Psalm 130 for Mixed Chorus a cappella (six voices) op. 50B
DURATION: ca. 5 Min.
DATE: 20. Juni 1950 - 2. Juli 1950 (Datumangaben in der Reinschrift)
FIRST PERFORMANCE: 29. Januar 1954, Köln (Chor des Westdeutschen Rundfunks, Dir. Bernhard Zimmermann)
FIRST PRINT: Israeli Music Publications, Tel Aviv 1953
DEDICATION: »dem Staat Israel« (Eine entsprechende Formulierung findet sich in der Erstausgabe des Werkes. Mäckelmann weist darauf hin, daß in einem Brief Schönbergs an Vinaver nur von einem Widmungsplan die Rede ist, in den Skizzen aber keinerlei Hinweise erhalten seien, eine direkte Widmung also möglicherweise nicht vorliegt. Vgl. Michael Mäckelmann, Arnold Schönberg und das Judentum. Der Komponist und sein religiöses, nationales und politisches Selbstverständnis nach 1921 (Hamburger Beiträge zur Musikwissenschaft 28), Hamburg 1984, S. 344)
SALES MATERIAL: Israeli Music Publications: MCR 11193-062 (Chorpartitur)
Dreimal tausend Jahre," op. 50A, sets a short lyric poem from the "Jordan Lieder" by Dagobert Runes. The second of the series Opus 50 uses the original Hebrew of Psalm 130, the "De Profundis"; while the third is bases on Schönberg's own text, the first of sixteen short "psalms" written during the last ten months of his life. The setting of Opus 50B, "De Profundis," finished in July, 1950 and dedicated to the State of Israel, owes its origin to a request by Chemjo Vinaver, a choral conductor who was compiling an anthology for the Jewish Agency for Palestine. Schönberg seems to have purposely written a piece that was easily singable, and in fact asked Vinaver in May 1951: "Should you have already performed it, I would like to know how it came out, that is, how the dramatic character appeared which is produced through the alternation of speaking and singing voices. I want also to know whether as a chorus director, you see great difficulties to perform the piece." Most often the six-part texture is characterized by voices being rhythmically paired against each other, though there is great variety in the nature of these pairings. The opening words, for example, are spoken in unison by men's voices, while the first hexachord is divided polyphonically between the second soprano and alto. The climax, teached on the final word of the last sentence, "He shall redeem His Israel," takes the first soprano up to b," and beneath the seven beats that this note is sustained, the lower five voices are rhythmically joined and, chantlike, speak the sentence again. The chorus then concludes with a tutti repetition of the line; the women's voices lead the men's voices, though complimentary rhythms bind the two groups.
Aus Tiefen rufe ich, Herr zu dir: Herr, höre auf meine Stimme, laß deine Ohren aufmerken den Laut meines Flehens. Wenn Du, Herr, Sünden bewahrst, Herr, wer wird bestehen? Aber bei dir ist Vergebung, damit man dich fürchte. Ich harre des Herrn, meine Seele harret, und ich hoffe auf sein Wort. Meine Seele harret auf den Herrn mehr als Wächter bis zum Morgen. Harre, Israel, auf den Herrn: Denn bei dem Herrn ist die Gnade und viel Erlösung bei ihm. Denn er wird Israel befreien von allen seinen Sünden.
