Programme notes:

Tereza Jaďuďová (b. 2001)
MOTETUS
Written in 2023-2024

Motetus originated as a contrapuntal exercise, gradually expanding into a complete concert piece for SATB choir. Its structural core lies in a systematic progression through the circle of fifths, following a precise internal key plan.

As the harmonic centre moves, the voice leading generates a shifting interplay of consonant and dissonant sonorities. These relationships evolve smoothly, the voices weaving in and out of alignment, at times resolving into open sonorities, at times lingering in clusters.

The work’s flow is continuous and unbroken, with the contrapuntal fabric itself serving as the form. The result is a meditative yet constantly developing choral texture in which harmonic motion and intervallic design drive the piece forward.