Le Laudi

Le Laudi
di San Francesco d'Assisi (Cantico delle creature)
Oratorio by Hermann Suter
Saint Francis of Assisi by the Italian artist Cimabue (1240–1302)
EnglishThe Praises
Full titleLe Laudi di San Francesco d'Assisi
Opus25
Occasioncentenary of the Basler Gesangverein
TextCanticle of the Sun by Francis of Assisi
LanguageItalian
Composed1924 (1924): Basel
Dedicationin memory of the composer's parents
Performed13 June 1924 (1924-06-13): Basel
Movements9
Scoring
  • Soloists
  • choir
  • children's choir
  • organ
  • orchestra

Le Laudi (The Praises), Op. 25, is an oratorio by the Swiss composer Hermann Suter. The full title is Le Laudi di San Francesco d'Assisi (Cantico delle creature) (The Praises of St. Francis of Assisi (Canticle of the Creatures)). The text is Francis of Assisi's Canticle of the Sun in the original Italian. Suter scored the work for soloists, choir, children's choir, organ and large orchestra. It was premiered in 1924, with the composer conducting the Basler Gesangverein on the occasion of its centenary. The oratorio of around 70 minutes is one of Suter's most important works and has been championed by conductors such as Wilhelm Furtwängler, who conducted the first performance in Vienna in 1926 and further performances in Europe. Although now performed relatively rarely elsewhere, it has been presented regularly in Switzerland. It was also recorded in 1991 and 2007.