GOLIJOV: Oceana (1996, rev. 2004). Tenebrae (2002, rev. 2003). Three Songs (2001-2002).
Luciana Souza (vocals), Scott Tennant & John Dearman (guitars), Dawn Upshaw (soprano), Gwinnett Young Singers, Kronos Quartet, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra & Chorus/Robert Spano
DG B0009060-02 (F) (DDD) TT: 68:57
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Disappointing. I wish I could report otherwise. One of the few solvent major labels decides to gather its hot young prospects in a recording of three ambitious works by a rising contemporary composer, and it just sort of fizzles out.

I've known Osvaldo Golijov's music since the EMI release of Yiddishbbuk and Last Round, which just knocked me out. I went right to La passion según San Marcos and thought that, at last, a major young composer had arrived. Since then, I've liked his work only in bits. The late work seems too easy, a manner assumed, as if wearing a great suit automatically made one competent. Make no mistake, these scores proceed on manner.

Oceana sets a text by Pablo Neruda. The most interesting thing about it is its use of a guitar-combo instrumentation. It doesn't illuminate the poet, and it certainly hasn't the astonishing beauty of the poetry. Indeed, in the choral passages, you have a devil of a time hearing any of the words at all or making them out with the text in front of you. This makes me wonder why he bothered to set Neruda in the first place. After all, much of the "vocals" for the soloist are basically vocalises. Why not simply carry it through?

Tenebrae, inspired by Couperin, begins as a noble sarabande for string quartet and repeats itself to the point where you lapse (or I do, at any rate) into coma.

The 3 Songs suffer from the same main fault as Oceana -- tepid, clueless settings of great poems.

Everything receives star treatment, with Souza, Tennant and Dearman (of the L.A. Guitar Quartet), Kronos, Upshaw, and Spano committing themselves to their considerable bests. Reviews have praised these works as if they were the next Concerto for Orchestra, so perhaps I've missed something you won't. The engineering is gorgeous. I wish to heaven I cared.

S.G.S. (January 2008)