Now the Green Blade Riseth & Easter Music

Easter Music & Choral Finale & Mahler 2nd

Gustav Mahler, Symphony No. 2 “Resurrection,” Finale with Vocal Score. Conducted by Maris Jansons, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Netherlands Radio Choir, soloists Bernarda Fink and Ricarda Merbeth.

Bach & Adagio & Easter

J.S. Bach, Adagio from Easter Oratorio (BWV 249). Kai Rapsch (oboe) with Salzburg Orchester Solisten, recorded in Lienz, Austria.

Easter Overture & Rimsky Korsakov

Russian Easter Festival Overture: Overture on Liturgical Themes (also known as the Great Russian Easter Overture), by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, performed by the St. Louis Orchestra, directed by Leonard Slatkin. Happy Easter!

R.I.P. Mother Angelica

Mother Angelica was often the background music during my long, slow conversion to Catholicism. The died on Easter Sunday, 2016. Requiescat in pace.

Easter Music & Maronite Hymn

He is risen!

Easter Music Special & Zappa & Mahler

Kind of an Easter tradition around here.

First, Zappa’s extended guitar piece “Watermelon in Easter Hay,” originally from Joe’s Garage Act III (1979). This live recording is from 1988.

Next, most of the choral segment from the finale of Gustav Mahler’s “Resurrection” Symphony (no. 2). Myung-Whun Chung conducts the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra (2010). Chorus and soloists unknown.

This segment of the text is by Mahler himself.

O glaube, mein Herz, o glaube:
Es geht dir nichts verloren!
Dein ist, ja dein, was du gesehnt!
Dein, was du geliebt,
Was du gestritten!

O glaube
Du wardst nicht umsonst geboren!
Hast nicht umsonst gelebt, gelitten!

Was entstanden ist
Das muß vergehen!
Was vergangen, auferstehen!
Hör’ auf zu beben!
Bereite dich zu leben!

O Schmerz! Du Alldurchdringer!
Dir bin ich entrungen!
O Tod! Du Allbezwinger!
Nun bist du bezwungen!

Mit Flügeln, die ich mir errungen,
In heißem Liebesstreben,
Werd’ich entschweben
Zum Licht, zu dem kein Aug’ gedrungen!

Sterben werd’ ich, um zu leben!
Aufersteh’n, ja aufersteh’n
wirst du, mein Herz, in einem Nu!
Was du geschlagen
zu Gott wird es dich tragen!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

O believe, my heart, O believe:
Nothing to you is lost!
Yours is, yes yours, is what you desired
Yours, what you have loved
What you have fought for!

O believe,
You were not born for nothing!
Have not for nothing, lived, suffered!

What was created
Must perish,
What perished, rise again!
Cease from trembling!
Prepare yourself to live!

O Pain, You piercer of all things,
From you, I have been wrested!
O Death, You masterer of all things,
Now, are you conquered!

With wings which I have won for myself,
In love’s fierce striving,
I shall soar upwards
To the light which no eye has penetrated!

Die shall I in order to live.
Rise again, yes, rise again,
Will you, my heart, in an instant!
That for which you suffered,
To God will it lead you!