22nd Seoul Kodály Singers Regular Concert: Liszt Grand Epic, Via Crucis (The Way of the Cross)

[PERFORMANCE INTRODUCTION] Franz Liszt's Epic "Via Crucis" Liszt's Most Dramatic Religious Music, Stripped of Ornamentation Liszt's "Via Crucis" is a religious composition depicting Jesus Christ's journey from his death sentence through carrying the cross to his entombment. Consisting of a prelude and fourteen stations of the cross, this work condenses the meaning of human suffering and compassion, death and salvation over approximately 30 minutes. Though dealing with dramatic events, this work does not rely on external splendor or excessive emotional expression. Liszt sets aside the brilliant orchestral colors and Romantic passion, instead depicting Christ's suffering through simple melodies, restrained harmonies, dissonance, and extended silences. By removing ornamentation, the suffering becomes more immediate, and the silence between notes carries a spiritual resonance deeper than words. "Via Crucis" encapsulates Liszt's spiritual and musical world reached in the latter half of his life. He began initial sketches in 1866 and substantially developed the work's structure between 1876 and 1877. After completing the work near Tivoli, Rome in 1878, he made several revisions before finalizing the version for chorus and organ in Budapest in February 1879. The work employs medieval Latin hymns, biblical Passion passages, and German Lutheran chorales. Notably, chorale melodies popularized by Bach's "St. Matthew Passion" are quoted, bringing together the long tradition of church music with Liszt's bold late musical language within a single work. However, publishers of the time deemed this work too radical and a departure from established religious music forms. Though Liszt pursued publication during his lifetime, it was rejected, and the work remained poorly performed for many years. Today, "Via Crucis" is recognized as a masterpiece of Liszt's late period, showcasing harmonies ahead of its time and an aesthetic of silence. A Pilgrimage Through Fourteen Stations of the Cross Led by Narration and Music This performance goes beyond simply presenting the work. Each scene of the Passion is narrated solemnly, and the suffering of Christ and human interiority unfold alongside the music. In the prelude "Vexilla Regis," the outline of the cross emerges from darkness, followed by the fourteen stations: the death sentence, carrying the cross, three falls, meeting the Virgin Mary, Simon's help, Veronica, the women of Jerusalem, stripping of garments, crucifixion, death, and entombment. The narrator does not provide lengthy explanations of each scene. Instead, through brief, restrained sentences such as "The innocent Lord does not defend himself but stands before human judgment" and "The world binds the Lord's body, but love does not," the audience is guided into the musical narrative. As chorus, organ, piano, narration, movement, and light unite, the audience is invited not as passive observers but as fellow travelers on the way of the cross. Even after the fourteenth station concludes, the music does not immediately transition to applause or a dramatic resolution. The stage remains in silence, giving the audience time to contemplate the meaning of suffering and death, waiting and faith. The special power of this work lies in its ability to evoke the light beyond, without directly depicting resurrection. Hungarian Chorales and the Spirit of Kodály's Nationalism This program presents representative folk music traditions of both Hungary and Korea. Following Liszt's profound and solitary religious meditation, the music expands from the language and life of a nation into the communal song of a people. Hungarian works include Zoltán Kodály's "Pange Lingua" and "Ave Maria," compositions distinguished by his characteristic simple yet rigorous contrapuntal choral technique and restrained harmony. Rather than spectacular effects, they create a reverent religious atmosphere through the purity and inner depth of the human voice. Kodály viewed folk songs as the musical mother tongue of a nation, believing that "music belongs to everyone." His choral works are infused with the natural intonation and melodic flow of Hungarian folk music, elevating the nation's distinctive musical language to the highest level of art song. Though Liszt and Kodály are presented as composers of different eras in this concert, their music naturally connects through the history and faith of Hungary, and the suffering and communal spirit of humanity. Jewel-Like Korean Folk Songs That Shine Through the Ages The program features beloved Korean folk songs cherished by audiences for generations. "Seonguja," "Cheongsane Sarira," "Boribat," "Geuriun Geumgangssan," "Nimi Osineun-ji," and "Huimang-ui Nararo" are performed as choral and piano pieces. These works are not merely a collection of old songs but rather a musical record accumulating Korean history, nature, longing, and hope. "Seonguja" sings of steadfast resolve and spirit toward nation and people, while "Cheongsane Sarira" expresses humanity's pure desire to live in harmony with nature. "Boribat" carries warm memories of hometown fields and the simple grace of rural life, while "Geuriun Geumgangssan" conveys poignant yearning for beautiful mountains now unreachable due to division. "Nimi Osineun-ji" unfolds the emotion of longing through delicate, lyrical melodies, and "Huimang-ui Nararo" powerfully sings the community's determination to move toward a brighter future beyond trials. In particular, Korean folk songs do not end with the choir's performance alone. Depending on each song's character, solo and choral voices are combined, and in the final verse, the audience joins in singing, transforming the concert hall into one great choral community. Program notes introduce the background of each work's creation and the meaning of the lyrics. This reflects Seoul Kodály Singers' musical philosophy—not stopping at passive appreciation of these songs, but enabling generations to sing them together anew.