My enthusiasm for Volume 1 in the Bach Collegium Japan's cycle of Bach's cantatas continues here in a program that includes a work (BWV 131) based on conductor Masaaki Suzuki's favorite psalm, number 130. (In the notes to the first volume Suzuki candidly declares how important his Christian convictions are to his interpretations, and describes his relationship to Bach as "fellows in faith"). Though thematically based on the depths and multitudes of sin, Bach's settings here are not entirely solemn--nor are Suzuki's spirited renderings. The opening selection, Gott ist mein König, begins with a striking choral "Gott!" followed by enough resounding brass and percussion to simultaneously excite the layman and instill joyous consolation among the faithful. Bass Peter Kooy's more somber though equally compelling fourth-movement aria "Tag und Nacht ist dein" couldn't be more lovely; as the singer muses over God's omniscient reach, he's partnered by a lingering melody that anticipates the composer's famous Sinfonia in C. Likewise countertenor Yoshikazu Mera shines in his brief aria "Durch mächtige Kraft", accompanied only by a trio of trumpet, organ, and timpani.


Arguably one of Bach's most angst-ridden cantatas, Aus der Tiefe rufe ich Herr, zu dir gets a reading that equals if not surpasses Günther Ramin's legendary 1952 account (a statement heretofore unimaginable). Though nearly as dramatically slow in tempo as Ramin, Suzuki often subtly mutes the choir, which heightens the overall impression of humility, misery, despair, and lifelong repentance. Also unlike Ramin, who unfortunately had only less-than-accurate editions at his disposal, Suzuki includes an additional soprano (Midori Suzuki) whose sublime laments beautifully complement Kooy's second-movement aria.


From Bach's so-called "Mühlhausen period" (where he held the post of organist at Mühlhausen's Church of St. Blasius) his Actus Tragicus funeral cantata (Gottes Zeit ist die allerbeste Zeit) remains his most popular and oft-recorded work. While long-standing favorite recordings include such diverse readings as Karl Richter's grand Munich Bach Orchestra modern-instrument performance and the Collegium Aureum's much more intimate original-instrument account, Suzuki again successfully combines the best of both approaches. The famed opening instrumental sonatina couldn't be more graceful and appropriately suggestive of another world. As well, tenor Gerd Türk and countertenor Yoshikazu Mera deliver exceptionally lovely performances, particularly in the third-movement choral. This Actus Tragicus surely is one of the best, if not the best currently available (both of the recordings mentioned above are scarce imports). BIS again complements Suzuki's achievement with state-of-the-art sonics and engaging and informative booklet notes by Suzuki and Tadashi Isoyama. Highly recommended. [3/5/2003]
--John Greene, ClassicsToday.com

Copland & Thomson: Sacred & Secular Choral Music - Celebrating the centenary of Aaron Copland's birth, Gloriae Dei Cantores presents a broad spectrum of choral music by Aaron Copland and Virgil Thomson. These two musical giants exemplified the ideals of American culture and established a truly American style for music. The centerpiece for this recording is the first American recording in many years of Copland's choral masterpiece In the Beginning, featuring American mezzo-soprano Luretta Bybee. Also included are Thomson's beloved Four Southern Hymns and some of his fascinating early works written during his sojourn in Paris, and a selection of vibrant choral arrangements of Copland's Old American Songs. "Best of all are the Hymns from the Old South, sung with care, elegant but never lost their bright simplicity. Green Fields may be the loveliest hymn I've ever heard." - American Record Guide

Wonderfully evocative British choral music written recently, from three fine but lesser-known composers and the better-known Michael Berkeley. For the Williamson Missa Tertia, the singers are joined by the Choir of St. Mary Magdalene, Oxford.

Fans of Benjamin Britten and of The Sixteen will rejoice at this reissue of material from the choir's acclaimed three-volume Britten series originally recorded for the now-defunct Collins label. (Presumably all of the music from the complete set eventually will appear under the Sixteen's new Coro emblem.) If you know the earlier recordings, you'll quickly notice that the program here is different from the original configurations: there are five selections from Collins' Vol. 3--Hymn to the Virgin, A Hymn of Saint Columba, Hymn to Saint Peter, Jubilate Deo, Festival Te Deum; three from Vol. 2--Rejoice in the Lamb; Antiphon; Te Deum in C; and the Hymn to Saint Cecilia from Vol. 1.

Recorded performances of Britten's choral music don't get any better than this. No one will argue that this choir was/is capable of singing anything, and singing it as well as or better than anyone--and these Britten pieces are made for exuberant, exultant, exacting singing that the Sixteen can do without a blip, a glitch, or the slightest faltering step. From the fawning, devotional A Hymn to the Virgin to the wild and glorious Rejoice in the Lamb, this is music most perfectly created and most grandly and emphatically presented. A first-class effort; a classic.

--David Vernier

Works:
Hymn to the Virgin
A Hymn of Saint Columba
Hymn to Saint Peter
Antiphon
Te Deum in C
Jubilate Deo
Hymn to Saint Cecilia
Festival Te Deum
Rejoice in the Lamb

John Rutter has an unmistakable style whose identifying characteristics include some favorite rhythmic and melodic elements, devices that tell us immediately that this is the composer of both For the beauty of the earth (one of Rutter's more popular, enduring anthems) and Look at the world, written in 1996 for The Council for the Protection of rural England, and one of eight pieces included on this disc (besides the title work), all of which were composed for various occasions during the past 10 years. Many of the familiar and well-loved staples of Rutter's music are here--the flowing melodies, catchy rhythms, and pop-tinged harmonies; but there also is much evidence of a composer both as inspired as in his classic What sweeter music and more complex than usual in both thematic ideas and expressive technique.


The opening of the outstanding Mass of the Children (a work completed in early 2003 and first performed at a Carnegie Hall concert) is full of promise, its exciting, engaging, Britten-esque tune for children's chorus capturing our attention and setting the stage for a fresh, new experience. I only wish that Rutter had continued with this idea and developed it--or at least played off its dancing, jaunty style. But instead the children's song melds (albeit very nicely and easily) into a Kyrie that's more comfortably in the traditional Rutter character--a perfectly effective transition and comprised of very fine, well-fashioned music, but leaving us to imagine what greater adventures might have been.


There are many more marvelous passages for the children's voices, including the lovely Benedictus, a lilting, Siciliana-like section whose initial gentleness expands into a full-bodied expression, joined by the adult choir and soloists. One of the more affecting passages--and most impressive in terms of text setting, mood, and orchestration--is the Agnus Dei, whose opening minutes capture the profound seriousness and eternal consequences of our plea for mercy. Just as suddenly, the children take over with a tender, beguiling setting of William Blake's The Lamb, returning our thoughts to the innocent one who "became a little child", the one to whom we pray. Then, not unsurprisingly for this optimistic composer, we're left with a Dona nobis pacem benediction that's as strongly reassuring as we can imagine. In addition to the standard Latin Missa brevis texts, Rutter also characteristically organizes his material by inserting texts from other sources, "giving the whole work the framework of a complete day, from waking to sleeping", beginning and ending with settings of a morning and evening hymn by Bishop Thomas Ken.


The remaining works are highlighted by A Clare Benediction (which Rutter wrote for his alma mater), the a cappella Musica Dei donum (widely known for its inclusion in the tribute to Linda McCartney, A Garland for Linda), and an unusual and quite demanding setting of Come down, O Love divine for unaccompanied double choir. The Cambridge Singers (whose roster shows a major turnover of singers from its last incarnation) is as vocally well-matched, technically polished, and musically involving as always. The Cantate Youth Choir is a delight, and the two soloists are ideal. The sound grants both spaciousness and warmth to the singers and orchestra, so that in all it's hard to imagine a session with this recording that would be anything less than satisfying, especially for Rutter fans, who will have to have this--and who will be thrilled to have a new release from this revered composer and his choir, whose recordings during the past few years have been all too few and far between. [9/8/2003]
--David Vernier, ClassicsToday.com

Three composers from the group which styled itself ‘La Jeune France’ test vocal technique as never before, in music that can be rapturous and visceral, perfumed and mystical, fresh, sensuous, erotic; music that was wholly new and yet recognizably French, a subtle mix of primitive emotion and sophistication overlaid with the élan and self-confidence of a re-born Paris, striding into the second half of the twentieth century.

R E V I E W S:

“This disc is something not far from a revelation ... elaborately sonorous, radiantly glowing ... as usual from this fine group, the performances are immaculately detailed, and, especially in the Messiaen, they have a very un-English sense of the sumptuousness that binds it in to a compelling whole.” THE DAILY TELEGRAPH

Fanfare:
"Formed as a counterpoise to the urbane neo-Classicism and iconoclastic tendencies of Les Six, La Jeune France was a group of French composers who, in the words of Harry Christophers, wished to “restore eternal spiritual values to music.” Its members were André Jolivet, Olivier Messiaen, Jean Yves Daniel-Lesur, and, not represented on this CD, Yves Baudrier. All four were born between 1905 and 1908. The three cycles on this CD were commissioned by Marcel Couraud for his eponymous Ensemble Vocale. Couraud specified that they should be in 12 parts, about 20 minutes in length, and set to texts dealing with love.

Jolivet wrote his own text, compiling it from Egyptian, Hindu, Chinese, and Greek sources. This is a fantastically difficult work—not choral at all, but actually a setting for a “vocal orchestra” consisting of 12 solo voices. Similarly, Messiaen wrote his own texts for the Cinq rechants, basing it (as with the Turangalîla-symphonie and Harawi) in part on the story of Tristan and Isolde, and using Sanskrit and the Quecha language of Peru’s original native tribes. The music is absolutely typical of this composer, and the similarities between the Cinq rechants and the aforementioned Harawi are too numerous to mention here. Daniel-Lesur turned to the Bible and the Song of Songs for his text. At least in this recording, La cantique des cantiques uses a larger group of singers (24) than is used in the Jolivet and in the Messiaen (12). (One wonders why this ensemble is called “The Sixteen”!) At least in the United States, Daniel-Lesur is almost unknown today. (Norman Lebrecht, in his Companion to 20th-Century Music, drops the nugget that Daniel-Lesur “retreated” from the ideals of La Jeune France, and “wagnerized Pelléas” in his only opera Andrea del Sarto.) Of these three works, Messiaen’s is the most distinctive, Jolivet’s the most musically advanced, and Daniel-Lesur’s the most straightforward and conventionally erotic.

The members of The Sixteen sing with such accuracy and control that parts of the Cinq rechants are actually terrifying. (The climax of the middle song may have you worrying that your CD player is malfunctioning.) In terms of technique, there’s nothing lacking from these readings." - Raymond Tuttle, FANFARE

Portuguese sacred music of this period inhabits a distinctive sound world that can be seen as a continuation and development of the Spanish style of composers such as Morales and Guerrero, but it is often allied to a tantalizing harmonic richness and colour that is found nowhere else. Its individuality parallels the new and astonishing Manueline architecture in which much of it would have been performed.

These works show some of the breadth and range of Britten's choral writing, embracing the masque from his opera Gloriana, his own take on the English part song tradition in Five Flower Songs, and his last work for unaccompanied voices, Sacred and Profane. The latter sets medieval texts described herein as 'a mixture of the devotional and the rumbustiously secular'.

This is a hybrid Super Audio CD playable on both regular and Super Audio CD players.

'Consistently outstanding performances, musical beyond belief, and worthy of any collection' (MusicWeb International); 'Yet again a fine achievement, striking the right balance between deep contemplation and freshness of approach.' (International Record Review); 'The same thrillingly high standard as the whole series.' (Pizzicato); 'Suzuki and his Bach Collegium Japan continue to overwhelm us.' (Classica-Répertoire) – the list could go on and on! These quotes from all over the world apply to Volume 28 of Bach Collegium Japan's Cantata cycle, but the reception has repeated itself throughout this series. On the present, 33rd instalment Masaaki Suzuki has chosen to open with a jubilant New Year cantata, Jesu, nun sei gepreiset, first performed on 1 January 1725. Only a few weeks later BWV 92 was performed, exhorting the congregation of Bach's Thomaskirche in Leipzig to surrender to God’s will and God’s hand. In this unusually long cantata Bach pays special attention to creating variety, and illustrates the text with powerful musical images. The closing cantata is BWV130, composed for Michaelmas – a feast day in celebration of the Archangel Michael and all angels. Again a festive work, in which trumpets and timpani play an important part, notably in the bass aria ‘Der alte Drache brennt’, a display piece in which the trumpets play as if in combat with the ‘old dragon’. Here we also hear German bass singer Dominik Wörner, who with this disc makes a fortuitous début with the Bach Collegium Japan. He is joined by Jan Kobow, tenor, who has appeared before in the cycle, and regular soloists Yukari Nonoshita, soprano, and Robin Blaze, counter-tenor.

The major figure on this disc is Pelham Humfrey (1647–74), who is represented by seven anthems, though four of them are very brief, the shortest works on the disc. Two of his larger works, O Lord, my God (which leads the program) and By the waters of Babylon were on Nicholas McGegan’s Humfrey disc (16:5), and the shorter Wilt thou forgive that sin (also known as a hymn to God the Father) has been recorded more than a few times. The only anthem credited to John Blow (1649-1708), I will hearken, seems to be a first recording, one of two dozen symphony anthems that he wrote for the Chapel Royal. Henry Cooke (c. 1615–72), not to be confused with several Cookes who lived in other eras, is missing from every catalog I checked, so the two anthems here seem to be the first recordings of the composer. William Turner (1651–1740) is listed here only because he contributed to the “Club” Anthem (I will always give thanks), a piece of juvenilia composed by three young singers at the Chapel Royal. Judging by style, Humfrey wrote the beginning and the largest share, Turner wrote the bass solo that follows, and Blow wrote the rest. Turner is known for The king shall rejoice, written for the coronation of James II, a work that has been lost, though Simon Preston substituted another work for it in his recording (11:1).

The three principal names have more than this in common, for they were the first three masters of the choristers of the Chapel Royal after the Restoration. Training a dozen boys after the tradition had been interrupted for 11 years would have been difficult, but Captain Cooke simply went around and drafted the ablest boys from the country’s choral foundations. When he died in 1672, Humfrey succeeded him and married his daughter, but he lived only two years longer. Blow followed for the next 35 years. The anthems heard on this disc combine solo verses and choral sections with symphonies, lengthy interludes played by a consort of violins (there are only four here, with two theorbos and organ), replacing the sackbuts and cornets of earlier times.

O Lord, my God certainly deserves pride of place here, but Put me not to rebuke and O Lord, thou hast searched me out demonstrate that Cooke, his teacher, laid the foundation for the Restoration school of composition, for half of the dozen boys that started under him in 1661 made names for themselves. This is an unusually well-made collection, sharply focused in content, and beautifully sung and played in The Sixteen’s familiar style. The verse soloists are gratifying, a contrast to the embarrassing work sometimes heard from cathedral choirs that record this repertoire. An earlier disc of this kind (it also included O Lord, my God, though Purcell and Locke furnished most of the contents) was a similarly titled Erato LP by John Eliot Gardiner. (The notes here seem to quote all of the same contemporaries as Gardiner cited.) This is the finest survey of the Chapel Royal since that issue.

FANFARE: J. F. Weber

This is an, err… enchanting disc of Grieg’s choral music – both original and arranged for choir. The opening, resonant, full bodied choral arrangement of the popular “At Rondane”, op.33, No.2 (originally for voice and piano) is plain gorgeous in its moody way. Two religious songs were prepared for mixed choir by Grieg himself of which “Withered, Fallen – At the Bier of a Young Wife” sounds a bit predictable, but touching in its cathedral-like piety. In this song, as in “Ave, Maris Stella” or indeed most of the other works on this glorious sounding (multi-channel/stereo) hybrid SACD, the non-Norwegian ear will always pick up a certain preciousness, that silver-voiced, Christmas-choir touch with scents and touches of mulled wine, snow boots, and blond locks under a woolen hat.

“Margaret’s Cradle Song” op.15, No.1, a short gem some 90 seconds long, was written in appreciation of the birth of his daughter Alexandra in 1868. It is set to the Ibsen poem of the same name and hauntingly beautiful. Alexandra, however, never got to appreciate her song; she died shortly after it was written. (Which is tragic and yet, given that it was set to something by Ibsen, also so terribly appropriate.)

Grete Pedersen, who conducts the Norwegian Soloists’ Choir also sets the first of the Lyric Pieces op.71 “Det var engang” for mixed choir. It might be the only miscalculation in that the result sounds nice and pleasant but also — in its dum-de-dum new-agey way — cheap.

Norway was already an independent nation when Grieg composed the 1907 Four Psalms op.74, his last work. It’s a somber end to his musical output – with “Jesus Christ is Risen” being an especially austere, if moving, setting of this Hans Adolf Brorson text. The four psalm settings are based on a collection of Norwegian “newer and older mountain tunes” that Grieg wanted to help preserve with his musical adoption. He has achieved that all over again by having them included in this very fine reminder that Grieg is so much more than the Grieg of a certain mountain king’s hall, or of lyric pieces, or a piano concerto.

-- Jens F. Laurson, WETA 90.9

Recorded ‘as live’ in October 2006 following its performance at The Sixteen’s opening concert as Associate Artists of Southbank Centre, Brahms’ German Requiem one of the great choral masterpieces of all time. Brahms himself made a piano transcription of the orchestral parts of his magnificent Requiem. The arrangement for two players allows a degree of intimacy, precision and contrapuntal clarity that cannot be achieved in the orchestral version; indeed, at times one is reminded of the Liebeslieder-Walzer op. 52. In 1871 this version was given its English première conducted by Brahms’s friend Julius Stockhausen.  It is appropriate therefore that the piano used on this recording is a Bösendorfer of 1872 thus allowing us to experience the sort of sound Brahms himself would have heard.

S. MAYR David in the Cave of Engedi • Franz Hauk (hpd, cond); Merit Ostermann ( David ); Cornelia Horak ( Saul ); Ai Ichihara ( Michal ); Sibylla Duffe ( Jonathan ); Claudia Schneider ( Abner ); Simon Mayr Chorus & Ens • NAXOS 8.570366 (2 CDs: 94:13)


The Bavarian-born Johannes Simon Mayr (1763–1845) is probably most often remembered as the teacher and mentor of Donizetti. Until recently, his own works—more than 60 operas, some 600 liturgical compositions, as well as chamber music and symphonies—have been the realm of specialists. At 24 he abandoned studies in philosophy and law at the University of Ingolstadt to pursue a musical career in Italy. He studied first in Bergamo, then with Bertoni in Venice, where he began writing operas. The second he composed for La Fenice in 1796 was so successful that Mayr became much sought after in the world of Italian opera. The next year, his operas were produced in Vienna, and performances in other European capitals and in the U.S. followed. Despite lucrative offers from Paris, St. Petersburg, Lisbon, Dresden, and London, Mayr preferred to remain in Italy. He settled in Bergamo, establishing a music school, spearheading philanthropies to benefit musicians, and becoming an important champion of the Viennese style south of the Alps.


Mayr wrote his fascinating oratorio David in spelunca Engaddi (“David in the Cave of Engedi”) during his first creative blossoming. It was destined for one of the four Venetian ospedali , those institutions for orphaned or indigent girls where, earlier in the century, Vivaldi had been employed. Characteristically for a work commissioned by the Ospedale dei Mendicanti, its five solo roles, as well as the chorus, are all treble voices. The libretto by Foppa is based on scenes from Samuel I. King Saul is jealous of David, hero of Israel’s wars against the Philistines and tries to kill him. Saul’s son Jonathan and daughter Michal help David, who is able to stay one step ahead of Saul’s operatives. In the wilderness of Engedi, David comes upon Saul asleep in a cave. Though David has ample cause to kill Saul, he spares the king’s life. David’s display of loyalty reconciles Saul with his anointed successor as King of Israel. Though it’s difficult to say what is most striking about this masterful work, certainly character delineation in each principal role is unusually acute. Through the course of the oratorio, their characters develop with a psychological complexity rare in the genre, particularly in the late 18th century. The vocal writing is superb, florid, idiomatic, and deftly evokes the affects of the text.


Despite its economy of means, the choral writing, mostly in two parts, is extremely effective. And in a proto-Wagnerian sense, the orchestra almost becomes a character, its traditional role of accompaniment significantly expanded. Mayr is a deft and resourceful orchestrator. The brief Sinfonia that prefaces the first part of the oratorio is a little gem, worthy of the young Mozart. The Sinfonia that introduces part II, on the other hand, lasts more than five minutes, a virtual one-movement concerto grosso in Classical garb. Bassoons, oboes, horns and, above all, the harp (David’s instrument) interact with the orchestra in brilliant concertante style. Franz Hauk assembled an uncommonly strong group of soloists, each of whom meets Mayr’s vocal and dramatic demands with artistry and sophistication. Chorus and orchestra respond with ensemble cohesion to Hauk’s imaginative direction. The slow sound decay in the Assam Church of Maria de Victoria in Ingolstadt contributes to the near perfect acoustic ambiance with little blurring of detail. Informative notes are contributed by Iris Winkler, though listeners wishing to follow the text must download a 28-page libretto from the Naxos Web site.


Mayr has long been acknowledged as a key transitional figure between 18th- and 19th-century opera, and a potent influence on Rossini as well as Donizetti. But lately, signs of a fully-fledged revival keep cropping up. Opera Rara, the English company, has three complete Mayr operas in its catalog: Ginevra di Scozia (OR 23) and two productions of Medea in Corinto (OR 11 and OR 215). Cantatas (including one on the death of Beethoven) may be heard on Naxos 8.557958 and the oratorio La passione along with a Stabat mater setting are available on Guild 7251. In the instrumental realm, two of Mayr’s piano concertos may be sampled on Tactus 761301. The strong, nuanced performances that breathe life into David in spelunca Engaddi provide a strong argument for further exploration of Mayr’s imaginative and powerful music. They also suggest that a Mayr revival would be welcome and, perhaps, long overdue.


FANFARE: Patrick Rucker

Dale Warland's group stands on more than 30 years of first-rate performances and acclaimed recordings, and this one from 2002 is a fine representative of its sound and singing style, and of its well-loved Christmas repertoire. It's a warm, unaffected, unforced sound colored by natural resonance rather than the excessive vibrato that defines so many American choirs. The ensemble's legato technique is exemplary, and while all sections of this professional choir are superb, the sopranos are particularly notable for their uniformly lustrous tone. The repertoire titles will be very familiar to Christmas choral music fans, although the particular arrangements may not.


Some of these lesser-known settings include Donna Schultz's Il est né, Kirke Mechem's Fum, fum, fum! and Patapan, and director Warland's own Huron Carol and O little town of Bethlehem (set to the Forest Green tune). There are several fine Stephen Paulus contributions--Gabriel's Message and Three Nativity Carols--along with Jan Sandström's delightfully spooky and increasingly popular version of Es ist ein Ros entsprungen. Traditional favorites such as Wilhousky's Carol of the Bells and Norman Luboff's Joseph Dearest also make welcome appearances, and the disc concludes with Malcolm Sargent's (yes, that Malcolm Sargent) simple and lovely arrangement of Silent Night. Harp, oboe, percussion, and bells add occasional strokes of color, and the sound is ideal. In other words, this is a solidly performed, well-recorded program of the old and new (often combined in the same piece) that will fit nicely into any Christmas music collector's library.
--David Vernier, ClassicsToday.com

VAUGHAN WILLIAMS Mass in g. The Voice out of the Whirlwind 1. Valiant-for-truth. Three Choral Hymns 1. Nothing Is Here for Tears 1. A Vision of Aeroplanes 2. The Souls of the Righteous. A Choral Flourish 1 • Timothy Brown, cond; 1 Ashok Gupta (org); 2 James McVinnie (org); Ch of Clare College Cambridge • NAXOS 8.572465 (63:11)


Vaughan Williams is probably my favorite 20th-century composer; I adore virtually every note that he set to paper. (There are admittedly a few clinkers, such as the Piano Concerto). One of the few works of his that heretofore has failed to appeal to me is the Mass in G Minor, which has always seemed pleasant but not particularly distinguished. That has now changed radically with this disc. The moment the Kyrie sounded through my speakers, I sat bolt upright in my chair, slackjawed and dumbfounded at the ethereal, pellucid purity and superb articulation of the singing, the fleet vigor and elegance of the pacing, and the astonishing inventiveness of the composer’s adaptation of Renaissance means to modern ends in the manner of his stupendous Tallis Fantasia . (As in the earlier work, Vaughan Williams again created an antiphonal contrast between a solo quartet and a larger ensemble.)


The experience sent me scrambling to audition every other recording of the Mass on which I could lay my hands, to find out what I previously had been missing. My conclusion is that most recordings err in using far too large a choir and correspondingly slower tempi, resulting in an overly opaque sound that overburdens a finely wrought, delicate score. To bring out properly the neorenaissance character of the music, a smaller ensemble is needed. In Fanfare 26:2 James Miller cited a Cedille CD by the Chicago-based ensemble His Majestie’s Clerkes as his favorite, I suspect (though not explicitly stated) for reasons similar to mine. (Martin Anderson voiced a contrary opinion in 21:6.) However, the acoustic in that recording is extremely reverberant, overly so for my taste, whereas Naxos gets it exactly right, with balanced clarity and depth. The other recordings I have found with a similar approach are an ABC disc with the Trinity College Choir of Melbourne, which uses boy trebles instead of female sopranos (I prefer the distaff voices here), and a Delphian CD with the Laudibus chamber choir and a highly transparent, echt -Renaissance ensemble sound (I find the Clare College Choir a bit livelier and better blended). In sum, this is now the recording of choice for this work.


The other pieces recorded here are performed on a similarly high plane, and have much less competition, especially since some (The Voice out of the Whirlwind, Three Choral Hymns, A Vision of Aeroplanes ) are offered with organ rather than orchestral accompaniment. All are very typical of the composer’s choral works, except for Vision with its exotically spiky and dissonant opening section, evoking the roar of an aircraft squadron by analogy with the prophet Ezekiel’s apocalyptic vision of four winged creatures. The closest thing to a competitor in this combination of repertoire is the Hyperion disc with the Westminster Cathedral Choir, containing the Mass, Valiant for Truth , and Vision , but the Naxos CD is superior in every way. This is also apparently the first recording of Nothing Is Here for Tears , and the only available recording of the Exultate justi . The booklet notes, by the conductor, are excellent; the only flaw in this production is the lack of texts, which, given the density of certain passages, are a necessity even with fine choral diction. A Google search will turn up all of those on line; in addition to that of the traditional Latin Mass, they are:


• The Voice out of the Whirlwind : Job 38:1–10 and 16–17, 40:7–10.


• A Vision of Aeroplanes: Ezekiel 1:4–28.


• The souls of the Righteous : Wisdom of Solomon 3:1–3.


• Exultate justi : Psalms 32:11 and 33:1–4.


• Valiant-for-Truth : The passage regarding that character in the last chapter of The Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan, beginning, “After this it was noised abroad.”


• Nothing Is Here for Tears : a potted version of lines 1721–40 from Book IV of Paradise Regained by John Milton.


• Three Choral Hymns : German hymn texts (two derived through Martin Luther) translated by Miles Coverdale, beginning “Alleluya. Christe is now rysen agayne,” “Now blessed be thou, Christ Jesu,” and “Come, holy Spirite, most blessed Lorde.”


Aside from this one drawback, this disc has my highest possible recommendation, and is a candidate for the 2010 Want List.


FANFARE: James A. Altena


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Recordings of Vaughan Williams' Mass in G minor don't come along that often--but with this new one, Naxos has two first-rate performances in its catalog, the other with the Elora Festival Singers. That's where the similarity between the two recordings ends, however--and that's a good thing. In fact, this disc is different from most Vaughan Williams choral programs due to its abundance of rarely-heard works.

The two more-familiar items--Valiant-for-truth and the Mass--are performed as well as you'll hear anywhere on disc; the challenging a cappella scoring in both--but especially in the very exposed textures of the Mass--allows us to fully appreciate this choir's ensemble unity and solid intonation. The Mass is among the faster-paced versions on disc, similar to our reference recording (Cedille), but Timothy Brown knows that slower can mean trouble in this work, and he moderates tempo where it counts, most importantly in the Agnus Dei.

Among the lesser-known works, The Voice out of the Whirlwind is one of those grand cathedral anthems with a busy organ accompaniment, fun for all to sing and play, while Nothing is here for tears (written on the death of King George V) is in the best tradition of this composer's unison-voice anthems whose lovely, easily singable hymn-like tunes and well-crafted organ parts are always appreciated by choral directors and choirs. In a completely different universe is the motet A Vision of Aeroplanes, a tour de force for choir and organ (especially for organ!) that sets words from the prophet Ezekiel (the one about the vision of the "wheel within a wheel..."). In the hands of organist James McVinnie and these exceptional singers, the whole fantastic picture comes vividly to life.

Perhaps best of all--and also among the rarely-heard pieces--are the Three Choral Hymns. Although the three-movement work was originally scored for orchestra, Brown and his choir offer what apparently is its first recording with organ accompaniment. It works well, and perhaps in this form it will draw broader attention and more performances.

The Mass always seems difficult to record, and that's true here, with some harshness in the loudest passages and occasional uneven balances between the two choirs and between the choir and quartet of soloists. It's not a big deal, just a peculiar phenomenon that may be related to the particular features of the work's scoring, harmonic structure, and voicing. I also have to mention that for a recording of choral music to come without printed texts, as is the case here (they are only available online), is not ideal, especially when the majority of texts will not be familiar to most listeners. That said, this is an excellent and much needed addition to the Vaughan Williams choral catalog, and fans of the composer will not want to be without it. Strongly recommended.

--David Vernier, ClassicsToday.com

This hybrid disc plays on both CD & SACD players.

BACH Cantatas: No. 17; 1,2,3,4 No. 19; 1,3,4 No. 45; 2,3,4 No. 102 2,3,4 • Masaaki Suzuki, cond; Bach Collegium Japan (period instruments); 1 Hana Blažíková (sop); 2 Robin Blaze (ct); 3 Gerd Türk (ten); 4 Peter Kooij (bs) • BIS 1851 (SACD: 76:24 Text and Translation)


Masaaki Suzuki continues his estimable series with Volume 46 of the complete Bach cantatas. The latter half of the year 1726 saw the creation of these pieces, done at a time when Bach was not writing as many of his own and making use of the work of other composers in his churchly duties. Johann Ludwig Bach composed the texts for these cantatas, from a cycle of the church years published in Meiningen in 1704, and evidently a great inspiration for Sebastian Bach. All except No. 19 are bipartite in form, beginning with a quote from the Old Testament, followed by a parallel quote from the New at the beginning of part I. No. 19 is dedicated to Michaelmas.


But what sets these apart is the almost symphonic conception of the opening choruses, boisterous and energetic, and even the timings indicate that something is up—4:07, 4:08, 5:19, and 5:35, respectively (according to the order in the head note) are quite extensive for the cantatas in general, and it gives Bach ample opportunity to develop his music in the way that perhaps only the Passions allow. The extended division of the works also gives him time to accentuate the differences in mood among movements, more dramatically than in some other cantatas. Though these pieces are taking place in comparatively bland seasons—10th (102), eighth (45), 14th (17) after Trinity, and St. Michael (19) Sundays, respectively, the depth of compositional effort is a little startling. The last particularly was always celebrated with much splendor and high drama, and Bach does not disappoint; right from the start, without benefit of orchestral introduction the choir enters the fray with blazing coloraturas. This is after all, music about a war in heaven. But the trumpets and timpani ensure that by the end no one is in doubt as to the victor, and all leave the church suitably exalted.


O Lord, Are Not Thine Eyes Upon the Truth (No. 102) must have blown away some parishioners with its massive sweep and concise themes used as the basis for the entire cantata. No. 45, He Hath Showed Thee, O Man, What Is Good takes as its theme obedience, and Bach demonstrates this musically by using only one theme in the opening movement, expanding the argument brilliantly combining fugal and concertante elements. This is perhaps the most relaxed of the works on this disc, each movement in possession of noble bearing and high stature. Whoso Offereth Praise Glorifieth Me (No. 17) is the most joyous on the disc, amplified by the tight and unified structure of the opening movement, even though the final chorus may be considered more reflective as it speaks of mankind’s very short passage through life, and implores pity from the Father.


As I have mentioned before, Suzuki’s renderings are definitely a believer’s Bach, more impassioned and assertive than others. Recently I have had a chance to listen to all of Koopman’s recordings and have to fess up to a mistaken judgment; while they are not as demonstrative as these, they are a valid take on a many-faceted music, and I now reverse myself on my previously harsh opinions. Even so, this one sounds great in Super Audio, and if push came to shove I would still recommend these over all others currently offered. Bring on Volume 47!


FANFARE: Steven E. Ritter