I know of only two masses commissioned specifically for St. Mary’s Cathedral: the Mass of Dedication composed by Joaquin Nin-Cumell and a mass composed by Roger Nixon in 1981 commemorating the 10th anniversary of the building of the cathedral. Mass of the Americas is unique among the three in that it speaks to something fundamental to the cathedral itself: Monsignor Thomas Bowe’s deep filial devotion to the Virgin of Guadalupe. Monsignor Bowe, the building and founding pastor of the cathedral, once told me that the cathedral’s very first shrine dedicated to Our Lady of Guadalupe was the fulfillment of his own prayerful promise to her for her spiritual patronage in the successful land acquisition for the cathedral’s building site. The mass is an eloquent expression of that deep filial devotion and his abiding pastoral love for the people of Mexico who he served in the archdiocese. But it is more. It speaks to us of Mary to whom we turn when we suffer and when the world suffers and it is this unique quality of the mass that touches us so deeply and causes us to weep. I have listened to a great deal of sacred music at St. Mary’s since I first worshipped in the cathedral in 1972 . That said, Mass of the Americas is really THE most beautiful music I’ve heard performed in the cathedral in almost 50 years. One listens and feels touched by God.
It sounds very modern and sentimental. At times it seems to evoke older styles of choral music and unsuccessfully build upon them with a style that ignores classic conventions of setting up and resolving dissonance.
@@FrankLaRocca Thanks for the reply. Yes, that is more to my liking. I'm just one of those people who would be perfectly happy if, musically-speaking, the Renaissance had never ended.
We could argue classical compositional devices to the cows come home. The honest truth is most working to build up the musical culture in the RC do not have that conservatory training that contains the rigors of studying the classic masters. I do not think this is the case in Mr. Roccas situation. So it may be safe to safe that any rules he may be breaking are intentional made and not from lack of care of skill. Just open any thing from OCP and you will find cringe worthy "composers"that really have no clue or even care to try to. But past Brahms does any composer fit the structure of traditional counterpoint and harmony? What Mr. Rocca has done is respond to the current needs of the new evangelization of the faithful within the church that is so desperately needed in a culture that is absolutely impoverished of true art and craftmanship in music that is usually consumed by the general public. What comes the closest is a sort of movie score/ programmatic idiom one finds in film. Thus the combo of sentiment and classic style. What Mr. Rocca has tastefully done is a programatic mass setting that emotionally and aurally highlights the particular moment in mass that speaks in a musical language that the average American whose sole entertainment is usually Netflix, Hollywood, and the like.
@@joyfullbunny One composer springs immediately to mind: Rachmaninoff. There are plenty of others too...mostly those whose names we'll never know. That said, what you've essentially argued for is giving Catholics music according to the spirit of the age by suggesting the genre of film music as a model for contemporary composers to follow. Instead of this, the Church has recommended to the faithful her own music for the Liturgy to sing and use as a model for further composition: Gregorian Chant.
@@mattcavoto yes, in the strictest black and white interpretation of what the church says, you are correct. Rachmaninoff is neo classic or late romantic? What is your opinion on him? In a perfect world the abuses of interpretation post V2 would have never happened but the church has always been fighting the spirit of the age for centuries. It's human nature to turn the music at mass into populist entertainment. It's usualy done well meaning, to make beauty by way of appealing in the popular sense. I do think Mr. Roccas approach is much closer to the spirit of what the church teaches more than what's currently out there but that is opinion based on a general assessment that film music tends closer to the classical style. So the choral masses of Haydn and Mozart would be out in your opinion as well?
I know of only two masses commissioned specifically for St. Mary’s Cathedral: the Mass of Dedication composed by Joaquin Nin-Cumell and a mass composed by Roger Nixon in 1981 commemorating the 10th anniversary of the building of the cathedral. Mass of the Americas is unique among the three in that it speaks to something fundamental to the cathedral itself: Monsignor Thomas Bowe’s deep filial devotion to the Virgin of Guadalupe. Monsignor Bowe, the building and founding pastor of the cathedral, once told me that the cathedral’s very first shrine dedicated to Our Lady of Guadalupe was the fulfillment of his own prayerful promise to her for her spiritual patronage in the successful land acquisition for the cathedral’s building site. The mass is an eloquent expression of that deep filial devotion and his abiding pastoral love for the people of Mexico who he served in the archdiocese. But it is more. It speaks to us of Mary to whom we turn when we suffer and when the world suffers and it is this unique quality of the mass that touches us so deeply and causes us to weep. I have listened to a great deal of sacred music at St. Mary’s since I first worshipped in the cathedral in 1972 . That said, Mass of the Americas is really THE most beautiful music I’ve heard performed in the cathedral in almost 50 years. One listens and feels touched by God.
An honor to have been called to perform your beautiful music, maestro! Best regards.
Excited to be in attendance for the Solemn Pontifical Mass at the National Shrine.
It sounds very modern and sentimental. At times it seems to evoke older styles of choral music and unsuccessfully build upon them with a style that ignores classic conventions of setting up and resolving dissonance.
perhaps this would be more to your liking? ruclips.net/video/pavIv85zk7A/видео.html
@@FrankLaRocca Thanks for the reply. Yes, that is more to my liking. I'm just one of those people who would be perfectly happy if, musically-speaking, the Renaissance had never ended.
We could argue classical compositional devices to the cows come home. The honest truth is most working to build up the musical culture in the RC do not have that conservatory training that contains the rigors of studying the classic masters. I do not think this is the case in Mr. Roccas situation. So it may be safe to safe that any rules he may be breaking are intentional made and not from lack of care of skill. Just open any thing from OCP and you will find cringe worthy "composers"that really have no clue or even care to try to. But past Brahms does any composer fit the structure of traditional counterpoint and harmony? What Mr. Rocca has done is respond to the current needs of the new evangelization of the faithful within the church that is so desperately needed in a culture that is absolutely impoverished of true art and craftmanship in music that is usually consumed by the general public. What comes the closest is a sort of movie score/ programmatic idiom one finds in film. Thus the combo of sentiment and classic style. What Mr. Rocca has tastefully done is a programatic mass setting that emotionally and aurally highlights the particular moment in mass that speaks in a musical language that the average American whose sole entertainment is usually Netflix, Hollywood, and the like.
@@joyfullbunny One composer springs immediately to mind: Rachmaninoff. There are plenty of others too...mostly those whose names we'll never know. That said, what you've essentially argued for is giving Catholics music according to the spirit of the age by suggesting the genre of film music as a model for contemporary composers to follow. Instead of this, the Church has recommended to the faithful her own music for the Liturgy to sing and use as a model for further composition: Gregorian Chant.
@@mattcavoto yes, in the strictest black and white interpretation of what the church says, you are correct. Rachmaninoff is neo classic or late romantic? What is your opinion on him? In a perfect world the abuses of interpretation post V2 would have never happened but the church has always been fighting the spirit of the age for centuries. It's human nature to turn the music at mass into populist entertainment. It's usualy done well meaning, to make beauty by way of appealing in the popular sense. I do think Mr. Roccas approach is much closer to the spirit of what the church teaches more than what's currently out there but that is opinion based on a general assessment that film music tends closer to the classical style. So the choral masses of Haydn and Mozart would be out in your opinion as well?