We are coming into the months of spring, meaning there is more light coming our way. Let’s hope the same can be said about the global situation. Our choristers are swiftly being vaccinated, and things are looking better. Maybe the guys will be rehearsing before I’m even allowed into HQ!! There’s no news from us, so this opening section is just for you to know that we are all staying safe and looking forward to coming back to practice.

Composers of the Month

This month, I will be focusing on early years composers who have had a huge influence on the creative industry as a whole.

Antonio Vivaldi (4 March 1678 – 28 July 1741)

On the day of Vivaldi’s birth, there was a large earthquake in Venice… perhaps this was a sign of what was to come in the world of music, as he certainly had an influence on the industry! He was taught by his father to play the violin, and the two of them toured Venice playing violin together. He composed many instrumental concertos, for the violin and a variety of other musical instruments, as well as sacred choral works and more than forty operas. His best-known work is a series of violin concertos known as The Four Seasons.

Away from music, Vivaldi began studies to become a priest and was nicknamed Il prêt Rosso, or The Red Priest. It is speculated that this was due to his red hair, which was a family trait. He suffered from a form of asthma which limited his duties administering Mass but gave him more time to spend writing music.

The musical compositions of Vivaldi total 500 concertos, 90 sonatas, 46 operas and a large body of sacred choral works and chamber music. He was commissioned to create music for European nobility and royalty. The well recognized cantata, Gloria, was written for the celebration of the marriage of Louis XV in 1725. Additional pieces were written for the birth of the French royal princesses and Vivaldi was given the title of knight from Emperor Charles VI of Vienna. His ability had not gone unnoticed, as a fellow musician, J.S. Bach, became a huge fan of his – transcribing many of his concerti for keyboard, strings, organ and harpsichord.

In this extract, we have John Eliot Gardiner conducting The Monteverdi Choir and English Baroque Soloists, performing Vivaldi’s Gloria: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXx_1pZV8tE

Johann Sebastian Bach (31 March 1685 – 28 July 1750)

Johann Sebastian Bach was born in Eisenach, Thuringia, Germany, where his father taught him how to play the violin. Unfortunately, both his parents died when he was 10 years old, so his older brother, Johann Christoph Bach, taught him how to play the organ. Although he was taught how to play the violin and the organ, it was his fine voice that granted him a scholarship at St. Michael’s School in Luneburg in 1700.

Bach’s love life was rather interesting. In 1707, he married his second cousin, Maria Barbara Bach, and had seven children with her. Two of these children became musicians like him: Wilhelm Friedemann and Carl Philipp Emanuel. Maria Barbara suddenly died in 1720, but he met Anna Magdalena Wilcke the following year: a young, highly gifted soprano 16 years his junior. They married on 3 December 1721 and had thirteen children.

Bach was court organist in Weimer in 1708 for Duke Wilhelm Ernst. It was here he composed his very famous organ work, Toccata in D Minor. He was given a diamond ring in 1714 from the Crown Prince Fredrick of Sweden who was amazed at his playing. However, having angered Duke Wilhelm for requesting release from his position on short notice and desiring to go work for Prince Leopold of Koethen, Bach was arrested and put in jail for several weeks in 1716. Upon his release from jail, he became the conductor of the court orchestra, in which Prince Leopold played.

For 27 years of his life, from 1723 to 1750, Bach was the Music Director (Kapellmeister) of St Thomas Church, (Thomaskirche) Leipzig. In 2013 Risca Male Choir had the great honour of being the first Welsh male choir to sing there when we took part in the Sunday morning mass. After the service our choir gave a concert for the congregation and tourists that by that time had flooded into this important historic building.

The photo was taken after the performance outside Thomaskirche and in front of the statue of JS Bach.

Here is the final chorus from his highly successful St Matthew Passion, performed by Engelbrekt Chamber Choir and members of Radiosymfonikerna, conducted Bengt Eklund: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7X41SUO5-o

Franz Joseph Haydn (31 March 1732 – 31 May 1809)

Born on the same day of the year as Bach, Joseph Haydn was an Austrian composer who began his life as a successful treble. He was so good at the role that it was then suggested by the choirmaster at St Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna that Haydn undergo a certain operation to prevent his voice from breaking, but fortunately his father stepped in and prevented it from happening. However, things changed for Haydn when he lost is angelic voice at 16 - he left the choir after his voice was described by Habsburg Empress Maria Theresa in this way: "That boy doesn't sing, he crows!" Haydn then cut the pigtail of another boy chorister and was then caned in public!

Haydn was affectionately called “Papa” Haydn by many people and for many reasons. The title originated from his care for his often mischievous orchestral musicians who frequently needed saving from trouble while in the court of Prince Esterhazy. Another important layer to the “Papa” Haydn nickname comes from his reputation as the “Father of the Symphony” and the “Father of the String Quartet”. Haydn was not the inventor of the symphony or quartet but rather respected for perfecting them. Mozart, a close friend of his, continued the torch and affectionately referred to him as “Papa” Haydn.

In the 1770s, during an unexpectedly extended stint of summer concerts away from home, Haydn wrote his Farewell Symphony on behalf of his musicians. The final Adagio movement calls for each musician at one point to stop playing, blow out their candle and leave the performance until only 2 players are left playing (Haydn and his Concertmaster in this case). The message was received as the next day Prince Esterhazy decided it was finally time for them all to return home for a holiday.

Haydn’s extract is from his oratorio The Creation, or Die Schöpfung, performed by the Choir of New College, Oxford, the Chorus of Academy of Ancient Music, the Academy of Ancient Music and conducted by Christopher Hogwood. It’s the famous chorus The heavens are telling which features, as bass soloist, Michael George who was a guest at our 2008 Annual Concert with his wife, Risca born soprano, Julie Kennard. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4lSauxyFWo

I hope you enjoy these extracts – I particularly like the St Matthew Passion piece for its serene nature. Again, I hope you are all staying healthy and vaccinated promptly!

Stay safe!

Tomos