Opus 85 Christus am Ölberge, oratorio for soloists (soprano, tenor and bass), choir and orchestra
I) Introduction (Grave – adagio) – II) Recitative (Jesus) Jehovah, du mein Vater! – III) Aria (Jesus): Meine Seele ist erschüttert (Allegro) – IV) Aria (Serafino): Preist des Erlösers Güte – V) Serafino and choir of angels: O Heil euch – VI) Recitative (Jesus and Serafino) Verkündet, Seraph – VII) Duet (Jesus and Serafino): So ruhe – VIII) Recitative (Jesus): Willkommen, Tod! – IX) Soldiers’ Chorus: Wir haben ihn gesehen – X) Recitative (Jesus): Die mich zu fangen – auf! – XV) Choir of angels: Welten singen
Opus 085 Christus am Ölberge, oratorio for soloists (soprano, tenor, and bass), choir, and orchestra, op. 85, March 1803, published in score and reduction for voice and piano in Leipzig by Breitkopf & Härtel in October 1811; in choral parts in Bonn by Simrock in 1825; in separate vocal and orchestral parts in Leipzig by Breitkopf & Härtel, November 1845 – February 1846. GA. no. 205 (series 19/3) – B. 85 – KH. 85 – L. Ili, p. 220 – N. 85 – T. 72.
The manuscript score, approximately one-quarter original and the rest revised by the composer, is currently preserved in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin. The drafts are found in the Wielhorsky notebook. Other sketches, probably of revisions made after the first performance, are contained in the notebook of the Eroica. The exact period during which the work was composed cannot be determined with certainty. Three letters by Beethoven, written several years apart, consistently and explicitly refer to “a few weeks” or even “fourteen or fifteen days.” Based on this, since the first performance took place on 5 April 1803, it can be concluded that the oratorio was likely composed, almost spontaneously, in the preceding March.
“In certain days of spring and late autumn,” writes Thayer-Riemann, “theatrical performances were prohibited in Vienna, and the most renowned composers took the opportunity to perform in the field of spiritual cantatas, in concerts for their own benefit, or more often for public charity. Anyone consulting the musical annals of Vienna will encounter the names of Haydn, Salieri, Winter, Süssmayer, Päer; and Beethoven, who, despite his immense talent, was always eager to try new things and had the desire to present some of his new vocal compositions in his next concert, decided to write a work of this kind.”
The text was written by the theatrical poet Franz Xaver Huber. Many years later, in a letter dated 24 January 1824 to the Society of Friends of Music in Vienna, Beethoven recalled Huber’s musicality and their regular collaboration; but the text seems not to have fully satisfied him, according to another letter dated 23 August 1811 (just over a month before the publication of the score) to Breitkopf and Härtel. Furthermore, it seems that the composer, having later attached several excuses, almost as if to justify himself, cited the fact that he had written the oratorio in such a short time, and also acknowledged (in a letter of 9 October 1811, also to Breitkopf and Härtel) that “if I were to write an oratorio now, I would do it in a completely different way.” It appears, then, that Beethoven was not overly pleased with his own musical work. The Prod’homme refers to a conversation from February 1823, in which, after a performance of the oratorio, Schindler, evidently responding to some comment from Beethoven, wrote: “You say it’s too dramatic overall? In the arias?” and adds, seemingly agreeing with a judgment expressed by the master in reply to his questions, “Christ, in truth, should not sing.”
Certainly, the work is not the result of long meditation and elaboration. However, it was very well received by the public from the very first performance. In Vienna, it was performed three more times in the same year; and subsequent performances were numerous in German-speaking countries. In a letter to Varena in March 1813, Beethoven could boast that the piece had been performed everywhere. We have specific details about two Italian performances, both taking place on Good Friday (7 April 1827, eleven days after Beethoven’s death), from the respective programs that have survived: the first took place in Perugia, at the home of Marquis Antinori, and the second at a Court Academy held in another city whose name is not mentioned in the program. The score was only published, as mentioned, in 1811, after various negotiations with the publishing houses Breitkopf and Härtel and Kühnel, which were often left incomplete and then resumed. In the meantime, Beethoven had made various additions and modifications to the work, so it is not possible to determine precisely the content of the version in which it was originally performed. The critics, even in the early days, did not entirely share the public’s enthusiasm.
In general, the work was criticized for lacking religious character, which, for some, such as C. M. von Weber, manifested primarily in the almost complete absence of typical severe musical forms (fugues), and, on the other hand, the predominance of theatrical forms like duets, trios, arias, which, favoured by the structure of the libretto, contributed to presenting Christ in a more sentimental rather than divine light, and to colouring the more dramatic scenes with an overly stark character. A more balanced review, which recognizes both the flaws and merits, is the one, often attributed to Hoffmann, published in the Allgemeine Musikalische Zeitung of Leipzig (Nos. 1 and 2 of 1812), of which Boyer provides an extensive summary. Even the more recent opinions of critics and musicologists are not excessively enthusiastic. Some of them, like Marx, and, more recently, Bekker and Suares, express negative views; the latter, in particular, is wrong to frame his judgment within a questionable general critique of all of Beethoven’s religious works, including the Missa Solemnis. Broader views are those of Boyer and Jolivet, who, while finding the work uneven in its various parts both in terms of conception and artistic realisation, highlight its significant points.
I. Introduction, recitative, and aria: Gesù: Jehovah, du mein Vater! (Jehovah, my Father!) Meine Seele ist erschüttert (My soul is disturbed); Vater! (Father!). Orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trombones, timpani, and strings. With a dark romantic colour, this is the most expressive page of the work. Only at the end does the atmosphere lighten; an arpeggiated chord rises from the bassoons to the violins and violas, spreading and harmoniously completing itself in the extreme sounds of the flutes on one side and the basses on the other: a mystical moment of respite, as if the white figure of the Savior in prayer suddenly appeared in the darkness. But Jesus’ recitative immediately dispels the consoling impression, returning us to the initial gloomy obscurity. The two states of mind expressed by the aria’s text (fear-prayer) correspond to two different musical themes: the first in a typical C minor, the second, sweeter and more melodic, in E flat. Allegro: with a small vocalise at the end: “to the pleasure of the voice,” says the Italian stage direction.
II. Recitative of the Seraphim: Erzittre, Erde! (Tremble, Earth!) — Aria: Preist des Erlösers Güte (Praise the goodness of the Savior); O Heil euch (O blessed ones), with a choir of angels. Orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 bassoons, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, 2 timpani, and strings. The Seraphim’s recitative expresses pity for the anguish of the Son of God. The aria – Larghetto – initially exalts the goodness of the Lord with a kind of fervent speech that, in truth, is not very convincing due to its graceful character; then it prophesies the beatitude of those who will be redeemed and the condemnation of the damned. The voice of the Seraphim is joined by a choir of angels. The episode comes alive with a strong dramatic contrast, concluding, after a final fff statement of the words “Verdammung ist ihr Loos!” (Damnation is their fate!), with a hymn of praise for the blessed, where the Seraphim has the last word with a cadence that, again, is “to the pleasure of the voice.”
III. Recitative: Gesù: Verkündet, Seraph, mir dein Mund Erbarmen meines ewigen Vater sì (Announce to me, Seraph, through your mouth the compassion of my eternal Father); Seraphim: So sprich Jehova (Thus says Jehova). Duet: Gesù: So ruhe denn mit ganzer Schwere auf mir, mein Vater, dein Gericht (Then, Father, let your judgment weigh upon me with all its weight), and Seraphim: Erschüttert seh ich den Erhabnen in Todes Leiden eingehüllt (I see the Exalted One, trembling, wrapped in mortal suffering). Orchestra: 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 3 trombones, strings. The words of the Seraphim, “So sprich Jehova,” announcing to Jesus the irrevocability of the Father’s decision, are marked by a mystical gravity as they are intoned above a succession of wind instrument chords. The duet that follows, although less original, is not without effective melodic inflections and dramatic incisiveness in some points, especially in the Adagio molto.
IV. Recitative: Gesù: Willkommen, Tod (Welcome, death) — Alla marcia and Chorus: Wir haben ihn gesehen (We have seen him). Orchestra: 2 oboes, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, timpani, and strings. The march gives the impression of a crowd moving cautiously in search of Jesus: musically, it is an episode with a colour similar to other descriptive or decorative passages that the master would later introduce, not only in Fidelio, but also in subsequent representative works, such as Egmont and The Ruins of Athens. However, the entrance of the chorus that follows it defines the character of the episode.
V. Recitative: Gesù: Die mich zu fangen ausgewogen sind, sie nahen nun (Those who have come to capture me are drawing near). Chorus, The Crowd: Hier ist er, der Verbannte (Here is the outcast); The Disciples: Was soll der Lärm bedeuten? (What does this noise mean?). Orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, timpani, and strings. The recitative of Jesus is conveyed more by the orchestra than by the spoken words. The brief instrumental commentary on the invocation to the Father, asking that the hours of martyrdom pass quickly like clouds driven by the stormy wind across the sky, is also effective. The crowd, having finally found Jesus, bursts in with a second, more violent chorus, whose Allegro molto theme resembles that of the pistol quartet in Fidelio. The other chorus, that of the disciples, is fearful, concerned for their safety.
VI. Recitative: Pietro: Nicht ungestraft (Not without punishment), Gesù: O lass dein Schwert in seiner Scheide ruhn (Put your sword back in its sheath); Terzetto: Pietro: In meinen Adern Wuhlen gerechten Zorn und Wuth (In my veins boil just anger and fury), Gesù: Du sollst nicht Rache üben (You must not take vengeance), Seraphim: Merk auf, O Mensch, und höre (Pay attention, O man, and listen), Chorus of the crowd and disciples.
VII. Final chorus of angels: Welten, singen Dank und Ehre (Worlds, sing songs of thanks and glory). Orchestra: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, horns, strings (with 2 trumpets, trombones, and timpani added in the finale). In the concerted form of the terzetto: Andante cantabile, occasionally interrupted by the furious voices of the crowd and the fearful voices of the disciples, we find a synthesis of Peter’s impetuosity, the sermonic sweetness of the Seraphim, and the divine meekness of Jesus. Finally, Jesus’ decisive words, “Meine Qual ist bald verschwunden, der Erlösungs Werk vollbracht” (My suffering is soon over, the work of salvation is complete), pave the way for the final celebration of the chorus: a solemn introduction – Maestoso, a fugato with a jubilant theme of concise form, a repetition of acclamations, a fervour overall, which was considered too violent for the sacred nature of the work, but already musically approaches the enthusiastic spirit of other more famous Beethovenian celebrations.
[By Biamonti Giovanni – Catalogo cronologico e tematico delle opere di Beethoven comprese quelle inedite e gli abbozzi non utilizzati, Torino, ILTE 1968]
Opus 85 Christus am Ölberge
Gesamtausgabe
Official title: Opus 85 Christus am Ölberge Oratorium nach einem Text von Franz Xaver Huber für Soli, Chor und Orchester Widmung: – NGA VIII/1 AGA 205 = Serie 19/3.
Composition and Publication: It is possible that two of the marches were written before November 1802 and the third shortly afterwards. In September 1803, Beethoven offered all three compositions to Breitkopf & Härtel in Leipzig. However, the original edition was published in March 1804 by the Kunst-und Industrie-Comptoir in Vienna.
There is some evidence that at least two of the marches were composed during Beethoven’s summer stay in 1802 in Heiligenstadt, near Vienna, which lasted until the end of October. Ferdinand Ries reports in his Biographischen Notizen that a march he had improvised and jokingly presented as Beethoven’s led Count Browne to immediately request from Beethoven the composition of three marches for four hands, which were later dedicated to Princess Esterházy (Opus 45). Ries does not mention a date.
In a letter formerly owned by Sieghard Brandenburg, dated summer 1802 and perhaps written in October of that year, Beethoven writes to Ries from Heiligenstadt asking to be informed whether it is true that Count Browne had already sent the two marches to be engraved, expressing the importance of knowing the truth and noting that Ries need not come to Heiligenstadt because Beethoven had no time to waste.
At the time, a rumour was circulating that Johann Georg Reichsgraf von Browne-Camus (1767–1827) had sold the manuscripts of two of the marches to a publisher, against Beethoven’s rights and without his knowledge. Breitkopf & Härtel likely referred to this rumour in a letter dated 20 November 1802, noting that a similar incident concerning a work entrusted to Count Browne had already attracted attention (in relation to a pirated edition of Op. 29). Letters from December (including one by Kaspar Karl van Beethoven) confirm that Breitkopf & Härtel was then directed to contact the Kunst- und Industrie-Comptoir in Vienna for clarification. In 1837, Ferdinand Ries described the rumour as a complete lie.
It is unknown whether the third march was also written in Heiligenstadt or after Beethoven’s return to Vienna at the end of October 1802. Carl Czerny told Gustav Nottebohm that all three marches were written in Vienna between November 1802 and April 1803. According to Katherine Syer, this may also refer to revision work.
The dating of two of the marches to 1802 is disputed in light of sketchbook studies. Johnson, Tyson and Winter date the sketches found in the so-called Landsberg 6 notebook to the summer of 1803, arguing that there is no temporal overlap with the earlier Wielhorsky sketchbook. They therefore assume — despite the above evidence — that the marches given by Beethoven to Count Browne were likely other, now lost and unpublished, compositions.
Katherine Syer, however, offers a possible explanation, suggesting that the sketches found in Landsberg 6 may have been written well before the notebook’s active period, possibly even in 1802.
In September 1803, Beethoven offered Breitkopf & Härtel, among other works, the three marches of Op. 45, stating that they were light but not insignificant, and that the last was so grand it could be called the “march of three marches.” However, no contract was concluded.
Dedication: The marches were dedicated to Maria Josepha Hermenegild, Princess Esterházy von Galántha, née Princess of Liechtenstein, born 13 April 1768 and died 8 August 1845. She was the daughter of Prince Franz Joseph of Liechtenstein (1726–1781) and Princess Maria Leopoldine, née Countess of Sternberg (1733–1800), and sister of Field Marshal Prince Johann Joseph von Liechtenstein (1760–1836).
Prince Esterházy — who employed Joseph Haydn from 1794 — was one of the great patrons of the arts and sciences in the Habsburg monarchy. He created a library of approximately 20,000 volumes, a public collection of paintings and engravings, and a mineral cabinet.
He was also one of the subscribers to Beethoven’s Op. 1. He belonged to the Theater-Unternehmung-Gesellschaft (which also included Joseph von Schwarzenberg, Franz Joseph Maximilian Lobkowitz, Counts Franz and Franz Nikolaus Esterházy, Ferdinand Pálffy von Erdödy, Hieronymus Lodron, and Stephan Zichy), which took over the management of the two imperial theatres (the Burgtheater and the Kärntnertortheater) and the Theater an der Wien in January 1807 — the latter being a venue where Beethoven hoped to secure a position.
On the occasion of his wife’s name day, Esterházy commissioned Beethoven’s Mass in C major, Op. 86, which was performed on 13 September 1807.
In the summer of 1804, the composer lived in the Esterházy apartment complex at the edge of the glacis in Alservorstadt, known as the “Rotes Haus”. The house at Walfischgasse 1087, where Beethoven lived during the winter of 1809/1810, also belonged to a member of the Esterházy family — Count Nikolaus Esterházy.
In May 1823, Beethoven invited Prince Esterházy to subscribe to the Missa solemnis, but the prince declined.
First Performance: The date of the first performance is unknown. Ferdinand Ries mentions a small concert at Count Browne’s residence, where he performed two of the marches, but provides no specific date.
Sketches are preserved in Kraków (PL-Kj, Mus. SM. autogr. Beethoven Landsberg 6 [“Eroica”], pp. 44–47 and 57–58). The dating is uncertain: either the final months of 1802 or the summer of 1803.
First Edition. Published: March 1804 Location: Vienna. Publisher: Kunst- und Industrie-Comptoir (Bureau d’Arts et d’Industrie). Catalogue No.: VN/PN 358. Title Page: TROIS GRANDES MARCHES / pour le Pianoforte, à quatre mains, / composées et dediées / à son Altesse, / Madame la Princesse regnante d’Esterhazy.
Original manuscript score, March 1803 version- Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin – Preußischer Kulturbesitz, Berlin, Deutschland.
Text: Franz Xaver Huber (1755–1814), journalist and librettist. The autograph manuscript of the original libretto for the oratorio is no longer traceable, and the text was never published separately. The libretto has survived only through the sources used for the composition and in a handwritten textual copy by a scribe. Beethoven commented on his collaboration with Huber in a letter dated 23 January 1824: „christus am Ohlberg ward von mir mit dem Dichter in Zeit von 14 Tägen geschrieben, allein der dichter war Musikalisch u. hatte schon mehreres für Musik geschrieben, ich konnte mich jeden Augenblick mit ihm besprechen“ (BGA 1773).
Already at the time of the premiere, a review noted that Huber “zwar vielleicht genug Theaterkenntnis zu einer erträglichen Oper, aber wahrlich wenig poetisches Talent zu einer Kantate“ (Zeitung für die elegante Welt, 3, 1803, 16 April 1803, col. 362f).
This and similar criticisms of the libretto likely prompted Breitkopf & Härtel to commission Christian Schreiber to revise the oratorio. On that occasion, Schreiber also produced the German version of op. 86 and translated the Italian texts of op. 82. He annotated his revised text directly into the copy of the score received by the publisher on 28 November 1809. All of this was done without Beethoven’s knowledge or approval. The composer only became aware of the alterations during the proofreading stage. He expressed his clear rejection of the changes in a letter dated 23 August 1811 (BGA 519).
However, since the oratorio was eventually published with Schreiber’s modifications, it can be assumed that at least some of them were tacitly accepted by Beethoven. Nonetheless, even after publication, he reiterated his firm opposition to the altered text in a letter dated 28 January 1812 (BGA 545).
The first performance of the oratorio took place during a benefit concert (an Akademie) on 5 April 1803 at the Theater an der Wien. At the same event, Beethoven also premiered his Symphony No. 2, op. 36, and Piano Concerto No. 3, op. 37, while his Symphony No. 1, op. 21, was also performed. The concert was advertised in the Wiener Zeitung on 26 and 30 March 1803, and in AmZ 5 (1802/03), 30 March 1803, column 458.
Ferdinand Ries recounted the general rehearsal held on the morning of the concert: „Die Probe fing um acht Uhr Morgens an […]. Es war eine schreckliche Probe und um halb drei Uhr Alles erschöpft und mehr oder weniger unzufrieden. Fürst Karl Lichnowsky, der von Anfang der Probe beiwohnte, hatte Butterbrot, kaltes Fleisch und Wein in großen Körben holen lassen. […] Nun bat der Fürst, das Oratorium noch einmal durchzuprobiren, damit es Abends recht gut ginge und das erste Werk dieser Art von Beethoven, seiner würdig, ins Publikum gebracht würde.“ (Wegeler/Ries, p. 76f)
Beethoven retained the full proceeds from the concert, which caused some resentment due to the increased ticket prices: „Niemand hat den folgenden Tag begreifen können, warum Hr. B[eethoven]. bey dieser Musik die ersten Plätze doppelt, die gesperrten Sitze drey-fach, und jede Loge (statt 4 Fl.) mit 12 Dukaten sich bezahlen liess. – Allein man darf hierbey nicht vergessen, dass dieses Hrn. Beethovens erster Versuch in dieser Art war. Ich wünsche aufrichtig, dass er den Kassen-Gehalt bey dem zweyten Versuche eben so ergiebig; von Seiten der Komposition aber mehr Charakterisirung und einen besser überdachten Plan haben möge.“ (AmZ 5, 1802/03, 25 May 1803, col. 590)
Four further performances were held in Vienna before the publication of the original edition: on 21 July and 4 August 1803 at the Augartensaal (advertised in Wiener Zeitung on 16 and 30 July 1803), on 27 March 1804 at the Theater an der Wien (Sonnek/Schikaneder p. 333, TDR II p. 388), and again on 23 December 1809 at the same theatre (AmZ 12, 1809/10, 24 January 1810, col. 266).
From 1811 onwards, the oratorio had a significant impact on concert life across Europe. There is documented evidence of around eighty performances during Beethoven’s lifetime (Mühlenweg/Op. 85, vol. 1, pp. 112–124, 139–153).
Beethoven’s Hallelujah Chorus
From the Mount of Olives
Arranged as Duetts for the Harp & Piano Forte
To be continued – Beethoven’s Hallelujah Chorus From the Mount of Olives Being N°9 of a Selection of Chorus’ses Arranged as Arranged ad Duetts fot the Harp & Piano Forte With Accomp.ts ad libitum for Flute & Violoncello, by J.F. Burrowes. London Printed & Sold by Chappell & C°. Music Sellers 50, New Bond Street.
John Freckleton Burrowes (23 April 1787 – 31 March 1852), a British organist and composer, was born in London. He studied under William Horsley. His first published work was a set of six English ballads, and in 1812 he brought out an overture (Op. 8) which had been performed at the Vocal Concerts at Hanover Square. This was followed in 1817 by another overture (Op. 13), produced by the Philharmonic Society, of which Burrowes was one of the founding members.
In 1818, the first edition of his Pianoforte Primer appeared, a work that enjoyed a fair degree of success. The following year, he published the Thorough Bass Primer, which proved just as successful as its predecessor. Over the course of his long career, he also published a Companion to the Pianoforte Primer (1826), a Companion to the Thorough Bass Primer (1832), The Tutor’s Assistant for the piano (1834), and A Guide to Practice on the Pianoforte (1841).
He also brought out collections of psalm tunes, preludes, dances, Scottish and Irish airs, sonatas, a trio for three flutes, songs, and many arrangements of operatic works—including the piece referred to here.
For nearly forty years, Burrowes served as organist of St James’s Church in Piccadilly. Around 1834, he settled at No. 13 Nottingham Place, where he died on 31 March 1852, after a long and painful illness.
Boston: Printed and Sold by James Loring, No. 2, Cornhill, [1819].
This, the second volume of the Old Colony Collection of Anthems, was published jointly by the Old Colony Musical Society of Plymouth and the Handel and Haydn Society of Boston, and formed the backbone of the latter’s repertoire in its early years. The Handel and Haydn Society (H+H), which today holds the distinction of being the oldest continuously performing arts organisation in the United States, was founded in Boston in 1815 with the aim of “cultivating and improving a correct taste in the performance of sacred music, and also of introducing into more general practice the works of Handel, Haydn, and other eminent composers.”
This collection includes hymns, excerpts from oratorios, and other works for various choral groupings—mainly unaccompanied scores for 2–5 voice parts, some with organ accompaniment—by composers such as Beethoven, Handel, and Mozart. The Beethoven excerpts are drawn from Christus am Ölberge and represent the first known examples of his music to be printed in the United States.
The swift adoption of Beethoven’s vocal and instrumental music for hymn books and other purposes became a growing priority in America during the first three decades of the 19th century. The earliest known example of this appears to be in the second volume of the Old Colony Collection of Anthems Selected and Published under the Patronage and Direction of the Handel and Haydn Society of Boston, issued in 1818–1819, where Beethoven’s Christus am Ölberge was used for a recitative and the choruses “O hail, ye sons of mortals” (“O Heil euch, ihr Erlsten”) and “Hallelujah to the Father” (“Welten singen Dank und Ehre”).
[Kinkeldey, Otto: Beginnings of Beethoven in America, The Musical Quarterly, April 1927, Vol. 13, No. 2, p. 245]
