O Modernt Chamber Orchestra, Hugo Ticciati - White Light: The Space Between

Published Friday 27th April 2018
O Modernt Chamber Orchestra, Hugo Ticciati - White Light: The Space Between
O Modernt Chamber Orchestra, Hugo Ticciati  - White Light: The Space Between

STYLE: Classical
RATING 6 6 6 6 6 6
OUR PRODUCT CODE: 170077-
LABEL: Signum Classics SIGCD532
FORMAT: CD Album
ITEMS: 2

Reviewed by Steven Whitehead

The chamber orchestra O/Modernt (Swedish for 'Un/Modern') is a concept devised by violinist Hugo Ticciati to explore connexions between artistic and intellectual creations old and new. While never one to judge a release by its cover the artwork by Anthony Gormley on the front sleeve, an ensō (Japanese for 'circle') gives a hint: if you find it intriguing then listen on; if you think it is a bit pointless then maybe this collection is not for you. The music roams from the weird to the wonderful and while much of it is spiritual most has no explicit Christian content although it is there if you listen for it. We get a double helping of John Tavener (1934-2013) with two arrangements of "Mother Of God, Here I Stand" from his magnum opus 'The Veil Of The Temple', one with sarod improvisations by Soumik Datta and the other with just the orchestra. For what it is worth, I do not think the sarod adds anything but it is always interesting to hear how different artists approach the same material. Also getting two turns is Arvo Pärt (born 1935) with "Silouan's Song - My soul yearns after the Lord" and a glorious take on his "Cantus In Memoriam Benjamin Britten". And we must not forget those great composers Lennon and McCartney who appear in Eastern garb with a "Within You Without You" that again features Datta on the sarod this time with Sukhvinder Singh Pinky on the tabla and, against the odds, it works although Beatle purists may disagree. The other Lennon and McCartney contribution is an orchestral "Across The Universe" which, for me, is a bit of an anticlimax but the concluding "Raag Bhairna" by Amjad Ali Khan and Fraser Trainer is great fun. To sum up I will stick with the weird and wonderful tag. If you enjoy Pärt or Tavener there is probably enough here to make this worth a listen and if you are a Beatles obsessive you will have to check it out too.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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