John Tavener: Innocence
Innocence, the longest work here, is the least successful. The bulk of the piece is a catalog of cruelties inflicted by humankind on innocents--mostly children--set to harsh but generally monotonous music. But Patricia Rozario is spectacular in a three-octave solo part, and the ending, with an ethereal chorus and bells depicting the salvation awaiting suffering innocents, is magical. The shorter pieces are deservedly among Tavener's most famous. The gentle, beguilingThe Lamband the powerfulTyger, settings of poems by William Blake, make an ideal pair. (WhereThe Tyger's text alludes toThe Lamb, Tavener quotesThe Lamb's music to wonderful effect.) The two hymns to the Mother of God are models of reverent beauty;Song for Athene, made world-famous at Princess Diana's funeral, is spellbinding.--Matthew Westphal