SKU: FG.55011-417-3

ISBN 9790550114173.

The main ingredients of Lars Karlsson's musical expression are free-tonality, traditional forms and natural musicianship that builds on the two. According to the composer: there is no such thing as atonality -- as long as you work with fixed tone pitch. I would rather be inclined to think that tonality is inherent in the structure of tones, whether we want it or not. In other words, we are dealing with a law of nature.
Karlsson's setting of Lagerkvists classic Som en vag (Like a wave) dates from 1976. The poem is a love story.

SKU: HL.2050289

UPC: 797242852596. 6.75x10.5x0.302 inches.

Peace on earth. Has there ever been such a thing - will there ever be? Wars and rumors of wars are the mile markers of history. Wars seem to be the events by which history is recorded. Did you ever hear of World Peace I or World Peace II - or the years of Civil Peace? Did the Holy Scriptures really promise Peace On Earth? Did an angel from heaven really proclaim “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom He is pleased!” ? (Luke 2:14) The answer is...YES!Butwhatabout...? - Butwhatabout...? - Butwhatabout...?We could spend most of our lives filling in these blanks. However - if we take the cognizant, courageous leap of faith - if we choose to believe God's Word is true - then we must refine our understanding of peace. Jesus said - “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” John 14:27Jesus knows about peace - He is indeed the Prince of Peace. How then can we define peace...? Peace is not the absence of conflict - Peace is the presence of God.God made His presence known in a spectacular, miraculous way long ago in the ancient city of Bethlehem. His presence remains just as real - just as powerful - just as loving.Thanks be to God for His tender mercy and all sufficient grace. May we be instruments used of God to live out and reach others with the good news. Glory to God in the highest! There Is Peace in the World Tonight.

SKU: CA.926400

ISBN 9790007261870. French. Text: Victor Hugo.

In his poem Soiree en mer, Victor Hugo describes how the sea can be perceived very differently by two lovers at the same time in the same place. While the man perceives the deepening shadows on the dancing waves, the woman marvels at the stars shining ever brighter in the firmament. In nature, as in the words of the poem, the painful ambiguity that represents life at its core can be experienced. Like no other poet, Hugo captures this almost unbearable simultaneity of living and dying, of love and suffering. Saint-Saens translates this into music - probably the most ephemeral and contemporary of all art forms. His balanced musical form leaves plenty of room for the poetry and his subtle variations in timbre, which also inspired Denis Rouger to his choral arrangement, create a seething motion under the surface of the sea.

This art song was originally composed not for chamber choir, but for solo voice and piano. Denis Rouger has carefully adapted it to suit the requirements and expressive possibilities offered by a larger ensemble, without losing any of the qualities of the original in the process. Each part in the choir has a melodic line drawn from the harmonic and rhythmic framework. In the process, the variety and refinement of the choral language combines with an enormous flexibility in form and expression, as French melodies or German art song demand from a soloist and pianist. The songs have been recorded by the figure humaine chamber choir on the CD ...wo die Ztronen bluhn (Carus 83.514).

SKU: BT.HU-4349-250

9x12 inches. German.

The poetry on which this composition is based is the Ballad of External Life (the Ballade des äußeren Lebens) from the pen of Viennese author Hugo von Hofmansthal (1874-1929). He is known for, amongst other things, his libretti for the works of Richard Strauss (Der Rosenkavalier, Ariadne auf Naxos, Elektra) and as founder of the Salzburg Festival. Von Hofmansthal was one of the last of the German Symbolists. Central to this literary movement was the unification of the internal and external worlds. The search for meaning was a cornerstone of this fin-de-siècle movement.In the Ballade des äußeren Lebens (Ballad of External Life), the meaninglessness ofexistence is expressed in restricting, oppressive metaphors—an ambience that is reflected in the music. Ultimately, man is capable of establishing order from seeming chaos. The poet expresses this powerfully in a non-rhyming line of poetry: ‘And yet, he who says “evening” says much, A word, from which profundity and sorrow flow’.This composition follows the overall structure of the ballad, which is written in terza rima—interlocking three-line rhymes.The choral work can be performed by a chamber choir, but also by a much larger ensemble. The parts are mainly in four voices (SATB), although there are also six parts (SAATBB). One chord is arranged for eight voices.The composer conducted this work at its première, to open the 2013 International Choir Biennial in Aachen. The choir was comprised of four chamber choirs: Aachen Youth Choir, Carmina Mundi, Aachen Chamber Choir and Aachen Madrigal Choir.

Het dichtwerk waarop deze compositie is gebaseerd, de Ballade des äußeren Lebens (Ballade van het uiterlijke leven), is geschreven door de in Wenen geboren schrijver Hugo von Hoffmansthal (1874-1929), die onder meer bekend is als librettist van Richard Strauss (Der Rosenkavalier, Ariadne auf Naxos, Elektra) en medeoprichter was van de Salzburger Festspiele. Von Hoffmansthal behoorde tot de laatste vertegenwoordigers van het Duitse symbolisme. Deze stroming stelde zich ten doel de innerlijke en uiterlijke wereld met elkaar te verenigen. Zingeving vormde een van de hoofdthematieken binnen deze fin de siècle-cultuur.In de Ballade des äußeren Lebens wordt dezinloosheid van het bestaan verwoord in beklemmende metaforen - een atmosfeer die in de muziek wordt weerspiegeld. Uiteindelijk blijkt de mens toch in staat te zijn orde te scheppen in de schijnbare willekeur. De dichter benadrukt dit in zijn enige versregel zonder rijm: Und dennoch sagt der viel, der “Abend” sagt. De compositie volgt in hoofdlijnen de structuur van de ballade, die in terzinen is opgebouwd.Het werk kan worden uitgevoerd door kamerkoor, maar ook door een veel grotere bezetting. De zetting is voornamelijk vierstemmig (SATB), maar er zijn tevens zesstemmige delen (SAATBB). Een enkel akkoord is zelfs achtstemmig.Het werk ging onder leiding van de componist tijdens de Internationale Chorbiennale Aachen 2013 als openingswerk in première. Het koor was samengesteld uit vier kamerkoren: Der Junge Chor Aachen, Carmina Mundi, Aachener Kammerchor en Der Madrigalchor Aachen.

Die Dichtung, auf welcher diese Komposition basiert, ist die Ballade des äußeren Lebens aus der Feder des gebürtigen Wiener Schriftstellers Hugo von Hoffmansthal (1874-1929), der unter anderem als Librettist von Richard Strauss (Der Rosenkavalier, Ariadne auf Naxos, Elektra) und Mitbegründer der Salzburger Festspiele bekannt ist. Von Hoffmansthal gehörte zu den letzten Vertretern des Deutschen Symbolismus. Diese literarische Richtung machte sich zur Aufgabe, die innere und die äußere Welt miteinander zu vereinen. Sinngebung bildete eine der Hauptthematiken innerhalb dieser Fin-de-Siècle-Strömung.In der Ballade des äußeren Lebens wird die Sinnlosigkeitdes Daseins in beklemmenden Metaphern formuliert - eine Atmosphäre, die sich in der Musik widerspiegelt. Letztendlich scheint der Mensch doch imstande zu sein, Ordnung in der scheinbaren Willkür zu schaffen. Der Dichter betont dies nachdrücklich in der einzigen Verszeile ohne Reim: Und dennoch sagt der viel, der Abend“ sagt. Die Komposition folgt in ihren Hauptzügen der Struktur der Ballade, die in Terzinen geschrieben ist.Das Chorwerk kann von einem Kammerchor, aber auch von einem viel größeren Ensemble aufgeführt werden. Der Satz ist hauptsächlich vierstimmig (SATB), aber es gibt auch sechsstimmige Teile (SAATBB). Ein einzelner Akkord ist gar achtstimmig.Das Werk ging unter der Leitung des Komponisten während der Internationalen Chorbiennale Aachen 2013 als Eröffnungswerk in Premiere. Der Chor setzte sich aus vier Kammerchören zusammen: Der Junge Chor Aachen, Carmina Mundi, der Aachener Kammerchor und der Madrigalchor Aachen.