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Editorial Reviews
The new album from the critically acclaimed composer Eric Whitacre that will span musical boundaries and an emotional journey of the triumph of the human spirit.
Eric Whitacre s new album Water Night features no less than 7 worldpremiere recordings. Winning a Grammy in 2012 for his firstrecording as both composer and conductor, Light and Gold , this second discfor Decca juxtaposes music written as a young composer alongside brand newrepertoire, choral and orchestral, with different influences and styles.
Rave reviews have accompanied every appearance to date of Eric sprofessional choir, the Eric Whitacre Singers, and they positively shimmer onthese world premiere recordings of Alleluia and Oculi Omnium , the two brandnew works alongside one of the greats of his catalogue, Her Sacred SpiritSoars .
Flashes of Adams and Glass, filmic in part, virtuosic yet erring towardsminimalism, Equus is played by the full forces of the London SymphonyOrchestra. By way of complete contrast, The River Cam is a beautiful,pastoral piece that demonstrates Nevada-born Whitacre s absorption of the worksof Elgar and Vaughan Williams during his time in the UK as a visiting Fellow atCambridge University. The River Cam was written at the invitationof the distinguished cellist, Julian Lloyd Webber, for his 60thbirthday in 2011.
The demand for Eric Whitacre to bring his award-winning musical Paradise Lost to the stage for a full run is vast, but in the meantime, thisnew disc includes his choral arrangement of one of the show s songs Sleep mychild . An unexpected gem in this album is a setting of Goodnight Moon , the multi-million selling American children s book byMargaret Wise Brown (Harper Collins). Written for soprano and strings,this tender piece is performed by Hila Plitmann, a Grammy winning artist withgreat commitment to contemporary music.
The title track, Water Night , is one of Eric Whitacre s most performedworks, heard on this album performed by the strings of the London SymphonyOrchestra.
Eric Whitacre s new album Water Night features no less than 7 worldpremiere recordings. Winning a Grammy in 2012 for his firstrecording as both composer and conductor, Light and Gold , this second discfor Decca juxtaposes music written as a young composer alongside brand newrepertoire, choral and orchestral, with different influences and styles.
Rave reviews have accompanied every appearance to date of Eric sprofessional choir, the Eric Whitacre Singers, and they positively shimmer onthese world premiere recordings of Alleluia and Oculi Omnium , the two brandnew works alongside one of the greats of his catalogue, Her Sacred SpiritSoars .
Flashes of Adams and Glass, filmic in part, virtuosic yet erring towardsminimalism, Equus is played by the full forces of the London SymphonyOrchestra. By way of complete contrast, The River Cam is a beautiful,pastoral piece that demonstrates Nevada-born Whitacre s absorption of the worksof Elgar and Vaughan Williams during his time in the UK as a visiting Fellow atCambridge University. The River Cam was written at the invitationof the distinguished cellist, Julian Lloyd Webber, for his 60thbirthday in 2011.
The demand for Eric Whitacre to bring his award-winning musical Paradise Lost to the stage for a full run is vast, but in the meantime, thisnew disc includes his choral arrangement of one of the show s songs Sleep mychild . An unexpected gem in this album is a setting of Goodnight Moon , the multi-million selling American children s book byMargaret Wise Brown (Harper Collins). Written for soprano and strings,this tender piece is performed by Hila Plitmann, a Grammy winning artist withgreat commitment to contemporary music.
The title track, Water Night , is one of Eric Whitacre s most performedworks, heard on this album performed by the strings of the London SymphonyOrchestra.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
36 of 37 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Eric Whitacre is one of the most popular and performed composers of our time. Known for its lush harmonies and complex, tear-inducing clusters of chords, Whitacre's music has touched the hearts of hundreds of thousands throughout the world. He has been credited with setting off a renaissance of choral music, making it more widely popular than it has been in centuries, and bringing it to new audiences who previously had no interest in the genre.
This is Whitacre's second album with his long-term contract label, Decca (a division of Universal). Here, as in "Light and Gold" (Grammy for best choral performance), Whitacre creates rich, moving harmonies with such universal appeal that without much thought I purchased 5 CDs to give out as gifts. While "Light and Gold" is all choral arrangements, in "Water Night" Whitacre expands into orchestral renditions, all recorded with the incomparable London Symphony Orchestra. The CD includes 7 world premiere recordings, featuring luminaries Grace Davidson, Julian Lloyd Webber, and Hila Plitmann.
A few of my favorite tracks:
ALLELUIA, a choral arrangement of his orchestral piece "October," is one-word meditation on praise. To me the best thing about this incredibly heart-opening song is that it sounds like it's sung not in a church, but outdoors. It's a wide, expansive basking in life and everything in it. When I listen to it, I feel it gives me wings.
OCULI OMNIUM ("the eyes of all") The most beautiful murmuring title, and comparing it to the original Gregorian chant, quiet and humble, Whitacre has spat on his hands and raised the thing from the dead. So alive, exultant, and basking... Resplendent. His word-painting of "the eyes of all" is dizzying -- everything murmurs and whirrs and lives. Whitacre gives life to inanimate objects; everything sings and joins together. Grace Davidson soars above the life-sounds. Listening to this song makes me incredibly happy.
HER SACRED SPIRIT is very different from the previous two -- an intimate invocation. This song is, to me, someone standing in front of me and speaking words of love and encouragement straight into my soul. Someone who knows me very well and really believes in me. A very moving piece.
GOODNIGHT MOON is sheer delight. Yes, it's set to the words of the beloved children's book. Hila Plitmann's voice could not possibly be more crystalline and thrilling. (She is Eric's wife, and the idea for the song came from reading the book to their son thousands of times, as so many parents do.)
WHEN DAVID HEARD I can't write about David without tearing up. David has been with me through my hardest moments. I don't know how many times I've been brought back from one hell or another by feeling so seen, heard, and known by listening to this song. The places that are so deep and dark that no human being can go with me, Eric Whitacre goes with me. And it's like he knows just how unexpected, unfair, sudden, or painful the thing was that happened. He is a witness, and there is so much healing in being witnessed. He says this song was absolutely grueling to write and conduct. I believe it, and I'm grateful.
Since Whitacre is so popular, several of these songs have been recorded before by different choirs, as is common in choral music. The real offering here, in the case of songs that avid fans may have heard before, is to have Whitacre himself conduct them, and his professional choir sing them. Whitacre's first album with his Singers, "Light and Gold," won a Grammy for Best Choral Performance in 2011. This is a stellar group of musicians. It's especially thrilling to have him conduct the LSO, one of the finest ensembles in the world -- joined, for The River Cam, by cellist Jullian Lloyd Webber, for whom the piece was written. Whitacre insists that arranging is an artform, "a very personal expression of the material." It's a privilege to hear the music conducted by his own hands. "When David Heard" is a full 5 minutes longer than the BYU Singers version. There are also more tempo variations, and the soprano line is more pronounced, to a wailing / screaming effect. So much happens in the silences between those wails. The most real depiction of grief that I believe music has ever given us. And, best of all, immensely compassionate and healing.
In case you haven't seen his TED talk, it's an absolute must -- incredibly inspirational. Whitacre is also known for his hugely successful Virtual Choir project, which unites singers from 73 countries, singing in their homes, to create a stunning, united audio-visual experience. Besides writing and conducting music, Whitacre is also a gifted orator, lecturer, and "connector of people." Though, for me, the best part is getting lost and emerging with a clearer head and bolder heart after a few rounds of any of his songs. I am so grateful.
This is Whitacre's second album with his long-term contract label, Decca (a division of Universal). Here, as in "Light and Gold" (Grammy for best choral performance), Whitacre creates rich, moving harmonies with such universal appeal that without much thought I purchased 5 CDs to give out as gifts. While "Light and Gold" is all choral arrangements, in "Water Night" Whitacre expands into orchestral renditions, all recorded with the incomparable London Symphony Orchestra. The CD includes 7 world premiere recordings, featuring luminaries Grace Davidson, Julian Lloyd Webber, and Hila Plitmann.
A few of my favorite tracks:
ALLELUIA, a choral arrangement of his orchestral piece "October," is one-word meditation on praise. To me the best thing about this incredibly heart-opening song is that it sounds like it's sung not in a church, but outdoors. It's a wide, expansive basking in life and everything in it. When I listen to it, I feel it gives me wings.
OCULI OMNIUM ("the eyes of all") The most beautiful murmuring title, and comparing it to the original Gregorian chant, quiet and humble, Whitacre has spat on his hands and raised the thing from the dead. So alive, exultant, and basking... Resplendent. His word-painting of "the eyes of all" is dizzying -- everything murmurs and whirrs and lives. Whitacre gives life to inanimate objects; everything sings and joins together. Grace Davidson soars above the life-sounds. Listening to this song makes me incredibly happy.
HER SACRED SPIRIT is very different from the previous two -- an intimate invocation. This song is, to me, someone standing in front of me and speaking words of love and encouragement straight into my soul. Someone who knows me very well and really believes in me. A very moving piece.
GOODNIGHT MOON is sheer delight. Yes, it's set to the words of the beloved children's book. Hila Plitmann's voice could not possibly be more crystalline and thrilling. (She is Eric's wife, and the idea for the song came from reading the book to their son thousands of times, as so many parents do.)
WHEN DAVID HEARD I can't write about David without tearing up. David has been with me through my hardest moments. I don't know how many times I've been brought back from one hell or another by feeling so seen, heard, and known by listening to this song. The places that are so deep and dark that no human being can go with me, Eric Whitacre goes with me. And it's like he knows just how unexpected, unfair, sudden, or painful the thing was that happened. He is a witness, and there is so much healing in being witnessed. He says this song was absolutely grueling to write and conduct. I believe it, and I'm grateful.
Since Whitacre is so popular, several of these songs have been recorded before by different choirs, as is common in choral music. The real offering here, in the case of songs that avid fans may have heard before, is to have Whitacre himself conduct them, and his professional choir sing them. Whitacre's first album with his Singers, "Light and Gold," won a Grammy for Best Choral Performance in 2011. This is a stellar group of musicians. It's especially thrilling to have him conduct the LSO, one of the finest ensembles in the world -- joined, for The River Cam, by cellist Jullian Lloyd Webber, for whom the piece was written. Whitacre insists that arranging is an artform, "a very personal expression of the material." It's a privilege to hear the music conducted by his own hands. "When David Heard" is a full 5 minutes longer than the BYU Singers version. There are also more tempo variations, and the soprano line is more pronounced, to a wailing / screaming effect. So much happens in the silences between those wails. The most real depiction of grief that I believe music has ever given us. And, best of all, immensely compassionate and healing.
In case you haven't seen his TED talk, it's an absolute must -- incredibly inspirational. Whitacre is also known for his hugely successful Virtual Choir project, which unites singers from 73 countries, singing in their homes, to create a stunning, united audio-visual experience. Besides writing and conducting music, Whitacre is also a gifted orator, lecturer, and "connector of people." Though, for me, the best part is getting lost and emerging with a clearer head and bolder heart after a few rounds of any of his songs. I am so grateful.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
By J.D. Lewis
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
I'm gonna start off by saying I am a huge fan of Whitacre. His music in general is great, but on this CD it is fantastic. The Eric Whitacre Singers and London Symphony Orchestra perform every nuance of his music. It one thing to hear his music sung by a college choir or played by a high school band, but to hear it conducted by Eric Whitacre and played and sung by the best, it's like heaven to my ears. BUY THIS CD!
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Eric Whitacre is well known and well renowned for his choral music but probably less known for orchestral works. This album sets out to change that as there are equal parts choral and orchestral music on it. Interestingly the choral pieces have no orchestral element and the orchestral pieces have no choral element. This is a brave move and one that works very well simply because the orchestral music is of the same high quality we are used to hear from Mr. Whitacre's choral music. The album as a narrative is also very well put together.
Equus
My absolute favourite of the orchestral pieces, possibly of the album. Thrillride is the best attempt I can make at trying to describe it. Madhouse I've also used. Has to be heard! It's one of those pieces of music that demands you full attention and thoroughly rewards you for it.
Alleluia
Favourite coral piece. So beautiful it hurts. A single word repeated for nine and a half minutes and not a sign of repetetiveness. Genius.
Equus
My absolute favourite of the orchestral pieces, possibly of the album. Thrillride is the best attempt I can make at trying to describe it. Madhouse I've also used. Has to be heard! It's one of those pieces of music that demands you full attention and thoroughly rewards you for it.
Alleluia
Favourite coral piece. So beautiful it hurts. A single word repeated for nine and a half minutes and not a sign of repetetiveness. Genius.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
OMG!
I love this CD, it'll probably be worn to bits from the listening...Allelluia, Equus, The River Cam...all instrumentals. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Hobbitears
3.0 out of 5 stars
It's okay
There are surprisingly many non-choral pieces in the work, which are not what I really wanted from an Eric Whitacre production. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Andrew Till
5.0 out of 5 stars
Eric whitacre
Fabulous! Comforting, mellow and simply beautiful. Love all of his CDs. This is one of my favorite. What a talent
Published 1 month ago by Hispanita
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great Sound
Very relaxing. Includes an age old childs book brought to life in song and sound. Will look for more from Eric.
Published 1 month ago by Frugal Shopper
4.0 out of 5 stars
Water Night CD a Mix of Styles
I am an avid fan of Eric Whitacre. This is an interesting mix of his work. I bought it mainly for the "Alleluia" and didn't care WHAT else was on the CD. Read more
Published 2 months ago by renee
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wonderful Album
My wife has a great appreciation for music composition and vocal prowess. I've always liked such music as well but through her I have grown to appreciate it in new ways. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Jantzen S. Gambill
4.0 out of 5 stars
Pleasurable but not necessarily classic
You may have heard the aforementioned, GRAMMY-winning album "Light & Gold." This one, "Water Night," from 2012 is in much the same crossover-classical vein, the music sung and... Read more
Published 2 months ago by John J. Puccio
5.0 out of 5 stars
Water Night
Eric Whitacre has done it again! What a beautiful combination of choral and instrumental music. My favorite is "Alleluia". Read more
Published 2 months ago by Judith
5.0 out of 5 stars
Grew on me the more I listened
I listen to this album as background music, when I need to concentrate and think. My favorite songs are "Alleluia" and "Equus".
Published 3 months ago by Colibri
5.0 out of 5 stars
Whitacre
What can I say? I'm a fan. Each piece was good on its own but on a CD, I would like a little more variety.
Published 3 months ago by Carol
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