It Was the Worst of Times
War was raging around Europe.
Haydn, recently returned from his second visit to England in late 1795, initiated a final chapter in his long life. His new employer, Prince Nicolaus II Esterházy, was less interested in music than his predecessors, only requiring Haydn to write one mass a year in honor of his wife’s name-day.
But another factor shaped the composer’s creative output: the Napoleonic Wars. These had a devastating impact on the Austrian state, and stimulated Haydn to write the first Austrian national anthem (which later became the anthem of the German Reich). They also found resonance within his sacred compositions.
The tites of two of the six masses written at Nicholas’ request explicitly acknowledge the dire circumstances engulfing the world: “Missa in Tempore Belli” (“Mass in Time of War,” 1796) and “Missa in Angustiis” (“Mass in Troubled Times,” 1798). The latter was premiered just as news of Nelson’s victory in Egypt arrived in Vienna, so is also called the “Lord Nelson Mass.”
The martial spirit of the times can be found in the heavy reliance on trumpets and drums, while the general sense of desperation is reflected in the fervent settings of the plea that closes all six works: “Dona nobis pacem” (“Grant us peace”).
But these works also offer oasies of calm and introspection. I helped arrange one of these, an adagio nested in the Gloria section of the Mass in Time of War. Originally set to the words “Qui tollis peccata mundi (“Who takes away the sins of the world”), this arrangement retains the beautiful and virtuosic cello solo while the bass solo part has been assigned to the viola, the orchestral and choral voices to strings and piano.
The piece evolves from its optimistic opening to a darker, more turbulent mood, ending quietly but in a minor key.
I was delighted to hear it performed by members of the Bedford Chamber Ensemble last fall. I recorded it on my iPhone, so obviously not exactly of the highest quality, but the playing is superb.
Listen when you’re in a contemplative mood. (If clicking on the audi link doesn’t work, click on the url at the bottom of the page.)