Abyssus Ascendens ad Aeternum Splendorem by jppo

Abyssus Ascendens ad Aeternum Splendorem for piano, orchestra, electronics.
(the Ascending Abyss to the Eternal Brightness)

In accordance with certain Hebrew mysticism, the Heaven is divided in seven kingdoms, each one ruled by one Angel.
The Seventh Heaven, ruled by the Angel Cassiel, is the most sacred of these places. This the kingdom where God inhabits.
Underneath of the Throne of Glory is the Chamber of Guf (Hebrew word for "body"). This chamber is the house of all the souls of human beings not yet born.
In the New Testament, Jesus Christ mentions the place of comfort and happiness after death, Abraham’s Bosom, also known as the Limb of the Fathers. And, according to some Hebrew-Christian traditions, this is the place where the just human soul goes after death, while it waits the Final Judgment.
Faith is the power that takes the soul in its journey from the descending of the Guf, through the earthly existence, and finally into the Limb of the Fathers.
Faith is also described by Simone Weil, as being an Ascending Abyss. It is abysmal because it pushes the human being into a state of higher perfection. It is ascending and its vortex culminates in a higher sphere, the Eternal Brightness.
The form of the piece was suggested by a visit to the Convent of the Capuchos, in Sintra, Portugal. The paths inside of this convent takes us through the sad and dark altars of the low area, till we reach an ascending path where we find multiple references to the symbolism of the Cross. Finally the path ends in the higher altar of the Convent, almost at the top of the mountain. There, the shady environment of the “earthly” sections of the convent is replaced by brightness and light.
This is what inspired this piece.

Interpreters:
Orquestra Filarmonia das Beiras
António Lourenço - Conductor
Ana Telles - Piano
João Pedro Oliveira - Electronics