Ite, angeli veloces (Hindemith, Paul)

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Sheet Music

Vocal Scores

I. Chant de triomphe du roi David

Arranger Composer
Editor First edition
Publisher. Info. London: Schott & Co., Ltd., No.4623, 1955. Plate 39115.
Copyright
Misc. Notes 600 dpi.
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II. Custos quid de nocte

Arranger Composer
Editor First edition
Publisher. Info. London: Schott & Co., Ltd., No.4634, 1955. Plate 39153.
Copyright
Misc. Notes 600 dpi.
Purchase
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III. Cantique de l'espérance

Arranger Composer
Editor First edition
Publisher. Info. London: Schott & Co., Ltd., No.4497, 1953. Plate 38579.
Copyright
Misc. Notes 600 dpi.
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Free Recordings

II. Custos quid de nocte

General Information

Work Title Ite angeli veloces
Alternative. Title Kantate: "Ite angeli veloces"
Composer Hindemith, Paul
I-Catalogue NumberI-Cat. No. IPH 59
Movements/SectionsMov'ts/Sec's 3 parts
I. Chant de triomphe du roi David (Triumphgesang Davids, Psalm 17)
II. Custos quid de nocte
III. Cantique de l'espérance ; (Gesang an die Hoffnung) ; (Canticle to Hope)
Year/Date of CompositionY/D of Comp. 1953, 1955 (see more below) [more...]
    I. Chant de triomphe du roi David
    1955 Spring in Blonay
    1955-03-05 (vocal score and German translation completed)
    1955-05-05 (full score completed)
    II. Custos quid de nocte
    1955 Spring in Blonay
    1955-04-04 (full score completed)
    III. Cantique de l'espérance
    1953 Spring in New Haven and Vevay
    1953-04-19 (vocal score completed)
    1953-06-17 (full score completed in Vevey)
First Performance. 1955-06-04 in Wuppertal at the Niederrheinisches Musikfest (entire work)
Maria von Ilosuay (alto), Gino Sinimberghi (tenor), Paul Hindemith (conductor)
Junger Chor der „Jeunesses musicales“, Wuppertaler Lehrergesangverein
Städtischer Chor Barmen, Städtisches Orchester Wuppertal
Individual sections [more...]
    I. Chant de triomphe du roi David
    1955-06-04 (same as entire work)
    II. Custos quid de nocte
    1955-06-04 (same as entire work)
    III. Cantique de l'espérance
    1953-07-09 in Brussels at the UNESCO International Council on Music Education
    Yetty Martens (mezzo-soprano), unknown (alto and tenor), Paul Hindemith (conductor)
    Orchestre international des Jeunesses Musicales, L’Harmonie Paul Gilson
    Chœurs des Emissions françaises et flamandes de la Radiodiffusion Nationale Belge
    Chœurs du Conservatoire Royal de Bruxelles, Chorale Protestante
    Chœurs de la Société Philharmonique et de Jeunesses Musicales de Bruxelles
First Publication. 1953-55 - Mainz: Schott [more...]
1953 (Cantique de l'espérance)
vocal score, choral part, audience part
1955 (Chant de triomphe du roi David)
vocal score, choral part, audience part
1955 (Custos quid de nocte)
vocal score, choral part
Librettist Paul Claudel (1868-1955), English and German translations by the composer
Language French, German, English (Combined) [more...]
French, German (I.)
French, German (II.)
French, German, English (III.)
Average DurationAvg. Duration 55 minutes (entire work) [more...]
22 minutes (I.)
13 minutes (II.)
20 minutes (III.)
Composer Time PeriodComp. Period Modern
Piece Style Modern
Instrumentation voices, chorus, audience, orchestra and wind orchestra
I. Chant de triomphe du roi David [more...]
    Voices (Soloists)
    alto, tenor
    Mixed Chorus (SATB)
    Audience (Singing)
    Orchestra
    2 flutes, 2 oboes, English horn, 2 clarinets
    bass clarinet, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon
    4 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba
    timpani, percussion (3 players): cymbals, snare drum, bass drum, piano, strings
    Wind Orchestra
    piccolo, flute, E clarinet, 3 clarinets, alto saxophone (E), 2 bassoons
    4 horns, 3 trumpets (or cornets), 3 trombones, baritone, 2 tubas
    percussion (3 players): cymbals, snare drum, bass drum, glockenspiel, organ
II. Custos quid de nocte [more...]
    Voices (Soloists)
    alto, tenor
    Mixed Chorus (SATB)
    Orchestra
    flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon
    horn, trumpet, trombone, tuba, timpani, strings
III. Cantique de l'espérance [more...]
    Voices (Soloists)
    mezzo-soprano, alto, tenor
    Mixed Chorus (SATB)
    Audience (Singing)
    Orchestra
    2 flutes (2nd also piccolo), 2 oboes, English horn, 2 clarinets
    bass clarinet, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon
    4 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba
    timpani, percussion (2 players): cymbals, snare drum, bass drum, glockenspiel, piano, strings
    Wind Orchestra
    piccolo, flute, E clarinet, 3 clarinets,
    alto saxophone (E), tenor saxophone (B), baritone saxophone (E), 2 bassoons
    4 horns, 3 trumpets (or cornets), 3 trombones, baritone, 2 tubas
    percussion (5 players): triangle, cymbals, snare drum, bass drum, glockenspiel, organ
External Links Hindemith Foundation (I. Chant de triomphe du roi David)
Hindemith Foundation (II. Custos quid de nocte)
Hindemith Foundation (III. Cantique de l'espérance)
Vocal Score of Entire Work (third-party only, not @ Amazon specifically, when checked Feb. 2015)

Navigation etc.

  • The third Movement was published and worked on first in 1953 before the first and second movements was conceived as a whole work in 1955.
-Sallen112
  • Quote from Cantique de l'espérance Vocal Score above is as follows (in English):
This Work has been written for Unesco (United Nations educational, scientific and cultural organization). In harmony with the aims of this Organization - the promotion through Education, Science and Culture of law, justice, human rights and freedom, without discrimination of race, sex, creed or language - an attempt has been made in both, the text and the score, to appeal directly to as wide a range of people as possible so that they may be attracted to Music and its actual performance. The conventional form of musical performance, the concert, has been fundamentally changed and the distinction between those who actually perform and those who passively enjoy has been removed. The uninitiated members of the audience are invited to participate actively in the performance of the last two parts of the work.
Questionable orchestration listed from Cantique de l'espérance vocal score above conflicts with the Instrumentation in the General Information section is as follows:
Solo voice - (mezzo-soprano)
Choir - mixed unlimited in number
Orchestra - a small orchestra, consisting of flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, 2 horns, trumpet, 2 trombones and strings can be increased through doubling of parts or addition of further instruments (see vocal score above) from a minimum of 14 players to hundreds
Brass Ensemble - to be situated opposite the platform at the other end of the hall. This orchestra should consist of at least 5 Instruments (trumpets, horns, trombones) to which other instrumen(t)s also can be added without limitation. This orchestra may be supplemented or replaced by an organ.
The people - The whole audience should join in the choral singing. Trained singers can be placed here and there in the auditorium in order to lead the singing. The scores for the parts to be sung by members of the public should be printed in leaflet form and distributed among the audience.
In the piano score (Vocal Score) the two orchestral pieces No.3 and 5 have been arranged for two pianos.
  • It seems a recording of the Chorales from Cantique de l'espérance was made by UNESCO ca.1953- is that possible? - ES (Also, according to a 2005 article, this was one of several works for which Claudel supplied the text for which he also attempted to supply musical ideas to the composers, though in all such cases they proved resistant to the latter. UNESCO seems to have been involved in the project in some way- Luttmann (Hindemith: A Research and Information Guide) has Claudel corresponding not just with the Hindemiths but with Jack Bornoff, a UNESCO official, about Ite, angeli veloces (in the 2007-published book of Claudel's complete correspondence.) Could they have been the dedicatees or people who commissioned this work? (E.g. Britten dedicated a work to the United Nations, I know, and another - Cantata misericordium - to the Red Cross...)