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Morten Johannes Lauridsen & Les Chansons des Roses. By Kelsi Capizzi 7/7/2011. Morten Lauridsen
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Morten Johannes Lauridsen & Les Chansons des Roses By Kelsi Capizzi 7/7/2011
Morten Lauridsen is “the only American composer in history who can be called a mystic, (whose) probing, serene work contains an elusive and indefinable ingredient which leaves the impression that all the questions have been answered”. -Nick Strimple, Conductor http://homepage.mac.com/kennesten/lauridsen/index2.html
Biography http://stopthecap.com/tag/cable-television/page/2/ http://www.webweaver.nu/clipart/music/piano.shtml http://www.leadmineband.com/trumpet.html
Schooling • Graduated from Whitman College in Washington • Went to graduate school at the University of Southern California (USC) • Graduated from USC in 1967 http://www.yorkblog.com/teentakeover/2009/04/usc-sets-high-standards-for-ac.html
Career • Professor of Composition at USC’s Thornton School of Music • Chair of the Composition Department at USC • Composer-in-Residence for Los Angeles Master Chorale • Founded USC’s Advanced Studies Program in Film Scoring • Currently USC’s Distinguished Professor of Composition
Vocal Cycles • Les Chansons des Roses (Rilke) • Mid-Winter Songs (Graves) • Cuatro Canciones (Lorca) • A Winter Come (Moss) • Madrigali: Six “FireSongs” on Renaissance Italian Poems • Nocturnes • Lux Aeterna
Series of SacredA cappella Motets • O Magnum Mysterium • Ave Maria • O Nata Lux • Ubi Caritas et Amor • Ave Dulcissima Maria
Awards • 3 Grammy Nominations • Named “American Choral Master” by the National Endowment for the Arts in 2006 • Awarded the National Medal of the Arts from President Bush in 2007 http://www.bruceduffie.com/lauridsen.html
Composition History Rainer Maria Rilke’s poems about roses from the early 1900s became the text for Lauridsen’s Les Chansons des Roses. http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7906.Rainer_Maria_Rilke
http://www.singers.com/9238b/Morten-Lauridsen/Les-Chansons-Des-Roses/http://www.singers.com/9238b/Morten-Lauridsen/Les-Chansons-Des-Roses/ Les Chansons des Roses was premiered on April 23, 1993. It was sung by Choral Cross-Ties and conducted by Bruce Browne.
En Une Seule FleurListening Guide • Verse 1 begins with driving rhythm • Homophonic texture • Key phrase = “Mais tu n’a pas pensé ailleurs” (Translated by Barbara and Erica Muhl to mean “But you never did think otherwise”) which is always repeated at least twice • Verse 2 begins much more polyphonic in texture • Verse 1 repeats; back to a homophonic texture • Piece ends with key phrase being repeated three time with very gradual ritardando and decrescendo
Contre Qui, RoseListening Guide • Verse 1-Phrase 1 begins extremely quietly (ppp) with a very slow and thoughtful tempo • Verse 1-Phrase 2 begins with tenors being quite prominent even though sopranos maintain the melody • Verse 2-Phrase 1 begins with tenors ahead of the other parts rhythmically • Verse 2-Phrase 2 grows in volume and intensity as it approaches the climax of the song • Song reaches its climax with the words, “Au contraire” (or “to the contrary”) • Final chord has no resolution which seems appropriate considering the text ends by restating a question
De Ton Rêve Trop PleinListening Guide • Verse 1-Variation 1 opens very light • Verse 1-Variation 2 grows to a much fuller and louder sound • Verse 1-Variation 3 starts at the slow/dissonant part and moves to the quick/light ending • Verse 2-Variation 1 begins with very driving rhythm • Verse 1-Variation 4 has the altos singing melody and the sopranos holding a long, sustained note above that • Verse 2-Variation 2 has men begin the verse and as the pitch of the melody rises, the women join in which gives it the feel that it is growing • Verse 1-Variation 5 the volume slowly grows as the tempo picks up, but quickly fades • Verse 1-Variation 6 begins almost with a round • All parts join together for a final repeat of the quiet/dissonant theme, followed by the light/quick conclusion
La Rose CompléteListening Guide • Very melodic and beautiful beginning • Harmony holds a lot of dissonance • Verse 1 repeats with a lot more movement from the tenors • Verse 2 has sopranos take melody and maintain their own rhythm while other parts remain homophonic and provide the harmony • Verse 2 repeats with the entire choir lingering on the climax a little longer than before • Concludes with final phrase repeated twice, softer and slower with slight dissonance
Resources • http://homepage.mac.com/kennesten/lauridsen/index2.html • http://www.classiccat.net/lauridsen_m/biography.php • http://www.allmusic.com/artist/q66659 • http://www.answers.com/topic/les-chansons-des-roses-for-chorus