Christoforus

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Title page of the first German edition

Christoforus (op. 120) is an oratorio for solos, choir and orchestra by Josef Rheinberger , completed in 1880 , which contains the legend of St. Christopher . The text comes from Rheinberger's wife Franziska (Fanny) von Hoffnaaß . The composer dedicated the work to Princess Maria Theresa of Bavaria .

The first edition was published by Fr. Kistner in Leipzig in 1881 . One of Seymour Egerton translated into English edition was by Oliver Ditson & Company in Boston published another of Frederick H. Martens translated version of G. Schirmer, Inc. in New York . Which premiered Christoforus on 25 March 1882 in Leipzig from Leipzig Singakademie led by Richard Hofmann in the great hall of the booksellers market .

prehistory

Hospice St. Christoph am Arlberg at the end of the 19th century

Since Saint Christopher is venerated as the patron saint of travelers, it is not surprising that there are numerous chapels and artistic representations dedicated to him, especially along dangerous travel routes such as mountain passes . On a trip through the Arlberg , the couple Rheinberger saw these works and heard the story of Heinrich foundling , the number of travelers in the 14th century before the death preserved in the mountains and the Society of St. Christopher and the Hospice of St. Christoph am Arlberg was founded . At the end of this trip, Fanny decided:

"And when it went downhill again / One thing was certain: not to go to death / Before a memorial was set for this journey / In the song of mercy / Sanct Christoph at the hospice consecrated."

- Fanny Rheinberger

Under the impression of the trip, she composed the libretto for Christoforus, which was mainly in rhyming, iambic verses . In doing so, she not only processed the actual Christophorus legend, but also her impressions of the mountainous landscape of the Alps .

classification

The question of which musical genre the Christoforus belongs to cannot be answered clearly. Arnold Schering wrote that the work “stands on the threshold from the oratorio to the choral ballad of Schumann and Gade origin”.

Rheinberger himself never used the term oratorio for his work . But Rheinberger also avoided the term legend . Although this word appears as a subtitle on the first edition published by Fr. Kistner (and was also adopted in later editions ), this term primarily relates to the text, i.e. the history of saints, and is a generic term for an oratorical form in the not proven at the time.

occupation

Christoforus is written for mixed choir ( SATB ), which also takes on the role of narrator, and the following soloists:

  • Giant (baritone)
  • Hermit (tenor)
  • Warning voice (alto)
  • Alluring voice (soprano)
  • The Christ Child's voice (soprano)

The orchestra includes piccolo , 2 flutes , 2 oboes , 2 clarinets , 2 bassoons , 2 horns , 2 trumpets , 3 trombones , tuba , timpani , bass drum , cymbals , triangle , organ , harp , 2 violins , viola , cello and double bass .

A performance lasts about 70 minutes.

action

Konrad Witz 004.jpg

The main character is an unnamed giant who lives in the Orient and is a great warrior. However, he sees no point in always fighting his battles in his own name and would like to place himself under the command of someone else - but only if that person is the most powerful ruler in the world. One day he receives news of an extremely powerful king, to whom he is on his way to offer his services. At first he is greeted with joy, but a voice warns the king that the giant might have been sent by Satan himself. When the king turns pale, the giant realizes that the king is afraid of Satan and that he must therefore be even more powerful. So he decides to put himself in the service of Satan and sets out to seek him. Finally, in a rugged, deserted, mountainous region, he reaches Satan's kingdom. After the giant talked with different voices and spirits, Satan himself comes with his entourage herangeprescht for hunting, but turns off suddenly as she a cross approach. The giant, unable to identify the cause of the flight in the dark, decides to wait until sunrise . When it gets light, he recognizes the figure of the crucified Jesus Christ on the crucifix and concludes that he is even more powerful than Satan. A hermit who prays before the cross tells him that the man on the cross is God's Son. When the giant asks the hermit how he can put himself in the service of this Son of God, he receives the answer that, as a great and strong man, he should in future carry pilgrims through the water on the nearby river , otherwise they would have to take a long and dangerous detour .

Years later, the giant is still faithfully doing his job, even if his strength gradually deteriorates due to age. One night he hears the voice of a boy who wants to be carried across the river. The giant does this, but he feels the boy getting heavier and heavier, so that in the end, completely exhausted, he thinks that he has carried the whole world on his shoulders. The child reveals himself to be Jesus Christ and announces to him that he will now receive the reward for his faithful service. A “choir of heavenly spirits” welcomes the - apparently dead - giant to the heavenly realm and now names him Christophorus , the bearer of Christ.

Performances and reception

Performance of Christoforus in St. Michael in Munich (2014)

The Christoforus contributed significantly to the reputation of Rheinberger as one of the most important composers in his time. Hermann Kretzschmar counted above all the scene Satana's pulls to the hunt among the "most beautiful and richest that the 19th century can show in the field of sacred oratorio".

For Glenn Stanley, the important performances in 1882 in the Leipzig Gewandhaus under Carl Reinecke , in 1883 in Paris, in the same year under Rheinberger's own management in Cologne's Gürzenich (at the invitation of Ferdinand Hiller ) and in 1889 by the Berlin Singing Academy represent the highpoint of Rheinberger's career. After the Paris performance, Rheinberger was made an honorary member of the Société des compositeurs de musique . The German biography also counts Christoforus - together with the Star of Bethlehem - among Reinberger's greatest successes.

At the beginning of the 20th century the work had already been performed about 150 times, mainly in the entire German-speaking area, but also in Paris, London and the USA. After bad criticism on the occasion of a performance in Munich by the Musikalische Akademie in 1901 and the composer's death shortly thereafter, the work was largely forgotten - a fate that at that time also met numerous other oratorios of the 19th century. It was not until the republication in 2006 by Carus Verlag as part of a Rheinberger complete edition that the tide turned again. Since then, the Christoforus has been performed more frequently in German-speaking countries, including in Munich, Letmathe , Kaufbeuren , Thun and Meiringen .

Discography

literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Harald Wanger: Josef Gabriel Rheinberger - Eine Biographie , van Eck Verlag, Triesen 2007, ISBN 978-3-905501-89-6 , p. 71
  2. ↑ quoted from Ursula Mohn: Foreword to Josef Gabriel Rheinberger: Christoforus op.120 , Carus-Verlag , Stuttgart 2011, CV 50.120
  3. ^ Arnold Schering : History of the oratorio , Georg Olms Verlag , Hildesheim 1988, p. 436
  4. ↑ a b c Glenn Stanley: Fanny on the Giant's footsteps, Josef in the shadow of Wagner: Thoughts on the origin, structure and style of Josef Rheinberger's "legend" Christoforus , in: Munich publications on the history of music, vol. 62, Hans Schneider Verlag , Tutzing 2004 , ISBN 978-3-7952-1175-2
  5. ↑ a b c Stephan Hörner : Christoforus - between ballade and oratorio , in: Münchner Publications zur Musikgeschichte, Vol. 62, Hans Schneider Verlag , Tutzing 2004, ISBN 978-3-7952-1175-2
  6. ^ Hermann Kretzschmar : Guide through the concert hall / II. Department , Volume II, Leipzig 1920, pp. 398–399
  7. ^ Rheinberger, Josef Gabriel from on www.deutsche-biographie.de
  8. ^ Letter from Josef Rheinberger to Henriette Hecker, December 25, 1900 (after Wanger, p. 71)
  9. ↑ Rheinberger Oratorio inspires audiences at www.vaterland.li , March 23, 2014
  10. ↑ Ralf Tiemann: A pleasure that is good for everyone on ikz-online.de , November 22, 2016
  11. ↑ Concert program 2011 of the Trinity Church (Kaufbeuren) (pdf)
  12. ↑ Christina Burghagen: Christophorus year golden throated finished , Thuner Tagblatt , November 18, 2019 (pdf)