Mary
Magdalene Music Contemplation Lab.
DAY
1
Title/Composer:
The Woman with the Alabaster Box - Arvo Pärt
Information:
Inspired by Gregorian chant, Estonian born composer Pärt is known
for musical minimalism and for his own 'invention', tintinnabuli.
Tintinnabuli is characterised by two voices, the first arpeggiating
the tonic triad, the second moving in steps diatonically. Pärt's
works are often slow and meditative. The composer himself has made
these comments about his work:
- Tintinnabulation is an area I sometimes wander into when I am searching for answers – in my life, my music, my work. In my dark hours, I have the certain feeling that everything outside this one thing has no meaning. The complex and many-faceted only confuses me, and I must search for unity. What is it, this one thing, and how do I find my way to it? Traces of this perfect thing appear in many guises – and everything that is unimportant falls away. Tintinnabulation is like this. . . . The three notes of a triad are like bells. And that is why I call it tintinnabulation....
- Tintinnabuli is the mathematically exact connection from one line to another.....tintinnabuli is the rule where the melody and the accompanying voice...is one. One and one, it is one – it is not two. This is the secret of this technique.
- I could compare my music to white light which contains all colours. Only a prism can divide the colours and make them appear; this prism could be the spirit of the listener.
Questions/Comments:
Did you enjoy listening to this piece? What did it convey to you?
I
think this is a beautiful piece of music, very atmospheric and
spacious. It conveys a sense of mystery and awe, and also a slight
melancholy - not inappropriate given the scene it is relating: a kind
of farewell from Mary Magdalene to her beloved.
DAY
2
Title/Composer:
Marie-Magdeleine - Jules Massenet; libretto Louis Gallet (1873)
Hear
here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YCNUS4dpiA
This
is an extract only: the whole dramatic oratorio comprises three acts
and lasts over and hour and a half!
Information:
The
lyrics of this aria begin: O
mes soeurs, je veux fuir loin des bruits de la terre...
(O
my sister, I want to flee from the sounds of the Earth.)
Marie-Magdeleine,
written in the Romantic style and based on La vie de Jésus (1863) by
Ernest Renan, was first performed in Paris on the 11th April 1873. It
was Massenet's first success and won him praise from the composers
Tchaikovsky, Gounod, and Bizet.
The
subject of the story caused some controversy, as it implies physical
love between Jesus and Mary Magdalene.
Questions/Comments:
Did you enjoy listening to this piece? What did it convey to you?
I
am quite impressed to learn that this oratorio did not shy away from
the controversial topic of love between Jesus and Mary Magdalene. As
far as the music itself goes, I have rather gone through my operatic
phase, and always preferred to sing it rather than listen to it!
DAY
3
Title/Composer:
The Lost Star/Franck Glenisson - Goddess of the Gospels
Hear
here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FwHG-uZgrWw
Information:
The
Lost Star was originally a stage name for the U.S.-born Parisian
singer-songwriter, but it developed into a 'concept' that she says
helps her to evolve, to go beyond herself, and to open up to others:
'Using intuition as our guide, metamorphosis is possible: we can all
become 'stars' if we can only connect to our inner light, our
divinity within.'
'Goddess
of the Gospels' is a track from her first album, 'Red is not a Safe
Colour' in which each song is dedicated to a mythical, imagined, or
real heroine. The orchestrations are by An Ton That, the accompanying
video by French photographer/film-maker Franck Glenisson. The Lost
Star has asserted that 'long before' the Da Vinci Code craze, ' an
arcane circle of people were already tuned in to the possibility and
probability that Mary Magdalene played a much more important role in
the saga of Christianity and the life of Jesus Christ than most
people were led to believe.' She credits
Brown’s novel with the 'democratization of an unknown history that
is richly appealing to today’s woman and anyone seeking
spirituality outside of traditionally held dogma.' She goes on: 'The
goddess and feminine energy were crushed and disfigured by the
patriarchal regime which has been in place for 2,000 years now. If
you take away a woman’s sexual identity you devalue her.'
Questions/Comments:
Did you enjoy listening to this
piece? What did it convey to you?
I
think this is a very evocative song and video. It reminds me of
watching Godspell and Jesus Christ Superstar in my younger days. Very
sophisticated presentation, although the song lyrics don't really say
very much.
DAY
4
Title/Composer:
Communion Hymn from the
Paraklesis To Saint Mary Magdalene The Myrrh-Bearer, chanted by monks
of the Holy Monastery of Simonos Petra, Mount Athos on the eve of her
Feast Day, 21 July 2012
Hear
Here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLioYdt8A5c
Information:
The
words of this hymn are based on Psalm 19.5: 'Her sound has gone forth
into all the earth, and her words unto the end of the world.'
A
Paraklesis is a service of supplication for the welfare of the
living, offered within the Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Churches. It
is addressed either to the Most Holy Theotokos (Mother Mary, the
God-bearer) or a specific saint whose intercessions are sought
through the chanting of psalms, hymns, litanies and the supplicatory
canon.
The
Monastery of Simonos Petra, literally 'Simon's Rock', is an Eastern
Orthodox monastery sited on a cliffside overlooking the rugged
southern coast of the Athos Peninsula in Greece, currently housing
about fifty monks, headed by Archimandrite
Eliseus, and the choir is well-regarded for its Byzantine music.
The
monastery was founded during the 13th century by Simon the Athonite,
later sanctified by the Eastern Orthodox Church as
Saint
Simon the Myrrh-bearer as,
after his death, his body was said to exude the odour of myrrh.
Questions/Comments:
Did you enjoy listening to this
piece? What did it convey to you?
To
me, this is a very deep, powerful, and solemn piece of music; you can
almost feel the vibrations! I can imagine the monks there at Mount
Athos, almost unchanged since the days of Simon the Myrrh-bearer. I
know that women and female animals are not allowed on Mount Athos,
also known as The Holy Mount, being completely dedicated to prayer
and the worship of God. It is a self-governed part of the Greek
state, and contains twelve monasteries, all of which are communes
with common liturgy, prayer, housing, nourishment, and work. Given
their devotion to the Theotokos and to Mary Magdalene, the ban on all
things female is a paradox, and does rather put me off this otherwise
marvellous place and the monks' music!
DAY
5
Title/Composer:
Medieval Songs for Mary
Magdalen - Joglaresa & Belinda Sykes
Hear
here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghFtvCJvq3Q
Information:
Directed
by Belinda Sykes, this London-based ensemble has been playing since
1992. Now well-established, they are particularly interesting for the
way in which they imaginatively push, and often transcend, the limits
of what is often thought of as early music.
They
were the first medieval band to develop a programme of songs entirely
devoted to Mary Magdalen, and they were pioneers in programming
medieval Jewish and Arabic texts for otherwise more-commonplace
Iberian and Crusades programmes - their Crusades programme (The
Scimitar and the Sword)
represents
the voices of Judaism and Islam alongside the Christian viewpoint,
and their Arts Council-award-winning programme of medieval
Hebrew/Arabic/Spanish song (Dreams
of Andalusia)
includes songs by medieval Arab-Andalusian poets and Spanish-Hebrew
poets. Their work focuses on connecting ancient and traditional
musics but, rather than create a 'fusion' or a surreal mix of these
styles, they aim to use their combined experiences (upbringings
drenched in traditional Irish, English, Maghrebi, Balkan and Middle
Eastern music) to create a homogenous sound - Joglaresa members spent
years in North Africa and the Middle East absorbing the best
traditional tunes, learning the local languages (Arabic and Hebrew).
The
lyrics of the song 'O Madalena, che portasti
magna
amore
Jesu Christo' (O Magdalena, you who carried great love for Jesus
Christ) are attributed to the St. Lorenzo Giustiniani (aka St.
Lawrence Justinian, first Patriarch of Venice, 1381-1456), although
the tune is that of another lauda, or praise song
('I’m going to sing my love of the blessed woman'). A lauda, or
'lauda spirituale', was a vernacular or folk song dealing with holy
or sacred subjects, and were sung at home, in religious
confraternities of laypeople, or sometimes on the street for
processions, rather than being sung in church.
Questions/Comments:
Did you enjoy listening to this piece? What did it convey to you?
Personally,
I love these songs, they are so full of life and joy and celebration
- and remind us that many religious songs, especially carols, were
dances. They make you want to tap your feet! I also like that St.
Lorenzo was writing songs about the love between Jesus and Mary
Magdalene!
DAY
6
Title/Composer:
Lady Magdalene - Neil Diamond (1974)
Hear
here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VspOMH2LeVk
Information:
This song was on Diamond's 1974 album 'Serenade'.
Questions/Comments:
Did you enjoy listening to this piece? What did it convey to you?
Neil
Diamond is so easy to listen to, and I have always liked his songs. I
recently learnt that he was a classmate of Barbra Streisand, and
started writing songs after attending a small concert given by Pete
Seeger. Big names! This song, Lady Magdalene, is about the
crucifixion of Jesus, the two men on either side of him, and, of
course, Mary Magdalene. There is a special poignancy to the lines:
'Lady Magdalene, take me home, show me peaceful days before my youth
has gone...' given that Jesus was still a young man when he died; and
also poignant is the line: 'Take us to your soul for we have wandered
far... '
DAY
7
Title/Composer:
Francisco Guerrero - Maria
Magdalena et altera Maria
Hear
here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJMlwv6IJIE
Information:
Franciso
Guerrero (1528-1599) was a Spanish Renaissance composer who was born
and died in Seville. By the age of 17 he was the music director at
Jaén Cathedral, but subsequently accepted a position at the
Cathedral of Seville. He was in great demand as a singer and
composer, worked and travelled throughout Spain and Portugal, and
spent a year in Italy. In 1589 he travelled to the Holy Land, and
also visited Damascus, and was captured by pirates and held for
ransom on his homeward journey. He died of the plague, while planning
a second visit to the Holy Land. His music remained popular for
several centuries, especially in the cathedrals of Latin America. His
style tended to be homophonic, that is having one primary part
supported by additional strands to create harmony and rhythmic
contrast.
Questions/Comments:
Did
you enjoy listening to this piece? What did it convey to you?
I
think this is a lovely piece, clear and bright. I like that the
'other Mary' is included here with Mary Magdalene. A nice piece to
end the week on.
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