Product Description
The Second Station of The Cross - Jesus Receives His Cross for solo piano, is based on a rhythmical pattern of 6 sets:
1, 2, 3 - 1, 2, 3 - 1, 2, 3 - 1, 2, 3 - 1, 2 - 1, 2. This rhythmical pattern (e.g., 4 dotted quarter notes followed by 2 quarter notes) is called The Love of The Trinity. It represents how the Divine Trinity is intimately involved in saving mankind through The Stations of The Cross. This rhymical pattern can be heard in movements 2, 12 and 15 of the entire piano cycle of The Stations of The Cross for Solo Piano which contains 15 movements (14 Stations and a 15th called The Resurrection).
This movement Jesus Receives His Cross is marked Andante. This is the moment when Christ first makes contact with the Cross. Formerly a beautiful tree under his gaze before the Incarnation, it now becomes an instrument of torture for him. The six note Theme of the Cross is introduced here (measure/bars 16 - 17). The first three notes of this theme (same pitch) represent Christ's divinity and the following three notes (different pitch) represent his humanity.
The first four sets of the rhythmical pattern represents four significant gifts from God; Creation, the Incarnation, Christs sacrifice on the Cross and the Resurrection. The next two sets (1, 2, - 1, 2) represent the Holy Spirit and Marys role in the divine plan.
The number 6 is considered the first mathematically perfect number because it is both the sum (1+2+3) and the product (1x2x3) of the first three numbers. In the Book of Genesis, God created the world in six days and rested on the seventh. His creation was perfect. Christ is the new Adam. The love of Christ is made perfect on the Cross, hence the number 6 is chosen to represent the Theme of the Cross. This theme is also presented in other piano movements of the entire cycle of The Stations of The Cross for Solo PIano in movements 3, 4, 7, 9, 11 & 14 which can be purchased from the publisher.
In the Cross there is suffering, in the Cross there is salvation, in the Cross there is a lesson of love. O God, he who once has understood you, desires nothing else, seeks nothing else. (Polish Lenten hymn)
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