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Veni, Veni, Emmanuel - MacMillan series vol. 1

Netherlands Radio Chamber Philharmonic / James MacMillan / Colin Currie / Gordan Nikolic

Veni, Veni, Emmanuel - MacMillan series vol. 1

Format: CD
Label: Challenge Classics
UPC: 0608917254020
Catnr: CC 72540
Release date: 15 June 2012
1 CD
 
Label
Challenge Classics
UPC
0608917254020
Catalogue number
CC 72540
Release date
15 June 2012

""Just recently I reviewed a very fine Challenge Classics disc of James MacMillan’s St Luke Passion. However, this wasn’t the first time that the label had issued a MacMillan recording...These three discs contain an excellent and wide ranging selection of pieces by James MacMillan. All are expertly performed and the recordings must be counted as definitive since the composer, who is no mean conductor, is in charge. The recorded sound on each of these CDs is excellent and Ivan Moody’s notes are very useful. Through these discs we can appreciate further what a fine and individual composer James MacMillan is.""

Music Web International, 06-7-2015
Album
Artist(s)
Composer(s)
Press
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NL
DE

About the album

The music of James MacMillan may often be heard and understood on more than one level. As well as following the purely musical argument, the listener is often also following in parallel explorations of social and theological issues. This is very much the case with his remarkable percussion concerto Veni Emmanuel, written for Evelyn Glennie in 1992.

The work is cast in one movement, but subdivided into eight short sections, alternating in mood between expectancy and celebration, and its musical material is derived entirely from the 15th century French Advent hymn Veni, veni Emmanuel (“O come, o come, Emmanuel”). The full melody in fact appears only near the work’s conclusion, and the work might therefore be seen as a gradual “revelation” of the message of Advent, the awaiting of the coming of Christ. Liturgical connections are further manifest in the title of the first section, “Introit”, the presence of two “Sequences” (sections 4 and 6) and a “Chorale” (section 7).

James MacMillan has been presented with the prestigious ABO Award at the Association of British Orchestras’ annual conference (2012)! Each year this award is given to a person or organisation considered to have contributed greatly to orchestral life across the country. Previously recipients of the award, which dates back to 1990, include Sir Colin Davis, Sir Neville Marriner, Sir Charles Mackerras and Richard Hickox.

Volume 1 in the MacMillan series!
Opmerkelijk slagwerkconcert van de componist Macmillan
Het opmerkelijke slagwerkconcert 'Veni, Veni, Emmanuel' is één van de meest gespeelde werken van de Schotse componist James MacMillan. In dit album wordt het muziekstuk uitgevoerd door de Radio Kamer Filharmonie, onder leiding van de componist zelf. MacMillan trad vaak op als gastdirigent voor het, inmiddels opgeheven, Nederlandse symfonieorkest van de publieke omroep. Dit is het 1e deel in de Macmillan-serie.
"MacMillan's is an aural blockbuster and Colin Currie, the soloist, dazzles with his dexterity and musical imagination." Financial Times (UK), juli, 2012.

Het muzikale materiaal in Veni, veni Emmanuel is afgeleid van de gelijknamige Franse Advents hymne uit de 15e eeuw en drukt afwisselend afwachting en festiviteit uit. Omdat de volledige hymne pas aan het eind verschijnt, kan het werk gezien worden als een geleidelijke onthulling van de boodschap van Advent.

De Schot James MacMillan is een van de meest talentvolle componisten en dirigenten van deze tijd. Veel van zijn werk componeerde hij in Schotland. Zijn muziek is doorspekt met traditionele Schotse muziek en spirituele, politieke en religieuze invloeden. Ook Stravinsky was een van zijn inspiratiebronnen. Zijn muziek kenmerkt zich door kleurrijke orkestratie en bekende thema's wat zijn muziek makkelijk toegankelijk maakt.


Auftakt einer kleinen MacMillan-Serie.

Diese enthält einige von James MacMillans Hauptwerken, unter anderem das bekannte Percussion-Konzert „Veni, Veni, Emmanuel“ mit Collin Currie am Schlagzeug, welches durch die Aufnahme mit Evelyn Glennie berühmt geworden ist. Dieser Ausgabe folgen zwei bis drei weitere Folgen innerhalb einer kleinen MacMillan-Serie.

Artist(s)

James MacMillan

James MacMillan is one of today’s most successful composers and is also internationally active as a conductor. His musical language is flooded with influences from his Scottish heritage, Catholic faith, social conscience and close connection with Celtic folk music, blended with influences from Far Eastern, Scandinavian and Eastern European music. MacMillan first became internationally recognized after the extraordinary success of The Confession of Isobel Gowdie at the BBC Proms in 1990. His prolific output has since been performed and broadcast around the world. His major works include percussion concerto Veni, Veni, Emmanuel, which has received more than 400 performances, a cello concerto for Mstislav Rostropovich and three symphonies. Recent major works include his St John Passion co-commissioned by the London Symphony Orchestra, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra,...
more

James MacMillan is one of today’s most successful composers and is also internationally active as a conductor. His musical language is flooded with influences from his Scottish heritage, Catholic faith, social conscience and close connection with Celtic folk music, blended with influences from Far Eastern, Scandinavian and Eastern European music.
MacMillan first became internationally recognized after the extraordinary success of The Confession of Isobel Gowdie at the BBC Proms in 1990.
His prolific output has since been performed and broadcast around the world. His major works include percussion concerto Veni, Veni, Emmanuel, which has received more than 400 performances, a cello concerto for Mstislav Rostropovich and three symphonies. Recent major works include his St John Passion co-commissioned by the London Symphony Orchestra, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Boston Symphony Orchestra and the Berlin Radio Choir, his Violin Concerto, Viola Concerto, St Luke Passion and, most recently, his Percussion Concerto No.2 for Colin Currie, co-commissioned by the Philharmonia Orchestra, Edinburgh International Festival, Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Sao Paulo Symphony Orchestra and Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music.
MacMillan enjoys a flourishing career as conductor of his own music alongside a range of contemporary and standard repertoire, praised for the composer’s insight he brings to each score. He was Principal Guest Conductor of the Netherlands Radio Chamber Philharmonic until 2013 and was Composer/ Conductor of the BBC Philharmonic from 2000-2009; he has conducted orchestras such as the Baltimore Symphony, Rotterdam Philharmonic, Munich Philharmonic, Vienna Radio Symphony, Danish Radio Symphony, Gothenburg Symphony, Luxembourg Philharmonic, City of Birmingham Symphony, Bournemouth Symphony, Toronto Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, New Zealand Symphony Orchestra and NHK Symphony Orchestra among others. MacMillan was Composer in Residence at the 2012 Grafenegg Festival and a London Symphony Orchestra Portrait Artist in the 2009/10 season.
In spring 2014 MacMillan conducted three projects with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, culminating in a ground-breaking tour to India with Nicola Benedetti performing in Chennai, Mumbai and Delhi including public concerts, schools concerts and outreach work. In the 2014/15 season, MacMillan conducts orchestras including the Bergen Philharmonic, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and the Britten Sinfonia. In January 2015 he conducts a new production of his opera, Inés de Castro, at Scottish Opera and elsewhere this season conducts choral concerts in Sao Paulo and with the BBC Singers. In October 2014 MacMillan founded his music festival, The Cumnock Tryst, which takes place in his native Ayrshire.


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Colin Currie (percussion)

Gordan Nikolitch (violin)

Zeven was Gordan Nikolić (1968, Servië) toen hij begon met vioolspelen. Twee jaar later al stuurden zijn ouders het talent naar een internaat voor vioolles. Vijf dagen per week. 'Het was streng maar wij hadden dit ene geweldige ding: muziek. Het is als opgroeien in een kerk voor wie in God gelooft. Daar ligt de oorsprong van mijn intimiteit met de muziek.' Nikolić vervolgde zijn studie bij de bekende Franse violist en dirigent Jean-Jacques Kantorow aan de Musikhochschule van Basel. Hij verdiepte zich in barokmuziek, maar werkte ook samen met Lutoslawski en Kurtág, omdat ook de hedendaagse muziek hem fascineert.

 Zijn eerste aanstelling als concertmeester kreeg de nog jonge violist in 1989. Nikolić' carrière raakte vanaf dat moment in een...
more
Zeven was Gordan Nikolić (1968, Servië) toen hij begon met vioolspelen. Twee jaar later al stuurden zijn ouders het talent naar een internaat voor vioolles. Vijf dagen per week. "Het was streng maar wij hadden dit ene geweldige ding: muziek. Het is als opgroeien in een kerk voor wie in God gelooft. Daar ligt de oorsprong van mijn intimiteit met de muziek." Nikolić vervolgde zijn studie bij de bekende Franse violist en dirigent Jean-Jacques Kantorow aan de Musikhochschule van Basel. Hij verdiepte zich in barokmuziek, maar werkte ook samen met Lutoslawski en Kurtág, omdat ook de hedendaagse muziek hem fascineert.

 Zijn eerste aanstelling als concertmeester kreeg de nog jonge violist in 1989. Nikolić' carrière raakte vanaf dat moment in een stroomversnelling, ook als solist. Hij werkte met tal van orkesten in Europa en kon prijs na prijs op zijn schoorsteenmantel zetten. In 1997 werd hij benoemd tot concertmeester van het London Symphony Orchestra, waar hij een bijzondere band ontwikkelde met Sir Colin Davis. Van deze maestro leerde hij hoe belangrijk het is om een eigen muzikale visie te bewaren. Om je niet te onderwerpen aan andermans autoriteit. "Als wij ooit eindigen door te praten op dezelfde manier, dan hebben wij verloren. Dus jij zegt wat je moet zeggen, ik zeg wat ik heb te zeggen, en dan komt er een brug", vertelt Davis hem. Woorden die hij nooit meer vergeet.



 In 2000 wordt Gordan Nikolić benoemd tot professor aan het Royal College of Music en drie jaar later ook aan de Guildhall School of Music. Als hij in 2004 naar het Nederlands Kamerorkest komt, gaat hij bovendien doceren aan het Rotterdams Conservatorium. De musici zijn er geweldig gelukkig mee hoe deze topviolist het kamerorkest op zijn unieke wijze leidt vanaf de eerste lessenaar. Tijdens concerten neemt hij met zijn begeesterende beweeglijkheid niet alleen de orkestleden mee, maar de hele zaal. Nikolić speelt op een Lorenzo Storioni viool uit 1794.

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The Netherlands Radio Chamber Philharmonic

The Netherlands Radio Chamber Philharmonic is a versatile orchestra that covers a broad and varied terrain. The orchestra performs in various formations, from Baroque to contemporary music ensemble. Michael Schønwandt is its chief conductor and artistic director. Its principal guest conductors are Philippe Herreweghe, Frans Brüggen and James MacMillan. Former chief conductor Jaap van Zweden was appointed conductor emeritus in May 2011. Radical cutback in expenditure of the Netherlands public broadcasting results in the dissolution of  this orchestra in August 2013.  The Netherlands Radio Chamber Philharmonic makes an important contribution to the Saturday Matinee, Sunday Morning and Robeco Summer concert series in the Amsterdam Concertgebouw, Utrecht’s Vredenburg Friday series and the NTR concerts in Muziekgebouw aan ’t IJ. All of these...
more
The Netherlands Radio Chamber Philharmonic is a versatile orchestra that covers a broad and varied terrain. The orchestra performs in various formations, from Baroque to contemporary music ensemble. Michael Schønwandt is its chief conductor and artistic director. Its principal guest conductors are Philippe Herreweghe, Frans Brüggen and James MacMillan. Former chief conductor Jaap van Zweden was appointed conductor emeritus in May 2011. Radical cutback in expenditure of the Netherlands public broadcasting results in the dissolution of this orchestra in August 2013. The Netherlands Radio Chamber Philharmonic makes an important contribution to the Saturday Matinee, Sunday Morning and Robeco Summer concert series in the Amsterdam Concertgebouw, Utrecht’s Vredenburg Friday series and the NTR concerts in Muziekgebouw aan ’t IJ. All of these concerts are broadcast via Radio 4 and many are recorded for live Internet streaming and TV broadcasts. The Netherlands Radio Chamber Philharmonic is a frequent guest in De Magische Muziekfabriek educational series, the International Gaudeamus Music Week and the Holland Festival.
The Netherlands Radio Chamber Philharmonic is renowned for its impassioned performances of contemporary music. At the internationally respected Donaueschingen Festival for new music, the orchestra performed no less than four world premieres in a single concert conducted by Peter Eötvös in October 2010. One month later its concertante performance of Pascal Dusapin’s Faustus, the last night, the first in the Netherlands, received rave reviews.
The Netherlands Radio Chamber Philharmonic is also known for its performances of familiar and lesser known works of the old masters conducted by specialists in historical performance practice. In recent years the Radio Chamber Philharmonic worked with conductors like Harry Christophers, Andrew Manze, Masaaki Suzuki, Kenneth Montgomery and John Nelson and of course principal guest conductors Frans Brüggen and Philippe Herreweghe. The versatility of the orchestra is demonstrated in its wide range of recordings, from Beethoven, Haydn and Stravinsky to Henk Badings, Tristan Keuris, Otto Ketting, Richard Rijnvos and James MacMillan.

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Composer(s)

James MacMillan

James MacMillan is one of today’s most successful composers and is also internationally active as a conductor. His musical language is flooded with influences from his Scottish heritage, Catholic faith, social conscience and close connection with Celtic folk music, blended with influences from Far Eastern, Scandinavian and Eastern European music. MacMillan first became internationally recognized after the extraordinary success of The Confession of Isobel Gowdie at the BBC Proms in 1990. His prolific output has since been performed and broadcast around the world. His major works include percussion concerto Veni, Veni, Emmanuel, which has received more than 400 performances, a cello concerto for Mstislav Rostropovich and three symphonies. Recent major works include his St John Passion co-commissioned by the London Symphony Orchestra, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra,...
more

James MacMillan is one of today’s most successful composers and is also internationally active as a conductor. His musical language is flooded with influences from his Scottish heritage, Catholic faith, social conscience and close connection with Celtic folk music, blended with influences from Far Eastern, Scandinavian and Eastern European music.
MacMillan first became internationally recognized after the extraordinary success of The Confession of Isobel Gowdie at the BBC Proms in 1990.
His prolific output has since been performed and broadcast around the world. His major works include percussion concerto Veni, Veni, Emmanuel, which has received more than 400 performances, a cello concerto for Mstislav Rostropovich and three symphonies. Recent major works include his St John Passion co-commissioned by the London Symphony Orchestra, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Boston Symphony Orchestra and the Berlin Radio Choir, his Violin Concerto, Viola Concerto, St Luke Passion and, most recently, his Percussion Concerto No.2 for Colin Currie, co-commissioned by the Philharmonia Orchestra, Edinburgh International Festival, Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Sao Paulo Symphony Orchestra and Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music.
MacMillan enjoys a flourishing career as conductor of his own music alongside a range of contemporary and standard repertoire, praised for the composer’s insight he brings to each score. He was Principal Guest Conductor of the Netherlands Radio Chamber Philharmonic until 2013 and was Composer/ Conductor of the BBC Philharmonic from 2000-2009; he has conducted orchestras such as the Baltimore Symphony, Rotterdam Philharmonic, Munich Philharmonic, Vienna Radio Symphony, Danish Radio Symphony, Gothenburg Symphony, Luxembourg Philharmonic, City of Birmingham Symphony, Bournemouth Symphony, Toronto Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, New Zealand Symphony Orchestra and NHK Symphony Orchestra among others. MacMillan was Composer in Residence at the 2012 Grafenegg Festival and a London Symphony Orchestra Portrait Artist in the 2009/10 season.
In spring 2014 MacMillan conducted three projects with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, culminating in a ground-breaking tour to India with Nicola Benedetti performing in Chennai, Mumbai and Delhi including public concerts, schools concerts and outreach work. In the 2014/15 season, MacMillan conducts orchestras including the Bergen Philharmonic, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and the Britten Sinfonia. In January 2015 he conducts a new production of his opera, Inés de Castro, at Scottish Opera and elsewhere this season conducts choral concerts in Sao Paulo and with the BBC Singers. In October 2014 MacMillan founded his music festival, The Cumnock Tryst, which takes place in his native Ayrshire.


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Press

"Just recently I reviewed a very fine Challenge Classics disc of James MacMillan’s St Luke Passion. However, this wasn’t the first time that the label had issued a MacMillan recording...These three discs contain an excellent and wide ranging selection of pieces by James MacMillan. All are expertly performed and the recordings must be counted as definitive since the composer, who is no mean conductor, is in charge. The recorded sound on each of these CDs is excellent and Ivan Moody’s notes are very useful. Through these discs we can appreciate further what a fine and individual composer James MacMillan is."
Music Web International, 06-7-2015

 “What you miss is the visual element – being able to see the remarkable Colin Currie rapidly switching between marimba, timps, gongs and cowbells. Challenge Classics's production is handsomely done though – listen through a pair of decent headphones and you can visualise exactly what’s going on...It’s a wonderful piece, and this is a definitive performance.
The Arts Desk, 06-7-2015

The composer-directed performances, like the recorded sound, are the state of the art vividness. *****
Sinfini, 03-7-2014

Last July, the Netherlands Radio Chamber Philharmonic gave its last concert, forced to disband because of arts cuts. At once a warning to our musical life and a tribute to this fine band, it makes this CD, the ensembles third with MacMillan, all the more covetable.
The Observer, 29-6-2014

Beyond choral music; MacMillian's latests works give a vivid demonstration of the extraordinary range of this amazingly versatile composer.
Gramophone, 01-5-2014

MacMillan's (version) is strinkingly expansive view if his own piece, textures lightened, with a feeling of chamber music-making in many places.
BBC Music Magazine, 01-12-2012

wonderfully, fresh, imaginative, rhythmically impulsive and vibrantly colourful
Gramophone, 01-10-2012

MacMillan's is an aural blockbuster and Colin Currie, the soloist, dazzles with his dexterity and musical imagination
Financial Times (UK), 28-7-2012

A tour-de-force world premier is the star attraction of this great release
BBC online, 19-7-2012

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Often bought together with..

Willem Jeths
Symphony no. 1 | Recorder concerto
Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra / Erik Bosgraaf / Karin Strobos
Robin de Raaff
Waiting for Miss Monroe
Dutch National Opera / Netherlands Chamber Orchestra / Marc Albrecht
Mieczysław Weinberg, Karl Amadeus Hartmann, Dmitri Shostakovich
Wartime Consolations
Linus Roth / Württemberg Chamber Orchestra Heilbronn / José Gallardo
James MacMillan
Work for chamber orchestra with soloists
James MacMillan / Netherlands Radio Chamber Philharmonic
Magnificat - MacMillan series vol. 2
James MacMillan / Netherlands Radio Chamber Philharmonic / Netherlands Radio Choir

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