Compassion: A Tribute to Yehudi Menuhin

John Tavener (Composer), Shulamit Ran (Composer), Yi [Composer] Chen (Composer), Hans Werner Henze (Composer, Performer), Yinam Leef (Composer, Performer), Poul Ruders (Composer, Orchestra), Somei Satoh (Composer), Wolfgang Rihm (Composer), Iannis Xenakis (Composer), Lukas Foss (Composer), Karel Husa (Composer), Betty Olivero (Composer), Gyorgy Kurtag (Composer), Philip Glass (Composer), Steve Reich (Composer), Lukas Foss (Conductor), Andreas Weiß (Conductor), Cellos of the Czech Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra (Performer), Camerata Karlsruhe Chamber Music Ensemble (Performer), Czech Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra (Orchestra), Philip Glass (Artist), Edna Michell (Artist), Allen Ginsberg (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Hans Werner Henze, Yinam Leef, Cellos of the Czech Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra, Camerata Karlsruhe Chamber Music Ensemble
• Orchestra: Poul Ruders, Czech Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra
• Conductor: Lukas Foss, Andreas Weiß
• Composer: John Tavener, Shulamit Ran, Yi [Composer] Chen, Hans Werner Henze, Yinam Leef, et al.
• Audio CD (June 19, 2001)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Angel Records
• ASIN: B00005LMLD
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #312,911 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Fifteen of the world's greatest living composers contributed works for Compassion, the musical tribute to Yehudi Menuhin and the enlightened ideals of the late violin maestro. The lineup is impressive and seemingly spans the entire spectrum of contemporary composing styles: John Tavener, Hans Werner Henze, Poul Ruders, Iannis Xenakis, Lukas Foss, Philip Glass, and numerous others. Oddly, the music they've written is, for the most part, quite similar--short, somber pieces that, not surprisingly, emphasize the violin. There are some impressive achievements, however. Somei Satoh's "Innocence" for soprano, violin, and cellos sounds a little like the "holy minimalism" of Arvo Pärt; Glass's "Echorus" features the narration of Allen Ginsberg; and Foss's "Romance" pursues a fading-Americana theme and includes an excerpt from Walt Whitman. The six-minute work for violin, string orchestra, and soprano also has a spirited mood, which is quite refreshing on this sobering disc. Violinist and Menuhin collaborator Edna Michell lovingly plays all these pieces with the Czech Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra. It's a unique tribute to a unique figure in Classical music, but it's not for everyone. For an even better sense of Menuhin's magic, check out one of his legendary early recordings. --Jason Verlinde

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful playing, but not all at once, November 26, 2001

By 

John G. Schreckengost "jgschreck" (Chicago, IL United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Compassion: A Tribute to Yehudi Menuhin (Audio CD)

I ordered this CD after hearing excerpts of it on Chicago's classical music radio station, WFMT. The CD does present a wonderful selection of works by prominent composers of the past decade. The playing is wonderful, and the pieces are valuable contributions to the repertoire. I did find that the pieces were similar enough to not want to hear all 79'13" at one sitting. I am definitely glad that I purchased this recording. How many places can one go to sample works by Tavener, Ran (I particularly liked this work), Chen Yi, Henze, Xenakis and ten other composers in less than an hour and twenty minutes?

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Something for everyone -- and some things for no one ..., June 1, 2005

By 

Michael Simpson "ttlms" (Austin, TX USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Compassion: A Tribute to Yehudi Menuhin (Audio CD)

I agree that this collection of 15 20th-Century music is best taken in portions, rather than its entirety. I enjoy many of the compositions more than others, but on the whole the selections are engaging. I didn't care for the Glass work, "Echorus", but that's my own personal prejudice (this was the first Glass composition to make its way into my 400+ classical CD collection). The less tonal works are hard to digest all at once, but if you have an ear for atonality, you should enjoy the middle tracks, particularly the Leef, Xenakis, Foss, and Husa. The final Duet for violins and string orchestra was my first exposure to a composition by Steven Reich other than his Music for Eighteen Musicians. Unfortunately, my CD has some damage to this track at the very end; I don't know if this is a problem with copies other than my own. This is an eclectic selection, but one that belongs in the library of serious modern music connoisseurs.