Steve Danyew

Lauda, latin for “Praise” is a two movement work for wind ensemble, written for Mark Scatterday and the Eastman Wind Ensemble during the fall of 2009. The overall structure of the work can be understood somewhat loosely as a prelude and fugue. Both movements explore various uses of counterpoint and contrapuntal devices which have fascinated me since I first encountered them in works of Bach and others.

The first movement, “Montis Dei,” latin for “God’s Mountains,” is based on a continually repeating passacaglia, or ground bass. The ground bass is actually a series of harmonies which grow increasingly complex throughout the movement.

The second movement, “Hymnus Anima Mea,” latin for “Hymn of My Soul,” contains fugal elements throughout. The music also progresses over a pedal point of B for much of the movement, until near the end where the pedal ultimately changes.

The fugal subject is inspired by the Alleluia motive from the Christian hymn “Praise My Soul, the King of Heaven.” This downward scale motive is used in the fugal subject and developed in various ways. After expositions and episodes which incorporate the original fugue subject, the subject in inversion, the countersubject, and both in stretto, the music finally arrives at a climatic point. At this point, the actual hymn tune “Lauda Anima” (the musical hymn tune of “Praise My Soul, the King of Heaven”) emerges from the climactic texture, and leads the movement to the end.

I would like to thank Mark Scatterday and the Eastman Wind Ensemble for their continued support of my music and their incredible dedication to musical excellence.

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