John Tavener
The Protecting Veil / Choral Works

THE REVIEW

No need for too many words to describe the character of John Tavener. His music, almost entirely inspired by religious themes, is foreign to the more radical techniques developed in past decades: Tavener, born near London in 1944, appears as a singular composer in the contemporary scene.

This double anthology cd, published by EMI Classics, offers us a portrait. It is enough, as mentioned, to read the titles of the pieces to get a first hint of the music encountered here: "Angels". "Annunciation". "Hymns of Paradise". "God is With Us", and so forth, for eight compositions written between 1985 and 1993.

The opening piece, "The Protecting Veil", is inspired by the Eastern Orthodox Feast of the Protection of the Theotokos: one of the most important celebrations of the Orthodox liturgical year, transformed by Tavener into a vast fresco (45 minutes) for cello and string orchestra. However, I do not find the piece convincing, too long and a bit monotonous in relying solely on the cello, which represents the voice of the Madonna, for the various melodic themes.

Better is the subsequent "The Last Sleep of the Virgin", for string quartet and handbells, which in 24 minutes more forcefully resolves the mystical-ecstatic aspect thanks to dreamy sonorities and the natural reverb induced by recording the piece in a church in Surrey.

To these two instrumental pieces in the first cd, six choral pieces in the second cd are juxtaposed. Here, the choir of Winchester Cathedral is employed in various solutions: together with the organ (in "Angels"), a cappella, that is, without instrumental accompaniment (in "Annunciation"), associated with solo soprano voices ("The Lament of the Mother of God"), tenor ("Thunder Entered Her") or bass ("Hymns of Paradise"). In short, a remarkable variety in the combinations of ensemble, and it is in some of these pieces that Tavener's very particular musicality emerges, which in its best outcomes can sometimes move.

Inevitable is the parallel with the music of Arvo Pärt, another composer who found his inspiration in mysticism. Opinions on these two figures are very divided: revered (it's certainly appropriate to say) by some, boring to others.

Personally, I prefer Pärt, whose results I usually find deeper and more engaging than Tavener's. But the latter should not be underestimated. John Tavener is a composer who is not very flashy at first listen, whose music requires reflection and contemplation to be appreciated. Those who are willing to adopt this kind of inner attitude may find their own reasons for satisfaction in it.