The next time you lament having to sing “Happy Birthday” twice as you’re washing your hands, imagine calling up the good grace to wash twelve pairs of feet.

Maundy Thursday commemorates Jesus’ washing of the feet of His disciples, His Last Supper, and His betrayal and arrest in the garden of Gethsemane.

I’m not on the air this afternoon, but if I were, I would surely play Victor de Sabata’s beautiful meditation for orchestra, “Gethsemani.” De Sabata is remembered principally as a conductor, especially of opera, having led the classic recording of “Tosca” with Maria Callas. He got his start playing violin in an orchestra under Toscanini. Toscanini encouraged the young man to become a conductor, which was kind of like letting the genie out of the bottle. Their relationship status shifted from mentor-disciple to friendship to bitter rivalry. For decades, De Sabata was principal conductor at La Scala. For a time, he was its artistic director. One observer described his appearance while conducting as a cross between Julius Caesar and Satan. The two volatile Italians (do I detect a redundancy?) eventually reconciled.

De Sabata was also a composer, who wrote his share of opulent music. Unfortunately, the only recording I can find of “Gethsemani” posted on YouTube is this piano version.

It’s still lovely, of course, but you should definitely check out the orchestral version, easily obtained as part of this gorgeous album issued on the Hyperion Records label.

https://www.hyperion-records.co.uk/c.asp?c=C1208

The music comes across as both poignant and sincere. There’s little maudlin in this composer’s Maundy.