Seeing him -- as countless millions have -- is an unforgettable experience. His presence is electric. He was born Karol Wojtyla, but since 1978 he has been known as the Holy Father, Pope John Paul II. He is the most travelled Pope in history, and the multitudes that greet him wherever he goes are evidence of the basic human need to connect with a power greater than oneself. Before his ordination as a priest, he was a member of an experimental theater group, a stonecutter, and a published poet. Now, he offers the world the first music recording to embody his actual voice. Abbà Pater combines contemporary instrumental, world music and classical music tracks with spoken and sung passages (in Italian, Latin, English, French and Spanish), which are chants and prayers culled from recordings of the Pope by Radio Vatican over the 20 years of his papacy. The result is a powerful and moving marriage of music and words that touches on universal themes such as charity, forgiveness and reconciliation among all people. Abbà Pater is not just for Catholics, but for everyone interested in a new experience of the wisdom and compassion of one of the world's great spiritual leaders. At the twentieth anniversary of his installation as Supreme Pontiff, and as the church prepares for the Great Jubilee in the year 2000, the Pope is reaching out to the world in new ways to offer hope for peace and spiritual fulfillment. Abbà and pater are the Aramaic and Latin words for "father". Abbà Pater is a poignant depiction of a father's love that will touch and inspire listeners everywhere.

SK 61705 Out of print Abbà Pater Music Video RealVideo | Quicktime More videos can be found at the Music and the Making of Abbà Pater sections of this website This selection is out of print.

1. CERCATE IL SUO VOLTO


2. CRISTO È LIBERAZIONE
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3. VERBUM CARO FACTUM EST


4. ABBÀ PATER
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5. VIENI, SANTO SPIRITO
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6. PADRE, TI CHIEDIAMO PERDONO


7. DOVE C'È AMORE, C'È DIO


8. PADRE DELLA LUCE
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9. UN COMANDAMENTO NUOVO


10. MADRE DI TUTTE LE GENTI
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11. LA LEGGE DELLE BEATITUDINI

1. CERCATE IL SUO VOLTO
   ‡ Il Signore č mia luce e mia salvezza,
   di chi avrň paura?
   Il Signore è difesa della mia vita,
   di chi avrò timore?
   Ascolta, Signore, la mia voce.
   Io grido: Abbi pietà di me! Rispondimi.
   Di te ha detto il mio cuore: "Cercate il suo volto";
   il tuo volto, Signore, io cercherò.
   Non nascondermi il tuo volto,
   non respingere con ira il tuo servo.
   Sono certo di contemplare la bontà del Signore
   nella terra dei viventi.
   Spera nel Signore, sii forte,
   si rinfranchi il tuo cuore e spera nel Signore.
   Sì, spera nel Signore. ‡
   Salmo 26 (27)
   Parrocchia di San Roberto Bellarmino ai Parioli, Roma, 2 marzo 1980
   
   2. CRISTO È LIBERAZIONE
   ‡ It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
   to make music to your name, O Most High;
   your deeds, O Lord, have made me glad;
   for the work of your hands I shout with joy.
   O Lord, how great are your works!
   Salmo 92 (91)
   Stadio Nehru di Kottayam, India, 8 febbraio 1986
   
   Yo soy la luz del mundo: el que me sigue - dice el Señor - tendrá la luz de la vida.
   Giovanni 8,12
   San Pietro, Roma, 29 marzo 1987
   
   Do not be afraid. Do not be satisfied with mediocrity.
   Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.
   Luca 5,4
   Castel Gandolfo, 25 agosto 1981
   
   Si nous sommes morts avec lui, avec lui nous vivrons.
   Si nous supportons l'épreuve, avec lui nous régnerons.
   Si nous le rejetons, lui aussi nous rejettera.
   2 Timoteo 2,11-12
   Port Louis, Mauritius, 14 ottobre 1989
   
   Antes que naciesen los montes,
   o fuera engendrado el orbe de la tierra,
   desde siempre y por siempre tú eres Dios.
   Tú reduces al hombre a polvo
   diciendo: "Retornad, hijos de Adán".
   Mil años en tu presencia
   son un ayer, que pasó,
   una vela nocturna.
   Salmo 90 (89)
   Ciudad Guayana,Venezuela, 29 gennaio 1985
   
   No tengáis miedo, ¡ésta es la libertad con la que Cristo nos ha liberado! ‡
   Santuario di Santiago di Compostela, Spagna, 19 agosto 1989
   
   3. VERBUM CARO FACTUM EST
   Christus factus est pro nobis obediens usque ad mortem, mortem autem crucis.
   Propter quod Deus exaltavit illum,...
   Filippesi 2,7ss
   Antifona finale della Liturgia delle Lodi del Sabato Santo
   
   ...et verbum caro factum est.
   Giovanni 1,14
   
   4. ABBÀ PATER
   Attende, Domine, et miserere, quia peccavimus tibi.
   Liturgia quaresimale
   
   Non enim accepistis spiritum servitutis
   sed accepistis spiritum adoptionis filiorum
   in quo clamamus: Abbà Pater.
   Romani 8,15
   
   ‡ Tu sei mio figlio, io oggi ti ho generato.
   Salmo 2,7
   
   Io gli sarň Padre ed Egli mi sarŕ Figlio.
   2 Sam 7,14
   
   Sono parole profetiche: esse parlano di Dio, che č Padre nel senso
   piů alto e piů autentico della parola. Dice Isaia: "Signore, tu sei nostro Padre: noi siamo argilla e tu Colui
   che ci dŕ forma; tutti noi siamo opera delle tue mani". ‡
   Isaia 64,8
   
   Shema Israel!
   
   ‡ Sion ha detto: "Il Signore mi ha abbandonato, il Signore mi ha
   dimenticato". Si dimentica forse una donna del suo bambino? Anche se ci fosse una donna che si dimenticasse, io invece
   non ti abbandonerò mai. ‡
   Isaia 49,14-15
   
   Shema Israel!
   
   ‡ È significativo che nei brani del profeta Isaia la paternità di Dio si
   arricchisca di connotazioni che si ispirano alla maternità.
   Gesù annuncia molte volte la paternità di Dio nei riguardi degli uomini
   riallacciandosi alle numerose espressioni contenute nell'Antico Testamento.
   Per Gesù, Dio non è solamente il Padre d'Israele, il Padre degli
   uomini, ma il Padre suo, il Padre mio.
   Udienza generale, Città del Vaticano, 16 ottobre 1985
   
   Pater noster qui es in coelis,
   sanctificetur nomen tuum.
   Adveniat regnum tuum,
   fiat voluntas tua,
   sicut in coelo et in terra.
   Panem nostrum quotidianum da nobis hodie,
   et dimitte nobis debita nostra,
   sicut et nos dimittimus debitoribus nostri,
   et ne nos inducas in tentationem, sed libera nos a malo. ‡
   Matteo 6,9-13
   San Pietro, Roma, 22 marzo 1995
   
   5. VIENI, SANTO SPIRITO
   ‡ Vieni! Vieni, Santo Spirito.
   Guida coloro che si sono sviati.
   Sine tuo numine,
   nihil est in homine,
   nihil est innoxium.
   Sequenza della Messa di Pentecoste
   Roma, 22 maggio 1988
   
   Dalla giustizia di ciascuno nasce la pace per tutti. Giustizia e pace
   non sono concetti astratti o ideali lontani; sono valori insiti come patrimonio comune nel cuore di ogni persona. Individui, famiglie, comunità, nazioni, tutti sono chiamati a vivere nella giustizia e ad operare per la pace. Nessuno può dispensarsi da questa responsabilità.
   Roma, Omelia del 1 gennaio 1998
   
   Vieni! Vieni, Santo Spirito. Vieni, Padre, dei poveri, vieni, luce dei cuori, vieni, datore della grazia che salva, vieni, luce, invadi nell'intimo il cuore degli uomini, piega ciò che è rigido, scalda ciò che è gelido, guida coloro che si sono sviati, lava, infondi coraggio, sana le ferite dei cuori. Sine tuo numine, nihil est in homine, nihil est innoxium. ‡
   Sequenza della Messa di Pentecoste
   Roma, 22 maggio 1988
   
   A mighty wind invades the world,
   so strong and free on beating wing:
   it is from the Spirit of the Lord
   that all truth and freedom spring.
   
   The Spirit is a fountain clear
   forever leaping to the sky,
   whose waters give unending life,
   whose timeless source is never dry.
   Inno di Pentecoste
   
   6. PADRE,TI CHIEDIAMO PERDONO
   ‡ Des chrétiens ont accompli des actes que l'Évangile réprouve. Si j'évoque le passé, c'est parce que « reconnaître les fléchissements d'hier est un acte de loyauté et de courage qui nous aide à renforcer notre foi, qui nous fait percevoir les tentations et les difficultés d'aujourd'hui et nous prépare à les affronter ». Je suis convaincu que seul le pardon offert et reçu conduit progressivement à un dialogue fécond qui scelle alors une réconciliation pleinement chrétienne. L'appartenance à différentes traditions religieuses ne doit pas constituer aujourd'hui une source d'opposition ou de tension. Bien au contraire, l'amour pour le Christ qui nous est commun nous pousse à chercher sans relâche le chemin de la pleine unité. ‡
   Omelia durante la veglia con i giovani
   Parigi, 23 agosto 1997
   
   7. DOVE C'È AMORE, C'È DIO
   ‡ Se ami Dio sopra ogni cosa e il tuo prossimo come te stesso, se ami veramente e realmente, allora certamente "non molesterai", né "opprimerai", "non maltratterai" nessuno, in particolare "la vedova e l'orfano", "non ti comporterai pure da usuraio", e "se prendi in pegno... renderai." ‡
   Esodo 22, 20-26; Matteo 22,37-39 Catechesi alla parrocchia di Gesù Divino Lavoratore
   Roma, 25 ottobre1981
   
   Ubi caritas et amor, Deus ibi est.
   Congregavit nos in unum Christi amor.
   Exsultemus, et in ipso jucundemur.
   Timeamus, et amemus Deum vivum,
   et ex corde diligamus nos sincero.
   
   Ubi caritas et amor, Deus ibi est.
   Simul ergo cum in unum congregamur,
   ne nos mente dividamur, caveamus.
   Cessent iurgia maligna cessent lites,
   et in medio nostri sit Christus Deus.
   
   Exsultemus, et in ipso...
   Timeamus, et amemus Deum vivum,
   gaudium quod est immensum atque probum,
   saecula per infinita saeculorum. (Amen)
   Sequenza della liturgia della "lavanda dei piedi" del Giovedì Santo
   
   8. PADRE DELLA LUCE
   ‡ Everybody who does wrong hates the light and avoids it, for fear his actions should be exposed; but a man who lives by the truth comes out into the light so that it may be plainly seen that what he does is done in God. ‡
   Giovanni 3,20-21 Copenaghen, 6 giugno 1989
   
   Vsià sviatya pomianùvse, pàki i pàki mìron
   Gòspodu pomòlimsia.Gòspodi, pomìlui. Otce nas, ìze iesì na nebesiech, da sviatìtsia ìmia Tvoiè; da priìdet tsàrstviie Tvoiè; da bùdet vòlia Tvoià, iàko na
   nebesì i na zemlì. Chlieb nas nasùscnyi dazd'nam dniès'; i ostàvi nam dòlgi nàsa, iàkoze i my ostavliàiem dolznikòm
   nàsym; i niè vvedì nas vo iskusèniie, no izbàvi nas ot lukàvago.
   Iàko Tvoiè ièst'tsàrstvo, i sìla i slàva, i vo vieki vekòv.
   Pater Noster della liturgia slavonica
   
   9. UN COMANDAMENTO NUOVO
   Mandatum novum do vobis: ut diligatis invicem, sicut dilexi vos - dicit Dominus, Mandatum novum do vobis.
   Giovanni 13,34 Antifona iniziale della liturgia della "lavanda dei piedi" del Giovedì Santo
   
   ‡ Signore, fa' di me uno strumento alla tua pace;
   dove è odio che io porti l'amore,
   dove è offesa che io porti il perdono,
   dove è discordia che io porti l'unione,
   dove è dubbio che io porti la fede,
   dove è errore che io porti la verità,
   dove è disperazione che io porti la speranza,
   dove è tristezza che io porti la gioia,
   dove sono tenebre che io porti la luce.
   Maestro, fa che io non miri tanto
   ad essere consolato quanto a consolare,
   ad essere compreso quanto a comprendere,
   ad essere amato quanto ad amare,
   poiché donando si riceve, perdonando si è perdonati,
   morendo si risuscita a vita eterna. ‡
   Preghiera per la Giornata Mondiale della Pace
   (attribuita a San Francesco d'Assisi)
   Assisi, 27 ottobre 1986
   
   10. MADRE DI TUTTE LE GENTI
   ‡ Alma Redemptoris Mater,
   quae pervia caeli porta manes,
   et stella maris.
   Santa Madre del Redentore,
   porta che ci apre il Cielo,
   stella del mare.
   
   Succurre cadenti surgere qui curat populo
   Tu, quae genuisti, natura mirante,
   Tuum Sanctum Genitorem.
   Soccorri il tuo popolo vacillante
   che anela a risorgere, Tu che, nello stupore di tutto il creato,
   hai generato il tuo Creatore. ‡
   
   Dies sanctificatus illuxit nobis...
   
   ‡ Virgo prius ac posterius,
   Gabrielis ab ore sumens illud "Ave", peccatorum miserere.
   Vergine prima e dopo il parto,
   Tu che hai accolto il saluto dell'angelo, abbi pietà di noi peccatori. ‡
   
   Dies sanctificatus illuxit nobis...
   
   ‡ Fa' risorgere il mondo!
   Aiuta l'uomo a risorgere dal peccato!
   Sei pur Tu la Genitrice di Dio!
   Sei ben Tu che doni al mondo
   Dio,fatto uomo. ‡
   Antifona Mariana della liturgia delle ore proclamata nella Compieta Roma, 8 dicembre 1982
   
   Dies sanctificatus illuxit nobis...
   Versetto dell'alleluia della terza Messa di Natale
   
   11. LA LEGGE DELLE BEATITUDINI
   ‡ Beati i poveri in spirito, perché di essi è il regno dei cieli.
   Beati gli afflitti, perché saranno consolati.
   Beati i miti, perché erediteranno la terra.
   Beati quelli che hanno fame e sete di giustizia, perché saranno saziati.
   Beati i misericordiosi, perché troveranno misericordia.
   Beati i puri di cuore, perché vedranno Dio.
   Beati gli operatori di pace, perché saranno chiamati figli di Dio.
   Beati i perseguitati per causa della giustizia, perché di essi è il regno dei cieli.
   Beati voi quando vi insulteranno, vi perseguiteranno, e, mentendo, diranno ogni sorta di male contro di voi a causa mia.
   Rallegratevi ed esultate, perché grande è la vostra ricompensa nei cieli. ‡
   Matteo 5, 3-12 San Lorenzo al Verano,
   Roma, 1 novembre 1981

1. CERCATE IL SUO VOLTO
   The Pope is particularly fond of Psalm 26, which he often cites in reference to man's search for the Lord, and the ultimate certainty that "lets his heart take courage." A brief introduction by the string section sets the tone for the Holy Father's message: "The Lord is my light and my salvation."
   
   The recording was made in líAquila at the Church of Santa Caterina d'Alessandria by a young people's orchestra that was assembled especially for this occasion.
   
   2. CRISTO È LIBERAZIONE
   This selection, which is enhanced by the music of Latin America, blends the joyous sounds of percussion instruments, Andean flutes, and accordions with a full orchestra. The passages spoken by the Pope, from various sources and in several languages, possess as a common denominator a faith in Jesus Christ, the revealer of God and the liberator of mankind.
   
   3. VERBUM CARO FACTUM EST
   "And the Word became flesh," from the Gospel of John, portrays the reality of the coming of Christ through the interpretations of Katharina Scharp, the Roman Academy Choir, and the Orchestra Nuova Sinfonietta Roma.
   
   4. ABBÀ PATER
   The word "abbà," which signifies "father" in Aramaic, was used by Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane to express the close relationship between Father and Son.
   
   Twenty years ago, Pope John Paul I's pronouncement that God is also Mother caused much emotion and surprise. Pope John Paul II has since expounded upon this affirmation by declaring that paternity and maternity are complementary attributes of the person of God.
   
   The various spoken passages are part of a larger "operatic" setting that alternates words and music, orchestra and chorus, and modern melodies and Gregorian chants. This brief but moving spiritual journey has also been the inspiration for a music video.
   
   5. VIENI, SANTO SPIRITO
   These verses from the Sequence of the Mass of Pentecost are set against an intimate Oriental background based on an amalgam of Indian, Chinese, and Indonesian sounds. The music, which ceases almost entirely during the homily that His Holiness delivered on January 1, 1998, rises to a crescendo at the end with the participation of soprano, chorus, and orchestra.
   
   6. PADRE, TI CHIEDIAMO PERDONO
   Originally delivered on August 23, 1997 during John Paul II's vigil with young people in Paris, this homily conveys another theme that is dear to his heart. The dramatic nature of his message is reinforced by the expressionistic orchestral score.
   
   7. DOVE C'ÈAMORE, C'È DIO
   The concept of charity, or the extent of God's love, is a divine virtue par excellence as well as the supreme "law of Christ." It is expressed in passages from Exodus and Matthew, which precede the well-known Gregorian chant entitled "Ubi Caritas."
   
   8. PADRE DELLA LUCE
   The Pater Noster from the ancient Slavonic liturgy is sung by Echo, a choral group from Bratislava that specializes in sacred music. Punctuated by drums, bass, and full orchestra, it follows the passage from the Gospel of John that begins with "Everybody who does wrong hates the light and avoids it."
   
   9. UN COMANDAMENTO NUOVO
   This prayer, which is attributed to Saint Francis, was recorded in Assisi in 1986 on the occasion of the World Day of Peace. Preceded by the "Mandatum novum do vobis" from the Book of John, it is highlighted by a musical score that starts with a quiet melody for voice and Celtic flutes, and gradually increases in volume and intensity as the chorus joyously affirms the testament left by Christ on the cross.
   
   10. MADRE DI TUTTE LE GENTI
   This selection, which was recorded in the open air, is also part of a larger "operatic" piece. It opens with several Christian chants from Uganda and various African percussion instruments that introduce the recital of the Marian Antiphon from the Night Prayer of the Liturgy of the Hours in both Latin and Italian. The "Dies Sanctificatus," which is sung as a Gregorian chant, alternates with the antiphonal stanzas in a steady crescendo of richer and more dynamic musical textures. The maternal nature of God's love is evoked by the historical references to the Woman, the Mother of Jesus, and Mary of Nazareth.
   
   11. LA LEGGE DELLE BEATITUDINI
   The last selection once again recreates the sounds of an open-air concert. As chorus and orchestra gradually become part of the score, they highlight the words contained in Matthew 5, when "Jesus went up on a mountainside" and proclaimed the Law of the New Alliance. In the spirit of the Beautitudes themselves, the musical setting is meant to convey a message of unity and reconciliation to all mankind.

Interview with Leonardo De Amicis

Q: What was your immediate reaction when you received this proposal?

The first thing I thought when I received this proposal was that it would be a difficult task to accomplish, in terms of both composition and production. From the very beginning, over a year ago, my hope was that it would not prove to be an exercise in futility. Thanks to the dedication of the entire production team, and their perseverance in striving to create a work of greatness, the final results were more than gratifying.

Q: When did you first hear the voice of the Pope?

I was extremely moved when I first heard the Pope's voice in my recording studio. However, after I had finished sketching out the first selection "Cercate Suo Voltoî everything suddenly seemed complete. Every nuance of his voice, every form of expression, every dynamic seemed to fit perfectly with the musical score. I had the distinct feeling that the ABBÀ PATER project was about to become a living reality. Even today, after having listened hundreds of times to the final work, I have the same reaction.

Q: How did you approach the project, and what choices did you make once you began working in the studio?

The first obstacle that I had to face was deciding what direction the music should ultimately take. I was already aware of numerous attempts made by other composers. The problem for me was finding a way to create music that would have popular appeal without reflecting current musical trends.

I felt that this composition would have to convey a sense of agelessness and multi-ethnicity, especially in light of our shrinking world. At the same time, it needed to reflect the importance of 2,000 years of religion and culture as expressed by the basic concepts of forgiveness, reconciliation, and man's spiritual pilgrimage.

All of us worked long and hard on this project, without any respite whatsoever. We met constantly with the various individuals involved, particularly Messina, the producer, as we collaborated on numerous daily modifications and variations.

Q: How much of your own spirituality was involved in the creative and production stages?

A: My own spiritual involvement was a fundamental part of the entire process, and more than once it proved to be a great source of inspiration. I come from a deeply religious Catholic background, and I was raised to live by the Christian rules.

During production, I came to understand many concepts that had not been totally clear to me. Above all else, it was the voice of the Holy Father that became my spiritual guide as I went about composing this work.

Notes from Stefano Mainetti

When I was asked to compose a musical score to accompany the words of the Holy Father, I must confess that I was plagued by doubt and uncertainty. Never before had I been involved in, or even imagined, such an undertaking. However, as I listened to the simplicity of the sentiments contained in the text, I began to realize that my apprehensions were groundless.

My greatest help in creating the music for "Un Comandamento Nuovo" was surely the expressive power of the Holy Father himself, and his enormous ability to communicate the word of God in an effective way. The beauty of the prayer attributed to Saint Francis accomplished the rest.

What I was searching for was a musical background that highlighted the text I was given rather than working in opposition to it. My solution was a simple, slow melody that would "crescendo" in accordance with the immediate, overpowering meaning that the voice of the Holy Father had wanted to give to those verses.

I employed the same approach while composing the music for "Dove CíË Amore, CíË Dio" with the help of a choral theme taken from the Gregorian literature. When I added the orchestral score to provide the necessary depth, I chose a series of ethnic sounds that are not generally part of the sacred repertory. This was done to emphasize the modernity of the evangelical message, as well as its absolute universality.

My use of multi-ethnic references throughout the score was intended to underline the Holy Father's concern with eliminating all geographical, political, racial, and linguistic boundaries. As a consequence, I moved the harmonic structure away from the dogmas that have been traditionally associated with the sacred repertory. The timeliness of the messages contained in the text facilitated my modernizing of the music.

In utilizing the computer as an integral part of the orchestration, my intent was to make it a determining factor, rather than an invasive element, in the evolution of the score, which is meant to reflect the contemporaneous nature of the words of the Holy Father

.

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