O salutaris hostia (Miškinis)
O salutaris hostia | |
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Chorale composition by Vytautas Miškinis | |
Text | O salutaris hostia |
Language | Latin |
Composed | 1991 |
Published | 2001 |
Scoring | mixed choir |
O salutaris hostia (O saving victim) is a composition for choir a cappella by Vytautas Miškinis, a setting of the Latin prayer O salutaris hostia. Written in 1991, it was published by Carus in 2001. It has been performed in concerts internationally, and was recorded.
History
Vytautas Miškinis composed O salutaris hostia in 1991[1] as a choral conductor and professor at the Vilnius Academy of Arts.[2] He has composed more than 700 works of sacred vocal music, including masses, cantatas and motets. The Baltic states are an area of a long tradition of choral music, which culminates in annual singing festivals.[2] The composition was published by Carus-Verlag in 2001.[1]
Text
The text is the first stanza of the Latin prayer O salutaris hostia, written by Thomas Aquinas for Eucharistic adoration.
Latin text | Literal translation | Verse rendering |
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O salutaris Hostia, |
O, Saving Victim, |
O saving Victim, opening wide |
Music
The music is set for seven voices, SAATTBB.[1] It begins in E-flat major, in 3/4 time, marked Tranquillo e rubato (quiet and rubato).[3]: 1 The duration is given as 3 minutes.[1]
The text is structured in three sections. The beginning, covering the first two lines, is set for a mostly homophonic four-part choir, with the altos and basses at times divided.[3]: 1 The third line, "Bella premunt hostilia" (Hostile armies press), is rendered in a Segment 1, with the upper voices, sopranos and divided altos, set against the lower voices, a four-part men's chorus. The upper voices begin. Each of them has a phrase assigned, which they repeat again and again. The sopranos' phrase takes 5 beats, the two different phrases of the two alto parts take 7 beats. The sopranos enter first, then the first altos, then second altos.[3]: 1 While they keep the pattern, the men's chorus sings the text three times in growing intensity, which the upper voices match.[3]: 2 The segment has been described as of "striking incantation effect".[4]
The fourth line appears in Segment 2, in a similar pattern but with different material.[3]: 2–3 The conclusion, named Tempo I, is a slightly shortened repetition of the beginning.[3]: 3
Performances and recordings
References
- ^ a b c d e "Vytautas Miskinis / O salutaris hostia / 1991". Carus-Verlag. Retrieved 16 February 2020.
- ^ a b Cummins, Nicholaus B. (August 2012). The unaccompanied choral works of Vytautas Miškinis with texts by Rabindranoth Tagore: / A resource guide. Louisiana State University. Retrieved 21 February 2020.
- ^ a b c d e f "O salutaris hostia" (PDF). Carus-Verlag. Retrieved 16 February 2020.
- ^ a b "Mysterious Nativity". lesmetaboles.fr. 2013. Retrieved 22 February 2020.
- ^ "Benefit concerts "Christmas Music in Three Churches" in Tallinn and Helsinki". Estonian Music Information Centre (in German). 3 December 2013. Retrieved 21 February 2020.
- ^ "Ažuoliukas Boys and Youth Choir / The Voice / Celebration of Lithuania's Presidency of the EU Council". Le Flagey. 15 December 2013. Retrieved 21 February 2020.
- ^ "CHORintensiv: Chormusik des 20. und 21. Jahrhunderts" (PDF). Chorverband Thüringen (in German). 2010. Retrieved 21 February 2020.
- University of Stanford. Retrieved 21 February 2020.
External links
- O Salutaris Hostia (Vytautas Miškinis) on YouTube
- viaf
- Les Métaboles, Léo Warynski – Mysterious Nativity: Music for choir by G. Sviridov, A. Schnittke, D. Tchesnokov de.brilliantclassics.com 2014