-
-
-
-
- Age of the Diva
- Albinoni
- Almost Christmas
- Arias, Hampson, Harnoncourt
- Bach Keyboard Concertos
- Bach Viola
- Bach, Barenboim
- Bach, Cantatas
- Bach, Concertos
- Bach, JS, Keyboard Works
- Bach, Mass in B Minor
- Bach, Mutter
- Bach, trio-sonatas
- Baroque Christmas Album
- Baroque Trumpet
- Bartok, Concertos
- Bartoli
- Bartoli, Opera Proibita
- Bax, Baroque
- Beethoven Piano
- Beethoven String Quartets
- Beethoven and Brahms
- Beethoven, piano
- Bella Donna: Courtly Love
- Belle Epoque Melodies
- Berlioz, Les Troyens
- Binchois, Dufay
- Boccherini, Cello Concertos
- Boxed Baroque
- Boyce, Eight Symphonies
- British Light Classics
- British Piano Concertos
- Brubeck, The Gates of Justice
- Bruch, Violin Concerto
- Callas
- Canteloube, Chants d'Auvergne
- Carols
- Chanticleer, Sound in Spirit
- Charpentier
- Charpentier, Lebegue
- Christmas 04
- Christmas Vespers
- Contemporary and Medieval
- Copland
- Delius
- Der Rosenkavalier
- Dukachev - Beethoven, Prokofiev, Rachminov
- Elgar
- Elgar, Marches
- Elgar, The Enigma Variations
- Faure songs
- French Medieval Songs
- Fux
- Gounod, Faust
- Graham: Causon, Ravel, Debussy
- Great Ballets
- Grieg, Franck
- Handel Arias
- Handel, Deborah
- Handel, Messiah
- Handel, The Triumph ...
- Handel, Water Music DVD
- Hapsburg Music
- Haydn
- Haydn, Handel DVD's
- Herz Piano
- Jane Austen's Songbook
- Josefowicz Recital
- King's Singers
- La Fille Mal Gardee
- Lang Lang and Yo Yo Ma: Farewell Isabella and Chinese things
- Lauridsen
- Llibre Vermell
- Luci, Bartoli, and a dead diva
- Lully, Comedies-ballets, Phaeton
- Maerzmusik sampler
- Mahler Symphony No 7
- Mahler, Berg
- Mantovani
- Matsudaira
- Medieval French Songs
- Mendelssohn Sacred
- Mendelssohn, Dvorak
- Messa di Gloria
- Michael Haydn
- Miles Davis ... sorta
- Monterverdi, Orfeo
- Monteverdi Vespers
- Monteverdi, Poppea
- Monteverdi, The Sacred Music 3
- Monteverdi, Vivaldi, Handel
- Montiverdi Vespers
- Morricone
- Mozart Symphonies
- Mozart, Cosi fan tutte
- Mozart, Exsultate Jubilate
- Mozart, Mass in C Minor
- Mozart, symphonies 40, 41
- Mozart: Die Zauberflote
- Mozart: the string quartets
- Mozrt Requiem
- Mutter Mozart
- New English Hymnal
- New RSS system and Feeds
- Nikolay Roslavets
- Peerson, Latin Motets
- Penguins March
- Pergolesi, La Serva Padrona
- Philip Glass, Symphonies 2 and 3
- Poulenc concerto
- Proms
- Purcell - Dido and Aeneas
- Purcell Sonatas
- Purcell: Dido and Aeneas
- Rachmaninov, Piano
- Ramallah - Beethoven No. 5
- Rameau, Les Paladins
- Reger, Bach and Telemann Variations
- Renaissance Organ Music
- Romantic Cello Concertos
- Romantic Violin
- Russian Album -Anna Netrebko
- Rutter Mass
- Sanctuary, the heart has its reasons
- Scarlatti, The complete Keyboard Sonatas
- Schubert and Mozart piano
- Schubert Ð Death and the Maiden
- Shostakovich
- Shostakovich and Schnittke, Cello
- Shostakovich/Josefowicz
- Sibelius String Quartets
- Sixteen: Ikon
- South American Baroque
- Stainer, The Crucifiction
- Sting does Dowland
- Strauss tone poem
- Takemitsu
- Tallis
- Tchaikovsky, Symphony No 5, Verdi, Sibelius
- The Kirov celebrates Nijinsky
- Toshiro Mayazumi
- Vaughan Williams
- Verdi
- View from a dark tunnel
- Virginal -Susann van Soldt
- Vivaldi Cello
- Vivaldi, Motezuma
- Vivaldi, Sacred Music
- Vivaldi: Dixit Dominus
- Von Otter
- Wagner, Das Rheingold
- Wagner, Gotterdammerung DVD
- Water Music, Music for the Royal Fireworks
- Weir, Gillian
- Weiss / Lindberg Lute
- Whitacre, Cloudburst
- Williams, Bingham: Mass
- von Weber, Chamber Music
|
Thu, 20 Apr 2006
Whitacre, Cloudburst
Eric Whitacre - Cloudburst and other choral works
Polyphony, Stephen Layton
Stephen Betteridge, piano Robert Millett, percussion
CD, Hyperion
Nevada born Eric Whitacre grew up with the ambition of being a rock star
after having unsuccessfully studied piano, and trumpet. Joining the
University of Nevada to study a Major in Music Education, he was seduced
into the choir not by the music, but the pretty sopranos. In his own
words "I was sort of tricked into joining the choir...My life was
profoundly changed on that day and I became a choir geek of the highest
order."
Unfortunately, Meurig Bowen has beaten me to writing the luscious
programme notes. Definitely worth a read! (Also translated into French
and German for convenience).
The opening to this album, I thank you lord for this most amazing day,
is exquisite. Conservative though Whitacre's writing maybe in comparison
to most composers' efforts of the last century and a bit, his ability to
write gorgeous harmonies, encompassing all of the thought of the modern
era is no less adventurous. I have caught myself a few times thinking I
was listening to very early music of the 15th and 16th century. The
clashes, piled triads, suspensions, and innate ability to write for
voice astound me. It is almost like film music at times too.
This music is beautiful like your lover, asleep with the morning light
cast across them. It is the rolling hills, sharp peaks, crashing waves,
and endless dawn and dusk. Impossible though I've found it, picking a
highlight from this album, here are a few moments I really spent time
over - The climax from 1'11'' of track 2 Track 6 Track 8
Enjoy this, and look out for any concerts where Whitacre's music is
being performed. Oh yes, and buy this album too!
(E Walton)
[]
permanent link
|