Eric Whitacre: The Complete A Cappella Works, 1991-2001

 | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 29, 2003)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Arsis Records
• ASIN: B00008YJET
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (52 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #157,477 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Water Night, for chorus

2. Songs of Faith (3), for chorus: I Will Wade Out

3. Songs of Faith (3), for chorus: Hope, Faith, Life, Love

4. Songs of Faith (3), for chorus: I Thank You God for Most this Amazing Day

5. Cloudburst, for chorus, handbells, percussion & piano

6. Sleep, for chorus

7. Flower Songs (3), for chorus: I Hide Myself

8. Flower Songs (3), for chorus: With a Lily in Your Hand

9. Flower Songs (3), for chorus: Go, Lovely Rose

10. When David Heard, for chorus

11. Lux aurumque, for chorus (also for wind ensemble)

12. Leonardo Dreams of His Flying Machine, for chorus

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

49 of 51 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Definitive recordings of Eric Whitacre's choral music, May 8, 2003

By 

David B. Layton "philomath" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Eric Whitacre: The Complete A Cappella Works, 1991-2001 (Audio CD)

This is a beautiful and moving recording that includes all of Eric Whitacre's a cappella choral music, from 1991 to 2001. The works are performed by the choir and conductor that have always been and will always be the most important interpreters of this music: Dr. Ronald Staheli and the Brigham Young University Singers.

This recording is the end product of recordings made throughout the choir's long association and friendship with Eric Whitacre. It includes definitive recordings of pieces that have become favorites among choral music lovers everywhere: "Water Night," "Cloudburst," "When David Heard."

It also introduces us to lesser-know gems from Whitacre's oeuvre, such as "Sleep," "Lux aurumque," the three flower songs, the three songs of faith, and especially "Leonardo Dreams of His Flying Machine," one of Whitacre's newest works that illustrates the thrill of flight as dreamed by Leonardo Da Vinci.

The track listing is as follows:

01. Water Night
Three Songs of Faith:
-02. i will wade out
-03. hope, faith, life, love
-04. i thank You God for most this amazing day
05. Cloudburst
06. Sleep
Three Flower Songs:
-07. I Hide Myself
-08. With a Lily in Your Hand
-09. Go, Lovely Rose
10. When David Heard That Absalom Was Slain
11. Lux aurumque
12. Leonardo Dreams of His Flying Machine

I would encourage any fan of Eric Whitacre's music to buy this disc. It seems that this is the recording that many people have been looking for for a long time. Well, now it's here! The recording of "Water Night" (and in my opinion, "Sleep," "Lux aurumque," "Leonardo...") is worth the price of the recording alone, and every other piece is just as good.

Dr. Staheli's sensitivity in interpretation, attention to detail, and obvious understanding and love for this music really shine through, making this the most important recording of Eric Whitacre's choral music - now, and for a long time to come.

(Not included on the recording are "little tree," "She weeps over Rahoon," and other pieces with instrumental accompaniment.)
(Please also see "Beautiful River" by the BYU Concert Choir for a recording of Whitacre's gorgeous "Hebrew Love Songs" in the version for mixed choir and string quartet.)

25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Life Changing, July 10, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Eric Whitacre: The Complete A Cappella Works, 1991-2001 (Audio CD)

If you are a fan of choral music; this will be unbelievable. Amazing! The music is intoxicating. If there was one word I had to use to sum up his music it would be "penetrating." I listen to college and professional choirs as a hobby. I got to the bottom of this CD and group. Bear with me. This comes third person, but from a good source. When the BYU Singers were invited to sing at the World Choral Symposium in Australia in 1996 they sang "Cloudburst." They invited Eric Whitacre to come to their rehersal on campus to help them with the song. Eric said when he was approaching the rehersal hall he could hear the group practicing and, rumor has it, he just started shaking because he was so excited (this is repordetly what he said at the ACDA convention). Later, according to his own website, he was asked by the Barlow Foundation to write a song for this Choir. That's when he wrote "When David Heard that Absalom was Slain." If you get ahold of the score it says "Dedicated with love and Silence to Dr. Ronald Staheli." He is the conductor of the BYU Singers. This is a very special song to the Choir, especially the conductor. I was told this composition was written by Eric for a particular event in the life of the conductor, although I am not sure what exactly. I've heard it done a few times but nobody does it better than them. This piece is also remarkable because it is his only composition with sacred text. Eric Whitacre reportedly used this choir for a special interest session he was presenting at the ACDA convention and holds them in the highest esteem.

I have seen the choir perform once, in Carnegie Hall. They performed a couple of Whitacre's pieces and it sent chills down my spine. They stand in a half circle with two rows. All the music is memorized. Because of this they could do justice to Whitacre's music. His music is meant to be impressive. He uses tone clusters and dissonance to evoke thought and reflection. Every piece will envelop your soul if you let it. I did not appreciate the music until the third time I heard it. The tone and blend are perfect. Eric writes with such passion! I believe he meant to change the face of choral music. I find no fault from the singers on the CD. There is a reason he went to them. Still, for whatever imperfections everyone else may or may not find, remember, they are only students. Get this CD, it will be one of the best experiences of your life.

28 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 21st century choral writing; stunning singing; sonic truth, November 5, 2003

By 

Dan Fee "music fan aka drdanfee" (Berkeley, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Eric Whitacre: The Complete A Cappella Works, 1991-2001 (Audio CD)

Here you simply have one of the very best choral recordings ever made. It successfully captures the real sound of a superb choral group, Brigham Young University Singers, in a real space. Given the complexities, as well as the utter textural and harmonic clarity characteristic of this composer's style, such qualities are necessary so that the music can live and breathe. Having studied with Julliard composer John Corigliano, there is a palpable modernity of movement and purpose to Eric Whitacre's choral writing. The building up of immense, blocked (and often shimmering) choral chordal effects would seem to owe little to traditional harmony or rhythm. Nevertheless, I deny anyone to listen to this music, and to this performance, without somehow recalling the best of the old medieval polyphonists. These works are no doubt quite difficult to sing a capella, that is, without any other accompaniment. Just singing in tune, given how Whitacre writes, must be a fiendish challenge. The composer's style is also reminiscent of several Scandinavian-Nordic choral composers (like Arvo Part, Trond Kverno and others), without being overly beholden to any one of them. There is a persistent lyrical impulse throughout all the pieces that Whitacre has written for this disc, which contains all his a capella choral music from a ten year period between 1991, and 2001. Part of the composer's secret is his own tremendously musical ear which allows him to ring clear as a bell, no matter how innovative his harmony or far-reaching his experimental choral technique. As an incredible example of just how far out he goes, sample the setting of Octavio Paz' "Cloudburst". Using vocal effects which roundly musicalize what tends to pass for extended vocal writing, Whitacre manages to actually recreate the watery sound effects of a cloud burst without ever stopping the musical flow, and without violating the lyrical and emotional strengths he has uncannily placed at the core of his writing in this piece. If friends want to borrow this disc, my advice is, don't let them. You will probably never have anybody get around to returning it, if borrowed away. Meanwhile, the profound peace and joyfulness, as well as the deeply human communicativeness of this music will pay repeated listening. In fact, this recording belongs in my top three list for all time. The other two honorees are Gaudamus, available in a stunning 5.1 dts master; and A Rose in Winter by the Dale Warland singers. Don't delay. Highly recommended.