560 - The Magnificat: Musicians as Biblical Interpreters

The Magnificat: Musicians as Biblical Interpreters
By Samuel Terrien
New York, Paulist, 1995. 89 pp. $9.95.

Terrien divides the Magnificat (Lk. 1:44-55) into four strophes, with verse 51 a core verse between the second and third. A chapter is given to each, with headings stating the themes: First Daughter of the Church, Compassion of God, Mother of Revolution, Sacrality of the Future. Each chapter digs deeply into the themes of the text and concludes with commentary on a variety of musical settings of that particular section, settings from Monteverdi and Bach to Hovhaness and Pen­derecki.

In both the biblical exposition and musical interpretation, Terrien shows knowledge and sensitivity. Hear him on the Sicut locutus of Bach's setting: "The staggered voices, supported by the contrabass, bring to reality the countless generations 'B.C.' and 'A.D.' The fugal form expresses divine purpose. History goes somewhere. The bass notes evoke the solidity of the ground for the belief in God's engagement."

Here is a little jewel of a book, rich and revelatory in appreciative insight.

Roger A. Bullard
Wilson, NC.