Samuel Barber - Agnus Dei | WDR Klassik

Samuel Barber - Agnus Dei
Text:
Agnus Dei
qui tollis peccata mundi,
miserere nobis.
Dona nobis pacem.
Peter Dijkstra, conductor
WDR Runkfunkchor
Recorded on the 29. June 2018 at Funkhaus Wallrafplatz, Cologne.
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[@LucienMarine]

Samuel Barber's Agnus Dei is a choral arrangement of his timeless work, Adagio for Strings. Barber put the Latin words of the liturgical Agnus Dei to his original 1936 work. The score calling for a mixed choir and optional accompaniment was written in 1967. The composer set religious words to this theme after reflecting for some time on how the Adagio for Strings was taken by the public and critics. After seeing how people associated his music with mourning and passion, Barber wanted to add a spiritual twist to this famous theme. Marked up similarly to the original, the slow introduction of the voices at the beginning prepares the chapter for the rest of the piece. Barber uses the words of Agnus Dei to dictate which intonations should be set to what voicings from the original. Initially it is the voice soprano who take the lead with the melody, but later on some of the other voices take the reigns of the melody. The repetition of the phrase « Agnus Dei » is significant as it shows what Barber was wanting from this arrangement. The haunting atmosphere of Agnus Dei has a similar effect to Adagio for Strings, with both using sustained lines and slow-moving melodies to create the desired effect. Although perhaps not as famous that the instrumental work, Agnus Dei is however popular in the register of choral music, with a number of futuristic vocal recordings of the work. Music is a beautiful refuge against the imperfection of the world. To Marie-Jeanne. *Lucien*

[@WDRKlassik]

Thank you! 😊

[@LucienMarine]

@@WDRKlassik I know the fame of this choir director *Peter Dijkstra* 🎗

[@twphua7019]

Love the soloist expressions. But hate that the song is made way too rushed and fast

[@user-po9ck6rg3z]

Vielen herzlichen Dank !💛

[@xavieroropeza5653]

Excelente versión! Al fin una donde se puede seguir perfectamente la línea de los bajos! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@WDRKlassik]

Muchas gracias!

[@aninditosetiawan6825]

This is very good dynamics and vocal tone ! Romantic agnus dei

[@hudsoncampos2201]

Amazing

[@andrzejgrzeskowiak3316]

Klasse 👏👏👏👏

[@varuzhanmargaryan3547]

Great emotional👋

[@WDRKlassik]

Thank you 😊

[@xxxxxxxxx727]

divine

[@WarpRulez]

Not even nearly as fast as the one I just came from, but still slightly too fast.

[@Swatmat]

agreed

[@Anvilshock]

Only eight minutes?? What's the rush? Is the conductor expecting a Hermes delivery or what?? Take your time, man, there are at least nine-and-a-half minutes worth of musical indulgence in this. What a waste of talent of that colossal singer's at 1:09 and those outright seismic basses. Seriously.