The Bible as Music

Genesis 11:1-9

¹ And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech.

² And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there.

³ And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them thoroughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for morter.

⁴ And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.

⁵ And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded.

⁶ And the Lord said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do.

⁷ Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.

⁸ So the Lord scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city.

⁹ Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the Lord did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the Lordscatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.

—

Babel, for narrator, choir and orchestra (composed in 1944) by Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971). Part of The Genesis Suite, which was commissioned by Nathaniel Shilkret and was premiered on Nov. 18, 1945.

Performed by David Wilson-Johnson, Simon Joly Chorale, Philharmonia Orchestra, conductor Robert Craft

BUY MP3/ALBUM

MP3: Babel / Igor Stravinsky / Robert Craft / Naxos

SHEET MUSIC

Babel. (Kantate nach Moses I, 11, 1-9). For narrator, TTBB choir and orchestra. Text language: English – German. Composed 1944. 20 pages. Duration 7 minutes. Published by Schott Music