César Franck's cantata Rédemption is a compelling fusion of opera, tone poem, and oratorio. Franck coined the term "poème-symphonie" to describe this hybrid work, in which choral parts and solo arias are interspersed with spoken recitative, and which includes a purely orchestral section, the morceau symphonique, which is often performed independently as a symphonic poem.
In 1871, while working on Les Beatitudes, Franck encountered Edouard Blau's "National Oath," which linked France's recent misfortunes after the 1870 war to divine retribution for collective sins. The story's narrative of paganism enlightened by Christianity, then corrupted by unbelief and finally redeemed by prayer struck a chord with Franck. Rédemption was composed with passion and speed, and premiered on Maundy Thursday in 1873. Franck's musical language is sophisticated, oscillating between serenity and ecstasy, enriched by his distinctive and chromatic harmonies.
The work represents Franck at his most ambitious, but his lack of literary judgment results in mawkish sentimentality and leaden exhortations typical of 19th-century quasi-religious prose. Nevertheless, this is the rare case where one can ignore the words and simply enjoy an hour of mostly very high quality music.
The treasure lies in the 30-minute first act, which features a bucolic opening with horn and clarinet solos, lush string orchestration, and a subsequent chorus with dramatic choral and symphonic elements. The gorgeous soprano solo, interactions between the choir of angels and earthly humans, and the final choral number create a seamless flow with a variety of moods. The nearly 15-minute Morceau interlude, a purely orchestral piece with blazing horns, adds both tenderness and Wagnerian heft.
However, the 45-minute second act, which includes moments of serenity and devotion, falls somewhat short of the dynamic first act. Musically, Rédemption reflects a pivotal Wagner-influenced period in French music. Franck successfully synthesized the best of French tradition and Wagnerian idiom, emphasizing the spirit of Wagnerian harmony rather than its literal elements. This harmony, which features chromatic sequences on a solid tonal foundation, forms the distinctive melodic language characteristic of César Franck.
PREMIÈRE PARTIE 00:06 Introduction 03:28 Choeur Terrestre 11:05 Récit et Choeur des Anges 15:23 Choeur, Récit et Air de L'Archange 25:00 Choeur General DEUXIÈME PARTIE 29:21 Morceau Symphonique 42:19 Choeur D'Hommes 48:56 Choeur des Anges 54:13 Air de L'Archange 1:01:27 Choeur Général
Listen to: Radio Philharmonic Orchestra and Netherlands Radio Choir; James Gaffigan, conductor; Julie Boulianne, soprano; Sébastien Dutrieux, narrator:
Dvorak's Stabat Mater stands out as a remarkable piece, holding the record for the longest Stabat Mater I'm aware of, running for approximately 85 minutes and employing the largest musical forces. It's a unique blend, resembling a symphonic poem, a German oratorio, and an Italian opera. I'll admit, it took me a while to adjust to its grandeur, initially feeling it might be too massive for its subject. However, once I delved into its origins, I discovered it was penned from the depths of Dvorak's heart, following the loss of several children. This personal tragedy lends the composition a Requiem-like character. Dvořák's focus is not merely on the treatment of individual
words or ideas in the text, but rather on conveying the fundamental
moods and visions encapsulated in the poem.
Premiering successfully in Prague under Adolf Čech in 1880 and receiving acclaim in London in 1883, Dvořák was even invited to conduct a performance at the prestigious Albert Hall in London.
The text itself is a devotional poem written in 13th-century Latin, likely by the Franciscan monk Jacopone da Todi. It begins with the grief of the Virgin Mary at Christ's crucifixion but transforms into a prayer, written in the first person and addressed to the Virgin. In this intimate dialogue, the writer expresses a longing to be reunited with Christ. The poem concludes with a hopeful vision of resurrection.
While one might expect a work with such somber themes to be overwhelmingly gloomy, the Stabat Mater is surprisingly uplifting. The composition weaves shifts in mood from grief and near despair to hope and faith across its ten movements, culminating in the ecstatic final movement, "Quando corpus morietur," radiating overwhelming confidence. In the concluding minutes, the orchestra briefly falls silent, allowing the choir to erupt unaccompanied into a profound hymn of praise:
"When my body dies, grant that to my soul be given the glory of paradise."
The orchestra then returns to accompany the choir for the final "Amen," making this one of the most powerful declarations of faith in the history of music.
Antonín Dvořák (1841-1904), born in Nelahozeves, Czechia, began his
musical journey later than some, being the son of a village butcher.
Nevertheless, by just over thirty years of age, Dvořák had already
achieved worldwide recognition, with his Slavonic Dances contributing
significantly to his fame. He is celebrated as a quintessential Czech
composer and a representative of both the Romantic movement.
The personal tragedy of losing his daughter Josefa in 1875 prompted
Dvořák to compose the initial version of his Stabat Mater for four
soloists, choir, and piano. However, the work remained unorchestrated as
he set it aside. The subsequent loss of two more children in 1877 led
him to revisit the manuscript, giving the composition a more profound
emotional depth. Despite its mix of genres, the Stabat Mater is ultimately an expression from
the heart, concluding in a major key, symbolizing hope.
Listen to: hr-Sinfonieorchester – Frankfurt Radio Symphony ∙ MDR-Rundfunkchor ∙ Hanna-Elisabeth Müller, Sopran ∙ Gerhild Romberger, Alt ∙ Benjamin Bruns, Tenor ∙ Günther Groissböck, Bass ∙ Andrés Orozco-Estrada, Dirigent
Luigi Cherubini's Requiem in C minor was premiered on January 21, 1817, in a memorial concert under the abbey church of St. Denis. The event marked the anniversary of the executions of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette during the French Revolution. The bodies of the former monarchs had been discovered several years earlier, and after Napoleon's rise and fall at Waterloo, the government of Louis XVIII commissioned Cherubini to compose a requiem for their final resting place in the crypt of St. Denis.
The success of Cherubini's Requiem was immediate and, as Berlioz claimed, gave him a virtual "monopoly" on memorial concerts in France. Beethoven, who called Cherubini "the greatest living composer," declared that if he were to compose a Requiem, it would be his model. Schumann called it "without equal" and it was performed at Beethoven's memorial service. Despite the admiration of composers such as Mendelssohn, Brahms, and Wagner, this once highly regarded work faded into obscurity by the end of the 19th century, along with much of Cherubini's music.
Cherubini's Requiem, scored for chorus and orchestra, notably excludes vocal soloists. The absence of violins in the opening movements creates a somber orchestral tone. A striking moment is the single dramatic stroke of the gong at the beginning of the Dies irae. The piece concludes with an innovative Agnus Dei with a gradual fade-out that Berlioz described as surpassing anything of its kind.
Cherubini's life initially revolved around opera. After moving to Paris at the age of 27, he became a dominant figure in French music, with successes as an opera composer, teacher, and administrator. His opera company disbanded due to royal connections during the Revolution, and changing public tastes led to a decline in his career. Cherubini, who suffered from depression, abandoned composition until 1808, when he was asked to write music for a church. This marked a turn toward religious music. The premiere of his Requiem restored him to musical prominence, leading to his appointment as "surintendent de la musique du roi" in 1816 and director of the Paris Conservatoire in 1824, a post he held until his death in 1842.
Cherubini composed a second Requiem in D minor in the 1830s, prompted by the Archbishop of Paris's objection to women singing at funerals. This later work, written for his own funeral, features only male voices.
Listen to: Utrechts Studenten Koor en Orkest o.l.v. Gilles Michels
Antoine Brumel (?1460 - after 1515) was an important figure in the Franco-Flemish school of polyphonic music. Beginning as choirmaster at the cathedral of Chartres in 1483, he later became canon at Laon in 1498 and took on the role of choirmaster at Notre Dame in Paris. In 1505 he traveled to the court of the Duke of Ferrara, which was probably his last post.
Brumel's musical contributions included masses, motets, and French chansons in the late medieval polyphonic style. Around 1500, European music was undergoing a shift from the sequential composition of individual voices to a more fluid, simultaneous approach. Brumel, a key player in this musical evolution, demonstrated this transition in his compositions. Early works adhered to the older style, while later pieces embraced the polyphonic fluidity characteristic of the Josquin generation.
Like Josquin, Brumel belonged to the third generation of the Franco-Flemish school and witnessed the migration of many composers to Italy. Musical equality of voices was a primary concern. Brumel's famous masses, especially the twelve-voice Missa Et ecce terræ motus, demonstrated isorhythmic skill and maintained an inventive, idiosyncratic melodic line that challenged singers with a wide vocal range.
The title of this mass, "Et ecce terrae motus," refers to the Easter antiphon "And behold, there was a great earthquake," which is used as a cantus firmus, a pre-existing melody that forms the basis of a polyphonic composition. So this mass has nothing to do with earthquakes, although you could say that the music itself is a kind of earthquake, or at least it can shake the listener, because it is the pinnacle of Renaissance polyphonic choral writing in its complexity with 12 voices. Careful listening will reveal why Brumel chose to write in so many parts: he needed them to decorate his colossal harmonic pillars. In doing so, he effectively abandoned polyphony in the sense of independent yet interrelated melodic lines and resorted to sequences and figurations that were atypical for his time.
Brumel's Mass "Et ecce terrae motus" was deservedly famous during the composer's lifetime and remains one of the true marvels of Renaissance choral writing, with its unusual scoring for 12 voices and its carefully constructed melodic detail against astonishingly long stretches of slowly moving harmonic blocks.
Throughout his career, Brumel experimented with various compositional techniques, using cantus firmus and paraphrase methods. In his Missa pro defunctis, a late work, Brumel innovatively included the Dies Irae in alternate polyphony, making it one of the earliest surviving polyphonic requiems.
Listen to two works: first Missa Et ecce terrae motus, by amarcord & Calmus Ensemble - an incredibly beautiful work:
Listen next to the Sequentia Dies irae, Dies illa from Brumel's Missa pro defunctis à 4, the earliest "Dies irae" ever written, performed by the Ensemble Barock vokal and Concerto Æquales under the direction of Michael Form:
Anton Bruckner's Te Deum in C Major is one of the most significant choral works of its time and a high point in the composer's oeuvre.
Bruckner composed the Te Deum between May 3 and 17, 1881, while completing his 6th Symphony. After a break to work on his 7th Symphony, he resumed composing the Te Deum on September 28, 1883, completing the vocal and orchestral parts by March 7, 1884, and the organ part "ad libitum" on March 16, 1884.
With a duration of about 25 minutes, the Te Deum is a short work compared to Bruckner's symphonies, but also to his Great Mass in F minor. Unlike Berlioz in his Te Deum of 1855, Bruckner was not interested in gigantic proportions. The conciseness of the work is perhaps crucial to its excellent reception after its first performance.
Performed in its entirety on January 10, 1886, the Te Deum was praised even by Bruckner's staunch critic, Eduard Hanslick. Gustav Mahler was so moved that he replaced the subtitle "for choir, solo voices, orchestra and organ" in his personal score with "for angelic tongues, divine souls, tormented hearts and souls purified by fire."
Bruckner considered the Te Deum to be the "pride of my life": "When the good Lord calls me to Himself one day and asks, 'What have you done with the talents I gave you?' then I will hold up the music roll with my Te Deum, and He will be a merciful judge to me.' The Te Deum is a testament to Bruckner's deep faith and a song of praise and holy joy.
Sadly, it was the last work he heard at a concert organized for him by Brahms on January 12, 1896. Unable to complete the final movement of his 9th Symphony, Bruckner decreed that the Te Deum be played in its place, solidifying it as a concert piece after his death. This solution is rarely chosen, however, because of the technical difficulties involved. Many performers prefer to end the symphony in the final silence of the Adagio.
The work is in five parts:
Te Deum laudamus – Allegro, solemn, with power, C major Te ergo quaesumus – Moderato, F minor Aeterna fac – Allegro, solemn, with power, D minor Salvum fac populum tuum – Moderato, F major In Te, Domine speravi – Moderately moving, C major
Structured in "arch form," the Te Deum progresses through various moods and themes: the powerful C major opening, the pleading F minor section, the apocalyptic D minor section, the energetic F major section and the moving C major finale showcase Bruckner's compositional skills.
Each section presents a unique character, from the unison chorus and soloists in the first part to the expressive tenor solo in the second. The third section exudes apocalyptic intensity, while the fourth section features a bass solo and energetic choral elements. The final section, which begins with a quartet of soloists, builds to a joyous fugue and ends with a powerful chorale reminiscent of the Adagio of the 7th Symphony.
Bruckner's Te Deum, a testament to his deep faith, stands as a sublime piece of choral composition, its rich structure and emotional depth leaving a lasting impression.
Listen to: Radio Filharmonisch Orkest & Groot Omroepkoor.
Max Bruch's oratorio Odysseus (Ulysses in English) for mixed chorus, soloists and orchestra is subtitled "Scenes from the Odyssey" and is based on Homer's epic poem about the return of Ulysses to his homeland of Ithaca. Ulysses was the husband of Penelope and the father of Telemachus. He was known for his intellectual brilliance, cunning, and versatility, and is most famous for his journey home after the decade-long Trojan War, which took him ten eventful years (so he was away from home for 20 long years).
Bruch began working on Odysseus in September 1871. The poet Wilhelm Paul Graff wrote the libretto. Odysseus was Bruch's most successful work in his lifetime (almost like his First Violin Concerto), partly thanks to German unification, which created interest in the theme of love of the homeland. When the work was published, it appeared in French and English translations as well as the original German. Bruch's list of 42 performances of the oratorio includes cities such as New York, Manchester, and Liverpool. The Liverpool performance helped Bruch succeed Julius Benedict as director of the Royal Philharmonic Society in Liverpool in 1880.
Part One
1. Orchestral Introduction 2. Odysseus on Calypso's Island 3. Odysseus in the Underworld 4. Odysseus and the Sirens 5. The Tempest at Sea
Odysseus finds himself on Calypso's island. He longs for his wife, Queen Penelope, and his home, Ithaca. Hermes, the messenger of the gods, enables Odysseus to escape Calypso's temptations on a raft.
In Hades, Odysseus and his companions lament their fate and are urged to continue their escape by the blind sage Tiresias and the spirit of his mother, Antikleia. With wax in their ears, the men avoid the sirens' song.
On his raft, Odysseus is caught in a storm caused by Poseidon, but is rescued by Leukothea and lands on the island of the Phaeacians.
Part Two
6. Penelope's Lament 7. Nausicaa 8. The Banquet with the Phaiakes 9. Penelope Weaving a Garment 10. The Return 11. Feast in Ithaca 12. Final Chorus
In Ithaca, Penelope mourns the loss of her son Telemachus, who has set out to find his father, Ulysses, and asks the gods to guide Ulysses home safely.
Meanwhile, Odysseus sees Nausicaa, the daughter of the Phaeacian king Alcinous, and her companions dancing and is fascinated by their beauty. Nausicaa invites him and his companions to her father's farm. During the feast, he reveals his identity and tells of the fate he has suffered. The Phaeacians take pity on him and provide him with a ship for the journey home.
Penelope sings at night while tearing up a cloth she has been weaving during the day; she has had to promise to take one of her suitors as her husband when the cloth will be finished. Meanwhile, Odysseus reaches Ithaca; while he sleeps, the Phaeacian sailors bring him ashore. At first he doesn't know where he is. The goddess Athena assures him that he has arrived home and tells him about Penelope's suitors. Odysseus vows revenge on the suitors for harassing Penelope and desecrating the palace. There is general rejoicing in Ithaca, including a tender duet between Odysseus and Penelope.
The classical setting was significant; it represented an alternative mythological universe to the Norse themes of Richard Wagner. In contrast to Wagner's nationalist mysticism, the classical world embodied the hopes of German liberals that the new Germany would become an enlightened, new classical civilization.
Bruch was careful to ensure that his work remained a dramatic piece of choral music and did not venture into the realm of opera. For this reason, Penelope's suitors are not portrayed, and the scene in which Ulysses kills them is omitted. A traditional religious oratorio had contrasting episodes of recitative and arias, but Bruch created a single flowing narrative that did not adhere to this clear distinction.
Despite the general opinion in the 19th century that the oratorio's popularity would last forever, it lasted only until the beginning of the First World War. One reason for its eventual obscurity may be that, for such a heroic and moving subject, the work seems undramatic, sometimes laborious in its setting of the text, and disjointed in its episodes; there is no narrator to link the 12 self-contained sections.
But like Bruch's concertos, symphonies, and chamber music, it is smooth and melodious music, and a pleasure to listen to.
Listen to: Le chœur de Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, direction Guilhem Terrail Ensemble féminin Neska, dirigé par Estelle Béréau (version for chamber orchestra, sung in French).
Johannes Brahms' Alto Rhapsody, for contralto, male chorus, and orchestra, is a setting of three central stanzas (out of a total of 12) from Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's Winter Journey to the Harz Mountains. The text, with its metaphysical portrayal of a misanthropic soul driven to find spiritual nourishment and throw off the shackles of suffering, has strong parallels in Brahms's own life and character.
The Alto Rhapsody was written in 1869 as a wedding gift for Robert and Clara Schumann's daughter, Julie. Brahms scholars have long speculated that the composer may have had romantic feelings for Julie, which he may have incorporated into the text and music of the Alto Rhapsody. It was a hopeless infatuation, for Julie was some 20 years Brahms's junior and not at all interested in the older man, whom she saw more as a father figure (there may be a reference to Brahms's own feelings in the second stanza). Julie lived in the south with friends of her mother's because her health was fragile. There she met Count Vittorio Amadeo Radicati di Marmorito, whom she married in 1869. Brahms was the best man at the wedding. Julie died in 1872, three years into her marriage, at the birth of her third child.
The work is in three sections: the first two, in a chromatically dense and wandering C minor, are for soloist and orchestra and describe the pain of the misanthropic wanderer. The declamatory opening sets the physical scene, man alone in the midst of threatening nature, with nothing but contempt for his fellow humans. The second section is more lyrical - an aria in all but name - yet full of self-doubt. With a gentle, almost imperceptible ascent to the major and an extension of phrase lengths, the final section brings in the male chorus, which joins the soloist in a plea to a heavenly spirit for relief from the wanderer's pain. This leads to a vision of at least a chance for peace and revival of the spirit through music.
The text Brahms set is:
Aber abseits wer ist's? Im Gebüsch verliert sich sein Pfad; hinter ihm schlagen die Sträuche zusammen, das Gras steht wieder auf, die Öde verschlingt ihn.
Ach, wer heilet die Schmerzen dess, dem Balsam zu Gift ward? Der sich Menschenhaß aus der Fülle der Liebe trank! Erst verachtet, nun ein Verächter, zehrt er heimlich auf seinen eigenen Wert In ungenügender Selbstsucht.
Ist auf deinem Psalter, Vater der Liebe, ein Ton seinem Ohre vernehmlich, so erquicke sein Herz! Öffne den umwölkten Blick über die tausend Quellen neben dem Durstenden in der Wüste!
(English translation)
But who is that apart? His path disappears in the bushes; behind him the branches spring together; the grass stands up again; the wasteland engulfs him.
Ah, who heals the pains of him for whom balsam turned to poison? Who drank hatred of man from the abundance of love? First scorned, now a scorner, he secretly feeds on his own merit, in unsatisfying egotism.
If there is on your psaltery, Father of love, one note his ear can hear, then refresh his heart! Open his clouded gaze to the thousand springs next to him who thirsts in the wilderness!
Listen to: hr-Sinfonieorchester (Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra) ∙ Collegium Vocale Gent ∙ Ann Hallenberg, Mezzosopran ∙ Philippe Herreweghe, Dirigent
Les Nuits d'été (Summer Nights) is a captivating song cycle by Hector Berlioz. The composer was inspired by six poems from La comédie de la mort (The Comedy of Death) by his close friend Théophile Gautier (1811-72). The poems consider love from a variety of perspectives, but the loss of love pervades them all. Performed as a cycle, the songs convey this loss all the more powerfully, not only as individual compositions touched by melancholy, but as a coherent concept in which the longed-for "always" of the first song, "Villanelle," becomes unattainable in the last, "L'île inconnue."
Originally composed for soloist and piano accompaniment, Berlioz orchestrated one of the songs in 1843 and the other five in 1856. He originally composed Les nuits d'été for mezzo-soprano or tenor voice, but he seems to have intended the orchestrated version to be sung by other types of voices, including alto or baritone for some of the songs. In the end, however, the cycle is sung almost exclusively by mezzo-sopranos. This may seem odd, since the speaker of the poems is male, but it could be explained by the operatic tradition of casting sopranos and mezzosopranos as boys or adolescents, the higher voice being an indicator of youthfulness. The range of the songs in orchestral form also fits that of a gifted mezzo-soprano. Despite a period of neglect, the 20th century saw a resurgence of appreciation for this work, making it one of Berlioz's most cherished compositions. The orchestration is modest by Berlioz's standards. Berlioz's innovative creation of an orchestral song cycle had few successors until Mahler revived the genre in the late 19th century.
The songs form a narrative that leads from a springtime joie de vivre ("Villanelle") and the loss of innocence ("Le spectre de la rose") to the death of a beloved ("Sur les lagunes"), a lament ("Absence"), the erasure of her memory ("Au cimetière"), and the beginning of a new future ("L'île inconnue"). Throughout the composition, the overarching theme is love, from innocence to courtship to death and burial.
"Villanelle" Allegretto; A major.
The first of the set is a celebration of spring and love. It tells of the joys of walking together in the woods to gather wild strawberries and returning home with hands entwined. The music features a simple, charming melody over a chirping accompaniment, but even in this cheerful song, shadows pass over the music and belie its innocent surface.
"Le spectre de la rose" (The Ghost of the Rose). Adagio un poco lento et dolce assai; B major.
The ghost of a rose remembers the night it spent pinned to the dress of a beautiful woman at a ball the day before. The rose has died, but to have died on the girl's bosom was a fate that kings might envy. The setting is through-composed. The song has been called one of the most perfect expressions of French Romanticism. This poignant tale inspired Fokine's 1911 ballet, in which Nijinsky embodied the role of the Rose.
"Sur les lagunes: Lamento" (On the Lagoons: Lament). Andantino; F minor.
A sailor mourns a dead beloved and the pain of sailing out to sea unloved. With its somber harmonies and orchestration, this song is imbued with melancholy; the undulating accompaniment suggests the movement of the waves. The sad song fades away poetically on an unresolved half-cadence. This is the second of the two through-composed songs in the cycle.
"Absence" Adagio; F♯ major.
The rhetorical "Absence" pleads for the return of the beloved; a great distance separates the singer from the beloved. In context, the distance could refer metaphorically to the distance between this life and the next. The song is strophic, in the form A-B-A.
"Au cimetière: Clair de lune" (At the Cemetery: Moonlight). Andantino non troppo lento; D major.
A gothic scene in which the ghost of the beloved calls to the singer from beyond the grave (the apparition is evoked by ghostly violin and viola harmonics). In this song, the singer finally frees himself from grief and decides never to return to the cemetery. Also in A-B-A form.
"L'île inconnue" (The Unknown Island). Allegro spiritoso; F major.
This song hints at the unattainable - a place where love can be eternal. The singer steers an imaginary ship across the open ocean and asks a new lover: "Where would you like to go? She replies: "Take me to the shore, where one loves forever." "In the land of love, that shore is unknown" the singer replies, and the song has been described as "cheerfully ironic." This closing song is strophic, with the form A-B-A-C-A′-D-A″.
An amalgamation of disparate poems, Les Nuits d'été was not originally conceived as a cycle by Gautier, but was meticulously assembled by Berlioz. The thematic exploration of love, while departing from conventional romanticism after the first song, maintains a nuanced narrative. Berlioz's artistic expression transcends conventional norms, offering a portrayal of love intertwined with mortality, culminating in a poignant depiction of a departed soul yearning for an elusive eternal love. A beautiful, romantic song cycle.
"Ich habe genung" ("I an content") is one of the most beautiful solo cantatas Bach wrote, a lullaby for eternal sleep. There is no chorus or chorale, the cantata consists only of three arias and two recitatives, all for bass voice.
Written for the Feast of the Purification of the Virgin Mary (Mariae Reinigung) on February 2, the cantata celebrates an early episode in the life of Jesus. In ancient Israel, a woman who gave birth to a child was considered unclean for 40 days, after which she had to go to the temple for a purification rite and also to present her first-born son to the priests.
According to the Gospel story, an old man named Simeon recognized the baby Jesus as the Christ. In fact, God had promised Simeon that he would not die before he had seen Christ. He now expresses his joy at meeting Christ in a hymn (Canticum Simeonis, "Nunc Dimittis") that has often been set to music - and then he dies. The Lutheran feast of the Purgation of the Virgin Mary is therefore always a sign of acceptance of death. Incidentally, the Nunc Dimittis was not only sung at the Feast of the Purification on February 2, but also became a regular part of the daily Mass at the end of the day in monasteries. With the words of the Light of the World in mind, people could go to sleep in peace.
The first aria ("I have enough, I have taken the Savior, the hope of the righteous, into my eager arms") is a poignantly beautiful movement that treats the end of Simeon's long life with a mixture of melancholy and resignation. The way in which mortality was viewed in the eighteenth century is beautifully expressed here. Death was seen as a release from the earthly vale of tears and a chance to unite with the Creator. Thus, the music is not heartbreaking, but rather exudes a subdued melancholy. The first aria gives a more or less literal interpretation of Simeon's feelings. The oboe begins with a plaintive upward leap (a minor sixth). This interval plays an important role throughout the aria. Note that the bass deliberately uses the old word "genung" and not the modern pronunciation "genug" - as the bass Thomas Bauer explains in a very interesting short video, the soft old pronunciation fits Bach's music better than the modern, sharper one.
The second aria ("Fall asleep, you weary eyes, close softly and pleasantly") is the emotional climax of the cantata: a lullaby for both the death of Simeon and the sleeping Christ Child. It invites the listener to slip away from the cares of the day, gently but forever. It is one of the most beautiful pieces of music ever written.
The final aria is joyful and even life-affirming, although the text is about something else entirely: "I rejoice in my death, ah, if only it were already present...". A joyful dance rhythm celebrates the approaching end. Throughout the cantata, the solo wind instrument's contribution is crucial. At first plaintive, then mellow, and finally full of optimistic joy, the oboe propels the bass.
The Feast of the Purification is also known as Candlemas and traditionally marks the end of the Christmas-Epiphany season. While in some countries Christmas decorations are taken down on Twelfth Night (Epiphany), in others they are taken down on Candlemas. On this day, candles, both church and private, are blessed for use during the rest of the year - the blessed candles serving as a symbol of the Light of the World.
Aria: "Ich habe genug" Recitative: "Ich habe genug" Aria: "Schlummert ein, ihr matten Augen" ("Fall asleep, you weary eyes") Recitative: "Mein Gott! wenn kömmt das schöne: Nun!" ("My God, when will the lovely word come: 'Now!'") Aria: "Ich freue mich auf meinen Tod" ("I look forward to my death")
"Gottes Zeit ist die allerbeste Zeit" is one of the earliest known cantatas by Bach, older even than BWV 4 and 131, cantatas that also originated in Mühlhausen, where Bach was organist at the Blasiuskirche in 1707-1708. The oldest source for this cantata is a copy made in Leipzig in 1768, which already bears the name Actus Tragicus (though clearly not by Bach himself).
There are many ways to describe Bach's use of instruments in this composition - distinctive, extraordinarily beautiful, and profound. The instrumentation is particularly unconventional, with the absence of violins and the presence of two recorders and two violas da gamba, creating a soft, soothing, and almost celestial sound. The recorders, symbolizing earthly suffering, produce sharp seconds and unisons, deliberately avoiding excessive beauty.
The cantata revolves around the theme of eternal life, skillfully contrasting the earthly death depicted in the Old Testament with the salvation offered in the New Testament. The text refers to various books of the Bible, in keeping with the Lutheran belief that God's plan of salvation spans the entire Bible. The chorus "Es ist der alte Bund" serves as a dramatic climax and axis of symmetry, as Bach masterfully combines the familiar memento mori warning with the soprano's proclamation of Jesus' coming. In other words, this is a transition from a death to be feared ("Sterbensangst") to a death to be welcomed ("Todesfreudigkeit") as an innocent sleep from which we will be awakened in paradise. This reaches a musical and theological climax when, toward the end of the movement, Bach no longer juxtaposes these ideas but places them one above the other.
Although there is speculation that the cantata was written for an uncle of Bach's (who left him 50 florins for his impending marriage to Maria Barbara), we don't actually know for whom this ethereally beautiful funeral cantata was written by the 22-year-old Bach.
The cantata is in the archaic style en vogue until the end of the 17th century: that is, the texts are borrowed from the Bible or from chorales; there are no free poetic texts, no recitatives and da-capo arias; and there is no four-part chorale setting as a finale. This brilliant work is not a juvenile study, but rather the culmination and conclusion of a past genre.
The music in this very special cantata is expressive and profound, the mood most mournful. The cantata contains wonderfully moving moments when the recorders and viols share their grief with the singers.
The soprano sings the texts of the soul, the alto sings the texts of the individual person (especially David), the tenor sings the texts of humanity and the sacred writer, especially Moses. Finally, as in the St. Matthew Passion, the bass sings the texts of God and Jesus. No choir is needed for this cantata: the choral setting at the end of the cantata is sung in unison by the four solo voices after the last part of the last movement. The last four words, "Through Jesus Christ. Amen." are presented in a jubilant and triumphant yet subdued manner. The recorders repeat Amen wordlessly, leading us to the finale: the major triad of the E-flat major third.
1. Sonatina 2. Chor "Gottes Zeit ist die allerbeste Zeit" 3. Arioso (Tenor) "Ach, Herr, lehre uns bedenken" 4. Arie (Bass) "Bestelle dein Haus" 5. Chor und arioso (Sopran) "Es ist der alte Bund" 6. Arie (Alt) "In deine Hände" 7. Arioso (Bass), Choral (Alt) "Heute wirst du mit mir" 8. Chor "Glorie, Lob, Ehr und Herrlichkeit"
Berlioz's "dramatic symphony" Roméo et Juliette is considered by many (including the composer himself) to be his finest work; it is certainly one of his most original. It is performed less often than his earlier symphonies because it requires solo voices and chorus, but at its heart is some of the most inspired orchestral music of the nineteenth century.
Berlioz discovered Shakespeare in September 1827 at the Odeon Theater in Paris, through a performance of Hamlet on the 11th and a performance of Romeo and Juliet on the 15th, with the Irish actress Harriet Smithson first as Ophelia, then as Juliet. As well as being overwhelmed by the genius of Shakespeare, Berlioz also fell in love with the young actress, who was to become something of an obsession in the years to come - his love sickness for her inspired the Symphonie Fantastique.
Berlioz chose to eschew traditional theatrical conventions and instead used Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, with its choral finale, as his model for Romeo and Juliet. Inspired by Beethoven's use of vocal and dramatic elements in a symphonic work, Berlioz decided to express the emotions of the characters of Romeo and Juliet instrumentally, while assigning the narrative elements to the voices. In particular, the dialogues between the two lovers, Juliet's asides and Romeo's passionate pleas in the well-known scenes in the garden and the cemetery are not sung. Instead, the love duet is played by the orchestra. This decision is in keeping with the work's identity as a choral symphony rather than an opera. Since countless composers have explored similar vocal duets, the choice of an alternative mode of expression adds both wisdom and interest to the composition. The use of purely instrumental music in the Love Scene is described by Berlioz as his preference for "a language which is richer, more varied, less finite, and by its very imprecision incomparably more powerful in such a situation."
The libretto of the work is not taken directly from the original play; it was altered from Shakespeare's text. Berlioz's composition was strongly influenced by the 1827 production of the play by Charles Kemble and Harriet Smithson. This performance, adapted by the 18th-century actor David Garrick, depicted Juliet awakening before Romeo's death from a slower-acting poison. Berlioz enlisted the services of writer Emil Deschamps to write the libretto. Together, they eliminated the nurse's character, added a brief waking reunion of the lovers in the tomb, and expanded Shakespeare's brief mention of the reconciliation of the two families into a substantial vocal finale.
Divided into seven parts, the main body of the symphony is given to the orchestra, with the voices used sparingly until their full use in the finale. Unity is achieved through constant thematic connections. Another nod to Beethoven can be seen in the theme of the trombone recitative in the introduction, representing Romeo's rebuke to both families, which is formed from the notes of the family's angry fugato. Similarly, the final solo notes of the oboe, which follow Juliet's suicide, echo a phrase from an earlier funeral procession when she was presumed dead.
The symphony's introduction serves as a preview of the drama, giving us snippets of music that hint at what's to come. The streets of Verona come alive with the fighting and the Prince's intervention, vividly portrayed by an orchestral fugato and bold brass. The symphony unfolds in three distinct movements. An Allegro, with a slow introduction, captures Romeo's contemplation before the ball and the ensuing festivities where the lovers first meet. The sequence continues with the extended and magnificent love scene, followed by the Queen Mab Scherzo, inspired by Mercutio's speech. Garrick's adaptation introduces a funeral procession for Juliet, a crucial fifth movement that differs from Shakespeare's text.
The sixth movement, set in the Capulet vault, depicts Romeo's clash with Paris, his reverence in the vault, an "invocation" as he gazes one last time at Juliet's beauty, the taking of the poison (descending cellos), Juliet's awakening (clarinet), a frenzied love scene, Romeo's collapse, and Juliet's suicide. Unlike Shakespeare, where Romeo dies before Juliet awakens, Berlioz adds a final scene. Friar Laurence explains the tragedy and secures an oath of reconciliation from the feuding families, culminating in a grand symphonic finale (unfortunately, rather bombastic, and therefore, in my opinion, the weakest part of the symphony).
Throughout his career, Berlioz developed a special fondness for the symphony. In his memoirs, he noted that one movement, the Adagio (Love Scene) from Romeo and Juliet, became his favorite. I could not agree more.
Listen to: Orchestre National de France conducted by Daniele Gatti. With Marianne Crebassa, Paolo Fanale and Alex Esposito.
Zemlinsky's counterpart to Mahler's "Das Lied von der Erde" is his
"Lyrische Symphonie" (Lyric Symphony), Op. 18 (1922/23). Composed during
his tenure as the music director of the New German Theatre in Prague,
Zemlinsky composed less
during these years than at other times in his creative life, but what he did
compose was very significant: the operas Eine fiorentinische
Tragödie (A Florentine Tragedy), Der Zwerg (The Dwarf), and this Lyric
Symphony.
While Mahler is recognized for his lavish compositions, Zemlinsky takes the Lyric Symphony to new heights, exhibiting a hyper-Romanticism that verges on Schoenbergian Expressionism.
In contrast to Mahler's use of German translations of ancient Chinese texts, Zemlinsky opts for words by Rabindranath Tagore, translated into German by Hans Effenberger. The first song, "Ich bin friedlos, ich bin durstig nach fernen Dingen" (I am restless. I am athirst for far-away things), resonates with a certain Orientalism in its harmonies, set within the concentrated scoring of late-Austro-Germanic Romanticism. Unlike Mahler's externalized horror, Zemlinsky internalizes a sense of dread that pervades the entire song at a profound level.
The second movement, reminiscent of a Schoenbergian Scherzo, features "O Mutter, der junge Prinz" ("O mother, the young Prince"), portraying the excitement surrounding the visit of a young prince to a song girl.
The third movement, sung by the baritone, titled "Du bist die Abendwolke" (You are the evening cloud), showcases Zemlinsky's perfumed and intoxicating musical style. Alban Berg quoted this movement in his "Lyric Suite" for string quartet. Listen how Zemlinsky creates the most miraculous contrapuntal webs in
the orchestra (some lovely horn solos along the way, too; and, also like
Mahler, Zemlinsky makes fine use of a solo violin.
In contrast, the mysterious and meandering fourth movement, "Sprich zu mir Geliebter" (Speak to me, my love), delves into Expressionist territory, featuring a vocal line that approaches Sprechstimme, reminiscent of Berg's reflective moments in "Wozzeck."
The short fifth movement, "Befrei mich von den Banden deiner Süße, Lieb" (Release me from the bonds of your sweetness, Love), opens with a post-Mahlerian Urschrei, followed by the voice railing against snippets of a frightful march.
The sixth song briefly returns to tenderness before the bleakness of the text takes hold: "Vollende denn das letzte Lied" (Then finish the last song), with Zemlinsky employing sparse scoring.
The seventh and final movement, "Friede, mein Herz" (Peace, my heart), goes beyond Mahler with an overarching sense of transcendence in true Zemlinsky style.
Johann Sebastian Bach's Mass in B Minor is a polyphonic collection of settings of the regular parts of the Roman Catholic Mass, known as the Ordinary. These include the Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus, and Agnus Dei, which are integral parts of a Mass celebration. Bach's unique rendering of the entire Ordinary is, from a strict musical perspective, in the genre of the Missa Solemnis, or "Solemn Mass. This large work, comparable to major projects such as the Art of Fugue and the Clavier-Übungen series, written toward the end of Bach's life and often hailed as his magnum opus in vocal writing, has prompted much speculation about its purpose. Why did Bach write it? There seems to have been no specific occasion (he never heard it performed), nor any commission. The only conclusion that can be drawn is that Bach wrote it because he wanted to try his hand at composing a complete Mass, rather than a partial one consisting of Kyrie and Gloria, as was the custom in the Lutheran Church (Bach left behind four other Masses (BWV 233-236) consisting only of Kyrie and Gloria, called "missa brevis" or short Mass - in the Lutheran-Protestant tradition, the classical Latin Mass structure survived in this abridged form).
As Bach would do in his later years, for example in the Christmas Oratorio, he drew extensively on previously composed works, editing sections of both secular and sacred cantatas designed for Lutheran-Protestant services in Leipzig, but also adding newly composed movements. The composition seems to have its roots in Bach's presentation of a Kyrie and Gloria to the new Elector of Saxony in 1733, an unsuccessful attempt to secure a position at the Saxon (and Polish royal) court. Between 1748 and 1749, Bach expanded the composition by adding settings for the Credo (or "Symbolum Niceanum"), Sanctus/Benedictus, and Agnus Dei. The Mass includes Bach's very last pages of vocal music, including the Et incarnatus est, alongside the Crucifixus, an arrangement of one of his earliest cantatas, composed in 1714.
Between an awe-inspiring Kyrie and the jubilant closing Dona nobis pacem, the composition features nine arias and duets, impressive ensemble sections, instrumental solos, and a diverse range of styles. Bach completed the final five movements of the Mass in 1748-49, when he copied out the entire work.
Traditionally, the Kyrie in Bach's B Minor Mass is divided into three parts, with the Christe section separated from the Kyrie movements. The opening Kyrie features a triple invocation followed by a five-part choral fugue in B minor. Bach's contemporaries described B minor as "bizarre, joyless, and melancholy. In both vocal settings, the theme is repeated twice in both sopranos. Kyrie I uniquely blends fugal elements with ritornello features.
The Gloria is inspired by the song of the angels in Bethlehem (Luke 2:14) and the ancient hymn "Laudamus". The solo parts, consisting of three arias for soprano II, alto, and bass, and a duet for soprano I and tenor, showcase diverse vocal expression. Trumpets and timpani make their debut in Chorus No. 4, symbolizing the majesty of the celestial king in bright D major. The transition to No. 5 shifts to a peaceful 4/4 time, emphasizing minor keys and syncopation to evoke earthly peace. Solo Aria No. 6, "Laudamus te," is a virtuoso piece for Soprano II and solo violin. The architecture of the Credo - the centerpiece - is remarkable, with Bach deliberately altering the original format to give central importance to key elements of the Christian faith. Bach follows a symmetrical structure that echoes Baroque forms. The Choral Fugue No. 13 is a strict seven-part fugue over a Gregorian melody. The Et incarnatus features descending motifs in the strings, depicting Christ's descent, while the Crucifixus uses a passacaglia style with chromatic descents, expressing pain. The Et resurrexit is a festive orchestral passage that contrasts the suffering with the anticipated glory.
The Sanctus stands out with six voices, including three oboes, in D major, symbolizing the heavenly realms. The Osanna continues in an energetic eight-part double chorus, followed by the tender Benedictus, a tenor aria. The Agnus Dei, with its chromatic half-steps, is thematically related to the Kyrie. The concluding Dona nobis pacem echoes the Gratias of the Gloria, uniting the two parts and transforming the plea for peace into a song of thanksgiving.
The term "Hohe Messe" for Bach's Great Mass was introduced in 1830 by the Berlin musician Adolf Bernhard Marx for the first edition of the choral parts of the composition. Despite its 19th-century origins, this title has persisted, although the historically accurate designation "Mass in B Minor" is beginning to gain ground.
At its core, Bach's B Minor Mass is a culmination of his artistic skill and creative innovation, demonstrating his ability to weave existing materials into a cohesive and rich musical tapestry. With its intricate structure and emotional depth, Bach's B Minor Mass remains a pinnacle of Baroque composition.
Listen to a superb performance by the Netherlands Bach Society, with Jos van Veldhoven, conductor; Hana Blažíková, soprano 1; Anna Reinhold, soprano 2; David Erler, alto; Thomas Hobbs, tenor; Peter Harvey, bass.
This kind of late medieval polyphonic a capella music for male voices literally comes from another world. It took me some time to forget the strangeness and to get into the music. But now I am enchanted by the magic of these voices and recognize it as the sublimely beautiful religious music that it is, leading to deep contemplation.
Guillaume de Machaut (c. 1300/1305-1377) was born in Reims, the city where he died in 1377 after holding a number of politically influential positions, including secretary to the Count of Luxembourg and the King of Bohemia. He was highly esteemed and received several benefices, including the canonry of Reims Cathedral in 1337.
At that time, Reims was the flourishing center of a wealthy county, a busy trading city, and a spiritual stronghold. According to ancient custom, the French kings were crowned here.
[Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Reims]
La Messe de Nostre-Dame is a four-part mass setting by Guillaume de Machaut. Along with the masses of Tournai, Toulouse, Barcelona, and the Sorbonne, it is one of the oldest polyphonic settings of the Ordinary, and the oldest known to have been written by a single named composer.
The title of the mass refers to the title of Our Lady to whom the cathedral of Reims, where Guillaume de Machaut worked, is dedicated.
The composition probably dates from around 1360. The once widespread assumption that the occasion for the composition was the coronation of King Charles V (May 19, 1364) is now considered unlikely, since Guillaume was present at the coronation as a canon of Reims Cathedral and did not mention a performance of his mass in his report on the event. The mass is not preserved in a liturgical collection, but in illuminated manuscripts of Guillaume's compositions.
The Mass consists of six parts. In addition to the later common Ordinary parts Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus, and Agnus Dei, the Mass, like the older Messe de Tournai, contains an Ite, missa est set to music.
Two different compositional techniques alternate in the measure cycle. In the Kyrie, Sanctus, Agnus Dei, and Ite, missa est, the isorhythmic motet style prevails, with a Gregorian melody as the cantus firmus in the tenor. The Gloria and Credo, on the other hand, are strictly homophonic, without reference to Gregorian chant; only the Amen endings are polyphonic again because of the festive closing effect.
The harp is an ancient instrument with origins in the antiquity of many civilizations, and the modern orchestral harp is the culmination of a long evolution in form and technology. The ultimate form is the pedal harp (also called the "concert harp" and used by all major orchestras today), a large, modern harp that typically has 47 strings with seven strings per octave, giving a range of six and a half octaves. The double-action pedal system was first patented by Sebastien Erard in London in 1801 and 1802. Earlier pedal harps had a single-action mechanism that produced only sharp notes, the first of which was made in 1720. The pedals change the pitch of the strings, so the pedal harp can easily play works written in any key. This is particularly important in the harmonically complex music of the Romantic period and the classical music of the 20th century. The 47 strings of varying lengths (7 to 150 cm) are diatonically tuned, and the harp usually has seven pedals, one for each root note. The pedals are connected by metal rods or ropes in the harp's column to a pulling mechanism which, with the help of small forks, allows the length of the vibrating part of the strings to be shortened during playing and their tuning to be raised by half a tone or a whole tone.
Due to standardization, double pedal harps reach a height of up to 1.80 meters and a weight of up to 50 kilograms, which can be less depending on the design and materials used. The tension of the strings has increased considerably with the development of the concert harp and requires extensive training of the harpist. The pedal harp is played with the fingertips of the first four fingers (thumb, index, middle, and ring). The little fingers are not used because they are too short to reach the correct position without distorting the position of the other fingers. Plucking with varying degrees of force creates dynamics (loudness and softness). Different plucking techniques can also produce different tones and sounds. Depending on the position of the fingers, different tones can be produced: a full sound in the middle of the string and a nasal, guitar-like sound at the very bottom.
There are several schools of pedal harp technique. The largest are the various French schools. The traditional French school has the player's right arm resting lightly on the harp, with the wrist sometimes only moving the hand away from the string. The left arm moves more freely. There are also specific Russian, Viennese, and other schools throughout Europe.
The harp found its early orchestral use as a solo instrument in concertos by Baroque and Classical composers (Handel, Mozart, Boieldieu, Albrechtsberger, Dussek, Spohr) and in the opera houses of London, Paris, and Berlin. Hector Berlioz began to use it in symphonic music, but he found performances frustrating in countries like Germany, which had few harps or sufficiently skilled harpists. Franz Liszt pioneered the use of the harp in his orchestral music. The French and Russian Romantic composers, in particular, expanded its symphonic use. In opera, Italian composers used it regularly, and Puccini was a particular master of its expressive and coloristic use. Debussy can be said to have put the harp on the map with his many works that use one or more harps.
Here are my favorite harp concertos:
(1) Handel, Harp Concerto in B-flat (1736)
Handel's harp concerto, later bundled with his organ concertos, was originally written for harp to evoke the ancient sound of the lyre in his Alexander’s Feast. Handel's compositions follow a fast-slow-fast outline, an emerging style that later became the norm of the Classical era. After a brief orchestral introduction, the harp takes center stage in the first movement. In the second movement, in minor, the orchestra intervenes only periodically between the harp's reveries. As the pace of the second movement slows, the third movement sets out to resolve the accumulated harmonic tension with an abundance of fifths.
Sarah Ridy: Triple Harp, Barrocade Ensemble
(2) Mozart Concerto for Flute Harp and Orchestra in C major, K 299 (1778)
Mozart's Flute & Harp Concerto is also authentic: it was written specifically for a father and daughter who played these instruments. It is the second of three double concertos that Mozart wrote. It is also the composer's only work to feature a harp. The piece is part of the standard repertoire for both instruments.
Mozart's third stay in Paris, from March 23 to September 26, 1778, was the low point of a nearly year-and-a-half-long journey through Germany and France, undertaken with his mother in an unsuccessful search for a position as a conductor. Apart from his mother's death on July 3, the surviving letters from this period testify to failed performance attempts (only a few works were performed publicly), personal setbacks, and unpaid lessons and composition commissions. Beginning in March or April, Mozart met Adrien-Louis Bonnières de Souastre, Count de Guines, and his daughter, to whom he gave composition lessons.
During Mozart's time, the harp was the fashionable instrument of French high society, with Paris at its center. In addition, thanks to Marie-Antoinette's preference for the harp, the previously male-dominated world of the harp was increasingly conquered by women, which was also reflected in the aesthetics of the compositions.
The flute part clearly shows that it was written for an amateur flutist. Of course, the piece should not be underestimated: even these "simple" passages - like all Mozart's works - must be played elegantly and fluently. In many places, the harp part sounds more like a piano arrangement: Mozart avoids the glissandi and full chords typical of the instrument. However, these "harp effects" are used in the cadenzas. This is one of the most difficult harp concertos. This difficulty does not lie in the virtuosity, but rather in the fact that the voice is very poorly placed. Nevertheless, the concerto is popular because it allows one to demonstrate one's technical strengths, and there are few other concerti for the harp in classical music.
With impeccable classicism, the Double Concerto has the orchestra expose the thematic material while leaving the soloists to their dialogues. After the first joyful movement, Mozart reduces the orchestra to the strings, while also dividing the violas for a silkier texture. The final rondo, tempo di gavotta, a popular Parisian court dance of the time, ends with a cadenza and coda like the previous movements.
Zubin Mehta - conductor; Julia Rovinsky - Harp; Guy Eshed - Flute
(3) Dittersdorf, Harp Concerto in A (1779)
Vienna-born Karl Dittersdorf (1739-1799) spent the first half of his life as a touring violin virtuoso, and the second half as composer and music director at various aristocratic courts. He is one of the main representatives of the Vienna Classical era, and knew Haydn and Mozart personally; hearing their compositions greatly changed his own, initially Italianate style. The attractive Concerto for Harp and Orchestra in A major is a transcription by Dittersdorf himself of one of his five harpsichord concertos. The concerto is a favorite of concerto-starved harpists the world over, and like similar concertos it laid the foundation for
contemporaries and slightly later composers to embrace the harp for its
own characteristics.
Solist: Rosa Díaz Cotán; Conductor: Daniel Stratievsky; Neubrandenburger Philharmonie
(4) Krumpholtz: Harp Concerto in F major Op.9 No.6 (1782)
Krumpholz was a Bohemian composer and harpist, so this is another authentic concerto. Based in Paris, he was the first composer of the emerging concert harp repertoire to play the instrument himself. He also played a key role in the technological development of the harp. His compositions naturally reflect his mastery of the instrument in more idiomatic and adventurous writing. In Paris and Metz, he worked with harp makers Jean Henri Naderman, his son François Joseph Naderman, and Sébastien Érard to improve the harp's construction. Krumpholz composed 52 sonatas, 6 concertos and many preludes and variations for the harp. The Concerto Op 9 No 6 was dedicated to his pupil Anne-Marie Stekler, whom he married in 1783 and who was to perform it at the Concert Spirituel. The work was highly successful and became Krumpholtz's most popular concerto. Whereas many pianoforte concertos were transcribed for harp, here the opposite happened, as this work was transposed for the pianoforte!
Jana Boušková, Harp; Prague Chamber Phiharmonic Orchestra; Jiri Belohlavek, Conductor
(5) Boieldieu, Harp Concerto in C Major (1801)
François-Adrien Boieldieu (1775 - 1834) was primarily an opera composer, often called "the French Mozart." In 1798 he was appointed professor of piano at the Paris Conservatory. Boieldieu's Concerto in C is one of the finest works in the harp repertoire. The harp's role is one of constant virtuosity. The orchestration is rich, and the work as a whole indicates a theatrical rather than a symphonic temperament. This preference for the lyrical repertoire perhaps explains the abundance of ornamentation and the burst of trills that emerge from his concerto in a delicate virtuosity.
Nadja Dornik; Orchestra Art Ensemble of the Ministry of Defense Stanislav Binicki, Conductor : Pavle Medakovic
https://youtu.be/HSjyMY9pIsA?si=VT15NjjBFLCVb2vU
(6) Louis Spohr´s Concertante Nr.1 for harp, violin and orchestra (1806)
The fact that Louis Spohr's wife was a harpist encouraged the composer to devote much of his considerable talent to music for that instrument. No other Romantic composer showed such a penchant for new instrumental combinations: a concerto for string quartet and orchestra, a symphony for two orchestras, double quartets for two string quartets, important works for clarinet and, above all, numerous works for harp. The many works Spohr wrote between 1805 and 1811 for his wife, the famous harpist Dorette Scheidler, represent the most important contribution of the 19th century to the repertoire of this quintessential "romantic" instrument. Spohr himself was a violinist, so this concerto, with its unusual combination of instruments, was written to be played together. The masterful instrumentation is particularly astonishing.
Elsa Claveria, Violin
Rosa Díaz Cotán, Harp
Sebastian Tewinkel, Conductor
Neubrandenburger Philharmonie
(7) Parish-Alvars: Concertino for Two Harps in D minor, Op. 91 (1845)
Elias Parish Alvars (1808-1849) enjoyed an international reputation as a harp virtuoso. He was one of the first to successfully exploit the new possibilities of the double pedal harp and set standards in the development of modern playing techniques on this instrument. Parish Alvars composed especially for his instrument, including four concertos for harp and orchestra, a concertino for two harps and orchestra, and numerous fantasies, variations, transcriptions, and etude works. His style is influenced by contemporary Italian opera, but also by Felix Mendelssohn. The present Concertino also exists in a version for harp and piano.
Patrizia Tassini & Nicoletta Sanzin, harp
KOMORNI ORKESTER NOVA
Ivan Marinović, conductor
(8) Carl Reinecke: Harp Concerto in E minor, Op. 182 (1884)
Carl Reinecke (1824-1910) was a German composer, conductor and pianist who was also an important pedagogue. Among his many students were Grieg, Bruch, Janacek, Albeniz, Sinding, Svendsen, Reznicek, Delius, Arthur Sullivan, and George Chadwick, to name a few. He eventually rose to the position of director of the Leipzig Conservatory and also served as conductor of the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra. He composed in virtually every genre, from opera to orchestral and chamber music. Although his Harp Concerto is in a minor key, it is cheerful and purposeful - Reinecke understood the instrument very well. It is a charming and melodious concerto, romantic and robust in spirit.
Anneleen Lenaerts with the Flanders Symphony Orchestra conducted by Jan Latham-Koenig
(9) Pierné: Concertstück for harp and orchestra Op. 39 (1901)
Gabriel Pierné (1863-1937) was a French composer, conductor, and organist known for his contributions to late Romantic and early 20th century music. Pierné is known as a composer of symphonic works, chamber music, songs, and musical theater. His symphonic works include a piano concerto and the present concerto for harp and orchestra. Pierné's concerto has a very atmospheric, "once upon a time" opening with voluminous arpeggios and delicately drawn themes. It then features a beautifully romantic, broad main melody that is worked out in a lush and sumptuous manner.
Marie-Pierre LANGLAMET, harpe Orchestre de Picardie, Orchestre National en Région Hauts-de-France Direction Laurent Petitgirard
(10) Zabel, Harp Concerto in C minor Op 35 (1904 or earlier)
Albert Heinrich Zabel (1834-1910) was a German composer and harp virtuoso. At the age of eleven, Albert Zabel embarked on a concert tour that took him to the United States, England, and Russia. A scholarship from Giacomo Meyerbeer enabled him to study harp with Louis Grimm at the Royal Institute for Church Music in Berlin. Several tours with Josef Gung'l and his orchestra took him to Russia, England and the United States. From 1848 to 1851 he was a soloist at the Berlin Opera. In 1855 he was appointed principal harpist of the Imperial Ballet in St. Petersburg. When the Conservatory was founded in 1862, Anton Rubinstein hired him as professor of harp. Zabel wrote numerous works for the harp, including the present concerto. As a teacher, he was one of the pioneers of the Russian school, which is still famous today. He died in his adopted city in 1910. His three-movement Harp Concerto of 1904 is extremely interesting, moving between sublime and soulful ballet music.
Viktor Hartobanu with the orchestra of the Stella Vorarlberg Privathochschule für Musik in Feldkirch, Austria.
(11) Debussy: Danse sacrée et danse profane (1904)
Claude Debussy's "Danse sacrée et danse profane" is a captivating work for harp and strings that reflects the composer's fascination with non-traditional scales and the exoticism characteristic of his Impressionist style.
The title translates as "Sacred Dance and Profane Dance," and the composition is divided into two distinct sections. The "Danse sacrée" begins with a solemn and reverent atmosphere, evoking a ceremonial quality. The melodic lines of the harp intertwine with the string orchestra, creating a sense of ritual beauty.
Following the sacred section, the "Danse profane" contrasts with a more vibrant, playful energy. This movement incorporates dance-like rhythms and showcases the virtuosic capabilities of the harp. The interaction between harp and strings maintains a delicate balance, illustrating Debussy's mastery of blending textures and timbres.
The Oslo Philharmonic with harp soloist Birgitte Volan Håvik and chief conductor Klaus Mäkelä
(12) Saint-Saëns, Morceau de concert, Op.154 (1918)
The "Morceau de concert" by Camille Saint-Saëns (1835-1921) is a single-movement work that showcases the composer's melodic inventiveness and mastery of orchestration. The piece is characterized by its expressive and lyrical qualities, allowing the harp to shine both melodically and virtuosically. Saint-Saëns, who was an accomplished pianist and a lover of exotic instruments, often incorporated the harp into his compositions. The first main theme is wistful and evocative, almost like a Vaughan Williams tune with its folksy feel and wind orchestration, and before the upbeat, if slightly understated, finale, the sparkling scherzo section plays to the harp's filigree strengths.
The National Symphony Orchestra of Uzbekistan. Zlata Kryachkova / harp / Tigran Shiganyan / conductor
(13) Gliere, Concerto for Harp and Orchestra in E flat major (1938)
Reinhold Glière (1875-1956) was a Russian composer and conductor known for his contributions to late romantic and early 20th century music. Born in Kiev, Ukraine, he studied at the Moscow Conservatory under such notable composers as Sergei Taneyev and Anton Arensky. Glière's extensive body of work includes symphonies, ballets, operas, chamber music, and concertos. One of Gliere's most notable works is the Concerto for Harp and Orchestra, composed in 1938. This concerto is a romantic and lyrical work that demonstrates Glière's melodic craftsmanship and skillful orchestration. Glière explores the rich tonal palette of the harp, showcasing both its melodic and virtuosic qualities. The concerto is in three movements: Allegro moderato, Andante, and Allegro giocoso. This is a lively and engaging concerto.
The Italian composer Nino Rota (1911–1979) was best known for his prolific work in film scoring. Rota's collaboration with film director Federico Fellini brought him widespread recognition. He composed scores for many of Fellini's iconic films, including "La Strada," "Nights of Cabiria," "La Dolce Vita," and "8½." Rota's music played a crucial role in enhancing the emotional depth and atmosphere of these films. In addition to his work with Fellini, Rota collaborated with other renowned directors, such as Luchino Visconti ("The Leopard") and Francis Ford Coppola ("The Godfather" trilogy). His compositions are characterized by melodic richness, a blend of traditional and modern elements, and a strong connection to the visual narrative of the films.
Beyond film, Nino Rota also composed symphonies, operas, chamber music, and ballets. Nino Rota's Harp Concerto was composed in 1946. Rota combines orchestral color with the harp's unique timbre, creating a
captivating dialogue between the soloist and the ensemble. Rota's Harp Concerto typically follows the traditional three-movement structure found in many concertos. A very refined work, full of melodic charm.
Orchestra degli allievi del Conservatorio di musica "Arrigo Boito" di Parma con la partecipazione di allievi del Conservatorio di Mantova, ISSM di Reggio Emilia e della University of Georgia (Hugh Hodgson School of Music) Agnese Contadini, arpa Alberto Martelli, direttore
(15) Ginastera, Harp Concerto (1956)
Alberto Ginastera (1916-1983) was an Argentine composer considered one of the leading figures in 20th-century classical music. Ginastera's compositions reflect a blend of traditional Argentine folk elements and avant-garde techniques. His early works were influenced by the rhythms and melodies of Argentine folk music, incorporating elements such as the use of indigenous instruments and rhythms. As he evolved as a composer, Ginastera embraced various modernist and atonal styles, contributing significantly to the development of contemporary classical music.
Ginastera's compositions span a variety of genres, including orchestral works, chamber music, ballets, and operas. His Harp Concerto is a fascinating fusion of folk-inspired nationalism and various modernist tendencies. The three-movement concerto is based on a fast-slow-fast scheme, with an extended cadenza in the final movement. The outer movements are upbeat and colorful, with sonorous harmonies wrapped in seductive rhythms. The slow central movement is a ravishing nocturnal soundscape worthy of Bartók's "Night Music."
Emily Hoile | Cornelius Meister | WDR Symphony Orchestra
"Les Noces" (French for "The Wedding") is a captivating "dance cantata" composed by Igor Stravinsky. Scored for a four-part chorus, four piano soloists, and a unique combination of percussion instruments, this masterpiece embodies Stravinsky's signature musical style.
Begun in 1914, the composition was not completed until April 6, 1923, in Monaco. Its premiere took place on June 13, 1923, at the Théâtre de Gaieté Lyrique in Paris, presented by the Ballets Russes conducted by Ernest Ansermet. Dedicated to Serge Diaghilev, "Les Noces" unfolds in two parts: the first with three tableaux depicting a scene at the bride's house, with the groom and the bride's departure, and the second depicting the wedding feast.
The work is conceived as a cantata, so the singing comes first in Les Noces. Diaghelev heard the first two tableaux in early 1915 and hoped to perform the work in Paris the following summer. But the war and Diaghelev's doubts about taking financial risks with another modernist ballet by Stravinsky in the uncertain circumstances made a performance impossible for several years.
Stravinsky's inspiration for "Les Noces" came in 1912, with the intention of using folk verses from the collections of Afanasiev and Kireievsky. Stravinsky reworked the texts, using both complete texts and fragments, adding archaic and dialect words, onomatopoeia and exclamations, all adapted to his musical needs. Rather than depicting a specific wedding, the work offers a representation of various wedding moments through the use of folk quotations, creating a collection of ritualized expressions. The whole is a collection of clichés and quotations of typical wedding sayings. The final scene (the wedding party) consists mainly of quotations and snippets of conversation. Stravinsky compares this to scenes in James Joyce's Ulysses, where the reader hears fragments of conversations without the connecting line of the conversation. In Les Noces, there are no individual roles; the solo parts personify one type of character, then another, contributing to the ceremonial atmosphere.
The work contains constant invocations of the Virgin Mary and the saints Cosmas and Damian, who were considered wedding saints in Russia and were worshipped in a fertility cult. Words sometimes have a purely associative function. The animals in the wedding scene (the swan and the goose) are folklore figures, creatures who can swim and fly, who tell fantastic stories about the sky and water, and who reflect the superstitions of the peasants.
The scoring of Les Noces preoccupied Stravinsky for a long time. Initial attempts with a large orchestra proved impractical, leading to experimentation with alternatives such as a pianola, harmonium, and cimbalom. Eventually, in 1923, the final version was completed, using an orchestra of four pianos and various percussion instruments to achieve the desired rhythmic and staccato effects.
Although initially received with mixed reviews, "Les Noces" has since come to be regarded as one of Stravinsky's finest and most original achievements. While its London performance in 1926 was criticized, the passage of time has vindicated H. G. Wells' defense, acknowledging the ballet's profound depiction of the peasant soul and its complex, rhythmic, and exciting qualities. Today, Les Noces is celebrated as a timeless masterpiece in the Stravinsky repertoire.
Les pianistes Géraldine Dutroncy, Caroline Esposito, Jennifer Fichet et Marianne Salmona interprètent avec le Choeur de Radio France et Le Paris Percussion Group Les Noces de Stravinsky sous la direction de Lionel Sow.
