布利斯: 天國八福 安德魯．戴維斯 指揮 BBC交響樂團暨合唱團 / Sir Andrew Davis / Sir Arthur Bliss - The Beatitudes

Excelling in recordings of Delius, Elgar, and Holst, Sir
Andrew Davis here presents a spirited programme of
works by Sir Arthur Bliss. It follows a recording of
Morning Heroes that made the top recommendations
of 2015; likewise recorded in surround-sound, it
conveys the energy of both the exceptional soloists and
the impeccable BBC Symphony Orchestra and Chorus.
Premiered along with Britten's War Requiem at the
consecration of the new Coventry Cathedral in 1962,
but hardly ever heard since, The Beatitudes is
remarkable for its dramatic intensity, ‘full of contrast
and striking orchestral effects', as The Times noted
after a recent Barbican performance given by the same
forces. The reviewer added that ‘soprano Emily Birsan
was silvery clear, well supported by the tenor Ben
Johnson. And the biggest round of applause should go
to the BBC Symphony Chorus, full of passion.'
To complete the album are an arrangement of the
national anthem having all the flair that made the
tenure of Bliss as Master of the Queen's Music
distinctive and successful, as well as the virtuosic
Introduction and Allegro, dedicated to Stokowski and
inspired by the powerful sound of American orchestras
post-World War I.