CONTRALTO EMILY BAUER-JONES
30 March 2022
SOPRANO SUZANNE SHAKESPEARE
13 April 2022
ONE OF HAYDN'S MOST ENDURING WORKS
F. J. Haydn (1732 – 1809)
Joseph Haydn is one of the most important composers of the Classical era and was widely celebrated during his lifetime. He is credited with making considerable developments in the genres of the symphony, the string quartet and piano trio, but also composed a significant body of vocal music including operas and devotional music. As demonstrated by the numerous copies that have come down to us, the Missa Brevis in B-flat was clearly one of his most widely-known mass settings. His manuscript has been preserved, and it has continued to be a popular work among choirs to this day.
The work was written around 1774-1775 for the Order of the Brothers of Mercy in Eisenstadt, and is known by a number of titles. In terms of its most common subtitle, 'Sancti Joannis de Deo' refers to Saint John of God, who was the patron saint of the Order. It is also known as the 'Kleine Orgelsolomesse' (or 'Little Organ Mass') to distinguish it from the other, much longer mass setting composed by Haydn also featuring the organ. It also employs rather limited forces. Haydn was most likely the work's first organ soloist, and the organ he played on is still in use at the monastery.
We have decided to program this piece for a number of reasons, not least of which has been the enduring popularity of the work. Contemporary performances of this piece on instruments of the Classical era and in a historically-informed style such as ours are also relatively rare. In our program, it follows on from Mozart's Litaniae Lauretanae, which is also in B-flat major, thus creating tonal cohesion in the first half of the concert. The inclusion of Haydn's mass also pays homage to the strong bond between Haydn and Mozart themselves. The mutual respect between the two composers, despite their 24-year age gap, is well-documented. We know that they also played chamber music together with Haydn taking the string quartet's first violin line while Mozart contributed the viola part. Mozart also dedicated a set of six quartets to Haydn, and these were published in Vienna in 1785. The cruel irony is that while Haydn lived an unusually long life for the time into his late 70s, his young friend and protegée Mozart died in tragic circumstances at age 35.
From the conductor's score for Haydn's 'Missa Brevis in B-flat' in the edition by Carus
Mass settings are the most common genre of church music, the 'Missa Brevis' (or 'short mass') being chief among them. Haydn's setting certainly fits into the mould of a Missa Brevis, but has a number of interesting characteristics. Many settings penned during the Classical period employed a full choir consisting of four parts as well as four soloists (one of each part: soprano, alto, tenor and bass) who contribute in some small way throughout the work. This mass of Haydn's features only one soloist however, a soprano who sings in only a single movement.
The other unusual aspect occurs in both the second and third movements, the 'Gloria' and 'Credo'. These are usually the longest parts of the mass, but to keep the piece to a relatively short length on this occasion, Haydn has employed a technique known as 'telescoping'. With this, one part of the choir begins at the start of the set text, the next to enter comes in a quarter of the way through, the third at about half way, with the final voice contributing the last quarter or so. That means that several competing sets of words are heard simultaneously but that the overall length of the movement is reduced due to this compression. While difficult to differentiate the words, the practice was justified at the time as the 'Gloria' and 'Credo' were commonly-heard.
When the mass made its way to Salzburg where this treatment of text was deemed unacceptable, Haydn's younger brother Michael produced new versions of both movements. Michael Haydn retained the original music but adapted various components so the text would no longer be compressed. Several rhythmic elements are also altered in each part to accommodate this 'unravelling' but the overall product remains satisfactory, not least for its additional clarity. Nevertheless, we will present the original versions of both movements in these performances.
The highlight of the work arrives in movement five of this six-movement work. The choir is silent here (the 'Benedictus'), and the organ introduces the key of E-flat major (the rest of the work in is B-flat). The works' only solo vocalist then sings an extended aria, incorporating lyrical interplay with the organ part. While the accompanying orchestral texture is reduced to maximum simplicity, the writing of both solo lines is florid and highly ornamented.
Haydn's lyricism shines through in this work. Sweeping melodies abound, and the piece gets off to solemn, even pious start with the 'Kyrie' ("Lord, have mercy") before the jubilation of the 'Gloria' and 'Credo' movements. Imitation between the voices takes hold in the fourth movement (the 'Sanctus') before the soprano soloist makes her entrance in movement 5. You can listen to this section below.
Austrian Encounters Concert Details
Saturday 21st May at St. Mary's Basilica Geelong | Sunday 22nd May at Sacred Heart Carlton
Also live-streamed on the Australian Digital Concert Hall platform. World-wide digital access.
To learn more about the exciting concerts and events planned for 2022,
please see
www.australianboyschoir.com.au/concerts
The Australian Romantic and Classical Orchestra perform at the City Recital Hall – Angel Place, Sydney (Photo by Oscar Smith)
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