John Tavener’s choral music is so well represented
in the catalogue on compact disc that I suspect this collection of some
of his best known shorter works for choir is likely to have limited
appeal purely for the sake of the music itself. However it does score
in a couple of other important areas. Firstly, each piece has a spoken
introduction by the composer himself, filmed in his own study, in which
he explains both the inspiration and the spiritual meaning behind the
music. Using the menu, the listener has the option to hear the music
alone or with the composer’s words to follow. Secondly, much of the
imagery surrounding the music is highly effective with a good number
of the pieces featuring the choir set in a computer generated recreation
of the 6th century Hagia Sophia, the magnificent place of
Orthodox worship in Constantinople, the results of which are visually
stunning. The remaining works are interwoven with images of Orthodox
iconography and close ups of individual members of the choir, some of
whom it must be said, look a little self conscious at their newfound
stardom.
The disc is topped up with a talk by Robert J. Roozemond,
an expert in iconography, who presents an interesting perspective on
the origins of icons and their significance in both the ancient and
modern worlds.
Perhaps the most memorable moment for many people however
will be the poignant interview with the parents of Athene, the young
girl who tragically lost her life in a cycling accident and to whom
Tavener paid tribute in his Song for Athene, immortalised when it was
sung at the funeral of the Princess of Wales. The performance by The
Choir is no less beautiful than the moving words of the parents.
In many ways, for this reviewer at least, Tavener’s
commentary on the music can tend to be more interesting than the music
itself, which in the context of certain of these choral pieces shows
a tendency towards the monotonous when listened to in succession, dependent
to a degree upon your frame of mind at the time. The composer does however
speak with clear passion and authority and certainly succeeds in convincing
of the personal integrity behind his inspiration, should this be in
doubt.
Ultimately whether this DVD does anything for you is
likely to very much depend upon your stance on Tavener. In reality it
is unlikely to convert anyone who has not already seen the light although
the visuals undoubtedly add a further dimension to the experience. The
performances themselves are finely done, James Whitbourn directing his
young singers, who the booklet tells us are largely drawn from the Royal
College of Music and the Royal Academy of Music, with authority. I am
less convinced by the sound however, which must have given the engineers
an opportunity for a field day in computer manipulation. I am afraid
that their attempts to create a suitably spacious acoustic to match
the imagery of the Hagia Sophia strike me as somewhat overdone to say
the least.
Christopher Thomas
John
TAVENER (b. 1944) 
BBC Opus Arte OA 0854
D [100.00]