Song of Praise

In 2027, we celebrate the one hundred and eightieth anniversary of the death of one of the most outstanding composers of German Romanticism, Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy. On this occasion, the NFM will sound a symphonic and cantata masterpiece rarely remembered today: Symphony No. 2 “Lobgesang” op. 52. NFM The Wrocław Philharmonic will then join forces with the NFM Choir so that the “Song of Praise” will sail from Wrocław into the world with the greatest possible force.

In 1840, a festival was held in Leipzig to commemorate the four hundredth anniversary of Johannes Gutenberg's invention of the movable font. In the 16th century, its importance for the rapid and effective spread of the idea of the Reformation throughout Germany proved to be of no small importance. In Mendelssohn's time, the Evangelical-Augsburg Confession played a fundamental role in the emerging patriotism of the musician's homeland. At the time of ordering the work for the aforementioned jubilee, the artist (who already had the “Reformation” Symphony on his account) returned to the previously made sketches of a purely instrumental composition for orchestra. He decided to pick up the Beethoven glove and, using this material, create a symphony-cantata on the model of the Ninth Great Predecessor, already a quarter of a century old.

The words Mendelssohn used come from the Bible and form into a hymn of praise (hence the German name “Lobgesang”) in honor of God bringing mankind out of darkness — among other things through print. This is marked even in the tonal plan of the cycle. The monumental work, lasting about an hour, consists of three symphonic and ten vocal and instrumental parts. The cantata is integrated motivationally, but diverse in cast. Choirs, recitatives, arias and ensembles appear here. The Leipzig conductor has arranged two soprano and one tenor voices in the piece, as well as a choir and orchestra, in which the organ plays an important role. The performance of this remarkable piece at NFM will be one of the most momentous events of the season.