SKU: GI.G-CD-983
UPC: 709887005121.
Gloriæ Dei Cantores Schola presents The Chants of Angels. Using the ancient melodies and texts of the early church, each Gregorian chant depicts a new aspect or story of these heavenly guardians, guides and friends, from the most intimate plea to our own guardian angels, to the great announcement made to the Virgin Mary by the Archangel Gabriel. For those who are new to Gregorian chant and for seasoned scholars, The Chants of Angels allows listeners to simply close their eyes, and be surrounded by these songs of prayer and comfort -- just as they are surrounded by angels.
SKU: BT.EMBZ8377
English-German-Hungarian.
The idea of composing 'Games' was suggested by children playing spontaneously, children for whom the piano still means a toy. They experiment with it, caress it, attack it and run their fingers over it. They pile up seemingly disconnected sounds, and if this happens to arouse their musical instinct they look consciously for some of the harmonies found by chance and keep repeating them. Thus this series does not provide a tutor, nor does it simply stand as a collection of pieces. It is a possibility for experimenting and not for learning to play the piano.Pleasure in playing, the joy of movement - daring and if need be fast movement over the entire keyboard right from the firstlessons instead of clumsy groping for keys and the counting of rhythms - all these rather vague ideas lay at the outset of the creation of this collection. Playing - is just playing. It requires a great deal of freedom and initiative from the performer. On no account should the written image be taken seriously but the written image must be taken extremely seriously as regards the musical process, the quality of sound and silence. We should trust the picture of the printed notes and let is exert its influence upon us. The graphic picture conveys an idea about the arrangement in time of even the most free pieces. We should make use of all that we know and remember of free declamation, folk-music parlando-rubato, of Gregorian chant and of all that improvisational musical practice has ever brought forth.Let us tackle bravely even the most difficult task without being afraid of making mistakes: we should try to create valid proportions, unity and continuity out of the long and short values - just for our own pleasure! (BMC CD 139).
SKU: BT.EMBZ14002
SKU: CA.965300
ISBN 9790007164881. Language: Latin.
For the moving moment in the Good Friday liturgy, when the priest symbolically washes the feet of several people thereby recalling the thoughtful, loving gesture of Christ at the Last Supper, the Christian church provides a specially intimate, conciliatory text in the antiphon Ubi caritas. Matsushita's composition sets this text quite simply to reflect this moment in a beautiful motet, which is both charming and grateful to sing. In an entirely tonal setting in F major, with chromatic accents sparingly employed, he uses elements from organum and pedal points to create tonally atmospheric expanses contrasting with the syllabic setting which runs throughout. In his writing he uses unisons, thirds and contrary motion, spanning quasi-Gregorian melodies. Matsushita sets the three verses of the hymn usually set nowadays, and these also divide the composition. Each verse is introduced with the ascending pentatonic motif Ubi caritas, but the melody is transformed according to the text and expresses the immeasurable joy of the glory of God in the third verse in a brief forte outburst with leaps of a fifth, before the composition concludes with a final Ubi caritas and an Amen lost in reverie. voice range: S: c' - f'' / A1:adeg - es'' / A2: gdeg - b' / T: fdeg - f' / B1: B - des' / B2: F - a'.
SKU: BT.EMBZ8378
SKU: BT.EMBZ14068
The idea of composing 'Games' was suggested by children playing spontaneously, children for whom the piano still means a toy. They experiment with it, caress it, attack it and run their fingers over it. They pile up seemingly disconnected sounds, and if this happens to arouse their musical instinct they look consciously for some of the harmonies found by chance and keep repeating them. Thus this series does not provide a tutor, nor does it simply stand as a collection of pieces. It is a possibility for experimenting and not for learning to play the piano.Pleasure in playing, the joy of movement - daring and if need be fast movement over the entire keyboard right from the firstlessons instead of clumsy groping for keys and the counting of rhythms - all these rather vague ideas lay at the outset of the creation of this collection. We should trust the picture of the printed notes and let is exert its influence upon us. The graphic picture conveys an idea about the arrangement in time of even the most free pieces. We should make use of all that we know and remember of free declamation, folk-music parlando-rubato, of Gregorian chant and of all that improvisational musical practice has ever brought forth.Let us tackle bravely even the most difficult task without being afraid of making mistakes: we should try to create valid proportions, unity and continuity out of the long and short values - just for our own pleasure! (BMC CD 139).
SKU: BT.EMBZ8379
SKU: CA.966500
ISBN 9790007167707. Text language: Latin/English.
Interestingly, Ayres combines the Latin text of the hymn with his translation here: in the style of a free motet-like cantus firmus, he interprets the Latin text impressively in music, making use of glissandi, wide leaps and unison twelve-tone linear construction for the dramatic second verse with its deceptive vision of night. He places the motet sections after the translated text, but quite simply with the Gregorian cantus firmus and in the style of medieval organum, however with interesting, diatonically written dissonant sounds. This rewarding piece is challenging, but well worth singing in a concert or church service.
