Garbarek's sound is one of the hallmarks of the ECM record label, which has released virtually all of his recordings. His style incorporates a sharp-edged tone, long, keening, sustained notes strongly reminiscent of Islamic prayer calls, and generous use of silence. He began his recording career in the late 1960s, notably featuring on recordings by the American jazz composer George Russell (such as Othello Ballet Suite and Electronic Sonata for Souls Loved by Nature). If he had initially appeared as a devotee of Albert Ayler and Peter Brötzmann, by 1973 he had turned his back on the harsh dissonances of avant-garde jazz, retaining only his tone from his previous approach.
As a composer, Garbarek tends to draw heavily from Scandinavian folk melodies, a legacy of his Ayler influence. He is also a pioneer of ambient jazz composition, most notably on his 1976 album Dis. This textural approach, which rejects traditional notions of thematic improvisation (best exemplified by Sonny Rollins) in favor of a style described by critics Richard Cook and Brian Morton as "sculptural in its impact", has been critically divisive.
After recording a string of unheralded avant-garde albums, Garbarek rose to international prominence in the mid-1970s playing post-bop jazz, both as a leader and as a member of Keith Jarrett's successful "European Quartet." He achieved considerable commercial success in Europe with Dis, a meditative collaboration with guitarist Ralph Towner that featured the distinctive sound of a wind harp on several tracks. (Selections from Dis have been used as incidental music in several feature films and documentaries.) In the 1980s, Garbarek's music began to incorporate synthesizers and elements of world music. In 1993, during the Gregorian chant craze, his album Officium, a collaboration with early music vocal performers the Hilliard Ensemble, became one of ECM's biggest-selling albums of all time, reaching the pop charts in several European countries. (Its sequel, Mnemosyne, followed in 1999.) In 2005, his album In Praise of Dreams was nominated for a Grammy.
In addition to the selections from Dis, Garbarek has also composed music for several other European films, including French and Norwegian films. Also his song 'Rites' was used in the American film The Insider.
Parce Mihi Domine
Jan Garbarek Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Quid est homo, quia magnificas eum?
Aut quid apponis erga eum cor tuum? Visitas cum diluculo, et subito probas illum.
Usquequo non parcis michi, nec dimittas me, ut glutiam salivam meam? Peccavi.
Cur non tollis peccatum meum, et quare non aufers iniquitatem meam?
Ecce nunc in pulvere dormio; et si mane me quesieris, non subsistam.
Translation
Spare me, O Lord, for my days are nothing.
What is a man that thou shouldst magnify him?
Or why dost thou set thy heart upon him? Thou visitest him early in the morning, and thou provest him suddenly.
How long wilt thou not spare me, nor suffer me to swallow down my spittle? I have sinned.
What shall I do to thee, O keeper of men? why hast thou set me opposite to thee, and I am become burdensome to myself?
Why dost thou not remove my sin, and why dost thou not take away mine iniquity?
Behold now, I shall sleep in the dust: and if thou seek me in the morning, I shall not be.
The lyrics to Jan Garbarek's song "Parce Mihi Domine" express a feeling of despair and plea for mercy from a higher power. The songwriter approaches God with humility, acknowledging the insignificance of his days and questioning the reason for God's attention towards him as a mortal. The songwriter feels tested in the early morning, and begs for mercy and forgiveness, recognizing his own sins and shortcomings. He wonders why he is burdened with his own flaws and inequities, and why God has not yet removed them. The song ends with a sense of finality, as the writer acknowledges the inevitability of his own death, and his own powerlessness in the face of a higher power.
The interpretation of the song is largely rooted in Christian theology, with themes of sin, redemption, and the power of God prevalent throughout the lyrics. The language used in the song is formal, and the tone is melancholy, emphasizing the humility of the writer and his willingness to accept his own limitations. The song answers the ultimate question of what it means to be human, offering the idea that humans are but insignificant beings in the grand scheme of things, and their salvation lies in the mercy of God.
Line by Line Meaning
Spare me, O Lord, for my days are nothing.
Please show me mercy, Lord, because my days are insignificant.
What is a man that thou shouldst magnify him?
Why do you make man so important, compared to the grandeur of your creations?
Or why dost thou set thy heart upon him?
Why do you bother to care for mankind when they are so minuscule in your sight?
Thou visitest him early in the morning, and thou provest him suddenly.
You test man every morning, challenging him with unexpected situations.
How long wilt thou not spare me, nor suffer me to swallow down my spittle? I have sinned.
Why won't you show me mercy and let me live, especially since I know I have sinned?
What shall I do to thee, O keeper of men? why hast thou set me opposite to thee, and I am become burdensome to myself?
What can I do for you, the one who watches over all of humanity? Why have you made me your adversary and allowed me to cause my own troubles?
Why dost thou not remove my sin, and why dost thou not take away mine iniquity?
Why won't you forgive me of my sins and remove the evilness in my soul?
Behold now, I shall sleep in the dust: and if thou seek me in the morning, I shall not be.
Once I die, I will become dust and if you look for me in the morning, I will no longer exist.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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