LAMA SABAQTANI
9′ – 2009
for choir
Lama Sabaqtani
The play takes up the seven words of Christ on the cross, taken from the Gospels and the Psalms. It is sung in popular 4th century Aramaic, a source language. The choir is scattered in space and the singers are as immersed in the body of Christ, as if each word located a point of its pain. The work tends towards the gathering of the body fragmentation. The nuances oscillate between pianissimo and mezzo piano, sweet presence, singing of an intimate pain. It ends in a stretch between the extreme extreme and the extreme acute, ison and hissing, relationship between the earth and the sky, separation of the body and the mind.
*Lama sabaqtani is integrated in the cycle imagined by Joel Suhubiette around the Mediterrannee under the title: “Ancient and Modern Polyphonies” sung in Latin, Hebrew, Arabic and ancient Greek. The program includes excerpts from Llibre vermell de Montserrat (14th century), O vos omnes by Tomas Luis de Victoria (1548-1611), Carlo Gesualdo’s Answers of the Dark Saturday (1560-1613), Barekhu and Kaddish from Salomone Rossi (1570-1630), Antonio Lotti’s 8-voice Crucifixus (1665-1740), Giuseppe Verdi’s Ave Maria (1813-1901), Goffredo Petrassi’s Tre Cori Sacri (1904-2003) & Three fragments of Bacchantes of Alexandros Markeas (1965)
Text and translation
Father, forgive them. They do not know what they are doing (Lk 23,34)
Verily, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise. (Lk 23,43) Woman, this is your son. Son, here is your mother. (John 19: 26-27)
My God, my God, why did you abandon Me? (Mt 27,46, Mk 15,34, Ps 22,1)
Jesus says that the Scripture must be fulfilled: I am thirsty (Jn 19:28)
Everything is accomplished (Jn 19:30) Father, in your hands, I put my spirit back (Lk 23, 46)
Text: The last seven words of Christ on the cross from the Gospels and Psalms
Singing language: popular Aramaic IV century
Premiere: May 24, 2009
Venue: L’île Jourdain, France
by the choir chamber les éléments
direction Joël Suhubiette
under the framework of the program “Méditerranée sacrée” of Joël Suhubiette
Diffusion: modern art
© ŠamaŠ éditions musicales 2009
June 10, 2009 Public rehearsal. Festival les Voix du Prieuré, Le Bourget du Lac, France by les elements, direction Joel Suhubiette
June 11, 2009 Festival les Voix du Prieuré, Le Bourget du Lac, France by les éléments, direction Joel Suhubiette
June 12, 2009 CNSM, Lyon, France by les éléments, direction Joel Suhubiette
June 13, 2009 Festival of Haut Jura, France by les éléments, direction Joel Suhubiette
June 16, 2009 Festival of St Denis (Basilica), France by les éléments, direction Joel Suhubiette
July 11, 2009 Sorèze Festival, France by the éléments, direction Joël Suhubiette
July 19, 2009 Festival The Traversées de Noirlac, France by les éléments, direction Joël Suhubiette
July 23, 2009 Festival Comminges, Church of Martres, Tolosane, France by les éléments, direction Joel Suhubiette
August 10, 2009 Festival St Céré, Cahors, France by les éléments, direction Joel Suhubiette
August 11, 2009 Festival Voix d’été in Creuse. Gueret, France by les éléments, direction Joel Suhubiette
August 20, 2009 Festival de la Chaise-Dieu. Brioude, France, by les éléments, direction Joël Suhubiette
October 20, 2009 Odyssud, Toulouse by les éléments, direction Joël Suhubiette
October 21, 2009 Théâtre des Salins, Martigues by les éléments, direction Joël Suhubiette
March 30, 2010 Santiago de Compostela by les éléments, direction Joel Suhubiette
June 12, 2010 Festival Gabriel Fauré, National Scene Estive Foix by les éléments, direction Joel Suhubiette
June 13, 2010 Festival éclats de voix Auch by les éléments, direction Joel Suhubiette
July 15, 2010 Les Heures musicales de l’abbaye de Lessay by les éléments, direction Joel Suhubiette
July 18, 2010 Festival of Silvanes Aveyron by les éléments, direction Joel Suhubiette
September 23, 2010 Metz (Arsenal) by les éléments, direction Joel Suhubiette
October 1, 2010 Festival of Ambronay by les éléments, direction Joel Suhubiette
April 22, 2011 Festival de musique sacrée de Perpignan by les éléments, direction Joel Suhubiette
August 20, 2011 Condom Gers festival music on the way by les éléments, direction Joel Suhubiette
October 29, 2011 Montauban Cathedral by les éléments, direction Joel Suhubiette
November 8 and 9, 2011 Toulouse, Chapelle de l’hôtel Dieu by les éléments, direction Joel Suhubiette
November 10, 2011 Gradignan chapel by les éléments, direction Joel Suhubiette
April 10, 2012 Arles Chapelle du Méjan by les éléments, direction Joël Suhubiette
July 22-25, 2012 Festival Radio France, Montpellier by les éléments, direction Joël Suhubiette
September 1st, 2012 Abbaye de Moyenmoutier en Lorraine by les éléments, direction Joël Suhubiette
October 21, 2012 Toulouse Concert Spécial 15 ans des éléments par les éléments, direction Joël Suhubiette
October 29, 2012 Auditorium of the French Institute of Barcelona (Spain) by les éléments, direction Joël Suhubiette
July 27, 2013 Lambesc, Festival de la Roque d’Anthéron by les éléments, direction Joël Suhubiette
August 1, 2013 Festival de Lanaudière – Joliette, Québec (Canada) by les éléments, direction Joël Suhubiette
August 5, 2014 Rocamadour, by les éléments, direction Joël Suhubiette
July 9, 2015 Flâneries Musicales de Reims by les éléments, direction Joël Suhubiette
July 24, 2015 Monastère de Santa Maria, Alcobaça (Portugal), Festival Cistermusica « Lama Sabaqtani » by les éléments, direction Joël Suhubiette
August 20, 2015 Festival de Vézelay, « Lama Sabaqtani » (concert Méditerranée sacrée) by les éléments, direction Joël Suhubiette
