Gavin Bryars: Oi Me Lasso

Editorial Reviews
About the Artist
Gavin Bryars, born in Yorkshire in 1943, started as a jazz bassist and later studied composition with John Cage. He has composed prolifically for the theater and dance as well as for the concert hall, and has written three full-length operas. Gavin Bryars’s numerous recordings have been among the best-selling CDs by any contemporary composer. Two of his albums, The Sinking of the Titanic and Jesus’ Blood Never Failed Me Yet, have sold more than 250,000 copies.

Album Description
'Oi Me Lasso' is representative of a series of Gavin Bryars works inspired by the unaccompanied laudes (songs of praise to the Virgin Mary) popular in the later Middle Ages, particularly the 14th century collection known as Laudes Cortonese. The laudesi who originally sang the laudes banded together in confraternities but were not usually associated with any particular church, and this music was not part of any liturgy. Composing some 50 of these modern interpretations of the laudes has become an ongoing project for Bryars, slipped in between other projects he is working on. Each lauda is dedicated to the performer(s) for whom it was written, always including soprano Anna Maria Friman.

Anna Maria Friman is a member of the spectacularly successful Norwegian early music group Trio Medieval and she has made numerous solo appearances with important early and new music groups. John Potter was a member of the Hilliard Ensemble from 1984 to 2001 and was the founder of the early music group Red Byrd.

Gavin Bryars: Oi Me Lasso, Music, Nick Cooper, Gavin Bryars, Gavin Bryars, Anna Maria Friman, John Potter, Morgan Goff, Chamber Music & Recitals, Classical, Classical Composers, Vocal, Vocal Music

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IF NOT FOR BRYARS

Gavin Bryars: Oi Me Lasso

Manufacturer: Gavin Bryars
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
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ASIN: B0007X9TL6
Release Date: 2005-04-12

Tracks:

Ave Vergene Gaudente (Lauda 17)
Oi Me Lasso (Lauda 4)
O Divina Virgo, Flore (Lauda 29)
Plangiamo Quell Crudel Basciar (Lauda 26)
Da Ciel Venne Messo Novello (Lauda 6)
Stomme Allegro (Lauda 13)
Omne Homo (Lauda 19)
O Maria D'omelia (Lauda 19)
Lauda Vollio Per Amore (Lauda 27)
Regina Sovrana (Lauda 8)
Alta Trinita Beata (Lauda 12)
O Maria Dei Cella (Lauda 15)
Ave Dei Genitrix (Lauda 9)
Laudamo La Resurrectione (Lauda 16)
Amor Dolce Senca Pare (Lauda 28)

Album Description

'Oi Me Lasso' is representative of a series of Gavin Bryars works inspired by the unaccompanied laudes (songs of praise to the Virgin Mary) popular in the later Middle Ages, particularly the 14th century collection known as Laudes Cortonese. The laudesi who originally sang the laudes banded together in confraternities but were not usually associated with any particular church, and this music was not part of any liturgy. Composing some 50 of these modern interpretations of the laudes has become an ongoing project for Bryars, slipped in between other projects he is working on. Each lauda is dedicated to the performer(s) for whom it was written, always including soprano Anna Maria Friman.

Customer Reviews:

IF NOT FOR BRYARS.......2005-08-16

Throughout Bryars' work -- from the conceptually driven pieces like "The Sinking of the Titanic" to the sacred works such as this -- there is always a sense of profound care and delicacy. With "Oi Me Lasso" Bryars has effectively brought the tranquility of Medieval Lauds within range of 21st century hearing.

If the sometimes overly homogenous tonality of plainchant and early music seem a bit shallow to your ears, "Oi Me Lasso" is an excellent way to hear the profound change in shading and depth that can be achieved by an appropriately more sophisticated sonic palette. Working strictly within the constraints of the form, Bryars creates more compelling settings without overtly disturbing the reflective nature of the traditional forms he utilizes -- or repurposes -- for these compositions. Bryars also plays on these recordings, but the weight of the performances belong to John Potter, a founder of Red Byrd, (an ensemble that has released some remarkable recordings, though much more aggressive in performance and interpretation than the music you'll find here) and Maria Friman of the already well-known Trio Medieval, each contributing work that is both restrained and beautiful.

"Oi Me Lasso" is a remarkable accomplishment, achieving a balance rich in both tradition and innovation.

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