Sunday Afternoon, June 12, 2016, at 2:00Isaac Stern Auditorium / Ronald O. Perelman Stage

Changing Lives through the Power of Performance

Iris Derke, Co-Founder and General DirectorJonathan Griffith, Co-Founder and Artistic Director

presents

ETERNAL LIGHT

JONATHAN GRIFFITH, DCINY Artistic Director and Principal Conductor

Featuring Distinguished Concerts Orchestra

Distinguished Concerts Singers International

MORTEN LAURIDSEN Lux Aeterna I. Introitus II. In Te, Domine, Speravi III. O Nata Lux IV. Veni, Sancte Spiritus V. Agnus Dei Lux Aeterna

Intermission

PLEASE SWITCH OFF YOUR CELL PHONES AND OTHER ELECTRONIC DEVICES.

(program continued)

06-12 DCINY_CH Rental 6/3/16 9:59 AM Page 1

CRISTIAN GRASES, Composer/Conductor

FeaturingDistinguished Concerts Orchestra

Distinguished Concerts Singers International

CRISTIAN GRASES Nocturnos y Adivinanzas (World Premiere) Courtesy of the DCINY Premiere Project I. Las Cuatro Letras (Four Letters) II. La Luna (The Moon) III. Negrita Duerme (Sleep, My Sweet Love) IV. La Bellota y El Cerdo (The Acorn and The Pig) V. Cancin de Arrullo (Lullaby) VI. Las Estrellas (The Stars)

For information about performing on DCINYs series or about purchasing tickets, e-mailConcerts@DCINY.org, call (212) 707-8566, or visit our website at www.DCINY.org.

DISTINGUISHED CONCERTS INTERNATIONAL NEW YORK250 W. 57TH STREET, SUITE 1610

NEW YORK, NY 10107(212) 707-8566

We Want To Hear From You!Use #ETERNALLIGHT to post your post-concert and intermission photos and com-

ments to @DCINY on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram! | DCINY

DCINY thanks its kind sponsors in education: Artist Travel Consultants, VH-1 Savethe Music, Education Through Music, High 5, WQXR and New York Yo Yo Club.

06-12 DCINY_CH Rental 6/3/16 9:59 AM Page 2

Notes ON THE PROGRAM

For the complex and moving fivemovement non-liturgical requiem LuxAeterna, Lauridsen selected and set fivesacred Latin texts, the opening andclosing of the Requiem Mass and threesections of the Te Deum, all of whichcontain references to light. In thiswork, Lauridsen combines compellingmelodies with tonal harmonic structureand his characteristic use of dissonance.The accessible Lux Aeterna was com-posed for the Los Angeles MusicCenter on April 13, 1997. Lauridsencommented in the published score:The instrumental introduction to theIntroitus softly recalls motivic frag-ments from two pieces especially closeto my heart (my settings of RilkesContre Que, Rose from Les Chansonsdes Roses, and O Magnum Mysterium)

which recur throughout the work invarious forms. Several new themes inthe Introitus are then introduced by thechorus, including an extended canonon et lux perpetua. In Te, Domini, andSperavi contains, among other musicalelements, the cantus firumsHerzliebster Jesu and a lengthy invertedcanon on fiat Misericordia. O NataLux and Veni Sancte Spiritus are pairedsongs, the former a central a cappellamotet, and the latter a spirited, jubilantcanticle. A quiet setting of the AgnusDei precedes the final Lux Aeterna,which reprises the opening section ofthe introitus and concludes with a joy-ful Alleluia.

Morten Lauridsen

LUX AETERNAMorten Lauridsen (b. 1943)Duration: 27 minutes

I have always been fascinated by region-al traditions. Whether it is architecture,music, sculpture, dance, food, or poet-ry; artists find a way to codify culturalcommonalities and idiosyncrasies thatrepresent societies in different geo-graphic locations. In this suite entitledNocturnos y Adivinanzas (Nocturnesand Riddles), my intention was toexplore this ideal of artistic traditions inan eclectic multicultural setting.

One of the literary expressions that col-lects the essence of regional traditionsare riddles. These questions or state-ments are typically closely linked tolocations or societies with a commonlanguage. Thus, they represent folkloricingenuity passed from generation togeneration. I chose to set four riddlesthat come from the Spanish traditionsand that I particularly liked, especiallybecause of the interesting rhythmic pat-terns and combinations that I could

NOCTURNOS Y ADIVINANZAS (WORLD PREMIERE)COURTESY OF THE DCINY PREMIERE PROJECTCristian Grases (b. 1973)Duration: 35 minutes

06-12 DCINY_CH Rental 6/3/16 9:59 AM Page 3

extract from the text and for the funstories or scenes they described. Theother two texts are short lullabies frommy penmanship.

I wanted to set these texts to dancesfrom different countries in LatinAmerica, promoting a sort of cross-pol-lination of cultural influences to createa new and rich repertoire. My intentionwas to create new music for the youngtreble choral ensemble with orchestralaccompaniment, which is a combina-tion of vocal and instrumental forcesthat is not very commonperhaps rep-resenting yet another layer of mixtureof traditions.

The suite starts with an upbeat PuertoRican Bomba entitled Las CuatroLetras (Four Letters), which is awordplay in a form of a riddle definingfour different items using the same fourletters. This is followed by La Luna(The Moon), which is a setting of acombination of several traditional rid-dles describing the moon. I decided toset this text to a Cuban Habanera givenits traditionally slow cadence whichreminded me of a slow, intimate dancein the night. It felt appropriate to fol-

low it with the first lullaby of the set.Negrita Duerme (Sleep, My SweetLove) is a tune I had written manyyears ago for my children. Negrita is aterm of endearment used for all lovedones in Latin American countries likeVenezuela (in this case referring to agirl). This text was set to a playfulCuban Danzn.

The fourth piece in the suite is a CubanCha Cha Ch entitled La Bellota y ElCerdo (The Acorn and The Pig),which paints the scene of a hungry pigawaiting the ripe acorn to fall from thetree to eat it. I added some text toenhance the good humor and light-hearted character of the original riddle.This song is followed by the other lull-aby entitled Cancin de Arrullo(Lullaby) set to music in the style of aSerenade. In this song the string instru-ments are featured as soloists. The suitecloses with Las Estrellas (The Stars),which is also a combination of variousriddles that describe the stars. Thischeerful and relaxed text is set to anup-tempo and contagious BrazilianSamba Reggae.

Cristian Grases

06-12 DCINY_CH Rental 6/3/16 9:59 AM Page 4

Texts AND TranslationsLux AeternaMORTEN LAURIDSEN

I. Introius

Requiem aetemam dona eis, Domine: etlux perpetua luceat eis. Te decet hymnusDeus in Zion, et tibi redetur votum inJerusalem: exaudi orationem meam, ad teomnis caro veniet. Requiem aetemam donaeis, Domine: et lux perpetua luceat eis.

Rest eternal grant to them, O Lord, and letperpetual light shine upon them. A hymnbefits thee, O God in Zion, and to thee avow shall be fulfilled in Jerusalem: Hear myprayer, for unto thee all flesh shall come.Rest eternal grant to them, O Lord, and letperpetual light shine upon them.

II. In Te, Domine, Speravi

Tu ad liberandum suscepturus hominemnon horruisti Virginis uterum. Tu devictomortis aculeo, aperuisti credentibus regnacoelorum. Exortum est in tenebris lumenrectis. Miserere nostri, Domine, misererenostri. Fiat misericordia tua, Domine,super nos quemadmodum speravimus inte. In te Domine, speravi: non confundarin aetemum.

To deliver us, you became human, and didnot disdain the Virgins womb. Havingblunted the sting of death, You opened thekingdom of heaven to all believers. A light hasrisen in the darkness for the upright. Havemercy upon us, O Lord, have mercy upon us.Let thy mercy be upon us, O Lord, as wehave trusted in thee. In thee, O Lord, I havetrusted: let me never be confounded.

III. O Nata Lux

O nata lux de lumine, Jesu redemptor saeculi,dignare clemens supplicum laudespreces que sumere. Qui came quondamcontegi dignatus es pro perditis. Nos membraconfer effici, tui beati corporis.

O born light of light, Jesus, redeemer of theworld, mercifully deem worthy and acceptthe praises and prayers of your supplicants.Thou who once deigned to be clothed inflesh for the sake of the lost ones, grant usto be made members of your holy body.

IV. Veni, Sancte Spiritus

Veni, Sancte Spiritus, Et emitte coelitusLucis tuae radium. Veni, pater pauperum,Veni, dator munerum, Veni, lumencordium. Consolator optime, Dulcis hospesanimae, Dulce refrigerium. In laborerequies, In aestu temperies, in fletusolatium. O lux beatissima, Reple cordisintima Tuorum fidelium. Sine tuo numine,Nihil est in homine, Nihil est innoxium.

Come, Holy Spirit, send forth from heaventhe ray of thy light. Come, father of the poor,come, giver of gifts, come, light of hearts.Thou best of consolers, sweet guest of thesoul, sweet refreshment. In labor, thou artrest, in heat, t