Product Description

One of today's leading composers reflects on the relationship of music to the spiritual dilemmas of our time.

In the 1960s, John Tavener's music appeared on the Beatles' Apple label. "The Protecting Veil"--one of the bestselling classical recordings of all time--made him a household name in the eighties, and his "Song for Athene" was heard worldwide when it was played at Princess Diana's funeral in 1997.

Yet behind this enormous success is a spiritual dimension, which became explicit after Tavener was received into the Russian Orthodox Church in 1977. With his wide intellectual curiosity and searching musical imagination it comes as no surprise that he possesses a profound and far-reaching musical "philosophy." The Music of Silence gives voice to this philosophy. Based on extensive conversations between the composer and his longtime friend Brian Keeble, it covers his early influences, his attitude and often controversial reactions to the music of his contemporaries, the sacred and religious underpinnings of his faith, as well as the technical aspects of composition.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1061823 in Books
• Published on: 2000-04-15
• Format: Illustrated
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 208 pages

Amazon.com Review
To the satisfaction of some observers and the astonishment of others, John Tavener has become one of the most popular and successful classical composers alive today. The marvelously simple and consoling "Song for Athene," which was sung at the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales (and which nearly stole the show from "Candle in the Wind"), isn't the only instance. Tavener's 1987 cello concerto The Protecting Veil, for example, drew more large-scale audience interest and genuine excitement, especially in Britain, than had any new cello concerto for decades; the composer's a cappella choral works are sung in church services and concert halls all over the world. Many concertgoers and record buyers seem attracted to and even grateful for the simplicity and spirituality of much of Tavener's music. Others--and not only professional critics--find some characteristics of his music, and his persona, off-putting and even stupefying. Much of Tavener's writing is deliberately repetitive: "I hate progress, I hate development, and I hate evolution in most things; but in music particularly," he says. His public utterances are often unnecessarily inflammatory (such as suggesting that all opera houses and concert halls should be destroyed and that Western culture is dead and rotting). His spirituality and belief in Eastern Orthodoxy often appear ostentatious. (How many times has the man posed for photographs surrounded by ikons and candles?)

The Music of Silence: A Composer's Testament has been assembled and edited by Brian Keeble from extensive interviews with Tavener at his Greek-island home. The second half of the book, which is largely in interview format, should be quite valuable for those who are moved by his music or just want to understand what the composer is up to. Tavener's explanations of his concept of his music as "ikons in sound," the crucial differences he sees between the Christianity of the Orthodox East and the Latin West, and his goals in writing particular works such as Mary of Egypt and Fall and Resurrection are enlightening and often fascinating.

But the first half of the book is insufferable. "In Retrospect" purports to review Tavener's life and compositional career more or less chronologically. Not only are both the prose and the material disjointed, rambling, and repetitive (for which Keeble shares blame) but overbearing self-regard and spiritual pretentiousness seem to ooze from every page like "liquid metaphysics" (a term Tavener uses to describe his music). It is, frankly, off-putting and stupefying. This reader alternated between bemused annoyance and an intense desire to see the composer parodied by a comic actor (as when he writes, "I had a vision in the bath one day").

One can't help wishing the composer would emulate his spiritual adviser and sometime librettist, the down-to-earth, no-nonsense Mother Thekla. He quotes her instructing him on how to approach Akathist of Thanksgiving: "Just get on with it, dear." May John Tavener take that advice well and truly to heart. --Matthew Westphal

From Publishers Weekly
The popular British composer Tavener, whose "Song for Athene" was played at Princess Diana's funeral, attempts to set forth the principles that inform his work. First, Tavener chronicles his musical development and his lifelong search for spiritual meaning, a preoccupation that led him to enter the Russian Orthodox Church in 1977. (Later, he accepted the abbess of an Orthodox monastery in Yorkshire, Mother Thekla, as a spiritual mentor.) Tavener's desire to articulate music according to an eternal, sacred tradition eventually led him to abandon Western procedures in favor of the Eastern Orthodox tonal system and structure, which he uses to "make ikons in sound." The second part of the book consists of a series of conversations with his longtime friend Keeble, who poses questions that lead to discussions of, among other things, Tavener's working methods, his dislikes (modernism, minimalism, opera houses and concert halls, for example) and the metaphysical aspects of his music, such as the significance for him of the ison (the drone that is the acoustic representation of the silence of God in Eastern music). Six commentaries on some of his major works comprise the final section. Although Tavener claims not to care about his audience, he has written a book that will help listeners comprehend the spiritual essence of his compositions. A short postlude by Keeble sums up the composer's philosophy and aptly emphasizes that Tavener's testament should "remind us of how deeply mysterious a thing music is." B&w photos, discography. (Apr.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
In the radical '60s, filmmaker Jean-Luc Godard insisted on making movies politically rather than making political movies. The English composer John Tavener strives to write music religiously rather than to write just religious music. In this book based on discussions with editor Keeble, Tavener emphasizes that he strives to remove himself from his music to let the Logos that is the Christ of John's Gospel be clearly expressed. Unlike Godard with such a movie made politically as La Chinoise, Tavener has achieved genuine popular success, especially with The Protecting Veil for cello and string orchestra, and the choral Song for Athene, sung at the funeral of Princess Diana. The heavenly aura of his music is a function of its basis in the traditional sacred music of the Orthodox Church, into which Tavener was accepted in 1977. Tavener sees composing within Orthodox tradition as his only option, and he discusses each piece he has ever written, from age 17 on, in the light of his quest for and attainment of faith. Fascinating musically, fascinating religiously. Ray Olson

Customer Reviews

John Tavener- in his own words at last
John Tavener has certainly been one of the greatest inspirations in my life, and in this book it is finally possible to glimpse into the inner workings of his mind. His narrative reveals much of his personality, which is something completely apart from the public "image" that has often been thrust upon him. What is so striking is his honesty; although, like his beloved Stravinsky, he sometimes contradicts himself without knowing it, Tavener takes the plunge that is always difficult for autobiographers: he admits to a discomfort with his past and is willing to account for some embarrassing mistakes in his musical career. It does chafe just a little that he keeps referring to "Fall and Resurrection" (which he had just completed at the time of writing), but that notwithstanding, he engages the reader with his tales, opinions and feelings as much as he engages the faithful listener with his compositions. (And on a personal note, having met him and sung his music to him, I find it very hard not to hear his voice as I read the words...)

The book also contains several interview sections conducted by the editor Brian Keeble. These, it is explained in the preface, are recordings of spontaneous discussion as opposed to carefully planned dialogue, and to encounter Tavener in conversation is nearly as fascinating as reading his own prose. At long last, we can see what makes him tick, how he feels about his life and work, and what his hopes for the future are.

Even if you already have the Geoffrey Haydon book "Glimpses of Paradise," you should consider getting this- it sheds new light on the story of a truly unique composer and does indeed offer a message of hope for the next millennium. Outstanding!

straightforward insights into the composer's intent
I found this collection of interviews with the composer John Tavener and the editor, Brian Keeble, to be quite interesting and often amusing. Mr. Taverner is not shy in expressing his great distaste for other "modern" composers who came before him(particularly Olivier Messaien.) The book is helpful for the perspective it gives the reader in understanding the process of composing music. Moreover, it shows us that for Tavener, music is not just for listening, it is a way of serving God. His devotion to the Orthodox Church has served to bring its centuries-old musical/vocal tradition to a broader audience, including those of us who are not familiar with the tenets of that Church. His music is not just for Christians or Orthodox believers; it is a music for people of all beliefs. The solemnity and emotion of the human spirit come through in every one of his works.