THE HARMONY BETWEEN RELIGIOUS AFFECTION AND FESTIVE GRANDEUR IN LUCIANO SIMONI'S MISSA SOLEMNIS

Abstract

The article presents the complex personality of the Italian composer Luciano Simoni (1932–2010), highlighting his dual career as an engineer and musician, as well as his rich compositional portfolio, which focuses primarily on religiously inspired vocal-symphonic music. It mentions his international collaborations and his artistic relationship with the Târgu Mureș Philharmonic, which resulted in numerous recordings under the baton of conductor Romeo Rîmbu. The central work analyzed is Missa Solemnis, composed between 1969 and 1977, and highlights Simoni’s distinctive stylistic synthesis, which blends elements of post-Romanticism, Neoclassicism, serialism, and minimalism into an original language dominated by melody and expressiveness. It highlights the thematic unity of the work, achieved through the repetition and transformation of musical motifs across different sections, as well as the use of polyphonic techniques and Gregorian influences. The analysis examines each part (Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus, Agnus Dei) in detail, highlighting the correspondence between the musical discourse and the theological meanings of the text. An important aspect is the composer’s artistic conception, based on expressive sincerity and the transmission of a spiritual message of hope and peace. The Mass thus takes on the character of a choral symphony, due to the extensive role of the orchestra and the instrumental interludes. Finally, the article highlights the aesthetic value and interpretive challenges of the work, as well as the critical acclaim received by Simoni’s composition, which is characterized by stylistic coherence and fidelity to the Italian musical tradition.