Tavener: The Protecting Veil / Wake Up ... And Die
Inspired by the Orthodox Church's Feast of the Protecting Veil of the Mother of God, Tavener'sThe Protecting Veilis a dark and moody work for cello and orchestra that secures his place as a modern day mystic. Filled with the lyrical solo passages, Tavener wrote the composition with the cello enacting the role of the Mother of God; accordingly, the instrument is up-front and center on the disc. Yo-Yo Ma lends an impassioned and impeccable performance to the recording, retaining the work's meditative nature, while David Zinman and the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra remain reserved in their accompaniment. The effect is both haunting and beautiful. The world premiere recording of the introspectiveWake Up ... And Dieconcludes the disc and is a fine presentation of Ma's talents, but the composition lacks the ethereal punch ofProtecting.--Jason Verlinde