The project is formed by the following people:
Alex Wende – composer, producer
Hennig Westland and Jäcki Reznicek – musicians
Thomas Pflanz – author of the Latin lyrics;
Diana Lasch, Kira Primke, Lawrence Sihlabeni, Maggie Reilly and Tom Cunningham - session soloists
The "Carl Maria von Weber" choir on the albums Mystic. Spirit. Voices. and Chapter 2
and Chor Der Deutschen Oper Berlin ("Choir of the German Opera, Berlin") on the album Times.
Lesiëm released its debut album, Mystic, Spirit, Voices, in 2000. The songs Fundamentum and Indalo (recorded with Lawrence Sihlabeni) were taken in rotation of German radio stations and were later released as singles in January and June of 2000. Soon after this, the album was re-released in more than 50 countries all around the world. When the album was released in the United States in 2002, it climbed to no. 7 on the U.S.
Lesiëm’s second album, Chapter 2, was released in 2001 in Europe, Initially, a limited pre-edition was released in March of 2001, followed a month later by the official release, with all tracks re-arranged. In some countries the first, limited, edition was released as official. The album was release in the U.S.A. in 2003 under the title Illumination.
The ethnic theme (which first appeared in Indalo from "Mystic. Spirit. Voices") was continued in the track Africa (released as a single in March 2001). The vocals on this track are performed by Lawrence Sihlabeni. During creation of "Chapter 2" the musicians used ethnic musical instruments, for example the doudouk (in the track Aureus) and the great highland bagpipe (for the track Britannia) and operatic parts (e.g. Susanne Kirchbaum's soprano part in "Aureus"). However, there were no hits like Fundamentum in this album.
The first two albums were a sort of prelude for the pop-opera Times, which was Lesiëm’s 3rd album (released as Auracle in U.S.A. in 2004). The musicians started their work in March 2002 and finished it in the end of July. The single Caritas (feat. Maggie Reilly and Chor der Deutschen Oper Berlin) was presented in December 2002 on the philanthropic TV-show of Jose Carreras “Carreras Gala”.
In 2001, Lesiëm presented a huge show with lasers and pyrotechnics, called "Leipziger Feuerzauber". It took place at the Völkerschlachtdenkmal near Leipzig. More than 200,000 people visited it; a few millions of Germans watched it on the TV.
Coloris
Lesiëm Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Caeruleus o albus.
Ruber. Colorem mutare.
Color canus.
O violaceus.
Viridatas o ruber.
Non sine colore.
color canus.
Ruber, gilvus color.
Caeruleus o albus.
Ruber. Colorem mutare.
Color canus.
O violaceus.
Viridatas o ruber.
Non sine colore.
color canus.
The lyrics of Lesiëm's song Coloris convey a sense of color and its transformative power in various contexts. The repeated phrases "Ruber, gilvus color" and "Caeruleus o albus" introduce the colors of red, yellow, blue, and white, while also acknowledging their variations and mutability. The lines "Ruber. Colorem mutare. Color canus. O violaceus" suggest that red can change into a grayish-white or violet color, emphasizing the fluidity of color and its ability to shift in unexpected ways.
As the song continues, other colors are introduced, such as green ("Viridatas o ruber"), which is not without its own shades and nuances. The final line, "Non sine colore. color canus" could be interpreted as a reminder that even shades of gray or white are still colors, and that color cannot be completely erased or eliminated.
Overall, the lyrics of "Coloris" offer a reflection on the complex and multifaceted nature of color, exploring how it can be transformed and adapted to different contexts and meanings.
Line by Line Meaning
Ruber, gilvus color.
Red, yellow color.
Caeruleus o albus.
Blue or white.
Ruber. Colorem mutare.
Red. Changing color.
Color canus.
Gray color.
O violaceus.
Oh, violet.
Viridatas o ruber.
Green or red.
Non sine colore.
Not without color.
color canus.
Gray color.
Contributed by Chase R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.