Album insights
In the preface to the printed edition of his score for "Passion and Resurrection," Ivan Moody reflects on the thematic complexity and significance of the Passion for artists. He raises the question of whether the Passion should be viewed predominantly from a dramatic or ritual perspective. While Western musical tradition usually prioritized the former, composers like Heinrich Schütz and Johann Sebastian Bach exemplified this preference in their masterful Passion compositions.
Being of English descent and embracing the Russian Orthodox Church as his spiritual home, Moody faces a significant challenge in setting religious texts to music due to the monophonic nature of Orthodox Church music. Contrary to Western traditions, dramatic representation was never a focus in Orthodox Church practices during Holy Week. Instead, the intensity of services reveals the narrative of Christ's suffering through ancient testament stories and prophecies, resonating spiritually and audibly with echoes of monastery bells and wooden semantrons. Despite lamenting Christ's death during Orthodox services, believers never lose faith in the Resurrection, with an aura of joy and anticipation pervading the atmosphere.
Selected to compose for the 1993 Tampere International Choir Festival, Moody completed "Passion and Resurrection" on April 21, 1992, coincidentally the third day of Orthodox Holy Week. His deep-rooted faith in the Orthodox Church, akin to contemporary composers like Arvo Pärt and John Tavener, informs his artistic endeavors, intertwining modern musical techniques with ancient Christian traditions.
The text for his work is drawn directly from the Gospels and the Triodion, a book containing Orthodox Church services for Holy Week, incorporating phrases from a hymn by Ephrem the Syrian. Moody's composition captures the essence of the Orthodox liturgy, intertwining liturgical English, Old Church Slavonic, and Ancient Greek to represent elements crucial to his Orthodox upbringing on the British Isles.
Moody's piece is structured akin to a church service, with choral recitations of Gospel narratives interspersed with solo voices representing pivotal figures such as Christ, the Virgin Mary, and a Tenor preacher. This musical narrative unfolds alongside instrumental accompaniment, creating a seamless blend of liturgy, music, and linguistics.
Diving into visual symbolism, Moody divides "Passion and Resurrection" into eight distinct "Icons," mirroring the layout of Orthodox church iconostases. These icons depict key events from Christ's life, culminating in his Resurrection on the third day, marking a harmonious fusion of Eastern and Western Christian musical traditions.