John Tavener (1944-2013), raised a Presbyterian in London, converted to the Russian Orthodox Church in 1977 after experiencing a near-devastating compositional dry spell. Beforehand he had been able to compose with ease and facility such that he was an acknowledged wunderkind, even gaining the attention of the Beatles in the late 1960s with his oratorio The Whale. The Beatles issued that work, and subsequently others, on their own record label, Apple Records. But the music that brought him fame at the time would not be recognized as Tavener’s by most of us today. After his conversion to Russian Orthodoxy, Tavener’s music became spare, mystical, and quasi-minimalist, with elements of tintinnabulation resembling the works of Arvo Pärt (another composer who abandoned highly complicated forms of composition in favor of simplicity). Tavener reached new fame when his beautiful “Song for Athene” was sung at the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales.
Bella Voce, Chicago’s premier professional chamber choir, is renowned for performing choral music, both traditional and contemporary, both sacred and secular, that inspires and exhilarates its audiences. It continues to honor the traditions that won this stellar ensemble so many admirers and supporters over the years while also exploring new repertoire. The ensemble has recorded for Centaur, Harmonia Mundi, Narada, and Cedille Records and also has five self-produced CDs in release.
www.bellavoce.org
Негізгі бет "Two Hymns to the Mother of God" (John Tavener) performed by Bella Voce
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