It was not until the beginning of 1944 that he managed to find words, if not yet sounds, for the “et in terra pax”. It was Kaminski’s fervent wish to complete the mass: He wanted “to be able to finish these two works [Die Messe deutsch, Das Spiel vom König Aphelius]; then, as far as a human being can say, I will wave a confident farewell to this world when the hour comes.”
Our editor Barbara Großmann gives an overview of Lortzing’s life and work.
César Franck regarded his oratorio “Les béatitudes” as his most important work. The first performance of the version with piano accompaniment was given in Franck’s private apartment. But the “real” premiere of the orchestral version with over 250 performers took place only after the composer’s death in 1891 in Dijon. It was an overwhelming success, as was the Paris premiere in March 1893.
