The releases by the small Norwegian label 2L are almost always worth hearing, for many combine a pair of virtues: they have impressive audiophile sound, and they generally capture intriguing Norwegian repertory that stands apart from the European mainstream and makes one want to hear more. Both are in evidence here. It may not be evident from the title, but Out of Darkness is a setting of the story of Jesus Christ's death and resurrection: not, as composer Torbjorn Dyrud points out, a Passion setting, for it continues after ...
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The releases by the small Norwegian label 2L are almost always worth hearing, for many combine a pair of virtues: they have impressive audiophile sound, and they generally capture intriguing Norwegian repertory that stands apart from the European mainstream and makes one want to hear more. Both are in evidence here. It may not be evident from the title, but Out of Darkness is a setting of the story of Jesus Christ's death and resurrection: not, as composer Torbjorn Dyrud points out, a Passion setting, for it continues after the Passion story ends. The tonality of the work features extended harmonies of a very common sort, with a choir backed by trumpet and percussion, and listeners who sample the work in small bits are unlikely to get the full effect of what is really an unusually varied and emotionally direct setting. Dyrud sets texts in Latin and, here, English, writing that the mixture of comprehensible and incomprhensible texts adds musical layers and "is also an expression of my own faith: part of...
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