Pair the study of this new score with the original 2002 recording by the Netherlands Chamber Choir (Globe GLO 5214) to hear how the old interpretation can be refined using the new performance notes. Then, prepare to be changed.
While the original cycle is a staple, various versions and recordings exist for different ensembles: joep franssens harmony of the spheres score new
Joep Franssens (b. 1955) stands apart from his Dutch contemporaries. While Louis Andriessen wielded political dissonance and Simeon ten Holt explored pattern-based piano music, Franssens pursued a singular vision: . His music is hypnotic, consonant, and profoundly still—owing as much to the spectral harmony of Giacinto Scelsi as to the vocal traditions of Gregorian chant and Georgian polyphony. Pair the study of this new score with
– Unlike most minimalism, Harmony breathes. The new edition marks crescendi that last 24 bars and morendi that fade into silence over a minute. These are now unmistakably legible. 1955) stands apart from his Dutch contemporaries
The score of Harmony of the Spheres (published by in the Netherlands, with recent revisions) is deceptively simple. It is scored for mixed choir a cappella (SSAATTBB), though some performances have added a discreet, low organ pedal to support the basses—a point of contention in new performing editions.