Performance Materials for America’s Romantic Masterworks and a New Edition of Paine’s Mass in D by David P. DeVenney Over the past two decades Ameri- They are central to a complete under- and parts for both the Mass and St. Peter, can choral music of the Romantic standing of the history of American but these are not satisfactory for mod- era has begun to be re-discovered, choral music, as the most eloquent ern performances as the full score is an reassessed, and heard in increasing and musically demanding works to be enlarged version of Paine’s manuscript, numbers of public performances penned during this era. with notations by other hands, missing 5 throughout the country. This includes Of the four principal works, only measures, and other critical problems. works by the so-called “Second New Hora novissima has been readily available Besides these seminal works, a England School,” composers like John to today’s performers, through reprint number of other important American Knowles Paine, Horatio Parker, and editions of the original score, parts, and Romantic oratorios and cantatas may Amy Beach, as well as composers not piano-vocal score.2 A piano-vocal score be readily found. Several have recently associated with that Boston group, of Beach’s Mass is also available,3 how- been made available in modern, critical like Edward MacDowell and Charles ever, there is no modern full score or set editions from A–R Editions in Madison, Martin Loeffl er. of instrumental parts available for it. It is Wisconsin. Among them are William The smaller works in this large possible to rent copies of the original Bradbury’s Esther, The Beautiful Queen, repertory are receiving increased hand-written score and parts housed George Bristow’s Oratorio of Daniel, attention, partly due to their ready ac- at the New England Conservatory of Amy Beach’s Sea Fairies and Canticle cessibility through new Web sources.1 Music. But these are diffi cult to read of the Sun, Dudley Buck’s complete These works have the added ad- and, according to one conductor who (shorter) choral pieces, George Root’s vantage of requiring few performing has performed and recorded the Mass, The Haymakers, and Paine’s The Nativity. resources other than choir and piano. they are riddled with errors.4 Recent email correspondence between But the most important works of Conductors and scholars may obtain this author and a doctoral candidate at the period are, without a doubt, the piano-vocal scores of the two Paine the University of Iowa has revealed a masterworks in the genres of mass works (both are available from the Pe- new thesis and future modern edition and oratorio. Of those, Paine’s Mass in trucci Music Library Web site, <imslp. of George Bristow’s Mass in C. D and oratorio St. Peter, Beach’s Mass org>. These vocal scores are nineteenth- Other publishers, notably Kessinger in E-fl at, and Parker’s Hora novissima century editions, produced in cramped Publishers and Nabu Press, have issued are the most important and enduring. and old-fashioned music notation, with vocal scores of longer nineteenth- wrong notes, problems of text underlay, century choral works, reprinting their and other issues. There is a manuscript original publications. For example, Paine’s of Paine’s Mass also on the Petrucci site. choral works available through Amazon. Recent examination of it, however, has com are the Hymn of the West; Phoebus, David P. DeVenney is professor of music raised a number of questions about its Arise; the incidental choruses from Oe- and director of choral activities at West Chester University of Pennsylvania. state, about which more is below. dipus Tyrannus; Song of Promise; Scenes It is also possible to rent a full score from the Birds of Aristophanes; and The CHORAL JOURNAL Volume 53 Number 4 55 Realm of Fancy. These are a wonderful the aim of this recently published, mod- was the fi rst notice of a performance resource to scholars studying this period, ern edition of the Paine’s masterwork, of any part of the Mass in D.9 Three but unfortunately less useful to conduc- has been to support that goal.8 further movements were performed tors who want to perform this reper- John Knowles Paine (1839–1906) on a fundraising concert at Harvard in tory, since performing parts (scores or was born in Portland, Maine, into a musi- March, 1866. A contemporary reviewer orchestra parts) are not published with cal family. He probably received his early was impressed with the “Confi teor” in them. The only orchestral parts available musical training from his uncle David. particular at this concert, considering it for the works discussed here are those More formal training was undertaken “learned, ingenious in treatment… [and] for Hymn of the West and the overture with Hermann Kotzschmar, a German free from what is commonplace, or dry, to Oedipus Tyrannus.6 Many of these immigrant who settled in Portland. or feebly sentimental.”10 The “Quoniam” scores (by Paine and others) are also Paine realized that he would need to was so favorably received that it had to available for download at the Petrucci continue his musical and compositional be repeated.11 Music Library. training in Europe so in 1859, at the age Paine took the Mass with him on Thirty years ago, it was diffi cult to of 19, he traveled to Berlin (Germany a second trip to Berlin (1866–67), obtain more than one or two of these was then the most common place for organizing and conducting a chorus works to study, let alone to perform. It American composers to study) to com- of 200 and a 50-piece orchestra at is gratifying to see that this rich vein of plete his musical education. His principal the Singakademie. This performance our American choral heritage is slowly teacher in Berlin was Karl August Haupt, marked the fi rst large-scale work by an emerging from neglect for scholars and with whom Paine studied organ, coun- American composer to be heard in a conductors to study, play and, more and terpoint, and composition. Haupt was a European musical center by a musically more frequently, to perform. Bach enthusiast and it was undoubtedly sophisticated audience. The Mass was under his guidance that Paine studied enthusiastically applauded and critically the Baroque master, the results of which acclaimed by the Berlin music press. Paine and the Mass in D infl uenced the fugal movements of the There is no evidence that a complete Of the four large, seminal works Mass and Paine’s many organ pieces. In performance of the work with orchestra identifi ed above, perhaps the most addition to his work with Haupt, he also occurred in the United States until the important and infl uential was Paine’s studied singing with Gustav Wilhelm Te- 1972 Festival of Americana at the New Mass in D. The Mass is one of the few schner and orchestration with Friedrich England Conservatory, when conductor nineteenth-century American choral Wilhelm Wieprecht. Gunther Schuller led a performance. works of the fi rst rank and was the sub- Returning to America in the spring Schuller later recorded the work with ject of my doctoral thesis.7 Undertaking of 1861, Paine was musically active in the St. Louis Symphony and Chorus for a performance of the work has been Boston, giving lessons, organ recitals and, New World Records. diffi cult because of the lack of adequate in 1863, a series of lectures on music The Mass in D (1865–66) was Paine’s performance materials. I have been able history at Harvard. He taught for some fi rst major composition. It is scored for to locate evidence of only seven perfor- time at the New England Conservatory SATB soloists, chorus, and orchestra mances since 1976, many of them with of Music and, in 1875, was appointed to and is ninety minutes long. Comprised only organ accompaniment. The paucity Harvard as the fi rst professor of music of eighteen movements, all but three of performances, in turn, has meant that in America. It was there for a celebration use chorus. The soloists are each given most conductors are unaware of the in 1865 marking the end of the Civil War only one movement to sing alone. The Mass’s high musical quality. The Mass in D that Paine led a varied program which in- fi ve fugues of the Mass are the most im- deserves to enter the choral repertory cluded a “rich ‘Gloria’ from a Mass which portant and exciting music in the work. of American choirs and orchestras, and Paine had recently composed.” This Of these, the monumental fugue at the end of the Credo (“Et vitam venturi”) stands at the center of the work and is one of the more muscular movements CChorTeachorTeach <<www.acda.org>www.acda.org> of the work (Figure 1). The fugues are balanced by eloquent A ggreatreat rresourceesource forfor choralchoral dirdireectorsctors aatt allall llevels.evels. NewNew articlesarticles appearappear quarterly.quarterly. sections like the beautiful “Benedictus” for solo violin and solo quartet (with 56 CHORAL JOURNAL Volume 53 Number 4 Peter’s Way Tours 2013/2014 Festivals A tradition of promoting and drawing the most well attended concert venues! choral accompaniment); the elegant “Et the Mass. Close study of the Mass will incarnatus est” for soprano soloist; and also reveal motives and ideas from one the restful, elegiac “Dona nobis pacem” movement which are re-used and trans- which concludes the Mass. formed in later passages. Furthermore, The angular and chromatic “Cruci- Paine often linked several movements •• BBeenneeddiicctt PPaarraaddee fi xus” fugue subject shows Paine’s close together harmonically and melodi- Rome and study of Bach and Baroque choral music cally, and indicated that they were to Vatican City (Figure 2).