Te Deum
Program note
The idea of composing my own setting of the Te Deum had been in my mind for quite some time. The project truly began, however, when I discovered the harmonic and rhythmic motive that opens the work and serves as its principal musical idea. From that single idea, the composition developed naturally until it became a complete setting of one of the Church’s oldest and most solemn hymns.
The choice of text was not accidental. The triumphant character of the opening motive seemed to demand words of praise, and few texts possess the grandeur of the Te Deum. It is a hymn reserved for particularly solemn occasions and occupies a unique place within the Christian liturgical tradition. Even its liturgical use is relatively rare, which gives it a sense of occasion and significance. Writing a Te Deum therefore felt like more than composing another choral work—it meant engaging with a text that has carried profound theological and musical weight for centuries.
Perhaps, as a Czech composer, there was another source of motivation as well. Antonín Dvořák’s Te Deum has become closely associated with Czech presidential inaugurations and stands as one of the defining Czech settings of the hymn. Whether consciously or not, the idea of contributing my own voice to that tradition was certainly appealing.
Musically, my setting is built on contrasts. Moments of monumental, almost ceremonial power are juxtaposed with passages of quiet contemplation, allowing the music to move freely between celebration and reflection. Despite these dramatic shifts in mood, the entire work unfolds in just over ten minutes.
Those contrasts are inspired not only by the music but also by the text itself. One aspect that particularly fascinated me was the way the hymn moves between communal and personal expression. It speaks first with the voice of the entire Church and then, almost unexpectedly, becomes an intensely individual prayer. I wanted the music to reflect these changing perspectives rather than maintain a single emotional character throughout.
Harmonically, the work approaches atonality while maintaining a loose gravitational pull toward A-flat major, ultimately arriving in E-flat major. Along the way, the music briefly centers on several other tonal areas, including C major, C-sharp minor, and G minor. In the quieter sections, non-functional harmony often replaces traditional tonal progressions, creating an atmosphere of suspended motion instead of conventional harmonic resolution.
One of the most striking moments comes immediately after the forceful and highly dissonant setting of Tu rex gloriae, Christe. Rather than continuing triumphantly, the music suddenly modulates into C-sharp minor. In many settings of the Te Deum, this passage remains firmly in a major key, emphasizing Christ’s kingship through brilliance and confidence. I found myself drawn in a different direction. The words seemed to demand something more mysterious and awe-inspiring—less a proclamation of victory than a confrontation with the overwhelming reality of Christ’s glory. The modulation felt inevitable, even if I cannot fully explain why.
The conclusion also avoids the obvious. As the opening material returns for Non confundar in aeternum, the music initially suggests that the work will end with the same monumental energy with which it began. Instead, the intensity suddenly dissolves. The final pages retreat into stillness before coming to rest on a calm E-flat major chord. Rather than ending with triumph alone, I wanted the work to conclude with confidence, peace, and quiet assurance.
The primary musical inspiration behind this setting is William Walton’s Coronation Te Deum. Ever since discovering Walton’s music, I have admired his extraordinary ability to combine rhythmic vitality, harmonic richness, and overwhelming sonic brilliance. His influence is particularly evident in the ceremonial energy and the broad architectural sweep of the work.
Several other composers also left their mark on this setting. Lili Boulanger’s La terre appartient à l’Éternel inspired me through its striking harmonic language and its remarkable ability to sound both ancient and modern at the same time. Anton Bruckner’s Te Deum provided another model of monumental sacred writing, while his motet Locus iste demonstrated how simplicity and restraint can often be just as powerful as the grandest orchestral climax. Finally, Morten Lauridsen’s O magnum mysterium served as a reminder of the expressive potential of non-functional harmony and luminous choral sonorities in moments of quiet contemplation.
Although traces of these influences may be heard throughout the work, this Te Deum is not intended as an imitation of any single composer. Rather, it represents an attempt to synthesize these inspirations into a musical language that is distinctly my own, shaped by my own harmonic vocabulary, structural ideas, and personal understanding of this remarkable text.
Text:
Te Deum laudamus
te Dominum confitemur.
Te aeternum Patrem
omnis terra veneratur.
Tibi omnes Angeli;
tibi caeli et universae Potestates;
Tibi Cherubim et Seraphim
incessabili voce proclamant:
Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus,
Dominus Deus Sabaoth.
Pleni sunt caeli et terra
maiestatis gloriae tuae.
Te gloriosus Apostolorum chorus,
Te Prophetarum laudabilis numerus,
Te Martyrum candidatus laudat exercitus.
Te per orbem terrarum
sancta confitetur Ecclesia,
Patrem immensae maiestatis:
Venerandum tuum verum et unicum Filium;
Sanctum quoque Paraclitum Spiritum.
Tu Rex gloriae, Christe.
Tu Patris sempiternus es Filius.
Tu ad liberandum suscepturus hominem,
non horruisti Virginis uterum.
Tu, devicto mortis aculeo, aperuisti
credentibus regna caelorum.
Tu ad dexteram Dei sedes, in gloria Patris.
Iudex crederis esse venturus.
Te ergo quaesumus, tuis famulis subveni:
quos pretioso sanguine redemisti.
Aeterna fac cum sanctis tuis in gloria numerari.
Salvum fac populum tuum,
Domine, et benedic hereditati tuae.
Et rege eos, et extolle illos usque in aeternum.
Per singulos dies benedicimus te;
Et laudamus Nomen tuum in sæculum, et in sæculum sæculi.
Dignare, Domine, die isto sine peccato nos custodire.
Miserere nostri domine, miserere nostri.
Fiat misericordia tua, Domine, super nos,
quemadmodum speravimus in te.
In te, Domine, speravi:
non confundar in aeternum.