Adiemus II: Cantata Mundi
Encyclopedia
Released in 1997, Adiemus II: Cantata Mundi is the second album
by Welsh
composer
Karl Jenkins
as part of the Adiemus
project. Building on the style established in Adiemus: Songs of Sanctuary
, Jenkins broadens his musical approach to Cantata Mundi by including instrumentation and techniques from Eastern Europe
, Arabia, and Asia
. Compared to the earlier work, the orchestra is also expanded to include woodwinds and brass
. The overall form of this album is a cantata
of fourteen movements alternating between longer 'cantus' pieces and brief 'chorale
s'.
(The double-numbering scheme is as indicated on the album.)
release, of Cantata Mundi feature two bonus tracks, "Cantilena" and "Elegia", which are early musical sketches composed by Jenkins in preparation for this album.
As is common with Adiemus albums, the cover art of releases in certain regions may be different. The cover of the United States
release features a silhouetted persons reminiscent of the cover art for Adiemus: Songs of Sanctuary
in that region as well as the cover for Diamond Music
. Europe
an releases depict an insect hive in various shades of reds and yellows within an abstracted mechanical clock. A special edition release in Europe shows a winged figure ascending into the sky. Other releases use dolphins which are characteristic of Adiemus albums in some markets.
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
by Welsh
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
Karl Jenkins
Karl Jenkins
-Other works:*Adiemus: Live — live versions of Adiemus music*Palladio *Eloise *Imagined Oceans *The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace...
as part of the Adiemus
Adiemus
-Concept:Each Adiemus album is a collection of song-length pieces featuring harmonised vocal melody against an orchestral background. There are no lyrics as such: instead the vocalists sing syllables and 'words' invented by Jenkins...
project. Building on the style established in Adiemus: Songs of Sanctuary
Adiemus: Songs of Sanctuary
Released in 1995, Songs of Sanctuary is the first album by Welsh composer Karl Jenkins as part of the Adiemus project. This album quickly garnered critical acclaim as the title track "Adiemus" had been previously well received during its use in a Delta Air Lines television commercial and release on...
, Jenkins broadens his musical approach to Cantata Mundi by including instrumentation and techniques from Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe is the eastern part of Europe. The term has widely disparate geopolitical, geographical, cultural and socioeconomic readings, which makes it highly context-dependent and even volatile, and there are "almost as many definitions of Eastern Europe as there are scholars of the region"...
, Arabia, and Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
. Compared to the earlier work, the orchestra is also expanded to include woodwinds and brass
Brass instrument
A brass instrument is a musical instrument whose sound is produced by sympathetic vibration of air in a tubular resonator in sympathy with the vibration of the player's lips...
. The overall form of this album is a cantata
Cantata
A cantata is a vocal composition with an instrumental accompaniment, typically in several movements, often involving a choir....
of fourteen movements alternating between longer 'cantus' pieces and brief 'chorale
Chorale
A chorale was originally a hymn sung by a Christian congregation. In certain modern usage, this term may also include classical settings of such hymns and works of a similar character....
s'.
Track listing
All tracks by Karl JenkinsKarl Jenkins
-Other works:*Adiemus: Live — live versions of Adiemus music*Palladio *Eloise *Imagined Oceans *The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace...
- 1. "Cantus – 'Song of Tears'" – 9:01
- 2. "Chorale I (Za Ma Ba)" – 1:50
- 3. "Cantus – 'Song of the Spirit'" – 6:09
- 4. "Chorale II (Roosh Ka Ma)" – 1:50
- 5. "Cantus – 'Song of the Trinity'" – 6:11
- 6. "Chorale III (Vocalise)" – 2:20
- 7. "Cantus – 'Song of the Odyssey'" – 7:25
- 8. "Chorale IV (Alame Oo Ya)" – 2:59
- 9. "Cantus – 'Song of the Plains'" – 11:26
- 10. "Chorale V (Arama Ivi)" – 1:21
- 11. "Cantus – 'Song of Invocation'" – 8:45
- 12. "Chorale VI (Sol-Fa)"
13. "Cantus – 'Song of Aeolus'" – 5:46 - 14. "Chorale VII (A Ma Ka Ma)" – 1:18
- Bonus Track: "Cantilena" – 5:21
- Bonus Track: "Elegia" – 4:06
(The double-numbering scheme is as indicated on the album.)
Personnel
- London Philharmonic OrchestraLondon Philharmonic OrchestraThe London Philharmonic Orchestra , based in London, is one of the major orchestras of the United Kingdom, and is based in the Royal Festival Hall. In addition, the LPO is the main resident orchestra of the Glyndebourne Festival Opera...
- Karl JenkinsKarl Jenkins-Other works:*Adiemus: Live — live versions of Adiemus music*Palladio *Eloise *Imagined Oceans *The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace...
– ConductorConductingConducting is the art of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. The primary duties of the conductor are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble... - Miriam StockleyMiriam StockleyMiriam Stockley is a British singer. She was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, and her work is influenced by the African music in her home country. Her unique vocalese style gained international acclaim when Karl Jenkins' launched the "Adiemus" project with "Songs of Sanctuary", featuring...
– Vocals - Mary Carewe – Additional Vocals in Choruses
- Pamela Thorby – RecorderRecorderThe recorder is a woodwind musical instrument of the family known as fipple flutes or internal duct flutes—whistle-like instruments which include the tin whistle. The recorder is end-blown and the mouth of the instrument is constricted by a wooden plug, known as a block or fipple...
s and GemshornGemshornThe gemshorn is an instrument of the ocarina family that was historically made from the horn of a chamois, goat, or other suitable animal. The gemshorn receives its name from the German language, and means a chamois horn.-History:... - Christopher Warren-GreenChristopher Warren-GreenChristopher Warren-Green is a British violinist and conductor. He attended Westminster City Grammar School and the Royal Academy of Music....
– Solo ViolinViolinThe violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello.... - Jody Barratt-Jenkins – Electro-acoustic PercussionPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
Alternative versions
Several releases, including the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
release, of Cantata Mundi feature two bonus tracks, "Cantilena" and "Elegia", which are early musical sketches composed by Jenkins in preparation for this album.
As is common with Adiemus albums, the cover art of releases in certain regions may be different. The cover of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
release features a silhouetted persons reminiscent of the cover art for Adiemus: Songs of Sanctuary
Adiemus: Songs of Sanctuary
Released in 1995, Songs of Sanctuary is the first album by Welsh composer Karl Jenkins as part of the Adiemus project. This album quickly garnered critical acclaim as the title track "Adiemus" had been previously well received during its use in a Delta Air Lines television commercial and release on...
in that region as well as the cover for Diamond Music
Diamond Music
Diamond Music is a 1996 album by Welsh composer Karl Jenkins.Perhaps one of Jenkins most recognized works is the first movement of the "Palladio" suite, inspired by 16th-century architect Andrea Palladio and in the style of a concerto grosso...
. Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an releases depict an insect hive in various shades of reds and yellows within an abstracted mechanical clock. A special edition release in Europe shows a winged figure ascending into the sky. Other releases use dolphins which are characteristic of Adiemus albums in some markets.