Lossless is available in FLAC and ALAC (For Mac). You select on the download page.
When you purchase a lossless format, we include the MP3 free of charge
Please note: On Mp3 format an unavoidable click may be heard on segue track breaks, to avoid this issue please select lossless
This item is temporarily unavailable.
Why not buy the whole Album?
Your selections total more than the whole disc price.
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
1.
Prelude -
3:44
Scene 1
2.
Sian: 'I should not be here. Not tonight' -
5:20
with Evan
3.
Sian: 'The guests are laying out their clothes' -
2:37
with Evan
4.
Interlude. Andante -
2:01
Scene 2
5.
General: 'How is the dress, Megan?' -
6:43
with Sian, Megan
6.
Evan: 'Excuse me, Sir' -
2:14
with General, Megan
7.
Interlude. Andante -
1:29
Scene 3
8.
Megan: 'Queen of the blossom' -
6:56
with Mal, Sian
9.
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
1.
Sian: 'Again, Megan' -
4:43
with Megan
2.
Mal: 'A question for you - whose is this?' -
7:49
with Sian
3.
Interlude -
2:51
Scene 2
4.
Evan: 'So he's found the coat…' -
10:08
with Sian
5.
Interlude -
4:59
Scene 3
6.
Guests: 'Hail the king, long live the boy king!' -
3:55
with The Birds, Megan
7.
Mal: 'Thank you, Megan, a fitting gift for a nephew' -
4:53
8.
Mal: 'Come, the man who wounded me!'
3:49
with Guests, Evan, General
Act III: 32:44
Scene 1
9.
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)
Notes
Chandos offers the world premiere recording of this theatrically and musically devastating opera commissioned and performed by Welsh National Opera. This is released on CD only, and not available to download. The Sacrifice, described by The Scotsman as ‘a powerful and evocative piece of music’, is a compelling and timeless story of a ruler’s ultimate sacrifice to safeguard the future of his war-torn, faction-ridden country; a story of love, revenge and reconciliation, inspired by the heightened mythical world of the Welsh folk-tales collected in The Mabinogion. With hints of Tippett, Berg, Richard Strauss and the film music of Bernard Herrmann this opera evokes the late-romantic idiom, with a twenty-first-century twist.
The powerful cast of The Sacrifice reunites a number of artists who have received great acclaim for their recent roles with Welsh National Opera – and internationally: Sarah Tynan (who sang the role of Iphis in Jephtha), Christopher Purves, Peter Hoare, Leigh Melrose and Lisa Milne.
Further praise came from Western Mail: ‘There is no mistaking James MacMillan has a popular hit on his hands, with the cries of bravo as the curtain fell on the world premiere of his new opera… MacMillan also creates music of great beauty and the act two love duet between Siân and Evan is mesmerising as are the songs given to Megan, Siân’s childlike sister, sung exquisitely by Sarah Tynan… big, bold and audience pleasing.’
Please login to post a review
Reviews
“…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
Media Downloads
Whenever possible we provide a high resolution CD cover image and a PDF version of the CD booklet for you to download and keep