Obbligato for Flutes on an Advent Melody
- Clarence Mader
Messiah: "But Who May Abide" - G. F. Handel
Hark! a Herald Voice is Sounding - Mark Shephard
Messiah: "Overture" - G. F. Handel
Hymns: #76 Winchester New, #75 Ascension,
#65 Bereden Vag for Herran
As I said last week, during Advent we are exploring the
connection between the ancient and the modern. Two of the pieces come from
American church composers of the twentieth century, while the other two are
excerpted from that Christmas classic Messiah,
by G. F. Handel (1685-1759).
Handel went to England to write opera but during the season
of Lent opera is forbidden so the public turns to oratorio for a more devout
form of entertainment. These oratorios are basically operas without the staging
and costumes that are written on Biblical texts. Despite the fact that Messiah
is one of the most often performed pieces of music in the classical canon. It
has come to be connected with the Christmas season because the first (and most
familiar part) of this work is the birth of Christ. The oratorio tells the
story of the life of Christ in three parts. The first is the prophecy leading
up to the birth of Christ, the second the prophecy and the crucifixion, and the
third the resurrection and ascension.
The aria But Who May
Abide the Day of His Coming, like many of the movements of Messiah exists
in a few different versions. The aria was originally written for bass and
included only the first (Larghetto) section of the aria. The presto section was
added in 1750 for the castrato, Gaetano Guadagni (1728-1792). Guadagni was
known for his impressive technique and the quality of his low notes. Handel
rewrote arias in several other oratorios with him in mind and created the role
of Didymus in Theodora for him. This
aria comes early in part one, Leonard Van Camp in his book A Practical Guide for Performing, Teaching, and Singing Messiah
places this aria in “Scene two: The Purifying Messiah is Prophesied.” This text
fits into the idea of preparing our hearts and minds for the coming of Christ.
The aria asks the question who is worthy to stand when Christ comes for He is
like a refiner’s fire. The subsequent chorus answers this question. “And he
shall purify the sons of Levi that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in
righteousness.” This aria serves as a reminder that we should view Advent as a
time to burn out the dross that is in our hearts and lives and to examine the
more base parts of our existence.
For the postlude I am playing a transcription of the
Overture to Messiah. The piece is in
two parts. The opening is written in the traditional French Overture style with
angular dotted rhythms. This gives way to an energetic fugue which, in the
orchestral version, opens with the subject played by the violins. This is a
unique feature that is repeated in the closing fugue, usually referred to as The Great Amen. Many of Handel’s
oratorios have overtures and all were performed with some sort of instrumental
prelude. It was not uncommon for the composer to improvise an organ concerto at
the beginning of an oratorio performance. This Sinfony as it is labeled in the autograph score is dated August 22,
1741 and is therefore the first piece of music written for the work. It’s
dismal key of e minor has been said to evoke “a mood without hope.” The
subsequent aria is in E major and offers a substantial brightness in contrast
to the dark opening.
The prelude is a lovely little piece that I discovered in a
pile of organ music that I “inherited” from a retired organist. It is a
beautiful piece called Obbligato for
Flutes on an Advent Melody by Clarence Mader (1904-1971). The melody is
sited as being a 17th century melody taken from “Sacred Melodies” by
J.W. Franck but, try as I might I could not find the melody that the piece is
based on. Clarence Mader was an organist and teacher that spent his career in
California. He began his journey in church music at age eleven, serving as
organist of his father’s church. In 1926 he studied with the famed concert
organist Lynnwood Farnam in New York City. Three years later he took the
position of organist at Immanuel Presbyterian Church in Los Angeles where he
served for thirty-seven years. Mader’s compositions tested the boundaries of
composition and proved that church music could continue to have relevance in
the scope of the larger musical world. His career was brought to an untimely
end when he and his wife Ruth (also an organist) were killed in a car accident.
Mader’s legacy continues to live on through his music and writings as well as
scholarships and competitions in his memory.
The communion anthem is a setting of the 6th
century Latin hymn Vox clara ecce
intonate used for Lauds during Advent. The English translation by Edward
Caswall has become an Advent favorite because of the various interpretations of
the coming of Christ which the verses encompass. The text makes allusions to
both the first and second comings of Christ. This setting’s tune is by the
contemporary church composer Mark Shephard. Shephard started as a chorister at
Gloucester Cathedral and later studied with Sir David Willcocks and Hugh
MacDonald. His compositional oeuvre includes operas, musical, orchestral music.
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