MISSA SALAMU is the focus of this double CD, the culmination of a series of ten mass settings composed between 1959 and 2019. The work is based on the 2018 composition Salamu, which conceptually relates to the theme of “interreligious dialogue”: the reformation of reformation, the further thinking and development of ecumenism – “religious tolerance” towards all religions. Because: in 2070, there will be more Muslims than Christians on Earth (Religionsmonitor of the Bertelsmann Foundation).
While MISSA UNISONO (No. 1) is still based on Gregorian monophony, MISSA SALAMU breaks with all ties to the tradition of the mass genre; it is a cry in the mirror of time, the reversal of hope: war is the absence of peace.
The musical genre of the Mass, with its parts Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus, and Agnus Dei, has a long (musical) history. In the early Christian centuries, simple melodies emerged under the influence of Jewish ritual music, which developed into a virtuoso wealth of unaccompanied monophonic chants. Since Pope Gregory the Great (540–604), this chant has been known as “Gregorian chant.” Over the course of further centuries, a singing practice with several independent voices also developed. The most famous example of the beginning of polyphony is the Messe de Nostre Dame (1364) by Guillaume de Machaut. It marks the beginning of a unique cultural treasure – the repertoire of music history. Rooted in it is the history of the mass genre, which reached its peak with Johann Sebastian Bach's Mass in B minor, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Mass in C minor, and Ludwig van Beethoven's Missa solemnis.
In pre-Christian times, the Kyrie eleison (Lord, have mercy on us) was a common cry of homage to gods and rulers. In Christian worship, it was assigned a “penitential” character. The Gloria fundamentally expresses the Christian belief in the order of the world, with God in heaven and people on earth: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men.” The Credo is a profession of faith and an integral part of the Mass. With the Sanctus, Christians join in the singing of the angels. They call out to each other, “Holy, holy, holy.” This cry was already heard in synagogue services and was soon adopted by Christians. The Sanctus, as “Benedictus,” was given the addition “Hosanna to the Son of David. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.” The Agnus Dei refers to the acclamation at the breaking of bread: “Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi” – Lamb of God (the symbol for Jesus Christ), you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us, give us your peace – “dona nobis pacem.” The concept of peace essentially defines the genre of the Mass. Are Mass settings still appropriate in our time? The concept of peace in them certainly is.
The ten masses were recorded between 1973 and 2023 with top-class performers. The award-winning actor Lars Eidinger was engaged as narrator for the MISSA SALAMU.
The scores of the 10 masses are available in a collected edition.
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