March 28, 2016.Haydn’s “The Severn Last Words of Christ.”March 31st is the birthday of Franz Joseph Haydn and yesterday was Easter, so we thought it would be appropriate to bring the two together.Haydn was born in 1732 on Rohrau in eastern Austria.He had a difficult childhood, part of which he spent with a relative, in poverty and hunger.A good voice brought him to Vienna, where at the age of seven he became a chorister at the St. Stephen Cathedral.That lasted till the age of 17 when he lost his soprano voice (it’s said that the empress Maria Theresa herself started complaining about his singing).During the next several years he earned his living as a freelancing music teacher, accompanist, organ player, and a composer.In 1757 he found a permanent job, the first one in his life, as Kapellmeister with Count Morzin in Vienna.He was let go in 1760 (the Count was having financial problems) but was immediately hired by the Esterházy, one of the wealthiest and most prominent families in the empire.He worked for the Esterházys for the next 30 years.
Even though Haydn was spending most of his time in the different estates of the Esterházy (and longing to return to Vienna), his musical fame was spreading around Europe, especially after 1779, when Prince Nikolaus allowed Haydn to sell his compositions to publishers.Commissions followed, mostly from Paris and London.An unusual commission arrived in 1783 from Spain.Oratorio de la Santa Cueva, a church in Cadiz, asked for a series of orchestral pieces set to the last words of Christ.They were to be performed on Good Friday.Haydn called the sections “Sonatas” and described them as “lasting seven or eight minutes, together with an opening introduction and concluding with a Terremoto or Earthquake.”The bishop was supposed to deliver “discourses” on each of the words, with music in between them.Haydn commented on the difficulties he encountered in confining himself to the allotted time and writing so much music without “fatiguing the listeners.”The end result was clearly to Haydn’s liking: he called “Seven Last Words” his most successful composition.The score was published and performed in Paris in 1787; and then in Berlin and Vienna.Also in 1787, Haydn adapted “Seven Last Words” for a string quartet; this is the version that is performed more often these days. The Vermeer Quartet made it its own.It played it all over the world and made a recording with Dr. Martin Luther King reading the introduction and Billy Graham and several other religious leader commenting on each section.In 1796, the Austrian composer Joseph Friebert, who at the time was the Kapellmeister in Passau, created a choral version of the “Seven Last Words.” Haydn heard it, was impressed but decided to improve it, preparing his own version.It became an oratorio, the first of the three Haydn ever wrote (The Creation and The Seasons were composed in the next two years).
We’ll hear the Introduction, Sonata II ("Today shalt thou be with me in paradise"), Sonata VIː ("It is finished") and the final Earthquake. Le Concert des Nations is conducted by Jordi Savall.
Haydn 2016
March 28, 2016. Haydn’s “The Severn Last Words of Christ.” March 31st is the birthday of Franz Joseph Haydn and yesterday was Easter, so we thought it would be appropriate to bring the two together. Haydn was born in 1732 on Rohrau in eastern Austria. He had a difficult childhood,
part of which he spent with a relative, in poverty and hunger. A good voice brought him to Vienna, where at the age of seven he became a chorister at the St. Stephen Cathedral. That lasted till the age of 17 when he lost his soprano voice (it’s said that the empress Maria Theresa herself started complaining about his singing). During the next several years he earned his living as a freelancing music teacher, accompanist, organ player, and a composer. In 1757 he found a permanent job, the first one in his life, as Kapellmeister with Count Morzin in Vienna. He was let go in 1760 (the Count was having financial problems) but was immediately hired by the Esterházy, one of the wealthiest and most prominent families in the empire. He worked for the Esterházys for the next 30 years.
Even though Haydn was spending most of his time in the different estates of the Esterházy (and longing to return to Vienna), his musical fame was spreading around Europe, especially after 1779, when Prince Nikolaus allowed Haydn to sell his compositions to publishers. Commissions followed, mostly from Paris and London. An unusual commission arrived in 1783 from Spain. Oratorio de la Santa Cueva, a church in Cadiz, asked for a series of orchestral pieces set to the last words of Christ. They were to be performed on Good Friday. Haydn called the sections “Sonatas” and described them as “lasting seven or eight minutes, together with an opening introduction and concluding with a Terremoto or Earthquake.” The bishop was supposed to deliver “discourses” on each of the words, with music in between them. Haydn commented on the difficulties he encountered in confining himself to the allotted time and writing so much music without “fatiguing the listeners.” The end result was clearly to Haydn’s liking: he called “Seven Last Words” his most successful composition. The score was published and performed in Paris in 1787; and then in Berlin and Vienna. Also in 1787, Haydn adapted “Seven Last Words” for a string quartet; this is the version that is performed more often these days. The Vermeer Quartet made it its own. It played it all over the world and made a recording with Dr. Martin Luther King reading the introduction and Billy Graham and several other religious leader commenting on each section. In 1796, the Austrian composer Joseph Friebert, who at the time was the Kapellmeister in Passau, created a choral version of the “Seven Last Words.” Haydn heard it, was impressed but decided to improve it, preparing his own version. It became an oratorio, the first of the three Haydn ever wrote (The Creation and The Seasons were composed in the next two years).
We’ll hear the Introduction, Sonata II ("Today shalt thou be with me in paradise"), Sonata VIː ("It is finished") and the final Earthquake. Le Concert des Nations is conducted by Jordi Savall.