Welcome to Hyperion Records, an independent British classical label devoted to presenting high-quality recordings of music of all styles and from all periods from the twelfth century to the twenty-first.

Hyperion offers both CDs, and downloads in a number of formats. The site is also available in several languages.

Please use the dropdown buttons to set your preferred options, or use the checkbox to accept the defaults.

Click cover art to view larger version
Track(s) taken from CDA68083

Only in sleep

composer
Ēriks Ešenvalds (b1977)
2010; S solo + SATB divisi; composed for the University of Louisville Collegiate Chorale and Cardinal Singers
author of text
Sara Teasdale (1884-1933)

The Choir of Trinity College Cambridge, Stephen Layton (conductor), Rachel Ambrose Evans (soprano)
Studio Master FLAC & ALAC downloads available
CD-Quality:
Studio Master:
CD-Quality:
Studio Master:
Recording details: January 2014
Trinity College Chapel, Cambridge, United Kingdom
Produced by Adrian Peacock
Engineered by David Hinitt
Release date: February 2015
Total duration: 5 minutes 17 seconds

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

Other recordings available for download

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

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

Only in sleep was written in 2010 for the University of Louisville Collegiate Chorale and Cardinal Singers. Sara Teasdale’s nostalgic vision of childhood re-experienced through dreams is expressed in simple verse in regular metre, and Ešenvalds matches this in music of regular four-bar phrases. But infinitely subtle are the chord voicings; a change from humming to vocalise to spotlight a phrase here, or internal doublings to highlight a particular line in the texture there—all serve to sustain the freshness, and the soaring descants are achingly expressive. The soprano soloist heard at the opening returns at the close, lost in reverie, as her musing, florid arabesques float over one last pair of chordal oscillations, winding down to nothing.

from notes by Gabriel Jackson © 2015

Other albums featuring this work

Ešenvalds: There will come soft rains & other choral works
The Pacific Lutheran University Choir of the West, Richard Nance (conductor)
Studio Master: SIGCD603Download onlyStudio Master FLAC & ALAC downloads available

[Return to top of page]

Waiting for content to load...
Waiting for content to load...