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Tavener, Requiem: (World Premiere) The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and Choir, Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral, 28.2.2008 (GMH)


As world premieres go, Tavener’s Requiem was one of the most anticipated of recent years. A stupendous performance using the entire cathedral space, the work fused the common traditions of four major religions into one vision – the notion that ‘our glory lies where we cease to exist’. The only sadness had to be the fact the composer could not be present, due to illness.

The Dies Irae had to be one of the most hellishly disturbing of any similar movement: massive brass forces which vied with multiple percussion arrayed in the cathedral galleries. Yet, there were the mantra-like passages of serene beauty which almost transcended thought.

Soprano soloist Elin Manahan Thomas and her tenor counterpart Andrew Kennedy surpassed themselves in their highly complex and demanding lines while solo cellist Josephine Knight – acting like a narrator – added an additional, almost celestial sound. Again,  her lines took the instrument to the very extremes of its range. The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and Choir under Vassily Petrenko and sub-conductor Ian Tracey again produced a commanding performance.

However, it had to be the choir which rose ceremoniously to the daunting demands placed on it, that had the most taxing role and the greatest inpact. Often called upon to sing in eight parts,  it battled hard – and won – against the considerable forces of the scattered orchestra and organ. And while the fury of the Dies Irae often subsided into an almost Renaissance-like polyphony, the discipline of the choral forces was never once in question though, at times, it did feel like the Dies Irae could easily unravel.

The finale movement – Ananda – built slowly into a massive release of energy only to fall back into contemplative repose. The choir was particularly disciplined in their unaccompanied performance of excerpts from Rachmaninov’s All-Night Vigil, a piece of serene power and intensity. The sheer beauty of this heartfelt piece combined the rich harmonic language of Rachmaninov with the power of the Russian Orthodox tradition. The concert is broadcast on BBC Radio 3 on March 5.

Glyn Mon Hughes


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