Haydn
The heavens are telling the glory of God
This boisterous, exuberant chorus forms the conclusion to the first part of The
Creation, finished by Haydn in 1798 after hearing the great Handel oratorios during
visits to London. After each day of creation the angelic hosts give praise in a
chorus, skilfully interwoven with soloists representing the archangels Gabriel, Uriel and
Raphael. On the fourth day God created the sun, moon and the stars and hence the
patterns of days, years and seasons. The chorus joins in joyful exaltation with
rousing orchestral accompaniment to declare the wonders of His work. Mozart
Laudate Dominum
In 1781, the 49-year-old Haydn met the 25-year-old Mozart, declared him the
"greatest living composer" and became one of his most devoted friends. In
the previous year, Mozart had written his Solemn Vespers K. 339
including the beautiful Laudate Dominum (Praise the Lord) for soprano solo,
chorus and orchestra. The strings, floating above a lilting accompaniment, give this
work an atmosphere of great peace and tranquillity. With words from Psalm 117
praising God for His loving kindness, the serenely flowing soprano line reaches
heavenwards. The chorus tenderly takes up the music, singing warm, eternal praise,
before the soprano rejoins them to bring the work to a restful close.
Interval of 20 minutes
Mozart
Eine Kleine Nachtmusik K525
One of Mozart's most popular works, Eine Kleine Nachtmusik means
literally A Little Night Music or Serenade. Composed in the summer of 1787, its
light, sunny nature belies the sadness of his father's illness and death only a few months
before. A typical eighteenth century piece, it is music for a small group of
players, usually performed as light entertainment at an evening party. Originally
written for a string quintet with five movements, the work is usually played today by a
small string orchestra in the four remaining movements (the Minuet and Trio having been
lost). |
Mozart
Ave Verum Corpus
Ave Verum Corpus is a setting of a short poem, here with a
literal translation:
Ave, ave verum corpus
Natum de Maria Virgine
Vere passum immolatum
In cruce pro homine.
Cujus latus perforatum
Unda fluxit et sanguine.
Esto nobis pręgustatum
In mortis examine. |
Hail, hail, true body,
born of the Virgin Mary
truly having suffered and sacrificed
on the cross for mankind.
Whose side was pierced through,
and flowed with blood and water,
be to us a foretaste of death's agony. |
One of Mozart's last compositions, it was written to celebrate the feast of Corpus
Christi, during which an elaborate procession of the Eucharist takes place. Composed
in June 1791 for the spa town of Baden near Vienna, where his wife Constanze had gone to
take the waters, he called this little piece his "little funeral motet", written
only six months before his own tragic death. Serene and beautiful, it is one of the
most loved jewels of the choral repertoire.
Mozart
Coronation Mass in C K. 317
In January 1779, at the age of twenty-three, Mozart took up the post of court organist to
the Archbishop in his hometown of Salzburg. This mass, completed in March, was
probably included in the liturgy for Easter that year. It was played at the
coronation of Francis I of Austria in 1792, although it is possible that it had also been
played at the coronation of Leopold II in Prague the previous year, earning the mass its
Coronation title.
Typical of works of the period, the mass is written for chorus and a quartet of solo
voices. The Kyrie has an overture-like brevity with its incisive festive
opening framing a short, lyrical solo quartet passage. The spirited Gloria
moves along briskly in 3/4 time with the alternating forces of chorus and quartet.
The opening music returns at the Quoniam tu solus sanctus with an Amen coda
bringing the movement to an architecturally satisfying close.
The affirmative Credo begins with repeated octave Cs in the chorus: a feature
recurring throughout the movement in rondo-like fashion. There is a brief respite in
the slower Adagio section telling of the birth, death and burial of Christ before the
jubilant, assertive octaves return to declare faith in the Resurrection, Ascension and
Second Coming. Faith in the Holy Spirit is passed to the solo quartet, before the
theme is returned to the chorus and climaxes with a positive Amen.
The brief Andante Sanctus is followed by a bright 3/4 Hosanna, then by
the beautiful quartet interspersed with two more choral returns to the Hosanna. The
lyrical soprano solo of the Benedictus (anticipating Dove sono from Figaro)
eventually leads into the Dona nobis pacem and final return to a spirited version
of the music of the opening Kyrie.
S E H |
