Angels and Singing Voices in Music
In this paper, I will be comparing scenes one and two of Lucrecia R. Kasilag’s “In the Beginning” and Haydn’s The Creation. According to the composer’s notes, Kasilag’s “In the Beginning,” a sacred cantata for baritone solo, mixed choir SATB orchestra was composed for the 16th anniversary of the National Music Competitions for Young Artists and performed during the 6th anniversary of the Manila Children’s Choir at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP). Additionally, the composition premiered in October 21, 1988, with a mixed chorus of 150 voices from Manila Girls Choir, UST Choir, Hong Kong School of Sacred Music Choir, and the Emmanuel Adult Choir. On the other hand, Franz Joseph Haydn composed his oratorio The Creation late in his career, between 1796 and 1798. The libretto, originally in English, is based on the Biblical story and on Milton's epic poem Paradise Lost. It was then translated into German by Baron Gottfried van Swieten. Haydn's The Creation was first performed in 1798, but it had its London première in 1800, in Covent Garden Theatre. The archangels, a chorus, and Adam and Eve make up the singing parts, and these were usually accompanied by a very large orchestra in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Moreover, according to Salido, Kasilag has composed more than 250 works covering most genres including orchestra, chamber, organ, piano, vocal, sacred, operetta, dance, theatre, electronic and incidental music. She is a nationally acclaimed composer and artist in the Philippines. However, most of her works are not published and very hard to retrieve for academic use. Therefore, her contributions are not really well known in the Western world.
On the other hand, Haydn’s works include 108 symphonies, one of which is lost and one that is actually a symphonie concertante; 68 string quartets; 32 divertimenti for small orchestra; 126 trios for baritone, viola, and cello; 29 trios for piano, violin, and cello; 21 trios for two violins and cello; 47 piano sonatas; about 20 operas; 14 masses; 6 oratorios; and 2 cello concertos.
To start off, we can compare the length of both masterpieces. Haydn’s The Creation is longer compared to Kasilag’s “In the Beginning.” This is because The Creation is an oratorio while “In the Beginning” is a sacred cantata. An oratorio is a very long choral work that is often of religious nature and is made up of recitatives, choruses and arias. The Creation is considered by many to be Haydn's great masterpiece, regardless of the limited vocabulary of words present in the piece. Meanwhile, a sacred cantata is medium-length and is a composition of one or more voices. Normally, it comprises of solos, duets, and choruses. It is usually sung to an instrumental background.
Furthermore, scene 1 of The Creation is a recitative and is supposedly sung by Raphael, Uriel and the chorus. Raphael is normally baritone, an adult male singing voice between tenor and bass. Basically, it has to be a low-pitched voice. On the other hand, for “In the Beginning,” a similar part is sung by a baritone solo. This shows that the baritone holds an important role as the narrator. In addition, Kasilag has what one would call a baritone and male chorus instead of just the whole chorus. This kind of arrangement only emphasizes the length of the two pieces, Kasilag's work being much shorter than Haydn's due to the nature of the composition.
The reason why both works have a male chorus is because the composers of scenes 1 and 2 wanted a deep voice that would set the mood in their respective works. For Haydn’s work, the real chorus comes in the part of the firmament. Using a deep voice for the narrator in the beginning of the pieces sets the state of mind to be serious which would prepare the listeners for what is to come in the their amazing works.
References:
Salido, C. B. (2002). Document[.doc].
Knapp, R., L., & Landon, R. (n.d.). Joseph Haydn. Retrieved December 3, 2018, from https://www.britannica.com/biography/Joseph-Haydn
Kasilag, L. R. (1988). In the Beginning.