London Sinfonietta, Atherton, BBC Singers, Royal Albert Hall | reviews, news & interviews
London Sinfonietta, Atherton, BBC Singers, Royal Albert Hall
London Sinfonietta, Atherton, BBC Singers, Royal Albert Hall
Stravinsky runs rings around Bach
Thursday, 05 August 2010
![](https://theartsdesk.com/sites/default/files/styles/mast_image_landscape/public/mastimages/4fbf12f7fd2288d3f274c68fe16a94f2.jpg?itok=xu-PPMB2)
Michaelangelo's Jeremiah: 'In Threni one should feel as if one is choking on Jeremiah's relentless suffering'
The Tenebrae service of Maundy Thursday sees Satan's removal men take over holy duties. Crosses are veiled, lights are extinguished, songs of wailing erupt. Stravinsky's Threni (receiving its Proms debut last night) is a setting of these wails - the Lamentations of the Prophet Jeremiah - and is carved out of a dark, unforgiving orchestra and a suffocating choral weave. For the atheist, if not for those of a religious bent who might prefer the succour of François Couperin or Thomas Tallis's settings, there can be no better depiction of the asphyxiation of despair.
The Tenebrae service of Maundy Thursday sees Satan's removal men take over holy duties. Crosses are veiled, lights are extinguished, songs of wailing erupt. Stravinsky's Threni (receiving its Proms debut last night) is a setting of these wails - the Lamentations of the Prophet Jeremiah - and is carved out of a dark, unforgiving orchestra and a suffocating choral weave. For the atheist, if not for those of a religious bent who might prefer the succour of François Couperin or Thomas Tallis's settings, there can be no better depiction of the asphyxiation of despair.
The future of Arts Journalism
You can stop theartsdesk.com closing!
We urgently need financing to survive. Our fundraising drive has thus far raised £33,000 but we need to reach £100,000 or we will be forced to close. Please contribute here: https://gofund.me/c3f6033d
And if you can forward this information to anyone who might assist, we’d be grateful.
Subscribe to theartsdesk.com
Thank you for continuing to read our work on theartsdesk.com. For unlimited access to every article in its entirety, including our archive of more than 15,000 pieces, we're asking for £5 per month or £40 per year. We feel it's a very good deal, and hope you do too.
To take a subscription now simply click here.
And if you're looking for that extra gift for a friend or family member, why not treat them to a theartsdesk.com gift subscription?
more Classical music
![Creator of a musical metaphor for hidden things: Héloïse Werner](https://theartsdesk.com/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/mastimages/Hidden%20Mechanisms%20with%20He%CC%81loi%CC%88se%20Werner%20%E2%80%93%20alternate%20%28Plain%2016x9%29.jpg?itok=FzCv2wyV)
![Conductor, director and archangel Michael Tilson Thomas](https://theartsdesk.com/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/mastimages/MTT-by-DeborahRobison-2.jpg?itok=2Y0lKD5o)
![Carolin Widmann, Antonio Pappano and the LSO in Bernstein's 'Serenade'](https://theartsdesk.com/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/mastimages/LSO%20Pappano%20W%201.jpg?itok=n5GHsnTo)
![Nakariakov performed with dazzling virtuosity as well as hugely impressive breath control](https://theartsdesk.com/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/mastimages/nakariakov_mit_trompete_copyright_thierry_cohen_xgD0uZD_5aae6614a1c46e2397c5da7f8862d7fa.jpg?itok=IRe9Oj7L)
![Jakub Hrůša and the BBC Symphony Orchestra: hard-hitting in Shostakovichnow among the greats](https://theartsdesk.com/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/mastimages/250131_BBCSO%20and%20Hr%C5%AF%C5%A1a%20%282%29.jpg?itok=UP8L062Z)
![High notes: Nicholas Collon, Aurora Orchestra and BBC Singers](https://theartsdesk.com/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/mastimages/VEE_3442.jpg?itok=IRi5A6v2)
![Karim Sulayman tackles songs by Reynaldo Hahn](https://theartsdesk.com/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/mastimages/20191005_KARIM_0835_COLOR%20jon%20wes.jpg?itok=3hHzrLGr)
![The Royal Academy of Music Song Circle](https://theartsdesk.com/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/mastimages/RAM%20Song%20Circle.jpeg?itok=mYoa92hp)
![Kaleidoscope of Mozart playing: Giorgi Gigashvili takes his bow](https://theartsdesk.com/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/mastimages/10.%20Halle_Tchaik4_Jan25_credit_Sharyn_Bellemakers_The_Halle%20%281200x800%29.jpg?itok=qwTtaDS5)
![Veronika Jarůšková, Marek Zwiebel, Boris Giltburg, Peter Jarůšek and Šimon Truszka in a bracing encore](https://theartsdesk.com/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/mastimages/250121_PavelHaasQuartetGiltburg-2.jpg?itok=MC_LEC9Z)
![Jurowski: thoughtful programming, impeccable preparation](https://theartsdesk.com/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/mastimages/Vladimir_Jurowski_FULL_RES-5_0.jpg?itok=-rxnuufK)
![](https://theartsdesk.com/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/mastimages/kesiak-cc-grit-jan25-010.jpg?itok=bZ5cojDc)
Add comment