I hope that whether or not you understand classical music, or even like it, that by reading this and listening to my piece you can see and hopefully feel some of the emotion that goes into such things. As with all my works, art or music or otherwise, take what you understand and feel from this without my reasoning. If you feel anything at all along the lines of what I have written here then I have accomplished my task . All I really hope for though is that you enjoy listening to it whether you think what I have written here is complete crap or not.
The Kyrie is the first of five sections to a mass. The text of this section is in Greek while the rest are in Latin. I feel the Kyrie is the most direct prayer and one of the most meaningful sections in the mass. The text "Kyrie eleison, Christe eleison, Kyrie eleison" translated as "Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy, Lord have mercy" is simple, repetitive and clearly states the intent of the speaker. In a world where most people do not understand classical music the way they understand pop and rock I'm attempting to use the text and the vocal music to bring a certain emotion, and understanding to the piece. I tried to emulate some of the structure used in some of the later Gregorian Chant style pieces while being sure to incorporate the idea that the people singing the words are really seeking, pleading even for mercy.
In the brief introduction section, more and more voices enter in all singing different things until everyone is singing something. Using an entire choir to state something has historically been done to illustrate the idea that all people, or even a thing like the world its self. are saying the text. However, I do not have every one saying the same thing, there is confusion, the quality of the sound changes from minor to major and back creating tension and uncertainty. People are very uncertain of things to come and the idea present in this style of music, especially because of the time masses were written, was that God is not a merciful god, He was a harsh and punishing god. That said, I wanted to show the fear, or uncertainty that people would have had approaching such a powerful figure.
As the piece goes on there is at least one voice that always carries the 'home base' note in the song which continues the idea of tension once moving parts clash with the sound of that one note. And despite that dissonance it helps to show that despite all the confusion and uncertainty, there is the one thing that all others come back to and use as a foundation.
The piece builds a few different times using a melodic idea, then sinks back away, as if the people themselves find their words are getting a bit too carried away, and must say something else, or at least say what they're saying a different way. Many people I know today that have complaints or uncertainties often times will complain about them many times within a conversation, or within a few days, and usually the idea is the same but it is executed with different words, or even different emotion. All throughout the piece the people are asking for mercy, but continually change how they go about asking, as if one way will be answered. The text I put earlier even shows the change in who the people ask for mercy, from God to Christ and back. The idea is to just keep asking and hope that you are answered.
As the piece ends there's a sense that the people have finally decided their prayer was adequate, or at least they hope it was. The voices diminish and leave slowly after the most intense part of the piece. The opening theme comes back with the repetition of "eleison", "have mercy". The people humble themselves and as it ends, there is only silence leaving each person listening to their own thoughts, perhaps waiting some kind of response from the ones the prayer is directed toward.
I hope you enjoyed my piece and the thought that went into it.
