Reviewed by John Irvine

Back in CR8 Dave Massey reviewed Penderecki's "St Luke's Passion" commenting that it was "uncomfortable listening... but then the cross wasn't very comfortable either." "Utrenya" picks up where the Passion left off and consists of two parts: "The Entombment Of Christ" and "The Resurrection Of Christ". Both are for mixed choirs and orchestra, like "St Luke's Passion", but were composed slightly later and for a different occasion: a Feast of the Russian Orthodox Church. This means that amongst Penderecki's trademarks of raucous singing, use of odd percussion, sound and speech patterns and odd harmonies to create an expansive, expressive and above all unique sound picture, there are also elements of the Orthodox rite and quotations from Russian hymns, used in much the same way as a house band will use samples of other bands' music! You may be tempted to yell "What on earth was that racket!", but if you followed Massey's advice and bought the "Passion", follow mine and get the Resurrection! Unfortunately, texts and translations are not provided, so it is sometimes difficult to understand precisely what is happening at any one time. However, the overall intent is clear: to move from lamentation (Entombment) to joy (Resurrection).

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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