JORGE GRUNDMAN (b.1961): A mortuis resurgere (The Resurrection of Christ) for String Quartet and Soprano.

Description: Noting that music for Easter week predominantly concentrates on the Passion and Crucifixion, Grundman set out to redress the balance by writing a work that takes up the story of the Resurrection; specifically, in view of the form and forces, a kind of sequel to Haydn's Seven Last Words. The texts, from the Gospel of St. John, are sung in Latin, lending an additional layer of liturgical solemnity to the consoling, uplifting message of the work. The style of the music has somewhat in common with the broad category of 'New Spirituality'; instantly accessible, entirely tonal and avoiding all but the mildest dissonance. Repeating figuration is a frequent feature of the instrumental writing, sometimes with a pulsating, minimalist quality, sometimes used to accompany the soaring vocal line, sounding more like a conventional Baroque accompaniment, while the gorgeous melody part runs the gamut from suggesting folk or popular song to chant to a Nymanesque adaptation of baroque material into a minimalist context. Latin-English texts. Susana Cordón (soprano), Brodsky Quartet.