London Philharmonic Orchestra - MacMillan: Christmas Oratorio - COMPACT DISCS [CD]

Album Tracks 1. Chorale Christen, Atzet Diesen Tag (Chorus) 2. Recitative O Selger Tag! O Ungemeines Heute! (Mezzo-Soprano) 3. Aria Gott, Du Hast Es Wohl Gefuget (Soprano, Bass) 4. Recitative So Kehret Sich Nun Heut Das Bange Leid (Tenor) 5. Aria Ruft Und Fleht Den Himmel An (Mezzo-Soprano, Tenor) 6. Recitative Verdoppelt Euch Demnach (Bass) 7. Chorale Hochster, Schau in Gnaden An (Chorus) 8. Vom Himmel Hoch, Da Komm Ich Her (Chorus) 9. Aria Es Ist Der Herr Christ, Unser Gott (Baritone) 10. Er Bring Euch Alle Seligkeit (Chorus) 11. Aria Sei Willekomm', Du Edler Gast (Soprano) 12. Arioso Das Also Hat Gefallen Dir (Baritone) 13. Chorale Lob, Ehr Sei Gott Im Hochsten Thron 14. Prelude God Rest You Merry - the Truth from Above (Baritone, Chorus) 15. Angelus Ad Virgenem (Soprano) 16. Nowell, Nowell, Nowell, Nowell! (Chorus) 17. The Cherry Tree Carol Joseph Was An Old Man (Chorus) 18. The Cherry Tree Carol As Joseph Was Awalking (Soprano) 19. O, Joseph Being An Old Man Truly (Baritone) - the King of All Power Was in Bethlehem Born (Chorus) 20. In Bethlehem City, a Virgin Most Pure (Chorus) 21. On Christmas Night All Christians Sing (Baritone, Chorus) 22. The Salutation Carol 'Tidings True Be Come New (Chorus) 23. How Brightly Shone the Morning Star (Chorus) 24. Interlude 25. The First Nowell (Soprano, Baritone, Chorus)

This is Edward Gardner's sixth on LPO tag, and the third that celebrates the 20th anniversary of the tag in 2025. This Britten program was recorded at London's Royal Festival Hall (Sinfonia da Requiem and The Prince of the Pagodas) and Saffron Hall (Winter Words). A bold, early masterpiece written at just twenty-six and originally commissioned to commemorate Japan's 2600th imperial anniversary, Britten's Sinfonia da Requiem was rejected for being too solemn, but emerged as his only major purely orchestral work and a powerful response to the growing threat of war. Winter Words Britten's poignant song cycle originally for tenor and piano, set to texts of 8 poems by Thomas Hardy is presented here in a new orchestration by Robin Holloway-a world premiere recording. The Prince of the Pagodas, Britten's ballet with Edward Gardner's distilled concert suite from The Prince of the Pagodas-another world premiere recording-fulfils Britten's unrealised ambition to arrange his full-length ballet into a dramatic orchestral suite. Album Tracks 1. Britten Sinfonia Da Requiem, Op. 20 I. Lacrymosa 2. Britten Sinfonia Da Requiem, Op. 20 II. Dies Irae 3. Britten Sinfonia Da Requiem, Op. 20 III. Requiem Aeternam 4. Britten Winter Words, Op. 52 (Orch. Robin Holloway) I. at Day-Close in November 5. Britten Winter Words, Op. 52 (Orch. Robin Holloway) II. Midnight on the Great Western (Or the Journeying Boy) 6. Britten Winter Words, Op. 52 (Orch. Robin Holloway) III. Wagtail and Baby (A Satire) 7. Britten Winter Words, Op. 52 (Orch. Robin Holloway) IV. the Little Old Table 8. Britten Winter Words, Op. 52 (Orch. Robin Holloway) V. the Choirmaster's Burial (Or the Tenor Man's Story) 9. Britten Winter Words, Op. 52 (Orch. Robin Holloway) VI. Proud Songsters (Thrushes, Finches and Nightingales) 10. Britten Winter Words, Op. 52 (Orch. Robin Holloway) VII. at the

This album strives to understand the varying ways composers comprehend grief, loss and death. How did they cope, their hearts broken, their peace gone? And how can we cope? In this combination of works Weiss has tried to follow the paths these great composers walked in their own grief. Their tracks lead us from death back towards life, from horror to hope. Of his Arc album series, Orion Weiss explains 'The arc of this recital trilogy is inverted, like a rainbow's reflection in water. Arc I's first steps here head downhill, beginning from hope and proceeding down to despair. The bottom of the journey, Arc II, is Earth's center, grief, loss, the lowest we can reach. The return trip, Arc III, is one of excitement and renewal, filled with the joy of rebirth and the anticipation of a better future.' Album Tracks 1. Tombeau de Couperin~I. Prélude 7. Variations on a Theme by R. Schumann, Op. 9 8. Piano Sonata No. 2 in B minor, Op. 61~I. Allegretto