Ein Kindelein so löbelich by Telemann
In Bach's time, German Lutheran churches were still using certain texts in Latin. These included the Magnificat and the Sanctus on festive occasions, as well as the so-called Missa Brevis; these included a Kyrie and a Gloria.
Most people know about Bach's Magnificat in D Major (based upon an original version in E-flat Major). Less well-known are his Missa Brevis settings, based largely upon movements from his cantatas.
There was a contemporary thread which stretches well back in the 17th-century of writing Missa Brevis settings based upon chorale tunes. In Circa 1600's upcoming concerts, we have incorporated a 'Kyrie' from Christoph Bernhard's 'Missa Christ unser Herr zum Jordan kam'. The idea is that the eponymous chorale provide the essential melodic material for the two movements, thus providing a German subtext for the Latin setting (and also making the Missa especially appropriate for the liturgical occasion for which the chorale was originally intended).
Today's piece is one of these, penned by the amazingly prolific Georg Phillipp Telemann (1681-1767). Some six or seven of these settings are extant, including the wonderful 'Missa Ein Kindelein so löbelich'. The chorale is one of several German Christmas songs--including also 'Der Tag, der ist so freudenreich'--based upon a 14th-century Latin nativity song called 'Dies est laeticie'. Many months ago, we took a look at a few pieces which incorporate this song, made famous via the 1582 north German collection called the 'Piae cantiones'. I am attaching a song sheet with melody and Latin text to this message.
Telemann's setting of the catchy tune is heartfelt and clever at the same time. He cycles through the various phrases of the source melody, as is shown in the heading of the first page of the score (attached). The lively melody, here providing the melodic basis for the mass, ensures lively polyphony, with the extra benefit of being familiar to Telemann's listeners. It's as though a current beloved song--say 'Amazing Grace'--was featured phrase-by-phrase in a new composition. Since we are all familiar with the song, there would be a sort of delight in hearing and following its iterations and permutations throughout the course of the Mass. The same holds true for Telemann's Missa, especially since his listeners would have known the tune upon which it is based from babyhood.
If you don't know it already, I suggest you get to know the tune a bit first. It's so fun to sing and to hear! Check these out:
Instrumental and vocal
With instruments and marionettes
Wind band
And then dive into the score and the following links to great recordings of the Missa by La Petite Bande:
Kyrie
Gloria
-----
Speaking of our upcoming production: It's called 'Never to Forget', and it's dedicated to those many people from our community lost during the pandemic. This Thursday, Sonoma Bach is presenting a Virtual Bach Talk exploring the event and its genesis; and on Fri April 8 and Saturday April 9, we'll be presenting the concerts themselves, featuring Circa 1600, Live Oak Baroque Orchestra and organists Phebe Craig and Paul Blanchard. I hope you can join us for one or both of these events! They include so much beautiful music--
In Bach's time, German Lutheran churches were still using certain texts in Latin. These included the Magnificat and the Sanctus on festive occasions, as well as the so-called Missa Brevis; these included a Kyrie and a Gloria.
Most people know about Bach's Magnificat in D Major (based upon an original version in E-flat Major). Less well-known are his Missa Brevis settings, based largely upon movements from his cantatas.
There was a contemporary thread which stretches well back in the 17th-century of writing Missa Brevis settings based upon chorale tunes. In Circa 1600's upcoming concerts, we have incorporated a 'Kyrie' from Christoph Bernhard's 'Missa Christ unser Herr zum Jordan kam'. The idea is that the eponymous chorale provide the essential melodic material for the two movements, thus providing a German subtext for the Latin setting (and also making the Missa especially appropriate for the liturgical occasion for which the chorale was originally intended).
Today's piece is one of these, penned by the amazingly prolific Georg Phillipp Telemann (1681-1767). Some six or seven of these settings are extant, including the wonderful 'Missa Ein Kindelein so löbelich'. The chorale is one of several German Christmas songs--including also 'Der Tag, der ist so freudenreich'--based upon a 14th-century Latin nativity song called 'Dies est laeticie'. Many months ago, we took a look at a few pieces which incorporate this song, made famous via the 1582 north German collection called the 'Piae cantiones'. I am attaching a song sheet with melody and Latin text to this message.
Telemann's setting of the catchy tune is heartfelt and clever at the same time. He cycles through the various phrases of the source melody, as is shown in the heading of the first page of the score (attached). The lively melody, here providing the melodic basis for the mass, ensures lively polyphony, with the extra benefit of being familiar to Telemann's listeners. It's as though a current beloved song--say 'Amazing Grace'--was featured phrase-by-phrase in a new composition. Since we are all familiar with the song, there would be a sort of delight in hearing and following its iterations and permutations throughout the course of the Mass. The same holds true for Telemann's Missa, especially since his listeners would have known the tune upon which it is based from babyhood.
If you don't know it already, I suggest you get to know the tune a bit first. It's so fun to sing and to hear! Check these out:
Instrumental and vocal
With instruments and marionettes
Wind band
And then dive into the score and the following links to great recordings of the Missa by La Petite Bande:
Kyrie
Gloria
-----
Speaking of our upcoming production: It's called 'Never to Forget', and it's dedicated to those many people from our community lost during the pandemic. This Thursday, Sonoma Bach is presenting a Virtual Bach Talk exploring the event and its genesis; and on Fri April 8 and Saturday April 9, we'll be presenting the concerts themselves, featuring Circa 1600, Live Oak Baroque Orchestra and organists Phebe Craig and Paul Blanchard. I hope you can join us for one or both of these events! They include so much beautiful music--