聖庫瓦清唱劇：海頓的傑作在簡陋的教堂首次亮相

在沿海城市加的斯（西班牙），矗立著一座不起眼的教堂，但卻聲名顯赫。聖奎瓦清唱劇看似簡陋，但由於其神父唐·何塞·薩恩斯·德·聖瑪麗亞的遠見和決心，這座西班牙小教堂舉辦了海頓的《基督的最後七句話》的首演

In the coastal city of Cádiz (Spain) stands an unassuming chapel with a remarkable claim to fame. The Oratorio de la Santa Cueva may seem humble, but thanks to the vision and determination of its priest, Don José Sáenz de Santa María, this small Spanish church hosted the premiere of Haydn’s The Seven Last Words of Christ – a moment that linked the unpretentious chapel to the great traditions of European classical music.

在沿海城市加的斯（西班牙），矗立著一座不起眼的教堂，但卻聲名顯赫。聖奎瓦清唱劇看似簡陋，但由於其牧師唐·何塞·薩恩斯·聖瑪麗亞的遠見和決心，這座西班牙小教堂舉辦了海頓的《基督的最後七句話》的首演— —這一刻將樸實無華的時刻連結在一起歐洲古典音樂偉大傳統的教堂。

In the late 18th century, Don José was convinced that sacred music could enhance the faith of his parishioners and help them meditate on the mysteries of Christ. Wanting to bring something special to his Good Friday services, he decided to commission a new piece of music specifically for his congregation. But instead of looking for a local composer, Don José reached across Europe and contacted Haydn himself, already famous for his symphonies and operas. The result of this bold move was one of Haydn’s most profound works.

18 世紀末，唐‧何塞堅信神聖音樂可以增強教友的信仰，幫助他們冥想基督的奧跡。為了帶給他的耶穌受難日儀式一些特別的東西，他決定專門為他的會眾創作一首新音樂。但唐·何塞並沒有在尋找當地作曲家，而是跨越歐洲聯繫了已經以交響樂和歌劇聞名的海頓本人。這一大膽舉動的結果是海頓最深刻的作品之一。

Haydn composed The Seven Last Words of Christ as a series of orchestral movements, each reflecting Christ’s last words from the cross. The music was intended to be meditative, offering moments of reflection during the Good Friday service. It was a grand composition meant for a small, sacred space, and its premiere in the Oratorio de la Santa Cueva added an air of solemnity and spiritual depth to the already holy occasion.

海頓將《基督最後的七句話》創作為一系列管弦樂章，每個樂章都反映了基督在十字架上的最後一句話。音樂的目的是冥想，在耶穌受難日禮拜期間提供反思的時刻。這是一首為狹小而神聖的空間創作的宏偉作品，它在聖奎瓦清唱劇中的首演為這個本來就神聖的場合增添了一種莊嚴和精神深度的氣氛。

The most charming detail, however, is the setting. The Oratory is not an immense basilica or cathedral – it is, again, a rather humble chapel. Yet the locals packed the place to hear Haydn’s masterpiece, standing shoulder to shoulder in eager anticipation. The contrast between the simplicity of the setting and the complexity of the music creates a striking image: a world-class composition debuting in a humble chapel in a then modest Spanish city.

然而，最迷人的細節是設定。演講堂並不是一座巨大的長方形教堂或大教堂──它又是一座相當簡陋的小教堂。然而，當地人卻擠滿了現場，肩並肩地等待聆聽海頓的傑作。簡單的環境和複雜的音樂之間的對比創造了一個引人注目的形象：一首世界級的作品在當時西班牙一座簡陋城市的一座簡陋的教堂里首次亮相。

But Don José’s creativity wasn’t limited to the music. After the piece was performed, he found a unique way to thank Haydn for his work. Instead of a simple payment, Don José sent the composer a cake as a token of his gratitude. When Haydn cut into the cake, he found it filled with gold coins – a surprise that would have been as delightful as it was generous. This quirky story of gratitude became part of the legend surrounding the composition.

但唐·何塞的創造力並不局限於音樂。作品演奏完畢後，他找到了獨特的方式來感謝海頓的作品。唐·何塞沒有簡單地付款，而是給作曲家送了一個蛋糕以表謝意。當海頓切開蛋糕時，他發現裡面裝滿了金幣——這是一個既令人高興又慷慨的驚喜。這個離奇的感恩故事成為了圍繞這首作品的傳奇的一部分。

Today, the Oratorio de la Santa Cueva is a mandatory destination for music and history lovers, a place where art and faith once collided in a uniquely charming way. Visitors come not only to see the chapel, but also to reflect on their role in bringing one of Haydn’s greatest works to life, in a place where a humble priest, a famous composer, and a cake filled with gold coins became part of an unforgettable chapter in musical history.

如今，Oratorio de la Santa Cueva 已成為音樂和歷史愛好者的必去之地，這裡曾經是藝術與信仰以獨特迷人方式碰撞的地方。遊客來這裡不僅是為了參觀教堂，也是為了反思他們在將海頓最偉大的作品之一變為現實的過程中所扮演的角色，在這裡，一位謙遜的牧師、一位著名的作曲家和一塊裝滿金幣的蛋糕成為了令人難忘的一部分。