- Ludwig van Beethoven
Alleluia - Randall Thompson
Toccata in F Major BWV 540 - J.S. Bach
Symphony No. 5 in F Op. 42 No. 1: "Toccata"
- Charles-Marie Widor
Hymns: #207 Easter Hymn, #174 Salzburg, #199 St. Kevin
The gradual anthem for Easter Sunday is a piece that I have done many times. Beethoven’s Hallelujah is taken from the “oratorio” Christus am Ölberge (Christ on the Mount of Olives) Op. 85. The work was commissioned by the Theater an der Wien to be performed during Lent. At this time in history opera was forbidden during Lent so instead people turned to the non-staged biblical drama of oratorio. The work was premiered in 1803 though it was not published until 1811 (accounting for its high opus number). Despite being composed by Beethoven the piece has not enjoyed the popularity that most of his music has received. There are a number of reasons for this, the foremost being that the libretto is really not very good. Even Beethoven admitted to the problems of the libretto written by the poet Franz Xaver Huber. The work tells the story of Christ (sung by a tenor soloist) in the garden and offers a more humanistic view of the struggle that Christ faced. There are also solo parts for soprano (a Seraph) and bass (Peter). The chorus that we are singing is the only part of the work that still enjoys much popularity today. The chorus is a real “tour de force” for the accompanist with running triplets scattered throughout and an introduction that is sure to grab the attention of all.
The communion anthem is a classic piece of American choral literature, Randall Thompson’s Alleluia. I wanted to showcase the way that two very different composers have shown their idea of praise. The Beethoven was originally in German and nowhere does it actually contain the word “Hallelujah,” but the English text is so often performed that I still think the contrast is valid. The piece was commissioned by Serge Koussevitzky, an avid proponent of new music, for the opening of the Berkshire Music Festival at Tanglewood. Thompson did not feel inspired to write a festive piece with the turmoil and uncertainty of Hitler’s reign in Germany and the nation on the edge of World War II; he instead chose to write a more contemplative setting. This piece starts very simply and grows into a confident but not boisterous like the Beethoven statement of praise before returning to the calm quiet mood of the opening and the hushed finality of the “amen.” To me there is something very sure and steady about the three-note motive that is woven throughout the piece. Much of the work is very quiet but seems to have a great deal of conviction. To me there is this image of quiet confidence evoked by the piece. Alleluia is still sung at the opening of festival at Tanglewood by the entire student body every year.
The striking contrast of these two statements of praise shows the way that music and text are interwoven and must serve one another to create a mood and an idea. Choral music is not, as so many have said all about the text. It is also about how the text is set.
For the prelude and postlude on Easter I have decided to program two toccatas, both of them in F major. Throughout Lent I have been drawing on the music of J.S. Bach for preludes and postludes. I thought that it would be a fitting bridge between Lent and Easter to play one last J.S. Bach organ work. I did this to unify the seasons but also as a means of being fair to J.S. Bach. For Lent I played quiet chorale preludes and dark fugues. The Bach Toccata in F Major BWV 540 is a pure burst of exuberance. Written in the “Italian style,” one can hear the influence of Vivaldi’s instrumental writing in the light and bouncy manual figuration. The canonical treatment of the theme is similar to the Vivaldi concerto in d minor for two violins, which Bach transcribed for organ (BWV 596 which I played the Finale of a few weeks ago). The piece begins with swirling manual figures played in canon over a pedal point that then breaks into a 26 measure pedal solo. This is then repeated in C. After all of the flashiness of the opening has subsided we get to the joyful dance of the rest of the piece with its rising pedal arpeggios and its circle of fourth modulations. This piece has it all, flashy pedal cadenzas, daring harmonic shifts and unexpected chord inversions. I find that it also has a dance-like lightness about it that exquisitely conveys the joy of Easter morning.
The postlude, though somewhat predictable for Easter fits perfectly with the Bach F Major, and that is the Toccata from Symphony No. 5 Op. 42 No. 1 of Charles-Marie Widor (1844-1937). Second to Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in d minor, the Widor Toccata is probably one of the best known and loved organ compositions. Charles Marie Widor composed ten “organ symphonies” during his life. These multi-movement works exploited the color palettes of the organs of Aristide Cavaillé-Coll, the organ builder who transformed the organ world in France during the second half of the nineteenth century. The piece is the quintessential French toccata. The piece starts with full organ. The manuals play a spinning figure in the right hand punctuated by accented chords in the left hand before the theme is introduced in the pedal. The piece diminishes as the reeds are removed and the organist moves to a softer manual before the “Grand Crescendo” with the reeds added back gradually and the reentry of the pedal theme. The piece builds to a frenzied conclusion with octave leaps in the pedal while the right hand continues its perpetual sixteenth notes. The left hand moves above the right hand to continue the accented chords. The piece comes to a screeching halt on a high f in the manuals followed by big full chords in the hands and feet to draw to a triumphal close.
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