John Tavener - Ikon of Light

Sir John Tavener Composer.
Ikon of Light, for chorus and string trio

Musicology:
Ikon of Light, for chorus and string trio
Year: 1984
Genre: Other Choral
Pr. Instrument: Chorus/Choir
1.Fos I, Doxa
2.Piu Intensita
3.Trisagion I
4a.Mystic Prayer to the Holy Spirit
4b.
4c.
4d.
4e.
5.Trisagion II
6.Fos II
7.Epiphiana


One of John Tavener's best known and most important compositions, Ikon of Light had its origin when he browsed through a bookshop and found the "Invocation to the Holy Spirit" by St. Symeon the New Theologian, one of the greatest Orthodox mystical writers. Tavener's hope was to write a work as free of novelty and ego as an Orthodox ikon. In the preface to the score, he says he wanted to "express the inexpressible, i.e., 'uncreated light'."

The piece is in seven movements, the three first being mirrored by the last three around a central movement, which is a choral setting of the St. Symeon text.

The first movement is a very dramatic setting of the single Greek word "Fos," or "Light." A string trio pre-echoes powerful choral projections of the word. Each recurrence of this pattern is twice the duration of the previous one.

The second movement incorporates, unchanged, a prior Tavener composition, Doxa, the Greek word for "Glory." Again, it uses the single word as the entire text.

The third movement, "Trisagion (I)" is a setting of the Orthodox "Thrice-Holy Hymn." The traditional Byzantine melody is used, passing from solo baritone through all the male voices, then to the string trio.

St. Symeon's text is a recitation of qualities of the Holy Spirit. Tavener in the fourth movement turned to a new preoccupation of his, "magic squares" of notes that produced musical palindromes. This movement is as long as the other six movements put together, and is divided into five parts. Each new musical statement of the first section begins with the same five-note figure, based on the Greek word "Elthe," (Come) since each verse of St.; Symeon's text begins with that word. The second part is for string trio only, setting out the palindrome in a straightforward manner. By the time the ending is reached, a shining shower of notes accompanies the line "Come, true light."

Trisagion (II) repeats the corresponding earlier movement, with the melody moving to the sopranos. Fos (II) reflects the original opening movement, now with showering downward notes. The final movement, "Epiphania," is an inversion of the choral "Doxa," with a brilliant string texture accompanying.

The work was successfully premiered in the summer of 1984 at Tewkesbury Abbey by Peter Phillips and the Tallis Scholars, and they soon recorded it for LP release.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhKeEt0o0B8