The ''Messa di Santa Cecilia'' ( mass of

Saint Cecilia Saint Cecilia ( la, Sancta Caecilia), also spelled Cecelia, was a Roman virgin martyr and is venerated in Catholic, Eastern Orthodox Church, Orthodox, Anglican Communion, Anglican, and some Lutheran churches, such as the Church of Sweden. She b ...

) is a religious work by

Alessandro Scarlatti Pietro Alessandro Gaspare Scarlatti (2 May 1660 – 22 October 1725) was an Italian Baroque composer, known especially for his operas and chamber cantatas. He is considered the most important representative of the Neapolitan school of opera. ...

, written in 1720 for five soloists ( SS A T B), choir and orchestra, commissioned by and dedicated to cardinal

Francesco Acquaviva Francesco Acquaviva d'Aragona (14 October 1665 – 9 January 1725) was an Italian Cardinal, who served as ambassador of Spain to the Holy See. Life Francesco Acquaviva was born 14 October 1665 in Naples, the son of Giosia III Acquaviva d'Aragona, ...

of Aragona. Scarlatti was sixty years old at the time and composed at the beginning of the 18th century, in a modern style of the period, characterised by brio and seduction, which culminated in the great masses of Bach and Beethoven and "seems to foretell Haydn's last masses". This remarkable work, "coronation of all his church music", almost contemporary of Bach's '' Magnificat'' (1723), has nothing to envy to it, "both in terms of musical interest and stylistic synthesis of early 18th century trends".

Details

* '' Kyrie'', in

A major A major (or the key of A) is a major scale based on A, with the pitches A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. Its key signature has three sharps. Its relative minor is F-sharp minor and its parallel minor is A minor. The key of A major is the only k ...

* ''

Gloria Gloria may refer to: Arts and entertainment Music Christian liturgy and music * Gloria in excelsis Deo, the Greater Doxology, a hymn of praise * Gloria Patri, the Lesser Doxology, a short hymn of praise ** Gloria (Handel) ** Gloria (Jenkins) ...

'' * '' Credo'' * '' Sanctus'' * '' Agnus Dei'', in A major The execution time of the 923 bars is about 52 min. The ''Gloria'' is the most developed, exceeding 23 min. and the ''Credo'' which follows reaches 14 min.

Analysis

Scarlatti's writing from the ''Kyrie'' is lively on the strings, close to Vivaldi and the Bolognese; the choir's interventions alternate or overlap with the singing decorated with soloists. The composer ends the ''Gloria'' with its complex structure, with an impressive five-part

fugue In music, a fugue () is a contrapuntal compositional technique in two or more voices, built on a subject (a musical theme) that is introduced at the beginning in imitation (repetition at different pitches) and which recurs frequently in the c ...

on ''Cum Sancto Spirito'', the subject of which is provided by the Gregorian intonation of the Mass to Saint-Cecilia, ''Dilecisti''. The ''Credo'', which in its style looks more to the future, is close to the writing of his own ''

Stabat Mater The Stabat Mater is a 13th-century Christian hymn to Mary, which portrays her suffering as Jesus Christ's mother during his crucifixion. Its author may be either the Franciscan friar Jacopone da Todi or Pope Innocent III.Sabatier, Paul ''Life o ...

'', but more to that of Pergolesi seventeen years later. The joyful precipitation of the ''Et resurenxit'' which "intensifies to the tumult", contrasts with the sudden stop on ''et mortuo'' in a striking effect. The movement concludes with a

that takes up the subject of the ''Gloria'' in a completely different development. In the ''Agnus Dei'', Scarlatti merges the old (voice) and new (strings) styles, until they are reversed. In addition to the mass, still in 1720, Scarlatti composed almost as long (40 min.) vespers, discovered more recently, both scores being intended for the

Santa Cecilia in Trastevere Santa Cecilia in Trastevere is a 5th-century church in Rome, Italy, in the Trastevere rione, devoted to the Roman martyr Saint Cecilia (early 3rd century AD). History The first church on this site was founded probably in the 3rd century, by Pop ...

church. In 1708, he had composed '' Il Martirio di Santa Cecilia'', inspired by the same figure,

, patron saint of musicians.

Manuscripts

* Rome,

Biblioteca Casanatense The Biblioteca Casanatense is a large historic library in Rome, Italy, named in honour of Cardinal Girolamo Casanate (1620–1700) whose private library is at its roots. History The library was established in 1701 by Antonin Cloche, the Mast ...

, Ms. 2257. * Münster, Santini-Bibliothek, D-Müs

Modern editions

* ''St. Cecilia Mass (1720) for SSATB soli and chorus, string orchestra, and organ continuo'', ed. John Steel, Novello 1968 — after the Roman manuscript.

Recordings

* Blanche Christensen, Jean Preston, soprano; Beryl-Jensen Smiley, alto; Ronald Christensen, tenor; Warren Wood, bass; the Alumnenchor of the University of Utah and the Utah Symphony, dir. Maurice Abravanel (1961, LP Amadeo AVRS5001 / Amadeus / Vanguard Records / "Alessandro Scarlatti collection", vol. 5, Brilliant Classics) , * Elizabeth Harwood, Wendy Eathorne, sopranos; Margaret Cable, alto; Wynford Evans, tenor; Christopher Keyte, bass; John Scott, organ; The Choir of St John's College, Cambridge; The Wren Orchestra, dir. George Guest (3-4 August 1978, LP Argo ZRG 903 /

Decca Records Decca Records is a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis (Decca), Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934 by Lewis, Jack Kapp, American Decca's first president, and Milton Rackmil, who later became American ...

"Seranata" 430 631-2 / "Double" 458 370–2) : "In this mass for a festive day, we admire above all the quality and purity of style displayed by the entire team gathered around George Guest. Everything is perfectly settled in an intimate tuning of voices and instruments".

References

Bibliography

* * * * Sylvie Buissou, ''Messa di Santa Cecilia (1720)'', in

External links

''Messa di santa Cecilia''
(''Kyrie'') on ChoralWiki
''Messa di Santa Cecilia''
on AllMusic
''Messa di Santa Cecilia''; two motets
on WorldCat {{portal bar, Classical music, Italy Compositions by Alessandro Scarlatti 1720 compositions Christian music