Customer Reviews

Vaughan Williams: Dona Nobis Pacem, etc / Bryden Thomson

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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.

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

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.

This recording is one of the best I have found for the Dona Nobis Pacem. The first time I ever heard this, I was in college, where we were preparing to perform it. Even since, with the years that have past and the many additional concerts I have participated in or attended, I cannot remember a more moving experience. This work has left such a lasting impression. I recommend this to anyone who enjoy passionate choral music. The soloist are also excellent on this recording. It is so important for the dramatic Soprano entrances to be defined in the cannon with the choir. It is simply an excellent recording.

Dona Nobis Pacem is one of the few Vaughan Williams works I've heard in concert, in a thrilling version featuring ensembles from Montclair State University conducted by the late Jack Sacher. I already had the Abravanel LP of the piece, but hearing it in concert was an experience at another level. Bryden Thomson's recording comes close to duplicating that experience. Everyone in the recording seems overwhelmed by the glory of the music. The chorus and orchestra perform superbly, and there is a palpable sense of electricity throughout the performance. The total sound picture is glorious, abetted by one of Chandos's excellent, rich sounding recordings. Brian Raynor Cook is excellent in both this work and in the Five Mystical Songs. The latter piece is a delicate rendering of the George Herbert texts, showing Vaughan Williams's deep love for English poetry. You may be reminded in places of the Tallis Fantasia, premiered a year earlier. For the Vaughan Williams fanatic, and I am one, I can't recommend this CD strongly enough.

As a freshman in high school I was priviledged to perform with the CSUF University Singers and the Pacific Chorale, myself being a member of the Pacific Youth Chorale. We performed Dona Nobis Pacem and it was one of the most moving pieces ever performed. From the sadness of the Dirge for two veterans, to the uplifting ending of the final movment. This piece is one of the most beautiful out there.

Também tive a oportunidade de cantar essa peça (Dona Nobis). É até difícil traduzir a intensidade da música e da poesia que esta peça transmite a quem tem a oportunidade de escutá-la. De fato, trata-se de um perfeito casamento entre a poesia de Whitman com a música de Williams. Quando a poesia torna-se intimista ("I see the white face in the coffin") a música é densa, pesada, lenta, com um baixo soando graves notas, entretanto, em outro trecho ("beat beat drums!!) a música soa efetivamente como o rufar de tambores, e o coro cantando em fortíssimo. Sugiro não só a compra deste CD, como de uma partitura ou ao menos da letra da música para uma melhor "degustação" desta obra prima.