| Description: | January 18th - January 25th is designated as the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. It ends, not by accident, on the feast of the Conversion of St. Paul the Apostle.
Throughout the week, I'll be uploading the complete suite, "Paulus" composed by Otto Malling.
Otto Valdemar Malling (1 June 1848 – 5 October 1915) was a Danish composer, from 1900 the cathedral organist in Copenhagen and from 1889 professor, then from 1899 Director of the Royal Danish Academy of Music, Copenhagen. He was born in Copenhagen, and became a pupil of Niels Gade and Johan Peter Emilius Hartmann. in his later career he mainly composed organ works and vocal music, but he also wrote a significant amount of orchestral music, as well a substantial cantata "Der hellige Land", and a symphony in D minor. He was a co-founder and vice-conductor of The Concert Society, Copenhagen (1874), supporting himself as organist at various Copenhagen churches. His scores of organ music brought Malling some reputation abroad, but after his death he was soon forgotten in his native country.
"Paulus" was published by Hansen in 1903. It is a supremely dramatic and emotional work, and quite technically demanding.
The first movement, "Saul rages against the Disciples of the Lord," is based upon the passage from Acts, as found in the First Comment.
The mood is intense and tense, even ferocious. The feeling of Saul's rage is presented overtly, before a "theme of redemption" appears quietly, made all the more telling by the understatement. There is some "dialogue," and the scenes seems more hopeful, but at this point, Saul's murderous rage and hate simply cannot be subdued, and the opening material returns again, even more violent and powerful.
If you enjoyed the recent "The Three Holy Kings," than I guarantee that these pieces will reach you deeply.
The score is attached below, as well as art depicting the conversion, and several new photos of Malling.
The scriptural reference is given in the First Comment. |
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