Michael Parloff: Lecture on Haydn’s Seven Last Words of Christ at CMS

Michael Parloff provides insight into the history of music of Haydn’s Seven Last Words of Christ. This 54-minute, pre-concert lecture was recorded on March 31, 2019 in the Rose Studio of the Lincoln Center Chamber Music Society, David Finckel and Wu Han, Artistic Directors.

[@pchabanowich]

Words fail me - the entire story of its genesis and your chosen examples from both versions are sublime. It is never too late to encounter such profound music, but I reserve a small regret I didn't seek these out earlier. You've done it again, Mr. Parloff! Thank you from my heart.💐

[@matthiasm4299]

Thank you so much for the great talk, I really enjoyed it!

[@jameshow7705]

Thank you so much for the talk. I will be going to this concert on passion week (12 Apr 2022) at Victoria Concert Hall (Singapore). This lecture really help me in understanding and appreciating this work by Haydn. Thank you for sharing.....

[@classicalperformances8777]

Excellent

[@akiraj.nabeshima4926]

Thank you for sharing this video🤗 Your lectures are very interesting. Now Im watching your video about Russian composers. Please keep posting the videos🙏😊 Big Love from Japan❤️

[@michaelparloff1155]

Thank you very much for your kind comments. I'm very happy that you enjoyed the Haydn lecture. More of my talks on other musical topics can be viewed at www.parlancechamberconcerts.org/video-lectures-interviews/

[@gandalfgrey91]

This is the fourth of your lectures I’m watching now and I’m amazed you haven’t mentioned Oswald Spengler once. You seem to be running somewhat in parallel with him.

[@jonathanclemens4660]

Very helpful!

[@elaineblackhurst1509]

Wonderful talk; should be compulsory listening for anyone attending a performance of this unique work. Anyone attending a performance will get so much more from it with the understanding gained from your perceptive insights - thank you so much. Just one point; the background information on Haydn in the first part (along with the comparison with Beethoven), was I felt a little underwhelming, with the traditional emphasis on ‘witty’ for example rather undervaluing the composer as a whole. The Seven Last Words was not intended to be funny, and what followed had no wit in it at all. There is more to Haydn than ingenious playfulness (or playful ingenuity) which are my preferred words; this was so brilliantly demonstrated in your conversation.

[@michaelparloff1155]

Thanks very much for your thoughtful response. I appreciate your kind comments and take your point about my introductory reference to Haydn's much-vaunted musical wit. As you accurately pointed out, The Seven Last Words is deeply devout and serious work and not witty in any conventional sense. That was the point I was trying to make, but I may have overplayed that particular card...

[@eduardovera8162]

Great lecture, enlightening. Thanks for the upload. Who played the concert after the lecture?

[@michaelparloff1155]

Thank you, Mr. Vera. The ensemble that played the piece at CMS was the Orion Quartet.