Rutter's Requiem
Sep. 24th, 2005 08:39 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
annwfynOn Thursday night pierot and I went to St Pauls Cathedral - we were both meeting up with his family, and going to a concert. There was a performance of Rutter's Requiem, a modern piece of classical music being conducted by the composer and performed in honour of his sixtieth birthday.
First of all, St Pauls was beautiful. I'd never been there before, and it is an incredible building. It was also the most amazing setting for the church music that was being played there. The lights were soft and dim and the entire interior seemed to glow. The music echoed around, and the voices of the singers seemed to soar. The accoustics were incredibly well suited to the music being played, and (perhaps because it was a church) the audience seemed more hushed, more in awe.
Secondly, it was actually rather incredible watching someone conduct their own music. Not only was the Requiem beautiful (although I do really like requiems), Rutter conducted it like a sorceror. Honestly. Watch Jeremy Irons in Dungeons and Dragons making dramatic gestures with his hands as he raises a dragon, and you're seeing the gestures that John Rutter made as he raised the music to a crescendo. Imagine a magician poised in the middle of a spell and you're seeing John Rutter holding the orchestra on a high note. It was fantastic.
I do rather like classical music on the quiet. Must go listen to more of it.
pierot and I went to St Pauls Cathedral - we were both meeting up with his family, and going to a concert. There was a performance of Rutter's Requiem, a modern piece of classical music being conducted by the composer and performed in honour of his sixtieth birthday.First of all, St Pauls was beautiful. I'd never been there before, and it is an incredible building. It was also the most amazing setting for the church music that was being played there. The lights were soft and dim and the entire interior seemed to glow. The music echoed around, and the voices of the singers seemed to soar. The accoustics were incredibly well suited to the music being played, and (perhaps because it was a church) the audience seemed more hushed, more in awe.
Secondly, it was actually rather incredible watching someone conduct their own music. Not only was the Requiem beautiful (although I do really like requiems), Rutter conducted it like a sorceror. Honestly. Watch Jeremy Irons in Dungeons and Dragons making dramatic gestures with his hands as he raises a dragon, and you're seeing the gestures that John Rutter made as he raised the music to a crescendo. Imagine a magician poised in the middle of a spell and you're seeing John Rutter holding the orchestra on a high note. It was fantastic.
I do rather like classical music on the quiet. Must go listen to more of it.
