Sunday, November 26, 2017

Dante's Music of Paradise

Dante and the Divine (Gustav Doré)
I recently finished teaching Dante's Divine Comedy. Predictably, I made much of how the poem uses music. Hell has only unholy noise: crashing stones, groans, shouts, and, famously, a demon who "made a trumpet of his ass" in Inferno 21. When Dante and Virgil finally make it to Purgatory, they are welcomed with the blessedly familiar sounds of the Te Deum. Unsurprisingly, Paradise features the poem's most dense and ecstatic music. As Dante ascends further into heavenly light and heavenly truth, he is also, increasingly, surrounded by singing. Dante's paradise is filled not only with "the glory of the One who moves the universe" (Paradiso I:1-2) but with saints who dance for joy, and angels who sing in more-than-human voices. The music of Dante's Paradise is dense, sweet, and unlike anything he has ever heard, though it often sets liturgical texts that he knows very well.

Thanks to a student, I recently learned that the Swiss composer Helena Winckelman has taken on the challenge of imagining and creating music for Dante's quintessentially indescribable Paradise. 18 voices, an unsurprising harp, and a delightfully surprising contrabass clarinet sing melodies that, especially at the beginning, circle each other like the circles of Paradise. In the close textures of the music -- several sets of harmonies overlapping with each other, sometimes with combination tones -- there is something of a sense of human incapability. Winckelman's use of spectral composition techniques is not only an aural adventure; it's also a homage to Dante. Turning light into language is what Dante is doing throughout Paradiso, trying to express the inexpressible, pushing his chosen medium of expression to its limits.




Winckelman's setting of Paradiso 33 deliberately challenges the ear. This seems, to me, entirely apt for the conclusion of Paradiso, where Dante reaches the uncreated light at the heart of all things. The mystical chanting of the piece's opening gives way to a countertenor solo for the hymn to the Virgin that opens the canto. Throughout the piece, nearly-unintelligible sound can suddenly be resolved into an ecstatic, familiar cry of prayer or adoration. The transformation of Dante's vision ("ché la mia vista, venendo sincera") is marked with a great change within the music, accompanied by percussion. But Dante's vision of paradise is an experience always partial and imperfect, as he is acutely and painfully aware. His sense of loss and longing is poignantly set by Winkelman, notably in the repeated "non riede," as Dante explains -- laments -- that his recollections are faint and imperfect. As Dante comes closer and closer to the Divine, which he can never fully comprehend and with which he is yet one, Winckelman increasingly alludes to medieval music. She incorporates Gregorian chant and, at the work's climax, "Alle, psallite cum luya." This playful, joyful round, dating to Dante's lifetime, can be learnt in a matter of minutes. I found myself not only moved with the pleasure of finding a familiar tune in an unexpected place, but charmed by Winckelman's vision of complexity being resolved into simplicity, mystification into delight.



4 comments:

  1. Hello Everybody,
    My name is Mrs Sharon Sim. I live in Singapore and i am a happy woman today? and i told my self that any lender that rescue my family from our poor situation, i will refer any person that is looking for loan to him, he gave me happiness to me and my family, i was in need of a loan of $250,000.00 to start my life all over as i am a single mother with 3 kids I met this honest and GOD fearing man loan lender that help me with a loan of $250,000.00 SG. Dollar, he is a GOD fearing man, if you are in need of loan and you will pay back the loan please contact him tell him that is Mrs Sharon, that refer you to him. contact Dr Purva Pius, call/whats-App Contact Number +918929509036 via email:(urgentloan22@gmail.com) Thank you.

    ReplyDelete
  2. EN LUGAR DE OBTENER UN PRÉSTAMO, TENGO ALGO NUEVO
    ¡Obtenga $ 5,500 USD todos los días, durante seis meses!

    Mira como funciona
    ¿Sabes que puedes hackear cualquier máquina de tarjetas de crédito con una tarjeta de crédito pirateada?
    Decídase antes de aplicar, trato directo ...

    ¡Solicite una tarjeta de crédito en blanco ahora y obtenga millones en una semana !: contáctenos
    por correo electrónico :: {Legitblankcardsonline@gmail.com}

    Tenemos tarjetas de crédito especialmente programadas que pueden usarse para hackear tarjetas de crédito. Máquinas
    A nivel nacional, las tarjetas de crédito se pueden usar para retirar en cualquier tarjeta de crédito o máquinas de deslizamiento, en
    Tiendas y máquinas POS. Vendemos estas tarjetas a todos nuestros clientes e interesados.
    compradores en todo el mundo, la tarjeta de crédito tiene un límite de retiro diario de $ 5,500 en cualquier máquina de tarjetas de crédito
    y un límite de gasto de hasta $ 50,000 en tiendas dependiendo del tipo de tarjeta
    usted ordena para. Las tarjetas de crédito también se pueden utilizar en cualquier otro ciberataque {Servicios}, estamos a su disposición en cualquier momento y cualquier día.

    Aquí están nuestras listas de precios para las tarjetas de crédito:

    Las tarjetas que retiran $ 5,500 por día cuestan $ 200 USD
    Las tarjetas que retiran $ 10,000 por día cuestan $ 850 USD
    Las tarjetas que retiran $ 35,000 por día cuestan $ 2,200 USD
    Las tarjetas que retiran $ 50,000 por día cuestan $ 5,500 USD
    Las tarjetas que retiran $ 100,000 por día cuestan $ 8,500 USD


    decídase antes de aplicar, trato directo !!!

    El precio incluye los gastos de envío y los cargos, ordene ahora: contáctenos a través de
    dirección de correo electrónico :: {Legitblankcardsonline@gmail.com}

    ReplyDelete
  3. Awesome and interesting article. Great things you've always shared with us. Thanks. Just continue composing this type of post.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thank you for sharing such useful information. I'd like to share with you the finest mobile app for pharma store. Alteza, an pharmacy app development company Specially and specifically creates Mobile apps and websites for a pharmacist to establish a presence on the internet for their pharmacy firm by industry specialists.

    Contact us for more info:
    Website: https://altezatel.com/online-pharmacy-app-development
    Mail : info@altezatel.com
    9099449927 (India)
    +1 860-337-2400 (US)
    Alteza: Online Pharmacy App Development Company

    ReplyDelete

Start a conversation!

LinkWithin

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...