Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Listening Recommendations: Crucifixus arr. John August Pamintuan

Hey guys,

Here's a really cool piece arranged by John August Pamintuan, a Filipino composer with a flair for composing highly technical and perhaps virtuosic pieces. If you get the impression that it's your typical sacred work, think again.

The start of Crucifixus opens with a syncopated section between the altos and basses, with the sopranos and tenors taking the melody. This underlying syncopated figure ensues throughout the piece, with the harmonies gradually evolving and clashing, building the tension till the middle adagio where it climaxes. Its beauty lies in the anxiety and angst of the music, conveying the meaning behind the lyrics:

[He was] crucified also for us, under Pontius Pilate:
[he] suffered and was buried.

The sopranos have got their work cut out for them in this piece, frequently reaching those high notes that so many fear haha. But anyway, here's the piece (embeded) performed by the University of East Chorale (UEC) in South Korea, but you can actually take a peek at the score here or download the recording sang by the UEC here :)


--links taken from John August Pamintuan's official website---

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