CHIAROSCURA, The Esoterics’ fourteenth CD is an exploration of light and darkness, good and evil, truth and falsehood, the known and the mysterious – opposite and yet interdependent forces in our lives. The repertoire of CHIAROSCURA features two motets by the South African composer John Joubert, Alfred Schnittke’s masterfulConcerto for chorus a cappella, and Richard Strauss’ Deutsche Motette. In Joubert’s Sleep canticle, verses by Thomas Browne portray sleep as a midpoint between life and death, and in his motet Let there be light, St Augustine prays for clarity, wisdom, and virtue. Strauss’ Deutsche Motette is arguably the composer’s most notorious choral work, rarely performed due to its sheer virtuosity. Scored for twenty parts that span over four octaves, Strauss composed his setting of Friedrich Rückert’s poem in 1913 on a dare from the Berlin Philharmonic Choir “to write the most challenging piece imaginable.” Also on this recording is Alfred Schnittke’s monumentalConcerto for Choir a cappella, setting verses from The book of sorrowful songs by the Armenian mystic, St Gregory of Narek. This dramatic masterpiece brings together ancient and modern inspiration, evoking a solemnity that transports the listener into a distinctive, unquestionably Russian world of spirituality.

Deutsche Motette

Now is the gentle season - Stephen Paulus

Pro pace motets- Libera plebem

Pro pace motets- O trista secla priora

Pro pace motets- Solus ad victimam

The Esoterics offer our recording of Barber's Agnus Dei to be shared with anyone, who in a time of grief, desolation, or tragedy would like to turn to music for consolation and comfort. We have long held that through music our lives are made whole, and we hope this offering helps in a time of distress. For more about The Esoterics or for a listing of our recordings, visit www.theesoterics.org.

Agnus Dei - Samuel Barber

'And both shall row' by Eric Banks (AMORE)

'Quanta dolcezza' from 'Sonetti d'amore' by Eric Banks (AMORE)

'O Beauty' from 'Alchemy' by Donald Skirvin (IMMAGINOSA)

'The fleeting world' from 'Songs of enlightenment' by Donald Skirvin (MANDALA)

‘Have you seen the white lily grow?’ from ‘The hour-glass’ by Irving Fine (IMMAGINOSA)

‘Perplexed music’ by John Muehleisen (SONETTARIA)

The Esoterics is a Seattle-based vocal ensemble that is dedicated to performing and perpetuating contemporary a cappella choral settings of poetry, philosophy, and spiritual writings from around the world. While cultivating artistic expression and cultural understanding among its singers and audience alike, The Esoterics aspires to reflect the beauty, power, and significance that are inherent in the music of our time.

Seattle Esoterics

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