Sequentia cyclica

Written between 1948 and 1949, it is a set of 27 variations on the medieval sequence Dies irae and is widely considered one of Sorabji's greatest works.

The Gregorian chant Dies irae, the text of which has traditionally been attributed to Thomas of Celano, a 13th-century Italian friar, attracted Sorabji throughout his life.

[6]The full name of the piece, as it appears on the title page of the manuscript, is Sequentia cyclica super "Dies irae" ex Missa pro defunctis in clavicembali usum Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji scripsit.

[12] The work received its premiere on 18 June 2010 in Glasgow, UK, under the hands of Jonathan Powell, who had given partial performances of the piece in 2008 and earlier that year, and went on to play Sequentia cyclica elsewhere in Europe and the United States.

Its theme and 27 variations cover 335 pages and take about eight hours to perform,[n 2] making the work one of the longest piano pieces ever composed.

Legatissimo sempre e nello stile medioevale detto 'organum'": The opening presents the entire Dies irae chant, with its repetitions being skipped.

Like other of Sorabji's similarly titled movements of a nocturnal character, it has been likened to "Le gibet", the second section of Ravel's Gaspard de la nuit.

The fifth fugue culminates in a section titled "Le Strette: delle quinta parte della fuga", which is followed by a "Stretto maestrale".