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| Song Title | Time | Price | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Play | 1. Lux Aurumque | 4:16 | $0.99 |  |
| Play | 2. Five Hebrew Love Songs: Temuná (A Picture) | 1:46 | $0.99 | |
| Play | 3. Five Hebrew Love Songs: Kalá Kallá (Light Bride) | 3:08 | $0.99 | |
| Play | 4. Five Hebrew Love Songs: Lárov (Mostly) | 0:58 | $0.99 | |
| Play | 5. Five Hebrew Love Songs: Éyze Shéleg! (What Snow!) | 2:06 | $0.99 | |
| Play | 6. Five Hebrew Love Songs: Rakút (Tenderness) | 2:22 | $0.99 | |
| Play | 7. The Seal Lullaby | 4:13 | $0.99 | |
| Play | 8. A Boy And A Girl | 4:35 | $0.99 | |
| Play | 9. Leonardo Dreams Of His Flying Machine | 8:40 | Album Only | |
| Play | 10. Three Songs Of Faith: I Will Wade Out | 2:43 | $0.99 | |
| Play | 11. Three Songs Of Faith: Hope Faith Life Love | 3:33 | $0.99 | |
| Play | 12. Three Songs Of Faith: I Thank You God For Most This Amazing Day | 6:56 | $0.99 | |
| Play | 13. The Stolen Child | 8:45 | Album Only | |
| Play | 14. Water Night | 5:27 | $0.99 | |
| Play | 15. Nox Aurumque | 6:20 | $0.99 | |
| Play | 16. Sleep | 5:34 | $0.99 | |
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
31 of 32 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
There is no doubt that Eric Whitacre is the premiere contemporary choral composer of our time. If you ask any choir director (myself included) I would presume every one of them knows who he is and what he has done. I must say I'm very happy with this CD. When I first heard there was going to be another Eric Whitacre CD I was leary just because he has 3 prominent albums out there already. 2 with the BYU choir and 1 with Polyphony that contain almost all of his choral work released to date. I saw what selections would be on the CD and I was glad to see that his newer works were more prominent.
There are only 2 criticisms I have. The first is the release of songs like Lux Aurumque, Water Night, and Sleep. I love these songs, I truly do but it is almost impossible to find a choral CD without one of these songs. I do appreciate being able to hear the Eric Whitacre singers sing them but it is not why I bought this CD. I bought it for Nox Aurumque, The Stolen Child, and The Seal Lullaby. They are beautifully done and haven't had the wide release that the other three have. The second is more personal. The choir is amazing. Their phrasing is outstanding in being able to drive to the climax of each piece. However it sounds a bit robotic in parts. Because they are so technical with their notes, jumps, and vowels it takes away from the warmth of the music which, to me, is why Eric Whitacre music is so popular. This is just a personal opinion. It shows the most in the Seal Lullaby. It seems they are more focused on making sure no one scoops up or down that it takes away the humanistic character of the piece. I can appreciate trying to sing it 100% correctly to the page but not at the expense of the reason of the piece.
I did enjoy Leonardo Dreams of his Flying Machine. It is one of those recordings that you will notice chords you haven't heard in other recordings just because a certain part might emphasize their own individual part more. Three Songs of Faith flow very nicely and the Stolen Child is my favorite off this CD.
I would recommend this CD to any Eric Whitacre fan. The two criticisms are minor but they are there. They are just my opinion of course. I'm sure the majority of people will be happy with with the song selections.
I look forward to his second with this premiere choir.
There are only 2 criticisms I have. The first is the release of songs like Lux Aurumque, Water Night, and Sleep. I love these songs, I truly do but it is almost impossible to find a choral CD without one of these songs. I do appreciate being able to hear the Eric Whitacre singers sing them but it is not why I bought this CD. I bought it for Nox Aurumque, The Stolen Child, and The Seal Lullaby. They are beautifully done and haven't had the wide release that the other three have. The second is more personal. The choir is amazing. Their phrasing is outstanding in being able to drive to the climax of each piece. However it sounds a bit robotic in parts. Because they are so technical with their notes, jumps, and vowels it takes away from the warmth of the music which, to me, is why Eric Whitacre music is so popular. This is just a personal opinion. It shows the most in the Seal Lullaby. It seems they are more focused on making sure no one scoops up or down that it takes away the humanistic character of the piece. I can appreciate trying to sing it 100% correctly to the page but not at the expense of the reason of the piece.
I did enjoy Leonardo Dreams of his Flying Machine. It is one of those recordings that you will notice chords you haven't heard in other recordings just because a certain part might emphasize their own individual part more. Three Songs of Faith flow very nicely and the Stolen Child is my favorite off this CD.
I would recommend this CD to any Eric Whitacre fan. The two criticisms are minor but they are there. They are just my opinion of course. I'm sure the majority of people will be happy with with the song selections.
I look forward to his second with this premiere choir.
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Eric Whitacre is a rock-star of modern choral music. He has won Grammy Awards, has best-selling albums, and even has three festivals named after him in Australia and Italy! YouTube Virtual Choir performances of his compositions are top hits. He even bears an uncanny resemblance to Josh Holloway, the actor who played Sawyer on the TV show Lost. Clearly he has achieved a popularity that most contemporary composers, myself included, only dream of. Although a few of his works, such as Godzilla Eats Las Vegas, rely on gimmicks and effects for much of their popularity, his real success lies in writing music that is advanced and yet not distancing. He knows the importance of a memorable line, of poignant counterpoint and harmonies, and of the balance of textures.
Whitacre's Lux Aurumque, or Light and Gold, is typical of many of the works on the disc; somewhat slow moving but lovely counterpoint utilizing a short, recognizable motive, performed without accompaniment and more than a little reminiscent of a late Renaissance motet. It's hard to argue with beauty like this, and those who loved Gorecki's Symphony of Sorrowful Songs are sure to adore Whitacre's work...but my one objection is that after about half of the CD the pieces take on a certain sameness. Perhaps I'm arguing against the integrity of Whitacre's style--I hope not, though--or maybe it's merely a flaw in programming that could have been addressed by placing the Five Hebrew Songs later on the disc, as these are the most lively of his works here. The Hebrew Songs are among the most conventional of the pieces on this recording (the other being The Seal Lullaby, written for a projected Disney collaboration), and entirely charming. I'm particularly taken by the accompaniment of string quartet and percussion, which supplies a much needed relief to the a cappella choral singing of most of the rest of the disc.
Whitacre is basically a tonal composer, comfortable in entirely diatonic settings which many of his contemporaries might find `too simple'. But he's also capable of handling more complex sonorities beautifully, and this ability to move smoothly between the unabashedly tonal and the more ambiguously dissonant is the key to much of the beauty of his works, as in Hope, Faith, Life, Love, the second of his cycle of e.e.cummings poems, Three Songs of Faith.
Not only are the songs on this recording gorgeous, but so are the performances. The Eric Whitacre singers are joined by other vocal groups, including the Kings Singers in one movement, and all sing with a lovely purity of voice. That Whitacre himself conducts all of the performances means that tempi and inflections are exactly as intended. The program notes by the composer, while perhaps a bit too self-promoting, offer interesting insights into Whitacre's compositional process. Light and Gold is one of those real rarities, a recording of modern music that almost everyone will love. I recommend it most highly!
Whitacre's Lux Aurumque, or Light and Gold, is typical of many of the works on the disc; somewhat slow moving but lovely counterpoint utilizing a short, recognizable motive, performed without accompaniment and more than a little reminiscent of a late Renaissance motet. It's hard to argue with beauty like this, and those who loved Gorecki's Symphony of Sorrowful Songs are sure to adore Whitacre's work...but my one objection is that after about half of the CD the pieces take on a certain sameness. Perhaps I'm arguing against the integrity of Whitacre's style--I hope not, though--or maybe it's merely a flaw in programming that could have been addressed by placing the Five Hebrew Songs later on the disc, as these are the most lively of his works here. The Hebrew Songs are among the most conventional of the pieces on this recording (the other being The Seal Lullaby, written for a projected Disney collaboration), and entirely charming. I'm particularly taken by the accompaniment of string quartet and percussion, which supplies a much needed relief to the a cappella choral singing of most of the rest of the disc.
Whitacre is basically a tonal composer, comfortable in entirely diatonic settings which many of his contemporaries might find `too simple'. But he's also capable of handling more complex sonorities beautifully, and this ability to move smoothly between the unabashedly tonal and the more ambiguously dissonant is the key to much of the beauty of his works, as in Hope, Faith, Life, Love, the second of his cycle of e.e.cummings poems, Three Songs of Faith.
Not only are the songs on this recording gorgeous, but so are the performances. The Eric Whitacre singers are joined by other vocal groups, including the Kings Singers in one movement, and all sing with a lovely purity of voice. That Whitacre himself conducts all of the performances means that tempi and inflections are exactly as intended. The program notes by the composer, while perhaps a bit too self-promoting, offer interesting insights into Whitacre's compositional process. Light and Gold is one of those real rarities, a recording of modern music that almost everyone will love. I recommend it most highly!
12 of 13 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
I've been a fan of Eric Whitacre for many years. New recordings of his works always intrigue me as it's interesting to hear each choir and conductor's take on his pieces of music. However, this recording stands out among the rest for two primary reasons. 1)Each piece is conducted and rehearsed by the composer himself. We all can "think" and "interpret" as we hear the music, but hearing the music performed as the composer heard the music while dictating it to paper is truly a gem. For all Eric Whitacre fans, this is the penultimate recording in the catalog. 2)Some of the tempi normally taken by most choirs (as Whitacre usually just gives verbal hints, not tempo markings) are drastically different in some sections. "Leonardo Dreams" particularly stands out as a fresh interpretation that i had never heard on any recording or live performance.
The program notes are wonderful and really help each song come even more alive. Also, the three premier recordings are great to finally hear mastered on a CD. Nox Arumque especially. I've heard this piece sung and have had the music, but this group seemed to really bring out the nuances that i think Whitacre imagined when writing the piece. It moved way up on my "favorite Whitacre pieces" after hearing it on this cd.
In Short: Buy this CD. Whether you're a fan of Whitacre, a fan of Choral Music, or just need a break from reality, this is the CD for you. I've waited a long time for this CD and could not be more pleased with the way it turned out. I highly anticipate the next installment!
Bravo!
The program notes are wonderful and really help each song come even more alive. Also, the three premier recordings are great to finally hear mastered on a CD. Nox Arumque especially. I've heard this piece sung and have had the music, but this group seemed to really bring out the nuances that i think Whitacre imagined when writing the piece. It moved way up on my "favorite Whitacre pieces" after hearing it on this cd.
In Short: Buy this CD. Whether you're a fan of Whitacre, a fan of Choral Music, or just need a break from reality, this is the CD for you. I've waited a long time for this CD and could not be more pleased with the way it turned out. I highly anticipate the next installment!
Bravo!
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Please no more interviews on amazon about this composer
The music is just wonderful, is great indeed a five star recording and performance.
Please no more interviews with this composer, he speaks to his audience as a pop... Read more
Please no more interviews with this composer, he speaks to his audience as a pop... Read more
Published 1 month ago by P. Alvarez
New Age Blather
I must be getting old (OK, I AM getting old), but I can't understand why Eric Whitacre's music has been embraced by so many, why it's won Grammys and other awards, etc. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Robert B. Lamm
Pleasant and enjoyable
I am a fairly recent fan of a cappella choral music, having found my way there through the wonderful choral music coming out of the Baltic. I thought I'd give an American a try. Read more
Published 1 month ago by lucky buckeye
Simular songs repeated on this CD .
I really am not critical of this amazing talented choir and director. I was disappointed however that there was duplication of songs I have from Whitacre's other CDs. Read more
Published 2 months ago by trish
Music from other Spheres
Eric Whitacre has become one of the most beloved composers of vocal/choral music in a relatively short time. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Grady Harp
Eric Whitacre
I found some of his music on youtube, like the virtual chiors, and fell in love with it! His music is beautiful and soothing, and I love to play it when I am doing my homework on... Read more
Published 9 months ago by Sacha A. Taylor
Light & Gold
Lovely music. The light music gives the impression of dusk and dawn at the same time, that lovely inbetween time in our day. This is great music for relaxing and just listening.
Published 10 months ago by farmgirl
Amazing
I ordered this as a present for my dad, but ended up stealing it and putting it on my own ipod. Eric Whitacre is my favorite composer of all time, but this cd was far above his... Read more
Published 10 months ago by Magic
Eric Rules
Just so everyone knows where I am coming from; I am a white male 62 years old and I live in the midwest. I really enjoyed the album. Read more
Published 12 months ago by Bookbug
Tough to review
I think I will always prefer BYU's album to all others because the emotion and purity of his works weren't lost on lack of blend. Read more
Published 13 months ago by Zane Beima
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