MIssa votiva ZWV 18 - Free edition under progress

[Skaf]

Dear All,

I've started a free edition of Zelenka's Missa Votiva, since I would really like to perform it with our ensemble.
Currently, only the Kyrie is finished, but I'm confident that the remaining movements will follow soon. (The mass is scheduled for a performance in (late) 2017, so it may take some time …)

See here: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/x05q2k1il...lVjhTcJpwigwBa

The score likely contains some mistakes, so I would appreciate your feedback.

best regards
Wolfgang

[Elwro]

Congratulations on your work so far! The world needs a free edition of this magnificent mass! Fingers crossed that you will manage to complete the other movements :-) Looking forward to reading through them!

[Rik1]

Fantastic. Thank you for sharing. That looks like a very thorough and neat edition you are making. Looks really good.

[Skaf]

Thanks for your encouraging responses!

Today, I uploaded the draft of the Gloria.

k/r Wolfgang

[Elwro]

Stunning! Thank you so much! These are some high violins on p. 6, I didn't realize they were that high :-)

[Xanaseb]

I loved the font style you use! Thanks for sharing and making this possible

[Rik1]

That was fast. Ive just noticed one tiny mistake in the Gloria (by chance I might add only because it looked odd). Bar 45, second violin beat 3 - the 'a' semiquaver should be an 'e'. Actually that section is a funny bit of orchestration from Zelenka. The orchestra is basically unison but with each violin part alternating on semiquavers. I've not seen that in Zelenka before.

In bar 193, the violins are in unison with the bass but obviously the bass goes too low in the first beat of the bar. I see you've chosen to put a 'g; in the violins but I'd probably just repeat the 'e' in the violins to keep the unison. Obviously that's just a choice you have to make, there's no right or wrong so up to you.

[rnkt]

That was fast. Ive just noticed one tiny mistake in the Gloria (by chance I might add only because it looked odd). Bar 45, second violin beat 3 - the 'a' semiquaver should be an 'e'. Actually that section is a funny bit of orchestration from Zelenka. The orchestra is basically unison but with each violin part alternating on semiquavers. I've not seen that in Zelenka before.

I think you meant bar 139, not 45. It is indeed great orchestration from Zelenka and a good example of how he injects further energy into already frantic music by shuttling figures between the violins. I believe there are nice examples of this type of orchestration in ZWV 14 (Josephi) which I personally feel was all a big experiment with "interesting" orchestration on the part of Zelenka. A good example is in the Osanna after the Benedictus. It is a fughetta, really quite a simple one by Zelenka's standards. But what it lacks in complexity Zelenka makes up for in terms of orchestration. Clearly he wants a massive crescendo through this short piece (it's only ~45 seconds long!) and so he gradually adds his instruments, the strings with the voices, then the wind, brass and drums. Just when you think he cannot crank up the energy any more he unleashes the 1st and 2nd violins to alternately double the pedal note of the basses, not on (boring) long notes but on semiquavers with the first semiquaver in each figure an octave higher. Just like in the part of Missa Votiva referred to by Rik1, the 1st and 2nd violins alternate this figuration, almost like they are battling it out to emphasis the pedal note the best. It is a remarkable moment which is from a tonal sense totally unnecessary (surely the basses can deal with the pedal note!) but leads to a shimmering texture which brings this short fughetta to a stunning climax. If you did not notice it before (it supports the overall texture so well the specific figure can be missed!) I strongly recommend a closer listen. The other case of alternating semiquaver unison figurations in ZWV 14 is in the totally batty Laudamus Te. That time it is octave semiquavers alternating between the violins and the violas.

[Rik1]

I think you meant bar 139, not 45. It is indeed great orchestration from Zelenka and a good example of how he injects further energy into already frantic music by shuttling figures between the violins. I believe there are nice examples of this type of orchestration in ZWV 14 (Josephi) which I personally feel was all a big experiment with "interesting" orchestration on the part of Zelenka. A good example is in the Osanna after the Benedictus. It is a fughetta, really quite a simple one by Zelenka's standards. But what it lacks in complexity Zelenka makes up for in terms of orchestration. Clearly he wants a massive crescendo through this short piece (it's only ~45 seconds long!) and so he gradually adds his instruments, the strings with the voices, then the wind, brass and drums. Just when you think he cannot crank up the energy any more he unleashes the 1st and 2nd violins to alternately double the pedal note of the basses, not on (boring) long notes but on semiquavers with the first semiquaver in each figure an octave higher. Just like in the part of Missa Votiva referred to by Rik1, the 1st and 2nd violins alternate this figuration, almost like they are battling it out to emphasis the pedal note the best. It is a remarkable moment which is from a tonal sense totally unnecessary (surely the basses can deal with the pedal note!) but leads to a shimmering texture which brings this short fughetta to a stunning climax. If you did not notice it before (it supports the overall texture so well the specific figure can be missed!) I strongly recommend a closer listen. The other case of alternating semiquaver unison figurations in ZWV 14 is in the totally batty Laudamus Te. That time it is octave semiquavers alternating between the violins and the violas.

Thanks for that. I dont know that mass particularly well so I will go and have a good listen.

And you're right I had confused the page number with the bar number. It's definitely bar 139.

[Skaf]

@Rik1 @rnkt:
Thanks for pointing out the mistake in bar 139 / V.II. I corrected it in the source code, and the final version of the mass will of course contain the correct note. (For some reason, I regularly mix up a and e when entering music ... ). I will also put an e' in bar 193 / V.I+II, since this is the more neutral choice (compared to a g).

@Xanaseb:
Thanks, that is why I have been working with Lilypond for almost ten years. I use this layout (which is mainly influenced from the layout of the the Neue Mozart-Ausgabe) for all my scores. Lilypond uses Century Schoolbook as the default font, which belongs to a family of typefaces with a long history (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Century_type_family).

@all:
I uploaded the Credo today.
Asterisks (e.g., in bars 31 and 42) denote parts of the score where I introduced changes compared to the manuscript. Those changes will be annotated in the critical report, which I am preparing alongside the score. (I will also add annotation marks to the Kyrie and Gloria of the final version)

EDIT: It was a productive weekend; thus, the Sanctus is also available.