Abismes

Abismes (Catalan: "abysses") is a diptych for symphonic orchestra on the theme "Magnificat-Et exsultavit spiritus meus", composed for the Paradisi Gloria concert series of the Munich Radio Orchestra. Structurally, Abismes is divided into two parts. The first: mechanical, unforgiving and inhuman; the second: magical, hypnotic and yet, in the end, joyous. The anti-climax of the work is complemented by a quotation from the Evangelium according to St. Matthew, declaimed by the musicians of the orchestra: "Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.". Thus the circle closes: the message of Jesus has been able to bring chaos to order, redeem duality; and therefore my spirit rejoices (Et exsultavit spiritus meus). In terms of composition, the first part of the diptych is strictly written in Sonata Form, while the second is more freely structured, crowned at the end by a six-part canon inspired by melodic elements from Perotinus Magnus' Viderunt omnes, organum a4 (1198).

Abismes was commissioned by the Bavarian Radio in 2007, finished on June 2007 and premiered on 1st February 2008 in the Herz-Jesu-Kirche in Munich with the Münchner Rundfunkorchester conducted by Ulf Schirmer.