| Notes
on the music
The music this evening is seasonally appropriate and is by composers who have
much in common. Separated by 65 years at birth but in death by only 19, both were born in
Austria of humble parentage and educated in Vienna. Yet their lives were to follow
different paths. Haydn lived to a ripe old age and until his retirement was employed as a
court musician and servant. Schubert however, after a difficult period teaching in his
father’s school, spent the rest of his tragically short thirty-one years living a
bohemian existence in Vienna.
click here for more about Haydn
and Schubert |
Haydn's Saint Nicolas Mass
was written to celebrate the name day of his employer, Prince Nicholas, on December 6th,
1772.
After leaving the cathedral school in Vienna under somewhat of a cloud due to a tendency
for mischievous schoolboy pranks, Haydn was rescued from playing and singing in the
streets by the friendship of Count Morzin. Through him he was noticed by Prince Paul Anton
Esterhazy, head of the greatest of the Hungarian noble families owing allegiance to the
Habsburg dynasty. He employed Haydn as assistant musical director at his court at
Einstadt. When his patron died childless eleven months later in 1762, he was succeeded by
his brother Nicholas who was an equally enthusiastic music lover and performer.
Haydn’s promotion to full directorship coincided with the construction of the
prince’s magnificent new palace, inspired by a visit to Versailles and named
“Esterhaza”. The court’s time became divided between Einstadt and the
ever-lengthening summer visits to the unhealthy, distant Esterhaza palace.
Haydn’s routine duties were as onerous as they were copious and in addition to the
directive that he “should compose at all times whatever work his highness might
require”, he was responsible for the well being of all the musicians. Living quarters
were cramped and over-crowded at Esterhaza, until in 1772 families were forbidden and the
luxurious palace became a gilded cage. Haydn’s spirit of personal sympathetic
kindness and practical humour led him to devise a subtle plan. He composed a symphony
(later to become known as the “Farewell”) in which each member of the orchestra
snuffed out his candle and tiptoed from the stage until only Haydn and the lead violinist
remained. Reading the joke Prince Nicholas declared: “I see what you are after - the
musicians want to go home! Very well, we will pack tomorrow.”
Later that same year the St Nicolas Mass was written. It may well have been offered as a
musical “thank you” for understanding the musicians’ plight.
The work has the characteristics of an Advent pastoral mass, associated with Christ’s
birth in a stable and the shepherds in the fields. The first and final movements use the
same pastoral material with their gentle, lilting 6/4 time and falling phrases in parallel
thirds and sixths. Led by the solo quartet this forms a calm framework to the mass. The
lively, exultant tutti Gloria leads into the lyrical soprano solo Gratias
agimus tibi. A more thoughtful Qui tollis leads back to the joyous mood of
the Quoniam tu solus sanctus with its fugal Amen. In Haydn’s own
words “I hope God will not be angry if I am irrepressibly cheerful in my worship of
Him.”
The chorus’ dance-like Credo draws breath for the slow minor of the quartet
to declaim the birth and death of Christ. The jubilant mood is renewed for the Et
resurrexit and the rapid word-setting of the rest of the creed and affirmative Amen.
The orchestral pastoral sextuplets create an atmosphere of calm beauty throughout the Sanctus
before the exuberant Pleni sunt coeli. The solo quartet setting of the Benedictus
is perhaps the most thoroughly worked of this mass concluding with the briefest of choral Osannas
recalling the last twenty bars of the previous movement. The mood of the final Agnus
Dei is solemn with its G minor pulsating orchestral quavers and falling violin
counter-melody, before returning to pastoral calm for the Dona nobis pacem. |
Schubert's Magnificat in C
dates from 1816 when he was only 19. It is more ambitious in length and forces than other
short church compositions in this final stage of his youthful period. Using full chorus,
SATB soloists, two oboes, two bassoons, two trumpets, timpani and strings, Schubert sets
the words of the Magnificat, Mary’s song of joyful acceptance of the
Angel Gabriel’s annunciation of Christ’s birth. Stylistically it shows
Schubert’s mastery of the classical trends of late Haydn and Mozart, but its
harmonies and modulations and use of the solo quartet are characteristic of
Schubert’s growing romanticism.
The majestic allegro first movement for chorus only is based on a chorale-like
theme with a fugal ascending middle section of textural contrast. The second movement is
for solo quartet only and is a beautifully lyrical andante. The third and final
movement combines solo and choral forces in an exuberant finale. Its 3/4 metre is
reminiscent of the lilting Dona nobis pacem endings of Haydn masses such as the
one in this concert. Joy is here expressed in three musical ideas: a declamatory hymn, a
fugato Gloria and a lyrical Amen.
Carols for Christmastide
| In dulci jubilo |
Old German carol
arr. John Rutter |
| God rest you merry, gentlemen |
arr. David
Willcocks |
| He smiles within his cradle |
Austrian arr. David
Willcocks |
| Good King Wencleslas |
arr. Reginald
Jaques |
| Nova, nova |
Michael Barley |
| The first nowell |
arr. David
Willcocks |
| Angel tidings |
Moravian arr. John
Rutter |
| Stille nacht |
Franz Gruber
arr. Donald Cashmore |
| Hark! the herald angels sing |
Mendelssohn
arr. David Willcocks |
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