The Protecting Veil
The Protecting Veil is a late 20th-century classical composition for cello and strings by British composer John Tavener. It was on the short list of nominees for the 1992 Mercury Prize.
Composition history
Completed in 1988, the work was begun in response to a request from cellist
Blachernae Palace church in Constantinople
.
The premiere took place at the Proms in the Royal Albert Hall on 4 September 1989, with soloist Steven Isserlis and the BBC Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Oliver Knussen.[2]
Structure
The composition, which has a performance time of approximately 45 minutes, is divided into eight sections, each of which is based on an icon in the life of the Virgin Mary:[3]
- The Protecting Veil
- The Nativity of the Mother of God
- The Annunciation
- The Incarnation
- The Lament of the Mother of God at the Cross
- The Resurrection
- The Dormition
- The Protecting Veil
The Protecting Veil was the subject of BBC Radio 3's Discovering Music programme in June 2008.[4]
References
- ^ BBC Radio 3's Radio 3 Live in Concert program (broadcast 18 April 2014)
- ^ BBC. The world premiere of John Tavener's 20th-century classic, The Protecting Veil
- ^ John Tavener official website. Accessed 21 March 2013
- ^ BBC Radio 3: Discovering Music - Tavener: The Protecting Veil. Accessed 21 March 2013
External links
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| Other works |
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| Film score | |
