Category: Choir / Vocal , Organ / Sacred Music
The 21st chapter of John's Apocalypse describes his vision of a spiritual world, which will replace the old world - which is bound to materialism. The sound world allows a colour palette from archaic primordial sound to new and visionary sounds. The solo violin takes on an important role by making the transparent immateriality of the "new world" tangible with its subtle sound. Before a free-tonal 8-note row in the finale lets the "New Jerusalem" glide into the ethereal in visionary tonality, the fourth movement forms a wonderful traditional contrast: here the bell idea of William Byrd's (1543-1623) stroke of genius "The Bells" is taken up. At the end, the solo violin raptures upwards: we have arrived in the spiritual world, where the "water of life" has become the new nourishment. Commissioned work for the 40th anniversary of the Speyer Cathedral's inclusion in the UNESCO World Heritage List as a major work of Romanesque architecture.
Movements: Nr. 1 NEUER HIMMEL – NEUE ERDE
Nr. 2 ICH SAH DIE HEILIGE STADT
Nr. 3 GOTT WIRD BEI IHNEN SEIN
Nr. 4 ER WIRD ALLE TRÄNEN ABWISCHEN
Nr. 5 ALPHA ET OMEGA - WASSER DES LEBENS
Duration: 13 Minuten
Publisher of notes/sheet music: Strube Verlag München , Edition 4248, Klavierauszug und Partitur, Stimmen , 2021
Instrumentation: „MUNDUS NOVUS"
ex: Apocalypse of St. John (Chapter 21)
Kinderchor (ad lib. Solostimmen) S-A, gemischter Chor (S1-S2-A-T-Bar-B),
Solovioline
Blechblasensemble (2 Trp, 2 Hr, 3 Pos T-T-B, Tuba),
Percussion (große Trommel, Tamtam, 3 hängende Becken, Triangel, Metal Chimes, Glockenspiel, Röhrenglocken),
Orgel mit 2 Manualen, Pedal
Text/Lyrics by: the Bible, Gospel of St. John
Introduction: The 21st chapter towards the end of John's Apocalypse describes his vision of a new spiritual world of God, in which the old world - which is attached to materialism - will be absorbed. The text is sung in German, with important passages also repeated in older Latin in the spirit of elementalisation. The sound mixture of brass instruments, organ and percussion allows for a colour palette ranging from archaic primal sounds to new and visionary sounds. The solo violin takes on an important role by bringing moods meditatively and subjectively to the point and making the transparent immateriality of the "New World" tangible with its intimate sound. After the archaic sounds in the first movement and the pompously festive sounds in the second, the third movement opens for the first time with a free-floating 8-tone series in extended tonality, a movement technique pointing to the finale. Before the "New Jerusalem" glides into the ethereal in visionary tonality in the concluding fifth movement, the fourth movement forms a wonderful traditional contrast: here, the “bell idea” of William Byrd's (1543-1623) stroke of genius "The Bells" is taken up - a harpsichord work that consists exclusively of an oscillation between C major and D minor: it describes the "and what was before..." in order to then express the "...has passed away" with the free-tonal 8-note row. The solo violin, raptured upwards, has the last word: we have arrived in the spiritual world in which the "water of life" has become the new nourishment.
WORDS in German & Latin:
21,1: Dann sah ich einen neuen Himmel und eine neue Erde; denn der erste Himmel und die erste Erde sind vergangen, auch das Meer ist nicht mehr.
(Et vidi caelum novum et terram novam primum enim caelum et prima terra abiit et mare iam non est)
21,2: Ich sah die heilige Stadt, das neue Jerusalem, von Gott her aus dem Himmel herabkommen; sie war bereit wie eine Braut, die sich für ihren Mann geschmückt hat.
(Et civitatem sanctam Hierusalem novam vidi descendentem de caelo a Deo paratam sicut sponsam ornatam viro suo)
21,3: Da hörte ich eine laute Stimme vom Thron herrufen: Seht, die Wohnung Gottes unter den Menschen! Er wird in ihrer Mitte wohnen und sie werden sein Volk sein; und er, Gott, wird bei ihnen sein.
(Et audivi vocem magnam de throno dicentem ecce tabernaculum Dei cum hominibus et habitabit cum eis et ipsi populus eius erunt et ipse Deus cum eis erit eorum Deus)
21,4: Er wird alle Tränen von ihren Augen abwischen: Der Tod wird nicht mehr sein, keine Trauer, keine Klage, keine Mühsal. Denn was früher war, ist vergangen.
(Et absterget Deus omnem lacrimam ab oculis eorum et mors ultra non erit neque luctus neque clamor neque dolor erit ultra quae prima abierunt)
21,5: Er, der auf dem Thron saß, sprach: Seht, ich mache alles neu…
(Et dixit qui sedebat in throno ecce nova facio omnia… )
21,6: ...Ich bin das Alpha und das Omega, der Anfang und das Ende. Wer durstig ist, den werde ich umsonst aus der Quelle trinken lassen, aus der das Wasser des Lebens strömt.
(…Ego sum A et W initium et finis ego sitienti dabo de fonte aquae vivae gratis)
Preface:
The 21st chapter towards the end of John's Apocalypse describes his vision of a new spiritual world of God, in which the old world - which is attached to materialism - will be absorbed. The text is sung in German, with important passages also repeated in older Latin in the spirit of elementalisation. The sound mixture of brass instruments, organ and percussion allows for a colour palette ranging from archaic primal sounds to new and visionary sounds. The solo violin takes on an important role by bringing moods meditatively and subjectively to the point and making the transparent immateriality of the "New World" tangible with its intimate sound. After the archaic sounds in the first movement and the pompously festive sounds in the second, the third movement opens for the first time with a free-floating 8-tone series in extended tonality, a movement technique pointing to the finale. Before the "New Jerusalem" glides into the ethereal in visionary tonality in the concluding fifth movement, the fourth movement forms a wonderful traditional contrast: here, the “bell idea” of William Byrd's (1543-1623) stroke of genius "The Bells" is taken up - a harpsichord work that consists exclusively of an oscillation between C major and D minor: it describes the "and what was before..." in order to then express the "...has passed away" with the free-tonal 8-note row. The solo violin, raptured upwards, has the last word: we have arrived in the spiritual world in which the "water of life" has become the new nourishment.
Additional remarks: Auftragskomposition der Dommusik Speyer zum 40. Jahrstag der Aufnahme des Speyerer Doms als Hauptwerk romanischer Baukunst in Deutschland zum UNESCO Weltkulturerbe
World premiere: 29.10.2021, Dom in Speyer
Performers at world premiere: 29. Oktober 2021 im Dom zu Speyer mit Chor und Ensemble der Dommusik Speyer,
Ltg.: Domkapellmeister Markus Melchiori
