The story of a masterwork …

… Spell-Bound: Morten Lauridsen’s O Magnum Mysterium. (Hat tip, Dave Lull.)

 

There is little doubt that Lauridsen’s work is a masterpiece, but that explanation is insufficient. Music has many neglected masterpieces. The success of Lauridsen’s motet comes from something singular – it has the power to bring the listener into a mystical trance.