Share this Post

American composer Daniel Knaggs’s The Joyful Mysteries is a choral symphony of five movements which correspond to the “Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary” in Catholicism: The angel’s Annunciation to Mary, her Visitation of Elizabeth, the Nativity of Christ, his Presentation in the temple, and his Finding in the temple as a young boy. The libretto is drawn from Biblical texts and the writings of Hildegard von Bingen and St. Bernard of Clairvaux. The work is scored for orchestra, including a variety of pitched percussion instruments, chorus, and four soloists with the majority of the solos shared between the soprano who sings Mary and the mezzo-soprano who sings the Angel, Elizabeth, and the Prophetess Anna. A bass-baritone sings Simeon in the fourth movement, and a boy treble sings the Child Jesus in the fifth movement. In addition to the highly accessible music, well-recorded sound, and excellent performances, this album is of interest for featuring soprano Gabriella Reyes who returns to Lyric Opera of Chicago in the new year to sing Musetta in La bohème.

Similar Releases

  • Hymns of BantuAbel Selaocoe, in a vibrant blue suit and green shirt, is immersed in music as he plays the cello with eyes closed
    Hymns of Bantu
    Giovanni Sollima, Abel Selaocoe, Johann Sebastian Bach, Marin Marais, Manchester Collective
  • Beyond
    Beyond
    BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Thomas Adès, Matthew Aucoin, Jonathan Dove, Nico Muhly, Peter Moore, Timothy Redmond
  • All Things Bright and Beautiful
    Liaisons II: All Things Bright and Beautiful
    Stephen Hough, Anthony De Mare, Jon Batiste, Meredith Monk, Max Richter, Conrad Tao
  • Detroit Symphony Orchestra / Jader Bignamini: Marsalis Blues SymphonyWynton Marsalis
    Marsalis: Blues Symphony
    Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Wynton Marsalis, Jader Bignamini
  • Dazzling LightPortrait of Christopher Lowrey in a white shirt, brightly exposed with a light background.
    Dazzling Light
    Ensemble Altera, Jonathan Dove, Edward Elgar, Motshwane Pege, John Rutter, Thomas Tallis, Eric Whitacre, Christopher Lowrey
  • Headshot of composer Shawn E. Okpebholo, smiling with arms crossed in front of a grey background
    Songs in Flight
    Karen Slack, Shawn E. Okpebholo, Rhiannon Giddens, Reginald Mobley, Paul Sánchez, Julian Velasco, Will Liverman