O MAGNUM MYSTERIUM Morten Johannes Lauridsen (b. 1943) O magnum mysterium, et admirabile sacramentum, ut animalia viderent Dominum natum, jacentem in praesepio! Beata Virgo, cujus viscera meruerunt portare Dominum Christum. Alleluia!
O great mystery, and wonderous sacrament, that animals should see the new-born Lord, lying in their manger! Blessed is the Virgin whose womb was worthy to bear the Lord Jesus Christ. Alleluia!
A native of the Pacific Northwest, Morten Johannes Lauridsen was born in Colfax, Washington, and raised in Portland, Oregon. He has long been associated with the University of Southern California School of Music, where he is Professor and Chair of the Department of Composition. He divides his time between Los Angeles and his summer home on a remote island off the northern coast of Washington State. O magnum mysterium received its world premiere performance on December 18, 1994, with Paul Salamunovich conducting the Los Angeles Master Chorale in the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, and was commissioned by long-time board member, board president and choral advocate Marshall Rutter in honour of his wife, Terry Knowles. In a note prefacing the published edition, the composer reveals the impetus for selecting this subject: “For centuries, composers have been inspired by the beautiful text, with its juxtaposition of the birth of the newborn King amongst the lowly animals and shepherds. This affirmation of God’s grace to the meek and the adoration of the Blessed Virgin are celebrated in my setting through a quiet song of profound inner joy.” O magnum mysterium has gone on to become one of the most frequently performed and recorded works in the contemporary choral repertoire. At the request of Jerzy Cichocki, Lauridsen re-arranged the original mixed chorus version for the Victoria Scholars. NOËL - GRAND JEU ET DUO Louis Claude Daquin (1694 - 1772 )
Louis-Claude Daquin was organist of the Chapelle royale. His imaginative set of variations on Je suis l’archange de Dieu reflects a particularly French interest in the exploration of colour.
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