Classical Music for Easter: Resurrection in Sound

Easter stands as one of the most important events in the Christian calendar and marks the end of Lent, calling for a festive spirit to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Classical music like most Western art before the Renaissance was almost uniquely based on religious experiences and stories. For many composers such as Haydn, Mozart and Bach, their chefs-d’oeuvre exalted their Christian beliefs and recounted stories from the Bible. This was due in part to the state of musical patronage as financial support for composers came almost uniquely from the church or nobility. This rich heritage continues to shape how we experience classical music Easter celebrations today.

In the centuries that followed, many composers such as Gustav Mahler and also Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov used liturgical or religious works to inspire their own composition – exploring themes of death and rebirth and the cultural impact of the Church in their daily lives. To celebrate this body of work, here is a selection of the most important classical music Easter pieces written to celebrate the Easter holiday from Masses to Passions to great symphonies.

Handel’s “Messiah”: The definitive Easter oratorio

George Frideric Handel’s Messiah is a work of dramatic proportions and one of the most frequently performed choral works of its kind. Its exploration of Jesus Christ as the Messiah in the English language libretto written by Charles Jennens takes place over 53 smaller movements separated into 3 parts. These parts follow the themes of the birth of Christ and the coming of the Messiah, Christ’s passion and death and then the Resurrection or day of judgement. 

A notable compositional feature of the Messiah is Handel’s frugal use of the brass section which is often used in orchestral or religious pieces to convey grandeur and splendidness. In this case, Handel uses the trumpets in the Messiah in four sections of this monumental piece. Like the judicious use of a strong flavour in the kitchen, this makes the “Hallelujah” and the Chorus “Worthy Is the lamb” particularly moving to the listener.  

Rimsky Korsakov’s Easter Suite: Russian Orthodoxy in sound

This concert overture from Russian composer Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov celebrates Easter from an Orthodox point of view. With far more pastoral style writing, the overture is prefaced with verses from the Old and New Testament and features melodic lines from the Obikhod, a collection of Russian Orthodox chants. 

The programmatic style of composition was, as Rimsky-Korsakov desired, to be a narrative of the holiday of Easter, Russia’s “bright holiday.” Rimsky-Korsakov was not a man of the church and this work feels like more of an homage to Russian culture and composition than an exaltation of religion itself. He dedicated this work to his friends Alexander Borodin and Modest Mussorgsky, all members of “the Five”—the infamous cavalry of Russian composers.  

Bach’s St. John’s Passion: The Baroque Master at his most sacred

No composer is as closely associated with liturgical music as Johann Sebastian Bach who was the director of church music for the city of Leipzig and produced some of our finest works for church ceremonies. St. John’s Passion was premiered on Good Friday in 1724 but Bach wouldn’t produce a final version until the 1740’s. 

Bach stayed true to the scripture and respected the cantus firmus (preexisting melodies used to create liturgical works) and succeeded in creating an operatic work that did not undermine the act of worship. Masterfully mixing narrative characters, arias, secco recitatives and choral works all while maintaining the sacred oratorio format, Bach created an engaging yet serious work for church services. 

Anton Bruckner’s Mass No. 3 in F Minor: The romantic devotion

Well known for his monumental symphonies and masses, Antonin Bruckner’s Mass No. 3 in F Minor is a haunting and hopeful addition to this list. Written not long after a nervous breakdown, Bruckner wrote this six part mass during the years of 1867 to 1868 in the wake of his successful Mass No. 1 in D minor. Like most of his works, Bruckner wrote this with a large orchestra, SATB choir and soloists, and the mass lasts over an hour. 

Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 “Resurrection”: Easter themes beyond the church

While not written as a mass or overtly liturgical piece, Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 2, also known as the Resurrection Symphony, explores many of the same themes that we associate with Easter and the resurrection of Christ. This monumental work in five movements is a very detailed exploration of Mahler’s own philosophy around life, death, and resurrection. 

Mahler uses the Dies Irae plainchant in the First and Fifth movement evoking the theme used in sacred works such as Verdi and Mozart’s Requiem Masses. Translating to “the day of wrath,” the Dies Irae is based on a thirteenth-century poem recounting the Day of Judgement that was later set to a Gregorian chant. The Dies Irae permeates most representations of the Requiem Mass and its significance would not have been lost on Mahler.