Adiemus II: Cantata Mundi
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Released in 1997, Adiemus II: Cantata Mundi is the second album by Welsh composer Karl Jenkins as part of the Adiemus project. Building on the style established in Adiemus: Songs of Sanctuary, Jenkins broadens his musical approach to Cantata Mundi by including instrumentation and techniques from Eastern Europe, Arabia, and Asia. Compared to the earlier work, the orchestra is also expanded to include woodwinds and brass. The overall form of this album is a cantata of fourteen movements alternating between longer 'cantus' pieces and brief 'chorales'.
Track listing
All tracks by Karl Jenkins
- 1. "Cantus - 'Song of Tears'" – 9:01
- 2. "Chorale I (Za Ma Ba)" – 1:50
- 3. "Cantus - 'Song of the Spirit'" – 6:09
- 4. "Chorale II (Roosh Ka Ma)" – 1:50
- 5. "Cantus - 'Song of the Trinity'" – 6:11
- 6. "Chorale III (Vocalise)" – 2:20
- 7. "Cantus - 'Song of the Odyssey'" – 7:25
- 8. "Chorale IV (Alame Oo Ya)" – 2:59
- 9. "Cantus - 'Song of the Plains'" – 11:26
- 10. "Chorale V (Arama Ivi)" – 1:21
- 11. "Cantus - 'Song of Invocation'" – 8:45
- 12. "Chorale VI (Sol-Fa)"
13. "Cantus - 'Song of Aeolus'" – 5:46 - 14. "Chorale VII (A Ma Ka Ma)" – 1:18
- Bonus Track: "Cantilena" – 5:21
- Bonus Track: "Elegia" – 4:06
(The double-numbering scheme is as indicated on the album.)
Personnel
- London Philharmonic Orchestra
- Karl Jenkins – Conductor
- Miriam Stockley – Vocals
- Mary Carewe – Additional Vocals in Choruses
- Pamela Thorby – Recorders and Gemshorn
- Christopher Warren-Green – Solo Violin
- Jody Barratt-Jenkins – Electro-acoustic Percussion
Alternative versions
Several releases, including the United States release, of Cantata Mundi feature two bonus tracks, "Cantilena" and "Elegia", which are early musical sketches composed by Jenkins in preparation for this album.
As is common with Adiemus albums, the cover art of releases in certain regions may be different. The cover of the United States release features a silhouetted persons reminiscent of the cover art for Adiemus: Songs of Sanctuary in that region as well as the cover for Diamond Music. European releases depict an insect hive in various shades of reds and yellows within an abstracted mechanical clock. A special edition release in Europe shows a winged figure ascending into the sky. Other releases use dolphins which are characteristic of Adiemus albums in some markets.