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The essential JohnTavener
A guide ‘The mystical life is the centre of all that I do and all that I think and all that I write’ William Butler Yeats
John Tavener has called Yeats ‘the supreme artist of the 20th century’, and throughout this guide we shall see why the poet’s desire to connect with a reality beyond our material existence resonates so deeply with the composer, and the inextricable impact Tavener’s own spiritual explorations have had on his life and work. Tavener has always been adamant that one should listen to what he writes ‘as pure music,’ and indeed he has been more successful than many contemporary composers in capturing the ear of the general public. This would seem to be due in large part to the fact that, although on paper the ideas Tavener seeks to express are often obscure and complex, they concern all humanity at a fundamental level - one often beyond our conscious understanding, if not our recognition. Tavener’s own love of music began in a largely unstructured manner, being as a small child fascinated by elemental sounds and preferring improvisation to methodical piano practice. He has said that music for him is about ‘the magic of the sound, the mystery of the sound. It’s nothing intellectual; I don’t think it has ever been intellectual with me. It was this mystery, and my ear was picking up this wonderful music.’ However, if one does wish to understand the complex and interlaced influences behind Tavener’s compositions, one can find the intellect being engaged to an exhausting degree. Almost all of Tavener’s work has been inspired by either the spiritual or the poetic, or both, and in a manner as fluid as his childhood improvisation. The materials from which he works are to Tavener second nature, but to the rest of us often somewhat impenetrable - hence his delivery of them to us as music. This guide aims to present and clarify these influences and their role in Tavener’s musical evolution, providing an overview of his life and work and, it is hoped, rendering the source material accessible without detracting from its profundity. For although it is music first, Tavener would wish that in understanding the origins of his work, the eyes of an audience might be opened to another perspective on their world: one that looks beyond our immediate reality, and our differences. The guide is not intended to be read in a linear fashion but dipped into where interest and need dictate. It examines a range of works representative of the various times, beliefs and purposes in and for which Tavener has written and presents their relationships without undue complexity, in order to give a comprehensive impression of his life’s work. Each piece may fall under one or many Categories, and each category represents a facet of Tavener’s spiritual evolution as it relates to his music. These are explained in the first section, with each entry followed by a list of all the relevant works included here. The Works are then discussed in chronological order and are supported by a Glossary explaining some of the more obscure terms and references. Lastly, the Index by Ensemble Type allows those seeking works for particular forces to quickly discover which of those included might be appropriate.