Search - Britten, Todd, Temple :: Company of Heaven / Burning Road

Brilliant performance of idiosyncratic work.

Steven F. Johnson | Kalamazoo, MI USA | 12/05/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The Company of Heaven, composed for a radio performance in the late 1930's when Britten was in his 20's, predated the "angels" phenomenon of the 1990's by 60 years. The piece is set for orchestra, chorus, soloists, and narrator. It illuminates biblical and literary references to angels in their roles as companions, both during and at the termini of lifetimes, as well as their theological role in the separation of heaven and hell. Genesis, the New Testament, and Revelations provide biblical sources, and various authors, including Milton and William Blake, provide the literary sources of the narration and libretto. Jonathon Pryce narrates in his usual silken style."