Includes work(s) by Antonio Lotti.

Classical Music

In the program booklet for this CD, it says: "The American dream has been challenged throughout history. On August 24, 1814, the British attacked Washington, DC and burned the White House. On December 7, 1941, the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. Most recently, on September 11, 2001, terrorists attacked the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Throughout all these attacks, American has prevailed. The dream goes on. This album is dedicated to the men and women who gave their lives so that we can be free. The dream goes on." If your customer is looking for a new CD that has all the most patriotic melodies gathered in one place, in great performances and terrific sound, then this is the disc you are looking for.

This CD usefully gathers together the four most significant works in Brahms’s output for chorus and orchestra, with the obvious exception of Ein deutsches Requiem. Readers will already have noticed the rather niggardly playing time so let me hasten to assure them that it is only in this respect that the disc offers short measure: the music and the performances are of high quality.

The young English conductor, Robin Ticciati, has attracted a great deal of favourable notice in a relatively short space of time. Already installed as chief conductor of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra (from the 2009/10 season) he will become First guest conductor of the Bamberger Symphoniker from the 2010/11 season. This, I suspect, is his first recording with the orchestra and in it he reveals himself to be a fine Brahmsian.

The Alto Rhapsody is the best-known piece on the programme and I was very pleased to see the British mezzo, Alice Coote in the solo role. I saw her sing the piece on television a year or two ago at the Henry Wood Promenade Concerts. Here, freed from the necessity of projecting into such a vast auditorium as the Royal Albert Hall she can sing with the proper intimacy that much of the piece requires. It’s a remarkable work in many ways. The later Gesang der Parzen has a surprisingly large amount of dissonance in its harmonies but the way is surely paved in the searching music of the Rhapsody. Ticciati conducts it with maturity and is successful at laying out the stark winter landscape portrayed in the opening pages. Alice Coote sings very well; her vocal production is unforced and her warm, expressive tone gives much pleasure. Throughout the piece her voice is in good focus and I especially admired her poise at the telling phrase “Die Öde verschlingt ihn”. Ticciati accompanies his soloist considerately and his orchestra realises the textures of the music very well. Miss Coote is successful in putting across the introspective side of the piece and then, when the famous heart-easing melody appears - “Ist auf deinem Psalter” – her delivery of it is lovely, with the male voices of the choir in good support.

I came to know Nänie several years ago through taking part in a series of performances; it’s a very fine piece. It is, as Colin Anderson says in his booklet note, a work that contains “music of rapt contemplation and remarkable loveliness”. Indeed, the oboe melody that’s heard near the start is of a stature comparable with the theme for the same instrument in the slow movement of Brahms’ Violin Concerto. Ticciati leads a splendid performance. The music unfolds with due spaciousness and warmth but without any suspicion of wallowing. The choir is full-toned and well balanced. They produce some fine quiet singing but, when required, there’s ample power without any need to force the tone. It’s a very satisfying performance and to my ears Ticciati seems to get everything just right.

Gesang der Parzen is, musically, a very different proposition. This was the composer’s last work for choir and orchestra and it contains a good deal of turbulent, dark music. The darkness is emphasised by elements of Brahms’ scoring. He includes parts for a contrabassoon and a tuba while the choir is divided into six parts, including two alto parts and two bass parts. The piece begins quietly and from the outset a marked and appropriate degree of tension is present. The volume is increased significantly for the second stanza of the words, which are by Goethe, beginning “Der fürchte sie doppelt” (“Let he [who is raised up by them] fear them doubly”) and the choir rise to the occasion with some exciting singing. The whole piece is concentrated and is tragic in tone. Ticciati directs his forces with admirable energy. The spectral end, in which the contrabassoon is a discreet but telling presence, is well managed.

Schicksalslied mixes the sublime and the dramatic. The spacious introduction, in warm E flat major, is one of the most radiant passages of Brahms that I know. In this account the muted violins sing out the main theme most affectingly while the timpani pound quietly underneath. The gentle entry of the choir – led excellently by the altos – sustains the mood of the introduction perfectly. Later, at “Doch uns ist gegeben”, the music plunges abruptly into C minor and Brahms’ music is bitingly dramatic, recalling “Tod, wo ist dein Stachel” in Ein deutsches Requiem. Finally, Brahms relents and revisits the music of the introduction, but this time in C major. This is balm after the storm and I always think that the prominence of the flute in this reprise emphasises the lightening of the textures and the parting of the storm-clouds. The whole performance of this fine work strikes me as a complete success.

There have been comparable couplings of these four short masterpieces in the past. Claudio Abbado did them all to excellent effect with the Berliner Philharmoniker for DG in the early 1990s (435 791-2) and they were also recorded for Decca by Herbert Blomstedt in 1989, during his time in San Francisco. However, I’m not sure that either set of recordings is currently available. Even if they are, this newcomer offers an excellent alternative. Not only are the performances very good but also the recorded sound is very satisfying – I listened to this hybrid SACD in conventional CD form. My only reservation about the otherwise well-produced booklet is that the English and French translations of Nänie and of Gesang der Parzen are not aligned with the German words.

On this occasion I’d urge collectors to overlook the short playing time. These are very fine examples of the art of Brahms and they’ve been well served in these excellent recordings. I hope this is a harbinger of the forthcoming partnership between Robin Ticciati and this distinguished German orchestra.


-- John Quinn, MusicWeb International

Born of an international broadcast for Public Radio International, and inspired by a commissioned premiere on a familiar Christmas tune, Christmas Daybreak captures the honest clarity and thoughtful artistry of The Crossing. In the world premiere recording of James MacMillan's dramatic motet 'Alpha and Omega,' the choir soars and celebrates, while in the contemplative works of Andrew Gant, Edwin Fissinger, and Gabriel Jackson (featured on four tracks) the hallmark warmth and care of their singing is heard. Premiere recordings of two works featuring beloved tunes in creative contemporary arrangements center this collection: Benjamin C.S. Boyle's the Carols for Wintertide (featuring Lo, how a rose) and Zachary Wadsworth's Gabriel's Message (on the familiar Basque tune) - both feature Scott Dettra at the colorful organ of St. Paul's Church, Chestnut Hill, whose choir joins The Crossing for Wadsorth's new opus.

Classical Music

Music has been a part of military functions for thousands of years. From the time that it was used to incite or distract the enemy to the concert halls and ceremonies of today, the primary role of ceremonial music has not changed: to promote pride, devotion to duty, and esprit de corps. This album, performed by The United States Air Force Concert Band, Ceremonial Brass and Singing Sergeants is comprised of a collection of fanfares, honors, marches, hymns, military songs and bugle calls. Each track was recorded with the intention of providing appropriate, dignified music for military ceremonies when a band is otherwise unavailable. Specific selections are included for a retirement ceremony, parade, retreat ceremony and a military funeral. Led by Colonel Lowell E. Graham, the United states Air Force Concert Band plays with distinction on each selection, making Esprit de Corps a memorable, distinguished album.

Missa Papae Marcelli, or Pope Marcellus Mass, is a mass by Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina. It is his most well-known and most often-performed mass, and is frequently taught in university courses on music. It was always[citation needed] sung at the Papal Coronation Mass (the last being the coronation of Paul VI in 1963). The Missa Papae Marcelli consists, like most Renaissance masses, of a Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus/Benedictus, and Agnus Dei, though the third part of the Agnus Dei is a separate movement (designated "Agnus II").The mass is freely composed, not based upon a cantus firmus or parody. Perhaps because of this, the mass is not as thematically consistent as Palestrina's masses based on models. It is primarily a six-voice mass, but voice combinations are varied throughout the piece; Palestrina scores Agnus II for seven voices, and the use of the full forces is reserved for specific climactic portions in the text. It is set primarily in a homorhythmic, declamatory style, with little overlapping of text and a general preference for block chords such that the text can clearly be heard in performance, unlike many polyphonic masses of the 16th century. As in much of Palestrina's contrapuntal work, voices move primarily in stepwise motion, and the voice leading strictly follows the rules of the diatonic modes codified by theorist Gioseffo Zarlino.

Classical Music

Antonín Dvořák’s huge popularity in England was built largely on the success of his Stabat Mater, which hehad conducted there in 1884 and 1885. It was well suited to the country’s choral traditions and ledeventually to a commission for a Requiem, which was premièred in Birmingham in 1891. Written in tenmonths during tours to Russia, England and Germany, its success was immediate. Sitting closer to thetradition of Cherubini than Verdi, its tone is compassionate and reflective, devoid of unnecessary drama,and movingly crafted with great sophistication.

Vol. 2 features Gebel’s Cantatas from the 1747-48 cycle that he wrote for church services on New Year's Day and the 1st Sunday after Epiphany. These large-scale Christmas cantatas appear for the 1st time on CD. Once again, as in the St John Passion (also released by CPO), we admire the unparalleled harmonies, modern melodies and artfully intricate counterpoint of Gebel's distinctive and novel idiom.

The fourth album on Ondine by the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir is dedicated to the composer’s complete works for mixed choir. The award-winning choir, one of the finest of its kind internationally, is conducted here by leading Finnish choir director Heikki Seppänen. Choral music was a genre in which Sibelius showed interest from his student days to the near close of his life. This double-disc set includes patriotic works, works closely connected to the Finnish national epic Kalevala, student works, Christmas songs, works based on Finnish poetry, works written for school (including Three Songs for American Schools) as well as works written for academic promotions, inauguration ceremonies and different official occasions. It also includes two versions of the famous Finlandia Hymn. The Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir’s first Ondine release was given an ‘Editor’s Choice’ by the Gramophone Magazine and ‘Disc of the Year’ by German weekly Die Zeit.

REVIEW:

The Finnish choral tradition was rich and active when Sibelius came of age as a composer in the late 1880s, and he wrote choral works all his life. The pieces on this rewarding recording range from folk songs suffused with Finnish character to enigmatic works with sometimes dark lyrics. There are festival and school songs, patriotic anthems, a cantata for an academic degree ceremony and, inevitably, two versions of “Finlandia.” Most of the pieces are a cappella. Many unfold in clear, block-chord settings of the texts. If you want to stump friends with a guessing game, play the beguiling, slightly strange “Glade of Tuoni” from this recording and ask them to identify the composer. You’ll win, as you will by picking up this album.

– New York Times

This new album’s title piece, Passion according to St Luke, is a 30-minute work in eight movements which was completed by composer Eriks Esenvalds in 2014. Latvian composer Eriks Esenvalds (b. 1977) is one of the top composers of vocal music, and one of the foremost Latvian composers of this generation. This album features works composed by Esenvalds from 2006 until now. Prior recordings by the Latvian Radio Choir have been extremely well-received. Their recording of Rachmaninov’s All-Night Vigil was chosen as Editor’s Choice, Record of the Month, and received a nomination in the Gramophone awards.

Classical Music

The goal of the Telemann Festival Days in Magdeburg is to perform the works by Georg Philipp Telemann in concert with artists of international rank. The focus of the festival program is formed by full-length, magnificent compositions including operas, oratorios, passions, and cantatas. Telemann’s "absolutely stunning productivity" (Georg von Dadelsen) manifests itself in special measure in his cantata oeuvre. And in the cantatas heard on this new CD, recorded during a concert held at the next-to-last day of the festival, Telemann again proves to be among the eighteenth-century’s most important composers of sacred music.

Throughout his life Telemann collaborated with outstanding poets who wrote his sacred music texts mostly for complete annual cycles. This practice enabled him to design each annual cycle – seventy as a rule - with two cantatas for each Sunday and feast day, in accordance with distinctive program concepts. Telemann's compositions of great variety are often opulently endowed with a full instrumental ensemble and in this way emphasize the significance of each particular feast day. Telemann often goes far beyond the customary expressive intensity of the traditional two-part form involving the setting of biblical quotations, resulting in highly gripping and brilliant music!

- CPO [Translated from German notes]

Classical Music

TELEMANN Herr, wir liegen für dir mit unserm Gebet, TWV 1: 781. Es wollt uns Gott genädig sein, TWV 1:544. Es spricht der Unweisen Mund, TWV 1:533a. So ziehet nun an, TWV 1:1390. Wertes Zion, sei getrost, TWV 1: 1606 • Gotthold Schwarz, cond; Siri Karoline Thornhill (sop); Stefan Kahle (ct); Susanne Krumbiegel (alt); Tobias Hunger (ten); Gotthold Schwarz (bs); Bach Consort Leipzig; Sächsisches Barock O (period instruments) • CPO 777 7532 (70:36 Text and Translation)


It is no surprise that Telemann, along with Johann Sebastian Bach and Christoph Graupner, can be considered the main composers of the Lutheran cantata during the first half of the 18th century. After all, the Harmonisches Gottesdienst was meant to provide first-rate but easily performable cantatas in cyclic form for the year for places that were missing larger vocal and instrumental forces, and this published set is only a small tithe of the works that he was to write for the church. Thus, calling this set of five works Luther Cantatas , as the title of the disc has it, rather begs the question of redundancy. Nevertheless, when three texts of that number are by Erdmann Neumeister, the main promoter of the genre, such a rubric should be accepted.


These works are all outgrowths of the Magdeburg Telemann Festival, which annually seems to unearth and perform an almost inexhaustible supply of the composer’s music, and the 21st season was devoted to the theme of his connection with Luther. As was usual with Telemann, the structure of these cantatas varies considerably. The first, Herr, wir liegen für dir , is conventional, with pairs of arias and recitatives bookended by the choral “Dictum” and a final chorale. In the second, the usual recitative is omitted altogether, and it is prefaced by a nicely suspensive sinfonia, while in the third Telemann dispenses with the arias, allowing the threefold choral repetitions (two chorales and a final chorus) to be separated by brief recitatives, the second of which does have a brief devolution into a duet Dictum at the end. The movements can be rather conventional, such as his square setting of A mighty fortress in the final cantata Wertes Zion , or the other chorale tunes. But he also inserts moments of harmonic and melodic boldness, such as the tortuous melismas of the aria “Weg, ihr Sünden” in the first cantata, which get spun out by the bass as if to underscore the text “kränkt mich nicht” (do not constrict or grieve me). The second cantata even ends with a gnarly contrapuntal “Amen” fugue that seems startling, given the almost homophonic nature of the preceding chorales. Telemann is also quite inventive in terms of his use of instrumentation. In the first aria of the first cantata, “Was ich an Gerechtigkeit,” the two flutes (traversos) weave a gentle crystalline minuet around a flowing soprano line that is like a clear brook. In the first duet of the second cantata, Es wollt uns Gott , the oboes are wonderfully throaty, with their darker tone colors emphasizing some curious harmonic inflections that support the parallel thirds of the solo voices. In the last cantata, Telemann uses his high trumpets both as soaring clarion calls and as fanfares. In the chorus, “Seid böse, ihr Völker,” the admonitions of the voices are punctuated by a militaristic brass line, which is suddenly interrupted by plaintive minor-key insertions that provide abrupt and effective dramatic contrast.


In short, these are all excellent examples of the Lutheran church cantata of the time, equal to the same sort of works that were being turned out by Bach over in Leipzig. Conductor Gotthold Schwarz keeps the ensemble clean and crisp, with a nice variety of tempos that emphasize Telemann’s contrasts. He also functions as bass soloist, with a light tone that handles the often twisting lines well. Soprano Siri Thornhill has a bright voice that can sound, as in the aria “Was ich an Gerechtigkeit,” innocent and reticent, just what the Affekt requires. Countertenor Stefan Kahle and alto Susanne Krumbiegel are flexible, as is the precise tone of tenor Tobias Hunger. In short, not only are these fine examples of Telemann’s style in cantata writing, the performances support and present them in a way that promotes their compositional features. My only quibble is that I seem to hear a pair of horns in the background of the straightforward chorale “Ein feste Burg,” which are not mentioned in the list of personnel. That does provide a nice support for the voices, but they should have been mentioned. Other than that, this is a disc that Telemann collectors will want. Recommended.


FANFARE: Bertil van Boer

Following the recent CPO releases of Johann Wilhelm Hertel’s opulent Christmas oratorio and passion cantata Der sterbende Heiland, the label now presents several other highly imaginative sacred works by this composer, most of them written for religious services at the Mecklenburg-Schwerin court. Along with the sinfonia from a cantata for the birthday celebration of the then Duke Friedrich, the program includes two motets, a peace composition, and two cantatas. All the choral works are closely associated with chorales and their special execution during the 18th c.

(SACD-HYBRID) Fredrik Malmberg, conductor and artistic director of the ensemble, is one of the most sought-after of choral conductors in Sweden today. Harmony of Voices was formed in the autumn of 2003 and rapidly established itself as one of the most exciting vocal ensembles in Sweden. The repertoire of this album is concentrated on Early Music and the ensemble's capacity to combine historical authenticity with creative interpretation has won it considerable renown. This disc is an ideal demonstration of the superior clarity, detail and coherence of the SACD Medium.

It is rare to hear a composition for big band paired with a classical chorus, but composer Siobhan Lamb is known for bringing these seemingly disparate elements together with a deft hand. Pairing this musical palette with texts from the Oscar Wilde story of the same name yields a unique result. The Nightingale and the Rose was originally commissioned by the WDR Big Band and Symphonic Choir in Germany, but is here performed in a new incarnation by the Danish Radio Big Band & Choir.

Baroque master Telemann set the St. Luke Passion in 11 different versions. He did so because he composed for 5 of Hamburg’s principal churches and had the task of setting the passion narrative from the Gospel of Luke in alternation with those in Matthew, Mark, and John at regular y year intervals. He did not want to repeat himself in this performance series.

PALESTRINA: Missa de Beata Virgine

Classical Music

Classical Music

Classical Music