L'Alta Naixença del Rei En Jaume by Robert Gerhard: An Approach to the Concept of Cantata

In 1932 Robert Gerhard composed L’alta naixença del rei En Jaume, based on a poem written by Josep Carner. Designated as a cantata by Gerhard himself, the work is set for soprano, baritone, chorus, and orchestra and narrates how King Peter II of Aragon, by means of deception, engendered his son, who was to become King James I the Conqueror.This paper focuses on the term cantata and why Gerhard’s work may or may not be suitably designated by that word. Throughout history, the terms cantata and oratorio have often been used as synonyms, but they are not the same.Twentieth-century composers were not very strict in the use of this word to identify their works and many cantatas of the period were, in fact, oratorios. An analysis of the text and of how the poem is set to music will eventually show the extent to which the term cantata may be appropriately applied to Gerhard’s composition.