Chorus
Robert Normandeau
Programme notes
To the victims of September 11, 2001
Chorus. Latin word for choir. To sing in chorus, to voice one’s agreement. To chorus.
The music is inspired by the subject of the theatre play Nathan der Weise (“Nathan the Wise”) (1779) by Gotthold Ephraim Lessing (Kamnez, Germany, 1729 — Braunschweig, Germany, 1781), which demonstrates the tolerance ideal of the Age of the Enlightenment. The play — staged by Denis Marleau in Palais des Papes (Avignon, France) in 1997 — is based on the Three Rings parabola, which describes a man who is about to die and has to make a difficult choice
The sound material used in the work represents the typical sonorities of the three monotheist religions
— [xii-04] [v-06]
Chorus was realized in 2002 at the composer’s studio and premiered on July 13, 2002 during the Festival de musiques sacrées (Fribourg, Switzerland). Chorus was commissioned by Réseaux des arts médiatiques with support from the Canada Council for the Arts (CCA). Chorus was awarded the 1st prize at the 2002 Fribourg International Sacred Music Competition (Switzerland). Chorus was also selected by the 2nd Métamorphoses Biennial Acousmatic Composition Competition (Brussels, Belgium) in 2002 and was recorded in 2003 on the CD Métamorphoses 2002, M&R (MR 2002).
Premiere
- July 13, 2002, Festival de musiques sacrées de Fribourg
: Die Singphoniker, Église du Collège Saint-Michel, Fribourg (Switzerland)
Awards
- Composer(s): Robert Normandeau
- Year of composition: 2002
- Duration: 14:00
- Instrumentation: 16-channel fixed medium
- Publisher(s): Ymx média
- Commission: Réseaux des arts médiatiques, with support from the CCA
- ISRC: CAD500518570
Movements
Ouverture
- Movement of: Chorus
Judaïsme
- Movement of: Chorus
Christianisme
- Movement of: Chorus
Islam
- Movement of: Chorus
Confrontation
- Movement of: Chorus
Douleur
- Movement of: Chorus
Paix
- Movement of: Chorus
