Prom 25 - 4.08.14: Tallis Scholars - John Tavener Prom

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Monday 4 August
9.15 p.m. – c. 10.30 p.m.
Royal Albert Hall

John Tavener:
(a) Ikon of Light
(b) Requiem Fragments (BBC commission: world premiere)

Heath Quartet
Tallis Scholars
Peter Phillips, conductor

[Nick Armstrong]

No doubt this will be great - if you like that sort of thing

[CallMePaul]

This will be quite a contrast to the Mahler 9 that precedes it! Ikon of Light is one of my favourite Tavener pieces, sung by the vocal group that commissioned it. Am I right to assume that Requiem Fragments is the composer's last work, or is anyone aware of anything else that he was working on at the time of his death?

[CallMePaul]

This did not let me down! I listened to it with one low light (not a candle as I didn't have a suitable one to hand) and found the experience very moving. Both works were well-performed and I hope that the Requiem Fragments will be recorded soon. The concert was a very moving commemoration of the WW1 centenary, even though the composer cannot have envisaged either piece for that occasion.

[Old Grumpy]

Yes, I particulary liked the Requiem Fragments - very atmospheric, especially with the lights off.

OG

[Old Grumpy]

Five stars in the Guardian!!


Much deserved IMV.

OG

[bb]

We cannot but agree. As George Hall concluded, 'Requiem Fragments' reached a level of sheer sonic beauty rarely achieved in contemporary music. Writing in 'The Telegraph', John Allison damned John Tavener with faint praise for 'manufactured spirituality', but we were not convinced that the spirituality was manufactured!

[Serial_Apologist]

We cannot but agree. As George Hall concluded, 'Requiem Fragments' reached a level of sheer sonic beauty rarely achieved in contemporary music. Writing in 'The Telegraph', John Allison damned John Tavener with faint praise for 'manufactured spirituality', but we were not convinced that the spirituality was manufactured!

You mean it was... organic??

[bb]

We were not convinced that the spirituality was organic!