Ligeti - Lux Aeterna

György Ligeti (1923-2006)
Lux Aeterna for 16 solo voices.


Lux aeterna luceat eis, Domine,
cum sanctis tui in aeternum quia pius es.
Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine,
et lux perpetua luceat eis.


Chor des Norddeutschen Rundfunks Hamburg
Dir. Helmut Franz


Recording: 1968


Photo:
Guido Costa (1871-1951)

Category:

Music

Tags:

• classical
• religious
• vocal
• choir
• micropolyphony
• micropolifonia

[SkyGazer1000]

(answering from a similar thread) This classic Ligeti piece is a 16-voice canon, using a rigid 17th & 18th century contrapuntal composition technique, but in a distinctly mid-20th century application. Each voice is singing the exact same series of notes but in a different rhythmic sequence, or phase, essentially a round like "row, row, row your boat." You can hear this get started at the beginning of the piece. Of course, all to produce a gorgeous aggregate of sound.

[Miiwie]

It's just amazing ... I feal fear and peacefull on the same time ... When my professor show this to us ... Wow ...

[uncinarynin]

I would love to sing this. At the same time I can imagine it must be incredibly difficult to sing it.

[Flegetanis]

Oops; I meant "Soundscapes"

[Flegetanis]

I've been a lover of Ligeti's a capella choral works for many years. For some reason, I only recently realized a similarity between this composition and the electronic "Landscapes" of Robert Fripp, which I strongly recommend to anyone who likes this piece.

[musfutmuj]

@Manch29 Coming from a guy who likes blink 182 we shouldnt expect more less. It´s a very good work of art, it´s a shame you can´t understand it.

[joaquindalessio]

@Manch29 For not trained ears... of course, it is...

[joaquindalessio]

Top five in choral music

[BedBugAcres]

True haunting beauty.

[JediHobbit89]

@Faramir122 A true artist needs neither, a weak one relies of the hallucinations of mind-altering substances, and only a fool looks on the works of the ancients as coming from extra-terrestrials. Sorry for waxing philosophical there, but your comment sparked my interest. ^_^

[JediHobbit89]

@Faramir122 I believe its because of a lack of faith in human ingenuity and creative genius. Mankind is nothing if not creative and innovative. We may be dusgusting, corrupted little bastards who love to oppress, kill, and enslave our fellow man, but give credit where credit is due, I say. Creativity, in my opinion, is one of mankind's only positive traits. It is also a very potent and powerful force, able to create great wonders without fictional beings' help or the crutch of narcotics.

[1963theo]

@mishakhalid This is Lux Aeterna composed by Ligeti. The killer listened to the composition by Clint Masell. Two VERY different versions.