Sacred Vessel
7 Chants for 3 Choirs and Orchestra
[mix ch,orch] 2015 durée: 40' choir I: SSAATTBB – choir II: SSSAAATTTBBB – choir III:SSAATTBB – 4A-rec.2picc.0.2picc-clar[E flat].4sax.0.- 4.0.0.0.- perc(4) – 3E-guit – org – str
Description
Commissioned by Evangelische Landeskirche in Württemberg for Deutscher Evangelischer Kirchentag 2015 in Stuttgart
Bachchor Stuttgart, Gächinger Kantorei Stuttgart, PhilharmoniaChor Stuttgart, Württembergische Philharmonie Reutlingen, cond.: Jörg-Hannes Hahn
The “Gabrieli situation” attracted me since the very beginning – there are three complete choirs placed on three different places in the hall. The sound can flow from one choir to the other and circle, two choirs can as if quarrel, a multiple canon like in early renaissance is possible, masses of choir sound can evoke masses of waters, that important image on many places in the Bible.
Basic impulse for the text choice I found in a book of etchings “Ivan Steiger sieht die Bibel” (Stuttgart, 1989), which presents the Bible in a surprising way, with briskness and humor. Seven movements of the piece, set on texts from Isaiah and psalms, have a common motto from Tao Té Ching: “The world is a sacred vessel / Not made to be altered by man. / The tinker will spoil it; / Usurpers will lose it.”
(Martin Smolka, 2015)
MM 2359744
hire material
Description
Commissioned by Evangelische Landeskirche in Württemberg for Deutscher Evangelischer Kirchentag 2015 in Stuttgart
Bachchor Stuttgart, Gächinger Kantorei Stuttgart, PhilharmoniaChor Stuttgart, Württembergische Philharmonie Reutlingen, cond.: Jörg-Hannes Hahn
The “Gabrieli situation” attracted me since the very beginning – there are three complete choirs placed on three different places in the hall. The sound can flow from one choir to the other and circle, two choirs can as if quarrel, a multiple canon like in early renaissance is possible, masses of choir sound can evoke masses of waters, that important image on many places in the Bible.
Basic impulse for the text choice I found in a book of etchings “Ivan Steiger sieht die Bibel” (Stuttgart, 1989), which presents the Bible in a surprising way, with briskness and humor. Seven movements of the piece, set on texts from Isaiah and psalms, have a common motto from Tao Té Ching: “The world is a sacred vessel / Not made to be altered by man. / The tinker will spoil it; / Usurpers will lose it.”
(Martin Smolka, 2015)
Première représentation
World premiere: Stuttgart June 4, 2015