Customer Reviews

Tavener: The Protecting Veil; The Last Sleep of the Virgin

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

 

 

Tavener is a talented composer from Britain who is influenced by Orthodox Christian spirituality. "Last Sleep of the Virgin" is based on a Russian Orthodox hymn and uses a string orchestra and handbells. The combination produces an ethereal and contemplative mood. At first hearing one might be tempted to label this New-Age-style music but it is light-years beyond that. The twin bases of Tabener's formal composition skill and use of Orthodox themes produce a piece of music which is well-constructed, rewarding to the serious listener, and redolent of an intrinsic spiritual value that much music nowadays, for all its claimed spirituality, merely overlays on itself. In other words, it gives the listener what the composer asks - a contemplation of the Virgin Mary and her place in Christendom.

I wrote an extensive paper for my doctorate in music about John Tavener's "The Protecting Veil" and I listened to most of the recordings available through 1999; and this is one of my favorites. I also enjoyed the original Steven Isserlis recording, the Raphael Wallfisch recording and the Yo-Yo Ma recording, but this recording was very polished and beautifully done. I think most people who enjoy Tavener will enjoy his unique textures in "The Last Sleep of the Virgin," this is also a new favorite Tavener piece of mine. You won't be disappointed with this recording!

This album is a rich series of primarily string solos of Violin and Cello, that that inspires emotion and thought. A number of the tracks would nicely accompany Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet.

Listening to this CD is a mystical experience. It is an exquisite recording by Telarc.

I was very excited when I first bought this CD. The Protecting Veil's opening sinewy cello winds around through the first several minutes is full of serene and spiritual promise. However, the peace is shattered moments later by another group of strings that intrude playing "Psycho" as if they were on Prozac. They stab again and again as the main theme continues to sing obliviously in the shower. Maybe if the attack strings weren't so sedated, the sinewy theme would collapse and die long before the end of the piece. It is rather as if the inspiration for this piece had been PDQ Bach's "Echo Sonata for Two Unfriendly Groups of Instruments" rather than ancient spiritual melodies. As much as I tried, I could not mesh the two disparate aspects together and still manage to enjoy the piece as a whole. If you do not mind dealing with a split personality, then by all means try out this disc. Telarc's excellent sound quality is appropriately dreamy/harsh.