Missa sancta No. 1

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The almost unknown works of Carl Maria von Weber also include two masses (apart from an insignificant youth work) that were written in 1818, at the same time as the " Freischütz ". Both masses are occasional compositions.

He composed the Missa sancta No. 1 in E flat major (WeV A.2) on the occasion of the name day of King Friedrich August I of Saxony on March 5, 1818 and the G major mass on the 50th wedding anniversary of the royal couple. Both masses were premiered in the Catholic court church in Dresden under the direction of the composer. With the composition of the E-flat major Mass he sought the king's special favor. The first complete performance of this mass did not take place until Easter Tuesday, March 24th of that year, in the presence of the king, who a few days later gave him a precious gift as a token of thanks.

The special features of the fair

In the Dresden Hofkirche, the strict regulations of the Catholic Church, which forbade women to participate in church services ( mulier taceat in ecclesia ), were still in force. Soprano and alto were therefore always sung by boys in the choir, and the corresponding solo parts were performed by men. The famous castrato Filippo Sassaroli, who had a phenomenal voice, sang the solo soprano. The E-flat major mass is still part of the repertoire of the Dresden Hofkirche. In addition, it is rarely performed.

The extraordinary, indeed unique, of this mass is that Weber, according to the Creed, inserts an offertory to music in the canon of the ordinarium (Kyrie, Gloria ...), the texts of which remain unchanged throughout the church year, the propium, the ever parts changing according to the feast times, heard; it is the prayer of sacrifice.

Weber now chose an offertory as an insert for his mass , as it is intended for the feast of St. John the Baptist (June 24th), patron saint of music. The liturgical words concerned are in the original: "Gloria et honore coronasti eum: et constituisti eum super opera manuum tuarum, Domine." , from Psalm 8 : “You crowned him with glory and honor and set him over the works of your hands, O Lord.” ( Ps 8,6  EU ) The real reason for choosing this offertory was undoubtedly different. The composition of the mass was intended as a tribute to the Saxon king, and with the religious formulas of the offertory for the feast of St. John the Saxon King is now celebrated as a ruler crowned by God and exalted above all else.

Basic remarks on the composition process

Although the mass was created parallel to the Freischütz and there are certain echoes of it here and there (it is therefore often called the Freischütz Mass), Weber deliberately dispensed with all operatic effects - apart from the offertory. All in all, he has great respect for the time-honored cultic text. The orchestra consists of the string section, the woodwinds (2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons) and 2 horns. Trumpets and timpani are used very sparingly, the trombones are completely absent, and the organ is not used. Obviously Weber was guided in his religious stance by a very specific principle that emerges particularly clearly in the last sentences: the reduction of all external means in favor of deepening and internalizing the composition.

Essential for the musical interpretation of the text is the use of different keys with their respective specific mood values, which Weber traces in a very sensitive way. The main key is E flat major, which is only used in the Kyrie, the Offertorium and the last section of the Agnus Dei. Each movement of the mass has its own tonal sphere, but the individual movements are linked by their third-octave relationships ( mediants ). Modulations occur again and again within the sentences ; islands are formed with sometimes very unusual keys to characterize the mood of the text passages in question, such as A minor, C flat major ... (see comments in the following text). With the exception of Benedictus, there is no use of the light cross keys.

The individual sentences of the mass

Kyrie (Adagio ma non troppo)

The first movement of the mass begins with a mighty E flat major chord and a subsequent octave fall, voiced by the full orchestra and choir. This small motif is basically a huge sound symbol: the father-deity bows down on humanity pleading for mercy. Later on, contrapuntal parts with imitations of the individual voices are followed by shorter, summarizing, sonorous, homophonic interjections.

The invocation of the second person (Christe eleison) contrasts with the first part, through changes in tempo, measure and key (Andante, ¾ measure, A flat major). The whole section is carried by a feeling of inwardness. The solo tenor calls on the person of Christ three times and the choir answers with two short interjections eleison . <

The third part surprisingly begins with a highly dramatic section in A flat minor, a key that is only rarely used, before the tone symbol of the beginning and its continuation are taken up again and bring the movement to a close.

Gloria (Allegro maestoso)

The text-rich Gloria is in the radiant C major and is clearly divided into three sections. Before the choir begins with the hymn of praise, there is a short orchestral prelude, a unison motif from the notes of the C major triad, which - sometimes in a varied form - unifies the first part.

The second section (Qui tollis ...) also has a uniform structure. Long stretches are performed by the soprano solo in piano, accompanied by delicate chords of the strings in an even quarter movement.

The third part (Vivace) is dominated by a choir fugue. At the end, in conjunction with the word Amen , the instrumental motif from the beginning is heard again, tonally enhanced by the use of the entire orchestra.

Credo (Andante)

The next two movements of the ordinarium (Credo and Sanctus) would have given Weber the opportunity to develop the brilliance of his musical language, as the text even suggests. Weber deliberately refrains from doing this and already in the Credo (A flat major) turns inward for long stretches of prayer-like meditation. In this way he opens up new layers of the liturgical text.

The movement begins with a two-bar unison introduction by the strings in fortissimo, before the choir voices the word Credo for the first time in unison with long notes. This three-tone motif sounds a total of six times during the movement and forms, as it were, the pillars on which the entire composition rests. It appears at the beginning and at the end and divides the musical course - according to the text - into five clearly separated parts.

The setting of the first Articles of Faith (Sections 1 - 3) is mainly done using a contrapuntal compositional technique with imitations of the individual choir parts. The orchestra accompanies discreetly. There is only one major sound development in one place.

The fourth and longest section that follows relates to the life, death, and resurrection of Christ. The beginning (Et incarnatus est) is reserved for the four soloists who are exclusively accompanied by the woodwinds. A point of particularly impressive sound. In its melodic course the woodwind group traces the descent of the incarnating soul from heaven to earth. The subsequent musical arrangement of the Crucifixion is in D flat major and, surprisingly, in pianissimo. The whole place is plunged into darkness, according to the report of the evangelists, who tell of a solar eclipse. As a contrast, there is the musical description of the resurrection and the judgment on the living and the dead (in C flat major!).

At the beginning of the fifth section, Weber goes back to the first part. Only at the very end (et vitam venturi saeculi) does the full orchestra begin, including the timpani and trumpets.

Offertory (Allegro)

As already mentioned, Weber added the offertory as a tribute to the Saxon King Friedrich August I. In connection with the organism of the other sentences, however, it forms, as it were, a foreign body; because it is an operatic bravura aria. The extensive pompous orchestral introduction with timpani and trumpets, which Weber incidentally only uses very sparingly, goes beyond the liturgical framework. He conceived the aria as such with the phenomenal abilities of the castrato Filippo Sassaroli in mind, who was very famous for his “wonderful and colossal” voice and his vocal mastery. Weber offers him ample opportunity to demonstrate his enormous ability: through coloratura, the creation of peak notes, long notes and trills that are held for up to five bars. Weber provides for fermatas in several places, at which the singer can shine with freely improvised cadences. The choir only has a subordinate, accompanying function.

If today the soprano aria is sung by a high female voice, this naturally cannot produce the eminent effects of a castrato voice; At the same time, however, the operatic effects are softened so that the sentence fits better into the overall context. In contrast to a liturgical use, one should not do without this movement in a concert performance.

Sanctus (Adagio)

The principle of reducing all external means in favor of internalization is particularly evident here. Weber completely takes back the enormous triple holy of the cherubim (according to Isaiah); it rises in pianissimo from the depths of the male voices over the alto to the soprano in long sustained chords. A special nuance are the syncopated drum beats together with the pizzicato of the bass, while the rest of the orchestra skips. Only with the word Sabaoth and the ensuing pleni sunt coeli does the full splendor of C major unfold.

The extensive Hosanna fugue (Allegro) no longer follows the building principles of the Baroque and also has a completely different character. However, the evenly running eighth note movement in the orchestral bass is reminiscent of the shape of the old basso continuo.

The Benedictus (Larghetto) is characterized by the use of very exquisite timbres; the choir is also included in this sense. The woodwinds - only the clarinets and bassoons and also the horns play - only have an accompanying chordal function. Trumpets and timpani are silent, as are the violins and violas. Everything is bathed in a dark timbre. But nowhere does the impression of oppression or heaviness arise; The key of G major and the swinging 6/8 time alone counteract such a mood. Rather, a prayer-like piety pervades the aria. The main instrumental part is played by the cellos; they form, as it were, the dialogue partner to the solo soprano, who rises as the only clear voice above the instruments and the choir.

Agnus Dei (Largo)

The last movement of the ordinarium begins in C minor, which follows the C major of the Sanctus as a minor key of the same name. The soloists (initially without the soprano) and the choir turn to the Lamb of God, as John the Baptist called Jesus Christ, with great urgency, asking for mercy. The string orchestra accompanies very discreetly in chords with an incessantly repeating short rhythmic formula that spreads unrest and distress over the entire first part.

With the request for peace the mood brightens (E flat major). Now the soprano part joins the other soloists and the woodwinds are included in the accompaniment. In the pianissimo ending, however, the hope for peace is clouded by the return of the rhythmic motif. The work leaves the listener in a pensive mood.

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