Pacific Lutheran University School of the Arts and Communication / Department of Music present

Choral Union

Friday, May 20, 2016 at 8:00pm Lagerquist Concert Hall, Mary Baker Russell Music Center

Pacific Lutheran University School of the Arts and Communication / Department of Music present

Choral Union Richard Nance, Conductor

Friday, May 20, 2016 at 8:00pm Lagerquist Hall, Mary Baker Music Center, Pacific Lutheran University

Welcome to Lagerquist Concert Hall. Please disable the audible signal on all watches, pagers and cellular phones for the duration of the concert. Use of cameras, recording equipment and all digital devices is not permitted in the concert hall.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) Music for Salzburg Cathedral

Missa Brevis in F, K. 192 (1774)

Stephanie Bivins, soprano  Faith Ockwell, mezzo-soprano Nick Pharris, tenor  Alonso Brizuela, bass

1. Kyrie

Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.

2. Gloria

Glory to God in the highest. And on earth peace to all those of good will. We praise you. We bless you. We worship you. We glorify you. We give thanks to you according to your great glory. Lord God, Heavenly King, God the Father almighty. Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son. Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father. You take away the sins of the world, have mercy upon us. You take away the sins of the world, receive our prayer. You sit at the right hand of the Father, have mercy upon us. For you alone are holy. You alone are the Lord. You alone are the most high, Jesus Christ. With the Holy Spirit in the glory of God the Father. Amen.

Sonate in F Dur, KV. 244 (1776)

3. Credo

I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible. And I believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, born of the Father before all ages. God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God. Begotten, not made, of one substance with the Father by whom all things were made. Who for us and for our salvation came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the Virgin Mary. And was made man. Crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate, he suffered, and was buried. And on the third day he rose again, according to the Scriptures. He ascended into heaven and he sits at the right hand of the Father. He shall come again with glory to judge the living and the dead; and of his kingdom there will be no end. And I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who together with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified, who spoke to us through the Prophets. And I believe in one, holy, catholic and Apostolic Church. I confess one baptism for the remission of sins. I await the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.

Sonate in C Dur, KV. 336 (1777)

4. Sanctus

Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Hosts. Heaven and earth are full of thy glory. Hosanna in the highest.

5. Benedictus

Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.

6. Agnus Dei

Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy upon us. Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy upon us. Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, grant us peace.

Intermission

Sonate in G Dur, KV. 274 (1776)

Vesperae Solennes de Confessore, K. 339 (1780)

Jennifer Gorham, soprano  Erin Calata, mezzo-soprano Nick Pharris, tenor  Joshua Luebke, bass

1. Dixit Dominus (Psalm 110)

The Lord said to my Lord, ‘Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.’ The Lord will extend your mighty scepter from Zion, saying, ‘Rule in the midst of your enemies!’ Your troops will be willing on your day of battle. Arrayed in holy splendor, your young men will come to you like dew from the morning’s womb. The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind: ‘You are a priest for ever, in the order of Melchizedek.’ The Lord is at your right hand; he will crush kings on the day of his wrath. He will judge nations, heaping up the dead and crushing the rulers of the whole earth. He will drink from a brook along the way; and so he will lift his head high. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, As it was in the beginning, is now and will be forever. Amen.

2. Confitebor (Psalm 111)

I will extol the Lord with all my heart in the council of the upright and in the assembly. Great are the works of the Lord; they are pondered by all who delight in them. Glorious and majestic are his deeds, and his righteousness endures forever. He has caused his wonders to be remembered; the Lord is gracious and compassionate. He provides food for those who fear him; he remembers his covenant forever. He has shown his people the power of his works, giving them the lands of other nations. The works of his hands are faithful and just; all his precepts are trustworthy. They are established forever and ever, enacted in faithfulness and uprightness. He provided redemption for his people; he ordained his covenant forever – holy and awesome is his name. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, As it was in the beginning, is now and will be forever. Amen.

3. Beatus Vir (Psalm 112)

Blessed are those who fear the Lord, who find great delight in his commands. Their children will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed. Wealth and riches are in their houses, and their righteousness endures forever. Even in darkness light dawns for the upright, for those who are gracious and compassionate and righteous. Good will come to those who are generous and lend freely, who conduct their affairs with justice. Surely the righteous will never be shaken; they will be remembered forever. They will have no fear of bad news; their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord. Their hearts are secure, they will have no fear; in the end they will look in triumph on their foes. They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor, their righteousness endures forever; their horn will be lifted high in honor. The wicked will see and be vexed, they will gnash their teeth and waste away; the longings of the wicked will come to nothing. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, As it was in the beginning, is now and will be forever. Amen.

4. Laudate Pueri (Psalm 113)

Praise the Lord, you his servants; praise the name of the Lord. Let the name of the Lord be praised, both now and for evermore. From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the Lord is to be praised. The Lord is exalted over all the nations, his glory above the heavens. Who is like the Lord our God, the One who sits enthroned on high, who stoops down to look on the heavens and the earth? He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap; he seats them with princes, with the princes of his people. He settles the childless woman in her home as a happy mother of children. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, As it was in the beginning, is now and will be forever. Amen.

5. Laudate Dominum (Psalm 117)

Praise the Lord, all you nations; extol him, all you peoples. For great is his love towards us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, As it was in the beginning, is now and will be forever. Amen.

6. Magnificat

My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me – holy is his name. His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thought. He has brought down rulers from their thrones and has lifted the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever, just as he promised our ancestors. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, As it was in the beginning, is now and will be forever. Amen.

Program Notes

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was perhaps the greatest musical prodigy of all time. He was born in Salzburg in 1756, the son of a well-known violinist, teacher and composer, Leopold Mozart. His father recognized his musical abilities and those of his older sister Nannerl at a very young age, and spent most of his time, money and energy nurturing and promoting his children’s skill. Wolfgang was given harpsichord lessons at age four, and began composing at age five. By his sixth birthday, Wolfgang was already a well-known keyboard performer.

Leopold Mozart worked in the court of a benevolent, music-loving patron, Prince-Archbishop Schattenbach, who freely showcased the family of court musicians, allowing them to travel widely throughout Europe. It was during this time that young Mozart’s fame spread, and he became influenced by the many musicians he was able to visit, including Johann Christian Bach and Johann Michael Haydn. It was a time of great artistic freedom and growth.

Prince-Archbishop Schattenbach’s untimely death in December of 1771 would bring drastic changes for the Mozart family. His successor, Prince-Archbishop Hieronymous Colleredo was an autocrat who insisted on government austerity. He had very little interest in art, and valued the principles of “the Enlightenment,” popular during that time in Europe, which specified reason and individualism over tradition. These principles had a wide-ranging effect on the church and in particular, music composed for the church. Colleredo demanded that no church service should be longer than 45-minutes in length, and that service music should be presented in a concise, simplistic way. In 1773 Mozart’s family returned from a final trip to Italy, and at the age of 17 he became employed as court musician under Colleredo. Mozart was viewed as an extremely popular celebrity in Salzburg, so he was allowed to continue to compose in a wide variety of forms, including symphonies, sonatas, string quartets, serenades, and operas, but he was also required to compose music for the seat of the church in the region—Salzburg Cathedral. Throughout his association with Archbishop Colleredo there were conflicts, and Mozart openly expressed his loathing of the position and the restrictions that were placed upon him. That he managed to compose works of such elegance, creativity and beauty while working under such restrictive conditions is testament to Mozart’s genius.

Colleredo’s demands for concise musical settings led Mozart to compose several brief settings of the mass, intended for liturgical use. These range from 15 – 25 minutes in length, and though they contain all sections of the ordinary, the texts are presented in an extremely concise fashion. Unlike larger settings of the Mass, where the longer texts of the Gloria and Credo are split into several movements, in brevis masses the texts of each part of the Ordinary are presented as a whole, one line at a time with few or no repetitions or musical development, and in some cases, the various lines of the text may overlap. There are only brief instrumental introductions to the movements (if at all), and few if any instrumental interludes. Even the forces required to present these works were economical—Mozart employed the so- called “Salzburg Church trio”—first and second violins and continuo (no violas), with only a small compliment of winds (if any at all). Vocal soloists emerge from the choral texture for brief sections, but there are no lengthy solo movements.

The Missa Brevis in F, KV192 is Mozart’s sixth mass, composed in 1774. It is considered one of the best examples of Mozart’s compositions in this genre. Mozart strove to mix the “galant” elements of charm (popular with the court and in society) with masterful counterpoint. He was not a religious or spiritual man, and perhaps this shows in the musical treatment of the texts, which can at times seem purely instrumental in nature, and though certainly musical, not innately expressive of the textual meaning. A good example is the Kyrie from this mass, the character of which is rather light and carefree for a text that translates “Lord, have mercy, Christ, have mercy, Lord, have mercy.” Or the playful “Dona nobis pacem” (Grant us peace), with its dance-like character. Interesting dynamic effects are present, such as forte-pianos on certain syllables and terraced dynamics. Much of the choral writing throughout the mass is chordal in nature, but there are sections of brilliant counterpoint, particularly in the Kyrie, the end of the Gloria and Credo, and the Osanna. There are moments where several lines of text are presented simultaneously, called “telescoping,” another means of compacting the setting. The Credo is composed on a famous four-note theme that is repeated throughout that movement. Mozart would later use this same theme in his Jupiter symphony.

Interspersed in the movements of the mass this evening are two of Mozart’s Church Sonatas. These brief instrumental works were intended to be played between the Epistle and Gospel readings during the service, and might have also been used on occasion at the Offertory. Most often Mozart would insert a sonata that was composed in the same key as the setting of the mass. We have chosen to vary the keys this evening.

The second half of our program begins with another of Mozart’s Church Sonatas, after which we move directly to the Vesperae Solennes de Confessore, K. 339, the final work he composed for Salzburg Cathedral (in 1780). is the penultimate service of the day in the Catholic Divine Office, occurring at sundown. The title indicates the work was written to honor a Saint, and some scholars believe that it may have been Rupert, the Patron Saint of Salzburg. There are five movements, all settings of Psalms, followed by a Magnificat—the Canticle of Mary, which is regularly used in the service of Evening Prayer. All of the Psalm movements end with an added Gloria Patri. These movements would have been interspersed by the spoken texts of the Vesper liturgy.

The instrumentation is again for the Salzburg trio, with and timpani added for the festive occasion of a Sunday Vespers service. A quartet of vocalists is used in the same manner as in the mass--they emerge from the choral texture for brief moments, the exception being the soprano, who is given the bulk of the well-beloved Laudate Dominum movement. Mozart’s musicians could all play several instruments, so he chose to add a bassoon solo to accompany the soprano. The bassoon would then join the continuo group for the remainder of the piece.

The work begins with the fiery Dixit Dominus, marked “Allegro vivace.” The Psalm is rather militaristic in nature, and Mozart paints this picture with sharp, chordal statements from the chorus, sudden dynamic shifts and the use of chromaticism, as kings are crushed on the day of the Lord’s wrath. Confitebor is a text that extols the works and mighty deeds of the Lord. The music here is rather grand, again with mostly chordal declamation by the chorus, however there is a moment of staggered entrances to emphasis the text “Confesio et magnificentia opus” (Praise his magnificent works), which repeats at the Amen. The soloists interplay with the chorus and sing rather extended passages. Large dynamic changes highlight the expression of the text. Beatus vir is set in a festive ¾ time. Ascending scale passages and large choral arpeggios are the hallmark of this movement. The soloists again emerge from the choral texture for extended passages, especially the soprano, who is given a rapid, long, triplet melisma. Laudate Pueri is set in a minor key and given primarily a fugal treatment. Voices enter in descending lines with various lines of the text, allowing Mozart to cover the lengthy Psalm in a more compact manner. The mood of the movement is intense and quite somber compared to the praise worthy nature of the text. This is the only movement for chorus alone. Next follows the afore-mentioned Laudate Dominum, which is set in a gentle six beats per bar. The chorus sings a harmonized version of the solo in the second half of the piece, after which the soloist returns for a lyrical amen. The Vespers close with the Magnificat—the song the Virgin Mary sings when she learns that she is to bear the Son of God. The movement begins in a fanfare, then moves to an exuberant, jaunty melody sung by the soprano soloist. The chorus and soloists interact and trade phrases through the triumphant end of the work.

Mozart eventually could no longer live with the demands and restrictions placed on him by Archbishop Colleredo and left his position at Salzburg Cathedral in 1781—or was asked to leave. He moved to Vienna and lived with the Weber family, and though his affection for the daughter Aloyisia was spurned, he married her younger sister Constanze in 1782. He enjoyed great success as a performer and composer from 1783 – 1788 and wrote some of his best-known operas, symphonies and other works. However, he was never able to garner support from the aristocracy and eventually stopped performing and drew inward, spending the last years of his life pouring himself into great works like Le Nozze di Figaro, Don Giovanni, the Jupiter Symphony, and of course, his .

Pacific Lutheran University Choral Union Richard Nance, Conductor Suzanne Montgomery, Rehearsal Accompanist

Soprano Alto Tenor Bass Stephanie Bivins Megan Beresford Neil Asay Alan Aplin Elizabeth Binkley Allison Bill Tom Cameron David Bales Katie Brizuela Erin Calata John Carlsen Chris Berntsen Sue Byrd Clara Eickhoff John Ockwell Alonso Brizuela Debbie Dion Nicole Fife Rich Ockwell Nathan Gorham Caryl D. Dowd Karen Fulmer Stephen Payne Vic Hansen Jennifer Gorham Jamie Lindberg Nick Pharris Jim Hushagen Debbie Hushagen Cindy Luebke Roland Robinson J. Christian Jaeger Anna Kwon Emily Murer Randy Saager Brian Keiper Patti Nance Shirley Nelson Paul Watson Todd Kelley Nancy Nole Faith Ockwell Keith Krause Amy Onstot Becky Purser Joshua Luebke Angela Owen Miriam Richards Phil Nesvig Lori Roy Allison Saager Aron Roberts Carrie Scott Anne Urlie Norm Seidel Diann Spicer Jennifer Woodard Larry Wiseman Helen Stalsberg Megan Zink

Orchestra Violin 1 Bass Svend Rønning Joseph Dyvig Janis Upshall Evelyn Gottlieb Bassoon Begin Scarseth Elizabeth Paterson Katrin St. Clair Trumpets Violin II Zach Lyman Deb Akerlund Ed Castro Rachel Nesvig Teo Benson Organ Colin Todd Paul Tegels August Giles Timpani Cello David Robbins Amy Windus Gretchen Yannover

Richard D. Moe Organ Series

Performance dates for the 2016-17 season Artists coming soon

September 11, 2016 October 9, 2016 November 6, 2016 March 5, 2017 April 9, 2017

All performances will be held in Lagerquist Concert Hall in the Mary Baker Russell Music Center. The performances will begin at 3pm.