New Carmina, No. 10
Nil gratius is No. 10 from the cycle New Carmina – a project initiated by the Vocalforum Graz and their director Franz M. Herzog. Twelve internationally renowned European composers accepted the invitation and have each composed a setting of one of the chosen texts of the Carmina Burana. In this way, there arose a complex, well-knit, full-length choral work – an impressive symbiosis between the witty text inserts, the medieval texts and the completely innovative, original ways in which the choral music, with its diversity of contemporary musical languages, treated these.
The text set by Mia Makaroff, Nil gratius (Nothing is more pleasant), reflects on the joy of happiness and the dark sides. Yes, it is wonderful to enjoy happiness! But unfortunately, there are narrow limits to this feeling. Quite suddenly it can change and then it's back again: the reality – bitterer and blacker than before.
