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Te Deum in D -
Felix Mendelssohn (1809 - 1847) |
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On November 4th 1847, Mendelssohn died at the age of 38.
Famous and celebrated, his eminence and popularity in this country as a
composer of choral music rest almost entirely on the enormous success of
his oratorio Elijah which received its first performance in Birmingham
Town Hall in 1846. His other completed oratorio, St. Paul (1834-6) and
his Symphony-Cantata Hymn of Praise (1840) are also well known to choral
societies everywhere. However, these three works give a very one-sided
impression of Mendelssohn's output of choral music, in that there are
over 40 other choral compositions, some long, some short. |
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There are settings of German texts for the Protestant
Church, Latin settings for the Roman Church, music for the Church of
England (the beautiful and evergreen anthem Hear my prayer (1844) comes
to mind) and a setting of the 100th Psalm for the Temple in Hamburg. A
surprising number of his earlier compositions have only appeared in
print during recent years. |
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The Te Deum was written in 1826 when he was only 17 years
old. Two other notable works, the Octet for strings and the incidental
music for Midsummer Night's Dream were composed about the same time.
Mendelssohn's complete mastery of every aspect of choral writing is
evident throughout the work. He looks back to the music of Bach and
still earlier composers but the result is unmistakeably Mendelssohn.
(Mendelssohn was responsible for the performance of Bach's St. Matthew
Passion in 1829, a century after its first performance, and the first
given after Bach's lifetime.) |
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For accompaniment in the Te Deum he uses baroque continuo
only: cello, bass and organ. Eight soloists are used, the four principal
ones singing the two quartets, Patrem immensae majestatis and Te ergo
quaesumus, The chorus usually sings as a double chorus; in Dignare
Domine the eight soloists are briefly joined by the chorus in a texture
of 16 parts. Mendelssohn sets the traditional Latin text and uses the
music of the imposing opening Te Deum laudamus again at the very end of
the work, to the words In te, Domine, speravi. |
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The work is divided musically into 12 sections: |
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1. Chorus |
Te Deum laudamus |
We praise thee, 0 God |
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2. Chorus & Soli |
Tu aeternum Patrem |
All the world doth worship thee |
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3. Chorus |
Tibi omnes Angeli |
To thee all Angels cry aloud |
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4.Octet & Chorus |
Tibi Cherubin |
To thee Cherubin and Seraphin |
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5. Chorus |
Te gloriosum Apostolorum |
The glorious company of the apostles
praise thee |
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6. Quartet |
Patrem immensae majestatis |
The father of an infinite majesty. |
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7. Chorus |
Tu rex gloriae |
Thou art the King of Glory |
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8. Quartet |
Te ergo quaesumus |
We therefore pray thee |
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9. Chorus |
alvum fac populum tuum |
0 Lord, save thy people |
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10. Chorus |
Per singulos dies |
Day by day we magnify thee |
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11. Octet & Chorus |
Dignare, Domine |
Vouchsafe, 0 Lord, to keep us this day
without sin |
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12. Octet & |
Fiat misericordia tua |
0 Lord, let thy mercy lighten
upon us |
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Chorus |
In te Domine, speravi |
0 Lord, in thee have I trusted |
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David Lloyd
Gwent Bach Society
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To those
using these notes You are more than welcome to use all or
part of these notes in your programme. If you do, please would you
be kind enough to acknowledge authorship by
printing the signature as shown at the
end of this programme note. You may also wish to make a donation to
Gwent Bach Society
Thank you |
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