Le Mystère de la Nativité

Le Mystère de la Nativité
Oratorio de Noël en 12 tableaux pour 9 solistes (soprano, mezzo-soprano, 3 ténors, 3 barytons, basse), choeurs et orchestre | The Mystery of the Nativity – Christmas oratorio in 12…

Year of composition

1957-1959

Duration

105’

Scored for

9 soloists (soprano, mezzo-soprano, 3 tenors, 3 baritones, bass), small mixed choir, male choir, large mixed choir and orchestra: 3 4 3 3 - 4 3 3 1 - timp. - perc.(4) - harp(2) - strings
Dédié à Monsieur René Dovaz

From this: Pièce brève (1957; 5'), short extract for flute, oboe and harp

Publication information

Universal Edition (UE13110); Pièce brève by Hug Musikverlage (GH 11098)

Text(s)

from ‘Mystère de la Passion’ (ca. 1450) of Arnoul Gréban (1420-1471)

Text file

  1. https://www.frankmartin.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/1957-Le-Mystere-de-la-Nativite-fr.pdf

Commentary

from A propos de… - commentaires de Frank Martin sur ses œuvres (1984):

The text of Le Mystère de la Nativité is taken from the prologue and the first day of the Mystère de la Passion that Arnoul Gréban wrote around 1450. In the prologue, Gréban evokes the angels’ rebellion and Adam’s fall; the four days that follow are devoted to the life of Christ from his birth to his Passion, resurrection and glorification in heaven. At the end of the Middle Ages, the word ‘mystery’ meant a dramatic work of a religious character in which the expression of faith, the search for beauty and the will to teach were closely united, for at that time writers as well as other artists, builders of cathedrals, painters and sculptors, did not seek subtle distinctions between their clerical responsibility, their aesthetic sense and their faith. It was not until the fifteenth century that the mysteries took their definitive form by presenting, in a dialogue form, the main events of sacred story and more particularly of the life of Christ. At first rather brief, their dimensions increased considerable with Gréban; his first mystery, that of the Passion, comprises in all some 35,000 verses and his second, on the Acts of the Apostles, up to 60,000. Little by little, the comic elements of these plays took on such importance to the detriment of their religious meaning that, a century later, in the mid-16th century, their performances were banned.

The work of Arnoul Gréban then fell into oblivion and those who, in 1878, published his Mystère de la Passion accorded him almost no talent, neither as playwright nor as poet. Today we see things differently and if we were able to discern first of all the value of architects, painters and sculptors of the Middle Ages, it is time that we were able to find qualities of the same order in a great poet of the fifteenth century. If it is true, then, that there are unbearably long time-spans for the hastiness of our minds in this gigantic work, on the other hand, there are frequently parts of real dramatic vigour and intense poetry. The characters are portrayed with a firm hand; so that each shepherd has his own personality and each devil his own devilment. Lucifer, the king of the underworld, is the angel resplendent with light whose sovereign beauty is ‘turned into deformity’ in punishment of his pride, but who keeps a background of nobility in the abject world he commands. Satan is the very spirit of evil: Lucifer’s ambassador to the earth, he fears him but he dominates him, all the same, by his cunning intelligence and his knowledge of the earthly world. In his depiction of the infernal world, Gréban succeeded in uniting the sense of comedy with that of horror. In the same way all the other characters are well delineated with a firm hand. But it was to the representation of the Virgin Mary that Gréban devoted all his care and gave all his love. In his mystery, Our Lady is all grace: the human grace of the young girl, humble and cheerful, then of the young mother; divine grace when she is contemplating mystically before her God. It is possible that Gréban’s vision influenced the painters of his time, who left us striking images of this double nature of the Virgin Mary, for his Mystère de la Passion was acclaimed then and performed everywhere.
 In addition to his talent as a playwright and poet, the most striking thing about Gréban is the profound faith that motivates him and which he shares with us because he embodied it in a work of beauty. Here we find what moves us so deeply in the cathedrals of the Middle Ages, that faith which is organised in the rhythm of the columns, in the mystery of the vaults and the shadow of the chapels, which bursts out from the coloured light of the stained-glass windows and which is even expressed in the representation of the devils who scowl, riveted to the column capitals.

By choosing some scenes relating to the birth of Christ in this gigantic work, I made a point of respecting the three planes on which the sacred drama takes place. The event is viewed by God the Father and the Angels in heaven, by men on the earth and by devils in hell. This image of the world on three planes is constantly found in the great paintings of the Middle Ages, as well as the sculptures that adorn the tympanums on the doors of many cathedrals. It is also by drawing inspiration from the stained-glass windows that I have managed to form twelve separate acts for my Mystère de la Nativité, several of which contain two or more successive scenes. Thus, the Annunciation and the Visitation form a single act as well as the necessary scenes relating to the shepherds.
 The musical means used are quite considerable: nine vocal soloists, a soprano, an alto, three tenors, two baritones and two basses. A large mixed choir, in the ancient role of the choir that comments on the action on a lyrical level. It is the voice of humanity in the last act, that comes to participate in the action to praise God for the Saviour’s coming. A small mixed choir represents the voice of angels, usually in heaven, but sometimes also on earth. A small male voice chorus: the second category devils. Finally, a large symphony orchestra.
• The 1st act is a kind of prologue on the religious level, sung by the large choir: it was to redeem humanity that the Son of God wanted to become our brother and share our sufferings. In heaven, the angel Gabriel and the choir of angels sing the praises of the Creator.
• The 2nd act, sung by a baritone, is a real prologue, addressing the audience.
• The 3rd act transports us to the underworld where the devils are rejoicing greatly on the arrival of the first humans. Then we hear the wails of Adam and Eve in limbo, and this is the symbol of the world that suffers while waiting for Christ, its Saviour.
• In the 4th act, God the Father sends the angel Gabriel to announce to Mary that she will be the mother of Christ. The two choirs join to sing of her humility and the grace given to her.
• In the 5th act, we first witness a brief conversation between Joseph and Mary, who are betrothed. Then Mary prays and the angel Gabriel appears to her: it is the Annunciation. Mary then goes to the mountainous part of the country to see Elizabeth, her cousin: it is the Visitation. As soon as Mary greets her, Elizabeth is filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesies that the child Mary is carrying in her womb will be Christ, the Saviour.
• The 6th act in the underworld depicts Lucifer’s anxiety that a man could be born whose perfect virtue would ruin his empire. He sends Satan to earth to try to corrupt this man.
• In the 7th act, God the Father, knowing the birth of the Saviour was approaching, orders Gabriel to go and announce it to the shepherds.
• The 8th act is the arrival of Joseph and Mary in Bethlehem, the descent of angels to Mary for the birth of Christ and the adoration of the parents.
• In the 9th act, the shepherds in the fields see Gabriel and the angels appearing singing the Gloria. They then go to Bethlehem to worship the little child.
• In the 10th act we hear the complaints of the prophet Simeon, awaiting in anguish in his old age, the coming of Christ.
• The 11th act is the sumptuous procession of the Magi. They worship the new-born and give him their presents.
• Finally, in the 12th act, the parents take the child Jesus to Jerusalem to present him in the temple. There, Simeon the Prophet and Anna the Prophetess announce his future sufferings and glorification. The crowd of people, together with Joseph and Mary, join together to sing to the coming of the Saviour and the choir of angels replies to them in the sky.

Let us now recite the words with which Gréban ends his prologue:

 We pray you, lords and ladies,
 men and women,
 please remain in silence;
 and you will hear us proceed
 with the help of the Creator:
 what he gives us with his gentleness
 so well done and you... listen well
 that in the end you may enjoy
 the eternal vision
 of God in supernal glory.

Frank Martin

In: Mitteilungen des Basler Kammerorchester, November 1960. Alte und neue Musik II, Atlantis Verlag Zürich 1977, pp. 111-114.
English translation by Rachel Ann Morgan

Premiere

World première: Geneva, 23 December 1959. Ernest Ansermet, conductor
First performance stage version: Salzburg, 15 August 1960. Heinz Wallberg, conductor
First performance ‘Pièce brève’: Lausanne, 10 May 1957. Edmond Defrancesco, flute; Max Frankenhauser, oboe; Amadea Redditi, harp

Recordings (selective list)

  • Elly Ameling, soprano; Aafje Heynis, mezzo-soprano; Louis Devos, tenor; Hugues Cuénod, tenor; Eric Tappy, tenor; Pierre Mollet, baritone; Derrik Olsen, baritone; André Vessières, bass; Charles Clavensy, baritone
    Choeur des Jeunes de l’Eglise Nationale Vaudoise (André Charlet)
    Le Motet de Genève (Jacques Horneffer)
    Orchestre de la Suisse Romande
    Ernest Ansermet, conductor
    (world première 23-12-1959 Victoria Hall, Genève)
    Cascavelle VEL 2006-2 mono ℗ + © 1991 (FMS022)


  • ‘Netherlands Radio Philharmonic - Jean Fournet’
    Elly Ameling, soprano; Aafje Heynis, mezzo-soprano; Ernst Haefliger, tenor; Herbert Handt, tenor; Serge Maurer, tenor; Louis-Jacques Rondeleux, baritone; Leo Ketelaars, bass/baritone; Guus Hoekman, bass
    Netherlands Radio Choir (Chorus masters Carel Laôut and Meindert Boekel)
    Netherlands Radio Philharmonic
    Jean Fournet, conductor
    Q-Disc 97019 CD’S NOS. 6 & 7 ℗ + © 2000 (FMS092)

  • Barbara Locher, soprano; Liliane Zürcher, alto; Christoph Einhorn, tenor; Hans-Jürg Rickenbacher, tenor; Peter Brechbühler, baritone; Philippe Hüttenlocher, baritone; Michael Pavlu, bass; Rudolf Rosen, bass
    Mozart-Ensemble der Musikhochschule Luzern
    Akademiechor Luzern; Mädchenchor inVOICE, Städtische Musikhochschule Luzern
    Luzerner Sinfonieorchester
    Alois Koch, conductor
    Musikszene Schweiz MGB CD 6173 ℗ + © 2001 (FMS113)

  • world première also available via YouTube (only audio)

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