Lo, a Voice to Heaven Sounding - Dmitri Botniansky
O Nata Lux - Morten Lauridsen
The two anthems for this Sunday are both treasures of the
a cappella choral literature. One is taken from the Eastern Orthodox liturgy
and the other the Roman Catholic tradition. Neither bears much resemblance to
the liturgical traditions of the text. The Bortniansky is a beautiful, lush
Romantic motet while the Lauridsen with its seconds and suspensions throughout evokes
a modern mystical image.
The gradual anthem is Dmitri Bortniansky’s (1751-1825) Cherubic
Hymn, Lo a Voice to Heaven Sounding. Bortniansky began his career as a
chorister with the Imperial Chapel Choir under the direction of the Italian
conductor Baldassare Galuppi (1706-1785), who took the young
Bortniansky back with him to Italy to be educated in the Italian style of
choral composition. In 1779 he returned to Russia to lead the St. Petersburg
Court Cappella. His compositions combined the liturgy of the Orthodox Church
with the polyphonic and polychoral styles of the Venetian composers that he
studied with in Italy. In 1796 he was named Director of the Imperial Chapel
choir, and was the first director not to be imported. The choir was known for
its versatility and for the symphonic quality that they brought to a cappella
motets. In addition to this, his choir premiered Beethoven’s monumental Missa Solemnis. This simple hymn in
three verses which then concludes with a grand doxology is part of the Divine
Liturgy of the Orthodox Church. In 1882 Tchaikovsky edited Bortniansky’s liturgical works including this motet.
The communion anthem, O
Nata Lux, comes from Morten Lauridsen's Lux Aeterna for chorus and
orchestra or organ. This five movement work is based on the idea of light and
its different incarnations. O Nata Lux
is the central movement and features the choir a cappella. The text for this
piece is by the well-known composer "anonymous" and is the office
hymn at Lauds of the Feast of the Transfiguration. Here is a translation of the
text taken from cpdl.org. The lush rich harmonies help to create a mood of awe
while the final chord which the altos never resolve leaves the listener with a
sense of expectation that is not yet fulfilled. In fact, the last line that the
choir sings is actually the first line of text: "O Light born of Light,
Jesus, redeemer of the world." This piece lends itself to the liturgy of
the day because of the text but also to the season of Lent that we will enter
into on Wednesday. The music is ethereal and beautiful but also unsettled,
leaving us with an unfinished feeling. This setting also invokes the sense of
mystery and wonder that the disciples must have felt on the mountain that day.
A lovely piece to help us transition from the end of Epiphany to the beginning
of Lent.
O Light born of Light,
Jesus, redeemer of the world,
with loving-kindness deign to receive
supplicant praise and prayer.
Thou who once deigned to be clothed in flesh
for the sake of the lost,
grant us to be members
of thy blessed body.
O Light born of Light,
Jesus, redeemer of the world,
with loving-kindness deign to receive
supplicant praise and prayer.
Thou who once deigned to be clothed in flesh
for the sake of the lost,
grant us to be members
of thy blessed body.
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