Te Deum (Berlioz)

The Te Deum (Op. 22 / H.118) by Hector Berlioz (1803–1869) was completed in 1849. It, like the earlier and more famous Grande Messe des Morts, is one of the works referred to by Berlioz in his Memoirs as "the enormous compositions which some critics have called architectural or monumental music." While the orchestral forces required for the Te Deum are by no means as titanic as those of the Requiem, the work does call for an organ which can compete on equal terms with the rest of the orchestra. It lasts approximately fifty minutes and derives its text from the traditional Latin Te Deum, although Berlioz made some changes to word order for dramatic purposes.

Background and premiere

The Te Deum was originally conceived as the climax of a grand symphony in honor of Napoleon Bonaparte. Some of the material used by Berlioz in this piece was originally written for his Messe Solennelle of 1824, thought to have been destroyed by the composer but rediscovered in 1991.

Structure

Orchestration

The choral movements of the Te Deum are scored for:

• 4 flutes
• 4 oboes (one doubling on cor anglais)
• 4 clarinets (one doubling on bass clarinet)
• 4 bassoons
• 4 horns
• 2 trumpets
• 2 cornets
• 6 trombones
• 2 ophicleides/tubas
• timpani
• 4 tenor drums
• bass drum
• 5 cymbals
• tenor solo
• 2 large 3-part (STB) mixed choirs
• 1 large unison children's choir
• Strings
• Organ

There are differences in the orchestration of the non-choral movements. The Prelude calls for a piccolo and 6 snare drums, while the March requires a piccolo saxhorn and 12 harps.

List of movements

Neglecting the rarely performed or recorded orchestral Prelude and Marche pour la présentation aux drapeaux (March for the presentation of the colours) , there are six movements to this Te Deum, designated by Berlioz as either hymns (Hymne) or prayers (Prière), except for the last movement which he designated as both. These are listed below:

1. Te Deum (Hymne)
2. Tibi omnes (Hymne)
3. Dignare (Prière)
4. Christe, Rex gloriae (Hymne)
5. Te ergo quaesumus (Prière)
6. Judex crederis (Hymne et prière)

When performed, the Prelude falls between the Tibi omnes and Dignare, while the Marche usually comes after the Judex crederis.

Reception

Prior to writing his own Te Deum, Bruckner criticized Berlioz's setting for being too secular.

The Tibi omnes was performed during the lighting of the Olympic Flame during the Opening Ceremony of the 2000 Summer Olympics, held in Sydney, Australia. (See The Games of the XXVII Olympiad 2000: Music from the Opening Ceremony)

External links

• Overview of the Te Deum including history and an analysis of the movements
• Discussion and table of Berlioz's self-borrowings, including the two in the Te Deum