Classical Music

Classical Music

Classical Music

REVIEW:



The creation of music for this significant annual season has occupied composers of the 17th and 18th centuries in numerous ways involving not only liturgical works but also newly written cantatas or pastorales that focus upon both the nativity itself and the importance of the birth of Christ for humanity. In short, it is an inspirational time of year that seems tailor-made to write music of all types and varieties.

Neapolitan music of the early galant heralds the emerging Classical style, always lyrical, homophonic, and graced with contrasts that allow for emotions within the music to emerge. It is equally significant that Naples not only housed famous teachers in the conservatories, but that these taught and inspired men such as Cimarosa, Paisiello, and others, without whom Italian opera would be quite bereft. One such was Francesco Durante, who although he did not compose opera nonetheless left his mark on a huge number of people ranging from his protégé Giovanni Pergolesi to the aforementioned. It is good to see that his music, mostly written for the church, is undergoing somewhat of a rediscovery, for it represents a vital historical link in the development of Classical-period music. Durante began his career at the San Onofrio Conservatory in 1710 at the age of 26, and within 20 years was hailed as the foremost maestro in the city, although he was now at the Poveri di Gesù Cristo Conservatory. His third and final post was maestro at the Santa Maria Conservatory in 1742, meaning that he was active virtually everywhere in the city.

This disc presents one of his Christmas motets, Ad presepe venite, to which is added two Marian Magnificats, a litany, and a Mass that Durante labeled for some reason “Pastorale.” Of these, the motet is clearly the most advanced work, with oboes and horns that add a particular brightness to the sound in the first movement. This is a lilting pastoral Siciliano in 12/8 time, in which the soloists act as a chorus of the whole. The harmony is mainly triadic, but one can feel the bucolic nature of the work. The first aria, “Candida lumina,” has a soaring melodic line that contains extensive coloratura, with some nice register leaps. The central section seems a bit perfunctory, but that just outlines the faster portions all the better. The work concludes with a duet for alto and tenor, a solemn-paced pastoral movement that would not be out of place in Vivaldi, especially with some nicely pungent suspension. The two Magnificats are more conservative works, although the second, in C Minor, is a short, sweet chorus with only an organ continuo to back it up. This is clearly useful, meant for churches with little resources. The Mass has a wonderful chromatic line in the violin, and Durante makes good use of pedal points to anchor the sometimes angular choral writing.

The performance by Michael Willens and his Cologne Academy is excellent. He keeps the tempos moving along nicely, and the instruments phrase things quite sensitively. Roberta Mameli has a bright, clear voice, handling the various displays with little effort, such as the melismas of the “Candida Lumine” aria in the motet. In this same work, Ursula Eittinger blends well with tenor Andreas Post, although she often seems closer to an alto than a mezzo. Her voice is nicely resonant and has more depth than one might expect. Stephan McLeod also has some wonderful declamatory lines in the B♭-Major Magnificat. In short, this is a recording that not only continues Willens as one of the premier Baroque/Classical interpreters, it also offers a crucial and well-performed insight into a composer who is only now beginning to be recognized for his impact on the development of the Classical style. My only moment of surprise is that only the motet actually incorporates the oboes and horns; surely a selection of Durante’s music can be found to make more use of these instruments. Still, this comes highly recommended.

-- Fanfare

DURANTE Pastorale Cito Pastores. Laudate pueri “breve detto il Grottesco.” Litani à due voci con violini in e. Mass in F “In afflictionis tempore” • Michael Alexander Willens, cond; Monica Piccinini (sop); Christina Kühne (sop); Ursula Eittinger (alt); Alberto ter Doest (ten); Thilo Dahlmann (bs); Kölner Akademie (period instruments) • CPO 777 734 (70:27 Text and Translation)

Last year at this time (received just before Christmas but not to appear until several months into the year), I reviewed the first disc of Neapolitan Christmas music by Francesco Durante recorded by the Kölner Akademie under Michael Willens. My recommendation at that time was that this sort of music, commonplace in Naples during the 18th century, ought to be made more available. After another season of the usual Messiah overload and unending Archangelo Corelli Christmas Concerto performances on the radio (along with the other usual popular and traditional seasonal detritus), it was good to obtain this sequel, one sure to provide a measure of novelty as well as a proper complement to the holidays.

Durante, one of the major figures of galant Naples and a teacher to many a great Classical era Italian composer (Pergolesi, Piccinni, among others), was himself thoroughly immersed in the vibrant Neapolitan musical scene, of which the Christmas season was particularly favored for a wide variety of works. Here, conductor Willens continues his quest to revive Durante’s contributions through four sacred works, including a traditional pastorale, a sort of short cantata consisting of an introductory chorus, a pair of recitatives, an aria, and a final duet. The “brief” Laudate pueri , a single movement setting of Psalm 113, was entitled “il Grottesco” by Abbate Fortunato Santini in the 19th century, and although the name has stuck, there is certainly nothing “grotesque” about the lyrical piece, so one doesn’t really know what Santini was thinking. The Mass is typical of the period in Naples, with a setting of only the Kyrie and Gloria, although each is subdivided into individual movements. Here, Durante expands his spare string orchestra to include pairs of horns (in the two “Kyrie eleison” movements and the final “Cum sancto spiritu” fugue), oboes, and trumpets (in, you guessed it, the Gloria movement, though Durante uses both horns and trumpets in the Quoniam), offering a rich texture that foreshadows that of the Classical period.

The pastoral Cito Pastores is mainly homophonic, with the gently susurrating rhythms of a compound meter Siciliano. The opening aria is in a lengthy, strophic form that stays mainly in the principal key, clearly meant for meditative thought. The soprano aria that follows (after a short recitative) has light coloratura for the voice, nothing especially daunting, but rather nicely flowing. The final duet has the soprano and alto beginning in a soft minor key, but rapidly changing to Vivaldian parallel thirds with the final text “Gloria sit in caelo.” The Laudate pueri begins with a rather stark unison scalar descent which goes beyond the octave to the third below, a neat and rather distinctive harmonic twist, and while the bulk of the work is a series of nicely homophonic lines, the “Sicut erat” begins contrapuntally but devolves quickly into a series of neat suspensions with antiphonal effects. The Litany is highly reminiscent of Vivaldi in its parallel thirds and suspensions above an insistent ostinato that changes the harmony constantly. Here the purity of the vocal line, now with the soprano and alto echoing each other, now in tandem, overshadows the lighter string accompaniment to give a more ethereal sound. Finally, the Mass is a kaleidoscope of various early styles, with the syncopated violins above the chordal sound of the horns and voices in the Kyrie contrasting with the very severe fugue of the Christe. The Gloria, with its melismatic opening in the voices and echoes from the oboes, strings, and trumpets, sounds again very Vivaldian, but the suspensive “Et in terra pax hominibus” is a solemn and darker interlude. In many of the movements, such as the “Domine deus” and “Que sedes,” one hears echoes of Giovanni Pergolesi’s famed Stabat Mater , in one instance I seemed to hear a direct quote (but who is quoting from whom is another issue entirely, of course). The interplay between the horns, trumpets, and oboes in the “Quoniam” could have been written by Handel, although the insistent trills that conclude the introduction in both brass instruments add an element of novelty.

The Kölner Akademie has reduced its forces for this disc down to a bare minimum. For the orchestra, only pairs of violins and one on a part for the lower strings, while the soloists also double as the chorus. This lends the music a rather more transparent sound. Although there is plenty of opportunity for mistepping, the clarity and careful attention to intonation lend these pieces a perfect balance. Willens, who edited the Mass and Litany, keeps his tempos moving but at a sedate pace that is rather closely aligned to the precise phrasing of the music. Both tenor Alberto ter Doest and bass Thilo Dahlmann have relatively little to do, since female voices predominate. Monica Piccinini has a clear and accurate voice which blends nicely both with her equally adept partner, alto/mezzo-soprano Ursula Eittinger, and the reduced ensemble. This gives the recording a well-integrated quality that lets Durante’s creativity speak for itself. Even if this were not Christmas music, this disc would come highly recommended as a part of any early Classical period collection. It is a must for a truly memorable musical experience.

FANFARE: Bertil van Boer

2000 release. The Nutcracker Christmas Eve narrated by Prunella Scales with the Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Michael Halasz & the Moscow Symphony Orchestra conducted by Igor Golovschin.

Classical Music

Unlike the cantatas discussed in my review of Gottfried Stölzel's 1736/37 so-called "Christmas Oratorio" on CPO (type Q4082 in Search Reviews), these, composed in 1728 and intended for use during Christmas, are more musically substantive (but still concise) and offer some outstanding arias and duets. In addition, we hear recitatives that in harmonic and melodic effect are far more than just functional devices--and the choral sections, while relatively short, are also very well crafted, showing the work of a composer adept at devising solid thematic material and knowing how to keep it interesting. The stylistic similarities to Bach will be obvious to anyone familiar with the cantatas of the slightly older master (he was five years Stölzel's senior), and if you really try, your imagination may trick you into believing you're hearing a direct reference or two--a little thematic slice here, an orchestral flourish there--and certainly Stölzel's use of compound meter in the duet aria "Heller Aufgang aus der Höhe" with obbligato violin (from the opening cantata) is a page right out of any number of Bach's works in the genre.


But the high quality of the writing, especially in the attractively shaped arias, bespeaks a composer with some fine ideas of his own. Try the alto/bass duet in the above-mentioned cantata, or the soprano solo in the following work, a lovely melody that dances liltingly along accompanied by oboes and strings. Here and throughout, soprano Christine Rembeck shows easy confidence to go with her beautiful voice, and her ornaments are attractive and effective. In fact, all of the singers are first rate, taking to their "roles" with obvious appreciation for such singable and satisfying music. There are some unusual features of scoring, such as the alto aria in the Christmas cantata Kündlich groß ist das gottselige Geheimnis, with its eerie continuo doubling and violins weaving around above the voice in thirds.


The oboe concerto is a feisty work that wastes not a note, from the lively opening Allegro to the short Andante that begins in faux-passacaglia fashion with only upper strings accompanying the soloist. The third movement is a compact Allegro with enough challenging flourishes and fleeting runs to satisfy an oboist looking for a few moments to show off. Stölzel shows imagination in his chorale harmonizations--from the trumpet-tinged In diesem Licht kannst Du sehen to the simple and direct Gib mir, o Jesu, nur heilige gute Gedanken (which many listeners will recognize as "Lobet den Herren").


The recording is somewhat spacious and heavy on the resonance, which lends a hugeness to the sound that swallows some detail in the tutti sections. And--typically and irritatingly--MDG provides only German texts (with no accompanying track numbers). On first listen, I thought I was not going to have a whole lot to say about this music--but the more I listened, the more I enjoyed, and it's likely you'll do the same. These are really fine works that competent church choirs and accomplished college and community choral groups should seriously consider as alternatives to programs typically heavy on Bach and Handel.
--David Vernier, ClassicsToday.com

Classical Music

Nothing heralds the majesty of Christmastime quite like the brilliance and radiant beauty of music for brass instruments. On this remastered reissue of a classic holiday favorite, the Gabriel V Brass Ensemble presents a special collection of music for Christmas written by a variety of masters of the genre including Rolf Smedvig, Anthony DiLorenzo, Morten Lauridsen and William Berry. From the overflow of joy in J.S. Bach's Wie will ich mich freuen to the cinematic soundscape of DiLorenzo's Baltazar (A King's Journey) to the rosy-cheeked romp of Leroy Andersen's Sleigh Ride, each piece adds new luster to your celebration of this glorious season.

Classical Music

For TRACKLIST/PERFORMERS SUMMARY, please expand note below:

One of the best parts of the Halle Christmas celebration is the inclusion of the entire Halle family- the Halle and Halle Choir, as well as Halle’s Youth Choir and Children’s Choir. This lovely collection of popular, rare, and newly discovered holiday gems will bring festivity to all of your holiday gatherings. Compositions include works from film composers such as John Williams and Nigel Hess, as well as choral superstars like John Rutter and John Gardner. Especially notable is the orchestral showpiece Noel!, which was written specifically for Halle and conductor Stephen Bell by Roderick Elms, and is receiving here its world premiere recording. “A lovely festive celebration and a reminder of what Christmas is all about” (Oldham Chronicle)

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TRACKLIST/PERFORMERS:

A Christmas Overture - Nigel Hess
O Holy Night Adam - arr. Battiwalla *
Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day - John Gardner ^
In Dulci Jubilo - arr. Pearsall *^
Noel - Roderick Elms
Somewhere in my Memory - John Williams ~
Fairytale Sleighride - Adam Saunders
Angels’ Carol - John Rutter *
Waltz, Winter Bonfire - Sergei Prokofiev
Personent Hodie - arr. Gustav Holst *
The Holy Boy - John Ireland
Jesus Christ the Apple Tree - Elizabeth Poston ^
A Christmas Carnival - Richard Bissill
In The Bleak Midwinter - Harold Darke/Christina Rossetti *^
Dance of the Tumblers - Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
Christmas on the Beach at Waikiki - Marta Keen arr. Alwyn Green ~
Sleighride - Leroy Anderson
We wish you a Merry Christmas *^

Conductor
Stephen Bell

Soloists/Artists
Hallé Choir *
Hallé Youth Choir ^
Hallé Children's Choir ~

Leroy Anderson (1908-1975); John Rutter (b.1945)Victor Herbert (1859-1924); Englebert Humperdinck (1854-1921)Robert Chilcott (b. 1955); Cesar Franck (1822-1890); et al Eton College Chapel ChoirRalph Allwood, conductorDavid Goode, organ Anderson: A Christmas Festival; Musical Sleigh Ride; Traditional:Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star; Victor Herbert: March of the WoodenSoldiers; Bob Chilcott: Hey Now!; Cesar Franck: Panis Angelicus;John Rutter: Twelve Days of Christmas; Humperdick: Sandman's Song; Evening Prayer; John Williams: Somewhere in my Memory;Waldteufel: Skater's Waltz; Meakins: Penguin Song; Lane: Sleighbell Serenade; Britten: This Little Babe; Harrison: Christmas Hope;Koschat: Scheewalzer; etc.

Classical Music

Classical Music

WETZ Christmas Oratorio • George Alexander Albrecht, cond; Marietta Zumbült (sop); Máté Sólyom-Nagy (bar); Thuringian CO; Erfurt P Ch; Dombergchor Erfurt • CPO 777 638-2 (70:02 Text and Translation)


In Fanfare . 20:5, William Zagorski reviewed cpo’s release of the Requiem by Richard Wetz (1875–1935). His enthusiastic appraisal of the work is more or less identical to my reaction to this Christmas Oratorio, a later Wetz work completed in 1928. Zagorski’s concluding endorsement well applies to this new recording: “Does this obscure offering by an obscure composer belong in the international standard repertoire? After listening to this fine and illuminating performance, I can answer that question in a single word: absolutely.”


The Christmas Oratorio—powerful at times, artfully composed in a way that sustains interest over its considerable length, and often affecting—is a significant discovery. Cpo does the music a great service by issuing it in such a fine, polished performance. Unfortunately, listeners eager to learn about this inexplicably neglected composer are shortchanged by the absence of a basic biography of Wetz in the booklet notes. Zagorski had the same complaint, and I refer subscribers to his review in the Fanfare Archive. It provides biographical background originally found on the website Len@musicweb-international.com.


The oratorio has a three-part structure comparable to that of L’Enfance du Christ, though it’s less of a dramatic narrative, and lacks Berlioz’s moments of exoticism. The titles of the work’s three sections are “Expectation and Annunciation,” “The Birth of Christ,” and “The Three Kings.” Wetz’s text is made up of a sequence of old German folk poems and his musical setting effectively interweaves folk-like material into a more complex chromatic style. Part II builds to a grand finale and part III ends with a big, jubilant double fugue, a contrapuntal tour de force , but much of the oratorio maintains a consoling tone that steers clear of sentimentality or bombast. The overall effect is not unlike that of the Brahms Requiem.


Wetz’s three symphonies composed in the manner of Bruckner have been issued by cpo and praised by three Fanfare critics. There are some Brucknerian climaxes in the Christmas Oratorio, but its overall feeling has more of a kinship with the tuneful, evocative music of Hansel and Gretel . Wetz’s melodic lines have some of the character of Parsifal’s simpler leitmotifs, and his adherence to tonality has something in common with the music of his Austrian contemporary Franz Schmidt. But in re-listening to Schmidt’s 1935–37 oratorio The Book of the Seven Seals , its eclectic, more operatic striving for effect strikes me as more effortful than Wetz’s approach. Of course, the Book of Revelation calls for something less gentle than the Nativity story.


There’s a recurring pattern in the Christmas Oratorio that Zagorski notes in Wetz’s Requiem, a musical movement from darkness to light, or conflict to resolution. Wetz’s careful chromatic writing, often imitative, creates a mysterious, brooding atmosphere that’s eventually dispelled by the opposite mood. We hear the former in opening orchestral prelude, among many other passages, and the latter in the first entrance of the women’s chorus with a simple diatonic folk tune. It’s a magical effect.


If the names of the provincial-sounding choruses and orchestra are unfamiliar to you, have no fear. They perform at the highest level. Conductor George Alexander Albrecht leads an inspiring, well-balanced performance and it doesn’t hurt that the baritone soloist, Máté Sólyom-Nagy, who has a large role, sounds uncannily like Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau in his prime: a pure and resonant voice with glorious diction. Marietta Zumbült is adequate, but a more radiant, secure soprano soloist would have made this a perfect performance. The recorded sound is properly resonant with a wide dynamic range.


FANFARE: Paul Orgel

Baby, It's Cold Outside

Classical Music

This CD was previously available as Gothic 47931.

The Choirs of Holy Name Cathedral in Chicago include the two ensembles heard on this recording: the Cathedral Chamber Singers and the Gallery Singers, both founded in 1980. Coming from a wide spectrum of professions and interests, these singers enrich the sacred liturgy with offerings of the best choral repertoire, from Gregorian chant to the avant-garde, accompanied by the rich resources of two organs (Casavant 1981, II/19 and Flentrop 1989, IV/71) and Petit & Fritsen handbells. Music at Holy Name Cathedral continues to serve as an outreach to the wider community, inspired by the words of Joseph Cardinal Bernardin, previous Archbishop of Chicago: "Our songs proclaim that faith is worth singing about!"

For over fifty years, Britain’s foremost recorder player, John Turner, has composed a carol and sent the score as his Christmas Card. Until now just a personal gift to his friends, John was persuaded to record a selection, which has led to this beautiful album. Presented by the chamber choir Intimate Voices (which also performs as Voces Intimae) and featuring sopranos Sasha Johnson Manning, Eleanor Gregory and Philippa Hyde in solo and duet pieces, with obbligato harp and oboe in some, this is a lovely mixed programme of Nativity carols, composed very much in traditional style, in new settings of ancient texts. John Turner is a fine composer but is chiefly known as a recorder player and champion of contemporary composers, with dozens of recordings to his credit, many from Divine Art and Métier.

Includes night of silence. Ensemble: Cathedral Singers. Conductor: Richard Proulx.
Includes puer natus est in bethlehem. Ensemble: Cathedral Singers. Conductor: Richard Proulx.

This is the third Christmas album from the Grammy Award-winning Washington Chorus, a large mixed choir founded in 1961, but the first with conductor Julian Wachner. This is an ideal holiday album for listeners looking for traditional carols sung enthusiastically by a large group. The chorus is joined by the Whitman Choir, a high school group, and an ensemble of brass, percussion, organ, and harp. The instruments provide a full, almost orchestral sound, and provide a colorful and lively accompaniment. The chorus sings with a rich, full tone and infectious energy. The carols, with just a few exceptions, are Christmas standards that will be familiar to most listeners. A variety of illustrious choral conductors, including David Willcocks, Norman Luboff, and Wachner himself have created inventive and lively arrangements that never stray too far from the originals. The recording was made at a live performance in 2009, and that is evident in the sound quality. The brass is very present, but the chorus, in spite of its fullness and volume, seems somewhat distant. In the program notes, Wachner comments that the decision to retain the ambience of the actual performance, which includes audience participation in several of the carols, was intentional. The CD should appeal to fans of traditional Christmas music looking for a big choral sound, but who aren't picky about having immaculate, perfectly balanced sound.

-- Stephen Eddin, All Music Guide

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"this recording presents a rich tapestry of music for the holiday season. Dorian Recordingshas done a remarkable job not only recording the live performance, but also in capturing the joyous spirit that embodied the singers and the audience."

-- Examiner.com

'Ring in the Holidays' with the joyous sounds of Christmas performed on the world's largest range of handbells. The Westminster Concert Handbell Choir is one if America's leading handbell ensemble and has appeared on the Today Show, Mister Rogers' Neighborhood and the broadcast of the Christmas Tree Lighting at Rockefeller Center. Merry Christmas to All!

Classical Music