Sonata da Chiesa

(Starts at 57:52) *New Bedford Symphony Orchestra Performance

"The 17th-century term “sonata da chiesa” denoted instrumental chamber music suitable for religious meditation; Hailstork has expanded on the concept to give us an orchestral analogue to a choral Mass. The piece’s seven sections, played without pause, have titles taken from liturgical music: Exultate, O Magnum Mysterium, Adoro, Jubilate, Agnus Dei, Dona Nobis Pacem, Exultate (reprise). 

The Exultate is a vigorous chorale verging on ecstasy. O Magnum Mysterium is in quieter counterpoint, quite chromatic, yet without abandoning a sense of tonality. Adoro is like a slow dance, with an insistent melody introduced in the viola solo, and in fact the entire work gains color from frequent solos for the first-chair players. The Jubilate is more energetic and highly syncopated with changing meters. The Agnus Dei, the emotional center of the work, is a soft chorale in a minor key, limned by gestures of melodic filigree. Dona Nobis Pacem, a chantlike chorale often in 5/4 meter, gradually crescendos to a final statement of the opening Exultate." - Bard College Concert Notes

Contrast / Movement Map: This piece's seven sections alternate between Allegro and Largo, at the times marked below:

-Allegro (57:52) Exultate
-Largo (1:00:00) O Magnum Mysterium
-Allegro (1:04:02) Adoro
-Largo (1:05:33) Jubilate
-Allegro (1:14:12) Agnus Dei
-Largo (1:15:15) Dona Nobis Pacem
(the seventh section (Exultate) is omitted from this performance)