''Seligpreisung'' is the fourth album by German band

Popol Vuh ''Popol Vuh'' (also ''Popul Vuh'' or ''Pop Vuj'') is a text recounting the mythology and history of the Kʼicheʼ people of Guatemala, one of the Maya peoples who also inhabit the Mexican states of Chiapas, Campeche, Yucatan and Quintana Roo, ...

. It was originally released in 1973 on record label Kosmische Musik. The title is the German name for the

Beatitudes The Beatitudes () are blessings recounted by Jesus in Matthew 5:3–10 within the Sermon on the Mount in the Gospel of Matthew, and four in the Sermon on the Plain in the Gospel of Luke, followed by four woes which mirror the blessings. In ...

, from Christ's Sermon on the Mount.

Release

In 2004 SPV re-released the album with one bonus track, "Be in Love (Du sollst lieben)", originally released in 1972 on a solo single by Korean vocalist Djong Yun.

Reception

'' Perfect Sound Forever'' described it as "another soaring, beautiful, essential and seminal work, sounding not only unique in the world of music, but among all other Popol Vuh albums."

Track listing

All tracks composed by Florian Fricke. Original lyrics from the

Gospel of Matthew The Gospel of Matthew is the first book of the New Testament of the Bible and one of the three synoptic Gospels. It tells the story of who the author believes is Israel's messiah (Christ (title), Christ), Jesus, resurrection of Jesus, his res ...

, revised by Florian Fricke. ;2004 bonus track

"Be in Love (Du sollst lieben)" – 4:59

Personnel

Florian Fricke Florian Fricke (23 February 1944 – 29 December 2001) was a German musician who started his professional career with electronic music, using the Moog synthesizer, and was a founding member of the Krautrock band Popol Vuh. Early life Born on 23 ...

–

piano A piano is a keyboard instrument that produces sound when its keys are depressed, activating an Action (music), action mechanism where hammers strike String (music), strings. Modern pianos have a row of 88 black and white keys, tuned to a c ...

, cembalo,

vocals Singing is the art of creating music with the voice. It is the oldest form of musical expression, and the human voice can be considered the first musical instrument. The definition of singing varies across sources. Some sources define sing ...

production Production may refer to: Economics and business * Production (economics) * Production, the act of manufacturing goods * Production, in the outline of industrial organization, the act of making products (goods and services) * Production as a stat ...

Daniel Fichelscher Daniel "Danny" Secundus Fichelscher, (born 3 July 1953 in Berlin), is a German guitarist and drummer who played a pivotal role in Krautrock band Popol Vuh, was a member of the German group Gila and is currently Amon Düül II's drummer. Fichelsch ...

–

electric guitar An electric guitar is a guitar that requires external electric Guitar amplifier, sound amplification in order to be heard at typical performance volumes, unlike a standard acoustic guitar. It uses one or more pickup (music technology), pickups ...

(on 2, 3, 4, 6),

drums The drum is a member of the percussion instrument, percussion group of musical instruments. In the Hornbostel–Sachs classification system, it is a membranophones, membranophone. Drums consist of at least one Acoustic membrane, membrane, c ...

percussion A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a percussion mallet, beater including attached or enclosed beaters or Rattle (percussion beater), rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or ...

, production *

Conny Veit Wolf Conrad "Conny" Veit (born 6 May 1949) was a German musician, singer, composer and painter, best known for his appearances in Gila and Popol Vuh. His main instrument was the guitar. His name was misspelled "Conny Veidt" in Gila's first album ...

– electric guitar,

12-string guitar A twelve-string guitar (or 12-string guitar) is a steel-string guitar with 12 strings in six courses, which produces a thicker, more ringing tone than a standard six-string guitar. Typically, the strings of the lower four courses are tuned in ...

, production *Robert Eliscu –

oboe The oboe ( ) is a type of double-reed woodwind instrument. Oboes are usually made of wood, but may also be made of synthetic materials, such as plastic, resin, or hybrid composites. The most common type of oboe, the soprano oboe pitched in C, ...

, production *

Klaus Wiese Klaus Wiese (January 18, 1942 – January 27, 2009 in Ulm) was a veteran e-musician, minimalist, and multi-instrumentalist. A master of the Tibetan singing bowl, he created an extensive series of album releases using them. Wiese also used the hum ...

– tamboura, production ;Guest musicians *Djong Yun – vocals (on 9) *Fritz Sonnleitner –

violin The violin, sometimes referred to as a fiddle, is a wooden chordophone, and is the smallest, and thus highest-pitched instrument (soprano) in regular use in the violin family. Smaller violin-type instruments exist, including the violino picc ...

(on 9) ; Technical personnel * Dieter Dierks –

engineering Engineering is the practice of using natural science, mathematics, and the engineering design process to Problem solving#Engineering, solve problems within technology, increase efficiency and productivity, and improve Systems engineering, s ...

* Heiner – engineering assistance * Reinhardt Langowski – production * Ingo Trauer – cover design * Richard J. Rudow – cover design * Bettina Fricke – sleeve photography * Kranz – sleeve photography

References

External links

*
Popol Vuh discography

{{Authority control Popol Vuh (band) albums 1973 albums 1970s German-language albums