Magnificat

The Magnificat was commissioned in 2017 by the Landesakademie für die musizierende Jugend in Baden-Württemberg for the Choir of the International Choir Festival C.H.O.I.R. In this setting of the hymn of praise from St Luke’s gospel, we hear the solo soprano as the voice of Mary. The work draws on the wealth of Afro-Caribbean rhythms. The first movement gives a hymn-like expression to the message of the text with the tremendous energy of the Cuban salsa. There are many examples of the relationship between word and music throughout the work. An example of this is the passage "Deposuit potentes" (“He hath put down the mighty from their seat and hath exalted the humble and meek”). In this passage, a 9-part canon vividly portrays the words "et exaltavit" and "deposuit" through chromatic passagework in contrary motion extending over an octave.

With this work composer Bobbi Fischer has created a musical bridge between Europe and South America as well as stylistic links to his Missa latina (Carus 28.007). The rhythm group (piano, bass, drums,and percussion) is identical; new instrumental colors from the "Latin world" are added with two obbligato violins and one reedplayer (alto saxophone/flute) – in the place of the bandoneon and violin used in the Missa latina.