Composer

:

Morten Lauridsen

Genre

:

Choral

Style

:

Choral

Compose Date

:

1997

Average_duration

:

28:06

Movement_count

:

5

Movement ....

Lux Aeterna is a choral composition by Morten Lauridsen, an American composer and professor of composition at the University of Southern California. The piece was composed in 1997 and premiered in the same year by the Los Angeles Master Chorale, conducted by Paul Salamunovich. Lux Aeterna is a five-movement work that is approximately 25 minutes in length. The text is in Latin and is drawn from various sources, including the Requiem Mass, the Te Deum, and the O Antiphons. The piece is scored for a cappella choir, with occasional divisi in the soprano and alto parts. The first movement, "Introitus," begins with a sustained chord that gradually builds in intensity, leading to a soaring melody in the sopranos. The second movement, "In Te, Domine, Speravi," is a setting of Psalm 31 and features a solo soprano singing the text in a chant-like style, with the choir providing a rich harmonic backdrop. The third movement, "O Nata Lux," is a setting of a text by Thomas Tallis and features a lush, polyphonic texture with overlapping phrases and rich harmonies. The fourth movement, "Veni, Sancte Spiritus," is a setting of the Pentecost sequence and features a driving rhythm and energetic, syncopated melodies. The final movement, "Agnus Dei - Lux Aeterna," is a setting of the Agnus Dei text from the Requiem Mass, combined with a text from the Te Deum. The movement begins with a haunting melody in the altos, which is then taken up by the rest of the choir. The piece ends with a serene, ethereal setting of the text "Lux Aeterna," with the choir singing in a hushed, reverent tone. Overall, Lux Aeterna is characterized by its lush harmonies, soaring melodies, and rich, polyphonic textures. The piece is often described as "radiant" and "transcendent," and has become one of Lauridsen's most popular and frequently performed works.

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