Customer Reviews

Karl Jenkins Requiem

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Let me start by saying that after endless exposure to Karl Jenkins' most famous work (the "A Diamond is Forever" commercial theme), I doubted I'd ever like anything he wrote. I am glad to say I was mistaken.

Jenkins' Requiem is without question a modern work, although its mold is probably a bit closer to that of Britten's War Requiem, or even Herbert Howells' "Hymnus Paradisi", than to other modern Requiems, such as those of Fauré, Duruflé, or Rutter. Jenkins' use of haikus in Japanese--and his intertwining of the haikus with the text near the end--add an extra dimension to the work, even though those movements have a substantially different sound than the rest of the work. Even the "Dies Irae," with its unusual orchestration (I won't spoil the surprise), is a success.

The fact that there are no well-known names here doesn't matter; the orchestral and choral sounds are both excellent. Better still, rather than making this the sole work on the CD, EMI adds "In These Stones Horizons Sing," a work sung partly in Welsh, which rounds out this disc with more marvelous melodies, in particular, the ending of the third track, "Gray". [Please note that the track listing above is incorrect.]

Fans of Jenkins' music will definitely want this disc. I look forward to hearing more of his music myself.

This requiem is Karl Jenkins in his usual form and is extremely satisfying to the listener who loves the classic 3 requiems of Faure , Durufle and Mozart but is also appreciative of 21st century classical music and Karl Jenkin's sublime yet arresting approach to any composition.He remains the most approachable of the 'modern' composers with one beautiful work after another.

I guess you could call me a "number one" fan of Karl Jenkins music. I find his music uplifting and soul-stirring. After a few listenings to Requiem, I quickly found so much to enjoy out of the variety of tracks.

For consumers that are only aware of Diamond Music, Jenkins has composed a whole collection of works, five to be exact, that are under the Adiemus title. You must, I repeat, must expand your collection to include some if not all of these titles, particularly Adiemus I, II & IV. These are such emotionally charged works, fashioned with a chorus of female singers and soloists and full orchestra. Do a quick search and you'll learn more about this themed works. But I digress....

Requiem is unique in that the composer uses a full chorus including male voices and a baritone soloist in the short work, "In These Stones..." This is the first time I'm aware that Jenkins embraces the SATB structure. What an exceptional inclusion to his body of works! I've picked out a few favorites including Introit, Dies Irae, and In Paradisum. However, Pie Jesu shines as a gorgeous heart felt work that effortlessly soars between child soloist, soprano soloist and chorus. Guaranteed to bring tears to your eyes. Finally, the short work that closes this CD, "In These Stones Horizons Sing", calls to mind Ralph Vaughn Williams and a touch of Glass. As a singer in many choruses, I found myself itching to bring this short piece to the attention of various choral directors. It conveys such a powerful quality, visions of Celtic settings arise in my mind. If you are a choral singer, I assure you, you will find something to inspire you. Enjoy Requiem and look into Jenkins other works as well. You won't be sorry.

I am a huge fan of 20th/21st Century classical music and really enjoy Karl Jenkins music on the whole. His Armed Man Mass is stunning and the other work on this CD is beautiful. However, I was remarkably disappointed with this work. There are moments of sheer brilliance, absolute beauty and moments that are almost transcendental. But on the other hand some of the movements are just awful. How he manages intersperse the lovely Haiku settings in amongst movements like the shockingly bad Dies Irae (not just bad for the listener, but also for the poor singers whose voices are forced to sing aggressive music in an awkward area of the voice)escapes me.

If you love Karl Jenkins you will probably buy this, and so you should there are some great sections. But for me, and most people who are familiar with 'real' modern classical music and the great Requiem settings of the past (like Faure, Durufle, Mozart, Requiem, Verdi and Berlioz) this CD works very well as a coaster.

I play this cd over and over again as drive in my car. It reminds me so much of my college days when I sang in the Concert Choir. I miss that kind choral singing very much. My favorite selections are nos. 1,3,5,7,8-13. Simply excellent!
Laura Goss

An inspirational album that combines Eastern and Western forms of music. I highly recommend it for others who wish a connection to the spiritual.

3 1/2

Engaging-annoying modern classical requiem at best recalls Part's beautiful minimalism, but at worst sounds like symphonic rock. Somewhere in the middle Jenkins' composes and conducts enough choral-driven tragic splendor to warrant hearing the darkened celebration.

This entire CD is absolutely amazing. The recording is excellent quality and the music definitely reflects Karl Jenkins' unique style. The musicians performing this music are very talented. This CD came with a booklet with the lyrics in it that I could follow and it had English translations. The unique part of this particular requiem was Jenkins' ability to write lyrics in numerous languages including Latin, Japanese (true Haiku!), and Welsh (Jenkins' native language).

I initially got hooked to Jenkins' music when I obtained 'The Essential Collection' with diamond music on 'DeBeers' TV commercials. The music on this CD is definitely deeper in style. He wrote this music from his heart. I have listened to the Requiem many times.

I saw a video on You Tube about the man who flew over the
Grand Canyon with a small jet engine attached to his back.
The background music was Karl Jenkin's Andiemus and I loved it.
I bought three of his CD's and I love them all. Great
music for my CD player in my car!

I thoroughly enjoyed getting acquainted with this most talented composer. I experienced many emotions as I listened and relistened to this cd. Thanks to the local public radio station for introducing this wonderful person into my hearing.