Evocation of the Spirit: Henryk Gorecki, Arvo Part, Frank Martin, Samuel Barber, Arnold Schoenberg, Robert Shaw Festival Singers, Donna Carter, Arietha Lockhart: Amazon.ca: Music

1. Gorecki: Totus Tuus

2. Magnificat

3. I. Kyrie

4. II. Gloria

5. III. Credo

6. IV. Sanctus

7. V. Agnus Dei

8. Agnus Dei

9. Friede Auf Erden

On this CD:

Totus Tuus, for chorus, Op. 60
Composed by Henryk Gorecki
with Robert Shaw Festival Singers, Robert Shaw Festival Singers
Magnificat, for SATB chorus
Composed by Arvo Part
with Donna Carter, Robert Shaw Festival Singers, Robert Shaw Festival Singers
Mass for double chorus
Composed by Frank Martin
with Robert Shaw Festival Singers, Robert Shaw Festival Singers
Agnus Dei for a cappella chorus
Composed by Samuel Barber
with Robert Shaw Festival Singers, Robert Shaw Festival Singers, Arietha Lockhart
Peace on Earth (Friede auf Erden), for chorus & instruments ad lib, Op. 13
Composed by Arnold Schoenberg
with Robert Shaw Festival Singers, Robert Shaw Festival Singers

Tag this product

(What's this?)

Think of a tag as a keyword or label you consider is strongly related to this product.
Tags will help all customers organize and find favorite items.

Customer Reviews

13 Reviews

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

Average Customer Review

4.2 out of 5 stars (13 customer reviews)

Share your thoughts with other customers:

Create your own review

Most helpful customer reviews

2.0 out of 5 stars 5 stars subtracting 3 stars, Nov 24 2003

By	T. A. Effler (Denver, CO USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I have to agree with Randolph Wagner. This CD gets 5 stars for the choral pieces minus 3 stars for the recording quality. It sounds like the recording was transferred from an 8-track tape. This CD should have been sent back and remastered. If you have other Shaw CD's, you can hear for yourself the difference. This is NOT a quality recording. Why did they let this slip out the door?

Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)

5.0 out of 5 stars Spiritual!, April 26 2002

By	D. Seymour "snadmus" (Atlanta, GA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is a magnificent recording. Even though, a capella CD's can sometimes be hard to stomach, I find myself listening to this disc again and again. This recording will literally lift your spirits. Gorecki's Totus Tuus is epitome of sublime, easing effortlessly across the span of 11 minutes. Part's Magnificat is a little darker in tone, but if you are patient it will blossom repeatedly. Martin's Mass is somewhere between ethereal and madrigal. Barber's Agnus Dei, based on his Adagio for Strings, is uncannily eerie, yet powerfully cathartic at the same time. Finally, Schoenberg's Peace on Earth is emotionally buoyant, absolutely gorgeous, and sadly, just as relevant now as it was when it was written almost a century ago. The aural depth captured by Telarc will engulf you in sound. Shaw conducts each of these modern masterpieces with aplomb and the Festival Singers sing their lungs out. An exciting album, it is definitely worth being a part of anyone's collection.

Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)

1.0 out of 5 stars Warning: NOT a keeper!, Nov 21 2001

By	Randolph R. Wagner (Houston, Texas United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Having had the privilege of singing with Shaw on many occasions, I know and honor him as a passionate choral technician and teacher who could always bring out better than the best in an amateur group. Nearly all the choral directors I've ever sung under pull "Shawisms" from their bag of tricks to improve pitch and accuracy. However, in today's era where we can choose from a plethora of professional groups (Montiverdi Singers, Tallis Scholars, Dale Warland Singers, etc.), sadly, Shaw's recordings usually don't compete.

Particularly in his final years when he would hold his Summer Festivals in Southern France (attracting a huge flock of choral directors), the recorded product (released on a series of Telarc recordings) has been consistently mushy and lugubrious - this one in particular! The usually fine Telarc engineers should be ashamed (as well as their marketers who where obviously trying to ride the Shaw band wagon as far as they could)!

The Barber Agnus Dei (for which I've yet to find a satisfying recording) sounds like the singers are submerged in molasses! The tempo is unbelievably slow and there is a total lack of clarity in the inner parts. I recently was driving through Colorado during the NPR fund-raising week and heard a pair of well-meaning NPR announcers slavering over this recording - I thought I was going to puke!

Much better recordings exist of the Gorecki, P�rt and Martin. With due deference to the master, I wouldn't touch this recording with a ten-foot pole. If you simply must purchase Shaw recordings, stick with the larger choral repertoire - you're guaranteed to get good choral singing and excellent soloists (but usually coupled with a less-than-electric performance).

Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)

Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review

› See all 13 customer reviews...

Most recent customer reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars The Barber is cathartic beyond measure.
I write this review three days after the tragic September 11 events in New York and Washington, three days which left me numbed, during which I searched and searched for music... Read more

Published on Sep 14 2001 by Bob Zeidler

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Shaw Recording Ever
This CD was an introduction of 20th century music for me. There is not a SINGLE TRACK on this CD that is not exceptional. Read more

Published on Jun 19 2001 by Michael J. Parker

1.0 out of 5 stars I guess I'm just old-fashioned...
I bought this CD for Barber's Agnus Dei, and unfortunately, that's the only track I really like! All the others are too weird and "out there" for me. Read more

Published on May 31 2001 by shieldmaiden1972

5.0 out of 5 stars One of Shaw's Best
This exposed me to the works of Part, Gorecki and Martin. As a result, I like the direction contemporary choral music is heading.

Most of this work is easily accessible. Read more