Canticum Canticorum Salomonis is a choral composition by Polish composer Krzysztof Penderecki. It was finished in 1973.
The composition was commissioned by the Gulbenkian Foundation and took Penderecki from 1970 to 1973 to finish it. It was premiered in Lisbon on June 5, 1973. Werner Andreas Albert conducted the Gulbenkian Orchestra and Les Percussions de Strasbourg, together with the NCRV Vocal Ensemble, which considered the composition too difficult to be performed.[1] It is dedicated to Emil Breisach and was published by the Polish Music Publishing House and Schott Music.[2]
The composition, which is in one movement, takes approximately 16 minutes to perform, and uses an erotic text which is extracted from the Song of Songs.[3] [4] It is scored for a 16-voice choir and orchestra.
Following is the complete text used in the composition:[5]
| width=33% | (Sponsa,) Osculetur me osculo oris sui Quia meliora sunt ubera tua vino Fragrantia unguentis optimis Fasciculus murrae dilectus meus mihi Inter ubera mea commorabitur (Sponsus,) | width=33% | (Sponsa,,) Ecce tu pulcher es dilecte mi et decorus Lectulus noster floridus Introduxit me in cellam vinariam Ordinavit in me caritatem Fulcite me floribus Stipate me malis Quia amore langueo Leva eius sub capite meo Et dextera illius amplexabitur me (Sponsus,) | width=34% | (Sponsa,) Ecce iste venit Saliens in montibus transiliens colles Similis est dilectus meus capreae Hinuloque cervorum En ipse stat post parietem nostrum Despiciens per fenestras Prospiciens per cancellos (Sponsus,) |
The composition received mixed opinions by critics. Opinions from Polish critics ranged from "one of the best of Penderecki's works", by Malinowski and Michałowski,[6] and "colorful, subtle, elegant, and expressively discreet", by Zielinski, to remarks by Kaczynzki, who deplored the low dynamism of the composition[7] and stated that the composition "deserved a warmer welcome, despite the incoherence of its texts".[8] Polish critic Marian Fuks described the musical style of the work as "lukewarm".[9]