The Duke Vespers Ensemble will present Dietrich Buxtehude’s oratorio Membra Jesu Nostri on Sunday, April 21, at 4:00 pm (EST) in Duke Chapel. This 17th-century masterwork is constructed of seven cantatas, each dedicated to one of “the most holy limbs of our suffering Jesus,” as the title is translated. A professional Baroque orchestra of period instruments will join the Vespers Ensemble choir and soloists, including UNC-Chapel Hill distinguished professor of strings and early music Brent Wissick on bass viol, renowned teacher and performer Lyle Nordstrom on theorbo, and other Baroque instrumentalists from the region. The sixth movement, “Ad cor,” will be played on five bass viols.
Buxtehude’s writing shows a remarkable sensitivity to the text, employing various combinations of solo and ensemble singing passages, contrasting with instrumental sonatas and ritornelli. “The musical colors in this work are varied and vivid, which all reveal Buxtehude’s effort to augment these deeply spiritual and visual texts,” says the ensemble’s director, Brian A. Schmidt.
To complement the musical performance, Duke Chapel Music has commissioned original artwork from artist Robyn Sand Anderson. These works, inspired by the text and music of the oratorio, also draw focus and inspiration from the suffering of Christ. The artist will be present for an exhibition and brief discussion of these paintings, 30 minutes prior to the performance. Anderson’s art, including a blog detailing the creation of her work for the Buxtehude project, can be found at robynsandanderson.com.
A live stream of this concert is available at one of the following links:
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