Cantata for the Wedding of Emperor Napoleon and Marie-Louise of Austria
Cantate pour le Mariage de l'Empereur Napoleon avec Marie Louise d'Autriche (Cantata for the Wedding of Emperor Napoleon and Marie Louise of Austria) is a wedding cantata for orchestra, choir and soloists composed by Johann Nepomuk Hummel in 1810.[1] The piece was performed at the wedding ceremony of Napoleon Bonaparte and Marie Louise of Austria in March, but was not published in the composer's lifetime. It received a first performance in the UK in 2016, with instrumentalists and singers from Clare College, Cambridge conducted by Toby Hession.[2]
Form
The work lasts approximately 35 minutes and consists of 22 movements in total.
- Introduction (Orchestra only)
- Chœur Général (Orchestra with choir)
- Récitatif (Bass)
- Récitatif (Bass)
- Duo (Soprano and Tenor)
- Quatour (Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano, Tenor, Bass)
- Récitatif (Soprano)
- Chœur Général
- Récitatif (Soprano and Tenor)
- Quatour sans instruments (unaccompanied Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano, Tenor, Bass)
- Récitatif (Tenor and Bass)
- Duo (Soprano and Tenor)
- Chœur Général
- Air (Tenor)
- Récitatif (Mezzo-Soprano)
- Romance (Soprano)
- Chœur Général
- Récitatif (Tenor and Bass)
- Chœur Général
- Récitatif (Tenor and Bass)
- Quatour (Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano, Tenor, Bass)
- Chœur Général
Instrumentation
The work is scored for a standard classical orchestra of strings, double woodwind, horns and timpani, along with double choir and four solo singers: a soprano, a mezzo-soprano, a tenor and a bass. The second movement is set for double choir; in the original performance, the first choir consisted of French singers and the second of Austrian singers. Similarly, the Soprano and Tenor soloists were French, and the Mezzo-Soprano and Bass soloists were Austrian.
References
- ↑ Kroll, Mark (2007). Johann Nepomuk Hummel: A Musician's Life and World. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 378. ISBN 978-0-8108-5920-3.
- ↑ "12 February Clare College Music Society (CCMS) Marriage of Napoleon Concert". Clare College, Cambridge. Retrieved 13 February 2016.