Works

Question 1

Mozart: Mass in C Minor, K. 427

Answer 1

1782-83
-Instruments doubling voice parts
-Lots of sequences
-Lots of chromatic motions
-Dramatic dynamics from F to P to F
1. Kyrie (C minor)
2. Gloria (C major)
3. Laudamus te (F major)
4. Gratias (A minor)
5. Domine (D minor): Lots of big leaps in two soprano solos
6. Qui tollis (G minor): recalls me to the Rex in Mozart’s Requiem, every subito piano follows by a dominant seventh chord
7. Quoniam (E minor): both soprano solos’ range are quite wide, and sometimes overlap
8. Jesu Christe (C major)
9. Cum Sancto Spiritu (C major)
10. Credo (C major)
11. Et incarnatus (F major)
12. Sanctus (C major): same 8-beat groove as his Requiem, Altos often doubling with Sopranos
13. Benedictus (A minor to C major)

Question 2

Haydn: Mass in B-flat Major No. 14, “Harmoniemesse”

Answer 2

1802
-Instruments doubling voice parts
-Lots of tempo changes within one movement
-Choir has many unison phrases
Kyrie (B-flat major): similar to the Kyrie from his Nelson mass, most of the word stresses are on downbeats
Gloria (B-flat to E-flat to B-flat major)
Credo (B-flat to E-flat to B-flat major)
Sanctus (B-flat major)
Benedictus (F to B-flat major): voice pairings in soloists, unison in choirs , four soloists movement, Hosanna part is in triple meter,
Angus Dei (G to B-flat major)

Question 3

Beethoven: Cristus am Ölberge（橄欖山上的基督）, Op. 85

Answer 3

• 1800
• the only oratorio of Beethoven
• in German
  -the central idea is same note repeating?
  1-1. Overture
  
  • the 7-same-note motive in Timpani
  • woodwinds have more melodies
    1-2. Recitativo-Jesus
  • B-flat major vibe
    2-1. Seraphim
    -A major
    2-2. Aria-Seraphim
  • G major
  • triple meter
    3-1.
  • Duet-Jesus and Seraph
    3-2.
  • A-flat major
    4-1. Recitativo-Jesus
  • F major
    4-2. TTB choir
  • C major
    5-1.
  • D major
  • octave big leap
    6-1. Recitativo-Jesus and Petrus
    6-2. Trio-Jesus, Seraph, and Petrus
  • B-flat major
  • Ends with a fugue

Question 4

Beethoven: Symphony, No. 9

Answer 4

• 1824
• Flutes, Oboes, Clarinets, Bassoons, Counter-bassoon, Horns, Trombones, Timpani, strings, SATB soloists, SATB chorus
• in German
• First movement
  
  • D minor
  • dotted arpeggio motive - use it to develop more figures
  • less long melodies
  • short key modulation
• Second movement
  
  • D minor
  • dotted octave motive + stepwise ascending and descending motive
  • lots of repetitions
  • interesting passage and ending
• Third movement
  
  • B-flat to G major
  • D A B-flat F motive (descending fourth)
  • modulated immediately
  • long phrases
• Fourth movement
  
  • D minor to D major
  • recapitulated the previous three motives and vibes
  • Ode to Joy

Question 5

Beethoven: Missa Solemnis, Op. 123

Answer 5

• 1823
• Flutes, Oboes, Clarinets, Bassoons, Horns, Trombones, Timpani, Strings, Organ, SATB soloists, SATB divisi chorus
• in Latin
• some instruments doubling with voice parts like cello and basses
• tricky intervals in singing parts
• soprano has super high range
• Beethoven had no mercy on singers
• Kyrie
  
  • D major
  • word stress may vary not only in downbeats
  • alternation between solos and chorus
• Gloria
  
  • D major
  • Word stresses on upbeats
  • no prediction on modulation
  • slow tempo on ‘Qui tollis’ to ‘miserere nobis’
  • big fugue in the end of Gloria with big homophony and three sections of ‘in gloria Dei patris’
• Credo
  
  • B-flat major
  • complicated harmonic progression and modulation
  • fugue ends the movement
• Sanctus
  
  • D major
  • Solo movement
• Benedictus
  
  • D major
  • violin concerto-like solo
  • the majority of solo parts
  • fugue in ‘Osanna’
• Angus Dei
  
  • B minor to D major
  • fugue on ‘dona nobis pacem’
  • not ends very strongly

Question 6

Mendelssohn: Elijah（以利亞）, Op. 70

Answer 6

• 1846
• one of his three oratorios
• flutes, oboes, clarinets, bassoons, trumpets, trombones, ophicleide, timpani, strings, organ, SSAATTBB soloists, SATB chorus sometimes divisi
• from the story of the biblical prophet Elijah
• the main character was sung by a baritone or bass
• need aria-like, opera-like emotions
• the orchestral overture was preceded by an aria which is saying that Elijah delivers a stern warning that God will send a drought as punishment for Israel’s embrace of idolatry

Question 7

Verdi: Messa da Requiem (1874)

Answer 7

• Scored for SATB soloists, SSAATTBB chorus, orchestra with piccolo, 4 bassoons, bass drum
  
  • A solo was labeled as mezzo soprano
• 7 movements
  
  • Introit and Kyrie
    
    • Scored for soloists and chorus
    • Introit - ABA format
      
      • B: ‘Te decet hymnus’
  • Dies irae
    
    • Scored for soloists and SSAATTBB chorus
    • Divided into 9 sections
      
      • Three groups of three sections each, clear division at the end of sections three and six
    • Bass drum part marked quadruple forte
    • 4 offstage trumpets in the ‘Rex tremendae’
  • Offertory
    
    • Scored for soloists without chorus
    • Begins with an orchestral introduction (three related phrases, the third of which is an inversion of the first two)
    • In an ABCBA format
  • Sanctus
    
    • Scored for SATB/SATB chorus alone
    • An expansive double fugue
  • Agnus Dei
    
    • Scored for soloists and chorus
    • Three near-identical sections
    • Writing in octaves for the soprano and alto soloists
  • Lux aeterna
    
    • Scored for soloists without chorus
    • ABABAB format
  • Libera me
    
    • Scored for soloists and chorus
    • An a cappella section for soprano soloist and chorus
    • Chant-like phrases at the beginning and the end of this movement
• Mirror and balanced construction
• Each movement except for Dies irae composed as a single entity
• Highly dramatic operatic solos
• 85-90 minutes

Question 8

Verdi: Quattro pezzi sacri (1890)

Answer 8

Ave Maria
- SATB chorus acappella
- Based on an ‘enigmatic’ scale, used as a cantus firmus
- 5 minutes
Stabat Mater
- SATB chorus and orchestra
- through-composed
- except for the theme that begins and ends the work
- traditional latin text
- expressive and graphic depiction of Mary’s presence at the crucifixion of Jesus
- 15 minutes
Laudi alla vergine Maria
- SSAA acappella
- Setting of the first 21 lines of final Canto of Dante’s Paradiso
- 5:30 minutes
Te Deum
- Scored for a cappella double male chorus and for the SSAATTBB acappella
- through-composed
- traditional latin text
- Dramatic effects
- Opening is taken from Gregorian chant

Question 9

Verdi: Pater noster (1880)

Answer 9

• Elaborated setting of the Lord’s Prayer in Italian
• Based on lines 1-24 in chapter eleven of Dante’s “Purgatorio”
• 6 minutes