JOHN HARBISON:
REQUIEM
WORLD PREMIERE RECORDING
with Jessica Rivera, Michaela Martens & Kelly Markgraf
Nashville Symphony
Nashville Symphony Chorus
Giancarlo Guerrero, conductor
Naxos
ABOUT THE ALBUM
Pulitzer Prize-winner and MacArthur fellow John Harbison has composed a Requiem for our time—a moving choral work that incorporates the composer’s distinctive sensibilities while drawing deeply on the tradition of Latin sacred music. Completed in the wake of the 9/11 attacks, Harbison’s Requiem is full of dramatic passages from singers and musicians alike, with abundant opportunities for vocal soloists, brass and percussion to shine. “I wanted my piece to have a sense of the inexorability of the passage of time,” the composer says, “for good and ill, of the commonality of love and loss.”
CRITICAL ACCLAIM
GRAMOPHONE
“Among the soloists, Jessica Rivera and Kelly Markgraf stand out, with Nicholas Phan contributing moments of searing intensity. The choral and orchestral forces are magnificent throughout and Giancarlo Guerrero keeps them moving and fully committed. The recording, made during performances in May 2017 at Schermerhorn Symphony Center, has the size and space it needs to capture the colours and textures of Harbison’s rich orchestration and the impact of his powerful vision.”
MUSICWEB INTERNATIONAL
“John Harbison’s Requiem is a dramatic, powerful and often eloquent work and I’m very glad that I’ve finally heard it. I don’t know how often people will get a chance to hear it live, so it’s good news that a recording is now available. And it’s even better news that the work has been so well served by the present recording. All four soloists are excellent, singing what sound like challenging roles with ringing conviction.”
NASHVILLE SCENE
“magnificent…Jessica Rivera’s voice soared effortlessly above the orchestra, and mezzo Michaela Martens seemingly enveloped every syllable in a downy cushion. Tenor Nicholas Phan and baritone Kelly Markgraf both sang with unfailing sensitivity to the meaning of the texts…”