Vocal Music: Easter Playlist

Hildegard of Bingen

In celebration of Easter, Classical Post has curated an Easter playlist of vocal music. 

The bookends of the playlist are two works by Saint Hildegard of Bingen, O quam mirabilis est (How wonderful it is) and O clarissima mater (O luminous Mother). Saint Hildegard (1098-1179) was an abbess, artist, author, composer, mystic, pharmacist, poet, preacher, and theologian. Her visions caused her to see many things, including seeing humans as living sparks of God’s love. Scholars today argue that, “Hildegard was ‘resurrected’ in the late 20th century by feminists, New Age gurus and musicians inspired by her writings, musical compositions and acts of independence.” (Northwestern University)

There are three versions of De Profundis (Out of the Deep) in the playlist: the second track, in the middle, and the second to last track. The first iteration of De Profundis is Arvo Pärt’s 1980 choral setting of Psalm 130 in Latin. The second to last track is Frederic Rzewski’s 1992 De Profundis, which is based on Oscar Wilde’s De Profundis. 

Bach’s St. John Passion, which is the older of the surviving Passions, is a staple of the playlist. This article in The Guardian from 2017, A Passion for Bach: why the St John belongs on the live stage at Easter, is especially relevant at this moment as it discusses the resurrection of Bach’s music after his death. Another crucial point it raises is that Bach only heard his St. John Passion four times during his lifetime, “each time kissing it as it flew” (The Guardian). How can we as listeners actively listen when we have an unlimited access to recordings? How does our current situation emphasize the differences between the live concert experience and recordings? Once the live concert experience is resurrected, will we treasure it as Bach treasured his limited live performances?

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