Day 24: April 10 - Seven Words

For Good Friday, a few different takes on Christ’s seven last words.


Heinrich Schutz - Die Sieben Worte Jesu Christi am Kreuz, SWV 478: Symphonia + Und es war um die dritte Stunde

Baroque composer and organist Heinrich Schutz starts us off with his very straightforward setting of “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” I’ve included the sinfonia which precedes it because it sets a nice tone. Writing in Northern Germany in the time before Bach, Schutz incorporated the Italian styles of his teacher, Gabrieli, and of Monteverdi, while maintaining German music styles The Sinfonia is one of the few surviving fully instrumental works written by Schutz. That is seen here, in the operatic recitatives (freely-sung portions) used in the settings of Christ’s words. After the Sinfonia, a alto singer (playing the role of ‘Evangelist) to set the scene ("And it was in the third hour, that they crucified Jesus. But he said:”). Then Christ speaks in a profound tenor voice. Note that, while Christ is speaking, Schutz employs an obbligato texture (where the accompanying instruments take on an equal prominence to the singer), giving greater prominence and style to Christ’s moments. Listen back to how the ensemble sounds during the alto and then during the tenor and see how independent, and thinner, the ensemble becomes. Performed here by Rheinische Kantorei and Das Kleine Konzert under Hermann Max.


 

Ruth Zechlin - Die Sieben letzten Worte Jesu am Kreuz: Vater vergib ihnen, denn sie wissen nicht, was sie tun

Another German composer and organist, Ruth Zechlin, was more contemporary, passing away only in 2007. It is harder, however, to find much information on her or any scores than for Schutz, so I’m a bit int the dark about her life and techniques. Her interpretation of Christ’s first word is textless, achieved fully on the organ. A softly dissonant pedal cluster is sustained, over which a very high, abrasive, and gestural modernist melody unfolds. The cluster drops and the melody descends, before a new harmony ascends to a lone high note. This very abstract take mirrors, to my ears, the theological interpretations of suffering leading to salvation, of death and resurrection, of descent and ascension, present in the cantatas of Bach, in medieval triptychs, and in the story of the weekend. Zechlin might be projecting Christ’s story, of death from sins and salvational resurrection, to those who are torturing Christ. So, while this is a very abrasive work, it speaks of the horrors inflicted upon Christ’s body and of the grace he still freely gave (See yesterday for my response on specious aesthetic interpretations). Performed here by Zechlin herself.


 

James MacMillan - Seven Last Words From The Cross: II. Woman, Behold Thy Son!….Behold, Thy Mother

My favorite piece on today’s list is Scottish composer-conductor James MacMillan’s take on Christ’s third word. The vocal writing in the opening is SO well-voiced and and gorgeous. Listen for how inner voices pop out of the texture. Such good use of tessitura. The introduction of the ensemble, rising out from below as the women’s choir (as Christ) asks those kneeling before him to look up behold each other, is aching. You can really hear their terror at the day’s events. At the end, the men respond, acknowledging both Mary and the call from Christ to care for each other. An exceptional piece. Performed here by The Dmitri Ensemble under Graham Ross.


 

Sofia Gubaidulina - 7 Worte: Wahrlich, ich sage dir: Heute wirst du mit mir im Paradiese sein

What can I say, I love angular modernists. Sofia Gubaidulina is a profound and difficult composer of very devout works. Here is her interpretation of Christ’s third word (sometimes second, depending on the person): “Verily, I say unto you, today you will be with me in Paradise. Written for cello, bayan (a particular Russian accordion), and string orchestra, this take is very Gubaidulina: gestural, intense, abstract, with aching lyricism. At the opening, Christ (the cello) and the penitent thief (bayan) are in dialogue, with the thief asking for forgiveness and Christ answering. When Christ promises him salvation, the strings come in with an achingly beautiful ascension into a complex climax. Gubaidulina uses a lot of musical symbolism to refer to theological themes: string crossings = the Cross, registration and direction as closeness to heaven (higher, saved, lower, depraved), dynamics as intensity of emotion. It’s a very Romantic version of modernism, in which dissonance is treated as lyrical. Another phenomenal piece. Performed here by Maria Kliegel, Elsbeth Moser, and the Camerata Transsylvania under Gyorgy Selmeczi.


 

Knut Nystedt - Jesu sieben Worte 4

Norwegian Knut Nystedt is another composer-organist (religious composers often got their start playing organ in their church). His setting was written originally in 1960, but translated from Norwegian to German in 2003. This setting of Christ’s fourth word, is short, but effective. As with the Schutz, it opens with a setting of the scene: in the ninth hour, Christ called out with a loud voice: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” The choir drips down until Christ’s bleak exclamation when it explodes in dissonant splendor. Performed here by Ensemble 96 under Oystein Fevang.


 

Franz Joseph Haydn - Die sieben letzten Worte, Hob.XX:2: Sonata V. Jesus rufet: Ach, mich durstet!

Haydn’s setting of the Seven Last Words, originally for orchestra but most often performed with a string quartet, is a bit anachronistic. Haydn himself found difficulty in setting these words only to instruments and for the particular context (ten minutes instrumentals to fit between the pastor reading scripture, which makes for A LOT of music). I find the more upbeat materials in this work hard to reconcile with the severity of the day, especially in this movement, making this one of the works that is least appropriate, even while much more pleasant than the rest. For example, this movement, opens with a brutal unison, but gives way to a light, tuneful, bouncy, pizzicato exposition. There is a very moving and solemn acknowledgment of suffering in the secondary theme, but that gives back to the prior pastoral feeling. It seems to me that Haydn had trouble breaking out of the classical cliches (but I am not an expert in this era, so please @me with grace thnx). After a very sectionally structured middle section, we seem to come to a close, but Haydn brings us back into another round of the secondary theme which builds back to a unison and recapitulation. Performed here by the Cuarteto Casals.


 

Giovanni Battista Pergolesi - Septem Verba a Christo in Cruce Moriente Prolata: Verbum VI: Consummatum Est

Italian composer, violinist, and (YOUGUESSEDIT) organist, brings us a very delightful take on the moment Christ had vanquished sin. “Consummatum Est” (It is finished) is the triumphant moment of the day, Christ had borne the sins of the world and vanquished them. Pergolesi opens with a declaration of Consummatum est, sparse (though that was more musical convention than dramatic addition). Then, Pergolesi gives us a lively, upbeat, and lyrical bass aria reflection on the import of the moment. Feel the excitement and anticipation in the cello (also, what great writing!). A very tasty find. Performed here by Kanstantine Wolff with the Akademie for Alte Musik under Rene Jacobs.


 

Cesar Franck - Sept Paroles du Christ en Croix: Parole 7, Pater, In Manus Tuas Commendo Spiritum Meum

We close with our first French version. Cesar Franck was a Romantic composer and organist. Franck’s setting is luscious and lyrical, not unlike Faure who came after him. While composed in 1859, 100 years before Nystedt, it was never performed during his lifetime and only rediscovered in 1955, five years before Nystedt’s work. A cello solo (so much cello today too!) and tenor aria expresses relief and joy at Christ’s final word: Father, into your hands I commit my spirit. When the choir comes in, it really does feel like your spirit floats heavenbound towards the very plagal cadence at the end (the ‘Amen’). A very lovely gem of a piece. Performed by Ensemble Vocal de Lausanne under Michel Corboz.




Jon MayseComment