具有东方宗教色彩的作品集。

Jonathan Harvey: Body Mandala

Anu Komsi, soprano/ BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra/ Ilan Volkov, Stefan Solyom, conductors

The first work on this long and well-structured disc is "Tranquil Abiding" (1999 -- 14'46). It is haunting and beautiful, based on a simple two-chord oscillation, like breathing in and out, as in meditation. Complexity gradually builds, and the piece culminates with a sense of peace and clarity.

"Body Mandala" (2006 -- 13'18) is very different, full of percussion and rhythmic dynamism. Projected as the first work of a triptych, its theme is the purification of the body. It uses Tibetan bells and cymbals, and Western instruments played so as to approximate the sounds used in Tibetan Buddhist monastery rituals. Harvey drew inspiration from witnessing such purification rituals in northern India. "Body Mandala" is a quite visceral work, much closer to jazz than most classical music.

The disc closes with "...towards a Pure Land" (2005 -- 17'17), the last in the unfinished triptych, the theme of which is purification of mind. It proceeds in an arch, with a still section at the center, representing the Pure Land, "a state of mind beyond suffering where there is no grasping." There is a journey through some very energetic passages, but throughout are found ethereal, slow-moving harmonies which emanate from a small string group concealed within the main body of the orchestra, which Harvey calls the "Ensemble of Eternal Sound."

"Timepieces" (18'42), in three parts, dates from the 1980s. It uses two conductors (a la Stockhousen's "Gruppen") to lead ensembles in different tempos (a la Carter). The result is often humorous, quite jazzy, and not nearly as intimidating as it sounds.

"White as Jasmine" (15'39) was written between 1995 and 2000, along with "Tranquil Abiding," while Harvey was at Stanford utilizing its Centre for Computer Research into Music and Acoustics. Anu Komsi is featured on soprano vocals, singing five poems to Shiva written by the 12th century Hindu saint Mahadevi and her guru Allama Prabhu. Mahadevi died at 23 after wandering through the forest seeking Shiva. This peaceful and lovely piece culminates with an electronic passage representing her vision of an immense, transcendent light.