The Four Hymns are in similar vein to the Five Mystical Songs (1911) although on a smaller and more intimate scale. Together with the Fantasia on a Theme of Thomas Tallis these form a succession of works displaying a strong mystical, meditative content.The first of the hymns, 'Lord! come away!', employs vigorous Purcellian recitative in a setting of a Palm Sunday text from Bishop Jeremy Taylor's Golden Grove (17th century). 'Who is this fair one?' (Isaac Watts, 1674-1748) is a dialogue for the tenor and viola about divine love. As described by Christopher Palmer, 'Come Love, come Lord' (Richard Crashaw, c1613-49) 'breathes that spirit of mystical remoteness later to inform A Pastoral Symphony?. The final 'Evening Hymn' is a radiant setting of a translation from pre-4th century Greek by Robert Bridges, notable for its contrapuntal expertise over a bell-like basso ostinato.Four Hymns is also available in the version for tenor, viola and piano (979-0-060-02852-6), and the score (978-0-85162-908-7) serves as the vocal score for use with the orchestral version. However, the solo viola part of the orchestral version is incompatible with that for the piano version.Suitable for advanced standard performers. / Partie De Violon Alto Solo

Par DVORAK ANTONIN. Antonin Dvorák?s impressive Stabat Mater for soloists, chorus and orchestra is probably the best-known of the composer?s sacred works. Some painful experiences in 1875 his first daughter died, and in 1877 he lost two other children in quick succession may have led to Dvorák?s preoccupation with the suffering of the Mother of God, who stands weeping beneath the cross of her son. The music enters into the different moods of the liturgical texts with great sensitivity. Nine movements in slow to moderate tempi serve as a kind of Passion meditation, before the ecstasy of a vision of the resurrection wins the upper hand at the end of the tenth movement. With our newly-publishedarrangement for chamber orchestra (flute, oboe, clarinet, horn, bassoon, timpani, and strings), smaller choirs now have the opportunity of performing this work without the choir being drowned out by a large-scale symphony orchestra. The symphonic character of the work is nevertheless preserved. This scoring offers an optimal balance between transparency and orchestral sound. All vocal parts (soloists and chorus) are identical with the original version. Vocal score and choral score can be used also together with the original version, which is in preparation. / Date parution : 2023-06-02/ Répertoire / Choeur Mixte SATB et Piano