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- Mendelssohn, Felix
Duration: 25 minutes
Description: Felix Mendelssohn (1809–1847) composed Psalm 42: As Pants the Hart (Wie der Hirsch schreit), Op. 42 (MWV A 15) in 1837, completing much of the work during his honeymoon following his marriage to Cécile Jeanrenaud. Setting Martin Luther’s German translation of Psalm 42 for soprano solo, mixed chorus, orchestra, and organ, the seven-movement cantata traces the Psalmist’s journey from spiritual longing and despair to steadfast hope and praise through music of exceptional lyricism and expressive depth. The work received its premiere in its first version on January 1, 1838, at the Leipzig Gewandhaus, conducted by the composer with the Gewandhaus Orchestra and featuring the English soprano Clara Novello; Mendelssohn revised the score later that year into its final form. Both Mendelssohn and Robert Schumann regarded the composition with extraordinary esteem, Mendelssohn calling it his finest sacred work and Schumann describing it as the pinnacle of contemporary church music. Today, Psalm 42 is widely considered one of the masterpieces of nineteenth-century sacred choral literature, standing alongside Elijah and St. Paul as one of Mendelssohn’s greatest achievements and remaining a cornerstone of the international choral repertoire. Instrumentation: 2.2.2.2: 2.2.3.0: Timp: Org (in score): Str (4.4.3.3.3 in set): Solo Sop: SATB Chorus. Reprint edition. The English-translation vocal score is available from LudwigMasters (W106391).