St. Nicolas (Britten)
Encyclopedia
Saint Nicolas is a cantata
with music by Benjamin Britten
and text by Eric Crozier
, written in 1948.
wrote the cantata Saint Nicolas in 1948 for the centennial celebrations of Lancing College
in Sussex
. Writing specifically for the resources available to him on this occasion, Britten scored the piece for mixed choir
, tenor
soloist, three or four boys, strings
, piano
duet, organ
and percussion. Within this ensemble, the only professional musicians required were the tenor soloist, a string quartet
to lead the other strings, and the percussionists. Saint Nicolas marks Britten’s first professional work intended primarily for performance by amateur musicians. Now the cantata is frequently performed by youth and amateur ensembles.
The text of Saint Nicolas was written by Eric Crozier
after extensive research into the legendary life of Saint Nicholas
, Bishop
of Myra
, Lycia
. Crozier’s libretto
paints a dramatically bold portrait of the saint's character, exaggerating the legends and glory that have accumulated over the centuries around Nicholas's story. Britten's music enhances the drama of Crozier's text using striking contrasts in instrumentation, vocal style, and musical textures.
The Thames Television
production, with Ian Partridge
singing the title role, won the 1977 Prix Italia
.
The choral introduction is centered around the pitch class E, prominent as a pedal tone for much of the first movement. Harmonic tension is achieved by brief chromatic meanderings that return to the central pitch; this technique is effective by providing harmonic and melodic interest while remaining accessible to young and/or amateur singers. Nicolas’ response to the chorus departs from the emphasis on E, traveling through many different keys, though generally using diatonic melodies. Nicolas ends his solo on pitch class A, which becomes the new pedal tone for the choral prayer.
This movement consists of a tune written in the A-Lydian mode. Britten modulated between A-Lydian and E-Lydian for alternating verses; he did so by altering the Lydian modes into whole-tone-collections, raising the fourth scale degree (as is customary for Lydian) but also raising the fifth scale degree to travel from one mode to the other. The harmonies supporting the modal melodies are tonal and fairly straightforward. Interestingly, at the moment that Nicolas becomes a man, Britten colors the melody’s supporting harmonies in a much more dissonant manner, using a semitone clash to darken the simple refrain.
Britten orchestrated the second movement for just strings and tenors; the texture is much less complicated than the preceding movements. The third movement lacks a tonal center and meanders through significantly more dissonant harmonies; the absence of a catchy, recognizable tune (found in most other movements) makes the third movement come across as a recitative.
The movement opens with an energetic modal melody centered around F; the melody alternates between the Aeolian, or natural minor mode, and Dorian, with its raised sixth. Britten even raises the fourth occasionally, hinting at Lydian. The interplay between modes in this melody contributes to its lilting character. The tune becomes more dissonant as the storm approaches, and when the storm arrives, the men’s song is halted. The female chorus, singing from the galleries, represents the winds and tempests; the girls’ voices describe the terrifying storm, pausing only for the sailors’ cries for mercy. As the storm subsides, Nicolas emerges; his prayer is musically and textually simple. The movement ends with a return of the initial tune, this time in F-Major with very slight alteration.
This movement is the most traditionally tonal of the entire cantata; D-Major is strongly established in the chorus’ homophonic texture. Halfway through the movement, Britten employs a diatonic fugato that concludes in G-Major. In this key, the congregation joins in the singing of the hymn known as Old Hundredth Psalm Tune, which misses out verses 2 and 5 and begins with the words “All people that on earth do dwell.” The semichorus sings an upliftingly beautiful descant in Verse 2, rising up to a top B on the word it in For it is seemly so to do.
Like the second and fourth movements, the seventh employs a diatonic mode (here it is B-Aeolian) and a memorable tune sung by the chorus. The female chorus, again singing from the galleries, employ Phrygian and Aeolian modes as they sing the roles of mothers seeking their missing sons. When Nicolas enters the scene, he begins with a melody based on F#-Mixolydian, with occasional chromatic alterations. He ends his call to the dead boys in A-Major, and the movement concludes in this key.
Cantata
A cantata is a vocal composition with an instrumental accompaniment, typically in several movements, often involving a choir....
with music by Benjamin Britten
Benjamin Britten
Edward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten, OM CH was an English composer, conductor, and pianist. He showed talent from an early age, and first came to public attention with the a cappella choral work A Boy Was Born in 1934. With the premiere of his opera Peter Grimes in 1945, he leapt to...
and text by Eric Crozier
Eric Crozier
Eric Crozier was a British theatrical director and opera librettist, long associated with Benjamin Britten....
, written in 1948.
Background
Benjamin BrittenBenjamin Britten
Edward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten, OM CH was an English composer, conductor, and pianist. He showed talent from an early age, and first came to public attention with the a cappella choral work A Boy Was Born in 1934. With the premiere of his opera Peter Grimes in 1945, he leapt to...
wrote the cantata Saint Nicolas in 1948 for the centennial celebrations of Lancing College
Lancing College
Lancing College is a co-educational English independent school in the British public school tradition, founded in 1848 by Nathaniel Woodard. Woodard's aim was to provide education "based on sound principle and sound knowledge, firmly grounded in the Christian faith." Lancing was the first of a...
in Sussex
Sussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
. Writing specifically for the resources available to him on this occasion, Britten scored the piece for mixed choir
Choir
A choir, chorale or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.A body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus...
, tenor
Tenor
The tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2...
soloist, three or four boys, strings
String section
The string section is the largest body of the standard orchestra and consists of bowed string instruments of the violin family.It normally comprises five sections: the first violins, the second violins, the violas, the cellos, and the double basses...
, piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
duet, organ
Organ (music)
The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...
and percussion. Within this ensemble, the only professional musicians required were the tenor soloist, a string quartet
String quartet
A string quartet is a musical ensemble of four string players – usually two violin players, a violist and a cellist – or a piece written to be performed by such a group...
to lead the other strings, and the percussionists. Saint Nicolas marks Britten’s first professional work intended primarily for performance by amateur musicians. Now the cantata is frequently performed by youth and amateur ensembles.
The text of Saint Nicolas was written by Eric Crozier
Eric Crozier
Eric Crozier was a British theatrical director and opera librettist, long associated with Benjamin Britten....
after extensive research into the legendary life of Saint Nicholas
Saint Nicholas
Saint Nicholas , also called Nikolaos of Myra, was a historic 4th-century saint and Greek Bishop of Myra . Because of the many miracles attributed to his intercession, he is also known as Nikolaos the Wonderworker...
, Bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
of Myra
Myra
Myra is an ancient town in Lycia, where the small town of Kale is situated today in present day Antalya Province of Turkey. It was located on the river Myros , in the fertile alluvial plain between Alaca Dağ, the Massikytos range and the Aegean Sea.- Historical evidence :Although some scholars...
, Lycia
Lycia
Lycia Lycian: Trm̃mis; ) was a region in Anatolia in what are now the provinces of Antalya and Muğla on the southern coast of Turkey. It was a federation of ancient cities in the region and later a province of the Roman Empire...
. Crozier’s libretto
Libretto
A libretto is the text used in an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata, or musical. The term "libretto" is also sometimes used to refer to the text of major liturgical works, such as mass, requiem, and sacred cantata, or even the story line of a...
paints a dramatically bold portrait of the saint's character, exaggerating the legends and glory that have accumulated over the centuries around Nicholas's story. Britten's music enhances the drama of Crozier's text using striking contrasts in instrumentation, vocal style, and musical textures.
The Thames Television
Thames Television
Thames Television was a licensee of the British ITV television network, covering London and parts of the surrounding counties on weekdays from 30 July 1968 until 31 December 1992....
production, with Ian Partridge
Ian Partridge
Ian Partridge CBE is a retired English lyric tenor, whose repertoire ranged from Monteverdi, Bach and Handel, the Elizabethan lute songs, German, French and English songs, through to Schoenberg, Weill and Britten, and on to contemporary works. He formed a renowned vocal-piano duo with his sister...
singing the title role, won the 1977 Prix Italia
Prix Italia
The Prix Italia is an international Italian television, radio-broadcasting and Website award. It was established in 1948 by RAI - Radiotelevisione Italiana in Capri...
.
I. Introduction
Saint Nicolas opens with an introduction in which the mixed choir, representing a contemporary people, calls to Nicolas to speak to them across the ages. They sing, “Our eyes are blinded by the holiness you bear,” and they wish to hear the true story of Nicolas, the man. After being implored to “Strip off [his] glory,” Nicolas responds in a flourish, speaking to the choir, “Across the tremendous bridge of sixteen hundred years…” The first movement ends with a choral prayer.The choral introduction is centered around the pitch class E, prominent as a pedal tone for much of the first movement. Harmonic tension is achieved by brief chromatic meanderings that return to the central pitch; this technique is effective by providing harmonic and melodic interest while remaining accessible to young and/or amateur singers. Nicolas’ response to the chorus departs from the emphasis on E, traveling through many different keys, though generally using diatonic melodies. Nicolas ends his solo on pitch class A, which becomes the new pedal tone for the choral prayer.
II.The Birth of Nicolas
The second movement begins the depiction of Nicolas’ life, recounting the story of his miraculous birth, when “…from his mother’s womb he sprang and cried, ‘GOD BE GLORIFIED!’” Stories of his childhood continue, punctuated by the refrain “GOD BE GLORIFIED!”, sung by the boy Nicolas (portrayed by the ‘youngest boy in the choir,’ as specified by the composer.) At the end of the movement, the boy becomes a man, and the movement closes with the full-voiced adult tenor singing the refrain.This movement consists of a tune written in the A-Lydian mode. Britten modulated between A-Lydian and E-Lydian for alternating verses; he did so by altering the Lydian modes into whole-tone-collections, raising the fourth scale degree (as is customary for Lydian) but also raising the fifth scale degree to travel from one mode to the other. The harmonies supporting the modal melodies are tonal and fairly straightforward. Interestingly, at the moment that Nicolas becomes a man, Britten colors the melody’s supporting harmonies in a much more dissonant manner, using a semitone clash to darken the simple refrain.
III. Nicolas Devotes Himself to God
The third movement is sung by Nicolas alone, who recounts how “My parents died … All too soon I left the tranquil beauty of their home … and knew the wider world of men.” Nicolas then bemoans his distress over man’s faults and devotes himself to a life of service to God.Britten orchestrated the second movement for just strings and tenors; the texture is much less complicated than the preceding movements. The third movement lacks a tonal center and meanders through significantly more dissonant harmonies; the absence of a catchy, recognizable tune (found in most other movements) makes the third movement come across as a recitative.
IV. He Journeys to Palestine
The fourth movement of the cantata depicts a sea voyage bringing Nicolas to Palestine. During this voyage, a mighty storm assails the ship, perhaps as punishment to the faithless sailors who have mocked the pious saint. The storm is terrifying, and the sailors despair. Amidst the violent winds, waves, and rain, Nicolas gathers the sailors in prayer, and the storm subsides.The movement opens with an energetic modal melody centered around F; the melody alternates between the Aeolian, or natural minor mode, and Dorian, with its raised sixth. Britten even raises the fourth occasionally, hinting at Lydian. The interplay between modes in this melody contributes to its lilting character. The tune becomes more dissonant as the storm approaches, and when the storm arrives, the men’s song is halted. The female chorus, singing from the galleries, represents the winds and tempests; the girls’ voices describe the terrifying storm, pausing only for the sailors’ cries for mercy. As the storm subsides, Nicolas emerges; his prayer is musically and textually simple. The movement ends with a return of the initial tune, this time in F-Major with very slight alteration.
V. Nicolas Comes to Myra and is Chosen Bishop
In the fifth movement, Nicolas is appointed Bishop of Myra. The chorus calls upon him to “Serve the faith and spurn its enemies.” Nicolas vows to do just that, and the movement closes with a congregational hymn.This movement is the most traditionally tonal of the entire cantata; D-Major is strongly established in the chorus’ homophonic texture. Halfway through the movement, Britten employs a diatonic fugato that concludes in G-Major. In this key, the congregation joins in the singing of the hymn known as Old Hundredth Psalm Tune, which misses out verses 2 and 5 and begins with the words “All people that on earth do dwell.” The semichorus sings an upliftingly beautiful descant in Verse 2, rising up to a top B on the word it in For it is seemly so to do.
VI. Nicolas from Prison
Like the third movement, the sixth recalls an operatic recitative. Here Nicolas admonishes mankind for accepting its wilderness, calling them to turn to God. While the strings and piano accompaniment are generally centered around a d-minor chord, the vocal melody is highly chromatic and dissonant.VII. Nicolas and the Pickled Boys
The seventh movement of Saint Nicolas depicts the legend of the Pickled Boys. Nicolas finds himself in an inn where a group of travellers have paused for the night. They invite the bishop to dine with them, but Nicolas stops them from eating, realizing that the meat that they eat is in fact the flesh of three boys murdered and pickled by the butcher. Nicolas calls to the boys, “Timothy, Mark, and John, put your fleshly garments on!” and the boys come back to life, singing “Alleluia!”Like the second and fourth movements, the seventh employs a diatonic mode (here it is B-Aeolian) and a memorable tune sung by the chorus. The female chorus, again singing from the galleries, employ Phrygian and Aeolian modes as they sing the roles of mothers seeking their missing sons. When Nicolas enters the scene, he begins with a melody based on F#-Mixolydian, with occasional chromatic alterations. He ends his call to the dead boys in A-Major, and the movement concludes in this key.