<<  -- 3 --  Robert Anderson    POPULAR ESTEEM

It was perhaps inevitable that the Seven Last Words should eventually become an oratorio. On his second journey to England in 1794 Haydn heard an attempt at adding choral parts to the work by Joseph Friebert of Passau. He knew he could do better himself. He approached Baron van Swieten for revision of the words, which he used to provide parts for soloists and chorus. Before each sonata the relevant 'word' was to be declaimed in simple block harmony. Haydn made other changes. He added clarinets and trombones to the original orchestra; he omitted all repeats and he composed a second 'Introduzione' for wind alone after Sonata 4.

The result is a greatly increased expressive range, with text that nowhere jars against the 'word' that follows. Sonata 2, for instance, shows Haydn at his most sensitive [listen -- track 3, 1:24-2:00]. The new 'Introduzione' completely recaptures the mood of ten years earlier and demonstrates Haydn in full command of his additional woodwind and trombones [listen -- track 6, 0:30-1:30]. Chorus and orchestra under Christoph Spering respond splendidly, as do the soloists, to all Haydn's demands. Perhaps nothing is more moving in this final version of the work than the lovely textures displayed in Sonata 5, 'I thirst' [listen -- track 7, 0:40-1:50].

To listen to the aural illustrations in this review, you may need to download RealNetworks' realplayer 8.