John Tavener | ||
| Allmusic Biography : Among the most commercially successful of modern composers, John Tavener experienced a remarkable musical and spiritual odyssey. After his acceptance of the Orthodox Christian faith, he formulated a unique new idiom, often employing a slow, almost minimalist unfolding of melodic material. Much of his music was designed for religious services. His works often require odd combinations of forces, for example The Apocalypse (1993), for tenor, bass, soprano, mezzo-soprano, solo saxophonists, male choir, countertenor choir, organ, brass, string quartet, and string ensemble. Overall, he was considered a unique eclectic, part mystical and part populist. Tavener was born in Wembley Park, near London. Long-held family beliefs to the contrary, he was probably not descended from Tudor composer John Taverner. He was raised a Protestant but as a young man converted to Catholicism. He studied piano, organ, and composition, and went on to study with Solomon, Lennox Berkeley, and Lumsdaine at the Royal Academy of Music. In 1968, after the composers music impressed both John Lennon and Ringo Starr, Apple recorded his work The Whale. The next year, he became professor of composition at Trinity College. In 1974, Tavener and Victoria Maragopoulou, a Greek ballet student, were married in an Orthodox ceremony. After eight months, however, she left for Greece, even though they remained legally married and friendly for a decade. Tavener received counsel from the Orthodox clergyman who had married them. Several works of the period, including The Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, had an Orthodox or Russian bent, and in 1977 Tavener became a member of the Orthodox Church. After recovering from a 1980 stroke, Tavener began to consider himself an Orthodox composer. In 1981 he met Mother Thekla, an Orthodox abbess in North Yorkshire. That year Prayer for the World appeared, and the composer described it as his most radical work. The palindromic Ikon of Light (1983), for chorus and string trio, was enthusiastically received, but still Tavener felt inadequate in his Russian Orthodox faith in comparison with Arvo Pärt, a member from birth and sometimes considered the more genuine of the two. After consulting with an Orthodox psychoanalyst, the composer embarked on the massive Orthodox Vigil Service (1984), for priests, chorus, and handbells. In 1985 Taveners mother died; he announced that he would cease composing, but he hardly broke stride. Among the works that followed was the heavily recorded The Protecting Veil (1987), for cello and strings. Shortly after finishing Thrinos (1990), for solo cello, Tavener had surgery to replace a defective heart valve. The composer recovered sufficiently to begin collaboration with Mother Thekla on Lets Begin Again (1995). With his first marriage annulled on grounds of non-consummation, Tavener and Maryanna Schaefer were married in 1991. The 1992 Virgin Classics release of The Protecting Veil became a best-selling classical CD, spawning further efforts by other labels. By the mid-1990s Taveners popularity in Britain rivaled that of Benjamin Britten in his prime, and he was gaining international attention. In 1996 Taveners father died, and the composer wrote the Funeral Canticle in his memory. Tavener CD releases sold consistently on both sides of the Atlantic, and in 1999 Tavener began work on Fall And Resurrection. His 70-minute liturgical drama Lamentations and Praises was commissioned by the U.S. chorus Chanticleer and released on CD in 2002. He suffered a major heart attack in 2007, which worsened his health until he died in 2013. | ||
 | Album: 1 of 43 Title: Requiem Released: Tracks: 10 Duration: 1:03:02 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Requiem: I. Primordial White Light (08:19) 2 Requiem: II. Kyrie Eleison (03:49) 3 Requiem: III. Advaita Vedanta The Still Point (00:55) 4 Requiem: IV. Kalis Dance (06:32) 5 Requiem: V. Advaita Vedanta The Still Point (00:53) 6 Requiem: VI. Interlude (04:32) 7 Requiem: VII. Ãnanda (09:42) 8 Mahãshakti: Shakti (08:05) 9 Mahãshakti: Mahãshakti (10:17) 10 Eternal Memory (09:55) |
 | Album: 2 of 43 Title: Total Eclipse, Agraphon Released: Tracks: 2 Duration: 1:02:05 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Total Eclipse (40:39) 2 Agraphon (21:25) |
 | Album: 3 of 43 Title: The Whale Released: 1970-09-25 Tracks: 2 Duration: 31:42 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 The Whale (18:27) 2 The Whale (concluded) (13:14) |
 | Album: 4 of 43 Title: Celtic Requiem (Requiem for Jenny Jones) Released: 1971-05-14 Tracks: 3 Duration: 43:57 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Celtic Requiem (22:54) 2 Nomine Jesu (11:31) 3 Coplas (09:31) |
 | Album: 5 of 43 Title: Sacred Music by John Tavener Released: 1991-04 Tracks: 12 Duration: 1:04:40 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 The Uncreated Eros (04:25) 2 Magnificat "Collegium Regale" (07:08) 3 Nunc dimittis "Collegium Regale" (03:09) 4 The Lamb (03:28) 5 Hymn to the Mother of God (02:26) 6 Hymn for the Dormition of the Mother of God (03:40) 7 Today the Virgin (A Christmas Carol) (02:32) 8 God is with us (A Christmas Proclamation) (05:26) 9 Ode of Saint Andrew of Crete (19:52) 10 Love bade me welcome (04:24) 11 The Tiger (04:32) 12 Αιωνια (03:35) |
 | Album: 6 of 43 Title: We Shall See Him as He Is Released: 1992 Tracks: 13 Duration: 1:01:03 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 We Shall See Him as He Is: The Unfolding of the Great Mystery (03:32) 2 We Shall See Him as He Is: Ikon I (02:13) 3 We Shall See Him as He Is: Ikon II (03:02) 4 We Shall See Him as He Is: Ikon III - Refrain (07:35) 5 We Shall See Him as He Is: Ikon IV (03:49) 6 We Shall See Him as He Is: Ikon V - Refrain (09:45) 7 We Shall See Him as He Is: Ikon VI (06:17) 8 We Shall See Him as He Is: Ikon VII - Refrain (06:35) 9 We Shall See Him as He Is: Ikon VIII (02:01) 10 We Shall See Him as He Is: Ikon IX (03:09) 11 We Shall See Him as He Is: The Tomb (00:59) 12 We Shall See Him as He Is: Ikon X (07:40) 13 We Shall See Him as He Is: Ikon XI (04:21) |
 | Album: 7 of 43 Title: Tavener: The Protecting Veil / Britten: Cello Suite No 3 / Tavener: Thrinos Released: 1992-02 Tracks: 20 Duration: 1:14:12 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 The Protecting Veil: The Protecting Veil (08:41) 2 The Protecting Veil: The Nativity of the Mother of God (06:21) 3 The Protecting Veil: The Annunciation (03:18) 4 The Protecting Veil: The Incarnation (03:43) 5 The Protecting Veil: The Lament of the Mother of God at the Cross (09:37) 6 The Protecting Veil: The Resurrection (02:36) 7 The Protecting Veil: The Dormition (07:33) 8 The Protecting Veil: The Protecting Veil (03:12) 9 Third Suite for Cello, op. 87: Introduzione: Lento (02:09) 10 Third Suite for Cello, op. 87: Marcia: Allegro (01:44) 11 Third Suite for Cello, op. 87: Canto: Con moto (02:39) 12 Third Suite for Cello, op. 87: Dialogo: Allegretto (01:52) 13 Third Suite for Cello, op. 87: Fuga: Andante espressivo (04:11) 14 Third Suite for Cello, op. 87: Moto perpetuo: Presto (00:49) 15 Third Suite for Cello, op. 87: Passacaglia: Lento solenne (04:49) 16 Third Suite for Cello, op. 87: Mournful Song: Molto semplice (00:33) 17 Third Suite for Cello, op. 87: Autumn: Vivace (00:22) 18 Third Suite for Cello, op. 87: Street Song (The Grey Eagle): Pesante (00:34) 19 Third Suite for Cello, op. 87: Grant Repose Together With the Saints: Lento (02:40) 20 Thrinos for Solo Cello (06:39) |
 | Album: 8 of 43 Title: Mary of Egypt Released: 1993 Tracks: 37 Duration: 1:53:11 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Mary of Egypt: Act I. Prologue "With unearthly stillness" (03:09) 2 Mary of Egypt: Act I. "The ways to salvation" (The Voice) (07:22) 3 Mary of Egypt: Act I. "Here I sit and beat my brain" (Zossima) (01:28) 4 Mary of Egypt: Act I. "Grunt and groan" (Swine men and women) / "We bring our wres" (Swine men and women) (01:12) 5 Mary of Egypt: Act I. "Let me consider, yet once more" (Zossima) (02:16) 6 Mary of Egypt: Act I. "Grunt and groan" (Swine men and women) / "Come and buy" (Swine men and women) (01:21) 7 Mary of Egypt: Act I. "Never raised a thieving arm" (Zossima) (02:56) 8 Mary of Egypt: Act I. "We see the cross before us" (Young Men) (02:34) 9 Mary of Egypt: Act I. "Take Me!" (Mary) (02:38) 10 Mary of Egypt: Act I. "Zossima! The ways to salvation" (The Voice) (04:33) 11 Mary of Egypt: Act II. Prologue "With Unearthly Stillness" (02:48) 12 Mary of Egypt: Act II. "The ways to salvation" (The Voice) (01:56) 13 Mary of Egypt: Act II. "We are the desert monks" (Monks) (00:58) 14 Mary of Egypt: Act II. Aria "And I, the stranger" (Zossima) (02:29) 15 Mary of Egypt: Act II. The Exaltation of the Cross (05:00) 16 Mary of Egypt: Act II. The Prayer of Mary "O Virgin Lady" (Mary) (04:32) 17 Mary of Egypt: Act II. "I will praise the Lord" (Monks) (05:02) 1 Mary of Egypt: Act III. Prologue "With unearthly stillness" (01:02) 2 Mary of Egypt: Act III. "Why run from me" (Zossima) (00:59) 3 Mary of Egypt: Act III. "I pray you" (Mary) (01:08) 4 Mary of Egypt: Act III. Duet "I beg you" (Zossima, Mary) (07:20) 5 Mary of Egypt: Act III. "Monk-priest Zossima" (Mary) (02:36) 6 Mary of Egypt: Act III. "Holy, Holy" (Angels) (01:22) 7 Mary of Egypt: Act III. "In Egypt, I lived" (Mary) (00:57) 8 Mary of Egypt: Act III. "But here, my Lady" (Zossima) (04:58) 9 Mary of Egypt: Act IV. The Angels song (00:38) 10 Mary of Egypt: Act IV. Episode I. Zossima searches for Mary (01:43) 11 Mary of Egypt: Act IV. Episode II. Mary walks on the water (01:41) 12 Mary of Egypt: Act IV. Episode III. Communion (01:48) 13 Mary of Egypt: Act IV. Episode IV. Mary returns on the water (01:44) 14 Mary of Egypt: Act IV. Episode V. Zossima goes (02:17) 15 Mary of Egypt: Act V. Threnody for Mary (03:19) 16 Mary of Egypt: Act V. "Priest-monk Zossima" (Zossima) (03:12) 17 Loves whirligig (01:40) 18 Mary of Egypt: Act V. "Judge not!" (Chorus) (04:25) 19 Mary of Egypt: Act V. "The ways to salvation" (The Voice) (04:03) 20 John Tavener in conversation with Michael Stewart on Mary of Egypt (13:51) |
 | Album: 9 of 43 Title: The Last Sleep of the Virgin / The Hidden Treasure Released: 1994 Tracks: 4 Duration: 1:12:12 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 The Last Sleep of the Virgin (24:37) 2 Summa (04:40) 3 Fratres (11:53) 4 The Hidden Treasure (31:01) |
 | Album: 10 of 43 Title: Ikon of Light Released: 1994 Tracks: 17 Duration: 1:07:19 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Two Hymns to the Mother of God: A Hymn to the Mother of God (03:25) 2 Two Hymns to the Mother of God: Hymn for the Dormition of the Mother of God (05:02) 3 The Lamb (03:42) 4 The Tiger (06:06) 5 Ikon of Light: Movement 1 FOS I, DOXA (05:03) 6 Ikon of Light: Movement 2 piu intensita (03:19) 7 Ikon of Light: Movement 3 TRISAGION I (02:38) 8 Ikon of Light: Movement 4a MYSTIC PRAYER TO THE HOLY SPIRIT (05:58) 9 Ikon of Light: Movement 4b (03:14) 10 Ikon of Light: Movement 4c (04:43) 11 Ikon of Light: Movement 4d (03:17) 12 Ikon of Light: Movement 4e (02:45) 13 Ikon of Light: Movement 5 TRISAGION II (02:45) 14 Ikon of Light: Movement 6 FOS II (03:52) 15 Ikon of Light: Movement 7 EPIPHANIA (04:01) 16 Today the Virgin (02:48) 17 Eonia (04:41) |
 | Album: 11 of 43 Title: Thunder Entered Her Released: 1994 Tracks: 6 Duration: 1:02:27 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Angels (07:28) 2 Annunciation (05:25) 3 The Lament of the Mother of God (15:37) 4 Thunder Entered Her (17:11) 5 Hymns of Paradise (10:52) 6 God Is With Us (05:52) |
 | Album: 12 of 43 Title: Akathist of Thanksgiving Released: 1994-09-13 Tracks: 10 Duration: 1:17:34 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Akathist of Thanksgiving: I. Slava Tebie Kontakion 1 / Ikos 1 (07:31) 2 Akathist of Thanksgiving: II. Slava Tebie Kontakion 2 / Ikos 2 (06:27) 3 Akathist of Thanksgiving: III. Slava Tebie Kontakion 3 / Ikos 3 (07:01) 4 Akathist of Thanksgiving: IV. Slava Tebie Kontakion 4 / Ikos 4 (06:39) 5 Akathist of Thanksgiving: V. Slava Tebie Kontakion 5 / Ikos 5 (05:45) 6 Akathist of Thanksgiving: VI. Slava Tebie Kontakion 6 / Ikos 6 (07:43) 7 Akathist of Thanksgiving: VII. Slava Tebie Kontakion 7 / Ikos 7 (06:54) 8 Akathist of Thanksgiving: VIII. Slava Tebie Kontakion 8 / Ikos 8 (06:54) 9 Akathist of Thanksgiving: IX. Slava Tebie Kontakion 9 / Ikos 9 (10:14) 10 Akathist of Thanksgiving: X. Slava Tebie Kontakion 10 (12:23) |
 | Album: 13 of 43 Title: The Protecting Veil / Thrinos / Eternal Memory Released: 1995 Tracks: 3 Duration: 57:22 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 The Protecting Veil (42:35) 2 Thrinos (05:20) 3 Eternal Memory (09:27) |
 | Album: 14 of 43 Title: Innocence Released: 1995 Tracks: 8 Duration: 1:06:45 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 The Lamb (04:00) 2 Innocence (24:32) 3 The Tyger (06:11) 4 Annunciation (06:02) 5 Hymn to the Mother of God (02:46) 6 Hymn for the Dormition of the Mother of God (05:00) 7 Little Requiem for Father Malachy Lynch (10:58) 8 Song for Athene (07:11) |
 | Album: 15 of 43 Title: Ikos Released: 1995-01-15 Tracks: 15 Duration: 58:57 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Alma Redemptoris mater (Marian Antiphon) (01:52) 2 Totus tuus (08:57) 3 Ave Maria (Offertory Antiphon) (01:53) 4 Amen (06:13) 5 Regina caeli laetare (Marian Antiphon) (01:36) 6 Magnificat (06:22) 7 Allelula, Venite ad me (Alleluia with verse) (03:09) 8 The Beatitudes (05:56) 9 Beati mundo corde (Communion Antiphon) (01:35) 10 Magnificat (Collegium Regale) (06:59) 11 Nunc dimittis (Collegium Regale) (02:40) 12 Requiem Aeternam (Introit Antiphon With Psalm Verse) (01:55) 13 Funeral Ikos (07:34) 14 Ego sum resurrectio et vita (Funeral Antiphon) (00:47) 15 In paradisum: Chorus angelorum (Funeral Antiphon) (01:24) |
 | Album: 16 of 43 Title: Tavener / Pärt / Górecki Released: 1996 Tracks: 17 Duration: 1:14:00 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Summa for Choir (04:56) 2 The Lamb (1982) (03:14) 3 The Beatitudes (1990, rev. 1991) (06:58) 4 Funeral Ikos (1981) (07:43) 5 Litany (1985) (13:49) 6 Two Hymns to the Mother of God: A Hymn to the Mother of God (02:21) 7 Two Hymns to the Mother of God: Hymn for the Dormition of the Mother of God (03:31) 8 Seven Magnificat Antiphons (1988, rev. 1991): O Weisheit (01:22) 9 Seven Magnificat Antiphons (1988, rev. 1991): O Adonai (01:47) 10 Seven Magnificat Antiphons (1988, rev. 1991): O Sproß aus Isais Wurzel (00:50) 11 Seven Magnificat Antiphons (1988, rev. 1991): O Schlüssel Davids (01:49) 12 Seven Magnificat Antiphons (1988, rev. 1991): O Morgenstern (01:52) 13 Seven Magnificat Antiphons (1988, rev. 1991): O König aller Völker (01:49) 14 Magnificat Antiphons for Choir: 7. O Immanuel (03:10) 15 Magnificat and Nunc dimitis (Collegium Regale) (1986): Magnificat (07:20) 16 Magnificat and Nunc dimitis (Collegium Regale) (1986): Nunc dimitis (02:30) 17 Totus tuus, Op. 60 (1987) (08:59) |
 | Album: 17 of 43 Title: Svyati Released: 1997 Tracks: 12 Duration: 1:10:05 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Svyati "O Holy One" (13:58) 2 Eternal Memory: I. With great peace and serenity (03:06) 3 Eternal Memory: II. Slightly grotesque; dance-like; rough and an illusion of motion (03:12) 4 Eternal Memory: III. With great peace and serenity (04:22) 5 Akhmatova Songs: I. Dante (02:12) 6 Akhmatova Songs: II. Pushkin and Lermontov (01:53) 7 Akhmatova Songs: III. Boris Pasternak (01:50) 8 Akhmatova Songs: IV. Couplet (02:12) 9 Akhmatova Songs: V. The Muse (03:15) 10 Akhmatova Songs: VI. Death (04:19) 11 The Hidden Treasure (25:31) 12 Chant (04:09) |
| Svyati : Allmusic album Review : Since the composition of The Protecting Veil in 1987, the cello has played an important role in John Taveners music. Even when he was writing for instruments during the 1989-1995 period when the music on Svyati originated, Taveners works carried strong overtones of Russian Orthodox church services, and the cello here, as Tavener himself points out, sometimes seems to stand in for the voice of a priest. These pieces have been recorded before, but cellist Steven Isserlis, who premiered The Protecting Veil and some of the works included here, sheds valuable light on this phase of Taveners career by bringing them together on one disc. The five works included are quite diverse, with the cello playing a slightly different role in each. The most typical of Taveners predominantly choral output, as well as perhaps the most successful of the five, is the opening work and title track; Svyati is based on a segment of the Russian Orthodox liturgy known as the Trisagion ("O holy God, holy and strong, holy and immortal, have mercy on us") that carries special impact during a funeral service. Tavener wrote the work after the death of a friend, and it gradually brings the intonations of cello and choir together over each of its two halves. The Kiev Chamber Chorus is just one of several fine Russian ensembles performing the English-Russian music on this disc. The veteran Moscow Virtuosi under Vladimir Spivakov excel in the three-movement Eternal Memory, which rises in an Ivesian fashion from calm to disorder and then returns to its opening mood. Taveners five Akhmatova Songs, settings for soprano and solo cello of texts by the Russian poet Anna Akhmatova, are more dramatic and varied in mood than most of his other works; concise and intense, they are beautifully realized here by Isserlis and the soprano with whom he premiered them, Patricia Rozario. The disc is rounded out by the less instrumentally successful string quartet The Hidden Treasure and by a solo cello piece, Chant. Like Arvo Pärt, Tavener has been known for reworking pieces into new forms and new media, and The Hidden Treasure is related to Taveners The Resurrection. RCAs engineers unite performances recorded at different times and in different places into a coherent whole, and the disc may serve as a good introduction to Taveners music for those who would rather avoid his explicitly religious large choral works. One complaint in the presentation: if just one less artsy abstract photograph had been included, that would have made room for Russian and transliterated texts of the Akhmatova Songs. Svyati is recommended for lovers of Taveners music and especially for instrumentalists and presenters who are curious about his ability to write music on a smaller scale. | ||
 | Album: 18 of 43 Title: The Protecting Veil, In Alium Released: 1998 Tracks: 11 Duration: 59:54 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 The Protecting Veil - Section 1 (15:07) 2 The Protecting Veil - Annunciation (03:19) 3 The Protecting Veil - The Incarnation (03:38) 4 The Protecting Veil - Lament of the Mother of God at the Cross (10:22) 5 The Protecting Veil - Christ is risen! (02:31) 6 The Protecting Veil - The Dormition of the Mother of God (07:09) 7 The Protecting Veil - The Protecting Veil (03:09) 8 In Alium - Section A (04:04) 9 In Alium - Section B (03:39) 10 In Alium - Section C (00:40) 11 In Alium - Section D (06:11) |
 | Album: 19 of 43 Title: The Protecting Veil / Wake Up... And Die Released: 1998 Tracks: 8 Duration: 1:07:04 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 The Protecting Veil: I. The Protecting Veil (14:59) 2 The Protecting Veil: II. Annunciation (02:58) 3 The Protecting Veil: III. The Incarnation (03:43) 4 The Protecting Veil: IV. Lament of the Mother of God at the Cross (12:02) 5 The Protecting Veil: V. Christ is Risen! (02:59) 6 The Protecting Veil: VI. The Dormition of the Mother of God (07:55) 7 The Protecting Veil: VII. The Protecting Veil (03:13) 8 Wake Up... And Die (19:11) |
| The Protecting Veil / Wake Up... And Die : Allmusic album Review : John Taveners The Protecting Veil is deeply rooted in his Russian Orthodox faith (Tavener, an Englishman, converted in 1976). The cello is the voice of the Mother of God; arising with the ethereal opening cello phrases, the work represents different phases of her life in that role: the Annunciation, her Lament at the foot of the Cross, the Resurrection. The first and last movements serve as a frame with which Tavener strives to depict "her cosmic beauty and power over a shattered world." Wake up...and Die is a musical representation of a metaphysical paradox: spiritual awakening and rebirth as death to the worldly; physical death as an awakening to a higher spiritual realm. In both of these works, as is common in Taveners works for cello, the solo instrument is given a personification: the voice of Mary in The Protecting Veil, and an individual mind on a spiritual quest in Wake up...and Die. Despite the difference of these works from traditional solo works with orchestra, Yo-Yo Ma takes on these roles with elegance and grace. Ma and conductor David Zinman achieve an appropriate balance between cello and ensemble to reflect Taveners spiritual conceptions. | ||
 | Album: 20 of 43 Title: Tears of the Angels Released: 1998 Tracks: 3 Duration: 58:46 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 ... Depart in Peace (25:23) 2 My Gaze Is Ever Upon You (19:33) 3 Tears of the Angels (13:49) |
 | Album: 21 of 43 Title: The Protecting Veil Released: 1998 Tracks: 9 Duration: 1:00:06 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 The Protecting Veil (07:51) 2 The Nativity of the Mother of God (05:02) 3 Annunciation (02:44) 4 The Incarnation (03:48) 5 Lament of the Mother of God at the Cross (08:18) 6 The Resurrection (02:15) 7 The Dormition of the Mother of God (05:02) 8 The Protecting Veil (02:44) 9 The Last Sleep of the Virgin (22:18) |
| The Protecting Veil : Allmusic album Review : The "holy minimalism" of John Tavener and the hotshot American engineering of the Telarc label -- it sounds like a match made in the Eastern Orthodox heaven Tavener tries to evoke in some of his works. And so it is, to some degree. Both works on this album are instrumental, but they are hardly secular; The Protecting Veil (1989), Taveners first major instrumental composition, refers to the Feast of the Protecting Veil of the Mother of God in the Orthodox tradition, a commemoration of a tenth century vision of the woman known to the Orthodox as the Mother of God, in which she appeared in the sky and spread a sheltering veil over Greek Christian troops. The solo cello part symbolizes her song, and the work, in Taveners words, was "an attempt to make a lyrical icon in sound rather than wood." This performance by the Belgian orchestra I Fiamminghi and its solo cellist France Springuel is smooth and expert but adds no new dimension beyond what earlier performances have captured. The real highlight of the disc is the lesser-known The Last Sleep of the Virgin for string orchestra and handbells. It also refers to an Orthodox observance, that of the Falling Asleep and Burial by the Apostles of the Mother of God. The added wrinkle here is that Tavener wrote the work as he himself prepared to undergo major heart surgery. It is a remarkable suggestion of a state between life and death, with the handbells serving both to introduce individual sections of the music and to suggest the tolling of church bells at a funeral. Tavener directs the performers to play "at the threshold of audibility" -- and it is here that Telarcs engineers really show their stuff. Its hard to think of another recording with such a consistently low level of dynamics that nevertheless seems richly scored and holds ones attention all the way through. This disc makes a fine present for the audiophile with high-end equipment and for the Tavener lover alike. | ||
 | Album: 22 of 43 Title: Eternitys Sunrise Released: 1999 Tracks: 5 Duration: 46:21 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Eternitys Sunrise (11:01) 2 Song of the Angel (04:55) 3 Petra: A Ritual Dream (10:34) 4 Sappho: Lyrical Fragments (14:36) 5 Funeral Canticle (05:13) |
 | Album: 23 of 43 Title: Out of the Night Released: 1999-11-01 Tracks: 16 Duration: 1:07:55 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Magnificat (07:51) 2 Out of the Night (Alleluia) (01:43) 3 Sieben Magnificat-Antiphonen: O Weisheit (01:46) 4 Sieben Magnificat-Antiphonen: O Adonai (02:33) 5 Sieben Magnificat-Antiphonen: O Spross Aus Isais Wurzel (01:14) 6 Sieben Magnificat-Antiphonen: O Schlussel Davids (02:50) 7 Sieben Magnificat-Antiphonen: O Morgenstern (02:07) 8 Sieben Magnificat-Antiphonen: O König aller Völker (01:23) 9 Sieben Magnificat-Antiphonen: O Immanuel (03:48) 10 Out of the Night (Alleluia) (01:49) 11 Fratres (11:28) 12 Canticle of the Mother of God (12:42) 13 Out of the Night (Alleluia) (01:42) 14 Threnos (06:20) 15 Out of the Night (Alleluia) (01:52) 16 Ikon of the Nativity (06:40) |
 | Album: 24 of 43 Title: Fall and Resurrection Released: 2000 Tracks: 10 Duration: 1:01:55 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Fall and Resurrection: Part 1: Silence, Darkness: In the Beginning, Before Time (01:15) 2 Fall and Resurrection: Part 1: Representation of Chaos (01:31) 3 Fall and Resurrection: Part 1: Paradise (06:08) 4 Fall and Resurrection: Part 1: The Serpent (02:42) 5 Fall and Resurrection: Part 1: Catastrophe: The Implications of the Fall (06:34) 6 Fall and Resurrection: Part 1: Adams Lament (01:06) 7 Fall and Resurrection: Part 1: The Lament of Mankind (03:53) 8 Fall and Resurrection: Part 2: Prediction (16:38) 9 Fall and Resurrection: Part 3: The Incarnation of the Logos (17:39) 10 Fall and Resurrection: Part 3: Cosmic Dance of the Resurrection: All Is Transfigured (04:24) |
 | Album: 25 of 43 Title: Lamentations and Praises Released: 2001 Tracks: 19 Duration: 1:09:23 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Golgotha: The Descent From the Cross (01:57) 2 Stasis I (06:15) 3 "Wherewithal Shall a Young Man..." (05:07) 4 Thrinos (04:43) 5 Epitaphios Procession I: From Golgotha to the Anointing Stone (05:26) 6 The Descent From the Cross II (01:39) 7 Stasis II (02:07) 8 "Let Now Your Mercy..." (03:48) 9 "Your Hands Have Made Me..." (02:11) 10 Thrinos II (04:27) 11 Epitaphios Procession II: To the Tomb Entrance (05:00) 12 The Descent From the Cross III (01:16) 13 Stasis III (03:20) 14 "Princes Have Persecuted Me..." (04:03) 15 "I Awaited Lord Your Salvation..." (03:12) 16 "Look Upon Me and Have Mercy..." (02:00) 17 Thrinos III (02:54) 18 Procession Into Hades (Into the Tomb) (05:26) 19 Resurrection in Hades (04:24) |
 | Album: 26 of 43 Title: Song for Athene / Svyati: and other choral works Released: 2001 Tracks: 13 Duration: 1:10:45 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 God Is With Us: Christmas Proclamation (05:28) 2 Song for Athene (05:40) 3 The Lamb (03:51) 4 The Tiger (05:22) 5 Magnificat (07:35) 6 Nunc Dimittis (02:58) 7 Funeral Ikos (07:15) 8 Two Hymns To The Mother Of God: I. Hymn to the Mother of God (02:36) 9 Two Hymns to the Mother of God: Hymn for the Dormition of the Mother of God (03:50) 10 Love Bade Me Welcome (04:56) 11 As One Who Has Slept (04:20) 12 The Lords Prayer (03:34) 13 Svyati "O Holy One" (13:18) |
 | Album: 27 of 43 Title: Ikon of Light / Funeral Ikos / Carol: The Lamb Released: 2001-10-09 Tracks: 9 Duration: 55:21 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Ikon of Light: 1. Phos I (04:18) 2 Ikon of Light: 2. Dhoxa (03:51) 3 Ikon of Light: 3. Trisagion I: Agios o Theos (02:29) 4 Ikon of Light: 4. Mystic Prayer to the Holy Spirit (20:24) 5 Ikon of Light: 5. Trisagion II: Agios o Theos (02:33) 6 Ikon of Light: 6. Phos II (04:20) 7 Ikon of Light: 7. Epiphania (04:07) 8 Funeral Ikos (09:38) 9 Carol: The Lamb (03:41) |
 | Album: 28 of 43 Title: The John Tavener Collection Released: 2003 Tracks: 13 Duration: 1:04:56 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Song for Athene (05:36) 2 Today the Virgin (02:43) 3 The Tyger (04:41) 4 The Lamb (03:33) 5 The Protecting Veil: The Dormition of the Mother of God (06:50) 6 The Protecting Veil: The Protecting Veil (02:41) 7 A Hymn to the Mother of God (02:21) 8 The Veil of the Temple: What God Is We Do Not Know (03:06) 9 Funeral Ikos (07:47) 10 Threnos (05:52) 11 God Is With Us (A Christmas Proclamation) (05:44) 12 A Christmas Round (01:42) 13 Elizabeth Full of Grace (12:15) |
 | Album: 29 of 43 Title: Darkness Into Light Released: 2003-05-05 Tracks: 12 Duration: 1:04:13 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Vespers hymn: O lux beata trinitas (02:17) 2 Jube domine / Lection: In principio (04:22) 3 Come and do Your will in me (voices & strings) (08:06) 4 Compline Hymn: Christe qui lux es (02:59) 5 Lectio ysaye prophete / Lection: Surge illuminare (02:31) 6 As one who has slept (voices & strings) (04:58) 7 Nocturn hymn: Medie noctis tempus est (02:56) 8 Leccio libri apokalipsis / Lection: Vidi civitatem (05:10) 9 The Lords Prayer (03:57) 10 Alleluia. Quinque prudentes virgines (04:16) 11 The Bridgeroom (voices & strings) (17:40) 12 Hymn for the New Light: Inventor rutili (04:55) |
 | Album: 30 of 43 Title: Mother and Child Released: 2003-06-02 Tracks: 8 Duration: 1:03:18 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Seek Him That Maketh the Seven Stars (06:28) 2 The Souls of the Righteous (09:34) 3 Magnificat (04:05) 4 Mother and Child (12:44) 5 Lute-Book Lullaby (04:17) 6 O Be Joyful in the Lord (02:16) 7 The Seasons of His Mercies (06:23) 8 My Song Is Love Unknown (17:31) |
 | Album: 31 of 43 Title: Ikon Of Eros Released: 2003-09-30 Tracks: 5 Duration: 1:12:03 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 I. Metamorphothes. Eros (17:26) 2 II. Eros (07:48) 3 III. Ekstasis. Ekstasis. Eros (15:53) 4 IV. Metamorphothes. Alliluia. Eros (20:09) 5 John Tavener In Interview With Brian Newhouse (10:46) |
 | Album: 32 of 43 Title: A Portrait Released: 2004-02 Tracks: 26 Duration: 2:35:41 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 In alium: Section A (04:14) 2 To a Child Dancing in the Wind: I. He Wishes for the Cloths of Heaven (05:23) 3 The Lamb (03:53) 4 The Tyger (05:26) 5 Ikon of Light: I. FOS I, DOXA (05:00) 6 Ikon of Light: II. PIU INTENSITA (03:25) 7 Mandelion (extract) (03:30) 8 Chant (extract) (03:47) 9 Ikon of St Cuthbert of Lindisfarne (extract) (02:43) 10 The Protecting Veil: Section I (15:08) 11 Mary of Egypt: Act III. Bless Duet (07:27) 12 Akhmatova Songs: No. 5. The Muse (02:59) 13 Diódia: Solemn (05:53) 14 Diódia: [rehearsal letter I] (05:02) 15 Song for Athene (05:39) 1 Zodiacs (02:29) 2 Prayer of the Heart (15:17) 3 Ikon of Eros: II. Eros (07:56) 4 Mother and Child (extract) (04:38) 5 John Tavener Reflects... (a recorded interview): "My earliest musical memories..." (08:21) 6 John Tavener Reflects... (a recorded interview): "I saw in the Russian Orthodox Church..." (08:13) 7 John Tavener Reflects... (a recorded interview): "I think The Protecting Veil..." (08:04) 8 John Tavener Reflects... (a recorded interview): "The Icelandic pop singer Björk..." (06:19) 9 John Tavener Reflects... (a recorded interview): "The fact that Ive been given..." (04:11) 10 John Tavener Reflects... (a recorded interview): "When my publishers ring..." (05:39) 11 John Tavener Reflects... (a recorded interview): "The only goal..." (05:05) |
 | Album: 33 of 43 Title: Schuon Hymnen / The Second Coming / Exhortation and Kohima / Shûnya Released: 2004-09-01 Tracks: 15 Duration: 1:13:19 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Birthday Sleep (06:22) 2 Butterfly Dreams: I. Butterfly Dreams based on Chuang (00:52) 3 Butterfly Dreams: II. Haiku by Kokku (00:35) 4 Butterfly Dreams: III. Haiku by Buson (01:00) 5 Butterfly Dreams: IV. Haiku by Issa (01:02) 6 Butterfly Dreams: V. Haiku, anon (01:01) 7 Butterfly Dreams: VI. The Butterfly by Pavel Friedmann (03:44) 8 Butterfly Dreams: VII. Butterfly Song from Acoman India (01:41) 9 Butterfly Dreams: VIII. Butterfly Dreams based on Chuang (00:53) 10 The Second Coming (06:41) 11 Schuon Hymnen (13:16) 12 As one who has slept (04:03) 13 The Bridal Chamber (07:47) 14 Exhortation and Kohima (06:26) 15 Shûnya (17:56) |
 | Album: 34 of 43 Title: Lament for Jerusalem Released: 2006 Tracks: 14 Duration: 54:32 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Lament for Jerusalem: Stanza I (01:58) 2 Lament for Jerusalem: Cosmic Lament I (04:09) 3 Lament for Jerusalem: Stanza II (01:30) 4 Lament for Jerusalem: Cosmic Lament II (05:29) 5 Lament for Jerusalem: Stanza III (01:21) 6 Lament for Jerusalem: Cosmic Lament III (05:47) 7 Lament for Jerusalem: Stanza IV (01:35) 8 Lament for Jerusalem: Cosmic Lament IV (06:18) 9 Lament for Jerusalem: Stanza V (01:34) 10 Lament for Jerusalem: Cosmic Lament V (06:29) 11 Lament for Jerusalem: Stanza VI (02:03) 12 Lament for Jerusalem: Cosmic Lament VI (07:19) 13 Lament for Jerusalem: Stanza VII (01:40) 14 Lament for Jerusalem: Cosmic Lament VII (07:15) |
 | Album: 35 of 43 Title: Vaughan Williams and Tavener Released: 2007-09-24 Tracks: 8 Duration: 1:03:18 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 The Lark Ascending (15:42) 2 Song for Athene (06:47) 3 Dhyana (06:15) 4 Lalishri: Introduction (01:48) 5 Lalishri Cycle 1 (06:19) 6 Lalishri Cycle 2 (05:39) 7 Lalishri Cycle 3 (09:39) 8 Lalishri Cycle 4 (11:09) |
 | Album: 36 of 43 Title: Ex Maria Virgine Released: 2008 Tracks: 16 Duration: 1:03:43 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Verbum caro (01:40) 2 Nowell! Nowell! Out of Your Sleep (03:29) 3 Remember O Thou Man (06:28) 4 Sweet Was the Song (04:05) 5 Ave Rex Angelorum (03:55) 6 There Is No Rose (04:14) 7 Ding! Dong! Merrily on High (02:40) 8 Rocking (02:34) 9 Unto Us Is Born a Son (07:17) 10 Verbum caro (01:39) 11 Birthday Sleep (05:21) 12 O, Do Not Move (02:01) 13 A Nativity (02:13) 14 Marienhymne (04:39) 15 O Thou Gentle Light (04:42) 16 Angels (06:39) |
 | Album: 37 of 43 Title: Glass / Tavener / Nyman Released: 2009-10-06 Tracks: 5 Duration: 57:56 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Violin Concerto: I. ♩ = 104 (06:49) 2 Violin Concerto: II. ♩ = 108 (09:05) 3 Violin Concerto: III. ♩ = 150 (10:27) 4 The Protecting Veil: I (15:05) 5 Where the Bee Dances (16:29) |
 | Album: 38 of 43 Title: BBC Music, Volume 19, Number 3: A Choral Christmas Released: 2010-12 Tracks: 19 Duration: 1:05:37 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Lully, Lulla, Thou Little Tiny Child, Op. 25b (03:27) 2 The Oxen (02:42) 3 Lullaby, My Sweet Little Baby (06:09) 4 The Lamb (03:56) 5 Ecce puer (02:03) 6 O magnum mysterium (06:46) 7 The Truth Sent From Above (02:59) 8 Lux Aurumque (03:57) 9 Lullay My Liking, Op. 34 No. 2 (03:41) 10 O magnum mysterium, Op. 152 No. 1 (03:36) 11 O, Do Not Move (01:48) 12 Alma redemptoris mater (02:41) 13 Welcome, Yule! (01:11) 14 Remember, O Thou Man (02:26) 15 Jesus Christ the Apple Tree (02:59) 16 Ave Maria (04:43) 17 The Crown of Roses (02:37) 18 Bethlehem Down (05:06) 19 Today the Virgin (02:43) |
 | Album: 39 of 43 Title: Around Britten Released: 2013-01-14 Tracks: 24 Duration: 1:12:19 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Third Suite for Cello, op. 87: I Introduzione: Lento (02:10) 2 Third Suite for Cello, op. 87: II Marcia: Allegro (01:49) 3 Third Suite for Cello, op. 87: III Canto: Con moto (01:19) 4 Third Suite for Cello, op. 87: IV Barcarola: Lento (01:33) 5 Third Suite for Cello, op. 87: V Dialogo: Allegretto (01:42) 6 Third Suite for Cello, op. 87: VI Fuga: Andante espressivo (02:55) 7 Third Suite for Cello, op. 87: VII Recitativo: Fantastico (01:07) 8 Third Suite for Cello, op. 87: VIII Moto Perpetuo: Presto (00:57) 9 Third Suite for Cello, op. 87: IX Passacaglia: Lento solenne (04:25) 10 Third Suite for Cello, op. 87: Mournful Song (00:33) 11 Third Suite for Cello, op. 87: Autumn (00:19) 12 Third Suite for Cello, op. 87: Street Song (00:26) 13 Third Suite for Cello, op. 87: Depart in Peace, with the Saints (Kontakion) (02:42) 14 Greensleeves (02:06) 15 The Salley Gardens (02:33) 16 Tre Laude Dolce: I. (06:26) 17 Tre Laude Dolce: II. (05:18) 18 Tre Laude Dolce: III. (05:47) 19 Since She Whom I Loved (03:28) 20 Threnos (07:12) 21 Chant (04:25) 22 Concord (02:26) 23 Improvisation (09:52) 24 Oliver Cromwell (00:49) |
| Around Britten : Allmusic album Review : This release by British cellist Matthew Barley serves admirably as a solo cello recording that doesnt bog down over the course of 70-plus minutes, and theres more to recommend it as well. The album consists mostly of music by Britten himself, with examinations of his influence in two different directions represented by Gavin Bryars and John Tavener. Barley picks fairly obscure works by Britten that seem to illuminate the essentially personal nature of his work. The highlight is the Third Suite for cello, Op. 87, composed for Mstislav Rostropovich in 1971, five years before Brittens death. The work originated during Brittens stay in the Soviet Union, and it is based on a Russian Orthodox melody, the Kontakion, that appears in full only at the end of the work. No word on what Brittens Soviet hosts thought of this during a period when religious expression was strongly discouraged, but the work does not come off as really Russian in flavor; instead, the ailing Britten seems to have been attracted by the transcendent mood of the melody, and he produced a work that carries the flavor of seeming to approach the moment of transcendence from different directions. Barley finds an intriguing way of asserting Brittens continued relevance to a young musician steeped in modern technology: he plays several of Brittens arrangements of folk songs in rearranged versions for his own single cello, multi-tracked. Few would claim the music on this release as top-rank Britten, but Barley makes an extremely imaginative case for it. | ||
 | Album: 40 of 43 Title: Tavener Conducts Tavener Released: 2015-11-13 Tracks: 16 Duration: 1:16:05 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Resurrection: Paradise Choir (06:14) 2 Sunrise in Your Heart (03:14) 3 A New Commandment (03:30) 4 A Buddhist Miniature (02:27) 5 Ikon of the Nativity (06:25) 6 O isplendor (11:30) 7 The Founder’s Prayer (01:42) 8 The Lamb (03:20) 9 Take him, earth, for cherishing (03:49) 10 Two Hadiths (09:17) 11 Nunc dimittis (second setting) (03:25) 12 A Cradle Song (04:22) 13 They are all gone into the world of light (03:14) 14 O, do not move (02:14) 15 O that we were there (05:21) 16 Resurrection: Paradise Choir (05:54) |
 | Album: 41 of 43 Title: Missa Wellensis Released: 2016-08-05 Tracks: 15 Duration: 1:13:31 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Missa Wellensis: Kyrie (06:09) 2 Missa Wellensis: Gloria (05:39) 3 Missa Wellensis: Sanctus and Benedictus (02:57) 4 Missa Wellensis: Agnus Dei (02:17) 5 The Lords Prayer (02:20) 6 Love bade me welcome (06:01) 7 Preces and Responses: Part One (02:06) 8 Psalm 121: I Will Lift up Mine Eyes unto the Hills (05:16) 9 Magnificat and Nunc dimittis "Collegium Regale": Magnificat (07:23) 10 Magnificat and Nunc dimittis "Collegium Regale": Nunc dimittis (03:39) 11 Preces and Responses: Part Two (09:38) 12 Song for Athene (06:43) 13 Prayer for the healing of the sick (08:59) 14 They are all gone into the world of light (03:40) 15 Preces and Responses: Final Responses (00:44) |
 | Album: 42 of 43 Title: 99 Words Released: 2018-01-05 Tracks: 8 Duration: 58:38 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Svyati (13:08) 2 Heavnly Harmony (06:26) 3 Look in thy Glass (04:07) 4 99 Words to my Darling Children (07:06) 5 Improvisation on Tavener themes (05:07) 6 Threnos (06:24) 7 The Tablet of your Heart (05:10) 8 Maha Maya (11:10) |
 | Album: 43 of 43 Title: Angels Released: 2019-03-29 Tracks: 15 Duration: 1:10:00 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 God Is with Us, "A Christmas Proclamation" (05:37) 2 Hymn to the Mother of God (02:55) 3 Love Bade Me Welcome (05:23) 4 They Are All Gone into the World of Light (04:29) 5 Annunciation (05:39) 6 As One Who Has Slept (08:12) 7 Song for Athene (05:52) 8 The Lamb (03:33) 9 The Lords Prayer (02:42) 10 Angels (08:02) 11 Five Anthems from The Veil of the Temple: I. You Mantle Yourself in Light (05:57) 12 Five Anthems from The Veil of the Temple: II. Mother of God, Here I Stand (02:52) 13 Five Anthems from The Veil of the Temple: III. What God Is, We Do Not Know (02:34) 14 Five Anthems from The Veil of the Temple: IV. Awed by the Beauty (03:18) 15 Five Anthems from The Veil of the Temple: V. O Mary Theotokos (02:48) |