Barber: Prayers of Kierkegaard/Bartok: Cantata profanna/Vaughan Williams: Dona nobis pacem
List Price:
Our Price: $10.24
You Save: $7.74 (43%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $2.79 (click here)
Category: Music CD
See more CD details
Buy this Music CD at online store in your country
Canadian Music Store
Canadian Music Store
CD Details
Performer: Nathan GunnComposer: Samuel Barber
Composer: Bela Bartok
Composer: Ralph Vaughan Williams
Conductor: Robert Shaw
Performer: Carmen Pelton
Performer: Richard Clement
Edition: Music CD
CD Release Date: 1998-03-24
Music Label: Telarc
Soundtracks:
- O Thou Who Art Unchangeable
- Lord Jesus Christ, Who Suffered All Life Long
- Father In Heaven, Well We Know That It Is Thou
- Father In Heaven! Hold Not Our Sins Up Against Us
- Part I - Nathan Gunn
- Part II - Nathan Gunn
- Part III - Nathan Gunn
- I. Agnus Dei
- II. Beat! Beat! Drums!
- III. Reconciliation
- IV. Dirge For Two Veterans
- V. The Angel Of Death
- VI. O Man Greatly Beloved
Music reviews of Barber: Prayers of Kierkegaard/Bartok: Cantata profanna/Vaughan Williams: Dona nobis pacem
Music Review: Lesser-known Choral Masterpieces
Rating: 5 Stars
A disk of lesser-known choral/orchestral works by great masters of composition are always a welcome addition, and this CD doesn't fail, perhaps giving these works new life and hopefully a new future of performances.
The Danish-born theologian Soren Kierkegaard and his prayers from various writings are the subject of Samuel Barber's Prayers of Kierkegaard. The prayers are very personal, having to do with redemption and God's love, a keen insight to existentialism, and Barber's music expresses it well. While a unified whole, the 15+ minute work is divided into four separate prayers, each a style and a setting different from one another. Barber lets the listener know this is religious music by setting the opening text in chanting men's voices in an old church mode. But when the orchestra comes in, a 20th century declamatory statement changes the mood. Barber again looks to the past with simple contrapuntal choral writings. The second prayer is a supplicatory soprano solo sung by Carmen Pelton. A 20th century chanting chorus, reminiscent of thick Russian orthodox music opens the third prayer. Barber again brings back contrapuntalism and a great dissonant melody eventually dividing into two choruses. The final prayer begins with a wild instrumental modal dance section, and the end brings back the simple chant-like feel of the beginning, and the final, modern chorale ending with a positive outlook. Scored for orchestra, soprano, alto, and tenor soloists, and chorus, Barber's unique, and often intimate compositional styles, shine through here. The motives used throughout are enjoyable, the music creates great drama, and the work is quite inspired. It is very much spiritual and artistically pleasing.
Bartok's Cantata Profana is a different matter. It tells the story of nine sons who were taught nothing but to wander the forest and hunt stags. One day they wander too far into the enchanted part of the forest, only to be turned into stags themselves. Bartok sets this 20 minute work in three parts. The first showcases the double, sometimes antiphonal, chorus in thick imitation and dissonance. The chorus explains the back-story and relays the wandering in the forest, including a rather frenzied rhythmical jaunt. The second section is a feature for tenor and bass soloists, the tenor being the best-loved brother turned stag, and the bass being the father who went wandering looking for them. The father pleads with them, but as stags, they can't go home to their weeping mother. The short third section brings back themes and texts from the first and the second with tenor soloist exclamation. This music is interesting, not as folk-like as I expected, very modern sounding with dissonance leading the tonality. The soloists are required to sing some extreme ranges for the angst of the text and the chorus parts are difficult as well. The demonic chanting in the third section show the unusual harmonies and subject matter, not to mention musical virtuosity, of this very unusual, yet interesting choral work.
Unfortunately, Walt Whitman's poems about war and Vaughan Williams' music of the same vein, will probably never have little meaning for the public. The six movement Dona Nobis Pacem is the most stirring work on this disk, with various perspectives of war; texts by Walt Whitman primarily, some biblical texts, and an impassioned British speech. The Agnus Dei states the suffering and sacrifice of Christ, but ends with grant us peace. Beat! Beat the Drums! is a bombastic march about how war affects all citizens, not just those who fight. Reconciliation is a lush and somewhat haunting song on the tides of war, in a personal perspective. The Dirge for Two Veterans is a procession which builds to a great climax and dies away; the text visualizing a community honoring the passing of two local veterans. The Angel of Death and O Man Greatly Beloved is a magnum opus of contrasting moods, which erupts into a paean of "Glory to God in the Highest, and peace and goodwill to man". Even today, well after WWII when the music was written, certainly well after Walt Whitman's Civil War era's words, these performances of Dona Nobis Pacem is so personal, not a dry eye leaves the concert hall. The disk presents a moving and electrifying performance.
All the works on this disk, especially with the wide range of styles, is performed flawlessly. As always, Robert Shaw's choruses have clean and crisp diction, with good vocal technique. The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra gives these works a Romantic fullness needed, and the soloists are fine as well. While together, the program seems odd, the works in themselves deserve more popularity. A nice addition to the choral/orchestral library.
More Barber: Prayers of Kierkegaard/Bartok: Cantata profanna/Vaughan Williams: Dona nobis pacem free music reviews:
1 2
1 2
Description of Barber: Prayers of Kierkegaard/Bartok: Cantata profanna/Vaughan Williams: Dona nobis pacem
All products are BRAND NEW and factory sealed. Fast shipping and 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed.It's unclear why this program works so well, but it does. It may be because all three composers resolutely affirmed the virtues of tonality at a time when it was terribly out of fashion, though each did it in his own way. Barber was a genuine neo-Romantic before we had the term to describe him, so his heartfelt and emotional music was simply called "backward looking" while he was alive. Vaughan Williams and Bartók were both authorities on folk song who used the "uncouth vocal utterance of the people" to forge fresh and contemporary musical styles. Robert Shaw, one of the great choral music conductors of all time, plays all three works with a near ideal combination of clarity and intensity, and, of course, the chorus is sensational. --David Hurwitz
Classical CDs
Music Genres
Bestsellers in Classical CDs
Winterscapesby London Philharmonic
Prophetic Voice; Published: 2000-07; Audio CD; Book
Best price: $2.75
Price in other shops:
The Queen, the Bear, & the Bumblebeeby Dini Petty
Children's Group; Published: 2001-03; Audio CD; Book
Best price: $13.38
Price in other shops:
Classical Kids - Beethoven Lives Upstairs CdrRelease date: 2000-04-05; Music CD
Best price: $24.98
Tchaikovsky (Life and Works (Naxos))by Malcolm Sinclair, Jeremy Siepmann
Naxos; Published: 2003-11; Audio CD; Book
Best price: $35.99
![Jose Carreras - Jubileum Concert [VHS] Image](/images/Jose-Carreras-Jubileum-Concert-VHS-1584481471-X.jpg){kind=small}
Jose Carreras - Jose Carreras - Jubileum Concert [VHS]Sling Shot; Release date: 2000-04-18; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $5.86
Price in other shops:
![Tchaikovsky - The Nutcracker / Nureyev, Park, Royal Ballet [VHS] Image](/images/Tchaikovsky-The-Nutcracker-Nureyev-Park-Royal-Ballet-VHS-156127092X-X.jpg){kind=small}
Tchaikovsky - The Nutcracker / Nureyev, Park, Royal Ballet [VHS]Kultur Video; Release date: 1997-09-09; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $29.89
Price in other shops:
![Lonely Town Lonley Street / Sergeant's Early Dream [VHS] Image](/images/Lonely-Town-Lonley-Street-Sergeant-Early-Dream-VHS-1561270857-X.jpg){kind=small}
Rambert Dance Company - Lonely Town Lonley Street / Sergeant's Early Dream [VHS]Kultur Video; Release date: 1997-10-28; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $14.99
Price in other shops:
Winter Music: Composing the Northby John Luther Adams
Wesleyan; Published: 2004-11-10; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $21.88
Price in other shops:
![Puccini - La Fanciulla del West / Santi, Domingo, Neblett, Royal Opera Covent Garden [VHS] Image](/images/Puccini-La-Fanciulla-del-West-Santi-Domingo-Neblett-Royal-Opera-Covent-Garden-VHS-0769720382-X.jpg){kind=small}
Puccini - La Fanciulla del West / Santi, Domingo, Neblett, Royal Opera Covent Garden [VHS]Kultur Video; Release date: 1999-05-25; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $6.38
Price in other shops:
![Verdi - Falstaff / Giulini, Bruson, Ricciarelli, Nucci, Royal Opera Covent Garden [VHS] Image](/images/Verdi-Falstaff-Giulini-Bruson-Ricciarelli-Nucci-Royal-Opera-Covent-Garden-VHS-0769720358-X.jpg){kind=small}
Verdi - Falstaff / Giulini, Bruson, Ricciarelli, Nucci, Royal Opera Covent Garden [VHS]Kultur Video; Release date: 1999-05-25; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $12.95
Price in other shops:
Similar CDs
Mendelssohn: Elijah / Shaw, Bonney, Quivar, Hadley, Hampson, Atlanta Symphony (Sung in English)Release date: 1995-09-26; Music CD
Best price: $16.50
Price in other shops:
Brahms - Ein Deutsches Requiem (A German Requiem) / Auger, Stilwell, Atlanta SO, Robert ShawRelease date: 1990-10-25; Music CD
Best price: $6.09
Price in other shops:
Faure Requiem Op.48 / Durufle Requiem Op.9Release date: 1990-10-25; Music CD
Best price: $11.85
Price in other shops:
Dvorak: Stabat MaterRelease date: 1999-09-28; Music CD
Best price: $8.98
Price in other shops:
Adams: Harmonium - Rachmaninov: The Bells / Fleming, ShawRelease date: 1996-10-29; Music CD
Best price: $5.53
Price in other shops:
Kevin Murphy, Nathan Gunn - DEBUT ~ Nathan Gunn - "American Anthem" from Ragtime to Art Song / Kevin MurphyRelease date: 1999-05-18; Music CD
Best price: $16.95
Nathan Gunn - Just Before SunriseRelease date: 2010-06-30; Music CD
Best price: $6.90
Price in other shops:
Vaughan Williams: Dona Nobis Pacem, etc / Bryden ThomsonRelease date: 1992-09-30; Music CD
Best price: $12.16
Price in other shops:
. - Samuel Barber: The Lovers; Prayers of KierkegaardRelease date: 1994-02-10; Music CD
Best price: $7.53
Price in other shops:
Vaughan Williams: Sancta Civitas; Dona Nobis PacemRelease date: 1993-11-09; Music CD
Best price: $4.12
Price in other shops: