Choral (SATB Choir)
SKU: HL.48021234
From Cantata
academica, Carmen
basiliense. Composed
by Benjamin Britten.
Boosey & Hawkes Sacred
Choral. Classical.
Octavo. 16 pages. Boosey
& Hawkes #M051482474.
Published by Boosey &
Hawkes (HL.48021234).
ISBN 9781458423542.
UPC: 884088642037.
6.75x10.5
inches.
Text: in
Latin compiled from the
charter of the
University, and from
older orations in praise
of Basle by Bernhard
Wyss.
Publisher:
Boosey &
Hawkes
Difficulty
level: 4 (for
chorus)
Britten's
genius lifts this work
above being just a worthy
celebration of the 500th
anniversary of the
foundation of Basle
University. It is
tongue-in-cheek and
mockingly non-academic
while referring all the
time to academic musical
forms and formulae. It is
written in two parts
(everything is in the
statutory Latin including
the titles of the parts -
Pars I and Pars II). The
titles of the movements
show Britten's intention
to show off a wide
variety of techniques.
Here are some examples:
Chorale/Alla Rovescio
(the theme is given and
responded to with the
same melody upside
down)/Recitativo/Tema
seriale con fuga/Canone
ed ostinato. There is a
good deal of humour
here.
There are
seven movements in Pars I
and six in Pars II. The
tenor soloist is given
three florid recitatives,
accompanied only by a
piano, which act as
bridges between other
orchestrally accompanied
movements. Of these the
most noteworthy are the
Arioso con canto popolare
for soprano solo with
tenors and basses who hum
a student song; another
terrific Britten scherzo;
and a wonderfully raucous
final pair of movements
(Canon ed ostinato and
Corale con canto) where
Britten seems to be aping
the Vivat Regina! cries
in Parry's I was glad or
encouraging the kind of
noisy 'I'm from the best
university' kind of
student touchline shout.
This has outrageously
high notes for the tenors
(top B) which further
endorse this feeling.
There are real echoes of
the Spring Symphony (see
separate entry) final
movement here which are
further underlined by the
last section of the
Cantata which brings in
the bells, piano, huge
percussion and the
inevitable chorale in
which the choir sings
'that a free academy may
thrive in a free
community, for ever the
ornament and treasure of
illustrious
Basle'.
This may
not be Britten at his
most soul-searching but,
as always, there is
plenty here to enjoy,
especially if the work is
not taken too seriously.
It is a celebratory,
occasional piece and it
could be well taken up by
other academic
establishments
celebrating big
anniversaries. The chorus
parts are not very
difficult, though they do
present challenges for
the choir - not least in
having tenors capable of
those very high notes at
the end. The Tema seriale
con fuga is sinewy and
needs careful tuning. It
also has the subject
regularly given upside
down after its initial
sounding by the basses.
All good
fun.
Duration: 21
minutes
Paul
Spicer, Lichfield,
2011.