#2531: New Choral Works

New Sounds | May 24, 2010
Composer Eric Whitacre purports to be influenced by Depeche Mode, Bjork and seventies prog rock as much as he is by Bartok, Barber and Monteverdi. Whitacre, who published his first choral work at 21, has shrewdly centered his oeuvre around choral writing, since those works are more likely to get premiered and then have continuing performances. But his electric chilling harmonies and tone-clusters have also been transcribed for concert band, and electronics have recently made their way into his work as well. On this edition of New Sounds, sample some of Whitacre’s new record, “Cloudburst,” along with music by Gyorgy Ligeti. Plus, the latest from the group Chanticleer and more.

PROGRAM # 2531, New Choral Music (First aired on Wednesday, April 5, 2006)

ARTIST(S)

RECORDING

CUT(S)

SOURCE

Voices

A Compilation of the World’s Greatest Choirs

Ligeti: Lux Aeterna, excerpt [1:30]

Mesa/Bluemoon #79026 Out of print, but other recordings of the piece are available. Try Sony Classical’s Ligeti Edition, Vol 2: Sony #62305, www.sonyclassical.com or Amazon.com B0000029OX

Eric Whitacre

Cloudburst

Lux Aurumque [4:00]

Hyperion #67543** www.hyperion-records.co.uk*

Björk

Medulla

Vökuro [4:30]

Atlantic #62981** www.bjork.com*

Eric Whitacre

Cloudburst

Cloudburst [8:00]

See above.

Ingram Marshall

Savage Altars

Savage Altars [20:30]

New Albion #130 ** www.newalbion.com

Chanticleer

Sound In Spirit

J. Jennings: Sound In Spirit [1:00]

Warner Classics #61941 ** www.chanticleer.org*

Voices

A Compilation of the World’s Greatest Choirs

Ligeti: Lux Aeterna [7:00]

See above.

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