Elina Garanča:
- “Meditation”.
In this CD, Ms. Garanca presents a collection of beautiful music dedicated to our search for inner peace. It is perhaps one of her most personal albums, which connects the listener with Elina Garanča’s Latvian roots.
The selections are:
Adam:
- O Holy Night
Allegri:
- Agnus Dei
Caccini, G:
- Ave Maria
Gomez, W:
- Ave Maria
Gounod:
- Repentir (O Divine Redeemer)
- St Cecilia Mass: Sanctus
- Ave Maria (arranged from Intermezzo sinfonico from Cavalleria Rusticana)
- Regina coeli laetare (from Cavalleria Rusticana)
- Vesperae Solennes de Confessore, K339: Laudate Dominum
Praulinš:
- Dievaines
Puccini:
- Salve Regina
Vasks:
- Dusi dusi: No. 2 from Silent Songs
- Paldies tev vela saule: No. 4 from Silent Songs
Performed by Elina Garanča, mezzo-soprano, with the Latvian Radio Choir, Deutsche Radio Philharmonie Saarbrücken, Karel Mark Chichon conducting.
Latvian choirs are extremely famous worldwide, so it was natural for Ms. Garanca to want a Latvian choir to support her for this recording.
Two Latvian composers have been involved in the music for this recording: Uģis Prauliņš for his work ‘Dievaines’, and Eriks Esenvalds who has written an a cappella arrangement (Allegri Miserere) especially for this recording.
Gramophone Magazine, in October 2014, wrote the following:
“The sustained line in the ‘Laudate Dominum’ by Mozart is amazing, especially given the sedate pace, and her intonation is flawless throughout…”
In all of these songs, Elina Garanča demonstrates her amazing flexibility in music ranging from Mozart, to Mascagni, to several resounding selections by contemporary Latvian composers.
Here is Elīna Garanča in ‘Repentir’ by Charles Gounod, from her new album, “Meditation”:
And next, here she is in the beautiful “Dievaines” by Ugis Praulins, from the same album:
Tags: Elīna Garanča, ‘Repentir’, Meditation, Adam, Mascagni, Puccini, Latvian Radio Choir, Deutsche Radio Philharmonie Saarbrücken, Karel Mark Chichon
