Ethel Smyth: Gloria, from the Mass in D, for Soli, Chorus, and Orchestra (1891)
Ethel Smyth
born 23 April 1858 in Sidcup, Kent, England
died 8 May 1944 in Woking, Surrey, England
First performance:
18 January 1893 at the Royal Albert Hall in London under the direction of Sir Joseph Barnby
Second performance:
7 February 1924 under Adrian Boult in Birmingham
Ethel Smyth (pronounced Sm[ai]th) wrote in retrospect of her Mass in D, her only sacred work, which she composed at the age of 34 and with which she completely surprised the male-dominated music world in London with her compositional skills at the premiere on 18 January 1893 in the Royal Albert Hall in London:
‘All that was in my heart I put into this work, but no sooner was it completed than orthodox faith strangely departed from me, never to return [...] Who shall measure the divine plan? I will only say this: in no period of my life did I feel more sensible, wiser and closer to the truth. This phase - compared to others that followed - never seemed overwrought, unnatural or hysterical to me; it was simply a religious experience that, in my case, could not last.’
This composition was not only motivated by religion, but also by Ethel Smyth's deep love for her Catholic friend Lady Pauline Trevelyan. Although Ethel Smyth set the mass in Latin, it was not a mass for the liturgy. For musical reasons (and following an Anglican liturgical tradition), she placed the Gloria at the end of the Kyrie, Credo, Sanctus, Benedictus, Agnus Dei and Gloria sequence. In total, the mass lasts around an hour and, like Beethoven's Missa solemnis, is intended for a concert performance.
Ethel Smyth's detailed autobiography was recently republished and also translated into German. In this context, a book review characterised Ethel Smyth's personality in brief words: ‘Talented, tenacious and bisexual: her work defied male prejudices’. It can therefore be exciting to open up to an unusual, spiritual-religious content, especially in this Gloria. Ethel Smyth wrote about this Gloria when she played it for the first time: ‘What did it matter if astonishment and secret shock appeared on their faces?’
The Latin term Gloria in the Catholic liturgy follows the original meaning of the Hebrew ‘kabod’, which means glory or majestic presence of the Holy One. ‘Kabod’ is an expression for the manifestation of divine presence in worship, in holy places or in special experiences, i.e. a kind of tangible radiance of the Most High. Ethel Smyth's music can visualise this emotionally when listened to openly.
Listen here (approx. 17 min.)!
Listening companion:
With fanfares and whistles, the full orchestra, dominated by wind instruments, launches into an ecstatic D major jubilation allegro vivace. The choir also joins in at full volume: Gloria in excelsis Deo. Shifted accents confuse the expected sense of metre, an unconventional outburst of joy and jubilation and late Romantic musical expression for exuberant elation!
The exuberance is followed by a retreat into contemplation: A solo tenor finds a melody entitled ‘dolce’, which is taken over by the solo soprano and solo alto like a canon and continued by the soloists. The choir also joins in with this melody at first, but increasingly insists on peace on earth and then lapses into sceptical contemplation at bonae volutatis, as if there seems to be a lack of good will everywhere for real peace.
However, the Gloria call leads to the choir's Laudamus-Glorificamus song. The fanfare motif from the beginning can be heard again and leads into the collectively sung exclamation: Deus pater onmipotens.
After an orchestral interlude leading back to contemplation, the bass soloist praises the Domine Filius, the Son of God, with a new melody beginning in recitative. The solo alto takes over the same melody for the words Agnus Dei. Together, bass and alto sing their duet with their pleas for mercy despite the ‘peccata mundi’ and the injustice in the world, pleadingly supported and accompanied by woodwinds.
Finally, the choir also joins in the Miserere. Increasingly, the petition becomes a desperate, accusing cry (emphasised by the orchestral winds in pounding triplets) to the one who sits at God's right hand.
But the alto quietly reminds us of the sanctity of holiness and allows the despair to fade: Quoniam tu solus sanctus is sung by the solo alto and solo bass. The choir and orchestra also come to their senses and rise to glorify the Most High. The orchestra joins in again with its unconventional metrical rhythm. The choir rushes forward in great movement, completely focussed on the solus Dominus, and then lurches into a stumbling stammer. The music threatens to disintegrate and even break off.
However, the warm tone of the strings, the solo tenor (with a new rhythmic oboe accompaniment) and finally the solo alto with a comforting voice are reminiscent of the Sanctus Spiritus. The oboe rhythm of the accompaniment slowly transforms into a new orchestral upswing. The choir intones the final Gloria (in gloria Dei Patris) and sweeps everyone along in a jubilant, late-Romantic, grandly orchestrated frenzy.
After a brief intake of breath before the Amen, all the jubilation and joy of love reaches the final climax intended by the composer, ‘so as to enable a triumphant climax’ (Ethel Smyth).
Gloria in excelsis Deo
et in terra pax hominibus bonae voluntatis.
Laudamus te,
benedicimus te,
adoramus te,
glorificamus te,
gratias agimus tibi propter magnam gloriam tuam,
Domine Deus, Rex caelestis, 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.
Qui sedes ad dexteram Patris, miserere nobis.
Quoniam tu solus Sanctus,
tu solus Dominus,
tu solus Altissimus, Jesu Christe,
cum Sancto Spiritu:
in gloria Dei Patris.
Amen.
Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace to people of good will.
We praise you,
we bless you,
we adore you,
we glorify you,
we give you thanks for your great glory,
Lord God, heavenly King,
O God almighty Father.
Lord Jesus Christ, Only Begotten Son,
Lord God, Lamb of God,
Son of The Father,
you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us;
you take away the sins of the world, receive our prayer;
you are seated at the right hand of the Father, have mercy on us.
For you alone are the Holy One,
you alone are the Lord,
you alone are the Most High,
Jesus Christ,
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