Der glorreiche Augenblick


Der glorreiche Augenblick, Op. 136 is a cantata by Ludwig van Beethoven.

Composition

Der glorreiche Augenblick was written for the opening of the Congress of Vienna after the end of the Napoleonic Wars.
The cantata is scored for two sopranos, tenor and bass soloists, chorus and orchestra. It sets texts by. The Cantata was written in 1814, but not published until 1837, hence the high opus number. The cantata was first performed on November 29th 1814, where it was claimed that all of the Congress of Vienna had attended the premiere including Austrian chancellor Klemens von Metternich, Emperor Alexander I of Russia and King Frederick William III of Prussia.

Structure

The work consists of six movements:
  1. Chorus "Europa steht!"
  2. Recitative "O seht sie nah' und näher treten!"
  3. Aria with chorus "O Himmel, welch' Entzücken!"
  4. Recitative "Das Auge schaut"
  5. Recitative and quartet "Der den Bund im Sturme fest gehalten"
  6. Chorus: "Es treten hervor"