OnDemand
Tavener, John The Protecting Veil
Score for sale (North America): http://www.halleonard.com/product/viewproduct.do?itemid=14032888&lid=1&li Score for sale (UK, Europe and other territories): http://www.musicroom.com/se/ID_No/00010809/details.html?kbid=1296 Information about the work and materials for hire: http://www.PXVLFVDOHVFODVVLFDO FRP FRPSRVHU ZRUN 8549
Score begins on the next page.
Chester Music Limited Part of the Music Sales Group
John Tavener
THE PROTECTING VEIL for cello and string orchestra
CHESTER MUSIC rev. Oct. 12
The Protecting Veil was commissioned by the BBC for the 1989 series of Henry Wood Promenade Concerts. It is dedicated to Pamela Moody. The first performance was given on 4th September 1989, at the Royal Albert Hall, London, by Steven Isserlis and the BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Oliver Knussen.
SCORING Solo cello Strings (minimum 8.8.6.6.3 players)
Duration: c. 42 minutes Study score on sale: Order No. CH59030 Solo part and piano reduction on sale: Order No. CH59030-01 Conductor’s score and parts are available on hire Note: , ! and
E represent microtones, the characteristic ‘breaks in the voice’ of Byzantine chant.
COMPOSER’S NOTE The Feast of the Protecting Veil of the Mother of God was instituted by the Orthodox Church to commemorate Her appearance in the church at Vlacherni (Constantinople) in the early tenth century, possibly A.D. 902. At a time of grave danger for the Greeks from Saracen invasion, Andrew, the holy fool, and his disciple Epiphanios saw the Mother of God during an all-night vigil. She was high above them in the air, surrounded by a host of saints, praying earnestly and spreading out her veil (or stole) as a protective shelter over the Christians. Heartened by the vision, the Greeks withstood the Saracen assault, and drove away the Saracen army. It is perfectly possible to listen to The Protecting Veil as pure music, but it may be helpful if I recount what was in my mind during the composition. I wished to make a lyrical ikon in sound, rather than on wood, using the music of the cellist rather than a brush. The work is highly stylised, geometrically formed and meditative in character. I have tried to capture some of the almost cosmic power of the Mother of God. She is represented by the cello, and never stops singing throughout; the accompanying string music is a gigantic extension of her unending song. The work falls into eight continuous sections, and I have made use of the eight Byzantine tones. Various Feasts were in my mind as I wrote; the second section is related to the Birth of the Mother of God, the third section to the Annunciation, the fourth to the Incarnation, the fifth (which is totally unaccompanied) to her Lament at the foot of the Cross, the sixth to the Resurrection, the seventh to her Dormition, and the first and last sections to her cosmic beauty and power over a shattered world. The music ends with an evocation of the Tears of the Mother of God. J.T.
No part of this publication may be copied or reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior permission of Chester Music Limited.
c.40)
4 2
molto
CH59030
(h = c. 50) 11
(11)
Radiant, flowing 13
16
(19)
Radiant, flowing 21
sopra
(= c. 40)
26
4 2
30
4 2
(33)
( = c. 50)
Radiant, flowing 35
38
(ď ¨ď ¨ = c. 72) 43
like bells, molto sonore
45
48
51
54
57
sff
60
ad lib.
(63)
4 2
THE BIRTH OF THE MOTHER OF GOD 64
( = c. 58)
.
67
71
espress. e dolce
74
78
82
A little faster ( = c. 63) 86
89
92
( = c. 58)
96
*
* If there are only 3 double basses, player 3 should double-stop the low E and B. The upper E may be omitted.
K2 ( = c. 63)
99
,
,
102
105
stately
108
111
114 13
117
121
125
pp poss.
ad lib.
128
133

4 2
, dance-like ( = c. 92)
135
–
–
– sim. sim.
–
–
–
–
–
sim.
–
–
–
sim.
–
fp
fp
137
139
141
143
яБо
145
147
149
яБо
151
153
155
157
159
яБо
162
A tempo ( = c. 63)
164
166
169
171
173
176
180
ad lib.
( = c. 92) 181
182
184
186
188
190
192
194
196
198
200
202
204
207
(207)
( = c. 56)
209
2 4
211
marcatiss.
214
.
216
218
ad lib. 220
p
p
(225)
226
(226)
227
( = c. 30, = c. 60)
229
231
(always freely)
233
236
239
ad lib. 242
247
( = c. 100) 248
>
>
>
>
>
251
254
257
260
( = c. 72)
263
265
267
271
273
275
277
279
ad lib. 281
287
espress. molto
( = c. 42) 288
(288)
(288)
289
291
293
Very slow ( = c. 33) 295
297
299
1
301
( = c. 60)
304
307
310
ad lib.
314
( = c. 40) 322
4 2
( = c. 50) 332
poco a poco cresc.
(332)
(cresc.)
( = c. 50) 333
cresc. poco a poco - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
p ma sonore
336
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
339
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ff poss.