"Lacrymosa"
Song by Evanescence
from the album The Open Door
ReleasedSeptember 25, 2006
Recorded
Length3:37
LabelWind-up
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Dave Fortman
Live video
"Lacrymosa" on YouTube

"Lacrymosa" is a song by American rock band Evanescence from their second studio album, The Open Door (2006). The song was composed by singer and pianist Amy Lee and guitarist Terry Balsamo, with production by Dave Fortman and choral arrangements by Lee. It incorporates the Lacrimosa sequence from Mozart's Requiem (1791), which was originally performed in the key of D minor and transposed into E minor for the song.

Lee, a David Campbell–led orchestra, and a choir recorded "Lacrymosa" at a chapel in Seattle, Washington. The song contains elements of several genres, including classical music, gothic rock, progressive rock, and industrial rock. "Lacrymosa" garnered generally positive reviews from music critics, who praised Lee's vocals and arrangement and deemed it one of the most memorable songs on The Open Door. An alternate version appears on the band's fourth studio album Synthesis (2017).

Composition and recording

The song incorporates the Lacrimosa sequence of Mozart's Requiem (1791).

"Lacrymosa" was written by Amy Lee and Terry Balsamo, and produced by Dave Fortman.[1] It incorporates the Lacrimosa sequence of Mozart's Requiem (1791), which is Lee's favorite piece of music.[2][3][4] David Campbell led a 22-piece orchestra, and the Millennium Choir performed the latin stanzas from "Lacrimosa" as backing vocals.[1][5] Lee, the orchestra and the choir recorded the song at a chapel in Seattle, Washington.[2][6]

Lee began writing Lacrymosa in 2004, when she was writing for the soundtrack of the film The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, which did not materialize and was one of the songs rejected by the studio for being "too dark".[12] Lee stated that she had always wanted to make Lacrimosa from Mozart's Requiem a metal song, and The Open Door was "the time for that, for trying things I hadn't been brave enough to try before."[13] In an interview with VH1, Lee explained the inspiration behind the song:

I saw Amadeus when I was nine years old and fell in love with Mozart. The part of Mozart's Requiem called "Lacyrmosa" [sic] is my favorite piece of music ever. I always wished we could cover it, but with programming and guitars and make it cool. It's our moment to try all the things I wanted to and couldn't, so I started messing with it in Protools. Terry wrote some riffs and turned it into this awesome metal epic.[3]

According to the sheet music published by Alfred Publishing on Musicnotes.com, the original Lacrimosa sequence was performed in D-minor, and it was transposed into E-minor in the song.[14] Lee's vocals range from the low note of B3 to the high note of E5; the SATB choir vocals range from the low note of B2 to the high note of E4.[14]

The Gauntlet writer Claire Colette said the song features a "violin intro, synth worth of a Nine Inch Nails album, and Omen-esque choral sections that are very haunting."[15] Rob Sheffield from Rolling Stone wrote that "Lacrymosa" has Lee "sobbing hysterically over a grand piano".[16] IGN reviewer Ed Thompson characterized the track as having the "trademark Evanescence sound - Lee's celestial voice", her "brooding lyrics", along with "electronic backing beats, symphonic string section", heavy guitar, and "an ethereal choir backing track, giving the track a contrasting representation of light and dark".[17] Writing for Billboard, Gary Graff noted that it incorporates elements of progressive rock and classical music.[18] John Hood from the Miami New Times opined that, thematically, "'Call Me When You're Sober' sent a man away, "Lacrymosa" kept him there, and "Cloud Nine" told the clueless dolt why he would no longer ever be welcomed back.[19] Kerrang!'s Sam Law said that the title is a "take on the Latin term for "weeping"" and Lee's lyrics "evocatively revisit the tears shed in the years preceding."[20]

In 2017, Lee and Campbell reworked "Lacrymosa" into a fully orchestral version with electronic percussion for Evanescence's fourth studio album, Synthesis. In this version, Lee performed all the operatic vocals in backing and lead vocals.[21][22][23]

Critical reception

"Lacrymosa" received generally positive reviews from music critics. Ed Thompson from IGN deemed it the "most memorable track" on the album.[17] Don Kaye of the Blabbermouth.net felt that while the song was an "interesting experiment" it came "across as more of a stab at artsiness with its strings and choirs than a real song."[24] A writer of The Independent recommended the song on his "Download This" list for The Open Door.[25] Postmedia News said that Lee "achieves stunning notes on "Lacrymosa", which employs a haunting choir".[26] Richard Harrington of The Washington Post said Lee gave a "dramatic prog-rock makeover" to Lacrimosa, describing it as a "dynamic rocker".[2]

The New York Times's Kelefa Sanneh regarded the song as "grandiose even by the album's standards" and "an audacious, exhilarating blast" in which "Evanescence sounds huge".[27] Writing for Billboard, Gary Graff considered it one of the album's triumphant "melodramatic goth/industrial anthems".[18] Claire Colette of The Gauntlet called it a "haunting" song,[15] USA Today's Edna Gundersen deemed it "wonderfully bombastic",[28] and Revolver's Zoe Camp dubbed it a "standout".[29] The Sydney Morning Herald viewed the track as the album's centerpiece.[13] W. Andrew Powell of TheGATE.ca said the "soaring" song is one of the album's highlights that "really leave their mark".[30] Kerrang! reviewer Nick Ruskell wrote that the classical parts and heavy guitars in the song "entwine perfectly to create a stunning Wagnerian wall of choir-led dark majesty".[31]

Metal Hammer said that, over the years, "Lacrymosa" became one of the band's "best loved tracks."[32] In a 2021 article by The Evening Standard, for which classical music performers recommend pieces of music as an introduction to classical music, conductor Kalena Bovell recommended "Lacrymosa" as an example of classical music's influence on a band, writing that Lee's "celestial voice is mesmerising, soaring above a brooding melody that is elevated by the use of an SATB choir".[33]

Personnel

Credits adapted from The Open Door liner notes.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 The Open Door (liner notes). Evanescence. Wind-up Records. 2006.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  2. 1 2 3 Harrington, Richard (October 6, 2006). "Another 'Door' Opens for Amy Lee". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on October 5, 2022. Retrieved October 24, 2011.
  3. 1 2 Bottomley, C. (September 9, 2006). "Evanescence: Amy Lee Explains the New Songs". VH1 News. Archived from the original on February 4, 2007. Retrieved February 2, 2007.
  4. ↑ "Evanescence Feeling No Pressure On New Album". Billboard. Retrieved November 4, 2011.
  5. 1 2 Reesman, Bryan (November 2006). "The Essence of Evanescence". Metal Edge. Vol. 52, no. 11. pp. 5–10. ISSN 1068-2872.
  6. ↑ "Listen To Two New Tracks From Evanescence's Album 'The Open Door'". Sony BMG. September 19, 2006. Archived from the original on September 7, 2007.
  7. ↑ D'Angelo, Joe; Moss, Corey (November 18, 2004). "Evanescence's New Sound Is Reminiscent Of ... Evanescence". MTV News. Archived from the original on October 31, 2013. Retrieved August 3, 2011.
  8. ↑ "Wardrobe closed to Evanescence singer". The New Zealand Herald. November 27, 2004. Retrieved July 6, 2007.
  9. ↑ Eells, Josh (October 2006). "Amy Lee: Back in Black". Blender. Archived from the original on September 30, 2007. Retrieved January 9, 2007.
  10. ↑ Hartmann, Graham (October 26, 2016). "Evanescence's Amy Lee Plays 'Wikipedia: Fact or Fiction?'". Loudwire. Archived from the original on March 22, 2017. Retrieved March 3, 2017.
  11. ↑ Roberts, Michael (November 21, 2007). "Q&A With Evanescence's Amy Lee". Westword. Archived from the original on October 8, 2022. Retrieved February 24, 2023.
  12. ↑ [7][8][9][5][10][11]
  13. 1 2 "Amy Lee gets it off her chest". The Sydney Morning Herald. October 16, 2006. Archived from the original on October 12, 2022. Retrieved June 17, 2011.
  14. 1 2 "Evanescence - Lacrymosa Sheet Music (Digital Download)". Musicnotes.com. 17 January 2007. Archived from the original on May 14, 2023. Retrieved January 3, 2008.
  15. 1 2 Claire, Colette. "Evanescence Album Review". The Gauntlet. Archived from the original on December 8, 2013. Retrieved June 17, 2011.
  16. ↑ Sheffield, Rob (October 5, 2006). "The Open Door by Evanescence". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on April 28, 2023. Retrieved June 16, 2011.
  17. 1 2 Thompson, Ed (October 3, 2006). "The Open Door (Evanescence)". IGN. Archived from the original on June 28, 2011. Retrieved May 29, 2011.
  18. 1 2 Graff, Gary (October 7, 2006). "Album Reviews – Evanescence – The Open Door". Billboard. p. 37. ISSN 0006-2510. Archived from the original on February 13, 2023. Retrieved March 19, 2012.
  19. ↑ "Through the Open Door". Miami New Times. October 18, 2007. Archived from the original on August 2, 2017. Retrieved October 18, 2022.
  20. ↑ "The 20 greatest Evanescence songs – ranked". Kerrang!. August 21, 2020. Archived from the original on February 21, 2022. Retrieved October 8, 2022.
  21. ↑ Synthesis (liner notes). Evanescence. BMG. 2017. 538337812.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  22. ↑ Trakin, Roy (October 17, 2017). "Concert Review: Evanescence Amp Up the Drama With 28-Piece Orchestra at L.A.'s Greek Theatre". Variety. Archived from the original on December 9, 2021. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
  23. ↑ Durchholz, Daniel (December 4, 2017). "Evanescence mixes beauty, bombast in Peabody concert". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Archived from the original on July 2, 2018. Retrieved October 21, 2022.
  24. ↑ Kaye, Don (October 2, 2006). "CD Reviews - The Open Door Evanescence". Blabbermouth.net. Archived from the original on September 16, 2016. Retrieved December 19, 2022.
  25. ↑ Gill, Andy (October 6, 2006). "Album: Evanescence". The Independent. Archived from the original on June 20, 2018. Retrieved September 21, 2011.
  26. ↑ "'Open Door' to likeable return of Evanescence". Canada.com. November 11, 2006. Archived from the original on November 10, 2012. Retrieved June 19, 2011.
  27. ↑ Sanneh, Kelefa (October 2, 2006). "New CD's". The New York Times. Archived from the original on June 25, 2011. Retrieved October 21, 2011.
  28. ↑ Gundersen, Edna (October 10, 2006). "Evanescence, The Open Door". USA Today.
  29. ↑ Camp, Zoe (October 27, 2017). "Hear Evanescence's Elegant New Version Of "Lacrymosa"". Revolver. Archived from the original on October 27, 2017. Retrieved May 14, 2023.
  30. ↑ Powell, W. Andrew (October 2006). "The Open Door review". TheGATE.ca. Retrieved November 11, 2006.
  31. ↑ Ruskell, Nick (September 20, 2006). "Stairway to Heaven: Amy Lee Hits an Unexpected Stride of Excellence". Kerrang!.
  32. ↑ "Every Evanescence album ranked from worst to best". Metal Hammer. April 5, 2021. Retrieved December 19, 2022.
  33. ↑ "Proms 2021: want to get into classical? The festival's stars on the best piece of music to start you off". The Evening Standard. July 30, 2021. Archived from the original on July 30, 2021. Retrieved May 14, 2023.


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