{"id":88504,"date":"2021-02-08T15:25:11","date_gmt":"2021-02-08T13:25:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/?p=88504"},"modified":"2021-02-08T15:25:11","modified_gmt":"2021-02-08T13:25:11","slug":"vocal-virtuosi","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/vocal-virtuosi\/","title":{"rendered":"Vocal Virtuosi"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Henry Purcell (1659-1695), \u201cO give thanks unto the Lord\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Another psalmic hymn by Henry Purcell in 929? Purcell never ceased to surprise, and continually reinvent himself. This work is a late composition (all the other ones that we\u2019ve featured here were written at the beginning of his career, when he had just been appointed the organist of Westminster Abbey in London). Evident here are both his experience as a church composer, but also as one who writes for theater and opera.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The work is clearly divided into diverse sections which follow the words of the psalm, in an almost mannerist way. In this it is similar to Italian and French Baroque cantatas, some of which we have discussed. The influence of French opera is seen in the vocal composition, where the composer relates to the human voice as to a musical instrument in the hands of a virtuoso performer.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The composition brings together verses and words from three different places in Psalm 106 (King James version), and is divided into sections accordingly. It is written for a choir in four voices, and for four soloists, accompanied by a group which includes two violins, and a bass section, which exists in every Baroque creation, which plays both bass and chords, and also various improvisations in Baroque style. Throughout the work, one can hear very rapid and frequent transitions between the soloists and the choir, as if they were intertwined.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The opening, with the words, \u201cPraise the LORD,\u201d is festive as expected. It is surprising, then, that the continuation of the verse, \u201cfor He is good,\u201d is played very softly, almost verging on melancholy. This contrast between the two versets sets the tone for the first part of the composition, and in essence for the work as a whole. The continuation, \u201cHis steadfast love is for ever,\u201d is written as a canon for four voices, which chase one another, while the words \u201cfor ever\u201d return to the short festive motifs of the opening, as the alternate between soloists and choir.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

After a short instrumental interlude, verse 2 opens as a duet for alto and tenor, in a dramatic vein, and with a series of vocal gymnastics in the solo parts.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The second part of the work is based on verses 4-5, \u201cBe mindful of me, O LORD, when You favor Your people\u201d.Purcell pairs with the words \u201cBe mindful\u201d one of the strongest tools of expression in his palette: a chromatically ascending melody (that is, using both the white keys and the black ones of the keyboard, as a metaphor for all the colors of the rainbow). Here, too, Purcell divides the text into the shortest fragments, and assembles a complex multivocal weave, with many imitations between the voices.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The closing section begins with verse 5 \u201cthat I may enjoy the prosperity of Your chosen ones.\u201d The melody returns to the motifs of the opening, and is constructed first as an alto solo, accompanied by the bass section, which includes improvisations. This is an operatic flourish, moving the singing of the choir to that of the individual.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

There isn\u2019t the space to describe in detail all the many more developments, which reach a peak with the concluding verse 49: \u201cLet all the people say, \u2018Amen,\u2019\u201d which is sung with great force, by the whole choir in unison.<\/span><\/p>\n

Henry Purcell: “O give thanks unto the Lord” \/ 2014<\/span><\/p>\n","image":false,"embedded_video":"https:\/\/youtu.be\/klxn6lkwvck","video_duration":"","show_fb_comments":true,"credit_media":""},"tile":{"top_caption":"The Psalms In Classical Music","main_caption":"Vocal Virtuosi","main_caption_size":"1","sub_caption":"A new series - this time: Henry Purcell ","preview_embedded":"","preview_image":false,"preview_video":"https:\/\/youtu.be\/klxn6lkwvck","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\/88504"}],"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=88504"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/88504\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":88506,"href":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/88504\/revisions\/88506"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=88504"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=88504"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=88504"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}