Beskrivelse
Originally a purely orchestral work incorporated into Lenten services, The Seven Last Words of Christ (each 'word' is actually a full sentence) consists of a slow introduction; seven slow, meditative movements; and a brief finale.
In the 1790s Haydn was so put off by a poor choral arrangement of the work by another hand that he resolved to make his own, and recruited Gottfried van Swieten to prepare a text. This version is translated into English by Maria Massey.
As a vocal score, this edition includes a piano reduction of the orchestral score.