| Though Giacomo Puccini is famous for his contribution to the world of opera through such works as La Boheme, Tosca, Madame Butterfly and Turandot, he actually began his musical career playing and composing church music.
The son of a well known composer and organist, he followed the family tradition, becoming organist of San Martino in Lucca, Italy, at the age of 14. |
As his musical studies progressed, it was clear that young Giacomo had leanings towards operatic writing and possessed the talent to become one of the world's greatest operatic composers - one need look no further than the Messa di Gloria itself for evidence of such promise!. Puccini himself wrote: "the Almighty touched me with his little finger and said, 'Write for the theatre - mind, only for the theatre!'" |
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| It is probably due to Puccini's preoccupation with opera that the Messa di Gloria remained unperformed for a further 72 years after its first performance, in spite of its undoubted quality and the rapturous critical reception it had first received. The manuscript remained undiscovered until 1952 when Catholic priest and musicologist, Father Dante del Fiorentino unearthed it while researching in Lucca for a new biography of Puccini. |
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| Puccini's Mass for Four Voices and Orchestra, as it was originally known - probably derives its Messa di Gloria designation from the importance this setting gives to its wonderful second movement, the Gloria, which accounts for almost half the performance time of the whole work. Written as his graduation thesis from the Institute Musicale of Lucca, Italy when he was only 22 years of age, the Messa di Gloria is an unmistakably youthful work, but shows a mature grasp of musical conventions. |
| It prefigures many of Puccini's operas in the lyrical freshness of its themes, its sense of drama and the range of its expression. Four years earlier, in 1876, he had demonstrated his mastery of the orchestra in his Preludio Sinfonico; in the Messa di Gloria he combined this flair for orchestration with a similar command of vocal writing in a style which opera aficionados will recognise as unmistakable Puccini. |
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The mass is divided into the customary five movements:
Kyrie (Lord have mercy), Gloria (Glory to God), Credo (I believe), Sanctus (Holy, holy holy) and Agnus Dei (Lamb of God). |
KYRIE
Kyrie eleison (ter)
Christe eleison (ter)
Kyrie eleison (ter)
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Lord have mercy (three times)
Christ have mercy (three times)
Lord have mercy (three times) |
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| This movement is a model of balance and restraint, its inherent drama made all the more poignant by Puccini's sparing use of emotional gestures. A delightful introduction for strings sets out all the thematic material Puccini is to use throughout the rest of the movement. The beautiful Kyrie theme begins quietly and is developed in alternate homophony and imitative entries, its flowing quaver motion ever present in one or other of the instrumental or vocal parts. The words Christe, Christe eleison introduce a darker,
| more urgent aspect, created partly by the repetition of the word Christe partly by the change to the relative minor. This mood is continued as twice the Bass, Tenor, Alto and Soprano voices enter in turn with the words Christe eleison, eleison creating fleeting moments of dissonance, culminating the second time in an impassioned choral outburst on the word eleison. The mood of relative serenity returns when the opening Kyrie is restated, and the movement closes quietly with a gentle rocking figure for woodwind. |
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| In the Gloria, Puccini took full advantage of the prayer's dramatic potential and divided it into contrasting sections each with its own character, yet still managed to achieve a satisfactory unified form.
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| Gloria in excelsis deo |
Glory to God in the highest |
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The rollicking opening theme, however, recurs several times and serves to unify the movement. Its ebullient first occurrence accompanied by pizzicato strings becomes more exuberant with each repetition, adding first woodwind, then trumpets and then full orchestra. Each time Puccini uses the phrase gloria, gloria,in excelsis, in excelsis deo |
with its rising sequence to achieve audacious modulations from the home key of Cmajor to the distant Eb major and back again with exhilarating effect. The section finally and unexpectedly comes to rest in the key of Ab major, the key of the next section Et in terra pax. |
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| Et in terra pax hominibus bonae voluntatis |
And on earth peace to men of good will. |
| A brief but most affecting section, it begins quietly with repeated soprano notes et in terra answered by the lower voices et in terra pax their simple harmonies lending an air of calm and serenity, but these gives way to greater movement and tension as Puccini first introduces a string of suspensions at the words pax hominibus bonae voluntatis, then adds to the intensity, with shifting harmonies, the addition of horns in the orchestra and more fervent cries of pax, pax from the lower voices. A trumpet fanfare heralds the Laudamus te and effects a return from distant G major to Ab. |
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Laudamus te, benedicimus te,
adoramus te, glorificamus te. |
We praise you, we bless you,
we adore you, we glorify you. |
| This choral declamation of praise Laudamus te is given extra grandeur and dignity by the accompanying quaver movement in the orchestra but the adoramus te receives altogether more sensuous treatment as its rapturous melody is explored; beginning quietly it reaches a subtle climax before returning to a pianissimo close accompanied by exquisitely beautiful woodwind writing. |
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| Gratias agimus tibi propter magnam gloriam tuam. |
We give you thanks for your great glory. |
| The Gratias agimus tibi is a tenor solo in compound quadruple time deftly orchestrated for strings and woodwind. Three bars of orchestral introduction establish an independent orchestral theme which is further developed throughout the aria, often sounding against the solo melody and always with meticulous attention to balance; |
the result is unmistakably operatic, but with the transparent orchestral texture of chamber music. The surprise return of the main Gloria theme almost like a ritornello, again in C, but fully orchestrated, lends structural unity, but it also injects a delicious contrast to both what preceded it and what follows. |
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| Domine deus, rex coelestis, deus pater omnipotens, domine fili unigenite Jesu Christe, domine deus agnus dei, filius patris. Qui tollis peccata mundi, miserere nobis. Qui tollis peccata mundi suscipe deprecationem nostram |
Lord God, heavenly king, almighty God and Father, Lord Jesus Christ, only begotten Son, Lord God Lamb of God, Son of the Father. You, who take away the sin of the world, have mercy on us. You, who take away the sin of the world, receive our prayer. |
| Domine Deus sees the return of 12/8 time and sets the orchestral theme of the Gratias agimus tibi against the pianissimo chanting of the choir.
Qui tollis peccata mundi, a strong but curiously angular tune based on simple harmonies is given to the basses and doubled by cellos and bassoons. In contrast, the downward sighing melody and pedal accompaniment of miserere nobis has a plaintive quality. The return of Qui tollis peccata mundi with the whole choir in unison accompanied by bass instruments |
and punctuated by woodwind and horn chords on the upbeats has a stirring effect. Its repeat in the sopranos with delicate orchestral figuration and, at times, imitation of the melody leads to an impressive fortissimo restatement of the theme by the whole choir, with altos and basses together closely imitating sopranos and tenors. The orchestral accompaniment with its clearly delineated four-in-a-bar lends it the air of a grand march. A quiet string interlude leads to the next section. |
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| Quoniam tu solus sanctus, tu solus dominus , tu solus altissimus, Jesu Christe. Cum Sancto Spiritu in gloria Dei Patris. Amen. |
For you alone are the holy one, you alone are the Lord, you alone are the most high, Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit in the glory of God the Father. Amen. |
| More solemn, but every bit as grand is the Quoniam tu solus sanctus. The choir's solid four part harmony, the addition of brass instruments in the orchestra, and especially the trumpet fanfares, build to an appropriate climax at the words tu solus altissimus, Jesu Christi and lead to the final section. |
Cum sancto spiritu in gloria Dei Patris. Amen This lively fugal chorus assumes a new dimension when Puccini reintroduces the original Gloria theme into the counterpoint. The final bars of this movement not only demonstrate Puccini's imaginative mastery of myriad musical devices, they are also among the most exciting in the entire choral repertoire. |
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| The Credo's simple direct style is musically effective and liturgically appropriate, embodying a musical allegory of the Christian teachings with which Puccini would be very familiar. |
| Credo in unum deum, patrem omnipotentem, factorem coeli et terrae, visibilium et invisibilium et in unum dominum
Jesum Christum, filii unigenitum et ex patre natum ante omnia saecula. Deum verum de Deo vero, genitum non factum consubstantialem Patri, per quem omnia facta sunt |
I believe in God the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is visible and invisible and in one Lord Jesus Christ only begotten Son of God , born of the Father before time began. God from God, light from light, true God From true God, one in substance with the Father and through Him all things were made. |
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The entire chorus announces its strong theme in unison, affirming its belief in the Trinity, featuring triplet figures within the theme itself and also throughout the orchestral accompaniment of the entire section until the words qui propter nos omnes et propter nostram salutem descendit de coelis which deals with the incarnation of Christ (God becoming man) and links to the next section |
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| Qui propter nos homines et propter nostram salutem descendit de coelis et incarnatus est de Spiritu Sancto ex Maria Virgine, et homo factus est. Crucifixus etiam pro nobis sub Pontio Pilato, passus et sepultus est. |
For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven and became incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the Virgin Mary and was made man. For our sake He was crucified under Pontius Pilate suffered death and was buried. |
| Et incarnatus est is a quiet, reflective section for tenor solo and chorus, in contrast to the earlier declamatory style. Its treatment of ex Maria Virgine, et homo factus est in which the chorus imitate the tenor soloist is most touching and conveys a sense of awe at the Incarnation coloured perhaps with echoes of Puccini's Catholic devotion to the Virgin Mary. |
Crucifixus
A sudden change to minor tonality, a repeated quaver accompaniment and a bass solo whose melody is doubled by cellos and bassoons emphasise the gravity of the crucifixion in operatic fashion. The melody, characterised by rising sequential figures and downward sighs on the words passus and sepultus convey a deep sense of pathos. |
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| Et resurrexit tertia die secundum scripturas, et ascendit in coelum, sedet ad dexteram Patris. Et iterum venturus est com gloria judicare vivos et mortuos, cuius regni non erit finis. Et in Spiritum Sanctum dominum et vivificantem qui ex patre filioque procedit. Qui com Patre et Filio simul adoratur et conglorificatur qui locutus est per prophetas |
On the third day he rose again from the dead, he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.He will come again in glory to judge both the living and the dead and his kingdom will have no end. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who, together with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified. He has spoken through the prophets. |
| Et resurrexit
Six bars of introduction in which a dotted rhythmical figure accompanied by diminished seventh chords rises stepwise creating a sense of anticipation in preparation for animated fugal entries at the words Et resurrexit
Cujus regni non erit finis is marked by a return to the the triplet figures of the opening, and the words Et in spiritum sanctum also use the same material. The arpeggiated theme in the bass is this time accompanied by repeated chords and full orchestration. |
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| Et unam sanctam catholicam et apostolicam ecclesiam. Confiteor unum baptisma in remissionem peccatorum. Et expecto resurrectionem mortuorum et vitam venturi saeculi. Amen. |
I believe in the Holy Catholic Church. I confess one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. I look forward to the resurrection of the body and life everlasting. Amen. |
| Et unam sanctam catholicam et apostolicam ecclesiam Accompanied by tremelando strings, woodwind and sustained brass, this section's lovely sweeping tune is sung in unison by the whole choir, a simple device symbolising the unanimity and fervour of the singers. |
Et expecto resurrectionem mortuorum A short fanfare and an outburst of choral declamation gives way to Et vitam venturi saeculi. Amen, a rocking melody in 6/8 time, begun by the sopranos and altos, passed to the tenors and basses and then taken up by the whole chorus. The movement closes with a simple Amen. |
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| A beautiful restrained theme rises sequentially, each repetition of the word Sanctus louder than its predecessor, before its sustained descent to a quiet close in the tonic key. |
| Sanctus, sanctus, sanctus, dominus Deus Sabaoth. Pleni sunt coeli et terra gloria tua. Hosanna in excelsis. Benedictus qui venit in nomine domini. Hosanna in excelsis. | Holy, holy , holy, Lord God of hosts. Heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest. |
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A beautiful restrained theme rises sequentially, each repetition of the word Sanctus louder than its predecessor, before its sustained descent to a quiet close in the tonic key. The hushed beginning renders the unison outburst of Pleni sunt coeli et terra gloria tua by the whole choir all the more startling, but the Hosanna despite its declamatory opening quickly reverts to the quiet reverence of the opening. A change of key to Eb and tempo to 3/4 heralds the Benedictus. |
The opening of this lovely baritone solo is accompanied by delicate string accompaniment characterised by a single violin note repeated on every third beat. What follows is almost like a codetta; after a first statement of the theme, it is passed briefly to the strings with the word benedictus simply repeated, before the baritone sings a varied repetition of the final phrase in full. A fortissimo choral outburst on Hosanna is followed once more by a sudden return to quiet reverence in its closing bars. |
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| The simple eloquence of this movement fulfils beautifully its role in the Mass, both functionally and theologically. |
Agnus Dei qui tollis peccata mundi, miserere nobis.
Agnus Dei qui tollis peccata mundi, miserere nobis.
Agnus Dei qui tollis peccata mundi, dona nobis pacem. |
Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world, have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world, have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world, grant us peace. |
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The simple eloquence of this movement fulfils beautifully its role in the Mass both functionally and theologically. Preceding the Communion, it reminds the congregation of their unworthiness, but, unlike the Kyrie expresses a quiet confidence in God "who takes away the sin of the world". There is no hidden dramatic agenda; the redemption story has already been played out. A simple pulsating string accompaniment with touches of woodwind colour underpins the entire movement, which comprises firstly a tenor solo, then a bass solo, and finally a duet for tenor and bass; each time |
the chorus repeats the words miserere nobis, the first two occurrences very simply, the last with a flowing melismatic phrase sung by the sopranos. Unusually, Puccini sets the words dona nobis pacem not as a replacement for the miserere nobis of the final prayer, but as an additional codetta, in which tenor and bass soloists, beginning with a triplet figure in consecutive thirds, expand this into an imitative duet before returning to the triplets again. The movement closes simply with the choir singing dona pacem and a final reiteration of the triplet motif in the woodwind redolent of the closing bars of the Kyrie. |
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