Dariusz Przybylski

Passio et Mors Domini Nostri Iesu Christi Secundum Ioannem (2013)

for 12 voices

 

1 Exordio 2:23
2 Primum Verbum 1:15
3 Evangelium Iesus itaque sciens omnia 2:16
4 Choral O große Lieb 2:12
5 Evangelium Iterum ergo eos interrogavit: "Quem quaeritis?" 4:21
6 Secundum Verbum 1:41
7 Evangelium Pontifex ergo interrogavit Iesum 6:40
8 Tertium Verbum 3:06
9 Evangelium Introivit ergo iterum in praetorium Pilatus 4:25
10 Psalmus De profundis 6:35
11 Evangelium Dixit itaque ei Pilatus: "Ergo rex es tu?" 5:02
12 Quartum Verbum 2:34
13 Evangelium Tunc ergo apprehendit Pilatus Iesum 3:23
14 Quintum Verbum 4:31
15 Evangelium Clamaverunt ergo illi: "Tolle, tolle, crucifige eum!" 2:28
16 Hymn Krzyżu święty / Crux fidelis 4:06
17 Evangelium Et baiulans sibi crucem exivit in eum 2:10
18 Sextum Verbum 3:29
19 Evangelium Stabant autem iuxta crucem Iesu mater eius 2:40
20 Sequentia Stabat Mater 11:50
21 Evangelium Post hoc sciens Iesus quia iam omnia consummata sunt 2:57
22 Septimum Verbum 7:12

 

 

 

Passio by Dariusz Przybylski

text: Dr. Hab. Krzysztof Lipka

 

With over seventy major works already completed, dynamic young composer Dariusz Przybylski continues to impress the public with his unusual productivity.

 

His latest religious work, Passio et Mors Domini Nostri Iesu Christi Secundum Ioannem (2013), is scored for twelve vocal parts without instrumental accompaniment. The texts were adapted specifically for this work by the composer himself. The creative originality of this work is evidenced by the intimacy of the text and it’s unusual setting. The main text is taken from the Gospel of John, chapters 18-19, which depicts the Passion of Jesus Christ, into which have been interpolated other fragments associated with the Easter liturgy, namely Psalm 130 De Profundis, the Stabat Mater sequence, the Passion hymn Crux Fidelis and a passage cited in the St John Passion by Johann Sebastian Bach.

 

This work is a multilingual text composition, with fragments in Latin (Catholic liturgy), Polish (hymns) and German (Protestant chorale). In order to further emphasize the multilingual aspect of his work, the composer introduced an unusual treatment of the Seven Last Words from the Cross. The text, taken from all four Gospels (among them the famous verse Eli, Eli lama sabachthani! (My God, My God, why have You forsaken me?, Matthew 27:46), is presented in seven European languages: English, German, French, Spanish, Polish and Italian, while the bass sings text in Ancient Greek. The important Catholic symbolism of the number seven is also reflected in various aspects of this work. Throughout the course of the Passion, the Seven Last Words create emphatic  caesurae, dividing the whole into no less than twenty-one lesser parts. As a result of this construction, the Passion (a musical form used by European composers since the Renaissance) acquires an unexpected new ideological expression. It is a work whose content becomes a heretofore-unseen fusion, of, namely: an ecumenical unification of religions (Judaism, Catholicism and Protestantism) and an interplay of ancient and modern languages. In short, Przybylski’s Passio is a modern-day rendering of a multilingual voice of European nations. The crowning glory is the unfolding of the spirit of an all-encompassing Christianity.

 

The universal character of the text is also reflected in the musical form of this new work by Dariusz Przybylski. Among the twelve vocal soloists (an allusion to the twelve apostles), the role of Jesus is embodied by three basses, whereas the role of the Evangelist is assigned to three tenors. This plurality within a unified oneness underlines the integrity of experiencing liturgical themes. The historical role of the Passion as a musical form in European culture is emphasized by the following musical citations: a fragment of a Gregorian Chant (Crux Fidelis), a Protestant Chorale (O Große Lieb... - an allusion to Bach) and a Polish hymn (Krzyzu Swiety, meaning Holy Cross). Each of the Seven Last Words from the Cross supports the progressive deepening of the Passion, like a mighty column carrying the weight of the nave of an ancient cathedral.

 

The opening movement is the musical equivalent of an architectural portal – the rhetorical introduction Exordio (Passio et Mors...) evokes an atmosphere of both gravity and sublime contemplation. 

 

The dramatic character of this composition finds its deep emotional expression most particularly through the role of the Evangelist. The synthetic woven texture of the sound structure of the piece is also marked by an unusual clarity. The transparency of form, the simplicity of the workmanship, the transformative allocation of voices, an atmosphere of intense introspection – these are the hallmarks of this music; this style, which imitatively serves the archaic with a modern sound.

 

The Holy Trinity Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession in Warsaw hosted the premiere performance of the Passio et Mors... on March 8, 2013. In light of the history of the Passion as musical form, this church was the ideal venue for the world premiere of an 80-minute composition filled with the spirit of unity.