Mozart from the Chapel of New College, Oxford 12.i.Xl

[DracoM]

Mozart from the Chapel of New College, Oxford
12th Jan 2011
The Requiem Mass in D minor K.626 is sung liturgically before a congregation gathered in New College Chapel.
Soloists:
Jonty Ward (treble)
Hugh Cutting (alto)
Guy Cutting (tenor)
Thomas Edwards (bass)

European Union Baroque Orchestra
Directed by Edward Higginbottom




Must say, am a bit foxed by the BBC's claim that this is sung 'liturgically'?
[a] NCO is not a Roman Catholic foundation cf Salzburg Cathedral such that one doubts it is 'liturgical' in any way Mozart would have recognised. Do we?
[b] is it being sung at an actual funeral?
[c] or does it mean in a reconstructed liturgical event eg Andrew Parrott-style?

[mercia]

sung liturgically .... in New College Chapel.

[b] is it being sung at an actual funeral?

that was my immediate thought! I expect messageboarders might have someone in mind for an early demise.

[ardcarp]

or does it mean in a reconstructed liturgical event eg Andrew Parrott-style?

Probably that. But what an exciting prospect for us and what an adventure for them. I just hope our expectations are fulfilled, which, alas, they weren't last Wednesday.

[DracoM]

ardcarp

I refrained from comment about the Mozart @ Eton College event. Erm.........

Incidentally, I see that St J's Camb, and Eton College are both listed to sing at St Thomas Fifth Avenue NYC between Jan - Easter 2011.

[decantor]

Probably that. But what an exciting prospect for us and what an adventure for them. I just hope our expectations are fulfilled, which, alas, they weren't last Wednesday.

New College seem to have undertaken a project of offering all-male versions of major choral works. They've already issued CDs of Messiah and Vespers 1610 with all soloists drawn from their own ranks: it makes for interesting listening, and they've done pretty well so far. I believe that a CD of the Mozart Requiem on the same ticket is due later this year. None is recorded in the college chapel, but in an Oxford church.

As for fulfilling expectations -- well, that's a subjective thing. Perhaps it would be fairer to start with an open mind and see how they do. I'm sure they won't fall short on commitment, at the least.

[ardcarp]

They've already issued CDs of Messiah and Vespers 1610

...and the St John Passion?

[choralclerk]

Guy Cutting is a very dear friend of mine, and one of the finest young tenors I have had the privilege of working with. NCO are on fine form too! Looking forward to hearing it!

CC

[Magnificat]

Surely a more coherent broadcast would be CE featuring a Mozart piece as an introit and a Mozart anthem.

Personally, I don't have any great objection to this broadcast but, frankly, I don't see why other listeners to CE should have to forfeit their Evensong for a Requiem Mass we had his Vespers last week after all.


VCC

[DracoM]

A very lively performance, bags of energy, and nice to hear a baroque ensemble, including brass! Set in a liturgical reconstruction? Seemed very odd to split it as they did, but I suppose if you take a priori decision to interleave it with a skeleton funeral 'mass', that's how the pieces would fall. Incidentally, thought the engineering balance etc was first class.

The men were particularly good - incisive, rhythmical, excellent diction, lithe and the beating heart of the singing.

Soloists: Jonty Ward has all the notes, pinged the top notes with some confidence, shaped phrases beautifully, carried the solos with much aplomb, and integrated seamlessly. Alto had a lovely voice, excellent phrasing as for the treble, but was just a tad lightweight in tone and tended to disappear in the big soli. Sounded more like a boy alto? Am I wrong? Brave in attack, good top, but I suspect that he just didn't have the weight at the bottom of the voice? Bass and tenor both very pleasing indeed.

Many, many thanks to all.

By a VERY odd piece of scheduling, there is another Mozart Requiem on Perf on Three this very evening! Why? How clunky!

[subcontrabass]

A very lively performance, bags of energy, and nice to hear a baroque ensemble, including brass! Set in a liturgical reconstruction? Seemed very odd to split it as they did, but I suppose if you take a priori decision to interleave it with a skeleton funeral 'mass', that's how the pieces would fall.

What was odd was to insert the music into what was essentially a "Low" (i.e. said) service, rather than into an all-sung service (which is what the music would have been intended for).

[Yojimbo]

[a] NCO is not a Roman Catholic foundation cf Salzburg Cathedral such that one doubts it is 'liturgical' in any way Mozart would have recognised. Do we?
[b] is it being sung at an actual funeral?
[c] or does it mean in a reconstructed liturgical event eg Andrew Parrott-style?

Hello! As far as [b] is concerned, the church does not require that there be any special occasion for a solemn mass of requiem - they can happen at any time of the year and do not need a direct object other than the souls of the faithful departed. I definitely don't think [c] was the intention.

[a] RC masses are not that far removed from CofE ones in terms of liturgy, and the same things fall in roughly the same places. Obviously this particular piece was never performed in Mozart's lifetime and he may not even have intended it to be performed liturgically (as in theories about Bach's Mass in B minor and Monteverdi's 'Vespers'). If it had been, many of the extended items such as the Benedictus would have most likely been performed during the eucharistic prayer, in the background whilst the priest was speaking the words. In the Viennese mass of this period music quite often formed a continuous background, so it's not impossible that this would have happened.

In the sense that it is mass music performed as part of the liturgy, why should it not be considered 'liturgical'? Whatever the answer, it certainly doesn't give R3 an excuse to programme the same piece twice on one evening..!

I was there and it was a great performance (alto was indeed a boy, or close enough to one age-wise).

[ardcarp]

I agree that it was a splendid performance. Wind tuning was occasionally dodgy...but the choir had it all at its fingertips. How many choirs of that ilk could pull it off live, and with such utter security and assurance? And I did not notice any probplems with high notes (as some people suggest NCO trebles have). The pitch was interesting...in the crack between C sharp and D... and I've no doubt EH had some good academic reason for choosing that. Tempi beautifully judged, and exquisite phrasing elicited by EH from both choir and orchestra. The solo quartet bits were especially lovely...how often are they wrecked by excess warbling?

From the miking point of view, the soloists and orchestra were well forward, but, especially at the beginning, the choir sounded rather in the middle distance. A pity IMV.

As for the 'liturgical' setting, it was all dignified enough, but for me, Draco, it was not only the strange splitting (why that one between Kyrie and Christe?) but the uncomfortable partnership of Mozart/Latin with a very Anglican modern translation Eucharist. So it wasn't Andrew Parrott-style!

A very interesting and enjoyable 'CE' and my expectations were thoroughly fulfilled!

[ardcarp]

Yojimbo. As you were there, can you tell us how the balance came over? Were you in the ante-chapel? And how were the performers set out...choir in stalls, for instance? It would be interesting to know.

[Simon]

Yes, I'm with all the positive comments to this. The whole lot hung together very well IMO - though I have to agree that the older wording for the service would have suited better.

Very good stuff indeed - thanks to all!

S-S!

[Yojimbo]

@ardcarp
Performers in the antechapel facing east, congregation in the main chapel. The soloists, being members of the choir, stood amongst the rest, behind the orchestra. After the broadcast ended, the choir moved through to the stalls where they sang Mozart's 'Ave verum' as a motet for communion. The performance was to a certain extent directed to the microphones, but came over well.