![Messe solennelle - title page - hberlioz(dot)com](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/46/Messe_solennelle_-_title_page_-_hberlioz%28dot%29com.jpg)
''Messe solennelle'' is a setting of the
Catholic
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
Solemn Mass
Solemn Mass ( la, missa solemnis) is the full ceremonial form of a Mass, predominantly associated with the Tridentine Mass where it is celebrated by a priest with a deacon and a subdeacon,"The essence of high Mass is not the music but the deacon ...
by the French composer
Hector Berlioz
In Greek mythology, Hector (; grc, Ἕκτωρ, Hektōr, label=none, ) is a character in Homer's Iliad. He was a Trojan prince and the greatest warrior for Troy during the Trojan War. Hector led the Trojans and their allies in the defense o ...
. It was written in 1824, when the composer was twenty and first performed at the
Church of Saint-Roch in Paris on 10 July 1825, and again at the
Church of Saint-Eustache in 1827. After this, Berlioz claimed to have destroyed the entire score, except for the "Resurrexit", but in 1991 a Belgian schoolteacher, Frans Moors, came across a copy of the work in an organ gallery in Antwerp and it has since been revived.
Elements of Berlioz's ''
Requiem
A Requiem or Requiem Mass, also known as Mass for the dead ( la, Missa pro defunctis) or Mass of the dead ( la, Missa defunctorum), is a Mass of the Catholic Church offered for the repose of the soul or souls of one or more deceased persons, ...
'' and ''
Symphonie fantastique
' (''Fantastical Symphony: Episode in the Life of an Artist … in Five Sections'') Op. 14, is a program symphony written by the French composer Hector Berlioz in 1830. It is an important piece of the early Romantic period. The first performan ...
'' appear in the ''Messe solennelle'' in somewhat altered versions. Themes from the ''Messe solennelle'' occur in the first half of his opera ''
Benvenuto Cellini
Benvenuto Cellini (, ; 3 November 150013 February 1571) was an Italian goldsmith, sculptor, and author. His best-known extant works include the ''Cellini Salt Cellar'', the sculpture of ''Perseus with the Head of Medusa'', and his autobiography ...
''.
Forces and structure
Scored for soprano, tenor, (prominent) bass, mixed chorus, and large orchestra, including
Piccolo (opt.), 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets (C) 2 bassoons,
4 horns, 4 trumpets, 3 trombones (ATB),
serpent
Serpent or The Serpent may refer to:
* Snake, a carnivorous reptile of the suborder Serpentes
Mythology and religion
* Sea serpent, a monstrous ocean creature
* Serpent (symbolism), the snake in religious rites and mythological contexts
* Serp ...
,
buccin
The buccin, or buccin à tête de serpent, is a visually distinctive trombone popularized in military bands in France between 1810 and 1845 which subsequently faded into obscurity. It should not be confused with another instrument also called "b ...
(or
ophicleide
The ophicleide ( ) is a family of conical-bore keyed brass instruments invented in early 19th century France to extend the keyed bugle into the alto, bass and contrabass ranges. Of these, the bass ophicleide in C or B took root over the cours ...
),
timpani, cymbals Tamtam, Harps (opt.), and strings
Its movements are:
*Kyrie
*Gloria
*Gratias
*Quoniam
*Credo
*Incarnatus
*Crucifixus
*Resurrexit
*Motet pour l'Offertoire
*Sanctus
*O salutaris hostia
*Agnus Dei
*Domine salvum fac
Background
![Berlioz young](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8d/Berlioz_young.jpg)
Berlioz was still composing his mass late in 1824, when he made arrangements to have it performed at the Church of Saint-Roch. He felt he needed a conductor for the large forces required. His teacher,
Jean-François Le Sueur
Jean-François Le Sueur (more commonly Lesueur; ) (15 February 17606 October 1837) was a French composer, best known for his oratorios and operas.
Life
He was born at Plessiel, a hamlet of Drucat near Abbeville, to a long-established family of P ...
, was co-director of the
Chapel Royale, where
Henri Valentino, a violinist at the Chapel, but also one of the two chief conductors of the
Paris Opera
The Paris Opera (, ) is the primary opera and ballet company of France. It was founded in 1669 by Louis XIV as the , and shortly thereafter was placed under the leadership of Jean-Baptiste Lully and officially renamed the , but continued to be ...
orchestra, had recently applied for the conducting post at the Chapel. Berlioz approached Valentino, who examined the score and agreed to conduct the performance, despite grave doubts concerning the forces at his disposal. The parts were being copied by
choirboy
A choirboy is a boy member of a choir, also known as a treble.
As a derisive slang term, it refers to a do-gooder or someone who is morally upright, in the same sense that "Boy Scout" (also derisively) refers to someone who is considered honora ...
s from Saint-Roch when Berlioz celebrated his 21st birthday on 11 December. The concert was scheduled for 28 December, and the church sent invitations on behalf of the choirboys to newspapers, friends and likely patrons. The general rehearsal was scheduled for 27 December. Berlioz described it in his memoirs:
Berlioz had heard enough to make important revisions to the score, after which he copied out all the new parts himself. He also realized he needed to hire professional musicians, if his work was to be performed properly, but had little idea of how to finance such a performance. Nevertheless, Valentino remained supportive and agreed to conduct, when circumstances improved.
[Holoman 1989, p. 33.]
Berlioz's friend, Humbert Ferrand, suggested Berlioz ask for a loan from
François-René de Chateaubriand
François-René, vicomte de Chateaubriand (4 September 1768 – 4 July 1848) was a French writer, politician, diplomat and historian who had a notable influence on French literature of the nineteenth century. Descended from an old aristocrati ...
, one of Berlioz's literary heroes, whose ''
Génie du Christianisme
''The Genius of Christianity, or Beauties of the Christian Religion'' (french: Le Génie du christianisme, ou Beautés de la religion chrétienne, link=no) is a work by the French author François-René de Chateaubriand, written during his exile ...
'' later served as inspiration for the
program
Program, programme, programmer, or programming may refer to:
Business and management
* Program management, the process of managing several related projects
* Time management
* Program, a part of planning
Arts and entertainment Audio
* Progra ...
of the ''
Symphonie fantastique
' (''Fantastical Symphony: Episode in the Life of an Artist … in Five Sections'') Op. 14, is a program symphony written by the French composer Hector Berlioz in 1830. It is an important piece of the early Romantic period. The first performan ...
''. Berlioz wrote a letter asking him for 1,200 francs (or possibly 1,500), or in lieu of that to put in a good word with the authorities, but he received only a prompt and courteous reply, which arrived on 1 January 1825:
In late January 1825 he tried without success to arrange a performance at the Church of Sainte-Geneviève (today the
Panthéon
The Panthéon (, from the Classical Greek word , , ' empleto all the gods') is a monument in the 5th arrondissement of Paris, France. It stands in the Latin Quarter, atop the , in the centre of the , which was named after it. The edifice was b ...
), with
Henri-Étienne Dérivis
Henri-Étienne Dérivis (2 August 1780 – 1 February 1856) was a French operatic bass. For 25 years he was a leading singer at the Paris Opéra where he made his debut in 1803. He was born in Albi and died in Livry-Gargan at the age of 75.
Life ...
, a bass at the Paris Opera, to sing the solos.
Berlioz wrote home to his sister Nanci about the failed rehearsal, and his father, who staunchly opposed his son's pursuit of a career as a composer, learned of it and cut off his son's allowance on 24 February, beginning a period of financial hardship for Berlioz that lasted until the end of the 1820s.
The curé of Saint-Roch had selected 10 July, the
feast of the Sacred Heart
The Feast of the Sacred Heart is a feast day in the liturgical calendar of the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church and certain Anglo-Catholic communities that is dedicated to the Sacred Heart. According to the General Roman Calendar since 1969, it ...
, for a performance of the Mass, and some musicians and singers from the Chapel Royale were recruited to form the core of the orchestra and chorus. They became unavailable when
King Charles X
Charles X (born Charles Philippe, Count of Artois; 9 October 1757 – 6 November 1836) was King of France from 16 September 1824 until 2 August 1830. An uncle of the uncrowned Louis XVII and younger brother to reigning kings Louis XVI and Loui ...
decided to go to
Saint-Cloud
Saint-Cloud () is a commune in the western suburbs of Paris, France, from the centre of Paris. Like other communes of Hauts-de-Seine such as Marnes-la-Coquette, Neuilly-sur-Seine and Vaucresson, Saint-Cloud is one of France's wealthiest towns ...
on the day of the premiere. Berlioz's friend, Albert Du Boys, used his contacts to obtain an interview between Berlioz and , the head of the newly created Department of the Arts, but despite two visits, all Berlioz received was permission to hire the Paris Opera orchestra, at a cost of a thousand francs.
A month before the scheduled concert, he ran into his friend Augustin de Pons in the foyer of the Paris Opera house, the
Salle Le Peletier
The Salle Le Peletier or Lepeletier (sometimes referred to as the Salle de la rue Le Peletier or the Opéra Le Peletier) was the home of the Paris Opera from 1821 until the building was destroyed by fire in 1873. The theatre was designed and con ...
. De Pons had been at the rehearsal in December and asked Berlioz about his Mass. When he learned of the situation he promised to arrange for funding to hire the Opéra chorus and a professional orchestra. The orchestra was formed from the Opera orchestra and the best of the players at the
Théâtre-Italien. Berlioz even sought and received the endorsement of Raphaël Duplantys, the Opera's Director.
A few days before the premiere, Berlioz and his friend Ferrand visited the offices of some newspapers and journals, giving invitations to send a critic and to print announcements of the concert. Berlioz knew the staff at the ''Corsaire'', and Ferrand, those at the ''
Gazette de France'', the ''Diable boiteux'', and ''
Le Globe
''Le Globe'' was a French newspaper, published in Paris by the Bureau du Globe between 1824 and 1832, and created with the goal of publishing Romantic creations. It was established by Pierre Leroux and the printer Alexandre Lachevardière. Afte ...
''.
[Cairns 1999, p. 176.]
Premiere and initial reception
![P1000349 Paris Eglise Saint-Roch Choeur reductwk](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/18/P1000349_Paris_Eglise_Saint-Roch_Choeur_reductwk.JPG)
The ''Messe solennelle'' was premiered on 10 July 1825 at the Church of Saint-Roch in Paris by an orchestra and chorus of 150, conducted by
Henri Valentino. The bass soloist was
Ferdinand Prévost
Ferdinand is a Germanic name composed of the elements "protection", "peace" (PIE "to love, to make peace") or alternatively "journey, travel", Proto-Germanic , abstract noun from root "to fare, travel" (PIE , "to lead, pass over"), and "co ...
. The work made a strong impression on a respectable audience. Many critics attended and wrote reviews, and Berlioz received kudos from many of the musicians.
Berlioz told his friend Albert Du Boys that the dramatic movements (the Kyrie, the Crucifixus, the Et iterum venturus, the Domine salvum, and the Sanctus) had the greatest impact:
Berlioz played the
tam-tam
A gongFrom Indonesian and ms, gong; jv, ꦒꦺꦴꦁ ; zh, c=鑼, p=luó; ja, , dora; km, គង ; th, ฆ้อง ; vi, cồng chiêng; as, কাঁহ is a percussion instrument originating in East Asia and Southeast Asia. Gongs ...
in the Et iterum venturus and struck it so hard, that the whole church resounded. The critic of the ''Quotidienne'' wrote that in this movement, "M. Berlioz has given untrammeled scope to his imagination."
[ Of the quieter movements, the O salutaris was considered by the critic of the ''Corsaire'' to be music "of the noblest and most religious effect".][ Madame Lebrun of the chorus told Berlioz, "Damn, my boy: now there's an un-worm-eaten ''O Salutaris'', and I defy those little bastards in the counterpoint classes at the Conservatoire to write a movement so tightly knit, so bloody religious."
His teacher, ]Jean-François Le Sueur
Jean-François Le Sueur (more commonly Lesueur; ) (15 February 17606 October 1837) was a French composer, best known for his oratorios and operas.
Life
He was born at Plessiel, a hamlet of Drucat near Abbeville, to a long-established family of P ...
, who attended with his wife and daughters, said:[Quoted and translated by Cairns 1999, p. 177.]
Modern performances
The first modern performance was conducted by John Eliot Gardiner
Sir John Eliot Gardiner (born 20 April 1943) is an English conductor, particularly known for his performances of the works of Johann Sebastian Bach.
Life and career
Born in Fontmell Magna, Dorset, son of Rolf Gardiner and Marabel Hodgkin, Gard ...
at the church of St. Petri in Bremen
Bremen (Low German also: ''Breem'' or ''Bräm''), officially the City Municipality of Bremen (german: Stadtgemeinde Bremen, ), is the capital of the German state Free Hanseatic City of Bremen (''Freie Hansestadt Bremen''), a two-city-state consis ...
on 3 October 1993. Other performances include three given at the 2012 Salzburg Festival
The Salzburg Festival (german: Salzburger Festspiele) is a prominent festival of music and drama established in 1920. It is held each summer (for five weeks starting in late July) in the Austrian town of Salzburg, the birthplace of Wolfgang Amad ...
, with the Vienna Philharmonic under Riccardo Muti
Riccardo Muti, (; born 28 July 1941) is an Italian conductor. He currently holds two music directorships, at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and at the Orchestra Giovanile Luigi Cherubini. Muti has previously held posts at the Maggio Musicale ...
.
Recordings
* Christa Pfeiler (soprano), Ruben Velasquez (tenor), Jacques Perroni (bass), National Kraków Choir and Philharmony, conducted by Jean-Paul Penin, live on October 5, 1993, at the Basilica of Sainte-Marie-Madeleine in Vézelay (France-Télévision, France-Musique, Accord Universal Music Group
Universal Music Group N.V. (often abbreviated as UMG and referred to as just Universal Music) is a Dutch– American multinational music corporation under Dutch law. UMG's corporate headquarters are located in Hilversum, Netherlands and its ...
). First recording.
* Donna Brown (soprano), Jean-Luc Viala (tenor), Gilles Cachemaille
The Gilles are the oldest and principal participants in the Carnival of Binche in Belgium. They go out on Shrove Tuesday from 4 am until late hours and dance to traditional songs. Other cities, such as La Louvière and Nivelles, have a traditi ...
(bass-barytone), Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique
The Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique, founded in 1989 by John Eliot Gardiner, performs Classical and Romantic music using the principles and original instruments of historically informed performance. The orchestra has recorded symphonies, ...
, conducted by John Eliot Gardiner, live, at Westminster Cathedral
Westminster Cathedral is the mother church of the Catholic Church in England and Wales. It is the largest Catholic church in the UK and the seat of the Archbishop of Westminster.
The site on which the cathedral stands in the City of ...
(Philips, 1994).
* Rosa Lamoreaux (soprano), Gene Tucker (tenor), Terry Cook (bass-baritone), Washington National Cathedral Choral Society & Orchestra, conducted by J. Reilly Lewis use both this parameter and , birth_date to display the person's date of birth, date of death, and age at death) -->
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, live at National Cathedral
The Cathedral Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul in the City and Diocese of Washington, commonly known as Washington National Cathedral, is an American cathedral of the Episcopal Church. The cathedral is located in Washington, D.C., the ca ...
(North American premiere) (Koch, 1994).
* Genia Kühmeier
Genia Kühmeier (born 1975) is an Austrian operatic soprano who has appeared internationally in opera and concert. She made her debut at the Vienna State Opera as Pamina in Mozart's ''Die Zauberflöte'' in 2003, and sang the role also at the Salz ...
(soprano), Giuseppe Sabbatini (tenor), Ildar Abdrazakov (bass), Coro e Orchestra del Teatro alla Scala di Milano, conducted by Riccardo Muti, live in December 2004 (RAI-TV).
* Julia Kleiter (soprano), Saimir Pirgu (tenor), Ildar Abdrazakov (bass), Konzertvereinigung Wiener Staatsopernchor, Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Riccardo Muti, live in Salzburg in August 2012 (ORF).
* Adriana Gonzalez (soprano), Julien Behr (ténor), Andreas Wolf (bass), Le Concert Spirituel Chœur et Orchestre, conducted by Hervé Niquet
Hervé Niquet (born 28 October 1957) is a French conductor, harpsichordist, tenor, and the director of Le Concert Spirituel, specializing in French Baroque music.
Biography
Born on 28 October 1957, Hervé Niquet was raised at Abbeville in the ...
, recorded in the Chapelle Royale of Château de Versailles in June 2019 (Alpha Classics)
References
Bibliography
* Cairns, David, editor and translator (1969). ''The memoirs of Hector Berlioz'', 2002 edition. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. .
* Cairns, David (1999). ''Berlioz. Volume one. The Making of an Artist 1803-1832''. Berkeley, California: University of California Press. (hardcover). (paperback).
* Holoman, D. Kern (1989). ''Berlioz''. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press. .
* Hugh Macdonald: ''Berlioz'' ("The Master Musicians", J.M.Dent, 1982)
* Association Nationale Hector Berlioz
In Greek mythology, Hector (; grc, Ἕκτωρ, Hektōr, label=none, ) is a character in Homer's Iliad. He was a Trojan prince and the greatest warrior for Troy during the Trojan War. Hector led the Trojans and their allies in the defense o ...
, ''Bulletin de liaison'', n°44, January 2010.
External links
*
''"Les Premières armes du jeune Berlioz : la Messe Solennelle"''
Jean-Paul Penin.
''De ontdekking van de Messe Solennelle''
W. Gladines.
''La Messe Solennelle de Berlioz'', oct. 13 th, 1993
La Croix La Croix primarily refers to:
* ''La Croix'' (newspaper), a French Catholic newspaper
* La Croix Sparkling Water, a beverage distributed by the National Beverage Corporation
La Croix or Lacroix may also refer to:
Places
* Lacroix-Barrez, a muni ...
''La Messe Solennelle de Berlioz'', oct. 13 th, 1993
Le Monde
''Le Monde'' (; ) is a French daily afternoon newspaper. It is the main publication of Le Monde Group and reported an average circulation of 323,039 copies per issue in 2009, about 40,000 of which were sold abroad. It has had its own website si ...
{{Authority control
Compositions by Hector Berlioz
Berlioz
1824 compositions
Berlioz