℗ and © 1984 and 2010 Frank DiGiacomo.

The joyous meeting, as recorded in St. Luke, Chapter 1, verses 46 to 55, between the Virgin Mary and Saint Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist, was a powerful inspiration for Frank DiGiacomo. The use of electronic music construction gave him a freedom of expression of which he took full advantage. His piece, written in 1984, pays homage to the classic Magnificats of the past, but with his own voice. Taking almost 20 minutes to unfold, the Magnificat is a feast of color and emotion.

In the singdigiacomo.com section of this website can also be found an art song in German, for high voice, by Frank DiGiacomo, on a poem by Rainer Maria Rilke treating this same subject.

Excerpt from THE JERUSALEM BIBLE, Copyright © 1966 by Darton, Longman & Todd, Ltd., and Doubleday, a division of Random House, Inc.
Reprinted by Permission

The Magnificat

“And Mary said:
‘My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord.
and my spirit exults in God my saviour; because he has looked upon his lowly handmaid.
Yes, from this day all generations will call me blessed, for the Almighty has done great things for me.
Holy is his name, and his mercy reaches from age to age for those who fear him.
He has shown the power of his arm, He has routed the proud of heart.
He has pulled down princes from their thrones and exalted the lowly.
The hungry he has filled with good things, the rich sent empty away.
He has come to the help of Israel his servant, mindful of his mercy
- according to the promise he made to our ancestors -
of his mercy to Abraham and to his descendants for ever.’

Mary stayed with Elizabeth about three months and then went back home.”