We've programmed some beautiful Easter music to get your festivities started. Including music by Lassus, Bach and Handel. Tune in 6 AM to Noon on Sunday.

Last year Simeon had the complete Venetian Easter Mass. This year, we thought we'd change things up a bit and feature some other Easter favourites. Having said that, we will get to hear one of the works from the mass: Orlando de Lassus' Missa "Congratulamini mihi": Gloria. That's in the six o'clock hour Sunday morning.

At 8AM we're treated to Bach's Easter Oratorio.

This is the third work for which Bach employed the term "Oratorioum", the other two being the Christmas Oratorio and the Ascension Oratorio. None of these works is dramatically dissimilar to what Bach calls in other situations "cantata", except that the Christmas Oratorio is actually a set of six distinct cantatas.

In modern times, we tend to think of an oratorio as a sort of sacred opera, in that there are distinct characters, a clear story being told through the text and music, a longer length than cantatas and other sacred works, and a rather dramatic feel to the music. But this impression comes primarily from the English Oratorios of Bach's contemporary, Georg Friedrich Handel.

The 18th-century German oratorio developed at the same time as opera in Hamburg and Dresden, and used a biblical subject and sometimes even a biblical text.

The music of the Easter Oratorio originated in 1725 in Bach's cantata Entflieht, Verschwindet, entweich ihr Sorgen, which was written for the birthday of Duke Christian of Saxe-Weissenfled. It was transformed a mere month later - using newly composed recitatives and new text (probably by Picander) - into an Easter cantata. The following year, Bach morphed the cantata once again for a birthday celebration, this time for Count Joachim Friedrich von Flemming (BWV 249b), before it finally emerged in 1735, reworked and expanded as the Easter Oratorio. (See Simon Heighes, in The Oxford Companion to Bach, "Easter Oratorio".)

The present work, the Easter Oratorio, is longer than an average Sunday cantata, numbering eleven movements and lasting approximately 40 minutes, depending on the tempos during the performance. The instrumentation is also large, including the usual strings and continuo, but also three trumpets, timpani, two oboes, bassoon, two flutes, and one oboe d'amore. (The flutes and oboe d'amore are used in some interior movements, whereas the trumpets and timpani - always appearing together - are used in the opening and closing.)

Unlike the Christmas Oratorio, the Easter Oratorio has no narrator but has four characters assigned to the four voice parts: Simon Peter (tenor) and John the Apostle (bass), appearing in the first duet hurrying to Jesus' grave and finding it empty, meeting there Mary Magdalene (alto) and "the other Mary", Mary Jacobe (soprano). The choir was present only in the final movement until a later performance in the 1740s when the opening duet was set partly for four voices. The music is festively scored for three trumpets, timpani, two oboes, oboe d'amore, bassoon, two recorders, transverse flute, two violins, viola and continuo.

The oratorio opens with two contrasting instrumental movements, an Allegro concerto grosso of the full orchestra with solo sections for trumpets, violins and oboes, and an Adagio oboe melody over "Seufzer" motifs (sighs) in the strings.

The first duet of the disciples was set for chorus in a later version, the middle section remaining a duet. Many runs illustrate the movement toward the grave.

Saget, saget mir geschwinde, the aria of Mary Magdalene, is based on words from the Song of Songs, asking where to find the beloved, without whom she is "ganz verwaiset und betrübt" (completely orphaned and desolate), set in the middle section as Adagio, different from the original. The words are close to those opening Part Two of the St Matthew Passion.

 

 The final movement in two contrasting sections resembles the Sanctus composed for Christmas 1724 and later part of the Mass in B minor.

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Easter_Oratorio

http://www.bach.org/bwv249.php

Then in the ten o'clock hour of Easter Sunday morning, host Simeon Rusnak will have part 3 of Handel's Messiah. Here's a great explanation of the finale of the Messiah by blogger Mark. D. Roberts . . .

Part III of Handel’s Messiah returns to the theme of resurrection, at first citing the beloved text from Job: “I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth” (based on Job 19:25). From this confession that Christ the Redeemer lives, Part III of the Messiah transitions into an extensive exposition of the final resurrection of all people, using many verses from 1 Corinthians 15. It begins by connecting the resurrection of Christ with our own future resurrection: “For now is Christ risen from the dead, the first fruits of them that sleep” (based on 1 Corinthians 15:20). From this point onward Part III includes some of the most joyful and triumphant music of the Messiah, backing up such words as:

“The trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible” (based on 1 Corinthians 15:52).

“O Death, where is thy sting?” (based on 1 Corinthians 15:55).

“But thanks be to God who giveth us the victory, through our Lord Jesus Christ” (based on 1 Corinthians 15:57)

 

Hans Memling, St. John Altarpiece, 1474-1479. A painting of the revelation given to John was he was exiled to the island of Patmos. A vision of the lamb receiving worship.

 

The final chorus of the Messiah is one of unabashed worship:

“Worthy is the Lamb that was slain, and hath redeemed us to God by his blood, to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. Blessing and honour, glory and power be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb, for ever and ever.” (based on Revelation 5:12-13)

What could possibly follow this, other than 3 minutes and 22 seconds of “Amens”?

...What I find particularly impressive about the Messiah is that it doesn’t end with the empty tomb or the resurrection appearances. In fact, these aren’t even mentioned. Rather, Handel carries the story of Easter forward to Pentecost and the preaching of the word, and even as far as the final resurrection of all people. Thus, the Messiah is not an Easter Sunday composition so much as an Eastertide masterpiece. It points us to the broader and deeper implications of Christ’s resurrection, while leading us before the throne of God where we offer “blessing and honour, glory and power” to the One who sits on the throne and to the Lamb.


Read more at http://www.patheos.com/blogs/markdroberts/2012/04/16/examining-the-words-of-handels-messiah-part-3/#SYWfWsEku2LJIpMZ.99

 

From of all of us here at Classic 107, have a happy and safe Easter holiday!