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Laudes (1964) |
solo organ - 23'
Laudes was written in 1964 and is intended as a hymn of praise to God for all that is good. It is in four movements and provides the organist with opportunities for a thrilling display.
"I believe that our century is profoundly lacking in gratitude to those around us, to life itself and, above all, to its creator. There are complaints, grievances, contention and perhaps even indolence but no gratitude at all. So perhaps the most urgent task of art is to praise, otherwise 'even the stones would cry out'
"In each of the four movements you will find two parts, two ideas. In the first part there is the initial mood of the piece, from which the praise will spring up in the second. The basic mood is different in each movement: in the first it is full of majesty; in the second, it is a secret silence which bursts out in praise; in the third, it is mysterious; and in the fourth a threatening depression. In every movement a plainsong melody is used. In the first it is the Easter Alleluia; in the second, one of the doxologies, Gloria Patri et Filio; in the third the well-known hymn Lauda Sion and in the fourth, the Easter hymn Christus vincit, Christus regnat"
© Petr Eben.