Thursday, September 3
O Magnum Mysterium
The following article was recently passed along to me, and it was too intriguing not to share. In it, Morten Lauridsen shares some of the creative process that went into composing his "O Magnum Mysterium", inlcuding some inspiration from a Zurbarán still life. Particularly fascinating is that the piece finds its roots in chant and polyphony, and yet, it is a thoroughly modern piece; I can't imagine it taking shape in any era but our own. I also appreciated the online presentation of the article, which included a good recording of the piece for your edification, along with a copy of the painting that served as part of the inspiration. This is multimedia at its best. Enjoy.
As a post script, I couldn't let this post go by without noting that the composer says that the altos have the most important note in the piece. If you're an alto, you'll understand why.
![[SMMMHDH]](http://www.mgilleland.com/music/smmmhdh.png){kind=small}
