These various texts (Agnus Dei to Virga Jesse floruit) are connected with regular liturgical practice, or are relevant to a specific day or season within the church year: Agnus Dei: (alone) [found in: J.S. Bach: BWV 23] Ave Maria: [found in: Brahms: Ave Maria] Ave Maris stella: Eighth-century anonymous hymn for the Feasts of the Virgin Mary [found in: Monteverdi: Vespro della Beata Vergine] Beatus vir (Psalm 112): [found in: Mozart: Vesperae de dominica, K. 321, Vesperae solennes de confessore, K. 339; Vivaldi: Beatus vir, RV 597, Beatus vir, RV 598, Beatus vir, RV 795], Christe eleison from the Ordinary of the Mass (see also); [found independently in: J.S. Bach: BWV 242] Confitebor tibi Domine (Psalm 118): [found in: Mozart: Vesperae de dominica, K. 321, Vesperae solennes de confessore, K. 339] Credidi propter quod locutus sum (Psalm 116): [found in: Vivaldi: Credidi propter quod locutus sum, RV 605] Credo from the Ordinary of the Mass (see also); [found independently in: Vivaldi: Credo] Dixit Dominus (Psalm 110): [found in: Monteverdi: Vespro della Beata Vergine; Mozart: Dixit et Magnificat, K. 193/186g, Vesperae de dominica, K. 321, Vesperae solennes de confessore, K. 339; Vivaldi: Dixit Dominus, RV 594, Dixit Dominus, RV 595, Dixit Dominus, RV 807] Domine as adiuvandum: The first verse of Psalm 70, this is the opening prayer of each hour in the Breviary. [found in: Monteverdi: Vespro della Beata Vergine; Vivaldi: Domine ad adjuvandum me festina, RV 593] Duo Seraphim: is the matins responsory for Trinity Sunday [found in: Monteverdi: Vespro della Beata Vergine] Gloria: from the Ordinary of the Mass (see also); [found independently in: J.S. Bach: BWV 191; Poulenc: Gloria; Vivaldi: Gloria, RV 588, Gloria, RV 589] In exitu Israel (Psalm 114 – Vulgate 113): [found in: Vivaldi: In exitu Israel, RV 604] Kyrie: from the Ordinary of the Mass (see also); [found independently in: J.S. Bach: BWV 233a; Mozart: Kyrie, K. 341 /368a; Vivaldi: Kyrie, RV 587] Jubilate: comprises Psalm 100:1-4 and the Doxology. [found in: Handel: Jubilate in D, “Utrecht”] Jubilate, o amoeni chori: This is an anonymous religious text. [found in: Vivaldi: Jubilate, o amoeni chori, RV 639/639a] Laetatus sum: Psalm 122:1-3, 6, and 7, it is used as an introit [found in: Monteverdi: Vespro della Beata Vergine; Vivaldi: Laetatus sum, RV 607]
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Lauda Jerusalem: Psalm 147 from the Vulgate [found in: Monteverdi: Vespro della Beata Vergine; Vivaldi: Lauda Jerusalem, RV 609] Lauda Sion Salvatorem: traditional communion sequence for the Mass of Corpus Christ [found in: Buxtehude: BuxWV 68] Laudaute Dominum (Psalm 148): It is part of Sunday Vespers [found in: Mozart: Vesperae de dominica, K. 321, Vesperae solennes de confessore, K. 339; Vivaldi: Laudate Dominum omnes gentes, RV 606] Laudaute pueri (Psalm 113): It is part of Sunday Vespers [found in: Monteverdi: Vespro della Beata Vergine; Mozart: Vesperae de dominica, K. 321, Vesperae solennes de confessore, K. 339; Vivaldi: Laudate pueri Dominum, RV 602/602a] Litany refers to a religious service comprised of a series of prayers of supplication. [found in: Mozart: Litaniae de venerabili altaris sacramento in B♭ major, K. 125, Lita-
niae de venerabili altaris sacramento in E♭ major, K. 243, Litaniae laurentanae in B♭ major, K. 109 / 74e, Litaniae laurentanae in D major, K. 195 / 186d] Magnificat: Luke 1:46-55. [found in: J.S. Bach: BWV 243, 243a; Hovhaness: Magnificat; [Monteverdi: Vespro della Beata Vergine; Mozart: Dixit et Magnificat, K. 193/186g, Vesperae de dominica, K. 321, Vesperae solennes de confessore, K. 339; Rutter: Magnificat; Vivaldi: Magnificat, RV 610/611] Mass: This refers to the Ordinary of the Roman Catholic Eucharistic Liturgy [found in: J.S. Bach: BWV 232, 233, 234, 235, 236; Beach: Mass in E♭; Beethoven: Mass in C, Missa Solemnis; Berlioz: Messe solonnelle; Bernstein:
Mass; Bruckner: Missa Solemnis in B♭ minor; Mass No. 1 in D minor, Mass No. 2 in E minor, Mass No. 3 in F minor; Charpentier: Messe de Minuit à 4 voix flutes et violon pour Noël, Messe des Morts a quatre voix et orchestre; Creston: Missa Solemnis; Delibes: Messe Brève; Fauré: Messe des pêcheurs de Villeville; J. Harrison: Mass in C; Haydn: No. 1, Mass in F Major (Missa Brevis, Jugendmesse), Hob. XXII: 1; No. 2, Mass in D minor (Missa “Sunt bona mixta malis” a quattro voci alla capella), Hob. XXII: 2; No. 3, Mass in G major (Rorate coeli desuper), Hob. XXII: 3; No. 4, Mass in E♭ major (Missa in honorem BVM, Missa Sancti Josephi, Grosse Orgelmesse), Hob. XXII: 4; No. 5, Mass in C major (Missa Cellensis in honorem Beatissimae Virginis Mariae, St. Cecilia Mass), Hob. XXII: 5; No. 6, Mass in G major (Missa Sancti Nicolai), Hob. XXII: 6; No. 7, Mass in B♭ major (Missa Brevis Sanctis Joannis de Deo, Kleine Orgelmesse), Hob. XXII: 7; No. 8, Mass in C major (Missa Cellensis, Mariazeller Messe), Hob. XXII: 8; No. 9, Mass in C major (Missa in tempore belli, Mass in Time of War, Paukenmesse, Kriegmesse), Hob. XXII: 9; No. 10, Mass in B♭ major (Heiligmesse, Missa Sancti Bernardi von Offida, Missa St. Ofridi), Hob. XXII: 10; No. 11, Mass in D minor (Lord Nelson Mass, Imperial Mass, Coronation Mass, Missa in augustiis), Hob. XXII:
690 11; No. 12, Mass in B♭ major (Theresienmesse), Hob. XXII: 12; No. 13, Missa Solemnis in B ♭ major (Schöpfungmesse or Creation Mass), Hob. XXII: 13; No. 14, Mass in B♭ major (Harmoniemesse), Hob. XXII: 14; Kodaly: Missa Brevis; Messager: Messe des pêcheurs de Villeville (see under Fauré); Monteverdi: Vespro della Beata Vergine; Mozart: Mass in C major (Dominicus Mass), K. 66; Mass in C minor (Missa Solemnis, Waisenhaus, or “Orphanage” Mass), K. 139; Mass in C major (Missa in honorem Sanctissimae Trinitas, Trinity Mass), K. 167; Mass in C major (“Credo Mass”), K. 257; Mass in C major (Piccolominimesse, or Spaur Mass), K. 258; Mass in C major (Missa Brevis, Organ Solo Mass), K. 259; Mass in C major (Longa), K. 262; Mass in B♭ major (Missa Brevis), K. 275 / 272b; Mass in C major (Krönungs-Messe, Coronation Mass), K. 317; Mass in C major (Missa solemnis, Aulica Mass), K. 337; Mass in C minor (The Great), K. 427 / 417a; Missa Brevis in G major, K. 49 / 47d; Missa Brevis in D minor, K. 65 / 61a; Missa Brevis in C major, K. 115 (fragment only); Missa Brevis in F major, K. 116 (fragment only); Missa Brevis in G major, K. 140 / Anh. C1. 12; Missa Brevis in F major, K. 192 / 186f; Missa Brevis in D major, K. 194 / 186h; Missa Brevis in C major (Spatzenmesse “Sparrow Mass”), K. 220 / 196b; Puccini: Messa a 4 Voci (Messa di Gloria); Rossini: Petite messe solonnelle; Rubbra: Mass; Schubert: Kyrie in D (D. 31), Kyrie in D (D. 49), Kyrie in F (D. 66), Magnificat, Mass No. 1 in F, Mass No. 2 in G, Mass No. 3 in B♭, Mass No. 4 in C, Mass No.
5 in A♭, Mass No. 6 in E♭, Deutsche Messe (in German translation); Schumann: Mass; Stravinsky: Mass] Misericordias domini: The text is from Psalm 89; [found in: Mozart: Misericordias domini, K. 222 / 205a] Nigra sum: a passage from the Song of Songs that is used as a devotional to the Virgin Mary. [found in: Monteverdi: Vespro della Beata Vergine] Nisi Dominus: Psalm 127, which is used in the Vespers for the feasts of the Virgin Mary [found in: Monteverdi: Vespro della Beata Vergine] Pater Noster (St. Matthew, 6:9-13): Literally “Our Father,” it is the Lord’s Prayer in Latin. [found in: Liszt: Christus] Puer Natus est (Isaiah, 9:6): [found in: J.S. Bach: BWV 65] Pulchra es: a fourth-century antiphon used in the Second Feast of the Immaculate Conception. [found in: Monteverdi: Vespro della Beata Vergine] Regina coeli: This text first appears in chant manuscripts from around 1200. It is one of the four Marian Antiphons which are sung at the conclusion of compline. The Regina coeli is used for this purpose throughout the Easter season; [found in: Mozart: Regina coeli in C major, K. 108 /
471 Ron Jeffers, Translations and Annotations of Choral Repertoire, Volume I: Sacred Latin Texts, 218 (Corvallis, OR: Earthsongs, 1988).
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
74d; Mozart: Regina coeli in B♭ major, K. 127; Mozart: Regina coeli in C major, K. 276 / 321b Requiem: Also known as the Missa pro Defunctis, or Mass for the Dead, this service went through centuries of evolution and was sanctioned in its final form at the Council of Trent. [found in: Berlioz Grande messe des morts; Britten: War Requiem; Bruckner: Requiem in D minor; Cherubini: Requiem Mass in D minor; Duruflé: Requiem; Dvorak: Requiem Mass; Fauré: Messe de Requiem; Flagello: Passion of Martin Luther King; Foulds: World Requiem; Gounod: Requiem; Schumann: Requiem; J. Harrison: Requiem; Howells: Hymnus Paradisi (Anglican Burial Service); Ligeti: Requiem; Mozart: Requiem; Penderecki: Dies Irae; Rutter: Requiem; Stravinsky: Introitus, Requiem Canticles; Verdi: Messa da Requiem] Sancta Maria, mater Dei is a gradual hymn for the Feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary. [found in: Mozart: Sancta Maria, mater Dei, K. 273.] Sanctus: (alone) [found in: J.S. Bach: BWV 237, 238, 239, 240, 241] Scande coeli limina: is an offertory for the Feast of St. Bernard; [found in: Mozart: Scande coeli limina, K. 34] Stabat Mater: The text addresses the “Seven Sorrows of the Virgin Mary.” [found in: Dvorak: Stabat Mater; Haydn: Stabat Mater; Howells: Stabat Mater; Liszt: Christus; Pergolesi: Stabat Mater; Poulenc: Stabat Mater; Rossini: Stabat Mater; Schubert: Stabat Mater in G minor, Stabat Mater in F; Verdi: Stabat Mater] Surrexit Christus hodie: This is a fourteenth-century sequence for Easter that originated as a Latin carol in Bohemia. [found in: Buxtehude: BuxWV 99] Tantum Ergo: This is a portion of the Pange lingua, which was written by Thomas Aquinas (c. 1264) for the Feast of Corpus Christi. [found in: Mozart: Tantum ergo in B♭ major, K. 142 / Anh. C3. 04; 186d; Tantum ergo in D major, K. 197] Te Deum: This is an anonymous hymn of thanksgiving in church use since the sixth century. It is usually sung during the Matins service. The apochryphal source of its genesis is that it was spontaneously sung by Ss. Ambrose and Augustine on the evening when Augustine was baptized. 471 [found in: Berlioz: Te Deum; Bruckner: Te Deum; Charpentier: Te Deum, H. 145, Te Deum, H. 146; Dvorak: Te Deum; Te Deum; Handel: Te Deum in D, “Utrecht,” Te Deum in D, “Caroline,” Te Deum in B♭, “Chandos,” Te Deum in A, Te Deum in D, “Dettingen”; Haydn: Te Deum for Prince Nicolaus of Esterházy, Te Deum for the Empress Maria Theresa; Kodaly: Te Deum of Budavár; Mozart: Te deum laudamus; Willan: Coronation Te Deum] Tu es Petrus: This is the scripture passage Matthew 16:18. [found in: Liszt: Christus; Mendelssohn: Tu es Petrus] Veni sancte spiritus is a twelfth-century sequence hymn text; [found in: Mozart: Veni sancte spiritus, K. 47]
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Venite populi is an offertory text for the elevation of the sacraments during communion. [found in: Mozart: Venite populi (Offertorium de venerabili sacramento), K. 260 / 248a] Virga Jesse floruit: Isaiah: 11. [found in: J.S. Bach: BWV 43a/D] Longfellow, Henry Wadsworth (1807-1882), an American poet, he was educated at Bowdoin College where he later served as chair of foreign languages. He later served as chair of modern languages and literature at Harvard. He was a classmate of Nathaniel Hawthorne and was acquainted with Thomas Carlyle. His works include Voices of the Night (1839), Ballads (1840), Poems on Slavery (1842), Evangeline (1847), Hiawatha (1855), The Courtship of Miles Standish (1858), and Tales of a Wayside Inn (1863). [found in: Coleridge-Taylor: The Song of Hiawatha; Diamond: To Music] Lord’s Prayer is a prayer attributed to Jesus Christ and occurs in two places in the New Testament of the Bible: the Gospel of St. Matthew 6:9-13 as part of the Sermon on the Mount (see: Beatitudes), and the Gospel of St. Luke 11:2-4. [found in: Martin: In terra pax] Lowell, James Russell (1819-1891), an American poet and essayist, he was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and educated at Harvard. In addition to writing, he did editorial work for the The Pioneer, The Atlantic Monthly, and North American Review. He was an ardent abolitionist addressing the issue of slavery in much of his writing. He served as the U.S. minister to Spain (1877-1880) and to Great Britain (1880-1885). His works include Conversations on Old Poets (1845), Biglow Paper (1848 and 1867), A Fable for Critics (1848), Among My Books (1870), and My Study Windows (1871). [found in: Ward: Sweet Freedom’s Song] Lowth, Robert (1710-1787) was an English bishop of the Diocese of London and a professor of poetry at Oxford University. He is best remembered for his A Short Introduction to English Grammar. [found in: Handel: The Choice of Hercules] Lucretius (c.99-55 BC) is a Roman poet and philosopher best known for his six-volume epic poem, De Natura Rerum. [found in: Penderecki: Kosmogonia] Lugovskoi, Stikhi V. (1901-1957), a Soviet Russian poet, was the son of a literature professor and a singer. He attended Moscow University, served in the Red Army, and became a leading figure in the constructivist movement in the 1930s. He published thirty-six books during his lifetime, but his fame was achieved gradually following his death. In 1937, he was criticized by the government and spent years in depression and fallow creativity, until a rich creative outburst following Stalin’s death. [found in: Prokofiev: Alexander Nevsky, Ivan the Terrible] Luther, Martin (1483-1546), born in Eisleben, and educated in Magdeburg, Eisenach, and the University of Erfurt, he was ordained a Roman Catholic priest in 1507. He served as professor of biblical exegesis (1512-1546), during which time he began to preach the doctrine of salvation by faith rather than works, beginning the Protestant Reformation. On 31 October 1517 he nailed a
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set of 95 theses on indulgences to the door of the church in Wittenburg, catalyzing his movement. He was a prolific author and hymnist, as well as a theologian. He differed from other Protestant reformers in his adherence to the belief of consubstantiation. His writings include German translations of the Scriptures, Christian Nobles of Germany, On the Babylonish Captivity of the Church of God, The Small Catechism, The Large Catechism, TableTalk, letters, and sermons. [found in: J.S. Bach, BWV 2, 4, 6, 7, 14, 16, 36, 38, 42, 59, 61, 62, 64, 69, 76, 80, 83, 91, 95, 106, 119, 120, 121, 125, 126, 169, 197, 226, 243a, 248; Buxtehude: BuxWV 27, 102; Vaughan Williams: Hodie] Mabley, Edward (b. 1906), an American author, and friend of Elie Siegmeister for whom he organized a number of texts. [found in: Siegmeister: I Have a Dream (arranger of Martin Luther King’s texts)] MacCarthy, Maud (1882-1967), an English violinist, mystic, and author, she was John Foulds’s mistress. She was involved in the preparation of a number of his scores and served as the orchestra leader in numerous performances of Foulds’s works. [found in: Foulds: World Requiem] Maikov, Apollon N. (1821-1897) was a painter and sculptor who turned to a career in poetry. He also worked as a censor for the Czar. [found in: Tchaikovsky: Moskva] Mallarmé, Stéphane (1842-1898), a French poet, he was the leader of the Symbolist movement. He wrote primarily in free verse using unusual word construction and allegorical elements. His best known works are L’Apresmidi d’un faune (1876), Les Dieux antiques (1880), Vers et Prose (1893), and Proésies (1899). [found in: Rorem: Poet’s Requiem] Marlowe, Christopher (1564-1593), an English playwright, he was born in Canterbury where he attended the King’s School. He then matriculated at Cambridge. He established a standard of excellence for English drama in the sixteenth century. His works served as a model for those of Shakespeare. Among his plays are Tamburlaine the Great, The Tragical History of Dr. Faustus, The Jew of Malta, and Edward II. [found in: Finney: Still Are New Worlds] Marshak, Samuel (1887-1964) was a prominent Soviet Russian author of children’s literature. He lived with Gorky’s family (1904-1906) and later worked in child welfare (1914-1922). He moved to Petrograd/Leningrad in 1922, and in 1924 was appointed director of children’s literature for the State Publishing House. He was an outstanding translator of English works into Russian, and a prolific writer of children’s stories and texts for political posters. [found in: Prokofiev: Songs of Our Days, On Guard for Peace] Marx, Karl (1818-1883) was a German philosopher and economic and social theorist. He is credited with the foundation of modern communism. While in exile he met Engels who assisted him in writing the Communist Manifesto (1848) and Das Kapital in three volumes as completed by Engels (1867, 1884, 1894). The basic tenet of his writings is that the masses must overthrow their capitalist oppressors and establish equitable self rule. His
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theories are often misrepresented by his detractors, but have exerted significant influence on twentieth-century society. [found in: Prokofiev: Cantata on the 20th Anniversary of the October Revolution ] Masefield, John (1878-1967), an English poet and novelist, he apprenticed as a seaman, but was forced to abandon this career due to poor health. He then turned to writing, becoming Poet Laureate (1930-1967). His works include Salt Water Ballads (1902), Dauber (1913), Gallipoli (1916), Reynard the Fox (1919), and The Trial of Jesus (1925). [found in: Diamond: To Music] Mashistov, Aleksei Ivanovich was a Soviet Russian author. [found in: Prokofiev: Flourish, Our Mighty Land] Melanchthon, Philip (1497-1560), born in Bretten, he was a German Prostestant reformer who worked with Martin Luther. Melanchthon is the Greek form of his family name, Schwarzerd. He was appointed professor of Greek at the University of Wittenberg in 1516, where he met Luther. He authored Loci Communes (1521) and the Augsburg Confession (1530), and upon Luther’s death, succeeded him as leader of the German Reformation. [found in: J.S. Bach, BWV 6] Metastasio, Pietro [real name, Trapassi] (1698-1782), born in Rome, he was educated by a local lawyer who was his patron, and who bequeathed him a fortune in 1718. He became court poet in Vienna in 1729. Among his many opera libretti is that of Mozart’s La Clemenza di Tito; [found in: Haydn: Il ritorno di Tobia; Mozart: Betulia liberata] Meuslin (Meusel), Wolfgang (1497-1563), author of German hymn texts. [found in: J.S. Bach, BWV 112] Middleton, Thomas (c. 1570-1627), an English playwright, his work is found primarily in collaboration with other authors who include Beaumont and Fletcher, William Rowley, and Thomas Dekker. He annually wrote the Lord Mayor’s (of London) pageant and was made city historian. His works include The Phoenix, Anything for a Quiet Life, The Honest Whore, The City Heiress, The Spanish Gypsy, and The Changeling. [found in: U. Kay: Phoebus Arise] Midrash (Hebrew: “to teach” or “to investigate”), refers to rabbinical commentary on Old Testament writings, or an oral interpretation of the Torah. Aggadah refers to interpretations of texts, which are not Halakhal (rules or instructions). [found in: Adler: The Binding] Milton, John (1608-1674), an English poet, he was the son of a Protestant poet and composer. He was educated at Christ’s College, Cambridge. He became blind in 1652, and thereafter continued his work by amanuensis. He wrote numerous tracts on law and religion as well as epic poetry. Among his writings are L’Allegro (1632), Areopagitica (1644), Paradise Lost (1663, enlarged 1674), Paradise Regained (1671), and Samson Agonistes (1671). [found in: Britten: Spring Symphony; Handel: L’Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato, Samson, Occasional Oratorio; Paine: The Nativity; Vaughan Williams: Hodie; Willan: Coronation Suite. “Ring out ye crystal spheres” is used in the Vaughan Williams and Willan.]
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Mischka, Caroline was a little-known Victorian-Americn poet from Buffalo, New York. [found in: Beach: The Rose of Avon-town.] Missa pro Defunctis — see Requiem under Liturgical Texts. Mohnike, Gottlieb (1781-1841) was a German theologian, linguist, and translator. [found in: Bruch: Frithjof] Moller, Martin (1547-1606), the son of a farmer, he could not afford a university education, and was thus an autodidact. He served as cantor in Löwenberg, and pastor in Kesseldorf, Sprotau, and Görlitz. He wrote moral essays and hymn texts. [found in: J.S. Bach: BWV 3, 44, 58, 90, 101, 153; Buxtehude: BuxWV 78] Montesquiou, Count Robert de (1855-1921) was a poet and art collector. He is thought to have been the inspiration for the character of Baron de Charlus in Proust’s Rememberance of Things Past. [found in: Fauré: Pavane] Moore, Marianne (1887-1972), an American poet, she was born in Kirkwood, Missouri, and educated at the Metzger Institute, Bryn Mawr College, and Carlisle Commercial College, teaching at the last. She served as editor of The Dial (1926-1929). She was associated with T.S. Eliot, Ezra Pound, Wallace Stevens, and William Carlos Williams. Among her writings are Predilections (1955), Complete Poems (1968), and an English translation The Fables of La Fontaine (1952). [found in: Adler: A Whole Bunch of Fun] Moore, Thomas (1779-1852) was an Irish poet. His works include Irish Melodies (1807-1834) and Lalla Rookh (1817). [found in: Berlioz: Tristia; Schumann: Das Paradies und die Peri] Morax, René (1873-1963) was a Swiss dramatist who produced a number of innovative works for the theater including significant collaborations with Honegger. [found in: Honegger: Le Roi David] More, Henry (1614-1687), and English philosopher, he was in Grantham and educated at Eton and Christ’s College, Cambridge. The leader of the “Cambridge Platonists,” he attempted to use philosophy to combine reason with faith. His writings include Philosophical Poems (1647), An Antidote against Atheism (1653), The Immortality of the Soul (1659), and Divine Dialogues (1668). [found in: Finney: Still Are New Worlds] Morell, Thomas (1703-1784) was an English, author, printer, and classics scholar. He attended Eton and King’s College Cambridge, where he completed a Doctorate of Divinity. He wrote a description of his collaboration with Handel. [found in: Handel: Judas Maccabeus, Joshua, Alexander Balus, Theodora, The Choice of Hercules, Jephtha, The Triumph of Time and Truth] Morlaix, Bernard de (twelfth century) was a monk in the order of Cluny who produced many Latin hymns and other poetry. [found in: Parker: Hora Novissima] Morris, William (1834-1896), an English artist, poet, and philospher, he was educated at Exeter College, Oxford. He became involved in the pre-Rapaelite movement. His design firm revolutionized English interior decorating. He also founded the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings. Much of the last two decades of his life were
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
spent forwarding his Utopian beliefs in socialism. He was a prolific author and translator and founder of the Kelmscott Press at Hammersmith. He wrote English translations of Homer’s Odyssey (1887) and Virgil’s Aeneid (1875). His original writings include The Defense of Guinevere, and other poems (1858), The Earthly Paradise (1868-1870), The Story of Sigurd the Volsung and the Fall of the Nibelungs (1876), News from Nowhere (1891). [found in: Hanson: Lament for Beowulf (translator with Wyatt)] Müller, Heinrich (1631-1675), a writer on spiritual topics, he was widely educated in philosophy and theology. Entering university at age thirteen, he completed a doctorate from the University of Rostock when he was twenty-one. He wrote extensively in German and Latin. In one year alone, he penned over four hundred song texts. [found in: J.S. Bach, BWV 87; Buxtehude: BuxWV 108] Nash, Ogden (1902-1971), an American author of humorous poems, he was born in Rye, New York, and educated at Harvard. His poems, which often border upon the absurd, frequently used puns and alliteration. He established a wide audience through the regular appearance of his work in The New Yorker. His collections of verse include Parents Keep Out: Elderly Poems for Youngerly Readers (1951), The Private Dining Room and Other New Verses (1953), and Boy Is a Boy (1960). [found in: Adler: A Whole Bunch of Fun] Nashe, Thomas (1567-1601), an English playwright, he was born in Lowestoft, and educated at St. John’s College, Cambridge. His writing is filled with satire and social criticism. Nashe was once imprisoned for the content of his work. His works include Anatomie of Absurditie (1589), Pierce Penilesse, His Supplication to the Divell (1592), Summer’s Last Will and Testament (1592), and The Unfortunate Traveller (1594). [found in: Britten: Spring Symphony; Lambert: Summer’s Last Will and Testament] Neander [Neumann], Joachim (1650-1680), born to a family of Protestant preachers, he was rector of a Latin school in Düsseldorf, and later an assistant minister there. He published a collection of sacred song texts, many to pre-existing tunes. [found in: J.S. Bach, BWV 120a, 137] Nekrasov, Nikolai A. (1821-1878) was a Russian journalist, critic, and poet. His works address the plights of the peasant class. [found in: Rachmaninov: Vesna; Tchaikovsky: Cantata in Celebration of the Golden Jubilee of Osip Petrov] Neruda, Pablo (1904-1973), a Chilean poet and diplomat, he was elected to Chile’s Senate as a Communist in 1945. The party was outlawed in 1948, and he left to tour Russia and China returning to Chile in 1952. He received the Stalin prize in 1953 and the Nobel prize for literature in 1971. His best known works are Alturas de Macchu Picchu (1945), Residencia en la Terra (I, II, and III, 1933, 1935, and 1947), and Veinte poemas de amor y una canción desperada (1924), the last of which is the source for “The Lovers.” [found in: Barber: The Lovers] Nerval, Gérard de (1808-1855) was a French author who produced a French translation of Goethe’s Faust when he
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was twenty-year-old. He led a tragic life, which ended in suicide. [found in: Berlioz: La Damnation de Faust, Huit scènes du Faust] Neumann, Caspar (1648-1715), studied theology in Jena, where he also read rhetoric and political theory. Returning to his native Breslau, he taught mathematics and natural science while serving as pastor. He compiled death and birth statistics for Breslau, and was listed in Edmond Halley’s Philosophical Transactions, which so impressed Leibniz that Neumann was named to the Berlin Society of Science. [found in: J.S. Bach, BWV 8, 145] Neumann, Johann Philipp (1774-1849) was an Austrian physicist, poet, and librarian. He served as the librarian and a professor of the Polytechnic Institute in Vienna for thirty years. [found in: Schubert: Deutsche Messe.] Neumark, Georg (1621-1681), a German librarian, poet, and songwriter, he also served as secretary of the Fruit Harvest Society. He published two large anthologies of verse: Fortgeplantzer musikalisch-poetischer Lustwald (1652) and Poetischer-Historischer Lustgarten (1666). These were followed by Poetischen Tafeln oder gründliche Anweisung zur Teutschen Verkunst (1667) and Der Neu-Sprossende Teutsche Palmbaum (1668). [found in: J.S. Bach, BWV 21, 88, 93, 197] Neumeister, Erdmann (1671-1756), a German Lutheran theologian, he wrote a literary history of Germany, poems, hymns, and he wrote libretti for some Bach cantatas. [found in: J.S. Bach, BWV 18, 24, 27, 28, 56?, 59, 61, 64] Newman, Cardinal John Henry (1801-1890), an English theologian, he was born in London, and educated at Trinity College, Oxford. The son of Protestants, he was ordained a Anglican priest in 1824, but converted to Roman Catholicism in 1845. He was a champion of church reform and was made, cardinal in 1879. He authored numerous sermons, tracts, and religious poems. Among his writings are Anglican Difficulties (1850), Catholicism in England (1851), The Idea of a University (1852), “The Dream of Gerontius” (1865), Grammar of Assent (1870). [found in: Elgar: The Dream of Gerontius] Nichols, Robert (1893-1944), an English poet and playwright, he was the son of the poet John Nichols. His works include Invocation (1915), Ardours and Endurances (1917), Aurelia (1920), Guilty Souls (1922), and Fantastica (1923). [found in: Bliss: Morning Heroes and Pastoral] Nicholson, Marjorie Hope (1894-1981), an American scholar and author, she was born in Yonkers, New York, and educated at the University of Michigan (AB and AM) and Yale (Phd). She served as Dean of Smith College and professor of English Literature at Columbia University. She was the first woman to serve as national president of Phi Beta Kappa. She authored a number of volumes of literary criticism, as well as original writings. Her shorter works appeared widely in literary magazines. [found in: Finney: Still Are New Worlds] Nicolai, Philip (1556-1608), an Evangelical theologian, and author and composer of hymns, was educated at the Universities of Wittenburg and Erfurt. In 1586 he
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published Fundamentorum Calvinianae [...] detectio, and in 1594 published his dissertation in Wittenburg, De duobus Antichristis. He became an opponent to Calvinism, and is best remembered for his hymns, especially Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern and Wachet auf. His complete writings were published in 1617 by his friend Georg Dedeken. [found in: J.S. Bach, BWV 1, 36, 37, 49, 61, 140, 172; Buxtehude: BuxWV 100, 101] Niege, Georg (1525-1589), a soldier and poet, he wrote many Lutheran song texts. [found in: Buxtehude: BuxWV 4] Nietzsche, Friedrich Wilhelm (1844-1900), a German philosopher, writer, and musician, he was born in Röcken, Saxony, and educated at Schulpforta and the Universities of Bonn and Leipzig. Nietzsche was associated with Wagner and was himself a gifted composer, particularly of piano music. Between 1872 and 1888, he wrote a vast quantity of “Romantic” and often poetic philosophical material. This includes Die Geburt der Tragödie (The Birth of Tragedy, 1872), Unzeitgemässe Betrachtungen (Untimely Meditations, 1873-1876), Die fröhliche Wissenschaft (The Joyful Science, 1882), Also sprach Zarathustra (So Spoke Zarathustra, 1883-1892), Jenseits von Gut und Böse (Beyond Good and Evil, 1886), Zur Genealogie der Moral (On the Genealogy of Morals, 1887), and an autobiography, Ecce Homo (1888, pub. 1908). [found in: Delius: Requiem; Mahler: Symphony No. 3] Oldmixon, George (d. 1779) [found in: Handel: The Triumph of Time and Truth, Parnasso in festa] Olearius, Johannes (1611-1684), educated at the University of Wittenberg, he later taught there. He became chief court preacher at Halle, then Kirchenrat, and finally superintendent. He later held similar posts in Weissenfels. He was a prolific author, and compiled the Geistliche Singe-Kunst (1671), which was the most comprehensive collection of German hymns, including 302 by Olearius. [found in: J.S. Bach, BWV 30, 129] Olrik, Axel (1864-1917) was a Danish folklorist who is best known for his studies in Norse mythology. [found in: Nielsen: Hymnus Amoris] O’Shaughnessy, Arthur (1844-1881), an English poet, he was employed as a copyist in the library of the British Museum, later serving as a herpetologist in the museum’s Zoological Department. Associated with the preRaphaelites, his writings include An Epic of Women (1870), Lays of France (1872), Music and Moolight (1874), and Songs of a Worker (1881). [found in: Elgar: The Music Makers] Ovid (43 BC- 17 AD) was the most prolific of the Roman Latin poets. He is best known for his works: Medea, Heroides, Amores, Metamorphoses, Ars Amandi, and Tristia. [found in: Penderecki: Kosmogonia] Owen, Wilfred (1893-1918), English poet killed in the First World War one week before the Armistice; his collected works were first published in 1920. [found in: Bliss: Morning Heroes; Britten: War Requiem] Page, William Tyler (1868-1942), an American author of hymn texts. [found in: Ward: Sweet Freedom’s Song]
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Palmer, George Herbert (1824-1933), an English author, translator, and literary critic. [found in: Howells: Hymnus Paradisi (translator of Salisbury Diurnal)] Pamphili, Cardinal Benedetto (1653-1730) was a member of a powerful Italian family. He held a number of high posts in the church, culminating in being named librarian of the Vatican Library and archivist of the Secret Archives of the Vatican in 1704, a post he held until his death. [found in: Handel: Il trionfo del Tempo e della Veritá, The Triumph of Time and Truth] Pater Noster — see under Liturgical Texts Peele, George (c. 1558-1598), an English playwright, he was educated at Oxford. He maintained a fairly pagan lifestyle and a high profile as an important London author, supporting himself by writing and acting. His works include The Arraignment of Paris (1584), Polyhymnia (1590), Honour of the Garter (1593), Edward I (1593), The Old Wive’s Tale (1595). [found in: Britten: Spring Symphony] Petran, Franz (c.1759-c.1810), a Czecholslovakian poet, he was a fellow Freemason of Mozart’s. [found in: Mozart: Die Maurerfreude] Pfefferkorn, Georg Michael (1646-1731), he studied at Jena and Leipzig Universities. He worked as a tutor, and later was appointed pastor in Friemar, where he later joined the consistory, and served as superintendent. [found in: J.S. Bach, BWV 64, 94] Picander (1700-1764), the pen name of Christian Friedrich Henrici, he was a German poet, satirist, and playwright who lived in Leipzig concurrently with Bach. He studied law in Wittenburg and Leipzig, and worked as an actuarial, and later became postal commissioner of Leipzig. In addition to his work as a librettist, he wrote successful parodies and satires for newspapers. [found in: J.S. Bach, BWV 19, 30, 30a, 36, 36a, 36b, 36c, 49?, 84, 120, 140, 145, 146, 148, 149, 156, 157, 159, 171, 174, 188, 190, 197a, 201, 205, 207, 207a, 211, 212, 213, 214, 216, 244, 248, 249?, 249a, 249b] Pindar (c.522-c.440 BC), a Greek lyric poet, he was born near Thebes. His work exists in fragments with the exception of his Triumphal Odes. [found in: Finney: Still Are New Worlds] Poe, Edgar Allan (1809-1849) was an American author best known for supernatural poems and short stories. His best known works include The Fall of the House of Usher (1839), The Murders in the Rue Morgue (1841), The Pit and the Pendulum (1842), The Tell-Tale Heart (1843), The Purloined Letter (1845), The Raven (1845), and The Bells (1848). [found in: Rachmaninov: Kolokola (The Bells)] Poliziano (1454-1494), an Italian poet, he is also known as Politian and Angelo Ambrogini. A close friend of Lorenzo de’ Medici, he was one of the most prominent classical scholars of the Italian Renaissance. He made many Italian translations of Latin and Greek classics. Among his original writings is the first secular drama in Italian, Orfeo (1480). [found in: Bliss: Pastoral] Polonsky, Yakov Petrovich (1819-1898) was a Russian poet born into a noble family. He was trained at Moscow
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
University and wrote in a romantic style. [found in: Tchaikovsky: Cantata for the Opening of the Polytechnic Exhibition] Pope, Alexander (1688-1744) was an English poet and a founder of the Scriblerus Club. He is best known for The Rape of the Lock, an edition of the works of Shakespeare, and translations of The Iliad and The Odyssey. [found in: Handel: Esther, HWV 50] Prichelyitz, A. was a Soviet Russian author. [found in: Prokofiev: Songs of Our Days] The Psalms are a body of 150 sacred poems, originally in Hebrew, which make up the nineteenth book of the Old Testament of the Bible. Many of these are attributed to King David. Under “Liturgical Texts,” see also: Beatus vir (Psalm 112), Confitebor tibi Domine (Psalm 118); Dixit Dominus (Psalm 110), In exitu Israel (Psalm 114), Jubilate (Psalm 100), Laetatus sum (Psalm 122), Lauda Jerusalem (Psalm 147), Laudaute Dominum (Psalm 148), Laudaute pueri (Psalm 113), Misericordias domini (Psalm 89), and Nisi Dominus (Psalm 127). [found in: J.S. Bach: Psalm 12 (altered), BWV 2, Psalm 19 (vv.1,4) BWV 76/1, Psalm 22 (v. 26) BWV 75/1, Psalm 23 (altered) BWV 104/6, 112, Psalm 25 (vv. 1, 2, 5, 15) BWV 150/2, 4, 6, Psalm 31 (v. 5) BWV 106/3, Psalm 38 (v. 3) BWV 25/1, Psalm 40 (v. 7) BWV 182/3, Psalm 42 (v. 5) BWV 21/6, Psalm 45 (v. 1) BWV 120/1, Psalm 47 (v. 5) BWV 43/1, Psalm 48 (v. 10) BWV 171/1, Psalm 50 (v. 23) BWV 17 /1, Psalm 58 (v. 7) BWV 39/1, Psalm 65 (v. 1) BWV 120/1, Psalm 65 (v. 2) BWV 193/3, Psalm 74 (vv. 12, 16, 19) BWV 71/1, 4, 6; Psalm 75 (v. 1) BWV 29/2, Psalm 80 (v. 1) BWV 104/1, Psalm 84 (v. 1) BWV 32/4, Psalm 84 (v. 11) BWV 79/1, Psalm 84 (vv. 12, 16, 19) BWV 71/1, 4, 6; Psalm 85 (v. 10) BWV 119/2, Psalm 90 (v. 12) BWV 106/2, Psalm 94 (v. 19) BWV 21/2, Psalm 95 (vv. 12-15) BWV 196, Psalm 96 (v. 8) BWV 148/1, Psalm 97 (v. 11) BWV 195/1, Psalm 103 (v. 2) BWV 69/1, 69a, Psalm 104 (vv. 27, 28) BWV 187/1, Psalm 114 (v. 7) BWV 21/9, Psalm 117 BWV 230, Psalm 118 (v. 15) BWV 149/1, Psalm 118 (v. 24) BWV 122/5, Psalm 122 (v. 7) BWV 34/5, Psalm 124 (altered) BWV 14, 178; Psalm 126 (v. 2) BWV 110/1, Psalm 128 (vv. 46) BWV 34a/3, Psalm 130 (all) BWV 131, Psalm 139 (v. 23) BWV 136/1, Psalm 143 (v. 2) BWV 105/1, Psalm 145 (v. 15 ) BWV 23/3, Psalm 146 (vv. 1, 5, 10) BWV 143/1, 3, Psalm 147 (v. 12) BWV 119/1, Psalm 149 (vv. 1; 1-3) BWV 190/1, 225, Psalm 150 (vv. 4, 6; 6) BWV 190/1, 225, Beach: Festival Jubilate (Psalm 100); Bernstein: Chichester Psalms; Brahms: Psalm 13, Bruckner: Psalm 112, Psalm 146, Psalm 150; Buxtehude: Psalm 20 BuxWV 18, 40; Psalm 27 BuxWV 24, Psalm 33: 2-4 BuxWV 113, Psalm 37 BuxWV 4, Psalm 47 BuxWV 33, Psalm 69 BuxWV 34, Psalm 86 BuxWV 1, Psalm 103 BuxWV 1, Psalm 117 BuxWV 7, Psalm 118 BuxWV 15, Psalm 130 BuxWV 34, Psalm 133 BuxWV 23; Charpentier: Psalm 117 Judicium Salomonis, H. 422; Dvorak: Psalm 149; Handel: Chandos Anthems: 1 – O Be Joyful (Psalm 100), 2 — In the Lord put I my trust (Psalms 9, 11, 12, 13), 3 — Have mercy upon me, O God (Psalm 51), 4 — O Sing unto the Lord, HWV 249a (Psalm 96), 4 —
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O Sing unto the Lord, HWV 249b (Psalms 93, 96), 5 — I will magnify thee, O God, HWV 250a (Psalms 144, 145), 5 — I will magnify thee, O God, HWV 250b (Psalms 89, 96, 145), 6 — As pants the hart (Psalm 42), 7 — My song shall be always (Psalm 89), 8 — O come let us sing unto the Lord (Psalms 95, 96, 97, 99, 103), 9 — O praise the Lord with one consent (Psalm 117, 135, 148), 10 — The Lord is my light (Psalm 18, 27, 28, 29, 30, 34), 11 — Let God arise, HWV 256a (Psalms 68, 76), 11 — Let God arise, HWV 256b (Psalm 68), Coronation Anthems: 2 — Let thy hand be strengthened (Psalm 89), 3 — The king shall rejoice (Psalm 21), 4 — My heart is inditing (Psalm 45), The king shall rejoice, “Dettingen Anthem” (Psalms 20, 21); Kodaly: Psalmus Hungaricus; Mendelssohn: Hymn (Psalm 13), Psalm 42, Psalm 95, Psalm 98, Psalm 114, Psalm 115; Rutter: Requiem – Psalms 23, 130;
Schubert: Offertorium: Intende voci in B♭ (Psalm 5); Stravinsky: Symphony of Psalms; Willan: Coronation Suite (Psalm 45)] Rachelius, Mauritius (d. 1677), born Rachel, he was made a poet laureate of Rome in the 1650s [found in: Buxtehude: BuxWV 61] Raine, Kathleen (1908-2003), an English poet, she was born in London, and studied natural science at Cambridge. Her works include Stone and Flower (1943), The Hollow Hill (1965), The Lost Country (1971), and a number of commentaries on William Blake. [found in: Bliss: Golden Cantata] Ramuz, Charles-Ferdinand (1878-1947) was a Swiss novelist. Among his twenty novels are Le Règne de l’ésprit malin (1917), Présence de la mort (1922), and Derborence (1936). [found in: Stravinsky: Svadebka] Reinhart, Hans (1880-1963) was a very prolific German author. He studied at the Universities of Heidelberg, Berlin, Leipzig, Zurich, and Paris. He traveled to India to study Eastern theology. He was a prolific writer of poetry, drama, and literary criticism. [found in: Honegger: Le Roi David (translator)] Reusner, Adam (1496-c. 1575), he studied at Wittenberg, where he knew Luther. He served in the campaign against Clemes VII. He became a friend and supporter of Schwenkfeldt. He wrote hymn texts throughout his life. [found in: J.S. Bach, BWV 52, 106] Revelation of St. John the Divine is the final book of the New Testament of the Bible. It describes the visions its author had while exiled on the island of Patmos, of the second coming of Jesus Christ and the last judgment of the world. It is also called “The Apocalypse.” [found in: Holst: Hymn of Jesus; Martin: In terra pax] Rilke, Rainer Maria (1875-1926), an Austrian poet, he was born in Prague. He studied art history and became secretary to Rodin after marrying his pupil, Klara Westhoff, during which time he wrote masterful French poems. His early work bordered upon mystical imagery, but later he turned to a more classical approach imbuing the poetry with a muse like quality. His works include Die Sonette an Orpheus and Duisener Elegien. [found in: Rorem: Poet’s Requiem]
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Rinckart, Martin (1586-1649), a playwright, author of hymn texts and uplifting essays, he was educated at St. Thomas School in Leipzig. He is best known for his hymn text, Nun danket alle Gott. He also composed some of his own melodies. [found in: J.S. Bach, BWV 79, 192] Ringwaldt, Bartholomäus (1530-1599), and author of sacred poetry and drama, he was educated in Frankfurt. He composed thousands of verses, didactic poetry, and plays for school children. [found in: J.S. Bach, BWV 113, 131, 166, 168] Rist, Johann von (1607-1667), a German author and poet, he wrote allegorical musical plays and the lyrics to many sacred and secular songs. [found in: J.S. Bach, BWV 11, 43, 55, 60, 78, 105, 175, 248; Buxtehude: BuxWV 14, 22, 33, 85] Rodda, Charles [found in: Rogers: The Passion] Rodigast, Samuel (1649-1708), educated in Weimar and Jena, he became an adjunct faculty member in philosophy at Jena. He then was rector of the Grauen Kloster in Berlin from 1680 until his death. [found in: J.S. Bach, BWV 12, 69a, 75, 98, 99, 100, 144] Roethke, Theodore (1908-1963), an American poet, he was born in Saginaw, Michigan, and educated at the University of Michigan and Harvard. He suffered from a lifetime of mental illness. His works include The Waking (1953 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry) and Words for the Wind (1958). [found in: Adler: A Whole Bunch of Fun] Roquette, Otto (1824-1896) studied languages in Heidelberg, Berlin and Halle. He became a professor at the Darmstadt Polytechnikum. [found in: Liszt: Die Legende von der heiligen Elisabeth] Rosenmüller, Johann (c. 1620-1684), author of German hymn texts. [found in: J.S. Bach, BWV 162] Rowley, William (c. 1585-c. 1642), an English playwright, he collaborated with Thomas Dekker and Thomas Middleton. His known works are A New Wonder, a Woman Never Vext (1632), All’s Lost by Lust (1633), A Match at Midnight (1633), and A Shoomaker a Gentleman (1639). [found in: U. Kay: Phoebus Arise] Rübe, Johann Christoph (1665-1746), author of German hymn texts. [found in: J.S. Bach, BWV 139] Rusak, Adam was a Soviet Russian author. [found in: Prokofiev: Songs of Our Days] Rutilius, Martin (1551-1618), author of German hymn texts. [found in: J.S. Bach, BWV 48] Sacer, Gottfried Wilhelm (1635-1699), a satirist, lyricist, and translator, he studied law and philosophy in Jena. He worked in law and government, and wrote many collections of poetry, as well as numerous translations of sacred verse. [found in: J.S. Bach, BWV 11, 20] Salisbury Diurnal [found in: Howells: Hymnus Paradisi] Sandburg, Carl (1878-1967), an American poet, born in Galesburg, Illinois, he was educated at Lombard College. His poetry is realistic and representative of his America. He was an avid collector of folk songs, which he published in An American Songbag (1927). He wrote a fourvolume biography of Lincoln (1926-1939), and his Collected Poems was awarded the 1950 Pulitzer Prize for
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
poetry. [found in: Foss: The Prairie; Lockwood: The Prairie] Sappho (b. 612 BC) was a lyric poet from the Isle of Lesbos. Her works survive in fragments, which display great poetic skill and emotional intensity. Many of her poems are addressed to members of a circle of girls of which she was the leader. She is said to have thrown herself into the sea having been rejected by the young Phaon. This legend has been the subject of numerous dramatic works from ancient Rome to the present day. [found in: Orff: Trionfo di Afrodite] Schalling, Martin (1532-1608), studying at the University of Wittenberg, he became a favorite pupil of Melanchthon. He taught briefly at Wittenberg, and then became diaconus in Regensburg and later Amberg. He later rose to the position of General Superintendent of the Oberfalz, which he was forced to surrender for his reluctance in signing the Formula of Concord. He finally was pastor in Nürnberg, where he died. [found in: J.S. Bach, BWV 149, 174; Buxtehude: BuxWV 41] Schein, Johann Hermann (1586-1630), a composer and lyricist, he sang in the boychoir in the Dresden Hofkapelle. He studied law at the University of Leipzig and was cantor of St. Thomaskirche from 1616. He wrote motets and orchestra suites in the Italian style, and is best known for his songs. [found in: J.S. Bach, BWV 156] Schikaneder, Emanuel, the younger (1751-1812) Austrian actor, theatrical director, singer, and librettist. A friend and fellow Freemason of Mozart’s, he produced the premiere of Die Zauberflöte in which he was one of two Papagenos. [found in: Mozart: Laut verkünde unsre Freude] Schiller, Friedrich (1759-1805) was a great German poet, historian, and playwright. He was a leader of the Sturm und Drang style. His works include Über naïve und sentimentalische Dichtung (1795-1796), Wallenstein (17971798), Das Lied von der Glocke (1799), Maria Stuart (1800), and Wilhelm Tell (1804). [found in: Beach: The Minstrel and the King; Beethoven: Symphony No. 9; Brahms: Nänie; Bruch: Das Lied von der Glocke; Tchaikovsky: K radosti] Schnabel, Ernest (b. 1913) is a well-known author and radio and television personality. Following World War II, he gained a strong following for his broadcasts on NorthGerman and West-Berlin radio and television. He is a prolific writer whose works reflect his vast travel experience and include Nachtwind (1942), Sie sehen dem Marmor nicht (1949), Der sechste Gesang (1956), Fremde ohne Souvenier (1961), and Hurricane (1972). [found in: Henze: Das Floss der Medusa] Schneegass, Cyriakus (1546-1597), educated at Jena, he was pastor in Friedrichroda and adjunct to the Superintendent in Weimar. He wrote many hymns and psalm settings. [found in: J.S. Bach: BWV 122, 135; Buxtehude: BuxWV 13] Schnurr, Balthasar (1572-1644) was an author and translator who wrote many macaronic texts. [found in: J.S. Bach, BWV 46]
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Schubring, Julius (1806-1889) was a Lutheran pastor in Dessau and a childhood friend of Mendelssohn. [found in: Mendelssohn: St. Paul] Schütz, Johann Jakob (1640-1690), born in Frankfurt-amMain, he was a student at Tübingen and became a jurist in his native city. A pietist, he broke from the Lutheran church and ceased to commune. [found in: J.S. Bach, BWV 117] Schwartz, Stephen (b. 1948), an American poet, composer, and playwright, he gained early and instant success. Between 1971 and 1975 he coauthored the lyrics for Bernstein’s Mass and created the musicals Godspell, Pippin, and Wicked. He has since written a few moderately successful plays and some children’s books. [found in: Bernstein: Mass] Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, Ämilie Juliane von (16371706), a German noblewoman, she wrote sacred poetry. [found in: J.S. Bach, BWV 27, 84, 166] Scott, Sir Walter (1771-1832) was a successful Scottish poet and novelist. His works include: The Lady of the Lake (1810), The Bride of Lammermoor (1819), Ivanhoe (1820), The Talisman (1825), and Woodstock (1826). [found in: Bruch: Feuerkreuz] Shakespeare, William (1564-1616) is the pre-eminent playwright and poet of Elizabethan England. His work forms the very foundation of the English theatrical repertoire. [found in: Berlioz: Romeo et Juliette, Tristia] Sieber, Justus (1628-1695) was a German theologian linguist, and poet. He was educated at the Universities of Helmstedt, Leipzig, and Wittenberg, completing a master’s degree at the last. He was honored by the emperor with the “poet’s crown.” [found in: Buxtehude: BuxWV 106] Silberstein, August (1827-1900) was an Austrian author. His satirical articles in the German publication, Leuchtkugeln, resulted in a prison sentence. He favored rustic scenes in his poetry, which was set by Strauss and Bruckner. [found in: Bruckner: Helgoland] Silesius, Angelus (1624-1677), born Johann Scheffler, he was a physician, poet, and mystic who, after being raised Lutheran, converted to Catholicism. [found in: Buxtehude: BuxWV 74] Simon, Heinrich, translator of Nietzsche’s Requiem text into English. [found in: Delius: Requiem] Sitwell, Sacheverell (1897-1988), an English author and art critic, he was the younger brother of Dame Edith and Sir Osbert Sitwell. He wrote books on many topics, including travel and music. He is greatly responsible for the resurgence of interest in Baroque art. His books include The People’s Palace (1918), Southern Baroque Art (1924), German Baroque Art (1927), The Gothic North (1929), and The Dance of the Quick and the Dead (1986). [found in: Lambert: Rio Grande] Sitwell, Sir Osbert (1892-1969), an English poet and brother of Sacheverell Sitwell, he was associated with Ezra Pound, Wyndham Lewis, and T. S. Eliot. His sister Edith collaborated with Walton in Facade. His works include Argonaut and Juggernaut (1919), Out of the Flame (1923), Triple Fugue (1924), Dumb Animal (1930), and a
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series of autobiographical books. [found in: Walton: Belshazzar’s Feast] Skelton, John (1460-1529), an English poet, he was educated at Oxford and Cambridge and made poet laureate of both. He served as a tutor to the young Henry VIII and was an ordained Roman Catholic priest who was defrocked for reasons of conjugal activity. His poetry is vivid, energetic, and filled with satiric criticisms of the church. [found in: Vaughan Williams: Five Tudor Portraits] Smith, Samuel Francis (1750-1819), an American poet and Baptist minister, he was born in Boston. He served as editorial secretary of the American Baptist Missionary Union. He is the author of “My country ’tis of Thee.” [found in: Ward: Sweet Freedom’s Song] Sophocles (c.496-405 BC) was a great Greek playwright. His best known works are Ajax, Antigone, Œdipus Tyrannus, Œdipus Coloneus, Philoctetes, and Trachinæ. [found in: Penderecki: Kosmogonia] Spence, Joseph (1699-1768) was an English historian and collector of anecdotes. He attended Eton, and Winchester and New College at Oxford and later served as a professor of poetry at Oxford. [found in: Handel: The Choice of Hercules] Spengler, Lazarus (1479-1534), educated at the University of Leipzig, he became a town clerk and Ratsher in his native Nürnberg. He met Luther in 1518, and became a leader in the Reformation in Nürnberg. He represented Nürnberg at the Diet of Worms and the Diet of Augsburg. [found in: J.S. Bach, BWV 18, 109; Buxtehude: BuxWV 34] Spenser, Edmund (1552-1599), an English poet, he was born in London and educated at Merchant Taylor’s School and Pembroke Hall, Cambridge. As a secretary to Lord Grey de Wilton during an attack upon an Irish rebellion, he was rewarded with the bequeath of Kilcolman Castle in Cork, which became his home. His friendships included Sir Phillip Sydney and Sir Walter Raleigh. Among his works are The Faerie Queen, Mother Hubberd’s Tale, The Early Tears of the Muses, Prothalamion, and Epithalamion. [found in: Britten: Spring Symphony; Handel: Occasional Oratorio; Vaughan Williams: Hodie] Speratus, Paul (1484-1551), studying at the University of Freiburg, he is believed to have continued his education in Paris and Italy. He received a D.D. from the University of Vienna. He was one of the first priests to marry, and was thereby condemned by the faculty of the University of Vienna, and imprisoned under the order of King Ludwig. He went to Wittenberg where he assisted Luther in the preparation of the first Lutheran hymnal, Etlich Christlich Lieder, and was involved in the preparation of the Kirchenordnung for the Prussian Church in 1526. [found in: J.S. Bach, BWV 9, 86, 186] Spitta, Ludwig (1801-1859) was a theologian and poet from Hanover. His brother Philipp was the renowned Bach biographer. [found in: Bruch: Moses] Stabat Mater — see under Liturgical Texts
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Stalin, Joseph (1879-1953) was a Russian revolutionary and Soviet leader. He succeeded Lenin as the leader of the Soviet Union in 1924. During his rule, he banished Trotsky and established a series of unsuccessful organizational objectives known as the five-year plans. His leadership was dictatorial and millions of Russians died at his command. He demanded purges of the artists and intelligentsia, stifling the intellectual culture of his people. His brilliant strategies at the Yalta and Potsdam conferences led to the Sovietization of eastern Europe following World War II and fostering the birth of the cold war. [found in: Prokofiev: Cantata on the 20th Anniversary of the October Revolution ] Steinbeck, John (1902-1968), an American novelist, he was born in California and for a short while studied marine biology at Stanford University. Many of his works served as a plea for social reform through their moving portrayal of the trials of the downtrodden. His works include: Tortilla Flat (1935), Of Mice and Men (1937, New York Critics’ Circle Award for Best Drama), The Grapes of Wrath (1939, winner of the 1940 Pulitzer Prize for literature), The Red Pony (1945), East of Eden (1952), and Winter of Our Discontent (1961). He was awarded the Nobel prize for literature in 1962. [found in: Amram: A Year in Our Land] Stockmann, Paul (1602-1636), author of German hymn texts. [found in: J.S. Bach, BWV 159, 182] Sumer is icumen in (medieval song). [found in: Britten: Spring Symphony; Tippett: Shires Suite] Swieten, Gottfried Baron van (1733-1803) was a Dutchborn Austrian diplomat. His father was physician to the Empress Marie Therese. Although better known for his libretti, he was a composer and prefect of the Imperial Library. He championed the works of Handel, J. S. Bach, as well as his own contemporaries Mozart, C. P. E. Bach, and the young Beethoven, whose first symphony is dedicated to van Swieten. [found in: Haydn: Die Jahreszeiten, Die Schöpfung, Die Sieben letzten Worte unseres Erlösers am Kreuz] Taggard, Genevieve (1894-1948), an American poet, she was born in Waitsburg, Washington, and raised in Hawaii. She was founder and editor of The Measure, a Journal of Verse (1920-26) and a member of the faculties of Sarah Lawrence and Mount Holyoke Colleges. Her writings include For Eager Lovers (1922), Hawaiian Hilltop (1923), Traveling Standing Still (1928), Calling Western Union (1936), Long View (1942), and a biography of Emily Dickinson (1930). [found in: Schuman: This is Our Time] Taverner’s Bible (1539), a translation prepared by Richard Taverner, it is notable for its use of idiomatic English. [found in: Vaughan William: Sancta Civitas] Taylor, Edward (1642-1729), an American Puritan minister, he was born in England and is supposed to have studied at Cambridge. In 1668 he immigrated to Boston. He graduated from Harvard and moved to Westfield, Massachusetts, where he founded the town’s first church in 1679, remaining its minister until his death. His literary works were deposited as manuscripts in the Yale
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
University Library by his grandson, Ezra Stiles. They were found in 1937 and published in 1939 under the editorship of Thomas Johnson as The Poetical Works of Edward Taylor. [found in: Cowell: …If he please] Te Deum — see under Liturgical Texts Tegner, Esaias (1782-1846) was bishop of Wexiö, Sweden. He was a successful poet and a professor of Greek at Lund. He is primarily remembered for his Frithof’s Saga (1825). [found in: Bruch: Frithjof] Tennyson, Alfred First Baron Tennyson (1809-1892) was an immensely popular English poet. He succeeded Wordsworth in 1850 as Poet Laureate. His works include: Poems (1842) and In Memoriam (1850). [found in: Beach: The Sea-fairies] Theocritus (c. 310-c. 250 BC), a Greek poet, he was born in Syracuse. His pastoral works elevated the form and served as models for generations to follow. Approximately thirty of his poems survive. [found in: Bliss: Pastoral] Thomson, James (1700-1748), a Scottish poet, he was educated at the Jedburgh School and Edinburgh University, and then moved to London. His Seasons was published in 1730, Winter, Summer, and Spring having been released separately in 1726, 1727, and 1729, respectively. His most highly regarded work is The Castle of Indolence, which was released in the year of his death. [found in: Haydn: Die Jahreszeiten] Thymich, Paul (contemporary of Bach), was a citizen of Leipzig. [found in: J.S. Bach, BWV 229] Tietze, Christoph (1641-1703), author of German hymn texts. [found in: J.S. Bach, BWV 179] Tu es Petrus — see under Liturgical Texts Uhland, Johann Ludwig (1787-1862) was born in Tübingen, Germany. He was a successful poet and held a number of minor governmental posts. [found in: Strauss: Taillefer] Vaca, Alvar Núñez Cabeza de (c. 1490-1557), a Spanish colonial official, soldier, and explorer, he served as the treasurer of the expedition of Narváez, which was shipwrecked off the coast of Texas. He was captured by Native Americans and eventually reached Mexico City seven year’s later. His reports of his experience vitalized interest in exploration and settlement of the region. He led subsequent expeditions and was made colonial governor of Paraguay (1542-1544), but was deposed (1544) and returned to Spain where he was imprisoned (15511556). [found in: Schuller: The Power Within Us] Vaughan, Henry (1622-1695), a Welsh poet and physician, he was born in Newton-by-Usk, Llansantfraed, Powys, and educated at Jesus College, Oxford. His twin brother was the chemist Thomas Vaughan. His works include Poems, with the tenth Satyre of Juvenal Englished (1646), Silex Scintillans (1650), The Mount of Olives (1652), Thalia Rediviva: The Pastimes and Diversions of a Country Muse (1678). [found in: Britten: Spring Symphony] Vaughan Williams, Ursula [nee: Lock] (1911-2007), she was the second wife of composer Ralph Vaughan Williams. Her texts appear in nine of his works. [found in: Vaughan Williams: Hodie, The Sons of Light]
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
Vég, Mihály (sixteenth century) was a Magyar author of sacred verse. [found in: Kodaly: Psalmus Hungaricus] Veni Creator Spiritus, “Come Creator Spirit,” is an eighteenth-century Latin hymn text by an anonymous author. [found in: Mahler: Symphony No. 8] Vespers for Christmas Day [found in: Vaughan Williams: Hodie] Virgil (70-19 BC) was a great Roman poet and gardener. As a court poet to Mæcenas, he was able to enjoy an affluent lifestyle. His great masterpiece is the Æneid, which was completed in the year of his death. [found in: Henze: Die Muzen Siziliens] Vrchlicky, Jaroslav is the pseudonym of Emil Frida (18531912). A pupil of Victor Hugo, he wrote much Czech poetry as well as Czech translations of classical texts. [found in: Dvorak: Svata Ludmila] Walther, Michael (1593-1662), Lutheran minister and professor of theology. [found in: Buxtehude: BuxWV 46, 47] Ward, James Edward (1843-1925), an English psychologist and philosopher, he began his education by pursuing divinity studies at Spring Hill College, Birmingham, but abandoned this to study moral science at Trinity College, Cambridge. He helped to establish the validity of psychology as a science in England. [found in: Willan: Coronation Suite] Wegelin-Sonnemann, Josua (1604-1640), educated at the University of Tübingen, he was pastor in Budweiler, and then archdiaconus of the Franciscan Church in his native Augsburg. He was forced to leave the latter due to the Edict of Restitution. He was recalled, and again forced to flee, arriving in Pressburg, Hungary, where he was pastor, senior inspector, and finally doctor of theology. [found in: J.S. Bach, BWV 128 Weiss, Christian Jr. (1703-1743), son of Christian Weiss Sr. (below), he lived in Leipzig and was credited as the author of some of Bach’s libretti. [found in: J.S. Bach, BWV 103?, 133?] Weiss, Christian Sr. (1671-1737), a doctor of theology, he first served the Nikolai Church in Leipzig, as subdeacon in 1699, deacon in 1708, and archdeacon in 1710. In 1714 he was appointed pastor of St. Thomaskirche, a position he held until his death in 1736. He was also Bach’s “Father Confessor.” [found in: J.S. Bach, BWV 6?, 37?, 42?, 44?, 67?, 75?, 76?, 79?, 81?, 85?, 86?, 104?, 154?, 166?, 179?] Weisse, Michael (1488-1534) was a Franciscan monk and the author of many hymns. He joined the Moravian Brothers and edited the first Moravian hymnal, Ein New Gesengbuchlin (1531). [found in: Brahms: Begräbnisgesang] Weissenbach, Alois (1766-1821) was a deaf surgeon who met Beethoven in Vienna and ingratiated himself to the composer leading to their collaboration on Der glorreiches Augenblick. [found in: Beethoven: Der glorreiches Augenblick] Whicer, George Frisbie (1889-1954), an American author. [found in: Adler: A Whole Bunch of Fun] Whitman, Walt (1819-1892) American poet, his style of free verse gave a distinctive voice to American poetry.
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His work is realistic and holds the elements of every day in reverence. His experience as a volunteer nurse in the American Civil War was doubtlessly of great influence upon the many poems reacting to the horrors of man’s self-destruction. Leaves of Grass is his collection of his poetical work, which in its first edition (1855) was 95 pages and in its final form nearly 440. [found in: Amram: A Year in Our Land; Bliss: Morning Heroes; Delius: Sea Drift; Dello Joio: Songs of Walt Whitman; Hanson: Three Songs from “Drum Taps”; Hindemith: When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom’d; U. Kay: Inscriptions from Whitman; Lees: Visions of Poets; Martino: Portraits, Rogers: Letter from Pete; Schuman: A Free Song; Sessions: When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom’d; Vaughan Williams: A Sea Symphony, Dona Nobis Pacem] Wildenfels, Anarg von (c. 1490-1539), author of German hymn texts. [found in: J.S. Bach, BWV 184] Wilkerson, [Lancelot] Patrick (1907-1985) was a classics scholar at Cambridge University. His works include Horace and His Lyric Poetry (1945), Letters of Cicero (1949), Ovid Recalled (1955), The Roman Experience (1974). [found in: Britten: Cantata Misericordiam] Wolfe, Thomas (1900-1938), an American novelist, the son of a stone cutter, he was born in Asheville, North Carolina, and was educated at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Harvard. His works include Look Homeward Angel (1929), Of Time and the River (1935), The Web and the Rock (pub. 1939), and You Can’t Go Home Again (pub. 1940). [found in: Amram: A Year in Our Land] Wordsworth, William (1770-1850), an English poet, he was born in Cockermouth and orphaned at an early age. He was educated at Hawkshead and Cambridge. His mature poetry is concerned with the philosophical exploration of the world of the common people. In this effort he was closely associated with Samuel Taylor Coleridge. His works include Lyrical Ballads (1798), The Prelude (1805), and Intimations of Immortality (1807). [found in: Finzi: Intimations of Immortality] Wyatt, Alfred John (1858-1935), an English author, he was affiliated with the pre-Raphaelites and aided William Morris in the preparation of the 1894 edition of Beowulf in modern English translation for the latter’s Kelmscott Press. [found in: Hanson: Lament for Beowulf (translator with Morris)] Wyss, Bernard was a Swiss scholar and an officer of the University of Basle. [found in: Britten: Cantata Academica] Yevtushenko, Yevgeny (b. 1933) was the most prominent Russian poet of the young post-Stalinists. He was an outspoken supporter of Solzhenitsyn and an advocate of human rights. His best known works are The Third Snow (1955), The Promise (1957), Babi Yar (1962), A Wave of the Hand (1962), A Precocious Autobiography (1963), Love Poems (1977), Ivan the Terrible and Ivan the Fool (1979), and Berries (1981). [found in: Shostakovich: Symphony No. 13, The Execution of Stepan Razin]
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Ziegenspeck, Michael (1585-1672) is published in Christliche Tag- und Uhrwerk in Leipzig in 1617. [found in: Buxtehude: BuxWV 103] Ziegler, Kaspar (1621-1690), author of German hymn texts. [found in: J.S. Bach, BWV 133, 197a] Ziegler, Mariane von (1695-c.1760), the widow of a mili-
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
tary officer, she was active in the spiritual/intellectual circle in Leipzig led by Johann Christoph Gottsched. She was highly celebrated for her poetry, and published a volume of cantata libretti from which Bach selected those he set. [found in: J.S. Bach, BWV 68, 74, 87, 103, 108, 128, 175, 176, 183]
700
Choral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide
TITLE INDEX
702
Title Index
A Accedite gentes, accurite populi, BUXTEHUDE, Dietrich, 260 Achilleus, op. 50 BRUCH, Max, 250 Acis and Galatea, HWV 49a/b HANDEL, George Frideric, 351 Advent Cantata RUBBRA, Edmund, 573 Alexander Balus, HWV 65 HANDEL, George Frideric, 368 Alexander Nevsky PROKOFIEV, Sergei, 552 Alexander’s Feast, HWV 75 HANDEL, George Frideric, 375 Alexey, the Man of God RIMSKY-KORSAKOV, Nikolai, 564 All solch dein Güt’ wir preisen, BuxWV 3 BUXTEHUDE, Dietrich, 260 Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato, HWV 55 HANDEL, George Frideric, 357 Alles was ihr tut mit Worten oder mit Worden, BuxWV 4 BUXTEHUDE, Dietrich, 261 Alma dei creatoris MOZART, Wolfgang Amadeus, 515 Alto Rhapsodie, op. 53 BRAHMS, Johannes, 236 Americana THOMPSON, Randall, 634 An filius non est Dei, BuxWV 6 BUXTEHUDE, Dietrich, 262 Aperite mihi portas justitiae, BuxWV 7 BUXTEHUDE, Dietrich, 262 Apostles, op. 49 ELGAR, Edward, 330 Appalachia DELIUS, Frederick, 310 Ariel STARER, Robert, 614 Arminius, op. 43 BRUCH, Max, 248 As Pants the Hart, HWV 251b HANDEL, George Frideric, 380 Athalia, HWV 52 HANDEL, George Frideric, 354 Auf! Stimmet die Saiten, BuxWV 116 BUXTEHUDE, Dietrich, 295 Augenlicht WEBERN, Anton, 667 Aulica Mass MOZART, Wolfgang Amadeus, 504 Ave Maria, op. 12 BRAHMS, Johannes, 231 Ave Verum Corpus MOZART, Wolfgang Amadeus, 516 Avodath Hakodesh [Sacred Service] BLOCH, Ernest, 228
B Babi Yar SHOSTAKOVICH, Dmitri, 610 Ballad of a Boy Who Remained Unknown PROKOFIEV, Sergei, 554 Ballada o mal’chike ostavshemya neizvestnïm PROKOFIEV, Sergei, 554 Beatus vir VIVALDI, Antonio, 651 Beatus vir RV 598 VIVALDI, Antonio, 652 Beatus vir RV 795 VIVALDI, Antonio, 652 Bedenke, Mensch, das Ende, BuxWV 9 BUXTEHUDE, Dietrich, 263 Befiel dem Engel, dass er komm, BuxWV 10 BUXTEHUDE, Dietrich, 263 Begräbnisgesang [“Burial Song”], op. 13 BRAHMS, Johannes, 232 Bells RACHMANINOV, Sergei, 559 Belshazzar, HWV 61 HANDEL, George Frideric, 364 Belshazzar’s Feast WALTON, William, 663 Benedicam Dominum in omni tempore, BuxWV 113 BUXTEHUDE, Dietrich, 294 Benedictus sit deus MOZART, Wolfgang Amadeus, 517 Berliner Requiem WEILL, Kurt, 669 Betulia liberata, K. 118 / 74c MOZART, Wolfgang Amadeus, 485 Binding ADLER, Samuel, 2 Brockes Passion, HANDEL, George Frideric, 349 Budavári Te Deum KODÁLY, Zoltán, 445
C Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage [“Meerestille und glückliche Fahrt”] BEETHOVEN, Ludwig van., 202 Canite Jesu nostro citharae, cymbala, organa, BuxWV 11 BUXTEHUDE, Dietrich, 264 Cantata STRAVINSKY, Igor, 624 Cantata Academica, carmen basiliense, op. 62 BRITTEN, Benjamin, 240 Cantata de virtute: Pied Piper of Hamelin MENNIN, Peter, 479 Cantata for the Opening of the Polytechnic Exhibition TCHAIKOVSKY, Piotr Ilyich, 631 Cantata in Celebration of the Golden Jubilee of Osip Petrov TCHAIKOVSKY, Piotr Ilyich, 632
Title Index
Cantata in honor of my alma mater, the Jagellone University PENDERECKI, Krsysztof, 538 Cantata in honorem Almae Matris Universitatis Iagellonicae PENDERECKI, Krsysztof, 538 Cantata Misericordium BRITTEN, Benjamin, 241 Cantata No. 1: Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern, BWV 1 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 5 Cantata No. 2: Ach Gott, vom Himmel sieh darein, BWV 2 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 6 Cantata No. 3: Ach Gott, wie manches Herzeleid I BACH, Johann Sebastian, 7 Cantata No. 4: Christ Lag in Todesbanden BACH, Johann Sebastian, 7 Cantata No. 5: Wo soll ich fliehen hin BACH, Johann Sebastian, 9 Cantata No. 6: Bleib bei uns, denn es will Abend werden BACH, Johann Sebastian, 9 Cantata No. 7: Christ unser Herr zum Jordan kam BACH, Johann Sebastian, 10 Cantata No. 8: Liebster Gott, wann werd ich sterben? BACH, Johann Sebastian, 11 Cantata No. 9: Es ist das Heil uns kommen her BACH, Johann Sebastian, 12 Cantata No. 10: Meine Seele erhebt den Herren BACH, Johann Sebastian, 12 Cantata No. 11: Lobet Gott in seinen Reichen BACH, Johann Sebastian, 13 Cantata No. 12: Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Zagen BACH, Johann Sebastian, 14 Cantata No. 13: Meine Seufzer, meine Tränen BACH, Johann Sebastian, 15 Cantata No. 14: Wär Gott nicht mit uns diese Zeit, BWV 14 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 16 Cantata No. 15: Denn du wirst meine Seele nicht in der Hölle lassen, BWV 15 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 17 Cantata No. 16: Herr Gott, dich loben wir, BWV 16 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 17 Cantata No. 17: Wer Dank opfert, der preiset mich, BWV 17 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 17 Cantata No. 18: Gleichwie der Regen und Schnee vom Himmel fällt, BWV 18 Cantata No. 19: Es erhub sich ein Streit, BWV 19 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 19 Cantata No. 20: O Ewigkeit, du Donnerwort I, BWV 20 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 20 Cantata No. 21: Ich hatte viel Bekümmernis, BWV 21 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 21 Cantata No. 22: Jesus nahm zu sich die Zwölfe, BWV 22 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 22 Cantata No. 23: Du wahrer Gott und Davids Sohn, BWV 23 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 23 Cantata No. 24: Ein ungefärbt Gemüte, BWV 24 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 24
703 Cantata No. 25: Es ist nicht Gesundes an meinem Leibe, BWV 25 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 25 Cantata No. 26: Ach wie flüchtig, ach wie nichtig, BWV 26 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 25 Cantata No. 27: Wer weiß, wie nahe mir mein Ende?, BWV 27 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 26 Cantata No. 28: Gottlob! nun geht das Jahr zu Ende, BWV 28 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 27 Cantata No. 29: Wir danken dir, Gott, wir danken dir, BWV 29 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 28 Cantata No. 30: Freue dich, erlöste Schar, BWV 30 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 29 Cantata No. 30a: Angenehmes Wiederau, freue dich, BWV 30a BACH, Johann Sebastian, 30 Cantata No. 31: Der Himmel lacht! die Erde jubiliert, BWV 31 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 30 Cantata No. 32: Liebster Jesu, mein Verlangen, BWV 32 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 31 Cantata No. 33: Allein zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ, BWV 33 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 32 Cantata No. 34: O ewiges Feuer, O Ursprung der Liebe, BWV 34 and 34a BACH, Johann Sebastian, 32 Cantata No. 35: Geist und Seele wird verwirret, BWV 35 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 33 Cantata No. 36: Schwingt freudig euch empor, BWV 36, 36a, 36b, 36c BACH, Johann Sebastian, 34 Cantata No. 37: Wer da gläubet und getauft wird, BWV 37 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 35 Cantata No. 38: Aus tiefer Not schrei ich zu dir, BWV 38 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 36 Cantata No. 39: Brich dem Hungrigen dein Brot, BWV 39 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 37 Cantata No. 40: Dazu ist erscheinen der Sohn Gottes, BWV 40 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 38 Cantata No. 41: Jesu, nun sei gepreiset, BWV 41 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 38 Cantata No. 42: Am Abend aber desselbigen Sabbats, BWV 42 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 39 Cantata No. 43: Gott fähret auf mit Jauchzen, BWV 43 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 40 Cantata No. 44: Sie werden euch in den Bann tun I, BWV 44 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 41 Cantata No. 45: Es ist dir gesagt Mensch, wer wird mich erlösen, BWV 45 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 42 Cantata No. 46: Schauet doch und sehet, BWV 46 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 42 Cantata No. 47: Wer sich selbst erhöhet, BWV 47 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 43
704 Cantata No. 48: Ich elender Mensch, wer wird mich erlösen, BWV 48 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 44 Cantata No. 49: Ich geh und suche mit Verlangen, BWV 49 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 44 Cantata No. 50: Nun ist das Heil und die Kraft, BWV 50 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 45 Cantata No. 51: Jauchzet Gott in allen Landen!, BWV 51 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 46 Cantata No. 52: Falsche Welt, dir trau ich nicht, BWV 52 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 47 Cantata No. 53: Schlage doch, gewünschte Stunde, BWV 53 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 47 Cantata No. 54: Widerstehe doch der Sünde, BWV 54 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 47 Cantata No. 55: Ich armer Mensch, ich Sündenknecht, BWV 55 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 48 Cantata No. 56: Ich will den Kreuzstab gerne tragen, BWV 56 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 49 Cantata No. 57: Selig ist der Mann, Dialogus, BWV 57 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 50 Cantata No. 58: Ach Gott, wie manches Herzeleid II, BWV 58 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 50 Cantata No. 59: Wer mich liebet, der wird mein Wort halten I, BWV 59 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 51 Cantata No. 60: O Ewigkeit, du Donnerwort II, BWV 60 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 52 Cantata No. 61: Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland I, BWV 61 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 52 Cantata No. 62: Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland II, BWV 62 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 53 Cantata No. 63: Christen, ätzet diesen Tag, BWV 63 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 54 Cantata No. 64: Sehet, welch eine Liebe hat uns der Vater erzeiget, BWV 64 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 55 Cantata No. 65: Sie Werden aus Saba alle kommen, BWV 65 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 56 Cantata No. 66: Erfreut euch, ihr Herzen, BWV 66 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 56 Cantata No. 67: Halt im Gedächtnis Jesum Christ, BWV 67 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 57 Cantata No. 68: Also hat Gott die Welt geliebt, BWV 68 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 58 Cantata No. 69: Lobe den Herrn, meine Seele, BWV 69 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 59 Cantata No. 69a: Lobe den Herrn, meine Seele, BWV 69a BACH, Johann Sebastian, 60 Cantata No. 70: Wachet! betet! betet! wachet!, BWV 70 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 60 Cantata No. 71: Gott ist mein König, BWV 71 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 61 Cantata No. 72: Alles nur nach Gottes Willen, BWV 72 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 62
Title Index
Cantata No. 73: Herr, wie du willt, so schicks mit mir, BWV 73 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 63 Cantata No. 74 Wer mein liebet, er wird mein Wort halten II, BWV 74 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 64 Cantata No. 75: Die Elenden sollen essen, BWV 75 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 65 Cantata No. 76: Die Himmel erzählen die Ehre Gottes, BWV 76 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 66 Cantata No. 77: Du sollt Gott, deinen Herren lieben, BWV 77 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 66 Cantata No. 78: Jesu, der du mein Seele, BWV 78 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 67 Cantata No. 79: Gott der Herr ist Sonn und Schild, BWV 79 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 68 Cantata No. 80: Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott, BWV 80 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 69 Cantata No. 81: Jesus schläft, was soll ich hoffen?, BWV 81 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 70 Cantata No. 82: Ich habe genug, BWV 82 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 71 Cantata No. 83: Erfreute Zeit im neuen Bunde, BWV 83 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 72 Cantata No. 84: Ich bin vergnügt mit meinem Glücke, BWV 84 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 73 Cantata No. 85: Ich bin ein guter Hirt, BWV 85 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 73 Cantata No. 86: Wahrlich, wahrlich, ich sage euch, BWV 86 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 74 Cantata No. 87: Bisher habt ihr nichts gebeten, BWV 87 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 75 Cantata No. 88: Siehe, ich will viel Fischer aussenden, BWV 88 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 75 Cantata No. 89: Was soll ich aus dir machen, Ephraim?, BWV 89 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 76 Cantata No. 90 Es reisset euch ein Schrecklich Ende, BWV 90 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 77 Cantata No. 91 Gelobet seist du, Jesu Christ, BWV 91 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 77 Cantata No. 92 Ich hab in Gottes Herz und Sinn, BWV 92 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 78 Cantata No. 93 Wer nur den lieben Gott lässt walten, BWV 93 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 79 Cantata No. 94 Was frag ich nach der Welt, BWV 94 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 80 Cantata No. 95 Christus, der ist mein Leben, BWV 95 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 80
Title Index
Cantata No. 96 Herr Christ, der einge Gottessohn, BWV 96 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 81 Cantata No. 97 In allen meinen Taten, BWV 97 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 82 Cantata No. 98 Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan I, BWV 98 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 83 Cantata No. 99: Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan II, BWV 99 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 83 Cantata No. 100: Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan III, BWV 100 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 84 Cantata No. 101: Nimm von uns, Herr, du treuer Gott, BWV 101 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 85 Cantata No. 102: Herr, deine Augen sehen nach dem Glauben, BWV 102 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 86 Cantata No. 103: Ihr werdet weinen und heulen, BWV 103 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 86 Cantata No. 104: Du Hirte, Israel, höre, BWV 104 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 87 Cantata No. 105: Herr, gehe nicht ins Gericht mit deinem Knecht, BWV 105 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 88 Cantata No. 106: Gottes Zeit ist die allerbeste Zeit (Actus tragicus), BWV 106 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 89 Cantata No. 107: Was willst du dich betrüben, BWV 107 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 90 Cantata No. 108: Es ist euch gut, daß ich hingehe, BWV 108 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 91 Cantata No. 109: Ich glaube, lieber Herr, hilf meine Unglauben!, BWV 109 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 92 Cantata No. 110: Unser Mund sei voll Lachens, BWV 110 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 93 Cantata No. 111: Was mein Gott will, das g’scheh allzeit, BWV 111 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 94 Cantata No. 112: Der Herr ist mein getreuer Hirt, BWV 112 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 94 Cantata No. 113: Herr Jesu Christ, du höchstes Gut, BWV 113 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 95 Cantata No. 114: Ach, lieben Christen, seid getrost, BWV 114 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 96 Cantata No. 115: Mache dich, mein Geist, bereit, BWV 115 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 96 Cantata No. 116: Du Friedefürst, Herr Jesu Christ, BWV 116 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 97 Cantata No. 117: Sei Lob und Ehr dem höchsten Gut, BWV 117 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 98
705 Cantata No. 118: O Jesu Christ, mein Lebens Licht, BWV 118 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 99 Cantata No. 119: Preise, Jerusalem, den Herrn, BWV 119 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 100 Cantata No. 120: Gott, man lobet dich in der Stille, BWV 120 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 100 Cantata No. 120a: Herr Gott, Beherrscher aller Dinge, BWV 120a BACH, Johann Sebastian, 101 Cantata No. 121: Christum wir sollen loben schon, BWV 121 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 102 Cantata No. 122: Das neugeborne Kindelein, BWV 122 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 102 Cantata No. 123: Liebster Immanuel, Herzog der Frommen, BWV 123 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 103 Cantata No. 124: Meinem Jesum lass ich nicht, BWV 124 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 104 Cantata No. 125: Mit Fried und Freud ich fahr dahin, BWV 125 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 105 Cantata No. 126: Erhalt uns, Herr, bei deinem Wort, BWV 126 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 105 Cantata No. 127: Herr Jesu Christ, wahr’ Mensch und Gott, BWV 127 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 106 Cantata No. 128: Auf Christi Himmelfahrt allein, BWV 128 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 107 Cantata No. 129: Gelobet sei der Herr, mein Gott, BWV 129 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 108 Cantata No. 130: Herr Gott, dich loben alle wir, BWV 130 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 108 Cantata No. 131: Aus Tiefen rufe ich, Herr, zu dir, BWV 131 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 109 Cantata No. 132: Bereitet die Wege, bereitet die Bahn!, BWV 132 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 110 Cantata No. 133: Ich freue mich in dir, BWV 133 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 111 Cantata No. 134: Ein Herz, das seinen Jesum lebend weiss, BWV 134 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 112 Cantata No. 134a: Die Zeit, die Tag und Jahre macht, BWV 134a BACH, Johann Sebastian, 112 Cantata No. 135: Ach Herr, mich armen Sünder, BWV 135 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 113 Cantata No. 136: Erforsche mich, Gott, und erfahre mein Herz, BWV 136 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 113 Cantata No. 137: Lobe den Herren, den mächtigen König der Ehren, BWV 137 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 114 Cantata No. 138: Warum betruubst du dich, mein Herz? BWV 138 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 115
706 Cantata No. 139: Wohl dem, der sich auf seinen Gott, BWV 139 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 115 Cantata No. 140: Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme, BWV 140 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 116 Cantata No. 141: Das ist je gewisslich wahr, BWV 141 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 117 Cantata No. 142: Uns ist ein Kind geboren, BWV 142 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 117 Cantata No. 143: Lobe den Herrn, meine Seele (II), BWV 143 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 117 Cantata No. 144: Nimm, was dein ist, und gehe hin, BWV 144 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 118 Cantata No. 145: Ich lebe, mein Herze, zu deinem Ergötzen, BWV 145 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 119 Cantata No. 146: Wir müssen durch viel Trübsal in das Reich Gottes eingehen, BWV 146 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 119 Cantata No. 147: Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben, BWV 147 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 120 Cantata No. 148: Bringet dem Herrn Ehre seines Namens, BWV 148 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 121 Cantata No. 149: Man singet mit Freuden vom Sieg, BWV 149 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 122 Cantata No. 150: Nach dir, Herr, verlanget mich, BWV 150 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 123 Cantata No. 151: Süsser Trost, mein Jesus kömmt, BWV 151 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 124 Cantata No. 152: Tritt auf die Glaubensbahn, BWV 152 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 125 Cantata No. 153: Schau, lieber Gott, wie meine Feind, BWV 153 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 125 Cantata No. 154: Mein liebster Jesus ist verloren, BWV 154 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 126 Cantata No. 155: Mein Gott, wie lang, ach lange? BWV 155 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 126 Cantata No. 156: Ich steh mit einem Fuß im Grabe, BWV 156 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 127 Cantata No. 157: Ich lasse dich nicht, du segnest mich denn, BWV 157 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 128 Cantata No. 158: Der Friede sei mit dir, BWV 158 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 128 Cantata No. 159: Sehet, wir gehn hinauf gen Jerusalem, BWV 159 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 129 Cantata No. 160: Ich weiss, dass mein Erlöser lebt, BWV 160 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 130 Cantata No. 161: Komm du süße Todesstunde, BWV 161 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 130
Title Index
Cantata No. 162: Ach! ich sehe, jetzt, da ich zur Hochzeit gehe, BWV 162 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 130 Cantata No. 163: Nur jedem das Seine, BWV 163 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 131 Cantata No. 164: Ihr, die ihr euch von Christo nennet, BWV 164 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 131 Cantata No. 165: O heil’ges Geist- und Wasserbad, BWV 165 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 132 Cantata No. 166: Wo gehest du hin?, BWV 166 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 133 Cantata No. 167: Ihr Menschen, rühmet Gottes Liebe, BWV 167 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 133 Cantata No. 168: Tue Rechnung! Donnerwort, BWV 168 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 134 Cantata No. 169: Gott soll allein mein Herz haben, BWV 169 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 135 Cantata No. 170: Vergnügte Ruh’, beliebte Seelenlust, BWV 170 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 135 Cantata No. 171: Gott, wie dein Name, so ist auch dein Ruhm, BWV 171 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 136 Cantata No. 172: Erschallet, ihr Lieder, BWV 172 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 137 Cantata No. 173: Erhörtes Fleisch und Blut, BWV 173 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 138 Cantata No. 174: Ich liebe den Höchsten von ganzem Gemüte, BWV 174 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 138 Cantata No. 175: Er rufet seinen Schafen mit Namen, BWV 175 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 139 Cantata No. 176: Es ist ein trotzig, und verzagt Ding, BWV 176 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 140 Cantata No. 177: Ich ruf zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ, BWV 177 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 141 Cantata No. 178: Wo Gott der Herr nicht bei uns hält, BWV 178 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 141 Cantata No. 179: Siehe zu, dass deine Gottesfurcht, BWV 179 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 142 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 18 Cantata No. 180: Schmücke dich, o liebe Seele, BWV 180 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 143 Cantata No. 181: Leichtgesinnte Flattergeister, BWV 181 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 143 Cantata No. 182: Himmelskönig, sei willkommen, BWV 182 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 144 Cantata No. 183: Sie werden euch in den Bann tun II, BWV 183 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 145 Cantata No. 184: Erwünschtes Freuden-licht, BWV 184 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 145
Title Index
Cantata No. 185: Barmherziges Herze der ewigen Liebe, BWV 185 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 146 Cantata No. 186: Ärgre dich, o Seele, nicht, BWV 186 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 147 Cantata No. 186a: Ärgre dich, o Seele, nicht, BWV 186a BACH, Johann Sebastian, 148 Cantata No. 187: Es wartet alles auf dich, BWV 187 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 148 Cantata No. 188: Ich habe meine Zuversicht, BWV 188 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 149 Cantata No. 189: Meine Seele rühmt und preist, BWV 189 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 150 Cantata No. 190: Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied!, BWV 190 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 150 Cantata No. 191: Gloria in excelsis Deo, BWV 191 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 150 Cantata No. 192: Nun danket alle Gott, BWV 192 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 151 Cantata No. 193: Ihr Tore zu Zion, BWV 193 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 152 Cantata No. 194: Höchsterwünschtes Freudenfest, BWV 194 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 152 Cantata No. 194a: Höchsterwünschtes Freudenfest, BWV 194a BACH, Johann Sebastian, 153 Cantata No. 195: Dem Gerechten muss das Licht, BWV 195 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 153 Cantata No. 196: Der Herr denket an uns, BWV 196 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 154 Cantata No. 197: Gott ist unsre Zuversicht, BWV 197 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 155 Cantata No. 197a: Ehre sei Gott in der Höhe, BWV 197a BACH, Johann Sebastian, 156 Cantata No. 198: Trauer Ode: Lass, Fürstin, lass noch einen Strahl, BWV 198 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 156 Cantata No. 199: Mein Herze schwimmt im Blut, BWV 199 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 157 Cantata No. 200: Bekennen will ich seinen Namen, BWV 200 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 158 Cantata No. 201: Der Streit zwischen Phoebus und Pan: Geschwinde, ihr wirbeln den Winde, BWV 201 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 158 Cantata No. 202: Weichet nur, betrübte Schatten, BWV 202 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 159 Cantata No. 204: Ich bin in mir vergnügt, BWV 204 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 160 Cantata No. 205: Der zufriedengestelle Äolus: Zerreisset, zerspringet, zertrümmert die Gruft, BWV 205 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 160 Cantata No. 206: Schleicht, spielende Wellen, BWV 206 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 161 Cantata No. 207: Vereinigte Zweitracht der Wechselnden Saiten, BWV 207 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 162
707 Cantata No. 207a: Auf, schmetternde Töne der muntern Trompeten, BWV 207a BACH, Johann Sebastian, 162 Cantata No. 208: Was mir behagt, ist nur die muntre Jagd!, BWV 208 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 163 Cantata No. 209: Non sa che sia dolore, BWV 209 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 164 Cantata No. 210: O holder Tag, erwünschte Zeit, BWV 210 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 164 Cantata No. 211: Schweigt stille, plaudert nicht, BWV 211 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 165 Cantata No. 212: Mer hahn en neue Oberkeet, BWV 212 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 166 Cantata No. 213: Hercules auf dem Scheidewege: Laßt uns sorgen, lasst uns wachen, BWV 213 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 166 Cantata No. 214: Tönet, ihr Pauken! Erschallet, Trompeten!, BWV 214 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 167 Cantata No. 215: Preise dein Glücke, gesegnetes Sachsen, BWV 215 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 168 Cantata No. 216: Vergnügte Pleissenstadt, BWV 216 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 169 Cantata No. 217: Gedenke, Herr, wie es uns gehet, BWV 217 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 169 Cantata No. 218: Gott der Hoffnung erfülle euch, BWV 218 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 169 Cantata No. 219: Siehe, es hat überwunden der Löwe, BWV 219 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 169 Cantata No. 220: Lobt ihn mit Herz und Munde, BWV 220 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 169 Cantata No. 221: Wer sucht die Pracht, wer wünscht den Glanz, BWV 221 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 170 Cantata No. 222: Mein Odem ist schwach, BWV 222 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 170 Cantata No. 223: Meine Seele soll Gott loben, BWV 223 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 170 Cantata No. 224a: Klagt, Kinder, klagt es aller Welt, BWV 224a BACH, Johann Sebastian, 170 Cantata on the 20th Anniversary of October Revolution PROKOFIEV, Sergei, 551 Cantata Profana, op. 94 — A Kilenc csordaszarvas BARTÓK Béla, 193 Cantata, In Certainty of Song RIEGGER, Wallingford, 563 Cantata: Praise the Lord with Psaltery, op. 222 HOVHANESS, Alan, 438 Canticle of Freedom (1955) COPLAND, Aaron, 303 Canticle of the Sun, op. 123 BEACH, Mrs. H. H. A., 196 Canticum Canticorum Salomonis PENDERECKI, Krsysztof, 544 Canticum Sacrum ad honorem Sancti Marci Nominis STRAVINSKY, Igor, 625
708 cantiones profanae ORFF, Carl, 530 Caractacus, op. 35 ELGAR, Edward, 327 Carmina Burana ORFF, Carl, 530 Caroline HANDEL, George Frideric, 389 Catulli Carmina ORFF, Carl, 531 Chambered Nautilus, op. 66 BEACH, Mrs. H. H. A., 196 Chandos Anthems HANDEL, George Frideric, 377 Chandos, HANDEL, George Frideric, 390 Chichester Psalms BERNSTEIN, Leonard, 222 Child of Our Time TIPPETT, Michael Kemp, 637 Childhood of Christ [L'Enfance du Christ] BERLIOZ, Hector, 214 Choice of Hercules, HWV 69 HANDEL, George Frideric, 372 Choral Symphony, No. 1, op. 41 HOLST, Gustav, 431 Christe Eleison, BWV 242 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 178 Christmas Oratorio CRESTON, Paul, 306 Christmas Oratorio, BWV 248 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 186 Christmas Story MENNIN, Peter, 479 Christus am Oelberge, op. 85 BEETHOVEN, Ludwig van, 198 Christus, op. 97 MENDELSSOHN-BARTHOLDY, Felix, 467 Christus, S. 3 LISZT, Franz, 454 Cinq Mai: Chant sur la mort de l’empereur Napoléon, op. 6 BERLIOZ, Hector, 218 Clocks and Clouds LIGETI, György, 452 Concerto scenico ORFF, Carl, 532 Coronation Anthems HANDEL, George Frideric, 384 Coronation Cantata TCHAIKOVSKY, Piotr Ilyich, 632 Coronation Mass HAYDN, Franz Joseph, 415 MOZART, Wolfgang Amadeus, 503 Coronation Suite WILLAN, Healey, 672 Creation HAYDN, Franz Joseph, 400 PERSICHETTI, Vincent, 547 Creation Mass HAYDN, Franz Joseph, 417
Title Index
Creator, op. 919 COWELL, Henry, 305 Credidi propter quod locutus sum VIVALDI, Antonio, 653 Credo VIVALDI, Antonio, 653 Credo Mass MOZART, Wolfgang Amadeus, 498 Cross of Fire [“Feuerkreuz”], op. 52 BRUCH, Max, 250 Cycle MENNIN, Peter, 478
D Da Israel aus Aegypten zog, op. 51 MENDELSSOHN-BARTHOLDY, Felix, 475 Damnation de Faust, légende dramatique [“The Damnation of Faust, a dramatic legend”], op. 24 BERLIOZ, Hector, 211 Daphnis et Chloe RAVEL, Maurice, 561 Davidde Penitente, K. 469 MOZART, Wolfgang Amadeus, 486 Death of the Bishop of Brindisi MENOTTI, Gian Carlo, 480 Deborah, HWV 51 HANDEL, George Frideric, 353 Dein edles Herz, der Liebe Thron, BUXTEHUDE, Dietrich, 265 Dettingen, 391 Deutsche Messe SCHUBERT, Franz, 583 Deutsches Requiem [“German Requiem”] BRAHMS, Johannes, 233 Dies Irae PENDERECKI, Krsysztof, 540 Dimensions of Time and Silence PENDERECKI, Krsysztof, 537 Dixit Dominus, RV 594 VIVALDI, Antonio, 654 Dixit Dominus, RV 595 VIVALDI, Antonio, 654 Dixit Dominus, RV 807 VIVALDI, Antonio, 655 Dixit et Magnificat MOZART, Wolfgang Amadeus, 518 Domine ad adjuvandum me festina VIVALDI, Antonio, 655 Domine Salvum Fac Regem, BuxWV 18 BUXTEHUDE, Dietrich, 266 Dominicus Mass MOZART, Wolfgang Amadeus, 491 Dona Nobis Pacem VAUGHAN WILLIAMS, Ralph, 643 Dream of Gerontius ELGAR, Edward, 328 Droughts POULENC, Francis, 548 Du Frieden-Fürst, Herr Jesu Christ, BuxWV 21 BUXTEHUDE, Dietrich, 267
709
Title Index
Du Lebensfurst Herr Jesu Christ, BuxWV 22 BUXTEHUDE, Dietrich, 267
E Earth Shall Be Fair WARD, Robert, 664 Easter Cantata, no. 3 from Choral Triptych, op. 100 HOVHANESS, Alan, 437 Easter Oratorio, BWV 249, 249a, and 249b BACH, Johann Sebastian, 189 Ecce nunc Benedicite Domino, BuxWV 23 BUXTEHUDE, Dietrich, 268 Eins bitte ich vom Herrn, BuxWV 24 BUXTEHUDE, Dietrich, 268 Elijah MENDELSSOHN-BARTHOLDY, Felix, 468 Epithalamion VAUGHAN WILLIAMS, Ralph, 647 Erhalt uns, Herr, bei deinem Wort, BuxWV 27 BUXTEHUDE, Dietrich, 269 Erste Kantate WEBERN, Anton, 667 erste Walpurgisnacht MENDELSSOHN-BARTHOLDY, Felix, 469 Esther, HWV 50a/b HANDEL, George Frideric, 352 Execution of Stepan Razin SHOSTAKOVICH, Dmitri, 611
F Fantasia in C minor for Piano, Chorus, and Orchestra, op. 80 BEETHOVEN, Ludwig van, 199 Festival Jubilate, op. 17 BEACH, Mrs. H. H. A., 196 Feuerkreuz [“The Cross of Fire”], op. 52 BRUCH, Max, 250 First Choral Symphony, op. 41 HOLST, Gustav, 431 Five Tudor Portraits VAUGHAN WILLIAMS, Ralph, 642 Floss der Medusa HENZE, Hans Werner, 423 Flourish, Our Mighty Land PROKOFIEV, Sergei, 555 For St. Cecilia, op. 30 FINZI, Gerald, 340 Free Song SCHUMAN, William, 597 Frithjof, op. 23 BRUCH, Max, 247 Funeral Anthem HANDEL, George Frideric, 387 Fürwahr, er trug unserer Krankheit, BuxWV 31 BUXTEHUDE, Dietrich, 270 Fynsk Foraar NIELSEN, Carl, 528
G German Requiem BRAHMS, Johannes. See deutches Requiem Gesang der Parzen [“Song of the Fates”], op. 89 BRAHMS, Johannes, 239 Glagolithic Mass JANÁCEK, Leos, 441 Gloria POULENC, Francis, 550 RUTTER, John, 574 VIVALDI, Antonio, 656 Gloria, RV 589 VIVALDI, Antonio, 656 glorreiche Augenblick BEETHOVEN, Ludwig van, 202 Glory RIMSKY-KORSAKOV, Nikolai, 565 Golden Cantata [“Music in the Golden Form”] BLISS, Arthur, 227 Golgotha MARTIN, Frank, 465 Gott fähret auf mit Jauchzen, BuxWV 33 BUXTEHUDE, Dietrich, 270 Gott hilf mir, BuxWV 34 BUXTEHUDE, Dietrich, 271 Grabmusik [“Wo bin ich, bittrer Schmerz”] K. 42 / 35a MOZART, Wolfgang Amadeus, 487 Graduale: Benedictus es, Domino SCHUBERT, Franz, 584 Grand Mass in E♭ BEACH, Mrs. H. H. A., 194 Great Mass BRUCKNER, Anton. See Mass No. 3 in F minor MOZART, Wolfgang Amadeus, 505 Gurrelieder SCHOENBERG, Arnold, 578 Gustav Adolf, op. 73 BRUCH, Max, 251
H Hail to Stalin PROKOFIEV, Sergei, 553 Harmoniemesse HAYDN, Franz Joseph, 418 Have Mercy upon Me, O God, HWV 248 HANDEL, George Frideric, 378 Heiligmesse HAYDN, Franz Joseph, 414 Helgoland, WAB 71 BRUCKNER, Anton, 258 Hercules, HWV 60 HANDEL, George Frideric, 363 Hercules, HWV 69 HANDEL, George Frideric, 372 Herr erhöre dich BUXTEHUDE, Dietrich. See Herren vår Gud
710
Title Index
Herren vår Gud / Der Herr erhöre dich, BuxWV 40 BUXTEHUDE, Dietrich, 272 Herr ist mit mir, BuxWV 15 BUXTEHUDE, Dietrich, 266 Herzlich lieb, hab ich dich o Herr, BuxWV 41 BUXTEHUDE, Dietrich, 272 Hodie VAUGHAN WILLIAMS, Ralph, 646 Hora Novissima PARKER, Horatio, 535 Huit scènes du Faust, H. 33 BERLIOZ, Hector, 217 Hymn of Jesus, op. 37 HOLST, Gustav, 430 Hymn, op. 96 MENDELSSOHN-BARTHOLDY, Felix, 470 Hymnus Amoris NIELSEN, Carl, 527 Hymnus Paradisi HOWELLS, Herbert, 439
I I Have a Dream SIEGMEISTER, Elie, 613 I Will Magnify Thee, O God, HWV 250a HANDEL, George Frideric, 379 Ich habe Lust, abzuscheiden, BuxWV 46 and 47 BUXTEHUDE, Dietrich, 273 …If he please COWELL, Henry Dixon, 304 Ihr lieben Christen freut euch nun, BuxWV 51 BUXTEHUDE, Dietrich, 274 Imperial Mass HAYDN, Franz Joseph, 415 In dulci jubilo, BuxWV 52 BUXTEHUDE, Dietrich, 274 In exitu Israel VIVALDI, Antonio, 657 In terra pax MARTIN, Frank, 465 In the Lord Put I My Trust, HWV 247 HANDEL, George Frideric, 378 Inscape RUBBRA, Edmund, 573 Inscriptions from Whitman KAY, Ulysses Simpson, 443 Inter natos mulierum MOZART, Wolfgang Amadeus, 518 Intimations of Immortality, op. 29 FINZI, Gerald, 341 Introitus: T. S. Eliot in Memoriam STRAVINSKY, Igor, 628 Isaiah’s Prophecy (a Christmas Oratorio), op. 80 CRESTON, Paul, 306 Israel aus Aegypten zog, op. 51 MENDELSSOHN-BARTHOLDY, Felix, 475 Israel in Egypt, HWV 54 HANDEL, George Frideric, 356
Ist es recht, das man dem Kaiser Zinse gebe oder nicht? BuxWV 54 BUXTEHUDE, Dietrich, 275 Ite, angeli veloces HINDEMITH, Paul, 426 Ivan the Terrible PROKOFIEV, Sergei, 554
J Jahreszeiten HAYDN, Franz Joseph, 403 Jakobsleiter SCHOENBERG, Arnold, 579 Je höher du bist, BuxWV 55 BUXTEHUDE, Dietrich, 276 Jeanne d’Arc au bûcher HONEGGER, Arthur, 435 Jephte CARISSIMI, Giacomo, 295 Jephtha, HWV 70 HANDEL, George Frideric, 372 Jesu dulcis memoria, BuxWV 57 BUXTEHUDE, Dietrich, 276 Jesu, komm, mein Trost und Lachen, BuxWV 58 BUXTEHUDE, Dietrich, 277 Jesu, meine Freude, BuxWV 60 BUXTEHUDE, Dietrich, 277 Jesu, meiner Freuden Meister, BuxWV 61 BUXTEHUDE, Dietrich, 278 Jesu, meines Lebens Leben, BuxWV 62 BUXTEHUDE, Dietrich, 278 Jesulein, du Tausendschön, BuxWV 63 BUXTEHUDE, Dietrich, 279 Jonas CARISSIMI, Giacomo, 296 Joseph [Joseph and His Brethren], HWV 59 HANDEL, George Frideric, 362 Joshua, HWV 64 HANDEL, George Frideric, 367 Jubilate in D, “Utrecht,” HWV 279 HANDEL, George Frideric, 389 Jubilate, o amoeni chori VIVALDI, Antonio, 658 Judas Maccabeus, HWV 63 HANDEL, George Frideric, 366 Judicium Salomonis, H. 422 CHARPENTIER, Marc-Antoine, 299 Juditha triumphans devicta Holofernis barbarie VIVALDI, Antonio, 658 Jugendmesse HAYDN, Franz Joseph, 405
K K radosti TCHAIKOVSKY, Piotr Ilyich, 630 Kaddish, Symphony No. 3 BERNSTEIN, Leonard, 223
711
Title Index
Kazn’ Stepana Razina SHOSTAKOVICH, Dmitri, 611 King David [Le Roi David] HONEGGER, Arthur, 434 King Shall Rejoice [“Dettingen Anthem”] HWV 265 HANDEL, George Frideric, 388 King Shall Rejoice, HWV 260 HANDEL, George Frideric, 386 King Stephen [“König Stephan”] BEETHOVEN, Ludwig van, 201 Kingdom, op. 50 ELGAR, Edward, 331 klagende Lied MAHLER, Gustav, 457 Klinget für Freuden [Klinget mit Freuden, ihr klaren Klarinen], BuxWV 119 BUXTEHUDE, Dietrich 280 Klinget mit Freuden, ihr klaren Klarinen [Klinget für Freuden], BuxWV 65 and BuxWV 119 BUXTEHUDE, Dietrich, 280 Kol Nidre SCHOENBERG, Arnold, 581 Kolokola RACHMANINOV, Sergei, 559 Kommst du, Licht der Heiden, BuxWV 66 BUXTEHUDE, Dietrich, 280 Kommt, laßt uns anbeten, op. 46 MENDELSSOHN-BARTHOLDY, Felix, 474 König Stephan [“King Stephen”], op. 117 BEETHOVEN, Ludwig van, 201 Kosmogonia PENDERECKI, Krsysztof, 543 Krönungs-Messe MOZART, Wolfgang Amadeus, 503 Kyrie VIVALDI, Antonio, 659 Kyrie in D, D. 31 (1812) SCHUBERT, Franz, 584 Kyrie in D, D. 49 (1813) SCHUBERT, Franz, 585 Kyrie in D minor MOZART, Wolfgang Amadeus, 519 Kyrie in F, BWV 233a BACH, Johann Sebastian, 174 Kyrie in F, D. 66 (1813) SCHUBERT, Franz, 585
L L’Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato, HWV 55 HANDEL, George Frideric, 357 L’Enfance du Christ [“The Childhood of Christ”], op. 25 BERLIOZ, Hector, 214 L’Impériale, op. 26 BERLIOZ, Hector, 221 Laetatus sum VIVALDI, Antonio, 659 Lament for Beowulf, op. 25 HANSON, Howard, 393 Lauda Jerusalem VIVALDI, Antonio, 659
Lauda Sion Salvatorem, BuxWV 68 BUXTEHUDE, Dietrich, 281 Lauda Sion, op. 73 MENDELSSOHN-BARTHOLDY, Felix, 471 Laudate Dominum omnes gentes VIVALDI, Antonio, 660 Laudate pueri Dominum VIVALDI, Antonio, 660 Laut verkünde unsre Freude, “Kleinen FreimaurerKantate,” K. 623 MOZART, Wolfgang Amadeus, 489 Legende von der heiligen Elisabeth, S. 2 LISZT, Franz, 453 Lélio ou le Retour à la vie [“The Return to Life”], op. 14 BERLIOZ, Hector, 217 Let God Arise, HWV 256a and HWV 256b HANDEL, George Frideric, 383 Let Thy Hand Be Strengthened, HWV 259 HANDEL, George Frideric, 385 Letter from Pete ROGERS, Bernard, 567 Letters from Paris ROREM, Ned, 569 Lied von der Glocke, op. 45 BRUCH, Max. See Das Lied von der Glocke Light in the Wilderness BRUBECK, David, 245 Light of Life [“Lux Christi”], op. 29 ELGAR, Edward, 327 Light of the Eye WEBERN, Anton, 667 Lindberghflug HINDEMITH, Paul. See Kurt Weill WEILL, Kurt, 670 Litaniae de venerabili altaris sacramento in B♭ major MOZART, Wolfgang Amadeus, 511 Litaniae de venerabili altaris sacramento in E♭ major MOZART, Wolfgang Amadeus, 512 Litaniae laurentanae in B♭ major MOZART, Wolfgang Amadeus, 510 Litaniae laurentanae in D major MOZART, Wolfgang Amadeus, 512 Litanies MOZART, Wolfgang Amadeus, 510 Little SCHUBERT, Franz, 591 Little Credo MOZART, Wolfgang Amadeus, 495 Liturgical Works MOZART, Wolfgang Amadeus, 515 Lobgesang [Symphony No. 2] MENDELSSOHN-BARTHOLDY, Felix, 476 Longa Mass MOZART, Wolfgang Amadeus, 501 Lord Is My Light, HWV 255 HANDEL, George Frideric, 383 Lord Nelson Mass HAYDN, Franz Joseph, 415 Lovers, op. 43 BARBER, Samuel, 191
712
Title Index
ludi scaenici ORFF, Carl, 531
M Magnificat RUTTER, John, 575 SCHUBERT, Franz, 586 VIVALDI, Antonio, 661 Magnificat in D major, BWV 243 and 243a BACH, Johann Sebastian, 179 Magnificat, op. 157 HOVHANESS, Alan, 437 Martyr’s Elegy FINNEY, Ross Lee, 339 Masonic Works MOZART, Wolfgang Amadeus, 487 Mass BERNSTEIN, Leonard, 224 STRAVINSKY, Igor, 623 Mass, op. 147 SCHUMANN, Robert, 601 Mass in A, BWV 234 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 174 Mass in B♭ major MOZART, Wolfgang Amadeus, 502 Mass in B♭ major, No. 7 HAYDN, Franz Joseph, 411 Mass in B♭ major, No. 10 HAYDN, Franz Joseph, 414 Mass in B♭ major, No. 12 HAYDN, Franz Joseph, 416 Mass in B♭ major, No. 14 HAYDN, Franz Joseph, 418 Mass in B Minor, BWV 232 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 171 Mass in C, op. 86 BEETHOVEN, Ludwig van, 199 Mass in C major MOZART, Wolfgang Amadeus, 494, 498, 499, 500, 501, 503, 504 Mass in C major [“Dominicus Mass”], K. 66 MOZART, Wolfgang Amadeus, 491 Mass in C major, No. 5 HAYDN, Franz Joseph, 408 Mass in C major, No. 8 HAYDN, Franz Joseph, 412 Mass in C major, No. 9 HAYDN, Franz Joseph, 412 Mass in C minor MOZART, Wolfgang Amadeus, 492, 505 Mass in D minor, No. 2 HAYDN, Franz Joseph, 406 Mass in D minor, No. 11 HAYDN, Franz Joseph, 415 Mass in E♭ BEACH, Mrs. H. H. A, 194 Mass in F, BWV 233 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 173
Mass in F Major, No. 1 HAYDN, Franz Joseph, 405 Mass in G, BWV 236 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 176 Mass in G major, No. 3 HAYDN, Franz Joseph, 407 Mass in G major, No. 6 HAYDN, Franz Joseph, 410 Mass in G Minor, BWV 235 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 175 Mass in Time of War HAYDN, Franz Joseph, 412 Mass No. 1 in D minor, WAB 26 BRUCKNER, Anton, 254 Mass No. 1 in F SCHUBERT, Franz, 586 Mass No. 2 in E minor, WAB 27 BRUCKNER, Anton, 255 Mass No. 2 in G SCHUBERT, Franz, 587 Mass No. 3 in B♭ SCHUBERT, Franz, 587 Mass No. 3 in F minor “The Great,” WAB 28 BRUCKNER, Anton, 256 Mass No. 4 in C SCHUBERT, Franz, 588 Mass No. 5 in A♭ SCHUBERT, Franz, 589 Mass No. 6 in E♭ SCHUBERT, Franz, 590 Masses HAYDN, Franz Joseph, 405 Masses and Requiem MOZART, Wolfgang Amadeus, 490 Maurerfreude, K. 471 MOZART, Wolfgang Amadeus, 488 Meerestille und glückliche Fahrt, op. 112 BEETHOVEN, Ludwig van, 202 Mein Gemüt erfreuet sich, BuxWV 72 BUXTEHUDE, Dietrich, 281 Meine Seele, willtu ruhn, BuxWV 74 BUXTEHUDE, Dietrich, 282 Membra Jesu Nostri, BuxWV 75 BUXTEHUDE, Dietrich, 282 Messa a 4 Voci PUCCINI, Giacomo, 557 Messa da Requiem VERDI, Giuseppe, 648 Messa di Gloria PUCCINI, Giacomo, 557 Messe Brève DELIBES, Léo, 309 Messe de Minuit à 4 voix flutes et violon pour Noël, H. 9 CHARPENTIER, Marc-Antoine, 297 Messe de Requiem, op. 48 FAURÉ, Gabriel, 335 Messe des Morts a quatre voix et orchestre, H. 10 CHARPENTIER, Marc-Antoine, 297
713
Title Index
Messe des pêcheurs de Villerville FAURÉ, Gabriel, 336 MESSAGER, André. See Gabriel Fauré Messiah, HWV 56 HANDEL, George Frideric, 358 Minstrel and the King: Rudolph von Hapsburg, op. 16 BEACH, Mrs. H. H. A., 196 Misericordias domini MOZART, Wolfgang Amadeus, 520 Missa brevis KODÁLY, Zoltán, 446 Missa Brevis HAYDN, Franz Joseph, 405 MOZART, Wolfgang Amadeus, 500, 502 Missa Brevis in C major MOZART, Wolfgang Amadeus, 497 Missa Brevis in C major, K. 115 MOZART, Wolfgang Amadeus, 492 Missa Brevis in D major MOZART, Wolfgang Amadeus, 496 Missa Brevis in D minor, K. 65 / 61a MOZART, Wolfgang Amadeus, 490 Missa Brevis in F major MOZART, Wolfgang Amadeus, 495 Missa Brevis in F major, K. 116 MOZART, Wolfgang Amadeus, 492 Missa Brevis in G major, K. 140 MOZART, Wolfgang Amadeus, 493 Missa Brevis in G major, K. 49 / 47d MOZART, Wolfgang Amadeus, 490 Missa Brevis Sanctis Joannis de Deo, Kleine Orgelmesse HAYDN, Franz Joseph, 411 Missa Cellensis in honorem Beatissimae Virginis Mariae HAYDN, Franz Joseph, 408 Missa Cellensis, Mariazeller Messe HAYDN, Franz Joseph, 412 Missa in augustiis HAYDN, Franz Joseph, 415 Missa in honorem Sanctissimae Trinitas MOZART, Wolfgang Amadeus, 494 Missa in tempore belli HAYDN, Franz Joseph, 412 Missa Sancti Bernardi von Offida HAYDN, Franz Joseph, 414 Missa Sancti Nicolai HAYDN, Franz Joseph, 410 Missa Solemnis MOZART, Wolfgang Amadeus, 504 Missa Solemnis SCHUBERT, Franz, 589 Missa Solemnis in B♭ minor, WAB 29 BRUCKNER, Anton, 252 Missa Solemnis in B♭ major, No. 13 HAYDN, Franz Joseph, 417 Missa Solemnis, op. 123 BEETHOVEN, Ludwig van, 203 Missa St. Ofridi HAYDN, Franz Joseph, 414 Moderne Psalm SCHOENBERG, Arnold, 582
Morning Heroes BLISS, Arthur, 227 Moscow TCHAIKOVSKY, Piotr Ilyich, 632 Moses, op. 67 BRUCH, Max, 250 Moskva TCHAIKOVSKY, Piotr Ilyich, 632 Motet No. 2: Der Geist hilft unser Schwachheit auf, BWV 226 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 170 Msa Glagskaja JANÁCEK, Leos, 441 Muses of Sicily HENZE, Hans Werner, 423 Music in the Golden Form BLISS, Arthur. See Golden Cantata Music Makers, op. 69 ELGAR, Edward, 332 Muzen Siziliens HENZE, Hans Werner, 423 My Heart Is Inditing, HWV 261 HANDEL, George Frideric, 386 My Song Shall Be Alway, HWV 252 HANDEL, George Frideric, 381
N Na strazhe mira PROKOFIEV, Sergei, 555 Nachtlied SCHUMANN, Robert, 601 nad rodinoy nashey solntse siyayet SHOSTAKOVICH, Dmitri, 609 Nänie und Dithyrambe ORFF, Carl, 533 Nänie, op. 82 BRAHMS, Johannes, 238 Nativity PAINE, John Knowles, 534 neugeborne Kindelein, BuxWV 13 BUXTEHUDE, Dietrich, 264 Nicht unserm namen, Herr, op. 31 MENDELSSOHN-BARTHOLDY, Felix, 475 Nichts soll uns scheiden von der Liebe Gottes, BuxWV 77 BUXTEHUDE, Dietrich, 283 Nimm von uns, Herr, BuxWV 78 BUXTEHUDE, Dietrich, 284 Nine Enchanted Stags BARTÓK Béla, 193 Nocturnes DEBUSSY, Claude, 307 Non nobis Domine [“Nicht unserm namen, Herr”], op. 31 MENDELSSOHN-BARTHOLDY, Felix, 475 Novæ de Infinito Laudes HENZE, Hans Werner, 422 Nun laßt uns Gott dem Herren, BuxWV 81 BUXTEHUDE, Dietrich, 285 Nursery Rhymes JANÁCEK, Leos, 442
714
Title Index
O O Be Joyful, HWV 246 HANDEL, George Frideric, 377 O Come Let Us Sing unto the Lord, HWV 253 HANDEL, George Frideric, 382 O fröhliche Stunden, o herrliche Zeit, BuxWV 85 BUXTEHUDE, Dietrich, 285 O Gott, wir danken deiner Güt’, BuxWV 86 BUXTEHUDE, Dietrich, 286 O Praise the Lord with One Consent, HWV 254 HANDEL, George Frideric, 382 O Sing unto the Lord, HWV 249a HANDEL, George Frideric, 379 O Sing unto the Lord, HWV 249b HANDEL, George Frideric, 379 Occasional Oratorio, HWV 62 HANDEL, George Frideric, 365 Ode for St. Cecilia’s Day, HWV 76 HANDEL, George Frideric, 376 Ode to Joy TCHAIKOVSKY, Piotr Ilyich, 630 Odysseus, op. 41 BRUCH, Max, 248 Œdipus Rex STRAVINSKY, Igor, 620 Offertorium de venerabili sacramento MOZART, Wolfgang Amadeus, 526 Offertorium in festo St. Benedicti MOZART, Wolfgang Amadeus, 523 Offertorium: Intende voci SCHUBERT, Franz, 591 Offertorium: Tres sunt SCHUBERT, Franz, 591 On Guard for Peace PROKOFIEV, Sergei, 555 Oratorio de Noël SAINT-SAËNS, Camille, 576 Oratorios HAYDN, Franz Joseph, 396 Oratorios and Cantatas MOZART, Wolfgang Amadeus, 485 Ordering of Moses DETT, R. Nathaniel, 317 Organ Solo Mass MOZART, Wolfgang Amadeus, 500 Orphanage MOZART, Wolfgang Amadeus, 492 Oxford Elegy VAUGHAN WILLIAMS, Ralph, 645
P Pange Lingua, BuxWV 91 BUXTEHUDE, Dietrich, 287 Paradies und die Peri, op. 50 SCHUMANN, Robert, 598 Parnasso in festa, HWV 73 HANDEL, George Frideric, 374
Passio Et Mors Domini Nostri Iesu Christi Secundum Lucam PENDERECKI, Krsysztof, 539 Passion ROGERS, Bernard, 566 Passion According to St. John, BWV 245 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 184 Passion According to St. Luke PENDERECKI, Krsysztof, 539 THOMPSON, Randall, 634 Passion According to St. Mark, BWV 247 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 186 Passion According to St. Matthew, BWV 244 and 244b BACH, Johann Sebastian, 181 Passion nach Barthold Heinrich Brockes, “Brockes Passion” HWV 48 HANDEL, George Frideric, 349 Passion nach dem Evangelisten Johannes BÖHM, Georg, 230 Passion of Martin Luther King FLAGELLO, Nicolas, 342 Pastoral: Lie Strewn the White Flocks BLISS, Arthur, 226 Paukenmesse, Kriegmesse HAYDN, Franz Joseph, 412 Pavane, op. 50 FAURÉ, Gabriel, 335 Persephone STRAVINSKY, Igor, 623 Pesn’ o lesakh SHOSTAKOVICH, Dmitri, 608 Pesni nashikh dney PROKOFIEV, Sergei, 552 Petite Messe Solennelle ROSSINI, Gioachino, 571 Piccolominimesse MOZART, Wolfgang Amadeus, 499 Pied Piper of Hamelin MENNIN, Peter, 479 Pilgrim Psalms FINNEY, Ross Lee, 337 Planets HOLST, Gustav, 432 Poet’s Requiem ROREM, Ned, 569 Pop-Pourri DEL TREDICI, David, 315 Power Within Us SCHULLER, Gunther, 595 Prairie FOSS, Lukas, 343 LOCKWOOD, Normand, 456 Praise the Lord with Psaltery, op. 222 HOVHANESS, Alan, 438 Profana Cantata, op.94 BARTÓK Béla, 193 Prométhée, le poème du feu SCRIABIN, Alexander, 603 Prometheus, The Poem of Fire SCRIABIN, Alexander, 603
715
Title Index
Prophet Isaiah ROGERS, Bernard, 568 Psalm 112, WAB 35 BRUCKNER, Anton, 253 Psalm 114, Da Israel aus Aegypten zog, op. 51 MENDELSSOHN-BARTHOLDY, Felix, 475 Psalm 115, Non nobis Domine ["Nicht unserm namen, Herr"], op. 31 MENDELSSOHN-BARTHOLDY, Felix, 475 Psalm 13, op. 27 BRAHMS, Johannes, 233 Psalm 146, WAB 37 BRUCKNER, Anton, 253 Psalm 149, op. 79, B. 91 DVORÁK, Antonin, 322 Psalm 150, WAB 38 BRUCKNER, Anton, 258 Psalm 42, Wie der Hirsch schreit, op. 42 MENDELSSOHN-BARTHOLDY, Felix, 473 Psalm 95, Kommt, laßt uns anbeten, op. 46 MENDELSSOHN-BARTHOLDY, Felix, 474 Psalm 98, Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied, op. 91 MENDELSSOHN-BARTHOLDY, Felix, 474 Psalmus Hungaricus, op. 13 KODÁLY, Zoltán, 444 Psyché, M. 47 FRANCK, Cesar, 346
R Raft of the Medusa HENZE, Hans Werner, 423 Rastsvetay, moguchiy kray PROKOFIEV, Sergei, 555 Regina coeli in Bb major MOZART, Wolfgang Amadeus, 521 Regina coeli in C major MOZART, Wolfgang Amadeus, 520, 522 Requiem DELIUS, Frederick, 312 DURUFLÉ, Maurice, 320 FAURÉ, Gabriel. See Messe de Requiem GOUNOD, Charles François, 347 LIGETI, György, 451 MOZART, Wolfgang Amadeus, 507 ROREM, Ned, 569 RUTTER, John, 575 SCHUMANN, Robert, 602 VERDI, Giuseppe, 648 WEILL, Kurt, 669 Requiem Canticles STRAVINSKY, Igor, 629 Requiem für Mignon SCHUMANN, Robert, 600 Requiem in D minor, WAB 39 BRUCKNER, Anton, 252 Requiem Mass in D minor CHERUBINI, Luigi, 300 Requiem Mass, op. 89 DVORÁK, Antonin, 324
Requiem: Grande Messe des Morts [“Grand Mass of the Dead”], op. 5 BERLIOZ, Hector, 208 Return of Tobias HAYDN, Franz Joseph, 399 Return to Life ["Lélio ou le Retour à la vie"], op. 14 BERLIOZ, Hector, 217 révolution grecque, scène héroïque, H. 21 BERLIOZ, Hector, 216 Ridalka JANÁCEK, Leos, 442 Rinaldo, op. 50 BRAHMS, Johannes, 235 Rio Grande LAMBERT, Constant, 447 ritorno di Tobia HAYDN, Franz Joseph, 399 Roi David HONEGGER, Arthur, 434 Rorate coeli desuper HAYDN, Franz Joseph, 407 Rose of Avon-town, op. 30 BEACH, Mrs. H. H. A., 196 Ruinen von Athen ["The Ruins of Athens"], op. 113 BEETHOVEN, Ludwig van, 200 Ruins of Athens BEETHOVEN, Ludwig van, 200
S Sacred Service BLOCH, Ernest. See Avodath Hakodesh Saint Nicolas, op. 42 BRITTEN, Benjamin, 242 Salamis, op. 25 BRUCH, Max, 247 Salve, desiderium, BuxWV BUXTEHUDE, Dietrich, 287 Samson, HWV 57 HANDEL, George Frideric, 360 Sancta Civitas VAUGHAN WILLIAMS, Ralph, 642 Sancta Maria, mater Dei MOZART, Wolfgang Amadeus, 523 Sanctus in C, BWV 237 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 176 Sanctus in D Minor, BWV 239 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 177 Sanctus in D, BWV 238 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 177 Sanctus in D, BWV 241 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 178 Sanctus in G, BWV 240 BACH, Johann Sebastian, 178 Sänger der Vorwelt ORFF, Carl, 533 Saul, HWV 53 HANDEL, George Frideric, 355 Scande coeli limina MOZART, Wolfgang Amadeus, 523
716 Schicksalslied [“Song of Destiny”], op. 54 BRAHMS, Johannes, 237 Schön Ellen, op. 24 BRUCH, Max, 247 Schöpfung HAYDN, Franz Joseph, 400 Schöpfungmesse HAYDN, Franz Joseph, 417 Schwinget euch himmelan, BuxWV 96 BUXTEHUDE, Dietrich, 288 Sea Drift DELIUS, Frederick, 311 Sea Symphony VAUGHAN WILLIAMS, Ralph, 640 Sea-fairies, op. 59 BEACH, Mrs. H. H. A., 195 Seasons HAYDN, Franz Joseph, 403 Sécheresses POULENC, Francis, 548 Secular Cantata no. 1 SCHUMAN, William, 596 Secular Cantata no. 2 SCHUMAN, William, 597 Semele, HWV 58 HANDEL, George Frideric, 361 Serenade to Music VAUGHAN WILLIAMS, Ralph, 644 Sermon, a Narrative, and a Prayer STRAVINSKY, Igor, 627 Seven Last Words of Christ HAYDN, Franz Joseph, 397 Shires Suite TIPPETT, Michael Kemp, 638 Sieben letzten Worte unseres Erlösers am Kreuze HAYDN, Franz Joseph, 397 Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied, op. 91 MENDELSSOHN-BARTHOLDY, Felix, 474 Slava RIMSKY-KORSAKOV, Nikolai, 565 Sleep NIELSEN, Carl, 528 Solomon, HWV 67 HANDEL, George Frideric, 370 Song of Affirmation DELLO JOIO, Norman, 313 Song of Destiny BRAHMS, Johannes. See Schicksalslied Song of Hiawatha COLERIDGE-TAYLOR, Samuel, 301 Song of Praise MENDELSSOHN-BARTHOLDY, Felix, 476 Song of Songs PENDERECKI, Krsysztof, 544 Song of the Fates BRAHMS, Johannes. See Gesang der Parzen Song of the Forests SHOSTAKOVICH, Dmitri, 608 Song of Triumph BRAHMS, Johannes. See Triumphlied
Title Index
Songs of Our Days PROKOFIEV, Sergei, 552 Songs of Walt Whitman DELLO JOIO, Norman, 314 Sons of Light VAUGHAN WILLIAMS, Ralph, 646 Søvnen NIELSEN, Carl, 528 Sparrow Mass MOZART, Wolfgang Amadeus, 497 Spatzenmesse MOZART, Wolfgang Amadeus, 497 Spaur Mass MOZART, Wolfgang Amadeus, 499 Spectre’s Bride DVORAK, Antonin. See Svatební kosile Spirit of England, op. 80 ELGAR, Edward, 333 Spring RACHMANINOV, Sergei, 558 Spring Symphony, op. 44 BRITTEN, Benjamin, 243 Springtime in Funen NIELSEN, Carl, 528 St. Benedicti MOZART, Wolfgang Amadeus, 523 St. Cecilia Mass HAYDN, Franz Joseph, 408 St. Cecilia, op. 30 FINZI, Gerald, 340 St. Ludmila DVORÁK, Antonin. See Svatar Ludmila St. Paul, op. 36 MENDELSSOHN-BARTHOLDY, Felix, 472 Stabat Mater DVORÁK, Antonin, 321 PERGOLESI, Giovanni Battista, 545 PERSICHETTI, Vincent, 546 POULENC, Francis, 549 ROSSINI, Gioachino, 571 VERDI, Giuseppe, 650 Stabat Mater in G minor SCHUBERT, Franz, 591 Stabat Mater in F SCHUBERT, Franz, 592 Stabat Mater, Hob. XXbis HAYDN, Franz Joseph, 396 Stikh ob Alexeye Bozh’yem cheloveke RIMSKY-KORSAKOV, Nikolai, 564 Still are New Worlds FINNEY, Ross Lee, 338 Summer’s Last Will and Testament LAMBERT, Constant, 448 Sun Shines o’er Our Country SHOSTAKOVICH, Dmitri, 609 Sunt bona mixta malis HAYDN, Franz Joseph, 406 Surrexit Christus hodie, BuxWV 99 BUXTEHUDE, Dietrich, 288 Survivor from Warsaw SCHOENBERG, Arnold, 581
717
Title Index
Susanna, HWV 66 HANDEL, George Frideric, 369 Svadebka—Les Noces STRAVINSKY, Igor, 619 Svata Ludmila [“St. Ludmila”], op. 71, B. 144 DVORÁK, Antonin, 323 Svatební kosile [“The Spectre’s Bride”], op. 69, B. 135 DVORÁK, Antonin, 323 Sweet Freedom’s Song: A New England Chronicle WARD, Robert, 665 Symphony No. 1 SCRIABIN, Alexander, 603 Symphony No. 2 MAHLER, Gustav, 458 Symphony No. 2 SHOSTAKOVICH, Dmitri, 607 Symphony No. 2 [“Lobgesang”] MENDELSSOHN-BARTHOLDY, Felix, 476 Symphony No. 3 MAHLER, Gustav, 460 SHOSTAKOVICH, Dmitri, 608 Symphony No. 4, Folk Song HARRIS, Roy, 395 Symphony No. 4, The Cycle MENNIN, Peter, 478 Symphony No. 5 SCRIABIN, Alexander, 603 Symphony No. 8 MAHLER, Gustav, 462 Symphony No. 9, op. 125 BEETHOVEN, Ludwig van, 204 Symphony No. 13 SHOSTAKOVICH, Dmitri, 610 Symphony of Psalms STRAVINSKY, Igor, 621 Szenen aus Goethes Faust SCHUMANN, Robert, 599
T Taillefer STRAUSS, Richard, 617 Tantum ergo in B♭ major MOZART, Wolfgang Amadeus, 524 Tantum Ergo in C SCHUBERT, Franz, 592, 593 Tantum Ergo in D SCHUBERT, Franz, 593 Tantum ergo in D major MOZART, Wolfgang Amadeus, 524 Tantum Ergo in E♭ SCHUBERT, Franz, 593 Te Deum RUTTER, John, 575 VERDI, Giuseppe, 650 Te Deum for Empress Maria Therese HAYDN, Franz Joseph, 420 Te Deum for Prince Nicolaus Esterházy HAYDN, Franz Joseph, 420
Te Deum H.145 CHARPENTIER, Marc-Antoine, 298 Te Deum in A, HWV 282 HANDEL, George Frideric, 391 Te Deum in B♭, “Chandos,” HWV 281 HANDEL, George Frideric, 390 Te Deum in D, “Caroline,” HWV 280 HANDEL, George Frideric, 389 Te Deum in D, “Dettingen,” HWV 283 HANDEL, George Frideric, 391 Te Deum in D, “Utrecht,” HWV 278 HANDEL, George Frideric, 388 Te Deum laudamus MOZART, Wolfgang Amadeus, 525 Te Deum, H. 146 CHARPENTIER, Marc-Antoine, 298 Te Deum, op. 103 DVORÁK, Antonin, 325 Te Deum, op. 22 BERLIOZ, Hector, 213 Te Deum, WAB 45 BRUCKNER, Anton, 257 Te Deums HAYDN, Franz Joseph, 420 Testament of Freedom THOMPSON, Randall, 635 Testament of Life STEVENS, Halsey, 615 Theodora, HWV 68 HANDEL, George Frideric, 371 Theresienmesse HAYDN, Franz Joseph, 416 This Is Our Time SCHUMAN, William, 596 This Sacred Ground DIAMOND, David, 318 Three Songs from “Drum Taps,” op. 32 HANSON, Howard, 393 Threni STRAVINSKY, Igor, 626 To Music DIAMOND, David, 318 Trinity Mass MOZART, Wolfgang Amadeus, 494 trionfo del Tempo e del Disinganno, HWV 46a HANDEL, George Frideric, 348 trionfo del Tempo e della Veritá, HWV 46b HANDEL, George Frideric, 348 Trionfo di Afrodite ORFF, Carl, 532 Tristia, op. 18 BERLIOZ, Hector, 219 Triumph of Time and Truth, HWV 71 HANDEL, George Frideric, 374 Triumphlied [“Song of Triumph”], op. 55 BRAHMS, Johannes, 237 Tu es Petrus, op. 111 MENDELSSOHN-BARTHOLDY, Felix, 477
718
Title Index
U Uhren und Wolken LIGETI, György, 452 Unaufhörliche HINDEMITH, Paul, 425 Unceasing HINDEMITH, Paul, 425 Utrecht HANDEL, George Frideric, 388, 389 Utrenja PENDERECKI, Krsysztof, 541
V Veni sancte spiritus MOZART, Wolfgang Amadeus, 525 Venite populi MOZART, Wolfgang Amadeus, 526 Vesna RACHMANINOV, Sergei, 558 Vesperae de dominica MOZART, Wolfgang Amadeus, 513 Vesperae solennes de confessore MOZART, Wolfgang Amadeus, 514 Vespers MOZART, Wolfgang Amadeus, 513 Vespro della beata vergine, SV 206 MONTEVERDI, Claudio, 482 Vin Herbé MARTIN, Frank, 464 Vision of St. Augustine TIPPETT, Michael Kemp, 638 Visions of Isaiah STARER, Robert, 614 Visions of Poets LEES, Benjamin, 450 Vox populi, op. 20 BERLIOZ, Hector, 220
W Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme, BuxWV 100 BUXTEHUDE, Dietrich, 289 Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme, BuxWV 101 BUXTEHUDE, Dietrich, 289 Waisenhaus MOZART, Wolfgang Amadeus, 492 Walpurgisnacht MENDELSSOHN-BARTHOLDY, Felix, 469
Walts Gott, mein Werk ich lasse, BuxWV 103 BUXTEHUDE, Dietrich, 290 Wanderer’s Storm Song STRAUSS, Richard, 616 Wanderers Sturmlied STRAUSS, Richard, 616 Wär Gott nicht mit uns diese Zeit, BuxWV 102 BUXTEHUDE, Dietrich, 290 War Requiem, op. 66 (1961) BRITTEN, Benjamin, 244 Was frag’ ich nach der Welt, BuxWV 104 BUXTEHUDE, Dietrich, 291 Ways of Zion Do Mourn, “Funeral Anthem,” HWV 264 HANDEL, George Frideric, 387 Wedding STRAVINSKY, Igor, 619 Welt, packe dich, ich sehne mich nur dem Himmel, BuxWV 106 BUXTEHUDE, Dietrich, 291 When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom’d HINDEMITH, Paul, 428 SESSIONS, Roger, 605 Whole Bunch of Fun ADLER, Samuel, 3 Wie der Hirsch schreit, op. 42 MENDELSSOHN-BARTHOLDY, Felix, 473 Wie schmeckt es so lieblich und wohl, BuxWV 108 BUXTEHUDE, Dietrich, 292 Wie soll lich dich empfangen, BuxWV 109 BUXTEHUDE, Dietrich, 292 Wo soll ich fliehen hin, BuxWV 112 BUXTEHUDE, Dietrich, 293 World Requiem, op. 60 FOULDS, John, 345 Wymiary czasu i ciszy PENDERECKI, Krsysztof, 537
Y Year in Our Land AMRAM, David Werner, 3
Z Zadok the Priest, HWV 258 HANDEL, George Frideric, 385 Zdravitsa PROKOFIEV, Sergei, 553 Zion, HWV 264 HANDEL, George Frideric, 387 Zweite Kantate WEBERN, Anton, 668