Composer

:

Tigran Mansurian

Genre

:

Chamber

Compose Date

:

2006

Average_duration

:

15:03

Movement_count

:

3

Movement ....

Agnus Dei (In Memoriam Oleg Kagan) is a choral work composed by Tigran Mansurian in 1996. It was premiered on October 26, 1996, in Stuttgart, Germany, by the Stuttgart Chamber Choir and the Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Dennis Russell Davies. The work is divided into three movements, each of which is based on a text from the Latin Mass. The first movement, "Kyrie," is a mournful plea for mercy, with the choir singing in unison and the orchestra providing a somber accompaniment. The second movement, "Agnus Dei," is a setting of the traditional text, with the choir singing in four-part harmony and the orchestra providing a gentle, flowing accompaniment. The final movement, "Lux Aeterna," is a prayer for eternal light, with the choir singing in a hushed, ethereal tone and the orchestra providing a shimmering, otherworldly accompaniment. The work is characterized by its haunting melodies, lush harmonies, and evocative orchestration. Mansurian's use of dissonance and unconventional harmonies creates a sense of tension and unease, while his use of silence and space allows the music to breathe and resonate. The work is also notable for its use of Armenian folk melodies, which Mansurian weaves seamlessly into the fabric of the music. Agnus Dei (In Memoriam Oleg Kagan) was composed in memory of the Russian violinist Oleg Kagan, who was a close friend of Mansurian's. The work is a deeply personal and emotional tribute to Kagan, and its mournful, introspective tone reflects Mansurian's grief and loss. Despite its somber subject matter, however, the work is ultimately a celebration of life and a testament to the power of music to transcend grief and connect us to something greater than ourselves.

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