Customer Reviews

Tavener: Veil of the Temple

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

 

 

I first listened to this whilst very sick in bed and looking back it seems to me that sickness engenders precisely the kind of receptivity that is necessary for accepting this work. It is precisely in our lowness that ours hearts begins to open up and enter into the Jesus prayer, the Kyrie eleison and all the other primordial sounds which Tavener creates. As is usual with more recent Tavener, we have an eclectic mix - the music is still christocentric but other traditions are brought in, Sufism, Buddhism and Hinduim (curiously no Judaism - is that because Tavener sees it as absorbed into christianity?). Its clear though that the contributions from other religios traditions are seen through the lense of Christ. The music is wonderfully uplifting if not mesmerising - one longs to have been there for the whole 7-8 hours - the accoustics in the temple are just wonderful.

Since listening to Stephen Layton's recordings with Polyphony of the choral music of Macmillam (Seven words and Tenebrae on Hyperion), I have become a fan of his and I believe he has done a wonderful job bringing all these forces together.

The only negatives I would have are as follows: some of the lyrics of the non-sacred text pieces miss the mark - they try to appear profound but somehow have the oppostive effect and appear somewhat trivial. Finally, the ending with the Hindu chant does not quite come off - it kind of sounds corny and trivial.

This is a fine recording of a wonderful, mystical work. Tavener has long been known for his choral works, particularly Song for Athene, which was used as the recessional during Princess Diana's funeral, as her coffin was carried out of the Abbey to the funerary coach. His orchestral work is very fine, too, full of Eastern Orthodox church modes and haunting melodic lines. Layton brilliantly interprets this large work, and the performances by the orchestra, the Holst Singers and the Choir of the Temple Church are appropriate and magical.