4/5 Truly Moving Music
  by Karl W. Nehring (Ostrander, OH USA)
American composer Richard Einhorn (b. 1952) was inspired by a film about Joan of Arc to write an oratorio featuring texts by various sources, primarily medieval female mystics. The music is for voice, amplified gambas, choir, and orchestra. Although this might sound like something of a sprawling mess, the net result is music that strikes the listener as focused and purposeful, with a rich blend of sonorities well captured by the recording engineers. Voices of Light is a truly moving piece of music that should appeal to a wide variety of listeners, and I urge those who enjoy more traditional choral music and oratorios to give Einhorn's creation a serious audition. I could not help but chuckle when I saw that medieval-music supergroup Anonymous 4 got top billing on the cover of this CD, but I guess that just reflects marketing realities.

5/5 Beautiful music
  by Ann Claypool (Atlanta, GA United States)
I heard this CD playing at a friend's home and ordered it the next day. I have enjoyed listening to it repeatedly and find it powerfully moving and beautiful.

5/5 It's as good as everyone says it is!
  by Wesley Clark (Springfield, Virginia)
If I were Richard Einhorn, reading all these laudatory reviews, I would be wary. Could this work really be as good as everyone is saying? And, even so, will people still have the same high regard for it fifty years from now?

Yes and yes!

This Voices of Light oratorio is a modern masterwork. Film music only rarely gets this good; I am thinking of Corligliano's "The Red Violin" and Vaughan Williams' "Sinfonia Antartica." But this music is more deeply affecting emotionally than either, I think. And... perhaps it really isn't film music as it stands apart from the Dreyer film quite well.

Well done, Richard Einhorn, well done! I look forward to hearing your other works...




5/5 One of my favorites
  by Janvil (Tx)
The first time I'd heard this was in 2000, I think. It was being played on a local radio station at about 6am and I was absolutely hooked. I intend to buy this again after posting this review but this time I won't let any friends borrow it!

5/5 OUTSTANDING
  by W. Robinson
This music, especially in conjunction with the film "The Passion of Joan of Arc" is both moving and hauntingly The Passion of Joan of Arc (Criterion Collection Spine #62)Richard Einhorn: Voices Of Lightmemorable. Simply put, I highly recommend it.