Franz Liszt: Christus S. 3 dir. by Miklós Forrai

The composer himself said the following about the birth of his oratorio "Christus": "The plan goes back as far as the beginning of the 1850s. Together with Wagner, we spoke in great detail about this in 1853 in Zürich. In actual fact I began working on my idea in 1864 in the Santa Francesca Romana and the Monte Mario, but I had great difficulty in making progress. By 1866, however, the composition has completed..."

At first he planned to draw up the text together with the revolutionnary poet Georg Herrwegh, on July 6 1853. In 1856, the plan of the text included Friedrich Rückert's "Evangelienharmonie" (ie. 'Gospel Harmony', the verse synthesis of four Gospels), while in 1857 Liszt tought of asking of his close friend, the composer Peter Cornelius to write poems based on the ideas of princess Carolyn Sayn-Wittgenstein. Finally, Liszt himself prepared the text by putting together selections from the Bible, medieval hymns and the Latin liturgy. It took thirteen years (1855-1868) before the composition, consisting of 14 movements, could be completed.

He started with the two movements for choir and organ. Work on "Die Seligkeiten" ('The Beatitudes', II/1) started 1855, first performance was on October 2, 1859 Weimar, in Herder Church, in German language. The Latin version is set for Christus, with minimal prosodical alterations of melodies.

The seven-part Pater noster ("Das Gebet des Herrn" ie. 'The Lord's Prayer', II/2) was composed in May 1860, both in Latin and German language. It was at first performed in 1865.

Liszt composed the other 12 movements between 1863-67 in Rome. The most of the movements were publicly performed shortly after their completion. To comment these events could be enough that Liszt was in fact a lyric composer, the movements are symphonic pictures (if there are choir or solo singers they are parts of symphonic ensemble), like his symphonic poems.

The most known of these performances was the first performance of whole first part (Christmas Oratorio, on this recording CD 1) at Vienna Symphonic's New Year Concert 1871, with Anton Rubinstein as conductor, Anton Bruckner as organist.

The world premiere of full work was held on the May 29 1873, in Herder Church of Weimar, with Liszt himself as conductor. In Hungary it was November 9 of same year, Budapest, in Pest Redoute at first performed, led by Hans Richter.

The work is after Liszt's handwritten and Gottschalk's first-print score divided up to three parts. The three parts follow the three life period of Jesus: His birth (Part I: Christmas Oratorio), His teaching and miracles (Part II: After Epiphany) and His passion and resurrection (Part III).
The movements do not have dramatical contact with each other, but they are pictures of Christ's life, if there could be call them, the movements are 'sacred symphonic or vocal poems'. (Liszt's earlier non-liturgical oratorio, "Die Legende von Hl. Elisabeth" S. 2[for upload it I must say thanks for our old fellow agenew] as known, inspired by some pictures in Wartburg castle, so it consists similarly as 'Christus'.)

See booklet for details.



Performers:

Sándor Sólyom-Nagy (Christus, baritone)
Éva Andor (soprano)
Zsuzsa Németh (mezzo-soprano)
József Réti (tenor)
József Gregor (bass)
Budapest Choir
Hungarian State Orchestra
Sándor Margittay (organ, harmonium)

Conductor: Miklós Forrai

Release year: 1980

Tracklist:

CD 1 I. Weihnachts-Oratorium

1. Introitus (Rorate coeli) (15:54)
2. Verkündigung des Engels (Angelus ad pastores ait) (7:26)
3. Stabat Mater speciosa (11:06)
4. Hirtenspiel an der Krippe (14:54)
5. Die heiligen drei Könige (Marsch) (13:46)

CD 2 II. Nach Epiphanias

1. Die Seligkeiten (Beati pauperes spiritu) (10:38)
2. Das Gebet des Herren (Pater noster) (7:15)
3. Die Gründung der Kirche (Tu es Petrus) (5:50)
4. Das Wunder (Et ecce motus magnus) (7:37)
5. Der Einzug gen Jerusalem (Hosanna!) (14:46)

CD 3. III. Passion und Auferstehung

1. Tristis est anima mea (10:02)
2. Stabat Mater dolorosa (28:39)
3. O filii et filiae (Oster-Hymne) (2:23)
4. Resurrexit! (7:12)