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Joseph Haydn

The Seven Last Words of Christ, Arrangement for String Quartet Hob. XX/1B

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Joseph Haydn

The Seven Last Words of Christ, Arrangement for String Quartet Hob. XX/1B

Christin Heitmann (Editor)

Parts, Urtext Edition, paperbound

String Quartets

Pages 80 (V+25+18+16+16), Size 23,5 x 31,0 cm

Weight 360 g

HN 851 · ISMN 979-0-2018-0851-2

Further editions of this title

Parts, Urtext Edition, paperbound €33.50

Study score (pocket score), Urtext Edition, paperbound €16.00

Digital (tablet)

At the end of the 18th century, the town of Cádiz in southern Spain provided the backdrop for a Passion to mark Christ’s hour of death; its focal point was the reading and interpretation of Christ’s last words. Haydn was commissioned to write short meditative music to be played alternately with the readings.
Haydn composed a work for orchestra. Due to its success, the publisher commissioned Haydn to make an arrangement for string quartet. As the wind instruments double the strings for the most part, only a few changes had to be made to the string parts. We present the arrangement for string quartet based on the musical text of the Haydn Complete Edition (in preparation).

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The Seven Last Words of Christ - Arrangement for String Quartet Hob. XX/1B

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About the Composer

Joseph Haydn

His immense oeuvre documents the profound changes in music history during the second half of the eighteenth century, leading to the emancipation of instrumental music. His most important genres are the symphony and the string quartet, where he cultivated the technique of motivic-thematic development; he made significant contributions to the instrumental concerto and to piano music; during the last years of his life, he composed his great oratorios. Opera and art song take on a rather subordinate significance.

1732	Born in Rohrau, probably on March 31 (baptized on April 1).
1737 or 1738	His uncle Johann Mathias Franck takes him in, in order to oversee his musical education.
around 1739/40	For about 8–10 years, chorister at St. Stephen’s Cathedral in Vienna.
from 1750	He makes his living as a musician, teacher, and composer.
1757–61	Employed as music director by Count Morzin. He makes a name for himself as a composer: fifteen symphonies, piano sonatas, trios, divertimenti, string trios, wind partitas, string quartets Opp. 1 and 2.
1761	“Times of Day” Symphonies Nos. 6–8: “Le matin,” “Le midi,” “Le soir.”
from 1761	Employed by Prince Paul Anton at the Esterházy court, by Prince Nikolaus from 1762, by Paul Anton II from 1790–96, then by Nikolaus II, first as vice-Kapellmeister, then as Kapellmeister after 1766.
1764–65	Symphonies No. 22 in E-flat major, “Philosopher”; No. 30 in C major, “Alleluia”; and No. 31 in D major, “Hornsignal.”
1766	Prince Nikolaus Esterházy demands operas for the theater in his newly erected castle. Haydn’s operas are written primarily for special occasions, e.g., “La Canterina,” for the Kaiser’s visit in 1766. He composes many baryton pieces for Prince Nikolaus.
1766–74	Eighteen symphonies, including “La passione” in F minor (1768), “Lamentatione” in D minor (1770), “The Schoolmaster” in E-flat major (1774), “Trauer” (“Mourning”) in E minor (1772): expanded expressive range (six are in minor keys), more counterpoint.
1768	Premiere of “Lo speziale” on Goldoni’s libretto for the inauguration of the new opera house at Eszterháza.
1770	Premiere of the dramma giocoso “Le pescatrici.” After a ten-year hiatus, he writes the pioneering string quartets “6 Divertimenti” Op. 9, and Op. 17 (1771).
1771	Piano Sonata No. 20 in C minor.
1772	“Farewell Symphony” No. 45 in F-sharp minor, “6 Divertimenti (‘Sun Quartets’),” Op. 20, which are characterized by contrapuntal techniques (some have fugues as final movements).
1775	Premiere of the opera “L’incontro improvviso.”
around 1775–78	“Missa brevis sancti Joannis de Deo (‘Little Organ Mass’).”
1776	Prince Nikolaus calls for regular opera performances at Eszterháza. Haydn adjusts works imported from Vienna or Italy to the local taste. He moves from Eisenstadt to Castle Eszterháza, where he resides for ten months a year. Little instrumental music after 1776, often with integrated opera music.
1777	Premiere of “Il mondo della luna,” after Goldoni.
1779	Contact with the publisher Artaria, who distributes his compositions over the following decade.
1781	Premiere of the opera “La fedeltà premiata.” Missa Cellensis, “Mariazellermesse”; String Quartets, Op. 33 (‘Russian Quartets’), which are written “in a quite new and special way” (Haydn) after a rather long break in composing quartets and regarded as paradigmatic for Haydn’s “wit” in the sense of his playful engagement with the instruments.
1782	Premiere of “Orlando paladino.” He begins selling his compositions abroad as well; he has the Symphonies Nos. 76–78 and 79–81 (1783–84) printed in Paris.
1783	Cello Concerto in D major (Hob. VIIb: 2).
1784	Premiere of “Armida”; from this point he composes no more operas for the court. Piano Concerto in D major.
1785–86	Commission by Count d’Ogny to write six symphonies (the Paris Symphonies, Nos. 82–87) to be performed at the Concert de la Loge Olympique in Paris.
1787–90	String Quartets, Opp. 50, 54, and 55. After Nikolaus’ death, Prince Paul Anton II dismisses the entire court chapel; Haydn retains his office in name only.
1791	Composition of the opera “L’anima del filosofo ossia Orfeo ed Eurudice,” which never reaches the stage (posthumous performance in Florence in 1951).
1791–92	Stay in London, engaged by the concert manager Johann Peter Salomon. “6 Quartetti,” Op. 64; the first volume of his transcriptions of Scottish folk songs appears in 1792. Composition of the first six London Symphonies Nos. 93–98, including the Surprise Symphony No. 94.
1792	Sinfonia Concertante for violin, cello, oboe, bassoon, and orchestra in B-flat major.
1794–95	Second stay in London. Six London Symphonies Nos. 99–104, No. 104 has monothematic opening movement, “Military” Symphony No. 100 integrates Janissary music; sonata-rondo as a new form of final movement, e.g., in No. 102.
1794	Accession to power of Nikolaus II, who calls for a mass to celebrate the princess’s name day every year. Six new masses are written: the “Heiligmesse” in B-flat major and the “Kettledrum Mass” in C major (1796), the “Nelson Mass” in D minor/D major (1798), the “Theresienmesse” in B-flat major (1799), the “Creation Mass” in B-flat major (1801), and the “Wind Band Mass” in B-flat major (1802).
1796	Vocal setting of the initially instrumental version of “The Seven Last Words of Our Saviour on the Cross;” Trumpet Concerto in E-flat major.
1797	Emperor’s Hymn “Gott erhalte Franz den Kaiser” (“God Save Emperor Francis”) and the Emperor Quartet in C major, Op. 76 No. 3.
1798	Premiere of his oratorio “The Creation.”
1801	Performance of oratorio “The Seasons.”
1809	Dies in Vienna on May 31.

Product Safety Informations (GPSR)

G. Henle Verlag

Here you can find the information about the manufacturer of the product.

G. Henle Verlag e.K.
Forstenrieder Allee 122
81476 München
Germany
info@henle.de
www.henle.com

Seit 2008 ist im G. Henle-Verlag, herausgegeben vom Joseph-Haydn-Institut Köln, eine neue Urtextausgabe erhältlich, die die Streichquartettfassung endlich so zugänglich macht, wie Haydn sie sich vorgestellt haben dürfte.

Fono Forum, 2012

I have now received the parts for the string quartet version of The Seven Last Words, whose score I approved in our last issue. If I still played the viola, I’d certainly be happy reading from them. The avoidance of a page-turn before the attacca subito il terremoto is commendable.

Early Music Review, 2009

Die von Christin Heitmann betreute praktische Ausgabe folgt dem Text der … Gesamtausgabe und bietet – wie alle anderen vorgestellten Veröffentlichungen – den von Henle gewohnten hohen Standard.

Ensemble, 2009