The Oratorio de Noël, Op. 12, by Camille Saint-Saëns, also known as his Christmas Oratorio, is a cantata-like work scored for soloists, chorus, organ, strings and harp. While an organist at La Madeleine, Saint-Saëns wrote the Christmas oratorio in less than a fortnight, completing it ten days before its premiere on Christmas 1858.[1] The vocal score of this oratorio was prepared later by the composer and organist Eugene Gigout, a colleague of Saint-Saëns.
Oratorio de Noël | |
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Cantata by Camille Saint-Saëns | |
The Aristide Cavaillé-Coll organ at La Madeleine, where the music premiered | |
English | Christmas oratorio |
Opus | 12 |
Text | from the Vulgate |
Language | Latin |
Performed | 24 December 1858 Paris : |
Published | 1863 |
Movements | 10 |
Scoring |
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Performing forces
editThe work is scored for five soloists (soprano, mezzo-soprano, alto, tenor, and baritone), SATB mixed chorus, organ, harp, and strings in the standard five sections. The women of the chorus divide into four parts in one movement. The organ plays a significant role in the work, often playing alone, while the harp is limited to three movements.
Text
editSaint-Saëns chose several verses from the Latin Vulgate Bible for the text of the work. "While these texts are not from a single source, it is clear that the traditional church liturgies surrounding Christmas influenced Saint-Saëns. About half of the texts he chose match different portions of two Christmas Offices: the First Mass at Midnight and the Second Mass at Dawn."[2] One author calls the work "a musical enhancement of the words of the [Christmas] Office, without interest in the human drama."[3]
The narrative portion of the text, taken from the second chapter of St. Luke, appears in the second movement and tells the part of the traditional Christmas story involving the shepherds. The remainder of the texts, taken from John, Isaiah, Lamentations, and the Psalms, reflect upon the meaning and significance of the event.
Structure and style
editThe Oratorio de Noël is structured in a way that "hardly exceeds the limits of a cantata, but musically is constructed in oratorio style."[4] However, "its shorter length and the fact that it was intended for presentation during a worship service place it closer in character and purpose to a traditional sacred cantata."[5] Its structure bears a greater resemblance to oratorios of the early Baroque than to later works of that genre.
Saint-Saëns divided the work into 10 movements, a prelude followed by nine vocal numbers. After the prelude, opening recitatives and chorus, the work gradually builds from a single soloist accompanied by a small ensemble to involve the entire instrumental and vocal forces. The full chorus sings in the second, sixth, and final movements and the women of the chorus accompany the tenor soloist in the fourth.
While there are brief episodes of grandeur in the solo parts and one frenetic section for the chorus, most of the work is subdued and lyrical in character. Saint-Saëns's study of the choral music of Bach, Handel, Mozart, Berlioz, and others had a great influence on the work, with the most significant influences being Part II of J. S. Bach's Christmas Oratorio and Gounod's St. Cecilia Mass.
Movements
edit- Prélude (dans le style de Seb. Bach), for organ and strings
- Recitative: “Et pastores erant”, for Soprano, Alto, Tenor and Baritone soloists, organ and strings; Chorus: "Gloria in altissimis," for mixed chorus, organ and strings
- Air: "Exspectans expectavi," for Mezzo-soprano soloist, organ and strings
- Air and chorus: “Domine, ego credidi,” for Tenor soloist, women's chorus, organ and strings
- Duet: “Benedictus,” for Soprano and Baritone soloists, organ and harp
- Chorus: “Quare fremuerunt gentes,” mixed chorus, organ and strings
- Trio: “Tecum principium,” for Soprano, Tenor, and Baritone soloists, organ and harp
- Quartet: “Laudate coeli,” for Soprano, Mezzo-soprano, Alto, and Baritone soloists, organ and strings
- Quintet and chorus: “Consurge, filia Sion,” for all five soloists, chorus, organ, strings, and harp
- Chorus: “Tollite hostias,” for mixed chorus, organ and strings
Recordings
editConductor | Soloists | Choir and orchestra | Organ | Harp | date | Label |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Diethard Hellmann | Verena Schweizer, Soprano
Edith Wiens, Soprano Helena Jungwirth, Alto Friederich Melzer, Ténor Kurt Widmer, Bass |
Bachchor & Bachcorchester Mainz | Hans-Joachim Bartsch | Barbara Biermann | 1976 | Calig
report Profil (Édition Günter Hänssler) 2005 |
Sylvain Cambreling | Michèle Lagrange, Soprano
Annie Tasset, Mezzo-soprano Georges Gauthier, Ténor Hanna Schaer, Contralto Paul Guigue, Baryton |
Le Madrigal de Lyon
Orchestre de Chambre de Lyon |
Paul Coueffé | Germaine Lorenzini | 1981 | Arion
Grand Prix de l'Académie du Disque Lyrique |
Anders Eby | Anne Sophie von Otter, Mezzo-soprano
Britt-Marie Aruhn, Soprano Erland Hagegård, Ténor Ulf Lundmark, Bass Ing-Mari Landin, Alto |
Royal Opera Theater Orchestra
Mikaeli Chamber Choir |
Lars Hagström | Karin Langebo | 1981 | Proprius Musik AB
1994 |
Piet Kiel Jr | Marja Pool, Alto
Arthur Schildmeyer, Bass Hélène Verslot, Mezzo-soprano Wendela Bronsgeet, Soprano Jos Van Der Lans, Ténor |
L'Estro Armonico | Piet Halsema | Frieda Kahn | 1983 | Larigot |
Martin Flämig | Elisabeth Wilke
Armin Ude Egbert Junghanns Annette Market Juta Zoff Ute Selbig |
Dresdner Kreuzchor
Dresdner Philarmonie |
Michael-Christfried Winkler | 1987 | Capriccio | |
Jean-Louis Petit | Claire Louchet, Soprano
Marie-Madelein Lauvin, Mezzo-soprano Danielle Michel, Alto Hervé Lamy, Ténor Marc Thoron, Bass |
Ensemble Polyphonique de Versailles
Ensemble instrumental de Ville d'Avray |
Jean-Michel Louchart | 1993 | REM | |
Michael Weber | Hendrik Ritter, Ténor
Steffen-Friedl-Schneider, Baritone Traudl Well, Soprano Andrea Forscher, Mezzo-soprano Ulla Teich, Alto |
Cor der Evangelischen Gemeinde Hemsbach/sulzbach
Lukas Kamerata Mannheim |
Andreas Well | 10/12/1995 | SFS | |
Alexandros Myrat | Julia Souglakou
Marina Fideli, mezzo-soprano Marina Ferreira Vanghelis Hatzisimos, tenor Christoforos Stabogli, bass |
Greek Radio and Television Choir
La Camerata |
Martin Haselböck | Ion Ivan-Roncea | 1997 | DOM |
Sven-Ingvart Mikkelsen | Tinebeth Hartkopf, Soprano
Bolette Bruno Hansen et Lilly Schulz, Mezzo-soprano June Lund, Ténor Lars Fentz Krogh, Bass |
Logumkloster Vokal Ensemble | Bent Sorensen | Joost Schelling | 1998 | CD Scandinavian Classics |
Jorge-Hannes Hahn | Anna Maria Friman, Soprano
Aleksandra Lustig, Mezzo-soprano Patricia Wagner, Alto Andreas Wagner, Ténor Tobias Schabe, Bassel |
Cantus Stuttgart
Bachor Stuttgart Bachorchester Stuttgart |
Peter Kranfoed
Rie Hiroe-Lang |
2005 | Cantate | |
Holger Speck | Antonia Bourvé, Soprano
Gundula Schneider, Mezzo-soprano Sabine Czinczel, Alto Marcus Ullman, Ténor Jens Hamann, Baritone |
Vocalensemble Rastatt
Les Favorites |
Romano Giefer | 2006 | Carus | |
Ralf Otto | Simona Houda-Šaturová, soprano
Regina Pätzer, mezzo-soprano Anke Vondung, alto Hans Jörg Mammel, tenor Florian Boesch, baritone |
Bachchor Mainz | Petra Morath-Pusinelli | Françoise Friedrich | 2008 | Deutsche Harmonia Mundi |
Tim Keyes | Justin Connors, Ténor
Victoria Lotkowictz, Mezzo-soprano Gary Gavula, Baritone Elisa Rush, Soprano |
The Keyes Consort | 2008 | ALLMUSIC
PLAY VOD | ||
Roberto Molinelli | Orchestra da Camera delle Marche
Coro Colombati Città di Pergola |
2009 | You Tube
TheRMstaff | |||
Christoph Poppen | Ruth Ziesak, Soprano
Anja Schlosser, Mezzo-soprano Claudia Mahnke, Mezzo-soprano James Taylor, Ténor Nikolai Borchev, Baritone |
Saarbrücken, Chor & Orchestra | 2008 | DVD 16222 |
Literature
edit- Music, David W. (1998). "Camille Saint-Saëns's Christmas Oratorio: Description, Accessibility, Comparison". The Choral Journal. 39 (5). American Choral Directors Association: 49–53. ISSN 0009-5028. JSTOR 23552680.
- Barrow, Lee G. (2014). Camille Saint-Saëns, Christmas Oratorio. BarGraphica. ISBN 978-1-4973-9389-9.
References
edit- ^ Smither, Howard (2000). Chapel Hill, North Carolina A History of the Oratorio: The Oratorio in the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries. UNC Press books, p. 566.
- ^ Barrow, Lee G. (2014). Camille Saint-Saëns, Christmas Oratorio. BarGraphica, p. 33.
- ^ Rees, Brian (1999). Camille Saint-Saëns: a life. London: Chatto & Windus, p. 95.
- ^ Upton, George Putnam (1890). Chicago The Standard Oratorios: Their Stories, Their music, and Their Composers; a handbook, p. 269. A. C. McClurg and Company
- ^ Barrow (2014), p. 70
External links
edit- Oratorio de Noël: Scores at the International Music Score Library Project
- Oratorio de Noël at AllMusic