A History of the Oratorio: The Oratorio in the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries

by Smither, Howard E.

• ISBN13: 9780807825112
• ISBN10: 0807825115
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2000-11-01
• Publisher: Univ of North Carolina Pr

Summary

With this volume, Howard Smither completes his monumental "History of the Oratorio. Volumes 1 and 2, published by the University of North Carolina Press in 1977, treated the oratorio in the Baroque era, while Volume 3, published in 1987, explored the genre in the Classical era. Here, Smither surveys the history of nineteenth- and twentieth-century oratorio, stressing the main geographic areas of oratorio composition and performance: Germany, Britain, America, and France. Continuing the approach of the previous volumes, Smither treats the oratorio in each language and geographical area by first exploring the cultural and social contexts of oratorio. He then addresses aesthetic theory and criticism, treats libretto and music in general, and offers detailed analyses of the librettos and music of specific oratorios (thirty-one in all) that are of special importance to the history of the genre. As a synthesis of specialized literature as well as an investigation of primary sources, this work will serve as both a springboard for further research and an essential reference for choral conductors, soloists, choral singers, and others interested in the history of the oratorio.

Table of Contents

Preface	xix
Abbreviations	xxiii
PART I. The Nineteenth Century
The German Oratorio: Terminology, Social and Cultural Context	3	(59)
Terminology	3	(4)
Cultural and Social Context	7	(22)
German Cultural Nationalism and Oratorio	9	(5)
Romanticism and German Oratorio	14	(2)
Historicism and German Oratorio	16	(1)
The Handel Revival	17	(1)
The Bach Revival	18	(2)
Religion and Oratorio	20	(1)
Secularization	20	(2)
Gefuhlsreligion and Kunstreligion	22	(3)
Liturgical Reform and Church Music	25	(4)
The Context of Oratorio Performance	29	(33)
Oratorio and the Amateur Choral Society	29	(11)
Oratorio and the Music Festival	40	(13)
Oratorio in Church	53	(3)
Oratorio on Stage	56	(6)
The German Oratorio: Aesthetic Theory and Criticism, Libretto and Music	62	(65)
Introduction: The Oratorio Market and the Production of New Oratorios, 1800--1914	62	(1)
Aesthetic Theory and Criticism	63	(23)
The Libretto and Poetic Genres: Epic, Lyric, Dramatic	64	(1)
Oratorio as a Contemplative Genre, a Lyric Genre	65	(1)
Oratorio as a Lyric-Dramatic Genre	66	(3)
Oratorio as a Dramatic Genre	69	(5)
Oratorio as an Epic Genre	74	(4)
The Subject Matter	78	(1)
The Music	79	(4)
Oratorio as an Obsolete Genre	83	(3)
The Libretto	86	(24)
General Structure	86	(3)
Subject Matter and Treatment	89	(1)
New Testament Subjects	90	(8)
Old Testament Subjects	98	(5)
Subjects from History, Literature, and Legend	103	(7)
The Music	110	(11)
Musical Historicism	110	(4)
Innovations	114	(7)
Periodization and Summary of Styles	121	(6)
Selected German Oratorios	127	(122)
Das Weltgericht	127	(11)
Friedrich Schneider
Die letzten Dinge	138	(9)
Louis Spohr
Felix Mendelssohn	147	(37)
Paulus	152	(14)
Elias	166	(18)
Das Paradies und die Peri	184	(15)
Robert Schumann
Franz Liszt	199	(50)
Die Legende von der heiligen Elisabeth	203	(23)
Christus	226	(23)
Oratorio in Britain: Terminology, Cultural and Social Context	249	(38)
Terminology, Genre, and the Handelian Legacy	249	(3)
Cultural and Social Context	252	(35)
Nationalism	252	(4)
Romanticism	256	(1)
Historicism	257	(2)
Religion	259	(1)
Secularization	259	(2)
Oratorio as Religious Experience	261	(6)
The Context of Oratorio Performance	267	(1)
Early Amateur Choruses	267	(1)
Music Education and the Sight-Singing Movement	268	(6)
Provincial Festivals to the 1830s	274	(2)
Provincial Choral Societies, 1840s to 1900	276	(1)
Provincial Festivals, 1830s to 1900	277	(3)
London Festivals and Choral Societies	280	(4)
The Anglican Choral Revival and Oratorio	284	(3)
Oratorio in Britain: Aesthetic Theory and Criticism, Libretto and Music	287	(43)
Introduction: The Oratorio Market and the Production of New Oratorios, 1800--1914	287	(1)
Aesthetic Theory and Criticism	288	(13)
William Crotch and the Sublime	289	(2)
The ``Aesthetic'' School versus ``Authority''	291	(4)
The Dramatic versus the Epic Oratorio	295	(4)
George Bernard Shaw	299	(2)
The Libretto	301	(18)
Epic, Lyric, and Dramatic Elements	301	(8)
General Structure	309	(1)
Subject Matter and Treatment	310	(1)
Old Testament Subjects	310	(2)
New Testament Subjects	312	(5)
Subjects from History and Legend	317	(2)
The Music	319	(11)
Musical Historicism	319	(4)
The Pasticcio Oratorio	323	(1)
Periodization and Summary	323	(7)
Selected English Oratorios	330	(53)
Palestine	330	(9)
William Crotch
St. John the Baptist	339	(14)
George Macfarren
Job	353	(9)
C. Hubert
H. Parry
The Dream of Gerontius	362	(21)
Edward Elgar
Oratorio in America: Cultural Context, Aesthetic Theory and Criticism	383	(61)
Oratorio in Early America	383	(3)
Oratorio and the Choral Society	386	(28)
Education in Vocal Music	386	(3)
Oratorio and Immigration	389	(1)
Choral Societies in Selected Cities	390	(1)
Boston	391	(10)
New York City	401	(7)
Philadephia and Bethlehem	408	(3)
Cincinnati and Chicago	411	(2)
Toronto and Montreal	413	(1)
Oratorio and the Music Festival	414	(12)
Bethlehem: The Moravian Festivals	415	(1)
Worcester Music Festival	416	(1)
Boston Festival	416	(3)
New York Festivals	419	(4)
Cincinnati May Festival	423	(1)
Festivals in Other Cities	423	(3)
Other Social Contexts	426	(1)
Oratorio in Educational Institutions	426	(1)
Oratorio in Church	426	(1)
Aesthetic Theory and Criticism: Dwight versus Fry	427	(17)
John Sullivan Dwight (1813-1893): American Transcendentalism and German Romanticism	428	(10)
William Henry Fry (1813-1864): American Nationalist, Opponent of Oratorio	438	(6)
Oratorio in America: Libretto, Music, Selected Oratorios	444	(63)
Libretto	444	(14)
Subject Matter and Treatment	444	(1)
Biblical Oratorios	445	(7)
Nonbiblical Oratorios	452	(2)
The Juvenile Oratorio	454	(4)
Music: General Aspects	458	(8)
Oratorios in the Great Tradition	459	(6)
Easy Oratorios	465	(1)
Selected Oratorios	466	(41)
George Frederick Bristow, Daniel	467	(14)
John Knowles Paine, St. Peter	481	(12)
Horatio William Parker, Hora novissima	493	(14)
Oratorio in France: Social Context, Libretto, Music	507	(45)
Terminology and Genre	507	(4)
Cultural and Social Context	511	(20)
The French Revolution, Religious Revival, and Oratorio	511	(1)
The Revolution, the Catholic Church, Religious Music	511	(1)
Religious Revival and Oratorio, 1800-1830	512	(4)
Religious Revival and Oratorio, 1830-1870	516	(9)
Politics, the Church, and Oratorio in the Third Republic to 1914	525	(6)
Libretto	531	(12)
General Characteristics	533	(2)
Subject Matter and Treatment	535	(1)
Old Testament Oratorios	536	(1)
New Testament Oratorios	537	(5)
Oratorios Based on Legends	542	(1)
Music	543	(9)
Periodization	543	(1)
Characteristics of French Oratorio	544	(1)
Styles of Vocal Writing	544	(2)
Historicist Elements	546	(1)
Musical Treatment of God and Jesus	547	(1)
Recurring Melodic Material	548	(1)
Exoticism	549	(1)
Instrumental Music	550	(2)
Selected French Oratorios	552	(61)
L'enfance du Christ	552	(13)
Hector Berlioz
Oratorio de Noel	565	(8)
Camille Saint-Saens
Les beatitudes	573	(11)
Cesar Franck
La redemption	584	(17)
Charles Gounod
La terre promise	601	(12)
Jules Massenet
Some Areas of Lesser Activity	613	(16)
Italy	613	(13)
The Waning of Italian Oratorio	613	(1)
Central Composers	614	(1)
Simon Mayr	614	(1)
Niccolo Antonio Zingarelli	615	(1)
Paolo Bonfichi	616	(1)
Saverio Mercadante	617	(1)
Giovanni Pacini	617	(1)
Pietro Raimondi	618	(2)
Teodulo Mabellini	620	(1)
Enrico Bossi and Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari	621	(1)
Lorenzo Perosi	621	(3)
Pater Hartmann	624	(2)
Dvorak's Svata Ludmila and Tinel's Franciscus	626	(3)
PART II. The Twentieth Century	629	(84)
The Oratorio in the Twentieth Century	631	(19)
Terminology, Social Context	631	(1)
Libretto	632	(13)
Traditional Religious Subjects	633	(1)
New Testament	633	(1)
Old Testament	634	(2)
Medieval Saints	636	(1)
Literary Sources, Mythology, and Legends	636	(3)
Nontraditional Religious, Philosophical, and Historical Subjects	639	(1)
Political, Patriotic, and Nationalistic Oratorios in Socialist States	640	(5)
Music	645	(5)
Selected Twentieth-Century Oratorios	650	(63)
Oedipus rex: opera-oratorio	650	(8)
Igor Stravinsky
French Oratorio	658	(19)
Arthur Honegger	658	(1)
Le roi David	659	(2)
Jeanne d'Arc au bucher	661	(4)
Le vin herbe	665	(5)
Frank Martin
La Transfiguration de notre seigneur Jesus-Christ	670	(7)
Olivier Messiaen
German Oratorio	677	(18)
Die Jakobsleiter	677	(3)
Arnold Schoenberg
Das Unaufhorliche	680	(4)
Paul Hindemith
Das Buch mit sieben Seegeln	684	(4)
Franz Schmidt
Das Floß der Medusa	688	(7)
Hans Werner Henze
English Oratorio	695	(18)
Sancta civitas	695	(2)
Ralph Vaughan Williams
Belshazzar's Feast	697	(3)
William Walton
Michael Tippett	700	(1)
A Child of Our Time	701	(6)
The Mask of Time	707	(6)
Epilogue to A History of the Oratorio	713	(4)
Appendix. A Checklist of Twentieth-Century Oratrios	717	(8)
Bibliography	725	(80)
Part 1. Writings	725	(38)
Part 2. Oratorios	763	(42)
Index	805