Eric Whitacre, Polyphony, Robert Millett, Stephen Betteridge, Stephen Layton - Eric Whitacre: Cloudburst and Other Choral Works

Glory all around

What a gorgeous recording this is! The beauty of this music is absolutely stunning, like hearing music for the first time. It's really hard to believe that Whitacre is only 35--the degree of spirituality and depth of feeling here seems the product of a lifetime. And unlike many choral composers, he is not a one-trick pony. Every aspect of every composition is distinctive, even as it is always recognizable as his. And like Arvo Part, you get the overwhelming sense that every note is heartfelt, never calculated, though Whitacre's aesthetic is warmer and less austere than Part's ("Sunburst" would have been a more apt title for the CD). I am also reminded in some ways of the Bulgarian women's choirs: Bulgarian music is full of extreme dissonance, but somehow they make it seem chipper--in the same way Russian composers make minor keys sound happy. Whitacre also has that gift, but in a more profound direction. Whitacre makes dissonance sound ravishingly radiant. And that, to me, is what makes this such a compelling disc. There are composers of choral music who make very beautiful sounds, but it's all consonant and so a bit predictable. It doesn't make me want to listen again and again because I know exactly where it's heading. Whitacre uses a range of tools, both sublimely harmonic and freshly conceived. And when he uses dissonance he does not use it in the usual way, as a passing tone to set up harmonic resolution in the next breath. Instead, his dissonance stands on its own and is gorgeous in its own right--though how he does this is a mystery. And that, I think, is the key to why I want to listen to this CD again and again: it cannot be fully predicted, resolved, or explained neatly--like nature, like beauty itself. July 29, 2008

Encore!

Truly a masterpiece for choir! I am a choral amateur listener, as I just got into it: this is my first choral cd, but I must tell you that it was worth much more than I payed. A beautiful collection of songs by the very talented Eric Whitacre: his harmonies and suspensions will make you fall in love with the music. June 5, 2008

Eric Whitacre Cloudburst - a wonderful presentation of his music

I first heard a Whitacre piece on public radio and had to look him up. His Cloudburst collection is wonderful. Straight tone choral with amazing moving harmonies and dynamics.
May 30, 2008

A must for every fan of choral music

This is among the most magnificent choral albums I've ever heard. The works include perhaps the single most moving piece of music I've encountered, "When David Heard." Polyphony provides an absolutely impeccable and profoundly moving performance that is powerful and subtly nuanced. I have been a serious choral singer for more than four decades, and I'm simply blown away by the sheer emotional intensity of Stephen Layton's reading of the piece. The other works on the album range from lovely to charming, but it's "When David Heard" that I find myself playing over and over and over again. Brigham Young University's recording of Whitacre's choral works is generally strong, but Polyphony's performance of "David" leaves BYU's in the dust. I just bought three more copies to give to friends. March 10, 2008

Far Superior to BYU

From the first note of the first song you can tell that you're in for a different experience than from "Eric Whitacre: The complete works"
Polyphony truly displays its mature tone color and sensitivity to the text while at the same time maintaining phrases that leave any first time-or several time- listener breatheless. The only way to describe this entire album is pure joy. I couldn't believe my ears.

A Must have for any music fan. January 3, 2008

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