by Kira Zeeman Rugen (reduced from the original)
At first, the music of Ola Gjeilo (pronounced Yay-lo) comes across as agreeable to the ear: simple, straightforward, easily evoking beautiful emotions. On the second or third listen, the complexity and multiple dimensions of his writing unfold, revealing a density of compositional elements. Philosophically, Gjeilo has a desire to create an atmosphere in which the listener can experience music that is direct and pleasing.
“There isn’t anything wrong with dissonance as conflict and discord are a natural part of life, necessary for all positive development and maturation, and in most areas of society, conflict is something we very much want to resolve.”
Gjeilo considers himself a “symphonic” composer in that he often aims for a lush, orchestral sound. He approaches his craft from a spiritual perspective and wants to share universal and humanistic experiences in the realm of his music. One needs to look no further than the names of each individual movement for an illustration of how spirituality plays a role in the work. The text comes from the Ordinary of the Mass: Kyrie – The Spheres, Gloria – Sunrise, Credo – The City, Sanctus & Agnus Dei – Identity & The Ground. While Gjeilo set the meaning of the Latin text respectfully and observes the traditions that masses are expected to exhibit, his overall vision for the piece lies within the titles of the work, only loosely related to the meaning of the Latin. In so doing, he reveals a structure outside of the text; a metaphysical journey from the heavens to earth.
“The music of the Sunrise Mass goes from dark and dream-like, to more emotional and dramatic, and eventually warm and grounded. It’s important to me that there is a positive evolution in artistic expressions, to move everything forward; that has the capacity to help bring us deeper into ourselves rather than the other way. I really do think that’s the main point of art. I don’t know if I in any way am one of them, but I think true artists have the ability to share something very important; to express a deeper connection with something sacred; soul, or God, or nature, or whatever we perceive it as, through art. I believe that gift should be used to uplift and remind ourselves of who we really are and what’s truly important in our lives, whatever that may be.”
Travelling from beginning to end aurally through Ola Gjeilo’s Sunrise, one could experience the full metaphorical journey from the starry Heaven to Earth, from undifferentiated darkness to solid, warm life, evolving spiritually as a human. The essence of the Mass includes not only the dark parts of the psyche, but also the entire spectrum of human emotion. Gjeilo firmly believes his Sunrise is a journey in which, “The Self, having experienced each movement in the work, now has the perspective and understanding to peacefully contain everything it has gone through.”