Pierre Villette, composer of "Hymne à la Vierge," sang in the Rouen cathedral choir as a child and later became director of the Conservatoire of Aix-en-Provence.
Compositional Technique
Frank Martin's "Messe pour double chœur" stands in a thousand-year-old tradition of religious music, referencing Gregorian chant and incorporating ecclesiastical modes.
Compositional Technique
Ton de Leeuw's "À cette heure du jour" uses an idiom based on Eastern sounds, with cyclical melodic formulas resembling a litany.
Recording & Production
This album is a live recording of a concert, which was Peter Dijkstra's first a cappella program as chief conductor of the Netherlands Chamber Choir.
Composer's Artistic Vision
The program for this album is centered around the theme of love, exploring both love between humans and love between humans and the divine.
Compositional Technique
Olivier Messiaen's "Cinq rechants" is an expressive, virtuosic composition with sensual moments, featuring a cyclical, mantra-like aspect and Eastern elements, including a pseudo-Sanskrit text.
Interpretation
Peter Dijkstra, the conductor, prefers concert programs with substantial works to create a common theme rather than many separate pieces.
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