Abstract
Mystical experiences have rarely inspired composers and this study presents three exceptions: H. M. Gorecki's Symphony No. 3, L. Andriessen's Hadewijch, and O. Messiaen's Saint Francois d'Assise (Tableau VII, Stigmata). These composers belong to the Catholic Church, yet they differ in their spiritual outlooks as much as in their musical styles. Their works portray mystical union with God of increasing closeness to Christ (the unity of human and Divine suffering, the ecstasy of communion, a full identification with the Crucified). The music depicts intense emotional states accompanying mystical encounters with the eternal Transcendence. The theme of the “passion” — meaning both suffering and love — is expressed through elaborate symbolism of numbers, modes, intervals, and colours.
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