Composed in 1947, the Requiem, Op. 9 by Maurice Duruflé is one of the most powerful choral-orchestral works of all time. The composer takes ancient Gregorian chant melodies and organically surrounds them with harmonies and textures reminiscent of French Impressionism and even jazz. In addition to strings, trumpet, and harp, with this work we will once again feature brilliant organist Dr. Michael Ging.
The composer in his own program notes stated, “This Requiem is not an ethereal work which sings of detachment from earthly worries. It reflects, in the immutable form of the Christian prayer, the agony of man faced with the mystery of his ultimate end. It is often dramatic, or filled with resignation, or hope or terror, just as the words of the Scripture themselves, which are used in the liturgy. It tends to translate human feelings before their terrifying, unexplainable of consoling destiny. In Paradisum [marks] the ultimate answer of Faith to all the questions by the flight of the soul to Paradise.”
Tse Go La (At the threshold of this life), composed in 2012 and scored for double chorus, chamber orchestra and electronics was inspired by the composer’s fieldwork in the restricted, remote Himalayan region of Lo Monthang in Upper Mustang, Nepal where she recorded and documented indigenous folk music with Katey Blumenthal, ethnomusicologist and anthropologist. The people of this region, just over the border of Tibet, are ethnically Tibetan. Lo Monthang is one of the last remaining enclaves of old Tibetan culture. These songs are sung in the Mustang dialect of Tibetan. Under the auspices of the Rubin Foundation, Clearfield and Blumenthal recorded 130 songs that had not been previously documented. The songs are now part of the University of Cambridge World Oral Literature Project dedicated to the preservation of endangered languages. The recordings are also now in the Cultural Library in Lo Monthang, Nepal and the songs are being taught to Mustangi children in NYC as part of a new Himalayan language and culture preservation initiative. Tse Go La was co-commissioned by the Mendelssohn Club of Philadelphia and Pennsylvania Girlchoir as a way to bring some of these songs for the first time to the U.S. The libretto incorporates original poetry by Dr. Sienna Craig, chair of the anthropology department at Dartmouth College, and traditional songs and texts. The composer wishes to thank The MacDowell Colony, The Bellagio Center, Virginia Center for the Creative Arts and the Ragdale Foundation for providing invaluable space and time to compose this work.
“A beautifully constructed and deeply satisfying work of art..a fantastic amalgam of cross-cultural influences, achieved with remarkable lucidity…rich… powerful..the complexity and allure of Tse Go La cries out for more performances.” —Peter Burwasser, Broad Street Review
This performance is the second concert of the First Annual Orlando Sings Choral Festival.