Notes and Editorial Reviews
This disc was nominated for the 1999 Grammy Award for "Best Choral Performance."
In this collection of mostly sacred choral works, composer Morten Lauridsen shows himself to be well-versed in the great choral traditions both old and new. Echoes of Sergei Rachmaninov and John Rutter mingle with the lush, thorny-yet-accessible harmonies of early 20th-century American Romantics like Samuel Barber.
'Lux Aeterna' draws on Latin texts which refer to light (lux), bracketed by excerpts from the Requiem Mass: the familiar "Requiem aeternam" to begin and "Agnus Dei-Lux aeterna" to close. Aside from the textual references, the work recalls the Requiems of Fauré, Duruflé and Brahms in its rich choral textures which are supported but never
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overwhelmed by the orchestra.
'Les Chansons des Roses' and 'Mid-Winter Songs' bring similarly rewarding choral writing to secular texts, penned by Rainer Maria Rilke and Robert Graves respectively. Lauridsen's mastery of colorful scoring shines in his orchestral version of 'Mid-Winter Songs,' an evocative tapestry of sound. The Los Angeles Master Chorale sings throughout with obvious devotion to the works, bringing the music to life. Paul Salamunovich leads them with assurance, drawing first-class performances from his ensemble. This disc may be a bit off the beaten path, but it's a must for everyone with an interest in choral music. Read less
Works on This Recording
1.
Lux aeterna by Morten Lauridsen
Conductor:
Paul Salamunovich
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Los Angeles Master Chorale,
Los Angeles Master Chorale Sinfonia Orchestra
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1997; USA
Date of Recording: 1997-98
Venue: Sacred Heart Chapel, Loyola Marymount U.
Length: 27 Minutes 35 Secs.
Language: Latin
2.
Les chansons des roses by Morten Lauridsen
Performer:
Morten Lauridsen (Piano)
Conductor:
Paul Salamunovich
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Los Angeles Master Chorale
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1993; USA
Date of Recording: 1997-98
Venue: Sacred Heart Chapel, Loyola Marymount U.
Length: 12 Minutes 30 Secs.
Language: French
3.
Ave Maria by Morten Lauridsen
Conductor:
Paul Salamunovich
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Los Angeles Master Chorale
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1997; USA
Date of Recording: 1997-98
Venue: Sacred Heart Chapel, Loyola Marymount U.
Length: 7 Minutes 25 Secs.
Language: Latin
4.
Mid-Winter Songs (5) by Morten Lauridsen
Conductor:
Paul Salamunovich
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Los Angeles Master Chorale,
Los Angeles Master Chorale Sinfonia Orchestra
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1980; USA
Date of Recording: 1997-98
Venue: Sacred Heart Chapel, Loyola Marymount U.
Length: 19 Minutes 13 Secs.
Language: English
Notes: Orchestrated: Morten Lauridsen (1990)
5.
O magnum mysterium by Morten Lauridsen
Conductor:
Paul Salamunovich
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Los Angeles Master Chorale
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1994; USA
Date of Recording: 1997-98
Venue: Sacred Heart Chapel, Loyola Marymount U.
Length: 5 Minutes 38 Secs.
Language: Latin
Customer Reviews
Average Customer Review: 
( 1 Customer Review )
Wow, what a CD December 21, 2012
By Peter B. (Whiting, IN) See All My Reviews
"Wow may not be the word one usually would associate with a Lauridsen composition but most of the ones on this CD performed by the Los Angeles Master Chorale under Paul Salamunovich will leave you whispering WOW! When the worries of the world would not let me sleep,I played this music;especially O Nata Lux,Les Chansons des Roses,and O Magnum Mysterium I could feel the tension leaving my body and peace,joy,and contentment replacing it."
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