Description:
With the first three notes of The Protecting Veil, way, way up in the cello's register, Tavener wrenches you away from of the frenetic pace of the late-twentieth century and back to an ancient world where contemplation and religious ecstasy go hand in hand. And it's difficult to imagine a more compelling performance than the one heard here from Steven Isserlis, who premiered the work and whose gutsy, slightly astringent tone Tavener surely had in mind when he wrote all those searing, stratospheric lines for the soloist. It's a veritable high-wire act, but Isserlis never falters, and he sustains an unblinking intensity for the wh
With the first three notes of The Protecting Veil, way, way up in the cello's register, Tavener wrenches you away from of the frenetic pace of the late-twentieth century and back to an ancient world where contemplation and religious ecstasy go hand in hand. And it's difficult to imagine a more compelling performance than the one heard here from Steven Isserlis, who premiered the work and whose gutsy, slightly astringent tone Tavener surely had in mind when he wrote all those searing, stratospheric lines for the soloist. It's a veritable high-wire act, but Isserlis never falters, and he sustains an unblinking intensity for the whole work's epic 45-minute span. The strings of the LSO under Gennadi Rozhdestvensky relish the virtuoso writing and here is proof, if it were needed, that all-string textures are not the sole preserve of paid-up members of the English cowpat school. The solo cello couplings work well--Thrinos was written for Isserlis, and the Third Suite of Britten is not dissimilar in mood, being heavily based around Russian themes. Buy it for the main work, but enjoy the bonuses as well. --Harriet Smith
... (more)
(less)
Manufacturer: Virgin Classics
Release date: 1 February 1992
EAN: 0077775905229 UPC: 077775905229
My tags:
Add tags
Login
