Part 1:
A finger cymbal (small metal bowl with a bright sound) softly rings in G. A low C from the solo cello opens up a sound space and traverses it with several chromatic glissandi. Glissandi that each begin and end with notes from the C major triad. Then the choir soprano takes over the fifth of the last cello glissando on a high G. No sooner has it been reached, however, than the tone is clouded by dissonance in the form of secondary friction (between A flat and F sharp) and a marimba. A mysterious flicker arises in the sound sphere. This finally ends again on the pure fifth G of a glass instrument.
In the same sound space three octaves lower, the basses begin a wordless drone chant on G, while the solo bass declaims the first verse: ‘Altissimo...’.
This almost medieval and liturgical-sounding chant is replaced by the repetition of almost identical glissandi on the solo cello, now supplemented with staccato leaps. At the same time, the sopranos interject with their melismatic interjections and end again in the shimmering sound of the beginning and the pure sound of a glass playing on G.
Once again, the bass recites the Canticle of the Sun, and for the third time, the glissandi of the solo cello begin, again accompanied by staccato leaps, and the entire choir sings its short, stammering interjections. Everything once again converges on the shimmering soundscape and the glass sounds. A comprehensive space of praise is constructed threefold.
The bass continues to recite: “e nullu homo…”.
As the piece progresses, the cello and choir improvise with the musical elements that have been introduced. The choir sings a chromatically circling motif. The cello changes its glissandi into narrative cello improvisations and takes over the chromatically circling motif, which continues to influence the music subcutaneously. The dialogue between the cello and the textless A-singing choir intensifies. Gubaidulina plays with the alternation of tempered tuning and natural tones, which, after several attempts by the cello, meet in the same ecstatic praise on the beginning and ending notes of a final glissando (on a fingered tempered D sharp and on the highest D sharp as a flageolet tone).
Above the chromatic flicker of the soprano voices, the tenors and basses now recite together the praise of the creatures, first and foremost the sun.
In between, the cello fantasises its own individual praise.
After another ecstatic cello glissando up to the highest heights, a quiet dialogue opens up between the cello and the gong, leading to the praise of the moon.
Soprano and alto voices recite the words of the Canticle of the Sun, while the cello, together with the vibraphone and cymbals, creates something like moonlight with its delicate web of sound.
(It suddenly occurs to one that Francis of Assisi may have been thinking of Clare when he wrote the word “clarite”).
Part 2
After praising the creator of the sun and moon, the next part glorifies the four elements.
Tenor solo and bass solo introduce the praise of air and wind.
A “windy” percussion interlude (with marimba) accompanies the verse.
Choral sounds, vibraphone, marimba and cello glissandi lead into the water.
A solo soprano praises the water.
The cello (with flowing runs) as well as vibraphone and marimba accompany.
After the sound of (fire) bells, the male choir and their soloists turn towards the fire with concerned excitement.
All the realities of creation are transformed into sounds.
The polyphonic alto and soprano choir prepare for the entrance of the soprano solo and alto solo to praise the land, fruits and plants in recitative style.
Accompanied by marimba and celesta, the cello solo plays a chromatic, slowly descending closing phrase.
A longer interlude follows immediately:
Choral interjections and cello glissandi from the beginning alternate and end in a joint percussive climax.
After it has faded away, the cello slowly rises again in C and A and lingers on a high D sharp. Life develops.
Over vibraphone and choir singing, the cello plays the chromatically circling motif and ends in a kind of trill, which is taken up by the vibraphone. One is reminded of the miracle of the beginnings of life.
This trill, now circling constantly, even in the timpani, is contrasted with upward and downward glissandi.
After a climax of sound from all participants, the cello begins again alone with its searching motif.
The choir repeatedly and increasingly vigorously calls out ‘Altissimo’ to the cello. The Creator's praise for life triggers a great intensification of the sounds, initiated by the cello and heightened by the percussion instruments and the excited Altissimo exclamations.
With the increased rhythmic tempo of the cello and tenor interjections, another vibrant soundscape is achieved and driven to the height of ecstasy by the high voices and percussion, which only slowly fades away, finally in the choir voices.
Once again, the cello begins with an ascending series of notes (becoming higher and higher and searching for natural tones) and dies away at the highest pitch.
Part 3:
Faced with overwhelming reality, the solo cello begins its chromatic search anew. The vibraphone and celesta bring the musical elements together, and the choir sings glissandi.
Then, accompanying the composed cello and marimba/celesta parts, the divided alto voices join in with another “Laudato si”: praise is given to the Most High for those who forgive, endure suffering and seek peace. The soprano voices repeat this praise, also reciting softly, while the cello solo ascends a chromatic scale, then abruptly descends when the reciting tenor voices enter and continues its chromatic figures in the low register. Immediately violent choral interjections lead to a great cry.
The cello begins anew, climbing a natural tone series without a beat. In addition, the cellist tunes the C string down to the lower A.
Given the magnitude of reality, the composition pushes the boundaries of any musical system. The cello, or whoever joins in the praise of the incomprehensibly overwhelming reality, must expand its own previous means of expression. Gubaidulina has the cello play tremolos with a wooden mallet between the G and D strings and glissandi from the bridge to the tailpiece and back.
Accompanied by the constant resonance of glass (fingers rubbing the rim of the glass), the cello plays with the bow on the tailpiece.
The musician must even leave the instrument and circle friction mallets on the skin of the bass drum.
Chorus basses intone glissandi. The composition is expanded into a ritual and a performance.
The cellist turns to the choir and plays six glissandi on a flexatone, accompanied by the constant vibration of the glasses.
The choir responds to the flexatone glissandi with singing. The ritual becomes a reference to something that is more than what normal music can express. The ritual leads to prayer, to a “Miserere” that is barely audible, stammered over dark bass voices.
After the cellist has walked the length of the choir, he returns. The score contains the following instructions: “Halfway there, he stops and – now facing the audience – produces
1) a long, sustained, soft glissando with his bow on the Flexaton
2) (without looking at the audience)
3) sits down and
4) picks up his cello again.”
With several composed pizzicato plucks, the cello is tuned back to C.
Accompanied by plate bells, the cello rises from dark sounds, as if newly empowered to praise.
Part 4:
After a full climax and its fading away, tenors and basses begin to recite the last verse over the soprano and alto voices. The cello accompanies emphatically and powerfully the praise of “Sister Death”, who is an inevitable part of reality.
Marimba and vibraphone sounds join in.
After mentioning the ‘morte secunda’, the cello freezes on a note that repeats itself constantly. Then the tenors and basses sing ‘nol farra male’.
Once again, the cello notes freeze in reverence. Soprano and alto join in and, in view of the grandeur of the whole reality, burst into astonished ecstasy and fade away in enchanting sounds.
Finally, the four solo voices stammeringly join in one after the other above the percussion sounds and the high free cello glissandi, first singing A without words, then singing the final lines “Laudate e benedicete...”.
The cello, with its high flagelett tones, ends with a soft glissando that fades upwards.
Altissimu, omnipotente bon Signore,
Tue so le laude, la gloria e l'honore et onne benedictione.
Ad Te solo, Altissimo, se konfano,
et nullu homo ène dignu te mentouare.
Laudato si, mi Signore cum tucte le Tue creature,
spetialmente messor lo frate Sole,
lo qual è iorno, et allumini noi per lui.
Et ellu è bellu e radiante cum grande splendore:
de Te, Altissimo, porta significatione.
Laudato si, mi Signore, per sora Luna e le stelle:
in celu l'ài formate clarite et pretiose et belle.
Laudato si, mi Signore, per frate Uento
et per aere et nubilo et sereno et onne tempo,
per lo quale, a le Tue creature dài sustentamento.
Laudato si, mi Signore, per sor'Acqua,
la quale è multo utile et humile et pretiosa et casta.
Laudato si, mi Signore, per frate Focu,
per lo quale ennallumini la nocte:
ed ello è bello et iucundo et robustoso et forte.
Laudato si, mi Signore, per sora nostra matre Terra,
la quale ne sustenta et gouerna,
et produce diuersi fructi con coloriti fior et herba.
Laudato si, mi Signore, per quelli ke perdonano per lo Tuo amore
et sostengono infirmitate et tribulatione.
Beati quelli ke 'l sosterranno in pace,
ka da Te, Altissimo, sirano incoronati.
Domine, miserere, Amen. (Prayer inserted by Sofia
Gubaidulina into the Canticle
of the Sun)
Laudato si mi Signore, per sora nostra Morte corporale,
da la quale nullu homo uiuente pò skappare:
guai a quelli ke morrano ne le peccata mortali;
beati quelli ke trouarà ne le Tue sanctissime uoluntati,
ka la morte secunda
no 'l farrà male.
Laudate et benedicete mi Signore et rengratiate
e seruiteli cum grande humilitate.
The Highest, all powerful, good Lord,
Yours are the praises, the glory, the honour, and all blessing.
To You alone, The Highest, do they belong,
and no man is worthy to mention Your name.
Be praised, my Lord, through all your creatures,
especially Sir Brother Sun,
who brings the day; and you give light through him.
And he is beautiful and radiant in all his splendour!
Of you, The Highest, he bears the likeness.
Praised be You, my Lord, through Sister Moon and the stars,
in heaven you formed them clear and precious and beautiful.
Praised be You, my Lord, through Brother Wind,
and through the air, cloudy and serene, and every kind of weather through which you give sustenance to Your creatures.
Praised be You, my Lord, through Sister Water,
which is very useful and humble and precious and chaste.
Praised be You, my Lord, through Brother Fire,
through whom you light the night and he is beautiful
and playful and robust and strong.
Praised be You, my Lord, through Sister Mother Earth,
who sustains us and governs us and who produces
varied fruits with coloured flowers and herbs.
Praised be You, my Lord, through those who give pardon for Your love,
and bear infirmity and tribulation.
Blessed are those who endure in peace
for by You, The Highest, they shall be crowned.
Domine, miserere, Amen. (Prayer inserted by Sofia Gubaidulina into the Canticle of the Sun)
Praised be You, my Lord, through our Sister Bodily Death,
from whom no living man can escape.
Woe to those who die in mortal sin.
Blessed are those who will find Your most holy will,
for the second death
shall do them no harm.
Praise and bless my Lord, and give Him thanks and serve Him with great humility.
