Special offer. Dillon, J: Philomela
Anu Komsi (Philomela), Susan Narucki (Procne) & Lionel Peintre (Tereus)
Remix Ensemble, Porto, Jurjen Hempel
…Dillon's music, with its rich weave of aggressive eloquence and obsessively evolving sound-patterns, is fully equal to the task of making the turbulent ritual seem real to the ears alone....
Special offer. Dillon, J: Philomela
Anu Komsi (Philomela), Susan Narucki (Procne) & Lionel Peintre (Tereus)
Remix Ensemble, Porto, Jurjen Hempel
Purchase product
…Dillon's music, with its rich weave of aggressive eloquence and obsessively evolving sound-patterns, is fully equal to the task of making the turbulent ritual seem real to the ears alone....
About
James Dillon (b. 1950) is a Scottish-born, self-taught composer whose music has received considerable attention from contemporary music ensembles over the last two decades. Philomela, inspired by Ovid and Sophocles, was premièred in Oporto in September 2004. Set to Dillon's own libretto, Philomela is based on the myth of the Princess of Athens' tragedy: her rape and torture by Tereus and subsequent weaving of the story.Whether opera or musical theatre, his score gives us an original and intense reading somewhere between Baroque and Noh theatre.A major contemporary lyrical success.
Contents and tracklist
- Anu Komsi, Susan Narucki, Lionel Peintre, Remix Ensemble, Jurjen Hempel
Awards and reviews
January 2010
…Dillon's music, with its rich weave of aggressive eloquence and obsessively evolving sound-patterns, is fully equal to the task of making the turbulent ritual seem real to the ears alone. The impact would be far less direct without the bold close-miking and amplification captured in this recording, challenging the collective virtuosity of singers and players - a challenge they meet with considerable success.
July/August 2010
Philomela is a tour de force for its vocal parts and these are all taken with assurance in this recording...The elaborate instrumental textures pose no problem for the Remix Ensemble, confidently directed by Jurjen Hempel...The sound is as mindful of the need for clarity as it is of capturing the mass of detail.
27th November 2009
The ensemble writing is tough and sinewy, the vocal lines highly wrought; it's not a comfortable listen, but it is a fascinating one, and the performance, with Anu Komsi as Philomela and Susan Narucki as her sister, is superbly vivid.
