DOCSLIB.ORG

Allegri: Miserere

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Allegri: Miserere Allegri Miserere 1. John Tavener (b. 1944) [6.11] Song for Athene 2. John Ireland (1879-1962) [4.05] Ex ore innocentium 3. John Tavener [3.51] The Lamb 4. Sergei Rachmaninov (1873-1943) [4.39] Hymn to the Cherubim 5. Count Alexander Sheremetiev (1859-1931) [3.42] Now ye heavenly powers 6. Benjamin Britten (1913-1976) [10.59] Hymn to St Cecilia 7. Pawel Lukaszewski (b. 1968) [3.57] Ave Maria 8. Antonio Lotti (1667-1740) [3.39] 8-part Crucifixus 9. Gregorio Allegri (1582-1652) [11.59] Miserere 10. Zoltán Kodály (1882-1967) [3.08] Esti Dal 11. Trad. arr. Nigel Short [4.34] The Dying Soldier 12. Gustav Holst (1874-1934) [4.53] Psalm 148, Lord who has made us for Thine own 13. William Henry Harris (1883-1973) [5.23] Faire is the Heaven Total time [71.03] TENEBRAE DIRECTED BY NIGEL SHORT www.signumrecords.com www.tenebrae-choir.com A Tenebrae: Allegri Miserere The fusion of a line from Shakespeare’s Hamlet Alleluia. with Eastern Orthodox chant in the opening May flights of angels sing thee to thy rest. moments of John Tavener’s Song for Athene sets Alleluia. the tone for a divergent and diverting aggregate of Remember me, O Lord, when you come creeds, songs, and prayers performed by Tenebrae into your kingdom. under the direction of Nigel Short. Songs of Alleluia. innocence and experience, war, remembrance and Give rest, O Lord, to your handmaid hope mingle with Orthodox hymns, Roman who has fallen asleep. Catholic motets and Anglican anthems. From the Alleluia. secretive Vatican of the Seventeenth Century to The Choir of Saints have found the present-day Poland, by way of the American Civil well-spring of life and door of paradise. War, there are plenty of crosscurrents, Alleluia. concurrences and reflections with which to Life: a shadow and a dream. conjure in this programme. Alleluia. Weeping at the grave creates the song: 1. John Tavener (born 1944) composed Song for Alleluia. Athene in 1993 to commemorate the tragic death Alleluia. of actress Athene Hariades. The opening ‘Alleluia’ Come, enjoy rewards and crowns reflects Tavener’s devotion to the Eastern Orthodox I have prepared for you. faith and his fascination with its musical traditions while the quotation from the final scene Baritone solo: Andrew Rupp of Hamlet, ‘flights of angels sing thee to thy rest’, brings Hariades’ profession to the foreground. 2. From untimely death to young life and the The combined effect is of extreme simplicity and distinctly English strains of John Ireland’s Ex ore emotional purity. The work now serves as a duplex innocentium - ‘from the mouths of the innocent’. memorial having been performed as the Despite sympathies for pagan mysticism, recessional Hymn at the funeral of Diana, Princess socialism and humanism, Ireland (1879-1962) of Wales in 1997. - 3 - never flinched from his devotion to English church And I will love thee more and more, music. The text of this little Passiontide motet (by Until I see thee as thou art. Bishop W.W. How) reflects on Christ’s suffering through the eyes of a single innocent - how Jesus Poem by Bishop W.W. How Christ chose a ‘poor and humble lot’ and died ‘to save a child like me’. The pathos of the music is 3. Tavener’s carol, The Lamb was written for the heightened at the child’s imagining of the composer’s young nephew in 1982. The poem, by crucifixion, the simple song breaking into two William Blake, begins by asking questions of the emotionally heightened streams before re-grouping lamb (‘Little lamb, who made thee?’) before for a reposeful close. answering them in the second stanza. Blake entwines the gentleness of creation with the idea It is a thing most wonderful, of God coming into the world as both innocent Almost too wonderful to be, child and meek, sacrificial lamb. These complex That God’s own Son should come from heaven, and competing images are softened by Tavener’s And die to save a child like me. treatment of the text - by turns haunting, And yet I know that it is true: enchanting and mesmerising. He chose a poor and humble lot, And wept, and toiled and mourned and died, Little Lamb, who made thee? For love of those who loved him not. Dost thou know who made thee? I sometimes think about the Cross, Gave thee life, and bid thee feed, And shut my eyes, By the stream and o’er the mead; And try to see the cruel nails and crown of thorns, Gave thee clothing of delight, And Jesus crucified for me. Softest clothing, woolly, bright; But even could I see him die, Gave thee such a tender voice, I should but see a little part Making all the vales rejoice? Of that great love, which, like a fire, Little Lamb, who made thee? Is always burning in his heart. Dost thou know who made thee? And yet I want to love thee, Lord; O light the flame within my heart, - 4 - Little Lamb, I’ll tell thee, Holy, Holy, Holy, Little Lamb, I’ll tell thee. Ever blessed Lord God Almighty: He is called by thy name, Holy, Holy, Holy, For He calls Himself a Lamb. God in three persons, blessed, blessed Trinity He is meek, and He is mild; Saints and Martyrs bless and praise Thee, He became a little child. Hearts and voices swell one hymn I a child, and thou a lamb, Holy, Holy, Holy We are called by His name. Lord, Heaven and earth are full of Thy great glory, Little Lamb, God bless thee! Holy blessed Trinity Amen Poem by William Blake Glory be to Thee, Glory to Thee in the highest, Hosannah, Hosannah, Hosannah 4. Rachmaninov’s setting of the Divine Liturgy of In the highest to Father and Son and Holy Spirit St John Chrysostom remains, for many, the most Glory to Thee in the highest, in the highest, musically satisfying setting of this particular Cherubim and Seraphim Russian Orthodox service. Although Rachmaninov Angels and Archangels praise and worship (1873-1943) never stipulated whether it was Thee singing intended for performance in church or concert Alleluia. hall, it works well in both contexts due to its formal clarity and the spiritual splendour of the 5. Count Alexander Sheremetiev (1859-1931) choral writing. The Hymn to the Cherubim calls was a Russian nobleman and philanthropist who, for us to lay aside the cares of this life and receive following the lead of his father, founded his own the ‘King of All’. The sublime, undulating opening orchestra and choir in order to further the cause of soon gives way to hushed tones before building music in Russia. His vast inherited wealth gave into a grand climax, glorifying the Holy Trinity. The him access to the finest musicians around and hymn ends gently, like Tavener’s Hymn to Athene, enabled him to mount concerts at prices low with long-spun Alleluias. enough for the general public to afford. His few surviving compositions include a setting of Now ye heavenly powers from the Liturgy of the - 5 - Pre-sanctified Gifts. Calling the Orthodox faithful I to communion, this quietly powerful piece bids In a garden shady this holy lady them to partake in everlasting life. With reverent cadence and subtle psalm, Like a black swan as death came on Now ye Powers of Heaven do serve invisibly with us; Poured forth her song in perfect calm: Lo, the King of Glory enters. And by ocean’s margin this innocent virgin Lo, the mystical sacrifice is upborne, fulfilled. Constructed an organ to enlarge her prayer, Let us draw near in faith and love And notes tremendous from her great engine And become communicants of life eternal. Thundered out on the Roman air. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. Blonde Aphrodite rose up excited, Moved to delight by the melody, Arranged and edited by Vladimir Morosan White as an orchid she rode quite naked In an oyster shell on top of the sea; 6. In complete contrast to the lush, low, close At sounds so entrancing the angels dancing harmonies of the Orthodox tradition, Benjamin Came out of their trance into time again, Britten’s Hymn to St. Cecilia is full of light, space And around the wicked in Hell’s abysses and grace - fitting qualities to celebrate the The huge flame flickered and eased their pain. patron saint of music on whose feast day the Blessed Cecilia, appear in visions composer was born. Completed on his voyage To all musicians, appear and inspire: home from the United States in 1942, the hymn Translated Daughter, come down and startle was his final collaboration with poet W. H. Auden. Composing mortals with immortal fire. The piece consists of three poems, dedicated to Britten and follows the English tradition of II celebratory odes by invoking the muse, in this I cannot grow; case to ‘appear in visions / To all musicians’, and I have no shadow by describing instruments with vocal soloists in To run away from, the final section. I only play. I cannot err; There is no creature - 6 - Whom I belong to, So small beside their large confusing words, Whom I could wrong. So gay against the greater silences I am defeat Of dreadful things you did: O hang the head, When it knows it Impetuous child with the tremendous brain, Can now do nothing O weep, child, weep, O weep away the stain, By suffering. Lost innocence who wished your lover dead, All you lived through, Weep for the lives your wishes never led.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • View/Download Liner Notes
    A NOTE FROM NIGEL SHORT FOOTSTEPS OWAIN PARK Joby Talbot’s Path of Miracles has provided Of the younger generation of talented composers Tenebrae with something unique both musically in the UK Owain Park has already made a PATH OF MIRACLES and vocally and, in turn, something distinctive name for himself with some beautiful choral JOBY TALBOT for our audiences in terms of a concert works. In creating Footsteps Owain has achieved experience. This inspiring work draws on all our goal of giving choirs of all abilities the the qualities which I aim for in a Tenebrae opportunity to come and sing with Tenebrae performance and it is why we have chosen to in concert. There are still technical challenges re-release Path of Miracles, together with a new for all of us, but both Tenebrae and its partner commission, to mark our fifteenth-anniversary choir have moments of great harmonic beauty 1 Footsteps Owain Park [16.56] season. On many occasions I was asked by and stillness contrasting with music that featuring the Fellows of the National Youth Choirs of Great Britain members of our audiences who were keen drives relentlessly forward with rhythmic amateur singers if there was anything like energy and drama that will surely captivate Path of Miracles Joby Talbot Path of Miracles that they could try – but new audiences for many years to come. We 2 Roncesvalles [17.23] that wasn’t perhaps quite so technically had a wonderful time discovering Footsteps, 3 Burgos [15.04] challenging – I had to honestly say there rehearsing and then recording it with the 4 Leon [11.45] wasn’t anything I knew of.
    [Show full text]
  • Tenebrae Choir Concerts At
    at the Concerts Cathedral Basilica TenebraeLondon, England Choir Friday, November 4, 2011 8:00 PM Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter & Paul Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Tenebrae Choir, London Nigel Short, Director Programme The Evening-Watch, Op.43 No.1 Gustav Holst 1874-1934 Edited by Imogen Holst The Body Farewell! I go to sleep; but when The Body The day-star springs, I’ll wake again. Amen! but hark, ere we two stray How many hours dost think ‘till day? The Soul Go, sleep in peace; and when thou liest The Soul Unnumber’d in thy dust, when all this frame Ah go; th’art weak, and sleepy. Heav’n Is but one dram, and what thou now descriest Is a plain watch, and without figures winds In sev’ral parts shall want a name, All ages up; who drew this circle, even Then may his peace be with thee, and each dust He fills it; days and hours are blinds. Writ in his book, who ne’er betray’d man’s trust! Yet this take with thee. The last gasp of time Is thy first breath, and man’s eternal prime. Henry Vaughan (1621-1695) Funeral Ikos John Tavener b.1944 Why these bitter words of the dying, Why these bitter words of the dying ... O brethren, which they utter as they go hence? If thou hast shown mercy unto man, I am parted from my brethren. O man, that same mercy shall be shown thee there; All my friends do I abandon, and go hence. and if on an orphan thou hast shown compassion, But whither I go, that understand I not, neither the same shall there deliver thee from want.
    [Show full text]
  • TENEBRAE Wherein He Cherished Roses Fair, the Boy Said Humbly: “Take, I Pray, Nigel Short, Artistic Director and Wove Them Into Garlands There
    PRINCETON UNIVERSITY CONCERTS 12/13 TEXTS & TRANSLATIONS Thursday, November 8, 2012 at 8:00PM Princeton University Chapel PYOTR ILYICH TCHAIKOVSKY Legend (The Crown of Roses) presented in collaboration with McCarter Theatre When Jesus Christ was yet a child, “Do you bind roses in your hair?” He had a garden small and wild, They cried, in scorn, to Jesus there. TENEBRAE Wherein He cherished roses fair, The Boy said humbly: “Take, I pray, Nigel Short, Artistic Director And wove them into garlands there. All but the naked thorns away.” SERGEI RACHMANINOV Priidite, poklonimsya (from All-Night Vigil) Now once, as summer time drew nigh, Then of the thorns they made a crown, (1873-1943) There came a troop of children by, And with rough fingers press’d it down, RACHMANINOV Great Litany (Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom) And seeing roses on the tree, Till on his forehead fair and young, With shouts they pluck’d them merrily. Red drops of blood, like roses sprung. RACHMANINOV The Cherubic Hymn RACHMANINOV Blazhen muzh (from All-Night Vigil) NIKOLAY KEDROV PAVEL CHESNOKOV Izhe Heruvimi Otche nash Our Father (1877-1944) Otche nash, izhe yesi na nyebesyekh, Our Father, which art in heaven, VASILY KALINNIKOV I Will Love Thee da svyatitsya imya Tvoye, hallowed be thy name; (1866-1901) da priidet tsarstviye Tvoye, thy kingdom come; PAUL MEALOR Now Sleeps the Crimson Petal da budyet volya Tvoya thy will be done, (b. 1975) (four madrigals on Rose Texts) yako na nyebesi i na zyemli. in earth as it is in heaven. Khleb nash nasushchnyi dazhd nam dnes, Give us this day our daily bread.
    [Show full text]
  • Recordings Have Focused on Works by Joby Talbot, Paul Mealor, Will Todd and Alexander Levine
    WWW.TENEBRAE-CHOIR.COM BIOGRAPHY Their performance described as “devastatingly beautiful” (Gramophone), award-winning choir Tenebrae, under the direction of Nigel Short, blend their passion for singing as if in a large cathedral choir with the breath-taking precision of a chamber ensemble. As the first ever group to be multi-nominated in the same category for the BBC Music Magazine Awards (2012), their recording of Victoria Requiem secured the accolade for Best Choral Performance. Their recent recording of Fauré Requiem with the London Symphony Orchestra was nominated for the 2013 Gramophone Awards, having been described as “the very best Fauré Requiem on disc”. Tenebrae’s everincreasing discography has seen the group work with Signum, Deutsche Grammophon, LSO Live, Decca, Warner Classics and EMI Classics, with their most recent recording on Deutsche Grammophon of Gesualdo Tenebrae Responsories and Victoria Lamentations for Holy Saturday receiving a five- star review in The Times (London). Tenebrae is dedicated to supporting contemporary composers, and recent recordings have focused on works by Joby Talbot, Paul Mealor, Will Todd and Alexander Levine. Alongside this, they are masters of shedding a new and rich interpretative light on the choral canon, with programmes spanning centuries and continents, including hauntingly passionate works of Gesualdo and Victoria, the powerful and dramatic choral music of the Russian Orthodox Church, and the beautiful choral masterpieces of Poulenc. The unique demands of each piece are executed meticulously and performed with equal passion and musicality. The choir have performed at some of the world’s most renowned festivals including the BBC Proms, Montreux Choral Festival, City of London Festival and the Edinburgh Festival with concerts taking place in venues such as St.
    [Show full text]
  • Download Booklet
    CTP Template: CD_INL1 COLOURS Compact Disc Back Inlay CYAN MAGENTA Customer: Tenebrae YELLOW Catalogue No.SIGCD904 BLACK Job Title: Bene Arte/Music of the Spheres Two Songs from Shakespeare’s ‘Twelfth Night’ Herbert Murrill SIGCD904 1 O Mistress Mine 1.24 2 Come Away, Death 3.30 3 Autumn Frank Bridge 3.47 4 Music, When Soft Voices Die Frank Bridge 2.54 5 The Bee Frank Bridge 1.13 MUSIC OF THE SPHERES TENEBRAE NIGEL SHORT Three Shakespeare Songs Ralph Vaughan Williams 6 Full Fathom Five 3.22 7 The Cloud-Capp’d Towers 2.25 8 Over Hill, Over Dale 0.57 Four Part-Songs, Op. 54 Edward Elgar 9 There is Sweet Music 4.24 10 Deep in My Soul 4.51 11 O Wild West Wind 3.58 12 Owls (An Epitaph) 2.52 13 Soft Music Ernest Walker 2.04 14 The Drowned Lovers Judith Bingham 5.43 15 The Blue Bird, Op. 119 Charles Villiers Stanford 4.10 16 On Time, Op. 142 Charles Villiers Stanford 5.16 17 Song of June Jonathan Harvey 4.36 The Modern Man I Sing Bob Chilcott 18 The Runner 2.33 19 The Last Invocation 2.50 20 One’s-Self I Sing 2.14 MUSIC OF THE SPHERES TENEBRAE NIGEL SHORT Total Timing 65.04 P 2016 Tenebrae Records Ltd. © 2016 Tenebrae Records Ltd. SIGCD904 Made in the EU www.tenebrae-choir.com 6 35212 09042 8 Two Songs from Shakespeare’s ‘Twelfth Night’ Herbert Murrill INTRODUCTION 1 O Mistress Mine 1.24 2 Come Away, Death 3.30 When I began looking into this particular fi eld of I Sing, a fun and energetic setting of three poems 3 Autumn Frank Bridge 3.47 repertoire I was rather taken aback and delighted taken from Walt Whitman’s collection ‘Leaves of by the sheer volume and range of material Grass’ (the only non-British texts on this disc).
    [Show full text]
  • Poulenc: Figure Humaine & Other Choral Works
    In loving memory of Barbara Pollock 1956 - 2010 On behalf of myself and all those involved in Tenebrae this recording is dedicated to a very special and much loved friend, Barbara Pollock, without whose constant support, energy and enthusiasm Tenebrae would simply not exist. Anyone involved with the choir over these last ten years will know what a remarkable lady Barbara was, combining so many wonderful qualities – extraordinary generosity, intelligence, charm and beauty – that one can only feel truly privileged to have known her. In fighting breast cancer for several years she also showed what incredible inner strength, determination and courage she had and will always serve as an inspiration to me both personally and in my work with Tenebrae. She was so proud of the choir and loved nothing more than to sit and listen to us sing. We were proud of her too! We give thanks for such a wonderful lady to whom we owe so much but take comfort in knowing she is now finally at peace. She will be sorely missed by us all. Nigel - 2 - FIGURE HUMAINE Francis Poulenc t Mass in G Kyrie [3.25] Gloria [4.09] Sanctus [2.26] o Benedictus [3.46] Agnus Dei [4.56] Soloist: Natalie Clifton-Griffith, soprano a Litanies á la Vierge Noire [8.19] Salve Regina [4.23] Un Soir de Neige De grandes cuillers de neige [1.09] La bonne neige le ciel noir [1.37] Bois meurtri [2.12] - La nuit le froid la solitude [1.05] Figure Humaine 3 I. Bientôt [2.45] ! II.
    [Show full text]
  • Signumclassics
    085Booklet3 28/9/06 16:52 Page 1 ALSO on signumclassics Mother and Child SIGCD501 Rachmaninoff Vespers SIGCD054 Path of Miracles SIGCD078 A distinctive and distinguished A live recording of the stirring account Commissioned from Joby Talbot, Path collection of works by a number of by Tenebrae of Rachmaninoff’s All- of Miracles is an ambitious and far living composers, including five world Night Vigil – first performed in 1915, reaching choral cycle, telling the story première recordings. The centre-piece this is a politically and spiritually of the pilgrimage to Santiago de of the disc is a new commission for influenced work of rare beauty. Compostela. Taking in vocal traditions Tenebrae from the world acclaimed from around the world, and combining composer Sir John Tavener (Mother “Tenebrae sing with the precision and medieval sources with contemporary and Child). Other composers are: finely produced tone that one has poetry, the listener is taken on a sonic Dove, Pott, Swayne, L’Estrange, come to expect from them. Their journey of unparalleled richness, Filsell and Rodney Bennett. singing is splendidly controlled, guided by the voices of Tenebrae, whether in soft passages or in the directed by Nigel Short. fervent climaxes.” Musicweb www.signumrecords.com www.tenebrae-choir.com Available through most record stores and at www.signumrecords.com For more information call +44 (0) 20 8997 4000 085Booklet3 28/9/06 16:52 Page 3 Allegri Miserere Tenebrae: Allegri Miserere 1. John Tavener (b. 1944) [6.11] Song for Athene The fusion of a line from Shakespeare’s Hamlet Alleluia. 2. John Ireland (1879-1962) [4.05] with Eastern Orthodox chant in the opening May flights of angels sing thee to thy rest.
    [Show full text]