A timely Haydn under threat of war
NewsThis week’s free offering from Operavision on Slippedisc.com is an unusual staging of Joseph Haydn’s Missa in tempore belli from Dutch National Opera, tonight at 7pm Europe time, 6pm London, 1pm New York.
The streaming can be accessed for a whole month here.
Lorenzo Viotti conducts a cast of Janai Brugger, Polly Leech, Mingjie Lei and Johannes Kammler.
I would like to see how one interprets in dance “genitum, non factum, consubstantialem Patri” and “qui locutus est per prophetas.”
Sacrilege.
I read the description in the Operavision link with increasing horror. Of course there are valid criticisms of catholicism, which should be voiced. But why drag Haydn into it? A cheap way to avoid commissioning a contemporary composition?
Quotes:
“Director Barbora Horáková reveals the flipside of the unfaltering faith that runs throughout Haydn’s music, poignantly portraying individuals who suffer under the heavy burden of a narrow-minded ideology. …
“Swiss-Israeli electronic composer Janiv Oron responds to Haydn with beats and sound effects, all created live. These extra sound worlds offer a counterbalance to the religious conviction articulated by the Missa. …
“In the mass, four voices emerge as lyrical solos; soprano, mezzo, tenor and baritone become protagonists in the performance. Horáková found inspiration for these characters in intense, personal stories. A woman who has had an abortion following a rape. A boy who, struggling with his sexuality, seeks ‘salvation’ in sport. A man who as a child faced life-threatening illness without the support of his religious parents, themselves content to place his fate in the hands of God. A woman who leaves in a violent marriage with great difficulty, losing all support of those around her.”
I’d like to see what happened if any artist tried this on the other Abrahamic faiths. I agree that Catholicism is not beyond criticism, nor should it be, bit so are the others, and we know what happens then.
I’d like to see what happened if any artist tried this on the other Abrahamic faiths. I agree that Catholicism is not beyond criticism, nor should it be, bit so are the others, and we know what happens then.
Bernstein deliberately once upset Nixon by programming this very work in DC at the height of the Vietnam conflict. Probably caused this “dam’ pinko” to have a few more pages added to his FBI file
He loved the piece. Here he is conducting it a decade later at Ottobeuren:
https://www.amazon.com/Leonard-Bernstein-Conducts-Beethoven-Quartet/dp/B008DWG0PG/
Seems rather odd given that the great man wrote a lot of operas. I ‘ ve seen a couple and they are pretty good. Glorious music.
Haydn=boring
Very good singing from the soloists and choir. Orchestra playing is also excellent. Unfortunately, one needs to endure the electronic drum beating, injected between parts of the Haydn’s Missa. The action on stage is best be ignored, but… all the boxes are checked, so it should pass any DEI scrutiny with flying colors.