Libra

By Jørgen Mortensen



    Composed 1973

    Text by Rudolf Steiner and David, the psalmist.
    Integral version in 10 movements for tenor solo, guitar, 4-part choir ('chorale choir', SATB), 4-part a cappella choir (SATB), optional supporting woodwind, 2 vibraphones (or pianos, or harps).
    Parts of this version can be performed separately.
    Dedicated to Gunnar Eriksson
    1st. performance 18.11.1973 in Lysekil, Sweden.
    Length 30 minutes.

    Solo version in 3 movements for tenor and guitar.
    Dedicated to Ingolf Olsen
    1st. performance 1.8.1973 in the Queen Elisabeth Hall, London.
    Length 12 minutes.


In its complete version, Libra consists of ten movements, which in terms of musical material are woven in and out of each other in a veritable hierarchical pattern.

There is an unusual combination of musicians, comprising a tenor, one guitar, two choirs and two vibraphones, which are only heard together in the 9th. movement. All the other movements use only some of the musicians, right down to just a solo guitar.

The movements vary widely in length, from just a few seconds (3rd. movement) to 10 minutes (9th. movement).

In all its movements the work exhibits a lyrical tone; only the 10th. movement is more firmly dramatic in expression. The general impression of the work, however, is of lyrical tunefulness.


Libra
This picture of a rounded whole fits in very well with the basic idea behind the work. Libra, of course, is one of the Signs of the Zodiac; it stands for harmony, beauty and the position that 'the I embraces the Thou', as Nørgård puts it. The score notes that the Sign of Libra symbolises interpersonal perfection and harmony: love in the widest sense.

The short version of the work is dedicated to the guitarist and tenor, Ingolf Olsen, who was born in 1943 under the Sign of Libra.
Steiner
The Psalms of David
 Nørgård chose one of Rudolf Steiner's 12 Zodiac poems ('Zwölf Stimmungen'), the one about Libra ('Die Welten erhalten Welten'). This poem could almost be a motto for the idea of the open hierarchy, with worlds that contain or maintain other worlds; being embracing being. In addition there are four texts, hymns of praise from the Psalms of David.


Key
As one of the stylistic aspects that further underlines the Sign of Libra can be mentioned the choice of key. The infinity row is used in its diatonic form, and the chosen key is F sharp major, a symbol of Libra, because it is the seventh key, just as Libra is the seventh Sign of the Zodiac. C major is regarded as the first key, and whether one moves upwards in leaps of half-tones or fifths one arrives at F sharp major as the seventh key.


Coherence?

One may ask whether it is really possible to create coherence and a sense of presence in a work that lasts for half an hour and consists of 10 movements, like a suite.

The simple answer is that the work sounds incredibly coherent - not surprising, really, when all the material goes back to the infinity series.

Why does the work not simply fall apart into '10 pretty, but all too static movements'? There are several reasons. In the first place, there is the intensive listening called for by each movement - as I see it, the listener is drawn into a process, especially in the longer movements. Furthermore, there is a clear thread running throughout the whole work.

The work tightens up gradually, beginning with innocently simple short movements, and its complexity increases steadily up to the 7th movement. From this point the bow is bent even further after the intermezzo-like, short 8th movement, until the 9th movement, which is an expansion of the 7th movement, but at half tempo and with further layers. Finally, we reach the dramatic 10th movement, which tersely and emphatically rounds the work off with the most complex movement of all, and at a galloping tempo to boot. In other words, there is this clear thread running throughout the work, as may be seen in the Chart of Libra.



Complexity
The intensity increases, therefore, because more and more layers are added, but how can it be that Libra does not become completely confusing and alienating as it becomes more and more complex?

Feeling at home with the music
 I think the reason is that the content of the music is presented gradually to us, and we begin to feel at home in it. For example, the chorale is presented on its own, directly, no beating about the bush: on the first occasion in unison, and on the second occasion as a four-part harmony.

Especially when the chorale is heard on the longer notes with other music in the foreground or background, its classical heritage becomes evident - Bach's organ chorales, with the chorale spread out and 'wrapped up' in other, faster parts of the music, which may well use material from the chorale.

The chorale is very catchy and not at all difficult to listen to, or to remember, and therefore it can be retained in consciousness as one of many layers in the more complex movements.

This is especially clear to me at one particular place in the 7th movement, and a corresponding place in the 9th movement. The chorale is sung in crotchets, and when it ends (in bar 20) one hears the other layers - and realises that one has been listening carefully all the time, to the other layers as well.

Listen to the place referred to in the 9th movement and listen to the beginning of the 1st movement (guitar solo).


The basic elements of the work

Libra's 10 movements are completely interwoven within an ingenious hierarchy. In the last analysis, all the material can be traced back to the infinity series.

The material can be described under the following headings:

The texts
The infinity series in Libra
Four-part movement based on the infinity series ('core movement')
Chorale, in unison
Chorale, four-part
'Die Welten ...', in unison
Four-part movement based on 'Die Welten ...
Hierarchies in Libra, co-ordination
Chart of Libra
Chart of the 9th movement