Amazing grace (Ešenvalds) - from CDA68083 - Hyperion Records

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Reviews

‘The sonority is secure from top to bottom … and the recording has clarity, detail and presence … lovers of this corner of the choral repertoire will find here much to enjoy’ (Gramophone)

‘An exemplary recording … an excellent place to become familiar with Ešenvalds's attractive output’ (Choir & Organ)» More

‘What a force the Trinity choir has become … and the strength-in-depth it has developed, in the first eight years of Stephen Layton's directorship’ (BBC Music Magazine)» More

PERFORMANCE

RECORDING

‘Latvian composer [Ēriks Ešenvalds's] rich, sonorous choral writing is in almost permanent ecstasy, with sopranos sailing over great waves of cluster chords, a colouristic vision … all beautifully sung’ (The Guardian)

‘Much here is rarified and quite lovely, indicative of a young composer in the thralls of an abundance of talent’ (Audiophile Audition, USA)» More

‘The music is very well crafted for voices, … the writing is consistently imaginative … the Trinity College choir sings exceptionally well … they make a super sound; the balance is consistently excellent and the timbre is appealingly fresh’ (MusicWeb International)» More

‘With excellent recording and splendid notes, I can only welcome this with enthusiasm’ (MusicWeb International)» More

‘The result is a collection that in terms of imagination and aural allure is beyond anything I have heard since the halcyon age of the young Benjamin Britten … full of small gems’ (The Oldie)» More

‘Trinity College Choir Cambridge under the direction of Stephen Layton give superlative performances of varied and engaging choral works by the Latvian composer Ēriks Ešenvalds. Contemporary music making at its best’ (The Northern Echo)

‘A composer with a deep love and respect for music … Layton's flowing phrasing and the choir's effortless a capella delivery, embellished here and there by beautiful solo voices … reinforce the beauty inherent to the music’ (Classical Music Sentinel)» More

‘Conductor Stephen Layton, along with the Choir of Trinity College Cambridge, should be commended not just for this excellent performance, but also for raising the profile of [Ēriks Ešenvalds], whose ability to write music that deeply affects listeners not just in Latvia, all over the world is a rare talent’ (The Baltics Today, Latvia)» More

‘Stephen Layton draws extraordinary and urgent performances from his young singers—finding both the power … and delicacy … performances [are] charged with real emotional intent. The result is arresting in its intensity’ (Sinfini Music)» More

Introduction
English

Ešenvalds’ arrangement of Amazing grace was made for Kamēr… in 2004. It is a kind of chorale-variation set—the famous tune is never exactly the same each time it is heard. After its initial statement by a solo soprano the melody becomes gradually more embedded in a rich eight-part texture; instead of the usual ascending semitonal key-shifts, descending modulations serve to ratchet up the intensity and lead to an ecstatic peroration in the home key.

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This is not the first recording of Sir James MacMillan's 'Cantos sagrados', but with thumping accompaniment from the RSNO and the serried ranks of the NYCoS it must be one of the most dramatic. The programme also contains a new a cappella cycle by ...» More

Ešenvalds: There will come soft rains & other choral works

The Pacific Lutheran University Choir of the West, Richard Nance (conductor)

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Founded in 1926, the Choir of the West is the leading choral ensemble of the Department of Music at Pacific Lutheran University, located in Tacoma, Washington. This recording celebrates the music of Latvian composer Ēriks Ešenvalds.» More

Recording details: January 2014
Trinity College Chapel, Cambridge, United Kingdom
Produced by Adrian Peacock
Engineered by David Hinitt
Release date: February 2015
Total duration: 4 minutes 47 seconds

Cover artwork: Autumn Moon (2013). Scott Kahn (b1946)
Private Collection / Bridgeman Images

Amazing grace

The Choir of Trinity College Cambridge, Stephen Layton (conductor), Anna Cavaliero (soprano)

Other recordings available for download

Reviews

Introduction

Other albums featuring this work