Haenssler Classic
Lauridsen: O Magnum Mysterium / Matt, Europe Chamber Choir
$20.99
Only 3 left
Details
- Composer
- LAURIDSEN, MORTON
- Artist
- Halubek, Lauridsen, Matt
- Format
- CD
- Label
- Haenssler Classic
- Released
- Oct 16, 2006
- Catalog #
- 98272
- UPC
- 4010276019268
About
Morten Lauridsen has been very fortunate in his treatment by choirs and record labels. Part of the reason is because his music is just so sonorous, singable, and sellable. But, sticking with the alliteration, it's also "serious" in the sense that his style seems to come from a genuine and personal conviction rather than from some external, commercial or image-driven influence. His music is functional, if you want it to be, but it also serves very well as pure concert material, and the three choral cycles Lux Aeterna, Les Chansons des Roses, and Madrigali have achieved a degree of success in that role. I've commented in detail regarding Lauridsen's style in previous reviews, and you can find such a description by typing Q8554 in Search Reviews, which refers to a Hyperion recording by Stephen Layton and Polyphony that duplicates two-thirds of the program presented here.
It takes only a few minutes of listening to discern some of the primary features--some would say "formulaic traits"--characteristic of Lauridsen's more popular works, exemplified in O magnum mysterium and the Lux aeterna cycle. But it's hard not to luxuriate along with the choir in the rich-textured sound and affectingly simple melodic phrases. The work here that's not on the Polyphony recording is the choral cycle Les Chansons des Roses. Premiered in 1993, the five songs are set to poems about roses by Rainer Maria Rilke. The final one, Dirait-on (here with the composer at the piano), has become a concert favorite, but the others are equally worthy of attention by accomplished choirs. The Lux Aeterna cycle is a masterpiece of Lauridsen's kind of choral sonority and word-setting, the organ accompaniment a perfect complement to the singers' "organ-like" textures and timbres.
My only real criticism of Polyphony's performances (that disc also includes Ave Maria and Ubi caritas et amor) was its dreadfully slow reading of Lauridsen's now-ubiquitous O magnum mysterium, which retained the resonance of the harmonies but sapped the energy from the long, flowing phrases. Well, if I thought that version was slow, Nicol Matt and his Chamber Choir of Europe--unquestionably one of the world's top-tier ensembles--had a surprise in store: this one is nearly a quarter of a minute longer! Aside from some sort of odd competition (the score clearly, wisely, indicates a much faster tempo), I can't understand the purpose for the snail's pace, notwithstanding the fact that it's effortlessly sung. At any rate, this is another excellent Lauridsen program that will please choral enthusiasts and hopefully will expand this composer's reach to listeners who still haven't made his acquaintance. The sound, from two different church venues in Germany, is very good if a touch bright and weighted toward treble at louder volume on some tracks. [11/9/2006]
--David Vernier, ClassicsToday.com
It takes only a few minutes of listening to discern some of the primary features--some would say "formulaic traits"--characteristic of Lauridsen's more popular works, exemplified in O magnum mysterium and the Lux aeterna cycle. But it's hard not to luxuriate along with the choir in the rich-textured sound and affectingly simple melodic phrases. The work here that's not on the Polyphony recording is the choral cycle Les Chansons des Roses. Premiered in 1993, the five songs are set to poems about roses by Rainer Maria Rilke. The final one, Dirait-on (here with the composer at the piano), has become a concert favorite, but the others are equally worthy of attention by accomplished choirs. The Lux Aeterna cycle is a masterpiece of Lauridsen's kind of choral sonority and word-setting, the organ accompaniment a perfect complement to the singers' "organ-like" textures and timbres.
My only real criticism of Polyphony's performances (that disc also includes Ave Maria and Ubi caritas et amor) was its dreadfully slow reading of Lauridsen's now-ubiquitous O magnum mysterium, which retained the resonance of the harmonies but sapped the energy from the long, flowing phrases. Well, if I thought that version was slow, Nicol Matt and his Chamber Choir of Europe--unquestionably one of the world's top-tier ensembles--had a surprise in store: this one is nearly a quarter of a minute longer! Aside from some sort of odd competition (the score clearly, wisely, indicates a much faster tempo), I can't understand the purpose for the snail's pace, notwithstanding the fact that it's effortlessly sung. At any rate, this is another excellent Lauridsen program that will please choral enthusiasts and hopefully will expand this composer's reach to listeners who still haven't made his acquaintance. The sound, from two different church venues in Germany, is very good if a touch bright and weighted toward treble at louder volume on some tracks. [11/9/2006]
--David Vernier, ClassicsToday.com
Tracklist 17 tracks
-
1 No. 1. En une seule fleur 02:44
- Track
- 1
- Title
- No. 1. En une seule fleur
- Duration
- 02:44
- Composer
- Morten Lauridsen
- Conductor
- Nicol Matt
-
2 No. 2. Contre qui, rose 04:07
- Track
- 2
- Title
- No. 2. Contre qui, rose
- Duration
- 04:07
- Composer
- Morten Lauridsen
- Conductor
- Nicol Matt
-
3 No. 3. De ton reve trop plein 02:16
- Track
- 3
- Title
- No. 3. De ton reve trop plein
- Duration
- 02:16
- Composer
- Morten Lauridsen
- Conductor
- Nicol Matt
-
4 No. 4. La Rose Complete 04:07
- Track
- 4
- Title
- No. 4. La Rose Complete
- Duration
- 04:07
- Composer
- Morten Lauridsen
- Conductor
- Nicol Matt
-
5 No. 5. Dirait-on 05:06
- Track
- 5
- Title
- No. 5. Dirait-on
- Duration
- 05:06
- Composer
- Morten Lauridsen
- Performer
- Morten Lauridsen
- Conductor
- Nicol Matt
-
6 Introitus 07:38
- Track
- 6
- Title
- Introitus
- Duration
- 07:38
- Composer
- Morten Lauridsen
- Performer
- Jörg Halubek
- Conductor
- Nicol Matt
-
7 In Te, Domine, Speravi 04:25
- Track
- 7
- Title
- In Te, Domine, Speravi
- Duration
- 04:25
- Composer
- Morten Lauridsen
- Performer
- Jörg Halubek
- Conductor
- Nicol Matt
-
8 O Nata Lux 04:27
- Track
- 8
- Title
- O Nata Lux
- Duration
- 04:27
- Composer
- Morten Lauridsen
- Performer
- Jörg Halubek
- Conductor
- Nicol Matt
-
9 Veni, Sancte Spiritus 02:31
- Track
- 9
- Title
- Veni, Sancte Spiritus
- Duration
- 02:31
- Composer
- Morten Lauridsen
- Performer
- Jörg Halubek
- Conductor
- Nicol Matt
-
10 Agnus Dei 10:59
- Track
- 10
- Title
- Agnus Dei
- Duration
- 10:59
- Composer
- Morten Lauridsen
- Performer
- Jörg Halubek
- Conductor
- Nicol Matt
-
11 No. 1. Ov' e, lass', il bel viso? 03:36
- Track
- 11
- Title
- No. 1. Ov' e, lass', il bel viso?
- Duration
- 03:36
- Composer
- Morten Lauridsen
- Conductor
- Nicol Matt
-
12 No. 2. Quando son più lontan 04:54
- Track
- 12
- Title
- No. 2. Quando son più lontan
- Duration
- 04:54
- Composer
- Morten Lauridsen
- Conductor
- Nicol Matt
-
13 No. 3. Amor, lo sento l'alma 02:04
- Track
- 13
- Title
- No. 3. Amor, lo sento l'alma
- Duration
- 02:04
- Composer
- Morten Lauridsen
- Conductor
- Nicol Matt
-
14 No. 4. Io piango, che 'l dolore 03:29
- Track
- 14
- Title
- No. 4. Io piango, che 'l dolore
- Duration
- 03:29
- Composer
- Morten Lauridsen
- Conductor
- Nicol Matt
-
15 No. 5. Luci serene e chiare 03:33
- Track
- 15
- Title
- No. 5. Luci serene e chiare
- Duration
- 03:33
- Composer
- Morten Lauridsen
- Conductor
- Nicol Matt
-
16 No. 6. Se per havervi, oime, donato il core 04:14
- Track
- 16
- Title
- No. 6. Se per havervi, oime, donato il core
- Duration
- 04:14
- Composer
- Morten Lauridsen
- Conductor
- Nicol Matt
-
17 O magnum mysterium 06:54
- Track
- 17
- Title
- O magnum mysterium
- Duration
- 06:54
- Composer
- Morten Lauridsen
- Conductor
- Nicol Matt