Rechants

Three outstanding composers, who each share a unique understanding of the relationship between rhythm and the human voice that transcends their own time. Vicente Lusitano was the first published composer of African heritage. The seemingly neverending phrases of his 8-part motet Inviolata, integra et casta es are like a calm storm that sweeps its listeners off into the late Renaissance. In Cinq rechants pour 12 voix mixtes, Olivier Messiaen creates a new ritual in which the story of Tristan and Isolde is punctuated by traditional rhythms from different parts of the world. The Partita for 8 Voices by the Pulitzer Prize-winning American composer Carolin Shaw breathes new life into this Baroque genre.  The work seems to be generated out of the pure joy of playing with convention. In this way the past meets music that points ahead to the future in a fruitful dialogue that breaks down the barriers of time.