Description
Haydn originally composed “The Seven Last Words of our Saviour on the Cross Hob.XX:2” as Passion music for orchestra. He also made an arrangement for string quartet and oversaw a piano reduction at the same time. These three versions were published in Vienna in the summer of 1787.
Using this as a basis Haydn wrote a vocal version for soloists, choir and orchestra Hob. XX:2. This appeared only in 1796, as a commission for the priest José Saenz de Santamaría, Marqués de Valde-Íñigo, from Cádiz. The work was probably performed on Good Friday 1787 in the Santa Cueva chapel below the parish church of Nuestra Señora del Rosario. The commission was to compose seven slow meditative movements, one for each of Jesus’ last words.
This edition of the vocal version is based on the Urtext of the G. Henle Complete Edition “Works of Joseph Haydn”.
The performance material is available on hire.
