Singing for the Gutenberg Festival
The celebratory song for the Gutenbergfest ( MWV D 4 ), full title: The celebratory song for the opening of the celebrations taking place on the market square in Leipzig on the first day of the fourth secular celebration of the invention of the art of printing , is a secular choral work by Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (music) and Adolf Eduard Prölß (Text) for male choir and two wind orchestras . The work was composed for the Gutenbergfest in 1840 and premiered in the open air on the market square in Leipzig . In addition to the male choir and the first wind orchestra, a second remote orchestra is planned for echo effects. Due to the high personnel and spatial requirements, the piece is seldom performed.
Occupation and subdivision
The first orchestra consists of 2 trumpets in C, 2 trumpets in D, 2 horns in G, 2 horns in C, 3 trombones (ATB) and 1 ophicleide. The small second orchestra consists of 2 trumpets in C, 2 horns in D and 3 trombones (ATB).
It is divided into four pieces:
- 1. Celebrate with holy hymns of praise
- 2. Fatherland, in your district
- 3. The Lord who spoke
- 4. Hail to him! Hail us!
The main melody of the second part was written by the British church musician William Hayman Cummings of the Christmas hymn Hark! The Herald Angels Sing highlighted. This Christmas carol is one of the most famous in English-speaking countries today.
This melody of the second part is also sung by Heinrich Held with the text of Thank God Through All the World .
At the same time, the strong similarity of the melodic and harmonic structure of this melody with JS Bach's Gavotte from the orchestral suite No. 4 suggests a possible adaptation by Mendelssohn.
This celebratory song is not to be confused with the festival song to the artists, also by Mendelssohn (op. 68).
text
1st chorale
- Celebrate with sacred praise
- the great hour of joy,
- come, sing thanks in a thousand voices
- to the Lord with heart and mouth.
- He made us this day
- he has made of tightly veiled night
- the light evoked.
- Centuries have been happy
- in its bright beam,
- and it continues to pour
- to the furthest valleys,
- where darkness and sorrow once lay,
- the day now shines as bright as the sun.
- O praise the God of love!
2nd song
- Fatherland, in your district
- when the golden day broke,
- Germany, your peoples saw
- thaw its shimmer.
- Gutenberg, the German man,
- lit the torch.
- New, omnipotent striving
- billows in the land of light,
- his rapid victory run
- follows an all happy life.
- Gutenberg, the great man,
- has done this noble work.
- Whether the darkness defends itself
- whether she performs a thousand pranks
- whether she is furious or indignant,
- she turns pale, she sinks like a corpse,
- but crowned as a hero of victory,
- the light stands before all the world.
- Gutenberg, you brave man,
- you are glorious on the scene.
3. Allegro molto
- The Lord who said: Let there be light!
- He helped in hard arguments
- he stood with comfort and confidence
- protecting you at your side.
- Belief in his holy word
- was your defense, your shield, your hoard,
- so you had to win.
- Hail now, immortality crowns
- you, pious hero, with glory
- Hail to you, hail to us forever.
4. Chorale
- Hail him! Hail us! So sounds
- to your holy thrones,
- Lord our God up
- the call of millions
- and we plead ardently:
- let the light shine
- the salvation of all humanity,
- Lord, thrive ever more.
Web links
- Festgesang zum Gutenbergfest, WoO 9 (Mendelssohn, Felix) : Notes and audio files in the International Music Score Library Project
- Entry at www.klassika.info