Chandos Te Deum

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In 1717, the German composer Georg Friedrich Händel (1685–1759) composed the so-called Chandos Te Deum (HWV 281). This work is one of Handel's church music compositions and sets the English version of the early church Latin hymn of praise "Te Deum Laudamus" by Ambrosius of Milan .

The Te Deum was an important part of the festive liturgies of special services in England in the 17th and 18th centuries. With his five Te Deum settings, Handel tied in with the traditions of English church music; Henry Purcell's influence is particularly evident.

The Chandos Te Deum was created during Handel's stay with James Brydges , Earl of Carnarvon (and after 1719 Duke of Chandos) in 1717/1718. Brydges had their own chapel, similar to German royal courts, and gathered a number of musicians around them, who gave the residence its glamor with instrumental works, operas, masquerades and church compositions. In addition to “Acis and Galatea” and the biblical oratorio “Esther”, Handel wrote eleven Chandos - anthems, psalm settings in English, and the Chandos Te Deum.

In some sentences the Te Deum is strongly reminiscent of the “ Utrecht Te Deum ” (1713, HWV 278). In the Chandos Te Deum, Handel takes on a clearly chamber music tone. The orchestral apparatus is reduced compared to the Utrecht Te Deum, and the music sounds intimate. The central German cantor tradition, which Handel merged with pan-European musical styles in an ingenious synthesis, becomes audible in this small cast. The soloists play small parts, often delightful ensemble numbers, which do not need any “big stars” but do justice to the liturgical character of the work. The musical weight rests on the choral movements. These are contrapuntal masterpieces and underline the high compositional level of this unjustifiably almost forgotten work of Handel.

literature

  • Hans Joachim Marx , Michele Calella (eds.): Handel's church music and vocal chamber music (= Handel manual, Volume 4). Laaber-Verlag, Laaber 2012, ISBN 978-3-89007-688-1 , pp. 291-308.
  • Dorothea Schröder : Rediscovered: the copy of the Chandos anthems from the former Cummings collection. In: Göttinger Handel Contributions 4 (1991), pp. 94-107 ( limited preview in the Google book search).

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