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Reviewer: William
J. Gatens
Gottfried August Homilius
(1714-85) was widely regarded in the later 18th Century as one of the
greatest German church composers. His standing declined in the estimation of
19th and 20th-Century authorities as the cantatas and other
sacred vocal works of JS Bach came to be better known. While Homilius may
still have been regarded as a noteworthy figure, his compositions were
dismissed as representing a period when Protestant church music in general
was in decline. In recent years there has been a renewal of interest in his
works. He was a native of Saxony, the son of a Lutheran pastor, and had his
early education t St Anne’s School in Dresden. In 1735 he began the study of
law at Leipzig University but was also a music pupil of Johann Schneider
(1702-88), the organist of St Nicholas Church. This was, of course, during
JS Bach’s tenure at St Thomas. In 1742 Homilius was appointed organist at St
Mary’s Church (Frauenkirche) in Dresden. In 1755 he was appointed music
director of that city’s Holy Cross Church (Kreuzkirche), and this entailed
teaching responsibilities at the Holy Cross School and directing music at
the three principal Dresden city churches. Der Messias is a Passion oratorio based on an anonymous libretto. There are four biblical Passion oratorios attributed to Homilius, but by the middle of the 18th Century such works were considered old fashioned. Far more in favor were oratorios whose librettos were free paraphrases of the Gospel accounts. The bestknown example is Wilhelm Ramler’s Der Tod Jesu as set to music in 1755 by Carl Heinrich Graun. In the text set by Homilius, the events of the Passion are related as by a faithful observer contemplating them rather than as the straight narrative found in the Gospels. The story unfolds as much or more in accompanied recitative as in secco recitative, with chorales, arias, and choruses offering further devotional commentary. Hans John, writing in New Grove, observes that “Homilius followed the example of Graun in emphasizing melody, naturalness, and folk-like simplicity. The works are rooted in the era of Bach and Handel, but at the same time increasingly show pre-classical traits.” This description perfectly fits The Messiah. It is cast in a much simpler and more straightforward musical idiom than its counterparts by Bach or Handel. Sustained contrapuntal writing is not conspicuous. There is one chorus in prelude & fugue format, but it is exceptional. This is a work addressed to pietistic sensibilities.
A performance of The Messiah
is documented at St Mary’s Church, Dresden, on Good Friday of 1776. That may
have been its first performance, but there is evidence linking the work to
the court of Duke Friedrich of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, who held regular public
performances of sacred vocal works at the church on the grounds of
Ludwigslust Castle, where he resided. The score and performance materials
survive only in the Mecklenburg State Library at Schwerin. It is possible
that the Dresden performance in 1776 was a preliminary run for its
presentation at Ludwigslust. This recording was made in performance at St Anne’s Church, Dresden, in June of 2014. There is a good deal of reverberation that would probably blur intricate musical textures, but the simpler idiom of Homilius comes through quite well. Balances between voices and instruments are not always ideal, but that seems to be a hazard with concert recording. It is a technically accomplished performance. If it is not equal to the very best early music ensembles currently active, it is not far behind. Matthias Jung founded the Saxon Vocal Ensemble in 1996. They are devoted to performing baroque music from Central Germany, especially the Dresden court. | |
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