Kyrielle
Alice Shields
About this work:
I began composing Kyrielle out of concern with the increasing arrogance, violence, vulgarity and intolerance spreading around the world, as well within my own country. As an antidote I wanted to invoke the gentle, more feminine power of nurturance and cooperation. So I sought out Gregorian melodies that could be associated with the feminine power most familiar to me as a person of Western culture: Mary. I based Kyrielle on Gregorian melodies from the Liber Usualis of the Roman Catholic Church: Agnus Dei, Magnificat, an Alleluia, and the Ave Maris Stella. Kyrielle is in large part a set of variations on the original melodies of these three Gregorian chants.
In the first half of the piece the violin music dwells on the meaning of the Agnus Dei. The second half of the piece consists of the Magnificat and Alleluia, and the third part, the Ave Maris Stella. The Latin texts are included in the violinist’s score as if the violin were a singer singing these lines, and should be used by the violinist as cues which indicate which notes to emphasize, just as a singer would.
The Latin texts and their English translations follow:
1.) AGNUS DEI: Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, miserere nobis. (Lamb of god, who takest away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.)
2.) MAGNIFICAT and ALLELUIA: Magnificat anima mea Dominum; et exultavit spiritus meus in Deo salutari meo, Alleluia. (My soul doth magnify the lord, and my spirit rejoices in god. Alleluia.)
3.) AVE MARIS STELLA: Ave maris stella, Dei mater alma, atque semper virgo, felix caeli porta. (Hail, star of the sea, mother of god, Virgin, gate of happiness.)
The piece was commissioned by the violinist Airi Yoshioka.
Version: violin & tape
Year composed: 2006
Duration: 00:12:00
Ensemble type: Electronic Instruments and Sound Sources:Prerecorded Sound and Live Instrument(s)
Instrumentation:
Instrumentation notes: violin, tape