Tavener: Canciones Españolas - Requiem for Father Malachy
5/1/2009, 20 Tracks, 52:01
Featuring
John Tavener
James Bowman
Kevin Smith
Nash Ensemble
The King's Singers
Did you know?
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Composer's Artistic Vision
John Tavener was received into Greek Orthodox worship in 1976, acting upon his growing belief that Eastern traditions retained a primordial essence that the West had forgotten.
Compositional Technique
John Tavener's Requiem for Father Malachy uses a 7-note serial theme for its opening phrase, which also generates the harmony, but much of the music is in unison or octaves, free from counterpoint.
Composer's Artistic Vision
At the start of the new millennium, John Tavener sought inspiration from the universalist philosophy of Swiss metaphysician Fritjhof Schuon, embracing all great religious traditions.
Recording & Production
This recording of Canciones Españolas and Requiem for Father Malachy was made in the Church of St. John the Evangelist, Islington, London, in September 1975 and originally released on LP in 1976.
Composer Biography
John Tavener, the composer, was born into a Presbyterian family and his earliest compositions, including a Credo and an oratorio Genesis, were written for a local church where his father was organist.
Cultural Impact
John Tavener's short choral piece Song for Athene had a tremendous impact when performed at Princess Diana's funeral in 1997, raising his public profile and leading to further commissions.
Composition History
John Tavener's dramatic cantata The Whale, which brought him public attention, was later recorded on The Beatles' Apple label.
