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DiscountDelight - Eric Whitacre: Cloudburst and other choral works
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List Price: $21.98
Our Price: $15.16
Your Save: $ 6.82 ( 31% )
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Manufacturer: Hyperion
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Average Customer Rating:  
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Binding: Audio CD
EAN: 0034571175430
Label: Hyperion
Manufacturer: Hyperion
Publisher: Hyperion
Release Date: 2006-02-14
Studio: Hyperion
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Spotlight customer reviews:
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Customer Rating:
Summary: Cloudburst and other Choral Works/Eric Whitacre
Comment: These beautiful songs transported me into a whole new space. The well-chosen poetry (eg. Rumi) and the magnificent harmonies demand well-focused attention. This is not "background music". Not recommended for driving!
Customer Rating: 
Summary: An Excellent CD, if Flawed
Comment: Inevitably, this albumn is going to be compared to the BYU album of Whitacre's music (which I love). Overall, I feel BYU album is significantly better. Some of Whitacre's pieces need a larger soundstage to gain the proper effect (Sleep and When David Heard, namely) and BYU's director Stehli really understands this and the tempos/phrasing that these pieces require. That being said, there are some pieces on this album that are performed I think better than BYU. Cloudburst is given a masterfull performance by Polyphany, the middle section actually sounds like a downpour and is more in spirit with the piece than the comparatively paltry sound effect treatment BYU gives the piece (albiet well sung). It is additionally helped my impeccable phrasing and the smaller ensemble gives the indiviual parts places to breathe. The same might be said of I thank the God for this most amazing day, a fabulous performance by Polyphany. The 3 note saprano's in the middle is done very well and not muddled like on BYU's recording. Overall, this album has really grown on me with every listen and is definately worth the cost. It does give some fresh sound and sometimes better recordings of Eric Whitacre's beautiful music. Buy it!
Customer Rating:
Summary: impressive but not the best
Comment: i still prefer the byu singer's collection of whitacre. it is much, much more expressive and hauntingly beautiful. it's hard to go wrong with whitacre, but for me this cd was the anticlimax to what ronald staheli had already accomplished with amazing brilliance.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Pleasing
Comment: This is the first Whitacre-works only album I have purchased. I had heard recordings of many of the songs on this disc by different ensembles and was expecting quite a bit. Polyphony delivered them well. I was quite pleased with how they sang "When David Heard." Many other groups take it much slower, to the point of taking 15 minutes, yet, they seemed to have the right starting tempo to get through the music, and not seem rushed.
This group blends well, and it shows. The overtones produced in "David" and "Lux Aurumque" send chills down my spine and my ears jump giddily at the audio chocolate that they are tasting.
There are a couple pieces that left me a little flat, but for the most part, this CD is quite superb.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Yes...but...
Comment: There seems to be universal praise for this disc, which I purchased because I heard "A Boy and a Girl" which is truly beautiful as is "This Marriage" [both pieces tellingly written in the last 4 years].
The three stars I give is not related to the performance at all. Polyphony sound fabulous, and the "English Sound" as described below by another reviewer doesn't really matter a whit: if the material is great, then as long as it is performed well it should stand up to performance by any group, but I appreciate that tastes are different.
That is the problem. In general the material is not great enough as a whole and it is a pity that Whitacre is represented by material that is not so recent. On this disc [what a terrible cover!] often you ache for a break in the candy-floss elements of the music. Yes, you can have too much of a good thing I'm afraid, and "less" often yields "more". Listen to the music of John Tavener, Arvo Part or even Michael McGlynn writing for Anuna and you'll see what I mean.
Please don't get me wrong as enough of this is beautiful to merit the purchase of it, but try to see beyond the hype.
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Editorial Reviews:
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At the age of only 35, Eric Whitacre has already gained a phenomenal reputation in the United States. The Los Angeles Times described his music as having ‘electric, chilling harmonies; works of unearthly beauty and imagination’ and his Water Night (included on this new recording) has become one of the most popular choral works of the last decade, and is one of the top-selling choral publications of all time.
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