MacMillan: The Sacrifice Opera Orchestral & Concertos Chandos

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SIR JAMES MACMILLAN

(b. 1959)

premiere recording

The Sacrifice (2005-06)

131:06

Opera in Three Acts

Libretto by Michael Symmons Roberts

Based on a story from The Mabinogion

COMPACT DISC ONE

Act I

Prelude -

3:44

Scene 1

Sian: 'I should not be here. Not tonight' -

5:20

with Evan

Sian: 'The guests are laying out their clothes' -

2:37

with Evan

Interlude. Andante -

2:01

Scene 2

General: 'How is the dress, Megan?' -

6:43

with Sian, Megan

Evan: 'Excuse me, Sir' -

2:14

with General, Megan

Interlude. Andante -

1:29

Scene 3

Megan: 'Queen of the blossom' -

6:56

with Mal, Sian

Interlude [Passacaglia] -

3:57

Scene 4

10.

Chorus: 'God bless us all!' -

4:50

11.

The Birds: 'The moon became a man today' -

1:57

12.

General: 'As father I could burst with pride' -

3:04

with Ali

13.

Mal: 'I toast my wife. My wife! Ye gods!' -

4:44

with All, Sian

14.

Mal: 'Get him!' -

1:12

with Chorus, Sian, General

15.

Evan: 'Why bring a knife to a wedding?'

4:05

with The Birds

55:01

COMPACT DISC TWO

Act II: 43:10

Scene 1

Sian: 'Again, Megan' -

4:43

with Megan

Mal: 'A question for you - whose is this?' -

7:49

with Sian

Interlude -

2:51

Scene 2

Evan: 'So he's found the coat…' -

10:08

with Sian

Interlude -

4:59

Scene 3

Guests: 'Hail the king, long live the boy king!' -

3:55

with The Birds, Megan

Mal: 'Thank you, Megan, a fitting gift for a nephew' -

4:53

Mal: 'Come, the man who wounded me!'

3:49

with Guests, Evan, General

Act III: 32:44

Scene 1

Chorus: 'Give this our son your peace eternal, O Lord' -

4:43

with General, Mal, Mal's Men

10.

Sian: 'I thought my hands were heaven-blessed' -

4:10

with General

11.

Interlude

2:19

Scene 2

12.

General: 'Thanks, Megan, you make a good thief' -

7:24

with Megan

13.

Interlude -

1:42

Scene 3

14.

General: 'Mal! Mal! Mal!' -

3:57

with Mal, Sian

15.

Mal: 'I cannot say I haven't dreamt a thousand times of killing him'

8:25

with Guests, Sian, Megan

76:05

Solo: Christopher Purves baritone - General

Solo: Lisa Milne soprano - Sian

Solo: Peter Hoare tenor - Mal

Solo: Leigh Melrose baritone - Evan

Solo: Sarah Tynan soprano - Megan

Solo: Rosie Hay soprano - 'The Birds' of Rhiannon/Three Dressers

Solo: Samantha Hay soprano - 'The Birds' of Rhiannon/Three Dressers

Solo: Amanda Baldwin soprano - 'The Birds' of Rhiannon/Three Dressers

Guests etc., Mal's Men

Choral: Chorus of Welsh National Opera

Orchestra: Orchestra of Welsh National Opera

Conductor: Anthony Negus

6 October 2007 (live recording)

“…He [Anthony Negus] steers the combined forces of Welsh National Opera admirably through this near-flawless BBC recording of the performance.”

Peter Palmer - The Telegraph - 30 October 2010

“…Without exception, the singing is outstanding; under the conductor Anthony Negus, this cast has set the benchmark by which future performance will surely be measured.”

Christopher Ballantine - Opera - May 2010

“Invest in this bold set and you’ll be rewarded with singing of unflagging stamina from a strong cast (notably Lisa Milne as Sian and Christopher Purves as the General, as well as red-blooded, hugely committed contributions from the WNO Chorus and Orchestra. The audibly spellbound Cardiff audience laps it up – as, indeed, will the composer’s may admirers. Enthusiastically recommended.”

Andrew Achenbach - Gramophone magazine - April 2010

“…outstanding central performances from Lisa Milne as Sian… and from Christopher Purves as her father, the General…”

Tim Ashley - The Guardian - 12 February 2010

…”The chorus, which plays a major part in the sacrifice, is one of the great glories of this performance. The WNO Chorus, an undoubted treasure on the European opera scene, excels even itself here with a level of collective virtuosity and an adept handling of MacMillan’s challenging but beautifully idiomatically written choral textures which is little short of breathtaking. Impeccable diction, glorious ensemble work and a vivid sense of communal characterization all combine to give great distinction to the entire production... The Sacrifice is an undoubted classic of our time and a worthy successor to the great British operas of the last century.”

Marc Rochester - International Record Review - February 2010

“…Recorded live, this performance has that indefinable frisson of one-off-ness and dramatic immediacy… The stellar cast sings with perfect diction, headed by Lisa Milne on superb form. A new opera recording that is well worth getting to know.”

Charlotte Gardner - Classic FM Magazine - March 2010

Performance ***** Recording ****

“MacMillan combines freshness with emotional directness …Christopher Purves’s anguished but dignified General, Lisa Milne’s noble but tragically duty-bound Sian, and Sarah Tynan’s weirdly touching Megan stand out, but there are no weak performances. The chorus, and particularly the orchestra of Welsh National Opera are magnificently on top of the music. This production recorded live in remarkably clear sound with very little distracting noise, has a sustained urgency, which nevertheless allows time for the more inward moments to open out expressively. Recommended."

Stephen Johnson - BBC Music Magazine - February 2010

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