January 20, 2013 - Epiphany 2

Concerto in Bb Major Op. 4 No.1: "Largo"
                                                                     - Antonio Vivaldi
Gloria RV589: "Laudamus te" - Antonio Vivaldi
There is a Balm in Gilead - William Dawson
Messe de Mariage: "Laus Deo" - Theodore Dubois

Hymns: #7 Ratisbon, #507 Julion, #138 Carlisle

This week’s music continues our Epiphany theme with the spiritual There is a Balm in Gilead, and draws on the writing of Vivaldi and the lesser known French composer Theodore Dubois for some celebratory music. These pieces draw from the uplifting mood of the gospel reading and psalm for the day for their inspiration.

The prelude is an arrangement of the second movement of Concerto in Bb Major “La Stravaganza” Op. 4 No. 1 by Anotnio Vivaldi (1678-1741) arranged by Rollin Smith. This set of concerti is known for its daring harmonic writing and the bizarre passage work. These pieces were not well received by the 1712 audience. They were appreciated for their technical complexity but passed off as something fun to watch and not hear. This set of concerti was dedicated to Vivaldi’s former student Vettor Delfino and was written for solo violin and string orchestra with continuo. The Largo from the first concerto begins very simply just outlining triads but quickly becomes more and more complex harmonically. The piece is in a typical arch form starting and ending simply back at the tonic.

The second offering by Vivaldi this week is Laudamus Te from his Gloria RV589. Antonio Vivaldi composed three known settings of the Gloria, one of which has been lost and is identified only in catalogs of his works. Of his two surviving settings the two works have a great deal of similarities. The two works were probably composed while he was employed by Pio Ospedale della Pietà, and seem to draw inspiration from one another. This duet for two sopranos in praise of God is very typical of Vivaldi’s instrumental writing. The two equal voices are forced to compete for dominance, which in Vivaldi’s time these types of competition could get quite fierce. The piece is filled with beautiful dissonances and lovely echoes. The word “glorificamus” is set in a way that one singer enters and the follows but up a step, almost trying to “out-do” the first.  This is all sung to (when done with orchestra) the accompaniment of a violin and viola trying to do the same.

The spiritual for this week is a setting of There is a Balm in Gilead by William Dawson (1899-1990). Dawson ran away from home at age 13 to enroll in the Tuskegee Institute. From there he was accepted at the all-white college, Horner Institute of Fine Arts where he earned his B.M. but was not allowed to walk across the stage. After completing further study at the Chicago Musical College and American Conservatory he taught public school in Kansas City. Then, from 1931-1956 He taught at the Tuskegee Institute where developed the choral program.  There is a Balm in Gilead is an interesting combination of Old and New Testament ideas. The balm in Gilead is referenced in Jeremiah 8:22 “Is there no balm in Gilead, is there no physician there?” The word balm comes from the word balsam, a type of tree from which balms are often made.  Gilead is a mountainous region East of the Jordan river and its name means “hill of testimony” or “mound of witness” which actually ties in with the second verse of the piece which tells us that even if we can’t do some things we can still go and preach the gospel. The prophet’s question is answered in this piece that, there is a balm in Gilead; and the sickness that it heals is our sin-sick soul, thus making Jesus the balm. The notion of a healing balm in Gilead has become a popular literary and cultural idea. In doing some reading about the anthem I came across several balms marketed as the “Balm of Gilead.” This phrase from Jeremiah also makes an appearance in the 15^th stanza of Poe’s classic poem, The Raven: “Is there – is there balm in Gilead? – tell me – tell me. I implore!” Quoth the Raven “Nevermore.” The verses of this spiritual (sung by a soprano soloist) bear a message of encouragement. The first reflects that mood of the prophet Jeremiah while the second states that there are gifts that some have been given but regardless, we can all share the” Love of Jesus.”

I really struggled to choose a postlude this week. I wanted something that would capture the happy and celebratory nature of the scriptures but would fit in with the other music. I settled on Laus Deo from Messe de Mariage by Theodore Dubois (1837-1924). This seems fitting since the gospel lesson is about the Wedding at Cana. Dubois followed the typical path of a 19^th century French organist/composer. He studied at the Paris Conservatoire and then took a position as an assistant at the Church of the Madeleine. He then became choirmaster at St. Clotilde before returning to the Madeleine in 1877 as titular organist. In 1871 he began teaching at the Paris Conservatoire and from 1896-1905 he was its director. Dubois is relatively unknown today outside of his Seven Last Words of Christ and the Toccata in G for organ which are still sometimes performed. His real love was opera though he found little commercial success in the theatre world. This piece is a typical French “sortie” or postlude. It opens with loud full organ chords and closes the same way (with a bit more sound). In between the opening and the closing there are spinning toccata style figures which alternate between hands and move from keyboard to keyboard. A sense of lightness is felt throughout the middle section before the reeds of the organ come back on and lead to the big finish.