Felix Mendelssohn Symphony No. 2 “Lobgesang” NDR Radiophilharmonie Richter Andrew Manze Dierkes Tritschler NDR Chor WDR Rundfunkchor Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (1809–1847) Symphony No. 2 in B-flat Major op. 52, “Lobgesang” (“Hymn of Praise”) Edition: Breitkopf & Härtel 1 I Sinfonia Maestoso con moto - Allegro 11. 34 2 I Sinfonia Allegretto un poco agitato 5. 56 Felix 3 I Sinfonia Adagio religioso 7. 19 Mendelssohn 4 II Chorus Alles was Odem hat, lobe den Herrn 4. 31 Symphony 5 II Soprano I and Women’s Chorus Lobe den Herrn, meine Seele 1. 55 No. 2 6 III Tenor: Recitative and Aria Saget es, die ihr erlöst seid 2. 59 “Lobgesang” NDR Radiophilharmonie 7 IV Chorus Sagt es, die ihr erlöst seid 1. 49 Richter Andrew Manze Dierkes Tritschler NDR Chor 8 V Duet Soprano I and II, Chorus Ich harrete des Herrn 4. 57 WDR Rundfunkchor 9 VI Tenor Stricke des Todes hatten uns umfangen 4. 02 10 VII Chorus Die Nacht ist vergangen 4. 13 11 VIII Chorus Nun danket alle Gott 4. 29 “A Symphony-Cantata” unique in every respect [...]: unique within the tradition of the symphonic 12 IX Duet Soprano I and Tenor Drum sing ich mit meinem Liede 4. 19 Thoughts on Mendelssohn’s genre, unique in its wholly individual Lobgesang formal arrangement, and unique in its 13 X Final Chorus Ihr Völker! bringet her dem Herrn 5. 32 approach, which is neither sacred nor The premiere of Felix Mendelssohn’s secular, and yet both concurrently.” Total playing time: 63. 42 Lobgesang, op. 52, on June 25, 1840 was And the appearance of the work is a stately occasion: 2000 guests were remarkable: what exactly is the “Hymn gathered in Leipzig’s Thomaskirche, while of Praise”? A symphony? A cantata 500 instrumental and vocal performers with an instrumental symphony? A made the building ring in musical praise symphony-cantata? Or a combination of to God. The performance was received symphony and oratorio? enthusiastically by the audience, and Mendelssohn, too, loved his new work Let us consider the circumstances of enough to have it published soon after its creation. Since 1835, Mendelssohn its première – a fondness not dimmed had been musical director of the Anna Lucia Richter, soprano I by the addition of several extra vocal Leipzig Gewandhaus - and it had Esther Dierkes, soprano II movements shortly after. His “Hymn of been a largely positive period despite Robin Tritschler, tenor Praise” was not only new, but above all the position’s considerable demands, conceptually original: Leipzig was thus although his contract guaranteed him NDR Chor witness to a milestone in the history of six-months free each year, allowing him Robert Blank, chorus master the symphonic form. The Mendelssohn time for compositional work. The city NDR Radiophilharmonie expert Wolfram Steinbeck said of it that greatly appreciated his commitment, WDR Rundfunkchor Conducted by Andrew Manze the “work is, from a compositional view, and Mendelssohn enjoyed widespread English popularity. Nevertheless, deep in his in Düsseldorf and as director of the anything that I do not completely and Initially, Mendelssohn labelled the work heart he would probably have preferred Cäcilienverein in Frankfurt. The oratorio thoroughly feel. It is as if I were to tell a a “Symphony for Choir and Orchestra”, to be a completely freelance artist, a Paulus had been written a few years lie; for the notes have a meaning just as only to rename it a little later, at the desire he expressed in several letters. previously in collaboration with the definite as the words- perhaps an even suggestion of his friend the writer Karl Despite this, his period in Leipzig up until preacher Julius Schubring (who would more definite one.” Klingemann, as a “Symphony-Cantata”. 1841 saw Mendelssohn produce some later also help Mendelssohn with the In fact, the piece contains characteristics important works, among them the three text of Elias) and Mendelssohn wrote Even though the Lobgesang was of both: the instrumental movements are string quartets op. 44, and a body of solo to Schubring in 1840: “Have not the (posthumously) regarded to be the genuinely symphonic, while the cantata- songs, psalms and choral music, as well slightest consideration, please, for the second of the five major symphonies, it like section clearly exhibits oratorical as the Lobgesang itself. Leipzig festival-organisers, to whom I was actually the last to be composed. features. For Mendelssohn himself, have promised to perform some new Friedhelm Krummacher has shown how however, the Lobgesang was primarily a The initial stimulus for the composition piece - a promise I will keep, because I sections of a symphony begun in the symphony and a “key work” (Steinbeck) of the Lobgesang was a commission by have enough material; this piece may or years 1838/39 were inserted directly for his later compositions - maybe even Leipzig (the “book city”) of a work to may not accord with their theme. I seize into the Lobgesang. Moreover, the an essential development. mark the 400th anniversary (in 1840) of the opportunity to compose something current edition of Musik in Geschichte the invention of movable-type printing new on the occasion, but not specifically und Gegenwart, as well as the new At first glance, one attempts to by Johannes Gutenberg. Mendelssohn for it - they are aware of this, and are Mendelssohn Werkverzeichnis (2009) establish an affinity with Beethoven’s announced that “in June (he) will help in agreement with it.” Yet the “Hymn no longer include the work under Ninth Symphony - after all, both works celebrate the book-printing festival of Praise” was by no means simply “Symphonies” but as vocal music ... all comprise three orchestral movements with the performance of a new musical occasional music: it may have been of which brings us back to the question and a choral finale. The similarity, composition (I will probably create a externally motivated, but was certainly previously posed about the generic however, is only superficial: inLobgesang , kind of small-scale oratorio, or extensive written from a deep inner conviction. classification of the piece. the complete breaking-through from the psalm.)” He had acquired experience “I take the music itself very seriously and “despairing condition” (Beethoven) to in choral music during both his time consider it impermissible to compose the utopia of brotherhood is absent. But it is not only regarding the work’s content genre even further than Beethoven link: it later forms the first choral entry idea” motto, and its rich and emotionally where Mendelssohn went his own way: had dared. His goal: a new form of “All that has breath, praise the Lord”. enthusiastic praise of God is followed it is also unique in formal terms. He symphony. But Mendelssohn also connects the seamlessly by the splendid Scherzo, established two large blocks facing each orchestral movements with the cantata with its “subtle elegance” (Feuchtner). other: on one side, three instrumental In Lobgesang Mendelssohn conveys his part in a much more subtle way, as Mendelssohn presents a chorale movements, closely connected by expressed preference for unification of Ludwig Finscher aptly put it: “concealed interwoven with elements of the scherzo attacca transitions, under the title content through cyclical means. The in the way that the instrumental theme, again combined with the central “Sinfonia”; on the other, an extended, three instrumental movements, and the movements are also motivated by the motto - a style that Anton Bruckner multi-movement cantata section scored large-scale vocal-instrumental part, with themes of the ​​sung elements (most would explicitly adopt in his symphonies for soloists, choir and orchestra. This its mixture of choirs, arias, ensembles, strikingly in the interplay of the motto some decades later. The Adagio religioso idea is all the more remarkable given recitatives and chorales, are motivically between solo-intoner and choir), and establishes a reverent image of deep the fact that, since shortly after 1800 closely linked. Mendelssohn wrote to even more deeply hidden in the way the reflection- with the motto theme in the German-speaking countries, the Karl Klingemann: “All the pieces, vocal vocal section restates motivic elements appearing in two-part inversion. symphony had been considered the and instrumental, are composed from of the instrumental movements, as well highest form of instrumental music. It the words All that has breath, praise as their order and characters. The result Mendelssohn sets the praise of God was only Beethoven’s symphonies, over the Lord; you will understand that the is an extraordinarily dense symphonic by the human voice in the ensuing the ensuing 20 years, that liberated the instruments praise first, in their own way, structure, unique for its time, and one cantata section in a broad variety of genre with the final explosive device followed by the choir and the individual that would only be revisited by Mahler forms - arias, recitatives, a-cappella of the Ninth. All symphonic work that voices.” - realized in other ways - in his Eighth sections, and orchestrated chorale, came after Beethoven was more or Symphony.” among others. The content of the less a reaction to this (dis)solution. The motto of the Maestoso introduction dramatic development is expressed in a Mendelssohn thus entered uncharted - and “guiding idea” (Steinbeck) of the The sonata-form first movement, with clear series: hymn of praise; tribulation territory with his Lobgesang and entire work -, powerfully intoned by the its cheerful yet cantabile theme, its and obscurity; hope and cries from the stretched the seams of the symphony trombones, serves as an obvious motivic numerous appearances of the “guiding darkness; break of dawn; and a song of thanksgiving and praise. The texts are This chorus of jubilation would serve as She has performed as a concert singer sourced from the Bible, primarily from the perfect finale - but Mendelssohn is with the Lucerne Festival Orchestra the book of Psalms, and their selection not yet finished.