Couperin: Lecons de tenebres / Theatre of Early Music
BIS
CD
$21.99Jan 01, 2005
Close your eyes, and try to imagine: 300 years ago, in a very dark, forbidding church, the service goes on and on. Fifteen candles are extinguished, one by one, at the closing of each psalm. Shadows enfold the congregation, and in the midst of this eerie backdrop, two high voices sing their lament. The music is solemn, pure, and deeply moving.
Beautiful? Most certainly. But also very distant from our own busy, frivolous reality.
Unlike a lot of the Baroque repertoire, these are pieces that require getting used to, or at least the willingness to spend some tranquil time immersed in a world of devotion. So be prepared: this is not music that grabs you right away, that makes you feel like singing or dancing. But for all who need to pray (religiousness aside!), this might be just the right Easter gift (the careful production by BIS is an added bonus: excellent liner notes by Jean-Paul Vachon, sound engineering that effectively captures the aural atmosphere of a church, and apt graphic design).
Originally, the Tenebrae lessons for the Holy Week were intended to arouse feelings of the deepest contrition. Held in the middle of the night (at around 3 :00 am), when darkness was complete (hence the Tenebrae), the lessons were sung to very sad texts attributed to the prophet Jeremiah, as part of a mass performed with great dramatic flair, including the flickering light of candles which were then put out, symbolizing Jesus?s abandonment by his apostles. But humanity is mundane, of course. Little by little, the ceremony gained more earthly overtones. First, it was held at a more convenient time?in the afternoon. Then it became a showcase for the famous singers of the day, who could thus show off their piousness (and their beautiful tone!) to a very large audience.
In the 18th century, many important composers wrote versions of Leçons. Couperin´s remaining three pieces (of a group of nine) are the best known nowadays, and with good reason. In the intimate setting of a chamber work, Couperin achieves what a more grandiose-minded composer might not have: to convey true solitude, true repentance, and true sorrow.
For a long time, Couperin?s Leçons de ténèbres remained the province of the aficionado. In the past decades, however, they seem to have gained a surprising popularity, and some beautiful recordings have come to light, including excellent ones by Gerard Lesne/Steve Dugardin and James Bowman/Michael Chance, which, as in the present version by Theatre of Early Music, also resort to the unusual voices of two countertenors (normally, the leçons are sung by two sopranos). The advantage: a darker tone, sweeter and less lyrical, without the sharper edge we find so often in women?s voices. This, in itself, would be a point of interest. Notwithstanding the tough competition, the Theatre of Early Music holds its own, and manages to create a very moving rendering of the work, as well as of the sublime Magnificat included in the package. Both singers are first-rate, and although their individuality is always retained, their voices blend beautifully. Blaze and Taylor show their intimacy with the style?no mechanical vibrato here, or extravagant feats of virtuosity. They sing with simplicity and fluency, and with an austerity that fits the text without ever becoming frigid. The accompanying instrumentalists are equally masterful and discreet, each calmly serving the music.
For a long time, theologians spent their days discussing the sex of the angels. After hearing this CD, I am inclined to agree with those who held that heavenly creatures must have been male.
John Taylor/Marc Johnson/Joey Baron - "Tramonto". Recorded live in Birmingham during a Contemporary Music Network tour in 2002, Tramonto finds UK pianist John Taylor in a celebratory, outgoing mood, fronting one of his most dynamic and quick-witted groups, with US musicians Marc Johnson and Joey Baron. Here, the repertoire features the well-known Taylor tunes "Pure and Simple," "Between Moons" and "Ambleside" (heard in an epic 15-minute version), as well as the Ralph Towner-composed title track and Steve Swallow's "Up Too Late." In all, a welcome reminder of what a creative force John Taylor could be, as leader of an outstanding piano trio.
Northern (Redux) is a complete reimagining of Deupree's acclaimed 2006 album featuring new piano contributions written and recorded by Fraites along with renewed versions of the original tracks composed by Deupree. The result is a hypnotic, majestic album filled with sweeping atmospheric melodies and rich, transformative soundscapes.
This 4CD boxset features music from the golden era of this superb musician and composer's long musical career, comprising as it does eight original albums first released between the mid-1950s and the early-1960s. Serving as an ideal introduction to Taylor's music, as well as a first class collection of his best work, this set will delight all those who take the time to listen.
A grand reunion of sorts in Berlin on the first day of November, 1996. Under the auspices of Free Music Production, Cecil Taylor, the great pianist and one of the premier musical minds of the 20th century, joined forces with his early comrade, drummer Sunny Murray, for a set of improvised duets. Murray was part of Taylor’s important groups starting in 1959, including the trio with alto saxophonist Jimmy Lyons, with which Taylor toured Europe in 1962 and 1963, recording the seminal Nefertiti, the Beautiful One Has Come and Live at the Café Montmartre. On the latter tour, Murray met Albert Ayler when the saxophonist joined Taylor’s group for some concerts; they would go on to record one of the greatest free jazz records in history, Ayler’s Spiritual Unity. Thirty-six years later, Taylor and Murray were back together and better than ever. Never to do things a straightforward manner, Taylor began the concert by inviting eight members of his band to kick things off with an intonation choir, the master himself leading the sound poetry incantation. Taylor and Murray then moved into a 48-minute exchange of energies, peaks and valleys of expressive intensity rolling along, the two veteran improvisors slipping back into sync as if the decades had simply vanished. This extraordinary music has never been publicly released on CD. Gorgeously recorded, with action photos by Dagmar Gebers and a cover painting by Jacqueline Humphries, the music is issued under license from FMP. And yes, the title was all Taylor’s, as if he knew his music would be released during a virus of the same name.
Cecil Taylor - "Unit Structures (Blue Note Classic Vinyl Series)" The intrepid free jazz pianist Cecil Taylor made his Blue Note debut with the explosive 1966 album Unit Structures featuring trumpeter Eddie Gale, saxophonists Jimmy Lyons and Ken McIntyre, bassists Henry Grimes and Alan Silva, and drummer Andrew Cyrille. The four extended pieces performed here scale the pinnacle of the mid-1960s jazz avant-garde. This Blue Note Classic Vinyl Edition is stereo, all-analog, mastered by Kevin Gray from the original master tapes, & pressed on 180g vinyl at Optimal.
CD reissue. The World of Cecil Taylor is an album by Cecil Taylor recorded for the Candid label in October 1960. The album features performances by Taylor with Archie Shepp, Buell Neidlinger and Denis Charles. Some of the tracks the pianist chose to release on this album were improvised, single-take pieces, while others were the result of multiple takes.
The Cecil Taylor Unit's performance at Salle Pleyel in Paris on November 3, 1969, was a notable moment in avant-garde jazz. Featuring Cecil Taylor on piano, Jimmy Lyons on alto saxophone, Sam Rivers on tenor/soprano saxophone and flute, and Andrew Cyrille on drums, the concert showcased the group's intense, free jazz style. The recording was transferred from the original tape reels at INA and restored and mastered by Matthew Lutthans at The Mastering Lab. Includes an extensive booklet with rare photographs from the show and liner notes by acclaimed jazz critic and author Phil Freeman.
As keyboard maestro James Taylor arrives at his 40th year leading his Quartet, he has re-signed with his original label Acid Jazz and is embarking on a series of the most radical projects he has ever worked on. Following his first classical album, Shadows and Dreams earlier this year, he brings the Quartet together for a remarkable new album. Te Deum sets the ancient, 4th-entury Christian text to intense jazz, funk, and Latin grooves. The music sees the James Taylor Quartet working alongside the children of the Benenden Chapel Choir, and a guest horn section and legendary Acid Jazz percussionist Snowboy. Lead track, "Have Mercy On Us," mixes Brazilian samba with Gregorian chants, "The Comforter" sounds like a Donald Byrd with voices Blue Note Records experiment, and last year's radio favorite "Wildflower," mixes bossa nova with sunshine pop harmonies and a positive message.
Released to celebrate soul legend Johnnie Taylor's 90th birthday, One Step From The Blues is a 12-song collection from the "The Philosopher of Soul." Delivered in Taylor's distinctive style with roots in blues and gospel, the tracklist includes "Steal Away," "Cheaper To Keep Her," "Stop Doggin' Me," and the Hayes/Porter penned "I Had A Dream." One Step From The Blues is released on Stax Records and available on Softpak CD with liner notes by Memphis journalist Andria Lisle.
The soundtrack of the 1978 movie version of Stephen Sondheim’s Broadway masterpiece, A Little Night Music finally finds its way to CD. Directed by Hal Prince, the all-star cast features Elizabeth Taylor, who sings the famous “Send in the Clowns,” Diana Rigg, Lesley-Ann Down, Len Cariou and Hermione Gingold. This newly-remastered CD is transferred from the original stereo masters, and includes a previously unreleased instrumental cue, along with two other instrumental cues taken from the mono soundtrack of the film. The complete version of "Every Day a Little Death" is also included from the mono soundtrack, as the carriage ride verse written for the film was not included on the stereo master. Featuring liner notes by Sondheim archivist Peter E. Jones.
MUSICAL NUMBERS
1 OVERTURE / NIGHT WALTZ (LOVE TAKES TIME) 4:20 Orchestra, Company 2 THE GLAMOROUS LIFE 4:52 Chloe Franks 3 NOW / SOON / LATER 7:53 Len Cariou, Lesley-Anne Down, Christopher Guard 4 YOU MUST MEET MY WIFE 3:51 Len Cariou, Elizabeth Taylor 5 EVERY DAY A LITTLE DEATH 2:28 Diana Rigg, Lesley-Anne Down 6 NIGHT WALTZ 1:06 Orchestra 7 A WEEKEND IN THE COUNTRY 6:04 Company 8 IT WOULD HAVE BEEN WONDERFUL 4:20 Len Cariou, Laurence Guittard 9 SEND IN THE CLOWNS 4:17 Elizabeth, Taylor, Len Cariou 10 POOR OLD FREDERICK 1:53 Orchestra Previously unreleased 11 SEND IN THE CLOWNS (REPRISE) / FINALE 4:31 Elizabeth, Taylor, Len Cariou, Company
BONUS TRACKS
12 EVERY DAY A LITTLE DEATH (FILM VERSION) 4:00 Diana Rigg, Lesley-Anne Down Previously unreleased, mono recording 13 NIGHT WALTZ (FILM VERSION) 1:47 Orchestra Previously unreleased, mono recording 14 END CREDITS (FILM VERSION) 1:27 Orchestra Previously unreleased, mono recording
In the tradition of the West Africa griots and the ancient Greek epic poets / storytellers, calypso music has long provided a form of social commentary for the Trinidadian and Tobagonian peoples. • Originating from the kaiso music of Western Africa and evolving with various influences over time, calypso is to Trinidad and Tobago as reggae is to Jamaica and samba is to Brazil. • Despite tackling often-serious subject matter, a calypsonian conveys it all in a humorous – sometimes bawdy – but always inherently enjoyable manner. • This collection highlights a selection of classic and modern calypsos.
