The best classical albums of the noughties
4th December 2009
The Veil of the Temple by John Tavener (RCA Red Seal)
About 480 minutes long, Tavener's choral magnum opus played from dusk to dawn at its world premiere. This is the condensed version - a mere three hours - but it captures the epic grandeur and gathering sense of religious and musical ecstasy in the piece. Someone, somewhere, should give another complete performance
Notes on Light
Mirage
Orion
by Kaija Saariaho
(Ondine)
A brilliant trio of works by one of the most luminous voices of the 21st century. Karita Mattila sings the song cycle Mirage with lustrous intensity; cellist Anssi Karttunen grips in the concerto Notes on Light and conductor Christoph Eschenbach sculpts the orchestral adventures of Orion with conviction.
