Antonín Leopold Dvorák (1841 - 1904) was a Czech
composer. Dvorák frequently employed rhythms and other
aspects of the folk music of Moravia and his native
Bohemia, following the Romantic-era nationalist example
of his predecessor Bedrich Smetana. Dvorák's style has
been described as "the fullest recreation of a national
idiom with that of the symphonic tradition, absorbing
folk influences and finding effective ways of using
them," and he himself has been described as "arguably
the most vers...(+)
Antonín Leopold Dvorák (1841 - 1904) was a Czech
composer. Dvorák frequently employed rhythms and other
aspects of the folk music of Moravia and his native
Bohemia, following the Romantic-era nationalist example
of his predecessor Bedrich Smetana. Dvorák's style has
been described as "the fullest recreation of a national
idiom with that of the symphonic tradition, absorbing
folk influences and finding effective ways of using
them," and he himself has been described as "arguably
the most versatile... composer of his time". He
displayed his musical gifts at an early age, being an
apt violin student. The first public performances of
his works were in Prague in 1872 and, with special
success, in 1873, when he was 31 years old. Seeking
recognition beyond the Prague area, he submitted scores
of symphonies and other works to German and Austrian
competitions. He did not win a prize until 1874, with
Johannes Brahms on the jury of the Austrian State
Competition. In 1877, after his third win, Brahms
recommended Dvorák to his publisher, Simrock, who
commissioned what became the Slavonic Dances, Op. 46.
The sheet music's high sales and critical reception led
to his international success. A London performance of
Dvorák's Stabat Mater in 1883 led to many other
performances in the United Kingdom, the United States,
and eventually Russia in March 1890. The Seventh
Symphony was written for London in 1885.
The Mass in D Major (Op. 86 B. 153), is a mass composed
by Dvorák in 1887. It is also called Luzanská mše
(Luzany Mass) after the chapel in Luzany for which it
was written. It was first a work for soloists, choir
and organ (B 153), and expanded to an orchestra version
in 1892 (B 175). He was commissioned to compose a mass
by the architect and patron Josef Hlávka for the
inauguration of the chapel that he had built for his
summer residence in Luzany. Because of the size of the
chapel, the choir had to be small, and no orchestra was
possible. Dvorák composed the work from 23 March and
17 June 1887. On the day of completion, he wrote to
Hlávka: "I am pleased to announce that I have finished
the work and that I am supremely pleased with the
result. I think it will be a work that will fully suit
its purpose. It could be called: faith, hope and love
for God Almighty, and an expression of thanks for this
great gift, for having been given the opportunity
successfully to complete a work in praise of the
Highest, and in honour of our art. Do not be surprised
that I am so devout, but an artist who is not cannot
achieve anything like this. Take the examples of
Beethoven, Bach, Raphael and many others. I would also
like to thank you for giving me the impulse to write a
work of this genre, it would hardly have occurred to me
otherwise; until now I had only written similar works
of larger proportions with considerable means at my
disposal."
He expressed that he was satisfied with the work for
modest forces, which he thought could be subtitled
Faith, Hope and Love ("Glaube, Hoffnung und Liebe"),
and be understood as giving thanks to God. He mentioned
other artists he regarded as motivated by Christian
faith: Beethoven, Bach and Raphael. The mass was first
performed at the chapel on 11 September 1887, conducted
by the composer. Zdenka Hlávka, the architect's wife,
and Dvorák's wife Anna were among the soloists. The
first public performance was on 15 April 1888 at the
municipal theatre of Plzen, now with an ensemble of two
harmoniums, cello and double bass.
The mass is numbered Op. 76 in the autograph, but his
publisher Fritz Simrock gave this number to the Fifth
Symphony. Simrock was not interested in the mass. It
was published in 1893 by Novello in London as Op. 86,
with an orchestration by the composer. This version was
first performed on 11 March 1893 at the London Crystal
Palace, conducted by August Manns. The organ version
was published by R. Carl in Saarbrücken in 1963.
Bärenreiter published a critical edition of the organ
version, including the added parts for cello and bass,
regarded as authentic by the composer.
The work is structured as the mass text prescribes: 1.
Kyrie (Andante con moto) 2. Gloria (Allegro vivace) 3.
Credo (Allegro ma non troppo) 4. Sanctus (Allegro
maestoso) 5. Benedictus (Lento) 6. Agnus Dei
(Andante)
Source: Wikipedia
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mass_in_D_major_(Dvo%C5%
99%C3%A1k)).
Although originally composed for Chorus (SATB) and
Organ, I created this Arrangement of the Kyrie from the
Mass in D Major (Op. 86 B. 153 No. 1) for Winds (Flute,
Oboe, French Horn & Bassoon) and Strings (2 Violins,
Viola & Cello).
