Oratorio de Noël
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The Oratorio de Noël, Opus 12, by Camille Saint-Saëns, also known as Christmas Oratorio, is a cantata-like work scored for soloists, chorus, strings and harp. While an organist at Madeleine, Saint-Saëns wrote the 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.
Performing Forces
The 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, while the harp is limited to three movements.
Text
Saint-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] The narrative portion of the text, taken from the second chapter St. Luke, appears in the second movement and tells the portion 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 of the event.
Structure
The Oratorio de Noël is structured in a way that "hardly exceeds the limits of a cantata, but musically is constructed in oratorio style."[3] However, "its shorter length and the fact that it intended for presentation during a worship service place it closer in character and purpose to a traditional sacred cantata."[4] 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. Most of the work is subdued and lyrical in character.
Movements
1. Prélude (dans le style de Seb. Bach), for organ and strings
2. Recitative: “Et pastores erant”, for Soprano, Alto, Tenor and Baritone soloists, organ and strings
2a. Chorus: "Gloria in altissimis," for mixed chorus, organ and strings
3. Air: "Exspectans expectavi," for Mezzo-soprano soloist, organ and strings
4. Air and chorus: “Domine, ego credidi,” for Tenor solo, women's chorus, organ and strings
5. Duet: “Benedictus,” for Soprano and Baritone soloists, organ and harp
6. Chorus: “Quare fremuerunt gentes,” mixed chorus, organ and strings
7. Trio: “Tecum principium,” for Soprano, Tenor, and Baritone soloists, organ and harp
8. Quartet: “Laudate coeli,” for Soprano, Mezzo-soprano, Alto, and Baritone soloists, organ and strings
9. Quintet and chorus: “Consurge, filia Sion,” for all five soloists, chorus, organ, strings, and harp
10. Chorus: “Tollite hostias,” for mixed chorus, organ and strings
References
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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
- Free scores by Oratorio de Noël at the International Music Score Library Project (IMSLP)
- Oratorio de Noël at AllMusic
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