Sacred texts set to music past and present
“Many people who ignore aesthetic theories are irritated by modern art not only because they do not understand it but above all because too often the new forms deliberately leave out the spiritual.” (Annick de Souzenelle, La parole au cœur du corps) Vocal ensemble – 16 singers Great organ / Sophie Rétaux Sacred texts have acquired an official status through a long usage in liturgy and they are now part of the spiritual and musical tradition.
Magnifying the word and taking it to its highest degree of expression and meaning through choral discipline, or rather, as Saint Augustine said, vigilant spirit, reaching the substance of the text enhanced by the purest form of vocal art – such are the fundamental principles originally conveyed by psalmody and which have stimulated the most inspired sacred music composers over time. Stimmung paces up and down the paths linking up singular temporal musical aesthetics around unchangeable timeless texts “so as to try to play the game of the old and the new, of nova and vetera, to give those texts, because they are known as ‘sacred’, an opportunity to return to their potentiality, that is, to play again the terrible yet delightful game of hearing, listening, letting oneself sink into oblivion for a moment, or conversely, remembering oneself as a guest somewhere and, at least, as the self’s pacified guest.” (JY Hameline) Translation / André Calmein |
The programme is made up of a selection from the following sequences:
Cantique de Simeon : « Nunc dimittis »
Motet “O Jesu Mein’s Lebens Licht” choir and organ Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
Nunc Dimittis (1978) choir and organ Jonathan Harvey (1939-2012)
Nunc Dimittis 7 singers Melchior Franck (1579-1639)
Nunc Dimittis (2007) choir Pawel Lukaszewski (1968- )
Motet “O Jesu Mein’s Lebens Licht” choir and organ Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
Nunc Dimittis (1978) choir and organ Jonathan Harvey (1939-2012)
Nunc Dimittis 7 singers Melchior Franck (1579-1639)
Nunc Dimittis (2007) choir Pawel Lukaszewski (1968- )
Ave Maria
Ave Maria (1991) choir Toshio Hosokawa (1955- )
Ave Maria choir Johann Joseph Fux (1660-1741)
Crucifixus
Crucifixus 4 singers Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643)
Crucifixus 8 singers Antonio Lotti (1667-1740)
Crucifixus (1968) choir Wolfgang Rihm (1952- )
Crucifixus 16 singers Antonio Caldara (1670-1736)
Crucifixus choir and organ Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
Ave Maria (1991) choir Toshio Hosokawa (1955- )
Ave Maria choir Johann Joseph Fux (1660-1741)
Crucifixus
Crucifixus 4 singers Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643)
Crucifixus 8 singers Antonio Lotti (1667-1740)
Crucifixus (1968) choir Wolfgang Rihm (1952- )
Crucifixus 16 singers Antonio Caldara (1670-1736)
Crucifixus choir and organ Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
Agnus Dei
Agnus Dei (1926) double choir Franck Martin (1890-1974)
Agnus Dei (2013) choir of 2 equal voices and organ Nicolas Bacri (1961- )
Agnus Dei 5 singers William Byrd (1543-1623)
Agnus Dei (2004) choir Patrick Burgan (1960- )
Ecce quomodo moritur / Tristis est anima mea (Repons pour la semaine sainte)
Tristis est anima mea (2006) 6 singers Wolfgang Rihm (1952- )
Tristis est anima mea 6 singers Carlo Gesualdo (1566-1613)
Ecce quomodo moritur choir Tomas Luis de Victoria (1548-1611)
Motet « Der Gerechte Kommt um » choir and organ Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
Agnus Dei (1926) double choir Franck Martin (1890-1974)
Agnus Dei (2013) choir of 2 equal voices and organ Nicolas Bacri (1961- )
Agnus Dei 5 singers William Byrd (1543-1623)
Agnus Dei (2004) choir Patrick Burgan (1960- )
Ecce quomodo moritur / Tristis est anima mea (Repons pour la semaine sainte)
Tristis est anima mea (2006) 6 singers Wolfgang Rihm (1952- )
Tristis est anima mea 6 singers Carlo Gesualdo (1566-1613)
Ecce quomodo moritur choir Tomas Luis de Victoria (1548-1611)
Motet « Der Gerechte Kommt um » choir and organ Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
Psaume 51 / Miserere
Miserere (1965) choir Krzysztof Penderecki (1933- )
Miserere 9 singers Gregorio Allegri (1582-1652)
Miserere (2005) choir Nicolas Bacri (1961- )
Motet « Erbarm dich mein » 5 singers Andeas Hammerschmidt (1611 – 1675)
Kyrie
Kyrie (1995) choir Jonathan Harvey (1939-2012)
Kyrie choir Cristobal de Morales (1500-1553)
Motet III (1998) choir and organ Thierry Escaich (1965- )
Requiem aeternam / Lux Aeternam
Requiem aeternam choir Tomas Luis de Victoria (1548-1611)
Tre Canti Sacri (2e canto) (1958) 5 singers Giacinto Scelsi (1905-1988)
Lux Aeternam choir Jean Richafort (1480-1547)
Lux Aeterna choir György Ligeti (1923-2006)
Miserere (1965) choir Krzysztof Penderecki (1933- )
Miserere 9 singers Gregorio Allegri (1582-1652)
Miserere (2005) choir Nicolas Bacri (1961- )
Motet « Erbarm dich mein » 5 singers Andeas Hammerschmidt (1611 – 1675)
Kyrie
Kyrie (1995) choir Jonathan Harvey (1939-2012)
Kyrie choir Cristobal de Morales (1500-1553)
Motet III (1998) choir and organ Thierry Escaich (1965- )
Requiem aeternam / Lux Aeternam
Requiem aeternam choir Tomas Luis de Victoria (1548-1611)
Tre Canti Sacri (2e canto) (1958) 5 singers Giacinto Scelsi (1905-1988)
Lux Aeternam choir Jean Richafort (1480-1547)
Lux Aeterna choir György Ligeti (1923-2006)
The alternation of vocal works is punctuated by organ works
by Olivier Messiaen , Jean Pierre Leguay , Bert Matter , Johann Sebastian Bach ……….
by Olivier Messiaen , Jean Pierre Leguay , Bert Matter , Johann Sebastian Bach ……….