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BR Klassik

Lauridsen: Lux Aeterna; Runestadt: Earth Symphony

Modern Spiritual Serene Contemplative Uplifting
$19.99 Only 2 left

Details

Composer
Morten Lauridsen, Jake Runestadt
Artist
Munchner Rundfunkorchester
Format
CD
Label
BR Klassik
Released
Jul 04, 2025
Catalog #
BRK900355
UPC
4035719003550

About

This production is dedicated to the works of two American composers, of whom Morten Lauridsen is certainly the better known in Germany. His choral work O magnum mysterium (1994) in particular has become one of the hits of contemporary choral literature in recent years. Lauridsen (born 1943) grew up in Portland, Oregon, the son of Danish immigrants. The songs of Jerome Kern, Cole Porter and Richard Rodgers were very present in his home. He initially studied English and history and worked as a fireman. He then turned his attention entirely to music and moved to the University of Southern California, where, after graduating, he taught music theory and later became a professor of composition. As a creator of primarily vocal music he received many awards, including the National Medal of Arts in 2007. From 1994 to 2001, he was composer in residence with the Los Angeles Master Chorale, one of the leading professional choirs in the USA, which also premiered his Lux aeterna. All five movements of this cycle refer to the "Eternal Light". While Lauridsen was setting the underlying liturgical texts to music, his mother was dying - but the words about light as a universal symbol of all-encompassing enlightenment gave him consolation. Jake Runestad is one of the latest additions to the list of great American composers and is in the process of securing his place in US music history. Born in 1986 in Rockford, Illinois, he grew up in a family that sang a lot. There was also a piano, and during his primary school years he began to play little melodies on it - also teaching himself Scott Joplin's The Entertainer. From 2009 to 2011, he studied at the Peabody Conservatory of Johns Hopkins University, after which he quickly gained recognition, especially in the field of choral music. However, his catalogue of works also includes operas, orchestral pieces and chamber music. He has received commissions from the Washington National Opera, the vocal ensemble VOCES8 and the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, among others. His first album, The Hope of Loving, was immediately nominated for a Grammy Award. A keen mountaineer and camper, Runestad finds nature a great source of inspiration. In his Earth Symphony, Mother Earth herself is given a voice; the five interrelated sections deal with her destruction, her sorrow, her healing, and also her hope for humanity.

Tracklist 10 tracks

  1. 1 Introitus 07:03
    Track
    1
    Title
    Introitus
    Duration
    07:03
    Composer
    Morten Lauridsen
    Ensemble
    Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Münchner Rundfunkorchester
    Conductor
    Joseph R. Olefirowicz
  2. 2 In Te, Domine, Speravi 04:15
    Track
    2
    Title
    In Te, Domine, Speravi
    Duration
    04:15
    Composer
    Morten Lauridsen
    Ensemble
    Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Münchner Rundfunkorchester
    Conductor
    Joseph R. Olefirowicz
  3. 3 O Nata Lux 05:09
    Track
    3
    Title
    O Nata Lux
    Duration
    05:09
    Composer
    Morten Lauridsen
    Ensemble
    Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks
    Conductor
    Joseph R. Olefirowicz
  4. 4 Veni, Sancte Spiritus 02:37
    Track
    4
    Title
    Veni, Sancte Spiritus
    Duration
    02:37
    Composer
    Morten Lauridsen
    Ensemble
    Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Münchner Rundfunkorchester
    Conductor
    Joseph R. Olefirowicz
  5. 5 Agnus Dei 11:22
    Track
    5
    Title
    Agnus Dei
    Duration
    11:22
    Composer
    Morten Lauridsen
    Ensemble
    Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Münchner Rundfunkorchester
    Conductor
    Joseph R. Olefirowicz
  6. 6 I. Evolution 05:12
    Track
    6
    Title
    I. Evolution
    Duration
    05:12
    Composer
    Jake Runestad
    Ensemble
    Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Münchner Rundfunkorchester
    Conductor
    Joseph R. Olefirowicz
  7. 7 II. Ambition 06:26
    Track
    7
    Title
    II. Ambition
    Duration
    06:26
    Composer
    Jake Runestad
    Ensemble
    Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Münchner Rundfunkorchester
    Conductor
    Joseph R. Olefirowicz
  8. 8 III. Destruction 06:19
    Track
    8
    Title
    III. Destruction
    Duration
    06:19
    Composer
    Jake Runestad
    Ensemble
    Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Münchner Rundfunkorchester
    Conductor
    Joseph R. Olefirowicz
  9. 9 IV. Lament 07:01
    Track
    9
    Title
    IV. Lament
    Duration
    07:01
    Composer
    Jake Runestad
    Ensemble
    Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Münchner Rundfunkorchester
    Conductor
    Joseph R. Olefirowicz
  10. 10 V. Recovery 08:43
    Track
    10
    Title
    V. Recovery
    Duration
    08:43
    Composer
    Jake Runestad
    Ensemble
    Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Münchner Rundfunkorchester
    Conductor
    Joseph R. Olefirowicz