It was another year full of great classical music. Here are my favorites from 2014, new releases only, no reissues.
1. Magnificat/Philip Cave The Tudors at Prayer (Linn) This superbly programmed and performed album contains eight Latin sacred choral works (specifically motets, mostly votive antiphons and psalm motets) by John Taverner (c.1490-1545), Thomas Tallis (c.1505-1585), William Mundy (c.1529-1591), Robert White (c.1538-1574), and William Byrd (c.1540-1621). Active during the period of greatest religious upheaval in English history, they kept writing richly layered polyphony despite changing fashions (though the later composers listed would also provide chordal English-language anthems as needed). The mightiest work here, Mundy's Vox Patris caelestis, leads off the program. The text, speaking as it does of "flowering vines" and their "heavenly ambrosial scent," practically begs for an elaborate polyphonic setting, and Mundy provided one that is among the most exquisite works of the 16th century.
1. Magnificat/Philip Cave The Tudors at Prayer (Linn) This superbly programmed and performed album contains eight Latin sacred choral works (specifically motets, mostly votive antiphons and psalm motets) by John Taverner (c.1490-1545), Thomas Tallis (c.1505-1585), William Mundy (c.1529-1591), Robert White (c.1538-1574), and William Byrd (c.1540-1621). Active during the period of greatest religious upheaval in English history, they kept writing richly layered polyphony despite changing fashions (though the later composers listed would also provide chordal English-language anthems as needed). The mightiest work here, Mundy's Vox Patris caelestis, leads off the program. The text, speaking as it does of "flowering vines" and their "heavenly ambrosial scent," practically begs for an elaborate polyphonic setting, and Mundy provided one that is among the most exquisite works of the 16th century.
- 12/28/2014
- by SteveHoltje
- www.culturecatch.com
Even in my youth, when Christmas came packaged with the anticipation of new toys, I preferred the Easter season. Why? Because I sang in a church choir, and the music of the Easter season is far, far greater. The gamut of emotions traversed along Holy Week alone offers so much grist for musical expressiveness: Palm Sunday (triumph, but tinged with foreshadowing), Maundy Thursday (dark lamentations), Good Friday (agony), and Easter (the ultimate triumph). And though the great masterpieces, Johann Sebastian Bach's two mighty Passion settings, were beyond the capacities of a simple church choir, I reveled in playing my vinyl versions over and over again. (Neither would be fashionable nowadays; the St. Matthew a Nonesuch recording led by Hans Swarowsky featuring the Vienna Boys Choir, though with an excellent set of soloists starring Heather Harper, and the St. John led by none other than Eugene Ormandy at the head of his Philadelphia Orchestra,...
- 4/14/2014
- by SteveHoltje
- www.culturecatch.com
Fox's publicity push for the upcoming release of Ridley Scott's "Prometheus" continues apace with a recent feature piece in The Hollywood Reporter revealing a bunch of production tidbits and minor spoilers about the upcoming film.
Amongst the facts garnered is that the action is set in the years 2089 to 2091; the final budget sits at $120-130 million; there are 1,300 CGI shots; and the shoot took 87 days with filming in London, Iceland and Jordan's Wadi Rum desert.
Erich von Daniken's 1968 book "Chariots of the Gods" plays a bigger influence on the story than the "Alien" films; alternate names for the ship included Magellan, Paradise and Icarus; the film's 'creature' goes through at least four different forms; and Noomi Rapace's Dr. Elizabeth Shaw character was originally named Elizabeth Watts but it was changed to avoid confusion with a Fox executive.
The studio has also unleashed another viral video, this one featuring Rapace's character,...
Amongst the facts garnered is that the action is set in the years 2089 to 2091; the final budget sits at $120-130 million; there are 1,300 CGI shots; and the shoot took 87 days with filming in London, Iceland and Jordan's Wadi Rum desert.
Erich von Daniken's 1968 book "Chariots of the Gods" plays a bigger influence on the story than the "Alien" films; alternate names for the ship included Magellan, Paradise and Icarus; the film's 'creature' goes through at least four different forms; and Noomi Rapace's Dr. Elizabeth Shaw character was originally named Elizabeth Watts but it was changed to avoid confusion with a Fox executive.
The studio has also unleashed another viral video, this one featuring Rapace's character,...
- 5/17/2012
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
There's only a few weeks left before all the mystery that shrouds Ridley Scott's "Prometheus" is whisked away with the film's theatrical release. The movie is reaching 'Dark Knight' levels of hysteria, and as you may have noticed, it's been regularly filling up the Playlist home page. A new profile with The Hollywood Reporter now sheds a little more light on the film and Scott's upcoming plans to get your interest further piqued.
While the plan for a sequel to the upcoming film isn't news, THR now notes that the project is something Scott "hopes will come next," presumably after "The Counselor." Lensing on the latter will begin this fall with a star-studded cast including Michael Fassbender, Brad Pitt, Javier Bardem, Cameron Diaz and Penelope Cruz for what Scott describes as "'No Country For Old Men' on steroids." Could the "Prometheus" sequel be happening straight after that?...
While the plan for a sequel to the upcoming film isn't news, THR now notes that the project is something Scott "hopes will come next," presumably after "The Counselor." Lensing on the latter will begin this fall with a star-studded cast including Michael Fassbender, Brad Pitt, Javier Bardem, Cameron Diaz and Penelope Cruz for what Scott describes as "'No Country For Old Men' on steroids." Could the "Prometheus" sequel be happening straight after that?...
- 5/17/2012
- by Simon Dang
- The Playlist
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.