Matthus Te Deum At Dresden Reconsecration

Among the jewels of Europe destroyed in World War II was the Frauenkirche of Dresden, razed in a British air attack just as Coventry had been demolished by German bombers. To mark the reconsecration of the English cathedral, Benjamin Britten composed his War Requiem in 1961 and only now has the Frauenkirche been rebuilt to grace Old Center City Dresden once again. To celebrate this historic revival, a series of concerts was presented that included such masterworks as the B Minor Mass — Bach dedicated the Frauenkirche's very first organ — Beethoven's Missa solemnis, and the Verdi Requiem. The final offering in this musical galaxy was the world premiere of the Te Deum by Siegfried Matthus.

The 70-minute work for six solo voices, mixed chorus, organ, and orchestra was first heard in the sold-out 1,600-seat church on November 11 and 12, 2005 and broadcast (live with repeat) throughout Germany with the combined forces of the Philharmonischer Kinderchor Dresden, the Rundfunkchor Berlin, and the Dresdner Philharmonie under the direction of Kurt Masur. It is made up of twelve segments in which the traditional Latin liturgical text is interlaced with various German-language texts having a direct connection to both historical events and the joys and sorrows of humankind throughout the ages.

Four trumpets set the scene for the ensemble of rejoicing soloists (1. Jubilate); the solo bass longs for this day (2. "Ersehnter Tag"); the solo organ is introduced with a reference to Bach's D minor Toccata (3. Die Orgel); a touching letter from Heinrich von Kleist is intoned by the alto solo, women's and children's chorus (4. Dresden); and then all hell breaks loose with a mélange of texts by Schiller, Rainer-Maria Rilke, Virgil, true-life reports of surviving witnesses, and the "Dies irae" (5. Inferno); a hauntingly quiet scene for the three women soloists (6. "Lacrimosa"); the innocent young bystanders in a children's chorus with orchestra (7. "Kinderreime"); a setting from the Book of Ezra for bass solo, men's chorus and orchestra (8. "So geschah, was Gott geboten"); and a gradual tapering to ultimate peace (9. "Musik, Vorhof himmlischer Lust", 10. "Schwerer als Hass ist die Liebe", 11. "Herr Gott, wir loben dich"), and finally 12. after a recapping of the great hymn of praise and exultation, an "Amen" for the entire ensemble.

It has often been observed that Verdi's Requiem could only have been conceived by a man of the theatre. The same may be claimed for Matthus's Te Deum, written by a composer with an output that includes a dozen operas, one of which, Cornet Christoph Rilke's Song of Love and Death, is actually quoted in the Te Deum's "Inferno" segment. In reporting on the Dresden premiere, the Berliner Morgenpost stated: "If there were such a thing as a national composer in Germany, Matthus could surely lay claim to this title." The two standing ovations and prolonged applause would attest to the effectiveness of the sacred/secular work.

Siegfried Matthus's Te Deum is published by Interklang-Verlag. Examination material is available on request in the U.S. and Canada from Music Associates of America.