Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy / Jan-Benjamin Homolka (arr.) Like as the hart longs. Psalm 42

Arrangement for chamber orchestra (arr. Homolka) MWV A 15, 1837/2020

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Psalm texts inspired Mendelssohn throughout his composing career. In 1837 Robert Schumann judged Mendelssohn’s setting of Psalm 42 as the "highest level that he has achieved as a composer of church music, indeed the highest level that modern church music has ever reached".

With this arrangement of Mendelssohn’s cantata Wie der Hirsch schreit (As the hart longs) smaller choirs and choirs with more limited resources of space or finance can now perform this popular work. The original symphonic wind and brass forces have been reduced from 15 to 5 wind and brass forces. All the vocal parts (soloists and chorus) are identical with the original version, so that the vocal scores and chorus scores of that version can be used.

  • Can be performed by smaller choirs with smaller instrumental forces
  • Usable with the vocal scores and choral scores from the original version.
  • Complete performance material available on loan.
  • carus plus: the work (original version) is available in the carus music app, the Choir Coach, as well as in the Carus Choir Coach series (audio only).
Original versionArrangement for chamber orchestra
Soli STTBB, Coro SATB, 2 Fl, 2 Ob, 2 Clt, 2 Fg, 2 Cor, 2 Tr, 3 Trb, Timp, 2 Vl, Va, Vc, Cb, Org
Soli STTBB, Coro SATB, Fl, Ob, Clt, Fg,  Cor, [Timp], 2 Vl, Va, Vc, Cb, Org
Recording:
ENCORE Kammerchor
Dirigent: Matthias Rajczyk
L'arpa festante München

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  • Like as the hart longs. Psalm 42
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  • 1. Coro (SATB) As the hart longs for streams of water,
    O God, so my spirit longs for thee.

    2. Aria (Solo S) For my spirit thrists after God,
    my God, the Lord of all living.
    O when shall I come before him,
    so that mine own eyes may see him?

    3. Recitativo (Solo S) And my tears have been all my food both day and night,
    while they daily come and ask me: Where is now your God?
    These things I now remember,
    as I pour out my heart in prayer to him.

    Allegro assai (Solo S e Coro) For I would have gone out gladly with the people
    and with them would go up to God’s own temple
    with rejoicing and thanksgiving,
    with all the people on the feast day.

    ...

  • 1. Coro (SATB) Wie der Hirsch schreit nach frischem Wasser,
    so schreit meine Seele, Gott, zu dir.

    2. Aria (Solo S) Meine Seele dürstet nach Gott,
    nach dem lebendigen Gotte.
    Wann werde ich dahin kommen,
    dass ich Gottes Angesicht schaue?

    3. Recitativo (Solo S) Meine Tränen sind meine Speise Tag und Nacht,
    weil man täglich zu mir saget: Wo ist nun dein Gott?
    Wenn ich dess’ inne werde,
    so schütte ich mein Herz aus bei mir selbst.

    Allegro assai (Solo S e Coro) Denn ich wollte gern hingehen mit dem Haufen
    und mit ihnen wallen zum Hause Gottes,
    mit Frohlocken und mit Danken
    unter dem Haufen, die da feiern.

    4. Coro (SATB) Was betrübst du dich, meine Seele,

    ...

  • Texte du livret du CD Carus 83.202

    Thomas Schmidt-Beste
    Traduction (abrégé) : Jean Paul Ménière

    La musique spirituelle pour chœurs occupe une place importante dans la production de Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (1809–1847). Le catalogue de ses œuvres ne compte pas moins de 67 compositions, publiées ou non, qui vont de très simples et brèves pièces pour chœurs jusqu’aux deux oratorios monumenteaux Paulus et Elias. Il est facile de comprendre cet aspect de la production du compositeur lorsqu’on jette un bref regard sur sa biographie : Après l’abandon de la religion juive et la conversion de la famille Mendelssohn au christianisme en 1816 (d’abord les enfants, les parents en suivent 1822) le compositeur grandit dans le milieu culturel et musical de Berlin, fortement imprégné par le protestantisme. Son professeur, Carl Friedrich Zelter, jouait, en outre, en tant que directeur de la Singakademie, Berlin, à laquelle appartint également le jeune

    ...

  • Text from the CD Carus 83.202

    Thomas Schmidt-Beste
    Translation (abridged): John Coombs

    Sacred choral music occupies an important place among the works of Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (1809–1847); the catalogue of his sacred compositions includes no fewer than 67 published and unpublished works, ranging from brief and straightforward choruses to the two monumental oratorios St. Paul and Elijah. A glance at the biography of the composer makes this understandable: following conversion to Christianity of the originally Jewish Mendelssohn family (the children were converted in 1816 and the parents in 1822) the composer grew up in the Protestant-influenced musical culture of Berlin. His teacher Carl Friedrich Zelter, as director of the Berlin Singakademie (to which the young Mendelssohn belonged), was one of the leading figures in the movement of that period whose aim was to breathe new life into the “classical” art of the old

    ...

  • Booklet-Text der CD Carus 83.202

    Thomas Schmidt-Beste

    Im Schaffen Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdys (1809–1847) nimmt die geistliche Chormusik einen großen Stellenwert ein – das Werkverzeichnis führt nicht weniger als 67 veröffentlichte und unveröffentlichte Werke auf, die von kurzen, ganz einfachen Chorsätzen bis zu den beiden monumentalen Oratorien Paulus und Elias reichen. Ein Blick auf die Biographie des Komponisten macht dies verständlich: Nach dem Übertritt der ursprünglich jüdischen Familie Mendelssohn zum Christentum – im Jahr 1816 erst der Kinder und 1822 dann der Eltern – wuchs der Komponist in der protestantisch geprägten Musikkultur Berlins auf; sein Lehrer Carl Friedrich Zelter war zudem als Leiter der Berliner Singakademie (deren Mitglied auch der junge Mendelssohn war) eine der treibenden Kräfte im Bestreben, die „klassische“ Kunst der alten Meister der Kirchenmusik in der Praxis zu neuem Leben zu erwecken. An erster Stelle standen hier die Werke

    ...

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Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy: Psalm 42. Like as the hart longs, Vocal score, XL in large print, German
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  • Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (1809–1847) is regarded as one of the most important composers of the Romantic period. His compositions combine the formal clarity of the Viennese Classical period with the heightened expressiveness of the 19th century. His engagement with the music of Johann Sebastian Bach was particularly influential; he played a key role in its rediscovery through the performance of the St Matthew Passion in 1829.

    Among his best-known vocal works are his two oratorios, Paulus and Elias, as well as his chorale cantata Verleih uns Frieden gnädiglich. Furthermore, Mendelssohn worked as a conductor, pianist and music teacher, and made a significant contribution to the professionalisation of the concert scene and to the development of the Leipzig Conservatoire. His work occupies a central position in 19th-century music history and combines a sense of tradition with Romantic sound aesthetics.

    Personal details
  • Jan-Benjamin Homolka received his musical training at the HMDK Stuttgart, where he studied school music with a specialisation in conducting, horn (Prof. Christian Lampert, Peter Hoefs) and music theory (Prof. Hubert Moßburger), as well as history at the University of Stuttgart. As a student, he was a scholarship holder of the German National Academic Foundation. Whilst still a student, his chamber orchestra version of Alexander Zemlinsky’s opera “Der Zwerg” was published. From 2018 to 2023, he taught music theory and instrumentation at the Mannheim University of Music.

    Jan-Benjamin Homolka works as a conductor with numerous ensembles in the Stuttgart region. He is also a much sought-after arranger. He has received commissions for arrangements from, amongst others, the opera houses in Stuttgart, Aachen, Nancy and Dijon, the Evangelical Regional Church in Württemberg, the German National Youth Orchestra and the Hanke Brothers ensemble. Radio France produced radio broadcasts of his chamber versions of the operas “Der Zwerg” and “Der Traumgörge” in 2017 and 2020 respectively.

    We have asked the composer 6 questions – read here in our blog: https://blog.carus-verlag.com/en/personalities/6-questions-for-jan-benjamin-homolka/

    Personal details

Reviews

... Mit der vorbildlichen, neuen Kammerorchester-Ausgabe …. Sie behält die originale Klanglichkeit bei, verkleinert aber aus Balancegründen die Bläserbesetzung.
Schweizer Musikzeitung, 06/2021

... Die Reduktion der Harmoniestimmen auf ein Bläserquintett vereinbart eine deutliche personelle und dynamische Reduktion mit einem Maximum an orchestralem Klang.
Württembergische Blätter für Kirchenmusik, 06/2021

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Frequent questions about this work

Can I also use the “normal” vocal score /03 and the choral score /05 from the full-scale version to sing the version presented here?

Yes, the vocal parts are absolutely identical, and therefore the vocal scores and choral scores are compatible with both versions.
Modern arrangements for smaller ensembles often require single instruments to take on multiple parts from the original version. This would be possible only to a very limited extent with historical instruments. This chamber music version should therefore be performed with modern wind instruments.
Yes, the string parts in the arrangement have been taken over unchanged from the original version. We also offer the string parts for this version on loan with article number Carus 40.072/69.
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