The gospel of saint Mark says: 'Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain (the mountain 'Tabor'), where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them. His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them' (Mk 9, 2). In the first movement 'mountain of the transfiguration' I tried to see with the eyes of Peter, James and John Christ's transfiguration. As a symbol for this 'dazzling white light' the 'Lumen Christi'-acclamation of the Easter night-liturgy rises with the large crescendo of this movement.
In the climax of this light 'a cloud appeared and enveloped them, and a voice came from the cloud: 'This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!' (Mk 9, 7). To express in music this voice of the cloud I found it appropriate to write a very calm piece; because the prophet Elias to whom it was promised to here the voice of God on the mountain of Carmel didn't find this voice neither in a storm nor in a fire nor in an earthquake but in a very smooth and calm little air.
The cantus firmus in this second movement 'The cloud' is taken from the 'lamentations of Jeremy' as a symbol for Christ's way to Golgotha, and from the 'exsultet' of the Easter night-liturgy as a symbol for Christ's rising from the dead. Because during his transfiguration Elias and Moses appeared next to him and told him everything about his coming death and resurrection.
I find the bird 'The lark' that tries ever and ever to rise up to the sun singing with all its strength without any pause the most wonderful symbol to express the feeling after the transfiguration of Christ. 'As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus gave them orders not to tell anyone what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead.' (Mk 9, 9). In my imagination I see the bird lark sitting on a tree up the mountain Tabor, while Jesus was transfigured and became whiter than any light of the earth. Since this moment the lark is looking everywhere for this eternal light and it hopes to find it in the sun; the order of Jesus not to tell anyone what they had seen was given to his three friends but not to a bird; so the lark is free to sing as loud as it can about this unforgettable light of transfiguration that it has seen on the mountain of Tabor. The cantus firmus in the pedal is taken of Easter-Alleluias.
(Carl Rütti 1993)
