October 28, 2012 - Proper 25

Paulus Op. 36: "I Praise Thee, O Lord"
                                                               - Felix Mendelssohn
O Taste and See - John Goss
Songs Without Words: "Confidence"and "Hope"
                                                               - Felix Mendelssohn

Hymns: #429 Old 113th, #306 Sursum Corda,
              LEVAS #207 By and By

This week’s music is completely Victorian English music. The gradual anthem and postlude were written by Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847). Strictly speaking, Mendelssohn is a German Romantic composer but during his brief lifetime he made ten trips to England. During these trips he revolutionized the English organ world to the extent of causing a change in their approach to organ building. Before Mendelssohn’s trips to England, English pedal boards were just pull down pedals, meaning that they played whatever stops were on in the rest of the organ rather than being their own individual division. In fact, some British organs didn’t even have a pedal division. In addition to his career as an organist Mendelssohn found success with the composition of oratorios.

I Praise Thee, O Lord is taken from Mendelssohn’s Op. 36 Paulus written between 1832 and 1836. The text is derived from Biblical texts and was assembled by Julius Schubring. The work received its first performance on May 22, 1836 at the Rhenish Music Festival in Dusseldorf. It tells the story of Paul’s conversion and ministry, a story that may have had special meaning to Mendelssohn, the grandson of a Rabbi. In 1816 the Mendelssohn family moved to Berlin and added the surname Bartholdy although Felix resisted this. I Praise Thee, O Lord opens with a baritone aria sung by the newly converted Paul in praise of God. The chorus’s part of this movement is typical Mendelssohn. The choir sings a fugue alternating between two themes on two different texts, the first from the book of Revelations and the second from the Gospel of Matthew. After both themes have been presented and developed they are combined. The altos finish the movement the same way they started before the final statement of the choir, “for His word shall not decay” fades off into nothingness.  

For the postlude I have chosen two of Mendelssohn’s Songs Without Words that I feel complement each other while at the same time making a statement. Mendelssohn published eight collections of these “songs” each consisting of six pieces. As the piano grew in popularity it became common for composers to write short lyric pieces that were accessible to the general public. While subsequent publications of these pieces has paired titles with them that were not intended I think that the “titles” attached to the two pieces I will play does reflect the mood. The first is called Confidence. This light piece is assertive but also soft spoken and whimsical at the beginning and end, I think this speaks to our interpretation of confidence. I have often found that confidence comes from honesty and honesty from being true to yourself – I hear that in this piece. The second piece is called Hope. Again this piece opens and closes with soft whisperings with a confident statement sandwiched in-between. It seems an appropriate pairing for Confidence and an appropriate selection going into an Election week.

The communion anthem is a setting of Psalm 34 by the British composer John Goss (1800-1880). John Goss is a composer that I first discovered through his setting of God So Loved the World. Goss is best known for his choral compositions and his hymn tunes including Praise My Soul the King of Heaven. This setting of O Taste and See is typical of Goss’s writing and makes use of simple harmonies with primarily homophonic writing. The B section introduces slightly unexpected harmonies into the mix on the text “the lions do lack and suffer hunger” but still the piece follows a logical progression to the resolution that “they who seek the Lord shall want for nothing.” The piece closes with a prolonged statement that reminds us that the "man" who trusts the Lord is blessed. This week's music has essentially covered many of the positive attributes of human character: hope, trust, confidence, faith and thanksgiving. All important things for us to remember in these uncertain times when human character is called into question and is of such vital importance.

October 21, 2012 - Proper 24

Creation: "Sing the Lord, Ye Voices All" - F.J. Haydn
b minor Mass BWV 232: "Agnus Dei" - J.S. Bach
Prelude and Fugue in c minor

Hymns: #379 Abbott's Leigh, #602 Jesu, Jesu,
              #583 Morning Song

This week the music comes from three monumental musical undertakings by two of the giants of classical music. All three pieces occupy a prominent spot in music history and have left a lasting impression on the Classical Western canon both because of the innovations and the music itself.

The gradual anthem is by Franz Joseph Haydn and is taken from his oratorio The Creation. This work was not Haydn’s first oratorio, but is certainly his most well-known. Haydn visited London in 1791-1792 and 1794-1795. On both visits he heard massed choir performances; the first in memory of Handel, the second a hymn sung by 4,000 children. Haydn brought a text from the Book of Genesis and John Milton’s Paradise Lost to Baron von Sweiten who translated the text into German. Die Schopfung received its first performance in 1798. Sing the Lord, Ye Voices All is the final chorus of this oratorio and adds an alto soloist to the trio of angels that has been singing throughout. The chorus opens with full choir stating “Sing the Lord, ye voices all, Magnify his name through all creation, Celebrate his power and glory, Let his name resound on high.” This then breaks into a joyous fugue on the text “Jehovah’s praise forever shall endure.” The exuberant fugue subject hops between voice part as the orchestra builds to the closing statement with flying sixteenth notes in the organ and big unison writing for the chorus.

The communion anthem is taken from J.S. Bach’s monumental b minor mass BWV 232. This mass is based on the Roman Catholic Mass but is far too substantial to be performed in the context of the church service. It is unclear why Bach wrote this music because most of it is not suited to the Lutheran church service at all. The Agnus Dei is the final solo in the nearly two hour work. It is taken from Bach’s Ascension Oratorio and precedes the chorus Dona Nobis Pacem. The aria is very chromatic and; despite starting and ending in g minor, drifts far from there.

The Postlude is taken from Book I of The Well Tempered Clavier.  Many people have assumed that this work was Bach’s argument for Equal Temperament, it is however his argument for a well tempered tuning system. The Prelude and Fugue in c minor showcases the key’s active and energetic character and the pain and bite of the key. I have always affectionately referred to the Prelude as the “typewriter prelude” because it is constant 16^th notes first played together, and then alternating hands. The Fugue is a chipper three voice fugue that serves as a perfect example of fugal writing.

October 14, 2012 - Proper 23

Canonic Variations on "Slane" - Larry Visser
Messiah: "He Trusted in God" - G.F. Handel
O Vos Omnes - Tomas Luis de Vittoria

Hymns: #492 Finnian, #475 Tysk, #488 Slane

The music this week is a bit on the dark side but is not without hope. The prelude and postlude are taken from a set of variations that have connections to both of the anthems as well as the closing hymn. The two anthems share key and theme despite being written 150 years apart. These anthems also have a great deal of drama packed into just a few measures. This is true of the organ music as well. It’s amazing how much can be packed into only a few measures of a variation.

The Gradual anthem is taken from the second part of Handel’s Messiah. It is one of the choruses that is quite often cut. He Trusted in God is a setting of Psalm 22 and following the tenor solo All They that See Him is a very sarcastic and biting chorus reminiscent of the mob choruses of Bach’s St. Matthew Passion. Handel left his mark on music history primarily through the composition of oratorio. This was mostly by default. Handel had gone to England as a composer of operas but the performance of opera was not allowed during Lent so he had to turn to oratorio; an unstaged opera on biblical texts. There are moments in Messiah that are very clearly opera set to Biblical text. The implied mob psychology and disdainful tone of this chorus is Handel’s way of illustrating the fear and pain of Christ on the cross. This text can also easily be applied to each of our lives and be seen as a reminder of the fact that, though the message is intended as sarcastic and biting that what is said is true. God will deliver those that have his favor.

The communion anthem is O Vos Omnes by Tomas Luis de Vittoria, one of the most prominent composers of the Renaissance. Despite being educated in Rome (possibly by Palestrina) he never lost the Spanish flare that was an integral part of his heritage. Musicologists constantly site the fact that his music is filled with “Spanish mysticism.” His setting of O Vos Omnes from Lamentations 1:12 from the collection of motets published in 1572 is beautiful because of its simplicity. This piece is the response of the Christ on the cross from He Trusted in God. The translation of the piece is:
“O all you that pass by the way, attend and see: If there is pain like as my pain. Attend all people, and see my sorrows if there is sorrow like as my sorrow.” This dialogue captures the pain and suffering of Christ as a response to the taunting mob. The juxtaposition of the taunting mob of He Trusted in God and Christ’s response of “who knows sorrow like unto my sorrows” is incredibly poignant.

The prelude and postlude are taken from Larry Visser’s Canonic Variations on “Slane” which is the closing hymn. The first variation is an overture, which reminds me of the overture to Messiah, something I had considered playing this week before finding this piece. It exploits the double dotted figure typical of the French overture of the Baroque period, and reminiscent of the opening of the Meesiah overture. The piece then gives way to a very simple trio titled Hymnus for solo reed and flute with pedal. The third variation, Prayer¸ places the tune in the pedal and the upper voice of the right hand. The manuals are exploiting the Voix Celeste, a string stop which composers like Guilmant and Boellmann had used for Priere’s of their own. The pedal plays the melody on a 4’ reed stop. The fourth movement is a trio which features the melody on two “gap” registrations bouncing between hands and an accompanying line in the pedal. Movement 5 is a Paean, a lyric poem of thanksgiving and triumph played on full organ sounds that play with the rhythm of the tune. The penultimate setting is a Lament, this movement features the Flute Celeste and the oboe taking turns on the melody in the excruciating key of eb minor. The melody is passed between the two voices throughout and ends with a statement combining eb major and minor in a way which draws parallels with the treatment of key and mode in the Vittoria. The concluding toccata opens with the canon split between the upper voice of the right hand and the pedal. The “B section” features a canon between left and right foot before reintroducing the canon between right hand and pedal to end. This piece exploits the full resources of the organ while capturing the many moods of pieces available to the organist and illustrating different aspects of the text. This hymn tune has been paired with Be Thou My Vision and Lord of All Hopefulness as well as exploiting the innate beauty of the hymn tune.

October 7, 2012 - Proper 22

Pavan - William Byrd
O Lord Our Governor - Benedetto Marcello
Ave Verum Corpus - William Byrd
Psalm 19 - Benedetto Marcello (arr. E. Power Biggs)

Hymns: #388 Hanover, #495 In Babilone, 
              #678 College of Preachers

The music for this week comes from two very different composers. Both of these composers completed a monumental composition which has left an indelible mark in the catalog of Sacred music.  The writing of William Byrd (1539/40-1623) represents the height of compositional achievement in England during the Renaissance. In fact, some musicologists argue that Byrd is the most influential British composer ever. William Byrd studied composition with Thomas Tallis and later the two shared duties as organist at the Chapel Royal. In 1577 he moved to Middlesex with his family. Byrd preferred to live outside of London because he was a devout Catholic at a time when Catholics were being persecuted by the government. Despite his faith his devotion to the monarchy was never questioned. He was so highly thought of by Elizabeth I that he and Tallis received a monopoly on the publishing and sale of all print music. In 1593 he retired to Stondon Massey, Essex where he lived until his death in 1623.

Byrd’s keyboard music was unrivaled at the time of its composition. The pieces rarely specified which keyboard instrument they were for, some for virginal and some for the organ. His musical style changed from the early works which resembled the more austere vocal writing of the time. His later worked became more idiomatic and virtuosic incorporating scalar runs and more advanced rhythms. One of his favorite compositional genres is the dance pair, Pavan and Galliard. The pavan is a slow stately dance in duple meter often used to open a ball. This is followed by the faster galliard in triple meter. The Pavan that I am using as the prelude is in ABC form (the repeats have been omitted) and exploits some of the ensemble sounds that could be found on an English organ from that time period. These organs were typically very small. They had only one or two manuals and no pedal board. The stops of these instruments were primarily flutes and principals of small scale and high pitch. This pavan begins with a ponderous minor variation followed by a slightly lighter and faster section. I have registered the third and final section on a single 4’ flute. The section is in major and creates tension through the use of gentle dissonances.

All of Byrd’s compositions were recognized for their quality but it is felt that his Latin motets are among his greatest achievements both in quality and creativity. Byrd’s greatest contribution to sacred music was his two volume Gradualia (1605 and 1607). This collection contains proper cycles, as well as settings of the ordinary of the mass for every major feast day and votive mass of the Roman Catholic Rite. Byrd’s setting of the Corpus Christi hymn Ave Verum (Hail the true body) shows the great care that Byrd took with setting the Latin text. One compositional technique that is frequently employed is that of “false relation” – a note and its chromatically altered pitch appearing in close proximity. The first instance of this is between the soprano and bass of measure one and two. This highlights the word verum (true) which as a Catholic would be a particularly important distinction for the Catholic Byrd (Atrium Musicologicum). Byrd also includes a great deal of text painting in this motet. The text in cruce (on the cross) literally forms a cross in the music with the tenor entering first followed by soprano and bass [aligned vertically] and the altos after. The entrances of unda fluxit sanguine (flowed water and blood) are staggered descending lines. The pitches of Jesu and Mariae are the highest pitches of the piece giving greater importance to the settings of these names. It is incredible to note the care taken to set texts in a work that was written basically for private devotion as it is unlikely that it would have ever been performed because Latin motets were not a part of the liturgy in the newly formed Church of England.

Benedetto Marcello (1686-1739) was born into an influential aristocratic family in Venice. Both he and his brother Alessandro enjoyed success as composers but were not allowed to pursue music as more than a hobby. Marcello instead enjoyed a successful career as a lawyer, the governor of Pola and at the end of his life chancellor of Brescia. Most of his compositions come from his early life where music played a larger role and was encouraged as part of his studies. The most enduring of Marcello’s contributions is his Estro poetico-armonico. This work is a setting of the first fifty Psalms as translated by his friend Girolamo Ascanio Giustiniani. It was published in eight volumes between 1724 and 1726. The texts are very free translations of the Latin thought to make the Psalms more accessible to the general public. The setting of Psalm 8 O Lord Our Governor is a light dance like piece originally for alto solo and unison choir with basso continuo. This arrangement features soloists alternating with full choir.

The postlude is an arrangement for organ solo by E. Power Biggs (1906-1977) of another of Marcello’s Psalm settings from this collection, Psalm 19. As with the setting of Psalm 8 there is a lot of back and forth between the full organ and the softer secondary manual. This is representative of the concertato style of writing popular in Italy during the Baroque period. In this style of writing a small group (the ripieno) alternates with the full ensemble (tutti). This is a through back to the earlier polychoral styles of the Gabriellis. At St. Mark’s Cathedral in Venice instrumental and vocal ensembles would be placed throughout the church and would play or sing antiphonally, exploiting the possibilities of having ensembles in different parts of the church and in essence creating the first stereo sounds.