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Track(s) taken from CDA68056

Virgencita

composer
2012; SATB divisi unaccompanied; first performed in Leon, Mexico, in 2012 by the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir under Tõnu Kaljuste
author of text

Polyphony, Stephen Layton (conductor)
Studio Master FLAC & ALAC downloads available
CD-Quality:
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Recording details: August 2013
All Hallows, Gospel Oak, London, United Kingdom
Produced by Adrian Peacock
Engineered by David Hinitt
Release date: October 2014
Total duration: 5 minutes 46 seconds
 

Reviews

‘This one is something special. In part this is because of the choice of repertoire, which mixes the familiar and the less-often heard, and includes two first recordings, and in part it is because of the exquisite sound produced by Polyphony … highly recommended’ (Gramophone)

‘The ever-excellent Polyphony and Stephen Layton have put together a very special disc of music by Pärt for the composer’s 80th birthday ... The hour-long programme ranges from Solfeggio (1963) to the recent Virgencita (2012) in its first recording. The perfectly balanced, richly warm tones of Polyphony, especially its outstanding bass section, suit Pärt’s translucent textures extremely well, and one can’t help but admire the power of this supposedly ‘simple’ music’ (Choir & Organ)» More

‘There is no shortage of recitals of Arvo Pärt's shorter choral works in catalogue, but anything by Polyphony is always welcome … Polyphony's sound is, as always, so rich and beautiful that there is no sense of anything missing’ (BBC Music Magazine)» More
PERFORMANCE
RECORDING

‘This disc of Pärt's choral music is one of the most singularly beautiful recordings I've heard this year … this is a stunning addition to Pärt’s ever-increasing discography and is unreservedly recommended’ (International Record Review)» More
One of only two instances to date of Pärt setting a Spanish text, Virgencita is inspired by the legend of the Virgin of Guadalupe. Just a decade after the Spanish conquest of Mexico, an apparition of the Virgin Mary was witnessed in 1531 at Tepeyac, near modern-day Mexico City. A celebrated pictorial representation of the Guadalupe Virgin in the Basilica of Our Lady in Mexico City has since become the world’s most-visited Marian shrine. With its initially muted dynamic range, a tentative sense of wonder builds cumulatively to a scrunchy, forte climax on ‘Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe’. The Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir premiered Virgencita in Leon, Mexico, in 2012, conducted by Tõnu Kaljuste.

from notes by Meurig Bowen © 2014

Virgencita, sur l’un des deux textes espagnols utilisés par Pärt jusqu’à ce jour, s’inspire de la légende de la Vierge de Guadalupe. En 1531, tout juste dix ans après la conquête espagnole du Mexique, la Vierge Marie apparut à Tepeyac, près de l’actuel Mexico. Un célèbre tableau la représentant, conservé en la basilique Notre-Dame de Mexico, est devenu depuis la châsse mariale la plus visitée au monde. Avec une étendue dynamique d’abord atténuée, l’émerveillement monte timidement jusqu’à atteindre un crissant apogée forte sur «Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe». Cette pièce fut créée en 2012 à Leon, au Mexique, par l’Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir placé sous la direction de Tõnu Kaljuste.

extrait des notes rédigées par Meurig Bowen © 2014
Français: Hypérion

Virgencita, eine von Pärts nur zwei Vertonungen eines spanischen Textes, ist von der Legende der Jungfrau von Guadalupe inspiriert. Genau ein Jahrzehnt nach der Eroberung Mexikos durch die Spanier soll die Jungfrau Maria im Jahre 1531 auf dem Tepeyac erschienen sein, nahe dem heutigen Mexico City. Ein berühmtes Ölgemälde der Heiligen Jungfrau von Guadalupe in der Basílica de Santa María de Guadalupe in Mexico City ist seitdem zum meistbesuchten Marienheiligtum der Welt geworden. Mit anfangs gedämpfter Dynamik steigert sich ein zögerndes Empfinden des Wunderbaren zu einer rauschenden Klimax im forte bei „Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe“. Der estnische Philharmonische Kammerchor führte Virgencita in Leon, Mexiko, unter der Leitung von Tõnu Kaljuste 2012 erstmals auf.

aus dem Begleittext von Meurig Bowen © 2014
Deutsch: Christiane Frobenius

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