The recording of John Tavener‘s The Whale , one of the most sought-after Apple Record collectibles of all time, is finally available for download. Apple Records has carefully re-mastered 17 titles for their first-ever digital downloads, and has selected this landmark release as one.
For the physical CDs, two discs have been brought together so that the CD also includes Tavener’s Celtic Requiem , Nomine Jesu and Coplas .
Sir John Tavener has been closely involved with this re-mastered edition of The Whale and Celtic Requiem, first issued in 1970 and 1971 respectively. He has re-presented both works to match how they are shown in the scores. Instead of spanning two tracks as per all previous releases, The Whale has been split into its eight discrete sections. Celtic Requiem, meanwhile, is now presented in three parts, instead of its previous one. For the first time, listeners can now follow on CD the individual elements of these early and most innovative works.
In recent conversation, Tavener recalled “Ringo came to all the rehearsals and the recordings of The Whale and Celtic Requiem“. Indeed, Ringo is one of those shouting through a loud hailer in ‘Melodrama & Pantomime’ on The Whale (“…and cause suffocation!” on Track 2, at 0:48). “John and Ringo were very important to me…They were lovely people. I don’t think I could actually call them friends but they were wonderful people to meet.” Says Tavener of The Whale and Celtic Requiem today: “I have been listening to them recently and I find them wonderfully fresh. And enormously accomplished for the time that they were written. I feel very sympathetic towards them.”
The score for The Whale and the score for Celtic Requiem are available to purchase from www.musicroom.com