Musical Moments #15

MUSICAL MOMENT #15

“I must confess that I live a miserable life, I live entirely in my music.”
Ludwig van Beethoven

“Kyrie” Ludwig van Beethoven arr. Cottlob Benedict Bierey

“The Moonlight Sonata” (“Piano Sonata in C# minor op. 27 no. 2”) is perhaps Beethoven’s most famous movement in that form, and the idea of adding text to an instrumental piece of his was not uncommon, even during his lifetime. But immediately after his death it became increasingly popular to pair his music with textual accompaniment, with this practice reaching its culmination in the 1830s after a plethora of such publications. This “Musical Moments” choice arranged by Cottlob Bierey (1772-1840) comes from that period. 

Bierey experienced a prominent musical career of his own in Germany, where his compositional interest was predominantly works for the stage. The Austrian National Library in Vienna houses the only original copy of Bierey’s “Kyrie,” and the most recent edition was published in 2019.  What is curious about this arrangement is why Bierey chose to lower the key from C# minor to C minor? My guess is that he made this alteration to be helpful to the wind instruments, but the key shift also changes the timbre a bit. Even though scales are tempered, all keys are not equal. 

The “Kyrie” text simply conveys, “Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy, Lord have mercy.”

The recording you will hear comes from an unedited live performance of our “Spiritual Spaces” program this past February. Dr. Gloria Cook performs the piano solo, accompanied by members of the Bach Choir and Orchestra.   

*A note about next year’s programming: when we publish our lineup, you will find that we are not finished celebrating Ludwig van Beethoven as we commemorate the 250th anniversary of his birth.   

Writing to music publisher Hoffmeister about J.S. Bach:
“My heart beats sincerely for the sublime and magnificent art of that first father of harmony.”
Ludwig van Beethoven

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