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TON-THAT Tiêt (b.1933) Les Sourires de Bouddha Les Eléments/J Suhubiette rec. Flaran, France, 23 Sept 2002. DDD EDITIONS HORTUS 027 [19:17]

The Vietnamese composer TON-THAT Tiêt was born in Hué and studied at the Paris Conservatoire as a pupil of Jolivet. Having dabbled with Western musical culture he has increasingly returned to Oriental springs. Chinese and Hindu philosophy have influenced him and this has resulted in several large-scale musical cycles. You may have heard his music if you have seen his mid-1990s films The Fragrance of Green Papaya and Cyclo. The music on this CD is intensely mystical/devotional. Huge and slowly moving waves of choral sound shift and flow into each other. Three Chinese poems in French translation are spoken by an orator over great washes of vocal cloud. For the most part the material is undramatic although there is at least one startling spiked crescendo in the second track. Penderecki-like wailing undulations, seraphic long-held and blindingly 'white' high notes, chiming bells, Ligetian chants and incantation; all these elements interweave and interact. The disc is an entirely French production; not a word of English in sight. The four tracks use three poems by the Chinese poets Wang Wei (701-761) and Qi-Ji (863-937). They take as their subject flora and the non-animal natural world and the images provide a springboard for philosophical reflection. This music will appeal to those who are at home with Stockhausen's Stimmung, Ligeti's choral music and Eastern mysticism. Frankly it's not that forbidding; the faint-hearted will have to be very faint of heart not to like this. Interesting and likeable writing but not compelling stuff. Rob Barnett Advertising Rates Visitor stats MusicWeb International has over 40,000 Classical CD reviews on offer Discs received Having a problem Donating? Gerard Hoffnung Concerts & The Bricklayer Story   New Releases New Releases   MusicWeb sells the Polish catalogue CDAccord £10.50 post free W-W MusicWeb sells the Arcodiva catalogue £12.00 post free W-W £11.75 post-free world- wide MusicWeb can now offer you discs from the following catalogues: Prices include postage [Acte Préalable £13.50] [Arcodiva £12.00] [Avie from £6.25] [British Music Society £12.00] [CDACCORD from £13.50 ] [ClassicO £12.50] [Hallé from £11] [Heritage £10] [Hortus £14.99 ] [Lyrita ONLY £11.75 ] [Nimbus Special prices] [Northern Flowers £13.50] [REDCLIFFE £11 ] [Sheva £11] [Tactus £11.50 ] [Talent from £12.00 ] [Toccata Classics £10.50 ] Musicweb Special Offers Monthly Best Buys     Google Ads - for information about privacy matters, click here.  Amazon Musicweb International is a participant in the Amazon EU Associates Programme, an affiliate advertising programme designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com

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