Lendvay Kamilló:
DIE HIMMLISCHE STADT
Zitate aus der Offenbarung des Johannes
THE HEAVENLY CITY
Quotations from The Revelation of St. John’s

St. John:
I John, who also am your brother,
and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom
and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle
that is called Patmos. I was in the Spirit on the
Lord’s day, and heard behind me a great voice,
as of a trumpet, saying:

Choir:
What thou seest, write in a book,
and send it into the seven churches,
Unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto
Pergamos, and unto Thyatira,and unto Sardis,
and unto Philadelphia, and undo Laodicea.

St. John:
And being turned, I saw seven golden
candlesticks; and in the midst of the seven
candlesticks one like into the Son of man.
His head and his hairs were white like wool,
as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame
of fire. And when I saw him, I fell as his feet
as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me,
saying unto me:

Choir:
Fear not! I am the first and the last.
He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit
sait unto the churches.

St. John:
And I saw the seven angels which stood before
God; and to them were given seven trumpets.
And the first angel sounded.
Choir:
… and the first so­un­ded.

St. John and Choir:
And there fol­lo­wed hail and fire ming­led
with blood, and they were cast upon the earth:
the trees was burnt up, and all green grass was
burn up.

St. John:
and the se­cond, the third and the all of them
so­un­ded the trum­pets and as it were a great
moun­tain bur­ning with fire was cast into the sea.
And there fell a great star from hea­ven,
bur­ning as it were a lamp, and it fell the
fo­un­tains of wa­ters. And the third part of the
sun was smit­ten, and the wa­ters be­came
worm­wood and many men died…
And the fo­urth angel so­un­ded the trum­pet
and the third part of the sun, the third part
of the moon, and the third part of the stars,
so as was dar­ke­ned, and the day shone not
for a third part of it, and the night li­ke­wi­se.

St. John and Choir:
And I be­held, and heard an eagle fly­ing
th­ro­ugh the midst of hea­ven, say­ing with
a loud voice:
Woe, woe, woe, to the in­habi­ters of the earth…
Original text by Martin Luther

The world premier has been on 5 June 2004 at the old church of the 1200 years old Monastery and Castle of Corvey. The title refers to the founding inscription at the façade of the Corvey church f rom 844. The inscription gives reference to St. John’s Book of Revelations mentioning to “protect the city” read as the “Holy Jerusalem”. The composition therefore shall musically illustrate the city of the Holy Jerusalem as part from Martin Luther’s original version of St. John’s Book of Revelation, as per Dr. Barthelmess’s wiches.

Performed by:
László Jekl (Bass), Csaba Onczay (Vc.Solo),
Choir of “Herforder Kantorei”
the Nordwestdeutsche Philmarmonie
conducted by Rudolf Werthen