Lenten Music Journey Day 7: Biery's O Sacrum Convivium

I've decided to keep with a choral theme for this week and will take the next couple days to post various versions of the text O Sacrum Convivium. Here is today's version by James Biery:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DS5j0eVs82g

James Biery (born 1956) is an American organist, composer and conductor who is Minister of Music at Grosse Pointe Memorial Church (Presbyterian) in Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan, where he directs the choirs, plays the 66-rank Klais organ and oversees the music program of the church. Prior to this appointment Biery was music director for Cathedrals in St. Paul, Minnesota and Hartford, Connecticut. He has written many wonderful choral works including Ubi Caritas, Christ, the Solid Rock, and Break Forth in Joyous Song. 

This is a very special piece to me as it is a piece that I conducted as a Junior in high school and at a Good Friday service. It is all linked to the very first motive of the repeated bass notes. He then layers the parts on top of each other with repeated text into a climax that eventually fades away. Here is the text and translation:

Original Latin

O sacrum convivium!

in quo Christus sumitur:

recolitur memoria passionis eius:

mens impletur gratia:

et futurae gloriae nobis pignus datur.

Alleluia.

Translation of original Latin

O sacred banquet!

in which Christ is received,

the memory of his Passion is renewed,

the mind is filled with grace,

and a pledge of future glory to us is given.

Alleluia.

The very dissonant and powerful chords really reflect a very honest depiction of Lent. 

Lenten Music Journey Day 6: Lauridsen's "Ubi Caritas"

Today's piece on our Lenten Journey is Morten Lauridsen's "Ubi Caritas":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CCJkuhe6JY

Morten Lauridsen is a modern day choral composer who has taken the choral world into a different realm of harmonies, sonoroties, and dissonances. The following bio was taken from Wikipedia: Lauridsen was born February 27, 1943, in Colfax, Washington to a family of immigrants from Denmark. He was raised in Portland, Oregon, where his father was with the United States Forest Service. His mother, who worked as a bookkeeper, was a pianist who had played in her high school dance band, and Lauridsen developed a love for music at an early age, by listening to her play swing jazz and sing. At age eight he started playing the piano, and a couple of years later learned to play the trumpet. He studied composition with Ingolf Dahl, Halsey Stevens, Robert Linn, and Harold Owen at the University of Southern California in the 1960s. Lauridsen's choral compositions, including seven choral cycles and a series of sacred a cappella motets, are featured regularly in concerts worldwide. In particular, O Magnum Mysterium, Contre Qui, Rose and Dirait-on (from Les Chansons des Roses), and O Nata Lux (from Lux Aeterna) have become popular items in the choral repertoire. 


The Ubi Caritas was orignally intended as a hymn to played during the sacrement of washing feet on the Maundy (Holy) Thursday observance. Now it is often used in concert and as a Lenten anthem for church choirs. Here is the text and translation:

Latin:

Ubi caritas et amor, Deus ibi est.

Congregavit nos in unum Christi amor.

Exultemus, et in ipso jucundemur.

Timeamus, et amemus Deum vivum.

Et ex corde diligamus nos sincero.

Ubi caritas et amor, Deus ibi est.

Simul ergo cum in unum congregamur:

Ne nos mente dividamur, caveamus.

Cessent iurgia maligna, cessent lites.

Et in medio nostri sit Christus Deus.

Ubi caritas et amor, Deus ibi est.

Simul quoque cum beatis videamus,

Glorianter vultum tuum, Christe Deus:

Gaudium quod est immensum, atque probum,

Saecula per infinita saeculorum. Amen.

English:

Where charity and love are, God is there.

Christ's love has gathered us into one.

Let us rejoice and be pleased in Him.

Let us fear, and let us love the living God.

And may we love each other with a sincere heart.

Where charity and love are, God is there.

As we are gathered into one body,

Beware, lest we be divided in mind.

Let evil impulses stop, let controversy cease,

And may Christ our God be in our midst.

Where charity and love are, God is there.

And may we with the saints also,

See Thy face in glory, O Christ our God:

The joy that is immense and good,

Unto the ages through infinite ages. Amen.

This piece has been picked in response to a special request by one of my blog followers to pick a piece by Lauridsen. Hope you enjoy it!

Lenten Music Journey Day 5: Chopin Nocturne in E minor

Each Sunday, I will post a link to a video of mine on YouTube that relates to Lent. This week it is Chopin's "Nocturne Op. 72, No. 1 in E minor".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pk3H5mQPS6s&feature=youtu.be

I will give you the biography of Chopin later during Lent when I do a piano series. But, for now, he is one of the most famous composers of the Romantic era and lived from 1810-1849. His music is highly influenced by the national music of his homeland Poland mazurkas and polonaises. But, he also has mastered the genre of other types of music such as the nocturne, etude, prelude, and valse (waltz). 

Today's piece is a nocturne published posthumously after Chopin's death. Nocturne literally means night piece. Did you know that Chopin was not the original composer of nocturnes? John Field was known to have come up with this genre. This piece is in the very taxing (emotionally) key of e minor with hints of E major in the conclusion and B major in the development. It ends in Major which can really give us hope that even though these 40 days may seem long there is hope at the end of this season. But, before we get there we should reflect on the pain and suffering that Jesus took upon himself to take away our sins so that we might be forgiven.

Peace.

Lenten Music Journey Day 4: Scriabin's Etude Op. 2, No. 1

Today's Lenten piece is Scriabin's Etude Op. 2, No. 1:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NSsKJIzwapA

Alexander Scriabin (1872-1915) was a Russian pianist and composer. Scriabin began with a lyrical compositional language similar to Frederic Chopin but then began exploring more complex harmonies diving into atonal and mystic languages. He was known as one of the most innovative yet controversial early modern composers. He was also highly involved in his synesthesia (colors or shapes corresponding to sounds).

This Etude Op. 2, No. 1 is highly representative of Scriabin's early music with in Chopinesque qualities maybe imitating some of Chopin's preludes. It is a very dark and sad piece calling for a very clear melody at the top of the chords. The anguish can be heard especially in the climax and the final chord at the end. Very appropriate for the season of Lent.

Lenten Music Journey Day 3: Mozart's Requiem: Kyrie

I didn't have time yesterday to upload my day three video. It was a very busy day with a wonderful performance last evening with the B-W Men's Chorus, Women's Chorus, and Mr. Sun's Echo. I'm so lucky and have the best time rehearsing and being part of the Men's Chorus and Mr. Sun's Echo.

Anyways, the music piece for day 3 of our Lenten Music Journey is the Kyrie from Mozart's Requiem.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02k2KQw2lGA

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) was very prolific and influential composer of Classical era. He is widely regarded as one of the most gifted child prodigies in both performance and composition. He composed of 600 works including operas, symphonies, piano sonatas, and string quartets among the most popular. Clarity, balance, and transparency are largely regarded as the hallmarks of of his work.

The Requiem Mass in D minor K. 626 was composed by Mozart in Vienna in 1791 but left unfinished in his death on December 5. It was later completed by Franz Xaver Süssmayr who delivered it to the anonymous commissioner (as clearly depicted in the movie Amadeus) who ended up being Franz von Walsegg. The Requiem is scored for 2 basset horns in F, 2 bassoons, 2 trumpets in D, 3 trombones (alto, tenor & bass), timpani (2 drums), violins, viola and basso continuo (cello, double bass, and organ). The vocal forces include soprano, contralto, tenor, and bass soloists and a SATB mixed choir.

The Kyrie is a double fugue with the first subject (the very first phrase heard by the choir) corresponding to "Kyrie eleison" or "Lord Have Mercy" and the second subject "Christe eleison" or "Christ Have Mercy". I thought this would be very fitting for the lenten season as it is during Lent that many demoninations take out there Glory to God and often emphasize the Kyrie portion.

Lenten Music Journey Day 2: Albinoni's "Adagio"

Today's Lenten piece is "Adagio in G minor" attributed to Tomaso Albinoni:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PEzuXJ0rOJM&feature=related

Albinoni was an Italian Baroque composer who was most famous during his time for writing operas but today we mostly appreciate his instrumental music such as his concertos. 

Adagio in G minor is commonly attributed to composer Tomaso Albinoni (1671-1751). 20th century musicologist and biographer Remo Giazotto actually composed it using a fragment manuscript of Albinoni. This piece is most commonly orchestrated for organ and string ensemble but can also be heard with string ensemble alone. I chose this piece because of its mournful and reflective nature. G minor is a key often depicting sadness and repentance.

Peace.

Lenten Music Journey Day 1: Ash Wednesday, Messiaen's "Le Banquet Celeste"

Today (Yesterday) marks the beginning of Lent; our journey to the Cross. We celebrate today as Ash Wednesday. Many of us went to Ash Wednesday services  and received the mark of the cross on our foreheads. In Christian tradition it is customary to burn the palm branches from the previous year's Palm Sunday service in order to make the ashes that are put on our foreheads. "Remember that thou art dust, and to dust thou shalt return." ~Genesis 3:19.

I chose Oliver Messiaen's "Le Banquet Celeste" (The Heavenly Banquet) for today's Lenten piece:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTyvgKdlIZc

Messiaen (1908-1992) was a French composer, organist, and ornithologist (study of birds). He entered the Paris Conservatoire at the young age of 11 and later became professor of harmony and composition. Here's a bit about his incredible background as an organist: Messiaen joined famous French organist, Dupré's organ course. Dupré later wrote that Messiaen, having never seen an organ console, sat quietly for an hour while Dupré explained and demonstrated the instrument, and then came back a week later to play Johann Sebastian Bach's Fantasia in C minor to an impressive standard. This is quite incredible. He was well known for his important position at the Église de la Sainte-Trinité in Paris, France. Messiaen's other passion besides music was bird calls which can often be heard in his organ and piano pieces.

The work featured today "Le Banquet Celeste" is one of Messiaen's early organ works. This piece calls for an extremely slow tempo; it is in-fact only two pages long! I think his use of chords and tonal colors create just what it is called--a heavenly sound. About half way through the piece you hear short notes played against the chords. These are supposed to be representative of drops of water (through a very detailed articulation marking on Messiaen's part). The piece kind of just floats in time. I thought this was a good piece to start our Lenten journey. It represents the long journey of 40 days that we have ahead. It's a time to reflect and to really think about what Christ did for us. 


Peace!

Introduction to Lenten Music Project

I have decided to start a music project on my blog in honor of the forty days of Lent. Each day I will post a video that I think reflects the emotions and meaning behind the Lenten season. Lent is a time for reflection in which we walk the road that Christ walked to the Cross. Let us do so with an open mind and heart.