Saturday, June 02, 2007

The Hermeneutic of Continuity Series

Keep on the lookout in the near future for the first article of what I'd like to call the Hermeneutic of Continuity Series. This will be a number of biographical and musicological essays on Catholic composers from various eras whose music (one or more of their works) respects the tradition of chant and polyphony but at the same time is (or was) fresh and contemporary in ways fitting for the sacred liturgy. The hope is that, by expounding upon the works of these composers, the ideal which I spelled out in this article in the May/June 2007 issue of the St. Austin Review might more readily be achieved.

Here are some composers I'm thinking about exploring, among others:

--Anton Bruckner
--Jean Langlais
--Olivier Messiaen (especially Le Banquet Celeste and O Sacrum Convivium)
--Arvo Part
--Max Reger
--Samuel Wesley

At any rate, I'm looking forward to this, and now that I've made my plans known, I'm forced to go through with it.

More recent articles:

For more articles, see the NLM archives: