Canticum Calamitatis Maritimae
Encyclopedia
Canticum Calamitatis Maritimae ("Song of Maritime Calamity") is an eight-part, a cappella
classical choral composition by the Finnish composer Jaakko Mäntyjärvi
. Completed in 1997, the piece was inspired by the MS Estonia disaster of 1994. It won third prize in the European composition competition for cathedral choirs in 1997. The piece is approximately 12 minutes in duration.
The piece opens with each singer whispering, individually, a line of text from the Requiem Mass:
"Lux aeterna luceat eis, Domine, et lux perpetua luceat eis."
In English:
"May eternal light shine upon them, Lord, and may perpetual light shine upon them."
After a lamenting, wordless soprano solo, the piece continues with the Nuntii Latini
report, sung by a tenor soloist. The soloist announces the disaster and the initial casualty figures. After this, the piece moves into the text of Psalm 107, in Latin:
In English translation:
The piece ends with the words "requiem aeternam": "eternal rest".
", which folk legend identifies as the tune played by the band on the deck of the RMS Titanic as it went down; the tenor soloist who initially reports on the disaster mimics a cantor
from a Catholic requiem mass; humming in the bass part suggests the hum of the ship's engine. Later in the piece, Mäntyjärvi uses a tight (chord?) to suggest the shriek of shearing metal; the "anima eorum" section mimics the transmission of an "SOS
" signal in Morse Code
. Chords that occur late in the piece—set to the text "...et clamaverunt ad Dominum / cum tribularentur..." are sung in open, parallel fourths, suggesting funerary bagpipes. The final words of the piece-- "requiem aeternam"-- are voiced in the bass and soprano registers, suggesting foghorns and marine bells, respectively.
A cappella
A cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato...
classical choral composition by the Finnish composer Jaakko Mäntyjärvi
Jaakko Mäntyjärvi
Jaakko Mäntyjärvi is a Finnish composer of classical music, and a professional translator.-Education:Mäntyjärvi studied English and Linguistics at the University of Helsinki, graduating with an FK degree in 1991...
. Completed in 1997, the piece was inspired by the MS Estonia disaster of 1994. It won third prize in the European composition competition for cathedral choirs in 1997. The piece is approximately 12 minutes in duration.
Text
The text of the piece is taken from three sources: the Catholic Requiem Mass, Psalm 107: "They that go down to the sea in ships...", and the report of the disaster from the Finnish news service, Nuntii Latini.The piece opens with each singer whispering, individually, a line of text from the Requiem Mass:
"Lux aeterna luceat eis, Domine, et lux perpetua luceat eis."
In English:
"May eternal light shine upon them, Lord, and may perpetual light shine upon them."
After a lamenting, wordless soprano solo, the piece continues with the Nuntii Latini
Nuntii Latini
Nuntii Latini is a news service based in Finland that broadcasts news in Latin. It has been broadcast since September 1989 by the Finnish national broadcaster YLE on YLE Radio 1 -channel.- Station output :...
report, sung by a tenor soloist. The soloist announces the disaster and the initial casualty figures. After this, the piece moves into the text of Psalm 107, in Latin:
Qui descendunt mare in navibus, facientes operationem in aquis multis: 24 ipsi viderunt opera Domini, et mirabilia ejus in profundo. 25 Dixit, et stetit spiritus procellæ, et exaltati sunt fluctus ejus. 26 Ascendunt usque ad cælos, et descendunt usque ad abyssos; anima eorum in malis tabescebat. 27 Turbati sunt, et moti sunt sicut ebrius, et omnis sapientia eorum devorata est. 28 Et clamaverunt ad Dominum cum tribularentur; et de necessitatibus eorum eduxit eos. 29 Et statuit procellam ejus in auram, et siluerunt fluctus ejus. 30 Et lætati sunt quia siluerunt; et deduxit eos in portum voluntatis eorum. 31
In English translation:
They that go down to the sea in ships, doing business in the great waters: 24 These have seen the works of the Lord, and his wonders in the deep. 25 He said the word, and there arose a storm of wind: and the waves thereof were lifted up. 26 They mount up to the heavens, and they go down to the depths: their soul pined away with evils. 27 They were troubled, and reeled like a drunken man; and all their wisdom was swallowed up. 28 And they cried to the Lord in their affliction: and he brought them out of their distresses. 29 And he turned the storm into a breeze: and its waves were still. 30 And they rejoiced because they were still: and he brought them to the haven which they wished for.
The piece ends with the words "requiem aeternam": "eternal rest".
Musical effects
The piece uses vocalized effects to mimic a number of sounds associated with the disaster. The whispering voices at the beginning of the work suggest the hiss of sea-spray or radio static; the tune sung by the soprano soloist suggests the hymn "Nearer, My God, to TheeNearer, My God, to Thee
"Nearer, My God, to Thee" is a 19th century Christian hymn by Sarah Flower Adams, based loosely on Genesis 28:11–19, the story of Jacob's dream. Genesis 28:11–12 can be translated as follows: "So he came to a certain place and stayed there all night, because the sun had set. And he took one of the...
", which folk legend identifies as the tune played by the band on the deck of the RMS Titanic as it went down; the tenor soloist who initially reports on the disaster mimics a cantor
Cantor (church)
A cantor is the chief singer employed in a church with responsibilities for the ecclesiastical choir; also called the precentor....
from a Catholic requiem mass; humming in the bass part suggests the hum of the ship's engine. Later in the piece, Mäntyjärvi uses a tight (chord?) to suggest the shriek of shearing metal; the "anima eorum" section mimics the transmission of an "SOS
SOS
SOS is the commonly used description for the international Morse code distress signal...
" signal in Morse Code
Morse code
Morse code is a method of transmitting textual information as a series of on-off tones, lights, or clicks that can be directly understood by a skilled listener or observer without special equipment...
. Chords that occur late in the piece—set to the text "...et clamaverunt ad Dominum / cum tribularentur..." are sung in open, parallel fourths, suggesting funerary bagpipes. The final words of the piece-- "requiem aeternam"-- are voiced in the bass and soprano registers, suggesting foghorns and marine bells, respectively.
Recordings
- The Esoterics (ensemble)The Esoterics (ensemble)The Esoterics is a vocal ensemble based in Seattle, Washington, that performs contemporary a cappella choral settings of poetry, philosophy, and spiritual writings from around the world....
on Elementia - The Phoenix Bach Choir on Eternal Rest
- The Tapiola Chamber Choir on the Finlandia label
See also
- "Final Report on the Capsizing on 28 September 1994 in the Baltic Sea of the RO-RO Passenger Vessel MV Estonia"
- "Estonia" (song), a song by the British progressive rock band MarillionMarillionMarillion are a British rock band, formed in Aylesbury, England in 1979. Their recorded studio output comprises sixteen albums generally regarded in two distinct eras, delineated by the departure of original vocalist & frontman Fish in late 1988, and the subsequent arrival of replacement Steve...