Haydn's The Seven Last Words of our Saviour on the Cross was commissioned by the archbishop of Cádiz, Don José Saluz de Santamaria, for the Good Friday liturgy in the Santa Cueva crypt.
Composer Biography
Joseph Haydn, by 1785, was chamber music partners with prominent Viennese musicians Dittersdorf and Vanhal, and even a young Mozart.
Compositional Technique
Dominique Vellard's Les Sept Dernières Paroles du Christ en croix sets each of the Last Words in the same key as the corresponding section in Haydn's quartet version.
Recording & Production
This album was recorded in the crypt of Lagorce, France, between January 18 and 22, 2021.
Compositional Technique
Haydn's work for The Seven Last Words of our Saviour on the Cross features seven slow movements, each differing in key, modulation, rhythm, and dialogue, concluding with a dramatic 'Earthquake' movement.
Compositional Technique
Dominique Vellard's composition uses three-part vocal writing where the voice of Christ (tenor) is answered by the voices of his mother (low soprano) and an angel (soprano).
