Composer

:

Franz Joseph Haydn

Genre

:

Vocal

Style

:

Vocal Music

Compose Date

:

before 1792

Average_duration

:

1:00

"Mount your baggage, H. 31a/42" is a choral work composed by Franz Joseph Haydn in 1774. The piece was premiered in the same year in the Esterházy Palace in Eisenstadt, Austria. It is a part of a larger work called "The Seven Last Words of Christ," which was commissioned by the Cathedral of Cadiz in Spain. "Mount your baggage" is the fourth movement of the work and is written for four-part choir and orchestra. The text is taken from the Gospel of Luke and describes the moment when Jesus is carrying his cross to his crucifixion. The music is characterized by its solemn and mournful tone, reflecting the gravity of the scene. The movement begins with a slow and somber introduction in the orchestra, setting the mood for the choral entrance. The choir enters with a unison chant, "Mount your baggage, let us go," which is repeated several times throughout the movement. The melody is simple and repetitive, emphasizing the weight and burden of the cross. As the movement progresses, the choir breaks into four-part harmony, adding depth and complexity to the music. The orchestra also becomes more active, with the strings playing mournful melodies and the brass and timpani adding dramatic accents. The climax of the movement comes with the line, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" The choir sings this line in a powerful and emotional manner, conveying the agony and despair of Jesus on the cross. The music then returns to its somber and mournful tone, ending with a final repetition of the opening chant. Overall, "Mount your baggage" is a powerful and moving piece of music that captures the solemnity and gravity of the crucifixion. Its simple melody and repetitive structure emphasize the weight and burden of the cross, while the choir and orchestra work together to create a powerful and emotional experience for the listener.

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