- Performer: David James, Annemarie Dreyer, Ulrike Lachner, Rebecca Firth
- Orchestra: Chamber Ensemble, Bryars Ensemble
- Composer: Gavin Bryars
- Audio CD (31 Dec 2008)
- Number of Discs: 1
- Format: Original recording reissued
- Label: ECM New Series
- ASIN: B000025XCZ
- Other Editions: Audio CD
- Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 229,782 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
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Track Listings
| 1. Incipit Vita Nova - David James/Annemarie Dreyer/Ulrike Lachner/Rebecca Firth - David James/Annemarie Dreyer/Ulrike Lachner/Rebecca Firth |
| 2. Glorious Hill - The Hilliard Ens - The Hilliard Ens |
| 3. Four Elements - Large Chm Ens/Roger Heaton - Large Chm Ens/Roger Heaton |
| 4. Sub Rosa - Gavin Bryars Ens - Gavin Bryars Ens |
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
ECM's most successful (commercially, let's say) crossocer jazz-classical album must be Jan Garbarek-Hilliard Ensemble collaboration "Memosyne". This album is just as haunting and beautiful, and most of Gavin Bryars' contemporary compositions would probably have been quite acceptable in Renaissance palaces and chapels.
All, that is, except "Four Elements", the longest composition here, at almost half an hour. This has a hypnotic power that grips the listener more fiecely than the other pieces for voice and instruments. ,It is strongly reminiscent of Angelo Badalamenti's music for "Twin Peaks", weird and moving at the same time, like a peek into the caravan of circus dwarfs. Bizarre but beautiful Bryars.
1 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Gavin Bryars is on top form on this disc, and more than ably aided and abetted by a platoon of superb musicians and singers. The four pieces begin with Incipit Vita Nova, sung by David James, whose beautiful voice graced the recent Hyperion Arvo Pärt release, Triodion. This is followed by a choral piece by the Hilliard Ensemble that is haunting and virtually drips with the mystic (So what's new, huh?)
The longer piece "Four Elements" develops four themes based on the ancients' elements: earth, air, fire and water. This is prime ECM stuff: is it jazz or is it classical? Whatever label you stick on it, it's brilliant: wonderful wind ensemble playing. A strange, delicate beauty.
Buy this record, it is beautiful. You deserve it.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
2 reviews
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful
ACHINGLY BEAUTIFUL
9 Dec 2001
Format:Audio CD
This would be a great album to give someone who thinks they don't like modern, contemporary composers. Gavin Bryars work is always fresh and challenging, but he never 'rubs it in the listener's face'. His compositions have form, structure, intelligence, emotion, and -- gasp! -- melody. This is not a study in dissonance challenging us to listen to it all the way through -- when it's over, we want more.
The Hilliard Ensemble is, of course, at the pinnacle of their field. Their voices inhabit that razor's edge between 'perfect' and 'human', with taste, ease and without pretention. They have reached the status that their name being attached to a recording is the musical eqivalent of the Good Housekeeping Seal -- there is quality to be found within. They are featured on only one track here as a group, 'Glorious hill' -- it was commissioned by them, and you can tell it was written with their talents in mind. This is one of the most singularly beautiful pieces of music I've ever heard.
David James, the Ensemble's countertenor, is also heard on the cd's opening track, 'Incipit vita nova', written by Bryars to celebrate the birth of a daughter to a couple of his friends. His voice is heard alongside violin, viola and cello here. Bryars' text -- rendered into Latin -- is one of the most eloquent expressions of the wonder -- and the promise -- of birth I've ever read.
'Four elements' also features the voice of David James, although it is largely instrumental. The composition is built in movements to represent water, earth, air and fire -- it was originally written as a dance piece. Bryars places this in the hands of his 'large chamber ensemble' -- 10 players (alto sax, bass clarinet, fluegelhorn, French horn, trombone, piano, electric keyboard, two percussionists, double-bass), plus James and a conductor -- but the arrangement and performance gives a real feeling of intimacy.
The album's final track, 'Sub Rosa', was written by Bryars as a tribute to Bill Frisell. He explains in the notes that he was particularly impressed with a track from Frisell's IN LINE album (also on ECM) -- in 'Sub Rosa', Bryars paraphrases and expands upon line from Frisell's composition 'Throughout', from IN LINE. This piece is performed by Bryars' smaller ensemble (6 players: recorder, clarinet, violin, vibraphone, piano, double-bass).
The music on this disc is, as I mentioned, intelligent and challenging -- but it's also extremely listenable. Bryars' work shows us that the work of 'contemorary composers' need not alienate potential listeners by extremism for its own sake. His work is both thoughtful and beautiful.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
The New Life
3 Mar 2004
Format:Audio CD
Worth buying solely for the first two pieces, Incipit Vita Nova, a lovingly unfolded song - half tribute, half lullaby - for string trio and David James's exceptional voice, and Glorious Hill, for a quartet of voices, which showcases Bryars' ability to write vocal music which changes constantly but maintains an essential succinctness of expression. Bryars manages to personalise his source material and create music of depth, imagination and cunning.
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