Werke von Irena Grieg

Lux Aeterna

Aufgabestück des Schweizer Blasmusikverbandes SBV für das Eidgenössische Musikfest 2006 in Luzern

Für Brass Band, Höchstklasse. Dauer: 13´. Winterthur, 2005

Erhältlich bei woodbrass music sa, ch-1724 le mouret, tél. 026 413 40 13
(WBM-197, Creation Series, Edition 2006)

Aufnahme: «HIGHLIGHTS» Eidgenössisches Musikfest 2006 (Concordia Vétroz, Géo-Pierre Moren) Amos CD 6035

Explanations

For Frequently Asked Questions and Answers and Corrections to the Printed Score see below.

Lux aeterna is traditionally the last part of the Requiem Mass Lux aeterna luceat eis, Domine… (Let eternal light shine upon them, O Lord).

The initial idea of my composition was prompted by the news about the unexpected death of Eric Conus, a former President of Schweizer Musikkommission. Although we have never met, he was the one who gave me a commission for this piece.

Feeling deeply moved by this tragic incident, I had nevertheless no intention to write a composition in memoriam, but rather a piece of music that would help us all to gain a different – universal – perspective on this sad event. My Lux Aeterna is neither meant to throw light on the past, nor on the passed away. But it is to illuminate the very essence of life eternal – a precious gift of God brought forth to us by the Light of Christ.

Thus, I re-thought the meaning of the traditional Lux Aeterna based on the medieval Latin text. Instead I chose the Prologue of The Gospel According to John (John 1:1-18) that tells about coming of the true light into the world – the Light of God and God Himself. The relevant parts of the text appear in the score and are intended to help the conductors and musicians alike in their interpretation of my piece:

• Bars 1 - 26: The true light, which enlightens everybody, was coming into the world. (Jn. 1:9)
• Bars 27 - 46: The light shines in the darkness… (Jn. 1:5a)
• Bars 47 - 83: …and the darkness did not comprehend it. (Jn. 1:5b, NKJ)
• Bars 84 -142: …yet the world did not know him. (Jn. 1:10c)
• Bars 143 -164: The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. (Jn. 1:5, RSV)
• Bars 165 – end: From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. (Jn. 1:16)

Although these textural associations to big extent shape the composition as well as spell out the underlined meaning of the music, there is also quite a strict formal structure in it. It is variations on the “cross theme” – BACH (here: cis-his-e-dis, as in the Bach’s Prelude in cis-minor from the Wohltemperiertes Klavier, I) with an extended episode in the middle (bars 84 - 142). The beginning of the episode (“Band”, bars 84 – 91) that vaguely imitates some classical trios is meant to be a parody on a degraded human condition. There is an option of setting apart this “Band” (see the relevant remark in the score, p. 20) – an ensemble of the orchestral musicians that would create a contrast with the following and preceding tuttis.

Quasi Cadenza (bar 143…) signifies the return of the initial harmonic structure (BACH) and leads to the apotheosis of the piece – the "change ringing" (see Question 2 below). This is the most lustrous moment in the whole composition.

Largo sostenuto (bars 144 - 164) creates a formal link between the episode and the coda. It also introduces some new musical material in its Arioso’s (bars 151 -152; 154 - 155; 157 -158; 159 - 160; 161 - 164) that should come up as a voice of revelation in this piece.

Coda (Amoroso, bars 165 – 193) presents in so-called "genre polyphony" the main theme of the episode (Flugelhorn) and the somewhat developed “cross theme” (Solo Cornets). The latter returns in its original form in bar 194 to grow rapidly into the force that takes precedence of any other thing on earth, under the earth or in heaven – the true Light.

• Question 1: Do we have to play with different Glass Chimes or only one?
  • Answer 1: Glass Chimes in this piece have different functions. Their usage in Quasi Cadenza (pp. 31-32 - shaken) and the finale (p. 50) is to emit a high-pitched tinkling sound which continues until the movement of the glasses is checked. This is why the various untuned shapes of glass are needed (hung together or suspended from a circular plastic frame).
    Another way of using the Glass Chimes is in the "Band" (p. 20). Here their function is to produce a "frozen" rhythmical background to a rather mechanistic "waltz of marionettes". Try to evoke this atmosphere by striking the glass with a hard stick or even by striking two different pieces of glass against each other. You can be creative here, providing the overall sounding balance is satisfactory!
  
  
• Q2, Letter P: what exactly means "English bell ringing" or "change ringing"?
  • A2: By traditional English bell ringing I meant what is known as "change ringing" on the church bells (it has nothing to do with the bells of "Big Ben" in London). You can find more about it on the web site "What is Change Ringing?". By clicking on the bell at the top of the page you can also hear a sample of such ringing. However, in my piece I did not intend to give a one-to-one copy of this type of ringing - this would not have been possible with brass instruments even if I'd wished to! My "change ringing" (p. 35) is rather a hint at the festive atmosphere such a bell-ringing is associated with.
  
  
• Q3, Bar 66, p. 15: Is it C sharp for Euphonium and Baritone?
  • A3: No, C natural is correct, despite it is a dissonant with the parts of Basses and Trombones.
  
  
• Q4, Bar 16: Flug., 2nd Bar, Eb Bass play piu f but Solo Hn., 2nd Tbn., Bass Tbn. and Bb Bass play p. Is this correct?
  • A4: Here the voices are divided into two groups: those that play the melody and those that sustain the harmony. For the melody piu f means louder compared with the similar phrase in bars 11-14 (you can add cresc at the end of bar 14 on the last crotchet for these instruments). Then in the next phrase (bar 15), which is higher, Flug., 1st and 2nd Hns., 1st Bar., 1st Tbn. and Bass Eb should start slightly louder (piu f compared with bar 11). At the same time the instruments that sustain the harmony (Solo Hn., 2nd Bar., 2nd and B. Tbn. and Bass Bb) should simply start with an accent and then slightly fade away, which is generally indicated as fp.
  
  
• Q5, Bar 17: Flug., 1st & 2nd Horns, 1st & 2nd Bar., 1st Tbn. and Eb Bass play piu f whereas Solo Horn and Bb Bass play p. Is this correct?
  • A5: In principle, all melodic instruments should have the same dynamic at this point - the one that the 1st Tbn. would naturally achieve here. As a working signature I suggest mp for Solo Hn. and the Bb Basses. But this may be different in your interpretation! Sometimes singing the whole phrase (vocally) helps to establish the right dynamic more precisely – this meant to be a very flexible, vocal and not eleborated place at all.
  
  
• Q6, Bars 21/22: What are the dynamics for Horns, Trombones and Basses?
  • A6: These should be approximately at the same dynamic level as the previous notes. Only the articulation changes.
    N.B.: For Solo Horn sf means here a strong accent (quick attacca) rather than just loud; fp means slightly fading away after an accent with relatively slow attacca. For purposes of rehearsals you can add here mp for all these instruments.
  
  
• Q7, Bar 43 Should Cornets play piano?
  • A7: One can take p here as a working version, also for the Euphonium. In fact, this phrase should begin softer than the previous one in bar 39 and be in a “responsorial” link with the former. At the end it is not so much about the dynamics but about the relation between these two phrases. Please, add pp for the Solo Cnt. in bars 43-45 (but no cresc).
  
  
• Q8, Letter N, p. 32, Baritones and 2nd Trombone: Should they play fp (forte/piano) or mf (mezzo forte)?
  • A8: This is a delicate place: I suggest mf for 1st and 2nd Baritones and the 2nd Trombone here – to merge with the mellow sound of the 1st Trombone and the Horns. To achieve piu f later on, the Baritones and the 2nd Trombone should gradually start playing fp-cresc again (as indicated).
  
  
• Q9, Before bar 144, p. 37: Is there a decrescendo for the Basses?
  • A9: Not really. The whole episode should indeed come to a natural decrescendo here, but only the freely improvising instruments (Cornets, Flugelhorn and Horns) should audibly fade away. The others (from Baritones to Basses) should continue playing sonore (full voice) up to the end of bar 143 (as real bells would do). The effect of losing the density of the sound is required here (as if fewer and fewer bells are stroken), but not the volume. Largo sostenuto in bar 144 should then introduce a very different quality of sound – a rather “dry” and non-resounding one, like from the “underground”.
  
  
• Q10, Bar 151: Should Bass Tbn. and Bb Bass also play fp?
  • A10: No, for them it is sub. p straight away, on the first note after the previous cresc molto. Do try this dynamic, and only if this does not work, start as with other instruments fp (slow attacca – slightly fading away).
  
  
• Q11: F cannot be played on Flugelhorn. What to do?
  • A11: True – sorry about this. Please write B flat instead of F for the Flugelhorn here. At the same time, would you please divide the part of Bass Bb in bars 155-156, adding the following notes a fifth higher for the top instrument: F, G (bar 155) and F sharp (bar 156). All the durations, dynamic and articulation are the same.
  
  
• Q12: Generally: does piu f mean louder than before or something between f and ff?
  • A12: Piu f is relative: it means louder with respect to the previous dynamics. The same is the case for meno f.
  
  

• Bar 2, Solo, 2nd and 3rd Cornets: The dynamics are identical: cresc on the 2nd to 4th semi-quaver, decresc on the 5th and 6th.
• Bars 5-7, Bass Tbn: Must play an octave higher.
• Bar 7, Solo Cnt. Eb: The 7th note should be F#, not F.
• Bars 11-13, Basses Eb: Please add tenuto as in bars 13 and 14 and fp (bar 12).
• Bar 14, Solo and Repiano Cnt.: Must play senza sord.
• Bar 14, Solo and Rep. Cnt: Must play senza sord.
• Bar 14, Solo Hn., last triplet: Please add cresc (see Answer 4 above).
• Bar 15, Letter B, 1st Hn: The notes must be slured as for the 2nd Hn.
• Bar 17, Horns and 1st Bar.: All notes must be played legato (slured).
• Bar 18, Letter C: Letter "C" should be at bar 19 (for all parts).
• Bar 18, Sop. Cnt.: Must play cresc after the fp.
• Bar 23, Letter D, 2nd Cnt. (lower): Must play Db, not D.
• Bars 24-25, Flug.: Must slur over both bars. 2nd Cornets in bar 25 must play legato as well.
• Bar 30, 3rd Cnt.: Same cresc/decresc marks as for 2nd Cnt. (the duration beams seem to have "swallowed" them).
• Bar 43, Cornets, Flug., Euph.: Must play piano; solo Cnt must start pp. (see Answer 7 above).
• Bar 45, Euphonium: The last note should be F, not F#.
• Bar 54, Trombones and Bass Bb: Must start mf. Timpani, however, begin as soft as possible.
• Bar 56, Bass Eb: The 1st and 5th note should be D#, not D.
• Bar 70, Letter G, 1st and 2nd Bar.: Must play p.
• Bar 72, 1st and 2nd Hn., Euph. and Bass Eb: Must play p.
• Bar 77, Euph.: Must continue playing a G# (the note does not change).
• Bars 92-98, Bass Eb: From the sf in bar 92 must play an octave lower until (and including) up-beat to bar 99 (Letter J).
• Bar 84, Conductor's note: ...yet the world did not know him. (Jn. 1:10c), applicable until bar 142.
• Bar 98, Flug.: Must play G, not Gb.
• Bar 99, Letter J, poco allarg. and a tempo: poco allarg. applies to the end of bar 100 and a tempo to the beginning of bar 101.
• Bar 143, Letter M, p. 31: All instruments holding a single note (apart from Vibraphone) must play fp, that is 3rd Cnt., Flug., Solo Hn., 1st and 2nd Hn., 1st and 2nd Bar. and Euph.
• Letter N, p. 32, 1st and 2nd Bar. and 2nd Tbn: Must play mf (see Answer 8 above).
• Letter N, 2nd group for Euph.: Must start with F natural, not F# any more.
• Letter O, p. 33, Euphoniums: Must play cresc similar to Baritones and Basses.
• p. 37, bar number 145 appears twice: Sorry about this!
• Bar 151, Bass Tbn. and Bass Bb: The sub p applies already to the first note of the bar (see Answer 10 above).
• Bar 155, Flug.: The 1st crotchet should be Bb; Bass Bb should be divided into two parts, the upper Bass playing a fifth higher: F, G (bar 155), and F# (bar 156) (see Answer 11 above).
• Bar 157, Letter S, Euph.: Must play fp with an accent (>) like 1st Tbn.
• Bar 158/159, Horns and Euph.: Cross out simile; instead play cresc and decresc like the Solo/Repiano Cornets.
• Bar 162, 1st and 2nd Hn.: The last semi-quaver of the bar must be D# instead of D.
• Bars 163+164, Flug.: Must play H, C#, D, C# in the small octave (unison with Solo Hn.).
• Bar 174, Repiano and 2nd Cnt.: Must play cresc till bar 175 (like Solo Cnt.).
• Bar 182: marcando ma legato
• Bar 210 for all Cornets, Flugelhorn, Horns (individual parts) is missing. Suggestion: repeat bar 209 to get a total of 212 bars.

Letzte Änderung: Oktober 2009

Wünsche und Anregungen an: IrenaX@WidmannX.CH Bitte X entfernen (Spam-Mail-Schutz)