John Tavener: Cantus Mysticus (Score)

Cantus Mysticus was commissioned by The Foundation for the Cuenca Religious Music Week. First performance on 22nd March 2005, as part of the XLIV Cuenca Religious Music Week, by Joan Enric Lluna (clarinet), Patricia Rozario (soprano) and the Madrid Community Orchestra, conducted by the composer. The composer writes: Cantus Mysticus sets a text by Goethe concerned with the Eternal Feminine: Das ewig Weibliche sichuns hinan (The Eternal Woman draws us upwards). Many of my recent works have been concerned with meditation on the Creative Feminine which, according to esoteric metaphysics, reveals the 'child of the soul', and thus God. The slow, contemplative and very intense opening of Cantus Mysticus leads gradually towards a 'still centre', with much use of 'silence'. This is followed by an ecstatic celebration of the Divine Feminine 闂備胶鍋ㄩ崕鏌ュ箖e Virgine Madre of Dante and Christianity, the Maha Maya of Hinduism, and Maha Prajavati of Buddhism. The Jazz-style passages for clarinet express L闂佸憡濡挦, or Divine Play. Cantus Mysticus is scored for B flat clarinet, soprano and strings (violins and cellos only).