Haydn and Mendelssohn
Friday April 27th, 2007 - 8pm
at the Hugh Hodgson Concert Hall - UGA Performing Arts Center - Athens, GA
The "Lord Nelson Mass" (Imperial Mass) is the ninth of Haydn's twelve masses and ranks second in popularity to the "Creation" among Haydn's choral works. It is scored for four soloists, with the soprano dominant. After the opening instrumental passage and first chorus in D minor, much of the remainder of the work is in the key of D major. There is much declamatory singing, polyphonic passages, and alternation of soloists and chorus. The Athens Master Chorale first performed this exciting music at its premiere concert in 1989.
In early 1840, Mendelssohn was asked to submit a large work for the Leipzig Guttenberg Festival, commemorating the 400th anniversary of book printing. His Symphony No. 2 in Bb ("Lobgesang") is essentially a large cantata with an extended instrumental introduction (shortened for this performance). It is symphonic in nature due to the heavy instrumental writing and the flow between movements without interruption. The music is typical of Mendelssohn, with sweeping lines and polyphonic choral singing.
- Joseph Napoli
The Program
| Lord Nelson Mass 1. Kyrie  2. Gloria 3. Qui Tollis 4. Quoniam tu solus 5. Credo 6. Et incarnatus 7. Et Resurrexit 8. Sanctus 9. Benedictus 10. Agnus Dei 11. Dona nobis pacem |
Joseph Haydn (1732 - 1802)
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Symphony No 2 (Hymn of Praise) |
Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847) Ellen Ritchey, soprano |