The death of Jesus (Graun)

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The death of Jesus , title page of the printed text for the first performance in 1755

The Death of Jesus is a passion oratorio (also known as the Passion Cantata) by Carl Heinrich Graun (1704–1759) based on a libretto by Karl Wilhelm Ramler (1725–1798). It was one of the most popular passion oratorios in the 18th and 19th centuries and, after its premiere in 1755, was the most frequently performed Protestant passion music in Germany.

history

The text is considered a work of the age of sensitivity during the Enlightenment and was created by Ramler on behalf of Princess Anna Amalia of Prussia (1723–1787), sister of King Frederick II (1712–1786). Ramler had written a cycle of three oratorios : The Shepherds at the Manger in Bethlehem, The Death of Jesus, The Resurrection and Ascension . The "Royal Prussian Capellmeister" Carl Heinrich Graun set the libretto to music in 1754/55 (GraunWV B: VII: 2). The first performance of the oratorio took place on March 26, 1755 in the Oberpfarr- und Domkirche zu Berlin . After that it was performed annually during the second half of the 18th century in many German cities (e.g. always on Good Friday in Berlin by the Sing-Akademie zu Berlin ), but also abroad.

Although the libretto was intended for the composer Graun, Georg Philipp Telemann also received a copy of the text and composed his own oratorio (TWV 5: 6). This work was premiered in Hamburg in March 1755, before Graun's work was performed in Berlin just a week later. Ramler revised his text in 1760.

The text does not represent a complete retelling of the Passion of Christ and does not quote any biblical texts. The theological interpretation of the text corresponds to the new theology of the Enlightenment (the so-called neology ) of the Prussian court preacher August Friedrich Sack (1703–1786). The Passion story is interpreted with commentary and emotional climaxes and aspects of the Passion are presented, so that the work was regarded by contemporaries as a “sentimental lyrical oratorio”.

The work was only in the 19th century by the St. Matthew Passion by Johann Sebastian Bach displaced and disappeared towards the end of the century from the concert programs. The work was largely forgotten for about a hundred years. In the 21st century the work was rediscovered, some recordings were made and the work is performed again occasionally.

Further settings

Compositional style

In contrast to Bach's Passions, Graun does not have any dialogues or individual characters in the plot. He does not entrust the tenor soloist with the role of narrator or evangelist and the bass with the vox Christi . The music is written in the Italian- Galant style in late Baroque style and contains only small contrapuntal approaches (especially in Duet No. 17) and fugue-like movements (Choral Double Fugue No. 14). The soloists take turns or sing together in a duet to freely tell an episode from the Passion story in a recitative. This is followed by a poetic reflection on this event in an aria and afterwards the choir gives an answer, which is crowned by a chorale that the entire congregation can sing along in the service. Carl Heinrich Graun wrote the chorales in a simple four-part homophonic setting. The composer, influenced by Italian opera, gives the melody and the voice ample space, using a harmonious language. All arias are performed as “ da capo ” with stylistic borrowings from his opera arias. Graun's recitatives are very expressive and culminate in the agitated simplicity of the bass recitative No. 23 about the death of Jesus : “He is no longer!”. The last choir, which starts out vigorously, turns into a mystical silence at the end.

structure

The death of Jesus - Christ on the cross - Staatliche Museen Preußischer Kulturbesitz Berlin

The Passion Oratorio consists of 25 movements:

  1. Choral - You, whose eyes flowed
  2. Chorus - His breath is weak
  3. Accompagnato recitative (soprano) - Gethsemane ! Gethsemane!
  4. Aria (soprano) - You hero, on whom the quiver
  5. Chorale - who else do I have but you alone
  6. Recitative (soprano) - Oh my Immanuel!
  7. Aria (soprano) - A prayer for new strength
  8. Recitative (tenor) - Now weapons sound
  9. Aria (tenor) - you soft souls
  10. Chorus - Our soul is bent
  11. Chorale - I want from my wrongdoing
  12. Recitative (bass) - Jerusalem, full of lust for murder
  13. Aria (bass) - This is how a mountain of God stands
  14. Chorus - Christ has left us an example
  15. Chorale - I will dare to do anything in your honor
  16. Recitative (soprano) - There is the sad, fateful stake
  17. Duet (sopranos) - enemies you grieve me
  18. Recitative (soprano) - Who is the saint, bestowed upon us as a pattern
  19. Aria (soprano) - Sings to the divine prophet
  20. Chorus - Rejoice everyone, you pious ones
  21. Chant - How wonderful is the new world
  22. Recitative (bass) - Suddenly the pain that was persistent falls
  23. Accompagnato recitative (bass) - Seraphim rise
  24. Choral (with bass solo) - your eyes cry!
  25. Chorus - Here we lie moved sinners

Recordings

literature

  • Ingeborg König: Studies on the libretto of "Death of Jesus" by Karl Wilhelm Ramler and Karl Heinrich Graun. Katzbichler, Munich 1972, ISBN 3-87397-023-6 (also: Kiel, Univ., Diss. 1971).
  • Herbert Lölkes: Ramler's “The Death of Jesus” in the settings of Graun and Telemann. Bärenreiter, Kassel 1999, ISBN 3-7618-1480-1 (also: Marburg, Univ., Diss. 1997).

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Telemann's "Der Tod Jesu" (accessed on March 9, 2018)
  2. ↑ Program for the performance of Graun's cantata “Der Tod Jesu” on April 1, 2017 in the Kreuzkirche Dresden with the Vocal Concert Dresden under the direction of Peter Kopp with the soloists Maria Perlt (Soprano I), Deborah York (Soprano II), Wolfram Lattke (tenor) and Klaus Häger (bass).
  3. ↑ Carus-Verlag - Graun: Der Tod Jesu (accessed on April 6, 2017)
  4. ↑ Hyperion - Graun: The Death of Jesus (accessed April 6, 2017)
  5. ↑ Andrea Zedler: Passion cantata "The Death of Jesus" by Carl Heinrich Graun (accessed on April 6, 2017)
  6. ↑ Harald Pfeiffer: Introduction to Carl Heinrich Graun's Passion Cantata “Der Tod Jesu”, online (accessed April 6, 2017)