European Union: Easter Day of Music (17th April 2011 from Montserrat)
This concert was dedicated to Tomas Luis de Victoria, one of Spain's most influential composers, both nationally and internationally. It is tradition here at Montserrat to sing a Palm Sunday concert, which includes the capella group. This was the first time that I heard the Escolania singing with the lower voices, formed mainly by old Escolans who have already left the school.
The concert, being dedicated to Victoria (2011 is the 400th anniversary of his death), was formed of two halves. The first half was Victoria's own Easter Offices, including his Amicus Meus, Judas mercator pessimus and Caligaverunt oculi mei. The second half was formed of motets composed by previous Montserrat conductors or organists, including perhaps the most famous of them all, Joan Cererols. I am going to concentrate mainly on the second half.
It started off with an organ piece by Miquel Lopez, which was a great way to hear Montserrat's brand new organ (it was only placed in the basilica last year). The piece, an Exercise on Echoes and Counter echoes, which played on the idea of sound in and around Montserrat (especially concerning echoes around the mountain itself), gave us a great showcase of the incredible sound uttered by the organ, which is a testament to Montserrat's century-long musical tradition.
Following this was Joan Cererols' Offertorium from his Mass for the Dead in 7 voices and Narcis Casanoves' "Judas Mercator Pessimus" and "Tradiderunt". But the piece to stand out for its briliance and simplcity was "O Crux" by Ferran Sor. The piece is an example of how wonderfully together the boys' voices worked with the lower voices, in complete unison and singing as one.
The concert so far has progressed through time, starting off with earlier Montserrat composers and ending with the latest addition to a long line of musical talent, the current choir conductor and composer, Bernat Vivancos. The concert came to an end with the world premiere of his "El davallament de la creu". It was lucky that I had heard this during a rehearsal, otherwise I would have jumped out of my skin, as so many people around us seemed to do. Being a big fan of organ blasts, many of Bernat's pieces combine simple, angelic melodies with crashing, thunderous organ blasts, which make the audience sit at the end of their seats until it is over.
This particular piece was composed for the occasion, and the sound gave plenty of meaning to its name. "El davallament de la creu" means "The taking down from the Cross" of Jesus. The pitch of the piece is always rising and falling: the perfectly pitched treble solo, soaring over a few organ notes, is suddenly met by a thundering organ chord which very suddenly slides down (literally) into a heap of loudly played notes towards the bottom end of the organ keyboards. This in turn clashes with the choir, in 24 voices, very slowly ascend from note to note to contrast the sudden blasts from the organ.
The piece is meant to represent the pain and suffering of the taking down from the Cross of Jesus' body. However, the end is a very sudden succession of loud but short, tonal organ chords, timed with the choir, which ends in a beautiful forte unison after rising a scale or more. The effect created by this shows how the death of Jesus results in something more than pain, which I personally think is wonderfully encapsulated in this piece. It was also very well placed at the end of the concert, symbolizing the end of Jesus' life but preparing for the event three days later.
Not only was the concert a huge success at Montserrat, but also internationally. It was broadcast as part of the European Union Day of Music in Easter, being broadcast in the BBC, and as far and wide as Japan and Australia, along with various other European choirs and orchestras. But it stand as a tribute to what music can achieve, even nowadays, when many people criticize art's decadence. This was a concert to remember previous musical masters, but also to broadcast new talent.
This concert was dedicated to Tomas Luis de Victoria, one of Spain's most influential composers, both nationally and internationally. It is tradition here at Montserrat to sing a Palm Sunday concert, which includes the capella group. This was the first time that I heard the Escolania singing with the lower voices, formed mainly by old Escolans who have already left the school.
The concert, being dedicated to Victoria (2011 is the 400th anniversary of his death), was formed of two halves. The first half was Victoria's own Easter Offices, including his Amicus Meus, Judas mercator pessimus and Caligaverunt oculi mei. The second half was formed of motets composed by previous Montserrat conductors or organists, including perhaps the most famous of them all, Joan Cererols. I am going to concentrate mainly on the second half.
It started off with an organ piece by Miquel Lopez, which was a great way to hear Montserrat's brand new organ (it was only placed in the basilica last year). The piece, an Exercise on Echoes and Counter echoes, which played on the idea of sound in and around Montserrat (especially concerning echoes around the mountain itself), gave us a great showcase of the incredible sound uttered by the organ, which is a testament to Montserrat's century-long musical tradition.
Following this was Joan Cererols' Offertorium from his Mass for the Dead in 7 voices and Narcis Casanoves' "Judas Mercator Pessimus" and "Tradiderunt". But the piece to stand out for its briliance and simplcity was "O Crux" by Ferran Sor. The piece is an example of how wonderfully together the boys' voices worked with the lower voices, in complete unison and singing as one.
The concert so far has progressed through time, starting off with earlier Montserrat composers and ending with the latest addition to a long line of musical talent, the current choir conductor and composer, Bernat Vivancos. The concert came to an end with the world premiere of his "El davallament de la creu". It was lucky that I had heard this during a rehearsal, otherwise I would have jumped out of my skin, as so many people around us seemed to do. Being a big fan of organ blasts, many of Bernat's pieces combine simple, angelic melodies with crashing, thunderous organ blasts, which make the audience sit at the end of their seats until it is over.
This particular piece was composed for the occasion, and the sound gave plenty of meaning to its name. "El davallament de la creu" means "The taking down from the Cross" of Jesus. The pitch of the piece is always rising and falling: the perfectly pitched treble solo, soaring over a few organ notes, is suddenly met by a thundering organ chord which very suddenly slides down (literally) into a heap of loudly played notes towards the bottom end of the organ keyboards. This in turn clashes with the choir, in 24 voices, very slowly ascend from note to note to contrast the sudden blasts from the organ.
The piece is meant to represent the pain and suffering of the taking down from the Cross of Jesus' body. However, the end is a very sudden succession of loud but short, tonal organ chords, timed with the choir, which ends in a beautiful forte unison after rising a scale or more. The effect created by this shows how the death of Jesus results in something more than pain, which I personally think is wonderfully encapsulated in this piece. It was also very well placed at the end of the concert, symbolizing the end of Jesus' life but preparing for the event three days later.
Not only was the concert a huge success at Montserrat, but also internationally. It was broadcast as part of the European Union Day of Music in Easter, being broadcast in the BBC, and as far and wide as Japan and Australia, along with various other European choirs and orchestras. But it stand as a tribute to what music can achieve, even nowadays, when many people criticize art's decadence. This was a concert to remember previous musical masters, but also to broadcast new talent.
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