{"id":87452,"date":"2021-01-25T09:14:17","date_gmt":"2021-01-25T07:14:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/?p=87452"},"modified":"2021-01-25T09:14:17","modified_gmt":"2021-01-25T07:14:17","slug":"come-let-us-bow-down-and-kneel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/come-let-us-bow-down-and-kneel\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cCome, Let Us Bow Down And Kneel\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[281],"tags":[],"acf":{"old_id":"87452","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":79834,"related_cahpter":"662","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content":{"description":"A new series - this time: Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy","content":"

Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, Ps 95: \u201cCome, Let Us Bow Down And Kneel\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Mendelssohn\u2019s compositions which are based on psalms (several of which we have already discussed in this space) raise many questions, which researchers have not yet been able to answer satisfactorily. Did Mendelssohn see in them compositions which preserved his ties to his Jewish origins? Did he intend them for the rituals of the Protestant church to which he belonged? In these works, did he intend to preserve the Baroque style, in the spirit of Handel and Bach? Should we be reserved in our evaluation of them, as perhaps \u201cpractice exercises\u201d that prove his abilities in adopting outmoded styles, but which have nothing new to contribute to the German Romantic movement which was developing exactly in this period?<\/span><\/p>\n

We will try to relate to some of these questions through\u00a0 a closer examination of one of the greatest of these compositions – Psalms 95. The work is structured as a cantata in five parts, for a solo tenor, choir and orchestra. The text is based on the German of Martin Luther\u2019s translation. Note that Mendelssohn revised the work two years after its premiere in 1839, which goes to emphasize its importance for him.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The opening section is actually based on verses 6-7: \u201cCome, let us bow down and kneel, sung by the tenor, followed by the choir.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The second part, which is very lively, returns to the beginning of the psalm, but verse 3 (\u201cFor the LORD is a great God\u201d), is sung as a canon, in a reserved way, reminiscent of Matthew\u2019s Passion, by Bach.<\/span><\/p>\n

The third section is a duet for two sopranos, based on verse 4, with a brief reference to verse 6. This is the most lyrical and romantic part of the whole composition, and are similar to the songs and piano pieces that are some of Mendelssohn\u2019s well known works.<\/span><\/p>\n

The fourth part concludes the first half of the work, using verse 5 in an especially impressive polyphonic setting, which reaches its climax with a return to verses 6-7, with the same uplifting music that opened the work. But its subdued end leads to an additional section, the fifth, based on verses 7-11, which calls the Israelites (in the voice of the tenor), to cease their stubbornness, as a desert generation.<\/span><\/p>\n

This is also the only part of the work which is set in a gloomy minor key, full of longing that finds no release – which is so characteristic of Mendelssohn the romantic!<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Felix Mendelssohn \u2010 Bartholdy, Psalm 95, \u201cCome, let’s worship\u201d for solos, choir and large orchestra. Church of the Redeemer Bad Kissingen, 2011
\n<\/span>Direction: Cantor J\u00f6rg W\u00f6ltche<\/span><\/p>\n","image":false,"embedded_video":"https:\/\/youtu.be\/D_ViB7TkKwQ","video_duration":"","show_fb_comments":true,"credit_media":""},"tile":{"top_caption":"The Psalms In Classical Music","main_caption":"\u201cCome, Let Us Bow Down And Kneel\u201d","main_caption_size":"1","sub_caption":"A new series - this time: Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy","preview_embedded":"","preview_image":false,"preview_video":"https:\/\/youtu.be\/D_ViB7TkKwQ","external_link":"","link_for_pay":false,"tile_gallery_items":false,"credits":""},"alternate_tile":{"top_caption":"","main_caption":"","main_caption_size":"1","sub_caption":"","hide_media":false},"tile_group":{"preview_image_url":false,"main_caption":"","sub_caption":"","":null,"popup_package_extra_content":"","read_time":""},"home_color":"","home_gallery_top":"","home_gallery_middle":"","home_gallery_book":"","home_gallery_bottom":"","seo":{"seo_title":"","seo_description":"","seo_default_title":"","seo_default_description":""},"links":false},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/87452"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=87452"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/87452\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":87504,"href":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/87452\/revisions\/87504"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=87452"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=87452"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=87452"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}