Music for Holy Week. Someone

Music for Holy Week.

Someone in St. Blog's recommended listening to the Bach Passions. I highly agree. I wish I could offer a recommendation for a recording, but, I have mine on vinyl, and I have no idea if they are available. Obviously I am pleased with them, as I have not replaced them with new-fangled CDs! The result is that I have no idea what is out there. Sorry. I have failed you once again.

I am currently listening to "I Doli du Signuri" on the Taranta label (Ethnica series, number 10). I have no idea where you can get it, but you should get it, if you are adventuresome (maybe www.cdroots.com). It is all Sicilian music for Holy Week, and it is incredibly moving stuff. It is also completely alien to most Western ears, even to most Italian ears, so be forwarned. Lots of oblique motion counterpoint, which gives it a rather Byzantine feeling.

For Passion recordings, there is also Arvo Pärt's Passio on the ECM label. It is not Pärt's finest work, but it is ok.

Banda Ionica's first album (also probably available at www.cdroots.com, certainly at Down Home Music, although you may have trouble finding it on their online system, try calling them (ask for John)), is called "Passione" and features the brass band music for the Sicilian Passion processions. Talk about haunting! Talk about one of those moments where you say "Hmmm. That's where Nino Rota got his ideas." It is just like a Fellini movie, but without the movie. Brilliant, I say! Their second album, Matria Mia, is less traditional, but I will talk about that after Easter.