Hector Berlioz's "Te Deum" Author(s): J. S. Shedlock Source: The Musical Times and Singing Class Circular, Vol. 25, No. 502 (Dec. 1, 1884), pp. 684-686 Published by: Musical Times Publications Ltd. Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3356039 Accessed: 27-06-2016 09:44 UTC Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at http://about.jstor.org/terms JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected]. Musical Times Publications Ltd. is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to The Musical Times and Singing Class Circular This content downloaded from 128.163.2.206 on Mon, 27 Jun 2016 09:44:09 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms orchestra s-r7 Berlioz demands|q 25r- ISrst violins,t r second, 684 THE MUSICAL TIMES. DECEMBER I, I884. second time, to infor fnyself of the neta sort of St$SiC note preISxed to the full score, intimates that this whxch had bee developed there sixce fny fiYSt jOIltX6y third choir may be dispensed with although he adds and which was now in >;se. The new music was doubt- that " il contribue puissament a i'eSet." In three less the composition of Monteverde. In August out of the six sections of the work it is not even I63I, the father of Schiitz died, and he returned to employed, and when used it doubles (with few and Dresden, where he stayed but a short time, and comparatively unimportant exceptions) the other afterward journeyed to the principal towns in Italy. voices either in unison or in the octave. For his In I634 he again passed through Germany, still suSering from the plague of war, and eventually I8 violas, I8 cellos, and I6 double-basses-in all IOI settled for four years at Copenhagen, where he was strings. Of wood w7ind: 4 flutes 4 oboes, 4 clarincts received with much distinction he left Denmark an English horn, bass clarinet, and 4 bassoons. Of n I638 and went to Brunswick and Lunebourg brass: 4 horns, X trumpetsS Z cornets, 6 tenor trom- returning to Copenhagen in I642. He received the bones, I ophicleide, and I tuba. Also kettledrums, appointment of Chapel-master to the king, but the drums, gross-caisse, and cymbals; ancl besides, the happy restoration of peace to Germany enabled him organ. to go back to Dresden, where he spent the remainder For his first choir he requires IOO N oices (+o of his days. Becoming aHlicted with deafness he sopranos, 30 tenors, and 30 basses), the same for his devoted himself to the study of the Scriptures second, and for the third 600 or, as he naively says and the composition of sacred music, producing in a note, " aussi nombreux que possible." numerous Psalms and Motetts, and four settings of The first movement opens with a succession of " The Passion." Two years before his death, at his chords for orchestra and organ alternately. The request, his pupil, Bernhard, director of music at organ then gives out a bold theme, which is after- Hamburg, composed a funeral chant for ISve voices wards combined with the principal subject led ofF by in the style of Palestrina, for performance at his the sopranos. To save space we give these two funeral. Schutz died on November 6, I672, in the 88th melodies together, as they occur after the one marlsed year of his age, having been Chapel-master to the a has been treated in fugal style:- Elector of Saxony sSfty-seven years. Much of his Ex. s. chllrch music was planned for performance by a double choir, and was largely coloured by orchestration for & t- l o TJ d ; stringedand wind instruments. Itis remarkablefor its Te xe - - - ter - num true expression of the sentiment of the text, for rhythm and sweetness of cadence. A list of the compositions _' t 1r Z 1r Ct r X' q4;f -r-' '8 >Fr-< i ,-l<t rzFT by Schutz would be lengthy, and must be reserved for a future occasion * but mention may be made of Te De-um lau-da - mus, his Opera " Daphne," composed to a libretto trans- rz _ lated by Opitz from Rinuccini, remarkable as being the lErst German opera. His most beautiful compo- sition is said to be an Oratorio on " The Passion," + S W- t>w-ql 4-4 1 j L 1 -- preserved in manuscript in the Royal Library at Pa - trem om-nis ter - ra ve - ne - ra - tUI Dresden. Schutz added the grace of the Italian t manner to the strength of the German school - l and was the Erst to give due place to solo and The movement might really be described as an irre- chorus in musical illustrations of Bible narra- gular double fugue on two subjects, or we might evela tive. Unfortunately for us, so far as I know, the say three, if we include a counter-subject which plays music of Schutz is not easily obtained, with the rather an important part in the opening. A clear exception of some very beautiful extracts from his knowledge and remembrance of the two themes quoted " Passion Music," introduced to public notice by will enable the listener to understand the main scope Herr Pauer in I873, and published by Novello, Ewer and design of the whole movement. The one marked and Co. These are to be had, and I recommend a forms in one place the material for an able stretto them to the notice of my readers in the hope that while part of the other in another place is employed their beauty and excellence will induce some London near the close with a strange progression of chords. Musical Society to take them into consideration, with Berlioz cleverly avoids consecutive fifths and octaves a view to a fitting performance in I885 to celebrate in the instrumental parts, but they are perceptible to the centenary of Heinrich Schutz, justly called by the ear if not to the eye- his contemporaries " The Father of German Music." EX. 2. _ VOICES. HECTOR BERLIOZ'S " TE DEUM." BY J. S. SHEDLOCK, B.A. THIS extraordinary work, which Mr. A. Manns intends shortly to produce at the Crystal Palace, was first performed at the church of St. Eustache, Paris on April 3o, I855, under the composer's direction. When the work has been heard the musical critics will tell us what they think of ite meanwhile, we propose to give a brief description of the various movements, hoping to interest those who are unac- quainted with the score. The work is usually spoken of as one for two choirs, orchestra and organ, although in reality there are three: a lSrst choir of sopranos, tenors and basses; a second choir similarly com- - -w- F- posed, and a third of children's voices. This children's choir, in performance, ought to be separated from The piece opens in F major but closes on the chord the other two choirs, and placed on a raised platform of F sharp as dominant of B major, the key of the not far from the orchestra. But the composer, in a following movement.e., " Tili omnes." Here at first This content downloaded from 128.163.2.206 on Mon, 27 Jun 2016 09:44:09 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms \'y 1t I | ' I I t - t * e r w- n\\_w , 11 THE MUSICAL TIMES. DECEMBER I, I884. 685 - only female voices are employed, supported by wood The double-basses are not used after the opening wind without bassoons, horns, and strings, with prelude, and the organ comes in only in one or tsvo sparing use of double-basses. The organ opens with places; the violins and violas for the most part a quiet symphony of sixteen bars, and it also plays a support the voices, while the wood-wind instruments few bars between the voWal phrases. At the words move about in an independent and often original " Plceni sunt cwli 7 the three choirs combine, and at mannert the words " gloriz tuse " the full force of the orchestra In the next number, " Christe Rex gloria," neither is heard for the frst time. The vibrating cymbals trombones nor organ are used. The key is again will here attract attention. The opening phrase D major. Th voices enter at once with a phrase repeated so many times during the course of the commencing- piece, with slight variations according to the diSerent EX. 6. words, is as follows- TEN ORS AND BASSF S Ex. 3. S## ° # >X+U &C. 4 : ' t r t J; t ;- w>-J r |t f Ti - bi, ti - bi om - nes An-ge-li. Tu Chris - te tu Rex glo -ri- se. It is allotted to men's voices after we have passed from heaven to earth, from Cherubim and Seraphim After this theme has been repeated with four-part to Apostles, Prophets, and Martyrs. This second and different harmony, we come to the following- section winds up lilie the first with the forte "tua EX. 7 gloria.'? The phrase (Ex. 3) is then taken up by bass voices in the hey of E, the subdominant, followed by a vigorous forte passage, and the movement con- t F 8 t $--t: e_1+_C¢> cludes with a repetition of the opening symphony, Tu de - vic - to mor - tis a - cu - le - o.