Vaughan Williams: Dona Nobis Pacem, etc / Bryden Thomson

Brian Rayner Cook (Performer), Ralph Vaughan Williams (Composer), Bryden Thomson (Conductor), London Philharmonic Chorus (Orchestra), London Philharmonic Orchestra (Orchestra), Edith Wiens (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Brian Rayner Cook, Edith Wiens
• Orchestra: London Philharmonic Chorus, London Philharmonic Orchestra
• Conductor: Bryden Thomson
• Composer: Ralph Vaughan Williams
• Audio CD (September 30, 1992)
• SPARS Code: DDD
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Chandos
• ASIN: B000000AGT
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #24,632 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #25 in Music > Classical > Historical Periods > Modern, 20th, & 21st Century > Composers > Vaughan Williams, Ralph
  • #72 in Music > Classical > Historical Periods > Classical (c.1770-1830) > Vocal & Song > Cantatas
  • #74 in Music > Classical > Opera & Vocal > Vocal Non-Opera > Cantatas

Track Listings

1. Dona Nobis Pacem, cantata for soprano, baritone, chorus & orchestra: 1. Agnus Dei

2. Dona Nobis Pacem, cantata for soprano, baritone, chorus & orchestra: 2. Beat! Beat! Drums!

3. Dona Nobis Pacem, cantata for soprano, baritone, chorus & orchestra: 3. Reconciliation

4. Dona Nobis Pacem, cantata for soprano, baritone, chorus & orchestra: 4. Dirge for Two Veterans

5. Dona Nobis Pacem, cantata for soprano, baritone, chorus & orchestra: 5. The Angel of Death

6. Dona Nobis Pacem, cantata for soprano, baritone, chorus & orchestra: 6. O Man Greatly Beloved

7. Mystical Songs (5) for baritone, chorus ad lib & orchestra (or organ): No. 1. Easter

8. Mystical Songs (5) for baritone, chorus ad lib & orchestra (or organ): No. 2. I Got Me Flowers

9. Mystical Songs (5) for baritone, chorus ad lib & orchestra (or organ): No. 3. Love Bade Me Welcome

10. Mystical Songs (5) for baritone, chorus ad lib & orchestra (or organ): No. 4. The Call

11. Mystical Songs (5) for baritone, chorus ad lib & orchestra (or organ): No. 5. Antiphon

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An unknown masterpiece, August 13, 2000

By 

"not-me" (Not San Francisco) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Vaughan Williams: Dona Nobis Pacem, etc / Bryden Thomson (Audio CD)

I had the extreme privilege of taking part in the performance of Dona Nobis Pacem at Earlham College some years back, and it remains a strong influence in my life today. There is no orchestral/choral piece I have heard since, including Handel's "Messiah", that has moved me as much.

It features some of the most vivid poetry from Walt Whitman's "Drum Taps" as well as Biblical texts. The flow of the music changes drastically from a lull into repose to loud, curt phrases which make the listener's heart pound at the same beats. If you think I exaggerate, just listen for yourself; particularly "Beat! Beat! Drums!" and "Dirge for Two Veterans".

This particular recording is the only one I have ever found. It is good, but a bit cloudy. However, the talents of Edith Weins (soprano) and Brian Rayner Cook (baritone) are displayed very well.

I don't know much about classical music, but I think to any ear this music is one that cannot easily be forgotten. I would definately love to hear it played more often. Even though it is about the devestation of war, it ends on an uplifting note of hope. I can't say more, you must hear it for yourself.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Music for our Time, June 7, 2005

By 

Grady Harp (Los Angeles, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Vaughan Williams: Dona Nobis Pacem, etc / Bryden Thomson (Audio CD)

Ralph Vaughan Williams remains an anachronism in music: some dismiss him as a pudgy old pompous British routineer whose time is past (if it ever was); others find the depth of beauty in his music that somehow seems even more pertinent today than it was during his successful career as a composer.

Case in point is DONA NOBIS PACEM a complex work for large orchestra and chorus and soprano and baritone soloists. In 1936 when it was compiled (for it is a mixture of various movements written at different times in Vaughan Williams' life) it had an impact on the Brits as the ominous, dark cloud of War was gradually drifting over the British Isles from Germany. It is a stunning combination of passages from the mass (in title, in the use of the Agnus Dei), from scriptural selections from Jeremiah, Daniel, Psalms etc, and from the Civil War poetry of Walt Whitman.

The effect of this work is more than an oratorio (though some classify it as such). In many ways it relates to the Vaughan Williams 'Sea Symphony' in structure. The emotional effect is more related to the 'War Requiem' of Sir Benjamin Britten. The orchestral and choral writing are solidly in the British tradition and the solos superimposed on the fabric of the combined forces is eloquent and deeply moving. And at a time when the entire world cries out for peace there are few works in music than can equal the impact of this great score. Bryden Thomson conducts the London Philharmonic orchestra and choir and explores all of the intricacies of the piece while keeping a steady eye to the gradual building of the climxes. Both soprano Edith Wiens and baritone Brian Rayner Cook are exemplary soloists.

The 'Five Mystical Songs' are less impressive in impact yet they show much of Vaughn Williams penchant for finding a successful means for using the English language in a musical setting. Set to poems by George Herbert the work calls for orchestra, choir and baritone soloist and while the piece is recognizable Vaughan Williams (it was written in 1911), it surfaces memories of the old school of Horatio Parker ('Hora Novissima') and others. Nice to hear but not especially memorable, yet it would be difficult to imagine a better performance of the work than this. Buy this CD for the DONA NOBIS PACEM and let it lift your spirits! Grady Harp, June 05

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Exceptionally Hard To Find, July 14, 2001

By 

"angeluscarnifex" (Phoenix, AZ) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Vaughan Williams: Dona Nobis Pacem, etc / Bryden Thomson (Audio CD)

I also had the pleasure of preforming this piece at Carnegie Hall, NYC in the summer of 2000. 86 pages of what is quite possibly the most difficult choral piece ever written, performance-wise. A wonderfully complex and gripping series, "Dona Nobis Pacem" offers the choral enthusiast a challenge of the highest levels. At times simple and profound, slowly twisting into a complex cacophany that will haunt you even after the music stops. This cd is a must buy, and at this price it is a steal.