The Operatorio of Lucrecia Kasilag Adapted from Poetry
Throughout history, humans have created various forms of entertainment to pass the time and enjoy themselves. Two of these forms of entertainment are opera and oratorio. An opera refers to a form of theatre that has all of the actors as singers, with the music as a central part of the whole performance. An oratorio on the other hand, is a large musical composition for orchestra, choir, and soloists. The two, though they both involve singing, have differing reasons for being performed and differing ways of being performed. An opera is performed primarily to entertain an audience and usually involves things like murder, romance, and deception. An oratorio is performed while involving and using sacred topics. An opera is normally performed in an opera house, accompanied by an orchestra or smaller musical ensemble, usually led by a conductor. An oratorio is performed in a church or during mass, as its topics are appropriate for the location or event. A Spiritual Canticle of the Soul and the Bridegroom Christ is a poem that was written by St. John of the Cross. It was adapted into an operatorio which was composed by Lucrecia Kasilag titled, The Spiritual Canticle.
St John of the Cross was born Juan de Yepes y Alvarez, in Fontiveros, Avila, Spain in 1542. His father was employed by wealthy family members as an accountant, but they disowned him when he married a poor woman from the lower class. This led his family to poverty, which caused them to suffer. St. John was later sent to a boarding school for the poor and orphaned. He was given a religious education from a young age and chose to follow a religious path, even as a child. He later joined the Carmelite Order in 1563 and took the name, "John of St. Matthias". He eventually became ill with a skin condition that resulted in an infection in 1591 and died on December 14, 1591. He was beatified by Pope Clement X in 1675 and canonized by Pope Benedict XIII in 1726.
A Spiritual Canticle of the Soul and the Bridegroom Christ, sometimes shortened to just The Spiritual Canticle, was written with forty chapters. It is considered an eclogue, a short poem, especially a pastoral dialogue. It is a story of love between two lovers, the bridegroom and the bride. It is supposed to be about the loving exchange between a soul, which is represented by the bride, and Christ, who is represented by the bridegroom. It is said the soul is supposed to represent St. John himself. St. John recounts, somewhat mysteriously, the history of his love for Christ, a love in response to Christ's love for him. The stanzas are utterances of love flowing from mystical understanding.
Lucrecia Kasilag was born on August 31. She was a Filipino composer and performer who was known for incorporating indigenous Filipino music with Western influences. This paved the way for experimentation among Filipino musicians. She wrote more than 200 compositions, which included folksongs, opera, and orchestral works; among them is the operatorio The Spiritual Canticle. She was fondly called “Tita King”, and died on August 16, 2008.
The Spiritual Canticle was an operatorio for Soprano, Bass-baritone, Chorus, Speech Choir and Dance, and Chamber Orchestra that was adapted from St. John‟s poem. It was composed on Jan. 24 1991 for his quadricentennial anniversary year at the instance of the Carmelite Community, OCD Carmel of St. Therese of the Child Jesus, Gilmore, Quezon City. The libretto was written by Josefina Constantino, a former Filipino essayist, literary critic and poet. A libretto is the text used in, or intended for, an extended musical work. Josefina is presently a cloistered nun, and is now known as Sister Teresa Joseph Patrick of Jesus and Mary. The choreography was created by Basilio Esteban Villaruz, a distinguished dance chronicler, educator and critic.
The Dark Night Of The Soul (another poem of St. John adapted into a song):
References:
“The Spiritual Canticle by St. John of the Cross.” Catholic Treasury http://www.catholictreasury.info/books/spiritual_canticle/index.php
Salido, Caroline Besana. “THE PIANO COMPOSITIONAL STYLE OF LUCRECIA ROCES KASILAG” 2002 https://etd.ohiolink.edu/rws_etd/document/get/osu1038863092/inline
Villaruz, Basilio Esteban S. Treading Through: 45 Years of Philippine Dance Quezon City: The University of the Philippine Press https://books.google.com.ph/books?isbn=9715425097
“St. John of the Cross” Catholic Online https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=65
“Josefina Constantino” UP/Closed https://upclosed.com/people/josefina-constantino/
Tariman, Pablo A. “Basilio Esteban Villaruz: „It‟s a privilege to be a tutor in the arts‟” last modified June 21, 2014 http://lifestyle.inquirer.net/163686/basilio-estebanvillaruz-its-a-privilege-to-be-a-tutor-in-the-arts/
Doyo, Ma. Ceres P. “Columnist-turned-cloistered nun continues „life as prayer and prayer as life‟” last modified April 11, 2010 http://humanfacebyceres.blogspot.com/2010/04/union-with-god-sr.html
“Lucrecia R. Kasilag” Himig http://www.himig.com.ph/features/32-lucrecia-r-kasilag
Images:
“St. John” Catholic Online https://www.catholic.org/files/images/saints/65.jpg
“Basilio Esteban Villaruz” http://lifestyle.inquirer.net/files/2014/06/t0621pablosteve_feat7_1.jpg