Rheinberger: Sacred Choral Works / Bruffy, Et Al
Chandos

Rheinberger: Sacred Choral Works / Bruffy, Et Al

$21.99

Details

Composer
RHEINBERGER BIBLE - NEW TESTA
Artist
Bruffy
Format
SACD
Label
Chandos
Released
Oct 01, 2007
Catalog #
CHSA 5055
UPC
095115505526

About

"Rheinberger is best known for his twenty organ sonatas. He studied in Munich and spent his working life there, developing a reputation as a teacher. His pupils included William Furtwängler and Engelbert Humperdinck. His organ sonatas have long been known to organists but it is only relatively recently that his choral music has come to prominence. He was a master of counterpoint, producing finely structured works full of graceful melodies. In style, the choral music of Brahms and Mendelssohn is never really far away.

His Mass in E flat for double choir was written in 1878. It comes from a period when Rheinberger was emerging from the influence of the Cecilian movement. The Gloria and Credo follow the Cecilian tenets with clear and straightforward setting of the text and little in the way of word-painting. But in the other movements of the mass he is freer, with many echoes of Venetian poly-choral techniques.

This new recording was made by two professional American choirs, the Phoenix Bach Choir and the Kansas City Chorale, conducted by Charles Bruffy. The two groups come together annually to record double choir works. The resulting ensemble is remarkably large, some forty-eight professional singers. They have a good clear focused sound, with a strong bright soprano line. They are recorded in a generous acoustic and the result captures well the ebb and flow of Rheinberger's music. Though the recording does seem to favour the high voices, I would have liked more bass.

Under Bruffy's direction the two choirs display remarkable cohesiveness of ensemble. His speeds are often quite relaxed, in such movements as the end of the Agnus Dei in the Mass I would have preferred a quicker tempo.

Bruffy and his ensemble couple the work with a selection of Rheinberger's motets. The lovely double choir Easter Hymn combines a setting of Victimae Paschale with Terra Tremuit. The four Six-voiced Motets are settings of extracts from the Psalms and sound the sort of grateful motets which should be in every good church choir's repertoire. The Drei Geistliche Gesange set sacred German poems. These are lovely works, well recorded and this collection should suit if you want to explore Rheinberger's choral music."

-- Robert Hugill, MusicWeb International

Tracklist 14 tracks

  1. 1 Oster-Hymne (Easter Hymn), Op. 134 05:54
    Track
    1
    Title
    Oster-Hymne (Easter Hymn), Op. 134
    Duration
    05:54
    Composer
    Josef Gabriel Rheinberger
    Ensemble
    Phoenix Bach Choir, Kansas City Chorale
    Conductor
    Charles Bruffy
  2. 2 No. 1. Anima nostra 04:13
    Track
    2
    Title
    No. 1. Anima nostra
    Duration
    04:13
    Composer
    Josef Gabriel Rheinberger
    Ensemble
    Phoenix Bach Choir, Kansas City Chorale
    Conductor
    Charles Bruffy
  3. 3 No. 2. Meditabor 03:11
    Track
    3
    Title
    No. 2. Meditabor
    Duration
    03:11
    Composer
    Josef Gabriel Rheinberger
    Ensemble
    Phoenix Bach Choir, Kansas City Chorale
    Conductor
    Charles Bruffy
  4. 4 No. 3. Laudate Dominum 02:16
    Track
    4
    Title
    No. 3. Laudate Dominum
    Duration
    02:16
    Composer
    Josef Gabriel Rheinberger
    Ensemble
    Phoenix Bach Choir, Kansas City Chorale
    Conductor
    Charles Bruffy
  5. 5 No. 4. Angelus Domini 02:55
    Track
    5
    Title
    No. 4. Angelus Domini
    Duration
    02:55
    Composer
    Josef Gabriel Rheinberger
    Ensemble
    Phoenix Bach Choir, Kansas City Chorale
    Conductor
    Charles Bruffy
  6. 6 Kyrie 04:11
    Track
    6
    Title
    Kyrie
    Duration
    04:11
    Composer
    Josef Gabriel Rheinberger
    Ensemble
    Phoenix Bach Choir, Kansas City Chorale
    Conductor
    Charles Bruffy
  7. 7 Gloria 03:20
    Track
    7
    Title
    Gloria
    Duration
    03:20
    Composer
    Josef Gabriel Rheinberger
    Ensemble
    Phoenix Bach Choir, Kansas City Chorale
    Conductor
    Charles Bruffy
  8. 8 Credo 04:58
    Track
    8
    Title
    Credo
    Duration
    04:58
    Composer
    Josef Gabriel Rheinberger
    Ensemble
    Phoenix Bach Choir, Kansas City Chorale
    Conductor
    Charles Bruffy
  9. 9 Sanctus 02:14
    Track
    9
    Title
    Sanctus
    Duration
    02:14
    Composer
    Josef Gabriel Rheinberger
    Ensemble
    Phoenix Bach Choir, Kansas City Chorale
    Conductor
    Charles Bruffy
  10. 10 Benedictus 02:20
    Track
    10
    Title
    Benedictus
    Duration
    02:20
    Composer
    Josef Gabriel Rheinberger
    Ensemble
    Phoenix Bach Choir, Kansas City Chorale
    Conductor
    Charles Bruffy
  11. 11 Agnus Dei 07:31
    Track
    11
    Title
    Agnus Dei
    Duration
    07:31
    Composer
    Josef Gabriel Rheinberger
    Ensemble
    Phoenix Bach Choir, Kansas City Chorale
    Conductor
    Charles Bruffy
  12. 12 No. 1. Morgenlied: Die Sterne sind erblichen 05:47
    Track
    12
    Title
    No. 1. Morgenlied: Die Sterne sind erblichen
    Duration
    05:47
    Composer
    Josef Gabriel Rheinberger
    Ensemble
    Phoenix Bach Choir, Kansas City Chorale
    Conductor
    Charles Bruffy
  13. 13 No. 2. Hymn: Dein sind die Himmel 02:20
    Track
    13
    Title
    No. 2. Hymn: Dein sind die Himmel
    Duration
    02:20
    Composer
    Josef Gabriel Rheinberger
    Ensemble
    Phoenix Bach Choir, Kansas City Chorale
    Conductor
    Charles Bruffy
  14. 14 No. 3. Abendlied: Bleib bei uns 04:32
    Track
    14
    Title
    No. 3. Abendlied: Bleib bei uns
    Duration
    04:32
    Composer
    Josef Gabriel Rheinberger
    Ensemble
    Phoenix Bach Choir, Kansas City Chorale
    Conductor
    Charles Bruffy