Bohemian Christmas Fair

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Title page of the piano reduction

The Bohemian Christmas Mass (Czech Česká mše vánoční , Latin Missa pastoralis bohemica , completely Missa solemnis Festis Nativitatis DJ Ch. Acomodata in linguam bohemicam musicam - que redacta per Jac. Joa. Ryba ) is the most famous work of the Bohemian composer Jakub Jan Ryba . It is also known under the opening verse Hej mistře (He, master) and popularly as Rybovka .

background

The mass , composed in 1796, retains the structural features of a traditional Latin mass, but the focus is on the Bohemian character of Christmas and its interpretation and it was intentionally set by Ryba in the Bohemian (or Czech) environment. Added to this is the fact that it is written in the Czech language. Jakub Jan Ryba was convinced that only such a liturgical mass could gain access to the audience. Over time, the fair has become the most popular fair in Bohemia.

score

The original score has not been preserved. Today, performances are based on the results of critical analyzes of the copies of the works. Then the mass is set for four vocal solo voices, choir and the following instruments: flute, two clarinets, two French horns, Clairon , two violins, viola, double bass and timpani. With choral strings, this instrumentation corresponds to a classical orchestra . A Bohemian peculiarity is the use of a Clairon , whose sound, according to Johann Gottfried Walther (Leipzig 1732), is brighter than the " ordinair [common] sounding trumpet". The mass was composed in A major, today it is usually performed in G major - i.e. one note lower.

structure

The Christmas fair consists of a total of nine parts:

  1. Kyrie - in this dialogue the older master is woken up with the shouting “hej, mistře, vstaň bystře” (Hello master, wake up quickly) - from this the alternative title of the mass emerged later
  2. Gloria - Angel voices announce the birth of Christ
  3. Graduals - the shepherds also call on everyone to go to Bethlehem
  4. Credo - the trip to Bethlehem is being prepared
  5. Offertory - the shepherds greet the Christ child in Bethlehem and hand over the gifts
  6. Sanctus - hymn of praise to God
  7. Benedictus - hymn of praise to the Savior
  8. Agnus - Farewell to Christ
  9. Communio - monumental celebration of the Trinity

literature

  • Jan Němeček: Jakub Jan Ryba: zivot a dílo . Státní hudební vydavatelství, Praha 1963.

Web links

Wikisource: Česká mše vánoční  - Sources and full texts (Czech)

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Johann Gottfried Walther: Musical Lexicon or Musicalische Bibliothec , Leipzig 1732. Reprint: Bärenreiter study edition, ed. by Friederike Ramm. Kassel etc. 2001, ISBN 3-7618-1509-3 , p. 156.