veröffentlichung 5 Cat Studios: John Powell - Hubris - Choral Works

[Lars Potreck]

Am 15.06.2018 erscheint John Powells klassisches Werk Hubris - Choral Works.

1. The Prize Is Still Mine (14:29)
2. A Prussian Requiem - I. Introduction To Moltke - II. The March (4:50)
3. A Prussian Requiem - III. Beware The Bear (2:06)
4. A Prussian Requiem - IV. We, The Glorious Dead - V. Easy (6:27)
5. A Prussian Requiem - VI. The Papers Of Peace - VII. Let The Rails Roll - VIII. Victory Is Ours (9:32)
6. A Prussian Requiem - IX. My Reasoning (3:32)
7. A Prussian Requiem - X. The Gift (9:51)
8. Requiem Addendum (7:26)

 

[Csongor]

Da bin ich mal gespannt ... Ein Choral Werk von John Powell ... klingt interessant  

[Sebastian Schwittay]

vor 2 Stunden schrieb Lars Potreck:

Am 15.06.2018 erscheint John Powells klassisches Werk Hubris - Choral Works.

Sind ja offensichtlich mehrere, nicht nur eins. 

BTW, wollten wir die klassischen Sachen von Filmkomponisten nicht erstmal in der Neuigkeiten-Diskussion belassen?

[horner1980]

vor 1 Stunde schrieb Sebastian Schwittay:

Sind ja offensichtlich mehrere, nicht nur eins. 

BTW, wollten wir die klassischen Sachen von Filmkomponisten nicht erstmal in der Neuigkeiten-Diskussion belassen?

Stimmt.. und genau da befindet sich der Thread nun auch.

[ronin1975]

bin gespannt

[horner1980]

Hier ein Preview

 

[Lars Potreck]

in einigen itunes stores schon erhältlich

https://itunes.apple.com/au/album/hubris-choral-works-by-john-powell/1395195644

[Csongor]

Ist auf Spotify bereits veröffentlicht

 

Ich habe bis jetzt nur rein hören können, klingt herrlich.

[ronin1975]

mein Fall isses nicht. Die Orchesterparts find ich gut, das Gesinge und "Gejaule" geht mir aber auf den Geist... kann mit so Opernarien nichts anfangen und den Gospelchor mag ich hier leider auch nicht.

Ohne Chor würd ich mir das alles gerne anhören, so find ich das leider nur anstrengend.

Beachtliche Komposition ist es sicherlich und eine Seite von Powell und einem RCPler (okok Ex...), die man nicht vermuten würde... von FACE/OFF hierher is schon ne Leistung.

Ändert aber nichts dran, das mir das nicht weiter zusagt... Geschmackssache.

[TheRealNeo]

Bin nach dem ersten Hördurchgang auch noch etwas zwiegespalten.

Ich finde es ja erstmal sehr auffällig, dass zumindest in meinen Ohren, die Instrumentierung usw. nicht an John Powell denken lässt. Und seine Arbeit mit Chören (bspw. X-MEN: THE LAS STAND) klang ja bisher auch völlig anders.

Mit Track 5 und dem letzten bin ich aber dabei schon etwas wärmer geworden. Ansonsten kann ich mit den Opernarienartigen Stücken mehr anfange, als mit den Gospels. Aber was natürlich bei Spotify fehlt ist die Möglichkeit eines vielleicht hilfreichen Blicks in ein Booklett. ;)

[sami]

Wem's hilft mein Review par anglais:

With his customary self-deprecating modesty, Powell states in the booklet text titled 'John Powell's Hubris' (LOL): 'Neither A Prussian Requiem nor Requiem addendum are truly what they say they are, but merely the fumblings of my heart, communing with those I have lost.' So with that out of the way, a classification of the two works he presents on this album as new part of classical canon isn't what Powell had in mind (to challenge Britten's 'War Requiem' would be a folly, indeed). Rather, he takes on several musical forms on his own terms, some with more success than other, but first things first. 

'The Prize is Still Mine' is an attractive piece (its context nebulous), paving the way for the more ambitious 'Requiem': "From my part in the recordings of an installation piece written with Gavin Greenaway, the elements of The Prize is Still Mine appeared. With its strange mix of styles – gospel and early 20th century romanticism, this composition for voices and orchestra tells a story of triumph and rejuvenation. With the completion of a project that celebrated genuine pride, I felt able again to examine the false pride that led to the First World War, and returned to A Prussian Requiem emboldened.". It's probably the piece de resistance for film music fans, as with James Horner's late tries in the concert hall it comes easily digestible - and quintessentially british in idiom - , opening with the sonorous earthy string elegies courtesy of Vaughan-Williams taking turns with expressive gospel laments, the fluttering woodwind solos after 05:30 and the hymnal bucolic rhythmizations also traits of RVWs writing and a most welcome addition to the Tallis Fantasy allusions - growing over the course of 14 minutes into a jubilant finale (shades of Powell's bigger scores are to be found especially in the brass). It's a good piece but also a bit 'overt' in its eagerness to please: the obvious nods to RVW are too close for comfort (to gain the piece independency), and to dress it up with gospel singing isn't the ticket, either. So it remains an entertaining-if-derivative entry that is well chosen as an opener, as the major work here is the 'Requiem' that follows.

The 45-minute work is introduced by Powell as follows: "On the centenary of the First World War, I decided to compose a 'war requiem;' an act of grand hubris I thought, and in that very idea, I found my story: 'How did the war begin?' With this hubris came anxiety. Could I transcend my established identity as a film composer and finally communicate the complexities of my feelings on such a distant subject? My study of WWI would have to extend beyond my own conjecture and overactive empathy. As I planned the requiem, I reviewed the scenes of muted conflict holding Europe and its empires in a constant geopolitical standoff. I eventually found the historical character to serve as protagonist in my new work: General Helmuth von Moltke. When polled by the Kaiser as to possible offerings of peace by other countries on the night before the conflict began, his reply was an indignant hissy fit that could plausibly have been the reason that war went from 'inevitable' to a reality. My own hubris paled in comparison.'

Powell clearly anticipates the backlash, but he mustn't. The 7-part oratorio is technically impressive and conceptually sound (the english origin clearly . Lacking the fierce, brutal intensity of mid-century efforts depicting the horrors of war (even when you compare it to the film scores of North and Goldsmith, 'Blue Max' most obviously) it's lush and beautifully fluid setting is part colourful scene-setting (Introduction to Moltke), part retrospective lament (The Gift, Requiem Addendum). The best parts, though, are 'We the Glorious Dead' and 'The Papers of Peace, Let the Rails Roll, Victory is Ours', the libretto noting the saber rattling, the hopes for false glory ('We long to be inglorious') through a dialogue between Moltke, the Kaiser and the soldiers dying in vain for one man's hubris. 

'My Reasoning', expressing Moltke's point of no return ('The cock and the bulldog would form a vice to grind our bones to feed the bear. No, there is no fucking stopping') is probably the weak link, with its simplistic attack rhythms sounding more like a Giacchino score.

'The Gift', a prayer from the chorus sardonically alternating with Moltke offering the gods all those dead as 'a present, a gift to, a libation unto all the gods', is again a return to top form (RVW reigns supreme here, too). I presume the touching dirge at the 04:55 mark is meant for the performance suggestion 'Moltke and the Kaiser turn their backs to the audience in shame and begin howling the sounds of sorrow' and it's a wonderful finale. A more formal latin lament closes the piece, to which Powell even wrote his own libretto. 

All things considered, it's a noteworthy addition to the repertoire and far above what is called from Powell in motion picture scoring. Especially the dramatic depth on display makes me wonder what he could do in genres beyond animation and bubblegum blockbusters. He sure isn't lacking in chops, if anyone still doubted that.

[bimbamdingdong]

Am 15.6.2018 um 05:21 schrieb ronin1975:

Die Orchesterparts find ich gut, das Gesinge und "Gejaule" geht mir aber auf den Geist...

 

DITO !

kann mit so Opernarien nichts anfangen und den Gospelchor mag ich hier leider auch nicht.

DITO !