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The immediate predecessor of the “Lutheran
project” that Mendelssohn composed
on his Italian journey, Aus teifer Not was
begun in Vienna in 1830 and completed,
as were a large number of chorale-based
works, while he was in Italy. The text came
from a collection of Luther’s hymns that he
received from Franz Hauser.
How does one best perform this mini
chorale cantata? Some fi nd it awkward
to present the work as indicated in many
scores—unaccompanied with organ only
on the tenor solo and on the chorus that
follows. Nott indicates the possibility of an
entirely unaccompanied performance by
simply omitting the tenor solo and beginning
the middle section with the chorus parts. 10
Musically, this is effi cient, but the darum auf
[therefore] that begins the text of the chorus
part does not fl ow logically from the end of
stanza one. It demands the text of the tenor
solo for full understanding. Certainly, Nott’s
written out accompaniment could be used
throughout the piece for church or concert
use. Indeed, the implication of organo col basso
from the Breitkopf & Häertel edition indicates
the acceptability of continuous organ
accompaniment. This also agrees with the
infl uence of Bach on Mendelssohn’s church
music. Some of Mendelssohn’s earlier works
were created with almost a Baroque basso
continuo. An organist doubling the bass line
and fi lling in harmonies while occasionally
bolstering individual parts would not offend
the texture or the style. Though probably the
longest work discussed in this article, more
than twelve minutes in its entirety, this work,
which has much to offer performers and
listeners, deserves to be presented in church.
The text is especially appropriate for times
of penitence and would serve well for Lent
or Holy Week services.
Drei geistliche Lieder Op. 96 [Anthem]
Charles Bayles Broadley, “an eccentric
musical and literary amateur” 11 and a pupil
of Mendelssohn’s friend Ignaz Moscheles,
commissioned Mendelssohn to compose
a setting of his choice of Psalms 13, 100, or
126. Mendelssohn chose to set Broadley’s
versifi cation of Psalm 13 for alto or mezzo
soprano solo, choir, and organ. He compressed
fi ve of Broadley’s quatrains into a
solo anthem in three movements (Andante,
Chorale, Allegro) that was completed on
December 12, 1840. For the German edition,
the title was changed from “Anthem”
to “Geistliches Lied mit Chor”
and a German text, possibly by
the composer himself, was inserted
below the English text.
Also, the meter of the chorale
was changed from alla breve
to common meter (in hopes
of preventing the customary
German practice of singing
chorales very slowly) for this
edition, and an indication that
the movements were to be
performed with no pause between them
was added. 12 The published title of the German
edition, issued August 1841, ended up
as Drei geistliche Lieder für einen Altstimme mit
Chor und Orgelbegleitung.
The work was to undergo a further
transformation. Later, in 1841, Broadley
requested an orchestral version, which
Mendelssohn agreed to do, but due to
his mother’s death, did not complete until
January 1843. For this version of the work,
Mendelssohn composed a fourth movement.
This Fuga was based on a rewording
of the fi nal phrase of Broadley’s text for the
third movement. The addition is somewhat
Choral Journal • April 2010 35