SKU: CA.964420
ISBN 9790007143497. Text language: Latin.
The aged Simeon takes the new-born Jesus in his arms, recognises his significance and celebrates this moment in a paean of praise as the fulfilment of his life. In Matsushita's motet this song of praise, the nunc dimittis, stands at the centre of the composition. Here, the triad of C-F sharp-G, used for the word hodie - today at the beginning, symbolically combines with a Gregorian-like motif, revolving around the central note of B flat in whole-tone movement, and which is used to represent the Virgin Mary. The work ends with a mystical wash of sound, a whole-tone cluster which emerges from the aleatorically repeated basic motifs of the work, and fades away to nothing.
SKU: CA.964200
ISBN 9790007143510. Text language: Latin.
Matsushita's composition draws on elements of the Gregorian antiphon. It begins in unison Gregorian chant, as was typical of Renaissance motets, and the beginning of new lines of text are also derived from Gregorian material. Matsushita juxtaposes a syllabic, rhythmic declamation with this melody, constantly alternating bars with even and odd numbers of beats, the octave C' - C'' constantly repeated by the outer parts and leading towards the climax at the text nomen Jesu. After ascending D major arpeggios, the central word Jesu radiates into F sharp major, the following repetition in the compass of an octave on C is more tranquil, ending peacefully with an F major chord, ppp.
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