Magnificat - Francesco Durante (attributed to Giovanni B. Pergolesi) - Harmonium Choral Society

Ecstatic Expectancy Under the direction of Dr. Anne J. Matlack Harmonium Choral Society The Presbyterian Church of Morristown Chris Hatcher, organ; Rebecca Harris-Lee, Violin; Danielle Sinclair, violin; Margaret Roberts, viola; Michael Hollak, cello Solo: Sarah Murray, NicolePaige Uvenio, Austin Kubansade, Ted Roper Although he was the most distinguished of Neapolitan 18th-century opera buffo composers and also wrote instrumental works, Francesco Durante’s fame rests on his church music and his considerable reputation as a teacher. Indeed he taught the great Pergolesi, to whom this Magnificat was long attributed. The first movement, Magnificat anima mea, combines the ancient chanting tone for the Magnificat with driving rhythms in the strings and bouncy dancelike baroque melismas. Beginning in the soprano, the chant is passed to alto, soprano, tenor, soprano, alto/soprano, and bass. Et misericordia is set for soprano, then alto solos with violin duet over continuo. Syncopation, suspensions, and descending lines characterize this section, which leads right into full chorus and strings at Fecit potentiam with its dramatic descending runs tone-painting the word “dispersit.” The descending lines of the Deposuit potentes fugue subject portray the “putting down of the mighty,” while the dramatic rest near the end of the movement may represent “the rich being sent away empty.” Suscepit Israel is a charming duet for tenor and bass soloists with violin. The driving rhythms of Sicut locutus propel us into the last movement, which starts with a grand homophonic Gloria. This leads us into a recapitulation of the Magnificat chant theme, appropriately at the words sicut erat in principio (“as it was in the beginning, is now”-- a musical pun that few composers, including Bach, could resist), combined with a new “amen” melisma. Full program notes available on our website: http://www.harmonium.org/repertoire Video/audio production: http://www.showfocused.llc/ Follow us on socials! http://www.harmonium.org Facebook:   / harmoniumchoral   Instagram:   / harmoniumchoral   Apple Music:   / harmonium-choral-society   Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0xGCh... Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=%22harmoni... iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/artist/harmoni... 00:00 - Magnificat 02:55 - Et misericordia 04:05 - Fecit potentiam 06:21 - Suscepit Israel 08:07 - Sicut locutus 08:43 - Gloria