Rautavaara: Vigilia

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Occasionally called Finland's resident mystic, Einojuhani Rautavaara is lots more than that. He's a true musical polyglot, and his music runs the gamut from 12-tone to lyrical, to - in this work - just the right ancient tone, with very modern harmonies, rhythms and vocal acrobatics which do not seem out of place. And the overriding sense one gets in this work devoted to St John the Baptist is the same one might feel sitting in an ancient cathedral, smelling incense while robed members of the congregation, choir and clergy file past. It's gorgeous, really, and broken into two 1/2 hour sections it's just right for listening and wondering. And the recording is amazingly rich and present. Try it, you'll like it. Robert Levine

Tracks:

Lumen
Bring Us, O Lord God
Ehtoohymni (Evening Hymn)
Nyinye otpushchayeshi (Nunc dimittis)
O Lux beata Trinitas
O coruscans lux stellarum
O nata lux
Te lucis ante terminum
Hymn To The Creator Of Light
Hail, Gladdening Light
Christe, qui lux es et dies
Nunc dimittis
Christe, qui lux es et dies
Nunc dimittis
Svyetye tikhii (Hail, Gladdening Light)
Svyetye tikhii (Hail, Gladdening Light)
Lucis Creator optime
Lux aeterna

Customer Reviews:

A beautiful ensemble tone.......2002-09-07

Most people who are used to the boy-treble sound of Kings College, wince at the thought of women-sopranos as members of the choir for English church music. But this Clare College performance would win over the most die-hard traditionalist. The program is a collection of familar and more interesting works spanning several centuries of the genre. The performances are measured, controlled and have a true ensemble tone. Although it would be unfair to treat this disc as just background music, it can be a wonderful oasis of calm after a busy day.

heavenly.......2002-02-13

I didn't think there was a group out there that could outshine the Cambridge Singers, but this group has done it. (Their shared history with John Rutter could have something to do with it!) "Bring Us, O Lord God" and "Hymn to the Creator of Light" are among the all-time great choral moments. Their sound is a shade warmer than the Cambridge Singers, which is an asset when moving outside Renaissance choral literature. The choir can sing with the pristine purity needed for Palestrina and the warm lushness needed for Rachmaninoff and Rautavaara. Every track on this album is stunning. This is now the first CD I send to people looking to start or augment their choral music collection. I can't recommend it highly enough!

Unbelievably beautiful.......2000-10-29

With this disc, their first recording for John Rutter's Collegium label, the Choir of Clare College in Cambridge prove themselves worthy to stand alongside the best in this country - and then some...

At the outset, I have to admit that I'm not wholly impressed by the programme. The title "Illumina" treads on ground that countless choirs have covered over the last ten years, and the music includes several items that fit in with that title, despite having been 'done to death' on other choral compilations: I have already come across dozens of CDs with "O nata lux" by Thomas Tallis, "Hymn to the Creator of Light" by John Rutter and "Hail, gladdening light" by Charles Wood, for instance, and it is as if having yet another recording of each detracts from the value of the others in my collection. The programme also includes a number of excerpts from Russian masterworks: specifically, canticles from the Vigil settings of Rachmaninov, Tchaikovsky and Gretchaninov all appear (indeed, the last two composers are represented by their different settings of the same canticle!). In a similar vein is the inclusion of the Evening Hymn from Rautavaara's "Vigilia," sung in Finnish. Dense and rich polyphonic works of the Renaissance and late Romantic schools nestle side by side (cantus firmus motets by Thomas Tallis and Robert Whyte are paired off with soupy and familiar anthems by William Harris and Gustav Holst); these are contrasted by monodic plainchants and a hymn by Hildegard of Bingen. A Nunc Dimittis by Josquin also makes an appearance (it is the third setting of that particular text on the disc!) before the programme ends with Gyorgi Ligeti's striking and ethereal "Lux Aeterna."

So, a very predictable programme that might not seem worth purchasing, particularly as choral music lovers are bound to have all these tracks on previous releases. However, when it comes to actually listening to the disc, one finds it definitely worth adding to a choral collection. The Choir of Clare College have made recordings in the past, but not one of them is nearly as stunning as this. Timothy Brown draws the most amazing quality of sound from the singers: every note is precise, every word is clear, every texture is sonorous to the right degree, the balance is superb, the dynamic control is exquisite... The choir was obviously having a good year in terms of basses, who negotiate the infernal notes in the Rachmaninov and Rautavaara tracks with incredible power and admirable precision. Similarly, the sopranos and altos (Clare College Choir is mixed rather than all-male as at King's College) have a beautiful tone in the high registers of their voices. Completing the package are the scintillating acoustics of the recording venue: the Lady Chapel at Ely Cathedral. This lends a wonderful glow to all the music, even the Ligeti (I've never heard it sung as well as this).

Tracks:

Credo
Canticum Mariae Virginis
Herran rukous
Psalmi 23
Psalmi 130
Magnificat: I Magnificat
Magnificat: II Quia respexit - misericordia
Magnificat: III Fecit potentiam
Magnificat: IV Suscepit Israel
Magnificat: V Gloria
Nattvarden: Psalm vid nattvarden I (Communion Hymn I)
Nattvarden: Psalm vid nattvarden II (Communion Hymn II)
Nattvarden: Kyrie
Nattvarden: Herdepsalm (Shepherd Psalm)
Ave Maria
Missa Duodecanonica: Kyrie
Missa Duodecanonica: Sanctus per cancrizan
Missa Duodecanonica: Agnus Dei in motu contrario
Rakkaus ei koskaan h
Legenda
Marjatan Jouluvirsi
Joulun Virsi
Avuksihuutopsalmi
Ehtoohymni

Amazon.com

Finnish composer Einojuhani Rautavaara may be the most exciting composer working today. His works are consistently good, rich in the folk traditions of his homeland, and, most important, challenging in concept but easy to appreciate. And that about sums up Sacred Works for Mixed Chorus, a collection of Rautavaara's masses, psalms, and hymns sung to perfection by the Finnish Radio Chamber Choir. Spanning 40 years (1953-1995) of his long career, Rautavaara's sacred music is less defined by any one religion than the entire concept--Catholic and Greek Orthodox texts sit side by side--and the composer never succumbs to predictability. Highlights abound: On "Canticum Mariae Virginis" and "Magnificat," bass and soprano voices exchange dialogue over the choir's mystical sonic backdrop; Christmas hymn "Marjatan jouluvirsi" (from the composer's choral opera Marjatta matala neiti) is simple and sweet; and "Credo" is a set of three variations on one motif--based on the composer's belief that "only difficult things are worth doing." In short, there's something here for everyone, and everyone should hear Rautavaara. --Jason Verlinde

Customer Reviews:

Ethereal recording from a doomed choir.......2004-10-15

I discovered Rautavaara's music a few years ago, and remain hopelessly enamoured of his choral music in particular. The works on this disc are no exception. The Magnificat and Canticum Mariae Virgines are especially compelling. And the performances by the Finnish Radio Chamber Choir are extremely fine.

Lovers of contemporary Finnish music might want to know that on 14 October 2004, the Finnish Broadcasting Company announced they will abolish the Radio Chamber Choir after the 2004-2005 season. The Chamber Choir was founded in 1961 and has premiered nearly 100 works.

Legend.......2000-02-22

On WOSU-FM this morning I heard "Legend" (until it was over I had no idea what I was listening to) and was enthalled enough to order the CD. I knew the music was contemporary yet it gave the impression of something ancient and austere. Richly colored choral blend yet not dark or heavy. Wandering and open yet not formless--at times almost sounded like a fugue. Not programmatic music, not a tone poem, yet visually suggestive of a winter landscape of ice and water reflecting unusual colors never seen before.

A rich and rewarding CD.......2000-01-30

I first discovered the works of this remarkable Finnish composer through his orchestral release "On the Last Frontier" last year. In this, the first disc to showcase his small-scale choral writing, I have discovered an instant classic. As explained in the booklet notes (written by the composer) these short pieces cover a forty-year time period, during which Rautavaara has explored his personal faith (he is Finnish Orthodox) through sacred writing for unaccompanied choir. The result is a striking and impressive programme with a wide range of expression and depth. As a composer, Rautavaara's greatest strength seems to be the skill with which he writes for any instrument, and in writing for choir he produces an amazing sound-world. At some moments, I did feel that I was hearing the influence of more familiar "New Mystic" composers (in particular Gorecki)- an example being the breathtaking opening to the second track, an extended piece in praise of the Mother of God. Nonetheless, at the core, Rautavaara is a truly individual twentieth century composer, and other works such as the first track- "Credo"- and the multi-faceted "Magnificat" halfway through reflect his distinctive voice.

I think this is a very addictive programme- not too long, but brimming with variety and placing the simple next to the complex. With regard to performance, the Finnish Radio Choir is immaculate- they give apt voice to each work and will have you hanging on every single note. To cap it all, the sound quality is without blemish.

I haven't found a choral CD this gripping in ages. I hope you will agree with me that it is one of the finest contemporary recordings ever made.

Rautavaara: Vigilia
Average customer rating:

Coming closer to the world of the divine

Best recording by a soon-to-be-abolished choir

Instantly communicative, rich and very rewarding

Rautavaara: Vigilia

Manufacturer: Ondine
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Rautavaara, Einojuhani | ( R ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
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ASIN: B0000064AJ
Release Date: 1998-05-19

Tracks:

Vigilia: Vespers
Vigilia: Psalm 103
Vigilia: 1st Katisma
Vigilia: Psalm of invocation
Vigilia: Sticheron of invocation
Vigilia: Sticheron to the Mother of God
Vigilia: Evening hymn
Vigilia: Ekteniya
Vigilia: Sicheron of the litany
Vigilia: Ekteniya of the litany
Vigilia: Sticheron
Vigilia: Troparion
Vigilia: Troparion of the feast
Vigilia: Final blessing
Vigilia: Matins
Vigilia: Troparion
Vigilia: Troparion (2nd)
Vigilia: Hymn of praise
Vigilia: Troparion of the resurrection
Vigilia: Antiphon
Vigilia: Prokeimenon
Vigilia: Hymn of the ressurection
Vigilia: Canon: 1st irmos
Vigilia: 3rd irmos
Vigilia: 4th irmos
Vigilia: 5th irmos
Vigilia: 6th irmos
Vigilia: 7th irmos
Vigilia: 8th irmos
Vigilia: Katabasis: Hymn of thanksgiving of the Mother of God
Vigilia: 9th irmos
Vigilia: Sticheron of thanksgiving
Vigilia: Troparion of the ressurrection
Vigilia: Final blessing

Amazon.com

Occasionally called Finland's resident mystic, Einojuhani Rautavaara is lots more than that. He's a true musical polyglot, and his music runs the gamut from 12-tone to lyrical, to - in this work - just the right ancient tone, with very modern harmonies, rhythms and vocal acrobatics which do not seem out of place. And the overriding sense one gets in this work devoted to St John the Baptist is the same one might feel sitting in an ancient cathedral, smelling incense while robed members of the congregation, choir and clergy file past. It's gorgeous, really, and broken into two 1/2 hour sections it's just right for listening and wondering. And the recording is amazingly rich and present. Try it, you'll like it. Robert Levine

Customer Reviews:

Coming closer to the world of the divine.......2006-06-30

I bought Vigilia after hearing an excerpt on a television biography of Rautavaara. The 24 Finnish Radio Chamber Choir singers, along with their 4 fine soloists, give a wonderful performance. The music could be called the modern equivilant of a Bach chorale - it is full of wonderful vocal and harmonic effects which go very well with the words, and when you hear it you feel like your surroundings have dissolved, and there is a single bright light ahead, and you are in the presence of God.
Some of my favourite tracks on the CD: No. 3 "1st Katisma", with its grand "Halleluyah" with stirring harmonies; No. 8 "Ekteniya" which begins with constantly growing chords of diatonic 2nds building to a climax; No. 11 "Sticheron" with soprano chords over a bass drone, and then vice versa; Nos. 14 and 34 "Final Blessing" which close off each section with contemplative and satisfying finish; and especially No. 33 "Troparion of the ressurrection" (containing material heard earlier), which contains a wide variety of effects; the grand melody near the end has a wonderful triumphant flavour.
Overall I strongly recommend this CD.

Best recording by a soon-to-be-abolished choir.......2004-10-15

Rautavaara's Vigilia is certainly his choral masterpiece, capitalizing on his rather ecclectic style by presenting a unified work reflecting the composer's mystical worldview combining European modernism with byzantine orthodoxy. This disc is the finest recorded by the Finnish Radio Chamber Choir. Choir and soloists are superb. Timo Nuoranne's shaping of this lengthy, "all-night" service captivated me; when I first heard the disc I was immediately drawn into the sound world created, and listened to it three times in succession.

Lovers of contemporary Finnish music might want to know that on 14 October 2004, the Finnish Broadcasting Company announced they will abolish the Radio Chamber Choir after the 2004-2005 season. The Chamber Choir was founded in 1961 and has premiered nearly 100 works.

Instantly communicative, rich and very rewarding.......2000-05-13

The Finnish Radio Chamber Choir consists of some of Finland's finest singers, and they have made a strong case in recent years for Rautavaara's sacred music. On this outstanding CD, they present a concerted version of his settings for the Orthodox Vigil and Mattins services. Those of you who know Rachmaninov's similar settings (especially if through the recordings by the Corydon Singers or King's College Choir) will find this disc a must-have: it is a thoroughly engrossing counterpart to those works, albeit in the Finnish language and with all the subtle nuances of the Finnish Orthodox Church. To those who have never before encountered the Orthodox Vigil, this should still provide a most rewarding hour of listening, as Rautavaara reveals the height of his skill as a composer through the medium of unaccompanied vocal music. He clearly understands how the voice works and exploits all sorts of different singing techniques in the music to magical (if sometimes eerie) effect. Particular examples include the use of a female semi-chorus that chants the Hymn to the Mother of God in toneless whispers whilst the male voices drone and a soprano soloist sings the words above them; also, there are several solo passages such as the opening tenor solo which use microtones. Rautavaara even shows the same healthy respect for Orthodox musical traditions as Rachmaninov, Stravinsky and Tavener- specifically, in the inner section of the "Psalm of Invocation," which uses controlled but wild-sounding glissandi for full chorus, thereby 'quoting' an element of Byzantine music.

With 24 singers and four immaculate soloists, Timo Nuoranne conducts the two services with sensitivity and brilliance. From the haunting "Amen" at the very opening to the radiant cluster chords of the "Many Years" salutation at the end, this is a truly astounding programme, made all the richer by Ondine's expert recording.

I urge anyone who enjoys choral music to try this one out- and as the choir sings praise to God through Rautavaara's intensely communicative score, you yourself may end up singing their praises. Very strongly recommended!

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