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As serious composers go, John Tavener (1944-) enjoys virtual superstar status in the international arena. In the 1960s, Tavener's music appeared on the Beatles' Apple label. His 1987 cello concerto The Protecting Veil was one of the best-selling classical recordings of all time, drawing more widespread genuine excitement, especially in his native Great Britain, than had any new cello concerto for decades. And his simple and consoling "Song for Athene" was heard worldwide when it was played at Princess Diana's funeral in 1997 (and nearly stealing the show from Elton John in the process). Today his a cappella choral works are sung in church services and concert halls all over the world.

Yet behind this enormous success is a spiritual dimension, which became explicit after Tavener joined the Russian Orthodox Church in 1977. To him, music is a form of prayer and should be experienced like the iconic paintings created in devotion over the centuries. One indeed finds a spiritual dimension in the ecstatic melismas, chant-like vocals, and fanciful titles of many of his works.

That isn't to say Tavener is without his critics. Some find a certain spiritual pretentiousness found in his most lavish works, while others find certain aspects of his public persona off-putting. His public statements are often provocative and downright inflammatory, as in a lecture he delivered at New York’s Cooper Union in May 2000, when he suggested that all opera houses and concert halls should be destroyed and that Western culture is dead and rotting (while he conversely praised the religious works of Messiaen and Stockhausen, as well as the music of India which he called “the most sacred music that exists”).

Profound and stirring or showy and ostentatious? You decide this month as Evening Music takes a look at several of his landmark works each Wednesday night. Here’s a complete schedule of what to listen for:

Wednesday, January 8: Eternity's Sunrise
Wednesday, January 15: To a Child Dancing in the Wind
Wednesday, January 22: The Hidden Face, for countertenor, oboe, 8 violins & 8 violas
Wednesday, January 29: Eternal Memory

Airs during the 10PM hour of Evening Music
A Good Read:

The Music of Silence: A Composer's Testament
by John Tavener
(Faber & Faber, 1999)
Tavener's spiritual and musical philosophy. Out of print but available used.

Available at Amazon.com

John Tavener: Glimpses of Paradise
by Geoffrey Haydon
(Trafalgar Square, 1998)
A well-researched exploration into his life and work. Out of print but available used.

Available at Amazon.com

Additional Resources

• Tavener speaks with John Schaefer on a recent edition of Soundcheck, discussing not only his spiritual beliefs but his love of fast cars, French cuisine and hanging out with Paul McCartney.
  
• Read a Tavener biography, articles, and reviews (Schirmer)
  
• General interest Web site on Tavener.