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 PASSION

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PASSION

comparatively short time, for it soon found imitators, not only among Catholic composers, of almost every country in Europe, but also at the hands of those in Germany, who joine<l the Reformation. Besides the choral, or motet, form, of which Obrecht's work has remained the type, another speries of setting came into vogue in which the three original chanters were retained, and the chorus participation was mainly con- fined to the utterances of the lurha. Both forms were cultivated simultaneously, according to the predilec- tion of the composer, for almost a century and a half. Among the more noted Catholic masters who have left settings of the passion texts must be mentioned Metre Jehan (Jean le Cock, d. before 1543), choir-mas- ter at the Court of the Duke of Ferrara, who wrote a work for from two to six voices. Cyprian de Rore (b. 1516), left a setting for two, four, and six voices. Lu- dovicus Daser (1525-89), Orlandus Lassus's prede- cessor as choir-master at the ducal Court of Bavaria wrote one for four voices. Lassus himself gave to pos- terity four different interpretations which are notable for the fact that the master frequently substitutes ori- ginal melodies for the liturgical ones and sometimes the chorus is employed to give expression to the texts belonging to a single person. The turba is always rep- resented by a five part chorus. Probably the most important musical interpretations of this text are the two by Tomas Luis da Vittoria (1540-1613). Vit- toria retains the plain-chant melodies for single per- sons and makes them serve, after the manner of Obrecht, as caiiti fermi in the ensemble. The value of these works is proved by the fact that for more than three hundred years they have formed part of the rep- ertory of the Sistine Chapel choir for Holy Week. Giovanni Matteo Asola (d. 1609), in his three different settings, ignored the traditional custom of employing the chorus for the iurba only, but used it indiscrimi- nately. The Spanish master, Francisco Guerrero (1527-99), in two works, is quite free in his treatment and replaces the Roman by Mozarabic plain-chant melodies, while William Byrd's creation for soprano, alto, and tenor, still further departs from the accus- tomed form, not only by limiting his vocal means to the three high voices, but also by substituting for the liturgical melody recitatives of his own invention, all of which gives the composition a character lyric rather than dramatic. Jacobus Gallus, or Jacob Handl (1550-91), wrote three settings, one for four and five voices, one for six, and the third for eight voices in which, in a general way he follows Obrecht's model.

The passion texts seemed to have particular at- traction for many of the composers who cast their lot with the Reformation. For a considerable period they adhered in their manner of treatment to the original Catholic model, inasmuch as they used the Latin text and retained the liturgical melodies. Between 1520 and 1.5.50, the Lutheran Johannes Galliculus (Hjihnel) produced at Leipzig a work, resembling Obrecht's in many ways, which constitutes the beginning of a long series of works important not only as music, but more particularly on account of the role they played in the development of Protestant worship. While Joachi- mus von Burgk (1.540-1610), whose real name was MoUer, was the first to discard the Latin text and com- pose passion music to the German vernacular, it was Johann Walther (1496-1570), Luther's friend, whose four settings, though retaining most of the Catholic form, voiced more than any other works the new spirit. They retained their hold upon German Protestants for more than a hundred years. Bartholomeus Gesius's (1555-1613) two settings, one for five, the other for six voices, are modelled on Obrecht and Gal- liculus, but Christoforus Demantius (1567-1643) in a BIX part composition, in addition to adopting the German vernacular, abandons the liturgical for original melodies and shows those chromatic and dramatic elements which find expression with Hcin-

rich Schiitz (1585-1672), who, in his epoch-making "Historia der frohhgen und siegrcichen Auferstehung unseres Herrn Jesu Christi", for from two to nine voices, abandons the fl CO /)p('//(i style in which all pre- vious passion music had lieeii written and calls into service stringed instruments and a figured bass to be played on the organ. Johann 8cbastiani (1622-83) anticipated Schutz by the employment of a single violin as an accompaniment to the chorales sung by the congregation during the performance, a custom he also originated and which became such a great feature in later Protestant works, but it was Schiitz who assigned to the instruments an integral part in the harmonic structure.

With Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) whose monument al work ' ' Passion according to St. M at the w " for soli, eight part chorus, a choir of boys, orchestra, and organ is the creation of a great genius imbued with profound faith, the form reaches its highest develop- ment. Only one other similar work by a Protes- tant writer, Karl Heinrich Graun's (1701-59) "Tod Jesu", has enio}'ed as great popularity in Protestant Germany. Schiitz's passion music as arranged for performance by Karl Riedel, Bach's "Passion ac- cording to St. Matthew", and Graun's "Tod Jesu" continue to be to non-Catholic Germanj' what Han- del's " Messiah" still is to the English-speaking world. While the source resorted to by non-Catholic com- posers for the last mentioned great works seems to have been exhausted, no similar compositions ap- pearing for more than a century, three Catholics have essayed the form: Joseph Haydn and Th(''odore Dubois have interpreted "The Seven Last Words on the Cross" and Lorenzo Perosi has set to music the "Passion according to St. Mark", but these composi- tions partake of the form of the oratorio. Settings in which the utterances of the Iurba, in falso-bordone style, alternate with the liturgical melodies are numer- ous. Among the more noted are those by Caspar Ett (1788-1847), Ignatius Mitterer, Franz Nekes, Emil Nikel, and others.

Spitta. Die PassionsmusiJcen von J. Sebastian Back und Hein- rich Schutz (Hamburg, 1893); Ambros, Gesch. der Musik, III (Leipzig, 1881) ; Kade, Die iLltere Passionskomposition bis zum Jahre 1631 (Gulcrsloh, 1893).

Joseph Otten.

Passion of Christ, Commemoration of the, a feast kept on the Tuesday after Sexagesima. Its ob- ject is the devout remembrance and honour of Christ's sufferings for the redemption of mankind. Whilst the feast in honour of the instruments of Christ's Passion — the Holy Cross, Lance, Nails, and Crown of Thorns — called "Arma Christi", originated during the Mid- dle Ages, this commemoration is of more recent origin. It appears for the first time in the Breviary of Meissen (1517) as a festum simplex for 15 Nov. The same Breviary has a feast of the Holy Face for 15 Jan., and of the Holy Name for 15 March [Grotefend, "Zeit- rechnung" (Hanover, 1892), II, 118 sqq.). These feasts disappeared with the introduction of Lutheran- ism. As found in the appendix of the Roman Brev- iary, it was initiated by St. Paul of the Cross (d. 177.5). The Office was composed by Thomas Struz- zieri. Bishop of Todi, the faithful associate of St. Paul. This Office and the corresponding feast were approved by Pius VI (1775-99) for the Discalced Clerics of the Holy Cross and the Passion of Christ (commonly called Passionists), founded by St. Paul of the Cross. The feast is celebrated by them as a double of the first class with an octave (Nilles, "Kal. man.", II, 69). At the same time Pius VI approved the other Offices and feasts of the Mysteries of Christ's Passion: the feast of the Prayer of Our Lord in the Garden (Tuesday after Septuagesima) ; the Crown of Thorns (Friday after Ash-Wednesday) ; the Holy Lance and Nails (Friday after the first Sunday in Lent) ; and for the following