Tavener US 4/10/08 1:27 PM Page 4
570442 bk Tavener US 4/10/08 1:27 PM Page 4
Ralph van Raat
Pianist and musicologist Ralph van Raat studied the piano with Ton Hartsuiker and Willem Brons at the Conservatory of Amsterdam and Musicology at the TAVENER University of Amsterdam. He concluded both studies with distinction in 2002 and 2003. Van Raat also studied with Claude Helffer (Paris), Liisa Pohjola (Helsinki), Ursula Oppens at Chicago’s Northwestern University and Pierre-Laurent Aimard at the Musikhochschule in Cologne. Van Raat has won, among other awards, Piano Music Second Prize and Donemus-Prize (for Contemporary Music) of the Princess Christina Competition (1995); Stipend-Prize Darmstadt during the Internationale Ferienkurse für Neue Musik in Darmstadt (1998); First Prize of the International Pratir pa • Ypakoë • Palin • Mandoodles Gaudeamus Interpreters Competition (1999); Philip Morris Arts Award (2003); Elisabeth Everts Prize (2005); a Borletti-Buitoni Fellowship (2005); VSCD Classical Music Prize (2005) and the Fortis MeesPierson Award of the Concertgebouw, Amsterdam (2006). He appears as a recitalist and as a soloist Ralph van Raat with orchestras in Europe, the Middle-East, Asia and in the United States. Ralph van Raat has been a Steinway Artist since 2003.
Photo: Marco Borggreve
8.570442 4 570442 bk Tavener US 4/10/08 1:27 PM Page 2
John Tavener (b. 1944) sparks of wit, including a reference to Chopin, both real essence of spirituality soars above any religion, and Piano Music works do possess an underlying austere tone, both that it can be found in any person, whatever his or her human and divine at the same time, as cats, according to background. Pratiru¯pa is Sanskrit for “reflection”. In His early compositions have been issued on Apple, the omnipresent silence in the strongest possible way. the composer, “know things that we have no access to”. the words of the composer, in this work “a series of self- recording label of The Beatles. His choral work Song His very first piano work, Palin (1977), although By the time Tavener composed for the piano again reflecting harmonies, melodies and rhythms attempt to for Athene was performed at the close of Princess clearly influenced by modernism in its use of dissonant more than a decade later, he had also studied the reflect the most beautiful, the Divine Presence which Diana’s funeral. He collaborated with pop-star Björk in twelve-tone series and harmonies, readily foreshadows symbolism and tone systems of Greek Orthodox, resides in every human being”. Besides contemplative Prayer of the Heart, as a result of a mutual enthusiasm Tavener’s search for a spirituality beyond just the Russian Orthodox and Byzantine music extensively. passages of musical prayer, stripped of any and respect for each others’ work. The sheer vastness of sophisticated, technical manipulation of musical Integrating the acquired knowledge within his own “unnecessary” notes and thereby trying to represent that the audiences moved by his melodies has hardly been material. Alluding to his early, primordial experiences compositions, Tavener’s musical language had which is most pure in music, there are sudden strong known before in the world of contemporary classical with music as a young child imitating thunder, lightning crystallized into a highly personal idiom resulting in the outbursts of joy. Preceded by a glissando on the white music. These well-known facts all seem to confirm that and rain at the piano, Tavener evocatively instructs the hugely successful piece The Protecting Veil (1987), piano keys, they are ringing on in full pedal, breaking Sir John Tavener (born 1944) has found firm and solid pianist to play “like thunder”, “like rippling rapids”, consisting of exceptionally long melodic arches and the silence as loudly as possible. Samavedic rhythms are artistic grounds as a composer, attracting and capturing “like swaying bells at sea”. Silence allows a higher ecstatic qualities. The birth of his second daughter used to accent the ritualistic character of this music an unusually differentiated audience. reality to enter the music. The use of a repeated C inspired Tavener to write the short piano solo piece which is filled with performance directions such as “like A closer look at Tavener’s career, however, and at symbolizes the “ison”, a single note which is the axis Zodiacs (1997) for her – a rather mystical piece using a Hindu ceremony”, “still, unearthly”, “with rapt his personality behind the notes, tells a different story; between silence and the world of sounds. Another axis tones from the ancient Greek concept of the Harmony of stillness”, “like Temple Gongs”, “as slow as possible; one of a composer having embarked on a life-long is found in the middle of the piece, formed by the lowest the Spheres. Ypakoë (1997) is a much larger work, its serene, tender, beyond time, beyond being.” Silence, artistic and spiritual quest. While the majority of his C on the piano which is repeatedly played for about ten Greek title meaning “to be obedient”, “to hear”, “to however, indeed takes on a role as important as sound, recent works hardly exhibit any classical development seconds. From that moment, all the music of this respond”. Although the work, through different so that one can listen to the voice inside oneself. of musical elements, but merely consist of iconic sounds composition so far is literally being sounded backwards, sections, is a contemplative meditation on the passion Sir John Tavener’s mind and spirit are never at rest, carved into petrified states of stillness, the opposite is making the second half of the composition a mirrored and resurrection of Christ, the last section dances for joy and his ideas on music, religion and spirituality are in a true for the composer’s artistic and personal version of the first half, with an additional coda. This at the risen Lord. Passages in Greek or Middle Eastern constant state of evolution. This even shows when development. Strongly concerned with the negative retrograde explains the reference to the palindrome in style, inspired by the stringed Greek instrument musicians work with the composer. While he was social and cultural directions in which mankind seems its title. kanokaki, represent both a vigorous musical element, rehearsing his piano works, upon hearing them many to be moving at a fast pace, John Tavener has been After having joined in 1977 the Russian Orthodox and Tavener’s own growing interests in other cultures. years after their composition, his self-critical and musical continuously and indefatigably looking for ways to Church, which recognizes man as essentially good, Pratiru¯pa (2003), the composer’s largest work so ear made him revise some aspects, such as tempo refind beauty and truth, both in spirit and sound. It is an Tavener’s compositional style gradually transformed as far for piano solo, portrays his most recent stylistic and markings and even single notes. It seems to be one of infinitely challenging task which powers the he experienced the communicative power and sublimity philosophical developments. Written in the same period many indications of a true artist constantly polishing his composer’s artistic mind: the creation of a universal of its traditional sacred music. Besides writing reflective as the mammoth composition The Veil of the Temple works and ideas, where the process can go on infinitely, essence, to be understood by everyone who is open to it, music for ensembles and choirs, such as his choral work (2002) for soprano, choirs and ensemble, Tavener has until universal and eternal splendour have been found. transcending greatly any religion, culture or The Lamb (1982) or To a Child Dancing in the Wind also made a later version of Pratiru¯pa for piano with Just as Tavener’s music never seems to reach an end, his background. (1983) for soprano and ensemble, he composed piano string orchestra. Influenced especially by the personal longing and search for Truth and Beauty will Many of Tavener’s large orchestral, vocal and music for more private purposes. The loss of his cats philosophies of Sufi-writers René Guénon, Frithjof very likely go on beyond time, beyond being. choral works clearly reflect his main ideas about music caused Tavener to write Mandoodles (1982), depicting Schuon and the Indian metaphysician Ananda and spirituality. Relatively less known are his piano short scenes from the life of his cat Mandu, and the bell- Coomaraswamy, Tavener has come to believe that any Ralph van Raat works, which at times seem to mark his stylistic and like In Memory of Two Cats (1986). Besides some philosophic developments on a more personal level. modernist influences such as clusters and glissandi, still With Tavener writing for the piano, the instrument is present in Mandoodles, one can at the same time notice transformed into a strikingly individual, sonorous world a stylistic shift in these compositions: most strikingly, of chiming bells, highly lyrical melodic phrases, and there is an obvious return to more traditional, triadic recurrently, thundering sound clouds, confronting the harmonies. Although especially Mandoodles contains
8.570442 23 8.570442 570442 bk Tavener US 4/10/08 1:27 PM Page 2
John Tavener (b. 1944) sparks of wit, including a reference to Chopin, both real essence of spirituality soars above any religion, and Piano Music works do possess an underlying austere tone, both that it can be found in any person, whatever his or her human and divine at the same time, as cats, according to background. Pratiru¯pa is Sanskrit for “reflection”. In His early compositions have been issued on Apple, the omnipresent silence in the strongest possible way. the composer, “know things that we have no access to”. the words of the composer, in this work “a series of self- recording label of The Beatles. His choral work Song His very first piano work, Palin (1977), although By the time Tavener composed for the piano again reflecting harmonies, melodies and rhythms attempt to for Athene was performed at the close of Princess clearly influenced by modernism in its use of dissonant more than a decade later, he had also studied the reflect the most beautiful, the Divine Presence which Diana’s funeral. He collaborated with pop-star Björk in twelve-tone series and harmonies, readily foreshadows symbolism and tone systems of Greek Orthodox, resides in every human being”. Besides contemplative Prayer of the Heart, as a result of a mutual enthusiasm Tavener’s search for a spirituality beyond just the Russian Orthodox and Byzantine music extensively. passages of musical prayer, stripped of any and respect for each others’ work. The sheer vastness of sophisticated, technical manipulation of musical Integrating the acquired knowledge within his own “unnecessary” notes and thereby trying to represent that the audiences moved by his melodies has hardly been material. Alluding to his early, primordial experiences compositions, Tavener’s musical language had which is most pure in music, there are sudden strong known before in the world of contemporary classical with music as a young child imitating thunder, lightning crystallized into a highly personal idiom resulting in the outbursts of joy. Preceded by a glissando on the white music. These well-known facts all seem to confirm that and rain at the piano, Tavener evocatively instructs the hugely successful piece The Protecting Veil (1987), piano keys, they are ringing on in full pedal, breaking Sir John Tavener (born 1944) has found firm and solid pianist to play “like thunder”, “like rippling rapids”, consisting of exceptionally long melodic arches and the silence as loudly as possible. Samavedic rhythms are artistic grounds as a composer, attracting and capturing “like swaying bells at sea”. Silence allows a higher ecstatic qualities. The birth of his second daughter used to accent the ritualistic character of this music an unusually differentiated audience. reality to enter the music. The use of a repeated C inspired Tavener to write the short piano solo piece which is filled with performance directions such as “like A closer look at Tavener’s career, however, and at symbolizes the “ison”, a single note which is the axis Zodiacs (1997) for her – a rather mystical piece using a Hindu ceremony”, “still, unearthly”, “with rapt his personality behind the notes, tells a different story; between silence and the world of sounds. Another axis tones from the ancient Greek concept of the Harmony of stillness”, “like Temple Gongs”, “as slow as possible; one of a composer having embarked on a life-long is found in the middle of the piece, formed by the lowest the Spheres. Ypakoë (1997) is a much larger work, its serene, tender, beyond time, beyond being.” Silence, artistic and spiritual quest. While the majority of his C on the piano which is repeatedly played for about ten Greek title meaning “to be obedient”, “to hear”, “to however, indeed takes on a role as important as sound, recent works hardly exhibit any classical development seconds. From that moment, all the music of this respond”. Although the work, through different so that one can listen to the voice inside oneself. of musical elements, but merely consist of iconic sounds composition so far is literally being sounded backwards, sections, is a contemplative meditation on the passion Sir John Tavener’s mind and spirit are never at rest, carved into petrified states of stillness, the opposite is making the second half of the composition a mirrored and resurrection of Christ, the last section dances for joy and his ideas on music, religion and spirituality are in a true for the composer’s artistic and personal version of the first half, with an additional coda. This at the risen Lord. Passages in Greek or Middle Eastern constant state of evolution. This even shows when development. Strongly concerned with the negative retrograde explains the reference to the palindrome in style, inspired by the stringed Greek instrument musicians work with the composer. While he was social and cultural directions in which mankind seems its title. kanokaki, represent both a vigorous musical element, rehearsing his piano works, upon hearing them many to be moving at a fast pace, John Tavener has been After having joined in 1977 the Russian Orthodox and Tavener’s own growing interests in other cultures. years after their composition, his self-critical and musical continuously and indefatigably looking for ways to Church, which recognizes man as essentially good, Pratiru¯pa (2003), the composer’s largest work so ear made him revise some aspects, such as tempo refind beauty and truth, both in spirit and sound. It is an Tavener’s compositional style gradually transformed as far for piano solo, portrays his most recent stylistic and markings and even single notes. It seems to be one of infinitely challenging task which powers the he experienced the communicative power and sublimity philosophical developments. Written in the same period many indications of a true artist constantly polishing his composer’s artistic mind: the creation of a universal of its traditional sacred music. Besides writing reflective as the mammoth composition The Veil of the Temple works and ideas, where the process can go on infinitely, essence, to be understood by everyone who is open to it, music for ensembles and choirs, such as his choral work (2002) for soprano, choirs and ensemble, Tavener has until universal and eternal splendour have been found. transcending greatly any religion, culture or The Lamb (1982) or To a Child Dancing in the Wind also made a later version of Pratiru¯pa for piano with Just as Tavener’s music never seems to reach an end, his background. (1983) for soprano and ensemble, he composed piano string orchestra. Influenced especially by the personal longing and search for Truth and Beauty will Many of Tavener’s large orchestral, vocal and music for more private purposes. The loss of his cats philosophies of Sufi-writers René Guénon, Frithjof very likely go on beyond time, beyond being. choral works clearly reflect his main ideas about music caused Tavener to write Mandoodles (1982), depicting Schuon and the Indian metaphysician Ananda and spirituality. Relatively less known are his piano short scenes from the life of his cat Mandu, and the bell- Coomaraswamy, Tavener has come to believe that any Ralph van Raat works, which at times seem to mark his stylistic and like In Memory of Two Cats (1986). Besides some philosophic developments on a more personal level. modernist influences such as clusters and glissandi, still With Tavener writing for the piano, the instrument is present in Mandoodles, one can at the same time notice transformed into a strikingly individual, sonorous world a stylistic shift in these compositions: most strikingly, of chiming bells, highly lyrical melodic phrases, and there is an obvious return to more traditional, triadic recurrently, thundering sound clouds, confronting the harmonies. Although especially Mandoodles contains
8.570442 23 8.570442 570442 bk Tavener US 4/10/08 1:27 PM Page 4
Ralph van Raat
Pianist and musicologist Ralph van Raat studied the piano with Ton Hartsuiker and Willem Brons at the Conservatory of Amsterdam and Musicology at the TAVENER University of Amsterdam. He concluded both studies with distinction in 2002 and 2003. Van Raat also studied with Claude Helffer (Paris), Liisa Pohjola (Helsinki), Ursula Oppens at Chicago’s Northwestern University and Pierre-Laurent Aimard at the Musikhochschule in Cologne. Van Raat has won, among other awards, Piano Music Second Prize and Donemus-Prize (for Contemporary Music) of the Princess Christina Competition (1995); Stipend-Prize Darmstadt during the Internationale Ferienkurse für Neue Musik in Darmstadt (1998); First Prize of the International Pratir pa • Ypakoë • Palin • Mandoodles Gaudeamus Interpreters Competition (1999); Philip Morris Arts Award (2003); Elisabeth Everts Prize (2005); a Borletti-Buitoni Fellowship (2005); VSCD Classical Music Prize (2005) and the Fortis MeesPierson Award of the Concertgebouw, Amsterdam (2006). He appears as a recitalist and as a soloist Ralph van Raat with orchestras in Europe, the Middle-East, Asia and in the United States. Ralph van Raat has been a Steinway Artist since 2003.
Photo: Marco Borggreve
8.570442 4 NAXOS NAXOS John Tavener’s piano works are less well known than his large orchestral, vocal and choral works, yet at times seem to mark his stylistic and spiritual development on a more personal level. Tavener’s first piano work, Palin, foreshadows his search for a spirituality beyond the sophisticated, technical manipulation of musical material. The loss of his cats inspired Tavener to write Mandoodles, depicting short scenes from the life of his cat Mandu, and the bell-like In
TAVENER: DDD TAVENER: Memory of Two Cats. Ypakoë, with passages in Greek or Middle Eastern style, is a contemplative meditation on the passion and resurrection of Christ. Pratiru¯pa, Sanskrit for “reflection”, is the 8.570442 composer’s largest work so far for piano solo. In the words of the composer, in this work “a series of self-reflecting harmonies, melodies and rhythms attempt to reflect the most beautiful, Playing Time the Divine Presence which resides in every human being”. 61:00 Sir John Piano Music TAVENER Piano Music (b. 1944) Piano Music 1 Zodiacs (1997) 1:55 2 Ypakoë (1997) 13:34 3 Palin (1977) 8:42 4 Mandoodles (1982) 4:55 www.naxos.com Disc made in Canada. Printed and assembled USA. Booklet notes in English 5 Pratiru¯pa (2003) 29:42 & 6 In Memory of Two Cats (1986) 2:11 2008 Naxos Rights International Ltd.
Ralph van Raat, Piano 8.570442 8.570442 Recorded at Potton Hall, Westleton, Suffolk, England, on 7th and 8th March, 2007 Producer and engineer: Michael Ponder • Editor: Jennifer Howells Booklet notes: Ralph van Raat • Publisher: Chester Music Ltd. Cover image: Stones by Olga Lyubkina (Dreamstime.com)