VIVALDI Magnificat RV 610

In his lifetime, Vivaldi’s single best-known piece was Magnificat, for which he drew on contemporary operatic forms of recitative and aria text-setting when he was writing for solo voices. In it, Vivaldi demonstrates his superb melodic invention, mastery of instrumental colors and structures, and his dramatic power. The text, in Latin, (except for the first movement, “Kyrie,” in Greek), is Luke’s account of the pregnant Mary’s Visitation to her cousin Elizabeth, herself pregnant with John the Baptist. The last movement, “Gloria Patri” (“Glory to God”) is the hymn of praise Mary sings after she has understood the significance of her pregnancy, when she learns she will be Jesus’ mother. Her words are filled with joy, praise, and acceptance. Vivaldi made several versions of the Magnificat. The best known, RV 610, is scored for vocal soloists, four-part choir, oboes, and string orchestra. Girls and women were the performers, even for the lower vocal parts. Vivaldi composed the first version around 1715 and revised it in 1730, when he divided its text into nine movements. It follows the Baroque practice of using instruments together with voices in concertato style, with independent and contrasting voices. Its musical text-painting illustrates the emotional content of the words.​

 

OLA GJEILO Dreamweaver

The text for Dreamweaver is based on parts of the Norwegian medieval folk poem Draumkvedet, an epic ballad that has a lot in common with Dante’s The Divine Comedy. The protagonist, Olav Åsteson, falls asleep on Christmas Eve and sleeps for thirteen days. He wakes up and rides to church to describe his dreams to the congregation about his brave, beautiful, terrify- ing, and ultimately redeeming journey through the afterlife. For this composi- tion, the Draumkvedet poem has been adapted into a playful interpretation in English penned by Charles Anthony Silvestri.

-Program Notes by Ola Gjeilo

 

MOZART Mass in C major, K.317 "Coronation Mass"

Mozart composed his Mass in C Major, K. 317—known as the “Coronation” Mass—in 1779 while serving as court organist and composer to the Archbishop of Salzburg. Likely performed at Salzburg Cathedral that Easter, it is his best-known Salzburg mass. It was also performed later, possibly at the coronation of Holy Roman Emperor Leopold II and his successor, Francis II. The mass blends grandeur with brevity, meeting the Archbishop’s requirement that even the most solemn music not exceed 45 minutes. As Mozart wrote, it had to include “all instruments—trumpets, drums, and so forth.” Mozart may have inserted a church sonata between movements. One, written around the same time, shares its key and orchestration. Later renumbered K. 317a to reflect this connection, it was traditionally placed between the Gloria and Credo, making it appropriate for modern performances of the “Coronation” Mass.

 

HANDEL Zadok the Priest, HWV 258

The first anthem was performed immediately after the Anointing of George II. The text describes the anointing of Solomon as King David’s successor and has been included in every English coronation ceremony since that designed by St. Dunstan for King Edgar (Ēadgār) the Peaceful at Bath in about 973. Handel’s setting of this text has likewise been included for every coronation since that for King George II in 1727. Soccer fans will recognize this as the source for the UEFA Champions League anthem.

 

HAYDN Te Deum in C major, Hob.XXIIIc:2

This magnificent choral drama in three parts was a commission from Empress Marie Therese, the wife of Franz I of Austria. The Te Deum was composed around 1799, but its first recorded performance was not until 1800 at Eisenstadt, the home of the Esterházy family, to celebrate Lord Nelson’s arrival there. The Te Deum is a choral work throughout, lacking the solo sections that are heard in Haydn’s masses and other sacred works. Two lengthy fast-paced sections surround a central slow one, effectively making the work a concerto for chorus and orchestra. The opening theme, in the traditional festive key of C major, is sung by the chorus in unison. The slow section opens with a thunderous unison C and proceeds, mysteriously, in C minor with the harmonies moving chromatically to stunning, if brief, effect. The final section returns to the same cheerful mood as the first, concluding with a stirring double fugue. A coda-like section, distinguished by overlapping instrumental and choral phrases with syncopated rhythms, brings the piece to a glorious close.