LAMENTATIO JEREMIAE PROPHETAE

Beschreibung

Contemporary music that bridges sacred vocal composition and expressive improvisational gestures: “Lamentatio Jeremiae Prophetae” by Canadian composer Peter-Anthony Togni (born 1959) is a 55-minute setting of The Old Testament prophet’s lamentations for solo bass clarinet, mixed choir a cappella and solo soprano. The piece was commissioned from the Canada Council for the Arts as part of its 50th anniversary celebrations and was given its premiere by the performers heard on this CD in 2007. Togni’s idea originated in a request from bass clarinet player Jeff Reilly for a concerto in which dramatic narrative events would be enacted through the soloist’s improvisations. In fact, the piece which, according to the composer, “is a direct expression of my Roman Catholic faith” conveys the story of Jeremiah’s prophesies of the impending destruction of Jerusalem from the hands of the Babylonians with the choir providing the crowd scenes and the bass clarinet as the voice of Jeremiah.

Jeff Reilly Bass Clarinet
Rebecca Whelan Soprano
Elmer Iseler Singers
Lydia Adams Choir Conductor

RECORDED October 2008, Cathedral Church of All Saints, Halifax