Davide penitente | |
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Cantata by W. A. Mozart | |
![]() Burgtheater in Vienna, where the cantata was premiered on a commission by the Tonkünstler-Societät | |
Catalogue | K. 469 |
Related | Great Mass in C minor |
Text | Saverio Mattei |
Language | Italian |
Based on | Psalms, First Book of Samuel |
Composed | 13 March 1785 Vienna : |
Vocal | SATB chorus; soprano I and II, tenor soloists |
Instrumental | orchestra |
Davide penitente, K. 469 (also Davidde penitente), is a cantata by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, to texts by Saverio Mattei . The cantata was commissioned by the Wiener Tonkünstler-Societät, and first performed on 13 March 1785 in the Vienna Burgtheater. Most of the music is derived from the unfinished Great Mass in C minor, K. 427 (1782–83), although two arias ("A te, fra tanti affanni" and "Fra l'oscure ombre funeste") and a cadenza for the last movement ("Chi in Dio sol spera") were newly composed for the work.[1]
It has a duration of approximately 45 minutes.
Authorship of text
[edit]The theme of the work is based on the Psalms and the First Book of Samuel of the Old Testament. The text was previously attributed to Lorenzo Da Ponte, following a report by Vincent Novello.[2] However, it is now known that the text is taken from Italian translations of the Psalms by Saverio Mattei (1742–95).[3]
Structure
[edit]- Alzai le flebili voci al Signor (Andante moderato: Chorus)
- Cantiamo le glorie e le lodi (Allegro vivace: Chorus)
- Aria: Lungi le cure ingrate (Allegro aperto: Soprano II)
- Sii pur sempre benigno (Adagio: Chorus)
- Duet: Sorgi, o Signore, e spargi i tuoi nemici (Allegro moderato: Sopranos I and II)
- Aria: A te, fra tanti affanni – Udisti i voti miei (Andante – Allegro: Tenor)
- Se vuoi, puniscimi (Largo: Double choir)
- Aria: Fra l'oscure ombre funeste – Alme belle (Andante – Allegro: Soprano)
- Terzetto: Tutte le mie speranze (Allegro: Sopranos I and II, Tenor)
- Chi in Dio sol spera (Adagio: Chorus) – Di tal pericoli non ho timor (Chorus)
Recordings
[edit]- 1990 – Krisztina Laki, Nicole Fallien, Hans Peter Blochwitz – Nederlands Kamerkoor, La Petite Bande, Sigiswald Kuijken – CD Deutsche Harmonia Mundi
References
[edit]- ^ Michael Quinn, "Cantata", The Cambridge Mozart Encyclopedia, ed. Cliff Eisen and Simon P. Keefe (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2006), 59–60.
- ^ Geistliche Gesangwerke in Neue Mozart-Ausgabe (1987), vol. I/IV/iii, p. XIV
- ^ Saverio Mattei, I libri poetici della Bibbia, 5 volumes, Naples: Simoniana, 1766–1774.
External links
[edit]- Davide penitente: Score and critical report (in German) in the Neue Mozart-Ausgabe
- Sample of the text in the original Mattei print
- Digitised Text zur Passions-Musik "Ein Lämmlein geht und trägt die Schuld etc." von C. H. Graun, und zur Cantate Davidde penitente (Der büßende David) von W. A. Mozart. Berlin: Hayn, 1840.
- Davidde Penitente, K. 469: Scores at the International Music Score Library Project